hippie for bunnychristmas

Christmas was pretty slim pickings this year (though lovely all the same), so I'm not overburdened with things to show. I had a bit of luck with antique shopping when I was up north visiting my family, before Washington kindly ushered me out with a little sleet storm. LA welcomed me back with wind strong enough to knock the power out for a minute last night, which was unsettling. It was cold today, but I wore this outfit without a jacket, because I'm a rebel that way.


Victorian top from an antique shop, nineties Anna Sui skirt, Doc Martens, antique scarf.







The top is kind of insane - you can see in the second picture that it's not really a proper top at all, as there are no real sides to it, just small bands at the waist. I've been on the lookout for a top like this, or rather just another Victorian or Edwardian top that would strike me like this one, and this definitely did. The fluttery sleeves are so pretty, and I like the mystery of exactly what the hell it is that's embroidered on the front - a flower? A bug?? It looks kind of like a bug!

After a week of jeans and sweaters in the great rainy north I had to go for a skirt, and this fluffy ruffly swishy floral party was the answer. On the way out of the grocery store an older lady complimented my boots and said, "You dress very unique," which is, when I put an effort into it, generally what I'm going for. So hey, success!

And finally, last week's rainbow seen from the Burbank airport, where many people, myself included, stopped to coo over how pretty it was:

the pink and the black?

I've been relentlessly hounding eBay lately, indulging my winter-born predilection for velvet as well as my obsession with 1920s-40s fashion, and naturally this quest and my inherent (excessive?) sense of drama led me to Capetown. One might even say I got lost there, as I've got another one coming, if FedEx ever stops dragging its ass and gets it to me (I don't want to assault your sensibilities, but imagine a lot of italicizing, bolding, and large font there to really properly express my feelings about this indignity).

Anyway, so I got this cape recently, and then found another thing, which combined with still another thing is going to result in the perfect outfit. I'm preparing you now, so when it finally arrives you'll be able to survive it. A friend demanded to see this cape straightaway though, so I gave in and rustled up another look so I could post. Now, there is something about capes that makes me want to take and then post many, many pictures. So I'm going to. Get stoked. (I know, too late! You're already as stoked as humanly possible!)

Credits first, so I can feel better about laying some inane captions on you guys: Alexander McQueen dress, 1930s silk velvet cape from eBay, vintage hat from an antique shop, Christian Louboutin heels. Alright, let's do this:


How do I pose to best show off this garment? Let me consider this, and indicate said consideration with an expression of disinterested ennui.


Let's show everyone the lining!!


More lining! All the lining!!


Time to check the weather. Is is still raining? Oh, it is? Cool. Great. Fantastic. >:(


Me @ this stupid weather.


Am I still wearing shoes? Yes? Whew.


Oh man, in the process of trying not to pose so you can actually see the structure of these insane shoulders, I just noticed there's a door there!!


Holy fuck, I love this door!


Rhinestone clasp, unbearably soft velvet, shiny lips, fuzzy hair, shocking pink, oh man, what more could you ask for from a photo?! Nothing! I know! It's all for you, faithful readers of my blog!

In other news of acquisition, I couldn't resist picking up ADR's fragrance:


Ridiculously delicate "bottle," hopefully less delicate perfume vial.

The literature that came with the package was all like "be careful! it's delicate! it'll break! you will choke to death on the glass shards of Anna Dello Russo's innate glamour!!!!" but I didn't really realize how delicate until I was attempting to open the bottle and actually smell the fragrance (buying perfume on faith and promises of biscotti - god, do I live on the edge) and in the process of doing so, managed to entirely extract the vial itself from the gold shoe. About three quarters of the way through this process, when I realized the sticky bits on the vial were glue, I realized that I probably wasn't supposed to take the vial out. It is, however, problematic that this party was put together so poorly that they couldn't even manage effective glue (not making stuff stick together: glue, you had one job, and you failed at it).

I kept going though, because I'd like to be able to maybe take this perfume with me sometime, and carrying it around in its natural home apparently constructed of spun sugar and fairy wishes seemed unwise. I got it open, anyway, and oh my god, it smells amazing! Happy ending to an otherwise troubling story!

It's very sweet, a true gourmand, which is my very favorite kind of scent, and in fact it reminds me strongly of my favorite libation, which I've raved about to more than one hapless friend: Pisa Italian Liqueur. Said liqueur is a combination of pistachio, hazelnut, and almond liqueurs, which all adds up to a taste kind of like marzipan wrapped around pure, sweet bliss. This fragrance reminds me very strongly of that, and thus I completely adore it.


This was the amount of packaging for a product that can fit in the palm of my hand. I appreciate the thought, Yoox, but I bought this for myself, so spoiler alert: I knew what it was.


BFF! They're practically cuddling; shameless, these two.

I may not post again before Christmas; if that's so, merry Christmas to those of you who celebrate it, happy Hanukkah to those of you who celebrate that, happy Chrismukkah to Seth Cohen, happy Kwanzaa to Kwanzaa celebrators, happy Solstice to my Pagan pals, and happy Festivus to the rest of you! (Celebrators of nothing, well, it'll all be over soon?)

there's a place downtown

Things I have been lately:

1. Cranky.
2. More obsessed than usual with the 1920s.
3. Trying to write an article on how to dress for a date on Valentine's Day, an enterprise that leaves me feeling mopey at best and nihilistic at worst.

This perfect storm of emotion led me to this outfit.








1920s dress, eBay. Gloves, Comme des Garcons.

Paired with Docs for a teenage Morticia Addams vibe. Practically everything I've bought lately has been black. I'm either entering a Gothic phase or I need to stop dressing in tune with my mood. Red and pink for Valentine's Day, anyone?

i can't seem to shake this feeling

It's been a stressful last month or so, but Christmas is coming soon, so that should be nice. The shorter days drive me nuts, but it's so nice and sunny and warm here that it's hard to get too bummed out (confession: I still get bummed out. I want ALL the sunshine). Somewhere along the way I picked up a truly knockout cold, and then overdid it on Saturday night, going out instead of staying in, so on top of losing my health and my mind, I've lost my voice. Cool (hoarsely whispered) story, me.

I've been really into this dress lately, I love ivy. All part of my plan to eventually grow pale and fade into the forest.


Dress, Flat Black by Pegleg NYC. Boots, Gap.


Ring, Erica Annenberg.



I love the cut of this dress - it's tighter at the waist, which lets the top blouse out a bit, and nicely accents the skirt's flare. Plus it looks cute under cardigans and with white tights, which I skipped today because it was in the seventies out. Love it.

In praise of the sweet sweet sunshine, here are two shots: the sunset from my bedroom window, and a (zoomed in) view of the Hollywood sign from the top of the steps leading to my apartment.





Hope you're all seeing something just as lovely. ♥

sunshine, cherries, arbor

As I sat at my desk this morning I could see through the window the blue sky and green vines crawling up the banister, studded with little fuchsia flowers. It was just the thing, so vivid. Everything looks good with the sky here, that particular shade of blue. I took a long walk in the park and then walked home toward the sunset, which turned the downtown high-rises marigold before pinking the sky and sinking altogether. This coming week will be warm, and I'd be delighted to see it stay that way for awhile. I have no ties to November. Velvet can wait.

Sunny days demand sunny girls with a sense of humor about things. I've been nursing an ongoing obsession with vintage hats, and when I stumbled on this one back in October (not three days after swooning over this ADR gem) I knew it had to be in my wardrobe. I've already worn it out once to a Hemingway-influenced bar in Hollywood. Cherries match every occasion. Fact.


Vintage dress and hat, YSL shoes.




Did I mention the glorious sunshine?





This is the best bit of my backyard. The slipdress is from the 1940s, I think. The sweetheart neckline is pretty intense, but the length is perfect. I was going to wear a little 1930s organdy dress over it, but the yellow was so cheery I just couldn't cover it up. Delirium is still delight.

flowers and good cheer

I know this dress is awfully spring-y, but what can you do on a warm, sunny Los Angeles November day when the whole world is all bright and shiny and awesome? These pictures were taken right before the cartoon hummingbirds wove me a crown of daisies and I burst into song. True story. (Also, this is my patio. I'm feeling pretty good about it.)


Vintage dress, wedges from Target.




Striped fabric in the pockets. Delightful.

Today I visited Glendale to hit Target and Whole Foods, then came home and made a pitcher of cantaloupe green tea and took a walk in the park. I can see this becoming a theme. Tomorrow I will hit up the Pasadena Antique Mall and hopefully find some furniture.

Another favorite theme: I'm paid to write about stuff. Here is the evidence of that (also available in glorious print if you're a Nevadan - go Harry Reid!). This month we had the shop page, a gift guide, and a fashion feature:

Open publication - Free publishing - More awards

Open publication - Free publishing - More awards

Open publication - Free publishing - More awards

Life remains pretty neat. I hope you all are well. ♥

always in this twilight

I've decided that I hate jeans and am just going to wear long skirts and dresses once it gets colder. This is the first of these. The pictures were last-minute. Perhaps you could do me the kindness of pretending that the ghoulishness was deliberate and not a result of poor lighting and poutiness? I know you will, because everyone who looks at this blog is lovely and kind and generous of spirit.


Vintage dress and jacket, Doc Martens.








Cross necklace from Urban Outfitters worn as bracelet, added after the fact.

Creepy day outside, grey skies and rain and lightning. I felt mostly discontent but a princess dress and trip to the bookstore helped. Also of assistance: vegan chocolate chip cake.

the red and the black and the white

Why tell when I can show?


Vintage dress, American Apparel headband, Proenza Schouler shoes.







You can probably guess the story: I saw them, I loved them, I coveted them, they were never put into production, Opening Ceremony put six pairs of the runway shoes up for sale (still two pairs left!), my favorites were in my size, I bought them, I paced around waiting for them to arrive, they did, celebration ensued, etc.

They're the highest heels I own and the most comfortable to walk in. The sort of hoof-like appearance translates weirdly to how they wear - the heel pitches you forward in an unusual way, so each step you take has to be a bit stompier than normal. There's something very natural about it, though, when I wear them I don't feel like I'm walking in heels, I just feel like I'm walking. This means I want to wear them everywhere, which I have been. They're even easy to drive in.

I've been wearing this particular outfit around a lot lately, I love the color combination and how the cut of the dress echoes the schoolgirl Oxford pattern of the shoes. It also looks sweet with some over-the-knee socks. I'm excited to wear these shoes for the rest of my life! Seriously. It's kind of awkward how much I love them.

spy vs. spy

Couldn't resist...



I don't think I've owned a pair of shoes in two different colors before, but this is a special case! I first saw these Vera Wang Lavender Label wedges in the black at Intermix, but they never had them in my size. Then I got a giftcard for Nordstrom, and they happened to have them there in the cream color, and I ended up loving them. Happened by chance to click on an old link for the black ones on Shopbop last week and found a few pairs in stock, super on sale and available only in my size...fate? Yeah, I think so. Of course as soon as they were delivered I couldn't stop thinking of them as the evil twin version of the cream-colored ones, thus today's double dose of outfitery. They're pretty comfortable, and I'm beyond stoked to wear them with jeans once it gets colder, I think that'll look sick.

Here's a closer look at both outfits!


Vintage lace dress over Pins and Needles romper, Vera Wang Lavender Label wedges.


Puella dress (possibly a nightgown, shh), Vera Wang Lavender Label wedges.

And if you want to read what I have to say about clothes that aren't my own, here's the latest issue of Desert Companion for your reading pleasure(?). Take my fall fashion advice! I promise it's pretty good.

Open publication - Free publishing - More art

brutally rebuffed!

I suppose I didn't pay much attention to this D&G romper when it came down the runway on Siri.


via style.com

But then something about this image stuck in my mind:


Edita Vilkeviciute by Camilla Akrans for Numero 116, September 2010

Over time I realized that I, too, really needed a sweater romper thing. What else would be so perfect for standing around in a forest of cherry blossom trees in the midst of an autumn sunset? I mean that describes my plans for fall like, perfectly.

But no, I thought. Eventually the cherry blossoms will fall, and then what? Then how will I wear it?


Anouck Lepere by Pablo Delfos for Elle Belgium, September 2010

Oh.

Well, that's perfect then. I sit around on the floor looking pensive way more often than I frolic amongst the cherry blossoms. Suddenly this is a look I realize I could take anywhere - whether lounging decadently around my apartment, or taking it out with a pair of boots and being perfectly, insouciantly daring in a way no one would question, or adding a full skirt over it and nodding cleverly to the fact of winter while acknowledging that my West Coast zip code means I'll barely feel a chill.

So now a grey sweater romper has become a thing I need to own.

My journey takes me to the D&G store at the Forum Shops, where I've passed many a soft hour trying on all the runway pieces and sashaying around like I'd ever have reason to purchase a corseted ballgown. It's August, so fall should be trickling into stores already. I get there, though, and there's nothing that looks remotely familiar from the FW10 runways. Upon questioning this I find that much of the fall collection came in three weeks ago and sold out nearly immediately, in Las Vegas, in August. Maybe the people behind the accelerated fashion calender have something there.

I explain my quest to the shopkeepers, describing the romper in question. Nothing comes up in the computer search, so they bring out the runway lookbook. I find it, but the page only says where to get the cardigan worn over it. More searching ensues. Now we're committed; we will find this romper.

Well, there is one. One. Available on consignment, from the showroom, for editorials and the like.

Because it was never produced for proper sale.