Echo, Violet & Claire

The Francesca Lia Block obsession continues. I checked Echo and Violet & Claire out of the library, yesterday, and I devoured them each in a few hours. Nothing can live up to the beloved Weetzie Bat series, but I can't help but marvel at the beautiful language and imagery that is characteristic of Block's books. I'm also slightly enamoured of the fact that the characters always have unique and edgy fashions that seem to fit their personalities perfectly.

If you haven't guessed it by now, I'm sharing fashionable Francesca Lia Block quotes again. Get ready for inspiration!

Echo:

♥ "Her eyes seem naturally kohl-lined, her hair naturally hennaed. She is not particularly into fashion. She only needs a few gauzy dresses that she makes herself and some bare Grecian sandals that lace up her long amber legs. High-priced fashion would be a waste on her; it would be extraneous."

This quote makes me want to wear gauzy dresses and Grecian sandals. It also makes me jealous of the woman the quote is describing, at least appearance-wise.

♥ "On weekends we took drives along the coast, jogged in the hills, went to museums and flea markets where I bought deteriorating silk slip dresses from the forties."

Not only do the slip dresses really fit the character, but I find the whole idea of wearing vintage slip dresses to be sort of fairytale-ish.

♥ "...all my vintage stuff was ghosts..."

Love this line. Describing "deteriorating silk slip dresses from the forties" as "ghosts" is just perfect.

♥ "L.A. is a beautiful prostitute with bougainvillea-blossom-pink lips, hair extensions to her waist, stiletto heels straining the muscles in her calves. Promising opiate dazzle if you pay enough."

Okay, so this isn't really a fashion quote, but it makes me want to paint my lips "bougainvillea-blossom-pink."


Violet & Claire:

♥ "The girls in the Red Cherry were tremendous. Emerging from clouds of red smoke, they looked like superfreak goddesses with the longest legs and manes of synthetic hair. I was just wondering if any of them would be interested in sharing their stories when ESMERALDA . . . rolled up to us in her wheelchair. Her makeup looked like cake frosting applied with a spatuula, and she wore a cherry-red bubble wig. Her emaciated, twisted body was sheathed in a revealing black cocktail dress, and there were spike heels on her gnarled feet."

What an interesting image! You can put on all the glamorous clothing and makeup you want, but it will never hide the real you.

♥ ". . . a hugely muscled six foot tall bleach blond African American trans slunk over on sinewy expresso legs in shimmery sheer cream stockings."

I suddenly want to have "sinewy expresso legs." I guess I'll settle for "shimmery sheer cream stockings," though.