Fall Accessories Wishlist

It may not even be August yet, but I can't wait for the fall.  I have always been a much bigger fan of the fall than the summer.  It reminds me of new beginnings, school supplies, and a back-to-school wardrobe.  While I may not be able to afford a brand-new wardrobe, there are a few accessories I could probably splurge on here and there...

1. Anthropologie Dusky Roads Mary-Janes

2. Stella McCartney Boston Bag

3. Alex & Ani Tree of Life Bangles

4. Balenciaga Wallet

5. Frye Rogan Engineer Studded Boots

6. My Pet Octopus Necklace from Modcloth

7. La Mer Bali Stud Watch from Urban Outfitters

8. Kenneth Jay Lane chandelier earrings

9. Fur Felt Bullet Cloche from Hats in the Belfry

Can it be fall yet?

Style Inspiration: Jawbreaker

When I was 13, the video store I went to gave away free posters, and one day, the poster for Jawbreaker was in there.  Immediately drawn to the pop art colours, and enviable females (remember, this was during my easily impressionable stages of my looks), I picked up the poster, and Jawbreaker continues to be one of my favourite movies to this day.

Rose McGowan, Julie Benz, Rebecca Gayheart, and Judy Greer are all gorgeous.  The visuals are stunning, and the storyline about killing your popular best friend is purely Heathers.  But the part that continues to get me is the clothes.

Part 1960s sorority, part 1990s matchy-matchy, the clothes in Jawbreaker make me want to fill my closet with flower patterns, kitten heels, matching clutches, and cardigan sets.  And Rose McGowans technicolor lipstick/pale skin/liquid liner combo is already something I've become quite familiar with.

So here's my essential fashion ala Jawbreaker check-list:

1. Invest in a printed floral dress.
2. Buy some bright coloured scarves to tie around my neck ala Courtney Shane.
3. Invest in a matching clutch purse where I can keep all my make-up for my essential "pre-lunch touch-up."
4. Start building a collection of super-high heels and too tight cardigans.
5. Expose the manipulative popular girl for the evil murderess she is...

Oh, wait, that last one is from my "things to do before graduating high school" list.  My bad.  Though in all fairness I think that the style from Jawbreaker is something I could pull off for a super warm summer in New York.

Currently Idolizing: Julia "Juju" Sophie

How do you open for a band like Hole?  Well, for starters, get a band like power rock duo Little Fish fronted by singer/guitar player Julia "Juju" Sophie.  With a screechy voice and great guitar skills, Juju sounds like she grew up listening to Courtney Love, The Runaways, and Kittie.

Gearing up for their newest release, Baffled and Beat, next month, this London based band has the energy you want to see in an opening band.  The managed to rile up the crowd, fuck around with us a little, and get us psyched for Hole.  Juju had the aura of a rock goddess, and although the crowd wasn't too forgiving, she still had people dancing.

Not only that, but she's gorgeous, talented, and has killer arms.  I so wish I could be her...

Check out some of their music here:

http://www.myspace.com/littlefishmusic

Style Icon: Stevie Nicks

My roommate and I don't disagree on a lot of things., and we're lucky that way.  Unfortunately, the one big disagreement in our house is, of all things, Stevie Nicks.  My roommate, hates Stevie Nicks.  We are talking a vehement passion against this woman, a passion that she does not express towards anyone else she does not know.

I, on the other hand, love Stevie Nicks.  I once made my parents buy me Rumors on vinyl, and my dad's response was "really, Alex, I've had this album for 30 years and you want me to buy it for you"?  My love of Nicks has not stopped since.  To this day, laying in my dark room listening to Rumors is my favorite way to start my week.

Yes, I love her rough, sorta annoying voice.  I love the lyrics her and Buckingham wrote during their breakup, but most of all, I love her style.

Call it gypsy, witch, peasant, or victorian, whatever you call it, I want it.  I want to wear billowing layers of lace, skirts of velvet, and shirts adorned with ruffles.  And more than anything, I want to pair it with six inch suede boots that make me fear for my neck whenever I walk on cobblestones.

Granted, I'm not a musician or a quaalude queen, which makes pulling off this style a bit more difficult.  Maybe I need to drop out of life, find a profession in the arts, and invest in some ridiculosity.  After all, if there is any place I can pull off a Stevie Nicks look, New York City is the place to do it.

My First Big 2010 Purchase

As I've mentioned before, I don't really care for shopping.  I'd much rather spend my Saturday reading a book then fighting through throngs of people in Soho.  However, sometimes when the mood strikes, you just have to run with it.

Yesterday I deviated from the plan.  The original plan to make a list of purchases I actually needed, and avoid spending money frivolously.  A friend of mine, noticed me looking at the John Fluevog website on Friday and fell in love with some of the shoes.  Being quite familiar with Fluevog, I am always encouraging of biting the bullet and spending a few hundred dollars, and since he had the money to spend, I thought it would be a good idea to take him down to the store on Mulberry and Prince.

And then I walked in and had to see these:

The Mini Zaza's in purple and orange.*  I had known they were going to come out, and I had been trying to avoid the store for this very reason.  The minute I saw them, they were already mine.  Having owned four pairs of Fluevogs already, I am well aware that they are stylish, sturdy, and most importantly, comfortable.  I can walk up and down the streets of this city and back and have no problems.  A rarity for heels.  

Fluevog's aren't cheap, but if you want a shoe that gets looks, you can wear like crazy, an are investment pieces, then these are the shoes you want to go for.  You can order them online, here.  Or if you want to get the best possible Fluevog shopping experience possible, I suggest hitting up one of their stores.  The salespeople are beyond knowledgeable, super helpful, and not the pushy annoying staff that you get at other stores.  If you live in New York, ask for Anton, he's probably the best Fluevog salesperson out there.  The store here is located on Prince and Mulberry, and it's worth dodging the hoards of models and tourists in Soho to check it out.  Here's a couple more pictures for proof and nostalgia :)

My new favorite Fluevogs.  The purple and orange are just obnoxious enough for me to want to own.  If only they were purple and gold, they could be my Viking's shoes.  Are you listening John Fluevog?

* Thank you to two of my favorite people in the world, Anton and Paige for spoiling me on my birthday and allowing me to afford these.  

My Post-Apocalyptic Fantasy World

Ok, so I have a slight obsession with living in a post-apocalyptic world, and I don't think I'm the only one.  There are dozens of post-apocalyptic films, books, comic books, and video games in existence, and more being released all the time.  And while my obsession lends itself to many obsessions I have: writing scripts, learning to shoot guns, getting in better shape, learning to grow food, etc., there is one thing that my post-apocalyptic fantasy world has influenced the most, my wardrobe choices.

I secretly wish to dress as though I live in a post-apocalyptic world on a daily basis.  And with my obsession effecting my dreams on a bi-nightly basis, I've decided to write this post detailing everything you need to survive in a post-apocalyptic world:

1. Sturdy and comfortable footwear.  I'm not talking your everyday Nike Crosstrainers.  I'm talking Doc Martens that you can hike miles in, and still crush a zombies* skull with.  Or better yet, Frye boots.  Milla Jovovich wore them in Resident Evil, and I wear my all up and down the streets of Williamsburg.  My next purchase will be these ones, which are perfect for kicking down doors, walking over rubble, and scaling rocky cliffs.

2. Pair these boots with a pair of smart-wool socks, which means, make sure you try your apocalypse boots on with thick socks.  Also, you're going to want to have an extra pair.  There is nothing worse then wet socks while trying to outrun a zombie.

2. The second thing is probably a very sturdy pair of pants.  There is a reason jeans were created during the industrial revolution, they are reliable, durable, and movable.  A great alternative is a pair of Carhartt's, which unless you live in farmland you've probably never worn, but they are the go-to gear for ranchers, farmers, and cowboys.  And they are durable enough to resist a zombie bite.

3. The upper body secret for a apocalyptic dressing is layers.  I suggest cotton underneath, probably a light tank top or t-shirt.  Also, you want to go with dark colors, trust me on this, it's not like you'll have access to a washer/dryer, take a cue from Linda Hamilton in Terminator 2.

4. The second upper layer is key.  This is where you want to add a thin sweater for insulation.  But make sure it's not too oversized/long/flowy.  You don't want that to get caught on anything when you're in a pickle.

5. The outer layer.  I suggest leather.  Leather is durable, zombies will have more difficulty biting through it, and it basically looks super badass.

6. Post-apocalyptic accessories.  Sunglasses- polarized, good fitting, only use them during the day, we don't need no Corey Hart's post-apocalyse.  A sturdy leather belt- chances are, after the end of the world, you won't have a lot of access to food and you might need a belt when your pants start sagging.  A watch (just kidding, watch batteries will be too tough to find post-apocalypse, you're better off using the sun).

7. Functional post-apocalyptic accessories include packs, slings, and holsters.  However, that is a whole different subject that I will save for another edition.

Milla Jovovich in Resident Evil: Extinction.

She designed her own costume for this film, complete with sexy boots, knife holsters, and lots of earth tone layers, perfect for fighting off hoards of zombies in the Vegas desert. 

So there you have it.  Dressing for a zombie apocalypse in a few easy steps.  While you may have greater and cheaper access to all these supplies once the end of the world happens, I suggest building your collection now.  If nothing else, you look super bad ass and totally hipster pre-apocalypse.


*Disclaimer: The apocalypse I am referring to will most definitely be zombie/disease/looting and pillaging related.

How Mary-Kate: My New Knitted Armwarmers

Since my return to New York, I have been knitting like crazy. My first project was a pair of knitted arm warmers so that most of my hand could stay warm on my way to the train, but I could still use my iPhone (yes, I'm a bit that obsessive).

I had two screw-up armwarmers before I ended up perfecting it. The first, was too big for my hand (I was following a really standard pattern, with no gauge or anything, so I'm not too surprised), and the second armwarmer ended up unravelling due to my dropping a stitch on the last row. But alas, I have done it, two semi-matching armwarmers. Sure, one feels a bit loser then the other, but hey, underneath my mittens that will hardly matter.

My super cool new armwarmers, and my badass manicure which has chipped while I typed this

The yarn was given to me a while ago by my mom's friend Erica.  I've been trying to figure out what to do with it forever, and I think my armwarmers were a perfect project.  The yarn is made from strips of recycled sari's from India.  I used size 8 bamboo needles, and the combo of the yarn and needles made me feel like a total knitting hippie.  These make me feel a bit like Mary-Kate Olsen, a bit raw and ragged, super colorful, and somewhat imperfect.

A little bit blurry, but here's a close up of my knit job

My next project?  An ice cream pint cozy.  My current detox means that I've traded in the vice of alcohol for the vice of sweets, and there has been a lot more Ben & Jerry's in my freezer then usual.  Gotta get knitting that cozy to keep my fingers from freezing off...

Best Montana Find: Vintage Prada

One of my favorite parts about Montana is that I have the opportunity to buy designer vintage for much cheaper then I would find it for in the city. While it is rare that I am able to find anything designer (it's Montana after all) I can usually manage to find one or two really great items.

This trip, I was on a mission to find a more professional wardrobe. One of these days I won't be working at a restaurant and I may actually have to look semi-professional. I killed two birds with one stone when I found these vintage Prada loafers on sale for $30.

Vintage Prada Loafers, Blue Suede with Brown Leather Straps

A bit tight, but still comfortable.  These loafers make me think of Audrey Hepburn meets Molly Ringwald.  I fully plan on wearing them with leggings, skinny jeans, and dresses come spring.  Not bad for $30 bucks.

One more picture, for proof