upside down ladies

 

Upside down lady earrings by Arielle de Pinto, available at No. 6

Nina Leen

Stumbled upon these 1940s/50s documentary fashion photos by Nina Leen in the Life Archive. If you have some time to kill, browse away--it's an insane little search engine of amazing imagery. All photos are super-sized and allow ample zooming of all the fine, nitty gritty details. Perfect for obsessive folk (like me) who may get excited over a certain kind of cuffing of a pant or the width of a sweater neckline... 

Penny in left shoe for good luck, Minnesota, 1944

I.D. Bracelet trend, Minnesota, 1944

Florida, May 1950

1952

1944

Eva Le Gallienne, Westport, CT 1949

And here's a great feature on teen girls clothes from 1944-click click here.

Tilda my luv

Tilda Swinton wearing custom Haider Ackermann at the Cannes premiere of Only Loves Left Alive.

Anita Louise as Queen Titania in A Midsummer Night's Dream, 1935
Silk lounging pajamas, circa 1925-1935 via Met Archive

CPLY

  Paintings by William N. Copley 1972-1974

“There was a painter named Copley who never would miss a good lay and to make his paintings erotic instead of brushes, he simply used his prick.” – Marcel Duchamp

color!

 

Really inspiring variations of colorful dressing. 

[street style aesthetic]

puttin on the ritz

Soft, worn in, holey t-shirts, slightly tapered straight-legged denim, minimal strappy sandals, and accessories with subtle surrealist motifs. Gimme gimme gimme.

Neil Young tee via 1st Dibs

Won Hundred denim

Penthezilée sandals, Vogue, 1946 

Gucci clutch 1950s/60s via eBay

sundialing

1. L'Officiel, No. 582, 1971

2. Viviane Sassen, Mimi, 2006

3. Hermes beach towel via dark victory/1st dibs

4. Martine Franck, Le Brusc, France, 1976

Stan Smiths

In January I watched Fern Mallis' Q&A with Marc Jacobs (part of the Fashion Icons conversation series) at the 92nd St. Y. Though the talk kept me somewhat entertained, I became distracted by his Adidas Stan Smith sneakers--a known Jacobs signature and favorite--worn with a tailored suit. It really got me thinking about my associations with the shoe (I wore the striped shelltoes for years as a kid) and how classic and timeless it actually is.

First introduced in 1964, they were the first leather tennis shoe. Countless styles and versions have been released and reissued over the years (see: these beauts), but the three perforated lines that make the design so unique have remained unaltered. My favorites are the vintage ones with thick, gummy soles. 

When I attended Anderson Cooper's talk show a couple of years ago to be a part of the audience (#1 super fan girl forever and ever), I was randomly seated next to his French boyfriend (please do not read too hard into the fact that I recognized him) who I noticed was also wearing Stan Smiths. His were worn in, a little bit scuffed up in a good way. I wondered how long he had them for and if he beat them up intentionally. He caught me staring at his feet, maybe even my not so subtle head-toe once/twice-over, got a lil uncomfortable and edged away from me. 

 While it is a classic menswear shoe, the female appropriation is so cool to me with the obvious tomboy vibes. Take Pheobe Philo for instance. I think we can all agree she really can do no wrong. 

 The Sartorialist's' Scott Schuman posted a photo last week of a very stylish girl rocking them.  Most comments are like 'wtf did she get dressed in the dark,' but I am very much in love with the look and its proportions, not to mention the interesting mixing of fur.

mood moody

Golden phallus pendants (3cm), worn by soldiers in Ancient Rome for protection + to 'ward off the evil eye'

Syd Stripe Split by Richard Aldrich, 2005

Transitional spring dressing, French Elle March 1990 by Friedemann Hauss via Dark Victory

Glasses, Armani SS 1999 ad

Gucci loafers via The Fader

Model leather bag, Vogue May 1937

 

Katy Perry once sang 'you're hot then you're cold, you're yes then you're no...you're wrong when it's right...it's black and it's white.' She may have been talking about a difficult dude, but let's pretend she was talking about clothing, shall we? Naturally I'm quite taken with the idea of contrasts. (Note: I owned a pink t-shirt emblazoned with the statement 'it's hard raising parents' at age 5.) Masculine and feminine. Pretty and ugly. Serious, yet a little humorous. A mash-up of unlike, even opposing ideas makes things far more interesting. 

Take the above golden phallus pendants. They are essentially museum-preserved artifacts. Yet, I’m quite amused by the concept of Hollywood starlets and celebs in lacey Valentino gowns, wearing them on the red carpet. (Alexa Chung, you could pull it off, just sayin'.) Actually, IDK if there’s anything cooler than the combo of ancient golden peen + Valentino haute couture.  That being said, this mood board's theme sort of encompasses around the idea of unlikely pairings. The overall/t-shirt look is super masculine, but there's an elegant beauty to it at the same time, aided by the slight exposure of the ankle and the fabric's swoop-y draping. The 1999 Armani specs are the definition of nerdy, but there's no denying that the model here looks babely.  The Fader's street style photog snapped a girl wearing the classic, prepster Gucci loafer. She brings them to another level with frilly socks and faded denim. (PS: Author /Former Barney's Fashion Director, Amanda Brooks' post on the Gucci loafer is worth a look.) And lastly, Model's (a leather goods company that also collaborated with fashion designers of the time period) 1937 leather bag, featured in Vogue, looks more like a sculptural l'objet d'art, rather than a handbag.

Power of 2

[Anne Bernecker, the Locals]

Hello, my name is Frigid Bitch

Slouchy turtlenecks and prim midi skirts: Two classics that I never really thought about too closely nor considered for myself. They may fall under the category of that covered-up, conservative way of dressing that may in fact scream, "stay away from me I'm frigid, uptight and never dare joke." Remember that scene in Something's Gotta Give where Diane Keaton's character finally frees herself from her summer turtleneck (Jack Nicholson's character scissors it off), thus marking her transition into a more relaxed, carefree woman? In any case, garments that conceal, hide, or obscure the female body, have kind of a serious, complicated rep. All I care about these days is comfort and easiness, definite attributes of the two, making them solid options. And hey, earrings are in the mix (one step closer to wearing them in real time). Love how elegant yet quirky and youthful the Marni ones above are.

 3.1 Phillip Lim sweater

Peter Jensen skirt

Prada sandals

Balenciaga bag

Marni earrings

Swatch watch

ear baubles

The personal memoir of my life to date could have many possible titles, one being Bare Lobes Since the Mid Aughts. It's true. I haven't worn earrings in years. Tracing my ear adorning history begins with my initial piercing at Limited Too (which wins the prize for the fondest retail shop experience of my entire youth) at age 10.  The moment I was able to switch from my first pair of crystalized studs, I amassed quite a vast and flamboyant collection from LT and Claires. There were the costumey 'mod' pairs with dangling geometric shapes, chandeliers in every material thinkable, and hoops of all sizes. It was a fun, transitional period of my growing up where I made a drastic switch from zipoff cargo pants-wearing tomboy  -- >girly girl. My older sister worked at Contempo Casuals at the mall, which also opened my eyes to the possibilities of accessorizing.  I remember rifling through her witchy goth baubles in her metal Contempo jewelry box, which had a furry zebra print lid (literally all the textures and fabrics in there were nuts). 

Owned these in fuschia.

Anyway, post sassy earring phase, my 'natural' phase began, ushered by my first flea market trip in Reading, Massachusetts (my mind was blown and life kinda changed forever/I have loved vintage ever since). Lots of turquoise, topaz, malachite, and sterling silver hung from my ears during those days. However, at some point in high school, I abandoned earrings altogether, focusing my attention on the pilings-on of  costume and cocktail rings and bracelets. There was even a point around 2007 when I briefly became obsessed with the wrappy styles of CC Skye (especially that bracelet that Nicole Richie probably made love to) and Disney Couture. My, how things have changed. Though I still really like cocktail rings.

Up until recently, I've been completely content with my undecorated ears.  But I gotta say, lately, I've been considering earrings once again. While it may still take me some time to actually make the jump, in the meantime feasting my eyes on contemporary and vintage inspiration doesn't hurt.  

1. Ashley Olsen / I don't really have to say that anything she or her sister wears or designs is great, right? 

2. Ladylike elegance at Rochas FW13

3. Ursina Gysi, stylist, with the most incredible sensibility, wearing a Byzantine-inspired pair 

4. Delicate and pretty offerings, pierced by J.Colby Smith at New York Adorned.

Bold, graphic styles I can see myself wearing with old, thin, flimsy t-shirts and simple crew neck knits.   

1. Atelier Munsteine rectangles
2. 1940s gold/blue domes
3. Marina B 1987 triangle hoops
4. Victorian era tassle drops
All via 1st Dibs

Beautiful and eccentric styles that heavily point to my love and fascination for all things fashion related in the 1930s. 

1. Schiaparelli 'ear' cuff, Jan 1938, Harper's Bazaar  

2. 'African in feeling', Jay Thorpe, March 1938, Harper's Bazaar 
3. Three Boivin pairs, July 1936 Vogue
4. Boivin spirals, 1934, Corbis
5. Tiffany & Co, March 1938, Harper's Bazaar
6. 'Japanese lanterns', Herz, March 1938, Harper's Bazaar
7. Nautilus clips, Boivin, 1934, Corbis 

statement coats

It's easy to look and feel good during these cold months when you have a warm and pretty statement coat on. Publications and blogs peg the idea of a statement coat as a trend of sorts (see: designers take on the garment for the newly churned out Fall '13 season) but really the concept has been around forever. The classic styles of parkas, anoraks, puffers, and overcoats are my favorite.  When there is just the right mix of function and smart, effortless design and style, I am sold!  

 

 

1. Vincent Menhert design,  L'officiel n.369-370 1952

2. Luciano Soprani

3. Hermes, Vogue October 1999, photographed by Michael Thompson
4. Calvin Klein FW 1989
5.  ?Ruffo Research?

American Beauties

 

 

I'm a little bit in love with this photo of Mama Hilton & brood. It's this very staged, deliberate, posed portrait. Along with the conservative decor and matchy, coordinated pink wardrobe, it's quite the funny mix with the amount of pouty angst displayed by Nicky and Paris (who were 17 and 19 at the time the picture was taken).

So many comments, where to begin? Kathy's frozen, forced half-smile.  Her shameless yet stoic, engagement-ring-forward-and-into-the-spotlight pose. Nicky's general indifference and dazed, spacy stare. Paris' intense chair grip and sad contemplation face. "No one understands me..." or "Why Did I mix all 6 of those party favors last night" seem like plausible thoughts going through her mind.   

What's greater is the image of either girl wearing those looks today.  I propose a 2013 reintroduction of said ensembles. Mid-late 90s Narciso Rodriguez and Birkenstocks for Paris and Jil Sander and Pringle of Scotland for Nicky. It could lead to a really wild new alt jolt to their careers. Soon V and i-D would come calling for feature spreads, and eBay or Colette would probably want a collaboration. If anything, a new friendship ensuing with Leelee Sobieski seems pretty likely. 

If I had a walk-in pantry in my imaginary house in the Hamptons, I would hang a framed version of this photo there. Right above my very own personalized title (cursive letters engraved in gold), Family Comes And Goes, But The Color Pink is Forever.

 [Sarah Jones photo, Vogue March 2000]

rose

Ruby Aldridge, shot by Lina Scheynius, styled by Sebastian Kaufmann for Vogue Turkey November

 Maria Bradley, shot by Ben Toms, styled by Katie Shillingford for Vogue Russia November 

 [modenewsliscious, factor women]