the clothes 2011

They say the way you spend your New Year can decide how you will spend the rest of the year. Last year I hiked on an active lava flow by moonlight and threw champagne bottles into a skylight (where you could look down and see the active lava traveling beneath your feet). Later that year I traveled alone to Japan to study the language, drank for the first time, experienced a lot of firsts and started this blog. Tonight I will be bowling with my family through midnight, who knows what the year will entail?

I read on Style_Bubble that "techno-tribe" is being tossed about in the fash-world as the new trends this season. This follows nu-wave, boho, and various other hot trend terms. To me however it begs the question, which came first the trend or the trend's name?

Runways I feel depict techno-tribe (Etro and Dries Van Noten):

To balance out the reckless reverie that will no doubt take place for most of you on New Year's Eve here is my latest movie pick, the sober comedy My Man Godfrey. Starring one of my favorite old movie gents, William Powell, the film starts with a wild party game where ditsy socialite (Carole Lombard) brings back derelict Godfrey to win the game and ends the night hiring him as her bizarre family's new butler. While coping with this eccentric rich family's whims might be enough to show that nothing about Godfrey is ordinary, his mysterious past adds to his character's intriguing persona.

I know you haven't seen or heard a peep from me in awhile, but are you ready to see double? I had some fun with one of the features on my father's camera.

Being away from the computer and stranded at my Grandmother's was actually very relaxing. I hope everyone had a chance to take some time away from life this season. My entire family went thrift shopping together, including my Grandmother. Ironically, I think I bought the least amount out of everyone--two vintage hats. Here are some more pictures from the general Christmas season splendor. Now I'm off to browse everyone's blogs, I have some catching up on my web-reading to do.

I'm off to the Grandmother's place for the next few days which means there won't be any Internet access (how will I survive?). I promise to take lots of pictures and I hope to get some shopping in while I am there.
Right now I am dreaming of some winter white outfits. I really have none of the requirements for a proper white outfit, but a girl can dream. Here's my inspiration: Chanel and Nina Ricci.

Merry Christmas everyone. P.S. I'm actually just chilling in my pajamas right now.

I have been tagged by Jello on Springs and since I have yet to turn down a fair tag, here goes:

1.) What's the story behind the name of your blog and your nickname? Well, the name of my blog and my nickname are the same: The Clothes Horse. As the header says, a clothes horse is an item to dry clothes on or a person obsessed with clothes (I am the latter). I actually have a list of names of things I would name my first shop (if I ever had one), a jewelry line, my restaurant, etc., the list goes on. The Clothes Horse is from this list and is deemed the best name for my blog since it isn't strictly a fashion blog, rather it is a blog by a clothes horse.

2.)Why did you start blogging in the first place? Ever since college I have spent a lot of time on the Internet and found so many delightful blogs I adored (poetry blogs, fashion blogs, political blogs, foodie blogs, diary blogs, etc.). I was timid to start my own, but finally just took the plunge--I'm just a college student, not an expert in anything, but strip away fancy jobs, fat paychecks, or foreign languages and we are all just people. It's the people that make you read blogs, none of those extras anyways; so I decided I could just be a blogging person as well!

3.) What has been your best blogging experience? What about the worst? Best by far are comments (especially from people who run my favorite blogs). It's flattering when people like to read your verbal abuse and look at your photo imitations, but really it is just so wonderful to connect with people all around the world through mutual interest. I tend to feel alone in my interests at my college, I am a business student and most of my friends don't really give fashion much thought ("What's that feathered thing on your head? Why are you changing the subject to someone called McQueen?"), so this blog really connects me to a larger subculture. Aretha said in my comments awhile back "To have a blog means to have lots of friends and always new friends from different countries and places, styles and ages." I couldn't agree more.

The worst...I haven't really encountered negative comments on my blog--but off it...well. Some people at my school have seen it and almost seem to want to pick fights about things. One especially intelligent male said some of my pictures were "risque" and that I featured "very skinny models" and what message I was sending to girls about that! I left him with his ears stinging for several days, I'm sure, but I won't go into my retorts right now...

4.) What do you think will happen to your blog in 2008? I'm sorry to disappoint, but I gather it will continue to be much of the same! My style and focus is fluid, but there is not really target or goal for this blog. Maybe I will study abroad and everyone will be able to glimpse that, but we shall see. Maybe I will cut back and stop spending so much time online, but I highly doubt that will happen!

Pics from study abroad in Japan (Spring 2007) when I didn't have a blog:

And what do you want to see from me in 2008? Comment and I might attempt.

Now, I demand answers to these questions from: Sugarplum Ragdoll, Strawberry Kitten, and Power Rangers Go.

My legs are starting to become the center of attention when it comes to an outfit. I suppose that is how it goes when it is winter and you are determined to continue wearing skirts. I at least haven't starting pinning random brooches or butterflies to my legs (not that the thought hasn't crossed my mind).

Speaking of random pinned accessories. I've been hearing/reading a lot of buzz about whole feathered bird hair accessories. Coincidentally I stumbled across these bird clips and birds in a nests clips made out of a couple of feathers--the bodies being some form of paper/cardboard(?). The feathered fiends (friends?) were on clips that were meant to go on trees but could very easily go in hair as well. Being broke with the Christmas hols and needing to save money for books in the Spring, I resisted, but bookmarked the idea (ornaments=hair accessories).

And in honor of the day here is our family Christmas tree (which my mother and one of my sisters cut down themselves!!!), complete with over sized colored lights, ornaments tacky and shiny--no presents yet, they don't appear until night falls. We all like to slip down and put our own for others under the tree at various times once we think others are asleep.

May I just share with you how much I love Kate Spade's print advertisements? Honestly, I could care less about the bags or whatever other item she might be hawking, I just adore the pictures. Does anyone remember the mix of old black and white images with poppy bright backgrounds and glam models from last year (I just flipped through last year's Dec. Vogue with Nicole Kidman on the cover and saw them again)? By far though my favorite campaign would have to be the large spread where the main model seems to be veiled in mystery and suspicion. Upon seeing these I promptly ripped them out, one hangs in a place of honor tacked to my wall with a thumbtac and the others were hastily pasted into my "idea" journal--ah, isn't that love the near-destruction and humiliation of a slip of paper?
The whole spread actually quite reminds me of How To Steal a Million with Audrey Hepburn.

Some mysteries in life and history never seem to have an answer: was there ever an Atlantis or Shangri-la (based off of Shambhala in Tibetan Buddhist tradition)? Will anyone ever be able to explain the mystery of the Bermuda Triangle? And does Big Foot exist (this pig, or Hogzilla 2 makes me think, yes)?

More pertinent and one I might never understand: why did Marc Jacobs choose Victoria Beckham to be the face of his new advertising campaign? Is this destined to be the greatest mystery of our times? Or at least 2008 when the pictures will come out.

And what I'm wearing in(doors) and out(and about):

Inspired by this post on (Into) the Fray, I decided to turn some crochet Christmas tree ornaments my grandmother gave my mother years ago into jewelry--or at least pendants. Its particularly amusing since my grandmother usually gives me really nice jewelry as presents, she would never guess something she intended to hang on a tree would end up around my neck.

And more pictures of icicles. As the day starts and the sun begins to rise the icicles start falling from the trees with sounds like chiming bells or clinking glasses raised in a toast. Around the roots of each trees spreads a small halo of clear ice crystals, forming an almost reverse chandelier on the still-frozen ground.

I can be a bit indecisive about what to wear and this leads me to changing several times in the morning or dissatisfaction and changing later in the day. I usually put together an outfit the night before (or earlier, sometimes I have several days in advance mentally laid out) and this cuts down on my dissatisfaction. Of course, returning home once again brought on the onslaught of indecision. So this morning I threw on my black knit dress for comfort and the shrunken sweater I found in the little boys' department at a thrift store (and hardly wear). But then when it was time to head outside the sweater with the cropped sleeves wasn't very comfortable under my jacket and my legs could get chilly, so my basic outfit changed again. And now I am already thinking ahead for the next several days to end this clothing drama!



How do you people like the new basic backdrop? Wood paneled closet at my dorm lacking, I decided the bare wall in the basement next to the laundry room might be good. I can balance my camera on the stairs and interact with the bear.