Last week Tom and I headed to Union Transfer in Philadelphia to see Mazzy Star. I spent countless hours in my late teens and early twenties listening to Hope Sandoval's voice and tambourine. I never had the chance to see them live back then so I was really excited to finally experience some of my favorite songs in a live setting. While I am glad that we went, I have to say that the show overall was a bit of a letdown. After all these years, the band really had no stage presence and the performance seemed a bit half-hearted. I'd read that Hope tends to be really shy onstage and she lived up that, barely lifting her head and never addressing the crowd. I was hoping for more, but I am happy that I can checking seeing Mazzy Star live off of my list.
I can't remember exactly how I ran across Megan's blog, Another Day to Dress Up, but I can tell you that I've been seriously style stalking her ever since. I'm loving everything this California gals is doing from her penchant for wearing quirky hats (you know I love a good hat!) to her perfectly beat up oxford lace-ups. And did I mention what she can do with a pair of pants?! Oh, my!
I don't think I have to say too much about these photos of Charlotte Gainsbourg from Flaunt Magazine. Serious girl crush. There's also a great article in the magazine with Mlle. Gainsbourg so if you're a fan, be sure to check it out. Some girls just have it, no? Man, that Jane Birkin really knew what she was doin'! Also, please grow hair, grow!
The more I find out about Leith Clark, the bigger my girl crush grows. Cute, talented, enviable style... what more could a gal ask for? I love that she says her style is part Marianne Faithful, part kids from Mary Poppins. Perrrfect! The fact that she's the talent behind Lula Magazine cements the fact that I'll have to get my hands on a copy!
I really don't know that much about Anna Karina and her career. For some reason I always got her name mixed up with Anna Karenina. I know there's a vast sea of difference between the French actress and Tolstoy but that just goes to demonstrate my first point. I'm not sure when I first ran across a photo of her, which instantly prompted me to search for more photos, but I've been saving them in a little folder ever since with thoughts of doing a whole post about her when I got a chance.
Well, I still haven't learned that much about her (I suppose I should make my way over to her wiki page) but in recent days I've had hair on the mind. By that I mean that I'm coming to the end of my summer-hair-growin'-bonanza and I'm already itching to get it cut. Several of you have comment on my last couple of posts about just how long it's getting. It hasn't been this long in my entire adult life. Some day I'll have to dig out old photos from the days when my hair was pixie short (and platinum blond) or worse, the high school era Wilson Phillips inspired do. Yikes!
When I really started to look for photos to take to a hairdresser I was coming up short until I ran across my Anna Karina folder. I had a total eureka moment. This is the hair I want! I realize it's not too much of a diversion from my current style, but I could certainly stand to lose a few inches here and there. Mostly I want to learn to do that 60s style poof in the back. I'm sure it probably involves some hairspray and teasing but I've never really had much skill in the hair-fixin' department. I think I need to consult with Hannah and find out all of her secrets.
In high school I had to write a paper about a famous Alabamian for our "Alabama History" class. Most people chose Jesse Owens or Helen Keller or (for some strange reason) Nell Carter. I chose Tallulah Bankhead. At the time I really didn't know much about her, but the name was so unusual I knew she couldn't be boring. And boy, was I right about that.
Marlene Dietrich called her "the most immoral woman who ever lived." She was known for smoking a hundred cigarettes a day (despite a life-long battle with chronic bronchitis), drinking bourbon and whiskey like water (her last words were bourbon...codeine), having affairs with men and women (the likes of Gary Cooper, Marlene Dietrich and Greta Garbo) and taking off her clothes at the drop of a hat. In an age when starlets' reputations were crafted by studios I think she must have been a bit too much for Hollywood to handle as she had much more success on London and New York stages than she did in the movies.
There are things that came from her mouth that I'm too embarrassed to even print here! Here's a little taste of some of the tamer things she was known to have said:
“It's the good girls who keep the diaries; the bad girls never have time.”
“Nobody can be exactly me. Sometimes even I have trouble doing it.”
“My father warned me about men and booze but he never said anything about women and cocaine.”
“Cocaine habit-forming? Of course not. I ought to know. I've been using it for years.”
“I read Shakespeare and the Bible, and I can shoot dice. That's what I call a liberal education.”
“The only thing I regret about my past is the length of it. If I had to live my life again I'd make all the same mistakes - only sooner.”
OK, fine. Here are a couple that I probably shouldn't repeat:
"I was raped in our driveway when I was eleven. You know darling, it was a terrible experience because we had all that gravel."
"Don't think this has taught me a lesson!" Upon having an emergency hysterectomy for severe gonorrhea (she claims she received from Gary Cooper).
"How do you get laid in this dreadful place?" Referring to her short stay in Hollywood.
And that's just the tip of the iceberg. They get worse! She was quite a handful. Just Google her and Chico Marx to see what I mean.
Here's a little bit of Tallulah on Edward R. Murrow's TV show "Person to Person" circa 1953. What in the world does she have in her lap?!
Read more...
"Dah-ling" by Robert Gottlieb in The New Yorker, 2005
Writing a post about Audrey Hepburn as a fashion icon is sort of like writing a post about the sky being blue or summer being hot. A bit obvious, but nonetheless true. It's such a daunting task to imagine saying something original about the subject, I hadn't dared tackle it. But when I ran across this collection of photos by Bob Willoughby featuring Audrey and her beloved pets Pippin, nicknamed Ip, and Mr. Famous I couldn't resisit.
As documented in the NY Daily News, Willoughby was as on-set photographer for many of Hepburns films who grew close enough to the star to follow her home and capture her candidly among her four legged friends. Can you imagine what a sight Ms. Hepburn must have been, strolling around Beverly Hills for an afternoon of shopping all while being followed by that adorable little deer? What a dainty pair they must have made. The whole scene reminds me a bit of The Golden Compass. Don't you imagine if Audrey had her own dæmon, surely it would have been a deer?
I'm still completely smitten with all things Jane Birkin. A massive photo search unearthed a few photos of Jane (and Serge) that I'd never seen before. I couldn't wait to share them with you...
There are days when I want to just clean out my closet and replace everything with a great pair of vintage jeans, ther perfect white t-shirt, a little black dress and call it a day - a la Jane Birkin. Today is one of those days.
I promise I'm not going to turn this blog into a constant weather update but the rain and cold are such a constant presence these days it's hard not to mention them. I'm supposed to be doing photos today in order to update the Ebay store tomorrow but it's just too dark. Thus is the downfall of using natural light for photos. I need to put "buy a light kit" on my to-do list. Instead, I'm catching up on a few blogs, reading the news and imagining what in the world I would wear if I were actually going to leave the house today (I'm not!). The answer to that question comes in the form of a Polish pixie named Elizabeth. I'm thinking somewhere in the depths of my closet hide just the pieces I would need to recreate one of her prim and quirky ensembles. I've never seen anyone pull off long baggy shorts and still manage to look adorably feminine. Note to self: Also put "buy a cameo to wear with frilly blouses" on my to-do list.
I was going through some of the folders on my computer this afternoon, trying to organize things a bit and clean up some of the excess images that I tend to collect. I was a bit stunned to discover just how many images of one Miss Alexa Chung I have collected. I wonder… how many photos does it take to make a stalker? I fear I’m veering perilously towards the limit. To make matters worse I’ve taken to reading her column on The Independent. I know that I’ve been tagged a few times in the past couple of weeks with the “random things about me” tag (I’m working on it!) and apparently so has Miss Chung. Oh, and of all the things in these photos that I’m coveting, the one that I want the most right now are those bare legs. I’m soooo ready to retire my tights for the winter.
This morning I awoke with what felt like an ice pick stuck in my head. I don't often get headaches but this one was a doozy. I was supposed to accompany one of our cats to the vet but instead ended up curled up in bed with the blankets over my head while my boyfriend braved the vet alone. Soooo... In lieu of any in depth post I could have written today I've decided to cop out a bit and just post photos and a magazine article I scanned. The subject, I trust, needs no introduction. I've been a fan ever since high school when I first saw her appear in Sassy Magazine and then on screen in Kids. I love her independent spirit, her unabashed love of off-beat fashion and they way she embraces her non traditional beauty. The last time I was in H&M I picked up a copy of their magazine. Since I don't think it's available anywhere but in-store and H&Ms are few and far between (at least in the States) I thought some of you might enjoy taking a peek at her interview. Just click on each page to see full size.
My plans for photo-taking this afternoon have been thwarted by the rain. Instead I'm curled up on the couch surrounded by cats, still in my pajamas, watching old TV shows on my computer. Not a bad way to spend a day. Instead of leaving you empty handed, I've compiled a collection of my favorite photos of one of my favorite fashion inspirations, French 60's pop star Françoise Hardy. Enjoy!
I ran across an article yesterday mentioning that Amy Adams will be playing Amelia Earhart in an upcoming film. Further research revealed that the character will be part of a Night at the Museumsequel, a movie I couldn't be any less interested in seeing. I was a bit disappointed because the thought of an Amelia Earhart biopic grabbed my interest. A little more research and I discovered that there is indeed a movie about the life of Earhart in the making; this one starring Hilary Swank. You can see a few sneak peek shots from the set of the movie here.
I think my fascination with Earhart can be traced back to a 4th Grade book report. We had to pick a biography to write a report about and I picked Earhart. One read and I was hooked. At the time it had nothing to do with her brave fashion choices (check out the pants!) but I fell in love with her adventurous spirit and her steps in pioneering the public's perception of what women are capable of. While those are still reasons that I consider her a personal hero, her fashion choices are not be be ignored. It was considered quite daring for a woman to wear pants in those days. I can definitely see her influence when looking at other fashion icons such as Katherine Hepburn. Her bomber jacket is a timeless classic and would easily mix right into a modern day ensemble. In her day, she even helped design a line of clothing marketed for "the woman who lives actively". Wouldn't it be wonderful if some of those pieces still survive today?
Every month I like to highlight one source of fashion inspiration. This month it's been adorable Effie from The Snail & The Cyclops. I know I'm not the first person out here in the blogosphere to sing her praises but I just couldn't help myself! After looking through her photos I always end up craving prim skirts and dresses, vintage handbags and granny style ankle boots.
When ever someone asks me to define my style I always come up blank. I think this is because what I wear is so dependent on my moods and whims of the moment. I swing from one extreme to the other, at one moment looking like a 50's housewife, another looking a bit like Patti Smith. I've never been able (or willing really) to pin down one look for myself. But Effie definitely has a look all her own. She seems to have a natural talent for putting together looks that are decidedly vintage and modern all at once. And since she's opening an Etsy store we can all benefit from her eye for vintage fashions and accessories.
Lately it seems that when I feel like dressing down a bit, I'm leaning toward masculine inpsired looks. No no does this better than Lou Doillon. I love the way she mixes in a pair of suspenders or a blazer with her jeans and dresses, taking each look up a notch. She somehow manages to always look classic yet completely modern.
![leithclark[1]](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3451/3944750998_95a3caf084_o.jpg)
![jane-article[1]](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3480/3943972311_d9bcb6b963_o.jpg)
