Archive for May, 2005

reading fashion magazines?!??

Published
by
threadmettle
on May 20, 2005
in articles and inspiration
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If you’re like me, you rarely actually read fashion magazines for fear of coming upon a phrase like this one:

“…when Karl Lagerfeld amplified the house’s signature gestures with his own subversive wit.”

(gag)

It’s the images I’m there for, so mostly I just page on through and soak all the pretty pictures up. But once in a while, settling down to read fashion magazine editorial can unearth a golden nugget like this one in May’s Vogue:

“Metallic is a good investment,” [Veronica Webb] says. “It’s one of the four trends that always come back.” (For the record, the others, in her opinion, are peasant, Western, and animal prints.)”

Now there’s some food for thought!

’tis the season

Published
by
threadmettle
on May 18, 2005
in tips & resolutions
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The realization of personal evolution can really smack you in the face, like when you see a picture of your adolescent self and exclaim “Why are there caterpillars crawling across my forehead? Thank God I discovered tweezers.” But though they may seem radical in retrospect, changes in attitude, look, and the like are typically more subtle, occurring in waves, and often in the form of conscious decisions: “I’m going to pay more for better wine, cheese and chocolate.”

This week I made a decision that I believe will contribute significantly to my style evolution: I’m embracing seasonality. As a baggily-dressed (though always sharp) college student, I thought differentiating clothing seasons was ridiculous– I couldn’t be bothered. But Monday morning, what seemed an easy solution– throwing on a winter outfit, sans coat– had me kicking myself all day. What was I doing wearing all black with a plaid wool blazer? Why was I toting a tweed handbag? Don’t get me wrong– it was a good outfit in winter, and I liked all of the individual pieces. But I felt myself a sore thumb among the flowing skirts and spring jackets, the crepe-clad ladies. Yes, I looked work-appropriate, but I wished I’d opted for casual and seasonal instead.

So goodbye, tights (and hello, spring night goose bumps)! Hasta luego, chunky wool sweaters. I’m going to layer to high-hell under my white jean jacket rather than wear you, brown wool poncho. Love you, tweed flats! See you next fall!

oh the elegance of white!

Published
by
threadmettle
on May 12, 2005
in sightings and tips & resolutions
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As is typical of spring and summer collections, stores are stocking everything in white. In shades ranging from pure white to ecru, in some it even seems the predominant color. My typical reaction would be to back away from white-clad racks in horror, thinking of all the park benches I’d be scared to sit on, all the sticky-handed children (and, sadly, some adults) I’d have to shoo away to preserve the perfection of my garment. But just recently, I changed my tune.

It happened when I was walking on 34th and 5th, right across from the Empire State building. I saw a blond wearing a loose, knee-length bright white spring jacket, carrying a cream-colored Longchamp tote, and I thought, “My God. She’s dressed casually, but she’s the picture of elegance!”

And that was it. I thought of my no-white rule exceptions, my white Gap jean jacket (I had its ugly metal buttons replaced with small brown retro ones). When I wear it, I feel positively cinematic. Or my little creamy Clergerie flats, such adorable and versatile shoes. I concluded, to hell with it! I’ll take on a piece of clothing that’s a bit more accident-prone, that will not look good forever, because I appreciate the aura it imbues. And what’s more, I’ll revel in it, and wear it without fear of mucking it up. But when its radiance is dimmed by city grit or an unfortunate splash of vinaigrette, I’ll toss it into the waste basket and never look back. And to really drive the point home, I came up with this pledge. Say it with me:

I pledge to wear white,
and wear it in good health (though I probably won’t sit on the subway).
And while I’ll enjoy looking fabulous,
I also swear that if my white stains, dulls, or otherwise looks other than its wintry best,
I won’t try to fool myself and others,
and I’ll cease wearing it STAT,
relegating it to the “must dye or wear when cleaning house” pile.

making it happen

Published
by
threadmettle
on May 3, 2005
in inspiration, shoppin' and tips & resolutions
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I don’t know about you, but I keep a list of looks I see on other people, in magazines, or just think of, and strive to bring to fruition. Sometimes I already have the ingredients I need to carry it off. But most of the time I’m missing some of the requisite pieces, so you know what that means: shopping.

People tend to pooh-pooh shopping, but make no mistake: this is no meandering, vague, waiting-for-something-to-strike-me activity. Shopping of this variety is a focused quest, a search for materials to create something bigger. Sometimes it’s easily accomplished, but in many cases it entails entering countless stores, traversing various neighborhoods, online order returns…

What happens if you are deterred by lack of motivation? You miss the look. And having had the idea doesn’t cut it: when someone refers to a painting or sculpture and says “I could’ve done that,” the only reply is, “Maybe, but you didn’t.”

And when you see it through? Need I speak of the gratification in flipping through a marked-up magazine and seeing all the styles you successfully emulated?

Here are some of the looks I’m so pleased I made happen:

** The hoodie under the blazer: After seeing lots of girls looking sporty-chic in magazines and in person, I decided that all of my blazers could stand to have a hood spilling out from under the collar. I liked the necklace-effect of a zipper slicing down the chest, so I decided to look for a zip-up. Ebay was my saving grace in this case– after a little browsing, I found and won a Split zip-up hoodie snug enough to minimize bulk underneath my puff-sleeve blazers.

** The long, chunky, wooden-bead necklace: Some things you just can’t make yourself, but a necklace is not one of them. When my desire for a long chunky necklace got so strong that I just couldn’t stand it anymore, I headed over to the bead district on West 37th Street. Phoenix beads (http://www.phoenixbeads.com/) is a feast for the eyes, but I narrowed my search down to a 2-foot long string of gray-green wooden beads, each about an inch and a quarter square. $4 later, I have a new favorite necklace.

I can’t just crow about my successes. Here’s a look that got away:

** Strappy sandals, preferably metallic, over black opaque tights: Adorable and kind of nerdy-glam, I just never sought out the right sandals. Now that the summer’s approaching, no more black tights for me. But maybe next fall…