Inspiration

I was recently asked to describe my style without comparing myself to a particular brand or celebrity. This flummoxed my mind and still weighs heavily on me now (my answer at the time was ‘If Lucille Ball and Johnny Rotton/Ramone had a love child at Woodstock”) However, after much pondering, I think I’ve managed to figure out a statement that describes me perfectly – Pattie Boyd as Meg Ryan’s character from You’ve Got Mail walking my dog, in England, before she hitchhikes out to a punk concert in a van full of hippies. Whaddya think? Confused? Me too.

Well, let me try to explain. For those of you not in the know, my Maggie is a purebred Clumber Spaniel (she’s sitting next to me, panting and eating baby carrots with me as I type this). Adorable? Yes. Useless? Even more so. They’re the type of dog that the British nobility keeps around because they are so dang cute and esoteric. Now, I am not nearly classy enough to own such a blue-blooded dog, so therefore I imagine I look like the hired help when I take her out everyday.

So I took the idea a little further, and here I am with some pictures I found that kind of extended this theme (these also gave me some ideas as to what to wear to the Kooks concert this past Wednesday. It was divine! I touched Luke’s hand and groped his thigh! I was also pretty much front row center, AND I made friends with a hot concert photographer. Talk about best night of my life!) On top of what my dog has inspired, I’m also pretty obsessed with the early London punk scene, but also with the Woodstock era too. To get even more contrary, I think the primness of Meg Ryan’s pressed blouses and wool jumpers in You’ve Got Mail (aka best romantic comedy of all time) is really subversely sexy. Phew.

So here goes:

God, what can’t Chloe make cool? Aside from A.P.C and maybe a few others, the Chloe brand is one of my favorites, simply for making pieces exactly like this one. It’s funky, it looks like a shift I might have stolen out of my grandmother’s closet (In my family that’s a good thing; my g-ma has the most incredible collection of Pucci scarves and Chanel flats that you will ever see) but at the same time, it’s incredibly modern. I want it now!

The above is very what I’d wear if I was a size two. It’s also the type of outfit that Maggie would ruin between the fistfulls of white hair she sheds and the drool she gives away freely. She does, however, approve of the shitkickers.

 

I think this outfit really successfully combines the secretary look with the schoolgirl look without losing its preciousness or sexiness. I don’t dig the haircut/glasses combo, though.

 

 

 I thought the above Jovovich-Hawk was fantastic – retro print and prissiness that could be so gorgeous if I toughed it up with a leather motorcycle jacket or something. Maybe combat boots or Doc Martins too?

I’ve had enough of torturing myself for one day; it’s time to go be boring and watch V for Vendetta yet again. I suppose I could keep going with this inspiration thing, but I wouldn’t want to bore you, or even worse, bore myself.

-A