I stumbled across this Vice article about 22 year old model Jazelle from the instagram account uglyworldwide. Have you seen it? There’s a compelling message conveyed through her photo library. She comes out full blown “ugly”, loud and proud. But I can’t help but wonder if being exceptionally beautiful affords her the privilege of going viral while looking “ugly”. But still, I like her. She talks about having a rough childhood, growing up in Detroit, and learning to not care about what others think. There are dark undertones of depression in her photos as well, some I found disturbing. It got me thinking about how intentionally looking “ugly” is empowering, especially for a young woman who probably got noticed a lot for her striking “beauty”. She used to dress “normal” and didn’t start experimenting with make up until her teenage years, but eventually shaved off her eye brows, shaved her head, and expressed herself powerfully through make up and clothes. All eyes have always been on her, but at least now, it’s on her terms.
Been thinking about dresses (in theory) a lot lately and was struck by all the beautiful dresses in the new Rodarte 2018 spring/summer line. A lot of them would make really pretty wedding dresses, especially toward the end of the show here.
I’ve been window shopping for a new apartment in my old neighborhood of Echo Park Los Angeles and have been thinking long and hard about the aesthetics of my next home. Wabi Sabi really appeals to my sensibilities. Above is an example of a Wabi Sabi vase. I’ve been listening to “In Praise of Shadows” to get a better sense of this design philosophy. It’s a short book, more like an essay, written decades ago by a Japanese novelist, Tanizaki. He basically sounds like an old man grumbling about how modernization was ruining the traditional aesthetics in Japan at that time. The essay isn’t directly about wabi sabi, but I think it carries a lot of its ethos in its imagery. I think wabi sabi can teach us how to see beauty in the aging process and how to honor our own imperfections. I’m starting to worry that I will become extremely distressed about aging in the future, so I’ve been looking to Buddhist teachings to prepare myself early.
2017 flew by, didn’t it? Actually for me, I’m grateful to say that this year felt a little bit slower than previous years.
I keep a bookmarks folder in my google chrome with random links I stumble across that I want to share with you guys and whenever I reach at least 3 links, I’ll put out a post like this one.
This year I missed out on the MOMA Is Fashion Modern? show, but probably better is this video tour of the exhibit by MOMA’s curator Paola Antonelli here. You must also check out all the videos in MOMA’s series Fashion as Design, here. The video on Levi’s vintage denim and on the lifecycle of clothes were my favorites.
I’ve been interested in learning more about skincare ingredients lately and found a youtube channel by dermatologist Dr. Dray. I especially like this video where she kind of goes undercover into CVS and teaches you how to shop smart for skincare products. In addition to sunscreen, she’s a big proponent of niacinamide and ceramides, but feels topical vitamin C is probably not worth the hype.
And finally you all know how much I’ve been obsessing over the HOPP studio shoes ever since I heard about them a few months ago. After agonizing over if and what I should buy, I went with the super practical essential oxfords in black nubuck (pictured above). There’s an executive level professional at my job who wears a pair of HOPP shoes at work. When I look at her, I think “modern power woman”. This marketing video / testimonial about the essential oxfords sealed the deal for me:
I agree with what she says about the “sexy” look as feeling very cheesy. It’s so refreshing to hear this!
In addition to the HOPP shoes, I added a few more things to my wardrobe: the carpenter pants by Black Crane and a pair of Lemaire twisted pants. Right out of the box I fell in love with them but they are getting tailored right now so I won’t be able to post a proper review until after Wednesday. I also bought a lounge bra from ThirdLoveto wear around the house and for low impact work outs. My Patagonia heavy duty sports bra is a bit too constricting (great for running) but as my dermatologist friend Joy (hi Joy!) confirmed, it was making my chest break out with folliculitis from all the compression and sweat build up. A while back I ordered the Elizabeth Suzann Harper tunic but it’s taken ES a long time to make it, but that’s OK. According to ES, all the employees got 10 paid days off this week (and that’s good!), so the Harper will have to wait til 2018. Looking forward to it so much! I’d been stalking that piece for over a year already!
This New Year’s Eve we’ve decided to stay cozy at home. Going out for NYE in NYC is always such a hassle and disappointment. Today I’ve been busy making smoothies, cooking, and will probably split a bottle of wine with the BF later while we watch the ball drop. This year has been a good year for this blog. I’ve been able to post more because I try to stick to writing ‘organically’, in a non-fussy way, about my interests in getting dressed, clothes, design, and other random things. It’s a lot of fun. Please, if you don’t already have a blog, and share similar interests, please create one so I can follow you! 👩🏻💻
I took a picture of my pre-owned SAS Siesta work shoes while waiting for the subway on my way home today. These shoes are arguably really ugly, but there’s something unconventionally charming about them. I’ve found myself reaching for them daily ever since it got cold in New York.
Here’s what I love about them:
They’re comfortable for long periods of standing at work.
They make me look taller without feeling like I’m wearing heels. (SAS makes taller versions as well).
It’s top to bottom black, even the metal shoelace holes and stitching are black.
They are great for autumn weather and rain. No need to buy a separate pair of rain shoes if you have an umbrella for downpours.
They come in a gazillion width sizes. (These are “slim” or extra narrow!)
And you can find pre-owned versions all over the internet for less than $30, although they are worth a lot more ($130)! I got mine on eBay for $26.
The design has been around for decades so you know you’re getting something tried and true and can replace them easily when they wear out. Plus they are still handmade in America.
They make your feet look two sizes smaller and hug your feet (unlike Danskos which were always too wide and clunky for me)
And lastly, they’re humble and smart looking, and go with literally everything I wear to work. Socks that peak out look fine with my more cropped trousers, at the expense of looking like the nerd that I am (something I embrace wholeheartedly).
Maybe I should sit down for all outfit posts? I re-arranged furniture in my living room again this weekend (no surprise!). After rearranging things like 10 times, I think finally, the layout is right. The space feels open and airy. Good feng shui all around. My money tree is nice and happy in that corner soaking up sun. In the all the rearranging though, I lost my white wall for outfit posts, so you’ll be seeing me with different backgrounds from now on.
I found a great deal on a pair of like-new oliver oxfords from Nisolo this week. I was stalking these shoes for a while in preparation for fall/winter. I thought a simple classic oxford that could be worn with socks for the fall and winter would be nice. And had heard that Nisolo makes comfortable soles, which is surprising given how thin they look on the outside. There’s quite a bit of cushion in the toe box and a strip of raised leather along the arch as well.
I ventured for a half size up, which makes the shoes a little roomy for thick socks in the winter time. With regular socks, my narrow feet swim around in them a bit so I’ll have to put sticky arch inserts to fill them out. I’ve been using these leather stick on arch inserts from Amazon. They really stay put and don’t look ugly.
The rest of this outfit feels relaxed. I’ve been pairing linen pants with linen tops a lot lately, mainly because its been hot and humid here in NY. I think socks that are a shade lighter than the color of your shoes looks good. I found these socks made out of re-used yarn at Muji. They come in lots of different colors. I like their socks because they have a 90 degree angle at the heel so there’s less fabric to bunch up at your ankles. It’s a minor detail, but I love thoughtful little details like that in the design of clothes.
Anyone know what they want to dress up as for Halloween? This year I think I’m going to go for something happy and cheerful. The world is already a pretty scary place as it is.
I had 5 Everlane credits to use. Not sure how I got credits but I decided to do some economical shopping this week by using credits on an already budget friendly shopping list. Continue reading “outfit: Finally, a hit.”→
Dr. it girl 