Deep Red

Lately I've been noticing girls with hair dyed a deep, unnatural red popping up on street style blogs.

Photo sources: Dropsnap.jp, The Fashionist, Style Sightings, Dropsnap.jp

I have to say, I think it looks really good. It's definitely a statement since the color is clearly straight from a dye bottle, but it's a lot more subtle than, say, neon tresses.

I love how the top two girls styled it in a way that's classic yet modern. A bit of ladylike demeanor, some hints at vintage luxury, and a quirky sense of humor are great companions to the deep red bob. Of course, if you know me at all, then you can be sure that the bottom two girls share my style sensibilities to a greater extent. Whether rocking extremely long (left) or extremely short (right) locks, these girls were sure to don all black to add a nice contrast between hair and clothing. Killer shoes, sleek tight-clad legs, and a pinch of punky attitude finish off the look nicely.

Yeah, I'll probably be taking periodic breaks from my bio-studying to peer at myself in the mirror and contemplate whether it's a good idea to give my dark brown waves a bit of a reddish tint. Something darker than the girls in the photos, mind you, because my vampire-pale skin actually has an olive undertone, but I can't help but wonder whether I should give it a try. Just for fun. Then all I need is those studded boots and the leopard-print coat. . .

Fashion Inspiration: Drue Kataoka

Wow, what a night last night, huh? Obama's victory struck me a lot more intensely than I had anticipated, and I was whooping and dancing for joy with the best of them. More than just relief, I felt some distinct jubilation. This will be an interesting term, and I have a lot of hope for America.

Of course, this morning found me waking with a giddy emotion I can only compare to that of a child the day after their birthday when the party's over but there are still presents to unwrap and leftover cake to munch. Not to be too specific or anything. But I flipped open my laptop, set Obama's speech to play in the background, and like the true fashion geek that I am, clicked through to Mrs. O. Mrs. O is a fun blog documenting Michelle Obama's style, and I was a bit anxious to see who had made her dress from election night. (Narcisso Rodriguez, Spring '09, by the way.) Anyway, scrolling further, my eyes were met by this photo:

I like Michelle's style for the most part, I really do, but who could concentrate on her sober suit when the woman beside her was rocking a beflagged dress in a fresh, edgy way? Certainly not me!

It turns out this woman is a well-known artist named Drue Kataoka. Her artwork is definitely noteworthy, but so is her style.

I think Drue does a really good job balancing funky and classic pieces. Her signature sleek '20s-style bob, bright red lipstick, and matching nail polish always make a statement, and she clearly isn't afraid to stand out.

Whether she's clad in a form-fitting black dress, shimmering floor length gown, or silver pants, she seems to have definite flair for the dramatic, as is probably befitting an artist. I really am smitten with her fashion sense; she's one to watch!

That said, I am kind of psyched to see what Michelle Obama wears to the inaugural ball.

And also, don't you think Drue could pull off that YSL bob with fantastic success?

I Vote McQueen

I'm sitting here doing homework (well, okay, I was doing homework up until I checked my email and decided to share my findings) and feeling a bit nervous about the election. I voted this morning; you should too! America is a democracy, so vote for the man you believe will be the best president. . .as long as that man is Obama. Ha, I slightly jest.

Anyway, if Mccain-Palin win the race and we all have to flee the country, we can at least cheer ourselves up with this news, which I just found in WWD.

"Target in March will launch a new fashion initiative called Designer Collaborations. The program will bring the styles of well-established designers to the mass merchant at typical Target prices. Alexander McQueen is the first on deck and will design a version of his McQ collection called McQ Alexander McQueen for Target. The collection will have rock 'n' roll influences and edgy details such as studs and tattoo-print fabrics. Designer Initiative is a separate program from Target's Go International, which focuses on young or emerging designers. Target said additional Designer Collections will be announced in the future. Each collection will be available in stores for a limited time."

!!!!!!!!!!!!

McQueen for Target. Obama for America?

One can only hope.

Happy Halloween

I ended up having a fairly nontraditional Halloween last night. With only a few hours available for celebration, and having rejected all of the costumes at the local iParty, I culled a fairly lame costume from the depths of my closet with intentions of attending a Halloween party.

I guess I was trying to be some sort of "punk rocker chick," but when I made my way to the door, studded purse in hand, and my mom stopped me to ask why I wasn't dressed up, it became clear that I was dressed in the kind of outfit I would wear on a normal day. Whoops. I did make the mistake of taking inspiration from this outfit of Gala's, which wasn't exactly a costume. But at least I have some sweet ripped tights now! And since I ended up skipping the party in favor of a dinner out with friends, the fairly normal costume turned out to be a blessing in disguise (pun intended.)

My Halloween look was fairly uninspiring, so why don't you look at these instead:

♥ Louise amidst skulls . . . spooky . . .

♥ Alix is the classic witch in a perfect location

♥ thegreatdawn made this amazing Bjork dress! (found in this BlackCigarette post.)

♥ Ooh! Ooh! I want Hermes sneakers too!

♥ Taghrid clearly has a knack for fantastic costumes. Can you say wow?

♥ And also, wow?

Cobrasnake has posted tons of Halloween pics since I last looked, so I'm off to take a peek! The actual holiday may be over, but I still have a bucket full of leftover candy to munch on, faux spiderwebs adorning my doorway, and some crazy party photos to live vicariously through. Hope everyone had an amazing day/night!

Autumn

Here's some proof that I'm sometimes pretty low maintenance:

I went for the most beautiful hike today, dog in tow (or rather racing through the pond muck ahead of me), without a care for my appearance. I really think it's important for everyone, fashion-obsessed as they might be, to have some time off from worrying about that stuff. You don't need to look perfect all the time. So when I'm off to the forest, it's on with a comfy Alternative Apparel top, faded jeans, and torn up Chucks. Today I accessorized by throwing an '80s scarf around my head to keep my hair out of my face and slinging the trusty camera bag over my shoulder. Tres walking chic. Ahem. Well, at least tres walking. The chic part is debatable.

But honestly, was there even a point in trying to compete with the splendor of my surroundings?

I'm pretty sure it couldn't have been done. Ahh, I love autumn in Massachusetts.

At the moment, I'm planning to attend a party to celebrate the opening of the Achilles Project's new online boutique tomorrow night. It's open to the public, so let me know if you're going to be there and maybe we can meet up! It should be fun and a good place to encounter fashionable Bostonians. I've been meaning to check out the Achilles Project for ages, anyway. New Brahmin has the details about the party if you're interested. I'll try to take some photos and get a real feel for the boutique; after all, even if you can't make it to the brick-and-mortar Boston location, you'll soon be able to shop online. . .

Global Americans

There was an interesting article in today's Boston Globe about photographer Augustus F. Sherman. Sherman was an amateur photographer working at Ellis Island in the early 1900s. He snapped pictures of immigrants of questionable status (those who were in danger of being deported) in their native costume, and the results are both haunting and sartorially pleasing. Globe writer Mark Feeney points out that the photographs seem to depict the people as "types rather than individuals," as if wearing "sartorial passports." To me, it does seem a bit ironic to capture images of prospective Americans facing the possibility of being sent back to their original countries in their native costumes; it feels almost like a sinister mockery of their precarious position.

That said, the pictures are also incredibly inspiring style-wise. The clothing is intricate, beautiful, and not at all costume-y in the sense that its wearers look completely at home in it. I like that a lot of aspects of these outfits can be found on modern day runways; it just goes to show that America, and the world for that matter, is truly a giant melting pot. So for now, let's try to put aside misgivings about the photographer's intentions and just enjoy his work for what it is - a much older, much less spontaneous, yet just as inspiring version of The Sartorialist.

"Three Women from Gaudeloupe"

"Pipers"

"Hindoo Boy"

"Ruthenian Woman"

"Gypsy Family"

"Girl from Rattvik, Province of Dalarna, Sweden"

"Gaudeloupean Woman"

"Greek Woman"

What are your favorite pieces in these photos? I'm absolutely loving the Greek woman's jewelry (seriously, wow) and the Gaudeloupean women's ultra-chic combo of printed dresses and turban-like hats.

[Photo source]

New Stuff

Well, grasshoppers, there's nothing like a bit of bio studying to encourage me to lug out my tripod and take a few shots of some new purchases. I realize that terrible lighting, a camera that can't focus on what I want it to, and practically nonexistent editing software do not great photos make, but I did my best.

Yesterday I hit the mall for a few hours, and walked away with two things I was pretty excited about. The first item was a pair of ankle boots. Black buckled leather with chunky 2.5 inch heels I can actually walk in . . . from Payless, of all places. Yes, apparently you can buy actual leather at Payless now. And they're comfy too! I realize higher heels would look much better, but I am a firm believer that constantly falling on my face would be far less attractive.

The second item was clearly fated to be mine. I had been eyeing this dress at Gap since the preview in the spring, and when I popped into the store yesterday, there was one left. In my size, and marked down from $58 to $23. It may not have been my original color choice, but that didn't stop me from gleefully rushing it over to the cash register and paying up. No, it's not flattering, but I like it anyway. Hooray!

Happily, my two buys look quite cute together, if I do say so myself.

Let's ignore the fact that I didn't brush my hair today.

In reality, I'm thinking the dress, with its easy, cozy feel, will be worn with sweater leggings, the trusty combats, and a bomber jacket on frigid winter days.

In this photo, we can ignore both the unbrushed hair and my disturbing facial expression, k? I knew you would understand. . .

Photos of my pretty new blazer are still forthcoming. I need to get back to that scintillating (I jest) bio studying. Believe me, I'd rather take photographs.