19. Riffs
April 9th, 2008 § 1 Comment
It’s true that I am into clothes, and I do love to shop – but when it comes down to hard facts, the closet I face every morning might surprise you. I have two pairs of pants that I wear in rotation (a pair of jeans and a pair of wool gauchos with sailor buttons). Not more than maybe ten skirts. Less than fifteen tops. And fifteen or twenty dresses, not all of which are appropriate for daywear (not that I would care, and I have worn cocktail dresses to the supermarket, but I work in an office and there is a limit to how audacious I can get).
So what this means is that lately I’ve just been playing riffs off of the same bare elements – I wouldn’t call it a style rut so much as a style comfort zone, with adjustments based on mood or weather. As my camera is currently out of commission, let me explain to you in words what the current building blocks are.
- Sally Jane Vintage first brought these We Who See booties to my attention. Made of awesomely comfortable man-made “leather,” these ankle boots are currently being sold at http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/ for $30, or less than 1/3 their original price. Their chunky three-inch heel makes them a cinch to walk in – and that’s saying a lot for clumsy me – while offering height. I wear them with hidden ankle socks and bare legs.
- Pin curls. I’ve been keeping my hair in pin curls for awhile now, and I think I’ll keep doing it till I’m sick of them, which may not be for some time. The last time I found a hair niche was when I did my messy, crazy updos, which my mathematician friend Aaron called phenomena of space. Or something like that. When I don’t expose my head of curls to the world, I keep them tucked in a purple slouchy beret with a single curl coming out the front.
- My mom passed on to me two leotard-like black tops that she purchased in Japan. They’re meant for layering; they reach the pubic bone and cinch the abdomen, and I wear them backwards so that there’s a scooped back. They were perfect for wearing under things in still-cold Michigan while I was there, and they’re great for wearing alone and tucked into skirts for waking-up-springtime California while I’m here. I wish I had ten of them.
Other basics that have nothing to do with clothes:
- Aveda jasmine oil. Worn as a base for perfume, I slather this stuff on post-moisturizer and after a shower.
- Tarte Flush cheek stain. This is the best blush I’ve ever used; it looks perfectly natural.
- Neutrogena SPF 30 Fine Fairness face moisturizer. I can’t find it in the States, but I always have my relatives bring it back to me from Taiwan. As un-greasy as moisturizer gets.
- Lipstick Queen Saint Red – a sheer, lovely color that can be as red or as delicate as I like. This is the only lipstick I use.
What are you riffing off of these days?
18. Michigan, Home
April 3rd, 2008 § 1 Comment
Dear Internet: It’s been a long time coming, and for that, I’m sorry. I’ve been in Ann Arbor, Michigan, checking out my future digs. In that time, I’ve been wined and dined. I’ve been yapping about myself, asking strangers-who-will-hopefully-be-my-friends about their interests, rummaging through the biggest rummage sale in Ann Arbor (it’s all about the Kiwanis and their $1 sweater sale) and drinking cold-brewed coffee. In short, I’ve barely had time to obsess over my favorite eBay sellers; I’m already wondering how I’m going to shop on my graduate student budget, even with a friendly stipend in my pocket.
Perhaps the most immediately exciting thing (and yes, of course I’m excited about spending the next two or three years being paid to write fiction) is the apartment I signed for. It’s a one-bedroom beauty with hardwood floors, big windows, built-in shelving, a balcony, gas stove, heat and water included, etc. The saddest part is that Chris won’t be coming with me. I try not to think too hard about that, or at least, not yet.
Since I’ve been doing all at once a ton and not much at all, I’ll leave you with some tantalizing links:
- New acquaintance A. and I were sitting in an attic when the topic of the New York Times’s amazing ability to write anachronistic cultural pieces arose. Hey, did you know that people are becoming librarians these days? The NYTimes says so! Did you know that people are also, well, knitting? I heard it in the Times! Still interesting, but no less behind-the-times, is this review of Daisy: http://themoment.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/04/03/scent-notes-daisy-by-marc-jacobs/
- This has less to do with fashion and more to do with culture/photography/food, but I’ve loved this website for ages and would like to share it with you. As mentioned before, brunch is my favorite meal of the day. Here is Jon Huck’s portraiture of people alongside their choice of breakfast foods. Witness one woman’s tiny bowl of nuts. Then compare to a heartier meal, and salivate. http://jonhuck.com/breakfast/index.htm
- Take a look at http://www.cabinetsofcuriosities.com/. The Wear Me Out romper is the most solemn romper I have ever seen.
