Transitioning to Spring: A Formula

by Maria 

Nothing quite like Polar Vortex II: Return of the Polar Vortex to get me thinking about my early Springtime aesthetic. If my spending habits were as carefully curated as my virtual moodboards, this is the precise sartorial formula I'd have to show for it: 

20% 1980s supermodel (with about 90% of that 20% being Monica Bellucci) 

January 10th in History and What You Should Wear About It

by Maria 

49 BCE

Julius Caesar marches his 13th Legion across the Rubicon from Cisalpine Gaul into Italy, signaling the start of the Great Roman Civil War. So dice earrings. A wrap sweater AND a wrap skirt. Those deep muted jewel tones on that Roland Mouret skirt seem to have been carefully chosen with such a power play in mind. Military coat. This ensemble is best paired with a soiree you're certain that guy who wasn't quite your boyfriend but managed to keep you in the dark for too long will also be attending. Et tu, sorry what was your name again? 

1810

Napoleon, desperate for an heir, divorces his beloved Joséphine. The ceremony was a grand affair, with both swearing they'll totally still be friends.  Channel the fallen Empress and dig that empire waist frock out of a dark corner of your wardrobe. Remember the empire waist? Brave polar vortex 2.0 with your most opulent yet functional coat. Give your low heels a last hurrah. 

1927 

Fritz Lang's science fiction film Metropolis is released in Weimar Germany. A long structured waistcoat evokes Italian futurism and flared cerulean leather trousers scream German expressionism. Read up on both movements in relation to the film and era and use liberally as buzzwords. Best if worn to "some performance art thing, idk." Just go. I bet they have craft cocktails. 

Be nice, have fun, don't drink and drive. Or text and drive. Or drink and text. Happy Saturday! 

Top 7 Films on my To-Watch-List & the Art of the Pre-Award Season Cram Session

by Maria

I could not tell you the last time I went to the theater to see a movie. For a preteen or adolescent of the early aughts, East Louisville's Cinemark Tinseltown was the place to be at 8:30pm on a Saturday. But times have changed, teenagers have changed, I've changed, and everyone who's anyone has Netflix. When I entered my late teen years and loitering in the multiplex parking lot fell out of vogue, I began to regard myself somewhat of a (pseudo-)intellectual and seasoned film buff and nothing at all was lost. Only in the last few years have I completely fallen out of touch with modern cinema. The impending award season serves as a stark reminder of just how fundamentally uncool I've become.

The annual sense of panic triggered by the announcement of Golden Globes inspired me to create a system in years past, in which I prioritize and binge-watch as many critically acclaimed motion pictures as humanly possible before one gilded statue is given to Daniel Day Lewis again. Of all the films or performances with nominations I've only had the pleasure of seeing The Grand Budapest Hotel, The Theory of Everything, and Gone Girl, all three of which I enjoyed. The next seven on my list are under the cut.

Saturated Primary Colors vs. Soft Muted Neutrals: An Early Springtime Dilemma

by Maria

I've always been inclined toward black on black on black no matter the season, but lately I've come to embrace browns and navies. In the season to come, I'd like to push myself even further. The extremist in me wants to dive headfirst into a Bauhaus wet dream with ultra-saturated yellows, cobalts, vermillions. Another side longs to be a soft, approachable Olivia Pope circa 1983 in the Hamptons, probably. 

Can it be both? Would combining elements from the two cheapen the effect of each? 

Three Places I've Lived, Why You Should Visit, and What to Do When You Do

by Maria 

I've spent my 22 years between predominantly Catholic cities with famous drinking cultures and have mostly lived to tell the tale.

1. New Orleans, LA, USA (NU OR-ləns) 

I called New Orleans home from 2011 to 2013. If you know anything about the city beyond red beans and rice and the devastating Hurricane Katrina, I probably don't need to drive the point home any further that New Orleans is so much more than Bourbon Street. The culture is so unique that assimilation becomes difficult for those unfamiliar, and I'm certain that's part of it's allure. I'm not making an argument that Bourbon Street isn't worth a stroll (with closed toed shoes, trust). I'm not saying Mardi Gras doesn't earn its reputation. I'm certainly not making any unique assessment of the city, as New Orleans has been a darling of travel writers and food bloggers for as long as I can remember. But if you do pay a visit, I'd like to give you a jumping off point.

When you think of New Orleans, the ancient electric streetcars screeching up and down St. Charles and Canal probably quickly come to mind. They're horribly inefficient, often crowded with a combination of elderly tourist groups and locals with armfuls of groceries, but inexpensive and undeniably safer than driving after a few drinks. I'd absolutely recommend using them. 

A Very Special Drunk Tuesday: 2014 in Review

As year 2014 draws to a close, we've recapped ours for you. 

Cori 

Favorite place visited in 2014? 

A really beautiful graveyard in Charleston, South Carolina. I realize how creepy that sounds.

Favorite purchase? 

One Teaspoon overalls. I'm so happy these are cool again.

Best thing you read? 

On The Road by Jack Kerouac

Best thing you drank? 

Spiked apple cider made by one of my dear roommates.

Describe 2014 in only three words: 

Too. Many. Selfies.

Danielle 

Favorite place visited in 2014? 

Lisbon, Portugal

Favorite purchase? 

Plane tickets for the boyfriend to visit me in California (okay technically I exchanged air miles for these and not actual money). Also, these sushi socks.

Best thing you read? 

You Get So Alone at Times by Charles Bukowski, always. (He's my problematic fave.)

Best thing you drank? 

The giant 21-year old bottle of wine I got as a birthday gift from my dad last August.

Describe 2014 in only three words: 

Ch-ch-changes (Can we count that as three?)

Maria 

Favorite place visited in 2014? 

Snowy mountainy northern New Mexico 

Favorite purchase? 

A plane ticket to Portland, OR to watch FC Bayern Munich play this summer and these boots from Zara, probably. 

Best thing you read? 

Confederates in the Attic was endlessly fascinating. And the How to be Parisian book. 

Best thing you drank? 

Happy hour pencil skirt margaritas after many long summer days as an unpaid museum intern. 

Describe 2014 in only three words: 

Goodbye dry spell

A Perpetual Catholic School Girl's Take on New Years Resolutions

by Maria 

Has it already been a year since we vowed to implement a new all-natural skincare routine, to have the most organized Spring semester yet, to start writing that novella? Let's spare ourselves some disappointment in 2015 and take a page out of the Catholic guide to aiming low. I've been attending Catholic schools since 1998. Primary schools, single-sex high schools, two Catholic Universities, even a brief flirtation with Jesuits. Between Louisville and New Orleans, I've only lived in overwhelmingly Catholic communities that have provided me with countless unique lessons in pragmatism. Always befriend the nuns. A little leg stubble keeps the navy blue crew socks over the ankle and insures avoidance of wardrobe violations. Give up nail-biting for lent when you've never so much as gnawed off a hangnail. I have a 22 year degree in narrowly sidestepping Catholic guilt and feel the call to evangelize.

Set yourself up for success in the New Year. Resolve to drink more coffee. To make more thirsty instagram comments. To buy more books that you don't intend to read but look fabulous on your end table. Let's each channel our inner Catholic School Girl Forty Days Before Easter Sunday and pick something doable this time. You're welcome.

Five Outfits for Five Christmases

by Maria 

1. This Christmas, it's just you, Mom, and Dad. Everyone else seemed to have their own plans, or perhaps it's always been just the three of you. You'll probably end up at midnight mass or one of those nativity pageants with live camels and donkeys at your local megachurch depending on your religious affiliations. Cords are generally foolproof. Heeled boots are equal parts fancy and conducive to frequent sitting and standing if it's mass and walking form the stadium-sized parking lot if its the pageant. A fur headband is just a cossack hat gateway drug but Mom might side-eye this one a little less. Military outerwear because you'd have rather gone to see The Nutcracker but were overruled. 

2. You're attending the same extended family Christmas in small town hell that you've rejected since your terrible twos. Prepare for lectures from Grandma about the True Meaning of Christmas poorly planned gift exchange games. Wear a blazer to remind everyone you're an adult but flats and distressed jeans because you're still fun and cool. Yes, you have to listen to your racist uncle's annual tirade but there are babies and probably a dog or two you get to play with as a consolation prize for maintaining the peace. 

3. A new significant other invited you to spend the holidays with his family and you are most certainly neither Christian nor Not Religious But Spiritual person that still buys a tree and bakes sugar cookies each year. I wouldn't overdo it with an theme-party quality ugly Christmas sweater or gratuitous red and green. I'd keep it conservative with a crew-neck sweater in a muted jewel tone and a skirt that goes at least to the knee. Low heels. Peacoat. A sense of humor. I believe in you. 

4. For whatever reason, you either couldn't or chose not to return to your hometown for the holidays. Instead, you and the few friends who have also stayed behind put on a celebration of your own. Alternatively known as Friendsgiving's edgier sister, or the guilt-trip Christmas. This is where you take the sartorial risks. Clashing colors. Crop tops. Lucky, lucky you. 

5. You're a newly settled, well-established, bonafide adult and deeply regret your decision to host family Christmas for the first time. A brand new apron, obviously. Sleeveless dress because you're going to get hot with all of that cooking and running about. A cardigan for when you can sit for long enough to cool down and remember it is indeed December. 

However you do or don't celebrate, we hope you do it happily and safely. 

A Simple Winter Skincare Routine + How To Wear No Makeup

by Maria 

Admittedly, I've been blessed with fairly clear skin. I deal with a few minor blemishes and breakouts every few weeks, but have never dealt with any severe skin problems. I have combination skin that dries out quite a bit in the winter, and have recently fallen in to a pretty simple, effective routine. 

The only products I use daily are witch hazel (a natural astringent, any brand will do, buy literally the cheapest one from the nearest drugstore), Egyptian Magic as an all-purpose sort of moisturizer, and original Noxzema Cream Cleanser. 

I cleanse with the witch hazel (and a cotton ball/pad) and moisturize with the Egyptian Magic when I wake up and before I go to bed. I usually bathe in the middle of the day (after class and before whatever I'm doing that evening) and cleanse with the Noxzema. I'll moisturize again after bathing. 

This certainly works for me as well as anything could, but nothing will prevent occasional breakouts if you're prone to them. That's nature. That's life. And I know it's difficult, but when you're having the Worst Skin Day Ever I'd absolutely recommend simply sticking to this routine (or whatever has proven effective for you) and forgo makeup altogether. I know. I know. You'll feel uncomfortable and self-conscious and a whole lot of other negative emotions the first few times you do it but you won't regret it when your skin clears up in half the time. 

I'd also recommend that you dONT TOUCH YOUR FACE throughout the ordeal and draw as much attention to your eyebrows as possible. Mascara is fine too. Keep your outfit fashionable but sleek and simple. Wear a cozy sweater you absolutely love. It'll all be over soon. No one will notice.

What Your Favorite Mid-2000s Celebrity Fragrance Says About You

by Maria

Let's engage in a bit of short-term nostalgia and give the most recent past decade credit for being the uncontested golden age of celebrity fragrance. Did you own one? A few? Sniff a sample at the mall and beg your mom to buy it for you? Envy a friend whose mom obliged? Read on. 

Glow by JLo 
You retired this light floral scent for something like Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue in your late teens and Balenciaga Florabotanica as you entered young adulthood. You abandoned your midwestern roots for the city years ago and have gone to great lengths to hide them. Friends would describe you as effortlessly cool because you double-majored in trying really hard to appear as though you're not trying at all and finance. Your persona is calculated but your taste is impeccable.

Curious by Britney Spears 
Equal parts power-bitch and absent-minded intellectual, you subsist on Thai takeout but can make a nice black coffee. You studied abroad in Spain and spend your Saturday nights combing social media to destroy any evidence that suggests you ever wore a sequinned slip-dress in Ibiza. We can find you on LinkedIn.

Fantasy by Britney Spears 
You, however, had neon lime green bedroom walls as a preteen well into young-adulthood. Perhaps you still do. It matches the pink and green Republican elephant bumper sticker which complements your fluorescent Nike frees.

With Love by Hilary Duff 
As a self-proclaimed yoga-mom in training, you don't look miserable as you choke down green juice and splurge on a small glass of white wine every third saturday. You're a connoisseur of floral rompers and DIY tea-lights. You've just broken 1k Instagram followers. But god, you're so likable.

L L.A.M.B. by Gwen Stefani 
Your pop-punk phase at the end of the last decade slowly evolved into something more mature over the course of your years at a medium-sized Southern liberal arts university. You've traded your dramatic side-bangs for a sleeker violet-lips-leather-jacket brand of edge and have since graduated to TokyoMilk Femme Fatale.

Heiress by Paris Hilton 
You always seem to find yourself on the wrong side of fad history. You probably owned a Von Dutch trucker hat and I respect the hell out of you for it.

Music Monday: Travel Playlist + Reading Material

by Maria

Your semesters have probably ended, and you might be traveling today like me. I compiled a little playlist mostly for my own benefit but you're free to listen too. In addition, look for some recommended reading material under the cut.




(And I've started listening to Serial like everyone else and you probably have too)

This Day in History and What You Should Wear Out Tonight

by Maria

2000
The Texas 7 escape from prison and go on a high-profile crime spree. This calls for a simple orange blouse for obvious reasons. Western ankle booties for equal parts rustic mobility and pizzaz. Let  your y2k alter-ego run amok with bell bottoms and the Louis Vuitton monogrammed clutch you know you still have in some dark corner of your closet.

1972
On this day the last humans-- Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt of NASA's Apollo 17 program-- set foot on the moon. Cultivate a subtle astronaut vibe. Now would be a good time to break out those silver pants you just knew you needed at the time but haven't worn since. White turtleneck. Moonstone. Red white and blue color scheme. Failure is not an option.

1545
The Council of Trent marks the beginning of the Catholic counterreformation. If you're anything like me, you know you can take the girl out of Catholic school but can't take the Catholic school out of the girl. Own it. Interpret it. But throw a conservative priestly robe coat over the ensemble for balance. Take offense to accusations of decadence as you clutch your statement necklace. Also, heeled loafers.

P.S. if you'd like to make me a happy woman this holiday season would you please track down that Alexander Wang polo-sweater contraption featured in the last outfit (which seems to be sold out everywhere) and gift it my way xo

New Mexico Wardrobe Concept

by Maria

As soon as I finish the exam that brings my penultimate fall semester to a close, I'm making a beeline Southwest. This is my first proper winter vacation so I'm certainly not making informed decisions as I pack and shop.  Instead, I'm relying on my daydreamy visions of that cozy mountain aesthetic as exemplified by:

Wraps, ponchos, fluffy blanket scarves

xxxx

Turtlenecks

xxxxx

Parkas, tall boots, white sneakers

xxxx

Long cardigans, cozy socks

xx

Denim & Corduroy

xxxxxx

Cossack Hats, naturally 

This Guy 

Edward S. Curtis, An Apsaroke man on horseback on snow-covered ground, probably in the Pryor Mountains, Montana, 1908

Step-By-Step Guide to the Finals Week Personal Day

by Maria 

Impending exams bring out the worst in even the best among us. I'd like to propose a 12-step alternative to self-flagellating in the library until the wee hours of the morning. No yoga pants or crying allowed.

1. Strike that delicate balance between early rising and sleeping in by waking at a perfect 8:30am.

2. I'm no morning showerer so I'd just wash and moisturize my face here but you do what you want.

3. Braid your hair if long enough, or hold back with a headband otherwise for maximum tension headache avoidance.

4. Change out of your pajamas. Put on clean pajamas.

via zosuen

Why Are You so Obsessed with Me?: An Open Letter to Karl Lagerfeld

By Maria 

I hate to be dramatic, but I have a bone to pick with yesterday's Chanel's Métier d'Art show in which Karl Lagerfeld premiered his undeniably stunning Pre-Fall '15 Salzburg collection. His designs drew inspiration from Austria's Empress Elisabeth, who was endearingly known by many as simply Sissi. You may remember her as played by Romy Schneider in the 1950s biopic trilogy, but if you need a refresher course, you've come to the right place. 

Our girl was born a Bavarian duchess before marrying into the Austrian royal family at age 16. Renowned for her beauty and personal style (and that hair), she quickly became the toast of mid-19th century Central Europe. However, Sissi was also the first Archetypal Trendy Sad Girl. The Lana del Rey of 1855, if you will. She even expressed her inner demons though sad girl poetry:

Years have gone and drawn away,

but they will never unite us two again.
Questioning at night I look at the stars,
none gave me back help or answer.
Soon I came near to you, soon again far away.
Are you already lingering on another star?

Begs to be put to a melancholy harp melody á la Video Games, no? In addition, she may or may not have had an illicit affair with a Hungarian count, and was STABBED TO DEATH by an assassin but played it so cool that no one realized it until she died hours later. 

So what's my issue with Lagerfeld? Not to toot my own horn here, but my dad has been telling me I resemble Empress Elisabeth for years. I've taken a whole lot of pride in that. Had a major Sissi moment last January, as a matter of fact. 

Stop stealing my thunder, Mr. Lagerfeld. Sissi was my thing. And this isn't your first offense. Remember your 2011 Paris Byzance show, which just happened to follow my 10th grade Byzantine phase? I thought I was Theodora reincarnated and you took that away from me.  

Have you been stalking me all this time? Would you stop designing collections that appropriate my otherwise obscure historical doppelgängers/lady obsessions without at least consulting me first? Who's next? Peggy O'Neal? Mata Hari?

And while I'm not sure how I feel about Delevingne's portrayal of the Empress, Pharrell as Franz Joseph is SO GOOD. It's all so good. Your collection is brilliant and I'm salty about it. Good day, sir.

Cossack Hat Season

Julie Christie behind the scenes of Doctor Zhivago (1965) 

by Maria 

I'm no hat person. I'd restrain with a messy bun before I'd cover with a baseball cap.  My hair could keep a small village warm without the help of your beanies and berets. Keep your earmuffs. Furthermore,  my multifunctional mane lends itself to my aversion to over-accessorizing. I've never met a wide-brimmed fedora I didn't remove before arriving at the intended destination, because it was just too much

She naively thought to herself, as the polar vortex of anguish and gloom swirled somewhere in the not-so-far-off distance, unbeknownst to our hatless wonder. 

Yes, this season I am proactively investing ("investing") in a faux fur cossack hat. It will accompany the periwinkle hand-me-down that became the star of my Cold War spy Halloween costume all the way back in 2011, when I was living in New Orleans and knew nothing of parkas. I invite you all to join me in this luxurious preemptive strike. 

New York Fashion Week AW 2013...Sung Hee Kim | Vanessa Jackman 

Paris Fashion Week AW 2014...Eva | Vanessa Jackman

The above look is one I intend to replicate a hundred times over as I narrowly avoid cabin fever in the mountains of New Mexico with my boyfriend and my senior thesis side-piece. Festive pajama sets. Stans. The gang's all here. 

Saoirse Ronan in Hanna (2011)

Both Topshop and Asos have several reasonably-priced variations on the theme. Grab winter by the balls for under $50. 

I'll bring the vodka. 

Are Bootcut Jeans the Real Mom Jeans? and Other Burning Questions

by Maria

On a Thursday in November I wondered

The term basic has comfortably eased its way into our vernacular. While the archetypal basic is easier to identify than, say, the hipster of years passed, some undeniably gray areas remain. But for simplicity's sake, let's define the basic as one who unapologetically subscribes to mainstream trends and culture. 

Now, enter normcore. This term, while less ubiquitous, is a bit easier to pin down. Its early proponents claimed to dress in a way that was accessible, not overly fashionable, and did not stand out. Normcore was regarded as backlash to the millennial brand of narcissism and individuality. This mission statement says nothing of a particular look, but term has become synonymous with 90s high-waisted "mom" jeans, white turtlenecks & sneakers, and anything else the cast of Seinfeld would deem wearable in its heyday. As overalls and denim-on-demin are now favorites among the trendiest streetstyle stars, subscription to this trend (subculture? movement?) would hardly mean that you'd blend.  If that were the case, we wouldn't need the normcore/basic distinction in the first place. 

Normcore can realistically be defined as an appropriation of the most dressed-down mainstream trends of the early 1990s. But that same aesthetic continues to creep its way into mainstream culture, or in mainstream fashion circles at the very least. After all, when was the last time you saw a suburban mom actually wearing mom jeans? We're going to assume in the meantime you've seen a light-wash pair on sale at Urban Outfitters, or on that one sorority sister regarded to be a little more offbeat than the rest. So what do overworked moms of two under three really wear? 

Bootcut jeans. 

As the 90s-- mom jeans included-- become solidified in mainstream style, should we look to the early-mid 2000s for inspiration? And who gets to claim cozy sweaters? 

I am left with more questions than answers.