what's old is new again

wearing thrifted Ellen Tracy skirt, old sweater from Anthropologie, vintage necklace, Zara flats
I looked under my bed for the first time in months last week and in addition to dust bunnies the size of Pomeranians, found a long-forgotten duffel filled with clothes that I had meant to give away but never did. This sweater was in it--I bought it when long + lean tops were the hotness and never wore it because duh, it's cropped. Sorta glad I accidentally hung onto it all this time though. 

things i can't handle (because they're so awesome)

1. Bangable Dudes from History. The most inspired ode to necrophilia ever created by the internet. Get a load of would-be assassin Lewis Powell. Hubba hubba.


2. The Coal Miner's Daughter starring Sissy Spacek and Tommy Lee Jones (looking surprisingly do-able). Amazing old-school country music, heavy-handed Southern accents, teenage pregnancy, and 60's fashion make it a total must-see.


3. Nicki Minaj. Pink Friday is rocking my work week right now.


4. Soft, chunky sweaters that I can snuggle in. Like this one I bought last weekend.


5. This feather manicure I saw here that I am so totally going to try as soon as I get motivated enough to deal with nail polish remover.

SUNDAY SUNDAY SUNDAY

wearing vintage skirt, vintage Saks Fifth Avenue blouse, Linea Pelle belt, vintage bag, UO booties, vintage jewelry

Imagine the title of this post is being read by a used car salesman trying to get you down to his lot for ONE DAY ONLY OF SUPER KILLER DEALS. There, now we're on the same page.

Spent a lazy Sunday indulging in hipster coffee and a chocolate rosemary almond donut at Dynamo, chicken cilantro soup and Caesar salad at St. Francis Fountain, and a quick reading/dogwatching session at Dolores park. The day revolved almost entirely around food, sunshine, and of course, a spot of shopping. I guess I'm as geared up for the week as I can be.

two random snaps (because i haven't been able to take any decent outfit posts during daylight hours, etc.)

Top: yellow blouse via J. Crew, ASOS leather jacket, vintage fur collar, J Crew belt, J. Brand jeans, gloves from White House + Black Market, vintage bag, Martin + Osa headband, vintage necklace Bottom: knit headband from Anthropologie

My favorite knit headband (which I have been blissfully unable to wear as of late due to an unseasonably warm spell), and a recent outfit featuring my latest go-to blouse from J. Crew. I love it when you buy something and then wear the snot out of it. That's how it should be, right?

martin luther king in pictures

images via LIFE and TIME

Allow me to echo the words of Dr. King, because they're still as relevant today as they were in 1964: "...the civil rights issue is not an ephemeral, evanescent domestic issue that can be kicked about by reactionary guardians of the status quo. It is rather an eternal moral issue which may well determine the destiny of our nation...."

gurrrl, i love yer face

Crystal Renn photographed for Vogue Germany via Fashion Gone Rogue

Sorry to just throw up an editorial swiped from Fashion Gone Rogue. You know I don't usually do you like that. It's just that it's Crystal and I love the way she always looks like she's biting the insides of her cheeks.

It's concerned me for quite some time that she's getting very thin again--not so much because I think she should be fuller or that she owes it to us to stay a plus sized model, but because she's been very public about her battles with anorexia and I can't help but wonder how much of a role, if any, that plays in her current situation. This is further complicated by the fact that her body is quite literally a commodity, something to be discussed openly as if we were appraising the pitching arm of a baseball player.
I can't even imagine the immense pressure she must feel, especially now that every ounce she gains or loses is a hot source of debate in the fashion industry.

I think that ultimately, it doesn't matter what size she is as long as she's healthy, because as we all know, she's beautiful at any size.

a few small things

Thank god for thrifted oversized sweaters and birthday gifts, including an antique monocle made into a necklace (thanks sis!), and a new book of short stories that I'm currently burning through (thanks Wardell!).

I also just got a set of dotting tools from Amazon and created the masterpiece below, courtesy of quite possibly the best nail blog in the universe, The Daily Nail. If there ever was a Van Gough of nail art, it would be this lovely lady, who has painted everything from Legos to venn diagrams on her nails. Her prowess with nail polish fills me with a morbid jealousy, but thankfully a few of the designs are achievable by mere mortals, and this one was seriously easy! You can watch a tutorial for it here.

RN 74

wearing Madewell blouse, vintage fur collar, Zara cape, J Crew belt, Blank jeans, Banana Republic bag, Timex watch

Annual parentally-funded birthday dinner was held at Michael Minna's RN 74 on Sunday. The food was fussy and delicious, just how I like it (thanks Mom and Dad!). Will definitely be going back again...as long as someone else is paying.




first course: creamy cauliflower soup with Dungeness Crabmeat
Main course: Crispy Skin Loup De Mer with lentils, pork cheek ragout, melted leeks, green apple, and Madras curry
Fin: Tarragon pound cake with huckleberry, lemon curd, and olive oil ice cream

rags & bones

wearing thrifted collared shirt, kid's motorcycle jacket from leather store, Old Navy sweater, J Brand jeans, Zara boots, AA hat

Birthday outfit consisted of a nod to the perfect cropped knits at Rag & Bone--in this case achieved by folding under my sweater hem, which resulted in a cold belly for most of the day.

I am in fact desperately searching for knits of the Rag & Bone caliber without having to pay the Rag & Bone prices (or resort to fast fashion, see New Year's resolution post below). If anyone has any wisdom to impart, I'm all ears. Where does one find perfect chunky waffle-knit and mohair and cabled sweaters for less than $100?

a year in nails, and a few words of faux wisdom

Today being my 28th birthday, I thought I'd share with you my (recently acquired) attitude about aging and getting older. Since mathematically speaking, we spend only a small portion of our lives being "young" (say, under the age of 25) and about 60-70% of our lives being "old," you might as well learn to enjoy getting older. Because honestly, if you're going to complain about getting older and be bummed out about 70% of your life, you might as well kill yourself.

Besides, I am WAY smarter and hotter now than I was at 22. Just sayin'.

a look back

A self-indulgent look back at a few sartorial high points of the past year. This year my style resolutions are:
- Find a good cobbler and take better care of my shoes--no more walking on shredded heels and cracked leather- Avoid any style that makes me look 20 lbs. heavier or 6 inches shorter than I actually am. I'm too old for that ish- Try paring down my style (not comfortable with the word "minimalism yet") while still keeping it luxe and interesting- Avoid fast fashion. It's the clothing equivalent of McDonalds: easy to get, terrible waste of resources- Stock up on well-made, timeless basics (white button-downs, wool trousers) and don't be afraid to pay a little more for them
What are yours?

1.1.11

dress: vintage via Ebay, diy belt using vintage brooch, vintage necklace, vintage snake bracelet, vintage ring, headband from Martin + Osa (RIP), UO tights, YSL heels

This swishy flapper style dresses became the perfect apparel for staying in and drinking a shit ton on NYE. I couldn't stop shimmying.

Also, seriously friends, thank you for reading. It's hard to believe that I've been Style Porning since January of '09. Even though I'm not exactly supplementing my income with ad money from the blog, or getting sent weekly packages courtesy of American Apparel, or getting Coach bags named after me, it's still all worth it because each one of YOU who read and comment fill me with a happy sense of purpose. Let's just keep blowing it up in '11.