And the rooftops are falling apart like the applause...

Being a devotee of the Tomboy Style blog, I had to immediately get my hands on the new tie-in book by Lizzie Garrett, Tomboy Style: Beyond the Boundaries of Fashion. The photos it contains are compelling, gorgeous, and full-page, including a photo I've never seen before of Chan Marshall (Cat Power), a young Julie Delpy totally at ease in her own skin, Janelle Monae, Tilda Swinton, and Maria Munoz. I am sure I will page through the book often for inspiration. I like how so much of it is about spirit as well, and attitude.

Two things though--

I wish they'd identified ALL of the women in the photos, or at least the famous ones. You can turn to the back and suss some of them out from the photography credits, and others have identifying blurbs, but not all of them! I sort of want to look up all these different women. The book made me curious about their lives. You will likely recognize some or many of them, as I did, but I wish they'd all been named in the pages of the book 'cause I'm lazy.

Also, diversity? Where are all the women of color? Certainly it just wasn't white women who were tomboys throughout history.



Another book I recently bought was Selected Poems (of) Frank O'Hara. I am always in the mood for his poetry when Mad Men starts airing. I'm still working my way through it but I'm particularly stuck on the poem 'Homosexuality' (It's a summer day,/and I want to be wanted more than anything else in the world) and 'Ais Einem April' (And the rooftops are falling apart like the applause). Yes yes yes.


Some awful and stressful things have happened to me recently but I want to try and find my 'inner peace' by writing more consistently. Oh blog, you will become a regular habit. Another thing I noticed throughout all this is how I seem to be maturing in spite of myself. I feel so much more at ease with myself these days, even as other people seem to want to underestimate me. They can only do this if I let them, so I'm planning big things.

foxy / opening ceremony on the cheap

Coveting the chic simplicity of Maison Kitsune. This is the part of me that loves Isabel Marant as well, I guess.















Also coveting... basically everything at Opening Ceremony. I found some things currently on sale for under 300$ though, which actually fits into my budget.

Suno
pintuck tunic dress, $297


House of Holland
tweed pleated skirt, $221


William Okpo
wool overcoat, $170!!


Opening Ceremony
long rib socks, $42

port of morrow

(1) Pleated Dip Hem Skirt from Topshop (2) On the Dot Top from Urban 1972 (3) Paul Smith Black Label dusty pink pleated front tailored shorts (4) Scooter Sporty Platform Sandal from Topshop

Pictured above: Hanne Gaby Odiele, my latest style fave. Her off-the-runway looks are always bold and fun.

I've got pastels on the brain! (Remember when I said that I didn't like pastels? Anyway.) It's because the weather here on the East coast is gorgeous right now. March? What's March? It feels like May. I'm excited because this means that garage sales will be starting up again. You don't really see people having them in the winter months, but as soon as the weather gets warm... they pop up curbside Saturday mornings.

Today I made a Target run. I mostly bought beauty supplies, but I also salvaged a pleated Jason Wu for Target skirt on the clearance rack! There were a few pieces left, all XL, except for this skirt which was miraculously a size 6. I ordinarily wear a 3/4 but it fit me just fine and there was no way I was going to leave without it. I also found two bright dresses, my coveted polka dot tights, and a boyfriend cardigan in white. The boyfriend cardigan was quite a popular item I think; the shelf was decimated and only a few were left. Then I made a run to my favorite thrift store. I didn't really dig in but I still found some lovely items. I got a vintage pleated skirt and this gorgeous gold-and-brown knit sweater. I also found some brown Michael Kors loafers. I have to do another video about that soon.


MUSIC REC: The Shins - "40 Mark Strasse" (from their upcoming new album Port of Morrow, stream it HERE)

power cat, jewel of the nite

[Chan Marshall by Melodie McDaniel]

I've been going through a Cat Power renaissance lately. Her voice is so wistful and calming. Though she hasn't put out an album of all-new material in a while, she did just put out a reboot of "King Rides By" for charity and there's a new LP slated for 2012.

My current Cat Power playlist:









A new album I've been enjoying is Night Jewel's One Second of Love. This album is the stunning brunette of nighttime suitable female-sung electropop. (That made more sense in my head.) You have to listen to the title song, which has a sort of churning movement to it under Ramona Gonzalez's cool vocal delivery, and "Memory Man", which wouldn't sound that out of place on early 90s radio. Also, Ramona seems like a really cool lady. She does multimedia installations in the LA area.



In other news, suddenly contemplating warm caramel highlights.

yolo

Paul Smith is one of my very, very favorites for how his designs are modern, and elegantly masculine, but always with the right lightness for the female shape. For his Fall RTW, the models were walking with black-rimmed glasses and pulled-back hair--a sort of geek-chick celebration that ticks all my boxes. (I wear black-rimmed glasses!)



My favorite look of all so far though is probably this from Christopher Kane:


Anyway, I look forward to getting a lot more personal with y'all soon. Think thrifting, since I'd like to have much more of my own style on display here. I had my first outfit photos taken the other day and it was a struggle because I am so unphotogenic. I put my hands in my pockets. "No don't do that! Not flattering!" I scowl. "You look like you have a stomachache. Smile!" And so. We'll see.

true romance: the never-ending wishlist

Intense spring shoe lust, below.


Clockwise (1) Cross-Strap Flat, $98, Marais USA (ankle strap and two-tone are so on trend) (2) Jaunt Crisscross Pumps, $350, Rebecca Minkoff (3) Winonna Wedge, $100, Steve Madden

only love (of fashion) can break yr heart

I get that runway is fantasy, art, inspiration. It's not necessarily "Oh well, I would wear that exactly walking down the street one day!" nor do many designers intend it to be--there's room for that elsewhere. Spring and Fall couture collections are more decorative and embodying, like a house logo. But still, I like to look for wear-ability and fantasies that match my own aesthetic. Clothes that might be beautiful but to which I cannot relate fall flat for me in a sense. As much of an art you're making high fashion into, ultimately you are creating clothes for women so this shit still needs to be wearable. You're not doing carpets or portraits. That is all that I'm saying. Ready. to. wear.

And with that, you have perspective on my collection of favorites/inspirations from NYFW.

Band of Outsiders


BCBG


J Mendel



L'Wren Scott






Marchesa




Oscar de la Renta




Proenza Schouler





Sophie Theallet


[Photos via Vogue.com]

kiss me on the mouth

SHAVE ME AND THROW ME IN THE OCEAN, these are my two favorite NYFW fall shows.






















The look at Rodarte was slightly, "I've just been rolling around in the hay!" I've seen a lot of long, straight, sleek hair this past week otherwise and that bores me, so I was very into the pinned-back hair with wisps hanging free, and the bronzed faces (bronzer on the cheeks and the browbone, iiinteresting). Rodarte also featured collars that seem to float above bare flesh and a chunky-knit burnt orange sweater to die for.






















Theysken's Theory as usual, did not disappoint. I liked it when mustard yellow popped up alongside the otherwise dark colors. I also like the shorts-and-tights-with-leather look. Can't wait to try that out come fall.

[Photos thanks to Vogue.com]