Pretty Fall Things

Since school is starting on Tuesday, and I am utterly miserable, I've decided to look at the bright side of the situation: the clothes I will soon be rocking upon ending my summer hiatus from the realm of style. So here are a few things I am looking forward to for the coming months.

1. Cloches. Yeah, so these are pretty much all the rage for fall, and maybe they're already so far in that they're out. I don't care, I love them and I have one. It is a black felt Liz Claiborne (RIP) thing with a bow and a little brim on the front. Sadly, it will still be a couple months until it is cool enough out to wear it. Until then, I will just admire these pictures for inspiration:


2. Old Navy. Although their summery stuff is definitely more on the hit-or-miss end of the spectrum, I can always count on Old Navy to deliver the goods when it comes to winter.

This tweed jumper would be perfect over a solid color tee, although you might need to employ some of your higher heels and a pair of textured tights to make it look a little less grade school. $29.50.

Ruffly scoop-neck tee in a highly rockable shade of purple. I think it would look excellent with some wide legged jeans and black patent kicks. $10.

3. Sweater dresses. These are my winter equivalent of the summer jersey dress. For those days when I just can't be bothered to make an effort, I have a stockpile of sweater dresses that I can pull on with my trusty red Chuck Taylors, a headband, and a long sleeve tee on top so that I end up looking reasonably put-together (read: not homeless).

J. Crew is like sweater dress headquarters. Unfortunately, since their prices have been inflating to private-school-kid standards, I can't shop there very much. But I can still look, right? From top: $175, $118, $160 (Gak!).

Yeah, so that's all I got for now. I was going to wax enthusiastic about flannel, but before I can do that I need to put up pictures of the schoolbag I made (It is yellow and gray flannel with a Nintendo 64 patch and a patch I got in Amsterdam. It's awesome, if I do say so myself, which I do). So I'll do that... sometime? I know all of you utterly devoted fans are just dying to see what I'll be hauling around my French textbook in this year, I know. I can see it in your eyes.

Maddy

Pencil Skirts and Condescension

I hate shopping at American Apparel. Certainly, they stock excellent basics, and some of their non-basics are even mildly covetable. But walking through that store is torture, torture! I mean, God, I had no idea there were enough hipsters in the city of Richmond to fully staff even one of these shops, but I guess you'd be surprised. The place just exudes purposeful condescension, which is something very difficult for me to stomach, especially from a very hairy cashier who is smugly wearing shiny black short-shorts. I suppose he was being ironic, as hipsters are wont to do. I was not impressed. Also, when did everything turn shiny? Is that really necessary? Aside from the ubiquitous golden leggings which I will never mention again, there were bikinis and leotards and other things that I feel don't need to be shimmery. Oh, and on the checkout counter, there was a box of those dreadful eighties aerobics headbands (in metallics, natch) that are meant to be worn around the forehead of the type of girl who decided stringy bangs were a great idea and Kirsten Dunst is a real inspiration. Niether of which statements are true, by the way, but American Apparel begs to differ. Sigh. Well, at least I am satisfied with the jersey pencil skirt that I finally went out and bought in gray. It really is lovely. It's just, gracious, I hate actually entering the store. I think I may have to perform all future transactions on line. Those shop clerks just make me want to roll my eyes and say oy vey. And I am not even Jewish.

Maddy

p.s.- In case you need them, here are some visual aides.

Good:

Bad:


Got it?

Color Block and Underwears

Despite my aversion to most things 80's, color blocking is a trend that has stolen my heart. It's interesting to see one color sitting starkly alongside another, and whether they complement one another or not. Some combinations are very jarring, while others can be subtle and even sophisticated.

I particularly like color blocking in the form of a jersey dress. This one is a lovely combination of buttery yellow with cranberry and magenta, and I like how the stripes flow into the shape of the wrap dress. Oh, and by the way, wrap dresses kick ass always. $58 by Lux (via Urban Outfitters).

I am not a fan of plastic bags. They are bad for the environment, and besides that, unsightly! These nylon grocery totes are not only easier on the Earth than a plastic bag, but they are also much cooler looking. I think I'll buy my mother one of these to replace the ratty old canvas thing she takes to the store. It's falling apart anyway. $28 from Fred Flare.


I'm kind of digging big soft tee shirts, and I am also kind of digging brown and gray. Many people are shocked to find that I actually love this particular color combination- I guess it must be written down somewhere that mixing your neutrals is a minor sin or something. I don't know, I never payed attention in catechism. Anyways, I personally think that neutral mixing is just fine and dandy and employ this particular combination very often myself. I'm not sure precisely how many years this would earn you in purgatory, though, so be warned. $19, American Apparel.

Here are some other things that I just like.

This is a rug that looks like underwear. It is from Fred Flare for $24.


Here is a watch on a chain. I would buy it, but I think I could find it at the junk store for three times cheaper and three times cooler. It's still pretty cool, though. Delia's, $24.50.

Why is Steve Madden so awesome lately? $90.

And.... that's it.

Maddy

Art Camp & No Paris

Holy frick! It's been awhile since I last posted. Well, I have been at art camp in Washington D.C. for the past week and also staying with my grandma and papa. While in the city, I bought a black cloche a la Proenza Schouler. And two pairs of jewel-tone satin flats. And a swingy purple J. Crew jacket. And also two yards of beautiful, beautiful, blue-and-yellow silk. I met a cute English boy on the train up and we talked the whole way. I foolishly failed to obtain his email adress, and he didn't ask for mine... he kind of kept starting to ask but then stopping, you know how boys do that sometimes? Then by the time my stop rolled up, I had forgotten to ask for his, so I just said goodbye and that was it! Ah, well, you live and you learn. Pictures would follow, but my dad probably took the camera with him to Paris. I am very angry about this little development... my father has a terribly wealthy friend named Eric. He is very nice. So he invited dad to Paris, and then offered that my older sister Claire come along to keep company with his daughter (who is CLOSER IN AGE TO ME, but whatever). Before leaving home and while I was still in D.C., Claire decided to take with her my comfy red-and-white wedges, a pair of jeans, and my brown shoulder bag. Please, dear, help yourself to the contents of my closet without my permission. I would be utterly delighted.

All right, I do very much love my sister, but, come on! I fell head over heels for Paris in the scant amount of time I got to spend there, and I can't believe that Claire, who probably couldn't tell the difference between a Cassatt and a Carravaggio gets to spend over a week in this breathtaking city full of art and light and culture, and I got what, two days? Sigh. I suppose that, being a middle child, I am finely tuned to all injustices, so perhaps I am overreacting. But STILL.



Maddy