Wednesday, December 31, 2008

willa holland






I'm totally digging these photos of willa holland

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

genevieve jones

Dubbed a modern holly go lightly, Genevieve Jones has been taking the fashion world by storm. Even after a WSJ expose, she managed to return and once again take her spot as a prominent socialite/interior decorator/designer. Originally from a middle-class background in baton rouge, she came to new york and established herself on the city's social circuit, building close friendships with Zac Posen and Julia Restoin-Roitfeld.
She describes her fashion, remarkable for it's inventive style and creative color combos, as "classic taken to the edge."


Tuesday, December 23, 2008

acid wash

I'm really digging acid wash these days. While many may think that acidwash should not leave the 80's, I think it can look attractive even outside of 80's parties. While back then they favored the all over spotting, I think that the larger splotchier wash makes it more modern.

Karen Walker featured some great acid-washed prints on her runways.



I'm going to try and do a diy acid wash skirt- i'm not sure how it'll turn out, but i'll post some photos if it works out

Vogues tries affordable

The New York Times labelled "recessionista" as one of the words of the year.
With being fashionable on a budget suddenly the new hot thing, Vogue has tried to throw their hat into the ring with this video, The Economists. They challenge their editors to find something "inspired" for under $500. Which is about $500 more than I have to spend. No but really, I understand that $500 is a very constrainig budget for the ladies of vogue, but if they're trying to appeal to the average woman don't you think they could have gone a little lower? Maybe? Especially considering that they were allowed an investment piece that was over $500?

That being said, I find the video pretty interesting (which is probably why it's lingered in my bookmarks since the summer). We get to see Bonnie Morrison dancing, and some shots of the ever allusive Lawren Howell.







some screenshots...



Mens Vogue

With the economy in a tenuous position, many of our favorite magazines are struggling. The one that I think I'll miss the most will be Mens Vogue. Given that I'm not exactly their target audience, this may seem surprising, but I've always liked their more intelligent take on style.

But while their print version may be over, their website is still up. So I would recommend to hurry on over before that too gets taken down. I would especially recommend looking at Amanda Brooks blog In Her Eyes. I loved her mix of classic and modern, and was always pleasantly suprised by the photos that she was able to get. Some vintage, some new, but all were absolutely chic


Monday, December 22, 2008



To me, fragrance seems like such a personal, identifying item. More than a piece of clothing or an accessory, I feel like a fragrance is defining. But at this stage of my life, the idea of a signature scent is overwhelming.
But these mini fragrance tubes sure seem like they'd make the job easier. At only 25 dollars, I can try several before making a decision.

Sunday, December 21, 2008

rings

Over two years ago WhoWhatWearDaily did a feature on mary-kate olsen's rings. That page has been sitting in my bookmarks ever since then until recently when I was going through my bookmarks and saw it.



Given the olsen's trendsetter status, it's not suprising that this look has caught on like wildfire. Some of my favorite bloggers like rumi have become ring afficionados.

I'm lusting after Vivienne Westwood's armour ring...



...and obviously the olsen's own line...



... but it's all a tad expensive, so most likely i'll be buying one of these suckers from f21

i'm baack!

So I haven't been doing a very good job of keeping with this blog. But since I don't really have any readers, I figured that was fine- I don't believe my lack of posts are disappointing to anyone. I really do this blog for me- to express the ideas that I have in my head and hopefully achieve some sense of clarity in the process.
I'm not making any promises on the frequency of posts. I'm theoretically thinking once a week, but most likely my posting schedule will follow the 'when I'm inspired and have time' schedule.

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

70's hair

I had written down who this was, but I misplaced that somewhere. Regardless, I think this woman nails my idealized version of the 70's hair.




Sunday, July 27, 2008

Mad Men

today's the premiere of the second season of mad men. this show has been getting an insane amount of press, but it's no wonder- visually appealing, intellectually stimulating.
i'm not the only fan- on style.com michael kors confirms that he based his whole fall 2008 collection around the show!




my personal style is a bit bipolar. currently i'm on a bit of an alexander wang, grungy kick (v-necks, ripped jean shorts and studs). but it's hard to ignore the appeal of the more glamorous style of the 1950's. When Joannie swishes through the office of sterling-cooper you can tell that her outfit was not something she rolled out of bed in. effortlessly cool has been replaced by perfectly chic.

some real live women channeling the spirit of the show:

Thursday, July 24, 2008

summer color

During the summer I frequently feel the urge to ditch the black and to incorporate some color into my wardrobe. I can remember my southern grandmother telling me that she got her nails done in lighter, brighter colors for summer, and I guess that's still stuck in the back of my head, even after all of these years because I feel a little inappropriate wearing all black all summer long.
That's why it's nice to see Julia Von Boehm, fashion stylist and former assistant to Carine Roitfeld, break out and wear some color for a little bit. The Paris Vogue team is notorious for it's all black wardrobe. Whenever they arrive it's like a team of arachnids have descended. While that look is definitely inspiring and has spawned millions of copy-cats around the world, it's nice every once in a while to see them push their boundaries. Julia's bright persimmon color sweater really hits the spot.


battle of the vogues

throughout the blogosphere the carine roitfeld vs. anna wintour match up has been thoroughly dissected. The general consensus is that french vogue is younger, hipper, takes more risks and has more creative editorials. They've even had a transvestite on their cover! All american vogue has to boast of is a bunch of bland socialites writing irrelevent columns, airbrushed celebrities and a lot of caroline trentini jumping in front of a grey background.

But what about US Vogue's brother: Men's vogue? I kind of expect french vogue to be cooler because it's well, french. But why is our american counterpoint doing such a better job?


vs.

vs.


Their style is topnotch, and their articles are actually interesting. Instead of offering reviews of the newest plastic surgery options, they actually cover areas that are relevent. For example, this month's magazine featured "Beggars & Choosers: why the quest for a second-in-command is the biggest gamble in presidential politics."

I think it's time for vogue to step up their game if they want to stay on top

Fast Fashion

Every time I step into f21 or one of it's fellow fast-fashion stores, a (small) part of me feels guilty. As a rational human being, I know that there is no way they could produce clothes this cheap without some ethically questionable practices. Today's news of a sweatshop right in nyc has made me return once more to these slightly somber thoughts, and made fast fashion seem even less appetizing.

There are other problems with this cheap clothing besides the sweatshops. The nyt a while ago had an article that discussed the environmental footprint that accompanies such cheap, disposable fashion.

I try to keep my lifestyle as sustainable as possible, so why do I stop with fashion? This summer I was lucky enough to travel through europe, and while in italy i noticed that even the lowliest bus driver would wear gucci loafers. I asked him where he got them from hoping to find some secret gucci outlet that only the italians knew about. Unfortunately unfortunately there's no steep discount in the brand's native land. He bought the gucci loafers not because they were at some super secret discount, but rather due to a different ethos over there. They choose quality over quantity. They don't have much, but what they wear is stylish, flattering, and built to last.

Designer labels don't always equal quality, and it's hard to completely resist the magnetic pull of F21, but iIm trying my best. What's not to like about a lighter conscience and stylish staples?

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Summer

a bunch of my favorite fashion bloggers have proclaimed that they are over summer. they watch with excitement as september grows nearer and they can get back to their favorite, the fashionable layers of fall.

I have to say I don't share their excitement.

There is nothing i love more than long days of lazy picnics with my friend, the sensation of the sun on my skin and the texture of my salty hair after a day at the beach.

summer don't leave me yet!

BLAZERS ARE BIG

blazers are big. blazers are everywhere

there was balenciaga, etro, stella mccarthy... pretty much every designer has done their take on blazers

So far i have only done the slouchy boyfriend blazer look (trying my best alexander wang impression), but that's because that's what i could come up with after scrounging around the house. I took a blazer from my mom's closet (totally amazing- she doesn't buy much, but she also she doesn't throw much out, so her closet is like my own vintage store) and rolled up the sleeves, trying my best to look like an olsen or erin wasson.

unfortunately i don't have a younger brother, so i'm going to have to do some shopping in order to try the more shrunken, fitted blazer style. So far the good old goodwill has yet to yield any great finds, so i'm thinking about branching out to ebay...

michelle williams and alexa chung looking cute in their little blazers...