Sugar

Cardigan- Old Navy
Dress- Modcloth
Tights- Target
Shoes- Target
music- The Wailers- Hang Up

Last night I had a dream I went to a Redbirds game with Stanley Tucci. He was wearing a toupee to make himself look younger and I was trying to convince him he looked better without it.
Now to sound really crazy...do you name your clothes? I do. I don't mean human names(thank God), just things to refer to them as. Like "Black Thursday dress" or "mod candy cane dress" or "denim prairie skirt". I originally started this habit to distinguish items of clothing in my outfit log(ahem!...Christie and I were so ahead of our times. An outfit log is basically a visual-free version of a blog like this). Anyway...I've always referred to this dress as the "sugar" dress. Not sure why. Maybe because it's 100x sweeter than almost everything else I own? In a feeble attempt to make it look tougher I had a leather jacket on instead of this cardigan, but it ended up looking really '80s and awful.

Speaking of awful, went to go see "Howl" at the Brooks yesterday...what a waste of the considerable talents of the people involved. I am not a fan of faux-documentary style to begin with, and I'm definitely not a fan of crappy animation that reminds me of the "New Worlds" screen savers package that came with yr new PC circa 1997. I found it repetitive and at times cringe-inducing. And this is a person that was OBSESSED with the Beats in my early teens. When I thought "Waking Life" was the most profound thing I'd ever seen...haven't revisited that one in the fear that it has aged terribly. Don't wanna tarnish the enjoyment my 15-year-old self got out of it!

Saturday in the Park

jean jacket- Old Navy
romper- Delia's
flats- Target
music- NOT Chicago...I actually can't stand that song


Yesterday the weather was so beautiful...if California is like that, I can see why people pay out the wazoo to live there. We had a lil picnic in Overton Park, and by picnic I mean I ate a giant cream-filled donut on a blanket and stared at all the adorable dogs.

This jean jacket is the ULTIMATE jean jacket. All through high school I searched for a perfect thrifted one to no avail. But lo and behold, in that magical summer of '05 immediately after high school(most fun time ever?), the jacket I had been longing for was waiting for me at Old Navy, of all places. It has seen quite a bit since then and has gotten softer and better with age and washings and me leaving it on people's floors. Unfortuntely there are only about 4 days of the year in Memphis when it's not too cold or too hot to wear it. Yesterday happened to be one...thanks global warming!
Also, I love rompers. This was the first one I ever bought and it's all been downhill from there. I have too many rompers for someone over 3.
Ummmm...please ignore the phallic banana I'm holding in that photo. Immediately after that photo was taken I was like damn! I need to get this banana away from my crotch area. But alas, the photo was already taken.

Friday Faux Fur

Coat- Forever 21
Dress- Tara Jarmon for Target
Boots- thrifted
music- Rolling Stones- Street Fighting Man

I really like this coat because it straddles the line between classy and CRAZAY. It's also quite warm, which added to the crazy effect since the temperature inexplicably rose to about 65 yesterday afternoon and I was sweatin' bullets wearing this thing. I really am trying to have fun with my work wardrobe, which is somewhat restrictive but doesn't prevent me from stepping out in something like this. And it was Friday. Always a cause for celebratory dressing.

This dress is from my favorite collaboration Target ever did, with the French designer Tara Jarmon. I believe it was their second one ever, after the Luella one, and I bought 4 things from it. This dress has a great little bow and a slight boning effect on the waist, both of which I hope you can see in the second photo. I felt like I should cover my teeth for once, lest I begin to remind myself of Gilderoy Lockhart.(YES I AM A MASSIVE NERD--FO' LIFE)

A Girl and her Dog

dress- Forever 21
tights- Target
flats- Target
music- Exploding Hearts- We Don't Have to Worry Anymore

You may have noticed that it is borderline impossible for me to take a photo without an animal in it. There are 5 animals in my house, each stinkier and more bonkers than the last. Charlotte, my pretty pit-ty fat doodle, is the stinkiest and most bonkers of the lot(and also my favorite. Don't tell the cats). She's a lot better at posing than I am.
In high school/first year of college I was totally into bright tights in every color of the rainbow. While I have mercifully retired the hot pink(ugh) and weird forest green(I cannot think of anyone these could be flattering on), I still wear red and blue fairly often. As Tuscadero once said, "primary colors are always best".
Um, sorry for the inexcusably poor quality of this photo. At every photo I was becoming more disturbed by the state of my hair til I finally just gave up. To paraphrase the Bard: Get thee to a hairstylist...STAT!

Winter Denial Effort

Cardigan- Banana Republic
Dress- thrifted
Boots- Target
music- Red House Painters- New Jersey

Thank God I live in the South. I don't mean that in the same way as the conference of scaries I saw at a state park who wanted "the Feds out of Dixie" and the South to secede, judging by the bumper stickers on their cars. (INTERESTING to choose a state park, probably founded by the federal government and the CCC, as your meeting place). No, I mean that because I have a 2-year-old's idea of what to wear in the winter. Basically my winter wardrobe is my summer wardrobe, with tights. And a cardigan. Despite being so pale the mere thought of sunshine gives me a third degree burn, I cannot handle the cold. I know that the 104 degree, 900% humidity of the Memphis summer makes others shoot people and drink 40s(counterintuitive--they get hot too quickly, even when it's cool outside), the cold really makes me lose the will to live. Or go outside, I should say. Judging by the utter madness inspired in the city with one mention of flurries I guess I'm not alone.
I was so damn cold in this outfit.(Think I will learn my lesson? NO) It was about as warm as a layer of dollar-store tissue paper. This dress can definitely skew towards sorority girl if I don't play it right, which hopefully I did. Although I think my near-blinding paleness in this photo would most assuredly prevent me from being mistaken for a sorority sister.

On Target

Sweater- Target
Skirt- Target
Tights- Target
Shoes- (i'll let you guess)(yep, Target)
music- Jane's Addiction- Stop

Lord save us all from the terrible word-plays I keep using as my titles! I look as though I'm dressing to conceal a pregnancy here, but don't worry Mom, I am not. Remember when I said I was nuturing a tendency(whether wise or unwise has yet to be determined) to buy things off the Target clearance rack that are 3X my size? Meet my latest purchase in that category. This sweater is an $12 XXL behemoth that I actually really like. I would probably never buy it fitted, as I think it would be a bit boring, but when it's huge and slouchy and perfect for a lazy Sunday I'm really into it.
However, I'm gonna try to not ever wear an entire outfit full of shit from the same place again. Sometimes it just happens, especially when it's a place as great as TARGET.
P.S.- Perry Farrell during this era? SO FUNNY. Love Jane's Addiction.

Don't Sweat It

Sweatshirt- Forever 21
Shorts- Delia's
Tights- ? (gift from my mom)
Boots- thrifted
nail polish- Urban Outfitters' Matte Green 7
music- The Creation- Tom Tom


Yes, I'm wearing a sweatshirt. And I am obsessed with said sweatshirt. Best $11 I ever spent. I know that the "chic sweatshirt" is nothing new, but it took me quite a while to come around to the idea. A few years ago I would have considered wearing a sweatshirt in public nothing short of style heresy. However, this one is slouchy and off-shouldery and goes with everything, especially the short and/or tight things that comprise the majority of my wardrobe. I like to think that these type of sweatshirts have a Jane Birkin-raising-her-children type of feel. Or maybe I'm just overthinking it and want to be comfy(it happens, you know, even to me, who once said that comfort is not an issue when it comes to clothes).
Please notice, lest you think that I am in the witness protection program, that I am showing my face above! For possibly the only time(see below).

In an obviously painful effort to include "detail shots" I wanted to give a close-up of my nails. I know that this color is a rip-off of the few-seasons-ago Chanel Nouvelle Vague, but you know what? I don't care. I love this color. It is so summery and beachy(even though I don't particularly like the beach, I get sunburned just thinking about it) and reminds me of David Hockney's jewel-bright California sunshine pool paintings.

David Hockey, Peter Getting Out of Nick's Pool, 1966

David Hockney, A Bigger Splash, 1967
P.S.- I have nixed the bangs idea. While cleaning out old magazines I ran across an article in Elle about how bangs are the ultimate "indie rock" statement. Just reading it made me embarrassed. Hawk's nest it is!

Sack o' Taters

Sweater- vintage
Slip(worn as skirt)- vintage
T-Straps- vintage
music- Velvet Underground- The Murder Mystery

This past week hasn't really been my week, you might say, but I'm trying to get back to it. This outfit was an attempt to juxtapose something extremely masculine with something very feminine. Not sure I succeeded in anything other than looking like a sack of potatoes. This sweater is actually a men's Christian Dior sweater from the '50s or '60s bought at the long-defunct Memphis vintage store The Cotton Exchange for $1. As it stands that is the only "designer" piece of clothing I own, har har.

A lot of the style blogs I enjoy reading feature girls who mysteriously own Alaia shoes and Miu Miu dresses at the age of 19 while appearing to be jobless. While it is fun looking at those undeniably beautiful clothes, honestly, if you can't dress well when you have financial access to clothes of that caliber then you might be hopeless. It's like the billionaire trophy wives that populate the pages of Bazaar(sorry I'm picking on you Bazaar, you know I love ya) who are "philanthropists." If you have that much money and time and don't volunteer or donate money, it would be sort of reprehensible. Anyway, the point of this is that I'm gonna try and do this thing with my Target, thrift store, and Forever 21 clothes. Trust me, it's a lot harder to find good shit when sifting through a store rife with t-shirts with sequined Mickey Mouse on them than it would be to sashay(SASHAY SHONTAY) into Barney's.
Okay, rant over! In a totally unrelated thought, I watched Pirate Radio last night. The movie had a few moments, despite the cringe-inducing album montage at the end credits, and WHY do I find Rhys Ifans really sexy his godawful dandy clothes?, but it reallllly made me want bangs again. I know I shouldn't. They are a hassle and I'm no fan of hassles. But they were such fun and were such a definite statement, as opposed to the hawk's nest sitting atop my head right now(which may be an unintentional statement on its own, like "I give in to the Memphis humidity" or "I value sleep more than hair".) I NEED A HAIRCUT.


(it was extremely difficult to find good hair images for this movie, for some reason)

Mod

Dress- thrifted
Boots- vintage
music- The Clash- Car Jamming


Occasionally I venture out of my hidey hole and go socialize with folks, believe it or not. Last night was Brock/Alice/Chloe's house-warming party. I made a sweet potato pound cake for the occasion. The house is amazing and looks like a really awesome yacht on the inside with porthole windows and crazy high ceilings and wood paneling. Also, there is tapestry on the kitchen walls? And that's where these pictures were taken(by Elizabeth, thank you!).

This dress is from the children's section of the always-reliable Outreach thrift store in Murfreesboro. The tag says "Just Kidding!". As in, "just kidding, don't really wear this out in public!". Or maybe "you're an adult, why are you shopping in the children's section? Just kidding! Go ahead." Either way I think it's a great archetypal mod dress. Almost cartoon-y mod, something that was probably originally meant for a Halloween costume. (Can you imagine how cool the little kid whose costume this was might have been?!?)

Plaid Clad

Cardigan- Urban Outfitters
Dress- Vintage
Belt- my mom's from the '80s
Tights- ?
Boots- Macy's
music- The Lost Sounds- And You Dance?

I plugged this lil thing on that frenemy of us all, the Facebook, the other night and immediately regretted it. But new Facebook won't let me delete?!?!?! Damn you Zuckerberg!!!(who I am picturing with a snotty little smirk in his Wizard-of-Oz tower). Anyway, I think my embarrassment is evident here. Looking at the camera is really hard. Not sure what's up with my ponytail happening here..I'm always hoping for a Mary Weiss side-part thing but alas, I simply have too much hair. (Looking at Shangri-La's photos was so much fun that I am including some here).


This dress was a realllly depressing long plaid muu-muu when I bought it. I think my face visibly drooped when I first opened the box it came in. But for $9.99 you gotta forge on, and with some hemming and belting and hiding the colossal sleeves meant to fit over an elephant thigh it sort of works. I love plaid. It reminds me of my favorite dude friends always in their flannel(see? look to your friends for inspiration) and it's always a challenge to make it seem feminine. Plus it, like leopard print, is one of those prints that almost seems like a neutral. I'd really kill for one of those unisex Barbour bags that is probably ungodly itchy and so British upper-class "I hunt foxes with beagles" in a very subtle way. Good lord, I am going to give William Faulkner a run for his money with all these run-on sentences.
On a completely unrelated note, today is the 1-year anniversary of Jay Reatard's death. Memphis really seems like a different place. I'm saying that not because I knew him but because pretty much ever since I started going to shows when just a young'un, his bands have been an integral part of my Memphis experience and a reason why I love it so much. I think when Christie and I hosted a "Memphis" episode of our radio show about 50% was Jay-related stuff. Andy wrote a really fantastic feature/oral history about him that ran today on Pitchfork that you should really take a look at.
P.S.- If you are under 5'4" and want these tights(after a wash, of course) please let me know. They are small/medium and 5'5" is apparently way too tall for that size and I waddled around like a penguin all day long as they barely reach my hipbones. They are really warm and otherwise great.

Style Inspiration: Wattstax

This is one of those rare films, like Mystery Train and portions of Hustle & Flow, that makes me think "DAMN my city is badass!". And yes, even though Wattstax was not made in Memphis, the feel of it is pervasive in the concert scenes...it's Watts + Stax, after all. And speaking of badass, these documentary has it in spades, particularly regarding style.

Is there anything more badass than a giant, glorious Afro? I don't think so. If I could grow one, I would. They're sadly so rare nowadays, though when I do see one I am stunned by how amazing it looks. Fortunately this movie is like an Afro treasury. It doesn't stop there though, friends: there are wonderful polka dot hot pants, a lot of ass-shaking, huge hats, and some mind-blowing ultra '70s black dandies/modern day Beau Brummel's(has anyone researched that comparison? They should).

And I'm only talking about the spectators and talking heads. The actual musicians look even better, with Rufus Thomas's "Ain't I clean?" magical pink short-suit with patent white boots(wrap your head around that), Issac Hayes looking like a shiny bronze soul statue, and the lead singer of the Bar-Kays sporting what may be the weirdest haircut I have ever seen- a relaxed bowl cut(see below). The movie must be seen to be believed. It might even make you cry that you can't dance.(Wait, that's probably just me).


If this song doesn't slay you just a little then YOU DON'T HAVE A SOUL.

1966

Top- mark.
Jeans- Forever 21
Wedges- Delia's
music- The Sonics- "He's Waiting"

Still not quite sure how to pose for this, hanging my head seems to be a good option. This outfit reminds me of my style a few years ago, around 2006-07, when I'd say my main stylistic goal was to look like the girlfriend of a member of the Sonics would look.(CHECK OUT AWESOME MOHAIR SWEATER BELOW) When I thought about clothes I thought "1966", and very rarely varied from it. I think my haircut(blunt bangs gotten after seeing "The Notorious Bettie Page" in the movie theater on my 19th birthday) had a lot to do with this as well. Now I'm not quite sure what my look is, but I still think of 1966 as my ultimate reference point, and I refuse to give up the heavy liquid liner. Not sure where this post is going...but there was a snowstorm last night and I don't have to work today! (Guess how well those shoes did me when I stepped out of the movie theater last night into 3 inches of snow). Judging from the sluggishness of my mind right now, I'd say maybe 9 hours of sleep actually isn't good for me.


Also, I saw The Social Network last night...really, critics, really? This is "the Citizen Kane for the millenial set"? You got your panties in a wad over this? It was a very enjoyable movie, well acted, I sort of have a crush on Jesse Eisenberg?(why lord why?!?), the clothing was dead on(contemporary costuming doesn't get enough credit), and the actors looked like they could actually be in college, but the college party scenes had my eyes rolled back so far in my head I couldn't see. I think it was clearly made by someone who hasn't been in college in a very long time. It reminded me of the HILAROUS fear-mongering-for-parents-of-high-school-students that Law & Order SVU (one of my favorite things in this world, by the way) loves to promote. I won't go into it any more here, but I honestly think that in a year with a dearth of excellent movies critics clung to the only fascinating intellectual story in the form of a blockbuster they could find. I think Winter's Bone was ten times the movie this was.

Day at the Museum

Plaid shirt- Target
T-shirt- Target
Leggings- American Apparel
Loafers- Target
music- "Lonely As Can Be"- The Concretes

Yesterday I went to the still life exhibit at the Dixon that ends today. (See how I procrastinate?) It was really lovely, as I am very interested in still lifes and if I go back to grad school 16th-18th century still lifes will probably be my chosen research topic. The exhibit featured a broad range of artists from Weston to Beuys to Courbet, with a weird sprinkling of Chinese sculpture and decorative arts thrown in mix. The Dixon is such a beautiful place(see below), even if my experience was slightly dimmed by the yapping old women that seem to haunt museums and galleries. It's not a professional sporting event, ladies. No need to yell. And for God's sake no need to read the informational plaques aloud. But I digress. I'd like to highlight on this blog some of what I do in my beloved, highly underrated and misunderstood underdawg city. I'm not great at taking photos but I will try.
I wore my comfy loafers cause the last thing I want to do is clip-clop around an echo-y museum. I might as well join those folks that say "innnnnteresting" at EVERY SINGLE ARTWORK they pass by. These loafers are slightly grandpa(is this a recurring theme?) but remind me more of classic cushy car shoes. Maybe I'll win the lottery and buy some Tod's, but until that day these will suffice. This t-shirt is an XXL from the clearance section at Target($3.48 yo!). In warm weather I normally wear this shirt backwards to get a nice U-back effect, but when I did that today it looked way too tomboy-ish and I turned it around right. I've fallen into the habit of buying XXL sizes of things I would never buy in my own size. I'm not sure yet if this is a good thing or not, but evidently my disgruntled kitties in the background here disapprove.

Hello, It's Me

cardigan- Old Navy
dress- vintage
tights- Target
shoes/boots(shoots)- Target
nail polish- Vintage Blue by Avon
music- "1-2-3 goodbye"- elvis perkins

Yes, me, not Todd Rundgren. It was (is?) a New Year's resolution of mine to update this thing more frequently(at all is more like it), but a surprisingly persistent stomach bug that had me hallucinating with fever at midnight on New Year's Eve has made that somewhat difficult. But here I am. You may be thinking many things while looking at this picture, from "stop looking at me like that" to "your hair is OUTTA CONTROL" and "your dog is the devil". And you would be right to think those things. But the tripod and I have been working together and hopefully this is just the beginning. This cardigan, despite a hole in the elbow that led a co-worker to call me a ragamuffin, is one of my favorites for its elusive slim-in-the-arms yet baggy-like-a-grandpa effect. But I really wouldn't want anything to detract from this dress, which I find insane.

It's like animal prints on crack. Lions and tigers and jaguars, oh my. A vertiable roster of endangered jungle cats. It was a stunningly unflattering mid-calf length when I got it, but I hemmed it to a more appropriate size.

As you will surely see in the future, I have a burgeoning nail polish problem. I wore only blood red from ages 18-22, and then I regressed to age 12, when I had an entire Caboodle full of nail polishes which I meticulously renamed(never satisfied with their sad boring original color titles) in a large notebook. Now I have not gone so far as to rename my new polishes yet, but as the Little Prince says, "On ne sais jamais." Instead I have become incredibly demanding of these bottles of paint. With this color I found the certain 18th century powder blue I've been looking for, flat but assuredly opaque. Look at this portrait by Gainsborough. See what I mean? Good to know the art history degree is not for naught!

Robert Andrews and his Wife Frances, Thomas Gainsborough, 1750