wardrobe

wishpot

by Lara on October 6, 2009

in decor,fashion

You know registries – when a friend is about to get married or have a baby and have chosen all the things they want from a generous group of family and friends. Most people will let you know that they are registered at one or two places, and Target is usually an old standby. So, everything they want/need is supposed to come from 2 stores? This is incredibly restrictive and boring but easier than sending everyone on a wild goose chase for random items at random places with no way of knowing if it was already purchased or not.

Well, Wishpot is a place where you can create a wish list or gift registry for any occasion (or just for fun), from every store on the internet, all consolidated onto one site! It’s really easy and fun to use. You add a simple button to your bookmark bar and as you peruse the internet, you easily click the button and it automatically adds the item to any of your wish lists, without having to divert back to the site, much like Polyvore works for creating outfits. 

I was recently asked to be a fashion “expert” for Wishpot. Me? Yeah! So, I created a profile (anyone can) and have already compiled two lists of must-have items. Many of these things have already been mentioned here but, it’s nice to have it all grouped together for easier shopping. You also receive price alerts when your coveted items go on sale!

Keep an eye out for a guest blog post I wrote for them, introducing myself and such. It should be up soon!

So, check it out!

PS – You can also follow them on twitter for giveaways and other offers.

{ 0 comments }

oot and aboot

by Lara on October 2, 2009

in fashion

This past Saturday night warranted heels! My bff all the way back from middle school was in town for our mutual friend’s 30th b-day. Everyone was a bit too excited to be dressed for drinks. (2 moms, a 30th b-day, and times have been tight.) It was raining and I was half broke so I didn’t plan on staying out for more than 2 drinks (plus a drink before I left and a drink at the house we met up at). Drinky drinky drinky! Saturday night means packed bars in Richmond, crap parking and a bit of walking. We got pretty lucky but I still wanted to be comfortable.

Anyhow, I pretty much wore this. There you go. An outfit post of sorts. Basically what I wear every day but I threw on a blazer and heels.

J Brand dark skinnies. I live in my two pairs. The newer darker pair made an appearance.

2 tanks layered – grey and black – bought from the Target clearance rack for $2 each. Yeah! Seriously, these are the best tanks I’ve ever owned. Some were racerback and some regular. All are pretty low cut and longer in length and fit perfectly. Not too tight but not maternity style either. I went to 3 different Targets and scooped them all up. I think I bought 6 or 7 in grey black and white. They have a new style out now which is the same thing only they did that little Alexander Wang style tiny pocket on the front.

black blazer with sleeves rolled up – Last Fall I had a terrible time finding blazers. I just wanted simple black, 1 or 2 buttons, lined and well-made but not outrageously expensive. I hit a few department stores and was disappointed with everything I saw. They all had some stupid embellishment. I wanted sharp and fitted. As usual, the place that always has come through for me with simple basics at a good price was NY and Co. If you need some decent black pants, a pencil skirt or a blazer, they’ve got it. I got two $70 blazers from the clearance racks at $10 a piece! Hell yes!

My new trusty grey bag (not the one pictured)

I didn’t know the heels I bought were Sergio Rossi rip-offs. They’re grey snake (not pictured) and I like the cone heel way better. I saw this pair in TJ Maxx on 4 different trips and tried them on each time. No one was biting so I saw it as a sign and finally caved and bought them.

The usual jewelry I wear every day – silver hoops ($3 a pair that I throw away when they get funky), hammered silver band, Nixon watch (yay bf!)

A good time was had by all. It was nice to see my girls and get out of the house and feel like a grown-up.

{ 0 comments }

an interview with myself

by Lara on September 19, 2009

in decor,fashion,geek

Hi all! This is the 1 year anniversary of my humble little blog and I couldn’t be more happy with all the wonderful things I have discovered and all the exceptional people I have met through this medium. I have communicated with the nicest artists and designers, fashionable and friendly ladies and gents, hilarious and creative individuals, and I’m meeting more and more people in my own home town of Richmond, VA. I can’t wait to see what the next year has to offer!

What do I have to offer you, the reader? Well other than simply sharing with you the things I love, I have been slightly agonizing over the fact that I am not more personal with you. There’s a fine line and I have been firmly planted far away from that line for many reasons. First off, I would love love love to do “what I wore” posts but I will be honest with you. As much as I love fashion and think I have rather specific (and pretty damn rad) taste, I only wear a tiny fraction of my wardrobe on a regular basis. My lifestyle/work doesn’t allow me to get all gussied up very often, which also means I haven’t done much shopping lately either. I’m pretty much a t-shirt and jeans kind of gal most of the time, so I don’t think you’d be interested in seeing boring pictures of me in dark skinnies and deep-V boyfriend tees every day. Secondly, I enjoy being a curator and sharing with you things that fit into my ideal esthetic, which for me, is a deeply personal thing. Lastly, some things are just none of your darn business. My love life, my friendships, my downtime, my family… I sometimes allow myself to let some tiny details slip out. I certainly do enjoy being a voyeur and reading the blogs of other people who really let it all out but; I don’t think I will ever be one of those bloggers. I’m too private of a person. Although, if you have a question, I most likely will answer it.

I will do this though… in the spirit of not being some anonymous entity on the interwebs. I will interview myself. :)

Lara: First off, how old are you? You don’t look a day over 21! I’m sure you get carded ALL the time!

Lara: Oh, you! Thanks so much! I turned 30 this year.

L: What do you like to do for fun?

L: Lately,  I’ve been trying not to let life get the best of me so, relaxing has been foremost on the list. I used to go out to bars and see bands a lot but lately, I would rather have a nice one-on-one conversation than be surrounded by a sea of people and not be able to hear myself think. Throwing away $50 on a bar tab on a regular basis seems a bit foolish now but I do love to cook and go out to eat.

L: Let’s talk about food!

L: Yes. Let’s. I consider myself a foodie but there are enough food blogs out there so I will keep it out of mine. Years ago, for a few months, I was lucky enough to work in the kitchen of a traditional upscale chophouse as a fill-in for just about everything that needed to be done. I had zero kitchen experience but quickly had to learn just about everything on the menu. It was an amazing experience and I would love to work in a kitchen again. The fast-paced high pressure setting suited me perfectly and instilled in me an appreciation for the process of creating good food. So, much like the way I appreciate the process an artist went through to create a piece, I am fascinated by cooking techniques. I could eat rare steak fromage with walnuts every single day.

L: You post a lot of beautiful and expensive things. Can you even afford any of it?

L: Are you kidding me? Of course not! This blog is more like an inspiration board when it comes to showcasing items. Many of the things I post in “Decor” can be recreated with a bit of creativity and effort. Making your home (or room) a reflection of your heart takes time when you’re on a budget. I have a mile-long list running in my head of things I need to attempt to build, make, find, refinish, paint, re-imagine, etc. Likewise, the pricey fashion trends I gravitate towards can also be recreated but, the older I get, the more importance I place on quality classic pieces with some personality that are worth saving up for, with a few cheap things thrown in for fun. It’s all about being realistic, having priorities, and making the most of what you have. I will always appreciate pretty things though.

L: What did you dress like when you were a teen?

L: When I was a pre-teen I tried to replicate things I saw in magazines. I wore black pretty much every day. Kristen McMenamy was my idol. I was a teen in the 90s so, I fell into the grunge movement (slept in my Docs the first night I got them), then moved on to industrial goth for a while (it really was too much trouble). Most of my friends were into punk. That has always been a major influence on my style and I still lean towards it. Around the age of 22, I began to appreciate the value of a good pair of jeans and some killer heels. When I was younger, I wasted a lot of money buying cheap trendy pieces that fell apart after a few wears but, it was what I could afford. That bad habit is over.

L: Before you moved into your new place, you purged your wardrobe and gave away over 50 pairs of shoes. How are you feeling about that now?

L: It was like a weight had lifted. I barely wear the shoes I kept (over 50 pairs still) but they are all comfortable and well made. It’s a carefully edited collection and I’m prepared for anything. I’m also more careful about all new purchases. It has to stand the test of time.

L: What are your favorite pairs of shoes that you own?

L: Here are some pics of my favorites-

I bought these last year on clearance and only got to wear them twice. So comfy.

I got these two years ago when the peep toe ankle boot craze started and have worn these more than any pair of heels I own. My absolute favorites.

These earned my girlfriends and I a free round of drinks from some anonymous gent who wanted to thank me for wearing red heels.

My favorite summer wedges.

These have a tortoise shell finish. I have a black pair as well. They go with everything.

Have these in black as well. Believe it or not, they are more comfortable than regular heels.

I have been waiting to pair these with a fuschia dress I’ve had laying around.

L: Favorite pieces of clothing?

A few years ago, I bought this skirt on clearance from Urban Outfitters. It is a knee length super fine corduroy wrap skirt that has printed on it a German children’s storybook scene. I have only worn it twice and it really isn’t my ideal style but I can’t help but love it!

An asymmetrical, one shoulder, open side top from Need that has birds across the neckline – I guess you really have to see it on. 

Grey double breasted cropped jacked with belled cuffs that really tidies up the most mundane outfit, also from Need. I like interesting details.

I love blazers but I also love short sleeved jackets. The detail on this cap sleeve is pretty sweet.

This was an F21 purchase that was later ripped off by Banana Republic for 5 times as much.

my favorite strapless dress

L: So, what do you do all day that doesn’t allow for fun outfits?

L: Well, I suppose I could get dressed in something more than a tee and jeans but when you’re the primary caregiver for someone with Multiple Sclerosis (my mom), and you’re helping run a construction company (my father’s)… it seems a bit pointless. I do all this plus run errands and take care of my parents’ home which is stuffed to the gills with antiques and something always needs to be done. I can’t really get things organized and clean in something I’m afraid I’ll ruin. I also have my own home to take care of when I get out of work. I finally finished college this summer but when I was in school I didn’t understand the girls on campus wearing 4″ heels. Walking like you’re in agony at the end of the day is not sexy so, I guess comfort and practicality ends up winning out. If I had an office job, it would be a completely different story.

L: What does your RSS reader look like?

L: I subscribe to almost 200 blogs. Ridiculous right? They include blogs focussing on art, fashion, shoes, food, decor, design, packaging, architecture, tech, DIY, photography, cute fuzzy animals, comics, funny people, satire, personal style, personal journals, science, psychology, politics, various industries, friends, local characters, the local food and art scene… it’s difficult to keep up with it all sometimes and I’m constantly unsubscribing and adding to the list.

L: If you could travel anywhere right now, where to?

L: I’ve been dying to go to Puerto Rico, would love to take a train up to Morimoto in Philly just for a swanky evening and I really want to experience S. Korea and Germany with my boyfriend, since he’s lived in both countries. I would love to experience the dry heat and vast emptiness of the desert al la Tarsem Singh.

L: Hobbies/talents?

L: I love to sew and I do architectural drawings fairly well (here and here) but I haven’t in a while. I used to make and sell dresses at Need over 10 years ago when they were Blues. I did a lot of needlepoint when I was a kid. I have made jewelry and sold it on etsy. I tried my hand at silkscreening last year and I can knit a scarf and refinish furniture. When something needs to get done, I will find a way and I like to teach myself new things but get bored pretty easily once I have it mastered. I still have a room at my parents’ house with my sewing machines and crafty supplies. It would be nice to have it all at my home but we just don’t have the space. I would love to learn metalsmithing and auto mechanics. I’m currently working on some major projects to get something on my bare walls. Pics will be coming soon.

L: Pet peeves?

L: Rachael Ray, bad drivers, the unending generosity my cats bestow upon me in sharing their fur, liars and assumption makers, insomnia, selfishness, clutter, local gossip, dust, people with no class, slow growing hair, the revival of bad 80s fashion, low standards, Starbucks, chipped nails, arguments over politics and religion, knowing I’ve loaned something to someone but forgetting what and to whom.

L: Things that make you smile?

L: Pistachio gelato, lipgloss, Japanese maples, rodents, San-X notepads, no flash photographs, Schleich animal figurines, snail mail, gummy bears, good old fashioned coffee brewed at home, inside jokes, a fresh dye job and pedicure, houseplants, brunch, Kenzo Amour for me and Bulgari Aqua for him, homegrown vegetables, receiving flowers, the amount of German translations I get of my posts, that one time we got the basil lemonade right, Carr’s ginger lemon creme cookies, wrapping paper and ribbons, projects, 2am cereal attacks, clothes on my cats, shots of Van Gogh double espresso vodka when I’m out and feeling froggy, long phone calls with old friends, Korean BBQ, the Large Hadron Collider, Halloween, and I don’t even need to mention hugs and kisses.

L: Education/ Ideal job?

L: When I was a kid my family was pushing for MIT for a while. Math makes more sense to me than anything but I would be sooo bored! Then there was talk about art school and Corcoran was considered. I had a hard time settling on which side of the brain I should make the most of. Then, out of state college ended up not being a possibility. I have a degree in psych and got accepted into nursing school but quit. Long story. Now, I would be happy working at a battered women’s shelter, in a genetic research lab (microscopes, test tubes and all), doing statistical analysis, or getting paid to blog! :)  I’ve had the unfortunate luxury of being able to take my time to figure things out, but also being held back by taking care of my family.

L: From your last answer and your daily routine, an interest in fashion sure seems odd, right?

L: My mother was a snazzy dresser as well as an amazing sewer and diy goddess. My aunt is a seamstress and has worked at some seriously swank boutiques in Richmond as well as being a private seamstress for many ladies who lunch in this city. She would take me along with her to see her clients on the weekends when I was a wee one. I saw a lot of amazing closets. I was surrounded by fashion magazines growing up and would study them, every detail, every seam, styling choices, photographic angles, etc. I was mildly obsessed with socialites and demanded a subscriptions to luxury magazine when I should’ve been playing with She-Ra dolls. (Well, I still made time for She-Ra.) Lynn Wyatt still is my favorite southern socialite. I also began to sew and I loved to draw and would do photorealistic copies of gorgeous draped gowns I saw in magazines. (All of those drawing were lost to an unfortunate incident.) I love to shop. I love shoes. I love the process of presenting yourself to the world accurately. I love patterns and the work involved in constructing a piece of clothing. It’s all art. Who doesn’t enjoy art?

L: How do your friends and family feel about your blog?

L: I don’t think many of my friends even read it. I have mentioned it a few times in passing but it’s not really their thing. My boyfriend is supportive and wants it to be successful but I try not to spend too much time working on it when we’re together. My mom is utterly fascinated with all this newfangled technology and tries to give me ideas when she sees something cool on TV.

L: Well… this has been fun. Anything else you would like to say about yourself?

L: Be true to yourself and those you love. This is going to be a great 2nd year! Thanks for reading this far! Leave comments! I want to know what you think! :)

{ 1 comment }

out with the old

by Lara on April 6, 2009

in fashion

I will be moving in about 2 months and will be sharing closets that I am sure will be much smaller than what I’m used to. I have been blessed (and cursed) with an absurd amount of closet space for most of my life. A few times a year, usually coinciding with a seasonal closet switch, I cleanse and purge my wardrobe. I truly subscribe to the belief that if you haven’t worn something in four seasons, it needs to go – unless it’s timeless formal attire or a pair of pants that the loss of 5 vanity pounds would render wearable once again.  So, in this slow process of rediscovering my warm weather wear, I will also be reassessing the necessity of everything I own.

I think a lot of my past clothing/shoe purchases have been compulsive and unrealistic: a top that will only go with one skirt, a skirt that I will rarely ever wear, and the shoes that will only go with this one outfit, and the bag that only goes with those shoes… and it all sits in a closet, waiting for that perfect moment where this perfect outfit will be appropriate. Then when that moment comes, I forget about said outfit and always gravitate towards what I’m most comfortable in anyhow. Then, the outfit is no longer current after a while and I have these outdated pieces taking up closet space. A lot of these purchases were made to try out a new style, to fit in with a trend that I never felt truly comfortable in, to live in a fantasy world where I pretend I am the type of woman who likes frilly things. This has to stop.

Last week, I got rid of over 30 pairs of impractical shoes and donated them to Goodwill. I filled my trunk with shoes alone. This is ridiculous. All that money down the drain. Unfortunately eBay would’ve been an enormous waste of time. Prices for shoes have dropped significantly and shipping costs have risen so, If I sold one pair of used shoes at $5 + $6 shipping + the time involved in taking and uploading pictures and filling out the description + packing the shoes up + taking them to post office and waiting in line (if they even sold) + subtracting the eBay and PayPal fees - it all seemed utterly pointless to me. I still feel good in knowing that they are going to a good cause but I am more frustrated with my own bad habits of compulsive purchases of things that don’t stand the test of time or go with the majority of my current wardrobe or were simply on sale. If I could only have all that money back right now…

So, I now vow to make more careful purchases – classic items that reflect my personality but also don’t ride on the edge of short-lived trends – quality over quantity – rooted in the reality of my real life – and resisting the seduction of a sale when I don’t really need something.

I haven’t even begun to tackle my clothing. My god.

{ 5 comments }

happy harness for cats

by Lara on January 13, 2009

in fashion

Buying lingerie is torture for me. I’m not talking about basic bras and panties. That’s no big deal. I know which basics fit at Victoria’s Secret and don’t even need to try anything on. Beautiful statement lingerie is hell. First off, I’m small but busty. I’m not going to get so personal as to reveal my bra size but lets just say I’m lucky I can even get a few bras at VS. It’s really pretty ridiculous. I’m a small down below and a large up top. This does not average out to a medium.

After Oprah did that big deal show where it was revealed that the majority of women wear the wrong sized bra, I took myself to get properly measured. There are a few different ways of measuring for a proper fit and well, I guess I had been shuffling the wrong set of numbers. I had been squeezing myself into 36Cs for years, underwire digging into my sides, and every time I leaned over, something popped out. Well, when the woman whipped her tape measure only under my armpits and told me the cold hard truth, I burst out laughing so loudly – from both disbelief and utter embarrassment. What? Are you kidding me? She handed me some to try on, betting her life she was right. I couldn’t believe it! I was forever doomed and could no longer live in denial in my ill-fitting but beautiful undies.

When you know the truth and finally feel true comfort for the first time since you hit puberty, you never look back at those too small torture devices. I spent a fortune on a whole new wardrobe of comfy well-fitted bras but was saddened to give away my huge collection of (gorgeous) but painful harnesses.

Well, when your size is on the edge of obnoxious, you walk a fine line when it comes to affordable but attractive bras. Things begin to get foggy in the bra design world and you have to dig through wide straps, 4-hook granny bras, and strange paneled contraptions that look like quilts on your tatas. Department store bras are out of the question and you’re stuck with VS and and over-priced specialty boutiques.

God help you if you ever want to wear a one-piece negligee. The top fits and the bottom is huge, or the bottom fits and you’re popping out the top in a very unattractive way.  While these articles of clothing aren’t suposed to stay on for very long, you would like to at least make a roaring first impression. Rarely will I ever find a one-piece with the proper cup size that doesn’t have an enormous ass attached. Matching novelty sets are always a problem too as they rarely let you mix and match sizes. (Don’t get me started on swimsuits and adjustable ties, or even dresses for that matter.) Anything pretty, seasonal, cottony, lacey or fun is rarely ever in my size and when I finally do find the rare thing that works, I’m on it with a quickness… a fierceness!

How I would love to wear something reminiscent of La Perla or Kiki de Montparnasse… or even Puimond or Atsuko Kudo… oh… so… very… shiny!  growl!

{ 4 comments }

creature of habit

by Lara on January 6, 2009

in fashion

A lot of people have a staple piece in their wardrobe that they wear regularly. Maybe it’s a sentimental gift or a luxurious treat you bought for yourself. Maybe it’s a pin you found on a sidewalk or a seashell with a hole you found on a beach. No matter where this piece came from, you feel naked without it on… you feel incomplete and unnatural, like something’s missing.

There have been many different things in my life like this where I’ve developed almost unhealthy attachments, and usually the reason for the attachment ending was an unfortunate loss or damage that was pretty hard to get over.

It all started with a gold child’s ring my father bought me at a jewelry store one random night. It had a pink sapphire in it and I wore it so much the stone became a matte flat pebble. This ring was so tiny and how I managed to keep it my entire childhood but lost it in my adulthood, I don’t understand. My mother gave me many rings that she used to wear and I also wore them all into the dirt.

Throughout middle school, I wore a clear “Jelly Fish” Swatch watch on my right wrist, face down. I’m right-handed but it made more sense to be able to flip over my wrist when I was writing and I liked the buckle exposed to the world instead of the face.

I had to get the band replaced so many times and they eventually quit offering it so I moved to the black ”Nuni Nuni” that suddenly disappeared after years of wear. I was beginning to share a symbiotic relationship with this watch and things were getting a little gross. It was probably a good thing to move on.  

I then got a completely impractical yellow patent leather Swatch, the “Canard Laquer”. I new it was a bad idea when I was buying it but it was as if some supernatural force had taken over. In 1995, I had a big thing for bright yellow – strange cropped yellow wool jacket and mini paired with spiked combat boots, etc. I wore this watch constantly and it pretty much grew disgusting. The band couldn’t be replaced without a special order I was done with watches after that. I think I got a pager shortly after this (hahahahahahah), and that became my timepiece, much like cell phones today.

(Pics from this Swatch watch archive.)

In high school I also wore the teeniest silver band on my left pinkie. I got it at Exile and I think it was a size 2 or 3. On one terrible day, I lost it. Since I never took it off, it’s beyond me as to what happened but, I can’t remember how it disappeared and the indentation remained in my finger for a week. I have been unable to find the perfect replacement since and still sometimes look at my left hand and am momentarily shocked to see it missing.

I also wore a narrow black leather wrist band that snapped on, with round studs, also purchased at Exile.  It was extra small, feminine, and did that great thing leather does, conforming and tightening to my wrist perfectly. One sad day, the snap had loosened up a bit much and again, sayonara.

Exile provided quite a few staples in my life. They sell quality leather studded items as opposed to the cheap synthetic belts and cuffs from Hot Topic that fall apart and tarnish in a month. I have had my studded belt for over half my life now, and it still looks amazing. I wear it at least every other day and it’s a gauge on my weight instead of owning a scale.

Now, other than the belt, I wear a super-cheap pair of silver hoops daily. They’re 3″ in diameter – pretty big, and considering how many pairs of awesome earrings I own, It’s pretty sad how I always go for these. I have been given a few pair of sterling hoops. They were lovely but it hurt all the more when I inevitably lost one. With these cheapos, they can get tarnished, lost, bent and broken and I can toss them and grab the new $3 pair I have waiting in my jewelry box. I also wear a wide hammered silver band on my right index finger. This is the piece I feel most naked without. I have been wearing this ring for over 5 years now. It was on super duper clearance sale and was advertised as being 100% sterling. Not so much. It’s sterling over copper and the copper has subtly begun to show through in spots, which I actually really like.

This Christmas, I came full circle with watches again and was lucky enough to receive a watch that is now becoming a daily staple. Instead of being a routine item, it’s special, sentimental and gives me warm fuzzies. Thankfully, being stainless, I shouldn’t have the same disastrous results of regular wear. It usually is a good idea to stick with tragically cheap or extremely tough items that aren’t precious and delicate. Those types of things just make me nervous. I like to play rough.

{ 4 comments }

or some variation thereof

by Lara on January 3, 2009

in fashion

I’m in a serious rut.

There are two worlds in my wardrobe – black and brown. Colors are usually accents and in my mind, there are some strict rules as to what I think should be paired with what. It’s a really bad obsession but I think a girl named Elizabeth in 4th grade completely traumatized me when she criticized my black shoes/brown belt faux pas. I was forever changed. Things have to look put together even if I’m just running out for groceries in jeans and t-shirt. I’ve been focused on black for quite some time now and something’s got to give.

This is an example of my day to day black uniform. There may be a hoodie and a random t-shirt mixed in, dark rinse or grey jeans, my Vans, or a grey peacoat, but all-in-all, this is what I wear daily. I do not run errands in heels.

I just got the striped BCBG sweater (on serious sale) for x-mas but I have been wearing some form of grey stripes for months now and have been heavily restrained by black and grey skinny jeans lately. All this darkness is wearing me out. I love my trusty old studded black bag that just won’t die (the bag shown is just the basic shape) but I think I need to add some other colorful friends into the rotation. I still don’t have a brown bag that is totally satisfying. I bought a bronze bag with gold studs at NEED (much like Urban Outfitters here in Richmond) a while ago but it’s a bit much sometimes. Maybe a new brown themed bag will be the next shopping project because seriously, I have to coordinate.

The Nixon watch is new and won’t be taking a break from the wardrobe unless totally necessary. Neither will the big silver hoops or wide hammered band. (I will manage to squeeze some gold and wood jewelry in on occasion.) I may need to bring out the brown Chucks/Sauconys when I’m in a sneaker mood. I have plenty of coordinating heels and boots. Oh dear… time to start digging into the depths of my closet again… or should I wear more skirts and dresses? I really cannot wait for warm weather!!!!!!!!!


my uniform by mymilkglassheart

{ 0 comments }

doll parts

by Lara on October 21, 2008

in fashion

The October issue of W magazine had an editorial featuring one of my favorite 90s models, Kristen McMenamy!

Harper’s Bazaar 1995

I’m not too keen on her longer hair but she’s still amazing and still unconventionally beautiful. The spread also had transparent Atsuko Kudo latex hosiery repeated throughout!

I have been dying for a pair of trans latex hose for years after I started following fetish model Kumi Monster (NSFW). She frequently models Atsuko Kudo, a truly couture line of latex… not the one size fits all trash you find at novelty stores.

They would add such interest to a favorite outfit, transforming your legs into those of a plastic doll! I’m not sure how warm they would be but they would certainly block a cold wind. How great would it be to give the illusion of bare legs in the middle of winter! A little pricey, fragile, and requiring special care, cleaning and storage, they’re definitely not a casual purchase but I think they would be well worth the fun! I haven’t bought them yet, since I discovered their existence 2 years ago so, I doubt I’ll be getting them any time soon but it sure is fun to pretend!

{ 0 comments }

restraint

by Lara on October 7, 2008

in fashion

With our economy hanging on by a thread of desperate measures and the most important election in our history only a month away, it seems almost frivolous to be wasting time writing about fashion and design. I supose writing about it is better than going broke buying it all up, right?

For myself and many others, retail therapy has always been a way to decompress, get out of the house, browse, get inspired by new things and usually come home with a treat. Now, through technology, we don’t even have to leave our homes to get a shopping fix! For me, this past year has been full of changes and revelations in regards to the person I want to be for the rest of my life, as I’m about to leave my 20s. This includes restraint in shopping. One of my first blog entries was about cleaning out my closets and admitting to myself that I simply need to stop buying things that just weren’t ME. I find all kinds of things attractive and cute but that doesn’t mean I will ever feel comfortable with those things on my body. I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I accept who I am. I can’t embrace every little shiny new thing that comes out. I can appreciate these things but I now feel empowered to say NO to a lot of things out there, even if they’re on sale!

For the most part, I avoid purchasing loud items. An amazing decadent party dress is one thing but daily wear should be able to blend seamlessly with the rest of your wardrobe, in my opinion. Some things are so undeniably trendy though, no matter how well it blends into your existing wardrobe, it’s going to eventually become one of those over saturated items of clothing where everyone will be sick of it after one season. (Square scarves anyone?) I now somewhat regret purchasing the AA leather-look leggings. They’re EVERYWHERE! They’re no longer subversive… they’re a wardrobe staple in all the magazines and street style sites. I waited too long to get them and thankfully, I didn’t spend a fortune on them but; I would rather save up and buy a quality pair of rock-star-leather pants that will last me a lifetime one of these days.

How about the completely impractical 5″ heel platforms that normally would be relegated to red carpet events and exotic dancers? They’re in all the editorials, touted as daily wear shoes now! Gorgeous? Yes! The type of shoe to make you stop dead in your tracks and vow to wear them with everything to justify the cost? Yes! When will these shoes ever really be worn? Do we not already have plenty of special occassion shoes in our closets? How often do we wear our purchases and does our wear justify the price? Hey, I’m just trying to get honest here.

Patterns are especially tricky since they are so susceptible to trends. There are indeed classic prints but, for example, Ikat was huge this summer and it’s now fading out (to be replaced with absurd florals in the winter). What are you going to do with all that Ikat hanging around in your closet? Was it worth the money to wear it a few times before it didn’t feel current any longer? What are you going to do with all that blue and white floral that’s going to be big next spring when everyone says, “Oh there she goes looking like a piece of Chinese porcelain again”?

I’m not saying that I think there’s anything wrong with staying current and picking up a trendy piece for a bit of fun in your wardrobe. I’m simply posing the issue of cost justification that only you as an individual can figure out. I think a lot of us have gotten a wee bit carried away with our credit cards and that $100 shirt will end up costing us $500 after making minimum payments for a few years. As much fun as it’s been trying to pretend… we are not Carrie Bradshaw!

There has to be a give and take in life. One can’t just take take take and expect to feel balanced. Shopping to fill a void is also a futile endeavor. A major achievement of mine this year was quitting smoking which has resulted in me pretty much not drinking socially anymore. I’ve lost all desire and I’m saving a TON of money! So, I don’t feel so bad spending the same amount on a pair of boots that I would’ve spent on drinks with friends that week. (I also had no business spending money on both drinks and boots before I made some changes but, I did anyways and I’m now trying to rectify my bad spending habits.)

It’s time to grow up a little bit, to start putting some money away for a rainy day. Things are very unstable right now and not to sound like Chicken Little, but we all do need to be more aware about our wasteful spending and take a little bit of pride in saying no to a bunch of things we never really needed in the first place (instead of pouting and feeling denied) and put that money in a safe place, for our future, for our children, for more meaningful goals than a new pair of shoes.

(I still plan on blogging about beautiful things and we all still need to treat ourselves on occassion! It’s good for our souls!)

{ 0 comments }

trying to understand thrift

by Lara on September 30, 2008

in fashion

When I was a child, you always knew which kids didn’t have new clothing. It’s a sad fact but children are horribly superficial and the empathy I have for those children who felt like they didn’t fit in breaks my heart. (Fortunately my last 3 years of high school were spent at an “alternative” school where you could dress any way you wanted and truly, no one cared.)

Now, things have changed and on every fashion blog, most of the “what I wore” features have a “thrift” or “vintage” item in the mix. Kids can now score a great deal at a thrift store and be on the cutting edge, which is very refreshing and almost essential in the current economic situation we find ourselves in.

The terms “thrift” and “vintage” being used interchangeably on these sites annoys me to no end. I have a hard time considering something from the 90s as being “vintage” just yet, let alone something 6 months old found at Goodwill. Either way, thrift store chic has even become fodder for jokes on the parody blog “Stuff White People Like“.

In the fascinating book The Travels of a T-Shirt in the Global Economy, in the final section, Pietra Rivoli details the life of clothing after it’s been donated to a charity. There is more used clothing in this country than we know what to do with. The charities have neither the time nor the space to deal with the constant influx of donations so, sorting companies all over the U.S. buy the excess from places like Goodwill and the Salvation Army by the pound. These sorting companies (usually a mom and pop style enterprise) have a highly trained staff that goes through every single article of clothing, picking out the good the bad and the ugly- everything with a profit-driven end purpose. They have people trained to spot the elusive perfect vintage t-shirt and have buyers for pricey boutiques lined up to purchase them for resale.

So, when you buy from a “thrift” or charity store you’re actually getting the first chance at the lowest price for an article of clothing. You have to do some serious digging and each trip is a hit or miss gamble. If you shop at “vintage” stores, someone else has done a bit of the legwork for you, carefully selecting what they deem to be stylish. You will have a better chance of finding something spectacular, but you will definitely be paying for that guarantee in the end.

Also, I want to point out a wee bit of hypocrisy. It’s frowned upon to say you bought something from a low-end discount store but, it’s okay to say you bought the exact same article of clothing from a thrift store? Give me a break.

{ 0 comments }

← Previous Entries

Next Entries →