Thursday, April 29, 2010

i fake it so real.

During our school spirit week, most of the students (with only a few notable exceptions) tend to interpret Decade Day either one of two ways: neon, high ponytails and legwarmers, or halfhearted tie-dye Haneses and American Apparel headbands pushed a few inches farther down the forehead then normal. I took this as a sign: our community needed something more interesting then pale imitations of bygone eras. It needed something different. Something apart from the shiny, pink-cheeked cuteness of wearing purple leggings instead of black and labeling it "eighties". It needed grunge.

Okay, hear me out:






Flannel? Check. Tiny hair bow? Check. Ripped tights and red lipstick? Check. Infantile bangs, weird sunglasses, and strangely inappropriate snap-up dress that threatens to come undone at any second? Check. Surly-but-sensitive musician boyfriend? Living in Seattle? Check and check.

The only thing left to do when I got home was to put on my favorite Hole record and pretend it was 1993...

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

dressed like a domino

I wore a lot of pins today.
From top: Random button (from my vintage Gunter Project2 coat), ProductRed pin (Gap), frog and butterfly broaches (vintage Tiffany's), gold piano pin (vintage from my Grandmother), and my great-grandfather's Canadian medal of honor from WW1.
My favorite part of this pin is the back side:



My grandmother got these Tiffany pins in the 1950's on a trip to New York. They were the only pieces in the entire store she and my grandfather could afford, which makes it all the more meaningful that she chose to pass them on to me.

Monday, April 26, 2010

little boots

So...I need a pair of these Penelope and Coco boots right now. They are perfect. I do not know a single person who wouldn't like them.


I particularly love the grey ones...amazing. The only problem is that little number in the bottom left-hand corner.
I love this brand's philosophy, too: "We value the idea of mastering our skill in one style. Each season we plan to deliver our idea of perfection within the style we choose". To me, this means craftsmanship and longevity, which almost justify the price.
So far, I'm pretty certain they're reaching their goal.

Sunday, April 25, 2010

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

birkenstock time

In honor of earth week, I present to you some food for thought.
1. Eco-friendly clothes aren't ugly anymore. Case in point:

Designer and film director Max Osterweis started this brand, Suno, after violent rallies opposing the reelected President Mwai Kibaki of Kenya killed over 275 people. His goal is to facilitate economic growth that inspires hope for the future - each piece is made by Kenyan artisans in fair-trade workshops.

This shoe, by the vegan brand Olsenhaus, is made out of recycled industrial waste from television screens, composite rubber (including old tires), and sustainably-farmed cork:
2. If you're looking for more good ways to reduce your impact on the planet, try becoming vegetarian or vegan. Not only are vegetarianism and veganism beneficial in regards to their ethical implications, but practicing them also actively works to protect the environment and maintain the human body:

-A 2006 report by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization found that livestock production accounts for 18% of the world’s greenhouse-gas emissions – more than all forms of transportation combined.

-60% of the deforestation in the Amazon River basin between 2000 and 2005 can be attributed to cattle ranching; much of the remainder was cleared to raise corn and soy for feed.

-Cows burp methane. Each day, a single cow can burp as much as 130 gallons of methane, a greenhouse gas that traps more than 20 times more heat per ton that carbon dioxide.

-According to the EPA, agriculture in the US – much of which now serves the demand for meat – contributes to nearly ¾ of all water-quality problems in the nation’s rivers and streams.

-A single kilogram (2.2 lbs) of beef is responsible for the equivalent release of 80 lbs of CO2 and the use of 5,500 gallons of water.

-The average American eats 318 pounds of meat every year (beef = 97 lbs, pork = 68 lbs, poultry = 106 lbs, fish = 45 lbs., other = 2 lbs.) For every 1 kg (2.2 lbs) of high-quality animal protein produced, livestock are fed about 6 kg (13.2 lbs) of plant protein.

-Americans eat about 110 grams of protein a day, which is roughly twice the federal government’s recommended allowance (56 grams). 75 of thos grams come from animal protein. Many nutritionists believe that even the recommended level itself is too steep; 30 grams/day of plant-derived proteins would suffice.

-There are approximately 800 million people in the world suffering from hunger and/or malnutrition, but 1/3 of the corn and soy grown in the world feeds cows, pigs and chickens.

-The amount of grain fed to US livestock alone is enough to feed about 840 million people who follow a plant-based diet (more than the entire starving population of the world).

Go vegetarian, if only for this week; by foregoing meat, a single person can conserve over 242,500 gallons of water and prevent more than 3,530 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions from being released into the atmosphere. All while wearing adorable clothes and shoes. It's a win/win, really.

(Thanks to Tessa Nesbit for the list of facts and her ongoing commitment to the vegan movement!)

Sunday, April 18, 2010

jingle jangle

Today I finally broke down and got a Polyvore account. I don't know why I've resisted it so hard for so long...perhaps I knew subconsciously that I would use it to procrastinate. Because I've been doing exactly that basically all day. I absolutely love it though, and it's a great tool to practice imaginative styling with. The first two outfits I made are pretty basic, but that's the beauty of them; all I feel like wearing right now are simple, wispy, lightweight pieces that encourage romping in the sunshine and lots of leisurely strolling out of doors.

First:

I don't like fingernail polish, so this color is for my toes.

And second:


Someday I'll figure out how to make those pictures bigger...

Saturday, April 17, 2010

hello? i forgot my mantra.

I'm back! The trip was absolutely incredible of course, and I'm pretty certain that it irrevocably changed the trajectory of my life and work in the future. However, I don't think this blog is the best place to yammer about all the amazing experiences we had; that's another story for another time.

I must have stored up some good karma down there, though, because nearly as soon as I got home I found an amazing designer to fall in love with! (I am painfully aware about how shallow that sounds, especially after going on a 2-week-long service trip; I just think that this blog should stay focused on what I originally intended it for. If you would like to hear more about the trip, please leave a comment!)

But back to Rachel Comey. She makes pretty, quirky separates and chunky, sort of masculine shoes that remind me of a mix between Annie Hall, Zooey Deschanel's wardrobe in 500 Days of Summer, Prada-circa-the-early-2000's, and the 1970's. Which is to say, the best.mix.ever.
These are the kind of easy, happy clothes I can see myself in on a day-to-day basis. They're not the most fanciful or overwrought pieces of design on the market - they're just simple, whimsical things that are easy to live in.

For instance, this is actually a skort:
Practical, no? I love shorter lengths, but I'm forever having to tug them down in one spot or another to preserve my virtuous reputation. This would make me fearless!

These are just super flattering, like inverse dolphin shorts. But much more beautiful:
Anyone who knows me knows that I collect/adore vintage grandpa sweaters. This would fit right in with my growing menagerie:
The print on this blouse is a little, winking, long-lashed eye. Can't you just see it with some tight black skinny jeans and black Miu Miu Banana flats? It's the simplicity of leggings-and-a-sweatshirt without all the connotations that are attached to leggings-and-a-sweatshirt.
And the shoes! Rachel totally called the clog thing. They're just manly enough to make them the perfect anchor for all the fluttery little spring dresses I can't get out of my head lately. I might have to dust off my debit card for the first pair...

Thursday, April 1, 2010

leaving on a jet plane


I'll be taking a brief hiatus from posting here...at 1:50 am on Saturday morning I'll be boarding a flight to a land where rice patties thrive, ancient temples abound, malaria is prevalent, and the humidity never dips below 80%. I couldn't be more excited. Who knows how my outlook on life will be changed? Cambodia, here we come!