studying for finals aka watching Top Model reruns on MTV and musing about London fashion

So today MTV was airing the cycle where Nicole won (she beat out my fave, Nik) and one of the episodes, taking place in London, had the girls being schooled in London fashion by the seemingly lovely, witty, somewhat catty Simon Doonan of Barneys. He explained four major fashion movements that have swept London: preppy, Bollywood, punk, and (of course) mod.



I do enjoy some of Vivienne Westwood's designs, but I have to say I'm not too big a fan of the punk look, especially since it's been so diluted and Hot Topic-ed that I don't think it's subversive at all. (As previous posts attest, I do enjoy the 60s English androgynous tight-pants, colorful, bohemian rock musician look though)



And I guess the Bollywood thing is nice too, but the thing that bothers me about a lot of the Indian/Pakistani/South Asian in general way with textiles is that it can get TOO excessive. I always like incorporating one or two elements--glass bangles of one color, big earrings, shawls or scarves--into an outfit because that's just my sensibility. And in my day I have seen many saris and shalwar kameez that would have been perfect if the designer hadn't OD-ed on color and embroidery and held back a little.



I think the idea of preppy is interesting too. I used to always interpret it as a New England prep school sort of thing, with boy's blazers, , argyle, sweater vests, some tweed, Ralph Lauren Rugby kind of stuff. Sort of how they dress the boys on Gossip Girl. I am really not a fan of the other idea of preppy, the pink and green sometime J. Crew-y sensibility (I did see a girl with a very nice white coat the other day, which was from J. Crew! So I like some of their things)



Basically, one of my favorite fashion eras ever is mod. I think most people assume it's just black and white, shift dresses, long straight hair, false eyelashes but there were lots of variations to that, with crazy colors and patterns. Twiggy, (ANTM judge, coincidentally, replacing the alleged "first supermodel" Crazy Janice Dickinson) had the big doe eyes, short boyish hair, and super skinnyness (not great for a lot of girl's self-esteem, of course).

I don't know. Watching Top Model and seeing the girls have to be educated about Carnaby Street just makes me want to go to England so badly!

outfit and ebay

Today was sunny, so I got to actually wear something I liked. Wardrobe Remix wouldn't accept it because it wasn't a complete head to toe photo. I really need to learn how to prop my camera so I can get a full shot. I have just been placing it on top of the microwave and using the self-timer. Maybe I'll get a tripod one day.

top: h&m
cardigan: h&m
jeans: american eagle
hat: ebay
blazer: nordstrom

My hat reminds me of my favorite site, Ebay. Now that I am in college I have bidding on everything! But lately I've been trying to learn some self-restraint. I'm always jealous of the amazing clothes I see on fashion bloggers that are from thrift stores because I don't have any near me. But with Ebay I can find cute vintage clothing. Although I must admit, I am generally reluctant to tell people about items I buy from Ebay. People usually think the idea of wearing pre-loved clothing is gross. Oh well, their loss I suppose. I am very excited about my most recent win. I told myself I wouldn't post this until I received them because if they don't fit I'll be pretty disappointed. But I am too happy to care!
They are a pair of vintage Salvatore Ferragamo oxfords. I won them for $7.50 so it won't be too upsetting if they aren't authentic. I had wanted a pair of oxfords ever since I saw a girl on the Sartorialist wearing a pair of her own Ferragamos. I do already own a pair of oxfords that I also got from Ebay, but they turned out to be very smooth inside and kept slipping off my feet (one of the bad things about ebay...you never really know what you'll get). Hopefully this pair will be better!

19th birthday wishes

I've been having a pretty bad day. It is freezing outside and snowing, so I can't think of anything nice to wear. I really need tips for dressing cute but at the same time staying warm. Also, I've been doing terribly in all my classes. This week has definitely drained what self-confidence I had. So, I decided to think about my 19th birthday. It's in May which is a long ways away, but I needed something to cheer me up. As I've gotten older, I've been wanting individual high quality items for my birthdays rather than a bunch of small gifts. This year I decided I really wanted a watch. As I said before, I love the whole menswear inspired look and I've always wanted a men's watch. I have a pretty tiny wrist and it's been hard for me to find a watch that has that look of a man's watch without looking ridiculously large. Luckily, I found this watch by Original Penguin. It is made for women but has the look of a men's watch. I think it is timeless, yet has interesting details like the gold hands and the black face. I also want to get a small light brown cross body bag. I really love the look of the Barnard Crossbody from Hayden Harnett, but at $325 it is definitely out of my budget. It seems like something you could pick up at a thrift store, though. Too bad I don't have any near me. That's all for now, I hope you all had a better day than I did!

outfit of the day

It was so windy today! Honestly, I had trouble walking in straight line. This outfit is pretty boring, but this week I don't think I'm going to be dressing very nice. The weather is supposed to be pretty gross and since I walk to class this limits me a lot. I am the type of person to wear a jersey dress to lecture while everyone else shows up in sweatpants, but when it is cold, windy, and rainy then I have to be practical. Thank goodness this week is my final week of classes! Now I just have a million finals to prepare for.

I wanted to show you my new coat as well! I think it is beautiful and I love the color red. My favorite part is the striped lining of the sleeves. Now that I'm looking at these pictures again, I feel like I look pretty bulky on top. Oh well.

sweater: h&m
scarf: h&m
shoes: converse
coat: gap
earrings: etsy
jeans: american eagle
belt: alice temperly for target

introduction: husna

So, I should do one of these too. Like the other lady bloggers, I am an 18 year old college student. I have an extreme fondness for Vogue. Even though it is rather elitist and features a lot of ridiculous high society types, I enjoy looking at the pretty, pretty designer things. This month's holiday issue with Penelope Cruz on the cover (I usually dislike the actress on fashion magazine cover thing, but I enjoy Penelope quite a bit) has a gorgeous spread with her in Madrid. Lots of beautiful gowns.

Other magazines I look at are the more affordable Elle, Glamour, and Lucky. They're pretty hit or miss, but I always cut out/rip out inspiring pictures. If I can figure out my scanner, I'll scan a recent Glamour shoot (the issue with America Ferrara on the cover) that was very whimsically girlish.

Maryse turned me on to the blog, The Sartorialist, which is great. I love his photos and the outfits he photographs always have some eyecatching (sometimes very subtle, which I appreciate) aspect.

My style inspirations include:

Frida Kahlo.

I love shawls and scarves for winter, and I love big jewelry and lively colors for spring and summer. I'm on the hunt for a Mexican-style embroidered white tunic/sun dress.

The Rolling Stones/really anybody who apes that "60s" look/the groupie look from Almost Famous

I do enjoy skinny jeans and I find it frustrating and amusing that it is often skinny men like Mick Jagger and Keith Richards in their heyday who really pull off the drainpipe jeans a helluva let better than many of the girls who frequent my campus. (The truth: they are not for everyone.) I think skinny jeans, high heeled boots, and a printed shirt with a scarf and interesting jewelry is an easy look to pull together, and comfortable enough to wear casually. I guess the somewhat boho/hippie look of the 60s is the first fashion idea that obsessed me so I will always take a second look at tunics and interesting prints. Plus, my family's from Pakistan so bright prints in various fabrics are somewhat part of my cultural background too.

Patti Smith

Love her music, love her style. Very casual, yet put-together. I read an interview with Sienna and Savannah Miller citing Patti as an inspiration for their new line, twenty8twelve. Good choice, ladies.

Audrey Hepburn

Sadly, it's such a cliche to cite her as an "inspiration", but she is eternal proof that black pants, a simple sweater, and ballet flats can be chic. So effortlessly classic.

scarves/shawls/neck covering loveliness

I know that pashmina shawls and so-called "ethnic" scarves have been fashionable for quite a while now, but I guess I didn't realize to what extent until I got to college. It seems like everywhere I go, girls are either dolled up in head-to-toe J. Crew and bundled up in a bright mono-coloured pashmina, or dolled up in head-to-toe Urban Outfitters and bundled up in a printed scarf of varying ethnicity.

I read an old interview with Tim Gunn where his big piece of advice towards making any outfit classy and chic was adding a scarf or shawl. My mom definitely lives by this rule--since I was little, I remember watching her critically appraise herself in the mirror and matching a scarf or shawl to her outfit before leaving to the bank/PTO meeting/office/grocery store/whatever random places she went to where she had to look good.I've gotten into the habit of stealing scarves and shawls from her, which she certainly does not appreciate. She always lectures me about trying to dress older than I am, and so, tries to steer me in the direction of pashminas with a single shade.

I have a bright blue and orange one, and they are certainly comfortable and warm, but I think it's so much more fun to pair a multi-coloured print with an outfit than just one color. And while I would never buy all of my clothes from either Urban Outfitters or J. Crew (or any one store, really), right now I am feeling a bit more overpriced boho hipster than overpriced prep.

Most of the scarves I wear are from Pakistan (hooray for being second-generation). We're going to visit my family during winter break so hopefully I can write more about the treasure trove that is Pakistani shopping. The Anarkali Bazaar is *my* yearly religious pilgrimage, yo.

This is one of my favorite scarves from Pakistan (and more locally, Mommy's closter). It's pretty big, so I usually wear it as a wrap, tossed ever so elegantly about my shoulders, but Lantern Night was held on a particularly chilly October evening so I decided to wear it the way I usually see people wear single colored scarves. It's not my favorite style, but in my experience it is the warmest. Excuse the unflattering "bat robe" as we call them. They were forced upon us, unfortunately.

This second one is a more recent purchase, a Portugese scarf from this lovely consignment store Piccadilly Court in the town of Bryn Mawr. Excuse the strange photo, my sister directed me to "Pretend to be a ghost!" I really love the contrast between the bright white color and the incredibly colorful print. It's a very nice wool material that truly keeps me quite warm.

Since it is a square scarf, I usually fold it into a triangle and wear it so that the pointy part hangs down my back and the two long ends are just casually tossed over my shoulders. It looked okay with the white cable-knit I have on in this picture, but I think I prefer it when paired with one of the bright colors in the print, such as with a bright yellow button down I have from Forever 21.

It's probably my second favorite thing I've bought at college (the boots win!). I'm not so good with the square scarves though. I find it awkward to wear under coats and stuff since you can't just wrap it around your neck a couple times as with rectangular styles. Perhaps it is a bit early for me to think of this, but I have a square silk Ferragamo scarf that I am dying to wear, but I can never figure out how to wear the square scarves right. I don't want to look like a flight attendant or anything!

introduction: sundes

Well, Maryse and Husna thought I wasn't interested in contributing to this new venture of theirs (I certainly wish they had let me help pick the title), but of course I am! I may not be as consistently stylish as those two, but I do love clothes and fashion.

My name, Sundes, means "silk from heaven" in Arabic so perhaps I've been sartorially inclined since birth. I am 18 years old, studying at the best college in the world (Bryn Mawr! Bryn Mawr! Bryn Mawr!). One of the many wonderful things about Bryn Mawr is its proximity to Philadelphia. So far, I don't like Philly as much as I do NYC or Boston, but South Street is pretty fantastic.

In fact, I was just there today, and I bought what is perhaps my most daring accessory ever...

THIGH HIGH BOOTS.

For the most part my style has been prim and ladylike but I have tried to move away from that and try trendier, edgier things. You're only young once, after all. I've craved a pair for ages, but unfortunately most people automatically think of prostitutes when they hear "thigh high boots."

It certainly didn't help matters much that when I started browsing for them on the internet, I was frequently directed to websites that embraced the trashier, more erotic aspect. My wise sister suggested going for flat suede boots to minimize the seedy factor.

Well, today I was at this huge shoe store in South Street that also managed to be incredibly cramped (sorry I forgot the name). Despite the at-times overwhelming hustle and bustle of the place, I found a plethora of over-the-knee options.

Makemechic.com features a variety of flat suede boots, similar to what I encountered at the store. While this type of style may look great on a waif like Sienna Miller, I simply couldn't pull it off. Being a short person, I looked really dumb in these boots. It might have also been that I picked out an incredibly pointy-toed pair, but seriously, I felt like an elf. A very naughty elf.

Since I'm a poor college student, I obviously couldn't afford these gorgeous Michael Kors suede boots (at Zappos.com), but I found a pretty similar pair by Pierre Dumas. The biggest difference is that mine are sort of pre-folded over at the top. I decided that I do need a bit of a heel, and while I am a sucker for pointy-toed shoes, the rounded heel is a nice change.

Once I got back from my little shopping trip, I immediately pulled out a bunch of short dresses and tights to try the boots with. Right now I've paired the boots with a short yellow sweater dress, black tights, and a black sweater (plus my gold owl necklace yay Bryn Mawr!). I only have one pair of semi-skinny jeans, so I tried the boots with that as well.

I think it's really easy to avoid being whoreish in them. Just stay away from bare legs and leather--stick to suede and opaque tights or jeans. I am in love with these boots and hopefully once I get a camera I can post some ways I've tried to make them work.

Speaking of "making it work," I MISS PROJECT RUNWAY. The worst thing about college is that I've barely watched any TV here. This wouldn't be such a bad thing, with the writer's strike going on and most of my old favorite shows apparently sucking hard (I've been hearing things, Heroes), but...PROJECT RUNWAY! Only two weeks left in the semester, though, and then I can be home for a month and watch TV and go shopping instead of attend class.

introduction: maryse

Hello all, this is kind of out of order but I felt like I should introduce myself. My name is Maryse, I am an 18 year old college student. Although at the moment, my money (or lack of) limits the things I can buy and I am not by any means fashion forward, I enjoy clothes very much. I can't accurately describe my style so instead I'm going to tell you about some of my style inspirations.

 

For one, I love Paul Smith's menswear for women. I like the juxtaposition between something diaphanous like a white eyelet dress and something more structured like a school boy blazer. It's cliche, I'm sure, but I am also inspired by the women of the 60s. Most notably: Joan Baez, Janis Joplin, Joni Mitchell, Anna Karina and Françoise Hardy.

I never look to magazines much for ideas, because it's hard finding one I like (although I've heard great things about LULA magazine which I have yet to get my hands on). Instead I love looking at "street style" because I find outfits worn by real women much more accessible than the ones I see in fashion spreads. That's why I regularly visit The Sartorialist, The Moderniteter, and Elle Magazine's Street Chic.

So that's all for now. I hope this gave you a little idea about my personal style. Many more posts to come featuring items I want, trends I like, and even outfits of my own. So stay tuned all you non-existant readers out there! (Oh and excuse me while I figure out formatting for these entries. I haven't used HTML in forever)

oxford shoes and shirts

I really think that menswear...for ladies! is always "in." There's just something wonderfully chic about a ladylike outfit with a touch of masculinity, whether it's a chunky watch or excellent tailoring.

Lately, I've been on the hunt for a pair of sleek black oxford shoes. It's been difficult finding ones geared toward ladies though--they're either stilleto heels or weird orthopedic shoes. These Paul Smith ones would be perfect, if they turned black and became magically afordable for a broke college student.

Basically, I want oxford shoes because I think they would add a whimsical menswear touch to my current late autumn/early winter outfit: a sweater dress, in black, white, or grey + black, grey, or raspberry tights + a black or grey cardigan. The dress/tights/fitted cardigan is incredibly ladylike, almost to the point of preciousness, so oxfords would toughen it up a bit.

I also have grown quite fond of button-down oxford shirts. They make you look immediately "pulled together" and sleek. I know some younger girls think of them as stodgy office wear, but I think an oxford in a bright color plus dark jeans plus a skinny colorful belt is youthful and fun.

J. Crew had some nice ones, I'm planning on heading there this week to see if they're on sale!

high waisted skirt

At the moment I really want a high waisted skirt. Particularly one like this High Waist Button Skirt from Swedish designer Camilla Norrback. It has a really beautiful shape and I can imagine it working well with a number of different tops.


I saw this skirt in the Flickr community Wardrobe Remix on user piksi_. She pulls of the high waisted look incredibly well. The only drawback of course is the skirt's price. I'm hoping that when I get the chance I can head to H&M to see if they have anything similar.