I gave myself two conditions; each outfit had to draw some of its inspiration from a film, and every single piece in each outfit had to come from a sustainable label: that meant, for example, that coats needed to be from designers who used sustainably harvested wool and also remind me of Jean Seberg in Breathless. Not an easy task. Things like dresses made of soy or bamboo, recycled wool or leather, fairly sourced materials, etc. I discovered after my research for these collages that there are already a considerable number of designers choosing to be thoughtful in every aspect of their clothing–from its shape to its sources. Sustainable design no longer has to be associated with skirts that rot in your closet, yay! The film part is less noble; I love film and love the way in which a good article of clothing can have character already inscribed in it.
This is an outfit for the girl who is always late for her university classes, and so frequently has to run around campus. Thus, the Adidas Originals Steeple in Suede (US$70, Zappos), in a colour that is both attractive and hides sludge quite well. Jeans are essential for university, but skinny jeans are evil; in contrast, slouch jeans are wonderful (but expensive at US$180, Seven For All Mankind from Shopbop.com). I love Coexist’s Lilac Fingerprint tee because I am still six years old in my head, and think drawing a tree-trunk on a fingerprint is cute (on sale, US$44.99 Bluefly.com). Then, because university students are poor and this outfit required expensive jeans, we have the lovely Target “hip-length coat”, US$34.99. The scarf is there because the colour cheers the impoverished university girl, and because I live so far from campus that it’s always cold when I have to get up (Muji, Alpaca Wool, but apparently no longer for sale on their site). Finally, the sexy pearl earrings distract people from how flushed and red you are from running across campus between every class (US$24 from Pearls Only Online).
This would just be a chic kind of girl-about-town look for walking to the coffee shop or something. Although the coffee shop I currently walk to is pretty much infested with peevish goth people who look older than I am (e.g. too old to be goth either seriously OR ironically anymore).
Start with some Gap pants because I need to throw in something realistic here and these actually have a lovely cut and nice material. Toss them on over your super-slick Ecco walking boots, gorgeous, but also something I could actually walk in (a bonus!). Add a lovely ethereal Anthro top just because I have been coveting it. And top it off with this fabulous DVF coat because everyone needs something fabulous from DVF. But with those short sleeves, you can add a fancy cuff to show off. And a snazzy orange bag because we were getting a bit on the monochrome side here and that bag is awesome (also from Anthro).
This outfit is of a girl with a few secrets. She has a tough exterior but is dainty inside. She would never let people know she is sad. The headband hints at her secretly pretending she is a fairy princess in her garden. I imagine she’d have a casual messy bun and would add the headband for a dramatic flair.
The dress is girlish and reminds her of when she was little girl. She feels feminine and dainty in it. It is layered under the grey tee, with a leather hoodie over it. She likes the hoodie because it makes her feel strong. She wears the white tights because she is self conscious of the scars on her legs and flats because they are comfortable and she feels secure in them. The bag carries all her belongings as she goes through the day. She dresses the way she does not only to feel and look good, but because the clothes lift her spirits. All those layers make her feel protected.
Not a collage, but off the hook nevertheless. Vintage Valentino blouse worn as a kimono dress, cinched at the waist with a black ribbon from a trench coat. Top it off with Chinese Laundry metallic pink strappy heels, and I do believe it to be the hottest outfit in all of Maryland. Maybe even the world.
This outfit is designed for a relaxing weekend in San Francisco. Brunch at Foreign Cinema or Tangerine followed by shopping for clothes, antiques and vintage finds on Valencia Street. Maybe a movie or a trip to the de Young in the afternoon. The outfit is comfortable but stylish, perfect for anything the weekend has to offer.
My outfit was inspired by my daily hoping, waiting, and praying for the arrival of Spring. I love this J. Crew dress for Spring, but it almost too sweet on its own. I paired it with the Chanel gladiator sandals to make a it a little edgier. (These sandals are rather dominatrix in the black or silver, but so sexy in the beige.) The jewelry and accessories are mostly gold and pearl. It may be hard to see, but the sunglasses are actually pearl colored as well. The cuff offers a spot of bright color, picking up the more subtle blue in the dress, and goes especially well with the sandals. The pink panel in the collage is actually a feather-weight cashmere wrap. Lovely, but hopefully it will soon be warm enough to keep the wrap in the bag!
