25 Things for 25 Years [1 of 5]

My 25th birthday is coming up in a month, and for the first time in man years I am very excited about it.

As I move in to this next phase of my life, I find myself valuing and treasuring different things. I'd much rather have a few beautiful, quality pieces to last me the next 25 years than a ton of useless toys.



1. Ruffle Dress by Liza Rietz, $240.00
2. Gretel hair piece by WhichGoose, $30.00
3. Brown Leather Purse by The Leather Shop, $130.00. (I just found out my mother bought one for me!)
4. Carved Wooden Heels by Miu Miu, $412.50.
5. She and Him: Volume One, $11.99
6. Firewater: The Golden Hour, $13.99

The Pricing Conundrum: A Balancing Act

As an individual, as an artist/designer/craftster, and as an independent businessman or woman, how do you determine a fair pricing system? Both to yourself and to your potential buyers? Does an aesthetic of under- and overpricing create a successful brand & image, or are there sellers who just simply overpricing and underpricing their products?

As a buyer and hopeful seller, it is amazing to see the marketplace that has developed for independent & small businesses. With the launch of sites like Etsy, artists are no longer confined to selling to locals, but they can reach a global audience.

While I love that I can order a custom made bag from France (and still affordably, despite the exchange rate!), lately I have found myself questioning the cost of products from independent makers, especially given the context of how much work, intent, skill, and cost went in to making the final product.

Being active in the corsetry communities and having a bff/sister who designs & sells her own clothing line, I'm well aware of the standard pay-per-hour of many designers. I'm knowledgeable of the costs per production and bear in mind a considerable (or reasonable?) amount for mark-up. But what do you say, what do you do, as a buyer, or seller, to see someone under-cutting or over-pricing the process?


Which of these items do you think is the better bargain?

As a buyer, I tend not to complain as much if someone is underpricing their merchandise; in fact, there's good money to bet in saying that most of us probably don't. But what do you think or say when you see someone overpricing their merchandise-- particularly over someone with far greater skill, style, and abilities?

Am I wrong, as a shopper, lover of fashion, to be offended to see a seller misrepresenting their items? To sell an article of clothing as a "corset" when it is clearly a corseted style top; does it add more insult to injury to see that "corset" marked at $275, which is more than some esteemed corsetieres charge for their work? Or how about the cocktail hat trend-- there are many milliner's who create gorgeous pieces of head art and price those in the $100-150 range; is it an insult to their finely honed craft so see another designer buy hat bases, cover them in fabrics & ribbons, and charge $200+ for them?

Are we simply fools for the marketplace, willing to pay an exorbitant price for a good because the price tag suggests luxury over skill and craft? Is there a happy medium for independent designers, or should we create a marketplace cost and adhere to it?

I'm not sure that I have my own definitive answer. However, in the meantime, I'll continue to support the artists who recognize a realistic and sustainable cost & earnings system that is based on skill, material costs, affordable living, and most importantly, buyer accessibility.

Drama with the Laundry

LUNNNNNNNGEE.
SQUAT.
BEND.
STREEEEEEEEEEEETCH.


I'm pretty sure that the day I put on a pair of freshly laundered jeans is my least favorite day of the week/month/year.

My One True Love

It began early in my life, as an impish youth who was given too many fashion magazines at too young an age (10!). It wasn't a love that grew from cold-shoulder tops or high waisted shorts, but rather for the pictorial spreads that engulfed the magazines. By 15, I was taking as many photography courses in high school as I could, first learning the "how to" only to start branching out to my own "fashion shoots" by senior year.

In the past few years, I've fallen out of sorts from photography, sadly. My access and time for the darkroom has become non-existent, as have my chances to play impromptu fashionista photographer with my friends. I recently came across this ad campaign for Miu Miu, featuring Kristen Dunst.

Simply stated, it took my breath away.











Now, I understand this set has been posted all over the place, but frankly I could care less about that. This set is provocative and thoughtful for me, and I thought I'd share some of that process.

Things I love about this:

While not a particular fan of Dunst, I think she was perfectly suited for this ad series. She has a combination of youthfulness and sensuality that contradict one another beautifully.

The clothes are magnificent (particularly the white dress with black and red stripes; that I may have to replicate on my own), and there isn't a pair of shoes I wouldn't wear.

I love the visual allusions. This series reminds me of several things: the David Lynch series Twin Peaks & Agent Cooper's dreams of the White Lodge; a lascivious carnivalesque-circus theme; a modernization of Old Hollywood glamor photography mixed with pin-up photography; Alice in Wonderland.

The dramatic use of color and lines as emphasized by the use of strong and bold lighting. Visually, I could stare at these for hours, noticing small and new details with every passing second.

On How To Be Popular Fabulous

My friend Mel recently posted this on her MySpace account:

So, in 2008, I would like to be fabulous. But what does this mean, exactly? I get a sense of what "fabulousness" is...but I need more than a sense. I need a definition. I THINK it means being good at what you do, running your life well, being happy, having similarly fabulous friends...but is it?

I know some of my alternative-lifestyle friends use this term, but so do my more stereotypically conventional friends. So I am curious: to you, what does it mean to be fabulous?

It's been several days, in not a week, and I still find myself thinking on this idea.
Fabulousness is talked about, filmed about (Sex and the City anyone?), desired and not easily attained. It's almost become commodified, like beauty has, yet it's an anomaly unto itself as its definition varies from person to person. Yet, we all recognize it when we see it, and in many ways, are probably all attracted to those that are fabulous (I know that's kind of what I'm thinking when I present "The Dramatis Personae").


So what is Fabulous?
When I think about the men and women in my life who I find fabulous, there is one thing that comes to mind: They are all confident, secure, and unapologetic about who they are, what they do, and what they love.

We all have that friend-- the friend whose hobbies may include something "dorky," but somehow they make it seem cool. I have friends who rapier fight, create period costumes, and own weaponry, but they're some of the most fabulous people I know. There are people I know, friends I have who play Dungeons and Dragons and are shameless about loving it. Heck, prior to her downfall of shame and glory, I was guilt free about my collection of Brittany Spears tracks. I've got girlfriends who are in their mid-30s, fiercely independent, single, and the ones who would drive me home at 9 a.m. after a night of drinking and dancing. I get teased to bits about my love of tiny top hats, but I know my friends love me all the more because of them.

There's no easy way to attain fabulousness-- no matter how great my shoe collection is, it's not going to make or break my ability to be fabulous. I had to think long and hard about the people in my life I found fabulous, and I recognized the things they all had in common: their own sense of style, a love and passion for what they do, their own thoughts and reactions to the world around them, and fulfilling and nourishing their minds and bodies.

Now that I've spent too long thinking on the topic, what do you think makes someone fabulous? Who are those you admire and find fabulous traits and inspiration in?


Above photographs by: 1. fabulous, 2. the fabulous naomi singer and the fabulous lindsey 'long legs' shepek, 3. la notte ti penso, 4. Have a Fabulous Weekend Kiwi Drink, 5. Stationary Inspiration, 6. Absolutely Fabulous, 7. HAPPY FABULOUS BIRTHDAY JAMES, 8. Terror Fabulous... 06

Mad About Plaid

While I often lament that I was only a child in the 1980s, I should more often lament being a teenager in the 1990s. To this date, I'm not quite sure that there was much "Good" that came from 90s fashion, or nothing noteworthy (other than grunge), and I'm not positive I want to remember grunge.

Despite my apathy towards grunge, I have to admit to being mad about plaid. From Sarah Jessica Parker's Alexander McQueen evening gown to Charlotte York McDougal's tartan ballgown, to the lace and plaid frock worn by Amy Lee in Evanescence's "Call Me When You're Sober" (below). However, despite spending my vacation days watching repeats of My So-Called Life, I don't have much desire to revisit Angela Chase's wardrobe.

There's something about plaid that has a distinguishing versatility that other patterns may not have. From men's business suits to blue collar work wear to costumes, plaid is seen on the high brow and low brow alike (and the occasional unibrow!). It can be bold and alarming or subtle and demure-- one of my favorite pairs of pants for a long time was a pair of grey plaid pants. However, because they were striped with soft pink and dull black lines, they were savvy enough to go from board room to bar room with the change of a top and shoes. Companies like Burberry have capitalized on the versatility of plaid with their signature plaid that has been marketed, mocked, and infringed on-- because plaid sells.



While plaids (or tartans) have a vast range of stereotypes and connotations that can be less than flattering (the red and black checkered hunter's coat; the Irish or Catholic plaid skirt; the farmer), I've become intrigued in the last few months about a modernized styling of this pattern.

One such dress I'm kind of crazy about is this Donna Ricco Plaid Taffeta Shirtdress. The plaid, in dark green, black, and purple is subtle and modern. The dark colors deemphasize the pattern, so that the dress's cut and pattern aren't in conflict with one another.

Likewise, Betsey Johnson's Leopold is the best of all worlds-- plaid and patent in a pump. Stupidly (or perhaps luckily?), the green and black versions are on sale through Amazon.com-- the perfect way to pick up spunky, but arguably timeless shoes at a more affordable cost.

With Winter technically being 1/3 over, I still have time to work plaids in to my wardrobe. Sadly, Gap never replenished their plaid princess cut ruffle blouse, or it'd have been a staple in my wardrobe already.

Color of the Year: Blue-Iris [#18-3943

Color Authority Pantone reveals the color of 2008-- Blue Iris, or No. 18-3943.

In a statement, Leatrice Eiseman, the executive director of the Pantone Color Institute, said: “Blue Iris brings together the dependable aspects of blue, underscored by a strong, soul-searching purple cast. Emotionally, it is anchoring and meditative with a touch of magic.”

Later, in a telephone interview, Ms. Eiseman said the selection process had been very thoughtful, based on various influences, and that indeed the final choice reflected a “need for thoughtfulness.” Five individuals were involved in the selection process. “With blue iris, we felt that it answered several needs, hopes, desires, that kind of thing,” she said.

This article intrigues me and piques my curiosity. From the claims of the absurdity of such a statement, to the relief that fashion professionals felt when hearing, it brings to question the role of color therapy, and whether or not dedicating a color to a year can influence the minds of the masses.

I have my own thoughts and appreciation of color therapy; I think colors can stimulate, inspire, and challenge a person's emotional and mental conditions. There are reasons that fast food restaurants are colored in yellows and reds.

But how far can one hue go though? Will blue-iris really answer "several needs, hopes, desires," or will it simply be thought of by consumers as another shade of blue? Will it inspire people to find the magic in the world, or will they carelessly put on their blue-iris sweater with no concept of its reason? Did 2007's color, chili pepper red, play any role in your life? Did you even notice if it did or didn't have a role in your surroundings?

Programming for the People

Kori at the Fashion-y Blog recently posted about Boston's Musuem of Fine Art's upcoming exhibit, Walk This Way. Finally, a topic I can really sink my teeth in to!


As a fan of art and of fashion, I appreciate seeing an organization taking a functional object like shoes and highlighting the architecture, design, history, and style of it. As an Arts Administrator, one who very much loves programming, I find this exhibition programming intrinsically fascinating.

Boston's MFA has come under fire in the past with their choices in programming-- from big blockbuster exhibits featuring Picasso and the Impressionists to shows that strategically showcase hot cars, MFA is constantly teetering between for the people and angering "the people." It's a problem that faces many arts administrators-- how do you program for your opera, theater, museum, dance company, gallery, in a way that is both stimulating to a select few (the academics, the connoiseurs, the donors) and is appealing to a broader audience? Some companies cater to a narrow patron base, while other organizations try to appeal to as broad and mainstream a base as possible; but I'd suspect that a majority of them are falling in that middle area, where they are trying to attract and provide for both groupings.

An exhibit on shoes, despite the historical legitimacy and art-worthy design, is bound secure a few complaints. "Walk This Way" is the ultimate case study on the problems and questions facing arts organizations today-- how do we define what art is? What are our responsibilities to challenging the publics' thoughts on art? Is it wise to use resources on a blockbuster exhibit that may be designed only to bring in additional funds? Should arts organizations faced with presenting shows that they may find less educational, less artistically worthy, in order to bring people in to the space?

While I myself, and my classmates, too, are excited and pleased to see "Walk This Way" being produced at the Museum of Fine Art (hey, we're all fashion fiends), I can't help but think my enjoyment of the show may be complicated by the above questions racing through my head. It brings me great pleasure to see an established art museum continuing to bring recognition to fashion and accessories as an art form, but the opinions of the status quo worry me.

Fashion Complaints

Why is it that women's clothing companies have such a hard time efficiently making button-up shirts? I shouldn't have to use a safety pin to ensure that the buttons won't pop around my breasts. It's not that I'm particularly busty, or that my proportions are particularly odd-- no matter how well the shirt fits, it just seems that companies don't get where the buttons ought to be placed.

And Libertine for Target, I'm disappointed in you. Finding out that my striped tie-neck blouse has bled pink (under the arms no less!) because a girl glows a bit is not attractive. I expected a bit higher quality out of you. (Note to Self: Only wear this shirt in cool weather from now on!)

Fall Acquisitions: Part 2

The "Professional" wardrobe.

As an Arts Administration student, who is about to begin looking for full-time internships and jobs, I find myself constantly evaluating what is or is not a professional wardrobe for the Arts. I've had this conversation many times over the summer, with friends and acquaintances, and find myself amazed at what perceptions of those outside of the field think, as compared to those inside the field.

Interestingly, this topic came up in my Capstone course yesterday. I couldn't have been more pleased, and honestly wished we had had more time for discussion of it. As an Arts Administrator, there is a fine line in what we can wear. If working in a top, multi-million dollar arts organization, you can't expect to approach potential or repeat donors with tattoos and torn jeans on. Likewise, when working with an artist, you may make them feel uncomfortable if you're in a four-piece suit. The response I most often receive from those outside of the field is, "You're working in the arts. How much can your outfit really matter?" My professor made an interesting, and valid point about wardrobe in the arts: "Increasingly, the arts are under attack. This means that arts administrators have to dress more professionally to be taken seriously, and to show that the arts can be run like a business as well."

Regardless of field though, I'm always surprised and sickened by this conception of what the professional wardrobe and style consists of, and it's lack of flexibility and individuality. It's not unusual for me to see discussions on interview and job clothes, where the "uniform" is a navy or black suit, hose, low-heels, and a neutral blouse. It's adamantly opposed to wear color, accessories, textures, and more. That's nonsense! If you think you can't maintain a sense of individuality, while maintaing an air of professionalism, you're watching the wrong television shows! It may seem silly, but there are several television shows I use as inspiration on ways to maintain my own sense of style while still looking presentable and professional.

Sex and the City: I doubt that one could argue that the women in this show are professional, smart, saavy, and well-dressed. While they all encompass various fields (law, PR, Arts Administration, writer), they all manage to look professional for their field, while looking distinct and true to themselves. Carrie's style is the most whimsical, easily done as the "artist" of the group; Charlotte's profession most resembles where my own experience lies, and she often adopts a high-class 1950-60s style to wear to wear to work. Samantha's outfits are simply cut, but in bold, solid colors, often relying on accessories to make and change the outfits. While Miranda has the most conservative position of them all, she again relies on accessories to distinguish herself from her colleagues.

The West Wing: You'd be hard pressed to argue that the characters in the West Wing do not have to maintain the highest sense of professionalism in their wardrobe-- afterall, they're the highest form of political office there is. Yet, if you watch throughout the seasons, all of the women manage to look incredibly professional while still looking fabulous. CJ Cregg often wears dramatic jewelry coupled with bold silk shirts. Margaret wears vibrant suits in bright colors with textures and lots of flair. Annabeth often wears feminine colored suits that play up her girlishness and hide the tigress beneath. Let's not forget Janeane Garafalo's character, who reveals near the end of season seven that she has shoulders and upper arms covered in tattoos, and bottoms out her suits with Converse sneakers.

So, after all of this thinking and babbling about the professional wardrobe, where does it leave me? What have I determined about my own sense of business chic?
- Accessories are key. I think a textured tight under a skirt and knee high boot adds a flash of something fun, as does a vibrant scarf, bold earrings or pendants. It's always a matter of proportion and design, like anything else.
- Modernized-Classic pieces. This falls back to my Fall Must Have, the fitted, short-sleeved women's shirt. Under a blazer of business coat, these add a hint of an extra something, especially when in a pattern, lush fabric, or with a quirky detail.
- Shoes! God forbid, if I am going to wear some 80s 1.5 inch heel in navy or black only! I think shoes are the one place we can really let our personality shine through and add some spunk to our wardrobe.
- Splashes of color. One thing I love about Jennine's style at the Coveted is how she incorporates vintage slips under her dresses, so there is a vibrant splash of color. Under the right dress, and at the right length, I think this can be a classy way to incorporate color in to a very muted color palette.

It's something I'm personally still trying to work out, the details, pieces, and putting together of it all. Any suggestions or feedback you have on it, I'd love to hear!

Morua Designs

I am a big, big fan of U.K. fashion designer Gerry Quinton and her company Morua Designs (as she probably knows by now). I came across this talented designer when I spotted her cyber corset design on a Livejournal community. The lines, the design, the colors-- I was hooked.

Her website states that, "Morúa's girl is ahead of the curve. She is sleek. She is confident. She wears a chic new rhythm. She is a skyscraper, a monument, a river. She towers and twirls. To achieve this dynamic effect, Morúa utilizes only the finest fabrications and couture construction techniques in every collection. We dress our lady in a new kind of shaded beat. We will transform the modern woman, grant her a novel freedom: to walk the quantum pattern of satiating prints. We want our lady to flow." With standards and demands so high, one could wonder how Quinton manages to deliver! And yet, she does.

Her Couture line is a beautiful hybrid of timeless shape, utilizing dramatic angle, bold pattern, and strong color to transform them in to unique and vibrant pieces of body art. Many of her couture pieces are from her "Metropolis" collection, lengthening the body and sharpening with her bold architectural style. But many of Quinton's other pieces seem bring out the softer side of the Metropolis, such as the Marionette dress featured above, and the Chiquitita dress. Both are pieces I personally love, and would wear together (perhaps with this Fall's dominant Men's style booties?); the neutral tone would highlight the supposedly cold exterior of cement buildings, while romanticizing the perceived connotations of the structure and identity of cities.

Decadence

There is something about decadent clothing, similar to these turn-of-the-century-spats, that I find myself coveting lately. The dark eyes, the bold lips, and barely flushed cheeks, highlighted by tight curls, unraveling brocades, crushed velvets, and antique trims, it leaves my head spinning and reeling like I've just smoked one too many cloves.

There are two designers on Etsy whose clothes I covet and pine for more than almost anything lately: Louise Black and Boudior Queen. Both designers create one-of-a-kind pieces that are whimsical, dramatic, luxurious, and sinful.

This dress by Louise Black, her Silk Rose Tea Party dress, is a site to behold. I imagine it in a 19th century high-end home, with heavy velvet draperies, women with hair so big to heavens (only for it to hold all of their idle, malicious whispers). Perhaps the woman who wears it is muttered to be a harlot; she's youthful, lively, likely to change social dynamics and interactions with a mere flick of her wrist. She's a Party Girl Vigee-Lebrun, who has a tongue of foreign tongues and wits to harm a man.

Meanwhile, in a silver turban and Boudior Queen's Innocent Claudia dress, we have the coquette small stage star, drinking of the green faerie, trolling around with vagabond artists and petty lords. Her dress begs of men and women to whisk her to their boudior, rolling in beds of silk dupionis and incensed tobacco smokes. She'd set her most tempestuous lover's poems of love and intensity on fire after a heated and devastatingly dramatic quarrel.

Both gowns are for women who storm the room in a flurry of passion and energy, to captivate their audience with coy glances and carnal knowings, but tease the viewer with an unanticipated modesty and class.

My Self and the City

Jennine over at The Coveted recently made a post about fashion and identity, and how we construct our ideal selves from these notions, and where our inspirations lie.

Like many women, and contrary to the haters, I'm a big fan of Sex and the City, particularly Carrie Bradshaw. In regards to fashion and sense of self, I find myself asking, "What would Carrie Bradshaw do?" In terms of fashion, Carrie's whimsical, outrageous, yet classic and stylish wardrobe appeals to my own personal aesthetic. She manages to create one of a kind ensembles mixing vintage, couture, trends, and timelessness. Carrie is always a lady, always chic, and always guaranteed to turn heads.

As a woman, though, I find Carrie an admirable role model (for a fictitious character)-- she's strong, independent, sexy,while still maintaining emotional vulnerability, maturity, and a youthful playfulness. She's ambitious, defines family on her own terms, keeps her heart wide open to what the city and men have to offer, while maintaining her own strong sense of identity.

And when I think of a figure head, who represents what I'd like my ideal self to be, Ms. Bradshaw manages to encompass all of the qualities I like to think that I have, and some that I'd hope to grow in to.