Intellectuals Read Vogue, Too

Four Kicks

2009-08-05T18:16:00.002-05:00

I bring before you a serious issue.

What is with the romantic rift between the fashion world and the bootcut jean? It's not as if they don't exist any more, when you walk back in to school next week, I would bet that roughly half the female population would be dressed in them (the other half, of course, in skinnies). But if you've also picked up a fashion magazine in the past few years, you might think they've become extinct, because they're not at all acknowledged in editorials or even advertisements? There is often a fairly wide rift between what's going on in fashion and what the average girl wears, but why does fashion have to snub the bootcut jean so roundly?

I guarantee you that if [insert wildly popular blogger here] were to post a much-lauded outfit polished off with your standard, Target-bought pair of bootcut or "flares", the same outfit would be dismissed as pedestrian rather than praised. Up until about a year ago, the only "fashion" choice for pants was the ubiquitous skinny jean---

It's not as if I have a problem with skinny jeans. I think they look fantastic....on other people. But for me personally, I think they make my petite frame look even shorter, my curves look like one too many sandwiches. And aside from that, they tend to be slightly binding and uncomfortable. And I see many a girl who's body type would be so much better served by something with a non-tapered leg persist in wearing them because they're de rigeur.

Then, sometime around last year (depending on who you ask of course), came the advent of the boyfriend jean. While it is infinitely more flattering than the skinny jean, it also requires its own form of work. Because of the loose, hip-slung fit of the boyfriend, you can't pair it with just anything. The wrong blouse and you'll look rectangular, and all but the tallest of girls look slovenly in boyfriend jeans without pairing them with heels. While I own a pair of boyfriend jeans, and love them for their slacked comfort, I feel somewhat awkward wearing them as I rarely wear anything with a heel.

So what is a bootcut wearing girl to do but place herself at odds with her beloved fashion (or permanently resign herself to skirts)? You'll notice that on the occasion I post my own outfits, I usually stick to dresses, and there is a reason for that. While I hope boyfriends, in their forgiving masculinity I'm such a sucker for, stick around for a while, I would like to declare a fashion moritorium on the skinny. They've had their time in the sun, it's time fashion and bootcut pants kiss and make up.

La Vie En Rose

2009-07-26T11:51:00.002-05:00

It always amuses me to no end to see an American girls' intepretation of "French style". I suppose they've watched "Paris, Je t'aime" one too many times, but in any case, it's usually wrong. I know I am not necessarily in a comfortable place to judge, being that I've never been to France, however, the fact that most of my highschool friends were French allowed me to glean some essential knowledge I hope to share with you.

And so I give you, How Not to Dress French

Some of these should be fairly obvious, but you should avoid:

The beige trench. I have yet to see a european woman in this, worn wrong, it can make you look like "Columbo" the detective (google it). And honestly, I think it's boring as hell. There is nothing particularly "un-French" about a trench however, but if you wear one, make sure you have it tailored so that's it's not frumpy or awkward, and opt for one in black with a unique cut, fabric or texture.

The Breton Sweater:
Established by French sailors to keep them warm on the high seas during the late 19th century, it gradually trickled down into common French society and in women's clothing, and of course, the American girls had to have it. If you do wear it, wear it in an "American fashion", with gray stripes as opposed to navy, and paired with cut-offs or a leather mini and sneakers.

The Jauntily Tied Scarf:

In this unfortunate advent of the cotton "summer" scarf used to jazz up an outfit, I think we've forgotten that scarves serve an actual purpose, that being to keep our necks warm. In short, I really think you should only be wearing this when it's actually cold outside.

The Beret:

Berets are seeing quite a heydey, and I for one could not be more pleased, as I own half a dozen. Nothing adds an air of "I actually put thought into this" in under five seconds to a lazy outfit like a hat, and the easiest one to wear is a beret. I say, simply avoid looking like a francophile by wearing a wool tam variety (like the one above) loped over your brow, opting for the back of the head instead. And avoid the tired hipster look by not pairing it with a plaid shirt and skinnies.

Something to remember
You are not French. You are American. There is absolutely nothing wrong with it. There's nothing wrong with emulating international style, but keep in mind your region of origin. If you live in the dusty southwest, a trenchcoat is not going to be practical for your every day life. In the rainsoaked pacific? Stilettos are not your jive. And so on and so forth. Keep your own quirks and body type in mind, instead of wistfully wishing you lived in the street of Montmartre or had the body of some willowy girl in Malmo. Denying who you are and where you live will never look fashionable.

Step Right Up

2009-07-11T13:59:00.002-05:00

Chictopia.com and Topshop are pairing up for a fashion contest---in a nutshell, they're looking for fashionable girls to register with Chictopia and upload photos of themselves in their best outfit with, or riding, their bike as a promotion of a healthy and green lifestyle! I won't be entering myself (cripples and bicycles do not mix, sadly), but I know many of you are avid riders and very well dressed. Click here for details on the restrictions and prizes. The deadline is the 17th, so get cracking!

I can't get no satisfaction

2009-07-07T22:31:00.003-05:00

Current temperature in my hometown: 64 degrees
Current temperature where I live: the sixth ring of Hell.

Stuff like this McQ jacket mocks me from afar. Not simply because it's almost nine hundred dollars and I would have to sell blood plasma to afford it, but because nothing, short of the reversal of global warming, could allow me to wear it before Christmas.

What with all the "back to school" shopping coming into play, I have visions of stuff like this, dancing in my head (not unlike sugarplums).

but will instead spend the next three months wearing this:

*le sigh*

Current Fixations

2009-06-18T21:23:00.003-05:00

I have been obsessed with the idea of dark wash boyfriend jeans worn with leather suspenders and a risque top (such as a crop top, or a really skimpy vintage camisole). As soon as I gain some means of income (whenever that happens) my first paycheck is going towards some version of these....Okay, it's probably going towards a new camshaft for my engine, but play along, it makes me feel better.

I have also been eating an obscene amount of grilled cheese sandwiches. Pumpernickel and swiss is my favourite. My desire to eat grilled cheese runs in direct contradiction with my desire to wear a crop top.

These shoes haunt my dreams. I wake up in a cold sweat thinking about them. And that is where they will stay, because: A. They cost over a fucking grand. B. I would immediately fall, break something, and have to sell said shoes to pay for my hospital bills.

I may appear to be another mild-mannered hipster, and for the most part this is an accurate description (I read Simone de Beauvoir while listening to Blitzen Trapper, for Christ's sake), but I am in fact a closet metalhead. If you haven't heard Atlanta-natives (and all around badasses) Mastodon, you should. So epic.

Kickin It

2009-05-31T17:07:00.002-05:00

Between the whirlwind that is my social life, finals (I got all A's this semester! Celebratory pilgrimage to Atlanta anyone?) and fruitlessly searching for employment for my broke ass, I COMPLETELY FORGOT to mention an article written about zhee blog for lemondrop.com. Oops to the power of ten.

click and be enlightened

A tremendous thanks to Julie, who was very patient with my flaky, non-email-answering self.

Real postage forthcoming.

The Spark

2009-05-18T16:52:00.002-05:00

Seeking out gainful employment (and failing miserably) has been cutting into my free time lately. But I thought I would "reward" you darling readers for your patience with a post that took, y'know--effort.

The other day I was listening to Bob Dylan and thinking about how Bob loves him a song named after a chick (of course, that can be said about many a male musician, but I digress). And I was listening to "Rita May" specifically and begun to ponder, "How would a girl that Bob Dylan sings about, dress?"

Visions of Johanna

One of my personal favourites, it actually refers to one named Louise more than Johanna, but semantics. Louise, God bless her soul, is our protagonist's sloppy seconds: "Louise, she's all right, she's just near
She's delicate and seems like the mirror
But she just makes it all too concise and too clear
That Johanna's not here"

and Johanna is his great Madonna. Granted, it is the habit of men to either overidealize women or make them out as crazy bitches, but let's not get into that. Putting Johanna realistically, I imagine her as one of those willowy, fragile looking sorts with a slight frame who wears billowy chiffon kinds of things:

Louise, for her part, is sturdier, more "normal". Cotton, practical, but with a twist, something subtle that a man could never appreciate.

I'm thinking of making this a "series" and (eventually) covering all of Bob's named lady loves. What say you?

I tried to do handstands for you....

2009-05-07T12:12:00.002-05:00

Currently, in the dirty south, we are being blown apart by tornadoes and flooded by buckets of rain. But before this point, we were beginning to go to that hot, uncomfortable place where the deep south lives for a solid five to seven months out of the year. Anyone who has ever lived south of Kentucky and east of Albuquerque knows what I am referring to here. Every time you walk outside your door, it feels as if you are being smothered by a hot, wet, wool blanket. You sweat, or "glisten" as my mother prefers, but it brings no relief, as the air around you is wetter than you are and it can't evaporate. So instead, you are rendered a sticky, delusional human, wandering around the park, mumbling about how you would sell your immortal soul for a bus ticket to California. Oh, that's just me?

Anyhow, this weather tends to render people (i.e. me) very lazy in their wardrobe, by June I'm usually in ripped jeans and a tank top pretty much every single day. This year, I seek refuge in fashion, specifically, the frilly dress. It is tailor made for sweaty Southern laziness: it's one peice of clothing, so you don't have to bother with pesky layers, and it has plenty of much needed ventilation.

Urban Outfitters is always a (slightly overpriced) mecca for this sort of thing:

$68

I'm hourglass and look very poor in all this empire waisted nonsense, so this trend towards old style tea dresses is my friend.
$58

$88

$48

At delia's there are less options, but respectable ones:
$44.50

$39.50

For cheapness, look no further than Forever21...

$24.80

That being said, if you are, as I am, dead flat broke, I cannot reccomend strongly enough that you simply go thrifting. Not to boost your indie cred, but simply because when most of us were in kindergarten, frilly, floral dresses were all the rage. And if you're clever, and don't shop in a purposefully "hip" place, you can still score a good, unsweaty dress (such as the one above) for less than a Bigmac combo meal.

Dark Side of the Moon

2009-04-13T17:54:00.005-05:00

Wow. I honestly didn't mean for this hiatus to happen. Enough has gone down in the past month to put in a (slightly scandalous) short story. Ah, college life. I promise once finals are over you will have my undivided attention. This is probably a lie, but it makes me feel better, go with it...

This was weeks ago. Sorry kids.

Lightning Round

2009-03-16T12:48:00.002-05:00

It is spring break, and I am ill, so I thought I would take this chance to wrangle the long-elusive Q&A...

How old are you?
My eighteenth birthday just passed recently, I have mixed feelings about it...

How can you be as young as you are and be a sophmore in college?
I started as a full-time university student when I was sixteen. I took a double workload during highschool, finishing in two years instead of four.

Do you still live with your parents?
I moved out over the Christmas holidays (to my campus). Best decision I've made in a while.

What are you studying?
Currently, I am a double major in English and Foreign Language, and hope to minor in Studio Art, though I've yet to officially declare.

Do you have any siblings?
Yes. A sister, 34 and brother, 40. I am the baby by quite a wide margin.

What about pets.
Two lovely cats, Doorstep and Mini (yes, those are their names). The next one shall be christened Allen Ginsberg...

Not to be too personal or anything, but what religion are you?
I'm Jewish, but I was raised Christian (non-denominational Protestant). My father likes to consider us "Messianic", but for all intensive purposes, we're practicing Christians who retain some Jewish traditions and most holidays. I consider myself religious and spiritual, but also socially and politically progressive.

What got you into blogging?
In some context or another I've been blogging since I was twelve, mostly online personal journals and a few short stories. I decided to start a fashion blog after I saw blogs like Fashion Robot and Style Rookie, just because I wanted to see if I could do it, and to have more motivation to put thought into my outfits.

What is your favourite thing in your wardrobe?
A leather jacket I bought for twelve dollars in TJ Maxx

What gets you interested in fashion, and since when?
I've always had a sense of "dress up" about me during different phases of life. When I was twelve, instead of a purse, I carried a Klamath "medicine bag". When I was ten, I was infatuated by impressionist paintings of ballerinas, so for a year I pranced about in leotards, chiffon, and a velvet ribbon around my neck. I suppose my first trigger was when I was fourteen, I was on a road trip through southern California and in need of amusement, so I bought a copy of Vogue. But I didn't really get into dressing less casually until I started college. I was homeschooled and private schoole, so I was thrilled to be able to wear "real" clothes every day.

If you could be a dress, what dress would you be?\
Any dress designed by Olivier Theyskens. I'm not really one of those girls that swoons over poufy ballgowns, but his designs are so intellectual, they're genuinely poetic.

Who is your favourite designer?
You might as well ask me to pick a favourite CHILD. No, seriously. Marc Jacobs was my first love, but I like Paulo-Melim Andersson, Yojhi Yamamoto, Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez, Miuccia Prada, Ann Demeulemeester and Ricardo Tisci.

Thank you for all of your questions! (and patience)

Pencilled In

2009-03-03T19:06:00.004-06:00

Midterms, combined with personal issues that make me despise the very concept of "pretty", means it's been jeans and schlepwear the past couple of weeks. This outfit is actually from the deceptive, ludicrous marketing tool that is Valentine's Day.

God...I just reread that. Do I really sound like that? I need to get a grip.

Talk Turkey

2009-02-26T21:07:00.004-06:00

mmkay, I know I am way overdue in discussing all this, but OMFG.

Probably my favourite collection in NYC was Proenza Schouler. So damn cool! I would wear ANY of this. Oh, if only!

I must have these shoes before I die. No disussion.

Chloe Sevigny for Opening Ceremony
I want him almost as much as I want the shoes. Almost.

Erin Fetherston. I'm obsessed with these animal masks.

Marc by Marc Jacobs

Frilly, comfy chic. I connected with this a lot more than his Max-Headroom redux.

The hands down winner is of course, Rodarte. I dont need to say a thing.

The Youth of the Nation

2009-02-21T11:07:00.003-06:00

I've always been rather insistant on the idea that I'm simply never going to have children. But the idea that I would get to dress up a little girl like this has me reconsidering.

And me at nine, would have been stuffing candy hearts in this kid's locker like every day.

Lazy Hipster

2009-02-11T09:30:00.004-06:00

Midterms (because my professors are sadists and like to have TWO midterms). I don't need to explain. I swear for the billionth time I will do Q&A and I have a couple EPIC posts and a vlog in the pipe. Patience, grasshopper

Feel the Noise

2009-02-02T15:12:00.004-06:00

My mama made me a cowl scarf! I simply flipped for Yokoo's designs, but in all respect for her, I do not have $120 for a scarf. I do not have $20 for a scarf. A cappuccino from Starbucks is my big treat these days. (thank you, economic downturn and ruinous, red tooth and claw American job market!) The yarn set me back about six dollars, and the labour was free because it was a labor of loooove. Aww. As Alabama has been getting in fact, colder, I've been living in it.

I know I need to do my Q&A and answer a TON of emails, which I promise to do once my professors lay off this insufferable "homework" that they insist upon....I'm not even voting age yet...

I Totally Want to be a Dude Now...

2009-01-27T19:12:00.002-06:00

...We have the same hair

Tundra

2009-01-18T20:30:00.007-06:00

I know I haven't exactly been keeping up with the whole "post more" resolution and I totally owe you kids a Q&A, but um....college is fun. I'm just now discovering this.

It's been freezing pretty much everywhere here in the U.S. lately, AL included. Yesterday, we were colder than Moscow, which is not something you can deal with very easily if you've lived here for more than three years and have acclimated to our annoyingly mild winters. I think this means a lot of us have been reverting back to our "uniforms" whatever that be (with the notable exception of Tavi, but I think we all know she's only 20% human, 80% fashion deity). For me, it's thick black tights, a v neck sweater, flat boots and a quilted anorak. Thus, nothing post worthy. But even someone like myself, who normally would be quite content if the temp never rose above 55, has turned, with aching longing, to thoughts of spring. Bubble tea and floral dresses. Picnics with boys, never wanting to go to class and general mirth.

springtime by hr2021

Learn to love the scenery

2009-01-07T15:20:00.007-06:00

These past couple of weeks have been ker-azy. Classes have started again and....

I've moved! After a year and half of slugging it out on a daily hour and twenty minute commute, I finally broke down and got a dorm room. This means the outdoor outfit posts that we've all come to love will be limited. It's not that bad to be the campus "lunatic girl who takes self-timed pictures of herself voguing on benches and by sycamore trees" in theory, however in practice it could become problematic. But I'm sure I can get semi-creative with my, erm, cozy, surroundings.

I hope you all had a grand new year. My resolutions are to drink more water, blog more often and avoid impulse purchases like the plague. What are some of yours?

RIP Charlotte Charles

2008-12-29T19:45:00.007-06:00

I am filled with woe. My favourite show currently on television, Pushing Daisies, has been cancelled! It was a brief, delightful trip, and I think a show destined, (much like "Arrested Development" and "My So-Called Life") to go down with fans as abrupt ending you never really get over.

Starring Lee Pace and Anna Freil as star crossed lovers, the story centers around Ned, a piemaker who touches things and brings them back to life. The catch being that he must touch them again within sixty seconds, or something within the vicinity will die as well, and once he does touch them, they're dead, for good. When he finds that his long-lost childhood crush, Lonely Tourist, Charlotte Charles, whose father Ned had inadvertently killed in their youth, is now a young beekeeper who has met her untimely end at the hands of a plastic smiley face bag and a shiny-shoed murderer, he simply cannot bear to bring himself to touch her again. This means that he gets to be reunited with his soulmate, at the price of well, never touching her again (though they do find some creative and strangely, not at all kinky, solutions to this). Together with private investigator Emerson Cod and scorned waitress Olive Snook, they solve mysteries and murders, such as that of a woman driving an eco-friendly car powered by dandelions, all while making pastries.

It is a hilarious, heartwarming program with the kind of fantastical imagery you might expect from Tim Burton's more optimistically-minded cousin, shot through with turn of the century charm and a spectacular play of contrast colours (someone went to art school), calling to mind both the poetic dynamism of European renaissance art, and the charm of American folk and modern, such as the subjects of Edward Hopper and subtlety of Jasper Johns. It's quirky, without trying too hard, unlike many other "indie" ventures in television. It's sweet, without wallowing in preciosity, philosophical, without rolling around in existentialism all the live long day (*coughHousecough*). In short, in a television landscape dominated by crime dramas and vapid guilty pleasures, it was and is brilliant.

Style wise, they're all fascinating and calculated characters. But my favourite remains Charlotte "Chuck" Charles.

Usually seen in her signature red and a variety of hokey wigs and babushka scarves to hide her identity, her style is retro without being overbearing. It's a mix of 50's tea dresses, 60's babydolls and 70's boots and minis combos, with some modern twists like high waisted tulip skirts thrown in, her wardrobe allows you to never put a "realistic" timeline or date on the show, adding to the fantastical appeal.

Postscript- Dear readers, I am in need of more probing from you! If I am to do a Q&A that's remotely satisfying or revelatory, I really do need a wider berth of questions from all of you, so go ahead, lay them on me. If you would prefer to keep it private/anonymous, feel free to email me. My address is in the sidebar. Thanks!

the legend of sleepy hollow

2008-12-18T18:54:00.010-06:00

The entire city has been immersed in fog and mist for days now, and I would be an absolutely negligent blogger if I didn't seize upon this advantageous atmosphere...

I am new to the world of wearing a tablecloth as a skirt, so it's not nearly so artfully done as Tavi's or Belle's. I do need to take care with it, as it was my maternal grandmother's handmade tablecloth from the 20's. We don't use it, but if anything were to happen to it, my mother would cry and cry and cry. Then disown me.

The blouse is Forever21, which we just recently got locally. Sadly I will be returning it as my bust is, well, busting out all over. Sigh.

I know a lot of bloggers have been doing this, but I figured it would be a good time to do a Q&A, tis the season and all. So, if you please, either by comment or email, ask me a question, any question you want (within reason) and I'll answer it in a post. Also, I'm taking a kind of informal poll: would you prefer it answered through a normal post, or through a vlog?

I'm sticking with you, cause I'm made out of glue...

2008-12-11T11:13:00.005-06:00

After an argument with a friend about the nature and definition of being "thin" in society, and how that definition has evolved, I have begun to give a lot of thought to the nature of the waist.

Some form of stays (boning or structuring of an undergarment made to modify the shape of the torso) or waist cincher, has ostensibly existed since 1000 B.C., but the rudimentary form of stays we associate with the corset came into fashion around the 15th century.
These laced all the way to the hip, and along with thick petticoats and the fashionable square neckline, was meant to emphasize the bust, an elongated torso and a "handspan" waist. Take Queen Elizabeth I in her teen years for example:

The corset grew more constricting as the skirt grew wider, until we come to the late 18th century, a time in which panniers grew so wide, hair so tall and waists so narrow, that clothing truly became a pageant of the ridiculous
Cases of misformed organs and cracked ribs run rampant among women looking to shave off that extra half inch with rigid metal and whalbone busks. To those of you who think that the eating disorder is a modern incarnation of a modern fixation, think again.

Clearly a backlash was coming. After the French Revolution and during the early Romantic period, fashion experienced what is known as the Regency period. A time that favoured dresses of simple silk and chiffon in pale colours with puffed or narrow leg-of-mutton sleeves and empire waists. Corsets were less restrictive, with less boning and looser lacing. This is where we usually get our visual references for Jane Austen herioines.

During the 20th century, the cycles of rejecting and embracing the waist by equal turns came even faster. During the twenties, lanky, slender figures with flat, broad waists and small breast became all the rage, to best acessorize the new acreage of skin being shown off in backless gowns and short skirts.

While the 40's reverted back to the nipped in waist and full skirt...

The 60's were all about "the sack" the "tent", the trapeze and shift dresses

The 90's was all about a small waist emphasized by a crop top, high waists, or a combination thereof.

By the time we moved into the present decade, things were really moving at hyperspeed. First there was the lowslung belt, made to emphasize low-rise jeans and jutting hipbones:

Then the belt got wider and were worn in bright patent colours at the waist (the local girls still love this one)

More recently was this nasty business of the resurge of sixties proportions. As you can imagine, it was hell for anyone of an hourglass or pear-shaped bodytype or simply a very petite stature. I don't think I bought any blouses or dresses for over a year, just because I didn't feel like wearing a belt with everything I own to avoid looking like a sad sack or a five year old.

Now we're coming out of "bodycon". The resurgence of an 80's trend, largely responsible for the revival of Herve Leger's bandage dresses, it was hailed as "the anti-trapeze", and as a celebration of healthier figure and womanly curves. The problem with this concept is that stretchy, spandex materials are not very flattering on "curves" not unless they have been methodically pilates-toned or Godgiven.

I suppose my complaint of the treatment of the waist in recent fashion is that it leaves no other flexibility for a body that's not naturally slender to exist in a flattering and fashion forward member. We constantly find ourselves buying things we're not comfortable in and constantly trying to work our bodies around them, rather than the other way around.Unlike fashions of the past, which emphasized simply using fashion to tweak your own physique into the favoured proportion, the only options left to be best served by trapezes, drop waists and body cons is simply to be tall, and barring that, to be as thin as possible. Even now, we are not safe, as the 90's crop top is finding favour with edgier souls than myself. In a lot of ways it's even more unforgiving than essentially wrapping your torso in spandex, there is no place for stomachs to hide. Better start doing those crunches, now, rather than later...

Cold Snapped.

2008-12-04T10:35:00.006-06:00

Outfit I wore yesterday. Not that avant garde, but I think I should get major credit for the fact that it's finals week and I'm not in sweats. I bought this dress from urban outfitters, but the cheapskates didn't include a slip and I'm having quite a time trying to find one, so until then I'm wearing it as a pseudo skirt. I got it basically for free (with some store credit I forgot I had), I feel bad for the poor suckers who paid the full seventy dollars for it. But I'm excited to have some florals in my wardrobe for the first time since 6th grade.

I got these shoes from the fine people at Solestruck. I know I'm only the billionth blogger to talk them up, but really, these shoes are gorgeous and walkable, and the sale assistants are absurdly sweet. And okay, I admit these didn't make it more than ten minutes at school during this soggy, foggy weather (which my dad refers to as "Oregon, without the benefit of being in Oregon"), but I don't weeble wobble in them like most heels. Palsy stamp of approval!

Change the Channel

2008-11-27T21:11:00.005-06:00

I am alive!

Seriously, sorry for being so neglectful lately. But until the end of next week (the dreaded finals) I don't have time for blogging. Or friends. Or sleeping. I swear on all that is holy that I will get around to returning some of your lovely emails/comments. My apologies, things will be back in working order soon, but right now my GPA comes first, yo. In the mean time, I've been thinking a lot about channeling a certain character from a film or book in my clothes, and I thought I'd share.

Cassie from Skins
Skins is finally here in the US (on the BBC) and I am full-blown addicted. Gossip Girl is sooooo passe. Like every other fashion enthusiast, I fell hard for the character Cassie, a madcap, trippy-hippy anorexic who never gets enough screen time. She's all about insane in the membrane when it comes to clothes. Flashy. clashing. Anything goes. I want to be the brunette version of her, minus the eating disorder.

cassie by hr2021

Rose
rose by hr2021
From "The Ballad of Jack and Rose" Camilla Belle plays a girl who spent an entire life on a commune in on an island off the east coast with her dashingly Scottish father, Daniel Day Lewis. Set in the 80's, Rose's anachronistic style of clothes inherited from her mother looks fresh amongst her step family's big hair, nylon tracksuits, and greasy metal rocker style. Rose's style is earthy, laid back, and most of all, she looks really comfortable.

Part two (along with the bajillion other things I've promised you) coming soon. Can you tell this post was the result of lazyness mixed with absolute exhaustion?...ooops. Shhh! Don't tell! I hope you all had a very happy Thanksgiving.

How To Dress European (Part Two)

2008-11-08T09:47:00.006-06:00

I have a vlog coming as soon as I can get the internet to cooperate with me. Swear.
In the meantime, the title of this is self-explanitory. Once again, purely sarcastic and tongue in cheek. Please, a fashion blog is not a proper forum for sociocultural debate.

Someone commented on the last post that they "deadly want" to see my riff on German style. Lucky for you, I have spent half my life surrounded by Germans! Taciturn, cliched Germans who were usually my teachers and with whom I never got along particularly well. So keep in mind, my biases are fully-formed.

A German woman simply cannot bother herself with all these extraneous layers and peices, so a dress is a must.

Being German is all about being modern,and there is no room in a German wardrobe for any "vintage" references. Let's leave the past where it belongs, shall we?

Form follows function.

A German woman loves sparkly baubles, but practices restraint. "Bling" is not leitkultur, kids.

It is one of the greatest injustices of life that I was not born Scandinavian. Any of you have who have ever followed a street style blog know what I'm talking about. It seems like they're all tall and ribbon-slim, with soigne style and a creamy complexion to boot. My first time in Stockholm you will probably find me weeping in my hotel room shrieking, "I can't go outside! They're all too...beautiful."

They all have Acne....Acne Jeans clothing.

On any other person, tights as pants would be at best, a fashion faux pas, and at worst, incredibly unflattering. But the rules don't apply to you. This one has delightfully edgy leather panels.

Neutral colours as always.

And edgy shoes that no one else could walk in.

cold hands, warm heart

2008-10-29T10:53:00.006-05:00

There is quite a cold snap going on here, and I find myself unprepared. Seriously, I have like, two sweaters that aren't ugly and fit. This is complicated by the fact that I am currently broke.

Jacket: TJ Maxx Shoes: Target Skirt: Wet Seal Hat: Thrifted Shirt: Walmart (boys section)

Oh, Susannah

2008-10-20T23:00:00.003-05:00

I have made no secret of the fact that I loathe living in the rural south. Nevermind that I live in the second largest metropolis of my state. I have found myself, since the age of ten, constantly stunted and dead-ended emotionally and creatively by living here. I live in perhaps the most unpicturesque part of the entire state. I bore quite easily, and I have seen many people of similar temperments given over to apathy, bitterness, or just a bad liquor fixation before they hit 25 here in Alabama. I could go into a big rant, but suffice it to say everything from the (unseasonably hot and sticky) weather to the indigenous culture has never meshed well with me.

That having been established, I am always delighted (and okay, a bit suprised) whenever Sweet Home AL shows any sign of civilisation. So when I read about Florence, AL based designer Billy Reid in my brand new issue of Nylon, I googled him in haste. Florence, for those of you uninitiated, is somewhere between a quaint town and a spot in the road, it's two great landmarks being the FLW Rosenbaum House (which I have mentioned previously), and the University of North Alabama.

Upon entering Mr. Reid's website, I will admit to being at first blush, underwhelmed. His clothes are not unlike what you might find in J. Crew or, for us girls, Anthropologie. But as I looked closer, I began to appreciate the smaller, finer details. The curve of a seam. The lining of a pocket. Ticking on an inside dart. Do take advantage of the "zoom" tool on his site to see what I mean.

And while his prices are somewhat perplexing in these lean times, and I honestly have no idea what sort of market he can aquire in Florence, a town currently in the economic downswing, I can certainly appreciate the obvious amount of work in his clothes and indeed his stores (check out the website pics). And as an anachronism fiend, have a great appreciation for the Civil War tenor of his aesthetic.
I would gladly take this apron dress home any day of the week.

I will get around to answering all your delightful comments and adding to my blogroll when I find myself in posession of a greater surplus of time, I apologize. And part two of my European post IS coming soon, please, hold me to that, or I shall surely forget.

How To Dress European

2008-10-09T21:12:00.004-05:00

A guide to dressing like an exotic and worldly European woman, as written by a biased pseudo-Russo-Jew who's spent half her short life in the writhing south.

French
the cliches about French dressing are mostly true. Simple but with a twist. And yes, most of the allure of Gallic chic lies in actually being French I'm afraid. So attempting it at say, your local Walmart or a square dance, will have mixed results. I know.

Most of these items will need to explanation. Fluttery silk blouse= chic.

A little secret about Euro women: They're cheap. There are exceptions of course, but they adore fashion and don't like to spend much money on it. Sample sales and outlet stores are their friend.
href="http://images.urbanoutfitters.com/is/image/UrbanOutfitters/13755590_01_b?$prodmain$">
French women love miniskirts and never got that whole fashion mag memo about "no minis over 25!". Good for them.

Every iconoclastic french woman from Deneuve to Gainsbourg has worn a trench. I think there's a good reason for that. This one has nifty zippers.

On anyone else, that leather skirt+ these boots would = slutty. But Frenchness means such concerns about too much or not enough belongs with ugly Americans who don't smoke and are scared of carbs.

Italian
Italians are all about nero nero nero. And take risks that the French girls sometimes won't. Sometimes it really works and sometimes it really doesn't

My Italian professor was OBSESSED with skinny black pants. She wore them almost every day for an entire school year. Seriously, I never saw a skirt on the woman.

Again, at least one inexpensive thing.

This Chloe jacket is l'ultima moda. Yes, this is daywear. How dare you even ask.

My poor Italian professor. If she ever sees this blog she'll never forgive me....Okay, one more anecdote: She used to ride her bike to school. In five inch platform shoes. Every day. She sometimes came to class with bandages on her face and palms, but she always looked fashionable. I've never seen her without her height having been jacked up a good four inches, so I'm honestly not sure how tall she is.

I've never seen an Italian woman with a french bag.

Part two possibly coming soon, depending on how much flack I get from people taking this way too seriously.

P.S. Sorry for the pic hugeness. Blogger is being hormonal.

We All Can't Copy Kate Lanphear

2008-10-08T08:59:00.009-05:00

This outfit is really unflattering. The blazer is too big, the cut-offs (yes these are shorts not some hideous denim skirt) hit me in the wrong place, the boots make my legs look shorter. My well meaning homage to Louise Ebell has instead given me Helena-Boneham Carter's hair. My Puritanical mom is ripping me a new one for wearing shorts that go above my knees. I should probably just change back into my flattering bootcut jeans and a sweater and get to class, right?

Nope. For some weird reason, I don't particularly care anymore. My professors are looking at me like I came from Saturn, but it's midterms and they're giving me crappy grades anyways. It sort of feels good.

cut-offs- random jeans I ruined. blazer- Target. t-shirt- Hanes. tights- Walmart. Shoes-Delia's.

Fashion blogging has turned me punk.

Talk About it, Stud

2008-10-06T13:11:00.003-05:00

Every time I buy a new pair of shoes, my parents make a crack about me becoming Imelda Marcos. Now, they seem to ignore the fact that, including running/walking shoes, I only own twelve pairs. But they probably have a point in that if I had a regular paycheck now, most of it would probably be blown irresponsibly on footwear. My 'real life' friends would probably be shocked to know this. I had quite a scene the other day where I suddenly dropped my things, swore profusely, and lobbed my very uncomfortable pair of suede flats at the nearest garbage can. I proceeded to walk around campus the rest of the day, no doubt contracting some kind of disease from the floors of the liberal arts building.

So, this post is dedicated to the "moderately priced" footwear. Not the Ann Demeulemeester lace ups or Chloe clodhoppers that will most likely elude me until adulthood. But those over a hundred dollars that remain heartbreakingly close but exceed my budget. (Such as those UO boots, see post below) First up are these delicious Free People doc-a-likes for $388:
Mmmm, studs. Leath-ah. I know what you're thinking. "DIY". And true, the studs themselves would be simple to replicate. But the boots themselves? That soft, distressed buttery leather could only be approximated by very vintage docs. And Alabamians are not known of their love of grunge/punk. Though, should you find some in size six, feel free to send them my way.

Urban Outfitters should really be paying me a commission. I'm a big fan of knee boots. They keep you warm and make your legs look longer/slimmer, and not to mention, sexy. I love the odd shape of these, and the heels look very comfortable and stable, which is a challenge when you go to university that sits on hill and has flagstone sidewalks. $298 dollars worth of futile longing by Dolce Vita.

Many blogs have been lit up lately with odes to Pygmalion. The Pygmalion shoe by LD Tuttle, that is. I find the random tuft of feathers in the back offputting, but they're so damn cool, if I had the $578 to buy them I could gladly ignore it.

My inner MGMT groupie has a major crush on Minnetonka boots. I don't think they would be particularly flattering on my stubby legs, and given that I have naturally long, black hair, the "Pocahontas" comparisons would be sort of inevitable. But at a gumball short of $100 dollars at Delia's (not including shipping) I doubt I will ever get to solve that problem.

now there there, I'm a friendly man

2008-09-30T21:53:00.008-05:00

I've been in a bad mood lately, especially on the male front. So, as a statement of rebellion, I decided to was time to pull out my very oversized men's shirt. I bought it in Target last week as an impulse buy, to find something, anything that could fit around my goshdarn bust. It feels sort of freeing, not caring about "flattering" or "pretty" or "does it make me look thin?" when I get dressed in the morning. But I'm still hoping it will shrink a little in the wash.

A Love Letter

2008-09-25T20:45:00.002-05:00

Dear Urban Outfitters Boots,

I know it sounds like a corny line, but the moment I saw you in the early fall catalogue, I knew it was love. You're not my normal type: You're high maintainance suede, your heel is too low to cause me bodily harm, and worn with the wrong thing, your intricate latticework could be downright dominatrix. "Feirce", is not usually what people would use to describe my wardrobe. But I can change, oh believe me, I can change for you! I can be confident, I can be the Alabama version of Emmanuelle Alt, I can be the biggest badass on the block, if only you would come home with me.

The only thing that stands in the way of our love is your one-hundred and twenty five dollar price tag. Does it really have to be this way? I can barely afford food, I simply can't make room for you right now. I have waited, patiently, for months, for you to go on sale, but I am growing weary and heartsick. Why won't you be mine?

All My Love,
Hanna

Mea Culpa

2008-09-22T09:21:00.004-05:00

Okay, I know I have been a blogging non-entity lately. Blame it on boys, hippies, hospitals, and the Chicago format of writing. I have a dozen or so of you lovely reader, who, etiquette demands, that I reciprocate your wonderful comments. And I sweeeear, I will when I have time, feel free to beat me over the head should I forget. But I have very very exciting news:

My delightful parents finally caved and bought me a new CAMERA!!! Gone are the days of having to take all of outfit pics outside or midday for you to be able to suss out that I am wearing clothes at all. No more of my camera running out of juice mid-photograph. No more having to go to New York Effing City with a disposable camera and having NONE of your photos coming out (and then sobbing uncontrollably). And I will no longer have low resolution photos to decieve you into thinking that I am thin and attractive, how much does that rock?! This means more outfit posts, God and my schedule willing, better personal posts, and hopefully a better blog all around. This also means that maybe in the future (and that is a big maybe, as I am the most tech inept teenager known to mankind) a video blog or two?

Poststript- Are you guys kosher with the innate hugeness of the new header, or do I need to crop it down?

Out of Vogue

2008-09-13T21:25:00.004-05:00

I should be fucking STUDYING right now for my midterms, because God knows I wont have time during the week because I promised to help like a gaggle of middle eastern exchange students during the week because I am such a pushover. But no, I am sitting here blogging because I feel I need to address this:

Now I know, Teen Vogue has never been the height of sophistication, and even if it were, like all teen magazines, it would be subject to the whims of youth trends. And right now that trend is "Let's forget the late nineties ever happened and lose our freaking minds over homogenous, blank-eyed teens with only nominal talent!". I get that. But seriously? Zac Effron? W...T...F?! Words cannot describe the faint stench of humiliation that trailed me as I walked to the cashier's counter to pay for magazine with his overly bronzed face slapped across the cover. Forget that I am beginning to skirt the line of being too "old" for Teen Vogue (and yes, I know I'm still a teenager, semantics), but this was just an indignity. If I hadn't gotten a peek at the fantastic editorial inside I would have never bothered.

That's not to say I have no problem with their content. It seems Teen Vogue's elitism is slowly coming into lockstep with their ivory tower big sister Vogue. The lavish sweet sixteen of some scantily clad Upper East Side rich girl on one page, and lambasting plastic surgery and poor body image on the other, touting hollywood starlets such as Ellen Page, Katy Perry (excuse me, one inane hit single and you're a star?) and America Ferrera as "unique beauties". Is it that they're actually unique, or they're just, shock, brunettes?! Not to mention, some of the only affordable clothes I've seen featured in the past few months are Kira Plastinina and Avril Lavigne's t-shirt line. *gag* What's next, suggesting Louboutins as part of our "must have" back to school wardrobe?

Imitation of Titian

2008-09-05T20:53:00.006-05:00

Since I have a little extra time on my paws, (probably the last time you'll hear my say that before Thanksgiving) I figured it was high time for another of my semi-famous art comparison posts!

First off I thought I'd start with a nice challenge: architecture! You always here the "sculptural" quality of a garment being discussed, so I thought I'd put that to the test.

I once read somewhere that Rem Koolhaas and Miuccia Prada were once lovers and that's why he designs so many Prada stores. I have no idea if this has even a grain of truth, but it's certainly interesting. The Dutch architect is probably one of the most well known of the current age, and it's easy to see where his massive, geometric designs (like the magnificent Seattle library, below) could influence fashion.
Gareth Pugh

Everybody, I mean, everybody, knows who Frank Lloyd Wright is. Mysogynist? Yes. Genius? Absolutely. I remember my friend Nick and I once got into a big argument on what influenced the design of Starbucks stores more, the Arts and Crafts movement or Frank Lloyd Wright. Why a mysogynist you ask? He made kitchens inordinately small. There's a Usonian house a couple hours away from here called the Rosenbaum house. The owner's wife had four teenage boys, and I'm sure most of your closets are bigger than this kitchen. Frank Lloyd Wright is arguably best known for the covetable design of his windows.
Windows of the Robie House, Chicago 1906

Lanvin

Hans Holbein the Younger was one of the most prolific portraitists of the 16th century. Though he is most famous for his dominating portrait of Henry VIII in his overwrought Sunday's best (think of him as an early Sartorialist), most of his subjects were downwright austere. Since this season is all about pragmatism and sober lines and economic recession, I wouldn't be surpised if a few designers are taking cues from him.
Woman With A Squirrel, 1526-28

Balenciaga

The early to mid-19th century was all about rocking the casbah. Specifically, Orientalism, orient meaning the Middle East, not Asia. Lots of pictures of girls in harem pants, rich coloured silks, paillettes and feather headresses. It might as well read as a "fashion forecast" for 2008.

Pierre-Auguste Renoir "A Woman of Algiers" 1870 (I wrote a term paper on this one)

Alexander McQueen

I was fixated with the Degas ballerinas as a little one. The soft, delicate colours, the pastel tulle and elaborate tutus. God knows I wore a velvet ribbon round my neck for years (though that was partially influenced Anne Boleyn). Every designer has done a "ballerina look". But I think it looks best when it stays away from modern trappings, leotards, wrap sweaters, and far far away from leg warmers, and sticks with Degas' confectionary vision.

On The Stage, Egar Degas 1874

Rodarte

Miss Priss

2008-09-02T21:37:00.003-05:00

I've been bad about blogging and worse about commenting lately. Ick ick ick. Curse you vedic India for pulling away from my trivial pursuits!

For those of you who don't know my father, (which would be um, all of you) he is OB-SESSED with the film Blade Runner. It is his Star Wars. He owns a box set, two director's cuts, and we have a drink cooler emblazoned with "nexus6" on the top. He once went to a specific Starbucks because the barista's name was Rachel. I wish I were kidding. I could have always taken or left it, but one aspect I did feel strongly about is the clothes.

One aspect of the future that they got right in 1982 is the obsession with past eras that is only gaining fuel here in the oh-eight. In this instance, it is the forties. But the severe lines, exaggerated silhouettes have been taken to a new level. Rachel is a great example, and one of the awful parts about this movie is how few of her outfits you get to see!

Alexander McQueen eat your heart out.

That hair/makeup is to.die.for. Never before have I so strongly desired a perm...

Fur is wrong wrong wrong....but God do I want that coat.

And on the other end of the spectrum, we have Pris:

Ultra cool. Ultra futuristic, writhing around in "hamburglar" makeup and a fishnet bodysuit. Margiela much?

The Best Accessory is Coffee

2008-08-26T17:51:00.004-05:00

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

2008-08-22T23:22:00.003-05:00

(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

2008-08-19T19:38:00.010-05:00

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

2008-08-17T15:01:00.007-05:00

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

2008-08-15T20:30:00.003-05:00

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

2008-08-14T22:05:00.002-05:00

foto_decadent

...Boys have all the fun.

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

2008-08-12T21:12:00.004-05:00

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...

2008-08-08T11:36:00.008-05:00

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

2008-08-04T11:59:00.004-05:00

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!

Carrots

2008-07-29T16:13:00.002-05:00

Yesterday was Beatrix Potter's birthday! I was mad for her stories when I was a little one. I read all of the books and had a whole set of the animated videos, I still watch "Tailor of Gloucester" every Christmas. So, in honour of Beatrix, I am wondering what one of her characters would wear, were she a girl, and not someone with fur.

Bill Blass blouse. Because her characters were of the light and frothy mein.

UO cardigan

Elizabeth and James jacket
Oscar de la Renta skirt.

American Apparel stockings

Free People socks.
UO scarf
Dior boots.
Mushroom brooch, in honour of Beatrix's love of mycology.

Pride and Prejudice

2008-07-28T10:10:00.006-05:00

Blah. I bought the blouse at like, 80% off at Anthropologie over the summer. It's not normally my "style", but unlike what I normally wear, it has actual fastenings, and darts and embroidery (oh my!). Also, it's not made of cotton jersey OR denim, imagine that! I feel bad about the skirt, it's shabby. I bought it when I was fourteen at a consignment shop and can once again fit into it, but, it used to be calf length and when I figured out long skirts make me look like a stump (after two years in hippie, tiered catastrophes) I rashly cut off the hem and the results are quite jagged. Once again, sorry for my lack of feet. Anyone want to buy me a real camera?

Appropriation, by any other name

2008-07-24T11:42:00.007-05:00

Stephanie's post on Edwardian and Victorian styles inspired me to attempt to put together an inexpensive outfit that could, hopefully, evoke that era, without looking like you escaped from one of those goth cons where they wear cheap acetate corsets and spiderweb skirts.

Obviously, something made inexpensively won't have the rigorous construction of Victorian clothes, but when you don't have to take off five layers of petticoats and chemises and bloomers just to use the bathroom, you will be grateful for that. Charlotte Russe corset. I know, it's ugly and cheap-looking, but you should barely be able to see it by the time we're finished. The point is, it's a solid colour and it should give you a slightly more nipped-in shape at the waist. Plus, it's fifteen bucks!

Vintage clothing from that era is notoriously difficult to find in good condition. Your best bet is not vintage stores, but antique stores. If you do happen to spot one without a lot of damage, buy! It will likely be a little pricey (upwards of a hundred dollars) but the details will be well worth it. The lawn blouse above is $75.00. If not, I would be willing to bet that you have one of those high-necked lace blouses that were all the rage a while back still lurking in your closet. But don't button it all the way up! It's uncomfortable and you'll look like a school marm.

The exaggerated hourglass shape is essential to the victorian look. This wide belt will cinch you in and is a steal at $8.80. Forever 21.

A long skirt isn't necessary if all that extra fabric leaves you feeling bogged down. This pencil skirt is $22.80 from forever 21.

Pair boots with traditional details like buttons or laces with thick tights.

Victorians had the best coats! Once again, I recommend going vintage if at all possible. This men's frock coat is currently on ebay.

All this having been said, if you do have some cash to splash out and are seriously jonesing for a Carine Roitlfeld by way of the Industrial Revolution vibe, I suggest checking out vintagetextile.com or woodlandfarmsantiques.com for some amazing mint condition finds. There's even the ocassional bargain.

If you have the balls for it, something like this mourning dress for $95.00 would make a very dramatic statement.

A cooler version in my mind...

2008-07-23T17:42:00.005-05:00

The reason I haven't been doing any outfit posts lately is because my outfits for the past few weeks have all looked like this:

Le Snore, right? I could throw out a million excuses, "The Alabama heat has sucked the will to live, much less dress, out of me", "My camera is a battery-eating, lo-fi demon of Hell." ect. But the truth is I've just been lazy. But it will get better when school starts, I swear! I'm an exhibitionist when it comes to dressing and the fall suits me so much better.

New Target dress. Cute and cheap, but something about the sleeves makes my arms look huge! Any suggestions on how to remedy this before I start to develop some body dismorphia?

My hair tonight. You like? (My face was ugly in the extreme)

Holland 1945

2008-07-20T12:31:00.003-05:00

I hope you all enjoyed reading my last post as much as I enjoyed writing it. Now I have decided to stretch my imagination a bit further.

If you are not yet familiar with the music of Neutral Milk Hotel. You should be, like, now. Seriously, go, click! I first discovered them when I was twelve years old, at the insistance of a much older crush of mine. At first, I was very much put off by Jeff Mangum's reedy, nasal voice. But once those lyrics hit you, there's no going back. One of the great tragedies of this band however, is how little music we have of it. Not long after his star began rising, frontman Jeff Mangum had something of a nervous breakdown and left the music scene, for good. And while their previous album On Avery Island is quite good, nothing quite compared to 1998's In the Aeroplane Over the Sea, which was, according to Mangum, his way of dealing with the very intense manner in which he connected with the death of Anne Frank after reading her diary.

You can tell by Neutral Milk Hotel's album artwork, and certainly their archaically-rooted lyrics that Jeff Mangum is/was fixated with not only the aesthetic of an earlier period of history, but with that era in its entirety. Looking at these album covers, and listening to Aeroplane, led me to an odd musing: "What would the girl living inside Mangum's head look like?" Or, more specifically, "What would the girl living inside this album look like, what would she be wearing?" Not in her era, then I could just be posting a bunch of links for vintage clothing and call it a day. What would she wear now, if Mangum indeed made his time machine?

I have to admit, this one is trickier. Since the subjects of Magnum's songs are so very grave, I want to give them some levity and grounding in fashion, without cheapening it, or making some sort of ridiculous, magazine-like musing of how to dress like some kind of movie character. Once again, nothing too flashy or too modern, but she'd want to blend in and appreciate the freedom of modern fashion.

Given the seaside themes of the album art, I think she would appreciate slight nautical motifs. Old Navy sweater, Alloy shorts, Marc Jabobs bag.

What she would wear knocking about her latter day highschool. I think she would spend most of her time in the music room, don't you?

N is for Neville who died of ennui.

2008-07-17T17:55:00.003-05:00

Any of you who went through a "goth phase" in their adolescence is no doubt familiar with artwork and books of one Edward Gorey. His illustrations, with their spidery, undulating, heavy, ink lines and gloomy pall are instantly recognizable. And, at an authorship of over a hundred books (ostensibly for children but some like "The Curious Sofa" were written almost entirely in double-entendre), very prolific. In my opinion, his stories and illustrations are the only reason directors such as Tim Burton's and bands like My Chemical Romance's aesthetic visions are able to exist (though as for the latter, I wish it didn't).

The look of his creative concepts were very distinctive, and as consequence, are essentially ripped off by every emo band's album cover art across the country. There's nothing I hate more than seeing an aesthetic wantonly abused. So, in a fashion related homage, I wondered to myself: "What would one of Edward Gorey's illustrations wear?". Not as some sort of "costume", but as a real life girl living in 2008?

Nothing too overt would do. After all, the Gorey girl is not one who craves attention. Translation: No Hot Topic gear. She would appreciate the soft, feminine aesthetic of the turn of the century and would desire to subtley emulate it in her everyday clothes. Such as this Urban Outfitters dress:

This Miu Miu dress would be first on her list for a big night out:

And she would never, ever be without a pair of black tights.

She is not impractical and most enjoys this Alexander Wang coat when the weather turns chilly:

Gary Graham blouse.

Delias pants.

Topshop hat.

Finally, shoes would be where her perverse side comes out to play. Givenchy's are a favourite.

Army of Me

2008-07-15T10:54:00.003-05:00

I have always loved loved loved Tank Girl
For the uninitiated, it's basically a campy, post-apocalyptic action movie based on a comic strip, set in the now-not-so-distant year 2033, as seen through the day-glo raver lens of the early 90's. It's totally corny, totally awesome. It has Naomi Watts, pre her serious, blonde actress days as a very shy "Jet Girl" with a very heavy Australian accent. Lori Petty as, in essence, a bleach blonde, futuristic Gwen Stefani...on MDMA...with guns. And for god's sakes, Ice-T as a mutant kangaroo. And I can easily see where some designers could get there cues from her post nuclear meets Sid and Nancy style.

House of Holland. Jet Girl would wear this on a date, when she gets out of her wallflower phase.

Louise Goldin. The ladies would wear these on a jaunt into Liquid Silver.

Alexander Wang. For kicking Water and Powers' ass.

Situation, It's All Possible

2008-07-13T13:58:00.004-05:00

Trekked into the city yesterday, I had big plans regarding shopping and vintage trolling and record store loitering, but we spent so long being held hostage by my father's eccentric and very lonely Harvard grad cousin. Every time I visit him it's like, "My God, why are we not bringing this poor man a casserole every weekend?!" So I only got to go, briefly, to Urban Outfitters. I bought a boring gray sweater, but it is the fuzziest sweater known to mankind. And a simple black miniskirt which I am now regretting. I mean, it's essentially thirty-eight dollars for a tube of cotton jersey. I keep thinking that second I decide to keep it and rip off the tags, I will find the exact same thing in Target for sixteen. Blech, I'm mulling. I think perhaps I should stick to online shopping, Urban Outfitters stores are always on a gigantic scale and it overwhelms me.

Forgive me for this incredibly poor outfit photo, my camera was dying, so no flash.

I have finally discovered the secret of the keffiyeh! It's like a cool version of a pashmina. It's big enough to be worn a billion different ways, and it's suprisingly warm. You can even use it as a very handy "travel blanket".

The skirt in question.

Photographing Fairies

2008-07-08T18:09:00.013-05:00

"The Cottingley Fairies" is propably one of the most famous series of photographs of all time. Taken by young cousins Elise Wright and Francis Griffiths in 1917, the photographs of the young girls, frolicking with fairies, stirred up an enormous controversy at the time as to their authenticity. During the height of the Spiritualist movement, there was a great deal of effort put forward to prove that the supernatural and mythological in fact existed, and so many people, including most famously, devout spiritualist Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. It actually went on for quite some time, with a great many luminary figures championing the girls and their photographs. Real or not, you must admit, the girls' renditions of fairies are most clever.

Upon seeing this Erin Featherston DIY headband in Teen Vogue, it struck a chord with me. Ultra girlie/boho chick is not normally my millieu, but the headband was so resonant of my memory of the Cottingley photographs I simply had to try my hand at it.
It was absurdly easy to make and is quite fetching I think. Though, to be fair, I fully admit I've yet to wear it out and about. I simply can't find a way to wear it without appearing to be some kind of overgrown flowergirl. Ideas?

Can't Shake You Off

2008-07-07T17:37:00.003-05:00

Oh yes...

Cheap Alloy Doctor Martens knock-offs....you shall be MINE.

(sorry for the sporadic blogging, but I've been busy. In the mean time, a question: what kind of posts would you like to see more of from me?) Please answer so I can be, as they say, the best blogger I can be!

The Prize Winner of Defiance Ohio

2008-07-04T12:53:00.005-05:00

I have a love of all things vintage or old-timey. An antique store for me is like the average girl in Macy's. I'm probably the only teenager you'll ever meet who knows how to operate a Victrola. And an antique Underwood typewriter competes with Marni shoes on my wishlist. So when I saw this photospread in Teen Vogue, my eyes naturally zeroed in on one thing:

The prize ribbons. They danced through my head like a line from a corps de ballet, visions of wearing a dozen at a time on messenger bag straps (a la band pins), jackets, pehaps even in my hair. Feverishly, I googled the designer, Jessica Grindstaff, and finally found them

They're luminous. They're perfect, made from vintage satin with gold-plated metal appliques. They're $77-$132 a peice. Now I realize that she's an artist and they're technically art peices and I respect that. But seriously, wtf Jessica?! Your answer to my high-priced conundrum is no doubt, "Pfft, go down to the craft store and buy real prize ribbons for two bucks a peice!" And normally I would agree. But the OCD part of me could simply not abide the cheap, easily fraying acetate from which they're made and the obnoxious "FIRST PLACE" emblazoned on their plastic buttons. I searched for antique prize ribbons, but came up with very little. So, I determined to make my own. I would spring for high quality ribbon in satin and grograin, and since here in the south, not unlike Starbucks, there is an antique store on every corner, it's not difficult to procure vintage pins and buttons at very little expense. I have figured out how to make the ribbons for the most part, except for the damned fan-pleated rosette! Can any of you fantastic, sewing-minded bloggers help me out?

Postscript: In other vintage accessory news, Lulu Frost, famous for her peices of recycled antique jewelry, is making an inexpensive line for Urban Outfitters! It comes out in December, and I hope I am not met with dissapointment in the form of cliche, lock-and-key tripe.

Mettero una gonna aderente per l'occasione

2008-07-01T17:00:00.005-05:00

We all know that with people my age in particular, the miniskirt is practically the only fashion option considered when it comes to skirts. Whether it's a pencil skirt worn high on the waist, an obscene American Apparel fabric swatch passing for a mini, or those damn frilled Luella knockoffs. And don't get me wrong, I totally love them, anything to lengthen my stubby pins is a definite must. But they're not exactly practical, I'm always having to yank down the hem if I take too long a stride, and the other day I was sitting on a park bench to find some perverse little boy trying to look up my skirt! Which has brought me to contemplate a style I have not considered since highschool, when I was going through my hippie phase. The long skirt.

It's comfortable, forgiving, you don't have to worry about bending over when you drop your keys. But how does one wear it without looking like a reject from the year 2003? Stick to solid colours, patterns tend to recall either an aging art teacher, or a member of the Holiness sect. One of the biggest supporters of the long skirt was Olivier Theyskens when he worked at Rochas.

His designs look both terribly modern, and wonderfully romantic. I wouldn't suggest wearing them with a high neck or long sleeves. I fear you would too closely resemble a character from a du Maurier novel. If you have long hair like myself, don't wear it down, it will look too heavy. And unless you are super tall, wear long skirts with heels, but make sure the skirt isn't so long that you're tripping over it!

You can find a long silk ball skirt in pretty much any consignment shop in the country.

Keep it simple with a delicate tank top

And to keep it young, add a leather jacket and plenty of jewelry.

A Tribute

2008-06-30T20:43:00.002-05:00

Probably the most beautiful Kazakh I've ever seen, lol. My parents are sad because she was 1) young 2) Russian (well, Soviet, but to them it's the same). I'm sad because tragedy seems to be striking models in mass numbers these days, I wonder who is next?I would sell my internal organs to pull off that hair.

Iconography

2008-06-27T12:09:00.003-05:00

I think we as fashion bloggers do tend to share a unique knowledge outside of the mainstream, and the people whose personalities or tastes we admire is quite indicative of that. While I think we all have our own private style idols, the three women most every fashion blogger seem to all agree on having enviable tastes are Chloe Sevigny and our favourite Gallic siblings, Charlotte Gainsbourg and Lou Doillon. The Trinity, if you will. So intensely loved for their impeccable sense of dressing are they, that their style exploits have surpassed their films in noteriety. Sevigny's star is rising with "Big Love" and I've seen Gainsbourg in "The Science of Sleep" (she was quite charming) and as a rather miscast Jane Eyre. I've yet to see a single film with Lou Doillon in it. Can any one really say they are a great fan of their films? I wonder how they feel about this...

Were this traditional iconography, that of perhaps a crucifixion scene, I think Sevigny would take the persona of Mary Magdalene:

Like Mary, she is bold, a little dangerous, sexual, but in a way you can't really place your finger on, and above all, controversial.

In iconography, Mary Magdalene's attribute (an item or feature that identifies her as that particular saint) is an alabaster jar or box. Chloe's, given her penchant for constantly changing style, would be more difficult to spot, but if pressed I would say her long, blonde hair, one of her few constants.

Charlotte Gainsbourg would be the Virgin Mary. More conservative, traditional, but deeply, almost fanatically revered.

Charlotte's attribute would be her inimitable ability to wear jeans and tshirts and still look like she spent 3k. Something we all want, and can't seem to get.

And Lou Doillon would be John the Baptist. Wild, untamed, natural, disheveled and underrated:

Her attribute would be the wonderful way in which she pulls off hats:

The New Shoe Blues

2008-06-24T21:48:00.004-05:00

I have been wanting gladiator sandals for months. Not because they're so trendy, but just because, well--they're cool. I am normally, strictly, a boots kind of girl. But living in such a hot climate makes year round boots simply not doable. But I do have an affection for leather and for leather straps, and gladiators fill that category quite nicely. Thus, I fell hard and fast for these Nine West numbers:

But the pricetag for them locally is around $100. I was quite torn about that, as I usually only spend that kind of money on sturdy, practical footwear. So I was delighted to see these Wet Seal knock-offs crop up:

Dead ringers, right? And a paltry sum of twenty-four dollars! But not so fast--just when I thought I had pulled yet another bargain coup, reality came to smack me in the face. As I've mentioned previously, I am handicapped. But I am also incredibly stubborn, and I manage pretty well in heels, as long as there's a thick, sturdy sole beneath me. Unlike the Nine West versions, Wet Seals "wedge" gladiators narrow to and almost stiletto-like width at the bottom, making them wobbly. Every time I step forward on my left, my ankle wants to roll inward. Which is not good for anyone. Suffice it to say, I am saddened that I will be returning these tomorrow.

The Blackhearts

2008-06-23T21:13:00.003-05:00

Tavi's post on leather and leather-like materials was very inspiring. But for those of us who can't shell out a ridiculous sum of money for real leather pants (and the money it takes to have it cleaned) we are usually resigned to the American Apparel black lame legging. Aside from being a little "done", it has the negatives of being quite easily scuffed/snagged. If they were ten dollar cheapies from target, you could easily throw them out and get another pair, but at forty two dollars all I can think of is how many normal pairs of leggings I could buy for that sum. It also has the disadvantage of being neither tights (which would be very Vogue Italia I think) nor pants (which can be structured, flattering and warm). And honestly, I think the whole leggings-as-pants look should only be left to the slimmest of Scandanavians. After all, you don't want to recall Lindsay Lohan.

To that end, I went on a hunt for an affordable leather (or leather like option). I have seen a lot of treated black denim jeans made to look like leather, most of which over $150 dollars. Which, while not exactly astronomical, is not very reasonable for something I doubt I'd wear too regularly.

Then I checked eBay. Yes, they are there very cheaply, but most appear to be early 90's relics, so be prepared for some wonky fits. And this may strike you as paranoid, but I always wonder when leather items are involved, where, exactly, such pants have been...

Slightly discouraged. I rummaged through my inspiration file and dredged up this photo from Urban Outfitters I absentmindedly saved a few months ago:

They are P-E-R-F-E-C-T in my opinion. Fabric, so they'll be both breathable and warm. A flattering, modern skinny fit. Denim, so it will be structured and flattering. Shiny, but not blindingly so. Since it's treated and not real, cows didn't have to make the ultimate sacrifice just so I can look like Carine Roitfeld. And unlike real leather, you can wash them before they start decaying, Jim Morrison style. Eww.

Lamentably, they are no longer available on the Urban Outfitters website, so I can't tell you how much they cost, much less buy them. But UO jeans rarely run over a hundred dollars. Provided I'm not wrong, I will be combing the store for them next week and, hopefully, snapping them up the second I see them. Layered knitwear, delicate lace, dr martens, my scalp tingles with the combination possibilities...

Imitates Life, Part Deux

2008-06-19T10:14:00.007-05:00

One of the most well-recieved posts I've had on this blog (so far) is my comparison of art and fashion collections. Art is one of my great passions in life, and I hardly need any excuse to talk about it. (as my father, bearing a long lecture about the nature of Hellenistic sculpture at The Met, can tell you). Therefore, I thought it was time for an encore! Hopefully I don't get too carried away. When I tell you that I see art's influence as "pervasive" in fashion, I mean I can probably find a painting that corresponds to every collection---ever.

I think this obsession with "degrade" and "dip dye" prints that is currently all the rage can be traced directly back to Abstract Expressionism, and more specifically, to Mark Rothko.

While the colours themselves do not have the effect of bleeding into one another, it is the perfect way in which they intersect that I feel so strongly influences designers. Vera Wang, A/W 2006

Jackson Pollock is an artist whose later works I have never been able to wrap my head around. Even now that I have seen his "splatter" paintings up close and personal, I fail to see the intention, if there be any, behind them. Regardless, he is a greatly influential artist, and you don't have to be a museum fiend to see how he inspired Dolce and Gabbana's spring collection.

Number One, 1948

Gustav Klimt's (very gilded) influence, has lately been running through a great deal of collections, and I for one could not be happier. I have always felt him underrecognized, and there is something about the way he "cocoons" his subjects in gold-leaf and geometric shapes that I find very moving. "The Virgin"- 1913

Christian Dior S/S Couture 2008

One artist who had the most direct and immediate influence on the world of fashion in his time was Jean-Antoine Watteau. His paintings were so influential to the culture of the French bourgoeis that a particular style of gown, that which is cinched in the front and has long, loose pleats of fabric in the back, was named after him. Robe a la Francaise

L'Eseigne de Gersaint- 1721

You can still see his sack-back dresses popping up today, designers putting little "suprise" details in the backs of their dresses is "the last cry".

Lanvin, Pre-Fall 2008

And finally, Though not an artist himself, we have the artistic and operatic subjects of the Pierrot (sad clown) and the Arlecchino (harlequin) of Commedia dell'Arte, to thank for Miu Miu's fantastic puffed up mini silhouettes, jewel tones and skewed, whimsical ruffles, prints and collar-cuff combos.

Who knew clowns could be so sexy?

Alexander the Great

2008-06-17T11:33:00.005-05:00

"Aspirational dressing" is a term used often fashion to describe clothes that don't necessarily suit the person you are, but rather the person you wish to become. While for most people this means a very formal style of dressing and tailoring, for me, the strongest sentiment of aspirational dressing that currently has my attention is that of designer Alexander Wang.

I am by no means some kind of super-lithe urban ingenue. But fantastic clothes like these give me the (perhaps slightly delusional) concept that dressing similarly could make me one. And that's why Alexander Wang's clothes are such a boom. He has the same "selling ice to eskimos" quality perfected previously by Marc Jacobs. No matter what he makes, people will like it because it appeals to a persona they would want to adopt.

Until very recently, I saw him as quite overrated and overpriced. After all, who needs his stuff when you can easily wear your own skinnies and a "distressed" white t-shirt for about a twentieth of the price? But that is the real genius behind his clothes. It usually takes a lot of effort and hunting around to get "the Prada look" or "the Marc Jacobs look" because they're so complex and forward. But Alexander Wang's fashion is truly democratic. Even if you can't afford his perfectly cut blazer, you can approximate it on a very shoestring budget, and even if you don't have the body type of his muse, model Erin Wasson, you can take elements of it and shift them for your body type.

So, I have attempted for the time being to put aside my fixation with vintage frills, and set my sights on a more relaxed way of dressing.These Alloy shorts are a pretty brilliant knockoff and a steal at $28.50

Sheer black tights are ridiculously cheap and easy to find. But for god's sakes, don't try to rip them! You'll go from hip to homeless in 2.5 seconds. Same goes for slouchy, worn-in tees. You probably already own five, or can steal them from your boyfriend.

Throw in some cheapie heels.

And top off with a beanie for that "fabulous" urchin look. I don't know. When you break it down into individual elements, it sounds so ridiculous, but it all seems to work.

Hipster Scum

2008-06-16T19:22:00.005-05:00

Yep, I am.

When the keffiyeh first become a popular trend on the "scene", I made a promise to myself not to wear one. Not only because of its associations with sleazy hipsters of all forms, but because I am Jewish and I know some people find them anti-semitic. I personally do not find them offensive, but I don't think it's cool to ignore the feelings of your own ethnic group just so you can wear a passing fad. But with last fall's Balenciaga collection, it became harder and harder to ignore.

I finally caved and bought this from a street vendor for ten dollars, justifying that the pattern was nothing like that of a traditional keffiyeh. But even at that, they're just so...done already! In spite of that, if I were to wear it (and this should illustrate the slow progress of my little city for you) I would still be one of the first. The girls around here do read fashion rags like Nylon, but they rarely practice many trends outside that of the skinny jean. They're still wearing pointy-toed stilettos here. I feel like a lazy fashion blogger and a sellout.

Sunday

2008-06-15T16:55:00.004-05:00

Sorry sorry, I know it's only one outfit pic, but on the rest of them there was this weird glare on my glasses (note to self: no more flash!). I'm really having a hard time catching the whole "taking pics of my outfits" curve and learning how to find angles that don't make me appear like a four-foot-tall hippo. It's not that I'm trying to make myself look skinnier or taller than real life, it's just that cameras tend to skew all of our proportions. Some, with good results, like models. Then there's me.

I've got to say I'm loving the cardigan I got from American Apparel in soho (even though they were incredibly rude to me) I'm definately seeing where it will come in handy in the fall.

T-shirt: Rogan for Target. Cardigan: American Apparel. Jeans: Wet Seal. Bag and Shoes: secondhand.

H&Malice

2008-06-12T11:09:00.006-05:00

As you can imagine, for a small-town girl like me with limited cash, H&M was one of those "must hit" stops for me while in New York City. After an exhausting (and hot) day trekking the village, my father and I finally arrived at H&M in soho in the late afternoon. He was obviously quite miffed with me because there was no place for him to sit and rest. I was miffed because the lower floor could only be accessed via escalator (I'm handicapped, I can use escalators, but they do make me uneasy especially when pushy tourists are involved). But still, I was happy to be in this much-heralded mecca of acessible fashion.

Imagine my sense of disconcert when the front first section was filled with cheesy slogan tees, maxi dresses and ruffed miniskirts not greatly superior to what you might find in Wet Seal. The back did have a few gems, but most of them were infanta dresses with a trapeze shape to them. While I wholeheartedly believe these styles look fabulous on some people, but on short, busty me, I just look like a ten year old in black nail polish. There was a layered t-shirt dress (ala Marc Jacobs) that intrigued me, but it was three sizes too big. The only option left that I found appealing was a leather skirt, but it was very abreviated, and the fabric was flimsy. At forty dollars, my cheapness overrode my impulse to buy something that my mother might forbid me to wear.

So what gives, H&M? I expected to walk out of your store, beaming with an armful of bags, and it broke my heart that I had to leave empty-handed, particularly since unlike my other nyc haunts, you have no online store, and the nearest brick-and-mortar is in Atlanta, over four hours drive from here. Are you just overrated, like the never to be spoken of again Century 21? Their incredible lookbook for fall tells me unequivocally no, and it just adds to the heartbreak. Why why WHY can't they just have online shopping? It would be so soothing to all my unease and regret of all my lack of purchases in New York City.

Shake it Like A Polaroid Picture

2008-06-11T18:52:00.002-05:00

I know this is going to be ancient news to you Brits out there, but I saw this on style bubble and thought it was absolutely fascinating. Topshop has recreated the infamous Helmut Newton's photo machine idea (all for their greedy corporate gains of course), wherein the subject would stand in front of a mirror and a timed camera holding a shutter and photographing themselves. I wonder how much it costs, I would love to do it. Oh well, it's not as if it matters. it resides currently in England and I doubt it would ever be travelling stateside. It is a fascinating concept though! I suppose, if you had a very good camera with a tripod, a shutter, a large mirror and a large room with good lighting (or were just a professional photographer with access to such things) you could make one yourself.

Helmut Newton is famous for his agressive, dominant and hyper sexualized images of women, often nude:

However, Topshop's interpretation is quite a bit more tame:

Oh dear. I do hope this doesn't get too pedestrian.

Back in Black

2008-06-10T08:13:00.002-05:00

I have returned from NYC! I am exhausted, rather depressed to once again be inhabiting the hot and swampy valleys of the deep south, and with no six Starbucks within a five-block radius to comfort me. Yeah, I'm that forlorn. Anyways, I've got lots of stories and pictures to regale you with but I've got to um--sleep, first. You dig?

Postscript- Two comments, in five days, does not construe as "lots" where I come from. Just thought I'd throw that out there.

Le Zebra

2008-06-03T21:21:00.010-05:00

Ugh, too effing hot (we topped out at ninety-two degrees) to wear anything more original today. Sorry for the lack of...feet (and consenquently footwear), but my room is only so long. I was wearing the faux Docs, fyi.

jeans: Belk. shirt: Jovovich-Hawk for Target

This is me trying to pull and American Apparel.--Rawr? Sigh, I think I'm too fat for AA.

I head to NYC tomorrow, so no new posts until Tuesday. Leave me comments to make me feel missed!

Let's Talk Sex

2008-06-02T20:06:00.006-05:00

So yesterday, my friend Anna dragged me and her sis Calan to none other than "Sex and the City" the movie.

I still have absolutely no idea how she convinced us. Calan had never seen it, and for me it was always something I could take or leave, watching occasionally when it would pop up on late night tv. But we were bored, and maybe a little sloshed, so we gave the green light.

What were we thinking?! If we had known it would be a two and a half hour opus to materialism (what Carrie calls the two l's, labels and love) we would have left early. It was near eleven at night when we finally left the theatre, leaving us unable to get some much-needed coffee, and subsequently putting Calan in a very poor mood.

I had never particularly cared either way about the Carrie and Big coupling. Chris Noth is very charismatic in the role, but the fact that she always kept coming back sort of made the character of Carrie a victim. I had always preferred Aleksandr Petrovsky, for obvious reasons, I had an enormous crush on Mikhail Baryshnikov when I was seven and was heartbroken to learn that he was in fact, quite old. And if anything, this movie made her seem like even more of a sadist, a sadist that could be bought off with a big closet, and Big, for his part, more of a commitment-phobe than ever. In any event, we all knew what was going to happen in the end, and why they had to drag it out for all of time, I shall never understand.

Samantha, Charlotte and Miranda all had their moments in the plotline limelight, and I always find it hilariously ironic that you will never find much "sex" in title character's life, for that, you must go to Samantha, and in this case, her lusty Italian neighbor in Malibu. Mostly this time she just moped around. Charlotte is as perky as ever, and Kristen Davis had some of the best scenes, becoming protective and a fierce protector of the shattered Carrie from the oblivious Mr. Big.

Another thing I don't understand: Carrie's over the top, ill-fitting wedding gown. Calan, by her own admission, clueless in fashion, even remarked that it gave the toned and tiny Sarah Jessica "torpedo boobs". The girls looked fantastic in their red, blue and black bridesmaid dresses, but the bride looked like she was swimming in a sea of pas de sois. The dialogue too, was cringe-inducing. SATC has always been proponents of corny dialogue and scenes, but this was just much too much of every cliche.

In the end, I wanted to watch to see what crazy, amazing outfits Carrie could come up with, and I was not dissapointed.

Her Dior shoes, her Nina Ricci sweaters, the way she pulls off thigh-high socks. All was desirable and just off-beat enough to keep you wanting more.

It wasn't a complete waste of time, but I wish I had just waited to rent it instead of wasting a night of good fun on a mediocre indulgence of entitlement.

Imitates Life

2008-05-31T12:06:00.007-05:00

We've all heard little blurbs describing one or another fashion collection as having "painterly colours". And sure, it's easy and appealing to make a dress or a coat in ochre or vermillion or cobalt. But sometimes, and artists influence in fashion is much more overt.

We all know Marc Jacobs' inspiration for his Fall 07 Louis Vuitton collection was Jan Vermeer. And as I am a fan of Vermeer, I am a fan of that collection. I would pretty much sell my firstborn for this dress (ignore the jaunty, ill-placed cap):

"Woman in Blue Reading a Letter"

But some influences are less obvious. If Mary, from Michelangelo's early "La Pieta"(which he finished at the tender age of 24!), could get up from her marble seat and walk among us, I think she would wear this Nina Ricci dress:

Manet's bartender of the "Bar at the Folies-Bergere" would gladly wear this Derek Lam dress:

And as for modern art, I can clearly see Wassily Kandinsky's influence in Givenchy's geometric puff coats:

"Multicolored Circle (Mit Buntem Kreis)" 1921

When the rest of my classmates were exhausted and frayed from constant memorization of techniques, dates and movements, my art history teacher would squawk that we needed all this because, "Art history is the centre of the universe!" And while that is a rather grandiose statement, I think it does ring true for the fashion universe. Anyone with rudimentary knowlege of art should see all eras of art running rampant in fashion. Look for it! That dress you're lusting after may be straight out of Holbein's playbook...

Oversaturation

2008-05-30T09:30:00.002-05:00

I've discussed the Luella Bartley spring collection briefly before. And while I certainly have no issue with the proliferation of elements of that trend (frills, leather jackets, docs, liberty prints ect.) as they're all things I love and can wear separately as well as together when this "Ghost World" craze has blown over. And it can be a bit bothersome when everyone has their own take on "the Enid look", as I suppose we all like to keep the delusion intact that we are the only one to take inspiration from a popular designer on the cheap. In the blogging world, the idea that any of your well, ideas, are completely original, is a pretense that quickly meets its end. But for the most part you can deal with that, because there's a sense of comraderie. You may be the only girl wearing geek glasses on purpose in Anytown, USA, but that girl in Everytown does it too. She gets the weird stares too. And you can bond because you're bold enough to go against the small town grain.

But I do definitely chafe against a trend when it becomes ubiquitous enough to gain direct knock-offs at a mass market department store like Topshop. i.e., this dress:

I need not remind any of you, I daresay, that you've seen this dress before. And it is a testament to me contradictory nature that if this were an American department store and I didn't have to deal with the current, dismal exchange rate, I would snap this up in a second. In any event, I shall try to post my wardrobe's take on the Enid by the end of the weekend.

The real question is: will we fashion followers embrace Luella's fall look with equal vigor? Will fashion editors be waxing poetic about "The Crucible chic" while we raid Hot Topic to approximate the look by September?

Ispirazione

2008-05-29T12:13:00.003-05:00

It is one of the many cruel certainties of life that Vogue Italia is infinitely cooler (and more expensive) than American Vogue. I have only ever splurged on one issue, the only store in my city that sells it is a Barnes and Noble on the outskirts of town, so with the cost of gas buying it would actually be around twenty dollars a pop, if not more. My old Italian professor, strict adherent to fashion and all things European that she was, refused to buy it while she was here, scoffing at the fourteen-dollar price tag remarking "That's like a pair of shoes at TJ Maxx!".

photos courtesy of foto_decadent

Full Metal Jacket

2008-05-28T13:52:00.004-05:00

That's right kids, I'm longing for leather no longer! (sorry, I couldn't resist the alliteration value there)

Forgive the icky flash photo, I really didn't have time to fuss over it. My struggle with the leather jacket has been long and hard. I've wanted one since the beginning of the year. Normally, I'm against such blatant obsession with a trend, but I realized that it was a warm, practical way to edge out my rather femme wardrobe of empire dresses and chiffon miniskirts. When I knew I was travelling to NYC which can grow a bit chilly at night, my search came to a head. It had to be inexpensive, and it didn't have to be leather. In fact, I would prefer non-leather as I've always had an issue with leather being an animal product. I looked in every store imaginable, all the mall stores stocked were cutesy bell-sleeved cropped jackets. Not warm. Not practical. Target only had Ziggy Stardust-esque metallic jackets leftover from fall. An interesting concept, but not exactly a "go with everything" peice. I looked online, everywhere possible, no dice for under a hundred dollars. Thrift store jackets were of red, Michael Jackson variety. I had pretty much given up on finding one and begrudgingly settled on a plain black anorak, when today, in TJ Maxx, I literally stumbled over this jacket. It had fallen off the rack. It was in my size. And it was twenty dollars.

God does love me! I proceeded to do an embarrassing jig of happiness and promptly took it home. It's slightly short in the torso, but whatever, I can work around that. And I do have some pangs of guilt from buying real leather, but I rationalized that I would wear it so much, the cow's life would not be in vain. Though, even I have to admit, there is something very ironic about a hippie in recycled bamboo and rubber tire shoes wearing a leather jacket.

Synthetics

2008-05-26T15:14:00.006-05:00

Let me preface this by saying, I heart Nylon magazine something fierce. When I don't have the ridiculous amount of money to splash out on foreign mags like Vogue Italia, Lula, Numero ect, it gives me a much needed breath of air from Vogue's static editorials and elitist articles. But seriously Nylon, WTF?!I know you're not the edgy, underground zine you once were. I get that. I get that some of your article (like those written by a certain, serpentine It girl) are kind of throwaways. And I still love you anyways because occasionally you can pull out a fab photospread and regain your pulse long enough to sense a trend before it hits. And I'm also aware that a joint issue with Myspace of all things, is going to be rife with selling out-masquerading-as-hipness. Honestly, I understand...

But Scarlett freaking Johansson?! Sincerely? That's the best you can come up with for a music issue? If I asked her to, would she even know to play that guitar she's wrapped around? And while I have no doubt her Tom Waits cover album is at least passable from the actresses as singers perspective, a proper subject for a music issue she IS NOT. And all of your "up and coming" bands I heard about, and promptly became bored of, around six months ago. Beth Ditto is supposed to strike me as fresh and interesting? Know your readership! "New and exciting" to the average American Idol fan, is hardly so much to me, or anyone like me. And as for the fashion---there was none, essentially. Not one visually interesting editorial to keep me optimistic until next month. So there, Nylon. I dare you---suprise me.

photos courtesy of glitzybits.blogspot.com

Turistas

2008-05-24T12:18:00.002-05:00

Next week, I am planning a trip to the grande dame, the can't-miss of all American cities:

NYC!!! Or, as my fellow children of conversion affectionately call it, Jew York. It's been a long time since I've been, I was so small I don't particularly remember it, so I am absolutely ecstatic. The fashion, the culture, just all of it. I have never been one for small places (thus why I bristle so fiercely against my current residence of roughly 300k population) and NYC has been my naive, romantic dream since I was a preteen in the verdant, soggy forests of Oregon. I already have quite an extensive itenerary: The Met, MoMA, Neue ect. (I am an art nerd of epic and legendary preoccupations). The food: Lombardi's Pizza (I am lucky enough to have fallen into a small pocket of the Italian community here, so I'm used to the pizza, but regardless, I'm told the pizza of NY is not something that can be replicated). And of course, lower east side food deli food. My poor papa insists he hasn't had a pastrami sandwich made by one of God's people since the 90's, and I am jonesing for a good knish. Brighton Beach, so I can brush up on my Russian. And last but not least, schools. NYU and Columbia University, as I am hoping to transfer schools next fall.

This being said: I only have a week to see as much as possible, and I don't want to spend hours wandering aimless and disoriented in Manhattan due to the sheer sensory overload I shall no doubt encounter. So, those of you that have lived there or have experience with the Big Apple, divulge your secrets! What are some must-do things while there? What are some overrated tourist activities I should definitely skip? Where are the best places to shop, particularly for fashion steals? So much to contemplate, so please, help me out here!

Ch-ch-changes

2008-05-23T17:06:00.002-05:00

My last post is an indicator of things to come on this blog. Intellectuals Read Vogue, Too, not even a month yet out of its infancy, is metamorphosing into a beeeautiful butterfly. I love fashion and all, and there will still be plenty of ultima moda posts, but frankly, I find all fashion all the time a little boring. I love other fashion blogs, and I totally respect the kind of discipline it takes to post multiple times a day, to constantly come up with new outfits and have the presence of mind to remember to phograph all your new purchases and make magazine scans. I simply don't have the juice, or the extra time, for that kind of thing.

Every time I'd sit down at the keyboard, I'd find myself wanting to make a post about a book I just read or what happened to me yesterday more than my desire for gladiator sandals. I have many different interests, most of them fickle, and I should be able to write about what takes my imagination captive at that particular moment in time, and was very frustrated with the limitations of my subject matter. Then I realised, "Wait a second...this is MY blog!". And I can write whatever I want in it. So, are the few of you who are actually reading this cool with IRVT's makeover, or will you be tuning out and turning off? Opinions, please!

Postscript- Yes, I'm keeping the name, unless of course, you can come up with a better one.

The Soundtrack of Your Life

2008-05-22T16:52:00.002-05:00

My most recent music purchase:

I think I'm finally understanding why they use Broken Social Scene on so many different movie soundtracks, in fact, they are used almost exclusively on "The Tracey Fragments" a movie I'm still dying to see.

Broken Social Scene doesn't have the most poetic, articulate lyrics or fabulously original arrangements. They won't necessarily become through the passage of time one of those bands that influences other great bands, or one of those bands you absolutely have to "discover" in high school if you have any indie credibility whatsover. Like their fellow soundtrack favourites Aphex Twin, they are more apt to capture an atmosphere than to take on a defined subject in their music. But in my opinion, their ability to put the frenetic mood of a romp through the city or of youth angst making out in a backroom, or dancing it out at a party, is above reprieve. Their music never seems to have a defined subject matter. In fact, you can rarely seem to grasp what the hell they're even singing about, but their slithering backbeats are returned with crunching dissonance, and it serves as a suprisingly good substitute to the headrush of the moments they so desperately try to soundtrack in celluloid adventures. This is the music you want playing in the backround when you do anything dangerous or exciting, riding a motorcycle, making out in the car for the first time, sneaking into a club. No one would accuse Broken Social Scene of becoming the next Velvet Underground, but they do what few artists can: use a beat and a few whispered lyrics to crystallise time.

Underwhelmed

2008-05-21T12:10:00.003-05:00

Could be the most consistent adjective for Target's GO International line after the rise of the Luella Bartley diffusion line (I STILL want that green tartan dress). It usually goes one of two ways: Either the design concepts are good, and the fit is absolutely bizzarre and random (my Libertine dress is ridiculously tight in the chest and huge everywhere else, I swim in my size XS Jovovich-Hawk tunic). Or the product is unwearable and nowhere as appealing as the hype around the designer, such as Proenza Schouler's blah efforts, or Erin Featherston's heart-motif-crazed pajama, party wares.

If I think about it, much to my chagrin, anything bought from the GO International line would qualify as a misguided impulse buy. The Libertine dress is beautiful, and now that I think about it, it would go wonderfully with the cocktail hat I mentioned in an earlier post. But the fit makes it impossible to wear. I still haven't figured out how to wear my too long to be a top but too short to be dress Jovovich Hawk peice without the cream and black chevrons evoking that misguided, mod obsessed fad of two years ago. My Libertine blouse makes me look like a crazed air stewardess. The one and only item I've gotten any real wear out of it a navy and gray Proenza cardigan, it's not ridiculously attractive or avant garde, but it is comfy. In other words, Target needs to fix a few major kinks in it's line, get consistent sizing. It also lacks consistant quality. A Temperley leather jacket struck me as sumptuous and downright Italian, but their silk items look like they'll start to fray within roughly two wears. And finally, pricing. The idea of a thirty dollar dress from Target is hard to swallow, but doable if I feel the quality is up to par. The idea of a one-hundred dollar jacket such as the leather Temperley, no matter how decadent it appears, is something something I cannot reconcile with buying from the same place I get six dollar sushi and chocolate soymilk, especially when it's too tight in the shoulders and short in the torso.

That being said, I was understandably wary of the Rogan for Target line. It was part of my New Year's resolution to stop buying crap without considering how it fits with the rest of my wardrobe, and though I have regrettably strayed, (geek glasses, dr. martens, bizzarre vintage purchases), I am trying to be more conscious of what I spend, and how I spend it. Luckily, Rogen supplied me with one of my natural deterrents: Animal prints. In any form; brightly coloured, abstract, natural, I despise them all. So about three quarters of the line was out the window right there. I did feel I needed to purchase at least one thing. I am a hippie, and was taken in by the eco-friendly appeal. So I finally settled on a teal, space-dyed t shirt that appeared comfy and had cute side buttons of the sleeves.
Not exactly Marc Jacobs. At this point, it would take that sort of miraculous designer coup, "Marc Jacobs for Target", to make me what to buy the ill-fitting hype Target is selling.

Living Well

2008-05-17T15:38:00.004-05:00

I have my graduation impending. Well, not my graduation, technically. It would have been my graduation, had I stayed at the academy and not dropped out to sojourn back to Oregon and graduate a year and a half early. And while I liked my school well enough, I despised roughly eighty-percent of its inhabitants. But one of my oldest friends is graduating and I have to go. This being said, I want to show up pretty. Jealous-making pretty. Yes, a little backhanded I know, but I can't help myself. I have about a week to find something, and a very paltry budget of about eighty dollars. It's being held in a church, so obviously nothing too tarty, but something that still illustrates that I'm finally out of those godforsaken awkward adolescent years. If I had unlimited cash, my choice would be this Mulberry dress:

Edgy, and I certainly would not have to worry about another girl wearing the exact same thing. But at a bracing £695 british pounds, roughly 1,360 American dollars at the current exchange rate, it falls, as much of my most coveted clothes do, in the "pffffft! you wish..." category. So, what's your advice? How does one dress for a graduation on a budget, without reverting back to some tired ruffled sundress, or yawn-worthy LBD?

Unlikely Hero

2008-05-16T12:07:00.006-05:00

The other day when I spoke of film characters with inspirational style, I forgot one very important one:

Angelina Jolie in "Hackers"! Where I was infatuated with little Natalie Portman and her frenchie haircut, my sister Iris loved Angelina's widow's peak pixie in "Hackers" she decided to cut her long black locks in the same manner. She had fostered this delusion that it would be a good fit because she resembles Angelina. It wasn't, and she doesn't. I think Angelina (aka "Acid Burn") in that Gen-X delight that was "Hackers", would definately wear this jacket:It's so loud and tacky and 90's! Very raver, very Acid Burn. And I, like Susie Bubble, am slightly ashamed that I would snap it up in a second, had I those kinds of funds. And because she is a child of the urban warriors period, Acid Burn would pair the jacket with something totally clashing, like this skirt.

my much sought-after chloe boots, to top off the tech soldier vibe:

A black neoprene tank, some miscellaneous tribal jewelry like these bracelets

and last but not least, some blue lipstick:

Et voila, you are Acid Burn! Now go teach those seedy corporate capitalists who's boss!

Photos courtesy of ew.com, Elle UK (via Style Bubble), almostpretty.typepad.com, freepeople.com, cachebeauty.com

Lazy Daisy

2008-05-14T21:43:00.003-05:00

What is it with guys? I have been wearing Marc Jacobs "Daisy" perfume for six months completely unnoticed by both sexes. Yet, suddenly, in the past few weeks, gay and straight, stranger and friend, professor and clerk all alike have mustered up what I should consider the considerable nerve to say "I have no idea what you're wearing but you smell absolutely awesome!". It happened twice just tonight at the bookstore! I too, am quite fond of the smell, even though it's gotten poor reviews for being top simple. It is a sweet, breezy sort of violet scent I think very much appropriate for a girl of my age. I fully admit that my nose is not sophisticated enough to yet enjoy more complex smells. I also admit that I originally bought it for it's bottle.

Doesn't it fill you with inescapable joy just looking at it? Those big, cheery rubber Takashi Murikami daisies are the most brilliant marketing move they could have possibly made. I like the smell, but I wouldn't have found it nearly so persuasive without those enoromous, shiny daisies staring up at me, and I'm sure many were caught in the same adorable trap. I am instantly cheered every time I open my armoire to use it, and oh, don't get me started on the bizzare satisfaction I get from the champagne cork-like pop sound the cap makes when I remove it....

Fit to be Untied

2008-05-12T17:02:00.006-05:00

Some days you just want getting dressed to be easy. No superfluous accessories, no complicated layering or fancy, constricting fabric....But you can't quite bring yourself to look like the average slob in a Steve and Barry's sweatshirt either. This is where a simple cotton dress can be indispensible, practical and above all, comfy. Yesterday, Saturday's nasty storms had brought a volley of decidedly un-Southern brisk winds and I just couldn't suppress the desire to stretch out on a patch of grass in the park and watch clouds. This outfit began with several peices of jewelry, suctioned-on skinny jeans and wobbly heels. But by noon I just HAD to break out, and I rather prefer it like this, don't you?

Forgive the "trying to keep my dress from blowing up" pose. I am not Marylin Monroe.

Dress: Volcom Hat: Urban Outfitters

Hats Off

2008-05-10T17:52:00.003-05:00

Gosh, it's been a while since I've posted. A nasty habit for a newbie trying to get her blog off the ground! *slaps wrist*

I am a hat girl. They suit me. They suit anyone I think. Find one that suits you, throw it on in the morning and it doesn't really matter what you're wearing from the neck down, it automatically looks as if you gave a damn when you were getting dressed that morning. I have berets in many colours and fabrics, a bowler hat or two, even the ocassional elaborate headband (coming in a later post), a newsboy, a jockey cap. I am an equal opportunity lover of headwear, and seeing as the wretchedly hot and sunny climate I currently inhabit does not really allow for my preffered, wooly knit caps, I have been looking for a summer replacement. More to the point, I already have one.

When I first laid eyes on this cap in Urban Outfitters catalogue, I knew it had to become mine. The gilded rose elegantly perched atop a velvet cocktail hat--how could I resist? And thanks to my very generous mother, I didn't have to. It became a secret shame however....I have never worn it. Christmas has come and gone, yet it sits, untouched, in its little hatbox. I simply never knew how to go about wearing it. Hair up or down? Would up look too old fashioned? Would down look too messy? All of my normal clothes seemed simply too casual and disheveled in the face of this glamorous little gem, none of my occasions worthy. But the thought of it sitting alone, in the dark, the gold losing its lustre, breaks my heart. So let's hear it---how would you wear it?

Lust in the Movies

2008-05-06T12:40:00.005-05:00

Ever since Luella debuted her spring line of quirky liberty floral dresses paired with geek glasses and bat prints, an overlooked movie by the name of "Ghost World" has been pulled from relative obscurity.

I have long adored Ghost World and the self-indulgent, misanthropic antics and retro/punk styling of Enid (Thora Birch) and Rebecca (a pre-Lost in Translation Scarlett Johannson).

So of course, I loved Luella's collection on principal. It's an adorable mix of tough (leather jackets, lace up boots) sweet (ruffles and florals) and quirky (cotton candy hair, cat eye masks). But it has become oversaturated in most fashion circles. And while I am eager to try my hand at my version of the look (however long it takes the rural southeast to become aware of liberty prints, pfft, good luck), it is time to find new inspiration. The first place my mind went was 1994's "Leon", known stateside as "The Professional". Indeed, young Matilda's style perfectly reflects the early 90's redux currently going on. Cut-offs with tights, stompy boots, layering and, yikes, even crop tops. People, ever since that movie came out, have told me of my resemblance to Natalie Portman. They're clearly delusional, but emulating the style of Matilda is something I can really get behind.

I have been wearing chokers, as a "signature" off and on since the second grade. But it always annoyed me that I can never find that particular one. God knows, I've looked high and low, but no dice. Anyone who has met me can tell you I'm quite attatched to my long locks, but I've always secretly desired that edgy, francophile bob of Matilda's, ah, if only I had the nerve. I have most of the elements needed to recreate Matilda's look without being too costumey, and it's something I would like to attempt:

Pictures courtesy of style.com and ew.com

Funhouse Mirror

2008-05-05T12:23:00.002-05:00

As I woefully surveyed my last post, I noticed just how stumpy and compact I looked in my photographs, perhaps ten pounds heavier and a few inches shorter than I in fact am. It's not my outfit, as a general rule all black is slimming. It's not my shoes. Granted, flat ankle boots are probably not the most elongating choice for a girl of my stature. Today I investigated and found I was just shooting at a poor angle (I don't own a tripod so I balanced in on a gate), and poor photography in general. But the day before I was rather depressed about it. After years of yo-yo-ing from being thin and hungry to curvy and overeating, I thought I had struck a balance but these pictures made me consider otherwise. I ate steamed veggies for dinner. It was an overreaction, but it made me think how many of our fashion choices are based on self-perception of our own attractiveness. When I feel prettier or skinnier, I wear my craziest, most expiremental outfits, but as soon as I start feeling down I retreat back to a t shirt and jean. We often talk of being beautiful enough to "pull it off". But what has more merit, pulling something off because you're genetically gifted, or simply because you're confident? Which came first, the chicken or the egg?

HOWL

2008-05-04T13:45:00.009-05:00

All black for a sunny day. Got to try out the new boots, I didn't really know what to pair with them so I just went beatnik. They're cute, but they make my legs a little stumpy which unnerves me. I'm 5'3"1/2, and I'm not one of those girls that manages to look taller than they are, I can't really afford to have my legs delineated. But I'll make them work, I think they might actually be more flattering with a bare leg and hiking socks, and I think I might spring for a miniskirt/shorter shorts to lengthen my legs. Clearly, I have more expiramenting to do.

The Cool Shoeshine

2008-05-01T11:11:00.004-05:00

Sometimes, with a fashion fixation in general, will come an obsession with a single item. An obsession that seemingly comes from nowhere, and no matter how impractical or trendy the item might be, it won't leave well enough alone until you have it, or an approximation thereof, in your materialistic little paws. For me, this item is the Dr. Martens combat boot.

Isn't it glorious? The smooth, curving lines of the supple black leather, the overt masculinity that is covertly alluring when attatched to a pretty girl. I would be tempted to trace my infatuation back to a fateful day in spring when I first crossed paths with these clunky heeled chloe boots:

It's inexplicable. Every point of logic demands that I be repulsed by these high-fashion Frankensteins. But I adore them more than every graceful stiletto Christian Louboutin has ever made. But my true obsession began much further back, over a decade ago in fact. Let us all recall to 1997. Grunge was gasping its last breaths, but my older sister Iris (a true Gen-X fashion victim) was still faithfully in her steel-toed doc martens. My mother found them clunky, manly and simply hideous, and would scoff every time Iris would show up to dinner in her scuffs leather laces and not the staid crepe pumps she had bought for her. This only served to cement my sister's disdain for her new stepmother and strengthen my rebellious inclination as a seven year old for the anarchy of a man's workboot.

But years have passed, and docs have come back in fashion. It girl Cory Kennedy (ala the Cobrasnake) is even their model for the ads. And they have grown expensive. A hundred and twenty dollars, while affordable in the shoe world, is a lot to ask from a broke college student. And were I requesting feminine sandals or practical leather riding boots from my mother, she might grant my request. But not for these, her most despised of footwear. What is a girl to do but to spring for cheap knockoffs? These, on sale at delia's for $29:

But I will soldier past my dissapointment and make them work. I have to turn down the cuff (they were described as ankle boots, but I think they would only reach the ankles of Gisele Bundchen) But I fear I will have to go shopping to procure want I most want to wear with them. What do I wear with them besides the obvious? A miniskirt? Denim cutoffs ala Camille of Childhood Flames? I am not nearly so lithe and it makes me nervous. Ideas, pretty please!

2008-04-30T22:35:00.002-05:00

(deleted due to glitches, sorry!)