Victoria Greyson, Greyson house...revenge

 Victoria Greyson, Queen of the fictional Hamptons on "Revenge" in her beach castle. Elegant and glamourous, just like the Queen herself.

 Victoria applies some lipstick in her seafoam green bathroom.

Victoria dishes in her fabulous script-upholstered chair. In their house, the power is entirely in the details.

BAM: Makeup and fashion, Gossip Girl

 Blair Walforf rocking some yellow. Cardigan by Milly, gold dress, yellow accessories. I love vintage brocade/metallic dresses, and never considered pairing one with a matching cardigan/bag in the non-metallic version of the colors. It definitely speaks of confidence when colors/patterns are mixed fearlessly, and the look succeeds best when kept feminine and tailored/prim.

 Love this lip, by far my favorite color of Season 3 ("Dan de Fleurette"). Love the garnet and ruby necklace with it, especially since the rest of the outfit was grey/silver.

Try: wine sinner from Lipstick Queen, or a fuchsia and ruby red mix...yum!

Matching lip to necklace/earrings/hair clip, etc, while keeping attire neutral/monochromatic is a gorgeous look, and very sophisticated when done right.

So gamine: Jean Seberg in striped dress...

I've had a thing for Jean Seberg for as long as I can remember, shamelessly ripping off her look from 2004-2007. I love her boyish hair and feminine mix of her features, figure, and wardrobe. Here's one look to love: the striped dress. It's never too early to plan for Spring!

Jean Strikes a Bardot pose.



















Looking fierce, sunglasses and pumps with gloves. Somehow not overdone or fussy. So Spring, so right!







Make the look your own

Dress, striped. A sporty pink version. Yard of Goods, Etsy.

Try it with:

Converse, for a sporty, modern take
Vintage pumps or sandals in summer white/cream
Lime or fuchsia sandals, pumps, or ballet flats, for a preppy twist.

A sunny, sleeveless take. 
Jumbeleya, Etsy.

Dressed down in yellow summer flats
Dressed up with white or bone pumps
Sporty with keds or converse

Kate Spade's colorful version, the striped blaise in black and green. This one can be worn from Winter to Spring with the right accessories. I do wonder if it could be worn backwards...














And finally, separates, for those who don't want to wear dresses...

Katie skirt, Sandee Royalty. Paired with a peterpan collar blouse for a gamine look, an oxford shirt for a sporty elegant look, or a cardigan for a classic, feminine look.

Siboney, Connie Francis

Woe is me: White blouse blues.

This feminine winter white summer weight blouse is gorgeous, and available at Dear Golden Vintage on Etsy. I've had fabulous luck shopping there, but sometimes there are things that are just not my size, sending me into a spiraling depression that lasts at least 4 solid minutes.

Find the shirt here. And shop Dear Golden here.

Party etiquette: How to get more invitations!

We throw a lot of get-togethers at Chez Charles, and have noticed there's some bad behavior going around regarding invitations, feelings, and RSVP's. Here are some of our thoughts on being a thoughtful guest, and gaining more and more invitations for yourself.

Accept invitations

My rule of thumb is that if I extend more than three or four invitations to someone, and they don't show up, I stop extending them. Invariably, there's always a bit of sulking if word gets out to a neglected non-attendee. Generally, these sulkers are people who never RSVP, rarely inform anyone they aren't coming, and also, never show any genuine interest in anything anyway. These thoughtless people are more interested in stroking their egos (receiving invites) than actually socializing, and Mrs Charles has no sympathy.

Extend invitations

To get invitations, give them. People cannot be expected to remember you, if you don't make yourself memorable. One of the very best ways to make yourself memorable is to show others a good time. Invite them somewhere! Museums, lunch dates, your own parties or movie night--all are great reasons for someone to associate good times with you. If you like someone, ask them somewhere once in a while. There's a saying "one good turn deserves another", and this is certainly true with extending invitations. You'd be amazed how quickly the karma pays off. (Beware that invitations don't turn into a game of cat and mouse where you extend one just to be "courteous" with no intention of ever getting together. No one likes their time being  held hostage by plans that never seem to come to fruition.)

RSVP, for heaven's sakes

There's nothing worse than sending out an invite and having everyone wait until last minute to decide to come (which is very inconsiderate to hosts), or not responding at all. Hosts need to prepare food and drink, and a head count is a very helpful thing to have. It also shows interest from attendees, which gets the hosts pumped. Showing appreciation is as simple as clicking Yes, No, or Maybe, and thanking the host and letting them know you're sorry to miss, hopeful to rearrange your schedule, or very excited to get together soon.

And, finally, don't be insufferable.

Most importantly, be a good guest. Socialize and circulate; participate in activities. Don't complain if you hear of a party you weren't invited to--that just annoys the host and makes them deliberately avoid inviting you in the future.Considerate people are charming people, and those who show genuine happiness at being thought of and invited out, will most likely be invited out often.

Now, Mrs Charles must excuse herself and finish making her Summer Pink Sangria.

green vintage pumps: I wish they were my size--a tale of woe.

Insanely awesome emerald green 1940s heels, at Prance and Swagger on Etsy. I am passionately sad that these are not my size. I hope they find a great home and are worn within an inch of their lives!