Inside & Out

I suppose I should be less of a curmudgeon and embrace the cold, both inside my flat and out. For lounging, I imagine cozy long knits, sweater upon sweater, and a Pendleton blanket to snuggle up in with a good book. For venturing out, it's best to wear appropriate shoes to ward off the cold and the slush, sheer blouses insulated by thick knits and a proper shearling coat (I was this close to convincing my mom to give me hers while home, guys - this close!). I hate gloves (they make me feel criminal) so fingerless will have to do, but with a good cuppa coffee to keep the tips warm. I can feel the flush of warmth in my cheeks as I type...

Oh Boy, Oi Polloi

For me, one of the joys of being a lass is comfortably wandering into the men's section of a store and being able to purchase something in sizes ranging from xxs to l with no qualms. I think it is a bit of a luxury to be able to wear men's clothing so freely... not that men cannot wear women's clothing, but I imagine the fit must be harder, at the very least. I quite like men's clothing, especially in terms of basics, sweaters, cardigans and the like, which is why I squealed in delight when I stumbled across Oi Polloi, an online boutique "for men" -- which just translates to online boutique of "oversized wonderfulness for me." I feel a bit bad stealing from the boys, when it's hard for them to do the same, but with goods like these, it's hard not to.

Notes on New York

(Rachel Comey SS10)
(Clockwise from top left: Karen Walker, DvF, Chris Benz, Julian Louie)
(Clockwise from top left: Rodarte, Erin Wasson x RVCA, Proenza Schouler, Ralph Lauren)

I've had so many random thoughts about New York Fashion week floating about my head for the past week, but never worked up the effort to get them out on paper/screen. I blame it on having to wake up at 5:45 everyday for five days and then having to go to work on Saturday as well. Makes me a deadbeat.

Anyway, here are my scribbles on what I loved from the past week...

• The colours, the layering, belted dresses and of course, the shoes by Rachel Comey. Oh, and her backpacks...my shoulders are still in dire need of one.
• Rodarte's burned, post-apocalyptic tribal woman -- while the aesthetic did not veer greatly from what they've done in the past, my god, they still are such artists with fabric and design.
• All the little details at Diane Von Furstenburg: clash of prints, belts and leaves in the hair.
  
• The boots at Erin Wasson v RVCA - don't know if they are actually part of the collection, but they were certainly the thing I coveted.
• The peach palette at Julian Louie.
• The twee, dainty dresses juxtaposed with the 3-piece suits at Ralph Lauren.
  
• Proenza Schouler's amazing tie-dyed dresses derived from scuba gear.
  
• The psychedelic/nautical mix that was Karen Walker's show.
• The fun, flirty rainbow at Chris Benz.

Overall, I was just happy to see less of the bad-ass and more fun injected into fashion week. There were more things that I want to try and translate into my own wardrobe for spring. Though I feel weird thinking about spring when fall has barely begun. Very confusing.

(All photos from style.com; click to enlarge)

Charles Anastase

(a mélange of his ss09 and aw09 collections ... click to enlarge)

Charles Anastase is definitely one of my favorite designers at the moment. I think it is because his particular brand is a perfect mix between the whimsical and the feminine and something darker and grungier. I adore his use of layering and the balance between romanticism and edge, so that everything is sweet without being saccharine. He appeals to my own competing tendencies in dressing, where I am drawn to the dainty and sweet and yet prefer (and often end up looking) a little bit scruffy and never too pristine.

PIG magazine recently visited him at his Shoreditch studio and interviewed him (which you can read on their site, either in Italian or with Google Translate). All I can say is (a) I can't wait to see what he dreams up next and (b) I want his sweater.



(photos via pigmag.com)

Behatted

(you can click, and it gets bigger!)

I love hats, and have a slight problem in collecting them and then not wearing them. A bowler, a cloche, a straw floppy, a felt floppy, a Panama hat, a fedora...my collection definitely does not lack in variety. But still, I have yet to find the 'perfect hat.' I am not quite sure what it entails, but I am constantly on the lookout. A hat can be a tricky thing to pull off without looking affected, but I am determined to find one that will sit pretty on my head, hide my uncooperative hair and make me look as wonderful as all these ladies. Ah, to dream the impossible dream.

En Rogue

Recently, I did a wardrobe round-up: emptied my closet onto my bed, organized my clothing by article and then counted the items as I put them away. This inventory was mostly to force me to see what I did and more importantly, did not, need, as well as to reintroduce me to the darkest corners of my closet. Of my somewhat haphazard tally count, probably the article with highest count had to be the t-shirt. I decided, then and there, no more tees for a good while. I just do not need any more.

Well, that caveat aside...

I am finding it very difficult not to scoop up one of these shirts. They are part of Rogues Gallery's Fall 08 menswear line, which is rugged and dark in its lumberjack appeal. I love the awkward fit of wearing men's tees, and find it amusing that my bf complains of the lack of reciprocation in our dressing. I can steal from him, but not vice versa. Anyway, I will be able to keep my tally count steady, if only because Rogue's shirts are out of my budget -- but that doesn't stop me from looking. And wanting.

You just gotta keep livin' man, L-I-V-I-N.

Oh man, more film posts. More film posts about the 70s. Oh well, what you gonna do? You're inspired by what you're inspired by, right? And this time, I made a collage so that has to be worth something!

Dazed and Confused. Classic high school movie. Classic stoner movie. Classic. It's another movie that I rewatched in recent weeks due to the fact that it came out when I was 7, and I probably saw it for the first time when I was 10 (bad parents!) and didn't quite grasp it. My dad had the soundtrack (he was a 70s teen) and the music was what made a lasting impression, until I saw the film again.

Course, the soundtrack is still the centerpiece, but when watching this time around I soaked up all the '70s goodness that Linklater (who wrote the film based on his own high school experiences) evoked. The clothes are pitch perfect...especially the men's wardrobe. There's Don Dawson's overalls, Mitch's adidas shirt, but most amazingly Randy "Pink" Floyd's party ensemble: a purple flowy-sleeved blouse and white flares...eep! As for the ladies, again high waisted wide leg loveliness throughout...

The film is ambling, rambling, playful, yet serious. It's unstructured and lingering, and has got to have one of the best music-fade-to-black endings ever.

all covered. up.

Knit, plaid, lace, opaque, two-toned, paisley, feathers, ripped, pinstripes...*SIGH* ...the list of choices for fall is endless. Who needs a new autumnal wardrobe, when there are all these brilliant tights around to add some oomph to something old?

I'm especially drawn to the Rodarte cobweb tights (bottom left; top right), the nude & black tights by Mine (@ the top), and Emma Cook's lacey creations (bottom right).

UPDATE: eep, forgot to say where i got the images: most of the tights i found were on mytights.com or sockdreams.com, and the other ones are runway shots from style.com (the designers are rodarte, chanel, alexander wang, anna sui, emma cook... i think that's all of them).

Initial(s) Reaction

Is it narcissistic to say that I have a thing for my own initials? Not to say that I particularly like the alphabet combination (D. [F.] W. ) but it functions well enough for a nickname or, say a blog sign-0ff...but anyway, I like having little items that have letters on them, letters that I identify with myself. I have the bracelets pictured above in the bottom right; and I wear them often, though never together. I've also had my eye on the tote bag from loyalty and blood, for no particular reason other than I like totes, the font is pretty wonderful, and D is me. And now, I have happened upon yet another item that feeds my initial desires (ha!) -- a ring made out of an antique typewriter button (which you custom order your preferred letter). I'm thinking of embracing my middle name and going with the unexpected F...

It seems that some designers are also into labeling as initials/monograms showed up on the runways of Miu Miu, amongst others for fall. I still haven't quite figured out why I like this theme...(motif?) as much as I do. Personally, I think it goes back to 9th grade seeing everyone carrying around those L.L. Bean Monogrammed Backpacks...I never had one (a Jansport girl) but I was faced with them day in and day out for four years of high school... (anyone know what I'm talking about?) Maybe, the idea of labeling one's stuff after oneself was cemented then. Or I could go Freudian and go further back into my childhood when my mother used to write my initials into the tags of all my clothing....

Pop-psychologizing aside, whatever the reason, I'm all for letting the world know, if I am anything, at the very least I am "DFW." So say my accessories.

Denim on Denim on Denim on

The double denim rule is one of those classic fashion rules; to break it is inexcusable, a sin amongst sins, a fashion travesty (gasp!). Though I'm not crazy about the idea of fashion rules, for most of my life, I happily nodded along with this one (save for a brief early 90s period of matching jeans and denim jacket -- but I was 8, so all is forgiven) but I've gots to say...

....I'm kinda loving most of the looks above. Especially, Ashley Olsen's take, as well as the French monsieur captured by the Sartorialist (bottom right).

In recent months I have been noticing double denim outfits showing up in editorials, blogs and street style sites, and it got me thinking. I'm beginning to believe that denim on denim can be done...if it is executed with some thought. Less of the matchy-matchy denim, more mixture of different denim washes and textures....so it seems less...well, denim.

At the mo' I haven't got the clothes (nor the £) to experiment with...so I made a quick attempt with polyvore (first time use)... I don't know if it would work in person, it's worth a thought.

A final thought: though I am reconsidering the denim rule, I'm thinking more about denim separates - shirts/shorts/skirts/jeans. Still not ready for the jean jacket/denim pant look, eh?