swordfish hotkiss night by Gentian

James Perse dress, Giambattista Valli bustier, Forever 21 shoes, Jorge Manilla ring, Alchemic Experiences cuff, Comme des Garçons perfume

I want to do something fun and/or something crazy. I want to have free time. I want to have flings, and get dressed up, and stay out til 4 a.m., and spend money on frivolous things.

I WANT TO STOP WORKING. Thank Margiela that September is coming soon, and with it my Euro-trip and oodles of frivolity.

gendered

the feminine mystique by Gentian

Dress from eruca.jp, Missoni bag, Stella McCartney boots, Midori Ikeda brooch (shown as necklace)

Feminism is something that means a lot to me - and I don't say that about many things. The realization that I was a feminist, had in fact always been one, was one of the most life-changing things that has happened to me.

But fashion turns me into a hypocrite. I know a love of clothes is not necessarily at odds with feminism, but the fashion industry's obsessions with sex, beauty and body-size are full of pitfalls for a young woman trying to live up to some daunting ideals. There are times - like while discussing the relative merits of models by reducing them to body parts and facial features - when I realize that I can't at all reconcile what I purportedly think with what I say or do.

I sometimes have this image of myself as one big LOLcat, captioned "FEMINISM: UR DOING IT WRONG." While I can't say this is something I really beat myself up about, it is an occasional worry of mine. Is this level of hypocrisy normal?

Edited to add an observation that may have just answered my own question: I wasn't meaning to be ironic when I made the above outfit, which combines vegan boots with a bag that is clearly fur - and I'm a vegetarian.

the ten things I need for fall (high and low)

It can be painful to start thinking about fall in the middle of summer, but fashion helps to ease that pain. For this fall, I'm looking forward to neutral colours, androgynous pieces, and a lot of mixing of textures.

1. A menswear-inspired button-up:


This is called the "Easy Shirt" with good reason. Boy by Band of Outsiders, $302.00 at La Garçonne.


A decent alternative for $24.50 at Old Navy. For this kind of thing, though, try thrift stores; places like Goodwill and Salvation Army have tons of nicely worn-in men's shirts or not-too-fitted women's shirts for under $10.

2. Leather (or leather-like) pants:


A.L.C. for $795 at (once again) La Garconne. These are lovely, but I think it's too much to lay out for an item that probably won't have many seasons' staying power.


These are the ones I have! 34.50 GBP from Only Jeans, they're 100% synthetic and way cooler than the standard latex leggings - if I may say so myself.

3. Medium wash jeans:


Acne Jeans, $349 at Oak NYC (www.oaknyc.com).


Old Navy's jeans are always too short for me, but at $25 I could afford to shorten my legs.

4. Bitchin' outerwear (this is the technical term):


Harmon funnel neck parka, $486 at Oak NYC.

You know something? Cheap outerwear is depressing. Anything I can find online, anyway. I'll probably get something at Zara in a couple weeks, and will report back then.

5. Silk t-shirt:


Clu silk t-shirt for $212 from La Garçonne.


$48, BDG at Urban Outfitters. I was really hoping to find something in a nude silk, but this is such a steal that I think I'll be getting it - probably in white.

6. A circle scarf:


DKNY lambswool circle scarf for $75 at Net-à-Porter.


American Apparel's $51 sheer version isn't drastically cheaper - but it is pretty cool. I have the opaque black version, and have worn it as a multi-circled scarf, a shawl and a sort of "capelet." It's pretty sweet.

7. After I went through my long necklace phase, I went through a lengthy no-necklace phase. Now I think I'd like a shorter one for AW09 that really makes a statement:


This Delfina Delletrez one certainly fits the bill - she is a genius. $975 at Opening Ceremony.


Bearing in mind that things from Urban Outfitters tend to fall apart, for $38 this necklace is a pretty great deal.

8. A short, lace-up boot:


I'd actually almost consider these Bottega Veneta boots a worthy investment at $890 via Net-à-Porter. "Almost" because I'm too cheap to imagine spending that much on anything (that isn't Rick Owens).


Or for a more androgynous take, these are $117 from Oak NYC's a.ok section. Sick.

9. A practical, unassuming leather bag:


Martin Margiela's mens bag would be perfect for me this fall - but at $985 (via Aloha Rag) that is so not going to happen.


A surprisingly nice offering from the Gap for $158 (in brown or gray). Sadly, I'm looking for black.

10. A lingerie-esque slip dress to layer in all kinds of ways:


Kiki de Montparnasse's chiffon slip is very extravagantly priced at $395. But it's also extravagantly luxe, so....


This Organic Bias slip from La Garçonne is only a steal comparatively speaking at $120. However, it is quite lovely, and has the advantage of being a little more PG than the KDM slip. If you consider that an advantage.

This post was quite an endeavour for me! I should probably split it up and post it in installments but I would definitely forget.

friday deep thoughts

Just wanted to comment on two things:

1. I just read August's (American) Vogue, and it barely sucked at all! Of course, there was the usual ridiculous article about aging/plastic surgery/wacky beauty treatments, and a particularly awful article by Sally Singer about Google's Marissa Mayer that could otherwise have been very interesting... and the dressing-for-your-age editorial was pretty dull.... come to think of it, I don't know why it was good. Three guesses: Jeffrey Steingarten, Hussein Chalayan for J Brand, and the Dries bag(s) on the last page. Why can I not find a picture of this bag anywhere online? WHAT USE IS THE INTERNET IF IT CANNOT DO THIS FOR ME?

2. I'm a little sad that Jourdan Dunn is pregnant. Although Natalia Vodianova had a kid when she was around that age too, didn't she? And I guess that wasn't quite the end of her career.

THANK MARTIN MARGIELA IT'S FRIDAY.

foxy

The Foxy Man is ridiculously cool. The vintage Nikes are perfect where almost anything else would have made the whole thing go wrong.

evil eye

Maison Martin Margiela bag, Helmut Lang tank, Alexander Wang shorts, Raphael Young shoes, Delfina Delettrez bracelet, picture of Erin Wasson via www.knighttcat.blogspot.com

I'd like to be wearing this today. What I am currently wearing is a white polo shirt, pale grey cashmere cardigan, and straight/tapered navy dress pants (although these are actually quite chic - one the best deals of my life at French Connection). Yes, I'm working in an office for the summer. ....And yes, I'm hating myself for the polo/cardigan combo, but sometimes these things just happen.

fx cuisine

Hypnotic, no? Do yourself a favour and go through the FX Cuisine archives. It will give you a whole new appreciation for food. I'm a vegetarian, but I get a lot of (guilty) pleasure out of his posts on various meats. Mmm, boar.

Now if only he would start updating again...

Margiela's House

So. Cool.

I burn, I pine, I perish.

ten things by Gentian featuring RVCA

I wish I'd gone to high school in the 90's. The "noughties" were lame.

make up your mind

"There is no excellent beauty that hath not some strangeness in proportion, or so the saying goes, and indeed what stranger proportions have been seen in recent years than those proferred by Maison Martin Margiela, whose stock-in-trade seems to be calling into question those ideals of beauty previously considered irrefutable."
-http://www.showstudio.com/project/makeupyourmind/

katharine the great

Ray Ban aviators, Charlotte Russe (!) shirt, Tsumori Chisato jodhpurs, Aldo Watch, Proenza Schouler shoes, YSL lpstick


Katharine Hepburn would never have used the term "boyfriend jeans." She wore men's trousers - get over it. It is a woman's prerogative to embrace a masculine side, and there is really no need to tiptoe around it or soften it by coquettishly inserting the word "boyfriend" whenever possible.

style files

What inspires you? For me, there is no divide between my fashion inspirations, and my life inspirations. After all, how you dress is how you want the world to see you: who you want to be.

Right now I'm inspired by Emma Watson's hair and makeup. A strong brow makes you look like a more interesting person (Carine Roitfeld, Hilary Rhoda, Frida Kahlo, Camilla Belle) than a skinny arch, and gives the face more character than may be strictly flattering. But beauty is useless if it's boring.

I'm always inspired by Rosamunde Pilcher. Are you familiar? This may reveal something unfortunate about my taste in books, but Coming Home is one of my all time favourite novels. An epic coming-of-age story centered around World War II, the style inspirations are thick on the ground. Pilcher's fresh-scrubbed and skinny blondes are a distinctive breed, whose penchant for red lipstick, thick sweaters, signature scents, 5 o'clock drinks, and dressing for dinner never fails to inspire me to embrace a little glamour in everyday life.

On the flip side, my feminist heart is unequivocally inspired by The Blue Sweater. Jacqueline Novogratz' autobiography-cum-development-treatise is more than just an interesting read. She inspires me to be useful rather than decorative, confident rather than strictly sexy, and ambitious rather than cynical. I'm pretty sure her book was the root of my current Katharine Hepburn style moment.



I'm currently reading Jack: A Life Like No Other, a biography of JFK. Frankly, I don't think it's a great book, but it is nonetheless engrossing. I have a whole new fascination with the lives of the new-moneyed in the U.S. in the 1930s-1960s. I want to get unwisely tanned, wear Wayfarers, and host a wild house party... in Florida. Actually, learning more about JFK has pretty much killed my respect for him, but it turns out Jacqueline Kennedy was a far more interesting figure than I gave her credit for. I always thought she was just one of the stock answers people gave when asked who their style icons were (pill box hats and big sunglasses) - but she really was both elegant and fascinating, and not at all the romantic figure I'd thought she was.




"Style Files" will be a continuing theme - expect more of my ramblings on inspiration to come.

girl crush

Emma Watson is gorgeous. Check her out at the London premiere of Harry Potter 6 - they called this a wardrobe malfunction, but I initially thought it was intentional; she looked perfect.

This girl has a great natural style. She invariably chooses beautiful and interesting pieces for red carpet events, and wisely pairs them with a very natural look, enhanced by her strong brows (which I am in love with), and hair that is never too done.

Plus, I once saw candids of her wearing what I'm pretty sure was a Rick Owens leather jacket in bone. Thus, I rest my case: Emma Watson is a style icon in the making.

without you

I love Empire of the Sun. This isn't even one of my favourites, but I like to picture it as the soundtrack to an eighties movie starring Andrew McCarthy as a misunderstood rich boy, and myself as the sassy yet vulnerable girl from the wrong side of the tracks. It's a groundbreaking film.

(P.S.: Watch the "Walking on a Dream" video - it's so fashion.)

untitled

Haute dress, Meadham Kirchhoff jacket, Linda Farrow for Damir Doma sunglasses, Proenza Schouler heels, Delfina Delettrez bracelet, ACB fringe necklace, Nasomatto parfum spray, pictures via Vogue Italia

I had to post something pretty (if I may say so myself) as a buffer between the top of the screen and the ugly, ugly frame that my beloved Jonas video is showing.

If this is a sign that I shouldn't be watching Jonas brothers videos on YouTube anymore, then I am going to choose to ignore it.

jailbait

Is it just me, or has Nick Jonas suddenly become strangely attractive?

...Unless that's weird, in which case I was kidding.

the uniform

Once, someone asked me what I would wear if I could only wear one outfit for the rest of my life. I'd been waiting for this moment for years, and I knew the exact answer. My one outfit would be this: a white shirt, a circle skirt, and boots. Assuming there was some leeway, I would need one plain white t-shirt (James Perse is the best), one slim-fitting white button up (Jil Sander), three circle skirts (one in a neutral, two in colour or patterns), and a flat pair of knee-high leather boots (Golden Goose), as well as wedge ankle boots (Rick Owens).

Unfortunately, it was not the right audience, so I lied and said I didn't know.

(Clockwise from top left) Jil Sander, Vince, Oasis, James Perse, Alexander Wang, James Perse

Prada, Prada, Prada, Prada (via http://mocoloco.com/art/archives/002455.php)

(Clockwise from top left) Rick Owens, Golden Goose, Martin Margiela, Rick Owens




However, barring some kind of desert island-esque ultimatum, I'm saving this outfit for when I am an eccentric divorcée living with my cats, supporting my younger lover in a floundering art career, and enjoying a dependence on Percocet and single malt whisky. At the moment, I am going to enjoy the transient pleasures of leather pants, crop tops, and body-con dresses while I still can. (I think I probably have another ten minutes left.)

helen of troy

A happy belated birthday to Diane Kruger! If you are seriously looking for someone to guide you in life, I would direct you towards this woman. Gorgeous, fashion forward, impossibly elegant, and with a lovely, scruffy Pacey to carry her bag for her - she has really got it all.

For an enjoyable look at some of her past style ups and downs, check out Adrian's critiques at Fashion Verbatim. (They're all old because he stopped writing for the site and disappeared into the ether of the blogosphere some time ago. I maintain that he popped up on Jak & Jil once, though.)

Dries jacket, Acne dress, Ann D. ring, Delfina Delettrez bracelet, Linda Farrow sunglasses, CDG perfume, Aldo watch, Maison Martin Margiela boots

“Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening.”
Coco Chanel, of course.

The First Post

Isn't this a sick name for a blog?

Too bad it's being wasted on me. This thing I've created has no theme, no objective, no raison d'être - but here it is.

I mainly plan to put up pictures of clothes, because that's my primary interest. But don't think that that doesn't fall under "Guide to Life" - as I've always said: if you can dress yourself, you're halfway there. (The only question being: halfway to where?)