Some Girls Wander

My Old Friend

I hadn't been to my old favorite street style site, Hel Looks, in six months or so...the upside of this was that there were tons of new photos for me to look through!

I love Hel Looks so much, not just because of the daring, creative ensembles, but because they feature such a variety of ages, styles, and body-types. There are so many street-style sites that focus on a pretty narrow spectrum of looks and "types" of people, and I've always liked that this one doesn't.

A smattering of favorites:

 
 
 

(all photos credited to Hel Looks)

These photos don't have a lot in common, I just really liked the ensembles or the people for some reason or another.  That photo of the girl in the flannel and Ramones tee! I don't like that look for me, but she is so cute that I love it for her.

My all-time favorites are still this girl and this girl...two of the the cutest people ever photographed, and they kind of represent the different directions of my own style-spectrum.

Happy weekend!

What Shall We Do With a Dainty Sailor?

I loved all  of that red-trench talk! You guys are so sweet + helpful.

Beret - ?
Blouse + Jacket - Brooklyn Industries
Arm warmers - Sock Dreams
Skirt - UO
Tights - Sock Dreams (MP label)
Oxfords - Biviel
Bag - Vintage
Scarf - handmade by me from vintage doilies

I really had no business breaking out cotton blouses on this day, but the outside temperature said it was close to 60 degrees, and I believed it! Damn the wind-chill.

I learned last week that we in Portland have a new Brooklyn Industries. I used to visit the one on Bedford when I lived in, well, Brooklyn. Historically, I tend to think of that place as only an excellent resource for man-purses, but a quick turn about the new store made me rethink this. They have far more clothes now (and really cute ones, at that) than they used to. Like this little nautical dress, which is strangely alluring. So, the moral of the story is that A.)they're not just for man-purses anymore, and B.)it sounds like they're expanding + cropping up all over the place.

I really love this particular red and this blue together.

It reminds me of Paddington bear. Is that who I'm thinking of?  Actually, I think that Paddington might have a yellow hat...so maybe it's just the blue coat. And how often do characters from children's books come up on this blog? Goodness.

I guess we all know who my real style icons are.

EnTrenched

I think I've talked before about my bad habit/tendency to want something very, very specific...and then go out into the world to look for it, only to be confused that my wanting it didn't make it materialize.

The current, particular, exacting object of my desire is this:

A red trench.
This seems like an easy-peasy mission, to be sure. Trenches are everywhere right now. It looks like they're a big trend for Spring, but.

But I'd really like for it to be belted.
-And have pretty buttons (probably not black, unless they're really nice).No clear buttons either.
-Double breasted or single breasted = fine.
-It must be on the tomato-y side of red, not berry-red or even lipstick-red.
-Soft-ish fabric...no nylon.
-And probably mid-lower thigh length would be best.

So, now you see...it's the details of my persnickety ideas that are so problematic!

So far, my search has come up with a few promising coats (none of them exactly match my weirdo list): There's this one from Target, and the online photos are pretty unfortunate, but it's really cute in person. Then there's this one from Guess, which seems almost perfect, but there's something a bit cheesy about it. Maybe it's the chrome belt-ring.  Or it might just be the model's huge hoop earrings.

Then, totally not what I had in mind, but insanely lovely, this Orla one:

This jacket is my favorite, but that entire Spring line is painfully cute.

Swan's Down

Sweater - JCrew '07
Dress - Tracy Reese (Ebay'ed, so no idea what year)
Blouse - thrifted
Slips - vintage
Tights + Belt - Anthro '07, 08
Shoes - Kurt Gieger
Bag - vintage

I do love a slouchy grandpa cardigan with a party dress. It's a delightful incongruity.
This is the dress from a post last month, the one I hemmed and was feeling like maybe I shouldn't have. But I think it was a good move. Knee-length is more wearable than tea-length for me.

I also really love this lighter olive + tomato + ecru/cream combination. It's a bit embarrassing to say, but one of the ways I am struck by certain color combinations is by...ahem...seeing them flung together in a pile on the floor or draped on a chair in my dressing room. But it's the truth, so there it is.

That aqua brick wall is too beautiful.
Photos (as usual, these days) by my wonderful Josiah.

In the Golden Afternoon

Cardigan - JCrew
Turtleneck - Anthro '07
Skirt - JCrew '08
Tights - Target
Shoes - Remix
Bag - Vintage
Headband - Anthro '08

The glinting sunlight makes my bag look like I'm keeping fairies inside it.

So, my skirt's a bit turned around in this photo, which I only realized when I was editing it. I do love a slippery lining for pencil skirts, but they sometimes cause the dreaded side-seam-in-the-front look.
Those slate-blue tights finally died on me on the day this photo was taken...very sad! I loved them. I need to find more dusty-blue tights.

The weather here has been vacillating in between sweater-weather and coat + scarf weather, so every day we play it by ear. I think Portland might be the capital of playing-it-by-ear, considering there were some 50 degree days last July!

Thank you for all the kind comments about this blog lately. I'm having such a fun time posting more and giving it more consideration. And I'm still thinking about the "what my wardrobe's composed of" post, so hopefully I'll have that for you soon. Thanks for coming to visit!

Jo March in the 21st Century

I thought I would continue the theme of fluke-lovely things from Forever21, with this little deep green wool capelet/jacket. I love it!

I found it at the Union Sq. store when I was in New York last February, and it's part of my sometimes tendency to gravitate towards clothing that would best be accessorized with a cross-bow.

Or a horse-drawn carriage.

Wool Capelet - Forever21 '08
Dress - Moulinette Soeurs/Anthro '08
Blouse - Thrifted
Arm Warmers - Sock Dreams
Socks - Target
Oxfords - Biviel
Bag - vintage

Me being blown around by the wind!

All of your comments from the last post cracked me up...it seems like lots of us have the same penchant for braving that ridiculous place.

Tweedish

The last time I wore this jacket, I think it was as Bonnie Parker for Halloween 2007. I really love it, but I forget to wear it.

Jacket - Forever21 '06
Shirt - Anais on Etsy
Skirt - Anthro '07
Bag - Vintage
Socks - JCrew
Shoes - Remix! I couldn't wait to wear them!

*

I thought they looked fetching with my friend's old kitchen floor.

*

This jacket, fashioned of pretty brown tweed, is proof that Forever21 sometimes has these really beautiful fluke things that should be way too lovely to be from that land of lycra and broken zippers.

That's why I always have to check, just in case, no matter how bad the music in there is.

Grown-up Madeline

As Josiah was taking this picture for me, I was asking him: "What?" (who knows what it was about).
We both thought the resulting expression was too funny not to use.


Cardigan - JCrew
Beret - H&M
Dress - Alix's beautiful collection for Atelier de la Mode
Tights - E G Smith
Shoes - Anthro '08
Bag - Vintage

I was so excited when this girly little dress came to me from France last week! I couldn't wait to wear it. It's a lightweight, beautiful wool...so, perfect for Portland right now.

Josiah calls this vein of my style "Grown-up Madeline" (which I might've mentioned before).

I say, if the shoe fits...

Hang The DJ!

Cardigan - JCrew
Old favorite Smiths tee
White blouse - Target
Newsies-esque pants - Anthro '06
Tights -Sock Dreams
Oxfords - Biviel

Sometimes I like to be a little more dandy than ladylike, and errand running and thrifting with Josiah last Friday was one such day. Though, in full disclosure, I did throw on a dress and cashmere cardigan to go to the art opening later that night (only leaving the tights + oxfords remaining).

I only own one t-shirt at this point in my life, and it is this old Smiths one with the "Meat is Murder" cover graphics on it. I remember actually saying the words "I think I'm out of the t-shirt owning phase of my life" some time around the end of college.

But this one tee endures!

Peeking Ahead...

I'm not one to look forward to Spring. Traditionally, I cling on to the last shreds of Winter for as long as I can (which might have something to do with the fact that full-on Summer in Georgia sets in around April).

This time, though, I'm feeling excited for the changing of the seasons...and I've already squirreled away  a few new pretty things. Judging from these three, it looks like I'm in for a very Gatsby-ish Springtime!

This sweater is a recent Anthro aquisition, it reminds me of something that a lady in a Jeeves + Wooster story might wear during a sack-race or some similar shenanigans.

This beautiful vintage/modern bag just stole my heart. It's by Hobo, and I foresee lots of lovely times ahead with a pretty blue purse for company.

These lace/leather pumps are from my dear Remix. I hadn't purchased a new pair from them for a few years now, and these were the perfect Spring-heel. I just sighed when I tried them on the first time...their shoes fit me perfectly.

And speaking of shoes, and the trouble they can cause, I'm happy to report that I've had great success stretching the teal Chie's. Thanks for all of your support with that conundrum!

Now, I just need to sit back and enjoy February, and set the Spring-things somewhere to be admired for another few months.