The Best Accessory is Coffee

It's been pouring down buckets here for the past 24 hours, so I thought I'd take advantage of the temporary shift in weather to pull out my much beloved riding boots, as they probably wont see the light of day again for another month. Forgive the crappy photos, my camera, Hagar, Devourer of Batteries, was in mid-death process.

top: Target skirt: thrifted boots: Delia's hat: Urban Outfitters

Don't let the fallen leaves in the background fool you, autumn is nowhere near in swing yet around here. My poplars are afflicted with some kind of blight that makes them shed their leaves early. Although, in a note of interesting local phenomena, the trees have just barely begun to turn. This never ever happens before the first of October. I can only pray we're in for an early fall and this isn't merely global warming rearing its ugly, karmic head.

Time, Is Never Time At All

(click to enlarge)




fotodecadent

Ah, silent film. The fantastic thing about the silent film era is it has a very strong, distinct aesthetic. The bad thing is, it's overplayed. Absolutely
everyone finds it "inspiring", but they chicken out on actually carrying it through. Granted, all of that dark makeup and glam clothes can feel pretty intimidating in real life, but if we can walk out of the house in forties regalia and latex leggings, what is a little eyeliner to be frightened of?

One of my favourite silent film inspirations is in fact, not a silent film, it is the Smashing Pumpkins' music video for "Tonight Tonight".

Taken from a Georges Méliès film called "Le Voyage dans la lune" made in 1902, the moon in that music video alone has been creeping into my personal art since I was probably ten or eleven.

Pomp and Circumstance

I could give you some speil about being inspired by the 1940's and Alexander McQueen, but really, this is just me procrastinating my Political Science homework. If you had to memorize all the ammendments of the Constitution verbatim, you would procrastinate too.





Note, this was the hairstyle after a day full of arduous classes. I didn't have time to photograph it in the morning. Doing the hairstyle was suprisingly easy. Getting any kind of camera angle with no one to takes photos for me, definately was not. If you like it though, I can try to post a tutorial on it when I have some actual time. The hair decoration is no average fake flower, it's a velvet stickpin that was my grandmother's in the 30's.

New Acquisitions

Boring black chinos.


An oatmeal v neck and a "bandage skirt" (aka my excercise insentive) both from Target.


A cozy gray cardigan for classes from Costco. Yes, Costco.


Nine West gladiators (60% off!)


These tops are "gifts" from my Italian professor, who recently moved to Monterey and was eager to get rid of some unworn clothes. As you can see, her tastes tend err on the Roberto Cavalli side of things, and I honestly have no idea what to do with them.


The hat isn't exactly new, it's one of my dad's numerous hats left over from his days as a sailor. This one is French. It says "Nouvelle Marine Caledonne".

By the way, the fabulous Hannah Cheeto of Cheetos are Orange has tagged me for a blog award!

Thanks Hannah! I shall tag my "nominees" next post, but right now, I have to run!

She And Her

Thanks to fashionologie for sharing this little tidbit of model (and spouse of Jack White) Karen Elson joining Zooey Deschanel on stage in Nashville for a rendition of "Tennessee Waltz". Now, as a rule of thumb, I dislike country music (around here, it's a slippery slope to hayseedom, my friends) but I feel like a hypocrite because all the sudden a leggy fashion model sings it while wearing a fetching blue dress and I think it's sort of fabulous. But I honestly don't get why people who have never lived in the rural south find it so quaint. The grass is always greener, I suppose. I must say, I think Elson is perhaps outshining Miss Deschanel in the vocal department, what say you?



Postscript- I fully intend to be making a pilgrimage to Elson's vintage store "Venus and Mars" next time I hit up Nashvegas.

Male Call

foto_decadent

...Boys have all the fun.

You're so stuck up, when you act like you're so down.

I am a hardcore "music person". I have been that way for a very long time. I've slipped up now and then (peer pressure regarding boybands when I wasn't old enough to even like boys), but generally speaking, I do border on snobbery when it comes to my taste in music, that profile blurb is only partially hyperbolic. I once broke off a date with a guy after I looked up his Facebook and saw he was a diehard nu-metal fan. I often get in arguments with my best friend because she is very apathetic about music and it infuriates me.

In any event, I thought I would explore the cliched "looks" of what people who are loyal to certain genres would wear. Just for giggles. Disclaimer: I am not insinuating that if you listen to these bands, you are required to dress or act like this. It's purely tongue in cheek.

Indie Princess
Likes: Belle and Sebastian, The Smiths, Arcade Fire, Cat Power, Deathcab For Cutie. Urban Outfitters is her BFF. And nothing says "post-90's irony" quite like a plaid and flannel combo.

Chances are she only "converted" to this lifestyle about a year ago, so she still has some leftovers from her billboard top 40 days, like this Hollister skirt.
She thrifts, but only to maintain her cred.

"The" Girl

Likes: What it sounds like. The Virgins, The Teenagers, The Strokes, The Academy Is (only because the lead singer is "hot"), The Bravery.

She generally lives in a more metropolitan area and has a little bit more money to play with, so, bring on the overpriced "distressed" designer tees! Rick Owens

Slutty American Apparel mini (fashion for the plebian set!) is a must.Buttery soft leather jacket.Some very un-mosh ready Louboutins.

Berets are this year's fedora. Now you're ready for Page Six.

Trippy

Likes: Bat for Lashes, MGMT, The Dirty Projectors, The Mars Volta, Jefferson Aeroplane, Pink Floyd.

She scoffs at your skeezy designer labels. But...if she could afford it, she would take this Tsumori Chisato blouse in a heartbeat.

She's so all over this romper thing.
And anything that makes her resemble Pocahontas.
And she doesn't care if you think her shoes are ugly.

Cruel professor studying romances...

It's below 85 degrees for the first time in over three months today! So my mind is turned to my fall wardrobe once again...My real one, the one slowly shrinking with the economy. Gee, thanks Mr. Bush, I can't believe I was excited to meet you when I was ten...you were inarticulate then, too.I have been bound and determined to get a pair of oxfords/lace-ups. But my mother is quite insistant on the fact that I stick to low heels and flats as my muscle spasms are acting up again. So I will probably, begrudgingly, be on the lookout for a less expensive version of these $178 Frye shoes.

I don't wear jewelry. Literally the only peice of jewelry I've worn in the past three years is a coin necklace my brother sent me from Amsterdam. But I'm trying new things, so jewelry it is. I'll be snapping up this Target necklace as soon as it goes on sale locally.

I am a sweater fiend not seen since the likes of late-nineties "Felicity" (yay for making references that far pre-date me!) But I am a sweater fiend that lives far closer to the Mexican border than the Canadian. So I must stick to cardigans that can be removed, like this $34 alloy number.


Blame my Pacific upbringing, but I adore a good anorak. I would be very tempted to buy this Delia's one for $79.50, despite the fact that rain here is intermitent.

I own way too many "basic" tees. Few prints, few things made of anything besides stretch cotton. So I might brave Old Navy for some girlie nonsense.

I hate skinny jeans. I think they're binding and uncomfortable. But I might make an exception for these very edgy wax-coated ones. $78

I saw a lot of girls walking around NYC in slips this summer. Not slip dresses, but actual slips. Fancy ones in solid, dark colours so they weren't see through. So I wonder if I could get away with something like this very fancy free people slip under sweaters or with knee socks.

So now I'm going to ask: I have no intention of putting my personal tastes on the altar of public opinion, but I'm curious to know, what do you think I should be wearing? Sometimes people on the outside can pick up on something that would suit you that would never occur to you yourself.

Let Me Entertain You

Sorry for the lack of blogging/commenting lately. I've had an awful lot on my plate lately, the keyword being "awful". Not to mention, school starts in two weeks and I have quite a lot to do. Speaking of school, my second year of college will present a challenge not just for my blogging, but for my dressing. I've always loved clothes and aesthetics, but I went through a lot of phases.

A goth phase (think lots of armwarmers made from my dad's socks) when I was in junior high. A punk phase (lots of short schoolgirl skirts). A very long hippie phase and finally, around the beginning of my senior year, I snapped into this weird phase where I thought dressing like you gave a damn meant you were shallow and insecure and adhered strictly to a uniform of jeans, t shirts, flats, no makeup and a ponytail. It wasn't until the end of my first semester in college that I gradually began to ease back into "dressing up". It was the ultimate rebellion: A girl in dresses, tights and ringlet curls every day in a place where peoples' normal ensembles were intended for sleeping in.

But this summer, I started to slip right back into the old "denimification" trap. I'm hoping this is just a bout of laziness for me, so in the meantime I'm trying to think of some school clothes that are affordable, versatile, but still not boring.

Until at least October, it will still be annoyingly warm here, so your standard summery cotton dresses will be my friend for the forseeable future. This one is on sale for $39.99

I cannot possibly overemphasize the importance of flats for a college girl. Heels are doable, but when you have ten minutes to get a quarter mile from the science building to the student centre, you will have no desire to negate practically. Buy them in all colours (red, blue, black, whatever you like) and fabrics as cheaply as possible, they wear out quickly and you can replace them easily. These are Target, $19.99Boots as well. Since I already have flat, practical riding boots, this year I want to buy something a little bit more fun. I like the tough look of these Steve Madden boots. They're a bit steep at $140, but by the time I actually need them they'll probaby be on sale. If not, something tells me lace-ups are going to be very prevalent this season.

I find that when autumn (finally!) rolls around, the easiest way to spice up my mostly-black wardrobe is tights. Fishnet, crocheted, all colours of the rainbow. But obviously since tights aren't very durable I'll be needing to buy a new batch this year. Alloy has a good deal going, three or more pairs for $5.50 each. Also, if you're short like me, check out the little girls tights at Walmart. Dirt cheap and very warm.
Yes, coats and jackets are quite necessary even in the south. A leather jacket is essential and I snagged a great one this summer, but I realized recently that I've never had a coloured coat. They're always black, navy, or ivory, even when I was a child. I think this Delia's coat for $89.95 would ammend that in short order.

Because I am used to, and very fond of, the cold of the north, I am very fond of cold weather clothes and often buy more than are appropriate for this climate. I think this APC coat and I were made for one another, but as it's over five-hundred dollars, I'm sure it would be inclined to disagree.

One of the easiest, cheapest ways to augment a seemingly endless parade of solid tees and heathered sweaters, is hats. A myriad of hats. Beanies, vintage, whatever you want, a hat makes you stand out. Berets are my favourite, I own five and will probably buy more regardless, but I'm starting to get sick of all my professors commenting on how very "French I look. Thus, this bowler for $38 might be a nice change of pace.

Postscript: I have been a remiss commenter lately. I try to comment everyone who is nice enough to frequent my blog and then some, but I've been distracted lately. Sorry. Also, if you would like to exchange links or have me add you to my blogroll, just comment and leave your blog name and your url and I'll get right on it!