Heads Up, Sevens Up

During a lovely visit from the 'rents for Homecoming weekend, I had the opportunity to peruse the fabulous (and I use that term lightly) Oaks Mall of Gainesville. I've acquired several new additions to my collegiate wardrobe since then, and wished to share with you my musings on the subject.

What's your favorite decade? I always appreciated the forties, with the ultra-feminine cuts, hourglass figures (shout-out to grandma!) and classic, lady-like looks that came to define an era. Which is why it surprises me that more and more I've been leaning towards a rare and sudden partiality to the seventies.

What?! I know! With the muddy greens, browns, and yellows, I never thought I could fall for such a time! That Seventies Show was the limit. But, I must say, passing the chunky color-blocked wedges in Macy's began to melt this frozen-in-the-forties heart of mine.


I pushed through those gleaming double doors of Forever 21, and renewed, began to tear apart shelves with a fever similar to that induced by Black Friday.



Here's my finds:


One red suede short skirt.

 
One floral dress with belt


Bandolino Equestrian boots!

The boots ain't so seventies but hey, what wardrobe's complete without some eclectic touches?!

alternativeoutfitters.com, forever21.com

Throwback

Turns out college coursework takes up a heck of a lot more time than I had really planned  to set aside for it, readers. So I do apologize for the lateness and spontaneity of posting. But get pumped because I'm in a throwback mood: Let me explain.

Whilst I set up camp in Library West with nothing to occupy my time but textbooks laden with vocabulary for French illnesses and the inner-workings of impoverished slums of (nineteenth century) New York City, my parents were glamorously jet-setting up the Northeastern coast of the continental U.S. This was due, in part, to my sister's Parents' Weekend in Providence, RI. 

But, I suspect my mother's curiosity played a hand. She had never been to Newport and wished very much to see the home of heiress Doris Duke (of Duke University, naturally). While there, my parents claimed for their fashion-obsessed daughter two books and a pamphlet highlighting the 9,000 articles composing Doris Duke's notorious closet.

Holy smokes. This socialite defined fashion for the twentieth century.

From 1930 to 1990, Doris Duke blazed a trail for future fashionistas to come. Wanna see my three faves!?

1930s

Mariano Fortuny, Italy 1930



















1960s

Madame Grès, 1966

















1970s

  Givenchy, 1972





















It should be said that Doris Duke, and avid philanthropist, donated about 400 million dollars to charity- in addition to her contributions to the fashion industry, of course!

sanfranciscosentinel.com designcrisis.com, tqn.com

Falling for Spring

More additions to my Spring 2012 Favorites list? Yes! Joining Versace's amazing collection this week are the likes of  Carven and Roland Mouret. They're two separate, distinct Ready-to-Wear lines that I couldn't help but swoon over as I sipped my mocha coffee inside the Hub, furiously scrolling through more style.com fashion shows, instead of cramming for Oceanography.


But who can focus on transform boundaries when Guillaume Henry is painting a real-life fairytale before your very eyes? Carven kept with its reputation for legginess, but added a touch of cheek with cutouts in the blouses and removable collars.



Roland Mouret was one of several ultra-feminine shows this season, but one of the few that stood out. By incorporating a modern twist to the classic bra top (a recurring element in this collection's garments), Mouret ensured his women wouldn't look too soft.



images from style.com

Valentino Spring 2012 Ready-to-Wear

As I spent my Sunday afternoon (routinely) scanning through Style.com's plethora of fashion shows documenting the Spring 2012 Ready-to-Wear Season, I stumbled upon the Valentino collection. And holy Mexican Gothic-inspired Independent Woman. What a show.

"It made me excited to be a woman." Front row-er Jessica Biel exclaimed. "[The clothes] are about confidence. Just put it on and kill it."

Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Picciol's Spring 2012 Collection for Valentino was designed for a woman "who makes her own revolution in her mind," described Picciol, who hoped to channel a "space of the mind where you can find yourself," conveying Mexican influences through the feminine garments.

"You see the collection but in some way you can touch the collection," Chiuri elaborated, "We think that when you see a show, it is important that you use all your senses."

"You can smell this color; it is so exciting, this pink color," Chiuri said of the dress at right.

Nicole Phelps of Style.com said, "Too ladylike, too precious, too little-girlish, too vulgar. Any of those outcomes could've befallen a show as laden with lace and flowers and embroideries... but they didn't. Not for a second."

Though all the frocks were beautiful and lovely as only Valentino can be, my absolute favorites are posted below. The dress at right is a little too haute-couture for me, but hey! What's true fashion without a little risk?














images from style.com

Flitting into Fall

As my mildly agreeable Florida temperature dips a tad lower each week, I can't help but wish I was up North where those lucky kids are experiencing the first signs of seasonal change. We Floridians wouldn't know a thing about that!

But a girl can dream. And more specifically, dream of New York City and Central Park's changing leaves.

So I've constructed a little post in honor of Fall in the City, something I wish I was in the middle of experiencing right now.

But I do love my Palm Trees, and I don't think Central Park's got any  of those.







If only I lived in a world where Taxi gloves were of use to me!



images from centralpark.com, fabsugar, whatshaute, collegeprepster, juicy.mashkulture.net, handbagdujour

In the Spirit of Cyclists

Strolling the sidewalks of UF's lovely campus is wonderful, except when you're nearly struck down by bicyclists.

Although if those crazy kids were pedaling atop these stylish beauties, I probably wouldn't be as irritated. Probably.

Missoni

Lilly Pulitzer

 sweetgabrown.blogspot

Campus Cool

September is here and it's back to the daily grind, be that your hectic class schedule or a grueling 9 to 5. Incorporate a little fun into your day with two well-loved (but revamped) back-to-school classics: modern-styled mary janes and pleats.

Mary Janes. Perhaps you didn't know that Mary Jane started out as a comic strip character from Buster Brown in the early 1900s. The creator, Richard Outcault, sold the rights to the Brown Shoe Company in 1904, who then hired actors dressed as the comic strip characters (and wearing their shoes) to tour the country. The style of shoe worn by Mary Jane was forevermore a part of  history.

                               

Make history yourself with some modern takes on the shoe.

L'Autre Chose. Boyds, $439.                                                                                                     Anyi Lu. Bloomingdales, $425.
                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Miss Albright. Anthropologie, $168.                                                                            Stuart Weitzman. Neiman Marcus, $345.



Pleats. Keeping that schoolgirl aesthetic chic since before we were born. And oh so many variations! My favorite's the sunray/sunburst pleat, easily identified by a smaller cut that gets wider towards the bottom.



Dion Lee pleated skirt 2011

If this style's too formal for your everyday ensembles, check out the more casual variations below.

                                 
Pleated Halter Swing Dress. ASOS, $76.84.                                                                    Broomstick crinkled chiffon skirt. Adam, $300.


Fabulous!

images from sparehed.com, realsimple.com, fashionising.com, secondcitystyle.com, net-a-porter.com