american rococo

2010-05-06T16:39:00.000-07:00

Do I know how it happened? No.

Do I know why it happened? No.

All I know is that on Tuesday I went to the mall, of all places, to find a birthday present for my friend Caitlin and I found this Dear Creatures top at Anthropologie (who knew they even carried DC?) and it was on sale for

--wait for it--

TWENTY ONE DOLLARS

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is called good shopping karma.

PS - Sorry this is only my second blog post in 2010. Life happens.

what I could stand for

2010-01-25T18:54:00.000-08:00

a huge crazy turban

Foret La 'Alice' silk blouse

1950s Sears jeans

Contributor by Rachel Comey oxford

collections

2009-11-09T10:55:00.000-08:00

If you're as obsessed with DesignSponge as I am, you've probably already seen this post about the home of artist Sophie Blackall. Among other things, she does these amazing illustrated versions of missed connections from craigslist.org, which you can view on her blog here. Anyway, I just love her apartment. I'm really into typologies and apparently so is she, with all the different types of mirrors and dolls and antlers and things she has displayed. The color palette is wonderful too. I love the aubergine bedroom!

2009-11-04T19:17:00.000-08:00

Seriously though, I was just wondering, can I wear dark purple lipstick and green eye makeup? Can I bleach my eyebrows? Does that sound crazy? It sounds kind of crazy. This editorial (from Vogue Italia) is making me think crazy thoughts.

november gear

2009-11-02T11:33:00.000-08:00

Rachel Comey knit hood

Pendleton vintage wool cape

Wiksten-Made dress (ps - amazing blog)

Billykirk & Opening Ceremony satchel

Cronert wool over-the-knee socks

Frye boots

happy halloween!

2009-10-31T07:06:00.000-07:00

The beautifully creepy, always elegant Theda Bara.

tudors

2009-10-26T20:36:00.000-07:00

This Tudor-themed editorial from the most recent issue of Dazed & Confused magazine is amazing. It's so dark and Shakespearean. I love the somber mood juxtaposed with the extravagance of the clothing. And that dark red lipstick is wonderful.

peggy

2009-10-22T15:09:00.001-07:00

The amazing Peggy Guggenheim!

In Venice.

In a Poiret gown, photographed by Man Ray in the 1920s.

and a Peggy Guggenheim-inspired editorial, shot by Karl Lagerfeld, published in Harper's Bazaar

no. 6

2009-10-20T11:19:00.000-07:00

When I got home last night I opened my laptop only to discover that someone (probably my friend Caitlin) had been using it, and had left the website for the wonderful No. 6 Store open in my browser window. It was like being visited by a magical internet blogging elf or something! I have something great to blog about and I didn't even have to do hours of scouring the internet. People should come over and use my laptop more often.

Apparently No. 6 is a vintage store that also carries independent contemporary designers, and now they have their own line. Their lookbook is amazing! I love everything but my favorites are the mixed-print dress toward the bottom and the last black dress with the neat deco sleeves. It's very Busby Berkeley. The setting is beautiful too. The golden color of the grasses really compliments the color palette and mood of the pieces.

Jeffrey Monteiro, fall 2009

2009-10-18T11:09:00.000-07:00

Captions not needed.

2009-10-15T19:18:00.000-07:00

Is there anything Rachel Comey can't do? I've been into her for a while but, for whatever reason, while I'd seen most of the individual pieces in her fall collection I'd never actually looked at the runway shots. I'm in love! Seriously, the headscarves! Could anything be more perfect? I just love the way the bright, seemingly-out-of-season florals go so well with chunky, neutral knits and mensweary trousers. I think it's so 90s (I consider that a good thing) but not in an overpowering way. I'm happy because I feel like while I probably won't be able to afford too many pieces from Rachel Comey, this is a look that I could really easily work into my existing wardrobe. And I don't even think there are words for the way I feel about the wine-colored lipstick. I'd sleep in that shade of red, really I would.

por fin!

2009-10-09T11:07:00.000-07:00

I've been checking the Lyell website every day waiting for the fall lookbook (I need a life, I know) and it's finally here! And even better than it was in my dreams - tap shorts, scallops, tweed, silk, star-shaped neckline embellishment (again!), pleated pants, peter pan collars. I'm living and dying with this.

cramazing

2009-10-08T10:39:00.000-07:00

Even though I look at all the spring shows, I decided not to write about them for two reasons. 1) Everyone else is already writing about them on their blogs, 2) It's fall and therefore I want to think about fall, not spring. But when I saw the new Miu Miu, after staring at this collection agape for several minutes, I decided it's too crazy/amazing (cramazing?) not to post about.

The prints! The trousers! The cut-outs! The navy and black together at last and looking great! The collars!

I'm in love.

You should check out the full show on style.com, or wherever. Some of it also has this weird crystal/sequin thing going on, which I'm still sort of confused by, but is totally worth taking a look at.

(pictures from style.com)

wary meyers

2009-10-07T08:16:00.000-07:00

I'm doing that whole thing people do where they've graduated college and suddenly are like "oh crap, I'm kind of an adult, I should get really into interior design now." I look at home design magazines in the grocery store and browse online for furniture I'll never be able to afford. It's somewhat of a sickness, actually. The houses I've lived in on my own have always been well-put-together (I think) given the fact that I rarely have two coins to rub together, but I dream of someday having a pocketful of cash and a few weeks to scour the countryside and put together my dream house.

Thanks to DesignSponge I discovered the work of the husband-and-wife design team behind Wary Meyers Decorative Arts (aside: why are husband-and-wife bands/design teams/trapeze performers/etc always the coolest?!) They do a lot of really awesome things like paint and write books about DIY and they live in Maine - the great state I am moving to this spring and am completely obsessed with. Anyway, I digress. They also are amazing interior designers! Look at their house!

It's so well-curated! And what I really love about it is that it is grown-up and sophisticated but has a really fun 60s/70s element to it. I hate rooms that look too serious and modern. My parents self-identify as minimalists so the houses I grew up in were very sparse and modern and involved a lot of polished concrete, black slate, big windows, and you're not supposed to touch anything. That is beautiful in it's own way, but I sort of gravitate to the opposite of that -- rooms with a lot going on, a lot of different textures and colors, objects that seem explore-able and touchable, rooms that seemed lived-in and historical.

Anyway, you should look at their website. They have a lot of different projects there as well as a great blog about their inspirations, work, and search for neat things for their house.

mind your manners

2009-10-06T08:17:00.000-07:00

I love Juliette Hogan's simple, ladylike fall collection, which is entitled "Mind Your Manners." I like how it looks noir and jazz-age influenced, but still really modern at the same time.

it's autumn, love

2009-10-02T07:23:00.000-07:00

Happy October! Fall to me always feels like change, probably because I became so used to starting a new school year and all the new faces and transitions that brings with it. I am going to be starting a new job in the middle of this month, which I'm super excited about. I'm going to be working at the new restaurant of Baltimore's Visionary Art Museum. The restaurant serves Prohibition-era cocktails and classic American food, but with a farm-to-table philosophy. I think it's going to be a lot of fun!

I'm in love with these amazing, perfectly autumnal drawings by Julianna Swaney, who is an artist living in Portland. I want to buy everything she makes (etsy store here) and have it tattooed on my body, seriously.

her drawing blog

her etc blog

I'm also super into the simple but very fall-appropriate designs of Dainty June. A floral corduroy dress sounds very good to me right now!

bow

2009-09-30T09:07:00.000-07:00

You don't need me to tell you how perfectly amazingly perfect this Diana Orving dress is. Well, it's on sale here. For seventy seven dollars (!!!!!) If you're a size one. So, if you're a size one, I strongly recommend you buy this.

Actually, I really like Diana Orving, who I believe is from Denmark. Her fall collection has some great pieces, but the runway styling, which you can view here on her website, to me is just confusing and weird. Some of the models have a little black paint or something smeared on their arms and legs... it looks like their bike chains fell off and they got a bunch of grease on them trying to change it (don't you hate when that happens?) All the pieces are very simple but she somehow found a way --which involves awful leggings and weird bits of chiffon sticking out-- to make them seem scattered and hard to focus on. Then again, I haven't had a coffee yet this morning. Here are some of my favorites, which happen to also be the ones that didn't fall victim to weird styling.

(I just think this amazing top deserves so much better than leggings. A skirt! Hotpants! Frilly underwear! I don't care, just not leggings. They make everything look so sloppy and Staten Island to me -- no offense to anyone from SI, but you know what I mean.)

sugar shack sunday

2009-09-27T14:18:00.001-07:00

(the garden, a.k.a. Sugar Shack Farms, looking a little end-of-summer shabby)

Today has been a pretty grey and low-key Sunday so far (but with the promise of a fun party later tonight!) I dug through my and my roommate's closets until I put together something I hadn't worn before. People have been suggesting I do outfit posts since I started this blog, so I figured today is as good a day as any to start!

vintage floral crop-top, belongs to my roommate

off-white cardigan, roommate's, from Anthropologie?

J Brand jeans

1970s Ralph Lauren woven oxfords

vintage wooden necklaces

And another one, but just because because I like this picture of my living room. That's my taxidermied turkey up in the top left corner. That globe used to be my mom's, and so did the 20-volume The Ocean World of Jacques Cousteau set on the bookshelf.

makool loves you

2009-09-27T08:15:00.001-07:00

I saw this great online store, Makool Loves You, linked to on one of my favorite blogs, All the Mountains. It's all handmade, mostly Portland Oregon-based designers as well as some original designs. There's a store in Portland also, so if you live there I guess this is old hat to you. But I love some of the things they have, especially the khaki bow skirt.

goth magic

2009-09-25T10:57:00.000-07:00

I totally stand behind this new US Harper's Bazaar Tim Burton editorial. Those giant skeletons are so cool. I've always had a soft spot for goth. When I was visiting my family this Christmas my mom told me I looked like "goth Peter Pan" and I took that as a huge compliment. But I guess my interpretation of goth is much looser and more subtle than this. It's more in the Wednesday Addams, Edward Gorey vein, whereas this editorial is way more over the top, like a Japanese gothic-Lolita style. All I know is I remember seeing Beetlejuice around the age of 6 or 7 and thinking "Ooh, that Lydia girl has the right idea." I have a few "subtle goth" outfits planned for this fall, and they all include this amazing (but possibly slightly psychotic looking) wine-red lipstick that my roommate has. I want to start posting outfit photos, so hopefully I'll remember to do that at some point in the near future.

At any rate, some of these pictures are just wicked.

spent!

2009-09-22T10:18:00.000-07:00

Who would have thought crazy old ladies at the bus stop would make such a good editorial?

from Pop Magazine, Fall/Winter o9.

new nadinoo!

2009-09-21T10:07:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite new labels, Nadinoo, designed and handmade by Nadia Izruna (I wrote about her wonderful designs in the spring also) just posted the a/w 09 preview and I'm super excited!

It's so 60s and feminine! And it actually makes me wish I had long blonde hair, which I don't think I've ever wished for before.

Nadinoo website

Nadinoo blog, which I always discover new and amazing things on!

vivetta

2009-09-16T20:18:00.000-07:00

I am living and dying with Vivetta's fall collection. This collection is insane. I'd wear every one of these things. I think this is what minimalist Japanese harlequin dolls would wear, if such a thing existed.

orla kiely

2009-09-15T14:20:00.001-07:00

How have I made it this far without seeing the amazing new Orla Kiely collection?

cape/cloak

2009-09-14T19:33:00.000-07:00

I really want a cape/cloak coat for the fall.

omg omg omg this is amazing and you should totally buy it from jessjamesjake

from Heart Sunglasses

from Savage Spider ... I love this because it's velvet

How can I be Morticia Adams without this?

(from Ancestor Vintage)

appelknyckarjazz

2009-09-14T10:54:00.000-07:00

In case you were wondering, this is what I've been listen to pretty much every day for the past 3 months while I'm getting ready. It really reminds me to step up my game because I am pretty sure the word "cool" was actually invented to describe these guys. I mean, they are Swedish which sort of automatically makes you cool, but they also play hip-hop/swing, so that takes it to another level.

basically, yeah

2009-09-12T22:26:00.001-07:00

I just saw the new Built by Wendy fall stuff.

Want it.

Actually, that first dress... I double want it.

shopping is a feeling

2009-09-12T12:27:00.000-07:00

It's kind of hard to think about nice things when you have eight dollars in your bank account and your dad is all calling you like, "you need a job," when you already know you need a job. And then you're like "oh, I need to update my blog which is 90% about nice stuff that I can't afford... bummer... I don't really want to do that right now..."

But then I saw this 3.1 Philip Lim dress.

And it changed my mind.

About a lot of things

W. W. S. D. ?

2009-09-09T20:28:00.000-07:00

This week has marked the start of the (what we all knew was eventual) realization that omgwtfbbq I don't have a job and the economy is really awful and I need to get employed really soon or I'm going to have to move into my dad's basement in Tennessee.

But then I start to think about how some people have real problems. Take Tilda Swinton for example. She is obviously a really, really well-tailored alien who has for whatever reason been sent here to Planet Earth to teach us all how to be avant-garde. And her mission must be a difficult one, since judging from many blogs and celebrity "worst dressed" lists, the vast majority of people look at pictures of her and feel confused and/or repulsed.

In my opinion, everything she wears is aaaaaaaamazing.

(Yes, even that yellow thing with the embroidered collar.)

I think probably people who don't like her are probably just jealous because she has two boyfriends. At least that's what my roommate told me. I'll leave it to someone else to google that and determine the level of truth. I personally would like to go on believing that she has two boyfriends.

And those are just a few reasons why is my mission this fall to ask myself when making decisions, sartorial or otherwise, "What would Swinton do?"

les heroines

2009-09-03T21:19:00.001-07:00

I'm in love with this Gloria Vanderbilt-inspired editorial from the September issue of Vogue Paris. The white lace with menswear fabrics in khaki, olive and tan is amazing, especially with that shade of lipstick.

motion/mociun

2009-09-02T12:18:00.000-07:00

from Mociun fall 2009

First of all, I had a job interview today and I really, really, really want the job. The job itself isn't really special, just a restaurant hostess, but the restaurant is amazing, gets all its food from local farms, and carries artisan beer and wine, AND they have oysters. It would be perfect for me right now. I think I did well in the interview, but I was nervous and I'm not sure how much that came through. I think I conducted myself well, but I keep replaying it in my head thinking "I should have phrased that differently," and stuff like that. They're going to tell me Monday if they want me for a second interview, so please send some positive energy my way! Not only do I really need a job right now but I would love to work somewhere that is supporting local agriculture, which is something I feel strongly about since my grandparents run a small organic farm in Florida.

I finally got around to looking at Mociun's fall collection today. You might have seen it already because it's kind of making the rounds on blogs right now, but rightfully so because it's very good. Mociun consistently puts out my favorite collections. The photographs for this season remind me so much of fall in Baltimore. I've never lived here during the fall but I've visited and that's when I really fell in love with Baltimore, so I'm excited to be living here finally during my favorite season.

I love the colors and the prints, which are really what she's known for. They always have a natural history museum feel, but are of really varied things from batiks to shells to outer space. There are tons more great pictures on the website, I suggest you take a look. Also, summer stuff is on sale for 50-80% off and there are some amazzzzing pieces!

things I want now please

2009-08-31T09:11:00.001-07:00

1. These bangin' Marni sunglasses

2. Bollywood dance workout. You know, for sculpting my woman-body. But I wish there was one that stars Shahrukh Khan, because he's a hunk and a good dancer.

3. Stovetop espresso maker. I have no idea how I've made it this far in life without one.

4. A job. Seriously. So I can buy these things.

yes.

2009-08-30T14:35:00.000-07:00

This is one example of what I will be wearing this fall.

(But with different shoes.)

from Wood Wood.

I am possibly about to reveal myself as the sad, mainstream person I truly am

2009-08-27T14:15:00.000-07:00

OK, I hate to say this, but the most excited I've been about fall clothing in a long time was after looking at J. Crew's fall catalog.

My love is mostly about the colors.

Are you seeing these neon socks paired with mostly neutrals? These are CORRECT. These are very, very correct.

Avocado, ochre, rust, more neutrals and grey, peach, red and white check.

Safety orange, avocado.

I am really pleasantly surprised. I guess I just never expected to like anything from J.Crew this much. Sorry if these are fighting words... but I feel like these should have been A.P.C.'s women's colors for this season (well, A.P.C. does have one rust thing and one ochre thing, but the effect is not at all the same). Actually, I think if you take away the dumb jewelry and more mall-ready pieces, un-J.Crew everything just a little and restyle the models, this basically should have been A.P.C.'s collection. I wonder how it feels to be outdone by a brand that is totally ripping you off.

Yeah, I said it.

fletcher

2009-08-26T17:44:00.000-07:00

I was pretty psyched when I saw that Lyell is doing some pieces for Urban Outfitters. Being the kind of gal who loves Lyell but is basically broke all the time, it's good news for me.

I will definitely be buying this. Purple is really good with my coloring and historically dresses of this cut have looked very good on me. I need a dress like this. It's sort of intermediate, not solely casual and not too fancy that it's unwearable. It can go either way. I don't have enough things like that in my wardrobe. I have an endless collection of nautical-looking t-shirts and breezy striped dresses on the one hand and on the other hand I a few ridiculously fancy things like a hand-stitched silk Marc Jacobs collection blouse and a vintage Hermes blouse that I'll probably never wear because it looks insane and really weird, fancy 40s dresses. I sort of feel like I should go to the opera or something every time I put that stuff on. A lot of times when I want to look nice but not too nice I don't really know what to wear.

I also want to buy this blouse from the Fletcher by Lyell collection. Note: I'd never wear it with only a bra underneath. That is totally not my thing. Not in the 21st century.

2009-08-25T14:17:00.000-07:00

I am always amazed when someone can take something ugly, like oysters (albeit delicious) and turn them into something classy and beautiful, like this silk dress by Lorick.

I wish I could attend a luncheon and drink lemonade-based cocktails in this.

from the Sunday Brunch Dress Shop

not at your age

2009-08-24T19:13:00.000-07:00

Today my roommate, who knows about all that's good and pure in the world, sent me a link to The Old Ladies' Rebellion.

It's designed by a young French woman (of course) named Fanny Karst.

And I think it's totally brilliant.

hey boy, I can date you?

2009-08-23T18:19:00.000-07:00

I was dismayed to discover today that I don't love A.P.C. women's collection for fall 09. There are elements of it that I would definitely wear, but most of the individual pieces seem un-special and the outfits in the photos look sloppy, kind of like the way I dress when it's January and I don't give a fuck anymore. Like, plaid shirts and big, shapeless grey sweaters and pants tucked into weather resistant boots. Not that there's anything really wrong with that, but I don't know, I just was hoping for something more special from A.P.C. I guess. Up north after the charm of the cold weather and holidays wears off, I start to get really sick of making an effort with dressing and it's good to have positive reinforcement. But if what is normally your positive reinforcement is telling you to put on the bleach stained pants and sex-masking weather resistant boots, then you have a problem. So in short, I was wondering, A.P.C. for ladies, what is your problem?

And then I saw the men's collection. And the world made sense to me again.

The all orange/red/pink outfit makes me feel special feelings. I like everything in this collection except maybe that anchor sweater. You should only wear that anchor sweater if you're an eight year old boy living in Maine. And your mom made you. But see, the weather resistant boots and even (god forbid) the bleach stained pants look good on these boys, especially the one with the magenta scarf. I know quite a few gentlemen whose lot in life would be vastly improved by a magenta scarf and pale blue oxford.

Anyway, you can see it all here.

skins

2009-08-20T08:39:00.000-07:00

I am basically the latest person ever to the game on this one, but my roommate came home the other day with season one of British teen drama Skins, and I am now obsessed. Mostly with Cassie's (actress Hannah Murray) outfits. Girl looks good, frequently. She wears fuchsia lipstick and necklaces made out of plastic lizards! And she's the best character on the show, I think. She has reintroduced the word "lovely" into my vocabulary. I don't get why she likes Sid though; I really dislike Sid and it's not just because he looks like a teenage version of a very barf-worthy ex of mine. He's just a lazy tosser and she can do way better.

If you haven't seen it already, I strongly suggest renting it or whatever. It's really good. If you like Degrassi you'll like it; it's like Degrassi on crack. Why is British and Canadian television so good?

And, the best google image search has to offer of Cassie's outfits. You can't tell from these pictures but she's always wearing really cute socks with her shoes.

elle brazil

2009-08-14T18:42:00.000-07:00

I never really considered Elle Brazil before, but after seeing this editorial from the June 2009 issue I am planning on seeking it out regularly.

These are like promo shots from a demented circus in a futuristic society of Art Deco gypsies. Or something. I even almost approve of the harem pants in the last photo.

You can view another editorial from the same issue in The Fashion Spot forums.

sweet line dancing jesus

2009-08-13T09:00:00.000-07:00

I'm in love. This is the classiest dress I have ever seen in my entire life. It's like Rodarte has looked into my heart and soul and perfectly translated my deepest desires and the most secret nuances of my personality into acetate and silk. And it's not like one of those things that you see on a model and think "wow, this is amazing but I could never wear it." No. I know this dress would look slammin' on me. Like, major league slammin'. I mean, with my coloring and legs and all... I think if I put this dress on all my latent superhero powers would instantly reveal themselves. If I wore this dress I would be able to stop bullets, jump over skyscrapers, and sing like Aretha Franklin and stuff. Oh, and make Jeff Goldblum fall in love with me. Jeff would totally want to marry me if he saw me wearing this jam.

The only thing standing in between me and this dress (and my superpowers) is 2,940 American dollars, plus tax.

Buy it here, but be warned. If you meet me in a dark alley you best watch yourself. I'll snatch it right off ya.

autumn

2009-08-09T10:30:00.000-07:00

I want to wear these things every day in the fall.

Society for Rational Dress from Bona Drag

Anthropologie shoes

AMERICA!

2009-08-03T04:42:00.000-07:00

I am back in America! Yay! Well, only until Tuesday, then I am going to Costa Rica for a week. You know, because all I do these days is go on tropical vacays.

I promise I'll do a real update soon... I want to do an early fall post and a stuff from summer you can buy on sale right now post, but until then here are some pictures of me in front of old stuff in Spain.

in Salamanca, Urban Outfitters dress

in Segovia - 1960s raincoat, Blank Jeans, Toms shoes, Built by Wendy tote bag

in Madrid - thrifted tank top, French Connection shirt, shoes from Urban Outfitters (complete Jeffrey Campbell knock-offs)

believe you me

2009-07-14T04:06:00.000-07:00

In between going to the pool all the time and drinking calimocho and talking to cute boys and inflicting my horrible (but endearing?) Spanish upon Madrid, I kinda miss blogging. But I guess I'll be getting back to it regularly in about two weeks, when I return to the EEUU. The idea that my time left in Madrid is so limited is bittersweet. I love it here but I can't deny that it will be good to go back to the United States and regroup. Before I go back home to Baltimore I'm spending 10 days in Florida visiting my family. Yes, I need a vacation from my vacation.

One of my friends in Madrid went back to the US the other day. In addition to being a really awesome person, she is super well dressed (she used to work at Blueberi in Brooklyn) and told me about a Thai desiger called Sretsis (it's "sisters" backwards)

Here are some things from the SS09 collection...

My favorites are the blue outfit and the brown outfit.

2009-07-02T02:25:00.000-07:00

emma

2009-06-25T12:13:00.000-07:00

I am not bothered how nerdy it is, I love Emma Watson. Girl is totally cute and classy. I love her in this editorial from the August 2009 Teen Vogue.

when he was Barry

2009-06-24T10:13:00.000-07:00

Boy had serious STYLE!

Images by Lisa Jack, taken at Occidental College in 1980 and now being featured at M & B gallery.

Oh yeah, sorry I haven´t posted a lot lately. You know shit is crazy here in Spain. It´s go go go go go all the time. I thought New York City was a madhouse, but no.

um, no me gusta

2009-06-21T03:43:00.000-07:00

The other day I was at a café here in Madrid where a very attractive man was working. I began to exchange some flirtatious glances with him, mostly because I was just bored. Also, he´s one of the few attractive men I´ve seen here who didn´t have 1) dreadlocks (of the white boy variety), 2) a mullet, or 3) a dreadlock mullet. I´m not sure which is the most terrifying of the three, and that isn´t even including those who also have a monroe piercing. It hurts me to even type those words, actually. Anyway, this guy was cute and didn´t fall into any of the above horrible Euro-trend categories.

Then he came out from behind the counter to reveal that he was wearing harem pants. Jersey material harem pants.

No.

No.

Just... no.

I do not support this.

Not on women.

Not on men.

But especially not on men.

No.

marc jacobs resort

2009-06-15T11:41:00.000-07:00

I support this.

hoy

2009-06-14T12:13:00.000-07:00

"big fug"

2009-06-10T05:05:00.001-07:00

OK, I almost never do 2 updates in one day, let alone back-to-back, but OMG, this could NOT wait until tomorrow.

Am I the only one who thinks this (while a little over-the-top, obvi) is totally amazing?! I'm not one of those people who loves everything Chloe wears by any means, but this is mad cute. I found the picture on one of my all-time favorite blogs, Fug or Fab. I think it might be the funniest thing on the internet. To the complete disdain of my Spanish schoolmates, I have been laughing audibly at it for the last 30 minutes in the computer lab.

Here's what they wrote about Chloe's outfit...

"Who else would come out of the house looking like Mary Poppins from the waist up, and Leggs McGee from the way down? I mean, as far as I recall, there is NOT a scene in Mary Poppins where she goes out for a date with Bert in a rather scandalous -- yet still demure -- shorts suit, but maybe Chloe here is angling for an updated version. In her iteration of the Disney classic, "A Spoonful of Sugar" is mashed up with "Pour Some Sugar On Me" while Mary cavorts on top of a horse and buggy, and "Jolly Holiday" is actually remixed with Madonna's "Holiday" while Mary takes Jane and Michael out to buy cone bras. I can almost read my angry letter now."

lulufinder & my confused tongue

2009-06-10T04:19:00.000-07:00

I'm in complete adoration of the etsy store lulufinder right now. Not only are the clothes super cute but the pictures are done really well also! There is something very Busby Berkeley-ish about these clothes, which I love. Tap dancer is definitely in my top 5 favorite looks. See: the store, the blog for more!

OK, sorry, I can't write any more intelligible things about it because actually it is really hard for me to think in English right now after 6 hours of classes where we only talk in Spanish, ugh. I almost typed "Me encanta the etsy store" because at this point my brain is having the hardest time coming up with the equivalent phrase in English. But of course, when I need to think of some random phrase in Spanish my brain usually can't do it! Very annoying. I have so much respect for people who are bilingual, especially for people who move to countries where they don't speak the language!

me gusta

2009-06-08T04:16:00.000-07:00

I'm taking a few minutes away from making Spaniards laugh heartily at my horrible grammar and drinking quite awful beer (what is the deal with that, Madrid?) on terrazas to tell you about something you most likely already know about.

Probably everyone in the blog world already wrote about this a long time ago, but I just checked out Bodkin's spring line for the first time, since a lot of their pieces are on sale at Bird. Bodkin is the collection of Samantha Pleet and Eviana Hartman, is based in Brooklyn (yay!) and is eco-friendly (double yay!) I really like the mix of light, airy pieces with more structured things like the origami-ish skirt. It's very Japanese, and somehow futuristic also.

images from Bird

I'm upset because I discovered the cutest store here in Madrid (seriously, my eyes were watering from all the fitness and cuteness going on) called Mint Marche, but their website doesn't have any pictures or anything. I'll just have to go back and write down the names of the designers they stock and research them. I tried on a pair of raspberry-colored patent oxfords (aaaaamazing) that I completely adored and almost bought, but they are over 100 euro and I'm saving up to take a trip to Marrakech on my birthday, which is in July. Maybe I'll but them anyway though, I tend to be very impulsive that way.

lo siento

2009-06-04T04:23:00.000-07:00

Hola chicos y chicas,

So, it´s been a while since I´ve updated. I arrived in Madrid on Monday and starting school over here and getting acquainted with the city has been wonderfully hectic, so I haven´t had time to update. My schedule over here is entirely different than what I had in the US. It involves waking up very early, sleeping in the afternoon, and staying out all night, then waking up very early again. It´s pretty wonderful but is taking some getting used to. Also, there is no internet at the house of the family I´m staying with -- very frustrating. However, in a few days I should have a wonderful post for you all as this weekend is devoted to El Rastro (the flea market) as well as vintage shopping. I´m extremely excited!

in case you wanted another America-themed post...

2009-05-29T17:32:00.000-07:00

I went to the most amazing thrift store today, in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Baltimore. I found the shoes I've been looking for for ages - Keds champions that look like a baseball!

But of course, they were not my size. I tried for about 15 minutes to cram my feet into them, but it just wasn't going to happen. They fit my friend Whitney though, so she bought them. At least they're going to a good home! I think I'm just going to break down and start searching ebay regularly for these. I feel like they're essential to my summer.

"How does it feel to want?"

2009-05-28T20:19:00.000-07:00

That's what my mom used to say to me (mostly jokingly) whenever I'd say I wanted something. Well mom, it doesn't feel very good to want, especially when almost everything I want is way too expensive.

Max & Cleo dress

Loeffer Randal platform sandal (drool)

vintage Etienne Aigner handbag from the Dawon Street Salvage etsy store (*this is actually not expensive)

All the outfits I gravitate to lately involve
1) paperbag waists
2) red white & blue color palette

Can you blame me though?

slow and steady wins the race

2009-05-28T07:50:00.000-07:00

photo from Shop Standing Up

Yesterday my friend Caitlin showed up at my house wearing an adorable all-beige outfit that involved a sheer, vintage nightgown worn as a shirt with a high waisted khaki skirt. It sounds kind of weird but it looked amazing on her. That girl can (and does) wear whatever she wants. Anyway, she was also wearing these shoes, which I immediately fell in love with.

I just think oxfords are the best type of shoe. The picture kind of doesn't do them justice, but what I really love about them is the mixture of matte and shiny material. And a huge bonus is that they are totally waterproof! The brand is called Slow and Steady Wins the Race and they're from Portland, Oregon. The shoes are part of a collaboration SSWTR did with a shop in Portland called Stand Up Comedy. That raincoat is also part of it. The whole collection was rain-proof, seeing as it's so rainy in the Pacific Northwest.

They also have these waterproof pumps, which I think are pretty hot. It's kind of genius if you think about it. I can't tell you how many times I've wanted to wear cute shoes out but the threat of rain deterred me from doing so.

USA! USA!

2009-05-25T07:06:00.000-07:00

So, as some of you know, it's Memorial Day here in the US. I'll be spending my day in the back yard in a bathing suit and cutoffs (classy, right?) eating hamburgers and drinking beers. It's pretty much the most American thing I can possibly think of doing. Bruce Springsteen might also come into play at some point.

In honor of the day, here is an editorial that ran in the New York Times Magazine a couple years ago. It's very 1940s wartime America and I love it!

le premier bonheur du jour

2009-05-24T05:08:00.000-07:00

So, I moved to Baltimore yesterday. Crazy! We've been listening exclusively to yé-yé music while unpacking. Nothing like crazy 1960s French pop to make the day go by!

Francoise Hardy, did you ever look less-than phenomenal?

leaving in the fairest of the seasons

2009-05-22T14:22:00.000-07:00

Goodbye, New York City! My cute apartment on Greene Avenue is all packed up and my friend Whitney is on her way to NY to pick up a U-Haul trailer and drive this little lady to Baltimore. Then in one week I leave for Madrid! The times they are a-changing.

Even though I'm going to miss my friends in New York a lot, I'm really happy that starting in August when I return from Spain, I will get to live with Whitney. We have been besties since high school, and she's one of the coolest cats I know. Plus, Baltimore is a totally amazing city! I'm madly in love with it!

Here are some polaroids we took 2 summers ago at my old apartment

Me and Whitney. I'm wearing her sunglasses which she lovingly calls "the purps."

Whitney, Whitney's friend Caitlin, and me making a totally weird fishy face. I have almost no hair under my hat because earlier that summer my apartment was destroyed in a fire, which somehow lead to me having a crazy love affair with my crazy (crazy in the bad way) neighbor, and then in late June I decided that since I hated the world, my only recourse was to shave my head, obviously. It was totally awesome but I don't think I'd do it again.

Whitney & Caitlin. That tiny bathing suit on the wall behind them was my mom's bathing suit from 1970, when she was a baby!

Probably my favorite picture taken of me, ever. I wish I was brave enough to wear a turban in public!

gondoliers

2009-05-21T20:11:00.000-07:00

I am totally in love with this outfit.

stolen from this adorable girl's lookbook

It reminds me of something a gondolier would wear, in a totally cute way. Gondolier-chic is basically the ultimate look as far as I'm concerned. Anyone who can make those shorts look good has serious talent. They definitely aren't for everyone but a few classy gals can totally rock them.

draaaaama

2009-05-19T17:43:00.001-07:00

I am such a glutton for punishment. I'm really going to regret all this procrastination when I'm trying to write a 20 page essay on Thursday and then pack up all my worldly belongings Friday and move on Saturday! Aaaaah! But I can't help it, I am just a procrastinator.

Look at these amazing pants by Ulrika Sandström. They are pure DRAMA.

I found them on Styleserver.de, which I never knew about before today.

I'm also in love with this very romantic dress by Frida Weyer:

And this scarf by Lala Berlin. I'm a sucker for silk scarves, I have almost 100 of them!

yikes

2009-05-18T16:30:00.000-07:00

In my brain this outfit is appealing and makes total sense,

which is a definite indication that I'm losing my mind.

Too much studying.

Cardigan by Plastic Island, via Revolve Clothing

Built by Wendy blouse

Watercolor check shorts - Opening Ceremony

Keds, duh.

sweet as peaches

2009-05-15T18:29:00.000-07:00

I have a great excuse for my week-long absence, like that it's the middle of my finals week and I am moving all my stuff to Baltimore in just 8 days, then leaving for Madrid in 21 days! Ahhhh! I should be buckling under mountains of stress but for some reason, I'm actually a little too calm about it all. In addition to completely putting all my final papers off until the last minute (I haven't even started a nasty 20 pager on Victorian biogeography due a week from today) I haven't packed a single thing or even found new tenants for my apartment. Yay for procrastination! Considering I used to be a worry-wart and all around neurotic mess, this new laissez-faire attitude is an improvement for me, though I've taken it to somewhat of an extreme.

Anyway, my updates will probably be spotty for the next week, if they happen at all. Until then, check out my latest dream outfit, featuring Rachel Antonoff's amazingly adorable "the Arfin" dress.

photos from Bona Drag

I don't even think I need to go into why this dress is sweet as peaches. It's sweet, ladylike, young, and the back detail makes me want to host a luncheon with pastel-colored cupcakes. This thing is the epitome of freshness.

For some reason the dress reminds me of Phlox Lombardi, a character in Michael Chabon's first novel, The Mysteries of Pittsburgh. That's a totally esoteric reference, I know, but if you've read it you'd probably know what I mean.

If only I had these Opening Ceremony sandals to wear it with. They are so cute it hurts me.

photos from Opening Ceremony

And some big vintage bakelite bracelets

from Etsy store She's Fancy

from Etsy store Rolling Hills Vintage

omg

2009-05-09T07:54:00.000-07:00

Thanks to lookbook.nu I just discovered the cutest new designer, Nadinoo. All her pieces are handmade and totally adorable, vintage-like but modern at the same time. I'm in love!

all photos from the Nadinoo website

I am absolutely crazy about the red bow skirt and blue bow trousers. They're so feminine but also quite quirky, which is a combination I really like. And the prints, omg. Who doesn't love a good liberty print? This line makes me want to wear things I've never considered before, like billowy, ruffled playsuits in pastel colors. These clothes just look so fresh to me, in a way nothing else has in quite a while. I kind of wish I hadn't bought that damn A.P.C. dress the other day. If I hadn't, I'd have this red bow skirt coming to me ASAP!

oops

2009-05-08T07:57:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I completely violated my vow to save money by dropping 170 bucks at the A.P.C. surplus. That place is dangerous! I got a really cute crocheted dress though.

Mine is actually blue with red trim, which I think is waaaay cuter, but I couldn't find a picture of that version online, and I still don't have a new camera.

This dress is kind of a departure from what I usually look for in dresses. Though I used to wear tennis dresses a lot in high school, I now only wear dresses that accentuate the smallest part of my waist. I don't think I own a single shift dress. I think they look good on other people, but I just don't think that cut is for me. I'm pretty tall and in a shift dress I feel like a big wall of fabric with no figure.

But despite it violating my cinched at the waist rule, when I saw this I grabbed it and exclaimed "How can I be French without this?!" and the rest is history. I didn't even try it on, but thankfully it ended up looking good on me. It's going to be perfect for running around Madrid this summer!

¡feliz cinco de mayo!

2009-05-05T16:35:00.001-07:00

I didn't even realize what day it was until a friend called me and said "Let's get margaritas!" I'm not really into the whole "Let's celebrate the holiday of a cultural group we have nothing to do with as an excuse to drink!" thing, but a little tequila is much-deserved after the intensely stressful day I had trying to battle my university's extremely inefficient bureaucracy.

So, in honor of the Mexicans defeating the French at the 1862 Battle of Puebla, here's this lovely Mexico/American Southwest-inspired editorial from Mixte Magazine. (Yes, I am aware of the irony of it being from a French magazine).

I found it on The Fashion Spot a while ago and don't have a link to the thread, sorry.

And because no mention of Mexico would be complete without him, my all-time favorite Sexican, Gael García Bernal

star

2009-05-04T20:13:00.001-07:00

This Lyell star blouse, once costing 400 clams, is on sale pretty widely for around $170. You'll probably have to google around to find a store that still has your size (if you're an 8 check out Revolve Clothing) since they're almost all bought up now. I really want to buy it but I promised myself no spending until I pay my summer tuition, which (hopefully) will happen tomorrow. I'm just wishing and praying there will still be a Lyell star blouse left out there on the vast internet! I love anything with lace cutouts. So beautiful! And the inverted pleat down the front is really elegant. I rarely buy things costing more than $30-50 since I do most of my shopping at thrift stores and such, but I feel like this blouse is really enduring and classy and could be both made to look really fancy or worn with jeans. And it would be something "adult" to have in my wardrobe, which is always useful.

On a completely unrelated note, my Firefox keeps crashing for no apparent reason (even after I updated to the new version) and all my bookmarks keep getting deleted! I am so frustrated! I spend a lot of time searching for websites that I like and bookmarking things, and now they are all gone. And googling things like "Swedish designers no one has heard of," or "place that has that blue dress I liked" doesn't really yeild anything useful. I'll definitely be backing up my bookmarks regularly from now on.

oh, you pretty things!

2009-05-03T15:17:00.000-07:00

(get ready for a gratuitous picture post)

from Material Girl

Well, I just completely wasted my Sunday scouring the internet for interesting editorials. Good thing it's rainy and gross outside. It all started with the blog Hapsical, which linked the other day to a site (here) where you can find a full pdf version of AnOther Man magazine. Therein I discovered the boy who is obviously my future husband... unless he's gay or aged 16, in which case I suppose I'll just languish, alone and unloved, for the rest of my days.

So, there you go. That actually has nothing to do with the rest of this post, but isn't he handsome? And he's wearing fuchsia pants to match my fuchsia lipstick!

Anyway, I decided to browse The Fashion Spot's forums for some good editorials, and subsequently became obsessed with finding images from Material Girl, a German mag. Has anyone ever read this before? I'm going to go out and look for it tomorrow because it seems totally amazing. There is a preview of the current issue on the website. It really appeals to me since I'm a big sucker for quirky, girly, slightly moody editorials that involve lots of pastels.

Some of these came from the fashion spot forums and some of them I'm not sure about. If you're the source let me know and I'll credit you!

I also came upon an amazing editorial from MUSE magazine, another one I wasn't previously familliar with. I love the dark, brooding, smoky quality of these photos. And the clothes (which I believe are all Miu Miu) are excellent.

from this thread on the fashion spot

I was really torn about Miu Miu's SS09 collection. I hated the weird destroyed Grecian print thing (even though I think it looks good in the editorial above) and some of the pieces looked way overdone and unappealing to me, but I really enjoyed the shoes and the simpler pieces, like these:

from style.com

"she loves horses & america too"

2009-05-02T13:21:00.000-07:00

While out dancing the other night I saw a girl wearing this Anna Sui horse dress, which I have been actively salivating over since god-knows-when. I kind of wanted to beat her up and steal it, but she had her whole posse with her, so I reconsidered. I just love the colors, the buttons, the little floral prints, and (obviously) I LOVE horses. All girls love horses, it's basically a universal truth. No way would I wear it with all of these summery accessories though, I think it looks overdone and "I just got back from holiday in an exotic locale you've never heard of" or something. I'd probably go with a simple tote and Bensimons.

Can a girl ever have enough cute lace-up canvas shoes to kick around in? No! Heels are great and all, but these are cute and unfussy (and French!), and say "yes, I'm girly, but I can also run way faster than you!" which is a very good thing to project as far as I'm concerned. I'm so glad they're selling Bensimons in the US now. It took me all of six months to completely wear out the ones I bought in Paris 2 summers ago.

Bensimons from Jumelle

Anyway, when I saw the girl in the horse dress, I was with my friend Annamaria, who urged me to buy it as a reward for myself for my upcoming college graduation. I was seriously considering it, until I found out it is 400 dollars! 300 would be one thing, but 400 is an awful lot for what is basically a cotton sundress with a cute print. If I'm going to spend that much on any one item, it will be something simple, classic, and enduring. Or on a nice digital camera for my upcoming travels.

Speaking of which - does anyone have any digital camera recommendations? I want something a little more advanced than those ubiquitous square point-and-shoots, but I don't really have the budge for a fancy dSLR.

happy-go-lucky me

2009-04-30T18:51:00.000-07:00

Stuff I'm liking:

Sessun's SS09 collection, especially due to the subtle liberty and gingham prints and amazing shorts

Short-billed caps (even though Mitchell, my ridiculously stylish gay boyfriend doesn't approve)

photos from the Library of Congress

A.P.C.'s versions from SS09...

The Phi Mu Washboard Band, a 1960s sorority band from Georgia.

Click here to listen to my theme song.

The "crown" skirt from Peeps.org, and the model who looks like she just walked out of the 1999 film 200 Cigarettes.

These Ecote canvas booties from Urban Outfitters. They're only 28 bucks!

Everything from the etsy store Mama's Little Babies. Their stuff is really reasonably priced and has a romantic, quirky Victorian curiosity cabinet feel.

And lastly, the blog Nerd Boyfriend, which will show your man how to dress like Sir Michael Kane, Jasper Johns, Buster Keaton, Buster Bluth, Orson Welles, and various other nerds throughout history.

edith, louise, & diana

2009-04-28T05:46:00.000-07:00

inside Grey Gardens

I just saw the Inside Grey Gardens slideshow on the NY Times website. It's a bunch of photos taken by the family that Little Edie sold Grey Gardens to after her mother's death. The images are really beautiful and have a lively quality, even though they're kind of still and sad.

I'm about to move out of New York and into an amazing house in Baltimore (shortly before departing to Spain) and I've been looking for some serious decorative inspiration. My home's current theme is America & birds and I really wanna push it forward in 2009. My current top three inspirations are the Inside Grey Gardens slideshow, Louise Bourgeois' "cell" sculptures, and Diana Vreeland's house.

Inside Grey Gardens:

from Louise Bourgeois, my favorite artist - if you don't know her, you should investigate:

from Diana Vreeland, who I love dearly because she wanted her living room to look like "a garden in hell":

don't let our youths go to waste

2009-04-27T09:24:00.000-07:00

Spring in New York:

Fave skirt (thrifted but from French Connection), fave shoes (Jeffrey Campbell for Shoemarket). Does it look like I'm walking weird?

Also, I think I might need these watermelon Vans. Now, please.

I finally saw a picture of the university where I'll be studying in Madrid this summer. It looks so beautiful! I found out that while I'm there I'm going to be living with a family. I wasn't expecting that at all! I'm so nervous but it will be better that way because my Spanish will improve much more in that situation as opposed to if I was living in dorms. It is going to be such a crazy summer! I don't know a single person in Madrid!

if loving you is wrong

2009-04-25T12:00:00.000-07:00

then I don't wanna be right.

1. Photo from Backyard Bill, a great blog.

2. & 3. Photos from Style Bubble. These are both from Topshop.

My love for floral trousers is genuine and non-ironic. It's not the "oh my god these are so ugly they're great" thing that is annoyingly pervasive in this city. I just love a dusty floral print. I thought they looked good when I was nine years old and rocked floral jeans constantly (as well as a rather unfortunate matching jacket and pants ensemble of plum-colored velvet) and I think they look good now.

I think these are going to turn into a big thing. Does anyone wanna take a bet on how long it will be before Urban Outfitters starts making them? I'm not totally against that idea (I too shop at Urban Outfitters) I just hope people decide to use the floral jean to promote chicness, like the girl in the Backyard Bill photo. I'd hate to see floral jeans fall into the hands of the "I'm so ugly I'm cool" crowd.

this is just to say

2009-04-24T16:10:00.000-07:00

Today was a very nice day in New York City. I got dressed up in a cute spring outfit (photos to come possibly) and went all the way to the Guggenheim only to discover that they're between exhibits right now. Grrrr!

I don't have any important revelations about fashion to share with you today (not that I'm claiming to ever have them). I just wanted to post some completely gratuitous photos of Jean-Paul Belmondo, my #1 1960's crush

I guess this is kind of relevant to style, seeing as a hunky boxer-turned-actor is the best accessory I can possibly think of. And Jean-Paul always looked totally sharp - a little tough, a little aloof, and very, very French.

ne me quitte pas

2009-04-23T14:53:00.001-07:00

While browsing the magazine section of thefashionspot.com, I came upon this incredible editorial (titled "Ne Me Quitte Pas" and shot by Guilia Noni Kaja) from the spring 2009 issue of the Italian magazine BMM.

click to make 'em big

You can view the rest in this thread, where I found these. Thanks to the person who scanned them!

I'm really in love with the feeling of these photographs as well as the outfits themselves. It's kind of one of those editorials that is so, so beautiful, but you look at it and think "how could any of this work in real life?" I don't really see myself wearing floor-length nightgowns or copious amounts of feathers any time in the near future, but the colors are absolutely amazing and could easily be integrated into everyday. The mixture of peach and pale blue in the top picture is wonderful (also note: fuchsia lipstick!) I love the idea of mixing aggressive, almost cold accessories with things that are super flowy and feminine. And of course I am salivating over the Diane von Furstenberg shorts in the last picture!

I don't know what else, does anyone have any ideas? I'm going to go scour the internet and try to recreate this feeling with pieces that are more wearable.

good enough to eat

2009-04-22T15:50:00.000-07:00

I was a little socially awkward in high school and didn't start making a lot of friends until the summer before my junior year. I'll never forget the first time I ever hung out one-on-one with my good friend Rachel, who was totally intimidating to me at the time due to her supreme coolness. She came to my house to pick me up in her car and she was wearing BRIGHT fuchsia lipstick. I thought it was unbelievably cool and ballsy. I know it sounds questionable and possibly tacky, but Rachel dresses very simply, has porcelain skin and amazing dark, thick eyebrows, so there was something wonderful and glamorous about it.

Apparently fuchsia lipstick is getting buzzed as part of either the whole 80s revival thing or fashion inspired by "pop art," both of which really rub me the wrong way. Do these look 80s to you?!

1. Not sure where this is from, sorry!
2. Lindsay Lohan for Miu Miu (she may be cray-cray but she looks damn good with a fuchsia lip!)

3. Model for Hussein Chalayan, SS 2009.

Another hard-to-wear and controversial lip color I love is orange. I think this was done best by Lyn Devon in her SS 2009 collection:

I absolutely insist that these colors are not 80s, no matter what any magazine says. OK, maybe if they are accompanied by big, stiff bangs and shoulderpads they may look 80s, but the colors themselves are not essentially or necessarily so. If they must be characterized by decade I'd prefer they be called 60s. See the following Max Factor ad from 1960:

I want to rock every single one of these colors. I think the three obvious tricks to doing these are: 1. Dress incredibly sharp and put-together (I think if you tried to do a messy look with a fuchsia lip you'd look like Courtney Love or something), 2. Wear little to no other make up, and 3. Have your complexion looking really flawless. Unfortunately on some days 1/3 is all a girl can hope to achieve on that list. Especially if you're like me and refuse to wear foundation no matter what.

Now that the weather is getting warm I'm going to start experimenting with intense lip colors. Stay tuned for photographic evidence... it may be hot, or I may just be a hot mess.

the phantom sundress & the last days of winter

2009-04-21T09:32:00.000-07:00

When I was sixteen I bought my all-time favorite dress (for TEN DOLLARS) at The Worth antique gallery in Jacksonville Beach, Florida. This dress was fucking glorious and I loved it with all my heart. Every time I wore it I felt like a little flower.

Sadly, it was only in my life for a year. When I was 17 I moved to New York City and somehow the dress didn't make it into my luggage. My parents were moving to London at the time, and all the stuff left in our house was packed up and shipped overseas. When I went to visit them I searched frantically for it but it was nowhere to be found. I've looked everywhere -- my grandma's house, an old storage unit, friends' closets. I've just had to accept the fact that it's gone forever. The idea that it might be in the garbage somewhere breaks my heart!

Whenever I go vintage shopping I'm always on the lookout for things that sort of remind me of it. I found a dress at Beacon's Closet at the beginning of March that I thought had the same feeling as it, but looking at the pictures side by side the new dress simply pales in comparison.

70s? fifties revival dress: Beacon's Closet
Boiled Wool Cropped Jacket: Banana Republic (copying MJ)
Scarf: Echo
Hat: 1980s Gap, belonged to my mother
Shoes: 1970s Ralph Lauren boys', purchased at Ft. Greene flea market
Giant novelty sunglasses: a Halloween store in Los Angeles
Cat: rescued from craigslist. His name is Virgil Jackson.

These pictures are not the best, sorry. It was raining and still wintry that day, and the lighting in my house is so, so weird. But you get the idea. The new dress just cannot even come close to the glory of the old one! I'm probably going to hem it to just above the knee. I think that would make a big difference. It still won't be the same though.

R.I.P. favorite sundress.
We hardly knew ye.

tea for two & two for tea

2009-04-20T21:10:00.000-07:00

My spring break is officially over. I accomplished almost nothing I said I'd do, but I'm not sweating it because I had a lot of fun. On Saturday night I went over to my friend Jincey's house, excited to discover that we were both wearing turbans (hers was a Vera scarf, mine was this Norma Kamali turban) in preparation to watch the new Grey Gardens film which premiered on HBO. I wasn't totally thrilled with the idea of this movie being made (I'm a bit of a purist about my love for the original documentary, directed by Albert Maysles in 1975) but I have to admit that I absolutely loved it. I could not believe Drew Barrymore actually pulled off playing Little Edie Beale as well as she did. I also loved the backstory showing the Beales before their so-called downfall. And the costumes were amazing, of course. I highly recommend watching the new movie, though if you haven't seen the documentary, definitely check that out first. It is hilarious, touching, and sad at times, and will inspire you to do amazingly weird things with your wardrobe (such as wearing your pullover on your head). The trailer for the original documentary is here, below is the trailer for the new HBO movie (note the insane costumes and Alec Baldwin's weird-but-sexy prosthetic nose)

On the other hand, something that I was expecting to be totally in love with, the new Marc by Marc Jacobs swimsuits, are almost disturbingly bad. Not to be a hater or anything, but I got extremely excited when I heard one of the suits was called "Revenge of the Bows." How cute does that sound? Being a serious lover of bows I felt utterly scandalized when I saw a picture of it. It looks like the top half of an awful prom dress! I don't even want to bother linking to the rest of these things. If you're really curious, Nylon just wrote about the new suits in this blog post. I think I just liked Marc better when he was kind of chubby and pale and had greasy fingerprints on his glasses. Now he looks like a supertan, Jewish Ken doll, and his swimsuits are offending me!

the toughness/the sweetness

2009-04-19T08:50:00.001-07:00

I am currently obsessed with the highly controversial floral Doc Marten.

Normally Doc Martens are not something I'd ever consider wearing, but for some reason these really, really appeal to me. I think it's because I like things that are tough and sweet at the same time, and what could be tougher than Docs or sweeter than a little floral print?

Apparently they've done a lot of variations over the years and I'm particularly in love with this pair, which is listed on ebay here for the inexplicable price of $245

I really want to buy some but I need to save my money for this summer, which I am spending in Madrid. It's not like I could wear them anytime soon anyway, seeing as it's rapidly getting warm. But I think they'd look so good with a sweet dress. These shoes tell the world "Yeah, I like flowers!" and "Yeah, I could kick your ass!" all at the same time.

the upper east side

2009-04-17T08:13:00.000-07:00

My lapse in writing has been shameful! Between doing my schoolwork, visiting Baltimore, and enjoying the lovely spring weather I have been insanely busy. But I'm back now, and look at these adorable photos my friend Stephen took of me yesterday. It was the best weather so far this year and we walked all around the Upper East Side, went to some museums, and went to Barney's where I felt like crying over this amazing 3.1 Philip Lim dress. It was a great day!

Dress: 50s vintage
Jacket: 60s vintage
Sweater: Target
Bag: 60s vintage
Shoes: 50s vintage

I just got this cornflower blue party dress, which was made in Munich in the 1950s. It was 75 dollars at a vintage store which is usually about 50 more than I'll pay for anything, but it fit me like a glove and I just fell in love with it. The print is of a traditional German eagle. Sadly there isn't a picture of the back, which is my favorite part - it has a really low scoop back. I really love this outfit. Stephen says I was turning heads all day. He was annoyed because girls were looking at my dress instead of looking at him. Oh, men!

boo!

2009-04-03T07:23:00.000-07:00

It's raining again today! Why don't I own these Ilse Jacobson rain boots?

what a slacker

2009-04-02T16:21:00.000-07:00

My plans for the "personal style" aspect of my blog have been slow off the ground. I am photographing my spring outfits, but I lost the USB cable to connect camera to computer. My life had been hectic this week and going around looking for a silly cable is the last thing I've wanted to do, but I will finally be getting one this weekend. The internet needs to see pictures of me in stripes with my new Jean Seberg haircut (yes I went through with it!) I'm almost always nautical-themed these days.

Next week I'm going to Baltimore to visit my good friend Whitney. Whitney is one of the best dressed gals I know and I'm trying to talk her into doing a little photo shoot. Her style is very My So-Called Life, girly but grungy, and she just pulls things off in a way no one else is able to. I'm also going to do some serious vintage shopping. I've had great experiences with Charm City thrift stores and I'm planning on sharing the wealth with the world via ebay. So stay tuned for the debut of my ebay store!

I think this bathing suit from Hayden-Harnett (who are having a sample sale right now, fyi) is out of control. In the best way. I would wear it exactly as the girl above, leaning against beat-up 70s rides with white rollerskates in hand.

How many of us can pull this off though, really? You have to have serious swagger to not look ridiculous in high-waisted, hip-accentuating ruffly shorts after the age of 6. Also, not that one should care what people think but I feel like the beach tends to attract the lowest common fashion denominator, so you'd have the added pressure of knowing the people around you probably don't "get" it. Nevertheless, I really love it.

My current swimsuit is the Marc by Marc Jacobs pennant halter from two or three seasons ago. I think it's really cute but the fit is so weird. I think it's cut for someone with a very short torso, which seems counter-intuitive to me. I just assumed most designers like Marc cut their clothes for modely body types, but apparently not. This medium-sized bathing suit is pretty square-shaped. I don't even have a very long torso but I'm constantly having to adjust! Very annoying. Time for an upgrade.

rainy day dream outfit

2009-03-29T06:48:00.000-07:00

It's raining and gross in Brooklyn today, though not too cold. I knew it was going to be like this because I read the weather forecast, but I always tell myself that they're wrong and it's not going to rain. I wanted to go to a flea market and look for some vintage frames. After all that fuss about what glasses I was going to pick at Moscot I dragged myself (feeling rough after a very late night, might I add) to Manhattan only to find out that Moscot is no longer in my insurance's 'network'. Grrrrr. If I can't find some vintage frames that I like, I'll probably suck it up and buy the frames at cost and then get the exam and lenses put in somewhere that is in my network.

Anyhow, today's dream outfit is one to really break the bank.

Jacket: Devastee
Camisole: Built by Wendy
Pants: 3.1 Phillip Lim "carrot cut" pants
Shoes: Keds

I want to wear this sooooo badly. I'm sure there is a way to reproduce it without spending $800.

mime

2009-03-28T16:40:00.001-07:00

Thanks to lookbook.nu, I just found the cutest vintage ebay store I've seen in a long time - Mime vintage. They're based out of Hong Kong. The bids start at 30-50, but all of the pieces are so covetable that it doesn't seem to matter. The pictures are great too, they all tell a story (and really make me want to buy everything!)

photos stolen from the girl's ebay store and flickr photostream

I am totally obsessed with the brown and white cardigan. When I found her ebay store it had 10 minutes left until the deadline and I was frantically trying to get into my ebay account before it ended (passwords were changed to protect my bank account.) Alas, I didn't make it in time and some lucky person now owns that adorable cardigan. Sigh. I might bid on one of the nautical print dresses instead. There's one with sailboats and one with seashells. Who among us can resist anything nautical, really?

breathless

2009-03-27T09:47:00.000-07:00

Has everyone seen À bout de soufflé (aka Breathless)? I don't even love Jean-Luc Godard that much, but damn is this film great! It stars the amazing Jean Seberg who is almost too adorable for words.

I was planning on trying to grow my hair out after years of ultra short Mia Farrow cuts, but after seeing this I've been furiously texting my hairdresser asking him when I can come by and have it all chopped off again! It's so 1960s France. I love it so much that I am renouncing my dreams of having a ponytail. This haircut makes me forget why I ever wanted a ponytail in the first place.

Also, I am going to wear nothing but stripes from now on.

half a conversation

2009-03-25T06:06:00.001-07:00

I just saw this shirt on lookbook.nu. I've seen it before but I can't remember where. It reminds me of this time a guy walked up to me and said "I've already married and divorced you in my mind," and then disappeared into the night, never to be seen again. Sigh.

"Hey you and I are going to have a big love affair and it won't work out but somewhere in the middle, my god, we tried"

I think it's the perfect shirt for hopeless romantics like myself. That's just my constitution. If I'm not wildly passionate about a city, a pair of shoes, a man, a song, or a hobby, I feel totally restless. However, I feel the shirt is more of a statement someone would say in an old movie. The modern world is less concerned with trying and more with instant gratification.

The company, Boxie, has some other great ones like

"This is the movie there are just no cameras"
"She's a dog, he's a lousy lay, don't worry about me I'm goin to be ok"
"We'll never have Paris"

Too bad these shirts are about 35-45 dollars. I know they are handmade but that just seems like a lot for a t-shirt with words on it. I don't think I own a single t-shirt with words on it right now!

yukel vs. lemtosh

2009-03-24T15:27:00.001-07:00

I lost my glasses. A long time ago. Out of sheer laziness I've been operating without them since October of last year. I only used to wear them in class or when reading, but I've been realizing more and more how much I need them, especially since I had to ask someone to read me the menu in a dim restaurant the other night! So finally, I made an appointment for Saturday at my favorite opticians, Moscot. Their frames are amazing - classic and very New York.

I've been in to try on frames a few times, but never been able to decide what I'd want. There are so many great choices. The store has been around since 1915 and most of the frames haven't changed much over the years.. I feel those classic styles are really versatile and compliment most peoples' faces. Each style comes in a lot of different colors, too.

I'm crazy about the "Lemtosh"...

and the "Yukel"...

and even plain old "Nebb"...

and they just added the "Ginger" since the last time I was there...

How the hell am I going to decide? These glasses definitely have a lot of personality and I feel like I'm going to have to almost adopt a character depending on which I select. Do I want to be the crazy grandma, the 1950s political radical, or the girl no one wanted to dance with at the sock hop? That's a big decision!

Stay tuned for further developments!

jackson, johnston, & roe

2009-03-22T18:18:00.000-07:00

I was browsing through the designers that Bird has previously carried, and one in particular caught my eye, mostly because their logo is in cursive (love it) and their name is very 1890s - Jackson, Johnston, and Roe. I'm really glad I did look into it because their new collection is right up my alley. It's super simple and looks kinda like old timey beachwear. And the shorts are to die for.

It sort of reminds me of Swaim & Christina Hutson's line Daughters. They were apparently inspired by 'luxury communes,' whatever that means. I prefer to think of spring 2009 collection (lovingly) as "A Sad Day at the Beach."

ale & chambray

2009-03-22T10:07:00.000-07:00

This weekend kicked off with me buying an adorable skirt from Dear Fieldbinder, one of the many ridiculously cute but overpriced boutiques in Brooklyn.

I've been trying to save money but justified this purchase by telling myself that since the bow belt is detachable, it's like I'm buying a skirt AND a belt (plus, it was the cheapest thing in the store, 65 dollars). It's a really sweet skirt and chambray goes with everything in my wardrobe. This summer I'm spending two months in Madrid studying Spanish (with a minor in scouring the countryside for vintage clothes) and I think this skirt will be perfect for running around town on hot days.

Maybe I'm late to the party on this one, but I recently discovered the amazingness that is Shorpy Photo Archive. It's a huge collection of user-submitted photos ranging from the 1800s to the 1950s. I spent about six hours looking through it the other day. There are some amazing portraits of society women, as well as tons of candid shots of people at the beach, walking around town, etc. Of course, I was looking at their hairstyles and outfits, many of which are to die for.

(click to enlarge)

oh, the minnie bow

2009-03-18T19:28:00.000-07:00

I've been totally bogged down studying for midterm exams, but tomorrow (hopefully) or Friday I'll have some new and inspiring posts including... a guide on how to dress like my ex-boyfriend, why Greek blues singers of the 1920s are cooler than their American counterparts, and the ubiquitous "what am I wearing today".

Until then, I'll share my most recent obsession -- Yokoo. She's probably the only person I've ever seen pull off that haircut, and I think she might also be a genius. Her lookbook is out of control and her Etsy store makes me want to go into serious credit card debt.

Despite the approach of warmer weather, I strongly recommend you check her store out. There's a lot of cute stuff that's great for spring/summer, and she'll custom make things in any color.

aaat laaast!

2009-03-17T15:18:00.000-07:00

I've been kinda thinkin' that the men on Lookbook are better-dressed than the ladies, on the whole. (Is that a controversial statement? I don't know. Maybe the male looks are just more appealing to me at the moment because they are really simple* while some of the girls overdo it with accessories and stuff. I subscribe to the philosophy of less is more, usually.)

But then I saw this:

I want to put this girl in my pocket, ASAP.

*another theory is that I am unable to resist their puppy dog eyes and pale Euro skin

I love Mociun.

2009-03-16T10:36:00.000-07:00

Today's dream outfit:

Mociun tulip tie-front dress.
American Apparel cardigan... but only if it's cold, and in my dream world, it usually isn't!
F Troupe canvas lace-ups.

the little patriots

2009-03-15T09:24:00.000-07:00

My friend Max turned me onto the Library of Congress's flickr page. It's a totally amazing, especiall the "1930s-1940s in color" album. Like most everyone else in the vintage fashion world, I'm totally obsessed with 30s and 40s everyday style. There are thousands of pictures in this album, and it's full of incredible shots of women at work in factories during WWII (in addition to bleak American landscapes and weird county fairs and stuff).

I was amazed by how much their color palette corresponds with what was in the spring 2009 shows and what's being released by some of my favorite designers right now... white, khaki, navy, cornflower blue, bright yellow and red. Those are going to be my spring colors for certain. Also note: classic pant cuts, shoes with socks, jaunty headwear, uniform shirts.

This.

2009-03-15T07:10:00.000-07:00

My dream outfit for today.

Dress is from ASOS (picture from this little lady's lookbook).
Shoes from modcloth.

hairwork

2009-03-14T19:49:00.000-07:00

Victorian hairwork jewelry is one of the white whales of vintage collecting. It's super hard-to-find and generally really expensive (except in the occasional case of hapless people selling it cheap on ebay without realizing - see below). However, it's incredibly beautiful and I've always felt a strong connection to it. There is a whole underground group of people, the Victorian Hair Artists Guild, dedicted to keeping the art alive. Some pieces are made out of horse hair, while others called "mourning jewelry" are made of the hair of lost loved ones. Totally morbid, incredibly romantic. Come to think of it, that kind of describes my personality.

(click to enlarge)

1. Bow-shaped Victorian mourning brooch with gold fixture. On ebay right now!
2., 3. & 11. Hairwork buttons. Ogosh buttons by Sandi.
4. & 9. Brooches by Sandra Johnson.
5. & 6. Treble clef brooch and butterfly brooch by Myrans Hemslöjd.
7. Roses by Melanie Mead.
8. & 10. Bracelet and earrings by Anna Sparr.

Also on ebay at this very moment - an adorable braided ring with engraved gold plate circa 1890, and a really beautiful brooch with a hair design on one side and a portrait on the other, circa 1870s. Both are under $50 right now, which is unheard of!

million dollar legs

2009-03-14T11:54:00.000-07:00

Seeing this reminded me that it's time to start obsessing over my favorite summer attire - shorts. (Yes, I realize it's not going to be consistently warm in this crazy town for at least another six weeks, but whatever.) I love to wear classic cuts of shorts as well as hot shorts. Kids in grade school used to make fun of my long, skinny, silly-looking limbs, but the joke is on them now that I can step on them in any of the following amazing designs:

(click to enlarge)

One: The perfect, basic high-rise short, conveniently available at your local Urban Outfitters.
Two: Dear Creatures, from the "Sunshine Lady" Collection. These are so cute I wanna die.
Three: Dawn Sharp floral hot shorts, available at Bona Drag.
Four: Lewis NYC. I think these are eyelet. Adorable. See website for more amazing shorts.
Five: Dear Creatures.
Six: Dawn Sharp.
Seven: Me in my favorite pair of vintage shorts. They're green, yellow, and white striped. I wore them basically every day during the summer I went to archeology field school, and everyone thought I was crazy.

For more:
-Check out these sweet young things from Mociun. They're a little school uniform-ish, but that is one of my favorite looks when executed correctly.
-These Noble Youth shorts are so Lolita (in a good way) and have a cute inverted-V cut on the front of the legs.
-Cotton candy pink pleated shorts from A. P. C! What more could a girl want?
-Ballyhoo vintage usually has a selection of adorable, classic-cut shorts from the '40s and '50s.

the sweetness

2009-03-14T06:23:00.000-07:00

The three cutest things you can put on your head, neck, and fingers this spring:

(click to enlarge)

One: Pair of eyelashes necklace by Stephanie Simek. Picture is from Bona Drag.
Two: Bow headband and ring from la collection d'été Emmanuelle Esther. All her stuff is crocheted but manages to look totally modern and not at all Holly Hobby-ish.
Three: Chain bow necklace from Round Designs. Picture is also from Bona Drag.

If you want to go for a look that's more creepy than cute (and you have tons of dough to blow) then check out Pamela Love. I am completely obsessed with all of her jewelry, but especially her talon bracelet, which I regularly cry myself to sleep thinking about. It's on sale at www.cabinetofcuriosities.com, in case you're thinking about buying me an early birthday present.

Also, I feel like I should acknowledge the Zooey Deschanel for Oliver Peoples collection, since sunglasses season is now here. I'm not sure when this happened, but I'm not terribly impressed. While I realize that sunglasses design is about subtelty, to me these look like glorified Wayfarers. I do like the pink ones though.

it begins

2009-03-13T21:40:00.000-07:00

Here are some people I really like.

1. Walter Potter. Victorian nutjob who made taxidermy scenes of anthropomorphic critters playing cricket and having tea parties. You may think this has nothing to do with fashion, but that's because you haven't yet looked at the kitten wedding near the bottom of that webpage. See also: Hermann Ploucquet and the 1971 film The Tales of Miss Beatrix Potter.

2. Vera Neumann. I've been collecting Vera scarves on and off for about 4 years now. I have around 50-60 of them, most of which were purchased for around 1 dollar at various Florida thrift stores or given to me by Jason Lyon, the best-dressed man on the west coast.

3. Alexis Mackenzie.

4. Diana Vreeland. In addition to having amazing taste, the woman had a way with words. She said she wanted her living room to look like "a garden in hell". She was the first person to make the astute observation that "pink is the navy blue of India," and once told her assistant "you have raven brown hair and should wear nothing but chiffon."

5. Boys. Boys have a lot to do with clothes. I usually try and look cute when I know I'm going to encounter them. Some boys wear nice clothes. Most do not. Some boys are better in little or no clothes. See below for example.