Blogging Society Challenge

Okay, so this is probably a crazy idea for something that will never happen, but I just thought of it and it sounded exciting.

Beth over at The Vintage Society has been doing Society Challenges, which I totally love. She and her friend take a trip to a budget store (like Target or Forever 21) and pick out an item that they will both plan an outfit around. Then, using different items from the store, they put together their respective outfits and come out with two different - but fabulous - ensembles. Cool, right? Well, here's my idea....

There are so many bloggers with fantastic style. And all the American bloggers (well, at least most of them) have access to certain chain stores, like Target for example. Wouldn't it be amazing if several bloggers picked an item from the website of a store they all had access to to plan their outfits around, and then had maybe a week or so to go to that store and put their outfits together? If the item wasn't in store, they could get the store to order it in. And they could post the picture online when they were done. I think it would be amazing to see what people came up with. Our blogging community is so unique and fun, and it would be great to organize a Blogging Society Challenge.

Not to steal your idea or anything, Beth. It's just a thought. And a fun one, at that. If people are up for it, we could actually plan it, but for now, I'm just musing.

Update: I just thought of an even better idea that wouldn't exclude international bloggers or people who don't have certain stores nearby. How about challenging bloggers to style something classic that is everywhere, like a mens' button-down shirt? Bloggers could do anything from pairing it with their own clothes to tearing it apart and resewing it into something fantastic. Oooh, sounds exciting! Please do this with me! Let me know if you're interested, seriously!

Making it Wearable

I always find it thrilling when I figure out how to wear something I never thought I'd be able to wear. Case in point, the below shorts:



They used to be a pair of my brother's jeans. A few years ago, when they no longer fit him, he gave them to me. I thought they'd be good for lounging around the house, but the extra fabric (Why do boys need such wide pants, I ask you?) was just plain annoying. Plus, they looked really bad. In a fit of rage at the pants, I hacked off the bottoms, thinking they might work better as shorts. But no, they were hideous that way. I resigned myself to never wearing them.

However, yesterday I pulled them out of my closet where they had been collecting dust. I pulled them up higher than they were meant to be pulled using a belt, cuffed the bottoms, and paired them with over-the-knee socks. And whoosh- they were wearable! I am totally thrilled. This is the comfiest outfit ever, and I don't think it looks half bad!

It turns out my shorts are a fall/winter item.

P.S. The hat and over-the-knee socks are a new purchase from Target! And the scarf is a newly arrived swap item! (and, if you're curious about my not-so-new items, the t-shirt is from H&M, the boots are Charles Albert, the belt is Delia*s from about 4 years ago, and the jacket is a Luella for Target item I picked up on Ebay.)

P.P.S. The pink and the houndstooth together make me think of SS07 Luella, especially since the jacket actually is Luella. Hooray!

Lacey Bloomer Things

Lady Julianne did a post on wearing bloomers on their own, as opposed to underneath a dress, and it got me thinking. The idea appeals to me, but I have to admit that I think bloomers are really unflattering, and that I would probably never where them. However, these shorts from Asia Jam (also available in gold) give off a similar vibe, and I like them very much:



I can picture them over black tights, worn with a white collared shirt tucked in and black suspenders. Add some nerd glasses with thick black frames and some hot black ankle boots for my ideal winter girl-meets-boy look.

I admit it ... the shorts didn't appeal to me hugely until I thought of how I would wear them. I'm not sure whether I can pull them off, though.

But oh, the contrast of fairytale lace with an undergarment vibe paired with menswear! It is dancing around in my head, and it won't go away.

I'm glad I can dwell on this garment now, instead of on the fact that when I finally made up my mind to buy those combat boots, they were no longer available in my size. Screw being sensible - next time I will just buy, buy, buy without worrying about whether I would actually wear the things!

Fashion is Poetry

I'm obsessed with fashion. You all know that. How could I not be, when I devote huge portions of my time to reading blogs and writing my own? I'm also obsessed with writing/reading, but that probably doesn't come as a surprise, either, for the same reasons. I feel like fashion and literature are really connected, and not just because fashion is covered by writers. I've always thought that the same part of me that appreciates the way words sound together, and the rhythm of them, and the imagery you can find within rows of text is the same part of me that appreciates the way outfits are put together, and different fabrics, and the way a garment can tell a whole story. Literature and fashion - they're not so different. I think if I were ever to be a fashion designer (unlikely, but not impossible), I would get a lot of my inspiration from literature.

Anyway, having said that, I want to share the poem below with you. It's probably my favorite poem ever, and every time I read/hear it, I'm moved almost to tears by the beauty and the rhythm of it:

Canto Negro by Jessica Hagedorn

dancing
the spirit shaking everyone
your faces are flowers of darkness
eyes closed
in dancing ecstasy
the spirit shaking everyone
shake
shake
children of the jungle
calling me to sing
forget my nightmares
mangos staining my lips

what is the spirit
that moves us
when we sing
in a thousand backrooms
funky with dopesmells
and pretty men and women
the spirit shaking everyone

we feel so beautiful
a whirlpool of silver eyes
and silver sweat
the spirit moving us
like holiness
in the sway of our bodies
the joy in our voices
humming the dance
the trance
of one night’s voodoo
celebration

the moon is almost full
and there’s danger
in the air
your faces are flowers of fire
burning
the toucans are flying
macaws are shrieking
and it’s forever
in the moment we stop
and start again

what is the spirit
that moves us
unspoken magic
weaving dangerous colors

it’s our birthday
and we sing a baptism
for our souls
our godliness

(higher and higher
we dance
out into the street

you ask me
if i
want to die
and i say
no
not yet
not tonight

it’s too beautiful

and i want to love you.)

That was it. Did you like it? Any thoughts? I know a lot of people have problems with the lack of capitilization, but I like it. I like the idea that the poem sort of transcends the written word. For me, the lack of capitilization says that the poem goes far beyond text on paper, that grammar isn't important because the ideas, imagery, and musical quality of the poem are what matter most. But that's just what I think.

Jessica Hagedorn reminds me a lot of Francesca Lia Block, if you want to know the truth. They're both wonderful, no?

Couldn't you picture the most beautiful collection based around this poem? I'm imagining something like this, all butterflies, flowers, mist, and gauzy dancing fairytale fabric.

Mod Cloth

Lately I've been lusting after everything at Mod Cloth. It's a fabulous little indie/vintage boutique, and it has absolutely everything (well, almost everything) you could want.

Looking for a cute sweater dress for the winter? (I am...) How about one of these?


Maybe you're just looking for a cozy top to hole up in during cold weather:


Or a nice coat:


Or perhaps you just want fun shoes/accessories to spice up your outfits:

(Note: Those sequined high tops are just like the Nanette Lepore for Keds ones, only over $60 less. Suh-weet.)



Mod Cloth has it all! And most things aren't that unreasonably priced, either.

My absolute favorite thing in the store is this beautiful skirt:

Isn't it just delish? I WANT IT!!!! Too bad it's possibly the most expensive thing in the store. I so can't afford it.

I think I need to cheer myself up now. Time for some shopping.

Cheap Combat Boots!

The return of grunge - style-wise, that is - has brought around the return of combat boots. No longer are they just for soldiers or so-called punks. They are for everyone who craves the looks rocked in the Free People catalogue (above left) or by Fashionista's Faran (right). And they are for me. I haven't bought a pair yet because they are just too darn expensive! But today I found this pair on sale at Hot Topic:



No, they're not the perfect combat boots. A little too shiny, a little too...I don't know...punk. But their price tag? $7.99! (Down from $49.99, if you're curious.) I'm not sure yet whether I'll end up buying them, but it doesn't really seem possible to go wrong with $8 shoes. If they don't fit (No returns), I can just donate them or swap them.

Oh, I love heavily discounted shoes!

The Bra / Heat Dilemna: Solved!

Okay, so I like Her Style just did a post on Peek-A-Boo Strapz, and I only wish I had found these sooner! They completely eliminate the whole bra strap dilemma. What a perfect solution to the problem! I'm digging the rose ones and the silver ones.