Closing-Up Shop

I started my blog nearly three years ago.  Having just graduated college and trying to find out who I was, I thought a blog would be my outlet.  And it has been great.  I have met super great people, had some not so great people butcher me with their anger, and generally had a really awesome time sharing my adventures in cyberspace.

However, for various reasons, I am closing this chapter of my life known as The Fake Hipster.  My tastes and personality have evolved, and with that, I feel as though my blog also needs to evolve.  So I've decided to start a new blog called Champagne and Chiffon.  Over the past few years I have found myself inspired by personal style blogs such as A Haute Mess, Cupcakes and Cashmere, and Sterling Style, and as an ode to my love for fashion, as well as my love of food, Champagne and Chiffon will be a homage to all things luxurious and inspiring.  

Thank you all for going on this journey with me.  Your support has meant the world to me and I hope you will continue to support my newest endaevor. 

Accessorie Must-Have: Jerome Dreyfuss Bone Bag

This morning, I was the office gopher, which took me wandering the streets of Soho as I picked up breakfast for our clients.  I never mind such a thing because the streets of Soho are quiet that time of the morning and because I actually get a chance to peruse all the beautiful window displays without being pushed along by hoards of people, which is a luxury that one rarely gets in this city.


Lately, I've been far too poor to even think about window shopping, for I know it will leave me longing for something I really don't need.  And boy was I right.  I walked by the Jerome Dreyfuss window only to see his new line of Bone bags.  Yes, they are highly impractical, but it would give me that little piece of Halloween that I love all year round.

Style Icon: Debbie Harry

I have been a long time lover of Debbie Harry.  It started when they used to advertise those Greatest Hits of (insert genre of music or time period here) on television to me when I was in junior high.  I was first introduced to the song "Heart of Glass," here, and my long time love affair with Blondie began then.  Later, it caused me to have my hair short and blond, and in college, my workout playlist was full of Blondie. 

But what I really love about Blondie is Debbie Harry's no-nonsense style.  Whether in just a t-shirt, or in a fabulously glam dress, Debbie Harry always looks amazing.  She utilizes geometric patterns and bright colors in a way I only wish I could, and I've always wanted her short, messy, platinum blond bob (but let's be honest, it would not look good with my skin tone).  And her smokey eye and glossy red lip combo is a long-time standard of rock and roll, and one I've never been quite able to perfect the way that she does  Even now, after this many years, she still looks amazing, and she still can rock. 

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smaggle.com

Hipster Must-Hear: Ngabo

As I previously mentioned, I attended the Silver Sound Music Video Film Festival and Band Battle at Brooklyn Bowl on Tuesday. And while I was there primarily to support At Sea, I also got the opportunity to check out some really awesome bands while I was there. And I fell in love.

Ngabo is an experimental rock singer out of Montreal, Canada. And while I can't understand a word he is saying in most of the songs, their performance alone is worth a trek to Quebec. The moment they hit the stage you automatically think "I'm probably going to hate this," due to the matching blue velvet blazers,* and aviator sunglasses, but within one or two songs you feel yourself giving in and thoroughly enjoying every minute of it. Their energy is insane, their beats are super danceable, and if you decide to approach them after the show, they are incredibly down to earth and gracious. It's just too bad that all us hipsters are far too cool to dance to their music in public.

For more information check out:

http://www.ngabo.com/

And for those of us non-French speakers:

http://www.myspace.com/ngabomusique

*Ngabo is backed up by a bass player, but I unfortunately could not find his name.

At Sea "Low Light" Video

This past Tuesday, I attended the Silver Sound Music Video Film Festival, at Brooklyn Bowl. While I was excited to see a ton of great bands and see some awesome local videos, I was really only there for one reason. To support my favourite local band, At Sea. They were premiering their latest video, Low Light, directed by Kevin F. Tully.

I love the concept of the video, and the art direction is amazing. Not to mention, the lead singer looks like Crispin Glover circa Back to the Future. So here it is, At Sea's Low Light.


"Low Light" from At Sea on Vimeo.

Homemade English Muffins

English muffins have been a regular part of my eating habits since I was in university.  Usually they are served up with two egg yolks on them, but with my love of carbohydrates, you never know when I might pop one of those savory doughy muffins slathered in butter in my mouth.  Then I saw this, and thought, what a wonderful idea.  I could make my own. 

I decided to go with this recipe by Alton Brown, it supposedly makes the best English muffins around, just full of nooks and crannies.  I had to modify it a bit, I don't exactly have a griddle, but I made it work.  The recipe was super simple, and I can't wait to use them for eggs benedict!

Style Inspiration: Gilda

With Mad Men being over until next year, I have been spending a lot more time watching classic films trying to get my vintage clothing fix.  And with it being so rainy and cloudy outside, Gilda was the perfect film for my case of the Mondays.  Starring the impeccable Rita Hayworth as our title character, Gilda is all about the manipulation, and glamor that epitomizes film noir.   

Her costumes are full of glamorous pieces from the 1940s.  Sequined boleros, floor length slinky gowns, heavy fur coats, and layers of costume jewelry.  And nothing would be complete without Hayworth's signature red locks, and flawless makeup.  After all, they don't call them sex symbols for nothing!

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Hipster Hideaway: New Paltz, NY

This weekend I got quite the treat.  My boyfriend booked a spontaneous overnight to a B&B in New Paltz, NY.  Always needing a break from the city life, I was super excited for a quick getaway.

Located two hours outside of NYC, New Paltz is a great little college town surrounded by tons of great nature.  Unfortunately, we didn't get an opportunity to go hiking (just not enough hours in the day), but we did get to spend time in this quaint town soaking up all that we could.  We had a great time seeing beautiful fall foliage, tasting NY wines, eating awesome local foods, doing some shopping, and exploring Huguenot Street.

Highland Manor B&B- Amazing grounds, great food, and super hospitable!

We couldn't help but stop for these homemade pretzel rolls and mustard.  We ended up picking up a jar of the cranberry mustard, I can't wait to use it on everything! 

The BF and I on historic Huguenot Street. Love those fall colours!

I totally fell in love with upstate New York and I can't wait to get back!

Hipster Must-See: Monsters

I love horror movies, but lately, I've been really feeling Sci-Fi movies.  I've always had a thing for ridiculous monsters, and with recent releases such as Cloverfield, and The Mist, I'm glad to see a resurgence for big bugs and monsters.  So when I saw a previous for the low-budget, independent film, Monsters, I couldn't wait to check it out in theaters.

Written and directed by Gareth Edwards, this sci-fi vehicle was supposedly shot on an ultra-low budget.  Gareth also did the cinematography and visual effects, which was one of the many ways he saved money, I'm sure.  The most surprising thing about this movie is that although it was made for next to nothing, it looks like it cost millions to make.

The premise is that a probe carrying alien life forms has crashed in New Mexico and six years afterwards, we have adapted to having an infected zone that takes up most of Mexico.  After an attack in Costa Rica, a journalist must get his publisher's daughter through the infected zone and home safely.

It is a film that sounds as though it is bound to be crazy and action packed, but in truth, it was more about the relationship of these two people.  Not at all what I expected, but to be honest, I kind of loved it.  The visual effects weren't great, but the world that Gareth Edwards created was completely believable, which could be due to the fact that he used real people as his extras and often shot on location to save money.

As a supporter of independent film, and anything remotely weird, scary, etc., Monsters is a definite must-see.

Check out more info here:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1470827/

And here's the trailer:

http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi1938032921/

Fall Fashion Wishlist

I haven't been seriously shopping in years.  The last pair of jeans I bought were purchased in my second year of university, and aside from the t-shirts I recently bought at Urban Outfitters, all the other ones are starting to come apart.  Part of the problem is that I just can't force myself to enjoy shopping outside of chic boutiques and vintage stores, and the other part of the problem is that, as a freelancer (it feels pretty cool to say that) money isn't always coming in regularly, so I'm not one to go spend a bunch on clothing.  I'm craving loads of rich, saturated colours like mustard, royal purple, and magenta.  And I yearn for luscious fabrics like velvet, lace, and tweed.  So, here are a few of my fall must-haves:

1. Anthropologie Dancing Blooms Cardi $128
2. ModCloth Charming Correspondence Skirt $63
3. Banana Republic Silk Belted Ruffle Shell $79.50
4. Chloe Kerala Slouch Tote via Bluefly.com $980
5. John Fluevog Dig Boots $379
6. Angelina Burgundy Opaque Tights via Amazon.com $9

Fall Reading List

Photo Courtesy of ArtsJournal.com

I love absolutely nothing more than sitting in the cool fall sun with a nice cup of coffee and a good book.  I yearn for days off so I can make that happen, and now that it is officially November, it's time to say goodbye to the indian summer we've had in New York and say hello to fall.  Here are a few of the books I'd like to read this fall:

• Savage Beauty: The Life of Edna St. Vincent Millay by Nancy Milford- As I've mentioned in previous posts, this book has me feeling super nostalgic for New York in the early 20th century, and it's been an excellent introduction to poetry.
• Loving Frank by Nancy Horan- I've been dying to read this book for ages, and coming from the home of an architect, it's no wonder why. 
• Tropic of Cancer by Henry Miller- This is November's book for one of the book clubs I keep y eye on through meetup.com, and it's on every Random House list I've looked at.  A definite must read.
• Let's Bring Back: An Encyclopedia of Forgotten-Yet-Delightful, Chic, Useful, Curious and Otherwise Commendable Things From Time Gone By by Lesley M.M. Blume- I wouldn't be so interested in picking up a newly released book (too much hype involved), but this one is worth an exception.

I only have four more books to go before I reach my goal for the year.  Hopefully I can get a few of these books finished before I head to New Orleans for Christmas!

Style Icon: Juliette Lewis

I have loved Juliette Lewis for years.  I think my first introduction to her was in From Dusk Til Dawn, and with Natural Born Killers being one of my favourite movies, she has stayed on my radar for years.  But it wasn't until a few years ago, when Juliette transitioned into music that I really started taking notice of her style.  She has often been my hair icon, with her messy waves, big bangs, and grown out brunette colour.  I remember spending hours watching her videos on YouTube, and being totally enamored of her Indian headdresses, leather pants, bodysuits, sequins, and glam rock makeup.  I was completely inspired, and to this day, whenever I have an excuse to get dressed up, I want to throw one or all of these elements into a crazy outfit.  

  

Feeling Victorian

I've always had a soft spot for the Victorian Era.  I used to be obsessed with the clothing, lifestyles, even cooking utensils of the early 20th century, and lately, that nostalgia has been at peak levels.  Maybe it has something to do with my current reading, but I've been daydreaming about early 20th century New York and ways to stay warm in the winter without central heating.  I long for adorning myself in fur capes and muffs, large decorative hats, delicate silk and chiffon frocks, and boots that take an hour to lace.  And I don't think I'm the only one, I've been lusting after Victorian inspired dresses from Anthropologie, and as always, John Fluevog never disappoints!  I will be swooning over all these choices as a scour eBay for early 20th century inspired clothes I can actually afford!

1. John Fluevog Lourdes Boot $415
2. John Fluevog Guilia in velvet $289
3. John Fluevog Lanciano $249
4. Anthropologie Spectre Dreams Dress $248
5. Anthropologie Time Gone By Dress $128
6. Anthropologie Laced With Grace Dress $168