Monthly Archives March 2009




I went out last night to the 5 Spot, a wonderful, but smokey bar, over in East Nashville.  I try to wear easily washable clothes when I go out to smoker-friendly bars so I put on my red and white gingham shirt and a pair of medium-high waisted jeans.  My moccasins are always the perfect accompaniment and they are so so comfortable.

There were three really good bands playing last night.  My favorite was Branded Sons.  Great harmony on top of 70’s/80’s country rock.  It was a good time.
Thanks for reading friends.
Fondly,
Nora Jane
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Joe Bass was in visiting from the big NYC and goodness gracious can that man play the bass.


Emily Miller and Jesse Milnes were our gracious hosts.  

If life could be one big pickin’ party what a wonderful life it would be!
Ward Stout played some might fine fiddle and 
Alison Williams brought her fantastic fretless banjo stylings.
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This past summer I picked up this lovely little powder-blue linen number on my travels between fiddler’s conventions.   I wore it once, paired with a not so delicate suede brown belt and my brown moccasins and then hung it guiltily in my closet.  
Last night I resurrected this smart looking 1940’s gem and wore it much more successfully than the first time by pairing it with my favorite heals (farylrobin) and a bronze cloth belt that was gifted to me by my grandmother, Evelyn Struthers.  I actually borrowed the belt from a matching dress that my grandmother wore when she was pregnant with my father!  That is one reason old clothes are so wonderful– they have a history all their own.  When picking out a new dress to add to my wardrobe, I often ponder over its previous owner and what she might have been doing while wearing that dress; it’s a wonderful exercise in creative thinking and historical imagining.  
The details of this dress are just darling: the bow tie at the top, the large mother-of-pearl buttons, and the way the back of the skirt is a touch longer than the front.  The 40’s are alright in my book.
Although the sweet bird-patterned heals were much better suited to the delicate fabric and trim cut of the frock, I must admit that they did not make it with me into the music party I attended.  I switched to my new “frost” colored moccasins (the ones with the beaded eagle on top) before I even got into my minivan.  Function over fashion ladies…almost always!
Thanks for reading friends.
Fondly,
Nora Jane
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I never thought I’d get to be a hair-hopper but yesterday I had my chance and boy oh boy was it fun!  I played model yesterday for a Bust Magazine photo fashion story (all of this terminology is quite new to me)  set in the 60’s.   

The two other models were musicians from Williamsburg, Brooklyn–Nikki Lane and Joe Plunket.  
We shot all over Nashville and I wore more pairs of high-waisted jeans in 10 hours than I’ve ever worn in my life.  The spread should be out in the May or June issue of Bust.  It was a very new experience for me and to be totally honest, it made me really glad that I am a full-time musician and not a full time model.  It was an exhausting day!
And I get to smile a lot more when I play music 🙂
Thanks for reading Friends.
Fondly,
Nora Jane
P.S.  Check out Nikki Lane and Joe Plunket’s band The Weight on myspace
www.myspace.com/cannilyfreeload
www.myspace.com/theweightnyc
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Howdy Folks!  And welcome to Nora Jane’s Closet.

This is what my closet looks like right…now.  No…now.  Well, this is what my closet looked like on March 23, 2009.  It may never be the same again.
I like colors.
I like dresses.
I like cotton and linen.
I like dresses that reach my knees.
(I like vintage undergarments.  Shhh.)
I like the styles of the 1930’s– hard to find.
I like the styles of the 1940’s–less hard to find.
I like the styles of the 1950’s–easy to find and oh boy have I found some gems!
I wear dresses almost everyday from March to November.  This past year I developed a two-dress-a-day habit.  I have a lovely, and ever expanding collection of day dresses and night time dresses.  
I wonder what I’ll wear tomorrow?
Thanks for reading friends,
Nora Jane
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