tweed ladies

mara and i were in synch again today, both rocking tweed jackets. i guess a customer said to mara, while i was at lunch, that her pants looked like cows. (ooh! so not polite!) i think she looks great -- not glam or sexy, but eclectic and chic.

my look isn't anything remarkable, but all the elements are ...nicer: cashmere-blend jacket*, rag and bone button-down, current/elliott cords. the necklace belongs to the store -- it's concrete and gold, by hadas shaham. i can't afford it, but it's superb.



 *oh gosh, it's juicy couture, but you don't have to tell anyone that. it's well-made, okay? and it was on clearance.

fashion eagle

starting before 11a, today was spent styling and sketching. i pulled outfits, played with my hair and makeup, held poses. 'shua worked the floor, ran down his lead, and stretched his watercolors.

kyra stopped by around 2 to drink tea and document our progress. these are some of her shots.

(sorry, my apartment doesn't belong on the Selby.)

zac posen dress, gucci heels

lisa fonssagrives shout-out!

vintage cape, cons, tattered stockings

noah snapped my rings w his sweet instamax 

hard pose. no yoga

we warmed up with pencils, but moved onto watercolors. here's a sneak peek!

at the beginning of our session, i could only hold a shape, even a simple one, for about 12 minutes. as the day wore on, i lengthened my endurance to nearly 45 minutes. heels didn't pose a problem. (pun!)

i intend to use the photographs to try my own hand at fashion illustration. nothing i do would come out as proficient and accurate as 'Shua's renderings, but looking cartoony is alright.

around 8p, we broke to order italian and catch up on the latest in couture. one thing we might do in tandem, next time, is work in parallel on runway journalism. we also spent some time discussing richard haines.

really good day. totally looking forward to the next collaboration.

creature feature 2

introducing noah, a well-dressed young man, and my roommate:

pendleton sweater, gift az --> ng
leather satchel, gift rp --> ng

curls get the girls

start the new year right, note the tie bar

noah's style has come a long way in the last two years, but there was a spark early on. he's always had an eye for color and fresh kicks. touchable hair has long been part of the scheme. above all, it's his sense of humor and game attitude that make noah a true class act.

hot dog

twice the plaid, twice the pleasure

a couple years ago, i sent noah a gift subscription to GQ, sensing that he was looking for a little guidance in the outfit arena. since i was across the country, we couldn't properly hunt for pieces to incorporate into his wardrobe, or discuss lapel widths and pattern-mixing. probably the biggest change that has come about since 2009 is improved fit and tailoring. there are more cardigans and ties involved.

time out chicago thought we were stars
his hair hasn't gone funky, that is my coonskin cap

noah's hair has also benefitted, thanks to his stylist/stylish girlfriend rita

this post is in no way the last time you will see noah. i expect his sartorial evolution to continue -- it's sort of become a group project. i always keep him in mind when i'm out shopping. my handsome, superfun guy friend makes for good arm candy, and he can cut a rug. sometimes noah is my cameraman, and sometimes he helps me decide which shoes work. sometimes he even shares his pizza with me.

style otter and fashion eagle

my friend 'Shua and i are discussing a blog collaboration where the focus Really Is fashion illustration,. i'll be the model and stylist and he will draw me.

i know it sounds really vain, but it was his idea, because he wants to practice drawing more from a live figure and he likes how i dress, and my enthusiasm is in the right place.

here are two preliminary sketches, ones that you might recognize from two of last year's entries:

i think there will definitely be some challenges to this project -- for example, coming up with a name for our joint blog -- and i also want to contribute drawings. time itself might be the hardest thing to come by, since we live far apart from each other and work conflicting schedules and there's so much to get distracted by in chicago. however, it's a really appealing idea. my vanity is way into it. it's also great to talk about illustration and fashion with somebody who geeks over it like i do.

'Shua, of course, has his own website already, which is worth checking out: joshcrow

limes

saw this simple 3.1 phillip lim dress in a couple luxury web stores. it was deeply discounted, but not in my size. it was in his f/w2011 runway, but shown so oversized as to be bufu -- and i love me some slouchiness in proportion play.


now i'm hunting it on ebay, even though i'm a little like "i could sew that." i could also make some alterations, like not include the weird framing detail on the shoulders. however, i like that the material is wool crepe and that color is wonderful. could i find that at vogue, or at the funky fabric closeout place near my house?


other appreciable aspects: body-skimming, not tight. leggy in the front. asymmetrical, but not to the extent that it will look dated. clean. a little flirty and nerdy.


if i don't win it with my fairly conservative bid, i will have to make it myself, or perhaps several versions, if i can figure out a good pattern.

his girl thursday

for going out tonight with mr. lab rat. the lineup:

1. honky tonk for barbeque and live music

2. noizeriot

3. beauty bar

4. dusty grooves

looking a little manly, despite my marcelled waves. feeling a little aggro.

the booth at BB takes cards. genius.

lemons

this jacket gave me love at first sight. i had to go back to H&M twice more before i committed to it -- because that is a lot of color -- but i think it's super fun. the cut is very clean, which balances the vibrant hue.

color-blocking is the natural route. i feel this will work with black or white, as per my usual dress, but i've been craving brights, since the city has become so bleak. the first look, with fuschia suede loafers, was the test run. when i actually went out for sushi and drinks, i did blue leather vintage pumps. they seemed to work, in terms of a visual rhyme.

part of the night was spent with my lime knit cap, but mostly i let the iridescent jeweled barrette sparkle. seamed trousers are Maison Martin Margiela. a little brown eyeliner only. no one accused me of man-repelling.

my favorite lamon. at innertown.

1/18

team ACK!

the turnout for the Underground Dollar Store was really good. some of my favorite people came by to show support. including:

my mom

lamon

dave

janet

alex

doers and makers and shopgirls, team ACK
(da boda dem be wearing scarves they got from me!)

thanks glitterguts for putting on such a keen event! don't know about all the other vendors, but i earned over twice what i would have made in a regular day of work, and in only a handful of hours. plus my closet can breathe a little. vintage and contemporary clothing sold well, as did jewelry and accessories. (embroidered handkerchiefs did not move at all. in this season. go figure.) cassandra brought small crafts, jewelry, and a variety of phenomenally fresh scones. (srsly, she had were repeat customers.) kyra had second-hand clothes, some housewares, and prints. i would certainly do this again, and i hope everyone involved feels the same way. 

needlepoint

what i'm working on for the glitterguts 4th anniversary Underground Dollar Store. there will be things for sale besides these, like vintage clothing and paperback novels, plus whatever kyra and cassandra contribute.

handkerchiefs embroidered with the word "blow." cheeky? in cursive, a range of colors. i'm only charging $3 per, which is hardly more than they cost at nordstrom rack, plain. i am not paying myself for time, because i consider this play and practice.

not for sale. an example of what i could do. this one is custom for my bestie, eric lab rat.

he is mr. glitterguts. eric gets a lot of the credit for the fun that happens in my life.

also custom, for my friend nathan. i would like to do more monograms and designs. plotting a harmonious arrangement takes more time than the actual execution. i would probably just charge $5 if i was doing an on-site embroidery order, because who knows how well it would turn out.

the underground dollar store

this is an event i'm doing this coming weekend!

kyra and cassandra are also working this event, but because the flyer was made so early on, their names aren't on it. i wouldn't even want my name on it, and not so prominently for sure, because that's a lot of pressure. there aren't any that say "remote viewer project." sigh.

i will be selling vintage clothes, books, tiny paintings, embroidery, zines, stationery and baked goods. just like a bougie shop! hope it all goes well, since i gave up a day of work to do this.