Wardrobe Staples

I am still learning to dress myself for summer as a grown up. I can't really just wear spaghetti strap tank tops and short shorts, like I did as a teen in the desert. My junk in the hood -- aka giant heaving bosoms -- is tricky to dress in skimpy breezy pieces without some homegrown tailoring and enough coverage to conceal a decent bra. Alas, the trials of being curvy! But as soon as cooler weather kicks in and I can start layering colors, textures, patterns, and shapes, I feel like a champion stylist. And while this may only be true in my own little world, I thought I'd share the way I put together a more cohesive wardrobe. I have a few rules that I put together before shopping, to keep myself from buying too many of those pretties that look great on the rack and are totally on sale, but I’ll never wear because they don’t go with anything I own…

1. Color: Pick your palette based both on what looks great on you and what you love. I look fab in lavender but really don’t like it, so it never makes it in my bag. Similarly, I love a green-yellow ochre color, but it makes me look like I have malaria, so I limit it to accessories and accents that aren’t next to my skin – like a belt, brooch, shoes, or bag. My palette is based on deep jewel tones, with lighter versions for summer. Indigo, cobalt, leaf, crimson, rust, plum. I mix these with my favorite neutrals: charcoal, dove, coffee, slate. While black can be fabulous, make sure it is a quality fabric so it doesn't fade and look cheap after that first wash.

2. Texture: Texture is my favorite way to make a few otherwise simple pieces into a really fabulous outfit. It brings interest to a more monochromatic outfit, makes cheaper pieces look luxurious, and is just plain old fun. My standbys include tweed, knits, silk, lace, linen, jersey, velvet, corduroy. If you aren’t used to playing with texture, try a monochromatic look with a few different textures or just mix one or two on a simple base – tweed vest, t-shirt, corduroys and funky jewelry. Soon you’ll be blending as many as you can, and throwing patterns in for a bit of zest.

3. Shape: I like pencil, circle, and a-line skirts, and prefer a higher waist. For pants, I like a trouser cut with a straight wider leg, or a skinny cut, and again a slightly higher waist. My tops are structured and tailored or semi-fitted with some drape to them. Some of them I tuck in, some I belt, some I layer to have a few different hemlines. I have sort of an apple version of an hourglass, and pick shapes that minimize the waist but boost the curves. Straighter figures work well in simple straight cuts with drape-y fabric to show off those lean lines, and top heavy or bottom heavy figures can use either a fuller or more a-line skirt to balance the top or a lower waist and more structured shape to tone the lower half down. And skirts are always my answer to a fat-day -- they can shrink the tummy, hide the thighs, and camouflage the rolls... especially when it is cool enough to wear tights -- gotta love those control tops!

Stickin' it to My Ribs

One of the delights of living in the Whiteaker neighborhood of Eugene is the easy peasy walking access to Papa's Soul Food. Authentic southern joint, down home atmosphere, a bitchin' patio and really really really good music. And their menu is one of my favorite pieces of graphic design around -- you can see one page of it in the image. Oh, and the food. This food rivals that of small town joints in rural Georgia -- it is that good. My man and I went tonight for a bit of a rejuvenation.


He had the pork ribs with collard greens and mac and cheese. I had pulled pork with potato salad and mac and cheese... The bbq sauce is that perfect blend of smoky and spicy, with neither overwhelming the other or overwhelming the flavors of the perfect cooked meat. The mac and cheese is pale yellow, thick, with very soft fat elbows. My potato salad was creamy with hints of mustard and crisp pops of celery. I didn't try the greens (I just can't do that texture... ick!) but my mister thought they were really quite tasty. The beer was our favorite local IPA -- Ninkasi -- which is so damn tasty but packs a secret punch. Plus, we could walk the few blocks to and from, to try and ease our swollen bellies after the meal...

I'm already drooling over my leftover pulled pork sammich for lunch the next couple days (yeah, I had that much served to me). Yummmm...

Image originally found here

Bad Ideas...

So, um. Worst bikini design ever?

As my kiwi man said: "It's a minge!"Though on the positive side, Gap is having a rad sale to clear out summer looks... let's go shopping!

Girl Time

My man is away for a few nights leaving me alone in our big house. This means the toilet seats stay down and I can wear my pj's all day without feeling guilty. But it also means that I get very lonely and must keep myself entertained. Thus, I turn to the delights of the BBC. Specifically their 1983 production of Jane Eyre featuring the delicious Timothy Dalton. While he is perhaps far too handsome to be a proper Rochester, he is all the smoldering heart throb a gal needs while her own favorite boy is away...

If you've never enjoyed this pleasure for yourself, Netflix currently has it on instant view... Do it!

Lurve

In the secret land inside my head I am friends with Miss Zooey Deschanel. We play games on the weekend, have fabulous shopping trips, and listen to the best tunes.

It is maybe something like this.

My Latest Crush

Oh my. My heart is pounding, my breath is caught in my throat and I've got the tingly butterflies.

In short, I am in love.


They are everything I want in fashion, design, shoes, life... Now to find a few hundred dollar bills conveniently on the sidewalk outside my house... And a big fat juicy thank you to Darling Dexter who unknowingly introduced us.

Find these lovelies and all my other new dream candy here.

Le sigh...

Periodic Table of Fonts

This is a really rad presentation of various typefaces... is your favorite on the list? First spotted on DK Design Studio Blog where you can also find such rad posts as this:

and this corporation climate score card.

Hello, Autumn!

I may be a bit early here, but I'm really excited for the end of summer. This may be against the wishes of the rest of the blog world, but I am ready for cool weather, pretty layered clothes, gray drizzly days, comfort food, and the absolutely gorgeous displays of fall leaves. Growing up in New Mexico, fall lasted approximately one week and leaves generally skipped the bright colors going straight to brown and falling. But here in Eugene, Oregon, autumn lasts for months and is pretty much perfect. The winter rains are still interspersed with golden sunny days, and the foliage is beyond anything I had ever seen in my life. The colors!

Basically, I'm really excited for October already. But though the days are cooling off and the sun is lower in the sky, summer is still clinging to the Northwest. I am fine with this as it gives me more time for my current project, a wardrobe redesign. I am still in the early stages of this project, but will post much more as I go along, but wanted to establish the ground rules for myself and any who are curious.

I have some experience and training as a costume designer and ever since my first official project when I was about 15 I have applied what I know as a stage designer to my daily life and wardrobe. Currently I am attempting to streamline and beef up my wardrobe using the principles of costuming to create a slew of options that can be easily mixed and matched but always create a look that I define as characteristically me. I'm hoping this will eliminate the whole "I've got nothing to wear" problem, and finally force me to get rid of those items that live in the closet purge after purge because I might just wear it soon.

Anyways, all these ramblings are to say that I am in the first stage -- design and inspiration. Accordingly I am immersing myself in the clothes and people that I hope to emmulate. Step one: Rewatch Pushing Daisies, Penelope, Love Actually (specifically Laura Linney's character), Amelie, and so on with an eye to costumes. During viewing (with some fast-forwarding between costume changes), I'll make notes and sketches (and screen grabs) of those looks I really love, and determine basic shapes, silhouettes, and color palettes. I'll be sure to post more from this process as I have more tangible results...


Images originally found here and here

Replacement Therapy?

Like much of the blogosphere, I am still mourning Domino. It was my favorite magazine and I'm particularly sad that I only found it less than a year before it was cancelled. And while I still don't really understand why it was cancelled, since it had such an enormous following, but such is business.

In any case, there is much discussion about what to replace our addiction with. Many seem to be lauding Living, etc. as the new choice but there seems to be some disagreement on just how affordable their design really is, let alone my willingness to pay the international price to get the magazine from the UK. Thus, I am anticipating the launch of Lonny magazine. Its mission seems to be to replace Domino in cyber form... I hope it is able to fit in to the very large and uber fabulous shoes Domino left behind...

Mad Science

This rad cocktail set would be a perfect fit for my new geeky chic dining room, no?

Living at Stonehill

This house is a gorgeous example of my current fave decor themes... I love the mix of vintage and modern and especially all the academic/museum/scientific items used as art and such. Really really fabulous. Now to see if I can copy it...

First spotted on Oh Happy Day thanks to Jordan