Grace Kelly

I went to see Rear Window at a local art gallery yesterday and even though I've seen that film multiple times, Grace Kelly's wardrobe (and her performance, of course) stuns me. The first dress that she is seen in completely floors me every time. The way she just twirls around in that HUGE skirt, she just seems to float everywhere. It amazes me.

And they even made a pattern at McCall's!

''Fashion Smoking"

I hadn't planned on posting today, but I came across something that made me really MAD and I need to rant about it. Apparently Yves Saint Laurent sells cigarettes. I guess I'm relatively new to this concept and a lot of the fashion houses sell them as well.

But am I the only one having a WTF moment here??

I know that I'm not the only one who gets pissed at the amount of what I call “Fashion Smoking.” You know, this...

These pictures pop up on my tumblr dashboard all the time. If you have grungey fashion, you smoke (cue Violetta E. Don't even get me started on that...).

  

If you have super classy fashion, you smoke. Nearly all fashion shots that use cigarettes have a black and white feel. Why?

  

They're going for a nostalgic quality. I've studied enough film noir to know that they were all chain smokers. The 50s Hollywood stars were the epitome of classic style and fashion still clings to them for that. But they're forgetting something there... IT WAS THE 1950s. They chain smoked because they didn't know any better. They didn't have years of research and studies telling them that their cigarettes were tarring up their lungs and giving them some super cool wrinkles.  

I thought fashion was supposed to sell us beauty. They sell us anti-aging creams and dresses that are cut as flatteringly as possible to hide our "flaws." So why cigarettes? Why sell something that will intentionally age us?

Their marketing here is strategic. They're giving the box their label, so of course label-lovers will buy it (Who wouldn't buy $44 cigs? It's totally worth it as long as someone sees the wacking big YSL logo on the box). As I clicked the notes for this particular pic, I saw comments like “I'd smoke one of those, they're classy.” Yup, way to market to 14 year olds.

Thumbs up, high fashion cigs. Have fun with your winkles and smoker's cough.

Chanel Documentary

Today I watched Signe Chanel, a 5-part documentary produced by Sundance, which was suggested by my fashion history teacher. The episodes document a collection at Chanel, beginning to end. I watched it through youtube and it was literally being taken down because of copyright AS I was watching it. I was going to link it here, but now the whole thing is gone. Boohoo.

Once I started watching, I was glued to my computer all evening. I seriously gasped out loud when they showed Karl Lagerfeld at work in his home. Papers and sketches everywhere in a huge room with lovely, white molded ceilings. C'était trop Français. I loved the scenes where the seamstresses are deciphering his writing and ideas when sketches are handed off. Also the whole building whiggs out when Karl arrives, all calling each other's phone extensions saying he has arrived, the seamstresses change into suit jackets when he gets there. The 75 year old lady who makes braid in the third episode is absolutely adorable. I would braid with her on her horse farm any day. And then I got to the 4th episode and it was taken down. Here's the whopping two screen caps I managed to take.

OUTFIT V

zippy: Urban Outfitters

top: Gap

shorts: somewhere... DIY lace

oxfords: Buffalo Exchange

Syracuse Pride Pumpkin Suit

On Saturday, I experienced my first bit of grad school spirit at a football game. We got to the game super early and scored front row seats in the student section. I expected rowdy Syracuse fans in ridiculous outfits and some people did not disappoint. There were orange wigs, some body paint, headbands galore... but I made this tremendous find just down the row from me.

Look at this fabulous orange suit. He even has an orange tie AND orange sunglasses. My only complaint is that his pants need hemming. Gimme dat please, I can fix for you. And the shoes choice is a little off. Granted, it is a football game... but if you're going to wear this, at least complete your whole ensemble. Some patent tangerine shoes would have been smashing, no?

The owner at Mr. Tux would just die if he saw this. And I guarantee he could sell it to some poor prom kid who thinks he's being flashy for not wearing black. We have one super ugly sparkly navy blue tux and also a purple one that my boss always manages to rent out every year. It amazes me.

(Btw, I just labeled this under "fashion" and "football." How often does those two words coincide?)