Channelling your inner 50's housewife...

Yesterday, while wondering what to do with myself, I decided it was the perfect day to sew a skirt. I can never find skirts I like. Ever. So, I decided to pull out my mom's old sewing machine and look up a pattern on etsy.

I hadn't touched a sewing machine since last summer, when I inopportunely decided to make a dress on the eve of flying to Rome. So, there was some relearning to do (like, how to wind a bobbin). The most difficult part, however, was that the pattern wasn't really a pattern, but a template from which you draft a pattern yourself. So, I ended up spending a significant amount of time on the floor with newspaper. There were also no directions, so you had to channel your inner 50's housewife and magically know how all the pieces fit together, how to make a waistband, where to put the zipper, etc. 

The end result was definitely worth it (it sits at the natural waist and has pockets!). The technique for drafting the pattern allowed me to make it precisely to my measurements and it helped me learn a little bit about pattern drafting. (Next, I hope to make a pattern from well-loved clothes that need to be retired.)

 I also made matching Hardly Alice-inspired gloves with some random lace and ribbon I had in the closet. 

The Lady's Guide to Valentine's Day: What to Wear

Valentine's Day is coming around again. So, here's a quick guide of what to wear: 

1. Blush is the best and most subtle way to enhance a tired complexion. Buy it here. 

2. This lovely fifties brocade fit and flare dress is romantic, but still sweet. Buy it here and explore the rest of Miss Farfalla's lovely curated vintage shop.

3. This gorgeous victorian ring is the perfect accent to any ensemble. Buy it here.

4. A dramatic take on the LBD is the perfect alternative to wearing red. Buy it here.

If you have any other ideas, share them in the comments section! 

And, we're back... with Rachael!

School has resumed. And even though all break we were longing to be reunited with one another and to be restored to the salvific influence of a schedule, the lumbering monster of the semester is taking a while to launch into action.

It probably didn't help that Winter skipped town for the weekend, and we had a lovely two days of seventy-degree weather. That's when I saw Rachael on the Mall. She was the picture of summertime with her floral jumpsuit and round shades. I thought for a moment I was transported to the 1960's. 

The Ranch: Alexa

When my six year old cousin waltzed in wearing a Hello Kitty sweatshirt and purple skinny jeans, all my longings for my lost childhood returned.

No sane adult would dare to wear that HK sweatshirt and those rainbow knee-high converse. 

But, when you're six, you can rock it.

You also just get to play all day, with the big kids.

Cistercian Abbey

The picture of Texas Autumn: bare arms, bare legs, dead grass.

Oak Lawn Coffee: Jane Ziolkowski

Coffee shops are one of those bizarre places that bridge the gap between the public and private. Because they are often furnished in a more comfortable way than a restaurant or a library, we tend to treat them as if they were a home. Yet, they are a public space. Another curious aspect of the coffee shop is that often the don't-ask-don't-tell deadpan expression of city living is abandoned. For once, it's okay to strike up a conversation with a stranger. You can high-five the barista. No big deal. 

This, I think, contributes to their appeal. It's as if we're rediscovering the agora. 

Oak Lawn has an especially nice atmosphere. I've never met so many friendly and kind employees as I have there: they seem to be universally interested in other people (and not just the cute customers). And, the whole shop is flooded with natural light which gives it a peaceful and relaxed feel.

The space is for the people, not the people for the space. This idea, I think, should also be reflected in fashion. Our clothes should point to our person; they should outline more vividly who we are (while hiding what communal living demands be hid). That's why dressing yourself is so tricky; it's like conversation or writing. You want to portray who you are, but it would be imprudent to go about publicizing the interior of your soul to the whole world.

My friend, Jane, for instance, has a talent for understatement. She is confident in simplicity, a virtue so often overlooked (especially by me). Her dark and unassuming outfit acts a frame for her beauty, directing attention to her face and hair rather than drawing attention to itself. 

You're not so distracted by what she's wearing that you forget about the person beneath.

Carpenter Hall: Olivia Cole

When I see Olivia in this outfit, I imagine her smugly walking through the streets of an unknown city, coat pulled tight around her body, heedless of the scruffy-looking locals watching her with suspicion. 

But, instead of kicking down the door of a sketchy little joint on a side street and demanding justice, she sweetly steps into a tea shop off of Main and orders a cup of Earl Grey.

Ladylike, but in control.

Carpenter Hall: Dr. Grewal

We all know Dr. Grewal is one of the best-dressed faculty members at this school.

I love how she combines school-girlishness (the oxfords, knee-highs, floral buttons on her sweater) with subdued elegance.

She's just too cute. And she knows Greek.

The Capp Bar: Celia

I love the way Celia combined a mustard pencil skirt with a royal blue polka-dot blouse. This is possibly one of the prettiest color combinations of all time. 

The Capp Bar: Ariana

Ariana has really cool hair. 

I love that she just lets it be voluminous. Embrace the curl.

(And, yes, I do spend most of my time in the Capp Bar. I'm a senior liberal arts major--it's what we do.)

Joan Didion

I haven't read any of her work, so I'm not endorsing her as a writer (if you feel strongly about her as a writer, let me know!), but, damn! she's got a great vibe going on her. Thanks, iBond, for the picture. 

So cool.