The outfit that determines the rest of the year

Admittedly, I can be a bit superstitous at times. New Year's Eve is definitely one of these times. In my mind the way you start a year determines how the rest of the year will play out. That is to say, if I were to celebrate New Years in sweats and a grimy t-shirt I would be condemning myself to a year of ugly (yet, comfortable) clothes. The New Years outfit must be carefully chosen. It must be festive and fun, yet a little refined as well. It must be something newish and definitely something memorable. Here are some outfit ideas I've had...

The irony of ripped jeans

In middle school I remember begging my mom to buy me a pair of Abercrombie ripped jeans like all the cool high school girls wore. My mother did not understand. The ripped jeans cost more than the normal jeans and she was not about to pay extra for clothing with holes in it. The devastation it caused me was more than I could handle. Therefore, I decided to take matters into my own hands and created ripped jeans myself. I used a razor and some bleach and tried unsuccessfully of course to mimick the Abercrombie pair I had been lusting after for so long.

Needless to say, I was a bit shocked to open a pair of the Joe's Jeans black ripped jean leggings this Christmas. My middle school memories rushed back as I forced the leggings on (it really does require a great deal of work) and I felt exactly how I wanted to feel in middle school: a little rebellious. So I am still not sure how much I actually like the look of ripped jeans, or leggings in this case, but I do know that I do like how they feel.

Too much eggnog

This is my Christmas outfit from last night. Ironically, nothing I'm wearing is new except for the gray boots which I am completely smitten with. I recently discovered the red flower which I hadn't worn for ages. I have that weird feeling today that makes it seem like Christmas was a mirage and didn't really happen. Hope everyone's holiday was as merry as mine.

The most fabulous of 2009 (shoes)

I have decided to start a series dedicated to reflecting on the best things of 2009. To start it all off I have chosen (surprise, surprise) shoes. 2009 was literally a year of highs and lows for footwear. I painstakingly chose five favorites from the year and am excited to share them with everyone.

From top to bottom: BCBG 'Mendel' wedge, Chloe, Alexander McQueen, the infamous Chanel clog, Marc Jacobs heart sandal.

Bright lights, The City

Today I had the privilege of spending a few mindless hours watching reality television, "The City" to be specific. I was less than impressed by the bitchy behavior and seemingly scripted lives of the characters who use the word 'like' too much. The show should really be renamed "Watch Girls in Pretty Clothes Fight with Eachother". Regardless of the nonexistent plotline, the clothes are indeed fabulous with a capital F. Whitney seems to be the only grounded character who doesn't completely sell herself out for the drama factor of the show. She also has the most covetable wardrobe of the cast.

Rodarte party

I am in love with the new Target collection by Rodarte. I thought that Target's collaborations with designers had peaked with Erin Fetherston, yet Rodarte may prove me wrong. The collection's subtle hues and girly touches make the clothes extremely wearable for any occasion. My two favorite looks are the black slip dress and the tulle navy skirt with the jean jacket. The black bows on the shoulder of the slip dress make it irresistable, and the jean jacket is such a nineties throwback. In short, something has just sky-rocketed to the top of my Christmas list.

Le beurre, le beurre, le beurre

Julia Childs made cooking with pearls a classic.

I just finished watching Julie & Julia and I absolutely loved it. I was so endeared by how Julie Powell questioned the existence of any readers of her blog and also when she freaked out for getting 53 comments on 'the lobster post'. It made me realize the connections between all bloggers who pretend like they write for themselves and don't really care whether anyone is reading their blog or not.

I am here to say that I do care. I want people to read what I write and I want people to like it. Lately I have been feeling guilty for writing too little and posting too many pictures. I don't want to become one of those fashion blogs that only posts pictures and forgets the writing part altogether (not that there is anything inherently wrong with this). Julie Powell had a project that gave her something to write about daily. I keep trying to think of a way to apply the basis of what she did to fashion, yet my creative juices are failing me...I will keep you posted if I think of anything particularly special.

As for the time being, I am now out of school for the rest of the holidays so I promise daily posts filled with pretty things. Tonight, if you in for the evening I suggest a big glass of eggnog, a foreign Vogue (preferably French or Japanese), and the new Alicia Keys album.

Love actually

I have finals this week, so new posts may not be an option, but here are some lovely Lady Gaga pics from the new Elle issue for you to view in the meantime.

Hey, I put some new shoes on today

I went to Urban Outfitters today to buy my sister this mug that we have been referring to as the "dog bowl" for Christmas, when I spotted these shoes on sale. As you can see from the visual evidence they were impossible for me to resist. Now I just need place to wear them!

Happiness runs in a circular motion

I cannot find enough words of adulation to describe how much I love this photo. The buttons on Sienna's coat have me drooling.

Maybe you would have been something I'd be good at

A bad day can always become a good one with the right amount of Kate Moss editorial. I particularly like this one's Grecian goddess vibe. The horse was also a brilliant touch, the most beautiful of models with the most beautiful of beasts. Pair these photos with Tegan and Sara's album The Con (favorites are "Hop a Plane" and "Call It Off") and you've created the perfect early December pick-me-up.

Lost in translation

I might frequently and openly profess my love for Karl Lagerfeld, yet this time I simply cannot. He staged Chanel's 2010 pre-fall showing in Shanghai which, to me, seems incredibly strategic on his part. After all, America is over, Europe is over, it's all about China. The setting of the show proved to be breathtaking; each model walked before a backdrop of Shanghai's skyline.

While Karl hit it spot on with the location, he failed to impress me with the clothes. Heavily influenced by the Chinese culture, he showed a new found penchant for boxy items. The dresses didn't flatter the models and at times the dresses swallowed the models whole. They became lost in an abyss of embroidered silk.

Though the clothes didn't deliver, the shoes did. The shoes more than delivered. Utilizing bright accent colors like yellow and red, the shoes were my favorite part of the collection by a long shot. So maybe Karl is saying something, maybe he satisfies the Chinese by staging his show in their homeland and paying homage to their cultural legacies through the clothing, and then makes the shoes spectacular so all the snotty American girls aren't left heartbroken. Shoes are the most important part, right?

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

The stores are playing Christmas music, people are putting lights up, and they're selling eggnog at Whole Foods; the holiday season seems to have sprung out of nowhere this year, and for some reason I'm left feeling a bit uneasy. Sometimes, Christmas grows a little superficial. We buy people gifts because we feel obligated not because we actually want to give them a gift. We get fat from too much chocolate and stressed out from last minute gift buying and wrapping. While all that might sound like I detest the holidays, I actually enjoy them despite their obvious flaws. In honor of the beginning of December I will share the things that make the holiday season worthwhile.

Things I am looking forward to this holiday season:

-wearing my new Urban Outfitters dress to holiday parties

-peppermint ice cream

-ice skating

-bundling up in cozy scarves

-sparkly tights

-new clothes (hopefully!)

-time with the family

-new years!

-being done with final exams

-cheesy Christmas movies

Playing the pity card

So sorry blog readers for not notifying you ahead of time, but you can attribute the lack of posting recently to the major jaw surgery I just had. Alas, I am getting better and will be posting regularly very, very soon. So sorry, but this time I am playing the pity card!

They wander the world spreading their bread crumbs

I know, I know, Vogue overdoes the fairy-tale editorial, yet I fall for it everytime. This one, Hansel and Gretel in honor of the Metropolitan Opera's rendition of the Anderson tale, especially excites me because of the inclusion of Lady Gaga. So far no one has truly bridged the gap between art, fashion, and music and LG just might do it. Stay tuned. In the mean time, enjoy another fabulous Leibovitz shoot.

Hail to the king and queen

American royal portraits taken by Annie Leibovitz or Mario Testino...

I have been nursing the idea of American royalty for quite some time now. In all honesty, I think it's quite brilliant. Look at Great Britain, they spend copious amounts of time meticulously watching the same five or so people do completely ordinary (or in some cases extraordinary) things and then they publish it all over the tabloids and "royal watch" blogs (yes, these do exist).

Then again, an American king and queen would contradict the founding principles of our country, but don't we already revere certain celebrities as if they had royal blood? The British royals spend years in the highest forms of education and take lessons in manners and hone their social graces in their spare time. I can't quite say the same for people like Megan Fox or Robet Pattinson. If I were to decide, I would choose Meryl Streep as queen and Chuck Palahniuk as king. They would make am odd pair, but just imagine the literary masterpieces and stunning speeches that could be produced.

The deepest darkest secrets

PostSecret: it's probably the most brilliant idea for an art project/blog ever. People mail their secrets illustrated or depicted in whatever fashion they see fit and then they are posted. I am still deciding what secret I want to mail in.

Older, wiser, crazier

Photo from weheartit.

I have accepted my fate. I know I will probably end up as the cat lady who wears too much lipstick and has fabulous dinner parties. That being said, I am perfectly okay with this. I've never had the lovey-dovey type grandma, the one who bakes you cookies and knits you hats. My grandmothers are independent, spunky women who don't let anyone boss them around. And I like that.

The old woman that sits in his rocker reading the Sunday New York Times on a Wednesday morning cursing the "punk" that made the crossword puzzle especially difficult, I love her. I love her for her sadistic sense of humor and superb wit. I saw the most fabulous old lady at Whole Foods the other day. She must have been at least seventy, and yet there was in her pumpkin orange knitted poncho and grey wedge boots. Growing old shouldn't be something we dread, it should be an excuse to be/dress even crazier and get away with it.

The boys we love(d)

Robert Pattinson, in the eyes of many, is a god. Teenage girls everywhere swoon over his very existence, yet so much of his appeal has nothing to do with who Robert Pattinson really is. In fact, they're not smitten with Robert Pattinson, these screaming fans of his, they're smitten with Edward Cullen. I'm no Twilight afficionado nore do I claim to be one, but I guiltily admit to having read all the books and while I don't find them to have anything truly significant to say they do hold your interest. These portraits from the latest Vanity Fair I think are so beautiful of Robert, the Robert without fangs that is.

This phenomenon Pattinson has caused reminds me of a similar one a little over ten years ago, Leonard Di Caprio. Just as Twilight captured viewers worldwide, so did Titanic. In 1998, probably fifty percent of American teenage girls had a poster of Leo up in their bedroom, now it's Robert. And just like Edward Cullen, Jack Dawes breaks hearts and inspires tears in Titanic. The real difference is, to me at least, that Titanic won Oscars, Twilight won Teen Choice Awards. Regardless of your choice man, I think the beauty of these Vanity Fair photographs of each one in their prime speak for themselves.

Adrenaline rush

Shaun White is, as cliche as it might sound, awesome. With his flaming red hair, obvious snowboarding talent, and surfer-like attitude I can't help but laugh when I recall his feature in Vogue a couple of years ago with Daria Werbowy. Just imagine Anna Wintour saying to Grace Coddington, "Get that red-head who was in the Olympics in the magazine, he's not exactly attractive, but I think it might appeal to our younger generation of readers." Shaun seems to me the kind of person morally opposed to such an archaic institution like American Vogue. Nonetheless, he did appear in the magazine (to Wintour's horror I am sure), and I rather like the results.

A bit disappointed

I am not going to pretend that I watch or follow baseball, because I don't. Yet, I did manage to flip on the tv at the exact moment that the Yankees won the World Series. I don't like the Yankees. In all honesty I have absolutely no reason to dislike the Yankees, but somehow any time the team is mentioned I feel compelled to make some negative comment as if it is my duty. That aside, here is a photo I've been wanting to post for a while. It's just so happy.

In defense of fashion

Italian Vogue's "models in rehab" editorial is the perfect example of fashion as social commentary.

In theory, I shouldn't have to do this. Defending fashion on a fashion blog? It's a tad ridiculous. Despite the obvious absurdity, I remain with the feeling that every once in a while we should defend what we do, just to make sure we can defend what we do.

Recently, someone accused my writing of being shallow, useless fodder for teenage girls who have nothing better to occupy themselves with. This made me reread my past articles searching for any flagrant superficiality, and while I do apologize for some mediocre writing lately, I'm not going to change any material posted.

Fashion doesn't have any rules. It's a work in progress, just like this blog. It's funny too because if this blog were about music instead of fashion no one would question me, yet it's not. I chose fashion for a specific reason, I wanted to show the quirky alternative side of a too often generalized industry. And because whether you think it's shallow or not, I care about what I wear. We all have to wear clothes anyways so why not make it memorable? Everything you put on your body becomes a reflection of you; fashion is unavoidable.

Some people abhor the idea of supporting something so reliant on aesthetic, so they wear the same shirt and jeans everyday or simple look sloppy because they can. This is one end of the spectrum. I, along with all the other fashion lovers in this world, am at the other end. Fashion isn't about who wears the most expensive dress to the formal or who has the designer bag, fashion is about creativity. The fashion world's greatest visionaries experiment, recycle, take risks. Fashion itself is a reflection of society, just like music.

This blog isn't about mainstream fashion. This blog is about street style, experimentation with clothes and colors, and most of all creativity. Many people look to art or music as their creative outlet, I look to fashion.

All Hallows Eve

I'm thinking of dressing up as Carrie Bradshaw.

Ever since I was a small child I have been pretty much obsessed with Halloween. It's the one night of the year where you can wear whatever you want and get away with it. As Cady in Mean Girls so famously remarked, "Halloween is the one night a year when girls can dress like a total slut and no other girls can say anything about it." Of course I am not advocating dressing in an obscene costume just because you can, I am advocating going all out with whatever it is you decide to be. I am still in the throes of what to wear tonight, but I do promise to make it fabulous. So happy Halloween to everyone dressing up, and for those too cool to put on a costume I send my condolences.

Coco does Korea

These are all absolutely stunning photos of one of my favorite models of the moment, Coco Rocha. The images are from the October issue of Korean Vogue, which only adds to my argument that American Vogue is diminuized by its global counterparts. I am currently lusting over the hair.

Unless you love someone, nothing else makes any sense.

I cannot claim to be a fashion blogger without writing a post about the beauty that was Johnny Depp and Kate Moss...together. Normally, I would reject the notion of conformity and steer clear from a trite subject, but this time I have conceded. Johnny Depp is brilliant. Kate Moss is brilliant (in a different sense than Johnny though). Together they exceed the earthly capacity for collective edginess and make everyone else feel inadequate.

And, like all good things, they came to an end. I don't think it's appropriate to continue mourning their break up, in fact I think we should celebrate that they came together in the first place. One thing I love about the picture above is the youth in Kate's face. She seems to have a look of adolescence rebellion, we're young and in love so no one can stop us. The fashion world still daydreams about their relationship and I can only hope that two equally incredible people like Kate and Johnny can get together sometime soon and give us bloggers something new to talk about.

*please note that the post title is an e.e. cummings quote and not of my original creation

Best friends

We say we don't need them, we say that's it's just an elementary label, but inside we know we can't live without them. A best friend is the person you call when you're laying on your bed on the verge of tears because you simply cannot decide what to wear to the party. A best friend is the person who never needs to say even a word because one look reveals everything. A best friend is the person who sits patiently and listens to all of your problems without passing judgement. Most of all though, a best friend is with you for the long run.

Some of the world's most famous best friends are the ecletic pairing of designers who produce year after year of flawless work (ie. Proenza Schouler). Between best friends exists some undeniable chemistry that can create the most brilliant works of art, sports teams, and literary masterpieces. Sometimes, I feel as though we too often celebrate our family in lieu of our friendships, and although family is critically important, so is friendship. After all, we do get to choose our friends.