Wednesday, November 24, 2010

à bientôt

boyfriend jeans

this is certainly not the most scintillating outfit picture to leave you with for the Thanksgiving holiday, but there you have it, this is what i wore last sunday.

i'll be logging off and taking a break from the blog for a few days. i'll be spending time with my family, catching up with friends, eating way too much food, and maybe starting my Christmas shopping (let's see if i can resist buying things for myself!)

also, i took a cue from Dead Fleurette (hope she doesn't mind!) and recently started a tumblr to archive images i find inspiring.

for those in the US, enjoy the holiday and try not to get trampled during Black Friday sales. i'll be back in a few days with some brand spankin' new outfits. or, a more likely scenario, i'll be back with the same old, same old...



Martin Margiela nude body - what an awesome winter layering piece! (yoox.com) // Current/Elliot boyfriend jeans (Third Street Habit/Philly) // Rag & Bone t-shirt (Barneys Co-op) // thrifted Calvin Klein collection navy blazer (Housing Works Thrift/NYC)



Sunday, November 21, 2010

scripted

there aren't enough weekends in autumn to wear all of my favorite jackets; pretty soon it'll be time to hide beneath thick wool coats. i solve this dilemma by preparing a "script" for my day and writing in as many wardrobe changes as possible.

... first, an early morning coffee run ...

alexander mcqueen scarf, miu miu boots
Les Chiffoniers leather pants // SHIRT by CP Shades flannel shirt // 3.1 Phillip Lim chunky cardigan // Alexander McQueen pashmina // Tres Fluo leather bag // Miu Miu harness motorcycle boots


... later in the afternoon, making the rounds in thrift and consignment stores to console myself for not being in NYC for Lanvin x H&M. i briefly considered jumping on Amtrak for a day trip but that would have been silly seeing as i'll be heading home on Wednesday for Thanksgiving. i'm sure all of the good stuff will be gone by then. oh well, you win some, you lose some ...

alexander mcqueen tshirt, les chiffoniers

chanel jacket, louis vuitton stephen sprouse scarf
Alexander McQueen sharp-shouldered tee // Chanel jacket // Hermes collier de chien cuff // Louis Vuitton x Stephen Sprouse leopard scarf // Charles David suede boots



... and finally, an evening look ...

alexander mcqueen scarf
Costume National silk jacket // Alexander McQueen pashmina // suede boots from Daffy's



Thursday, November 18, 2010

mélange

cool in the shade, warm in the sun - last weekend was perfect fall weather.

ysl blouse

mulberry alexa



Monday, November 15, 2010

in hiding


rick owens



Saturday, November 13, 2010

uno más...

alexander mcqueen scarf
Costume National jacket // Alara tuxedo shirt // Current/Elliot jeans // Italian suede boots from Daffy's // Alexander McQueen animal print pashmina


Q: what is your process for creating new outfit combinations? i don't have a very large wardrobe, yet i often forget i own certain pieces.

A: it doesn't take a lot of time or effort for me to get dressed. after checking the weather forecast, it usually takes me 5, 10 minutes at most to come up with an outfit. i really had to think about this question, but i managed to boil down my process to a few loose guidelines. (these are for dressing in fall/winter, i don't really like my summer style so i'll just ignore that entire season, lol.)

1. most of the time i start with a base layer - for me, that's skinny pants and a slightly oversized top. from there i "build" an outfit, usually by throwing on a sharp, well-tailored jacket and a plush scarf. here are previous versions of the outfit above, all starting off with that base layer:

costume national, margiela, fendi baguette

costume national jacket

2. statement jackets are key to my look. this is probably why i can't turn down a good jacket, even though it's the last thing i need more of in my wardrobe!

3. it helps that my fall/winter wardrobe is comprised mostly of basics in neutral colors - white, beige, black, gray. if you walk into my closet blindfolded and pick out a random top and a random bottom, chances are you'll be able to walk out of the house in that outfit - everything matches. (it also helps that everything fits.)

4. when i get dressed i think about texture. shiny with matte, cashmere with leather, cotton shirts with chunky knits, etc. leather and lace is a combination i'll be playing around with this particular season.

5. i also think about balance. this is very important to me, and i think it's the key to looking effortless. i am forever balancing opposites when i get dressed. i pair skinny-leg pants with looser shirts or oversized sweaters. i balance tight dresses and short skirts with boxy jackets and grandpa cardigans. i wear men's style button-downs with leather or latex leggings. i'll throw a tough motorcycle jacket over a girly dress.

a great example of this balancing act is Carine Roitfeld during fashion week. she often wears very sexy thigh-high boots but she'll pair them with a demure knee-length skirt and plain sweater, or a classic trench coat that falls just to the knee. it's all about downplaying sexiness without getting rid of it entirely - taking it down a notch from overt to subtle.

carine roitfeld, over the knee boots



that's pretty much it - an outfit "base", a great jacket, neutral colors, texture, and balance. the rest is trial-and-error, and having a blog or other style diary helps tremendously.

if anyone has other tips to share, please do! i would love to hear your process.


Wednesday, November 10, 2010

shine on

my camera is crap. (maybe Santa can do something about that for Christmas?) fortunately photo-editing software makes up for some of its inadequacies. the "softglow" filter on GIMP salvaged this outfit picture by making it appear way more well-lit than it actually was.

chanel jacket, chanel purse

i should also explain that i will be neglecting all my other boots until i wear these in to the perfect amount of slouchiness. it might take a couple of weeks.

p.s. i also updated the archive; the original was getting a bit unwieldy so i split it into fall/winter and spring/summer.



Sunday, November 07, 2010

save it for later

i was a little hesitant to post this outfit. i was afraid of the Chanel purists out there who would gasp and say "where is the matching skirt?! the fancy stilettos?! why aren't you wearing PEARLS?!!!"

well you know what, i'll save the pearls for when i'm fifty. right now, this is how i'm wearing the jacket!

les chiffoniers, chanel jacket
Chanel tweed jacket // Martin Margiela Line 4 striped button-down shirt // Les Chiffoniers latex pants // random Italian suede boots found at Daffy's // Portolano cashmere scarf // Hermes collier de chien cuff // Elizabeth & James knuckle ring // Vanessa Bruno classic tote


p.s. bigger pictures - yay/nay/indifferent/didn't notice?


Saturday, November 06, 2010

the ultimate


chanel tweed jacket

chanel camelia

Photobucket

i saw this jacket several months ago at a consignment store. i visited it at least once a month, and every time i walked through the shop door i expected to see it gone from its perch. finally one day i requested to try it on. as soon as i put it on, i understood why no one had bought it. it fit me perfectly, right down to the sleeve length. it was snug around my waist yet fit around my chest without gaping (i found out later that the lining actually has a bit of stretch in it); it was a soft-structured jacket yet the shoulders were sharp. simply put, it was perfect. the way the jacket fit made me feel like it was made especially for me and no one else. needless to say, the jacket left its perch at the shop and came home with me that day.


chanel jacket


Friday, November 05, 2010

tl;dr part deux

alexander mcqueen ring

I was given an "I love your blog" prize by Dead Fleurette. Thanks so much! I'm very honored, and now it's my turn to answer the questions.

The rules of the prize are:
- Do an entry with the prize.
- Answer the questions.
- Give the prize to 10 blogs.

1. Why did you create the blog?
I used to post regularly on StyleDiary, an online community where people shared pictures of their daily outfits. Many of this blog's followers knew me first from that site. You can view the archive of pictures from StyleDiary on the page above, there's a link below the header. This blog is just an extension of that; it's basically the same concept, except this time my outfit pictures are slightly bigger.

2. What kind of blogs do you follow?
I follow tons of fashion blogs, much more than can fit in my blogroll. I also follow nerdy blogs like xkcd, slashdot, and BoingBoing, and silly ones like The Daily What and Comically Vintage on tumblr (<--Click! Best site ever!) I'm a native New Yorker but work in Philadelphia now, so I follow random New York -centric blogs to keep up with the times - I love the New York Public Library's twitter and tumblr, and I'm obsessed with the MTA's time-lapse videos.

3. Favorite makeup brand?
Well, unfortunately I am headless, but if I did have a face I would use La Roche-Posay's Anthelios 60 Ultra Light Sunscreen Fluid, Powder FX mineral makeup, YSL Touche Eclat, and Chanel's Inimitable Noir Obscur mascara.

4. Favorite clothing brand?
I collect original Helmut Lang by Helmut Lang pieces. I don't like the contemporary re-incarnation of the brand under Theory, most of the stuff just looks like wannabe Rick Owens. Incidentally, Kate Lanphear also collects vintage Helmut Lang so she is probably the one outbidding me on all the super amazing pieces on eBay. If Helmut Lang gave up his fine art career, bought back his name, and started designing clothes again, I would empty out my retirement fund and be the first on line (or maybe 3rd, since Kate Lanphear and Carine Roitfeld would probably get there ahead of me.) I do like the regular Theory line for work wear though, and Steven Alan for work shirts. I can't live without my Les Chiffoniers pants - I have 4 so far. Other brands I love and wear are Rick Owens, Ann Demeulemeester, Martin Margiela, and vintage YSL. For shoes I like Louboutin and Chanel. I must also mention that I never buy anything at full retail price, so put your darn claws away!

5. Your indispensable makeup product:
YSL Touche Eclat.

6. Your favorite color:
Beige.

7. Your perfume:
It's always been Jivago 24K.

8. Your favorite film:
Oh man, I was going to pretend that I like artsy French films (which I do!) to sound more interesting, but what I really love are violent films with good plots, and if there are a bunch of good-looking boys in it, even better. So one of my all-time favorite films is Scorsese's The Departed. I also like The Godfather, Aliens, and Terminator (the sequels of all those, not so much...) And randomly (also to sound less like a dumbass), I like many of Atom Egoyan's films.

9. What country would you like to visit and why?
Japan because I hear they have fancy toilets that greet you by lifting the toilet seat when you enter the bathroom, and also Sweden for all those great clothing brands (Acne, Weekday, Monki, etc.) that are hard to find in the US.

10. Make the last question and answer it yourself:
What is your greatest fear?

Mediocrity.


Thursday, November 04, 2010

too long; didn't read

ah, so tired. today is the first time this week i didn't come home from work only to do more work! t.g.i.f. tomorrow, that's all i'm sayin.

Photobucket
Theory button-down shirt // Theory pants // vintage leather jacket // Louis Vuitton x Stephen Sprouse scarf // Lanvin shoes (not to be confused with the errant Lanvin ballet flat in the corner! ;-)

i thought i might take advantage of this (most welcome) downtime to answer some recent questions...

Q: why are your weekend outfits so different from your work week? do you work in a conservative environment? i work in education, and i must admit to loving my work week outfits so much more than my weekend outfits. so it is surprising to me to see one of my fav fashion bloggers (::blushing::) have the complete opposite experience.

A: i'm an engineer, and yes we do have a dress code, although it's not very strict. i pretty much interpret it as "shirts with collars + no jeans." i'm totally okay with dress codes. it's like back in the day when i had to wear a school uniform - everyone else complained, but i loved it. that's an extra 15 minutes of sleep when you don't have to think about what to wear! i think a Devil Wears Prada sort of situation where i had to look chic everyday (Paris Vogue team, i'm lookin at you) would be a nightmare actually. i have to commute outside of the city for work, so when i'm stumbling in the darkness of the early morning, the last thing i want to do is come up with a cute outfit. it's not everyone's cup of tea, but i take comfort in the fact that all i have to do is pick out trousers and a button-down shirt and i'm out the door. i know i'll always have the weekend to wear whatever i want, just like those precious "first fridays" at school when you didn't have to wear your uniform. it's probably also why i'm generally overdressed for the quotidian things i do on the weekends. there's another advantage to having separate wardrobes - i extend the life of my weekend clothes by not wearing them so often. all the clothes i love would be in dire condition by now if i wore them as often as my work clothes. everyone's situation is different of course, but i don't feel like my self-expression and creativity are stifled by boring work wear. if anything, unless you work in fashion, when someone's handing you a paycheck every week you want to be known for your work not your flair. as you can tell from my latest post, i'm into this whole fashionista-secret-identity thing... i don't think my co-workers would recognize me if they saw me on the weekends! luckily the chances of that happening are slim to none, as they are probably holed up in their basements all weekend playing World of Warcraft, not partying in the city. lol. love you, nerds.