shopgirl / rockin' the prints

there's this literary area in downtown chicago called printer's row, and every year they have this massive book fair, which contains used books and other literary accoutrement from booksellers in chicago and from neighboring states/towns. it's huge and wonderful, and i spent four glorious hours there by myself, perusing the scores of literature available, and then stopping in a cafe for an afternoon caffeine rejuvenation while reading one of my recent purchases, shopgirl, by steve martin. i had seen the movie quite a while ago, but never read the book, and it's sensational. it's very short, is a quick read, and the characters and situations that steve martin created are heartbreakingly real and unabashedly poignant. it was one of those books after which i felt so sad that it had ended. if you're a reader, or are just looking for some good summer literature for the beach, i recommend it wholeheartedly. and then when you're done, go see the movie. steve martin and claire danes play the leads, mirabelle buttersfield and ray porter. it's all sorts of wonderful. plus, the fashion and overall visual aesthetic is very chic and artsy, which is always fun when you're watching a film.








this post wasn't originally intended to be about shopgirl, but, inspiration moves at its own pace. i love the vintage quality of everything mirabelle wears. she's described in the book as being someone who dresses well, but is slightly behind the times. there's something so utterly charming about the floral prints, oversized satin sleeves, and '50s inspired cuts of her perfectly fitted dresses. reading her, and looking at these photos...there's something so honest and unique about her. i love looking at a person, being intrigued by their style, and knowing that on their part, it's completely unpretentious. that what they're wearing just happens to be characteristic of what they tend to buy, what they have in their closet, and putting it all together requires little to no effort on their part. i find that these people may often balk at the notion of their having good style, when really, it's more about the entire ambience of the person, not just who or what they're wearing.

here's a scene from the movie. just as a treat, in case you've not seen it : )



now that i've delved into a deep analysis of shopgirl, i'll post what i originally intended to share, which are these prints i bought at the book fair:



aren't they lovely? erin moves in in a couple weeks and we're so excited to redecorate the apt. right now, i just have these prints propped up in my kitchen, but we're getting all of our prints framed to hang around the house, which i can't wait for. there were so many to choose from, it was really difficult to narrow it down to two, especially when i had like, 1o in my hands at one point. the i loved the "life" one, with all the girls in their pixie cuts and '20s flapper attire, smoking cigarettes and drinking martinis. i'd like to think that the goings-on of my abode render me "just an old-fashioned girl." i have been listening to music from a record player recently...that counts, right?

icons of style: charlotte gainsbourg

last night i had a very french-inspired night with kate...we drank wine, listened to frenchy music, and discussed the wonders of the world. the evening was peppered with conversation regarding style icons with whom we are particularly taken...one thing led to another and, after swooning over photos of the beautiful daniel vosovic, we began discussing the complete love affair with both have with charlotte gainsbourg. as an icon of style, she literally is flawless...so perfectly french, unpretentious, and easy-mannered, it kills. her style is exquisitely austere, and entirely effortless. for me, she truly is the epitome of what an icon of style actually is. not only does she always look gorgeous to the extreme, but she's also a phenomenal actress who has still been able to maintain a very private existence. the best of all the worlds, i'd say.













who are some of your most revered style icons?

seasonal insouciance

scout holiday

i need to have a better frame of mind about summer dressing...the ease, the color, the simplicity of it all. i love the casualness of this editorial...the styling, the models, the hair...all of it. it's precisely the tone i'd like summer to have in my own life.

plus, i'm pretty sure that the fourth photo is actually brandon, from twentythirtyforty. if you knew her i'm quite sure you'd agree.

it's a big, beautiful world

today i've had one of those divine sorts of days where everything me has so delightful, so fulfilling and completely lovely. it included rollerblading, the beach, dining alfresco, pellegrino, music on a record player, lit candles, and a lovely evening to come.

as i was sitting outside, i started thinking about how pleasurable the world really can be, if you choose to make it that way. i'm the type of person who thrives in chaos and extreme busy-ness, so oftentimes down time freaks me out a bit. until i actually let myself enjoy it, and bask in the fact that it's entirely fine to simply exist in your surroundings; giving in to small pleasures, while allowing yourself to do anything and everything that strikes your fancy. although i don't often let myself (or have the time -- while perhaps one in the same) have these types of days, when i do, they are so much more wonderful and fulfilling and pleasing than those days in which i've not a single moment to track my thoughts.

within this time of sunshine-induced profundity, i also thought about how wonderful it would be to pick up and go somewhere with your dearest friend to explore a place in which you've no frame of reference or immediate comforts. i would love to do this with kate...we're both pleased, so simply, by the same sorts of things, and i think the world we could create for ourselves on a trip somewhere special would be utterly divine.

and then, i saw this photo:



le fashion

i just LOVE this. two friends, exotic location, unbelievable clothing, exploration. the colors, the background, the story that exists in this singular photo is wonderful...aside from the fact that those green bell bottoms and that studded vest are to DIE for. i have a deep love for bell bottoms...it's the one part of my jr. high 70s phase (lava lamps, peace signs...the works) that's never died.

this will be me at some point in the next ten years, and i will be wearing those bells.

a magical convergence

because this is my blog, i can do what i want. and that means that even though earlier tonight, when i was at work, i was craving to do some writing, now that it's quite early in the morning, i'm allowed to forego the intellectual fashiony stuff...especially when i find these photos:




bb

one of my favorite fashion icons, and one of my favorite celebrities/guilty pleasures (seriously...robert pattinson slays me in every single possible way) in a photo together? conversing...and being friendly, and looking lovely and perfect. love love love it. love seeing different worlds and amazing people converge seamlessly.

whimsical wednesday

although my day is far from over, it's been a nice and different sort of wednesday, which i've totally appreciated. this morning i went down to the west loop at 7:30am (thank god for big gulps and starbucks) to help set up for a hugo boss sample sale that's happening in chicago this weekend. although sizing menswear isn't most people's idea of the best day ever, it was so lovely to be bopping around with brandon all day. such wonderful fun, she is :)

as the "errand girl" for the day, i drove around for a bit picking up various supplies we needed. i had a wonderful little moment when i noticed some beautiful jewelry displayed in a store window next to where my car was parked. it was called blackbird fly (the site doesn't show off the jewelry, sadly), and i decided to stop in and check it out...the baubles were gooooooorgeous. i had a quaint little conversation with the store owner, who is a graphic artist. he originally opened the boutique as a place to display and sell his art, and it has since developed into a little store that features jewelry and art from a whole host of different artists.

i immediately spied these unbelievable bracelets made of very large, circular beads...one was brown, one green, and one purple. after trying them on, the man and i decided that i must have the green one.




isn't it stunning? don't look at it in conjunction with what i'm wearing in the photo...it doesn't really match this dress, it's just what i happened to be wearing at the time and i didn't feel like changing my outfit. it's hand-made from glass, and it was a mere $14...isn't that ridiculous? i just had to have it...it's such a beautiful piece, and it will be perfect when paired with my many gold baubles and alabaster skin.

it was so lovely to discover a place i'd never heard of before...and who doesn't love a new place to buy hand-made, inexpensive and completely exquisite jewelry? it was a delightful little blip in an otherwise work-filled day.

i encourage you all, no matter where you live, to explore a new area sometime soon...you never know what wonderful treasures exist out there...

what are your favorite little gems that you've discovered?

dirty fashions

just found the photos from this editorial with marina perez in 10 magazine...and i'm dying. ahhhh, i love dirty, naughty things that are styled up to look like sex. i also love the copy under the title...i'd have preferred some more exotic descriptors, but i like the deviation from typical copy formatting. it makes it look like verse, or some sort of avant-garde poetry.




refinery 29

those thigh highs are so fucking sexy, i can't even stand it...i looooooooove the band around the top, and how they're a bit too big. also, marina's hair against the pink of the building behind her in the first shot is amazing. i would kill to have hair like that...unfortunately, my foray into growing out my hair did not turn out quite like ms. lopez's. the jewelry is insane, too...so well styled, so perfectly chunky. and it all looks pristine against the dirt and black smudge. oh, how i love it all! mmm..."scorching hot" is right, this is all sorts of fabulous.

designers as models

dvf has, once again, proven what a spunky little genius she is. this year for the cfda journal, which showcases the event's nominees, dvf told creative director trey laird, “Capture fashion — do something fabulous.” the results, i must say, are splendid. wwd has only released 3 of the 21 photos, but they're just so delightful and fun i had to post them.

i love how the shoot pairs the art with the artist. i so enjoy experiencing art and fashion through what i know about its creator, because i think it's fundamental to understanding and enjoying what they create. plus designers are such quirky, fun characters...it's wonderful seeing them as models.



marc jacobs




alexander wang

jason wu

the photo of jason wu is my favorite...that dress looks like a dream. and paired with the blazer and skinny tie...it's just spectacular.

lacroix l'amour

fashion copious


i couldn't agree with suzy menkes more. i read somewhere the other day that "fashion is a dying art form." and to hear such a declaration broke my heart, although i do think the statement is slightly faulted. it's not fashion that's dying, it's the foundation of it -- couture. it's a lack of respect for the original artistry, originality, opulance, and utter magnificence of what has now turned into a global and, actually, quite accessible enterprise. make no mistake, i love how expansive the fashion industry has become, but it for those who really devote their passionate lives to this art form, it's a sad realization to know that if you were to play an association game with the general public, fashion would more likely be correlated to tory burch than christian lacroix.


lacroix couture -- ss/09

christian lacroix

stomping into a new month

i've been posting a lot of editorials and street style lately, so i thought it was time to do a good shoe post. as a chicagoan, the shoes i wear are highly dependent on our incredibly schizophrenic meteorology. our winters are epic, and can be highly damaging to important footwear, which means that important footwear must stay closeted during the incessantly treacherous weather.

but, now it's summer. the closets have opened. and the good shoes will reign.



bleach black diy studded heels


bleach black diy studded havianas




punky b


nova style




ysl

gucci


louboutin for rodarte

nicholas kirkwood for rodarte


yes, an editorial photo...but how perfect are these boots? i would live in them winter, spring, summer, fall. i'm particularly taken with their slouchy nature, and, of course, the studs. i love a really wide, slouchy, just-under-the-knee boot. they're so comfy, yet so sexy, and they always slim up the legs. not a bad thing. not a bad thing at all.

wildfox couture