so much for minimalism

Today, the things I like best in the world are fur, feathers, patterns, velvet, chiffon, heels, wedges and serious glamour. Must be Friday.

Tangentially, if you haven't seen The Graduate, it is really one of those classics that is worth your time. Just thinking about Dustin Hoffman floating in that pool makes me want to rub coconut oil all over myself and wear diamond earrings - might be a worthy weekend endeavour.

-Gentian
.x.

What was I thinking? Of course Givenchy was amazing! It just took video, rather than pictures, to change my mind. Phew.

(it's canadian thanksgiving)

I'm back from a fun couple of days in Dublin (where true to form I never got around to stalking the Sartorialist), a city that I enjoyed but found a little... odd. It's put me in a strange mood, and has got me imagining strange Alexa Chung-ish outfits. Or that might be my slight, persistent hangover.

This Thanksgiving I am thankful for RyanAir, intrepid Australians, 2 for 1 deals at Tescoe, scholarships, cheese strings, and Skype. But really - who isn't?


-Gentian
.x.

Going to Dublin today!
The Sartorialist is there this weekend, too, so I may go to Harvey Nichols for the purpose of stalkage.

thinking out loud

Rick Owens

Of the Spring 2010 RTW, I'm loving Celine, YSL, Marni, Calvin Klein, Dries van Noten, Hussein Chalayan and about half of Vena Cava. None of them without reservations, though. I mean, Mr. Chalayan, retro influences? Are we doing this now? You are saved by those sheer black and white stripes I loved. And Style.com's Nicole Phelps made a very apt point about Francisco Costa's collection for CK being designed for sylphs - too true, I'm afraid, on anyone larger than a size 2 (maybe 4) the dresses would have nothing like the same effect.

The prevailing theme for what I'm liking seems to be a little older, more sophisticated, pretty utilitarian, and generally neutrals (minus Dries' sick patterns - which I will never describe as "tribal" - and Marni's muted colour palette). I wish I was actually the thirty-something I am in my mind, so I could really go to town on that Celine new-minimalist look.

Immersing myself in photos and video from the shows is making me appreciate them all more - even the ones I didn't like. I can't even talk about Margiela (without crying), but there was that one long, nude column dress that I am dreaming about. Alexander Wang really said nothing to me, but I find myself thinking quite a bit about all that caramel-coloured leather, while Christopher Kane, if nothing else, has certainly got me thinking about gingham. And although Ann Demuelemeester didn't really do the collection I was hoping for (I don't know what that was exactly - but I'd have known if I saw it), that skimpy-top with voluminous-trousers combination was well-executed and felt new to me. And the bird-print trousers were lovely. Balmain didn't have that "I want to be the girl who wears those clothes" feeling that I look for, but I still thought it was a pretty great collection. Kind of like Rick Owens, my eternal love, who put out a fantastic collection that for some reason just didn't really resonate with me. I think it was the futuristic vibe I'm just not feeling at the moment.

I'm on the fence about both Missoni and Proenza Schouler. I think I need another look.

(clockwise from left) joie lace-up boot, alexander wang dress, maison martin margiela messenger bag, delightfully boxy MMM trench, and MMM (of course) wedge ankle boots.

I want those wedge ankle boots quite a lot.

It's got to be a bad sign when even Riccardo Tisci is leaving me unmoved.

Well, minus a couple pieces that I would just like to have on me right now - but overall, this collection made me go "meh."

things I want

I hate it when magazines go on about how you have to "invest" in certain pieces, that the cheap versions just aren't worth having.

That being said... nothing beats the perfect basic.

it's been a while

I've been gone a while. Since my last post I've been in a few different countries, had a few adventures, survived the flu, started a new school year in Scotland, and kind of become disenchanted with fashion. I mean, not entirely. Personal style will always be of utmost interest to me - how can you learn more about people than through the way they dress themselves? - but what's current, what's new, what's "in", what's on the runway... I can't quite bring myself to care at the moment. It's probably in part having been isolated from internet and blogs for a while, and then being inundated with photos from various fashion weeks, but it's definitely also being in the UK that's done it. I love the Brits, don't get me wrong, but I don't think they should be allowed such ready access to Topshop. They abuse the privilege. There was a time when I loved studs, exposed zippers, leather jackets, bandage skirts, ripped denim, ankle boots, shoulder pads, sequins, "boyfriend" blazers, chains... this was before spending time in Glasgow and Edinburgh. TREND OVERLOAD. And don't even get me started on how much makeup girls wear here, or how much they dye their hair.

It makes me want to go all minimalist and antifashion and spend all my time in jeans and sweaters and riding boots. I basically have, actually. Dark denim, long-sleeved t-shirts, thin wool or cashmere pullovers, flat black or brown leather knee-high boots, and pearl studs have become my uniform of choice. Add plain leather tote bag, bracelet-sleeved tweed coat and Hunter Wellingtons and you have everything I've been wearing lately. I try to keep it more APC than J. Crew, but how preppy I look is still occasionally a worry - at least I don't look trendy, though.

The one thing I am coveting is a pair of wedge ankle boots, or flat over-the-knee boots. Just a bit trendy, but workable in my newly minimalist wardrobe. And the only thing I feel like spending money on at the moment is lingerie and skin care - good investments, both.

Minimalism can only get you so far, though. I know there will come a day when I wake up in the morning and think "if I don't wear something with feathers and sequins on it today, life will just not be worth living."

Until then, it's sweaters and jeans for me - can I still call myself a "fashionista"?

Yours,

Gentian

P.S. I have never called myself a fashionista, nor will I ever. Promise.

I want to make this blog happen... but after that last unscheduled hiatus, I am putting the blog on OFFICIAL hiatus because I'll be traveling for a bit.
Don't worry, you won't miss me.

Listen to this:



Check this out:

PURPLE DIARY

Go eat something pretty:



If you're still at loose ends, please go watch the first two seasons of Skins (third season optional) so we can talk about it when I get back:



Peace, love, and leather shorts -

GENTIAN
.x.

monday

Untitled by Gentian

I need to be kept from the general public today. I want nothing so much as to distribute random acts of cutting wit and crushing social humiliation to the unwitting strangers I come across today. It's a problem.

target women

I love Sarah Haskins so fucking much.

ashley

Ashley Olsen is one of my biggest style inspirations. I love her minimalist vibe, her understated cool, and the way she works really luxe things like fur or feathers in nonchalant, everyday ways.


image via olsens anonymous
This picture kills me: the not-overly-trendy sunglasses, white shirt tucked in to classic cropped pants, simply constructed sandals, and the artless way she throws on the scarf. There is a huge difference between this girl and the kind of celebrity who needs a stylist.


The combination of men's shirt and denim cut-offs is is one of my favourite summer looks - in fact, I pretty much wore the same thing today, only with desert boots instead of clogs. I think the fact that she wears those things says a lot about Ashley.


She should be the face of Calvin Klein - I never appreciated CK before I started noticing her wearing it.


This is so cute, definitely the inspiration behind one of my go-to fall/winter looks last year.









I may admire Alice Dellal's edginess, Emma Watson's looks, and Diane Kruger's red carpet style, but Ashley Olsen consistently inspires me with her everyday style - "street style", if you will - which in the end has a way greater impact on my life. Combining a utilitarian sensibility with a cutting-edge sophistication, this is one style icon who will only get better with time.

jackie

miscellany

1.

I'm at my cottage for a week, but will try to post with semi-regularity anyway. However, the weather is lovely, I have tons of family here, and I'd like to acquire a teensy bit of a tan. So we shall see.

2. Check it: Racquel Zimmerman goes both ways.

3. These aren't my thing, but I think they're pretty cute and agree with fashionologie that this could be a mayjah fad in downtown footwear.

4. This picture doesn't really do anything for me (although Jak & Jil is my favourite, favourite blog), but I love Rad Hourani and the pieces are sick - the exact kind of thing I like to build my wardrobe with. That was a hint, Rad.

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.