The controversy of the hipster scarf.

Since scarves are such a hot-selling accessory at Betty's right now, we decided to blog about them today, but, after doing some on-line research, we discovered that a particular scarf known as the keffiyeh is an item of fashion and political debate.

According to Wikipedia...
"As with other articles of clothing worn in wartime, such as the T-shirt and khaki pants, the keffiyeh has been seen as chic among non-Arabs in the West, who may be uninterested in politics, the military, or both.

Keffiyehs became popular in the United States in the late 1980s, at the start of the First Intifada, when bohemian girls wore keffiyehs as scarves around their necks. In the early 2000s, keffiyehs were very popular among youths in Tokyo, who often wore them with camouflage clothing. The trend recurred in the mid-2000s in the United States, Europe, Canada and Australia, when the keffiyeh became popular as a fashion accessory, usually worn as a scarf around the neck in hipster circles. Stores such as TALIBANANA.COM and TopShop stocked the item. (After some controversy, however, Urban Outfitters pulled the item.) In spring 2008, keffiyehs in colours like purple and mauve were given away in issues of fashion magazines in Spain and France.

In mid-2000s New York City, non-Arabs tended to wear keffiyehs in one of three ways. Pro-Palestinian activists wore them loosely draped over their shoulders. World-music aficionados wore them as regular, bunched scarves around their necks (as did girls in the 1980s). Finally, hipsters folded them in half to make a triangle, then gathered the scarf around the neck to leave one point facing down in the center of the chest. New keffiyeh designs with Israeli motifs are sold since 2007."

According to Betty...
Fashion often reflects the political climate of a country or the world. There is a theory that hemlines rise and fall according to the economy. T-shirts were first worn by soldiers, and denim invented originally for men who needed sturdy work pants. Fashion has been influenced, whether consciously or not, by history, politics, media, and global awareness. We support making a fashion statement by looking good and sporting your own style. We support equality and humane treatment for all beings. We support being conscious while having fun with fashion.

In conclusion, hipsters are not terrorists.

Blinded by the Light

Kanye West says:"Stronger is also a fashion statement. Its for people like us, who dress fresh and like fly shit. And if you dont like the song, than more than likely you don't know how to dress either."

Don't be blinded by the Light. Get some new Blinds. Get some fashion. Lots of colors.

hats galore.

Man, do we have a fantabulous selection of hats right now! Fedoras, tams, berets, caps, drivers, baseball caps, floppy sun hats, recycled fabric cloches, bucket hats.....whatever size or shape your head, we got a hat that will compliment your face!

I would also like to point out that the fashion team down at Betty's Divine is a fun and entertaining group to spend time with--just look at us! Aren't we a bowl full of laughs! Come visit us and we will make you smile AND help you find a lovely outfit...what more could you ask for?

That's snow, not dandruff

Ah, spring in Missoula. One minute it is snowing, the next it's sunny, then snow+sun, a little rain, followed by hail, and sun, then snow...But who cares when you've got an adorable new Gentle Fawn dress. A whole giant boxful of the Fawn arrived yesterday, brimming with styles to brighten any crazy day. Be gentle, even if the weather's not.

Cyclops-esque

Check out the crazy-funky-yet-functional-ladies-rain/windbreaker from Skunk Funk, a great company out of the Basque region of Spain, that we just got in for combatting the Montana slush, rain, snow and hail this Spring! Betty's thinks that the cyclops look will be big this season, and what a way to protect your soft face from the elements!

Now with more Man.

This picture reveals the second best thing about Betty's fashion show last Saturday--we had an ample supply of man! Check out these three amigos...they are the visual embodiement of what Betty's strives to create for the Missoula fashion scene. Hot, colorful, not afraid to show a lil skin or wear unisex clothing. If these three could magically be made into one super-man, then Betty would be his bride.

Dapple-Grey Jewelry

This month, we are featuring necklaces by a small designer in Australia called Dapple-Grey. They are powder-coated brass cut outs of really amazing things such as bling, girls on swings, hot air balloons and parrots. In this pic, the swinging girl necklace is paired with some pheasant feather earrings from another amazing small designer, Marielle Williams, this one straight outta Missoula.... earthy boho feathers + neon metal = Riding the Neon Pony, a Spring look that we stand behind at Betty's Divine!

Boi PrataG rocks Betty's house!

I gotta say the highlight of Betty's Hot Mess of Fashion show this past Saturday night was the opening set by Boi PrataG, 16-year-old Missoula rap superstar. We loved him and we hope you did too! Check him out at myspace.com/boipratag.

A renegade runway spectacular..."Spring; Missoula-style.A Hot Mess of Fashion."

Show is April 19, 2008 8pm at Betty's Divine. 521 S Higgins. It will be fun. We will have a dj. Cold pbr. Cookies. Entertainment. Freebies. Special guests. Promotional materials. Spectacular fashion. Local models. It will be fun.

BOM...Betty of the Month

Presenting Candace, April's BOM. She's a real bombshell with an eye for style. She was a finalist in last years Project Selvedge competition, and has since created her own line called Black Betty, available exclusively at Betty's Divine. She makes vintage upcylced pieces including hair clips, earrings, amazing necklaces, and flashy rings. She also has created some striking feather earrings, and charm necklaces spelling out real sass with words/phrases like "hot mess," "fierce," and "miss november" to quote a few. Check out the vintage jungle lightning dress she just made. Will she make clothing for Betty's and the rest of the world as well? Stay tuned and you'll find out!!!

An exciting day at the office, Dear.

We have a theory regarding Betty's lovely lil ol brick building--it was built on a magical vortex and therefore strange and wonderous events occur here on a daily basis. For example, yesterday two events occured to make our day at work more memorable.

First, a peeping squirrel came to visit Clare while she was lunching in the staff lounge. He politely asked her for a morsel of her pasta/salad combo pile, her daily fave, but she sadly could not force it through the grate without making a mess.

Later, a man took up post in the Man Chair. If you have not been in the store yet or have never noticed our lovely chair by the door, it is a comfy place that is visited daily by men,boys and animals, great and small. During a typical visit, we snap their picture with grand hopes of someday hanging an art show on our walls titled "Betty's Man Chair." This particular man brought his own foot stool to cleverly enhance to his leisurely rest as his companions perused the shop.

Come see us and make our day memorable.

Alternative Apparel kills it.

After years of carrying basic tees from American Apparel and Micheal Stars, we have added a new and exciting and affordable line of basics from Alternative. And let me tell you, the fit is great and the fabrics are greater and they are flyin' off the racks! Their tees are vintage soft and they even have a line of tops and bottoms that consist of organic cotton and recylced plastic containers....a nice bonus for us earth-conscious Missoulians. And....We get new styles every month!

Time for spring shopping.

Spring in Missoula is unbelievable, isn't it? I believe the entire town was either on the Kim Williams Trail walking their dog yesterday or on the Iron Horse's deck drinkin' coldies. Remember that Betty's has the perfect outfit for you for either of these activities. Keepin' Missoula lookin' good is our job....So, see ya soon!

Fit to be Hip

Yes. That says "Hipster"

It's our new vacuum. It looks especially good with heels. Hey if you're gonna be a hipster destination on the Hip Strip, you better clean up like a hipster too. If you come in sometime after 5pm you just might get a glimpse of this amazing machine. You can plug it in at one outlet and do the whole store. It's a good workout, and it feels kinda funny-like. So, if you're in the hood and feel like givin' it a whirl just say the word. Otherwise, know that we're doing our best to keep the floors clean enough to eat off.

Be an Earth Warrior

Tote. What a lovely word. What a lovely kind of bag. Put your groceries in it instead of a nasty plastic bag or one made of a poor dead tree. Reuse it over and over. Put your school books in it. Throw all your Betty's purchases in one. Ahh, the list is endless. And we're not talking about your boring plain canvas bag anymore. Recently in are new tote bags from the Outfit, each with a kickin' design by a different up and coming artist. Support the arts, support the earth. $28 bucks and it can all be yours.

Very important business documents.

We are uber-professionals here at Betty's Divine, as you can see by this piece of very important email we received yesterday. Why is a clothing store ordering 75 adult bibs and 144 assorted colors of sunglass pins from "Pancake" you may ask? Well, as for the bibs, you'll just have to make an appearance at our fashion show on April 19th to find out. Now, with the mini sunglass pins, we were feeling a bit of nostalgia while bib shopping at Bibswithdignity.com when we spotted these relics of our childhood and decided that Betty's would resurrect them from the darkness of the bib warehouse and do them justice in the fashion world. Pin one on! Word.

Up on sale shoe mountain.

Look at all these shoes! Not only are they lovely and comfortable and stylish, but they are 50% to 70% off their original price.....what a steal!

Helmut hair

Safety first-that's our motto. That's why we are now highlighting helmets. Put one on if you plan on biking, rollerskating, riding the ramps, rollerderbying, scootering, or playing a mean match of street kick the can. We now have water sport helmets, too, for rafting, kayaking, and extreme river tubing and water sliding. Small company out of Portland, Oregon with cool designs. For men or ladies. So, while it's important to protect the ol' noggin, why not look good out in the world of extreme sporting while you're at it!

Today is Cheap Monday!

Got some swell Spring skinny jeans by Cheap Monday in today. Skyscraper blue. These jeans have been a fave around here by all the Bettys....high rise, unisex $68 skinny jeans from Sweden...essential for optimal performance. Check it, yo.

In case you were wondering, the correct term for that ass is Frying Pan Butt...

What would you wear?

Barack Obama is in Montana today, where he and Hillary Clinton are scheduled to speak at the Democratic Party’s Mansfield-Metcalf Dinner this evening. Barack wore a cowboy hat for his trip out west, but what would you wear if you were to meet a potential future president?

Pictured here is Ms. Molly Moody-political activist extraordinaire, Forward Montana rep., and board member for the MT Democratic Party. Not only is she a young rockstar who's registered hundreds to vote in the past monthes, but she'll be lookin' good in her Miss Me silk jacket when she meets Obama and Clinton at the dinner in Butte tonight too. We're very proud to dress other Missoula politicas as well. Silk was a popular choice, and we had one woman representing the older women's demographic with a "young, hip, casual style." Way to make an impression Missoula ladies!

Do you like rats?

Guillermo in the house, yo! And he's inviting you all down to see the prints and watercolors of Jessica Vincent in her show "Hooked on Fauna," a show for people who like animals that look like people. We'll be serving cookies and wine to enhance the art experience from 5-8pm tonight, and the show will be up for your viewing pleasure for the month of April.

blingalingflashyflash

Betty's is brimming with bling.


Dear, horses, phoenixes, shells, religious iconography, saws, lighting bolts, bones, feathers, wolves, roses, turquoise, seahorses, snakes, keys, owls, lockets, gold, silver, copper wire, swallows, leaves, elephants, words like "available," stars, unicorns, BFF hearts, handcuffs, harmonicas, eiffle towers, wings, skull and cross bones, logs, dollar signs, sparkly letters, bows, cocks, cassettes, tea cups, pea pods, fleur de lis, guns, clock, cleavers, crowns, anchors...If you wanna put in in your ears, on your fingers or wrist, or around your neck we're your store.


So if you need some ice in your ears, if you're a man with a thing for zebras, if you've got a wedding coming up, or you just love amazing bobbles we've gotcha covered.
Forget Claire's, Betty's the new name in accessories.

Manplanet, the future of a fashionable civilization.

Manplanet is goin' off. Killin it. It looks like Betty is finally pleasing the male population of Missoula....after being voted the BEST Men's Clothing by the Missoula Independent's readers poll last summer, we have decided to invest more energy into our Man duds and do the title justice. Shoes, jeans, a ton of Man tanks, tees, windbreakers, boardshorts....by companies like WESC, Lifetime Collective, Insight, American Apparel, Alternative, Elwood, Gola, Brixton, and Goorin Brothers....Missoula men come in here lookin' like marvs and leave lookin' muffins!