Mindy Gaines and Lauren Kennedy talk about working at Castro Theater’s 10th Anniversary Film Noir Festival and the role fashion plays in the movies. They also discuss how they got into vintage fashion.

Mindy Gaines shows viewers how to apply makeup to achieve the vintage 1940s and 1950s look.

She explains how a fair complexion and dark eyebrows are vital to the vintage look.

I may be a 50s gal at heart, but I’ve always had a soft spot for the Elizabethan Era.

I mean, who doesn’t want to be wooed with a heart-felt sonnet while wearing a glamorous floor-length circle skirt?

Melinda Hare, a theater major at SF State, designed the most breathtaking costumes for the school’s version of “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead.”

So, it’s not exactly vintage. But if I didn’t watch the crew stitch every costume from scratch, I’d swear they were preserved for centuries.

Even if you’re not the biggest Shakespeare fan, I highly recommend seeing this existential adaptation of “Hamlet,” written by Tom Stoppard.

For tickets go to http://creativearts.sfsu.edu/node/3093 But hurry the play ends Dec. 11!

Is your wardrobe stuck in a rut?  Even worse, is your wallet stuck in a rut?

Well ladies and gentlemen, looking good doesn’t mean you have to live off ramen for a month.

Don’t let the old musky smell scare you off–thrift stores are your friend. Trust me.

Here’s a map of my top ten most frequently shopped spots in the city…most of which are second-hand.

1.  Thrift Town: One of the largest, most reasonably priced thrift stores in the city. TWO STORIES people! Two stories! I never leave Thrift Town empty handed. Not once.

2. Clothes Contact: Clothes by the pound, enough said.

3, Mission Thrift: You just can’t go wrong with Mission District thrift stores. Sure, it may take some digging, but your wallet will love you.

4. Out of the Closet: Want a new outfit AND contribute to a noble cause? Out of the Closet is owned and operated by AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the largest specialized provider of cutting-edge medicine and advocacy regardless of ability to pay. Proceeds directly benefit the foundation.

5.Painted Bird: A great place to buy and sell clothing. Chic and stylish finds at a very reasonable price.

6. Wasteland: One man’s trash is another man’s treasure…consider this store a pirate’s dreamland.

7. Community Thrift: If you’re like me and are attracted to bright and shiny things, this storefront will definitely grab your attention.

8. Buffalo Exchange: I’ll let you in on a secret: they can’t price vintage over $20…shhhh!

9. Crossroads Trading Co.: Always a good go-to shop. I’ve had to pop in a few times for a warm coat after leaving the house ill prepared.

10. La Rosa: Okay, so your wallet might hate you for entering this store, but your closet will love you forever. La Rosa is one of the best vintage shops in the city, great quality clothes and a lovely staff.

So, this isn’t a standard vintage fashion post, but Dia de los Muertos has a style all of its own. Vintage lace dresses, face paint and candles are abundant in the Mission District during this annual celebration. Of course, Dia de los Muertos is not about who has the best outfit or sugar skull make-up; it’s a celebration of lost loved ones. People paraded around the Mission District yesterday with candles and photographs of friends and families who passed away. Upbeat drums and extravagant attire liven up what would seem like a dismal holiday. Everyone is welcome, despite your age, ethnicity or outfit.

Dresses and shoes and glasses, oh my!

Twice a year hundreds of dealers come together under one roof for the ultimate vintage experience, known as the Vintage Fashion Expo. This year’s expo featured  in the San Francisco Concourse Exposition Center. I told myself I wouldn’t buy anything…clearly, that was a lie. Once I saw the aisles of vintage dresses, hats, shoes, gloves and glasses, my jaws dropped and my pockets emptied.

Hayley Griffin, manager of Bettie Page, with a limited edition guitar.

Miss Hayley Griffin is a bite-sized Bettie Page. If it weren’t for her spunkiness and fireball energy, you may just mistake her for a mannequin when you see her in the storefront changing the window display. Standing 5’1” tall, Hayley will demand your attention with show-stopping dresses, spiraled black locks and fire engine red lips.

It’s no wonder Hayley gained the status of manager at Bettie Page Clothing on the corners of Haight and Ashbury, a prime tourist destination in San Francisco. The store features new vintage-inspired dresses in a wide range of sizes from XS to 4XL, invoking the store’s motto, “a body is a terrible thing to waste.”

Bettie Page is a great place for new and veteran vintage fashion enthusiasts because there are so many sizes of every style. Digging through rack after rack in vintage stores only to find that your perfect dress is three sizes too small can get discouraging. We ladies have enough problems on our plates, our waist size should not be one of them. The majority of the dresses at Bettie Page are made of exceptionally stretchy materials, giving you that perfect hourglass shape without having to sacrifice breathing or eating.

The beautiful thing about fashion is that it makes you feel beautiful, because you are! Obviously! Be yourself, have fun, look and feel fabulous! Not crazy about the cut? Hot pink isn’t your color? Don’t fret, there are more fish in the sea. But if fashion is anything like dating, not all fish are worthy of your time. Bettie Page is no guppy though, but rather a rainbowfish with multiple colors and sizes.

Love the look? Follow Bettie Page Clothing on Twitter!

Oh hey! Just chillin in Bettie Page's armpit...no big deal

Ah, the 1950s — a decade of exponential growth in America. Soldiers were returning from WWII, buying houses and making babies. Sure, racial and gender equalities were severely subpar, but with immigrants serving in the military and women welding in factories, social norms were certainly altering. Post-war women may have had little say outside the home, but there’s no denying those quintessential housewives had style. Perhaps dusting, vacuuming, cleaning and burping three children in a dress and high-heels seems absurd, but you’ve certainly got to hand it to them. I’m lucky if I manage to keep my cacti alive.

Thankfully, I am a woman of the modern age in one of the most liberal cities in America. However, I am an old-soul, often called a “grandmother” by my friends. I blame my mother for letting me dress myself at a young age. For most of my youth I donned stripes, polka dots and pink cowboy boots simultaneously. I’d like to think my style has matured over the years, as my love for vintage fashion has grown. I’ve always been an avid sewing and thrift store shopping machine — three years of working at Joann Fabrics will do that to you.

Call it superficial, but fashion has always been an important part of my life — not because I have to have the latest and greatest designer gear, but because it’s an expression of who I am. For me, fashion is a form of exploration into one’s mind, as well as history.