Coraline & Creepers

Long time no see, grasshoppers! I missed you!

Has anyone seen the movie Coraline? I watched it last week, and I found the animation absolutely breathtaking. The first half of the movie was completely amazing, and although I think the story became a bit forced or rushed or something in the second half, I still loved it. Go watch! 

I should also mention that Coraline's style sensibilities were excellent.

See? Girl was rocking a police hat so well it made me want to do the same. In fact, Daria wore a similar cap in March's Vogue Paris. Coraline also shone in a star print sweater that reminded me of Spring '08 Chanel, and I really loved her blue bob, which reminded me a bit of this street style snap of Katie Schillingford. Well done, Little C!

Also, I made this collage for personal inspiration maybe a week ago, but I think it's worth sharing:

Yep, I'm liking creepers lately. They are so, so hideous. I'm not sure why I like them. Yikes.

Because the collage wasn't originally gonna be posted up here, I didn't save the sources. Sorry, folks. But I do remember taking photos from Style Bubble, Style.com, Nylon, and Lookbook.nu. The shoes on the bottom left are definitely Dior, and I definitely love them. I believe the top right is Nathan Jenden. The multiple ways these shoes can be styled is baffling, no? As is my terrible taste, because man these are ugly.

Mad Linkz, Yo

I know I've been horribly bad about updating lately, and I'm sorry. I have so many things I've been dying to show y'all (including the acquisition of a sweet faux leather jacket!), but I never quite seem to get around to it. Busy life and all of that. Anyway, I'll share some amazing links for now, and hopefully I'll have a post with some actual writing in it up soon.

♥ This is probably the best thing I've seen in a while. Seriously. I am absolutely blown away.

♥ Some crafty fashionistas have been hard at work lately. Care to make a hole-y scarf? A Wasson-esque harness? Some Alexander Wang-inspired chained jeans (another sweet option here)? Some kick-ass tights? A split belt? A braided neck scarf/necklace/thing? Yes?

♥ Missbehave is going completely digital. Sad! This means that you should sign up for their Weekly Newsflash if you wanna stay on top of things. Also, read their rad blog, will ya?

♥ Style Copycat does a really great job of breaking down trends into different categories of photographic inspiration. So much eye candy it's almost overwhelming.

♥ The way these boots are styled pretty much makes my life. Okay, I exaggerate a tad. But they do look fantastic, no?

♥ This photo shoot is so, so great.  Embroidered patches, buttons, and denim? Yes please!

♥ The jewelry here makes me happy. Although to be perfectly truthful, the jewelry here will always come first in my heart. (Just not in real life where my price range does not allow for it.)

♥ Oh, hello, sleek modern-day version of Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz!

♥ I really love Ellen von Unwerth. Especially when she does shoots of Liv Tyler that look like this.

♥ I just finished watching seasons one and  two of Skins here. The show is great. Check it out, if only for Cassie's wonderfully dreamy/girly style.

♥ I've really been appreciating Fake Karl lately, and this comic is very fashion, hmm?

♥ 22 reasons to love Stockholm. 

♥ Is it just me, or does Danny Roberts get better and better? His work is always amazing.

Alright, that's all for now. Can you tell I've been saving up for a post? I am infinitely grateful for the tag system on Google Reader.

A Beautiful Headcase

Hello, lovelies! Sorry I've been kinda MIA lately. Double ear infections and broken laptops are not exactly conducive to blogging.

Last month I was gushing about how, after a disappointing downward spiral in quality, Teen Vogue appeared to be getting its fashion groove on once more. The March issue proves it. I don't know what changes have been made in the offices, but whatever they are, they are seriously working. I loved every one of the photoshoots in this issue. Innovative and adorable, they are just what I've come to hope for (and possibly now, expect) from Teen Vogue.

My favorite one, Beautiful Dreamer, showcased outfits styled around mens' pajamas. I'm pretty sure the editorial was inspired by Spring '09 Dolce & Gabbana, and I found it very creative, not to mention beautiful. I'm not sure if I'll be wearing mens' pajamas out, but the fact that I'm even considering it means Teen Vogue deserves serious props.

Check it out (apologies for the lousy photo quality...my scanner was acting up and I couldn't find scans on the internet so I had to use my camera):

Beautiful and dreamy indeed! See the March issue for the rest of the shoot.

I also really appreciated Head Case, which focused on semi-outrageous, playful, and girly head accessories. Look how cute!

Source: TFS

This shoot just makes me want to pile on the colorful accessories and giggle with girlfriends. Reminds me a bit of iCiNG's old catchphrase; "Dress up, leave a false name, be legendary." Very Betsey Johnson - meets Luella - meets Marc Jacobs, I think.

No, I don't work for Teen Vogue, although frankly I wish I did. I just have much love for the publication. Keep it up, li'l Vogue!

What is it About Michelle Obama?

Today I had a college interview. Amid sips of tea, nodding as I recounted my experience as a fashion blogger, my interviewer leaned forward to ask a question. "How do you feel," she began, "about Michelle Obama?" She set her tea mug down with a thunk and gazed at me curiously. "Is this a big thing in fashion? Why is she so important among your generation and your industry?"

I paused to think for a moment. Most people hate interviews, but I tend to enjoy them. I am often asked questions I am unprepared for, questions that nudge me along a new vein of thought. These questions help me to learn more about myself and my thoughts, and I generally find them interesting.

I twirled my mug around in my hands as I thought, then set it down decisively. "I'm not sure how others feel about her, but speaking for myself, I see her as this amazing role model. She's a gorgeous woman and everyone can see that, and yet she's not stick thin. I think it's great that younger girls will be able to look at her and find her beautiful instead of the emaciated models in magazines."

That was pretty much the extent of my answer (hey, I was put on the spot), but now that I've been thinking about it more I've decided there's a lot I could have added to it. Sure, she's not the norm of beauty in our society. She's not a size zero, she's black, she has shorter hair. None of these things are typical on the runway, magazine pages, or even little girls' dolls. And yeah, it's fantastic that we can all see her as beautiful not just despite these things, but because of them. But it goes beyond that. Michelle is a strong, accomplished woman. She's a successful lawyer, she worked hard on her husband's campaign, and she does a lot of hands-on charity work. She will no doubt continue to work hard for our country. I love seeing a woman who is so smart, so driven and hard-working, illustrate what it means to be female in this day and age. In the past, women have had to take on certain "male" characteristics to succeed in a male-dominated world. And yet Michelle dresses in a stylish, feminine manner, openly acts the mother to her children, but never sacrifices her career and strength. 

I'm proud that today's children will be able to grow up with such a role model. 

(Obviously Barack's a great role model too, but this post isn't about him.)

(Photo taken from Mrs. O)

Inauguration Day!

Today was amazing.

I'm not even talking about fashion when I say that, but since this is a fashion blog I might as well comment on the new First Family's outfits. Barack looked dashing in sleek black suits, Sasha and Malia were adorable in J.Crew, and Michelle really dazzled in Isabel Toledo and Jason Wu. Both of Mrs. Obama's outfits were designed specifically for her, and I think she looked freaking amazing. The Jason Wu gown especially was stunning. When Barack asked the crowd at the Neighborhood Ball, "How good-looking is my wife?" I wanted to cheer. And their first dance as a First Couple. . . sigh. I am such a girl.

I am thrilled and excited to see what comes next for our country. Yay President Obama!

Huh?

Just saw this on the Forever 21 website. Does anyone else find it odd that the news didn't leak out through the blogs before the official announcement? And doesn't Forever 21 already have a "boutique line" of sorts aka Twelve by Twelve? And, um, what makes this unoriginal pink t-shirt, sweater, and denim miniskirt combo (I kinda cut the skirt out to make this pic fit on my blog, sorry guys) "boutique"? 

Guess we'll find out soon.

A Different Kind of Dress-Up

Yesterday I decorated a shirt, but it was not for fashion's sake. In fact, the shirt was absolutely nerdy, and not in a remotely chic way. No, my shirt was a basic Hane's sweatshirt, which I used markers to emblazon with the message, "Don't Legislate Hate." And I wore it to a DOMA protest run by Join the Impact MA in Boston, along with two cousins/friends.

I've never been to a gay rights protest before, but the experience was great. The crowd was smaller than expected - only two hundred people or so showed up due to the 16 degree (Fahrenheit) weather - but there was a lot of energy. We listened to speeches, cheered and booed at the appropriate times, and then marched down the street past the state house. Everyone was so friendly, so united for the cause, and there was an amazing gay slam poetry performance to end the event. Everyone was beyond freeeezing, but it was worth it to us to be there. A great experience!

Ha, I almost took a picture with the girl whose sign said "Nerdy Straight Girls for Marriage Equality," since I am indeed a nerdy straight girl in favor of marriage equality. I truly believe that everyone should have the right to marry the person they love and experience the benefits of an officially documented marriage. It's terrible that gay, lesbian, transgender, bisexual, and generally "queer" individuals are treated as second-class citizens in this day and age, and in this country. I'm glad that it's in my power to help forward the goal of "liberty and justice for all."

The top two photos are mine (okay, okay, my cousin took them), but the bottom three are courtesy of Tom™5.

The protest was part of a nationwide movement. Join the Impact in your city/state!