Mind(s) behind Tantrum boutique resurface

If you threw a fit when Tantrum closed a few months ago, then you can dry your tears and warm up your credit card once more.

The email I received earlier today said, "Tantrum will not be transferring emails to Indentity Streetwear." Without making a single phone call or doing any real journalistic work at all beside performing the gratuitous Google search, I'm assuming Jamie Rae is behind all this.

After all, when I talked to her back in January about her store closing she mentioned opening an online boutique. Well by golly, ladies and gents, she's gone and done it.

At the moment, indentitystreetwear.com is just a splash page asking for your information to put on a mailing list. But the corresponding Twitter account, @idstreet, says [Jamie, most likely] is finishing up with her merch photo shoots.

So no new duds to be had yet, but surely there will be.

Way to go Jamie (or whomever)!

Preppy polo brand partners with IMS

When I think Izod, I think tennis. I think little green alligators on polo shirts and dorky pink shorts on guys. I do not think of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Alas, I'll have to change my pure-bred, country club connotations to the over-priced casual wear brand because parent company Phillips-Van Heusen Corp. rolled out its Izod/Indy brand in April. (I just don't know how that slipped below my radar)

Since I'm a little late to the finish line on this one I'll skip telling you about the accompanying sweepstakes that ended May 8, but here's a little more about the merch, sold exclusively at Macy's.

2009 marks the Speedway's 100th anniversary and 2011 is that of the Indianapolis 500. To celebrate the IMS three-year centennial stretch, the shirts depict 100 years of Speedway and Indy 500 artwork on distressed-looking T-shirts and short-sleeve polos.

It all looks to me like it came from the Speedway gift shop or Dave & Buster's, but I'm sure that has nothing to do with why it's all on clearance already. That probably has more to do with the fact the race is over, right?

Race fans on the runway: CARA fashion show this Thursday

There's no amount of afternoon debauchery and appreciation for jumpsuit design that's been able to gain my support for the Indy 500. But an afternoon runway event? Now we're talkin.

Each year the Championship Auto Racing Auxiliary (CARA) raises money for local charities through its fashion luncheon at the Indiana Roof Ball Room. This year's theme, "Everyone Pull Together," will feature local designer Bernie Martin's Catou Couture, merchandise from Broad Ripple's Secret Ingredient and Piper Children's Boutique, to name a few.

Proceeds will benefit CARA’s award-winning Buckle Up Baby child-safety program, Riley Children’s Foundation, the Cody Unser First Step Foundation as well as the Lyn St. James Foundation.

I realize not everyone is insane enough about fashion to attend a fashion show in the middle of the afternoon, so I'll be there, tweeting about it for you. As long as you've got your Tweetdeck, or your Hootsuite tuned in, it'll be like you're there!

For those who can make it, you can get tickets here. They're $75 per person.

Conrad hosts Playboy Pre-Race party

It's a known sin to live in Indianapolis and not care a lick about the Indy 500. That said I have proudly skipped the event all five years of my Hoosier-dome and plan to do the same this weekend.

HOWEVER

There's something special about this year's race and it has less to do with cars than it does naked ladies, that is, naked ladies who will most likely be wearing designer attire at the Conrad this Friday. And designer attire, my friends, is what I'm here to talk about, whether it's on a Playboy Playmate or not.

Extra TV's Carlos Diaz and eight Playboy Playmates, including Miss June 2009 Candice Cassidy will grace the red carpet this Friday at the Conrad's Official Playboy Pre-race Party.

The hotel's second floor will feature a dance floor, DJ, cocktail stations, VIP rooms and bottle service. Festivities last from 8 p.m.- 3 a.m. Dress to impress.

Tickets are available here

Shades of Great: Ode to designer sunglasses

I'm embarrassed to admit there was a time, very recently, when I turned my nose up at designer sunglasses. I can think of myriad ways I'd rather spend $200, and I have--or at least I had until recently--very bad luck with my sunnies.

Countless pairs have met terrible ends, to name a few:
-Isn't it easy to forget you're wearing sunglasses when it's really sunny out? Surely, I'm not the first person to repeatedly jump in the lake still be-sunglassed, not noticing they're gone until they've already sunk to the murky depths.
-Sunglasses are much more dense than clothing and much like a pebble sinks to the bottom of a lake, so many sunglasses have sunk to the bottom of the clothing ocean that is my apartment. RIP, dear shades whom I've stepped on, an unfortunate consequence of sartorial physics
-Glasses cases are such a hassle. It's much easier to toss my gafas in my behemoth purse without bothering to protect them with some sort of sheath. Inevitably they are scratched all to hell by any number of sharp objects lurking in there.

Behold, I am a born-again sunglass-tian and it's all because of a woman named Kate Spade.

Nordstrom was having their half-yearly sale six months ago (hint, hint, May 20th it comes again!) and I strolled in just to look. Well, no I strolled in to max out my Nordstrom card and rack up as many rewards as possible, but mom, I swear I was just gonna look. The first counter in view was the sunglasses counter, to which I'd never before paid attention. My $5 pair from Forever 21 were perched proudly on my noggin and I approached the counter hesitantly.

I tried on a few pairs--they made me look like an insect, like I'd expected--and I was about to walk away when I spotted them. The most beautiful pair of specs I've ever seen. A mock-tortoise shell with a pearlized lime green interior.

I've had these sunglasses for six months now, a steal at $88, and they are not scratched. They are not broken and they are still in my possession. How have I managed this monumental task, you ask? I spent a wad on my protective eyewear, and I treat them like the treasure they are.

I encourage you all to do the same.

Vintage Fashion Auction to Benefit Fatherless Foundation

Every vintage style maven remembers their first find.
Mine was a 1940's wool blazer originally from the old Hudson's flagship store in Detroit (may she rest in peace).
I found it at Patti Smith, a by-gone vintage treasure trove in Royal Oak, Mich.
It smelled a little musty, but it was in perfect condition, no moth holes, and when I slipped it on I felt like Ingrid Bergman, a geometrical hourglass with sharp shoulders, a cinched waist and a prim peplum.
I was swimming in it, of course, because I was 12 years old then and had to save my allowance for weeks before I made the big purchase. I still wear it.

As auctioneer Michele Jackson walked me through the offerings for the Vintage Style Auction coming up May 14, I realized the definition of "vintage" has changed a bit since I was a kid. Things that are now "vintage" were in style when I bought that 1940's blazer. Ack. Forever young in fashion, indeed.

But no matter. The auction will still be fabulous. And it's for a good cause, all proceeds go toward the Fatherless Foundation.

Jackson, heiress to the Jacksons Auctions company, traveled to California to procure pieces worn by such B-list celebrities as Loni Anderson (Jennifer Marlowe in WKRP-Cincinnati) and Victoria McMahon (once married to Ed McMahon).

Highlights include:

• Red carpet gown, which also happens to be red, worn by Victoria McMahon featuring a jeweled neckline and matching opera coat.
• There's a black Chanel sheath which is barely worn and came from the local Jacobsons.
• Anyone who knows about vintage jewelry will be excited about the miriad Miriam Haskell pieces.
• Loni Anderson's red Dior lambswool coat
• Dior satin cloche with grosgrain ribbon
• several Judith Leiber belts and bags (I've got dibs on the skinny black one with dangly medals)
• Chanel accesories
• St. John suiting

...the list goes on.

More than 1,600 mailers have gone out, both locally and nationally, and the auction will be live online...if you can't make it to 8250 Zionsville Road by 6 p.m. Better if you don't really, more for me.

For more info, contact Michele Jackson at (317) 797-2117