Big River

Let's start with Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's, shall we? I mean, where would we be (at the very least, where would our clothes be) without Holly Golightly? One scene I love is the one wherein she sings "Moon River" and we see beyond her glamorous and cosmopolitan facade.     

I listened to this song probably one hundred times this weekend because I was writing a paper about it for my music history class. It got me thinking about rivers and the seeming preoccupation with rivers in music that comes from the south. The internet tells me that Johnny Mercer, who wrote these lyrics, was thinking specifically of a river near his house in Georgia. Here's Johnny Cash in Nashville, singing one of my favorite songs:




I love it. And I love that gentleman's bow tie in the background. And the petticoats! Finally, here's a song that came on my Dolly Parton Pandora station (don't judge!) while I was "completing" my chemistry homework:




Like Cash's song, it's about the Mississippi River acting as a force that keeps two lovers apart (at least, I assume the "Big River" is the Mississippi River). Is that why music from the south seems so preoccupied with rivers? Because of the Mississippi?

Why do you think it is? Any excellent music/literature/art/whatever about rivers that I failed to include?

why so lazy?

My plans and expectations for my sophomore year of high school haven't exactly been put into action or met. Not academically, extracurricular-ly (I know it's not a word) and especially not style-ly (also not a word, but who has the time to think of real ones?). Sure, I've worn a few dresses here and there, and my new boots have gotten a tad broken in. But the problem with Seattle (one of many) is the awkward time between summer and fall. In the mornings, it will be 50 degrees and misty, but by 2:00 it's 70 degrees and sunny. So how does one dress for such occasions? Well, the most common way for girls my age is like this:

Something from UW, moccasins/flip-flops/sneakers, and lululemons. Haven't heard of lululemon? Here's a definition:
a popular yoga and exercise brand of clothing. mostly for yoga and dance and running, but also just worn for fashion. extremely comfy and modified fabrics are used, like LUON for wicking properties and staying dry.
And here's a less professional, yet more truthful definition:
Vancouver-based maker of the tightest pants on the face of the planet. Possibly has something to do with yoga. Definitely has something to do with very attractive girls with nice butts. These pants will ruin your concentration. The logo at the back is hypnotic(both from urbandictionary).

The most popular style is the groove pant, which costs, no joke, $98. Seriously. Now, you know my shopping rule: it's gotta be under $30, or it's not going in my cart. So I would never buy a pair of lululemons. But here's the thing: they are extremely comfortable. At least, the Champion
brand ones I bought at Costco are.

I love Costco.

Schnurrbart

Now, the hipstery internet community can be fickle. Very fickle indeed. Etsy went from felt cupcakes to felt bacon to felt Wayfarers in the blink of an eye. Presently, the mustache is enjoying its fifteen minutes of fame, and I decided to share the limelight-- I only regret that I didn't do it sooner. (obviously doing something at the same time as other hipsters is completely without hipster cred-- you have to do it exactly fifteen minutes beforehand, so that it's on the radar but still a vague beeping red dot). Nowadays, it's hard to find something on the internet that isn't embossed or embroidered with a mustache.

Where did this begin? I'm guessing it had a little something to do with our friend Andy:

He's saying what wheird?

Surprisingly, BYU hopped on the 'stache train with a little slice of modern art:

Now that's all very well and good, but where do the ladies come in? I also think that Archie McPhee, which never gets enough credit, was way ahead of its time on this one.

So where does that leave yours truly? I admit that I was slightly nervous about entering the cutthroat world of hipster kitsch, but despite this I found myself parading around Philly on Saturday with a self-adhesive soup strainer. One strung-out dude stroked it for a while until I started backing away slowly and ran up the escalator, and a fellow with skinny jeans took a sneaky photo of me with his shiny Apple product, which I feel signifies hipster victory, right? I should smoke myself an American Spirit to celebrate.

Just kidding. Smoking is super gross.

:{

Note cute/totally gross couple in the background. I mean, they were cute until the tongues came out, then they were totally gross.

B2S!

oh, back-to-school shopping. ss there anything as simultaneously fun and hideous? i think not.
here are some things on my list:
-a pair of flat, mid-calf, faux-leather boots (leather because suede does not hold up in Seattle, and faux because leather is quite expensive).
i'm liking these:

blowfish "hanku" in dark brown

-a few pairs of dark-wash not-really-skinny skinny jeans, because they're versatile and alright, i admit it, i don't always feel in the mood for a dress/skirt. there, i said it).

delia's "taylor" super-skinny low-rise jean in NYC tint
here's the thing. i know they're called "super-skinny low-rise", but i've had delia's (plural? possessive? i don't know, again) jeans before and their skinny style is more like a boot-cut, so i'm taking a chance. i don't really like the whole skin-tight look, and i think in person these will look different. i hope, anyway.
also, does anyone else find this model's legs disturbingly skeletal and unappealing? just saying.

-some basic, jersey or cotton shirtdresses (is that one word, or two? is it hyphenated? oh well).

left: modcloth's "simply stylish" dress. right: old navy's "raw-hem jersey dress" in first kiss.
'nough said.

-plain, pull-over hoodies (boy i'm using a lot of hyphens).

jerzees quarter-zip style in forest
yeah, i know it's a man. it's unisex. whatever. i just want to wear these sweatshirts with skirts, tights, boots, and maybe a peacoat like this thing that was in Lucky (i tried to find it online but i couldn't).
as you might imagine, all of these things together would be quite expensive. but here's my back-to-school (or college, or just....new-year-in-september) shopping tip: go to value village, for heaven's sake. or goodwill, or any second-hand store you can. for rillz. also, if your birthday comes around the beginning of september (like meee*), you can usually score some goods.

*my birthday is august 18th. next wednesday. i'm turning...some age.

to romp or not to romp

Rompers have been in fashion for a while now. But I've never been sure whether I'm pro- or anti-romper, so I decided to do some research.

First off, here are some pros and cons that I can think of off the top of my head:

pros: -more comfortable than a dress (built in shorts, hello!)
-doesn't fly up!
-easier to show off your legs (if you're willing), as it's easier to wear in shorter lengths, due to the shorts.
cons: -may make you look like a toddler
-may cause unsightly camel toe (I would have linked a picture, but I thought it might be offensive).
-can be unflattering in general (fitting too snugly in the butt, make your torso look
out of proportion, etc.

But, let's get to the pictures. I did a lot of Google Image searches to find all these, so I can't credit all of them.

This first romper is from Dolce Vita, which I picked to show the evolution of rompers from high-fashion boutique to mainstream store.

I like the strapless/sweetheart cut, and the print (I don't want to say "tribal" because somehow it seems politically incorrect) is pretty but also versatile. You could wear it with something blue, grey, black, brown, etc. You know.

The next romper is from the Charlotte Ronson for JC Penney line, I ♥ Ronson. Usually the stuff in this line ranges from $20 to $60, so I think this romper is semi-affordable (although in my world, if it's not under $30, it ain't going in my shopping cart).

Again, teeny florals have been very in for a while now. The thicker straps also make this one more adaptable for fall, with maybe a long-sleeved dark shirt or a cardigan.

I think I should tell you all that I have a problem with wearing dresses and skirts in the summer. If I do wear either one, then I have to wear shorts underneath. I hate that sticky, sweaty feeling, but if you're wearing a romper, I think that this problem would be eliminated. But I digress.

Anyway, here's some styling things you can look at.


Yeah, I know it's Kourtney Kardashian. But she still dresses cute.

Yes! YES!!! I LOVE this! If I bought a romper, it would be like this one. Simple, cottony, plain. And those boots! That cardigan! If only I owned those things.

Well, it's 12:30 AM, and I have an orthodontist appointment tomorrow morning. But I have to tell you, that the ultimate way to rock (yeah, that's right, I said it) a romper is like this:

d'awwwwwww.
(p.s., is it not a little bit scary how fashionable this would be if they made it for adults? think about it.)

Put your big girl panties on and deal with it.

I am going off to college soon, and I was discussing dorm needs with my mother earlier. There are the obvious-- sheets, shower caddy, backpack, and so forth. There was one more thing:
"Mom," I said "I don't think Hanes 6-packs are going to cut it anymore. I'm going to be living with a new roommate, and my undergarments need to make a good impression. I think it's time I started wearing big girl panties."
To be honest with you, I've never found a truly satisfactory pair of underwear. They're all uncomfortable or boring or ugly or too big or too small or cut into my hips or have too much fabric in the back or too much elastic. To be honest with you, I don't quite know how to remedy the situation. I mean, everyone tells me a quality pair of underwear will be waiting for me at Victoria's Secret, but I am just not feeling like I want to pay fourteen dollars for three ounces of fabric, ya dig? Especially three ounces that say ADORABLE!!! or SASSYPANTSMCGEE or LOVE'N'KISSES on the butt.


Cosmo declared the thong dead recently (do you remember that?), but I'm not really that concerned with what that magazine has to say about my underwear. However, thongs do not seem fun. Nor do the "boyshorts" Cosmo is now trying to sell to me-- what if I want my underwear to stay outside of my body? Is that so much to ask?!
The thing that is really remarkable to me is the selection-- there are at least 3000 different kinds of basic cotton underwear, and then there is the incredible realm of foundation garments... it boggles the mind, really. I think it's very interesting that Spanx (is that what they're called? I think they must have assigned an intern to name this product.) are coming into vogue-- didn't we decide not to wear corsets a few years ago? The interesting thing is that they are marketed as a revolutionary new idea-- imagine! Undergarments that make you appear slimmer!
I guess I am mainly just confused. What underwear does a grown-up girl buy?

Some skinny pretty girl who likes to talk about bands

Today, I was going to go to their concert. Unfortunately, things didn't work out as planned, but I've got them on the brain. They are a very tricky wardrobe situation, because concerts can be quite taxing but are full of people who demand impressive clothing. And, of course, we can't ignore the possibility of serendipitously meeting the dishiest member of the band and then getting married to him or her. Or whatever. So what's a girl to do?

Here are the necessities for a really packed, impossibly hot and sweaty and moshy type of a concert:

1: Don't accessorize.

That's right, I said it. I once made the mistake of bringing a purse and a faux fur stole to a Modest Mouse concert, and I really wish I hadn't-- it's just an extra thing to carry around. Jewelry is okay, but only if it's very hearty, because you might lose it.

2: Wear tough-girl shoes.

I'm sure you can guess the specific kind I'm thinking of. Unless, of course, you want black and blue toenails and for one of your sandals to join the random shoes littered on the floor after the show.

3: Wear something cool.

Even if it's snowing outside, just think of how you'll feel once you're packed in a tiny subterranean room with 100000 sweaty bodies falling all over you.

4: Leave your hair down.

You know that fantastic post-concert hair, where it gets all wavy and disheveled, like you've been having sex on the beach? (at least, that's what I imagine it's like...) If your hair is up, it will end up all sorts of ridiculous, but leave it down and ready to be influenced, and you can start the next day with a Sharpie X on your hand, rings under your eyes, and a little bit of extra street cred.

5: Look really hip.

I know, I know, this goes against everything else I've said. But don't forget about the potential rock star encounter. *wink*

6: Wear earplugs.

Hearing stuff the next day is cool! Even if you look a little bit lame.

7: Bring an extra brassiere.

Or be willing to sacrifice the one you have on-- you'll want an undergarment to throw onstage, right?