Michael Arenella and His Dreamland Orchestra keep the 1920s alive with their annual Jazz Age Lawn Party today. Continuing full force until 5pm on Governors Island, pick up tickets at the door ($35, cash only) and enjoy music, food, and priceless people watching.

Peeps come dressed to kill in Jazz Age attire and it’s a celebration of fashion and a mutual love for yesteryear!

Note: there is a slight chance of rain after the event is over.

Too late to catch this weekend’s festivities? Save August 17th & 18th, when the event returns to the island.

Hearts is featuring me in their “Looking Good, Doing Good” series—read the lovely feature, here—and asked me to style and wear their Vintage Sinatra Glasses, Courtney Clutch, and Dhatri Necklace. I went for a “classic and timeless” aesthetic, per usual, and wore a full skirt, with nude platform pumps, and my favorite pink silk jacket that I’ve been wearing for more than ten years.

I am excited to release all the behind-the-scene images from my photo shoot with photographer Hal Horowitz for Hearts, the above shot is one of my favorites but there are plenty more in the neat and complete image gallery, below.

SLIDESHOW: EMMA GRADY FOR HEARTS.COM

We shot all the photos in and around Prospect Park, Brooklyn, and Hal almost got hit by a car on more than one occasion—that’s dedication! Though I can’t say I’m surprised, given that he’s caught everyone from Mick Jagger to Depeche Mode on camera.

Photo: Hal Horowitz

Copyright © 2013 Past Fashion Future. All rights reserved.

Jacob Gordon’s voice stood out first, before his style: as my former colleague at Discovery’s TreeHugger.com, he was the host of TreeHugger Radio where he engaged with numerous notable figures on pressing environmental issues—with a quality radio voice to boot!

Take one look at his mini bio pic and you’ll see he is a sharp dresser. What can I say? It was a fashion crush from far sight.

Thanks to TreeHugger’s remote office, we didn’t meet in the flesh until he moved to my ‘hood in Brooklyn, where my suspicions were confirmed: Jacob’s style is classic, polished, and put-together (all of the time, not just on occasion).

So without further adieu, here’s Jacob on his style (the story is all in the details):

I’m wearing my favorite leather jacket, which is tattered nearly to oblivion at this point.

I bought it vintage on eBay a few years ago and it may be made of horse hide. I’ve had it relined and patched up as best I can but this horse is probably almost ready to be put down.

The boots I bought on eBay as well; they’re just simple Justin cowboy boots but I’ve worn these dogs for countless hours on honky tonk stages across Nashville and they’ve never let me down (though I’ve had the soles replaced a couple times).

The necktie, one of those short square-on-the-bottom numbers, is vintage from a little shop in Nashville called The Hip Zipper.

The belt is one of my favorite possessions. It’s made by an eccentric Nashvillian leather smith named Colonel Littleton who based his unique–and patented–No. 5 belt design on civil war rifle straps, or so they say.

The vest is from Imogene and Willie, a Nashville brand that does primarily high-quality American sewn denim.

This simple wool hunting vest could probably stop a slow-moving bullet, and when it came in the mail there was an oatmeal raisin cookie in the box.

The jeans are J Crew selvedge denim; nothing exciting but they fit great and last a long time and stay nice and dark (though I don’t wash them much).

Can’t get enough of Jacob? Follow his work at Artiphon, where he is Director of Marketing, or his musings on smiles, and more, on his Tumblr. Or, you can catch him via his clever tweets at @Jacob_Gordon. 

Photo: Emma Grady

More Heirloom-Meets-Modern Style
Something Old, Something New: Sean Hotchkiss of Khaki Crusader
Something Old, Something New: Liam Alexander
Something Old, Something New: Rebecca Roe

This post is part of an ongoing series, “Something Old, Something New,” that looks at how people with amazing personal style incorporate vintage and heirloom pieces into their everyday wardrobes. Through a series of personal anecdotes and images, Emma shares “the story behind the style”, proving that, when it comes to dressing, there’s more than meets the eye. Read more stories, here.

Copyright © 2013 Past Fashion Future. All rights reserved.

If the sound of vintage Dolce & Gabbana and Prada, is a tune you like to sing, then you’ll want to hear about this vintage fashion sale, starting tomorrow at What Goes Around Comes Around.

Now usually I avoid curated vintage fashion boutiques since they are overpriced—and I end up paying for someone else to do the busy work—but when it comes to What Goes Around Comes Around’s vintage clothing sale, they’re promising prices as low as $5.

Music to my ears.

It starts today, and runs through March 7th, at their Astor Place location in New York City (440 Lafayette St, at Astor Place).

Ch-Ch-Check It Out.

Copyright © 2013 Past Fashion Future. All rights reserved.

My dear friend and talented fashion designer Sonia Tay has been hard at work developing Colorant, a luxurious line of naturally-dyed cashmere sweaters and dresses; I’ve been following her adventures from Shanghai to New York and now, I get to share the story behind her beautiful clothing line—and the history of the dyes—with all of you, in this exclusive first look and interview.

Sonia Tay: That colors have shaped and influenced the world in the most astounding ways. Purple was once the most expensive color in the world because it was extracted from a predatory sea mollusk. It took 250,000 of these creatures to produced enough to dye a garment, that Roman Kings could only afford to wear it.

Or that Indigo, not only symbolized American youth through denim jeans, but was once the major export in Mexico next to Silver and Cochineal Red.

The lessons go on and on, and our world is so rich with color history.

Using these same techniques and bringing them back to modern culture can influence the future in positive ways. Besides having numerous health benefits, by enriching your skin with herbal color, natural dyes can inspire the growth of more dye-able plant farms.

PFF: What is the most valuable lesson you learned while developing the line?

ST: Go with the flow. Natural colors are very spontaneous. A safflower grown in the North will never yield the same orange as one from the South. Temperature, climate, even soil effects color intensity which I realized is the beauty of the product.

In New York City, the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy continues to unfold. Though my apartment—and neighborhood—in Brooklyn escaped the devastating natural disaster unscathed, the scene is drastically different in other close-by areas most affected by the storm.

From the more than 100 homes in Breezy Point, Queens, that burned to the ground to power-less residents of Lower Manhattan, the multibillion-dollar natural disaster is effecting the day-to-day lives of many people today and in the days, weeks, months—and probably years—to come.

Hurricane Sandy disaster relief programs need support and, whether you live near or far, there many ways you can help. Continue reading my feature on Discovery’s TreeHugger.com: 12 Ways to Help Hurricane Sandy Relief Efforts

Photo: © Emma Grady. Commuting on foot: walking the Brooklyn Bridge to get into Manhattan.

CrOp designer David Peck looks to books from his formative years—and family genealogy— as inspiration for spring/summer 2013, called “Once Upon a Dream”.

Continue reading my exclusive New York Fashion Week coverage on Discovery’s TreeHugger.com: 5 Sustainable Designers Inspired by Academia for Spring 2013

Photo: CrOp by David Peck