Showing posts with label Inspiration Wall. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Inspiration Wall. Show all posts

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

My continuing conflict with footwear (alternately: A love letter to my Chacos)

As I discussed in my surprisingly detailed essay on boots, I have a complicated relationship with shoes. I love them, of course, but it's hard to find the right pair. Now that spring is nearly here (fingers crossed), I've been evaluating my shoes yet again: hashed pair of Top-Siders I wear nearly every day, aging Chacos dying to be worn again, black Keds that I can't give up, a few pairs of colorful flats. I need to change things up:
Clockwise from top right: ASOS bow flip-flops, Topshop canvas tie flats, Topshop peep toe flats, Chaco Local Ecotread, Sperry Top-Sider 2-Eye, Birkenstock Bali, Topshop straw woven sandals

I tend to wear my shoes, especially my summer shoes, to the bitter end. And I have a bizarre sense of brand loyalty once I find the right pair. You'll notice this little collage contains Top-Siders, Chacos, and Birkenstocks, all of which are brands I love and own/have owned before.

Since I bought my first pair of Chacos, you'll rarely find me in anything else during the summer. I'm anti-flip-flop, but a huge proponent of Chacs: wear them with jeans, wear them with dresses, wear them hiking... Call me granola all you want, but I love my Chacos. I've had them for nearly five years, though, and as hard as it is to say goodbye, it's time for a new pair. I'm thinking of making a change from the waterproof nylon straps to the similarly designed, but nicer leather straps. But oddly, I feel a bit weird about that: shouldn't the point be that I can rinse my Chacs off with a hose after I wear them to First Dam? Am I weirded out because the leather Chacs are more grown-up? Shouldn't the citizens of Cache Valley lobby for a more creatively-named dam system? And why do shoes always seem to bring out my more thoughtful side?

Will I buy the leather Chacos? Or will I remain comfortably strapped into my beloved college student, been-through-everything pair? Stay tuned to find out.

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

A semi-comprehensive catalogue of clothing similar to Bridgit Mendler's in Lemonade Mouth

Someone asked me for help in finding reasonable facsimiles of Bridgit Mendler's outfits in Lemonade Mouth, a style I admired a few days ago. Always willing to help (especially after work, when all I want to do is stare at the computer screen for awhile), I perused several "cheap chic" retailers (H&M, forever21, Urban Outfitters, and Topshop) and came up with the following:

Cooperative sweetheart neckline dress
$59 - urbanoutfitters.com
Forever21 empire waist dress
$16 - canada.forever21.com
H m cardigan
15 GBP - hm.com
TopShop knit cardigan
$64 - topshop.com
Forever21 crochet vest
$18 - forever21.com
TopShop full skirt
$70 - topshop.com
Forever21 stretchy bracelet
$6.80 - forever21.com
Forever21 stretchy bracelet
$6.80 - forever21.com
TopShop white bracelet
$25 - topshop.com
Heart shaped necklace
$17 - modcloth.com

Hope that helps some!
xoxo, Maren

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

A bit of mid-century for your mid-week blues

I'm a big fan of Casey's weekly Flickr favorites posts - she always finds pretty things to look at and be inspired by!  I thought it would be fun to show some of my own favorites that I've found recently:

Early 60s fashion illustrations: these come from a catalog called Rigas Modes and I'm totally in love with them.  I particularly love the lady with the fur-collared coat and awesome black hat!
Mademoiselle winter fashion 1957: of course the red coat is adorable, but check out the blue hooded cape!  Also, I want to hang out on a sleigh.
"The American Kitchen" ad, 1956: my mom is re-doing her kitchen - she's going to have similar creamy yellow cabinets, so I had to include this for her.
Pink record player: because I want one.
Aqua radio: because I love this awesomely mid-century color.

Thursday, December 2, 2010

An unexpectedly lengthy personal history of winter boots

This was a tourism poster for Germany in 1932.  But who wants to go there? 
So, Utah.  We've been known to brag that we have the "greatest snow on Earth".  Were I into winter sports, I might feel more loyal toward yon powdery peaks.  However, I am no skier and all this sickly slush is messing with my footwear situation.  Despite my 25 years of living in this state, I have no great love for winter boots (though I did once own some kick-a Minnie Mouse snow boots with a Minnie head on the zipper).

Attending Utah State required some kind of winter footwear and I felt an unnatural degree of disgust whenever I saw a girl walking about in a pair of Uggs*. Thus the only boots I own: a pair of super-puffy white moon boots that I wore every day to that wretched campus.  And I looked awesome (until I wore them so much they became less puffy).
Behold: the moon boots. 
My days of trudging along snowy campus sidewalks are far behind me and moon boots would look rather strange on a library employee.  But as I slushed about today in my Top-Siders, I realized I needed to set aside my distaste and sift through the boot category on Zappos.  And amid the gross booties and hardwear-heavy, high-heeled leather, I found a few gems:

Top row: cute white Wellies, pretty gray ankle boots with a cute oversized button, and navy suede chukkas (whatever that means).  Of this row, the grey boots are my favorite, mostly because I love the pearly-gray color.
Middle row: mid-calf leather boots with a cool wraparound zipper, gorgeous Frye riding boots that I'll never be able to afford and wouldn't be very warm anyway, and some cute ankle boots with a sweater cuff (probably the only pair I can see myself wearing on a daily basis).
Bottow row: These white Patagonia boots are basically a grown-up version of my moon boots and not at all practical, but I'm kind of in love.  They're at least three kinds of fabulous.  Next to them are some great Patagonia nature-girl boots.  And just because of brand loyalty, some Top-Sider booties, which claim to be waterproof as well as super-80s preppy.  Lastly, a pair of heeled boots that I like to imagine I would wear if I were a schoolteacher on Prince Edward Island and my name were Anne with an 'e'.
___________________________

*Uggs aren't even waterproof! They are made for surfers who don't want their feet scorched by the hot sand! Why are you wearing a Muppet on you feet if it's not even keeping them dry?! This is a rant you may have heard from me if you ever met me for lunch in the Hub during winter. 

Saturday, September 18, 2010

Late-summer pastels

click photo for larger view
It's been a warm September so far - I've been dying to pull out my sweaters, but it looks like I'll have to wait. In the meantime, please enjoy this gorgeous 1960s photo from My Vintage Vogue - I love the combination of gauzy white with a pastel embroidered cardigan. It looks very September to me: still very summery, but with a bit of fall thrown in.

Other pretty things are from Queens Wardrobe (lovely pleated-skirt dress and fab shoes) and Anthropologie (cute gathered skirt, gorgeous embroidered cardi, and adorable bow belt).

Saturday, August 28, 2010

Late September dreaming.

I'm looking forward to sweater weather - August is usually the time I start daydreaming of crisp autumn wind and multi-colored foliage. I'm working on a sweater right now (it'll be up on Ravelry soon!). In the meantime, enjoy these adorable sweaters, found in vintage '40s knitting patterns from Iva Rose. I love all the little bow accents on these sweaters! I also love the belted sweaters - especially the double-belted sweater on the bottom. It's such a cute, feminine look.

The pink shoes are a pair I missed out on, but I saved the listing because they are so inspiring to me. I think they're 60s, because they look kinda mod (my favorite!). They're just so simple yet so girly, which is my favorite style always!

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Inspiration Wall: Mary Quant

A few years ago, I did a presentation on "the mods" of 1960s London for my Modern British Literature class. Of everything I wrote, read, or presented in college, this was my very favorite assignment. I got to spend hours in the art book room, digging through gorgeous photo-books filled with pictures of the most stylish people ever.

I probably did a bit more research than necessary for a ten-minute presentation. I got to learn about all sorts of stylish mod designers, including the fantastic Mary Quant, the woman who popularized mini-skirts. Her aesthetic is very simple and tailored and completely gorgeous!

Monday, December 22, 2008

Inspiration Wall: Art Deco


And a few Etsy shops with some great Art Deco-style items:
Lulu Splender - beautiful vintage jewelry
Octavine Illustration - colorful prints in the spirit of an old Vogue cover
House of Telsa - really gorgeous flapper-style headpieces