December 2012 – My Kingdom for a Hat

look who thinks she’s so sophisticated

First of all: I don’t think I can, in good conscience, keep saying I have short hair.

It touches the back of my neck now, which is a hella strange feeling. It hasn’t, until now, been longer than my chin since last February.

I kind of like it, but I also liked the buoyancy of the shorter version. It was always out of my face, and it had so much bounce and personality that I hardly had to brush it. More than that, I liked the touch of ’20s androgyny it gave me. It seems I’ve transitioned out of that ’20s androgyny and into ’50s hyperfemininity. Nothing wrong with either – I just have to figure out which one I prefer. Anyone have suggestions?

That aside, I fulfilled one of my wishes this Christmas: BRIGHT RED PANTS.

I went full-on rockabilly today. I’m tending that way more and more.

She’s so sophisticated that she forgot to remove the broom from this shot.

Here’s how old this sweater is: the tag says “made in the British Crown Colony of Hong Kong”.

I like maintaining simplicity in the bulk of my outfit and getting fancy in the trimmings. Cool scarf, cool jewelry, cool boots. Solid colors in the middle.

I have been wearing these boots EVERYWHERE.

Sweater & Rings: Battery Street Jeans Pants: Gift Coat, Scarf, & Boots: Handed down

something is probably wrong with this picture

We’ve gotten a foot of snow in the past two days, so I’m going to be really hip and anachronistic (and, dare I say it, ironic) and post pictures of myself in a bikini.

Merry Christmas, all those out there with a soft spot for curvy redheads in vintage bikinis!

observe the fashionista in her natural habitat

Say what you will about bitter cold and hauling firewood at 2:30 in the morning – rural Vermont winters are, if nothing else, aesthetically magical. And my parents’ house is nothing if not the absolute best place to curl up and wait for Christmas.

I took photos on the front porch today, carefully shielding my laptop against the occasional gust of snow.

We got our Christmas tree three days ago and have yet to bring it in the house.

This sweater belongs to my friend Cassie, who left it behind when she came over recently. I swear I fully plan on returning it. It was just the perfect complement to today’s backdrop.

Every time I go home, my mom bestows hand-me-downs upon me. This time, it was these boots.

Frosted driveway. I love snow without wind: it all settles in the trees.

Porch roof, unlit Christmas lights, and a view of the evergreens across the street. My bedroom window is directly opposite them.

The gold nails were an experiment. I’m not sure how well it went. I do, however, love the blue, so there’s definitely hope for me introducing colors other than red into my wardrobe.

This pose brought to you courtesy of Nadia Aboulhosn.

These are going to be a staple. I can tell.

It’s not a hymn, but here’s my favorite song for today:

persephone tripled

I got back more shots from Saturday’s shoot. I did two main themes that day: “broken open” and “Persephone”. The latter was entirely improvised: Brent happened to have a pomegranate sitting on his counter, and the rest is (ancient, mythical) history.

I call these “Persephone defiant” and “Persephone obsequious”.

This one is delightfully anachronistic, what with the nose ring and the bright red lips and the golden nails. It points to how timeless mythology really is.

not your grandmother’s lolita

You are now picturing your grandmother in full Loli gear. You’re welcome.

Once upon a time, I had a tutu that I wore at least once a week. I bought it the summer before my senior year of high school, and I wore it until I went to college, when I decided that I didn’t trust it to stand up to the elements while I bopped around town running errands. That said, I’m more comfortable now in impractical clothes than I ever used to be (I’m wearing heels now, perish the thought), and I think it might be time to dig out the tutu again. If Gabi and Franceta can do it, so can I.

I’m not yet fully satisfied with this look, but I’m still test-blogging the rudimentary version. Any and all suggestions welcome. I’d ultimately like to emulate Franceta’s take. She makes a short tutu ethereal and elegant rather than gaudy. However, I knew I didn’t have the means to imitate her fully, so I filed her inspiration away and went with a more urbane version. I feel like an off-duty ballerina.

I’m home for Christmas break. It’s hard to take photos in my parents’ house. I have my apartment-bathroom selfies down to a science; it’s a little harder here. I did my best.

Gold necklace and gold nails. Silver bracelet and silver ring.

I adore these shoes. They go with everything.

Note the cat’s shadow in the background. She was rocketing off the washing machine just out of frame.

Tutu: Old Gold Jacket: Handed down from neighbor Shirt & Necklace: Urban Outfitters Shoes: Stella Mae Bracelet & Ring: Battery Street Jeans

anatomy and androgyny

I did a linkdump post before, back in July. That was a summary of influences on my current style; this one, I hope, will foreshadow things to come. Here are some looks I hope to attempt in 2013.

Here’s the thing: my body isn’t androgynous. Far from it. That’s half the fun, though: androgyny, to me, isn’t middle ground. It’s the extreme ends of masculinity and femininity, combined. A boyish outfit, snug on my curves, is something I really want to try. Source.

There will soon be more corsets in my life. I’m partial mostly to the red and black ones, but I included the green one because I like the way it combines a demure print and an overtly sexualized shape.That’s most of the reason why I like corsets in the first place: I wear them with relatively tame bottoms and enjoy teasing the eye. Source 1 and Source 2.

Speaking of fetish gear! I’d wear these with a cute ’50s shirtdress and let the contrast speak for itself.

I woke up one morning thinking of dressy shorts and high-necked blouses, and I haven’t been the same since. My ideal pair of dressy shorts would be structured cream-colored cotton, slim through the hips but voluminous in the thigh, with a button fly. If I can’t find them, I’ll just have to make them. I’d tuck my snakeskin blouse into them and wear a red belt. Too bad my hair isn’t long anymore – a topknot would look fantastic with this. Source 1 and Source 2.

I’m really not a nerdy girl in the traditional sense – I’ve never been much for fantasy, gaming, or hard science. (I prefer a good horror film or psychological thriller: my favorite movies are Amadeus, Black Swan, and American Psycho.) That said, I’m a perpetual sucker for clothing inspired by books and movies (told you I was costumey), and I absofuckinglutely love Ms. Frizzle. I might feel a bit fraudulent wearing that map-of-Middle-Earth dress, but I’d get comfortable quickly enough just from the sheer brilliant novelty of the thing. Source 1, Source 2, Source 3, Source 4, and Source 5.

If I’m certain of anything, it’s my love for well-structured vintage skirts and dresses. Especially in red. There’s nothing new to report here except that I hope to acquire more and design new ways to wear them. (The third shot looks like something I already own, honestly. I probably have most of the pieces. Maybe emulating and photographing it will be tomorrow’s project!) Source 1, Source 2, Source 3, Source 4, and Source 5.

I owned red skinny jeans once upon a time. They didn’t fit very well (or at all, frankly – they were bunchy in the crotch and too short in the leg), but I was 15 and they were red and I thought I was the hottest shit imaginable. (I was just starting to wear red lipstick then. I had some semblance of style, but nothing I’d want to emulate now.) I’d like to find another pair and do it right this time. Instead of snow boots and a snarky t-shirt (keep in mind that I was FIFTEEN), I’ll do heels and a proper blouse. Source.

Do I really need to explain? Source 1, Source 2, Source 3, Source 4, and Source 5.

I have wanted tights like these for years. YEARS. I first had the idea when I was 13, and my friends and family looked on in horror. Who’s laughing now? Source.

(My ideal design would include ligaments and tendons too. To the drawing board!)

broken open

This is my attempt at telling a story about madness. I really like how it turned out.

This dress is old. Really old. Proper vintage. It’s pretty much coming apart in the back. I liked the effect of the stiff, fraying material sliding down my chest. Something that was once grand and hasn’t quite realized it isn’t anymore. I think of this series as a sequel to the last one I did with Brent: the burlesque-dancer shoot. She’s since fallen from her heyday. The slightly dirty knives were a really cool complement.

This, right here, is what I love about modeling. The sheer raw theatre of it. Each shot is like a still from a play.

What I love about this one: how the full-body shot looks kind of pensive and artsy, but the cropped version looks absolutely anguished.

recap

I have a shoot tomorrow with Brent Gould. Brent is probably my favorite photographer to work with. Our aesthetics complement each other superbly.

To get into the modeling mood, I’ve been looking through my old shots, and I found a few I’d never posted before.

Copyright David Steinhardt 2012. This was a really cool shoot. I brought a book of Taylor Mali poems, and Vid (as Steinhardt prefers to be called) had me slam the same one, over and over at varying speeds, while he took candids.

I had strep throat that day. I crawled out of bed, shuffled to the shoot, and went back to bed for the next 48 hours.

I really, really love what I do.

I don’t usually post nudes here, because my blog is linked to my full name and my Facebook profile. However, I thought this one was sufficiently modest. Objectively, it’s a stunning piece of art.

afternoon delight

Quickie post today. I’m busy as all hell, because my finals are done and I’m getting ready to go home for Christmas. (You’ll be getting a lot of awesome posts over my Christmas break, because my mom lets me mine her closet whenever I go home. Hallelujah.) Today I’m cheating and posting an outfit composed almost entirely of pieces I’ve blogged before (which I usually do my best to avoid), but I wanted y’all to see what “casual” actually looks like for me. This is a typical “running around town” outfit.

Seriously, I wish these photos did justice to how bright this jacket is. It is absolutely fluorescent.

I do, in fact, own a basic black long-sleeved top. Who’d have thunk it?

My wardrobe was actually pretty lacking in basics for a long time. Every time I shopped, I beelined immediately to the kooky. Only about a year ago did I realize I was missing stuff like t-shirts and yoga pants and decent underwear. Now I occasionally kowtow to practicality and buy functional garments.

I bought these jeggings more or less as a novelty, but now I’m wearing them EVERYWHERE.

My mom handed down this purse to me a few weeks ago. It’s voluminous without being bulky, and has a convenient little pocket in the front for my cell phone and iPod. And it happens to blend beautifully with this outfit.

Jacket, Skinny Jeans, and Silver Ring: Battery Street Jeans Scarf, Boots, Purse, and Lapis Lazuli Ring: Handed down from Mom Hat: Handed down from cousin Black Shirt: Plato’s Closet

ode on a grecian gown

I bought this dress for $20 (marked down from $58!) at Old Gold back in September. I’ve been meaning to blog it every week since then, but I’ve only just gotten around to altering the hem. It was literally dragging on the floor, and I took it up and bubbled it. (My finals are over, and I have an obscene amount of dress-up time on my hands.)

I don’t think I’ll be wearing this out of the house for a good few months (this dress’s material is so smooth and silky that I wouldn’t trust it against the elements), but I thought it was such an awesome look that I had to blog it immediately.

Yet another piece I bought months ago and have never worn. This awesome little blazer came from the $1 rack at Battery Street Jeans. I should really keep better track of my clothes; I have some fantastic stuff.

I’m really happy with my photos lately. My modeling skills are in good working order. I’m looking forward to a few professional shoots over winter break.

Notice that my nails are blue! I’m trying to branch out from my usual color palette. Blue, orange, and white are pretty new to me, but I’d like to get more comfortable in them.

Remember the shoes I won?

You get another holiday song! One of my favorite carols sung by one of my favorite artists.

Jacket and Belt: Battery Street Jeans Dress: Old Gold Necklace and Bracelet: Urban Outfitters Shoes: Stella Mae