The Mannish Overcoat

[Hi all...I am in Nashville for the Modernist Studies Association conference right now. Nerdy, bookish stuff galore...so, I might be a bit slow for a few days answering comments, etc. I will have one more post tomorrow, and then take the weekend off. Enjoy your week my friends!]

I am loving the idea of a masculine overcoat with long, slouchy sleeves [good for rolling up], a deep neck, and low-slung buttons. It has such an 80's Wallstreet vibe. So far, all of the examples I have found are WAY out my price range. However, I'm fairly confident that with a good bit of thrift-store shopping, I can find something quite similar in the men's department, for much less cash. Do my lovely readers have any suggestions?

The Topshop version is perfect, but $310 is just not wallet-friendly!

The new Burberry Prorsum F/W 08 Collection had several mannish overcoats, but all for [*gulp*] thousands of dollars...

If I Were a Room, I Would Wear Red...and Purple, and Blue, and Orange...

How would you "dress" if you were a room? Would it reflect the way you dress in real-life? Or, would it express a different part of your personality? I tend to veer toward subdued colors, solids, and minimal accessories for day-to-day dressing. But, I LOVE dramatic colors, exotic patterns, kitschy and eclectic accessories, and odd, surprising details in my rooms. I have been gathering decorating inspiration for a while, so I thought I would share a few. If I were a room, I would dress something like this:

[My favorite -- Very Victorian]


[I like the Moroccan influence here]

[The collection of low-hung, antique silhouettes is so unexpected]

[Feels like Mexico...Frida would approve]

[So kitschy! love the 40's vintage feel]

[WOW!]

[The giant framed wallpaper is so fun and whimsical]

[Dark purple -- gutsy with the stark white; very gothic-Lolita]

[My favorite colors -- seafoam greens, blues and cherry red]

[I love the idea of a library and dining room in one]

[The stripes and the dark, antique-y pictures remind me of a cabinet of curiosity]

[Brown velvet with bright stripes? why not?]

[This is actually Coco Chanel's Paris home -- so wild!]

Somehow orange and black doesn't look like Halloween, but looks glamorous and cozy!

Like Alice in Wonderland on an Art Deco acid-trip.

A red bathroom is so sexy and unexpected!

Suffragette Sally

I just had to share this ensemble put together by the lovely 16 Sparrows over at Behind the Curtain. She was inspired by the Gibson Girl / Suffragette look of the 1890's... [click on her link for outfit details]:

Of course, the Gibson girl and the suffragette were quite scandalous, so the only other thing this bad girl needs to complete the look is an Eagle Bicycle [how did people ride these?] Click here for an interesting little article on how the bicycle liberated women.

Suffrage literature and the history of women's suffrage is one of my areas of interest, as well as fashion history [particularly 1890's-1930's]. So, I thought I would post a few images to continue the theme -- just for fun...

Some more scandalous suffragettes and their cycles...

An 1890's sporting/riding costume with bloomers...

Some dressier ensembles from the 1890's...

[Les modes parisiennes : Peterson's magazine. 1890's]

The Crunch of Leaves under My Feet...

I am always amazed at how my mood and preferences change according to season. Warm, cozy earth-tones with a bit of foliage-inspired accessorizing just seem so appealing right now... suedes, worn leather, and soft, embellished knits are just right for keeping the cold at bay and celebrating with family..and don't forget the pumpkin pie!

Fall Favorites by Nothing Elegant

1. Manoush lace-patch cardiagn, net-a-porter.com.
2. Pumpkin Pie ultra rich body wash and shampoo, philosophy.com.
3. 12th Street by Cynthia Vincent drape-back tunic, net-a-porter.com.
4. Forever 21 Autumn leave slouchy beret, forever21.com.
5. Mini turnlock purse, urbanoutfitters.com.
6. Seychelles Cypress platform, urbanoutfitters.com.

I Wear Books on My Head Like a Hat

I would actually walk around with books balanced on my head when I was in grade school, because I read in an etiquette book that it would give me good posture (and thus, make me more attractive somehow...) Was that strange? Yes. Do I have good posture? Yes I do, as a matter of fact! And it is all thanks to books! If I still felt the need to wear books on my head [or if I simply wanted a fabulous-looking bookcase], I would choose a statement-making volume with a bit of vintage flair, like one of these perfectly-patterned special edition classics by Penguin and Virago:

Waterstone Exclusive Penguin Classics

Virago Modern Classics Little Brown Book Group

This makes me smile...

...not because I care about weddings, or even wedding dresses, but simply because I give this lovely lady props for wearing this bat-sh*t crazy, off-beat gown at her wedding. It totally looks like a Barbie dress I had in the 80's. I would so wear this! Why can't there be prom after 30??

[from Offbeatbride.com]

It definitely comes in at a close second to my favorite wedding dress -- the red, frothy number worn by Winona Ryder in Beetlejuice...