Lessons In Hindsight

Une Femme d'un certain age too long ago posted a wonderful & thoughtful post, What I've Figured Out So far. In this, she thinks about what advice she would got back to give her 20 year old self. My personal favorite is 4. You can't fuck someone into loving you.

While it hasn't been long enough to go back & give my 20 year old self advice, there is advice I can give my younger self:

1. It's never as bad as it seems. When in high school, not having any boys like me was the worst; my friend committing suicide shook my world. Then I got to college, and the turmoils of first love were so confusing and consuming. Following that, I was plagued by Hurricane Katrina and moved across country with a boyfriend who dumped me a month & half later. In hindsight, some of these things were sad, but I moved on (well, except for maybe the last point).

2. There are boys who find you attractive, whether they're dating you or not. This can really apply to your gender of preference, but I think in some way, we're never really conscious of how attractive others find us.

3. Don't get ahead of yourself. It's so easy to get ahead of ourselves, start fantasizing and projecting our goals, our career paths, our relationships, all before anything ever even happens. Hell, I was young and idealistic and eager for my dreams to come true. And while it's not bad to daydream, realizing that your actions will irrevocably impair the direction of those is important.

I had some friends, a couple: they were in love; he was going to be a lawyer, she a librarian. They had the neighborhood they wanted to live in picked out, ideas for decorating. Inevitably, they broke up. He didn't pass the bar, had to sell his car and Wii, and she moved out West (and seems to be doing quite well). Their break-up was ten times the messy because they got too far ahead of themselves. They looked so far in to the future, they were ignoring today.

4. Don't shy away from the "less attractive" alternatives.
A very silly example of this: only within the last year, I have begun wearing black-brown mascara. It sounds less appealing that black; the image of black mascara is more chic, glamorous, sensual. But in reality, I now know that, during the day, I look better in black-brown. It's softer, it complements my skin tone more nicely.

This is to say, make sure that the choices you make are genuinely the best choices for yourself. Don't go with something else that may not be as good because you like the image it conveys better. You're more likely to convey that image if you go with the best choices for yourself.

5. Save, save, save. I worked through all of high school and made decent money. And to be certain, there is nothing to show for it. I wish my parents had better taught me the value of a dollar (or that Suze Orman had at least written The Money Book for the Young, Fabulous & Broke at that point. This book has been a smart-send to me, I swear; I even contemplate picking up Women & Money: Owning the Power to Control Your Destiny as well, to break those bad buying habits I have).



Any lessons in hindsight you'd like to share, or are there any lessons you learned early on that you're glad to have?

Lot of Link Love: Friday the 7th

- Aesthetics in your organizing? Hipster Book Club seems conflicted and many just say "no."
The strong aversion of the members to organizing books by color strikes me as peculiar, and I can't help but wonder what the deeper reasoning behind it is. Are we too conditioned to accept organizing, especially of books, as one thing (genre, author, size)? Or are books viewed as the antithesis of vanity, and making them such is demeaning to their supposed value?

Some of these comments I found particularly intriguing:

"This might be ok for books that exist only as "accessories" but if you love your books, well, I can't imagine any other way but alphabetical by author, with maybe side groups by genre and then alphabetical by author."

"I think these pictures are appealing, because books are nice and pretty colors are nice, so therefore the combination of the two results in a very, "oooh, shiiiiney!" response. But this isn't terribly practical, and it feels a little demeaning to the books themselves."

"Well, that's the thing - it's practical if you think in terms of color, shape, spatiality - that sort of thing. Give me a book, I can tell you what color it is and then, where it is on the shelf. I can probably sketch the book cover before I could find it alphabetically - and that's exactly what's I'm doing in my mind. Saves me time. Would it work for a city Public Library? Probably not, but then again, it is fun to see which books end up near each other (and then again I don't run a city public library)."

Inspired by the Color + Design Blog

- I'm totally loving The Pin-Up Shop Blog! A modern woman's take on pin-up art. The blog combines the cheesecake and glamour of traditional pin-up imagery, while also discussing modern topics, conflicts, and patterns in pin-up art. Check out pin-ups & Diversity and The Veil Fetish Pin-up, along with The Bare Facts about Pin-Ups.

- This braid twist posted by (Into) the Fray looks amazing & easy. Perfect since I haven't figured out how to french braid around my head yet.

- Itty Bitty Kitty Committee! If you're not subscribing to this blog, you're missing out on some of the sweetest, most charming kitten faces in the world.

- We Love Hijab is an Islamic fashion blog. It's amazing to see the fashion & style opportunities that Muslim women make for themselves, and how unified they can be with American style. Check out these amazing gloves and Project Hijab: Project Runway made for the Islamic lady.

Trashy Diva Does Spring Right

I about choked and cried last night when I saw the new Trashy Diva design for this spring. Turquoise and red is one of my favorite color combinations ever (right up there with hot pink/black or grey). All I could do was bemoan the cost and plan how I could get a job there.

This combination has kick and pop-- and lots of it. It's incredibly vibrant and beautiful, and perfect for business wear and Spring. Generally, I think of Trashy Diva as the supplier of my 40s Glamour Girl needs; sometimes I tend to forget the subtle versatility of their pieces. While they epitomize a soft sexuality and sophistication, they're also designed to take you from Business to Barfly.



What I liked most about these two sets is that they contain three common pieces: a tuxedo-esque jacket, the Trashy Diva 1940s blouse, and a pair of red Manolo Blahniks that I was already dying for (and now paired with this shirt or a dress, may die twice for). I love how the accessories and bottoms completely change the outfit from a Day-At-The-Office to Slinkster-Sister-At-Your-Local-Dive-Bar.

I'm very much coveting both of these outfits.

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.

Sleeve Meet Face

Sleeveface is my newest favorite Flickr group-- and why shouldn't it be? It combines two of my favorite things, vinyl and innovation.

Sleeveface defines itself as "one or more persons obscuring or augmenting any part of their body or bodies with record sleeves causing an illusion." This definition is provided by DJ Carl Morris, who began the fad when he placed an old album sleeve of McCartney while DJing. The crowd went wild, and DJs have been emulating the presentation ever since.

Sleeveface also has a blog where the continue to post great images.

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!

Art's Inspirations

Not too long ago, Jennine at the Coveted asked for people's inspirations, but geared it more towards artists with their own style. I couldn't help but comment that mine, in that regard, would be photographer Cindy Sherman. The way Sherman addresses herself as a photographic subject, an artist, and her personal style, was part of my own individual development long before I knew who she was. Perhaps it is related to both of our loves and experiences in film and the theater.

On a personal and artistic level, I have often used my photography as a means of creating a dramatic persona for myself, to discover aspects of myself that I may not have otherwise known about. Sherman once said, "I'd play with makeup for awhile just to see where it took me." Many nights, my efforts would result in evening performances where I'd do my hair, make-up, costuming, lighting, and create mini fashion shoots in my apartment. Sometimes they manifest beyond that, in to something that is for purposeful wear, like when my friends and I dressed as characters from Alice in Wonderland.

Cindy Sherman did not leave her personas to only her photography. In her collection of "The Complete Untitled Film Stills: Cindy Sherman," she says,

Back in college, I'd started to wear them as regular clothes [costumes]. I'd also go to openings in character; once I went as a pregnant woman. Another time I turned into Rose Scalisi.... In New York I continued to dress-up-in-public things just a few times. I went to some parties in character: once I was a checkout girl, other times just in a more general disguise. It was great to feel incognito at an event where I felt awkward... We'd also agreed I would occasionally come to work in costume [featured right].

My inspiration and likeness extends beyond our perceptions and deliberate modifications of our physical appearance. When reading "The Complete Untitled Film Stills: Cindy Sherman," I was often struck by her responses to how and why she created the work she did, her academic and intellectual response to the her work and the cinematic/photographic theories. While the depiction of women she created is critically examined (particularly given the civil rights movements of the 60s and 70s, when she was shooting), Sherman says of her work,

"I didn't think of what I was doing as political: to me it was a way to make the best out of what I liked to do privately, which was dress up.... it was just fun to look different. It had nothing to do with fantasizing about being another person: it was instinctive."

Warm... Heatherette

Perhaps it is fond memories of club-tramping around the French Quarter's Lower Decatur with glorious boys named Atomic! and lascivious wanton women like the NOLAdies (two featured), or just my childhood dreams of drama and spotlights; regardless, the outlandish and outrageous style of New York's dynamic duo, Richie Rich and Traver Rain, and their label, Heatherette, remains one of my most anticipated lines every season.

Their style reflects the ephemeral nature of the club scene, capturing in their outfits the glorious and destructive nature of submerging yourself in to the scene. Their ability to contrast and coordinate prints may be bold and shocking to the sober eye, and a vision of beauty to intoxicated mind. Their collections are atypical of the seasonal trends, reflecting instead the ever growing and dynamic nature of subcultural America. Their Fall 2007 Ready To Wear line is available on Style.com.

It Is Done: The Art of Ingmar Bergman

When a "celebrity" death occurs, I rarely take notice. For while the extent of their art is felt by many of my friends and family, I rarely have been influenced by their craft.

Today, Swedish film director Ingmar Bergman passed away. This is a loss to the film community that strikes a particularly sad cord in me, as he has been, by far, one of the most influential directors in my love of cinema and it's craft.

I still remember the first time I saw one of his films; it was The Seventh Seal, and I was watching it for a Film Directors class in undergrad. Given my past background with photography, I was immediately taken, enraptured by what was, and probably still is, what I believed to be the most perfect photograph, twenty-four frames per second. Each of the subsequent films we watched by him, Wild Strawberries, Persona, Fanny och Alexander all left similar impacts on me. Never before had I been exposed to a film director whose theatrical nature created such a strongly composed, edited, and scripted film as films were. Later on, as my academic pursuits took me to writing screenplays, Bergman's influence was inevitable (from the naming of characters to the themes and visuals). Ingmar Bergman was the one film director who showed me what it was I wanted as a young filmmaker, and inevitably taught me that few are as capable of his craft as he is.

It is done; but never over. I can't help but feel there is some poetry in his death and the final scene from The Seventh Seal.

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.