moved. again.

CLICKEZ-MOI.
CLICKEZ-MOI.
CLICKEZ-MOI.
CLICKEZ-MOI.
CLICKEZ-MOI.

Okay, I'll admit it.

I'm quite possibly the least consistent blogger ever. So just imagine me making a face of mock horror and presenting to you, with a little bow, my new shoes.



Aren't they pretty? They're Aerosoles "Romance" in gray patent leather. The insides are all covered with suede...it's so nice on my feet. I'm in love.

What time is it? Survey time!

I got this from the lovely Fashions Fade, Style is Eternal, and since I'm being lazy and not taking pictures of my fabulous new shoes, this will do. Plus, it'll be fun to take it again later and see what changes.

How many browser windows do you have open at the moment for online window shopping?
Zero. Although I do have an Etsy.com find in mind.

What music are you listening to right now?
At the moment, nothing. But I'm big into Nickel Creek, Patrick Wolf, Queen and The Strokes lately.

What was the last article of clothing or accessory you purchased?
Aerosoles "Romance" T-strap heels. They're lovely.

Where was your most recent HAUL and what was the damage?
Lol, I have no money.

What piece do you wish most to add to your closet at the moment?
Elbow-length black gloves for winter.

What current trend are you loving the most?
Plaid, for some weird reason. The return to chic. Oxford booties. Bright colors.

What current trend do you hate the most?
60s prints. Trapeze anything.

What is your fave style or fashion-centric television programs?
Project Runway, What Not to Wear.

Who is your favorite designer at the moment?
Prada.

Favorite fashion house of all time?
Alexander McQueen.

What is your favorite footwear line?
I don't pay that much attention to footwear I can't afford.

Three fave materials?
Leather. Hmm...this is hard. Silk, definitely. Really fine cotton.

Three words to describe your overall sense of style?
Sexy, confused librarian.

What will your look be this summer?
I don't do summer fashion well, so a lot of bermuda shorts and tee shirts, with a few sundresses thrown in.

What trend do you see becoming the biggest this summer?
Summer is nearly over...?

What's your pick for the "it" tech gadget of the moment?
iPhone!

Whose your personal style "it" girl right now?
Zooey Deschanel, MK&A Olsen.

If someone handed you $10,000 where would you blow it?
Hmm. McQueen. I'm a spaz.

Favorite shopping destination?
Portland.

so good or no good: the strokes

Their music is amazing, as is their style.

Definitely so good.

One of these things is not like the other

Perhaps one of the most amusing fashion phenomena at the moment is the designer ripoff. While it comes in handy for people like me (read: poor college student) when we want to have a wardrobe that is stylish in a way we cannot afford, ripoffs are generally obvious to spot, and consequently make the wearer look ridiculous (to me, at least). I have friends at school with "Prada" bags...and I can't for the life of me figure out where any of them could find the money. It may be that the label copying is more irksome than an actual "designer inspired" piece with no label.

Take these shoes, from Chloe. They're gorgeous, kind of a cross between the ballet flat and the gladiator sandal--chic without sacrificing comfort or some measure of practicality. Had I skinny, beautiful ankles, I would covet these in a second.


Thaks to Hipster Musings for the photo.

These are not the kind of shoes that I would think would inspire copying. They're very distinctive (unlike the peep-toe Louboutins that were copied so quickly you couldn't tell as much) and they don't seem like they would appeal to the general public like flashy heels would. But here is a coply, nearly identical except for the positioning of the straps, from Anthropologie.



They're the "Jigs and Reels" ballerinas, only $88. Excellent, no?

Dress for Fall

Through a variety of sources, including the August "Lucky" and this post at Our Wishful Wardrobe, I have been toying with the idea of a purple dress for fall. I love the styling on the Lucky cover--the purple and gray is just the right balance of luxe and casual. The biggest thing with a purple dress, I think, is getting the color right--it can't be too light (looks pink) or too dark (looks blue).

Of all the purple dresses I've dug up (there aren't many), these are some of my favorites. The first two are from Forever21, so are well within my price range. The first is a cute style, good to wear for everyday, but the color is just a little bit dull. The second is a little odd style-wise, but the color is absolutely gorgeous.


These second two are from Net-A-Porter and are consequently way out of my price range, but are fun to drool over anyway. I love the sparkly detailing on the one on the right.


And then there's this awesome French Connection dress from Nordstrom.com, which is just expensive enough to be out of my range, but cheap enough to tempt. It's bright and shiny and everything you could want from a purple dress (except maybe some pin-tucks).


So, perhaps this fall if I am feeling blue, I will turn myself purple and go find a brilliant purple dress.

Is it can be autumn nao?

Since I had the great idea to start planning my fall wardrobe the other day, all I can think about is how I want the weather to start turning colder, so I can go back to school (that is, have an excuse to wear nicer clothes) and wear fall clothes. Summer has never been my strong point in fashion. When I was little, all I would wear all summer were bicycle shorts and a baggy tee shirt. Now, it's better, but not by much. I have some cute A-line skirts and some bermuda shorts, but basically I look very un-put-together. I thought perhaps this spring that I could totally switch to a California surf bum look, with vans and ripped shorts and faded tees. But then again, I'm too "classy" for that.

Autumn completely revitalizes my look at life and fashion. I love the cooler weather, the waning of summer, the crunchy leaves. I love being able to wear jeans without sweating. I love breaking sweaters and boots out of hiding and feeling in the air the tantalizing prospect of a heavy jacket. There's a feeling of renewal as the summer fades, a feeling that I can start fresh again, that I can shed failed styles and grow new ones. It's always nice coming back to my wardrobe after a summer away.

Gah, is it September yet?

Keeping with my "Minerva McGonagall does hipster" idea for my fall wardrobe concept (oh, I haven't talked about that yet?), I'm thinking of going for an Oxford-type shoe. I think I'd like the flat mensware version, as I just don't like the look of the heeled ones--they're too trendy looking. That's okay, I've seen some that are absolutely gorgeous, but it's just not me. Or maybe I'm just bitter that the only pair I've fallen in love with have a peep-toe, and I'm getting tired of the peep-toe. It's not practical for winters where I live. Snow + ice + peep-toe = cold, gross feets.

So I might end up buying some men's shoes this fall, or hopefully I can find some that are women's that I like. I don't know. I'm not much of a shoe shopper, but I do know that I want a pair of Oxfords and a really bright pair of pumps (but not red--I already have those).

sadface.

I'm a little bit peeved. I've been thinking a lot about the whole feathers/fringe thing going on for FW07, and somewhere I got the idea to make myself a feathered headband. (Y'know, take a pain ol' headband and hotglue scads of feathers on it...sort of a cross between Isabella Blow and Alice-in-Wonderland.) It would make the trend a whole lot more wearable (for me, at least) and really cool.

Unfortunately, in the last two weeks, I've seen feathered headbands in some Ladies' Home Journal-type magazine, and in my local Target. While I'm amused that I've been having the same thoughts as many other people, I'm mildly horrified that this wasn't my own idea--that other people were thinking the same thing--and that I haven't actually started making my headband yet, so technically I have no proof that I thought of it first.

I'm thinking of making two: one with some Pheasant-type feathers, and one with bright green Cockatoo-type feathers. I know mine would be a better quality than the Target version.

New House!

First off, outfit for the day (which included moving, washing blinds, scrubbing stove stains, etc):
» Decemberists Tee Shirt.
» Off-white bermuda shorts.
» Green chucks.
» A nice black baguette purse that didn't go at all. Oh well.



Since I'm moving, I've been thinking of how I want to decorate (gah, that word sounds so Laura Ashley) my new bedroom. It's slightly smaller than my old one, but with a bigger closet and some extra storage. The closet has some nasty pastel floral curtains instead of doors, so I'm definitely going to make some new curtains, probably out of sheets.

I'm kinda going for a kind of IKEA-ish Scandinavian vibe, with white walls (so I don't have to argue with my landlord about wall color), light wood and occasional shots of superbright color (just so I don't go insane). I'm thinking really predominant wood, black and white, with color as an accent. Now this is starting to look all planned out and matchy, and one thing I can't stand in overly-decorated houses is the matchy-matchy look, so when you actually live in the house (and by that I mean mess it up and get your crap everywhere when you don't have time to clean), it looks horrible.

But I suppose that goes with my main goal for this year (barring getting accepted into grad school, of course), of keeping my living spaces clean. I'm going to spend this summer working on my room, so that everything has a place to live by the time school starts and I stop living with my parents.

Anyway, I had a point to this part of the post. Whilst at IKEA, my mom and I spotted some nifty wall decals, in a scrolly-swirly pattern, black on white. It looked stunning, bold, graphic, but slightly organic at the same time--kinda my style. When we reached the home decor section, they were nowhere to be found. There were some cool oversized poppies, but they were overpriced as well.

But not to worry! I found blick! Only moderately-priced wall decals, of very special design quality. Unfortunately, the site is flash-based, so I can't steal any pictures right now. I really like the birds, and the chandeliers (because I can't afford a real one).

Come to think of it, I suppose this blog could document my quest for organization (and if you saw my room last year, you'd know I need it) and style in my bedroom as well as my clothes. Fun!