It's My Purple Party Dress

Not since elementary school, when I would sport my purple corduroys (french-rolled, of course) with my purple KangaRoos sneakers, have I been so obsessed with the color purple. I don't think this is a color I could wear every day, but something about a purple party dress sounds really appealing right now. It has a regal-mixed-with-yummy quality, like King Louis eating grape flavored Now-and-Laters (ok, that's a weird image but I really like Now-and-Laters candy ). Forever 21's slightly more high-end clothing line, Twelve by Twelve, has several purple-hued beauties that I have my eye on right now. I would pair these with some black lace tights and patent high-heeled Oxfords...and a glass of Merlot.


Ruffle Front Dress, $49


Cowl-Neck Tired Dress, $39



Twisted Knit Dress, $26

New: Quicksilver for Women

I'm always on the lookout for simple, comfy basics that I can wear over and over. The new Quicksilver line for women has some very cute, practical pieces that are great for layering and can easily make the transition easily from summer to fall. I like the fact that they are stepping outside of their "surfer" image and experimenting with a more fashion-forward approach. The only complaint I have is the prices seem *slightly* high considering the simplicity of the pieces (and my limited budget) --keeping my fingers crossed for a sale in early fall!


Nora Dress, $74


Kayli Dolman Sweatshirt, $54


Erin Shirt, $78

French Women Have Perfect Hair

I am having hair issues...I'll just admit it. Please excuse me if I talk about hair and hair-related anxieties a bit over the next week. I am going through this weird phase right now: I really want my hair to be its "natural" color. But, I've been coloring my hair for so long that I'm not even sure what that natural color is. My stylist and I tried to make our best guess (light brown-ish?), but I'm just not sure I like it...I keep thinking it looked better when it was dyed dark brown. But, I AM SO SICK of coloring my hair. I need a break from all the messy, smelly dye right now; I will start turning gray and have no choice but to color my hair soon enough...
This brings me to a nagging question: I just want to know why French women (actresses & singers, to be more specific) have perfect I-don't-color-it-or-style-it-but-it-still-looks-awesome hair??? Just take a gander at the perfection of Francoise Hardy, Jane Birkin [Update: I know now that Jane is British...I just associated her with french music and the French films she starred in -- the French sort of adopted her I suppose. But, yes, she was born in England. I am blissfully imperfect from time to time...oops.] , and Lou Doillon. They all look like they have their natural sunkissed-haircolor -- just the right shade between brown and dark blonde. Mon dieu! Why can't I be French?

Murad Cigarette Ads, Marimekko, and the Women of WWI

Let me start this post off by sharing a bit about my nerdy and unusual job, which will partly explain why I am obsessed with old advertising and why I plan to share with you, from time-to-time, interesting advertising from the early 1900's. I currently work part-time as a research assistant for the Modernist Journals Project. The MJP digs up rare, old magazines (mainly literary magazines) and digitizes them so people can have free access to them online. Right now, we are working on digitizing our first American "mass market" magazine -- Scribner's Magazine. Scribner's had almost 100 pages of ads per issue, and I'm always on the lookout for interesting fashion tid-bits (and I also like to keep my eye on the various ways women are portrayed in the ads...or how it changed over the years).

I am particularly intrigued by these Murad Cigarettes ads from the time America was in the First World War -- the women and the color palettes are so striking! The stripe/floral motifs and bright colors remind me of a weird fusion of Marimekko fabrics and the pop art of Takashi Murakami. It is fascinating to see such "modern" design elements being used even before the 20's -- things we associate with the 60's (like Marimekko) were often inspired by designs being played with more than 40 years earlier. The first two ads are actually from Taschen's new book: All-American Ads 1900-1919" (yet another thing to add to my wish list). I found the second two in issues of Scribner's Magazine from 1919:



From Taschen's "All-American Ads 1900-1919".
Both from 1919.


See any similarities? The colors, circles, and swirls remind me of the Marimekko-inspired designs from H&M last year.


From Scribner's Magazine, Sep. 1918


The design on the pillows in the above ad remind me so much of Murakami's smiley-face flowers.


From Scribner's Magazine, July 1918. It is interesting to note the way the ladies outfits mimic the soldier's uniform.


What about those striped pants in the Murad ad? ...more Marimekko designs come to mind.

Aside from the wonderful design elements, the women in these ads are quite unusual for the time -- exotic, sexual, strong. They seem very avant-garde, wearing their hair short and smoking cigarettes. All of this makes me wonder what was going on here: Was it simply the tobacco companies' provocative attempt to expand the market by appealing to women? Was it because the war made women want/need to feel more independent and the ads are reflecting this new social climate? I would love to know how people at the time responded to these ads... What do you lovely readers think??

A Penny for Your Loafers

I've noticed some of the more trend-conscious chain stores are really pushing loafers for the fall season (Urban Outfitters, Topshop). While loafers seem like a logical alternative to ballet flats (which by now are putting me to sleep), I'm still hesitant...I think it is because they give off an I'm-in-middle-management-vibe that I'm still struggling to look past. What do you all think? Here are some of the cuter ones I have found browsing around online:




Zappos.com:
Magdesians Timmie, $119
Penny Loves Kenny, $70



Zappos.com:
Trotters Molly, $99

Urban Outfitters:
Ivy League Loafers, $34
Bass Penny Loafers, $98

Can This Be Made into an Outfit?

Domino magazine has a feature from time to time in which a really inspired outfit is translated into a room with interior design that matches in mood, color, pattern (or a combination of elements). I love this idea and wondered if I could do the reverse. Since I can't afford to redesign my humble apartment every time I see an inspiring outfit, I thought it would be more appropriate to play with the idea of taking an interior, a decorative item, a film, or any random piece of aesthetic loveliness and translate it into an outfit (either on Polyvore or on myself). So here is my first attempt with this garish, over-the-top, gorgeous commode from 1700's France. I tried to consider the time period as well as colors and materials when putting together the pieces. I'm usually a bit more reserved with color when it comes to my own clothes, but I would wear this entire ensemble in a heartbeat! (Click on the Polyvore box for detailed info on chosen items).



Commode Paris, ca. 1778 Cabinetry by Martin Carlin
Met Museum, NY

Wearable Wunderkammer

According to the MOMA catalog description, "Wunderkammern, or cabinets of curiosities, arose in mid-sixteenth-century Europe as repositories for all manner of wondrous and exotic objects. In essence these collections—combining specimens, diagrams, and illustrations from many disciplines; marking the intersection of science and superstition; and drawing on natural, manmade, and artificial worlds—can be seen as the precursors to museums" (http://www.moma.org/exhibitions/). With reprints of popular books like Sebus' Natural Cabinet of Curiosities making such an impression in the design world over the past several years, the metaphorical cabinet has open and more and more people are curious to peek inside...

The MOMA's new exhibit, "Wunderkammer: A Century of Curiosities," features a range of artists whose work in some way explores the idea of a cabinet of curiosities. Artists include: Hans Bellmer, Peter Blake, Louise Bourgeois, Max Ernst, and Damien Hirst -- each creepy and cool in the best of ways. In expectation of my trip to New York this month and the new exhibit at the MOMA, I did some searching on Etsy for cabinet-of-curiosity-inspired jewelry to satisfy the slightly macabre side of my personality:




Top left: (username) purevile -- Post-Apocalyptic-Victorian accessories --Antler necklace
Top right: (username) OctopusMe -- Jewelry made from real octopus -- Sucker ring
Middle left: (username) Metalsugar -- Deliciously Original Jewelry and Custom Designs -- Cicada ring
Middle right: (username) willworkforbrains --Creepy crawlies and little oddities -- Heart necklace
Bottom left -- (username) aminyitray -- Victorian-insired items -- Sterling silver seaweed necklace
Bottom right -- (username) rivkasmom -- Steampunk jewelry -- Art Nouveau ring