Being a full-time resident of D.C. oftentimes means that one overlooks or forgets about all of the great offerings of the District until something big happens. It’s been years since I visited the Washington Monument and months since I’ve stepped into a museum. I mean, I look down my street and see the Capitol building from my bus stop every morning, for pete’s sake! Where’s my sense of history?

Just when I’d almost gotten ready to hole up for the winter and repudiate the outside world entirely, the re-opening of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History has helped to remind me of how lucky I am to live in this city. And to remind me that I need to get out and see more of the free offerings of D.C.

The museum re-opened today after months of renovations. For anybody who visited the place before you know that it was great in presenting seminal moments of history in themed tableau and the like. But it was also full of hopelessly outdated displays, weird elevator corridors, and dark empty corners that seemed to have been left out of the whole curatorial process thing.

Now it’s gotten a shiny makeover, replete with actual shininess, as in the reflective flag now mounted outside the building, as seen above. And while the reviews coming in aren’t exactly genuflecting (see the New York Times for exhibit A), the DCGF is excited to visit some of the newly restored clothing and costume sections. You’ll get my first-hand account in December, but for now, I’d like to share some of the historical interiors that make for fascinating viewing.

First up is Julia Child’s kitchen, part of which is seen at left. The reflection part comes from the entire room being encased in plexiglass. It’s really quite incredible when you think about it: an entire room from Child’s Cambridge, MA, home donated lock, stock, and barrel to the museum with every utensil put into its place upon arrival. It’s almost as if Child’s herself will bound around the corner and start whisking up something in a mixing bowl.

For anyone who’s ever aspired to the all-stainless steel kitchen with high-tech gadgets and sub-zero refrigerators, this kitchen is a subtle reminder that it’s not the tools that make the cook. Her tools are humble wooden spoons and standard-issue department store appliances. No need for fancy dish towels here!

If you thought Mrs. Goodbee was a fancy dollhouse, how about The Dolls’ House designed by Faith Bradford? With over 1,350 miniatures inside its 23 rooms, this perfectly scaled house is enough to keep any child occupied for the duration of his or her childhood.

The inhabitants of the house include Mr. and Mrs. Peter Doll, their 10 children, two visiting grandparents, five servants (that tells you how old it is!) and 20 pets. The details are amazing, right down to all of the junk they have stored in their attic. Need decorating inspiration on a small scale? Look no further…

At the opposite end of the spectrum is a real, full-size house. Built in Ipswich, MA, in the 1760s, the Georgian-style 2 1/2 story A-frame house was owned by five different families before being disassembled beam by beam and reassembled inside the museum. They’ve kept part of the siding off, as you can see, to display the interior and show how the house was modified over the decades.

And here’s the cool part: artifacts from each of the families have been placed inside and around the house, include 18th-century furniture, 19th-century books, and 20th century electronics. How cool would it be to be able to look back and see remnants of everyone who had lived in your place before? Or at least the good stuff..

I’m excited to go visit the new version of this American classic. I’m going to wait until the crowds die down a bit, though. I’m sure it was really busy this morning and the weekend will probably be the same. The DCGF is heading back to her home state of Indiana next week, but have no fear! The blog will continue unabated. And next week’s Good Buys are somethin’ special. See you then!

Any purchase made at a Goodwill Retail Store or on ebay.com funds Goodwill’s mission of training and employment programs for people with disadvantages or disabilities. Copyright Goodwill of Greater Washington, DC Goodwill Fashion Blog. All Rights Reserved.

I’m just gonna put it out there: the DCGF needs an intern. Well, maybe two, actually. You see, it’s going to get very busy here at Goodwill starting January 2 and I can’t do it all on my own. Additionally, the DC Goodwill Fashion blog is looking to expand into new, bi-lingual territory, and the right person could make a name for his/herself in this area. Interested? Here’s the details…

Any purchase made at a Goodwill Retail Store or on ebay.com funds Goodwill’s mission of training and employment programs for people with disadvantages or disabilities. Copyright Goodwill of Greater Washington, DC Goodwill Fashion Blog. All Rights Reserved.

Not talking about hats here, dear readers, but rather the perfect top for the holidays. You know, that great piece that you can wear from party to party without worrying about fit or comfort. The one that you’ll go to again and again to pair with pants and skirts of various colors and styles. Well lucky for you, the DCGF has two such gems for this week’s Goodwill Good Buy of the Week.

First up is a black fitted blouse from Valentino Boutique. It’s in a stiff satin fabric with contrasting ivory plastic multi-faceted buttons and three-quarter length sleeves. It’s fully lined and the seaming creates a narrow waist with a fun flare above the hips. The blouse has a flattering portrait neckline, suitable for showing off a great necklace or earrings. The lightly padded shoulder give structure but don’t overwhelm the silhouette. In short, this might be one of the most beautiful pieces I’ve ever featured on the blog; it’s hard to capture just how great it is in pictures.

The jacket is lightly worn and in a size 12, but remember: it’s Italian, so it’s closer to a US10. Full measurements will be on the DC Goodwill eBay Store later today. Since the jacket has a slight sheen to it, I’ve paired it with a slightly shiny pair of stretch trousers by Alice + Olivia, in a size 8. The pants features front and back patch pockets and a boot cut trouser. Their neutral khaki color would look equally great with a white shirt and denim jacket, too.

The next look adds a splash of color in the form of an ultra flattering wrap shirt from Diane von Furstenberg. In turquoise silk with a touch of stretch, this might be the second best thing I’ve ever had on the blog. It features a standing collar neckline, with a v-neck that will plunge as far as you choose. The ties around the waist are long enough to wrap a couple of times, creating a self-fabric belt that can be loosened after dinner, if needs be. Ha.

The shirt hits right at the hips, so no worrying about annoying gaps between top and bottom. The sleeves are full length and the cuffs have elasticized ruching that echoes the pattern on the collar. This jewel tone piece will last for years to come. You know that Diane’s pieces are destined to become classics!

Since this tops is a bit busier than the Valentino, I’ve paired it with simple straight-cut black velvet trousers from Dana Buchman. Did you know that her items are now going to be sold exclusively at Kohl’s as Dana Buchman Vision? Crazy, right? Well, these are from her original, high-end collection and are in a size 8. These will be very useful all throughout the holidays, as their simple styling makes them a go-to piece for pairing with all kinds of sweaters, blouses, and blazers.

What I really like about both of these pieces is their details, especially at the cuffs. As you can see in the close-up pic at right, you won’t even need any jewelry, the garments are already so elegantly embellished.

This time of year is perhaps my favorite for getting dressed, and whether you celebrate a certain holiday or not, it’s fun to play with texture and fabric, as these two ensembles show. Don’t be afraid to mix silk and velvet, or two different types of satins. Have fun with your wardrobe and layer to your heart’s content. You look good!

Not talking about hats here, dear readers, but rather the perfect top for the holidays. You know, that great piece that you can wear from party to party without worrying about fit or comfort. The one that you’ll go to again and again to pair with pants and skirts of various colors and styles. Well lucky for you, the DCGF has two such gems for this week’s Goodwill Good Buy of the Week.

First up is a black fitted blouse from Valentino Boutique. It’s in a stiff satin fabric with contrasting ivory plastic multi-faceted buttons and three-quarter length sleeves. It’s fully lined and the seaming creates a narrow waist with a fun flare above the hips. The blouse has a flattering portrait neckline, suitable for showing off a great necklace or earrings. The lightly padded shoulder give structure but don’t overwhelm the silhouette. In short, this might be one of the most beautiful pieces I’ve ever featured on the blog; it’s hard to capture just how great it is in pictures.

The jacket is lightly worn and in a size 12, but remember: it’s Italian, so it’s closer to a US10. Full measurements will be on the DC Goodwill eBay Store later today. Since the jacket has a slight sheen to it, I’ve paired it with a slightly shiny pair of stretch trousers by Alice + Olivia, in a size 8. The pants features front and back patch pockets and a boot cut trouser. Their neutral khaki color would look equally great with a white shirt and denim jacket, too.

The next look adds a splash of color in the form of an ultra flattering wrap shirt from Diane von Furstenberg. In turquoise silk with a touch of stretch, this might be the second best thing I’ve ever had on the blog. It features a standing collar neckline, with a v-neck that will plunge as far as you choose. The ties around the waist are long enough to wrap a couple of times, creating a self-fabric belt that can be loosened after dinner, if needs be. Ha.

The shirt hits right at the hips, so no worrying about annoying gaps between top and bottom. The sleeves are full length and the cuffs have elasticized ruching that echoes the pattern on the collar. This jewel tone piece will last for years to come. You know that Diane’s pieces are destined to become classics!

Since this tops is a bit busier than the Valentino, I’ve paired it with simple straight-cut black velvet trousers from Dana Buchman. Did you know that her items are now going to be sold exclusively at Kohl’s as Dana Buchman Vision? Crazy, right? Well, these are from her original, high-end collection and are in a size 8. These will be very useful all throughout the holidays, as their simple styling makes them a go-to piece for pairing with all kinds of sweaters, blouses, and blazers.

What I really like about both of these pieces is their details, especially at the cuffs. As you can see in the close-up pic at right, you won’t even need any jewelry, the garments are already so elegantly embellished.

This time of year is perhaps my favorite for getting dressed, and whether you celebrate a certain holiday or not, it’s fun to play with texture and fabric, as these two ensembles show. Don’t be afraid to mix silk and velvet, or two different types of satins. Have fun with your wardrobe and layer to your heart’s content. You look good!

Not talking about hats here, dear readers, but rather the perfect top for the holidays. You know, that great piece that you can wear from party to party without worrying about fit or comfort. The one that you’ll go to again and again to pair with pants and skirts of various colors and styles. Well lucky for you, the DCGF has two such gems for this week’s Goodwill Good Buy of the Week.

First up is a black fitted blouse from Valentino Boutique. It’s in a stiff satin fabric with contrasting ivory plastic multi-faceted buttons and three-quarter length sleeves. It’s fully lined and the seaming creates a narrow waist with a fun flare above the hips. The blouse has a flattering portrait neckline, suitable for showing off a great necklace or earrings. The lightly padded shoulder give structure but don’t overwhelm the silhouette. In short, this might be one of the most beautiful pieces I’ve ever featured on the blog; it’s hard to capture just how great it is in pictures.

The jacket is lightly worn and in a size 12, but remember: it’s Italian, so it’s closer to a US10. Full measurements will be on the DC Goodwill eBay Store later today. Since the jacket has a slight sheen to it, I’ve paired it with a slightly shiny pair of stretch trousers by Alice + Olivia, in a size 8. The pants features front and back patch pockets and a boot cut trouser. Their neutral khaki color would look equally great with a white shirt and denim jacket, too.

The next look adds a splash of color in the form of an ultra flattering wrap shirt from Diane von Furstenberg. In turquoise silk with a touch of stretch, this might be the second best thing I’ve ever had on the blog. It features a standing collar neckline, with a v-neck that will plunge as far as you choose. The ties around the waist are long enough to wrap a couple of times, creating a self-fabric belt that can be loosened after dinner, if needs be. Ha.

The shirt hits right at the hips, so no worrying about annoying gaps between top and bottom. The sleeves are full length and the cuffs have elasticized ruching that echoes the pattern on the collar. This jewel tone piece will last for years to come. You know that Diane’s pieces are destined to become classics!

Since this tops is a bit busier than the Valentino, I’ve paired it with simple straight-cut black velvet trousers from Dana Buchman. Did you know that her items are now going to be sold exclusively at Kohl’s as Dana Buchman Vision? Crazy, right? Well, these are from her original, high-end collection and are in a size 8. These will be very useful all throughout the holidays, as their simple styling makes them a go-to piece for pairing with all kinds of sweaters, blouses, and blazers.

What I really like about both of these pieces is their details, especially at the cuffs. As you can see in the close-up pic at right, you won’t even need any jewelry, the garments are already so elegantly embellished.

This time of year is perhaps my favorite for getting dressed, and whether you celebrate a certain holiday or not, it’s fun to play with texture and fabric, as these two ensembles show. Don’t be afraid to mix silk and velvet, or two different types of satins. Have fun with your wardrobe and layer to your heart’s content. You look good!

It seems to be a curiosity of Western society that we prize furniture that gets us as far off the ground as possible. Extra-deep, pillow-top mattresses? High-top tables and barstools? It’s all good. But throw us a tatami mat and we recoil in horror. Who wants to be close to the floor?!

Turns out a lot of people do, as some of the biggest trends in furniture bring us further down in the atmosphere, ’til we’re just a few inches about ground level. CB2 calls their new Matchbox Bed an “All-Time Low,” but in a good way. And I love it.

It’s available in lacquered red (shown, right) or white and barely hovers above the floor, leaving room for just a mattress - no box spring required. At $599, it’s definitely a bed you’ll want to make sure you’re committed to for a long time. And don’t even think about under-bed storage options!

One of the coolest couches I’ve seen in a long time is more or less a nubbly blanket that keeps you just shy of laying on the carpet. Called the Feel Seating System (don’t call it a sofa!) from Animi Causa, at left. It this collection of soft spheres that can be shaped and formed to suit your needs.

You have to check out the video on their website to truly appreciate how unique this, uh, thing, is. But don’t get too attached, dear readers, as the XL version shown here costs nearly $3000. Oops! I’ll have to wait for the knock-off version.

If storage is at a premium, aim low, as in the Jasper Morrison “Plan” series for Cappellini. Think of all the things you could stack on top of this! I love the low profile and bright colors. This series and others is available for purchase through Unica Home but, like all really cool stuff, doesn’t come cheap. Most of these cabinets will cost you anywhere between $1000 and $1800. Blargh. Where are the inexpensive furnishings?

Believe it or not, there are a few, you just have to look a bit harder. I like the Umbra Juxta Drawer, available at The Container Store for $39.99. And it does go on sale sometimes. The drawer can be used with or without the detachable legs and is only 14″ high on the legs.

You could stack a couple just sitting on the ground for a stylish, low-slung storage option. They come in black, blue, pink, and white, to fit a variety of decor. Even though they’re plastic, they’re pretty durable. I have a plastic Umbra chair that’s managed to travel to three or four different apartments with me, and it’s no worse for the wear.

Bigger is not always better, just as higher isn’t always mightier. Sometimes you wanna think low.

Any purchase made at a Goodwill Retail Store or on ebay.com funds Goodwill’s mission of training and employment programs for people with disadvantages or disabilities. Copyright Goodwill of Greater Washington, DC Goodwill Fashion Blog. All Rights Reserved.

Maybe it’s because I live in such a diminutive apartment that I love mirrors. They’re said to make small spaced look larger, and I’d like to think that’s the case. Mirrors can possess a nearly magical power, when you stop to think about it, especially when used to harness images in an unexpected way, such as in the case of the Sky Mirror, at right.

At nearly 18 feet in diameter, this mirror weighs 10 tons and sits outside the Nottingham Playhouse in Nottingham, England. Anish Kapoor created the piece, which took nearly six years to come to fruition. It’s reflective on both sides and - like a spoon - turns the image upside down on the concave side and right side up on the convex side. I’m simply fascinated!

Most of us will never see the Sky Mirror, let alone have any use for a mirror that’s bigger than perhaps the back of our closet door. Sure, everybody needs that cheap version from the hardware store to check out your ensemble in all its full-length glory. That doesn’t mean, though, that you can’t incorporate mirrors as a design element elsewhere in your dwelling. Say, for example that you don’t want your mirrors to cover up too much of the walls. The “Fiction” series, at left, from Glas Italia might just be perfect.

The mirrors attach to the wall with a single chromium-plated cylinder and have this cool feature where the degraded silvering on the back allows what’s behind to show through. On the small version, the degrading can go up or down. This slightly creepy, but oh-so-intriguing design is sure to get everybody doing a double-take. Now I don’t know the price on these because it’s a case of “if you have to ask…” Suffice to say they cost less than the Kapoor commission. But that’s not saying much!

Back in regular-people world, the DCGF likes to use mirrors in unexpected ways, like with mirrored furniture. For those of you with sticky-fingered toddlers or super-slurpy puppies, such pieces might not be the best suggestions, but for others, mirrored furniture can fit nicely into a variety of decors, from shabby chic to ultramodern.

The Mirrored Side Table at right is available from Target for $100. Trust me: that’s a great price for mirrored furniture. I have a shorter version of this one and I love it. It looks great with a brushed pewter lamp and black laquered box that I’ve placed on top, along with a vintage orange clamshell ashtray (for decorative purposes only, of course). This would look equally sharp with a vase of dried flowers on top of a lacy doily, or piled with leather-bound books and mahogony bookends. The possibilities are really endless because the mirrors truly reflect whatever’s around them.

If an entire table is too much, but you still want to incorporate mirrors into your furniture, then try taking a mirrored tray that is approximately the same size as the top of a current table in your place and placing it on top as a permanent part of the table. You’ll still get the mirrored effect without having to spend much time or money.

Sometimes mirrors can just be pure fun, with no function whatsoever. The Mod Mirror at left is in the spirit of Andy Warhol’s infamous portraits and - at just 12″ by 12″ - would fit nicely on a wall or ledge. Here’s the catch, though: it costs $200. I said mirrors are expensive!

The DCGF, of course, saw this as an opportunity to take up another Goodwill Challenge. So I thought, it can’t be that hard to create a cool-looking mirror/piece of art to hang on the wall, right? Actually…it’s not.

Here’s what you need: 5″ by 7″ mirror “the kind that you put inside your locker in high school: 3 1/2″ by 5″ mailing labels (the ones that have adhesive on the back); and a hi-res image that you like.

Print out the image on the labels, cut out the parts you where you want the mirror to show through and voila! You get something like my Warhol Soup Can Mirror, at right. And it looks even better in person. Everybody keeps saying, “You made that?!” Yep.

I know, it’s a little off center; I’ll fix that next time. And yeah, it ends up with a lot of fingerprints from applying the labels; I’ll clean that up later. But it looks pretty sweet hanging off the front of the metal cabinet in my cubicle. Take that expensive, really-awesome-looking mirrors! Ha.

Any purchase made at a Goodwill Retail Store or on ebay.com funds Goodwill’s mission of training and employment programs for people with disadvantages or disabilities. Copyright Goodwill of Greater Washington, DC Goodwill Fashion Blog. All Rights Reserved.

Oh, dear readers, don’t you just sometimes wish you had a private (clean fuel burning) jet at your disposal so that you could hop around the country and see the latest in fashionable exhibitions? No? Just me? Okay. Fine.

Since jet-setting is not an option, I want to bring a bit of the latest happenings in stylish artistic endeavors straight to your screen. First up is the Chanel Mobile Art, a Contemporary Art Container, designed by Zaha Hadid and containing the work of 20 international contemporary artists who were charged with musing upon the classic Chanel quilted handbag. That’s the pavillion, at right, a sweeping pod-like, um, thingy (that’s an official art term, right?) that’s classic Hadid all the way.

First shown at the Venice Art Biennale in 2007, the exhibit is making its way around the world and is currently nestled in Central Park, New York City. It doesn’t open to the public until October 21 and you have to make reservations online to view the art.

By far my favorite piece inside is this humongously oversized take on the classic 2.55 bag, replete wish massive gold chain and pink lining. Note its size in comparison to the woman standing at the left, at the exhibit’s grand opening in Tokyo. I ask you this, dear readers: is it too much to ask that my next couch to resemble a Chanel bag? I think not…

Meanwhile, elsewhere (as they say) the Los Angeles County Museum of Art is preparing for Vanity Fair Portraits: Photographs 1913–2008, sponsored by Burberry. Tons of rare images will be on display, especially those that exhibit the intersection of photography and celebrity, which often means that fashion and style are involved. What celebrity doesn’t want to present themselves in the most fashionable way possible to the photographer’s gaze?

At right is an iconic image of Gloria Swanson, but I don’t know enough about it to discern whether the lace was already in front of her, or if it was added by the photographer during the exposure process. Anybody else know? I do know, however, that it’s an absolutely mesmerizing photograph. Especially interesting to see will be the many pieces by Helmut Newton, Steven Meisel, and Herb Ritts, some of the most famous fashion photographers of the second half of the 20th century.

The exhibit opens on October 26 and runs through March 1 of next year, so if you’re in the LA area, I think it’s definitely worth a trip to LACMA to check it out.

For those of us in the Nation’s Capital, there’s good news, too: the Smithsonian National Museum of American History is scheduled to re-open on November 21st, and with that comes all of the great slices of American life over the last two-hundred-and-some-odd years. The museum is also home to a costume collection, including a significant presence of Hispanic designers. The Mariano Fortuny dress, at left, is so stunning that if I owned something like that, I’d probably just hang it from the wall so that I could gaze up it all the time.

The “Delphos Gown,” as it’s known is comprised of finely pleated silk with glass beads around the waist. Can you believe that gowns like this were originally designed to be worn only in the home? I’d be inviting over everyone I know! It’s just a little over a month until all of this is again available to the public, so be sure to mark your calendars.

Can’t make it to any of the museums? Well you’re luck, because the DCGF has a few pieces to post on the DC Goodwill eBay Store today that just might make you feel like you’re in LA or DC. Look for a couple of great portraits from the early part of the 20th century and a dress so stunning that you’ll want to frame it for posterity. As for the Chanel exhibit, well, I don’t have anything like that. I’m afraid that’s only avaible in Central Park…

Well, dear readers, you saw my take on New York Fashion Week a few weeks back. It was okay, but nothing really inspired me to rethink my fashion paradigm, you know? Likewise, I paid only tangential attention (try saying that three times fast!) to London, Milan, and Paris ’cause I had a little thing called the Fashion of Goodwill occupying my time.

As I’ve looked back over the collections, a few pieces have struck my eye. Overall, I don’t think we’re going to experience a sea change in the way we dress for spring. And let’s be honest: the clothing that hits the runways affects most of us only in the ways that it trickles down to mass retailers who can produce pieces in prices that the average gal and guy can afford.

That being said, though, here are some of my favorite designers and their outfits that are inspiring me for spring (in alphabetical order, ’cause that’s how I roll). What can I say unites them all? Two words: color and pattern. The true fashionistas will be saying goodbye to monochromatic looks in pastels and earth tones come warmer weather. You’ll have to take a chance to pull of these looks, but isn’t that what real style is all about? Bring it on!

Oh, my beloved Balenciaga! Can you do no wrong? Well, yes, you can. Because those arm-restricting dresses you showed at the beginning of your show were nothing to write home about. But this jacket is simply mah-velous! The colors and pattern are futuristic without being kitschy. Love it!

Costello Tagliapietra’s ankle-grazing dress continues my beloved trend of longer hemlines. And the pattern feels really fresh and new. Combined with the fact that the two designers look like Paul Bunyan’s more sartorially gifted cousins, the uniqueness of this look is not to be ignored. (And yes, they showed in New York, but I missed them the first time around!)

Sequined exoskeleton? Check. Built-in necklace? Check. Pac-man pattern? Check. Must be Giles. Honestly, the DCGF loves a bit of whimsy in her clothing, espcially dresses with such an otherwise lady-like silhouette. Let’s hope this look inspires a new line at Hot Topic, eh?

Hey…how come this dress wasn’t part of the GO International collection at Target? Ha. ‘Tis okay. I still love Jonathan Saunders anyway. I generally shy away from rainbows in clothing. It just seems a bit overkill. But this gorgeous dress - with its wide collar and flutter sleeves - hits all the right notes without being too much.

Ohne Titel! You gals! What the… I mean… How? I… Arghh…! Nevermind.

Any purchase made at a Goodwill Retail Store or on ebay.com funds Goodwill’s mission of training and employment programs for people with disadvantages or disabilities.