RED ALERT!

calling all fashion bloggers! PROJECT EAST is taking place TOMORROW EVENING (Saturday, November 15, 7PM, 39 Holyoke St., Cambridge).
manish arora.
jen kao.
iseey fucking miyake. showing for the first time outside of his own runway in paris. this is historic. you should be there.

$15 for a regular ticket, $25 for VIP, which gets you closer to the runway and allows you into the reception and auction, where we'll be auctioning off TWO - count 'em, two - lanvin necklaces, issey miyake items (perfume, watch, garment), a vivienne tam dress, a chloe dress, a derek lam bag.. the list goes on.

and yours truly is in charge of ticketing! put in a request for tickets by comment, email, smoke signal, whatever. just be there.

consider this your personal invitation.

check our press*!
dailycandy boston
weekly dig
stuuf@night
where magazine

*please note that the show starts at 7, not 8 as these stories report. last-minute change!

city lights, painted girl

courtesy of lastnightsparty
love it or hate it, this girl's definitely got a whole lot of chutzpah (love that word).

p.s.: i have tons of pictures i'm dying to share, but my recently revived mac doesn't have iphoto.. ? currently hunting down a tech-savvy person to help me out.

hit my beeper, not my phone

i remember spelling out my sartorial frustrations on this blog once upon a time, complaining that there was no fashion presence on campus, and i was caught in a real rut. in the months since that rant, a combination of my environment and my perspective has taken a turn for the better, because it seems like my agenda is filled to the brim lately with truly engaging prospects and opportunities related to fashion. i've already talked about project east (ticket details forthcoming!) and my first article in rive magazine, but i've also got an article coming out next month if all goes well, i've been attending fashion career seminars with jay calderin, the founder of boston fashion week, and i just scored a mentorship with a magazine editor. it's finally starting to feel like i'm taking tangible steps towards making a life out of what i used to think was just a daydream.

along with all of these new developments comes a new tendency to draw inspiration from practically everything that falls into my line of vision. i definitely still swoon for chanel and mcqueen and all that jazz, but i'm also falling hard for completely new aesthetics, and not necessarily ones you can find on style.com.


i've been riding a major sixties kick for the longest, so i was stunned to open up my depleted, post-hard drive crash itunes library and discover that there was a time when i didn't have gads of bob dylan tunes. while i slowly but surely replenish my janis and jimi, i'm rediscovering my love for synthesizers, booming bass, infectious rhythms, and lyrics with swagger. in other words, i'm craving pure, unadulterated hip-hop, which begs the question: where were you in '92?

in 1992, i was a first-year student at st. mary's of the assumption preschool. i remember arguing with mama pandora daily about my hairstyle - i wore a uniform even then - even though it always ended up including bright ribbons and/or barrettes (thanks mom). i remember scolding her for wearing shoulder pads, which i hated with a passion. i remember riding to school in the backseat singing along to "i will always love you" at the height of its popularity. my brothers, aged eight and thirteen, would always change her adult contemporary radio station to something a bit more youthful, and that's how i began my hip-hop journey.

mtv was on fairly often in the house, and i can still recall mama pandora, tsk-tsking about the hypersexualized music videos while i developed a deep appreciation for the body-conscious, boldly colored ensembles on display. i harbored this appreciation over time, and from about sixth grade to junior year, it erupted into a full-fledged obsession. though i always maintained my love for all music and fashion - this is the same period in which i really started fawning over the fifties - i remember longing for fitted caps and a jersey dress (shudder). my passion culminated in seriously contemplating becoming a b-girl with megan, and then my affinity came to an abrupt halt.

all of a sudden, hip-hop just wasn't doing it for me anymore. kanye was a beacon of light at that point, but jay-z had supposedly retired, and i felt that i'd successfully feigned enthusiasm for the fabolouses and trillvilles of the world for long enough. i moved on, knowing that i wanted something else from hip-hop, but not knowing exactly what. since then, i've come to something of a conclusion: i've never cared about street cred or battle wounds. keep the guns at home. i want to know about the kicks you've got on, and better yet, the kicks you'll be wearing tomorrow. black is safe. i want clashing prints and bright bright brights or i've already lost interest. i want caps to the side and copious amounts of gold. and the best part about this rediscovery of 1990's glory is that the revival is occurring all over the place, and not only just in my head. there's a crop of fresh females that totally embody this fierce boldness that i love, and though i've written about a few of them before, i never noticed the pattern. in any case, they're always getting more and more exposure, which means that maybe we'll see nikes and rope chains in the pages of vogue sometime soon (hah).


i've been hooked on m.i.a. since i saw her perform in brooklyn on late-night new york public television. her video for 'galang' was nothing less than an art and fashion showcase, and she's never failed to deliver since. i can never praise kid sister enough, and my love for her hit unprecedented levels once i saw her perform live (i'd dig up pictures of both ladies' concerts, but alas, my photos are all gone). "downtown's sweetheart" va$htie is the co-founder of the 1992 party, which i somehow managed to miss all summer long, though i still keep obsessive tabs on the upcoming dates, ready to jump on the fun wah when the time is right. hailing from varied corners of the globe, these women are like fly girls resurrected, and i can't get enough of them right now. which leads me, of course, to the topic of achieving this look..


i'm sad to report that while i had a pair of sunglasses similar to those neon wayfarer-ish beauties above, wear and tear broke them down before i even made it to kindergarten, let alone college. on the other hand, i'm delighted to report that i currently own a similar pair of black and white snakeskin shades, except thicker and more badass, courtesy of - get this - papa pandora, circa 1993. i've been frequenting this site in my search for the perfect pair of sneakers, reading up on limited edition jordans, air force ones, and converses, etc. i spent last year converting my guy friends to sneaker loving, but never got in on the fun myself. after that, a pair of interesting doorknockers and bright nail polish would satisfy my desire to be dope. it's important to me that i don't look like i'm wearing a costume (though i have dressed similarly for costumes on several occasions - pictures coming soon), instead incorporating punchy elements into my own daily style. until then, my quest for fresh continues.. onwards!

edit: why do i always forget to include a song of the day? here it is, an ode to my year of birth, courtesy of a couple of guys holding down the male end of the 90's revival.

[photo credits: google image search(1, 2, 3, 4, 5), va$htie's myspace, flynn & o'hara, 1992's myspace, m.i.a., m.i.a.'s myspace, smash vintage sunglasses, myairshoes.com, girlprops, wikipedia]

the presentation of self in everyday life

"the meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical substances: if there is any reaction, both are transformed." - carl jung
i think it's safe to say that carl was right about personality clashes. in fact, the only thing more reactionary* than the meeting of two personalities is the meeting of five. it was bound to happen with a bunch of females living together in relatively close quarters, but the residents of our room have been locking horns increasingly often during the first two months of this year. in order to address the growing drama, i suggested and suceeded in staging a "family meeting" to air grievances and hash out our differences. after several hours and some trying revelations, we all emerged smiling, our friendship stronger than before, but the best part of the meeting by far was our concluding remarks, where we each had to say what we love about each other. cheesy, yes, but a major self-esteem booster, nevertheless. while my suitemates all gave genuine compliments and anecdotes about me, i was caught off guard when blair praised my storytelling abilities.

according to her, i have a great gift for making even mundane stories come alive with my voice, mannerisms, and enthusiasm. she even flattered me by saying that she looks forward to hearing me speak and that i could be an actress. this observation was an immensely pleasant surprise. i'm no hermit, but i'm still terribly shy, have been all my life, so it's nice to know that my efforts at being outgoing, or small performances, are appreciated. then my thinking got really muddled, remembering an anthropology class i took in which we read erving goffman, and the train of thought was a bit heavy for a friday night, so i put it to rest, choosing instead to bask in the presence of my favorite girls.

a day or so after the family meeting, i received an email from the creative director of evie belle, a relatively new womenswear label out of london. all of my musings on characters and performance came rushing back, channeled so potently through the evie belle collection. everything, from the logo to the model to of course, the clothes themselves, weaves a definitive tale. and why not? if we're all acting on a daily basis, every time we interact with others, why not add sartorial credibility to the role? the narrative aspect of the label didn't come serendipitously to designer sairah hicks: since childhood, she's been "enchanted by the house of elliot," the 1920s setting of the tv show about a designer named evie.

the line's aw'08 collection maintains that vibe with unapologetically feminine, simple, and structured garments that really have me swooning. it strikes me as what this blog's unofficial mascot, louise brooks, would wear if you plucked her out of her era and placed her in 2008. yet the clothes refuse to be dated (i'm dying to stomp through new york city nights with that red hooded toggle coat and skinny pants). i love the fact that hicks doesn't shy away from a limited color palette, instead relying on the pieces themselves to pack a punch.
but wait - there's more! evie belle is "ethical and corporately kind brand," complete with local manufacturing, sustainable fabrics, fair-trade suppliers, and eco-conscious fashion shows. bottom line? evie belle is a role i'd love to play.

[photo credits: evie belle, google image search (1)]

p.s.: happy election day! i propose we all celebrate this day by well.. electing someone! vote!
p.p.s.: here's the song of the day - didn't want to get too political, so it's chock full of vague references to america and independence. hurrah!

[*a concerned anonymous commenter has graciously pointed out my misuse of the word 'reactionary'. in case this has caused any confusion, the word i meant to use was 'reactive'. on with the posts!

partie traumatic

cousin pandora :: people out here in philly are ODing cuz the phillies won the world series
cp :: these people started rioting.. flipping over cars
me :: i don't get that.. is that supposed to be an expression of happiness?
cp :: they were breaking the decorations in front of clothing stores, tearing down street signs,hanging from things, burning thrift store furniture.. this boy said he did that in one of my classes today
me :: ?!
me :: i thought that people go and riot when their team loses and parade and party when they win
cp :: apparently they do both when they win
me :: what the hell.. why are some things allowed such ridiculous expressions of joy and others aren't?
me :: what would happen if fashion lovers started flipping cars over because marc jacobs turned out a sweet spring collection?
cp :: LMFAO I WAS THINKING THE SAME THING

clockwork

pandoras of the world,

allow me to reintroduce myself..
my name is roxanne.

my laptop and i were out of commission for some time, but we're both back and ready for action. i'd like to report that while i was mac-less, i experienced new freedom, released from the burdens of my technological fetters, but there was no such occurrence. i'm not ashamed to say that i'm totally dependent on my mac, and i'm inordinately glad to have it back in my life. thing is.. a good chunk of my files are gone without a trace. which means my photos, my schedule, and a good chunk of my music - the better half, unfortunately - is missing, among other things. it sucks, to be honest. but there's no direction to go if not forward, and that i will. except for those times, of course, when i'm going back.. without further ado, the post.

for a girl who refuses to wear a watch, i do think about the times a lot. i spent sunday morning brunch reminiscing with roommates about the tv shows of our youth. though we didn't watch them together - our paths only crossed a couple of years ago - it quickly became apparent that our shared experiences are numerous. sarah mentioned in passing that the older you get, the more nostalgic conversation you'll tend to engage in. i wonder if this is even possible for me. the only time i'm not longing for my past is when i'm longing for someone else's. i yearn for mine because i want it back, but i pine for others' because i never had it in the first place.. the garish day-glo fun of the eighties, the loose, haphazard cool of the late sixties. i want full skirts with wasp waists and beaded knee length shifts, but until i discover a way to take a tour of the past, i'll continue dreaming.

i stumbled upon a year-old post (hence the anya hindmarch reference) from an old blog that expresses similar sentiments, perhaps in a slightly more bitter tone. i created a sort of mood board around the writing that captures my perpetual nostalgia for unlived pasts.

oh, the times...

SYSTEMS FAIL

my trusty mac has kicked the bucket. or at least my hard drive did. which sucks in so many ways, i'm not even going to begin to describe it. but nevertheless, i'll keep working my way back to you.. be back soon.

many hats

i don't know if i'd call this a filler post, so much as a shameless self-promotional post. these days, i'm working on a whole lot of projects, and i think it would be awesome if as many people as possible could witness the final results. in that vein, if you happen to be in the boston/cambridge area this upcoming saturday (october 18), hit up Comedy for a Cause!

professional comedians steve byrne, jordan carlos (of the colbert report), and julian mccullough are performing, and all proceeds go to the american social health association. the show takes place at Sanders Theater during the weekend of the 44th head of the charles regatta, "the world's largest two-day rowing event." Feel free to spend a picturesque day ambling along the Charles, topped off by a hilarious comedy show across the river at night. Tickets are $25 for the general public; shoot me an e-mail for more information.

this message has been brought to you by roxanne, publicity chair of the harvard concert commission.

secondly: if you happen to be in the area on november 15, this the date of project east, which i've spoken about before in a previous post. bottom line, it's one of the most professional student-run campus fashion shows i've ever laid eyes on, and i feel privileged to be working on it. every day, i get a little more excited about just how awesome it's stacking up to be. among the designers who will be presenting pieces are jen kao (about whom the lovely Jill of Couture Salope wrote a wonderful post a little while back), giuliano fujiwara (recently confirmed!), lu kun (who i believe has never before presented in the us), manish arora, and - wait for it - ISSEYfuckingMIYAKE. as in, this is the first time he's shown on a runway other than his own in paris. as in, this man, a veritable genuis of design, has decided to grace us with his pieces. as in, this is HUGE. and as if the show wasn't enough, there's an amazing auction and reception to be held right after the show. and when i say awesome, i'm talking lanvin-necklaces-up-for-bidding- awesome. ticket information to come soon, but again, e-mail e-mail e-mail me if you're interested in coming - and you should be.

this message has been brought to you by roxanne, ticketing manager of project east.

thirdly: i recently had my first article published in the latest issue of rive magazine! i've written about rive (and my magazine addiction) before, so i'm glad to be contributing to a publication that doesn't fuel said addiction. the article is called 'defying the dire', and it's on page 22. comments and thoughts would be much appreciated, as this really is my first journalistic effort of any kind.

this message has been brought to you by roxanne, aspiring journalist.

posts from roxanne, the blogger to come soon, stay tuned!

hold the phone

hello, blogosphere! so this morning, i woke up at nine fifteen (read: too late to even shower before class, let alone pull together a decent outfit), but i did try and do my new itunes shuffle outfit plan. unfortunately, i got a really random song.. i mean so random, i couldn't even tell you now what it was called.. something that i very recently downloaded from some free mixtape, and i didn't have the time or desire to look it up, so i resorted to my unofficial uniform of skinny jeans, big tee, hoodie and flats in varying shades of dark (in this case, gray, black, gray, gray) and ran out the door. but before i go on with what happened today, i should probably backtrack and muse on the happenings of yesterday.


yesterday morning, my itunes inspiration of the day turned out to be robyn's "handle me", making it the second day in a row that i've channeled a female artist with a serious affinity for jeremy scott (see below). again, the song itself didn't give me much to work with, but the singer did. i've already gone on about the 'new' robyn, and i went to the video for a refresher course in her off the wall ensembles. crazy, crazy prints were what i found, along with bright colors, form-fitting dresses, tights, and shiny menswear-inspired shoes. i tried on an electric blue american apparel dress, with a white and gold printed scarf around the neck, but the length was quite inappropriate for a day of classes, to say the least..
top: garment district, jeans: h&m, shoes: mama pandora. if you're wondering why my shoulders have suddenly approached the territory of linebacker, it's because of the shoulder pads. that's right. shoulder pads.
..which led me to this. only one print, but it's prominent enough. i mean, if i had checkered high-waisted skinny jeans, i'd be glad to wear them, but until then, i'm happy with my plain old dark denim. i wore my mom's old high-heeled loafers for an injection of men's footwear and this vintage pseudo-crop top (in light of the spring runways, this length is child's play) for its print and batwing sleeve.

around dinnertime, i was marveling at my roommates gorgeous skylight view which trumps mine by a thousand when a light sunshower began and the most gorgeous rainbow i've ever seen appeared in the sky, stopping just as it hit the belltower.
after the sun went down, the boy and i headed out to see a black kids concert. i changed into a very grunge-inspired outfit - there was a checkered button down, oversized tee shirt, hoodie, and doc martens involved, all in shades of black and white - which i didn't have time to take a picture of, and while i felt like i was dressed inappropriately for the concert at hand, when i got to the show and saw a veritable sea of bangs, thick glasses, dark tights, leather boots, and miniskirts, i felt oddly comfortable with my incongruous ensemble.

anyway, i made the poor choice of not bringing my wallet and my school id was apparently not enough for admission, even though my date of birth is on it, so i was contemplating getting back on the t to fetch my id when one of the black kids' roadies was nice enough to let us in through the back door! we missed the magic wands, but were just in the time for the virgins, who i never listened to despite all of nylon magazine's prodding, and was very pleasantly surprised. i'm not gonna like, i wanna take the bassist and put him and his bass with the paul mccartney sticker on it in my back pocket.. so freaking adorable.

then came the headliners, who opened with my favorite song ("look at me (when i rock wichoo)") and kept riding high from there. there was much dancing and merriment to be had, and random departures from various audience members meant that i found myself getting closer and closer to that mesmerizing 'fro. all in all, there was much dancing and merriment, despite the speed bump of the beginning.

which brings me back to today: uneventful, for the most part, but i found the most pleasantly random thing i've seen on campus in a while: a pooh bear abode, complete with functional door, built into the tree next to the science center. a mere couple of hours later, i came across a curious george lying face-down under a tree by another campus building. with no man in the yellow hat in sight, sarah took it upon herself to rescue the poor guy.

it seems that this town is becoming curioser and curiouser!

won't you ring the alarm, i've been through this too long

[note: this is yesterday's post, being posted a little late since studying won out over photoshopping last night. enjoy! i'm off to see the black kids play at paradise!]


i found myself this morning facing my usual weekday morning dilemma: how to make myself look stylishly presentable in under forty minutes. i have class every morning at ten, and considering i actually make it to that first class, i always set my alarm at night for eight. then in the morning, i always inevitably manage to snooze until around eight thirty if i have to shower, or nine-ish if i've showered the night before. either way, by nine o'clock i'm standing in front of my closet as the minutes tick away, trying to pick out something decent to wear and maybe make it downstairs to catch a quick breakfast before catching the nine fifty shuttle to campus. sometimes i try and let my mood help me decide what to wear for the day, but i'm generally not a morning person, and with a few rare exceptions, my morning moods generally induce dark and monochromatic outfits, chic at the very least in terms of simplicity, if not originality.

this morning, however, a light bulb went off as i stepped out of the shower. i rushed to my laptop and flipped it open, locating my desktop itunes icon. i decided that once it opened, i would click play and whatever the first song was that played, i would dress accordingly. a wave of fear washed over me as i hit the button. what if i got "the thrill is gone"? "puppy love"? "everybody's free (to wear sunscreen)"? almost simultaneously, i felt a giddy surge of excitement. how much fun would it be to play with "back to black," "black velvet," or "blinded in chains"? (i envisioned a givenchy fall 2008-inspired look with lots of chains, and well, black.) i realized that itunes apparently had no intentions of letting me fall back on my severe color dependency as yelle's "jogging" came on. i breathed a noncommittal sigh. it's a song that i neither love or hate, from an artist i like but don't love. jogging, though? should i whip out sweatpants and running shoes, with some sweatbands to boot? luckily, i don't own any of those items, so i went for plan b: an outfit that captures the essence of yelle's electropop and bright, punchy style.

top: h&m, skirt: urban outfitters, tights: american apparel, shoes: charles albert. hanging high-heel courtesy of bcbg max azria

i knew that this skirt, which i bought over the weekend was a perfect starting point, allowing me to wear a bunch of colors in one garment, without looking like i got dressed in the dark (and it has pockets! there are few things in this world that make me happier than a really awesome dress or skirt with pockets. it should really be a fashion industry standard). i fought the urge to wear a black shirt and black everything else by digging out this purple shirt that perfectly matches the purple in the skirt.. and then i piled on black everything else. nevertheless, i consider this to be quite a departure from the usual, and i had fun channeling something random in a limited amount of time.. kind of like project runway for non-designers. i'm looking forward to trying this again tomorrow. but don't expect pictures if i get something ridiculous like "kokomo" or "piano man".

"56th and wabasha.." (i figured i should also offer up a proper song of the day..)

edit: come to think of it, i had so much fun with this, i want to share it with all of you. that's right, i'm tagging, namely, the stylish wanderer, shiny kid, and marina of still better or worse. i've always wondered just who comes up with these blog tag things.. this time, i guess it's me. unless this has been done before in the past, in which case.. it's not me.

school daze

so i have this friend - who shall remain nameless - who transferred to a new school this semester. she moved in on a sunday, i believe, and had decided to leave by wednesday. and by leave, i mean permanently. she's now attending school locally. sometime during those four days, something must have happened that completely and totally overwhelmed her beyond repair. i'm taking pains to ensure that i never become that stressed out.

last week at school was what they call 'shopping week', in which everyone tries out classes to see if it fits their schedules and/or interests. at the end of the week, we make our final decisions and register for the classes we've chosen. it's a pretty good system, in my opinion, and i prefer it to other schools' process of registering for classes before the year starts, but the only issue is that while you're running around campus that first week, trying out quantum mechanics and advanced playwrighting, you're still responsible for the work assigned in the classes that you end up taking. and that's what i was up against last week, along with still trying to set my room up, getting in my required number of weekly hours at work, shopping for books (which i'm paying for myself this year-eek!), and other assorted responsibilities. the bulk of these tasks have carried over into this week, as well. i can't wait until all the dust has settled so i can get back to blogging normally.

after missing the shuttle and having to walk home last wednesday, tons of brand spanking new course books in tow, the october 2008 issue of nylon in my mailbox was a welcome surprise. i flipped through it a bit during work, and paused when i hit page sixty. i knew that m.i.a. was working on a clothing line, and i knew exactly what it would look like too, but what possessed nylon to dress a model in three (or is that four? did they really layer two of those jackets?) of the loudest, boldest prints i've ever seen, i'll never know. it doesn't look attractive by any stretch of the imagination, but i had a hunch that separately, the pieces might have potential. some poking around on m.i.a.'s website confirmed my suspicions.


let me preface this by saying i have so much love for m.i.a. even though she got a little cocky and claimed to have "owned" marc jacobs' fall 2008 afterparty. even if she randomly decided to retire from making music (nylon reports that she's safely back in the studio). i just love her. her songs never get old to me, and my retinas are not yet singed from the haphazard mix of neon patterns that brand her outfits and music videos. so maybe i'm biased, but i kind of like this collection. i'm very aware that it's practically a sampling of her own ridiculously distinctive wardrobe, but i think it's actually possible to make the stuff your own. i would love to pair the 'mexico' bodysuit with my bright white high-waisted mid-calf length pleated skirt (see post below), and brightly colored heels. or the afrika jacket or leggings with all-black everything else. unlike that nylon debacle, i think wearing one color prominently with one of m.i.a.'s pieces would allow you to wear them without looking like you were dressing up as m.i.a. am i completely out there on this one? it's possible, but i'm pretty sold on this line. in a figurative sense, of course. all sartorial fantasies aside, i don't really see myself shelling out a hundred bucks on a bodysuit.
but i'm curious as to which came first: m.i.a.'s 'afrika' print? or american apparel's?

wow, did i just do a pseudo-adventures in copyright post? oh, man.

"where were you in '92?"

p.s.: happy 26th birthday to my brother!

today's post is brought to you by the letter R.

monday - sunnies:ray-ban, top: urban outfitters, pants: h&m, shoes: nine west; tuesday - dress: american apparel, vest: h&m, jeans: urban outfitters, shoes: forever 21; wednesday - sweater: zara, dress (as top): american apparel, skirt: h&m; thursday: top: high school uniform, jeans: vintage, shoes: nine west.
true story: i forgot to bring flat shoes to school with me.

i was trying out this thing where i don't bring every scrap of cloth i own to school, since for the past two years i'd lugged masses of clothing to school and ended up only wearing a fraction of them. i found a large box in which to put my shoes, and assessed what i had, taking caution to be reasonable in my decisions. i brought the heech sandals because ever since i finally got my hands on them, i've found them to be indispensable, some black heels with varying heights.. some other heels in varying colors, one pair of black booties.. the list goes on, but for some reason, as far as flat shoes, i only brought my black fringe sandals, a pair of burgundy flip-flops (i hate flip-flops), a very, very old pair of black anne klein flats, and a pair of once-white canvas sneakers in utterly pitiful condition. and so all week i've been going to class, to work, walking home, and carrying heavy objects in heels, much to the chagrin of my poor feet.

i wish i could say that there's been some improvement in my life after a week of tottering around campus in heels, better posture or an increase in attractive men's phone numbers, maybe, but to be honest, all i've gotten are a blister and sore calves. how do you do it, carine? any tips, mary-kate? no? in that case, i'm off to replenish my flats collection.

this afternoon after class, i hit up urban outfitters for the feathered flats i'd been eyeing online, as well as these gray flats that i'm completely smitten with. i'm slowly but surely weaning myself off my black flat addiction, but i did buy my third - i repeat, third - pair of crappy white canvas sneakers. i'm not sure why i haven't just bit the bullet and gotten some damn keds.. these are going to be falling apart in about two weeks, but whatever. after getting all caught up with the flat shoe situation, i went all miu miu fall 2008: home edition and got this big letter wall hanging. couldn't find any of my other initials. i'm not so keen on the color, but it might grow on me. once i've gotten my room fixed up, i'll know what color it needs to be. after urban, it was off to american apparel to pick up some essentials - tees and tights - to be precise.

today's post is also brought to you by the number 4. one, two, three, four purchases! hah, hah, hah, hah..

status report

hey kids!

dashboard says it's only eighty degrees outside, but i'm sweating like there's no tomorrow, so i took these quick outfit shots before i flung open all the windows and changed into shorts and a tank.
sunnies: ray-ban, top: urban outfitters, pants: h&m, shoes: nine west. i wish i could say i was wearing sunnies indoors to be cool and show off my awesome personal style, but it's actually that bright in my room. i love it.
i'm slowly becoming obsessed with my skylight and its beautiful views. there's a hawk family that lives on the roof of the house, and their squawks sound as if they're inside the room when the window is open, and when i lay on my bed i can see airplanes flying overhead in all directions. the moon casts just the right amount of light into the room at night, and the abundance of fresh air is deliriously enoyable. i can only hope that i'll enjoy it as much when the skies are grayer with a chill in the air.

classes started today, and i shopped an english (colonial american lit) and french (french society across the ages) class, and tomorrow i'm going to test drive another english course on major british writers (eh) and a women's studies course called "i like ike, but i love lucy: women, popular culture, and the 1950s," which i'm almost positive will rank among my favorite college classes ever, second only to the english class i took on cultures and countercultures of the 1960s last year: think film screenings of west side story, the sound of music, endless summer, and 2001: a space odyssey, readings like the electric acid kool-aid test and popism, and units on james brown and the beach boys. it was amazing.

i'm really trying to capture this beginning-of-the-year enthusiam in a bottle, so i don't find myself dejected and counting down 'til the end of the semester in a few months, as academic pressures and cold, dreary winters tend to do to me. i made sure to make the most of my responsibility-free days last week, visiting campus events, throwing a surprise birthday party for my roommate, and doing a little shopping. unfortunately, that left little time to unpack. i've still got a few boxes left to empty, but that's tonight's project, along with doing a little colonial american lit reading (i'm not falling behind this year). pictures below for your enjoyment:

they call this the cliffhanger, and it was the centerpiece of friday's welcome back carnival. didn't ride, but it did make for a sweet photo op.

we stalled the birthday girl at a restaurant called the mexican forest while her surprise party guests trickled in.

love this picture. my pre-med roommate (not pictured) was telling us some unsavory details about childbirth. sophie (right) was not amused.
p.s.: i've been keeping up with the shows in moderation, but before i can rave about my favorites, it's gonna take awhile for it all to sink in. also, if i start to think about lovely spring shifts just as the days begin to grow shorter and grayer, things could get pretty ugly over here.

song of the day: fleet foxes - in the hot, hot rays (new feature? don't know, trying it out..)

edit: just got word from kristin of prim magazine that the article i wrote will print, either in the upcoming issue or the next one!

in the closet / picture-a-day 091008

cardigan: zara, top: urban outfitters, belt: h&m, cutoffs: formerly old navy relaxed fits, boots: jeffrey campbell, bag: the sak. tan courtesy of the caribbean.
the hurricanes bring periodical rains that are a welcome break from late summer's humidity. i was accosted by men in cars twice yesterday, which made me both a little anxious and really pissed off. but then the sweetest british lady stopped me on the street to comment on my "lovely" boots. that made me feel a bit better.


my roommates were sweet enough to bring back gifts from their travels: a plushie and compact from china and earrings from tanzania.

and last but not least, how do you guys like the new banner? i absolutely loved the last one; not only am i obsessed with sophomore but i felt like the images really represented my summer in the city, albeit several different cities. for the fall, i went looking for images that reminded me of what this season will hold.. old buildings. autumn sun, and the smell of books.. i anticipate a few more blog alterations in the near future, i'll be sure to keep you guys posted!

picture-a-day 090808: a room with a view

reporting live from sunny cambridge, massachusetts!
i'm currently at school, with a whole week free to enjoy life. i'm working on tying up some loose ends before classes start, catching up with friends, soaking up the sun, making my room feel like home, and other such assorted pleasantries.

soon to come: a new banner for the site, and most importantly, posts. expect pictures of my room once i've got it looking presentable, outfit posts, and some good news and surprises.

she brought all the boys to the yard

the first time i saw kelis, she was trashing her apartment and inciting suburban housewives to riot in the streets, all the while screaming at the top of her lungs just how much she hated her cheating significant other. the next time i saw her, a few years later, she was writhing about in extra lowriders, atop a diner counter, educating us all on her milkshake and exactly what it was capable of. by the third time i saw her, a couple more years later, she'd had a major makeover, over-the-top glamour with a bit of hard-edged appeal, and she was telling everyone just how bossy she could be. it's clear that mrs. nasir jones has majorly bold style, both musically and sartorially, and though i find her style to be very hit-or-miss (google her and you'll find some definite misses), the point is that the girl is absolutely fearless. one of the blogs i came across while looking for pictures of her said something to the effect of.. rihanna took kelis' style and ran with it. without pointing any fingers, i think you can totally see some of what rihanna's doing now in what kelis was doing a year or two before.

i absolutely love the large image on the left! it's so early 80s club kid (see style bubble for the real thing). oh, and speaking of the 80s, for the past few days, i've been mulling over whether or not i should buy this october 1980 issue of interview magazine. after seeing the slightly garish but fun 'i love the 80's' spread in this month's elle, i decided hey, why not? i can't wait to see what they've got to say about kelly mcgillis (who just so happens to share a birthday with yours truly).

and come to think of it, kelis' name is a combination of her parents' names (kenneth and eveliss), and if you combine the first and last parts of kelly mcgillis, you get kelis.. yeah. did i mention that i'm extremely bored lately? one more day, and i'm (finally) out of here..

p.s.: happy 30th birthday to my brother!

all we are saying

along with my tendency to indulge in too many magazines, too many clothes, and too many shoes, i also have a major thing for books. i can't quite put my finger on exactly what kind of books i prefer.. i like what i like and there's really no rhyme or reason to the process. i like the classics, but i have to be inspired in a very particular way to read one. i love contemporary novels, but i'll often get bored halfway through for no real reason. i thought i hated biographies, but there's a growing list of people whose life stories i'd love to read. i do like how-to books, but they have to be somewhat engaging and humorous.. choosing what to read is a random process, but it works out in the end.

one thing that almost always gets me, though - and this goes against everything my mother taught me - is a pretty cover. there, i said it: i judge books by their covers, which makes coffee table books practically always a sure thing. eye-catching covers, stunning imagery inside, glossy pages that remind me of my beloved magazines.. it's almost too good to be true. imagine my excitement when my friend taylor surprised me with a hefty coffee-table book titled peace: 50 years of protest. not only does it meet all of my superficial criteria for a good read, its subject matter also includes a few of my favorite things, like history, the fifties and sixties, fashion, hippies, art, and social protest. it starts out with a history of the symbol itself and goes on to address its universal popularity. english artist gerald holtom created the symbol in 1958 for the campaign for nuclear disarmament (cnd) protest march from london to aldermaston, home of england's atomic weapon establishment. made up of the semaphoric symbols for n and d and enclosed in a circle, it quickly came to represent the nuclear diasarmament cause as well as a worldwide initiative for peace.

now why am i consulting the history books for a post on a fashion blog? because i've always loved the peace symbol, i appreciate it even more since reading the book, and i've been on a seemingly eternal quest to find a great piece of peace symbol jewelry, preferably earrings or a necklace. but for some reason or another, it's damn near impossible to find any that meet my standards: simple, unadorned (read: no sparkles, rhinestones, or bling of any kind), not too big and/or gaudy, and true to form.. no ovals or overextended lines, etc. the august 2008 issue of vogue had tanya dziahileva masquerading as tonne goodman, wearing an absolutely perfect saundra messinger peace symbol necklace and earrings, but as luck would have it, i learned that the prices weren't so perfect. then while i was trolling the target website for some dorm room necessities, i noticed that dean harris has a collection with some great and inexpensive peace sign jewelry. i ruled out the ring and earrings; the lines were a bit too twiggy for my taste. on second glance, i realized that the charm bracelet and necklace had the same problem.. which left that simple, unadorned, not too big or gaudy, true to form peace sign cuff. eighty dollars. is it worth it? i'm still considering it, seeing as how this is the closest i've ever come to finding what i want. ebay's results continue to disappoint. oh, and i still want that sophomore tee.

while i was doing google searches for this post, i found this article, which got me thinking about the ethical implications of the annexation of the peace symbol by the fashion industry. in my opinion, pretty much all's fair in design and fashion, as long you're adopting or tweaking an entity or aesthetic with a certain degree of respect, a nod to the originator of the design in question, and a purity of intent - that is, the pursuit of artistic creation (unlike the keffiyeh, for example: unless you've really done your homework on the subject, i feel like that square of patterned cloth is far too entrenched in a history of political and military conflict for a pretty young western thing to drape it about her neck as the perfect summer accessory. any other print would do just fine.). the article laments the fact that holtom never copyrighted his symbol, but according to the book, this was a conscious decision. though not everyone knows the nuclear disarmament roots of the symbol today, mostly everyone does know that it represents peace, and i don't think placing it on an expensive garment really exploits or violates that message (i do hope that these companies make donations to cnd, as the organization encourages artists and designers to do).

fashion's treatment of the peace symbol is indeed "a far cry from the thrift-store aesthetic of the original hippies," as the article phrases it, but we're not the original hippies (no matter how much i wish i were). therefore, designers don't choose to reimagine and recreate the hippie aesthetic, it's the only thing they can do. besides, the peace symbol is only a representation of hippie culture in retrospect. the hippies took the peace symbol and reappropriated it for their own purposes, much like designers are now doing with hippie style, albeit for a profit. the peace symbol has become an undeniably permanent fixture within a global cultural lexicon, but it's impossible to overlook the fashion industry's significant role in perpetuating the symbol's widespread appeal and relevance.

that said, i'm so looking forward to barney's "have a hippy holiday" campaign! nicolas ghesquière, alber elbaz, phillip lim, and alexander wang create peace sign-inspired dresses? yes, yes, yes, and yes.

[photo credits: google image search (1,2, 3, 4, 5, 6), fashionologie, target, sophomore, style.com]

harosho

there was a grand total of thirteen people traveling together on the cruise i recently took: my parents and myself, my brother and his girlfriend, my brother's girlfriend's grandmother, my mother's childhood best friend, with her husband and two of her children, my cousin and her mom, my aunt, and my boyfriend. it was a large and varied group for sure, with at least four languages (english, french, haitian creole, russian) being spoken amongst us, though not everyone was proficient in each language by any means, but the star of the group was definitely our eldest member. teaching us a bunch of russian words and phrases everyday, she'd wander off by herself and skip out on dinner, only to be found chatting up men in russian at the hot tub. we all called her babushka, which always made me think of the new d&g ad campaign..such is how my mind works.


anyway, with those images running through my mind constantly, it's almost fitting that my boyfriend's very-belated birthday gift to me (outside of school, i'm in new york while he lives in colorado) was a large pucci headscarf, practically in the style of babushka herself. this little ishihara test of a scarf is absolutely gorgeous, and i can't wait to wear it as the leaves turn this season. and sometimes it's really all about the presentation of a gift: he took pages from his mom's fashion magazines, a spread on ways to tie a scarf, ads from my favorite designers, and made wrapping paper out of it - i'm smitten. oh, and also included for your viewing pleasure: the two free (!) scarves i picked up as the icing on the cake to my last thrifting excursion.


and this is for the stylish wanderer and her new friend, jesus, taken at my cruise's first port of call, cozumel. viva la mexico!

the final stretch

i can't even begin to explain how restless i'm feeling these days. since i began college, this has become an annual thing for me, this limbo stage between whatever i did to occupy myself during the summer and the start of school. most colleges' fall semesters begin at some point towards the end of august, and high schools around here usually start class right after labor day. my school, on the other hand, doesn't begin classes until the middle of september. in a desperate attempt to get myself out of the house, i'm moving in on september 6th, the first day the houses open. even so, i've still got another full week to spend here while literally everyone else i know is busy at work and/or school. it's enough to drive a girl mad. right before my freshman year, i found myself wandering through my local mall alone on a weekday morning. i'd splurged on a pair of chanel eyeglasses before i left. an uncharacteristic move for sure, but at that point, my insanity was acting for me. last year, i threw my energy into packing, arranging and rearranging my belongings and meticulously folding garments countless times with the intensity of someone with ocd. this year, it's books and music. books about music, music about books.. i've been consuming it all these past few days, and voraciously, too. still, my attention is waning yet again, and blogging seems to be my new project. expect elaborate and/or frequent posts, at all times of day and night, beginning with this, the autumn/winter 2008 installation of my disney dress-up post that i started in may, now new and improved with song downloads!

jessica rabbit
slinking her way through the ink & paint club, she cooed, "get out of here, and get me some money too." assuming she's since acquired that money, one can only hope that she'll buy herself some new threads. let's face it, the girl's been working the same look since 1988. i understand the importance of a trademark, so a sparkly red gown à la balmain lets her simultaneously update and maintain her signature ensemble. it's clear that a girl like this never dresses down, but a diane von furstenberg look or two allows her to continue channeling that sexy 1940's vibe during the daytime with just the right amount of sultriness. as far as accessories go, i wouldn't dream of taking away jessica's fire engine-red heels, but burberry throws some studs onto the heel that would really take her into femme fatale territory, and some thick golden cuffs will add some extra shine to those evening gloves. with such an excellent wardrobe, jessica is sure to make some new friends in high places, like fifi lapin. this could be the start of a beautiful friendship, as long as jess doesn't catch fifi playing pattycake with roger..
[photo credits: google image search, fifi lapin, nordstrom (1, 2, 3), style.com]

tinker bell
ever since miss bell primped and scrutinized herself in a hand mirror, i had a hunch that she might have good fashion sense, with a love for all things short and sassy. thing is, she's not a big fan of change.. i mean, look what happened when wendy showed up in neverland. i wouldn't be surprised if she went right for a gauzy neon green dress from celine, not straying too far from what's worked for her in the past. in time, i think she could be persuaded to test drive a yellow versace or a pink dior, as long as it remains bright and fun. but in the end, tink would most defnitely turn out to be a marc by marc kind of gal. i suspect it's the pompom heels that would win her over.
[photo credits: google image search, shopbop (1, 2, 3), style.com]

cruella de vil & yzma
with those rail-thin frames and tyrannical tendencies, either one of these ladies may have a future as the editor-in-chief of vogue. based partly on tallulah bankhead, cruella de vil harbors a serious penchant for the dramatic, and as someone who, by her own admission, worships and lives for furs, she'd find sonia rykiel's black and white fur simply irresistible. paired with "something austere" from nicolas ghesquière, and intimidating rodarte heels (all in her classic colors, of course), this lady quite truly will be dressed to kill.
yzma's character was based on both the legendary eartha kitt and cruella de vil herself, meaning there's a great deal of diva coursing through those villainous veins. yzma's aesthetic picks up where cruella's stark black-and-white ensembles leave off, with regal shades of purple and plumage to replace all that fur. ralph lauren's got all her bases covered, merely shifting the feather from the head to the lapel. this isn't to say that she couldn't make a little balenciaga work for her, too. the slit will be higher than what she's used to, but the cut of the dress will do wonders for those razor-sharp hip bones.
[photo credits: google image search (1, 2), style.com]

blake's got a new dress

i used to devote a fair amount of my internet time to celebrity gossip blogs, until i came to the realization that once you've read one, you've pretty much read them all. when brad and angelina step out with their kids in tow, when lindsay stumbles out of nightspot, legging-clad with samantha in tow, when inappropriate photos of miley cyrus surface on myspace.. celebrity blogs will always be there, with the same commentary and the same pictures.

as i gradually discovered more and more innovative fashion and style blogs, i started phasing out the gossip blogs from my daily reading list. the last remnant of that particular blogroll is what would tyler durden do. it's crude, misogynistic, and generally out of line, but what can i say? it's pretty funny. the site's image content is chock-full of your normal nipslips, panty flashing and generally unflattering shots, but once in a while i'll come across a good picture of a celebrity i actually appreciate. which brings me to this: what's the deal? is this a reenactment of the gossip girl episode where serena stumbles through the new york streets clad in heels and a men's dress shirt? i can't say i'm the biggest fan of this.. which i guess is why i prefer leighton meester.

odds and ends

it's another lazy day at home for me, futzing around on my laptop, reading books and magazines, and sleeping as much as humanly possible before heading back to campus. a few random, interesting tidbits:

-project east. read about it, vote for it, come see the show. i can't begin to describe how much it means to me, and how much of a difference it will make.

- the reading list feature on blogger's dashboard is a godsend. if you're on my link list and notice me obsessively keeping up with your posts, you now know why.

- i've been playing around with the labels on my posts, making it easier for myself (and hopefully, by extension, you) to find posts relevant to a certain interest. below, for the sake of clarification:

*acquisitions (future): clothes, shoes, magazines, hairstyles, etc. that i'd like to obtain at some point in the future. this can run the gamut from a $16 aa tee to a $1,450 marc jacobs satchel. a girl can dream.
*acquisitions (recent): things i've acquired. recently.
*bloggery: i blog, you blog, he blogs, she blogs.. stuff about the direction/layout/future of this blog, other people's blogs i like.. you get the idea.
*bookish: on the subject of books.
*excursions/events: trips i've taken, trips i'm about to take, concerts, parties, happenings, good times.
*face paint: i still don't wear make-up. if i ever start, you all will be the first to know. until then, if i ever offer up some commentary on other people's make-up, it's here.
*glossies: because i have an addiction.
*hearsay: quotes and gossip andbits of dialogue taken from all over.
*in the closet: what i'm wearing these days.
*not fashion: things that are..not fashion.
*on the tube: they say it'll rot your brain.
*photo finish: any post that has pictures taken by me gets this label.
*playing dress-up: in the vein of my disney post, channeling a character/vibe/mood/etc.
*silver screen, *street style
*style crush: i like your style. call it a style crush.
*the shows: fashion, that is.
*the sound of music
*time warp: we're gonna go back. way back..back into time. writing about it, anyway.

- it's times like these that really make me wish i had an iphone. or an invitation to fashion week. either one.

- once upon at time, i sent an idle wish into the world wide web:
"until [american apparel] starts manufacturing shoes (which whould be unprecedentedly awesome, by the way), i'm on my own when it comes to finding simple, unadorned shoe styles."
now, it seems possible that my wish might be coming true. fingers crossed.

- when i was a younger pandora, i'd hole up in my room, tearing through piles of books at breakneck speed while lamenting the fact that one day, it would be impossible to even remember the titles of all the lovely stories i'd read, let alone their content. i'm trying to counteract that inevitable forgetfulness with pandora's bookshelf. yesterday i tried to remember some of my favorite titles from the past year and added links to them underneath my blogroll. i won't include books that i didn't thoroughly enjoy, so feel free to check any of them out (the titles are linked to barnes&noble's website) and share your opinions. i'd love to hear them. the last title on the list is the book that i'm currently reading.