RI Beauty Insider: Tomboy Style and the Simple Life
Donna Macdonald, GoLocalProv Beauty Expert
RI Beauty Insider: Tomboy Style and the Simple Life
The clothes
Think Katherine Hepburn, the quintessential tomboy. Study her look from her early days and you’ll see your perfect starting point: wide leg trousers, masculine jackets thrown over evening gowns, and sneakers. Your hat’s a fedora – not a softer Breton. Steal a big comfy sweater from the man in your life and wear it over your sun dress for that walk on the beach. Roll up the cuffs of your jeans and take the ties out of your tennis shoes. But add a dose of:
Ladylikeness
The look won’t work unless you add that touch of girl. How about pearls with those he-man overalls? A peek of lace dangling below your standard –issue Army jacket or a silk flower on the edge of that boyfriend sweater says “I’m playing with you”. The juxtaposition can be utterly charming.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTHair
Tomboys have easy hair: choppy cuts he can run his fingers through. Will you dare to color it with a streak? If smooth and long is your style, catch it with a rhinestone clip. Again, the contrast between boy and girl creates an attractive tension in your style.
Makeup
Crisp white t-shirt, jeans and sneakers with sexy red lipstick sets a style tone just right for Saturday errands. It also says you know what you’re doing. Keep your skin radiant with an illuminating moisturizer. If it’s got SPF, all the better for the outdoor activities tomboys like. An easy hand with makeup except for dark winged liner looks simple and gorgeous on an innocently freckled face. For tomboys of a certain age, moist pink hues make you look youthful and hip but without the mutton part.
Finishing touch
Real tomboys still know the power of perfume. Choose green or sparkling vetiver scents that are sexy and cool and reminiscent of the woods and vale. Too floral or powdery won’t do.
Remember, the bravura to pull off a true tomboy look is in the attitude. Don’t mistake it for sloppiness – it’s actually a finely honed look that takes forethought and guts. Sure, it’s not country club twinsets but that doesn’t mean it’s not adorable and chic. And sexy.
Donna Macdonald is a freelance writer who enjoys covering topics of interest to women, especially fragrance, style, beauty. She has also written marketing material for a women's book that hit the New York Times Bestseller list and netted her an up close and personal discussion on the Oprah Winfrey Show. Donna currently writes her own personal blog, alovelyinconsequence.blogspot.com where she also writes about issues close to a woman's heart. Donna believes that when a woman finds beauty in the world, she will find beauty in herself.
Shopping on the Cheap
Second Time Around
Providence
Second Time Around, a premier consignment company located on Thayer Street, offers the hottest labels for resale. Selling men’s and women’s clothing and accessories, this vintage shop has so much to offer, including a high-end section where you can find top-brands for less and in great condition. Customers can even consign some of their own clothes through appointment or drop off to make some extra cash.
Monday-Saturday 10am-8pm, Sunday 11am-7pm. 294 Thayer Street. 401-455-2050.
Foreign Affair Warehouse
Providence
A one-stop vintage shop, Foreign Affair has you covered from 50s cocktail dresses to 80s frocks. Carrying clothes from the Victorian era and one-of-a-kind vintage items, you never know what you are going to find.
Monday-Saturday 11am-8pm, Sunday 12pm-6pm. 140 Brook St. 401-274-1484.
Photo: Steve Snodgrass/Flickr
Salvation Army
Providence
Who doesn’t want to help their community while shopping? Well, through the Salvation Army you can do just that; by supporting them you support their efforts, from disaster relief to family tracing, worldwide. Search through their various items and find your hidden treasure, you won’t be disappointed.
Monday-Friday 10am-8pm, Saturday 9am-6pm. 201 Pitman Street, Providence. 401-421-5270.
Photo: zieak/Flickr
Savers
Providence
A thrift store that allows you to help others while you shop, Savers offers clothing, shoes and accessories for great prices. Thousands of items are donated daily so you will never have the same shopping experience twice. The best part: your purchase will help Big Brothers and Big Sisters of the Ocean State.
Monday-Saturday 9am-9pm, Sunday 10am-7pm. 201 Branch Ave, Providence. 401-273-1085.
JennaPrete/Flickr
Marshalls
Lincoln
A store that offers clothes, accessories, and shoes in one convenient place, Marshalls is the perfect place to shop, especially for Bryant students. Marshalls offers many different brands, so you can get those designer items without paying designer prices.
Monday-Saturday 9:30am-9:30pm, Sunday 10am-8pm. 622 George Washington Highway #303. 401-334-3262.
TJ Maxx
Newport
Nothing makes a shopper happier than great deals. TJ Maxx is the perfect place to build your wardrobe with designer pieces for less so you don’t feel guilty buying that BEBE purse. Feeling lazy? You can even shop online.
Monday-Saturday 9am-9:30pm, Sunday 9am-8pm. 199 O’Connell Highway at the Newport Mall. 401-841-5910.
Photo: crazytales562/Flickr
The Big Top Flea Market
Olneyville
Hopefully you have plenty of time to shop, because you can spend hours at The Big Top Flea Market searching through their 50,000 sq. ft. of bargains. With over 200 vendors, you can find everything from cheap clothes, accessories, perfumes, hats, gloves and purses. Also check out their shoe warehouse which offers women’s heels, sandals, and boots as well as men shoes on the cheap. The prices are great, but you can try to get them down even further with some bargaining. Admission is free on Saturdays and .50 cents on Sundays.
Saturday-Sunday 9am-5pm. 120 Manton Ave, Providence. 401-274-0060.
Photo: dno1967b/Flickr
