Going Native

There are a lot of things I’m good at: shopping, baking, making pointless lists. Notice that “updating this blog in a timely manner” is conspicuously absent. No lie, I started this post in August. Obviously my laziness is out of control, but yeah, I don’t see my procrastinatin’ ways changing anytime soon. Moving on- I’m back with a rather fierce new trend.

Get it gurl.

As a former Pocahontas enthusiast (see above) I was oh-so-excited to live out my childhood dream of painting with all the colors of the wind. I’ve seen this southwestern/Native American trend popping up all over the place, from Lucky magazine to shopbop.com’s top trend round-up. Hell, the Los Angeles Time’s Image section even has an extensive article on this developing trend. 

L.A.M.B. Fall 2011



Sass & Bide Fall 2011

 My beloved Gwen Stefani embraced the trend on the L.A.M.B. runway and I fell even further in girl-crush with her. I loved Sass & Bide's refreshingly unconventional take on the trend, because how wearable is a full-blown Native-American get up? I mean Halloween is just around the river bend (teehee), but let's be real. I have only three words to describe Isabel Marant's interpretation of the trend: suede fringe boots. Boom. Proennza Schouler's runway show wowed me with their use of color and texture. As a child of the 90s, I am so on board with their revival of velvet.

Proenza Schouler Fall 2011

 

Isabel Marant Fall 2011

 


















YAYAYAY ONLINE SHOPPING TIME! Jumping right into it, I NEED this Theodora & Callum Navajo Blanket Scarf. Also, I'm in love with the uber flattering shape and pattern of this Maggy London Jersey Blouson Dress. Toe cleavage is usually a must when I shop for shoes, but I actually caved and bought a pair of Minnetonka 'Kilty' Suede Moccasin. Total cop-out, I know, but I reeealllyy wanted them and I figured you would understand. Keeping with my Pocahontas obsession I found this Split Collar Necklace, and it makes me want to run around bare foot and befriend a raccoon. That second part probs won't happen, but if I die of rabies, you'll know why.

And now I will leave you with some inspirational pics and a large chunk of my childhood. Thanks for reading!


Sorry about the genocide and shit... Is that necklace from Urban?



Shout out to ma half-breeds. I guess I'm trying to offend people now.

 

WTF is going on with Men's S/S 2012?

So, I'm not an avid follower of men's fashion, but a dear friend of mine has recently opened my eyes to the tragedy that has befallen men's fashion week. After watching a few runway shows I was overcome with confusion and couldn't help but laugh. These designs are freaking bizarre! I'm all  for pushing the envelope,  but for the most part I feel like these collections were pushed off the deep end. Honestly, I just want to know what the hell they were all tripping on. Prada, Versace, Burberry Prorsum and Alexander McQueen, I'm talking to you.


Alexander McQueen S/S 2012

 

Burberry Prorsum S/S 2012




















Some of the major trends that I'm forecasting for menswear spring/summer 2012 include drop-crotch pants, wild prints, strange hats and an updated loafer. All of which I find utterly cringe-inducing and would classify as a deal breaker. Take the outfits over at Prada; if I saw a guy dressed like that walking towards me I would assume he was out of his damn mind. And I would laugh my ass off if any man tried to pick me up rocking the looks shown on Versace's runway.


Versace S/S 2012



Prada S/S 2012



















What I don't understand is, what was wrong with the classics? Menswear has been fairly consistent for over half a century. A suit from the early 60s would look just as sexy today as it did then. Give me a cleaned up boy in a well tailored suit, and I'm a happy camper.
 

Marcello Mastroianni = OG pimp




See what I mean?













Which leads me to my next question; who are the consumers trying to attract when they wear shit like that? I'd imagine women's fashion is almost as much for the men who want to tear the clothes off as it is for the women who actually buy the clothes (although I'm sure The Man Repeller would beg to differ); does that somehow not apply to men's fashion? In case I had not already made myself abundantly clear, I find these looks heinous and can't wait to see how these trends pan out next year!

These sexy beasts know what's up. In spite of their question-raising facial hair (Can they eat soup? Does it smell? Can I braid it?), ZZ Top knows that sharp dressed men get laid. I forgot where I was going with this. Whatever, thanks for reading!


It's Career Day at SLFT!

The bitch is back! After an all too brief and stressful summer break, I'm ready to provide some enlightened political commentary on our current economic turmoil... JK, I think I'll stick to the mindless slop I'm used to writing for the five people who actually read this. Anywho, over my hiatus I took some time to learn more about a few fashion industry insiders, specifically fashion magazine icons. Using an article from my fave-rave website, whowhatwear.com, as inspiration, I did some research. The following are a small sample of the bad-ass bitches whose jobs/lives I would sell my less than pure soul for.

Lanphear in Paris



BAMF.



 
















Kate Lanphear- Renown for her tough and edgy personal style, Kate Lanphear is a woman after my black leather and studded heart. Lanphear started her fashion career in Australia, working for Vogue and Harper's Bazaar. She returned to the US to work for American Harper's Bazaar and is currently the Senior Style Director for Elle magazine. Lanphear has a seriously strong fan base, which includes the rather fabulous blog Fear Lanphear which posts photos of, and related to, the fashion mag rockstar.


Hill on yet another streetstyle blog

 

Must resist desire to dye my hair red...

Taylor Tomasi Hill- Taylor Tomasi Hill has one of the most unique perspectives on styling in my opinion. Routinely featured on street-style blogs for her innovative style and striking looks, Hill has a knack for mixing different pieces for maximum impact.  Hill is the Style and Accessories Director at Marie Claire magazine, and previously worked as the Accessories Director for Teen Vogue magazine. Recently, Hill was chosen as the new creative consultant for the Sigerson Morrison line and is expected to not only develop trends and dictate the future direction of the line, but to also oversee marketing and advertising.

Hillman rocking business casual



I adore how simple, yet sophisticated, this look is

Joanna Hillman- Joanna Hillman is officially my favorite Canadian. (Suck it Bieber!) To me, Hillman's style reads polished, pared down and perfect. I feel like a total creeper saying this, but I think I want to be her. After working as stylist Lori Goldstein's assistant, Hillman landed the position of Senior Fashion Market Director at Teen Vogue. Hillman is now the Senior Fashion Market Editor for Harper's Bazaar.

Writing this post has reignited the fire under my ass, and reminded me why I decided to move back to LA. I feel the same way I did the first time I saw The Devil Wears Prada; anxious to break into the fashion industry and giddy with excitement for my future. Now enough about me, here's some Madonna! I know this song is technically about dancing, but whatever. Thanks for reading and don't forget to strike a pose!

Un-Hollywood Glamour



Mercouri as Ilya



  It's finals week and I'm feeling terribly lazy, so instead of being productive with my time, I turn to my beloved Netflix instant queue. I've been watching a lot of old foreign films lately and I'm loving the costume design. My usual posts are on this season's trends, but this week I'm going to talk about a few of the films that I've recently discovered.



Melina Mercouri in Never on Sunday





 Never on Sunday, or Pote tin Kyriaki, is a Greek film made in 1960 about a prostitute named Ilya. I know what you're thinking- a prostitute with great style? How is this possible? Before you judge me, just take a look at these pictures, or even better, watch the damn movie. Melina Mercouri plays Ilya wonderfully; so charming and smart. Costume designer Theoni V. Aldredge (also known for her work on The Great Gatsby and The Eyes of Laura Mars) did an amazing job capturing the essence of the all the film's characters. The fit of every garment Ilya wears is perfection, and her style is a great reflection of the character's personality. 



Anna Karina, Jean-Claude Brialy and Jean-Paul Belmondo



Angela's sailor strip-tease costume

A Woman is a Woman, or Une Femme est une Femme, is Jean-Luc Goddard's 1961 film about a French strip-teaser named Angela who desperately wants to have a baby, but has to convince her boyfriend first. Watching this film made me wish I was as fabulously French as Anna Karina, who plays Angela, and inspired me to try wearing my cardigans backwards (so cute!). I loved all the costumes worn during the strip-tease sequences, but Angela's sailor-inspired outfit makes her a serious girl-crush candidate.



Anouk Aimee in La Dolce Vita



Anita Ekberg in La Dolce Vita



Yvonne Furneaux in La Dolce Vita

Federico Fellini's La Dolce Vita  is an iconic example of Italian filmaking. The film focuses on gossip writer Marcello, played by the oh-so-foxy Marcello Mastroianni, and his interactions with three women; Emma, Maddalena and Sylvia. Emma, played by Yvonne Furneaux, is Marcello's adoring, yet suffocating girlfriend, and her costumes show her inner darkness. Anouk Aimee plays Maddalena, the socialite who seduces Marcello with the glittering social life of Rome, and her costumes convey her sophistication. The beautiful Anita Ekberg plays Sylvia, a bombshell movie star visiting Rome to promote her latest movie, and her costumes capture her unbridled sex appeal. Made in 1960, La Dolce Vita features beautiful, uncomplicated costume design by Piero Gherardi that transports you to Rome, and makes me long for an Italian vacation/shopping spree!





Printed Perfection

 I feel it’s kind of strange to characterize ‘prints’ as a trend given how broad and vague the word is, but nevertheless, I do. This season designers have gone batshit crazy with prints and I feel the need to discuss it. I am drawn to prints like a moth to light, yet never wear them and it kills me. I can’t explain it, and won’t even try. All I can say is that now I have some great inspiration for future print-centric outfits!  
 

Rebecca Taylor S/S 2011



 

Loewe S/S 2011

 At style.com they have the highlights of this trend showcased, with Carven, Missoni and Rebecca Taylor as my top three picks for the trend. Elle.com also has a great slide show featuring their top picks, of which I loved Dior and Loewe. 

Carven S/S 2011





Dior S/S 2011



 

Hooray for online shopping! I am a bit fixated on this Bird by Juicy Couture 'Waterfall' Maxi Dress. I think it is an excellent find because it combines the prints trend with the maxi dress style that is everywhere this season. Another example of the maxi and print trend combo is this Zimmermann Labyrinth Twist Long Dress. This dress is just gorgeous. I wish I a) had the money to buy it, and b) had the bod to rock it. another hot style this season is accordion pleats, and the Tucker Pleated Knee Length Skirt combines that style with a super cute polkadot print. The batik print on the L.A.M.B. 'Signature Williamsfield' Tote is so freaking cool and also fits perfectly with this trend.

My only advice for this trend is mix with caution. I'm not saying it can't be done, in fact I think when it is done right mixing patterns looks totally cool. But much like booze, mixing too many different prints can make you look like a hot mess that no one wants to talk to.

Exhibit A (Love you Amy!) 

This trend made me think of my current favorite movie ever, Bridesmaids. I love, love, love basically everything Kristen Wiig’s character Annie wore. Whoever was in charge of costume design totally rocked it. Annie’s staples included blazers, printed dresses and some kick-ass snakeskin pumps. 


Kristen Wiig and Chris O'Dowd in Bridesmaids

I think next week I might try something new for the blog… Stay tuned!



 


It's Matt Neznanski Y'all!

WARNING: The following post has nothing to do with fashion. It is an assignment for my reporting class this term. Bear with me peeps.

The great power and vast accessibility of the internet has changed the communications and journalism field drastically. Without it, idiots like me wouldn’t be able to spew our mental vomit all over the world.

Last Thursday night Matt Neznanski gave a presentation to a reporting class at Oregon State regarding the effect the internet has on global media.

Neznanski is the Director of Communications at Brass Media, a “socially driven media and technology company dedicated to helping young adults understand money.” Neznanski also worked as a reporter for the Corvallis Gazette-Times for about three years.

“Anyone can commit acts of journalism,” said Neznanski. “Wireless technology broke down a lot of territory.”

The widespread use of internet-enabled cell phones have made the average person capable of breaking news stories as they happen. Twitter and Storify are new media advances that Neznanski suggested for up and coming web journalists.

Neznanski discussed how reader input and comments on new media reporting makes writers more accountable for what they write. He also suggested that as reporters the students should look into reader comments and input for leads to other stories.

Included on Neznanski’s guidelines for good reporting:

§ Don’t plagiarize,

§ Always disclose the source of information,

§ Don’t accept gifts for coverage,

§ Go to the action, and

§ Tell the truth.

The take-away message from Neznanski’s presentation was that online journalism is not different than any other form of journalism.

Neznanski’s only warning: “Moderating blog comments is the most depressing job ever.”

This presentation got me thinking about my favorite fashion blog/website, whowhatwear.com. When my blog grows up it totally wants to be like whowhatwear.com. If you made it this far, thanks for reading!

Blinded by the White

Spring is a time of transition not only for nature, but also for my wardrobe. I wish I could say that my dedication to wearing primarily black disappears when the sun finally starts to shine, but that is not the case. Around this time of year I find myself clinging to my beloved black clothing, yet sweating like a whore in church as the sun beats down upon my cardigan-ed shoulders.

This season I plan on easing myself into spring and summer style with whites. I’ll be honest, white is not usually my cup of tea (especially now that I’m in the land of no sun), but I’m definitely warming up to the trend.  

Max Azria



Viktor & Rolf

At harpersbazaar.com they call white “the color of the season” and provide some pretty sweet examples of why. Band of Outsiders, Yigal Azrouël and of course Calvin Klein are my top picks.   

Band of Outsiders

Yigal Azrouël

Over at style.com they have compiled the most white-hot looks from the S/S 2011 runway shows. The majority of the garments shown are unconventional to say the least, and I must applaud Rick Owens, Helmut Lang and Gianfranco Ferré.    

Rick Owens



Gianfranco Ferré

Now for my favorite part, the shopping! Here are some wicked awesome ways to wear white: (yay alliteration!)

BCBGMAXAZRIA Fei Fei Strapless Dress

L.A.M.B. Keagon Open Toe Platform Pumps

Elizabeth and James 'Tokyo' Silk Crepe Eyelet Blouse

American Apparel Interlock Mini Skirt

Oh, and here's some Moby. I thought this song captured the futuristic mood of my favorite looks.

 Best white dresses EVER. If you haven't seen these movies, you should totally get on that. Thanks for reading!
 

Elizabeth Taylor in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof



    

Marilyn Monroe in The Seven Year Itch

 


Alicia Silverstone in Clueless



Lovely Lace

I’m a big fan of lace. As far as I am concerned, there is no other material that exudes femininity like lace. The fact that it can read both lady-like and pin-up has me completely sold. And that is why I’m fairly stoked that this material was such a big hit on the S/S 2011 runway.  



Alberta Ferretti



Zac Posen

Some fantastic runway examples can be found at style.com, where the dresses from Alberta Ferretti, Oscar de la Renta and Zac Posen are among my favorites. At elle.com they list the top trends of the season, and obviously lace is one of them.  Of the ensembles shown on Elle’s website my top picks are from Erdem, Valentino and Dolce & Gabbana.


Valentino



Dolce & Gabbana

  Lace is EVERYWHERE. Seriously! Some of it good, some of it bad, but definitely something for everyone.  In fact, I recently bought a lace dress. Completely useless, given that I am a college student with literally nowhere to wear it, but I had to buy it. My beautiful lace LBD fits me like a glove and makes me feel like the classiest pin-up ever.

My favorite thing about doing this blog is that my ‘research’ consists of online shopping. Here is a list of just a few pieces from this trend that I adore:
American Apparel Lacey Shoelace             

 Oscar de la Renta Macramé Lace Pump        

American Apparel El Salvador Lace Tee      

Dolce & Gabbana 'Miss Rose' Lace & Leather Satchel    
    
Leyendecker Trip Lace Dress            

Shoshanna Strapless Lace Dress

This trend instantly reminded of another one of my personal heroes, Dita Von Teese. To be honest, I’m a bit obsessed with her. Though she is famous for taking her clothes off, Von Teese is no stranger to the fashion industry. This bombshell is a fashion show fixture and has strut her stuff on Jean-Paul Gaultier’s runway.  

Oh and I have an update for my McQueen and the Princess post. Thanks for reading!

McQueen and the Princess

I’m sure you’re all terribly sick of this royal wedding hoopla, but bear with me. In this post I want to obsess a little bit about the glorious dresses worn during the big event. The dresses worn by both Princess Kate and her maid of honor, Pippa Middleton, were designed by Sarah Burton, the new creative director of Alexander McQueen.


Kate and Pippa in McQueen

Kate’s dress has drawn many comparisons to Grace Kelly’s wedding dress and with good reason. Both gowns have full length lace sleeves over a sweetheart-neckline, strapless bodice with a nipped in waist and a full, classic skirt. The major difference between the two dresses is the deep v-neck on Princess Kate’s lace overlay. Pippa’s dress was absolutely beautiful and fit her like a glove. The design was so simple, and made an appropriate impact for a maid of honor gown.



Princess Grace

Prince William and Princess Kate

Numerous knock-offs of the wedding dress are already available and nordstrom.com even has their own rendition, the JS Collections 'Duchess' Wedding Gown, available for preorder.Good Morning America even did a segment on the production of a high-end duplicate of this already iconic gown.



Sarah Burton and Princess Kate

  Designer Sarah Burton worked as the late Alexander McQueen’s intern while studying at Central St. Martins, and later became McQueen’s protégé. Burton released a statement the day of the wedding that you can find on the Huffington Post website discussing her reactions to being chosen to represent “the best of British craftsmanship."

I think the decision to use the Alexander McQueen design house was admirable. The anniversary of McQueen’s death was in early February, and it marks an enormous loss to the British fashion world and beyond.

 Harper's Bazaar ran a touching article written by McQueen’s former muse and longtime friend, Annabelle Neilson. In the article Neilson praises Burton’s work and reiterates that Burton was the natural replacement following McQueen’s untimely passing. Neilson reflected upon their friendship and her, and the fashion worlds, devastating loss.

On Monday the Metropolitan Museum of Art held a gala unveiling the "Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty" exhibition. I can only dream of the day when I will hold in my hot little hand an invitation to an event like this. I must admit I was briefly depressed when I realized that I could not make the voyage to the motherland (aka NYC) to see the exhibit firsthand. The exhibit will showcase pieces that celebrate the late designer’s contribution to the fashion world.