the clothes 2011

Lately, I have been thinking about how feminine my wardrobe is and what a strange phenomenon that is for me. When I was little I often wore dresses, my mother would even sew me some (I could pick out the pattern and fabric and she would make them and stick ribbons and lace on my socks to match!), but then I sort of went through the "terrible teens." I hated anything that might label me a girly-girly and wore jeans as if they were glued to my body. I still experimented with hair, jewelry, random sashes and such, but nothing that screamed "female!" would come within ten feet of my body. Looking back however, even as a child I didn't like the color pink and I think it was even then because of its half-understood connotations. With two sisters who were not girly-girls and one of those a decided tomboy, it just wasn't cool to be feminine.

All that said, I am wearing an awful lot of pink and girly floral in this outfit, hopefully my caustic attitude will act as a contrast...

I've never been such a fan of the 60's mod style. I'm not sure why; maybe it is the bright, almost garish, hard prints, maybe it is the fact the shift shape does nothing for my figure, or maybe it is the choice of synthetic materials that was commonly done. Whatever the reason, while I occasionally admire the images (I don't even care for most of the films made in this period...), I just never really like the style. It's slightly ironic because I would probably get along a lot better with the "typical" woman of the 60s than her repressed 50's sister who I tend to dress like...

I finally watched Pandora's Box all the way through and it was fantastic. I took a number of "stills" by photographing my screen, so I apologize for the quality.

The message of the film is greatly defined as women's liberation and sexuality leading to man's downfall. This is illustrated by Lulu (Louise Brooks) who's extreme being brings trouble to all those around her. However, the film isn't so cut and dry as all that and we are left wondering if Lulu is the villian or the victim of her circumstances. She is exuberant, full of life, and it is really no wonder that so many people fall in love with her. It speaks greatly to the time in which it was made as well. When women did gain greater power and increased respect as sexual beings it will of course remove some of men's power over them and how is this new society to function? Will not havoc be wrought unknowingly by these previously childlike beings? These are questions the film addresses, but does not fully answer. It was hugely controversial for the time (Lulu even has a interesting, romantic relationship with a woman), but made Louise Brooks a lasting icon. I highly recommend this (silent) film.

Did I mention I loved her costumes?

My outfit is my secondhand black lace dress I picked up the other day. I had recently been ogling black lace vintage dresses on eBay, but they were all out of my price range (and the whole shopping ban and all that), so I think it was fate to find this one. I wore a ribbon as belt and attached my butterfly hairclip for added interest.

Outfit details: dress- secondhand, shoes- Nine West via Amazon.com

//EDIT:// So, one of the friends I went vintage shopping with just started a blog. See her view of the day here.
I am a hoarder. I can see my first apartment in my mind's eye filled with quaint artifacts found in the local thrift shops and various sources of soft lighting. Since at the moment I have no such place for oddities, I merely admire them from a distance. Perhaps I make up for this desire by building up my wardrobe and hoarding "ordinaries." I hoard secrets like a gryphon, jewelry like a pirate, and even places are not safe from my need to posess and hide. However, this weekend I shared a couple of my secret vintage haunts with friends.

The first stop on our list was closed (since after all it was a Sunday), but we did not allow that to get our spirits down. We whipped along narrow country roads, through corn fields and past farm houses that seemed as old as the hills they stood upon. A single candle glowed in some of the windows, a tradition from when this area was part of the Underground Railroad that is kept alive today. Finally, arriving at our destination we trotted down cobbled streets and into old buildings now filled to brimming with vintage marvels. One such building had once been a dress-making shop, another was an old barn, and all gave you the sense that one day they will be something else again entirely. We wandered freely up and down aisles, connecting casually around certain rows and sharing our findings with each other. At the end of the day, treasures dangling casually from our wrists in bags we ran through a summer storm to our shared dormitory. For a moment it was just so easy and refreshing to be young and free.

Outfit details: dress- vintage viz thrift shop, bag- Urban Outfitters, shoes- H&M

P.S. I do see the irony in following my post on money matters with two on shopping...but once again, my items were cheap.

As I stated before, the 1920s are a very appealing time to me. It was a period of economic prosperity for the United States and change--from films introducing sound to women's roles. During World War I women left the household to fill the jobs left by men, when the war ended there was a great disparity between the number of women and men. A combination of these elements led many women to forgo their traditional lifestyles and simply live life up. The led to the emergence of "flappers," some of the original female rebels--and some women I think I could be friends with!

The term flapper comes from a fashion of wearing galoshes unbuttoned so that they flapped while the wearer walks (rebellious living and sartorial skills!). In addition to their unique style they developed their own slang, rode bicycles, drove cars, danced provocatively, and drank publicly despite the Prohibition. Now whom among us is not guilty of this list?

Sartorially they also would commonly bind their chests and went without the traditional corsets. Their makeup was also scandalous since previously only prostitutes and actress wore it. I'm finding the dark lips and dark eyes very appealing in terms of fall, but it might be too heavy for the humid summer I am currently experiencing.

Despite (or perhaps due to?) the dramatic change in women's roles, the flapper period was short-lived. The reckless lifestyle couldn't survive the severity of the 1930s. It's fascinating to think a period of time, really just barely spanning 10 years (though the official "start" of the flapper period might be considered earlier) has had such lasting effects and influences so many years later. I'm not certain how I will make this style my own, but I'm currently very devoted to adding it's style to my wardrobe some way.

These illustrations are all by John Held Jr. a cartoonist who captured the era in his memorable drawings of flappers and are currently offering me more inspiration.

I'd like to begin by thanking everyone for their kind words yesterday. It seems many of you feel similarly to me on this subject. To expand slightly on the subject it's all about prioritizing your interests and your funds. You can have a ton of money and spend most of it on entertainment and traveling or you can have limited resources by put your wardrobe above other wants. Further, the price of items doesn't matter, what does is finding pieces of value (rather intangible value--things that you value, have history, etc).
While we are on the subject of frugality, I went on a little thrift shop excursion yesterday. Yes, this is a slight hitch in my shopping ban (War and Peace is steadily coming along...), but since it was so little and in cash, I couldn't really resist.
I tried on this pink vintage dress with lace caplet which appealed to my romantic sensibilities of the moment. However, it seemed very impractical and I did not purchase. Also passed up due to flaws in fit was this denim halter dress with embroidered details.
I couldn't resist this dramatic yellow maxi dress. You see, in high school I was obsessed with the idea of having a neon yellow prom dress, however I was completely unable to find one. I intend to shorten it to knee length to make it more wearable for every day. I also purchased the black dress, although it is a little large, since I have been desiring more black and has nice lace details/texture. I intend to style it with a belts (as I do everything).
This is what I wore to the thrift shop. I snapped all of my pictures in thrift shop dressing room, so the space was limited and I didn't get any full length shots. The bag was customized by me.
Outfit details: shirt- Banana Republic Outlet, skirt- Urban Outfitters, shoes- H&M, bag- secondhand, necklace- various sources

I have a tendency to struggle through life trying to make everything appear effortless and brushing aside compliments as if I don’t deserve them—“because really I wasn’t trying” when in reality I am putting time and energy into everything. This wouldn’t be a problem if I wasn’t so darn touchy about people thinking I’m lazy or things are perfect, when they aren’t.

So, being the cheapskate, broke college student that I am, I do get touchy when people comment on my shopping habits/affordability of my wardrobe. Admittedly I am being sensitive about this, but I think it is important for people to know that style can’t be bought. I just felt the need to the clear the air some…

After sighting these two ladies on Facehunter and taking note of the hair and makeup influences from the 1920s (not to mention the outfit of the first girl is a modernized 20s silhouette), I felt the need for more 1920s inspiration.

When I spot a style I like that is historically influenced I like to immerse myself in the films of that era. The first that came to mind was "The Great Gatsby" but I decided instead to look for films and actresses that were icons of the 1920s. Thus, I have decided for a Claudette Colbert and Louise Brooks weekend. In the following days I will be watching: Trouble in Paradise, Pandora's Box, and Imitation of Life. Now I acknowledge that these films starring Colbert are actually made in the 1930s, but she was herself an icon of the 20s and you really can't go wrong with this actress regardless of which decade you watch. Pandora's Box should be a more era accurate film.

Outfit details: dress- vintage via eBay (worn as a top), skirt- secondhand, belt- secondhand, shoes- Dr. Scholls