the clothes 2011

"Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth," Oscar Wilde.



all images by whateveryou

I stumbled across the pictures of Ofer Wolberger and immediately fell in love with his series "Life with Maggie." The series intentionally seeks to depict a personal photo journal or visual travel diary while it explores the idea of a character lost in space and time. Maggie is a masked female and almost always appears alone, but the blankness of her mask leaves the viewer to decide whether or not she is lonely.

These are only a few of the very intriguing set of images and each stands independently in composition and quality.

all Ofer Wolberger

Doesn't this just seem like a peek into the sweetest girl's life? Playing with masks, mapping out a grand adventure, and bicycling into the sunset...I'd like to spend my days this way. It is even more tantalizing with the eye print skirt, bug print shirt, and lacy bloomers or basically my dream wardrobe.

Bows, birds, and masked beauties (masks are really starting to be a trend on the old blog)? The drawings and paintings of Charmaine Olivia are sweetly detailed; a wonderful mix of realism and whimsy. The colors in many of her illustrations remind me of a dish of sherbet, which is always a good thing...

I got the Urban Outfitters Holiday catalogue in the mail awhile back and it really swept me away. The images of pretty girls in feather masks, high buns with giant knits, sequined cardigans, and socks with oxfords were lovely enough, but the little illustrations at the back of the catalogue? Even better. There's a real charm to the simple, black and white sketches.

I would like to live in the world that Mads Teglers creates in his images. Dreamy lighting, sequined clothes, and romantic spaces? They're like a beautiful dream. I would also greatly appreciate one of those opulent masks this Halloween...

These photographs by Lars Botten fully convince me that I need an animal mask. Don't they rather remind you of a modern-day Bonnie and Clyde sort of adventure? Perhaps they held up an ice cream parlor before they hopped into their convertible and headed for the fields...

It's a sad day for humanity when the animal kingdom dominates in the style category. Some think it is the thumbs that seperate us from the beasts, but personally I think it is the wardrobe. Or rather was the wardrobe...for those cute, cuddly creatures we condescended yesterday have been dominating in the style department.

Pamela Klaffke has documented a number of fashionable animals in their natural habitat. Some might claim these are masked individuals, but I am not so easily deceived. Her Etsy shop is full of amazing captures that are gorgeous and stylistically inspiring.

The most stylish bunny under the sun, without a doubt, has to be Fifi Lapin. Even her name oozes sophistication. She's also incredibly wealthy and spoiled, so it is practically only designer for her...as if I didn't have enough to be jealous of already...

Of course, we should have seen it coming. These J&P Coats Trade Cards from 1890, uploaded by Gatochy, could have served as a warning. First they learn to bicyle, then they learn to style...

Athens might be a dearth as far as thrift and vintage shops are concerned (if you know better, please point me in the correct direction), however near the fruit market we frequent we stumbled across what was promised to us as "the best flea market in Athens." Through ancient doors crammed with oddities and up a spiraling decrepit staircase to a sprawling floor packed with curiosities we wander. Each enameled and detailed chest holds the potential of surprises that might yet be undiscovered. Every broken camera might once have been wielded by expert fingers and their subjects as varied and ravishing as storybook heroines. A sense of wonder and adventure is always present in these places...

Outfit details: dress- H&M, shoes- Urban Outfitters, bag- Ruche, sunglasses- street vendor

To transition from that place and into a costume for the evening is as smooth and yet as magical as selkie slipping free of her seal skin. Boldness embues a masked person, their anonymity making them free to be whomever they want and frequently who they want to be changes in the blink of an eye. Unpredictable and uncharacteristic; I danced in the center of a room while others stood still.

Outfit details: dress- Zara, tights- some shop in Japan, mask- Accessories, fascinator- Etsy