Note to Le Readers

Dear exceedingly stylish and dashing readers,

I would like to take a moment to apologize for the lack of posting. Tomorrow is my last ever day of high school, and then comes graduation! Things have been alternately hectic and relaxed, and I've been caught up in the surprising (bitter)sweetness of my last days as a senior. Tonight will be a party night, and tomorrow will be bursting with hugs, tears, and hangovers. (Note: said hangovers will not belong to me, as I plan to be adequately fresh for a poetry performance.)

The end of school and the coming of summer will (hopefully) mean that I will have more time to write, as well as more time to shop. I've been dying to share pictures of my new gladiator sandals and the coolest purse to ever call my room home, but my startling laziness has stilled my hand from picking up my camera. Still, I hope to placate you with some pictures of the outfit I wore on my Friday shopping trip in the city (long live Senior Skip Day!) Sure, the outfit's not that clearly visible, since I forgot to take an actual outfit shot, but you get the idea...

I wore: A Forever 21 dress, H&M denim vest, Rogan for Target leggings, Old Navy earrings, and tweed Chuck Taylor All Stars. It was just a comfy-cute shopping outfit, but my brother really liked it, which I took as a good sign. You may ignore the goofy expression.

Also, guess who's been featured by Teen Vogue??? None other than yours truly! Eeeeeeee!

The Pixie Cut: Growing Out

I'm pretty sure my most popular article of all time is "Getting the Perfect Pixie." I wish "How to Accept Your Body and Move On," one of my personal favorites, was so popular, but alas I am not in control of what people read. Shocking, I know.

Anyway, I have enough trouble keeping up with comments on recent posts and that kind of thing, so while I read the many comments that appear on the pixie cut post, I don't tend to reply. I appreciate that people took the time to read and respond, but I'm just too busy to write my own response. However, a freshly-written comment on the not-so-fresh pixie article caught my attention.

Renee said: "This post originally inspired me to get my hair cut pixie-short. That was around two months ago; I've had it cut again once, and I'm already disenchanted. My hair has always grown fast, but within two or three weeks of it getting cut I had to gel the hell out of it in order for it to not look like a white-girl fro. It was starting to become a mullet before I cut it again, and now it's just not behaving.I can do a faux hawk with it but even that requires a lot of patience and manicuring, and it doesn't weather well with my habit of petting my hair. I loved the pixie, it looked good on me for a little bit, but now I'm faced with the desire to grow it out and having no idea how. It's almost summer so I can hide the awkward phases with scarves and the like (it's not allowed around my gang-infested school), but for those who are considering cutting it all off, heed my warnings.Right, I'm done. Sorry about the length of that. Just trying to spare some possible-pixie-chicks some frustration and money."

I feel your pain, Renee, and I'm here to help! This is something that you can overcome, not something that will overcome you. Let's talk about a few issues that come with pixie cuts, and how they can be dealt with.

♥ Pixie Maintenance. So your pixie cut looked dazzling for a month or so, but now its becoming a bit shaggy and mullet-y. This problem is not a huge deal. I was traveling in Israel when I noticed my pixie was too long in the back (beware of impending mullet!), not to mention the little bits of hair in front of my ears were threatening to become those ear locks (peyas) worn by Hasidic Jews.

Allow me to clarify.

But all is not lost, dear readers! My story did not end badly! As I sat in a Haifa dorm room, twirling my faux peyas and contemplating breaking my mirror, a friend came to the rescue. We didn't have scissors with us, but we did find tiny nail scissors. My friend removed the ear locks in a few snips, then hacked away at the longer hair that was growing past the base of my skull. I looked fine. The lesson here is that yes, your hair will grow out quickly, but you do not need to see a hairdresser every time. It's pretty hard to mess up when all you need to do is trim off an inch or so in the back and an itty bit in front. I'd like to point out that if my hair survived a cutting with nail scissors, yours will surely survive one with real scissors. Get a friend to do it and you'll be set until your next hair appointment!

♥ Growing it out for real. You've had enough of your short 'do, and you want longer hair, damnit! This time, when your hair reaches the shaggy, mullet-y stage, you don't trim it, and it looks awful. What to do?

Well, I'm an expert on what not to do at this stage. I let my hair grow, sans any sort of styling, until everything but my bangs was chin length. The bangs I then cut right above my eyebrows. I looked like a scarecrow.

I think the trick is that as the hair grows out, you need to sort of "prune" parts of it until you have finally reached an acceptable grown-out stage. Let's look to Miranda Hobbes of Sex & the City for some guidance:

1. Stage one: Miranda is rockin' a cute pixie.

2. Stage two: Miranda's hair has grown a bit, but she is not afraid. She battles bad hair by parting hers on the side and tucking any extra bits behind her ears. She has let the hair at the back of her head grow longer, but the way her top hair is parted and has grown longer than pixie length keeps her out of mullet territory.

3. Now that Miranda's locks have continued to grow, her front hair is long enough to allow her to wear stylish bangs at the front. She parts the rest of her hair in the middle, and lets it keep growing.

4. Notice that the back of Miranda's hair hasn't grown past her neck; she is clearly giving it a few trims to start getting rid of the short top/longer back proportion of the pixie. Her front hair is now too long to wear as bangs, so she has given herself a side part and stuck any extra hair behind her ears. She looks sleek and fabulous, I think!

5. Miranda's former bangs grow further, and she finally crops a bit of hair off the back so that all strands are the same length. Miranda keeps her hair this way for the rest of the final season, but you don't have to keep your hairline above your chin if you don't want to; let it keep growing!

See? It's not so bad! Pixie cut maintenance is fairly easy and mindless, once you get into the routine, but you'll want to find a good hairdresser and do some planning when it comes time to grow out the 'do.

I think this pixie cut subject is becoming a series. If you're interested in reading more, check out my initial post on getting the perfect pixie, as well as my second post with some examples of short hair cuts to try.

I hope this helps! I really wish I knew all this when I grew out my pixie; it was a painful process.

Is Ignorance Bliss?

I suppose this isn't the kind of thing I really need to tell people, but I'd like to give a friendly reminder that negative comments are discouraged. I mostly don't delete them, but they detract from the positive atmosphere I try to promote here. You don't have to read my blog. If it bothers you, then don't waste your time with it.

This friendly reminder is thanks to a recent anonymous commenter who made me laugh yesterday. Apparently an old post on Karl Lagerfeld's style offended them, since they wrote, "You are such a retard, you wouldent know Karls style if it bit you on the ass!and if you think $150 is un-affordable, you have no place in fashion! "

They say that ignorance is bliss, but if that was true, I think the commenter would have sounded a bit happier, no?

Thanks to the many positive commenters who constantly make my day. You are appreciated!

Mmmm

Looky here - Old Navy's June collection preview:

I found the photos on Old Navy's new "Old Navy Next" site. Check it out for more previews and some other goodies.

Boy, Patrick Robinson is really doing his job, huh? It just gets better and better!

If there really is a fashion god, then the above shoes will be on sale at Old Navy as well. I especially like those very Prada-esque ones. . .

In Which I Play With Clothes Again

Has anyone checked out Rogan for Target yet? I had only a short time to spend at the local store yesterday, but I managed to grab the zebra print leggings. They're so fun/comfy, and I have to admit I love leggings, if done right. Of course, now I'm lamenting the fact that I didn't have time to test out the romper that Camille managed to make me covet. Must return to Target!

Not to do two outfit posts in a row, but I played around with the leggings today. The stripes didn't come out so well in the photos, but look online or in the store to see what they really look like.

First I went for a sort of black-on-black effect, with a denim vest and necklace to brighten it up:

Black tunic: Costa Blanca, vest: H&M, leggings: Rogan for Target, shoes: Bitten SJP, necklace: American Eagle

Next I played up the safari aspect of the print:

Top: Old Navy, skirt: Urban Outfitters, belt: Nordstrom, leggings: Rogan for Target, Shoes: folded-over sweater boots from a few seasons ago, headband: H&M

I think I look strange when I wear headbands like that, but the look was screaming for it. The look was not, however, screaming for the colorful band aid on my arm; I was due for a tetanus shot at my annual check-up today, and the nurse gave me that lovely souvenir.

What did everyone think of the season finale of Gossip Girl? I can't believe I'm so upset that it's over. Why do I always get addicted to these shows?

Primal Shopping Urges

Last weekend my friend and I had a fabulously successful shopping day. We were vaguely in the market for some kind of dress to wear to Senior Night (I'm not really sure what it is, but I've been told the dress code is semi-formal.) Mostly, though, we were just shopping because we felt like shopping. It's a primal urge among fashion bloggers, I've been told.

My purchases: A pair of light blue, thin (and therefore perfect for summer), comfy, baggy jeans on sale for $4.99 (!), a gorgeous halter top discounted to a reasonable price, a cute belt, the world's softest white tee, and a dress that I had to have, even if it's not as summery or casual as what I was looking for.

I've been meaning to photograph my two favorite purchases for you all week, but I only just got to it. Better late than never, eh?

Here's that amazing halter top:

Gorgeous, right? I'm in love! In addition to the beautiful pattern, there is beading below the bust and the straps are made of braided fabric.

My other new love is my dress:

I really had no choice in this purchase. My friend tried it on and it didn't work on her, so I tried it on for the hell of it and was pleasantly surprised. It was amazingly comfortable, reasonably priced, and made my butt look bigger. And when I say bigger, I mean in a good way, not an I-ate-too-many-Cheetos way. Seriously, they should label the thing "Insta - Badonkadonk."

Or not. I mostly just said that because I wanted to use the word "badonkadonk." You know how it is.

Oh, and by the way, I didn't just suddenly lose my bangs. I like to wear them pushed to the side occasionally, just for a change. And yes, I really am that pale.

It's so Medieval

Because I'm a senior, I got to do a final project for my Medieval Literature Class instead of taking a final exam. Woot! The assignment was pretty open, so being who I am, I decided to focus on medieval fashion. I spent hours poring over fashion history books, searching for any mentions of clothing in the books we had read in class, and looking at obscure internet sites for additional information. I ended up making a bunch of paper figures (they took a lot of time) and writing a paper. I have to present my findings in front of the class on Monday.

So why am I telling you about my assignment? Because it's relevant in fashion today! Huzzah!

Here are some (majorly downsized) scans of the little paper figures I outfitted in different medieval garb:

Above you can see (L-R from top left corner): King Arthur & Queen Guinevere in Britain around 500 AD; King Charlemagne in France around 800 AD; a young female noble in Italy in 1343 AD, a young male noble in Italy in 1343 AD; a well-off craftsman's wife & fashionable page & rich but not-so-well-dressed knight away from battle, all in England in the late 1300s. These are all characters from books we read, if you care to guess which ones!

Of course, medieval clothing is not so practical today. Long capes get caught on things, shawls are cumbersome, and tall headdresses get in the way. But there are some aspects of medieval fashion that have stayed with us over the centuries. Here you can see modern outfits clearly inspired by medieval ones:

From left to right: Fall 2006 Dior Couture, Fall 2006 Dior Couture, the Sartorialist, Antonio Berardi Fall 2008, Fall 2006 Jean Paul Gaultier Couture, Project Runway final collection: Santino Rice.

These outfits borrow things from both men's and women's medieval clothing - specifically, armor, shape, high necks, long tunics, outer corset lacing, leggings, voluminous sleeves, long skirts, and fur. Expensive furs were a major status symbol throughout most of the late medieval period, and I'm tickled that this is still the case today.

Here are some more wallet-friendly medieval-inspired garments to bring a whiff of history to your wardrobe:

From left to right:

♥ Jovovich-Hawk for Target corset front dress: Outside corset lacings were in vogue for a portion of the medieval period among the ladies.
♥ Irregular Choice boots: Pointy-toed shoes were in, baby! Among some nobles, the points grew so long that the tips of the shoes had to be tied to the knees in order to walk. Eep!
♥ Forever 21 cinched tunic: Simple tunics were often worn under more elaborate pieces.
♥ Lux entwined dress: This kind of garment would have been worn over chain mail/armor for a knight or over a dress or tunic in the early feudal period.
♥ 12 x 12 jewelled headband: Elaborate hairstyles came in the late medieval period, but circlets came in and out for hundreds of years.
♥ Forever 21 leggings: Men wore leggings (they called them hose) a lot. On a slightly-related note, have you all seen Mel Brooks' Robin Hood: Men in Tights? If not, you should! "We're men - manly men! - We're men in tights...")
♥ LA Made heathered Prague jacket: With its high neck and voluminous sleeves, I have no trouble imagining a fashionable 14th century noble wearing this. Just, you know, without the zipper.
♥ La Redoute sequined shirt: Can you get any closer to armor without straining those upper body muscles? I think not!

Well, fare thee well, dear readers. Thine queenly writer must retire to the royal bed chamber until early morn.

I Never Learn

I am always sucked into these designers for Payless collections, even though they always disappoint me.

But honestly, who wouldn't be sucked in by these shoes? Granted, there's an extremely good chance that a) they will look horribly tacky in person or b) cause excessive wobbling/twisted ankles, but I figure they're worth a trip to the local Payless.

I am excitedly awaiting Alice & Olivia's Fall collection for Payless as well. I want these in the grey (suede?) material:

Stacy Bendet seems to have quite a penchant for sky-high heels, no? I like the look, but the loss of an inch would be a life-saver. Or rather, a foot-saver.

Bras 'N Things

While clicking through Style.com's coverage of the Met Costume Institute Gala like a good little fashion fiend, I was shocked to find that Zac Posen's Clark Kent outfit was one of my favorite of the night. (How ludicrous is it to attend a superhero-themed fashion extravaganza without looking the part? I'm talking to you, Almost-Everyone-But-Zac-Posen!) I was also shocked by the picture on the above left. Why? Well, the woman who can pull off the visible bra is a rare creature. She must execute her outfit carefully and perfectly, because any mistakes can lead to jeering telepathic messages of "SLUT!" being transmitted by nearby humanity. But in the pictures above there are no mistakes, only sheer sartorial perfection.

I think the reason for this is that smaller boobs = no cleavage in these looks = more tasteful. I don't get the idea that either of these women are trying to be sexy by showing the side of their bra; it seems more like part of the look.

With my larger chest size and everything (and this is where I started to debate posting this on the internet, seeing as people I know now actually read this...), this look isn't for me. And as for other underwear-as-outerwear concepts, well, let's just say I was not a fan of that notorious Marc Jacobs collection. But the thing is. . . I see no need to wear underwear as outerwear. That's not to say I don't enjoy the look of of corset tops and slip dresses as much as the next girl - I do, believe me - but I think there's something to be said for keeping it hidden. I like lingerie, and I like to wear pretty styles. I recently picked up a lacy, pale green bra from Gilly Hicks, and I feel amazing wearing it. But I buy these things for me. One of the things that interests me about fashion is the way it can influence your mood and the way you act. Pretty lingerie puts a smile on my face and boosts my confidence because I have a cute little secret (that, incidentally, I'm now sharing with thousands of readers) hidden away beneath my clothes. I don't need other people to see it; I just need to know it's there.

An odd excuse for a money-wasting habit, but there you go.

I feel a bit odd posting about this. I should just hit "publish" before I change my mind.

P.S. You know the printed dress worn by the blond Teen Vogue staffer in my last post? Well, the girl's name is Mary Kate Steinmiller, and she just told me that the dress is Hurley and will be available in the Fall. Hurley- can you imagine! Three cheers for cute, affordable dresses!

Teen Vogue at Neiman Marcus

Teen Vogue came to Boston today! The Natick Collection's Neiman Marcus, to be specific. Neiman Marcus always feels like it's targeted toward a bit of an older crowd, to be honest, but today it was decked out for hoards of teenage girls. We're talking neon couches, bowls of candy, and waiters passing around trays of colorful mocktails, petit fours, and other dainty treats. Yum!

I arrived with two friends a half hour before the main event of the afternoon - a fashion show - was scheduled, and was saddened when it appeared to be already in session. I only managed to watch a couple of models traipse down the runway before the show ended, but it was still fun.

Next came the most welcome surprise, in the form of the radiant Amy Astley.

As you can see, I was able to rope her into posing for a picture with me. Not that it was so hard - she was more than willing. What an incredibly nice woman! We had a great little chat.

I was, of course, keeping an eye out for some stylishly dressed girls. I mean, what better place to find them than a Teen Vogue event? Two lovely Teen Vogue staffers and a casual-chic model caught my eye:

I'm loving those tribal prints! Must find and wear!

When I was done snapping photos, my friends and I headed out for a quick bit of shopping peppered by a lot of laughter. All in all, a great excursion!