In my quest for essentialism, I finally took the plunge into ebay selling recently. Granted, it's a hassle photographing, posting, monitoring, going to the post office, posting tracking numbers, etc. But here's the cool thing: I wouldn't have believed it, but I've managed to liquidate my whole stock of gently used tango shoes and vintage and retro-inspired lingerie (plus several packages of unworn nylon stockings) in the past month there. So now my Spring/Summer 2013 fashion game plan is to spend the proceeds from those sales on wardrobe fill-in and new shoes. It feels great -- and guilt free! -- to plan my shopping this way. I don't think I'll miss a single thing I've sold because I haven't worn any of it for two years. So far I've made over $600!
I used to sell one season towards financing the next at Buffalo Exchange, but the ebay way is much more profitable. I don't think it will work for worn-out stuff, but it's great for tags-on clothes, barely worn shoes, etc.
If you want to see my Spring/Summer 2013 pins and plans, head over to Pinterest. The safari theme will predominate. Plus I used some of my ebay earnings to buy more Masai bracelets and earrings. For $40 I bought seven beaded bracelets and a pair of earrings from a really friendly U.S. vendor. So I'll be rocking my "missionary/Peace Corps" look -- Nike t-shirt, cargo skirt and jacket, Masai jewelry -- this summer.
When I go to the mall these days I feel nearly "beyond desire." There is so little there that I need, much less want. Everything looks the same as it ever did to me.
Friday, February 15, 2013
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Obviously, I am a very poor blogger.
Since last I posted...
I went to Buenos Aires for ten days in October, packed only in a carry-on bag. I brought everything I could possibly have needed to wear through torrential rains, dancing two or three milongas a day, going to a concert at Teatro Colòn and Museo Evita. I only had to buy a pair of flip-flops, when tango-induced foot fatigue finally kicked in. Note to self: never travel without throwing in a pair of flip-flops.
When I got back home I immediately realized I missed that freeing travel feeling I love -- of knowing exactly what clothes I own, of combining them in different ways for variety, of all my clothes being so easy and so simple.
Some lessons were learned from that Buenos Aires trip that will further inform my "rules" of clothes buying and makeup buying and jewelry buying. For instance, sometimes really, really cheap jersey tops and wraps from Forever 21 are the greatest -- and that American Apparel racerback tank tops are brilliant!
I closed out 2012 with another massive closet clean-out, making notes of what I was getting rid of, and why. I think I've finally gotten rid of everything I haven't worn in two years. I had way too many duplicate-y separates.
Winter 2012-13 ended up being the season of my wearing three Hue mini skirts (black, grey, denim) with black footless tights and racerback tanks with Forever 21 cold shoulder tops or wraps over them, or else skinny black jeans on bottom. My black high-heeled booties and my black leather motocross jacket got loads of play. If it wasn't black, grey or blue it really didn't get worn by me this season.
Then my boyfriend and I went to Santa Fe during sub-freezing January weather. Again, I packed only a carry-on. Dark 501 jeans, a black cashmere turtleneck, black Frye biker boots, a cap and scarf and gloves, a black tank top, a colorful Desigual skirt and a pair of black Wolford thigh-highs got me through three days of photographing and nice dinners out -- and I came home without wearing the pair of light leopard print jeans and oatmeal v-neck sweater I'd also brought along. I wore my light down jacket on the plane. Easy.
Now I'm looking ahead to spring and summer. I can feel it already: if it's not white or khaki or light, watery blue, I probably won't be wearing it. Images of "Out of Africa" and "King Solomon's Mines" are already dancing in my head. Now, if I can just find the perfect khaki cargo skirt...
I went to Buenos Aires for ten days in October, packed only in a carry-on bag. I brought everything I could possibly have needed to wear through torrential rains, dancing two or three milongas a day, going to a concert at Teatro Colòn and Museo Evita. I only had to buy a pair of flip-flops, when tango-induced foot fatigue finally kicked in. Note to self: never travel without throwing in a pair of flip-flops.
When I got back home I immediately realized I missed that freeing travel feeling I love -- of knowing exactly what clothes I own, of combining them in different ways for variety, of all my clothes being so easy and so simple.
Some lessons were learned from that Buenos Aires trip that will further inform my "rules" of clothes buying and makeup buying and jewelry buying. For instance, sometimes really, really cheap jersey tops and wraps from Forever 21 are the greatest -- and that American Apparel racerback tank tops are brilliant!
I closed out 2012 with another massive closet clean-out, making notes of what I was getting rid of, and why. I think I've finally gotten rid of everything I haven't worn in two years. I had way too many duplicate-y separates.
Winter 2012-13 ended up being the season of my wearing three Hue mini skirts (black, grey, denim) with black footless tights and racerback tanks with Forever 21 cold shoulder tops or wraps over them, or else skinny black jeans on bottom. My black high-heeled booties and my black leather motocross jacket got loads of play. If it wasn't black, grey or blue it really didn't get worn by me this season.
Then my boyfriend and I went to Santa Fe during sub-freezing January weather. Again, I packed only a carry-on. Dark 501 jeans, a black cashmere turtleneck, black Frye biker boots, a cap and scarf and gloves, a black tank top, a colorful Desigual skirt and a pair of black Wolford thigh-highs got me through three days of photographing and nice dinners out -- and I came home without wearing the pair of light leopard print jeans and oatmeal v-neck sweater I'd also brought along. I wore my light down jacket on the plane. Easy.
Now I'm looking ahead to spring and summer. I can feel it already: if it's not white or khaki or light, watery blue, I probably won't be wearing it. Images of "Out of Africa" and "King Solomon's Mines" are already dancing in my head. Now, if I can just find the perfect khaki cargo skirt...
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Three-Day Weekend in New Orleans
I got to put my "travel light = no checked bags" packing rules into force recently when my boyfriend and I went to New Orleans for the weekend -- luckily, ahead of the most recent hurricane to threaten the poor Big Easy. I ended up packing in a big purse, and it held everything I needed.
I traveled in a black ponte knit mini skirt (Boston Proper travel collection), a grey v-neck t-shirt (J. Crew) and a black satin zip-front bomber jacket (American Apparel), wearing black, strappy, heeled sandals. I took along one red cold-shoulder jersey dress (Ideeli, I forget the brand), one short, sexy black jersey dress (Victoria's Secret), a white v-neck t-shirt (J. Crew) and a slinky, strapless black jumpsuit with harem pants bottoms. I threw a couple of cuff bracelets into the bottom of my purse and rolled up a Wacoal chemise and a couple of pairs of panties. Tossed my makeup bag and a hairbrush in, grabbed my sunglasses and I was ready to go.
It poured rain the whole time we were in New Orleans. The black jumpsuit -- which I thought was kind of a fun, crazy option I didn't really expect to actually wear -- got a lot of play over the weekend with the satin jacket over it, since it suddenly turned cool. I ended up never even wearing the black dress; wore the jumpsuit to the casino instead since it was cold and wet. Wore the red dress out to dinner at Galatoire's. Bought a pair of black flip-flops at the drug store the first day rather than wear my nice sandals while slopping through gutters full of rain. Left my travel umbrella in the bar Sunday night. Oh, well!
So, as usual, even packing in a purse it turned out I over-packed. It's amazing how very few articles turn out to be essential from a Friday to Monday. I felt I had everything I needed, and that I looked put-together and just fine.
I leave for Buenos Aires in just over a month. Last time I went to Buenos Aires I checked a carry-on size bag and carried on another the same size, plus a purse. I'm starting now to plot and plan and practice pack to see if I can avoid checking a bag at all this time. Can I make it two weeks on the contents of a single carry-on bag, even with dancing two or three milongas a night, which means I have to dress up?
I traveled in a black ponte knit mini skirt (Boston Proper travel collection), a grey v-neck t-shirt (J. Crew) and a black satin zip-front bomber jacket (American Apparel), wearing black, strappy, heeled sandals. I took along one red cold-shoulder jersey dress (Ideeli, I forget the brand), one short, sexy black jersey dress (Victoria's Secret), a white v-neck t-shirt (J. Crew) and a slinky, strapless black jumpsuit with harem pants bottoms. I threw a couple of cuff bracelets into the bottom of my purse and rolled up a Wacoal chemise and a couple of pairs of panties. Tossed my makeup bag and a hairbrush in, grabbed my sunglasses and I was ready to go.
It poured rain the whole time we were in New Orleans. The black jumpsuit -- which I thought was kind of a fun, crazy option I didn't really expect to actually wear -- got a lot of play over the weekend with the satin jacket over it, since it suddenly turned cool. I ended up never even wearing the black dress; wore the jumpsuit to the casino instead since it was cold and wet. Wore the red dress out to dinner at Galatoire's. Bought a pair of black flip-flops at the drug store the first day rather than wear my nice sandals while slopping through gutters full of rain. Left my travel umbrella in the bar Sunday night. Oh, well!
So, as usual, even packing in a purse it turned out I over-packed. It's amazing how very few articles turn out to be essential from a Friday to Monday. I felt I had everything I needed, and that I looked put-together and just fine.
I leave for Buenos Aires in just over a month. Last time I went to Buenos Aires I checked a carry-on size bag and carried on another the same size, plus a purse. I'm starting now to plot and plan and practice pack to see if I can avoid checking a bag at all this time. Can I make it two weeks on the contents of a single carry-on bag, even with dancing two or three milongas a night, which means I have to dress up?
Thursday, August 2, 2012
Ethnic: Stuff That Never Goes Out of Style
In all the fashion thinking I've been doing these days, I realize that one of the safest options for clothing that never goes out of style is ethnic.
Think Frida Kahlo. I've been thinking about her a lot these last few days, due, in part, to this marvelous book I received as a gift:
The Fashion of Frida Kahlo
Frida was on to an important fashion principle. Unique, hand-made clothes, particularly regional ethnic clothing, never goes out of style because it's never IN style. Current fashion may take its inspiration, say, from embroidered Gypsy garb, but it's not the real stuff. The real stuff never goes out of style, so it's safe to collect it and to wear it for decades. I was fascinated by Frida Kahlo's wardrobe collection. Of course, I knew she had a preference for Tehuana costumes, but I had no idea her wardrobe spanned China and late 19th century Europe as well.
When I was a young woman living in Santa Fe, New Mexico, I was always fascinated by the women who'd trot out their amazing vintage silk and satin embroidered scarlet and turquoise Chinese coats for the opera. Good thinking. There was a shop in Santa Fe in those days that sold treasure troves of ethnic clothing and jewelery. But those were the proverbial salad days of my youth, and, alas, I was not then in a position to start collecting it.
I was thinking about the ethnic clothing in my own wardrobe these days. Many of the pieces are nearly a decade old, but I keep wearing and wearing them. They always make me happy. For instance, I'm quite keen on Dutch wax batik, and I have a number of skirts (purchased on ebay for about $20 including postage from Thailand) that I love.
Thai "Afrikan" print skirts
Before my birth, my parents were living in Bavaria. When I was a little girl I was madly in love with dirndls, due to my parents' photographs. I actually started buying them in 2008 on a trip back to Bavaria, and I will cop to the fact that I am absolutely likely to rock a dirndl, especially around Christmas time. But I like to style them with Moulin Rouge boots and white crocheted thigh-high stockings. The dirndl's something that seems to reappear to serve as a fashion inspiration about once a decade. From here on out, I'm just holding onto my authentic dirndls and rocking them when I feel like it. I once rocked a dirndl in Paris nearly every day for a week -- and was treated like a queen everywhere! And was yodeled at by Northern Africans wearing their own traditional garb :)
The dirndl I wore in Paris -- only brown with pink
I'm quite keen on Indian kurtas. I like the sheer voile ones as nightgowns, bathing suit cover-ups and thrown on as shirts over jeans. I've purchased a few from this on-line U.S. dealer.
Beane's Indian Clothes
They travel incredibly well and multi-purpose on the trip.
And I'm a big fan of sarongs, both the tube variety and the flat kind. Skirt, bathing suit cover-up, robe -- the ultimate in multi-purpose garment. Again, ebay has been a treasure trove for authentic sarongs.
Indredible Malaysian tube sarongs
And the flat ones multi-purpose as shawls and pashminas!
I'm pretty crazy about these traditional sarongs from Bali.
The digital world creates the opportunity for global shopping. I find incredible ethnic pieces on ebay and etsy all the time. The next thing I'm adding to my own wardrobe collection is a custom, made-to-order Romanian peasant blouse -- black, with red embroidery. It took its maker six weeks to embroider, and now it's on its way to me via DHL for $136, including shipping.
My Romanian blouse
Think Frida Kahlo. I've been thinking about her a lot these last few days, due, in part, to this marvelous book I received as a gift:
The Fashion of Frida Kahlo
Frida was on to an important fashion principle. Unique, hand-made clothes, particularly regional ethnic clothing, never goes out of style because it's never IN style. Current fashion may take its inspiration, say, from embroidered Gypsy garb, but it's not the real stuff. The real stuff never goes out of style, so it's safe to collect it and to wear it for decades. I was fascinated by Frida Kahlo's wardrobe collection. Of course, I knew she had a preference for Tehuana costumes, but I had no idea her wardrobe spanned China and late 19th century Europe as well.
When I was a young woman living in Santa Fe, New Mexico, I was always fascinated by the women who'd trot out their amazing vintage silk and satin embroidered scarlet and turquoise Chinese coats for the opera. Good thinking. There was a shop in Santa Fe in those days that sold treasure troves of ethnic clothing and jewelery. But those were the proverbial salad days of my youth, and, alas, I was not then in a position to start collecting it.
I was thinking about the ethnic clothing in my own wardrobe these days. Many of the pieces are nearly a decade old, but I keep wearing and wearing them. They always make me happy. For instance, I'm quite keen on Dutch wax batik, and I have a number of skirts (purchased on ebay for about $20 including postage from Thailand) that I love.
Thai "Afrikan" print skirts
Before my birth, my parents were living in Bavaria. When I was a little girl I was madly in love with dirndls, due to my parents' photographs. I actually started buying them in 2008 on a trip back to Bavaria, and I will cop to the fact that I am absolutely likely to rock a dirndl, especially around Christmas time. But I like to style them with Moulin Rouge boots and white crocheted thigh-high stockings. The dirndl's something that seems to reappear to serve as a fashion inspiration about once a decade. From here on out, I'm just holding onto my authentic dirndls and rocking them when I feel like it. I once rocked a dirndl in Paris nearly every day for a week -- and was treated like a queen everywhere! And was yodeled at by Northern Africans wearing their own traditional garb :)
The dirndl I wore in Paris -- only brown with pink
I'm quite keen on Indian kurtas. I like the sheer voile ones as nightgowns, bathing suit cover-ups and thrown on as shirts over jeans. I've purchased a few from this on-line U.S. dealer.
Beane's Indian Clothes
They travel incredibly well and multi-purpose on the trip.
And I'm a big fan of sarongs, both the tube variety and the flat kind. Skirt, bathing suit cover-up, robe -- the ultimate in multi-purpose garment. Again, ebay has been a treasure trove for authentic sarongs.
Indredible Malaysian tube sarongs
And the flat ones multi-purpose as shawls and pashminas!
I'm pretty crazy about these traditional sarongs from Bali.
The digital world creates the opportunity for global shopping. I find incredible ethnic pieces on ebay and etsy all the time. The next thing I'm adding to my own wardrobe collection is a custom, made-to-order Romanian peasant blouse -- black, with red embroidery. It took its maker six weeks to embroider, and now it's on its way to me via DHL for $136, including shipping.
My Romanian blouse
Monday, July 30, 2012
In pursuit of the Capsule Wardrobe.
I think about fashion all the time, yet I'm really having trouble getting back here often to write about it. And the blog's visual format, i.e., the Blogger template, is still bothering me. But since I can't write HTML and do it myself, I guess I should just get over it, right?
I'll try now to start writing about some of the major issues that I think about a lot. The first is this one: CAPSULE WARDROBES.
What, in other words, is essential? What do you have to have to survive? For me, traveling -- and traveling light -- helps me analyze this issue.
Here's Tim Gunn's advice.
Here's an article from Real Simple magazine.
Helpful advice, to which I will partially subscribe. But my own personal essential list is slightly different. And my sudden cravings for novelty or wanting to be dressed appropriately for any adventure that might have come my way often derail my best-laid plans for owning only an essential wardrobe.
For me, a capsule wardrobe is this:
1. A skirt suit: black or graphite grey, with a long jacket and nipped-in waist and a just-to-the-knee pencil skirt with a back vent. Because that skirt can do double-duty.
2. A little black skirt: again, pencil, probably ponte knit, with a back vent. Even more than a little black dress, I depend on this as a wardrobe staple. I like this one a little above the knees.
3. A white blouse: probably Anne Fontaine, if it's not one of her tricky designs. And since I won't iron, her knit open-work lace blouses are favorites of mine. At the very least, a wrinkle-free long sleeved button-front classic white shirt is essential for me.
4. A black racer-back tank top. American Apparel does my absolute favorite one. While we're at it, I guess I should just cop to the fact that a dark grey one and a white one are also essential for me. I actually even wear them under suits at work.
5. Black wide-ish leg trousers. I like seasonless crepe.
6. Dark, dark wash Levis.
7. White v-neck short sleeve tshirt. I like J. Crew.
8. Black v-neck long sleeve tshirt. I like J. Crew's tissue t. Paired with black skirt, I've got a long sleeved little black dress.
9. Cardigan sweater. I like merino, not cashmere; more durable. I tend toward leopard print or black.
10. Instead of the trench everyone recommends, I like a black leather jacket. An edgy one, with zippers. But close to the body in cut. BLJ works over everything, just like a trench!
11. Some kind of track suit or sweats/matching hoody combination. And a pair of matching shorts. I like black or grey with old-school stripes down the sides. I work out in these, lounge in these, go to the grocery store in these.
12. A slinky, flowy halter dress. My black halter dress is probably the most versatile garment I own. I can dance tango in it, go to the symphony in it, go to dinner in it. Throw a cardigan or leather jacket over it and it looks like a completely different skirt.
13. A bikini. I wear the top as a bra sometimes, especially if I'm traveling.
14. Knee-length khaki cargo shorts. Works for nearly any outdoor adventure. Mine are lightweight and quick drying.
15. A crazy patterned, wildly colorful skirt. I love Desigual for these. They can be paired with tshirts and racerbacks. These are sometimes the color "fix" I need in my mostly black and grey minimalist wardrobe to make me feel happy.
16. Crazy sexy black high-heeled booties. Yes, I wear them with suits, skirts, pants and jeans.
17. Crazy sexy outrageous high-heeled sandals. I will even wear them with tights in winter.
18. Running shoes, coordinating somehow with the tracksuit.
19. A medium width belt. I tend toward subtly studded, metallic, patent leather or leopard -- but not too over-the-top.
20. A kimono or tank dress or cotton chemise -- something that doubles as a robe, beach cover-up and loungewear.
And, if I could throw in just one more thing: a patterned v-neck jersey wrap dress.
It's the many simple, short jersey dresses I own that are the main contributors to my packed closet. They are so versatile, and a print or color I don't own can seduce me if I'm not vigilant about keeping up my guard.
I'm sure my capsule wardrobe is not classic. Seems to me what's key is versatility of the pieces while also carefully considering one's lifestyle. If I didn't work, my choices would likely be different. But a blazer is something that doesn't work for me; a light leather jacket, to my taste, is a better option.
I'll try now to start writing about some of the major issues that I think about a lot. The first is this one: CAPSULE WARDROBES.
What, in other words, is essential? What do you have to have to survive? For me, traveling -- and traveling light -- helps me analyze this issue.
Here's Tim Gunn's advice.
Here's an article from Real Simple magazine.
Helpful advice, to which I will partially subscribe. But my own personal essential list is slightly different. And my sudden cravings for novelty or wanting to be dressed appropriately for any adventure that might have come my way often derail my best-laid plans for owning only an essential wardrobe.
For me, a capsule wardrobe is this:
1. A skirt suit: black or graphite grey, with a long jacket and nipped-in waist and a just-to-the-knee pencil skirt with a back vent. Because that skirt can do double-duty.
2. A little black skirt: again, pencil, probably ponte knit, with a back vent. Even more than a little black dress, I depend on this as a wardrobe staple. I like this one a little above the knees.
3. A white blouse: probably Anne Fontaine, if it's not one of her tricky designs. And since I won't iron, her knit open-work lace blouses are favorites of mine. At the very least, a wrinkle-free long sleeved button-front classic white shirt is essential for me.
4. A black racer-back tank top. American Apparel does my absolute favorite one. While we're at it, I guess I should just cop to the fact that a dark grey one and a white one are also essential for me. I actually even wear them under suits at work.
5. Black wide-ish leg trousers. I like seasonless crepe.
6. Dark, dark wash Levis.
7. White v-neck short sleeve tshirt. I like J. Crew.
8. Black v-neck long sleeve tshirt. I like J. Crew's tissue t. Paired with black skirt, I've got a long sleeved little black dress.
9. Cardigan sweater. I like merino, not cashmere; more durable. I tend toward leopard print or black.
10. Instead of the trench everyone recommends, I like a black leather jacket. An edgy one, with zippers. But close to the body in cut. BLJ works over everything, just like a trench!
11. Some kind of track suit or sweats/matching hoody combination. And a pair of matching shorts. I like black or grey with old-school stripes down the sides. I work out in these, lounge in these, go to the grocery store in these.
12. A slinky, flowy halter dress. My black halter dress is probably the most versatile garment I own. I can dance tango in it, go to the symphony in it, go to dinner in it. Throw a cardigan or leather jacket over it and it looks like a completely different skirt.
13. A bikini. I wear the top as a bra sometimes, especially if I'm traveling.
14. Knee-length khaki cargo shorts. Works for nearly any outdoor adventure. Mine are lightweight and quick drying.
15. A crazy patterned, wildly colorful skirt. I love Desigual for these. They can be paired with tshirts and racerbacks. These are sometimes the color "fix" I need in my mostly black and grey minimalist wardrobe to make me feel happy.
16. Crazy sexy black high-heeled booties. Yes, I wear them with suits, skirts, pants and jeans.
17. Crazy sexy outrageous high-heeled sandals. I will even wear them with tights in winter.
18. Running shoes, coordinating somehow with the tracksuit.
19. A medium width belt. I tend toward subtly studded, metallic, patent leather or leopard -- but not too over-the-top.
20. A kimono or tank dress or cotton chemise -- something that doubles as a robe, beach cover-up and loungewear.
And, if I could throw in just one more thing: a patterned v-neck jersey wrap dress.
It's the many simple, short jersey dresses I own that are the main contributors to my packed closet. They are so versatile, and a print or color I don't own can seduce me if I'm not vigilant about keeping up my guard.
I'm sure my capsule wardrobe is not classic. Seems to me what's key is versatility of the pieces while also carefully considering one's lifestyle. If I didn't work, my choices would likely be different. But a blazer is something that doesn't work for me; a light leather jacket, to my taste, is a better option.
Thursday, July 19, 2012
I've been spending quality time on Pinterest.
It's kind of fun to try to make boards to illustrate some of the visual/aesthetic problems that plague me. Take a look if you'd like.
Some trends emerge:
1. I am keen on elegant, stripped-down design while simultaneously obsessed with crazy surface pattern and color.
2. I have very expensive tastes but equally and conversely prefer free stuff and the gifts of nature.
3. Most of my favorite designers are anonymous people of the ancient world or Third World countries, not the modern Western World's power players.
4. I love containers that are exponentially more costly than anything I'd ever own to store inside them.
I'd never analyzed some of this stuff that's fundamentally true about me.
Some trends emerge:
1. I am keen on elegant, stripped-down design while simultaneously obsessed with crazy surface pattern and color.
2. I have very expensive tastes but equally and conversely prefer free stuff and the gifts of nature.
3. Most of my favorite designers are anonymous people of the ancient world or Third World countries, not the modern Western World's power players.
4. I love containers that are exponentially more costly than anything I'd ever own to store inside them.
I'd never analyzed some of this stuff that's fundamentally true about me.
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Who Are The Women I'm Dressing?
When I did the post-mortem on the clothes I recently gave away and organized what was left, it became fairly obvious that there are several distinct women I'm dressing. It's almost like my clothes are wardrobe for a cast of characters! So one more rule for me: don't buy anything that won't dress one of these women.
I guess this makes me a multiple personality disordered fashionista? Maybe so, but at least I finally figured out what's going on.
So let's meet these women. I'm including links to my Pinterest boards with accompanying images. Ladies, come on out!
1. The Gypsy in My Soul
My original fashion statement as a teenager, and one I'm still quite fond of. The minimalist in me likes to wear black, white and gray. But the Gypsy loves bright colors and contrasting pattern play.
2. The Ice Princess
A look I sometimes channel professionally. I've long been drawn to the mysterious feminine power of some of Alfred Hitchcock's heroines. "Sexy Secretary" was really never a look that appealed to me much. I prefer the cool, aloof, exquisitely tailored, buttoned-up, intimidating blondes.
3. Out of Africa
Perhaps all that time spent in church as a small child hearing about missionaries in exotic locations inspired my love for safari wear. I love the look of combining British or European khaki clothes with Masai jewelry, African prints, wax batiks and ikat. I think the Masai are probably the most stylish people on the planet, in fact. I love the colors they wear, the mixed patterns and their incredible hand-made beaded jewelry. And I bet the average Masai woman does not own more than fifteen things, yet they always look fantastic. The Masai seem to have it figured out when it comes to elegance and simplicity of design and function combined with maximal use of color and surface pattern.
4. Studio 54
When I'm dancing tango, I've never found a look that works better than Disco. A body-conscious jersey dress that moves, one statement bracelet, heels -- I'm good to dance all night! Jersey wrap dresses are among fashion's perfect objects, in my opinion. And they're great for traveling with one carry-on bag.
5. Rock Star
Can't help it. If I'm not at work or dancing, I gravitate toward this look. Especially on the weekends, if I'm going out to the movies or out with friends. Although, sometimes, it can get a little mixed up with
5. Goth,
another of my original styles. No apologies. I love black clothes. And I like vampires.
6. Off-Duty Soviet Gymnast/Ballerina
When I'm not dancing or working, I am probably running or working out or lounging around in bed watching movies or reading Vogue. And when I am, this is the wardrobe I wear. When I pop out to the grocery store I'm often dressed in some kind of bastard love-child of old school Adidas and Danskin. And this is the wardrobe I like to fly in. These are my extremely practical comfort clothes. Cheap, durable, form follows function. Probably the smartest clothes I own, in terms of utility.
So from now on, I'm not buying an article of clothing or a pair of shoes unless I know WHO it's for out of the six women I evidently am.
I guess this makes me a multiple personality disordered fashionista? Maybe so, but at least I finally figured out what's going on.
So let's meet these women. I'm including links to my Pinterest boards with accompanying images. Ladies, come on out!
1. The Gypsy in My Soul
My original fashion statement as a teenager, and one I'm still quite fond of. The minimalist in me likes to wear black, white and gray. But the Gypsy loves bright colors and contrasting pattern play.
2. The Ice Princess
A look I sometimes channel professionally. I've long been drawn to the mysterious feminine power of some of Alfred Hitchcock's heroines. "Sexy Secretary" was really never a look that appealed to me much. I prefer the cool, aloof, exquisitely tailored, buttoned-up, intimidating blondes.
3. Out of Africa
Perhaps all that time spent in church as a small child hearing about missionaries in exotic locations inspired my love for safari wear. I love the look of combining British or European khaki clothes with Masai jewelry, African prints, wax batiks and ikat. I think the Masai are probably the most stylish people on the planet, in fact. I love the colors they wear, the mixed patterns and their incredible hand-made beaded jewelry. And I bet the average Masai woman does not own more than fifteen things, yet they always look fantastic. The Masai seem to have it figured out when it comes to elegance and simplicity of design and function combined with maximal use of color and surface pattern.
4. Studio 54
When I'm dancing tango, I've never found a look that works better than Disco. A body-conscious jersey dress that moves, one statement bracelet, heels -- I'm good to dance all night! Jersey wrap dresses are among fashion's perfect objects, in my opinion. And they're great for traveling with one carry-on bag.
5. Rock Star
Can't help it. If I'm not at work or dancing, I gravitate toward this look. Especially on the weekends, if I'm going out to the movies or out with friends. Although, sometimes, it can get a little mixed up with
5. Goth,
another of my original styles. No apologies. I love black clothes. And I like vampires.
6. Off-Duty Soviet Gymnast/Ballerina
When I'm not dancing or working, I am probably running or working out or lounging around in bed watching movies or reading Vogue. And when I am, this is the wardrobe I wear. When I pop out to the grocery store I'm often dressed in some kind of bastard love-child of old school Adidas and Danskin. And this is the wardrobe I like to fly in. These are my extremely practical comfort clothes. Cheap, durable, form follows function. Probably the smartest clothes I own, in terms of utility.
So from now on, I'm not buying an article of clothing or a pair of shoes unless I know WHO it's for out of the six women I evidently am.
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