A Heroine in Villain's Clothing

Has anyone else ever noticed that in any fairy tale, the villainesses always get the best outfits? Sure, the princesses have their tiaras and poufy pastel party dresses, but the villains get to be edgy and off-putting, like the best fashionistas of real life. "Pretty" is easy and can certainly be fun, but it takes a real lady to make evil look good.

Full disclosure: I realized all this recently, after buying a heavily discounted coat made out of rabbit fur (but spotted like ocelot fur....actually the guy at the store told me it was ocelot, but the label says rabbit...either way, it's made out of a soft, adorable fluffy animal and I'm a horrible person). My boyfriend, who is always quick with a comment regarding what I'm sure seem to him like a rather bizarre parade of garments constantly entering the apartment, told me that it makes me "look like a villain". Specifically Cruella de Vil, the ultimate chic villainess, who actually wants to wear puppies as fucking coats. I mean, really. So I was offended for like a minute and then I realized wait, why would I NOT want to look like a villain? It's better than being compared to some shrinking violet of a princess, waiting patiently with perfect curls to be rescued by a guy. Fuck that noise. And while I'm sure boyfriend did not mean for it to be taken this far, what can you do? The mind goes where it goes. So, for your inspiration and enjoyment, the best Disney villainesses, starting with the always fabulous Cruella:

Girl knows how to accessorize - check that chunky cocktail ring out. Also is her purse made of fur pelts??

Cruella apparently also possesses the ability to produce green cigarette smoke. Does that come with the (evil) territory?

Found at: http://chrisables.deviantart.com/art/Cruella-De-Vil-136068756

Ursula of the Little Mermaid used to scare the absolute shit out of me what I was a kid - like, to the point where I'm not even sure I ever made it through the whole movie. I honestly don't remember what it was about her that freaked me out so much - maybe the purple skin thing? But my childhood fear certainly doesn't stop her from being a badass bitch. I, for one, don't know any other octopi who can rock an LBD like that.

Let's talk beauty: who knew red lips and blue eyeshadow could look so good on purple skin, am I right? She's also obviously caught onto the strong brow trend.

Ursula on the catwalk. I'm clearly not the first to be inspired.

The only problem with these two ladies is that it appears being evil is like, really trying on your hair. Or maybe there are no evil hair dressers is Disney-land? Or maybe it's supposed to teach young women that if they choose the path of evil and decide to you know, skin puppies for coats and stuff, they will always have great clothes but will have to suffer through life with a train wreck of a head. Who knows. I'm open to ideas.

Queen Grimhilde (who's real crime was basically just being jealous of the younger, hotter Snow White...and I guess trying to kill her with an apple? But really, haven't we all been there to some degree?) managed to escape the terrifying old-lady hair, but instead has extremely intimidating eyebrows. And possibly no hair? It's hard to tell what's happening with that cape/crown situation. But apparently, if Disney is to be trusted, heavily arched eyebrows are a sure-fire sign of a cold, hard bitch. 

These brows mean business.

Capes are chic, for sure.

Maleficent, of Sleeping Beauty fame, rocks a similar look to that of the Queen, only slightly more bizarre because she has green skin and some kind of horns going on. Similar bitch brows and black cape. Overall, a very witchy look. If this were reality, these two would definitely be swapping waxing tips over a nice boozy brunch.

In addition to the green skin and the hair-horns (?), Maleficent has a bird and a staph. It's all pretty fucking terrifying, but I dig that high collar.

And there you have it, folks, Evil-Chic 101. Make an appointment with your eyebrow lady NOW, but don't forget to call your hairdresser too, because if even Cruella can't make skunk hair look sexy, you best not even try. 

Brand Watch: Stone Cold Fox

I can be something of a brand loyalist, especially if I really like not only the designs but what the overall aesthetic and philosophy of the label is about. For Marc by MJ, I'm all over Ebay and would probably never pay full price, but I'll totally throw down a little bit more to support a smaller label that I just really, really dig for whatever reason.  Case in point: I recently stumbled upon Stone Cold Fox and completely and immediately fell in love. Their designs are clean, well-articulated and so drop-dead boho sexy, I wanna fucking scream.  Seriously, it's not even fair how perfect these clothes are. And while I don't own a piece from them yet, it's only a matter of time before I treat myself to one of these:

This dress is the perfect LBD my closet is currently missing. There are also buttons down the front, which means it can also be worn open as a kimono-type garment. This obviously appeals to the obsessive desire to multi-purpose that I've spoken of previously.

This top is everything I've ever wanted and more.  Be mine? 

With collections named things like "Beautiful Imperfection" and "Gypsy Decay", this is a label that appeals to my poetic sensibilities. And if their website wasn't enough to drive you insane, designer Cyd maintains one of the most gorgeous Tumblr accounts I've ever seen. It's the perfect mix of pretty flowers, pics of Kate Moss, funky art shots and her own honest advice about life to make you feel like you've just spent an hour at the spa. Or therapy. Or your own special happy brain place. Basically, the woman has an eye for beauty, whether articulated in the form of a dress or an artfully arranged collage. And I must say, I think it's a tough task to create something on the internet that is beautiful and feminine but not in the anxiety-inducing way that is so much of Pinterest where you're all of sudden just like, oh crap,  I've spent an hour and a half looking at this stuff and I now hate my life because I don't have a big enough thigh-gap and I've haven't yet planned what the cake will look like at my imaginary wedding.

Beautiful maxi dresses abound. Oh, summer, where art thou?

SCF is a rare gem among indie brands: they have a clear cut vision that they don't stray from. They aren't trying to be super high fashion or over the top (one reason I prefer Cali street style over that of NYC). They do what they do and they do it well and personally, I can't get my hands on it fast enough.

Eternal Reign Show! (or, how to be the classiest fashion blogger ever: almost get kicked out of the show)

 Last weekend I had the pleasure of attending a fashion show for the up-and-coming lingerie and swimwear line, Eternal Reign. Two of my friends from school actually work for the brand and one modeled that night, so I got to witness some interesting moments behind the scenes of (my first!) show.

Before we get into the actual show, let me just say that there are very few situations I encounter that I am actually mature enough to handle. Pretty much all situations involving alcohol fall into this category. You show me someone who is enough of a grown-up to not act a fool at an open bar and I will show you someone to whom I simply do not relate. So anyhoo, there was, in fact, an open bar at this event that lasted for an hour. Should have been plenty of time for me to get sufficiently blasted, but of course, as soon as it ended, my friend and I determined that we must must must have a shot of whiskey. I ordered the shots, the 'tender delivered them to me, and then promptly turned his back and walked away. Friend and I looked at each other, immediately sharing the same thought: let's bounce. Again, maturity, not my strong suit, especially after a few cocktails. So we scamper away from the bar, high-fiving and feeling pretty damn cool. Milliseconds (I shit you not) later, a very large, very angry man appears in front of my face, stopping me dead in my tracks. Crap.

Suffice it to say, I almost got kicked out, at some point there was some talk of the police being called I believe, but in the end, we were able to smooth things over and we got to stay for the next show. Also they charged the shots to my card without me having to pay the minimum, so I guess in the end I won? I'm not really sure. Probably not, actually. I think I probably just embarrassed myself a lot. Bartender, if you're reading this: I'm sorry. It was just too damn tempting. And a $50 minimum for cards! HOT DAMN I ain't made of $50 charges here. But mostly, I'm sorry. And it won't happen again (at your bar).


Well now that I've gotten that off my chest, let's talk about FASHION. Being at my first show ever was both exciting and somewhat terrifying. I thought I was going to have a heart attack trying to pick out an outfit that was chic but not too chic, sexy but not trying too hard, funky but not over the top.  As much as I love getting dressed and experimenting with clothes, as soon as I'm in a situation where I actually need to look like I know what I'm doing with fashion, I kind of panic a bit. I landed on my army green Alex Wang lace-up booties, black tights, a knee length black leather skirt with pleats from BCBG, one of those kinda slutty leotards from American Apparel with the mesh V going all the way down and a sparkly beaded collar necklace. I wish I had a picture but I don't. Another reason I'm something of a failure as a fashion blogger: not only do I not have a photographer in my life, I DON'T EVEN OWN A DEECE CAMERA. Halp me please, someone.

I was also kind of nervous about the concept of being in the presence of a bunch of hot chicks wearing basically no clothes all night. Like, whoa, what was that gonna be like? Aside from going to the bathroom upon arrival and encountering a model wearing a thong (and nothing else), it was pretty normal. The models that Eternal Reign used were all gorgeous, natural women with bodies that looked healthy and hot. It was really refreshing to see a group of models that represented a variety of heights, shapes and looks. It was clear that they felt confident in themselves and in the clothes that they were wearing, and that set a really great tone for the night. On their website, Eternal Reign states that they are "inspired by the femininity, confidence and empowerment of the modern woman" and this definitely came through in the show.

In addition, the pieces themselves were lovely, and very diverse. From dainty lace-trimmed lingerie to an amazing yellow fringe bikini, I can't imagine a woman who wouldn't see a little something she liked in this collection. Some of my personal favorites:

Best suit of the evening, in my opinion. Not only would the sunny yellow color be perfect on the beach, but the fringe is amazing and it would look great with denim cutoffs or a long skirt at a summer festival or concert.

Also comes in black! Wear it out to the bar with jeans and then keep it on once you come home for sexytime. I like the white because it's obviously majorly hot, but still a little bit girly too. I would grunge it up with black skinnies and combat boots.

Pretty sure this suit is reversible, which is nice because personally, I hate investing in bathing suits because they serve such a specific function. Anything that has two-in-one power is great by me.

Loooove the color of this one.

The lace detailing on this lingerie set is beautiful. The little rosebuds are so sweet. And I love the model's face! She looks  so confident and happy.

More lace.

And now, my absolute favorite piece of the show.  White + crochet + long, flowy skirt = everything I look for in a summer dress! Once again, it shows skin without being slutty and maintains that soft, romantic vibe I love so much.

Overall, such a fabulous collection and such a fun show! The venue, Work In Progress, was also  amazing in its own right. Upon entering, I came down these little, winding stairs and found myself in a long hallway patterned like a chessboard, complete with a few large chess pieces scattered around. There was graffiti and random doodles all over the walls and some weird, psychedelic artworks waiting to be discovered. One in particular was this. Yes, I took a video of it. If you can't tell, it's a large, strange looking sculpture of a face that has video projections on it to make it seem like it's moving. Or maybe it is moving? I'm not sure, but it's awesomely bizarre. I'm sorry, I guess I wasn't aware I was supposed to pull one of these. 

All the beautiful models and the fabulous designer, Emily Liptak, in the middle.

Thanks again to everyone at Eternal Reign, especially Libby and Megan, for making my night so much fun and putting on such a sick show! I can't wait to see what's next for this great brand. 

Inspired: My Favorite Rock Muses

I always thought the perfect career for me would be as a "rock muse". You know - a groupie of sorts who hangs out and inspires rock stars to write classic jams about her.  I have a bohemian personal style, a strong level of comfort with casual drug use and I wouldn't mind being all cramped up in a van as long as I get to rage backstage every night. I'll have to work on the whole perfectly tousled hair thing, but my god, give a girl a chance! Seriously, if anyone knows of a position like this opening up, get at me. Who knows? Maybe my mere presence could inspire the great rock anthem of our generation.

Since the whole muse thing is probably a bit of a tough business to break into (an internship, perhaps?) I suppose I have to settle for taking inspiration from those who came before me. I've noticed that a lot of the songs I love describe the kind of magnetic, inalienably stylish women we all aspire to be. Obviously these were some banging', stylin' babes if they had the likes of Jim Morrison, Bob Dylan, etc. penning anthems for them. I mean, really. What's more - they were actual people that existed at one point and often it isn't terribly hard to figure out who they were (thanks, Googs!).

Everyone knows "Like a Rolling Stone" was written about Edie Sedgwick, the legendary Warhol factory girl and fashion icon. "Just Like a Woman" and possibly "Leopard Pillbox Hat" are also reportedly about her, but for some reason whenever I hear "Like a Rolling Stone" I automatically think of her and it totally gives me the chills. Having an ex call you on all your flaws so publicly couldn't have been easy, but the fact that it's probably one of the top 10 best songs ever would sure as hell ease the pain for me. Granted, she died in '71 before she could have known the full magnitude of the song over the years, but still.

Loving Edie feels like such a fashion cliche, but it's hard not to. She was so vulnerable and fucked up and glamorous and spoiled and just totally bat-shit crazy. A winning combination, in my book. Maybe not for like, friends, but certainly for style icons.

"...exchanging all kind of precious gifts and things, but you better take your diamond ring, you better pawn it, babe. You used to be so amused at Napoleon in rags and the language that he used. Go to him now, he calls you, you can't refuse, when you ain't got nothing, you got nothing to lose." - Like A Rolling Stone

If this doesn't make you wanna go buy some huge ass earrings, (or smoke a cig, for that matter) I am unsure of what will.

She must have also been like, really flexible because there are a fuckton of pictures of her posing like this.

If you look closely, you can see a bruise on her leg. They don't make 'em like that anymore, because today everything has to be fucking airbrushed and perfect. Bring back the bruises!

A favorite song by my all time favorite band, The Doors, describes Ray Manzarek's wife (then girlfriend), Dorothy. A lot of fans thought the song was a metaphor for the media conglomerate of the same name, but they would be wrong because in both Ray and drummer John Densmore's autobiographies they say it was about her. BAM! Schooled. There aren't a ton of pictures of her hanging around the innernets, but in the ones that do exist, she looks reasonably badass.

 "Well, she's fashionably lean and she's fashionably late. She'll never wreck a scene, she'll never break a date...She's the queen of cool, and she's the lady who waits. Since her mind left school, it never hesitates. She won't waste time on elementary talk, 'cause she's a twentieth century fox" - Twentieth Century Fox

I love a lady who pulls off a strong bang like this. 

Much more pulled together than I imagined a "road look" being, but hey - to each muse her own. 

Of course, if I'm gonna mention Dorothy, I have to mention Pam - Jim Morrison's "cosmic other" (why is that not a relationship classification available to me on Facebook?). She inspired and is mentioned in countless Doors songs, notably "Roadhouse Blues" ("keep your eyes on the road, your hands upon the wheel" were apparently instructions Jim gave her when they were driving around intoxicated), "Queen of the Highway", "Peace Frog" and "Blue Sunday". And contrary to what Oliver Stone wants us all to think, I'm pretty sure Jim never locked her in a closet and set it on fire, though they did have a pretty tumultuous relationship. 

"She came to town and then she drove away, sunlight in her hair."- Peace Frog

"I see your hair is burn in', hills are filled with fire. If they say I never loved you, you know they are a liar." - LA Woman

Jim & Pam are my spirit animal. I imagine perhaps that unicorn casually chilling next to them is theirs.

I feel like if I found a large gem thingie I could DIY this and be the baddest bitch at every festival. Hmm...

At some point,  Jim bought her a boutique she called Themis. On her death certificate, her occupation was listed "shop owner". Don't ask me how I know that, it's just a morbidly beautiful detail I've been carrying around in my brain.

Finally, Pattie Boyd was the ultimate rock groupie, marrying not one, but two legendary musicians. She was married to George Harrison, inspiring the Beatles' "Something", "I Need You" and "For You Blue" and then just peaced out to marry Eric Clapton who wrote "Layla" and "Wonderful Tonight" for her. Totally casual.

Girlfriend was pretty hot.

Not sure who the dude in this one is, but I love love love her outfit. I like it so much it makes me want to bring pigtails back, but I think we can all agree those are better left in the past.

There's a reason we all keep coming back to the 60's for style inspiration.

Help! I'm hungover and I can't get up.

Why hello blogosphere!

Today I'm going to talk to you about something very important: what to put on your bod when you are hungover as shit and feel like you're going to die if you move any more than is absolutely necessary. This is a topic that is near and dear to my heart, and as my close friends would tell you, I have cultivated a hungover look that is quite distinct in its ability to signal to any observer that I feel like absolute shitballs, but that I'm not givin' up hope completely. It's a delicate balance, of course. This may also be because whatever percentage of the time I am NOT hungover, I generally try to put in a solid amount of effort into my appearance - hair, makeup, outfit of some kind, etc. But when I am hungover all this pretty much goes by the wayside. Liberating? Maybe. But more often than not, this look can only really be developed out of genuine necessity. Things like 9 AM class on Friday morning, informal sorority chapter and pretty much any/every Sunday are the perfect times for a hungover ensemble. And if you're not hungover enough to need one? Well, then, you my friend are DOING IT WRONG. Come back when you have your life together, please!

My hungover outfits typically look something like this:

Shiny leggings and oversized everything.

Notice how this is just toeing the line between complete shambles and some semblance of normalcy. You don't want to just be wearing regular clothes, because you're hungover and inevitably look like shit and you don't want there to be any confusion about your knowledge of that fact. If you're dressed normal but look like death, people might think that's just how you look. And also, you're fucking hungover and you FEEL LIKE DEATH, so why would you ever want to put on jeans or worse, a dress??? You wouldn't. You want to put on leggings because as soon as you are done doing whatever required you to get dressed in the first place, you can have a seamless transition back into your bed/couch without any pants changing required. Brilliant, isn't it? Sweatpants should really only be worn in the most dire of situations. Like, you're on your hungover death bed but if you miss one more class you're going to fail college and legitimately not graduate and be disowned by your parents. Or if you're driving home from a wild weekend in Canada. Then it's allowed. Because we all know what happens in car rides home from Canada stays in car rides home from Canada.


An important note: sunglasses are EXTREMELY key in these types of situations. Sure, there's the whole sensitivity to light thing, but there's a whole host of other reasons to utilize sunglasses. First, it hides your poor little hungover face from observers of it, which is good because you're probably just trying to get from point A to point B and back to your aforementioned couch without a whole lot of obstacles. Sunglasses not only add to your fuck-off vibe 100% but keep you from being easily recognized, which is an important thing on say, a college campus where you probably know every third person you (pretend not to) see. The bigger and more obnoxious the sunglass, the better, I say. Also? It doesn't matter if it's not actually sunny. Having lived in what is basically the Arctic Tundra for four years I can definitely testify to having worn hungover sunglasses quite literally rain or shine. Because, fuck it. I'M HUNGOVER.

While I hope this was inspirational to all of you, finding your own unique hungover style is a task every woman has to tackle on her own, and I wish you each luck in your hungover endeavors. Whether it's getting a burrito at Chipotle or getting to chapter on time, we all have tasks we must complete under the residual effects of a good night out. And not to alarm those of you who haven't made it there yet, but it seems that in the real world people are required to still appear to be normal, functioning members of society on Friday mornings. It's a rather bizarre ritual that I personally don't like at all. Time for a change in 2013? I think so. I think so.

Happy Birthday to My Ultimate Fashion Icon

Kate Moss turns 39 today! I have loved Kate Moss for so long, I can't even remember a time when I didn't love Kate Moss. Seriously. Freshman year of college when I was crazy, I had a topless picture of her hanging in my dorm room and I used to tell everyone that my nipples looked exactly like hers. They kind of do, but I no longer share that information with random people, except when I do.

Sure, she's been blamed for anorexia, smoking, heroin addition and a whole host of other ostensibly bad things, but doesn't that just add to her badass appeal? And no one, I mean NO ONE has better street style than her. While part of me wants to hate her for looking better at 39 than I do at 23, I just like her too much. Because she's human and she's flawed and she owns it and genuinely appears to not give a fuck.

She's obviously jaw-droppingly gorgeous, but she isn't "perfect" and the fact that at 5'7, with imperfect teeth she can be the biggest supermodel in the world for the past 20 years makes room for every other girl to look in the mirror and love her own quirks. It's weird, because she's been blamed for all these eating disorders and body-hatred among young women, but all she's really done all these years is be herself. She's obviously a naturally thin, small-framed woman and she came into modeling during a time when the most successful women were tall, busty and All-American looking. She carved out a market for the slightly scrawny, strange beauty standing in the corner smoking a cigarette, not giving a shit. And for me, that girl is so much more interesting than the perfectly made-up glamazon with the huge boobs. Not to hate on that look either, but without Kate the world of fashion would be a much different place, I imagine. So, happy birthday to one of my top three style icons! (The other two are Edie Sedgwick and Courtney Love, just in case you were desperately wondering).

90's Kate. Fucking gorgeous.

My boyfriend recently had a dream in which we got married and I showed up to the wedding wearing a feather crown like this. And in this dream, he left me at the altar! Men...

Kate & Johnny. Nice coffee mug,  J.Deps

This picture made me want to go to music festivals.

This picture made me wanna smoke cigs.

This picture makes me wonder if smoking cigs while wearing  a facemask cancels out all the negative effects?!?! 

Swoon.

Nonchalance is the name of the game

Check the perfectly tousled, I-don't-care hair on the right.

This image graced my freshman dorm wall. 

Check How Stylish I Am in My Awesome Dream Life

January fashion is boring me. I love layering, but this time of year I'm always so over it. I miss being able to wear jackets instead of coats, flats instead of boots and BARE LEGS! They feel like a thing of the distant, distant past. New York hasn't even been that cold, but trying to dress for the weather and also look somewhat stylish and professional is making mornings a nightmare. Everything in my closet just feels so blah and all I want to do is just be warm - not exactly an invitation for adventurous fashion choices.   I would love to go shopping, but I'm trying out this new thing. It's called saving money - apparently people do it? I dunno, but I hear it's all the rage.

So, instead of going out and buying a bunch of shit, I'm going to quell my desires for new clothes with some images of what I wear everyday in my amazing dream life where I have a lot of money and a high tolerance for heel-induced pains.  Clearly, Louboutins are a staple of dream life fashion.

I'm sorry - is this not the most badass outfit you've ever seen? If I could look like this every time I go out on a Saturday, I would be happy.

This is the perfect artsy meets professional outfit for a day at work. Except in reality those heels plus me plus 8 AM would not equal fun times. 

Perfect for lazy, hungover Sundays when I don't want to hear, see or otherwise acknowledge the existence of other humans standing in the way between me and my brunch.

In other news, I totally see why preteens like Polyvore so much. That shit is FUN, man. Why didn't they have that when we were kids. Oh, right, we were too busy playing with Palace Dolls (remember that???) Now if only these outfits could come alive and populate mah closet. Hmm.