What's In My Closet - Pastiche's Funky Fashions

My fashion passion started when I was a toddler, and blossomed in my teens. As a teenager I started to sew my own clothes. I convinced my Dad to let me "inherit" his WWII navy pea jacket which went smashingly with my hiphugger bell bottom jearns in the late 1960's. They still go just right together and I love wearing 'em.

My favorite shopping boutiques were thrift stores - and still are. In junior high I cut the sleeves off sweatshirts, added trims and embroidery and patches to jeans and stitched patchwork into all sorts of clothing and accessories. I created many belts, accessories and bags from fiber, leather and recycled clothing.

Join me on a tour of the funky fashion section of my closet. Who knows? My closet tour may inspire your own fashion style, trigger a trip down memory lane or give you some ideas for a retro masquerade costume!

The final element to making a big statement with personal style is with accessories. Even when I travel I take along favorite scarves, bags and belts to create many looks from a single outfit. My favorite accessory is gloves ...

I wore this vintage tuxedo with velvet lapels to my older daughter's wedding in 1997. To complete this formal outfit I designed and sewed a blue taffeta cumberbund and wore a lace body suit. The final touches were black velvet pumps and burgundy velvet gloves.

I found a black nutria pelt fur coat in a resale shop near Kutztown University about 15 years ago. It's tiny - just about a size 4 - and I loved wearing it to the opera that evening. I'm saving the fur coat for my granddaughter, who also loves to dress up in fancy clothes and has a huge collection of fun fashions in her closet already (she's 8 years old). To be honest, I don't like the idea of fur coats. If it hadn't been recycled, I doubt that I would have purchased a fur coat.

My black bat wing cape dress is one of my favorite fashions. I can wear it as a shawl, a dress or a cape depending on how I wrap it and whether or not I use the sleeves. I can add a belt or tie a scarf around the waist. Sometimes I wear it as a tunic over leggings or tights - with my tall black taffeta boots. Think Stevie Nicks style ...

Sporting events and concerts at big outdoor stadium venues can be freezing cold if you live in the Northern climes. My floor-length fake-fur cape with hood is perfect for late season football games, New Year's Day parades, or concerts in cooler weather. It's also perfect for sitting around a campfire, carriage- or sleigh-riding. There's even enough room to keep a couple grandkids toasty warm on a snowy day.

I have a basic collection of military clothing: British camo in forest and desert patterns, USMC camo pants, an olive drab field jacket with removeable quilted lining, and a German military canvas coat with hood and zip out pile liner for cold weather. The olive drab jacket is a favorite in our household - my husband also likes to wear it!

I've got two offical Japanese baseball team shirts that I added to my collection in the late 1990's. I'm not certain when these were issued, but they look authentic. Cool, no?