A Century's worth of stuff

Yesterday was a pretty trying day. A day of errands, haircuts, grocery shopping, and a trip to Ikea. We are re-decorating our bedroom and it is not an easy feat! As Mario, and I are both collectors? (Or,pack rats? Or, he's a pack rat and I'm a clothes horse?) In any case there is just too much stuff in one little space for two people. Step one: before even starting to put together our wardrobe system, we had to go through our accumulated belongings and get rid of stuff we no longer have any want or need of. This is so much easier said than done!

I noticed that we had so so so so many books and magazines and those take up a lot of room! I am seriously seeing the upside of a Kindle or I-pad, as much as I love books I have to rethink buying them, unless it is one I really love and know I'll keep coming back to- I really need to use the library much more than I do.

I think many of the books I bought for my undergraduate classes will be heading off to the goodwill today as well as old bags (unless anyone out there wants a well-worn Givenchy or Dior handbag) and boots and clothes I no longer wear. I still have things I wore back in junior high school piled up in my closet - I don't even know why I dragged those things with me all the way from Massachusetts when I moved. Do I really need platform converse sneakers? Or, a Spice Girls lunch box (which I totally bought to be ironic by the way!) *sigh* too much stuff!

There are some good things about this type of, oh let's call it spring cleaning, you do re-discover things that may have been put off on a shelf. And, these discoveries can be a good source of inspiration.

I found this little gem:

Century Girl:100 Years in the Life of Doris Eaton Travis, Last Living Star of the Ziegfeld Follies, it is a beautiful collage-art biography of the life of Doris Eaton. My sister gave me this book some years back as a Birthday gift, and while I paused to look through it I decided I wanted to create springtime outfits evocative of the Ziegfeld Follie girls-delicate dance wear and lingerie inspired clothes.

Here are some other Ziegfeld girl photos from the interwebs.

Seeing Pictures of Louise Brooks, always makes me want

to cut my hair short again.

From My Closet: It's a Jungle

Jacket - IKAHN !

Dress - Banana Republic (found at the thrift shop down the street!)

Boots - my well worn Modern Vintage via Piperlime

I bet the house of Mirth had a Coffee Maker...

Another morning and no hot coffee. The Krups broke, and I need to buy a new one, fast! Because, another work day morning without coffee and me being in a state of grouchy sleepiness would not be good. I have a lot of work to do and lots to write and lots to research and read, and I realized that I never just sit down and read a book for myself anymore. I need to find the time to discover new books to love and re-visit old favorites - or even just to see how my perspective of the books I studied in college has changed.

Just yesterday jesse.anne.o mentioned in her blog that she had finished reading The House of Mirth, I read the book for a class in college (I may just have to pick it up and read it again) and I remember that we analyzed the clothing - because for Lily Bart (the heroine), fashion and beauty were currency - a key to being married and not having to worry about how to support herself through work. This was Fashion for English Majors, well no not really, but in reading the book you can see that there really is a correlation between what women wore and their place in the world at large.

Not just in their social standing, but also in their ability to physically stand (though those two are related). If you saw Coco Before Chanel, (or almost any period piece film really ) you see women standing about with large ornate hats and layers and layers of clothing, not to mention corsets- and while I personally think many of those dresses are beautiful, could you imagine trying to go about your daily routine in them?! Women like Chanel and Bloomer had the right idea by going against the grain.



Here are some articles I found on the topic of women's dress:

The Debate Over Women's Clothing: 'Rational' or Lady-like Dress

An Analysis of Women’s Dress as Related to Ideals of Beauty and Social Status PT IV: The 19th Century

One of the other books I read for that same class was Margaret Atwood's The Edible Woman - set in the 60's. While women had more freedom and mobility there were still these societal restraints- I mean, yes you could be bold and wear short skirts- but they were still skirts - don't you think it's ridiculous that up until the 1960's it was considered shocking for women to wear pants to a restaurant or skirts without stockings?

Then came the late 60's and many things changed/were in the process of being changed but we all know that story...you can use your imagination in analyzing women's dress of the 70's and 80's(shoulder pads anyone?) I wonder what our current popular turns and trends in style reflect about us now?

Etsy Shop of the Week: IKAHN - Modern Vintage Clothing

A little while back I wrote a post about Springtime Trenches and I featured two beautiful coats from IKAHN vintage. Well, I managed to snag this little leopard print lined number.



Stay tuned because I will be posting photos of the way I styled it!

And, lucky for some girl out there this coat is still available!



I have been a fan of all the pieces that IKAHN has had (and has!) up on etsy and I was lucky enough to have the lovely Amy (IKAHN's proprietor) answer a few questions about the shop - I am sharing those answers here. Enjoy!


Me: First of all, I love your shop it is filled with so many amazing pieces, while they are spot on with currently coveted looks, they are also items that will forever be in your closet, as they really are statement garments. Do you have a process for choosing the best pieces for your shop? Do you have a background working in the fashion industry?

Amy: When I source for pieces to sell, my only barometer is that I handpick items that I would want to wear myself. Apart from being a shop girl at various stores in college, I don't come from a fashion background. In school I actually studied painting, photography and art history, and worked in the art world for 5 years before quitting to try something new. Not having a fashion background makes my job exciting, as I'm constantly researching and learning about fabric, styles and labels.

Me: When/why did you decide to start an Etsy shop.

Amy: I started selling clothing online about 8 years ago as a hobby and decided to focus more on Etsy last October. Being on Etsy, as both a buyer and seller, is appealing because the community is welcoming, positive and supportive.

Me: Could you tell us about the shop name, and the overall concept of the shop?

Amy: I chose the name IKAHN (pronounced icon) because I find it visually appealing. It's a combination of two words: ikat and kahn. While initially arbitrary, the name seemingly works to describe clothing that's 'iconic'.

Me: Who are your personal style icons?

Amy: I can find something I adore on just about anyone.

Me: What is your favorite decade to draw style inspiration from?

Amy: More than a favorite decade, I'm most inspired by individual prints, fabrics, textures, color and tailoring.

Me: What type of girl/customer do you have in mind when you are choosing items for the shop?

Amy: A girl who appreciates quality, value, beauty and seeks out special pieces that aren't widely available.

Me: Do you have any plans to men's clothing?

Amy: For the moment I'm having a lot of fun focusing on women's clothing, but would love to explore men's in the future.

Me: What are you most excited to see happening in Fashion for this year?

Amy: The growth in personal fashion blogs and fashion communities (chictopia, lookbook, etc.). I love seeing how other people define beauty for themselves, especially in other parts of the world.


Thank you Amy! It was a real treat to learn more about you and IKAHN. I'm excited to see what comes into the shop next!

I've already got my little eyes on this:

To Bumpit or not to Bumpit?

So I got myself a Bumpit- believe me it was a spontaneous purchase! They had a display of them placed conveniently so at the CVS - that I just picked them up with thinking about it. I blame the rain for my lack of consumer restraint!



I am still trying it out and experimenting with the pieces - I haven't been brave enough to wear it out in public yet. I haven't quite got it down so that it doesn't show through my hair - or look too much like a hair pile up, and I am convinced someone will be able to tell, and I'll end up here.

So far this is the look:



Can you tell? I would welcome any Bumpit styling tips if you've got em'!


From my closet:

Dress - Only Hearts via LuvCharlie
I love this dress because it is so comfortable and easy to wear.
Belt - Anthropologie
Bag - Mark Jacobs (a lovely gift from Mario)
Shoes - Rachel Comey for UO

I am also wearing a UO initial necklace and slip.

Rainy days = Lazy ways

Raining again. It is hard to get things done in the rain. I love the rain when I can be at home sipping tea and reading a book- or going for a walk to get a hot cup of coffee and to catch a movie. But it is awful when you have to rush around the city for work and it is not too fun being soaked when arriving to meet clients. Today I sat through a whole seminar with cold wet feet. Perhaps it is time to invest in some good rain boots.

Anyway, I did not get the opportunity to take all the photos I needed to for today (for an upcoming blog related interview) and right now I am sitting here with a cup of hot chocolate and not in too much of a wordy mood for blog writing.

But, I assure you good things are coming -interviews- more professional looking photos- and more.

I'm hoping that you are all keeping warm and dry.

The 'Foot'Hills

So, our little trip yesterday was a wash. Really. It was raining and it seems that almost every little antique shop was closed. We did manage to find a little candy shop with lots of vintage-y decor and fun stuff like wax mustaches and -yep, they even had candy cigarettes. I didn't think they made those anymore.

We walked around a bit we even found veggie/vegan Mexican food.

Here is a pic of Downtown Sonora.

This is what I wore to walk around...

Mike & Chris Dress and Banana Republic Coat that was an x-mas gift and my now standby boots from UO.

I really cannot wait until all this rain stops! It is hard to plan weekend adventures when it means you have to stick to the indoors. I am being a grumpy gus - I know I should not complain when so many of you are having a pretty rough winter this year. I am just in a complain-y mood today. Our Krups coffee maker broke and due to that, this morning was just plain not fun. Aren't those coffee makers supposed to last forever? It was a gift from my sister and I really really hate when I lose or have a gift break. I don't know why but I start to feel guilty about it.

Tomorrow will be a better day- and I'll be on the search for a coffee maker repair place - and a new weekend day trip destination!

And this, well, this is just silliness...

Wax mustache-ry

Today we are off on a short day trip to Columbia and Sonora. I will post photos of that tomorrow.



So for today enjoy:

Fantastic as a Fox

Have you seen it yet?





This is going to be huge understatement, but here goes: I am a huge Wes Anderson Fan. My top 10 favorite movies include Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums, and as of late- The Fantastic Mr. Fox.

I guess I am particularly drawn to the stories, er, character studies? I love the quirkiness of it all- but then there is also the attention to costume and set design. So many little details go into each scene - all the colors and textures are chosen with such precision yet they subtly and seamlessly complete each scene.

And, then there is the music-all those albums would be in my dream record collection.

I wish I could be as mysterious as Margot Tenenbaum, or

as tenacious as Max Fischer...





Two of the best film characters ever!

Anyway, ever since I saw The Fantastic Mr. Fox- I have wanted to create a Foxy outfit: I loved the color palate and the textures of corduroy, wools, and printed cottons-and were those silk ties?

Here is an attempt- night time photos aren't the brightest of ideas.

From My Closet: Blade Runner

This morning I got dressed almost in the dark piling grey on grey, I threw on heels and ran out the door.

When I got home I realized that what I wore was pretty bland- so after posting all those photos of the Vena Cava show and Blade Runner, I decided to spice up the outfit before heading out in search of movies to watch for the night. This lead to an impromptu photo session with the boy as photographer!

Here are the results:

Bow Headband- Anthropologie

Blazer- from Pixie Market

Top- APC

Necklace- gift but I think it is from UO

Skirt- Anthropologie

Tights- Duane Reade

Booties- Vintage

Fashion Week Faves: Vena Cava A/w 2010 Straight to My Heart

40's meets the 90's? Vena Cava's Fall 2010 collection was a combination of 40's chic and 90's body-con dresses and skirts, and manic panic hair.






Or, to quote from Refinery29:

"Half Palm-Beach grandma, half Lower East Side punk, the collection was 100% covetable and filled with just the kinds of pieces we would wear everyday, like wool cloaks, silk crepe jumpsuits, and copper-colored dresses. The frosting on the cake were the stunning little pick-me-ups in the form of jewelry made by London brand, Mawi, which featured deliciously gaudy brass and polished stones that perfectly complemented the mossy, moody grays and blues on the runway."





This collection is really different from, not only what Vena Cava has done in the past, but from many of the other 2010 Fall collections which seem to call back to the 60's and 70's.

The signature deco inspired prints were not as prominent in the collection as a whole. I have been a fan of their more girly designs, but I'm liking this too. Only, I would never wear fur.

It really felt to me, that the collection was inspired by the movie Blade Runner. There was film noir tone to it all.



I mean, just look at the make-up. Very similar!


(Sean Young: Blade Runner)

(Vena Cava Model)

It seems that a more dewy fresh faced look will be in for fall, and I'm all ready to start experimenting with it!

From the Make-up for life blog.

“The designers wanted the girls to look like they spent a day skiing and horseback riding – fresh, flushed but tanned.” – Lloyd Simmonds.

Face
* Select Cover-Up Concealer – Applied to the skin as foundation
* Pro Cream Colour Base in Bronze and Mid-tone Sepia – Brushed across forehead and cheekbones for a slightly windblown effect
* Pro Shine Wax – Applied over the Cream Colour Base across the bridge of the nose to give a dewy finish

Eyes
* Pro Powder Blush in Taupe – Softly brushed along the crease of the eyelid
* Style Predator Eye Shadow – Brushed over the whole eyelid
* Pro Shine Wax – Applied over the eye shadow on the eyelid
* Pro Lash in Black – Applied only to the upper eyelashes

Lip
* Lipmix in Red – Applied to the natural shape of the lip to give a sophisticated, matte mouth