Friday, March 28, 2008

playing dress up

posting all week about my spring/summer wishlist has really made me desperate for warmer weather. although it is still a chilly 43 degrees here in brooklyn, i had to get outside in my spring dresses. so...doing everything i could to keep warm, without compromising the dresses, robert and i dedicated the afternoon to a small photo shoot in our "urban" backyard.









now if only i could get away with a halter dress without the gloves and hat!

inspiration


still loving zooey deschanel. this beach photo makes me yearn for summer even more.

Thursday, March 27, 2008

ornate headgear

the weather is so blah outside today i was having trouble coming up with something fun to post. i just didn't have it in me.

then i got this months issue of Nylon in the mail *a free subscription i signed up for a while ago and forgot about* and set up a scanner that my boyfriend had but didn't tell me about. the issue is great...and with my fancy new scanning capabilities, i wanted to put the whole magazine on here. but i decided that was too much and would focus on the whimsical head adornments scattered throughout the magazine. i'm all about whimsy right now. spring could be so much fun!








if you are as obsessed as i am with other style blogs, you've undoubtedly seen the bird head bands worn by susie and agathe. and i just recently saw a super fun sea shell headband over at the clothes horse...oh and a floral "easter bonnet" at fashion is spinach.

i am jumping on this wagon at full speed. i scoured etsy for some handmade lovelies to adorn our heads too.


the feathered



the jeweled



the floral-ish



the wacky





i love them all.

inspiration

i love this picture because it shows a wonderful little blip out of an undoubtedly amazing home. my dream is to have every little detail in my apartment as beautiful as this.

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

just to let you know...


I WON THE SUNGLASSES!!!
$2.00 y'all! i'm ridiculously excited. there will be many a picture taken with these frames. just you wait!

vintage sunglasses

did you know it was whimsical wednesday? i didn't either until i woke up this morning. but i like it.

the most whimsical piece i want for my spring/summer wardrobe is a pair of vintage sunglasses. wonderfully, wacky vintage sunglasses. i have scoured ebay and posted my favorites below.

the round


these glasses are relatively plain. i really like the round silhouette because it is drastically different from all those wayfarer glasses from the 80s out there.

the square


the unexpected pop of color and pattern make these glasses exciting. *i love the green and yellow christian dior shades. this is exactly what i am looking for.*

the octagonal


i love the unusual shape. and the clear plastic. these are great statement pieces.

the printed


what a great way to brighten up a simple black dress. yes, please! one of each!

the pearly


i really think the chrome glasses on the left are my favorites. they would be blinding in the sunshine...and the ocean colored inlays are great. and the valentino glasses on the right are made to look like carved bone...how sumptuous!

the broken handle


how wonderfully kooky! i love them.

let me know if you win any of these. *and i will be bidding on the chrome glasses so be nice to me!*

happy bidding!

inspiration

image from shirley kurata
michel gondry is absolutely one of my favorite directors. his view of the world and the relationships we have in it are extremely profound. he always brings a childlike playfulness to his pictures, my favorites being eternal sunshine of the spotless mind and the science of sleep. i find him completely enchanting.

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

the longer the better

while i am all about cute minis for spring, i find when i think about summer i only want to be draped in long, flowing, bright fabric. or maxi dresses from the 70s.

they are crafted from the most beautiful fabric, have the most ornate detailing, and always feel luxurious. while *a few* of them are boring and/or tacky...that is not the norm. and i believe wholeheartedly that anyone would look gorgeous and impossibly thin in the floor length beauties i have listed below.

as usual, all these dresses are from ebay. click on the photo to get to the auction.

the hawaiian


i feel like hawaii is the home of the maxi dress. these two dresses are wonderful examples. the left dress has a very "now" color palette of chocolate brown, turquoise, and lime. the cut of the dress is simple but has some nice, ethnic inspired detailing at the neck. the right dress is amazing. while i was not originally drawn to the print of the fabric, the buttons at the chest closure and the fitting of the bodice make it stunning.

the prairie


now i am not going to lie to you. i am not naturally drawn to the "little house on the prairie" dress but they could not be ignored when speaking on the subject of maxi dresses. i do think the two dresses above are very pretty. they seem to have a right place, right time sensibility and would look lovely at an outdoor concert...ooo a summer wedding...or...the park. these dresses would be the perfect excuse to have more picnics!

the "shaheen"


alfred shaheen, known as the master printer, was...and i quote from his website..."the cornerstone on which the hawaiian garment industry was built." he is a legend and there are many beautiful maxi length dresses of his floating around ebay. the two i have chosen above are not his typical hawaiian dress, but are stunning none-the-less. both are obviously asian inspired and show that his attention to detail is superb. *at first i didn't like the one on the left because it looks like it was only printed on the front side. then i realized it just has solid panel inserts and the back is printed too...although the seller doesn't do a good job of highlighting that.*

the rainbow


these dresses are simply designed but bright and playful. they are "center of attention" dresses and would look great with solid but elaborately designed accessories...specifically a very wide brim hat. and i love the way the one on the left looks splatter painted!

the diamonds in the rough


we all know that if you want to get a good deal on ebay, you have to look for the dresses that are poorly presented but could be amazing in person. *and if you don't know...now you know.* it is the constant overhaul of presentation that is swarming ebay through the mag-inspired vintage shops that raises the prices through the roof. *apparently women going after vintage goodies have an unlimited disposable income!*

the maxi dresses above have the potential to be beautiful...but aren't exactly displayed as such. the details are what drew me to these dresses. the left dress is backless with a beautiful collar on the halter neckline. the dress on the right is actually turned around. that is the back of a simple halter dress. but the unexpected back makes the dress a beauty.

the solid *but far from plain*


i mean come on...i know some of the dresses above aren't for everyone. and i may be imposing my ridiculous sense style on the entire blogosphere...but these dresses are perfect. simple, bold color. beautiful details. slenderizing. PERFECT! the yellow dress has the obvious beautifully crocheted empire waistline and hem, but upon closer inspection the bodice is actually pin tucked. *gasp* and i think we can all agree that i don't even need to point out anything about the teal dress...so i won't.


i really hope to be seeing a lot more of this length around when the weather warms up. if you fall in love with any of these dresses, let me know if you win.

happy bidding!