make it work

Last week, I found an adorable little black dress. Chic and classic, with just the right amount of 1960s mod and Audrey Hepburn loveliness.

The label said 'Dry Clean Only,' but come on, I'm a college student -- and, frankly, dry cleaning is not so good for the environment. I'd never had any problems hand-washing my clothes before, so I scrubbed it in the bathroom sink and laid it flat to dry.

When I put it on three days later, it was tiny. Not just a little too short, but way, way too short. I actually had a nightmare last night where I was wearing it, and realized once I had already walked out in public that my underwear was peeking out from beneath the hem.

I called the store and explained what happened, throwing in that I can't afford to dry clean my clothes (not sure that was such a good idea...). I guess they can only take things back if the care instructions have been followed. 

In the words of Tim Gunn, it was time to make it work.

I put on a pair of pants and sparkly shoes, and off I went!

you live your life in it

I came home from work today to find the September J.Crew catalog sitting by the door. In a row across the front cover were the ballerinas you see above, standing in first position, adorned, unexpectedly, in cozy, chunky sweaters.

The arrival of this catalog never fails to bring me joy. It's not that I buy anything, or even dog-ear the pages just in case. It's that, for me, there is nothing that quite compares to leafing through 143 pages of nothing but clothes.

Some people (okay, a lot of people) do not understand this, or find it shallow. In truth, it's hard for me to explain what exactly draws me to fashion in such an immediate way. There are times when I look at a particularly beautiful photograph of a dress, a coat, a pair of shoes, and literally gasp. There are times when I can't fall asleep because I'm putting together outfits in my head. So I thought about it for a while today, and here's what I came up with:

I have always been drawn to all kinds of art, and find it perpetually fascinating and inspiring. I want to surround myself with it, to have it in my home, on my stereo, and, in the case of clothing, on my back. This is because truly great design is something that lasts forever, something that anyone, from anywhere, can appreciate. And unlike other products of art and design, clothes are something that you truly experience your life in. We can't go naked (not here, anyway), so we wake up every morning and adorn ourselves in pieces that, no matter how simple, started as nothing more than an idea. Fashion is the ultimate collision of form and function, fantasy and reality, body and mind.

So why not go out and buy a magazine, or at least page through The Sartorialist for a bit? You'll like it, I promise.

everywhere you look

Tanzania (photo by Dan Westergren)

 I was thrilled to find National Geographic's Global Fashion Photos this morning. I always love being reminded that fashion is more than runway shows and Anna Wintour. Getting dressed is an ancient, global ritual, and one that defines not just yourself, but your entire culture.

India (photo by Jeanie Lewis)

Sudan (photo by J. Carrier)

return of the monochrome

What can I say? I love my blues and grays.

And you can't see them in the picture above, but I was wearing these earrings:

I bought them from Chantal deFelice at an art fair on our recent trip to LA. I was thrilled to find them; they're unlike anything I've ever seen before. It was also great to buy them directly from the artist -- she was so sweet and friendly (and was wearing an adorable dress!).

Check out her website and Etsy shop (and take a look at this print with the image from my earrings!)

emma bobs her hair?

I saw this portrait by the Sartorialist today, and pretty much died. I mean, her haircut. I do love my short hair, but with fall fast approaching I'm starting to crave a change. There's just something about being able to run your fingers through your hair (or, even better, having someone else run their fingers through your hair).

See what I mean?

via American Vogue

 Arizona Muse made the bob (and eyebrows!) sexy again.

via theglamourai.com

 Kelly Framel of The Glamourai grew her hair out this year...and made it look so easy! I always get frustrated when I'm growing my hair out -- it moves at a glacial pace.

Even Carrie Bradshaw had a bob for a while! (And we all secretly want to be Carrie Bradshaw, do we not?)

What are your thoughts? Have you ever worn a bob?

little pink dress

 

Here it is -- my dress from Shareen Vintage in LA. It was such an amazing find ($48, and it fits perfectly!). The women working at the store were just as excited as I was, which made the experience even better.

 

(worn with Steven Madden pumps and Gap shades)

(Quince ring, vintage bracelet & Essie Lilacism nail polish)

joan.

via the LA Times

I started watching Mad Men a couple years ago and was, of course, obsessed with the clothes. When school started, I got behind and lost track of which episodes I'd seen...until I realized, two days ago, that it's on Netflix Instant. Uh hell yes.

I stumbled upon these gorgeous photos of Christina Hendricks while hunting down clothing pictures...Joan is, to me, the best dressed of all the characters. Here are a few of my favorite oufits:

P.S. This Etsy shop has some lovely pieces that will definitely make you look (and feel) like Joan...namely this and this.

weekend road trip/hello, oxford!

This one's going to be a mix of a few different things I've been up to lately.

First off, I found it. The. Perfect. Oxford shirt. In the children's section. It's a boy's school uniform shirt. It may be the best thing I've ever bought.

(worn with Lark & Wolff shorts)

Now, some travel pictures! I took a trip to Winona this weekend and snapped a few photos along the way:

lasagna at the Harbor View Cafe in Pepin.

a dying butterfly in Stockholm.

driving home through the bluffs.

And to make this post even more of a mash-up, here are some links for you to look at...

 Wanderlust.

Some amazing photos (the fifth one down left me a little, well, breathless).

Speaking of Oxford, is anyone else excited for this? Anyone?

girl's best friend?

Audrey Hepburn in 'Breakfast at Tiffany's'

Jennifer Connelly in 'Blood Diamond'

I happened upon the Huffington Post style section today, and ended up looking at this feature from the Daily Beast. I found the side-by-side of NY Times articles and Tiffany & Co. ads fascinating.

What are your thoughts on diamonds? In other words, which movie makes you cry more -- 'Breakfast at Tiffany's,' or 'Blood Diamond'?

(Sorry, that was a bit heavy. Also, I promise a longer post later this week...I have exciting Oxford Shirt news!)