Femme Fatale Basics: The Spy Coat

Marlene Dietrich

There are few thing I love more than a good coat, and the spy coat is my absolute favorite! From a French New Wave worthy creme brulee colored cotton to a matte soot colored leather version fit for a film noir femme, there is a spy coat for every moment of the day. The classic beige hue is perfect for those cool Spring days sitting at the sidewalk cafe with friends. A rich cognac color in sumptuously soft leather is perfect for crisp Autumn days out walking in the city park, sipping hot cocoa and arm in arm with your lover. A glossy patent leather in the deepest of blacks is perfect for a glamorous night out at the discoteque - especially with a slick of blood red lipstick and disco ball inspired eyeliner! A beautiful, high quality coat can be expensive, but it is well worth the investment. A great coat can make you look instantly polished, regardless of what is underneath - which is great if you need to quickly run to the store and have no time for primping!

(Left) Marlene Dietrich, (Center) Brigitte Bardot, (Right) Joan Crawford

Although there are many modern versions available, buying a vintage piece carries along with it a deep satisfaction knowing that no one else will have your exact same coat. Also, if you are a hopeless romantic (like I am!), the patina of age, even a few stains and scratches, means that the piece has a story - something particularly irresistible to most of us dreamers... 

Here are a few of my favorite vintage spy coats from Etsy:

Vintage 1970's spy coat in delicious cognac leather via Etsy

Vintage Pierre Cardin dark chestnut corduroy spy coat with patent leather accents via Etsy

Vintage Yves Saint Laurent classic spy coat via Etsy - tres French New Wave!

Now for a modern interpretation of the classic spy coat:

Doesn't Penelope make leather look so elegant and effortless?

Comrade Von Pussycat

Bond Girls Are Forever...

I had the powerful urge to watch Casino Royale not once, but twice this weekend. I absolutely love the dialog between Vesper and 007... the rich, glamorous fabrics and classic European style...the glossy and gritty locations rolled up into one movie. It was then that I realized just how much my definition of what a woman should be has been shaped by the James Bond series. I began watching, studying, memorizing all of these techniques and various characters when I was a small child. Since then everything from the Avengers to Mata Hari have influenced my views. In every character, every Bond girl, I find a little particle of myself that usually has no outlet in daily life. Maybe this is why I am a daydreamer. I love thrill. I love intrigue. I crave glamor. I crave action. I crave it all.

I have decided that it is time that I start reflecting who I am on the inside by carefully selecting fabrics, cuts, and patterns that are an accurate representation. I always did love fashion. I wouldn't call myself a fashionista...that term is far too trendy. I am an artist. I know how to use fabrics to my best advantage. Silk drapes elegantly over every curve and indentation to suggest what the mind can only imagine. A crisp white tuxedo shirt gives an androgynous quality to a woman with minimal curves. The fabric takes on a whole new quality when a curvaceous woman fills out a tuxedo shirt, which is traditionally a masculine piece.

I would much rather dress my body in a sleek satin pencil skirt than a mini skirt. I just feel so much more myself in a pencil skirt.... it showcases the curve of my back, highlights the shape of my calves and flatters my delicate ankles. A miniskirt reveals absolutely everything, especially when you sit down. I would rather suggest than reveal. Secrecy. Hahaha *evil laugh*. How appropriate. I wonder if I am the only one who gives thought to these things. Pure frivolity you say? Maybe not. I am just redefining the game, dollface. This is what it takes to match me.

There are so many definitions of me. I am Lolita. I am the lust bitten (I wouldn't go so far as to say driven ;P ) sex-kitten. I am the bad ass, rough and ready girl who likes shiny, shiny leather. I am the girl who drinks vodka straight out of the bottle, who has pet snakes, wears a bikini to target practice (go Walther go!), and who wears stilettos pointy enough to pierce a vital organ ... should you have the cajones to try (did I mention I've fought off men with my bare hands...and won?A story for another time!). I am the adventurer, the global nomad, the citizen of the world. I am the daredevil. At the very same time I am the nourisher, the compassionate, the hopeful romantic, the sunny philosopher, the lover poet. Did I mention I've always been drawn to extremes? I don't even understand me so I don't expect anyone else to.

What was my point? I simply think it is amusing where I get these ideas from. Vesper Lynd, Honey Ryder, XXX Anya Amasova, Melina Havelock, the villainess Famke Janssen plays, have forever shaped my idea of femininity.

Comrade Von Pussycat