Reminder!

Just a reminder that Teen Vogue Fashion U is finally accepting applications for 2008.

I plan to sign up ASAP, and you should too. In addition to meeting the Teen Vogue editors and touring the TV office, the event involves talks by the likes of Phillip Lim, Nanette Lepore, and Peter Som. Not to mention an exclusive fashion show, concert, Dooney & Bourke goody bag, and the thrill of being surrounded by girls with similar passions and fabulous outfits.

I was thinking that I would love to meet up with any of you who might be attending, so let me know if you plan to go! Also, maybe there are some NYC-based bloggers (Gilda, Gala, etc.) who would like to make the blogger meet-up complete? I hope so! It could be a blast! And here's a little incentive for the NYC bloggers: All of the TVFU-ers get to bring a guest to the fashion show and concert. . .

Hope to see some of you guys there! Go here to see my photos from last year's event (have fun drooling over the fashion closet), and feel free to email me with any questions.

Native American Dreams

When I was little, I would often make believe that I was a Native American princess of some sort. I had a brightly feathered headdress, the settlers & Indians Playmobile set, and some serious imagination to assist me, and I have been told that after seeing Disney's Pocahontas, I would belt out "Colors of the Wind" for every stranger that crossed my path. Later, when I was too old for make believe games, I pored over my dad's old copy of Squanto and the Pilgrims and books chronicling the lives of white children captured by the Native Americans who gradually became to live among them as family. Oh, I so wanted to be one of those children! The allure of that lifestyle, as described by my storybooks, is undeniable.

Which is why it comes as no shock that soft suede fringes and intricate beading borrowed from traditional American Indian costume have once again trickled down into mainstream fashion.

I made an inspiration collage on this subject to amuse myself a few weeks ago, and only just found it. Unfortunately, I have forgotten the sources of the photos; I hope their owners will forgive me. . .

I will say that the Anna Sui runway photos (top left) have been dancing around in my head since the NYC shows, and that I love them with a fiery passion.

I purchased a suede fringe bag for a mere pittance at Marshall's, and carrying it feels like embracing my childhood in a creative, satisfying way.

Yep, that purse on the left is mine! I'm very proud that it doesn't look out of place among the other items, given that I took the picture myself.

I'm gonna update this post with where to buy all the other items, but I'm going out with a friend now.

Update (as promised): Earrings from UO; beaded belt from Lulu's Fashion Lounge; bracelet from For Love 21; sandals from UO; bag from For Love 21; feather hairclip from For Love 21; Minnetonika mocs from UO.

P.S. Have you seen the glorious fringe-y, moccasin-y shoes at Free People? Beautiful! I want! These especially.

How to Dress for the Rainforest

It's hot, hot, hot, and it seems my plans have disappeared into the heavy haze of moisture that lingers outside my window.

For now, instead of sweating in the rainforest that my neighborhood has become, I'd rather lounge indoors with my laptop. You know how it is.

I bought a new skirt yesterday! Victoria's Secret is having a major sale, and my friend dragged me to the mall to check it out. I like the Pink line for the occasional overpriced undergarments I buy myself as a treat, but the clothes tend to make me feel like a walking billboard, covered as they are with Pink logos. However, I found the above skirt for $20, which made me pretty happy. I guess the silhouette isn't so new, but I like the way it poofs out in the middle and comes in at the bottom. And there are some cute nautical-ish buttons on the sides that you can't see from the picture. By the way, it might look like denim in the picture, but it's not.

I wore the skirt in a pretty simple way, I guess, feeling inspired by Lulu and Camille. So on went the skirt, a white AA t-shirt, H&M denim vest, H&M black beret, and Old Navy necklace.

I would pair my combat boots with this, if only it weren't so hot. . .

Sweeney Todd Fashion

Well, I'm back from Toronto! Having arrived late last night after a fantastic trip, I've spent the day doing some boring necessities and getting back in the swing of things. As promised, I did make some fun purchases on my trip, but those will have to wait to be shared. Instead, I want to share the remarkable costumes found in Sweeney Todd.

Colleen Atwood was in charge of that particular aspect of the movie, and she did a fantastic job. Of course, since she has designed for Edward Scissorhands, Chicago, and Memoirs of a Geisha, one would expect no less. She especially outdid herself in the scene where Mrs. Lovett, the pie-maker, fantasizes about a life with Sweeney by the sea. It honestly made me gasp in delight and awe!

See how marvelous? That color pallette! Those stripes! Those polkadots and wild hair! I'm not gonna lie - I, too, would love to live on the beach with Johnny Depp and wear fabulous outfits. It's pretty much a given.

I also, of course, adored the darker clothing found in the rest of the movie. Mrs. Lovett's looks were my favorites.

Said Colleen Atwood, "She was somebody who almost was like a crow. She was always picking a bit of this or that up. Everyone is a little grimy in the movie. As she got more money, she got a couple of new dresses. I used a lot of authentic fabrics. Her dresses were a range of color but subtle and controlled. There was always a hint of red peeking out, but very low-key. A lot of her stuff had a sheen or beading. I thought she'd be attracted to a bit of obvious glitter. Underneath she had fantastic underwear you never see — great bloomers and corsets. As for the fingerless gloves — people wore them in the period. They'd been around."

Sweeney Todd's outfits were also quite memorable - sort of a mixture of Edward Scissorhands and Stacy of What Not To Wear (okay, at least the hair reminded me of her.)

Colleen also had some good things to say about Sweeney's look: "He comes off a boat, crusted with salt. He's been through a terrifying time in prison, and he's hardened to life. He enters the world with a shell on, like an insect shell. His jacket has a sheen. As he starts barbering, he becomes part of the world he's living in, a world where people use recycled clothing. (The) jacket he wears to work was influenced by work wear of the period. I really felt he needed some heavy weight to his feet, like he was dragging weight, and his boots are quite heavy and have nails around the outside of the sole on top. You get a kick of silver when he hits the pedal on the barber chair. His costumes are simple. He's not conscious of what he's wearing. "

The costumes were apparently taken from different parts of the Victorian period, with more concern for the characters than historical integrity. Many may describe the look as Goth, but Colleen said,"to me, the influence was the makeup and styling of the old black-and-white movies. The lips and eyes are dark, and the face is light. That's the feeling we were going for, more than a conscious goth look."

For more information on the Oscar-nominated Sweeney Todd costumes, check out some of my sources for this article. There's a great interview in USA Today, as well as some really fantastic videos (Parts 1; 2) about it on YouTube. As always, The Costumer's Guide had some good pictures.

P.S. Doesn't the first big photo in this editorial (the one with the stripey tights) look freakishly like a costume for Mrs. Lovett? Also, it just occurred to me that the red-and-white striped dress from the fantasy sequence reminds me a lot of Mary Poppins' costume at the fair in the chalk drawing. It makes sense, I suppose, seeing as both costumes appear in Victorian era fantasy scenes. . .

...And I'm Off!

I'm leaving bright and early tomorrow morning to visit family in Toronto.

I'll be gone for five days - two of which will be spent "enjoying" the nine-hour drive.

I'm pretty sure I'll be able to continue to post while away, unless I spend all my free time shopping. I've found some great things there in the past, and I have the perfect shopping partner in the form of an equally fashion-obsessed cousin. . .

Wish the wallet luck.

Yawn

I had something in mind to write about tonight, but I'm too tired.

Please accept this apology in the form of delectably stylish boy photos.

Yum! I wish more guys would dress this way. . . and more girls, come to think of it. . .

Photos courtesy of Street Peeper, the Sartorialist, Savvy London, Chictopia, and Lookbook.nu.

Gone Experimentin'

I would like to start this post off with a moment of silence for my laptop, which has been infected with a virus. Feel better, laptop - I miss you!

Now that that's taken care of, I'll move onto the more exciting stuff - the clothes! I've acquired some lovely new things over the last couple of weeks, and I finally got my act together to take pictures last night! I came up with some pretty sweet outfits (if I do say so myself) incorporating many of the new goods. Check it out:

Let's talk about the hairstyle, shall we? As promised in my last post, I did some hair experimenting. I kind of like the style I tried out here, but my family finds it ridiculous. What think you, dolls?

The bag and sandals were both purchased a few weeks ago on Senior Skip Day, although the sandals broke after a few wears and I was forced to exchange them yesterday. The bag was super-cheap ($18) at a cute new boutique. I love how unique it is, and apparently the salesgirls did too, since they mournfully confessed they had been hoping no one would buy it so they could snap it up at the end of the day. Sorry, salesgirls! The sandals are super-comfy, reasonably priced ($38), and have padding on the bottom that I find most sandals to be lacking. They also have studs, which I of course adore. And the zebra-striped shorts? Well, they ended up costing $5, so I'm a happy girl!

Okay, done bragging about this outfit. Next!

Here we have summer clothing at it's comfiest. I layered a new dip-dyed tank from the Urban Outfitters bargain basement over an old black romper, since the tank is cut too low in front and under the arms to be worn solo. I added new U.O. sneakers with cut-outs on the sides, which seemed like a practical summer item when I bought them. Since they're basically a parody of sneakers anyway, I played this up by tying them at the ankles a la ballet shoes. Last but not least, the bag was a graduation gift from my amazing Aunt and Uncle. It's by Baggelini, which I had never hear of before, but my Aunt assured me it was in the height of fashion. I adore it because it has so many compartments and expands so that I can use it as a day bag or as luggage. Just what I needed - thanks guys!

I know this seems sort of like a "look-what-I-bought!" bragging session, but apart from dressing up and showing off the new stuff, I was pleased to find how much this blog has been inspiring me to actually try the things I muse about. The hair is something I would never have tried if I hadn't discussed it here, and the dip-dyed tank would have never been mine if I hadn't discussed showing bras beneath shirts on this blog. I didn't end up showing off the bra here, but when I bought the shirt I was definitely thinking about whether I could get away with just a bra underneath instead of a cami, given the cut. I think it would work, but I need the right bra - something like this, maybe. For now, I've discovered that tops can be worn over rompers, instead of just under, which is nice to know!

Another interesting thing I've noticed is that reading other blogs gives me the courage to dress in more crazy/interesting/creative ways. No one here dresses like that, but I take courage and comfort from the fact that other people are brave enough to do their own things (stylwise) elsewhere!

Now about that hairstyle . . . be honest . . .what do you really think? I'm still not sure. . .

Gimme an Updo

I get bored with my hair really quickly, and usually I deal with this by cutting it. However, at the moment I'm liking my fairly easy haircut, even though the bangs aren't all that flattering. Still, I'm thirsting for a bit of a change. I've ruled out an unnatural hair color at the moment, and I've been planning to let my hair grow for a while, which rules out snipping it off.

So at the moment I've resigned myself to a hair rut. Until the notion of an updo popped into my head. You see, I'm not good at putting my hair up in fancy styles. My braids are disastrous, my attempts at buns frightful. Even my ponytails, which are my go-to 'do, are a mess of bumps and stray hairs. But I think maybe it's time to play around and see if I might be able to form the coif into something that looks remotely like one of these non-pretentious-yet-sweetly-glamorous updos:

Oui, the sources are here: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9

That should feed the need for a bit of hair change! At the very least, I can ooh and aah over stylish updos meant for dressy occasions:

& more sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

I am constantly disgusted by the stiff, curly buns I see on a disturbing amount of salon-goers on special occasions. I'm talking about the dreaded "prom hair," I suppose. But these styles manage to look soft, not stiff, and I love the retro vibes. There is not a chance I could create one of these masterpieces on my own, but maybe some day (perhaps on that far-off wedding?) I can show one of these photos to a master hair stylist and let them work their magic.

I did some shopping today, the fruits of which I plan to model for y'all tomorrow, but for now I think I'm going to arm myself with brush, mirror, and hairspray for some serious hair playtime. If I end up with anything that looks close to decent, I'll provide photographic evidence. Wish me luck, dawgs.

Exciting Things Worldwide

Oh, how the power of the internet can magically transport chic European style to boring American suburbia! TiLT-worthy? I think yes!

♥ First up, !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I refuse to explain further - just click on the link to reveal the mystery and feel the sudden appropriateness of many exclamation points.

♥ Also, I'm thrilled to see that Topshop has been posting photos from its Helmut Newton photo machine online. It's basically a treasure trove of Topshop-heavy outfits styled by those fierce, adorable London girls. Fun poses, too! I love how, when scanning the gallery, you can see the same pieces styled in so many different ways. Here are some of my favorite looks:

I spy amazing hair, bold accessories, lifelong friends, fearless confidence, and Susie Bubble! What do you spy, besides the future dwindling of my shopping funds when Topshop finally makes the trip across seas?

♥ I had more things to say, but my mouth really hurts (I think it was more attached to those wisdom teeth than I thought, har har) and I need both hands to reach for ice and tylenol. Mrah.

Fringe Binge

So, I am officially a high school graduate! The ceremony was on Sunday, and it was ridiculously hot. I spent the day schvitzing in my black gown, eating spectacular food, and spending time with visiting family.

Today I had my wisdom teeth pulled, and I've spent hours lying on the couch and lusting after fringed bags. Some of the net's most stylish bloggers have been rocking them, and they are finally popular enough that cheaper options are available. See for yourself:

Rumi with her Lucky bag; Lulu with a fringed pouch; Lulu with her large Zara clutch; Betty with her Pimkie bag

For Love 21 suede fringe hobo; La Redoute suede fringe purse; Urban Outfitters suede fringe passport bag; 59 Seconds suede fringe bag with grommits; Delia*s sasha fringe hobo; Go Jane suede dangle strands purse; Newport News fringed handbag

Maybe an order will be placed in the next couple of days to cheer me up as my mouth aches. I do quite like that silver one, as well as the black one above it. . .

Relevant (?) Ramblings

Fashion is pretty ridiculous, isn't it? I mean, who decided that it would be a good idea to attach sticks to women's shoes and call them high heels? And who thought that tying strips of fabric around men's necks for formal occasions could be anything other than absurd?

As much as I love fashion, I recognize that it's not to be taken too seriously. I think that the reason people have an impression that fashion is so shallow is because they don't understand that humor is involved, that there is more art in it than practicality.

Fashion is closely entwined with body image, which is pretty ridiculous as well. We live in a society where people consider foot-binding horrific, but are perfectly conditioned to nose jobs and six-inch stilettos. It occurs to me that a woman who has had a nose job and wears cripplingly high heels is not so different from a woman with bound feet; both involve breaking bones, pain, and the inability to walk very well for the sake of beauty. The only difference is that the heel-wearing woman has access to anesthesia and pain-killers.

Go figure.

Just some musings, feel free to discuss. . .

Dressing It Up

Last night my grade had a bit of an almost-graduated celebration, full of memories, food, and dancing. I finally got to wear that one-shouldered dress:

I decided to play up the toga-esque aspect of the dress with black/gold suede gladiators from Baker's, my vintage quilted bag, and a pair of gold chandelier earrings my sister lent me. My twin brother, who was also attending the event (although not as my date), is my dashing accomplice in the picture as we show off our spiffy evening wear.

Because I felt so good in my outfit (although I wish I hadn't been in such a rush to get ready so I could've done my hair in a more flattering way), I'll be extra-vain and give you a closeup of the shoes and purse:

The purse has a tassel that isn't visible in the picture. The shoes have a one-inch heel and therefore were still comfortable after an hour of dancing (whereas most other girls had to kick off their precariously tall shoes), while the dress garnered many a compliment and had just enough stretch to make dancing a snap.

I love dressing up, especially at one of those occasions where everyone looks amazing. Throughout the night, when forced to abandon the dance floor for a cool drink, I couldn't help but sigh in happiness as I took in the general fashion eye candy. Nothing boundary-pushing (we're suburban teenagers, after all), but the pretty frocks, shimmering shoes, and glossed smiles were definitely worth a look.

Circus Pinup

NEET Magazine seems to get better and better with every issue. The most recent one, which dropped yesterday, is the best yet! One of my favorite parts was the circus-inspired photo shoot using clothing from Lullie Vintage.

Not only does the shoot play on my love of circus-inspired fashion, which I wrote about here, but it is also full of the kind of girlish, care-free whimsy that makes me ooh and ah.

The Lullie Vintage sites, when I practically raced to check them out, sported what I will now dub "circus pinup" - fabulous!

To continue the saga, these photos reminded me of a beloved set of photos in Missbehave Magazine, especially these two:

"Carnival Boudoir" was full of some great shots, and I thought it was quite unique. Which is why I'm so tickled to see the styling has found its twin in Lullie Vintage.

Just some inspirational pictures for you to ponder. I'm exhausted from another shoe-shopping extravaganza. At least I managed to pick up these lovelies, which I know will look fantastic with my dress.

I've said it before and I'll say it again - I'm a sucker for studs. And sales. And gladiators.

Dear God, will my wallet ever be safe again?!

Must Write

I've been itching to write here for days, but a strange combo of business (as in the state of being busy, not the state of carrying a briefcase) and lack of access to the computer housing my photo-uploading software/scanner have put a bit of a damper on the whole posting schedule. I plan to remedy that tomorrow morning after the first of four (That's right, four) graduation rehearsals. Ughh, can you believe it? How hard can it be to don cap and gown, shake hands, and grab a diploma? I will attend the rehearsals because they are mandatory, but I refuse to be happy about spending any extra time sweating in black polyester.

Okay, rant over.

Current fashion-y activities:

♥ Watching the Sex & the City movie with a friend while dressed appropriately in a bright dress and tall Bitten SJP heels. Our fancy attire elicited some stares. . .

♥ Deciding said Bitten heels hurt too much to wear to an upcoming school event with my sleek back dress and spending hours shopping fruitlessly for better shoes. The right pair can be so hard to find!

♥ Combing through the magazine rack at Barnes & Noble. I discovered Eliza Magazine, which is a whiff of fresh air compared to all the "high fashion" found in other mags. Some of it's a bit plain, but I appreciate the real-looking models (there was even a "prego fashion" photo shoot!), non-slutty attire, and generally wholesome vibe.

♥ Trying these fabulous shoes at Old Navy. I love the style, and I think they look much more expensive than they are. They would be comfy, too, if only my calves didn't seize up after a minute in 4-inch heels. Oh, I am such a sucker for studs!

I'll put together a real post soon, I swear! With the promise of summer stirring sticky-sweet in the air, I can't help but put my fingers to the keyboard as I peruse sandals, bikinis, and leg-enhancing short shorts. . .