As it turns out, Tricia & I know a boy who works at ModCloth, one of the most fabulous online clothing retailers in existence (TRUE). As far as I have been informed, Tricia & he served coffee and vegan brownies at the most delightful & artsy coffee shop on campus, while he & I shared stories in literary magazines and writing classes.
In conclusion, these anecdotes prove that Mod Cloth is a haven for we creative-types, thus, since we have spent this entire weekend turning all of the clocks in our entire house forward one hour (spring forward!), indicating the coming of spring, we three bloggers of S&D have chosen a total of 10 favorite spring items from Mod Cloth to get you ready for your sunny debut.
Maria’s Picks
1. Alright, so I’m an idiot and the Lo and Boho Pashmina in all of its turquoise glory and featured in my delightful collage above is SOLD OUT! But my reasoning behind its selection stays true for my second-favorite neck-thing (A Study in Scarlet Scarf, $27): They say March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb (for those of you not in the northeast, “lion” = “two feet of snow”). This will keep your neck warm during the spring in-between-season, but its bright colors (yay) still say SPRING pretty loud-and-clear.
2. The Classic Wayfarers ($10) Great for sliding across the floor in your socks and underwear (cough, cough, Tom Cruise). Or blocking the sun. Also, 90% cheaper than the Ray-Ban-originals.
3. Plaid Poise Dress ($65) Get ready to serve ice tea to your lawn-cutting husband, because you are now clothed in a dress cut for a prim-and-proper 50s housewife.
4. Rose Colored Tights ($30) I’m pretty sure these tights will inspire roses to grow. They are much better than the fruit ones I own (which are covered in grapes, oranges, bananas, etc without a single space for solid colors, so much so that three times while wearing them I’ve been asked a question about the “tattoos” on my legs leading me to believe that I should put them in Disney vault, so to speak — anyway, I don’t think these tights will recreate any Fruit Tattoo-esque Incidents).
Tricia’s Picks
5. Wuthering Heights Jacket ($48) This is perfect for spring-time ambulations in the park, and features the most glorious ribbon pin that I have ever seen.
6. Cycle Knee Socks ($12) Due to a decrease in sidewalk obstacles (good bye random ice chunks), spring is a good time to ride a bike! One must only heed potholes! (and sometimes small children…unless the children are ugly…then, i guess, concentrate on the potholes.)
7. Whistle Stop Boots ($170) These boots are good for the current transition period between winter and spring. I really admire how the leather on these boots are cut to resemble a radiator grid! Jeffrey Campbell always has interesting designs, and his shoes are extremely well-made and comfortable.
8. Nantucket Weekender Dress ($95) Ideal for adventures to Long Island’s North Shore, or in my case, to Lake Geneva.
Lorraine’s Picks
9. Everlasting Love Dress in Sky ($40) Just add fairy wings.
10. Ship Shape Tote (On Sale for $19) I’ve been eyeing this tote for a while now: wouldn’t it be great to take on a lazy day to the park? (Or a viking adventure?!)
Good luck being a journalist, Maria, I think you’ve just hit the old-news archives. Oh well. The Academy Awards are my SuperBowl, and I believe I have a right to be obsessed up to a full week after they’re over.
I always like to imagine what kind of atrociously bright garment I would wear at my Academy Award debut, and in the meantime am always saddened by the lack of color on the red carpet (except for the red… carpet). Angelina Jolie: all black (except for those green earrings, which gave her this odd witchy edge)! It worked for her because she always seems so mysterious and eccentric. Kate Winslet (so happy she won, obviously): why were you so dark and dreary! Sean Penn wore all black, but looked great since he stood out against the usual black/white tuxed men, and he made a great speech and I absolutely love it when straight men aren’t afraid to stand up for gay rights! (Er, I messed up the picture. I think I meant to say, “standing out because of all the black?” Sigh, journalistic inspirations crushed again!)
Anyway, I was actually intrigued with the white dresses this year. Miley Cyrus looked cute and princessy in her white layered dress that seemed to have been delicatly dipped in silver sparkles. (Last year she wore something way too lady-like and unplayful.) Penelope Cruz could’ve been getting married. Taraji P. Henson wore my favorite white dress, mostly because it was off-set by a dark red clutch and colorful jewels which made the whole look really pop.
Melissa Leo managed to pull off both brown and sleeves without looking matronly, and Freida Pinto not only brought some color to the carpet with her bright blue dress (along with Natalie Portman, looking like a cute little Barbie), but brought some extra stlye with her single decorated sleeve.
And finally, my favorite, Amy Adams. I’m indifferent to the red dress (wearing red is practically like wearing white or black on the Oscar carpet), but her huge, bright, and complex necklace somehow managed to work, turning the whole ensamble from something ordinary into something special.
Yesterday, I introduced you to Rhiannon, exposed her tepid feelings towards being compared to Rhianna, and hopefully convinced you why I am currently (always?) obsessed with everything Liebemarlene. We’ve reached the end, and I would now like to share with you some of the things that Rhiannon is currently obsessed with. And because I couldn’t resist, I’ve also included some of my own comments. In the guillemets. Why guillemets? I’ve always wanted an excuse to type “guillemets.” GUILLEMETS, GUILLEMETS, GUILLEMETS!
1. Lillian Gish
2. Reading about the Great Depression «The photo above is by Dorothea Lange, a wonderful photographer who took amazing photographs that encapsulated the consequences of the Great Depression.»
3. Apple Cider
4. 1940s Christmas films
5. Long necklaces
6. Velvet
7. Peter Pan collars «Psst! Esty and eBay are great places to find lacey peter pan collars.»
8. Coupon code sites «Now, more than ever, a lot of newspapers have been publishing many articles on ways to save. They almost always include coupon code sites, like RetailMeNot. If you’re planning to purchase something from a pretty big website, it’s a smart idea to check a website like RetailMeNot first. You could save quite a lot!»
9. 1920s hats now that my hair is short
10. Finding ways to antagonize my brother-in-law, Danny the Antagonizer
11. Finding ways to antagonize the jocks next door
12. 1970s Edwardian style
14. Vintage knitting patterns «A neat resource for vintage knitting patterns is Vintage Pattern House’s Etsy store. Not a knitter? Brighter Fusion’s Etsy store is full of vintage sewing patterns!»
Tricia’s Notes (!) & Picture Credits
The font is “Jane Austen” (swoon), which is downloadable at dafont.com. Except when noted, all images were taken from Liebemarlene Vintage Look Book. Vintage knitting pattern from Vintage Pattern House. Also of note! I didn’t make the fancy frame adorning the picture of Rhiannon! It was her boyfriend, Kumar! I can’t emphasize enough, I hope to one day have photo editing skills as tight as his.
Earlier I introduced you to the illustrious Rhiannon, who runs a lovely store (Liebemarlene Vintage!), blog (Liebemarlene Look Book!), and a central hub for her little internet empire (Liebemarlene!). Just by glancing the images featured on the previous post (I had such a hard time choosing which ones to feature!) and (perhaps) perusing her flickr, you can tell that Rhiannon has a visceral ability to put together flawless ensembles! I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to ask her a few questions…OKAY, I CAN’T FOOL YOU WITH MY MODESTY. THE SCROLL BAR TELLS ALL! I actually, as you will soon find out, pummeled her with questions regarding her style and feelings on Rhianna. OH, and I set up fictitious scenarios regarding Bill & Ted (& George Carlin) and a fiery building. Wee!
1. If you were to sell the movie rights of your autobiography, whom would you want to play you? Black and White, Sepia, or Technicolor?
I think I’d want it to be a silent movie in the late 1910s, which I suppose doesn’t make any sense chronologically, but oh well! I’d love to have Mabel Normand play me–someone silly for sure. And old silent film blurry black and white with frilly costumes would be good!
2. How would you describe your style? How has your style evolved with time?
Right now my style is very old-fashioned and pretty girly, though a little bit less so at the moment than usual. And I feel like my style is changing all the time. For instance I never, never cared about fashion at all until I was around 18, and when I got into it I dressed pretty weirdly, going through all sorts of faux punk/hipster/’80s hooker phases throughout my college years, and after that regressing and going a little bit cutesy.
3. What/who inspires you?
I’m inspired by old movies, other fashion blogs, street style blogs, magazines like Lula … As far as the people around me are concerned I’m probably the most inspired by my boyfriend since he owns his own business and makes a living out of designing and being creative and strange (in a good way).
4. Do you have a favorite outfit?
No, it probably changes every week. Right now I’m into lace tights and dark colors, but my favorite outfit might have to be one I’m dreaming up–it’s a ’60s Christmas party style outfit with black tights, black shoes, some sort of clutch purse, and a dress from Ebay that’s on its way as I write this.
5. Based on the selection of items in your store, it seems like you always sell your best finds! This theory, however, conflicts with how I imagine your personal closet to look like (ie, an assemblage of the most perfect items/the best place in the world to play dress-up). How do you decide what to sell, and what to keep? Is this decision easy?
Thank you! Oh, it’s really hard. When I buy for the store I try to go with only things I’d wear myself, so it’s really hard having to sell it all. I try to be strict with myself, though; I’ll keep something only if I really, really love it or if it’s something I’ve been looking for. A lot of times even if I do keep something I’ll end up selling it a few months later anyway.
6. What is on your Winter wish list?
I just bought the coat I’ve been wanting to buy, so what I’m really looking for now is a pair of long leather gloves to go with it (and to replace the pair I lost last winter–I’m always losing gloves!). I’d like a few sweaters, maybe a pair of thicker knit tights for the colder months.
Whenever my sister, Ashley, and I go to garage sales together we’ll drive around looking for the ones run by little white-haired ladies. They always have the best things.
7. As a superb scourer and thrifter, do you have any shareable secrets to finding wonderful things?
I don’t know if I’m superb, but thank you!!! I guess the best thing (but probably not the easiest) thing you could do is to go to the best thrift/vintage/antique stores around you as much as you can, just so that you don’t miss out on anything. Other than that I find the most things at thrift stores, but I’ve found lots of funny little accessories and treasures at estate sales and garage sales. It might not be nice to say I guess, but “old lady garage sales” are my favorite ones by far. Whenever my sister, Ashley, and I go to garage sales together we’ll drive around looking for the ones run by little white-haired ladies. They always have the best things.
8. Let’s pretend you have access to a magical phone booth. To be more exact, Bill & Ted’s phone booth (a disguised time machine). You are allowed to pick one year/location to travel to. Which year would you pick, what would you do, and who would you want to meet? (more…)
There are a couple of factors that led me to blogging.
I absolutely adore Rhiannon Leifheit, the mastermind behind the Liebemarlene empire. A vintage dealer based in Atlanta(ish), Rhiannon has a distinctive, romantically whimsical style. She manages a vintage clothes and accessories store, blog (filled with lots of visually exhilarating outfits), and website. My favorite fashion blogger, Rhiannon is an absolute fashion inspiration.
Rhiannon has been featured in quite a few magazines, including Lucky Magazine (Lucky Girl August 2008!!!), Marie Claire, and Bust! For some mysterious reason, issues of Lucky Magazine magically appear in my mailbox, and when I saw Rhiannon, I squealed like a chubby pig. Contrary to other high-traffic fashion sites, Rhiannon focuses on impeccable design, rather than specific brands. Thus, I never find myself questioning, “Well. That’s cool that you got a free Ed Hardy hat. It is, however, hideous and you are a failure.” I may be cruel, but coming across one of these sites reaffirms Liebemarlene’s unquestionable superiority.
The many iterations of the “Rhiannon outfit” (FYI- she has a collection of over 700 outfits on her flickr) exemplify her undying love for vintage. Rhiannon is, undeniably, a vintage princess. She excels at seamlessly integrating new pieces (like Forever 21 cardigans) with dainty dresses of undiminished elegance. Oh! I also love how her pictures are frequently scenic! Her Southern-forests-mansion adventures make me jealous! She brazenly explores a myriad of eras, fabrics, prints and colors.
Red ruffle dress!
eee!
The houndstooth-y sweater is fantastic!
So many colors! I don’t think I have ever seen a coat as colorful as the 1960s plaid coat in the top left hand corner! The kelly green dress is so lovely too!
The thread that weaves through Rhiannon’s style is her penchant for exceptional details. Lace! Pleats! Prints! Rhiannon’s eye for detail is especially visible in her accessories!
YES, I AM CLASSIFYING THAT BIKE AS AN ACCESSORY! (It’s perfect!) Although sometimes subtle, these wee details capture the complexity of Rhiannon’s style, and dose her ensembles with extra grandeur. My complements attest to how much I want to be Rhiannon’s friend! (So I can foray into her closet, of course!) I am delighted to present to you an exclusive interview with Rhiannon, where she discusses her love of old movies, the 1930s, and shares some tips so you can be a super thrifter like her!
LATER TODAY: INTERVIEW WITH RHIANNON TOMORROW: CURRENTLY OBSESSED WITH RHIANNON (HURAH!)
Tricia’s Notes (!) & Picture Credits
The font is “Jane Austen” (swoon), which is downloadable at dafont.com. All images were taken from Rhiannon’s flickr or Liebemarlene Vintage. Finally, the framed logos in the introductory picture and magazine captures are from her website, and were frillified by her boyfriend, Kumar. I aspire to one day have photo editing skills as tight as his.
Quick! Wear one of these before the summer is over! Er… actually… not so fast… first you have some choices to make…
a) Cotton Spandex Jersey Bandeau Bodysuit, $33 (Sizes XS-L, 7 colors)
b) Sheer Jersey Bandeau Dress, $43 (Sizes XS-XL, 7 colors)
c) Cotton Spandex Jersey Polka Dot Bandeau Pencil Dress, $41 (Sizes XS-L, black or white)
d) Le Sac Dress, $38 (One Size Fits Most, 8 colors with more on their way, comes with black ribbon); Additional Ribbon for La Sac Dress, $10 (11 colors/patterns — including lime green!)
e) Cotton Spandex Jersey Bandeau Pencil Dress, $41 (Sizes XS-L, 17 colors)
f) Cotton Spandex Jersey Bandeau Dress, $43 (Sizes XS-XL, 19 colors)
I love when regularly stationery items become suddenly interactive: when flaps can open on cards, pictures can pop-out of books, and paper can be folded into 3D glory! But imagine one dress with the capability of twisting and folding into about thirty other dresses… that’s a whole level beyond pop-ups and flaps.
The dresses above, all from American Apparel, can twist fold and bend into multiple outfits. B & C and E & F all work in a similar way, along with choice A which is more limited (these are all called Bandeau Dresses… or Bodysuit). Choice D (Le Sac Dress) is a new dress I’ve just discovered (because it’s new and I may or may not stalk the American Apparel web-site…), and I absolutely love it!
If you are indecisive, this dress is going to be your arch nemesis. First, you have decide which style dress you want. Then, you have to decide which color. When you finally get home, you have to decide which way to wear it! If you have the Le Sac Dress, you can also buy ribbons in different colors, and then you have to choose which ribbon to coordinate with your outfit!
You can watch a cool video online that shows you step-by-step instructions for how to turn the bandeau dress into 15 different styles. I own dress B (when it happened to be on sale… of course…), and it’s the most fun dress I’ve ever owned!
