With the release of Tim Burton’s new Alice in Wonderland movie comes a renewed interest in the character of Alice and her personal style. Although Alice is most often seen dressed in a blue dress, white apron and black hair bow (both in the illustrations for the book “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” as well as the animated Disney film), cues can be taken from her style to create a “wonderful” new look. Fairytale-esque frills on a nude cocktail dress bring the fantastical premise of Alice’s story to life. Pairing layered gold and bead necklaces and a set of black and gold rings featuring Alice’s signature bow, give the dress an even more whimsical, yet approachable quality. Alice’s use of color can be emulated by pairing a turquoise t-shirt, white tiered skirt and blue and crystal earrings with black lace up heels. The rosette details and frill skirt pick up on Alice’s feminine side while the heels add a source of texture and harden up the look. While most people do not look to fairytales for outfit inspiration, looking at the characters’ outfits not as costumes, but as expressions of their personality, can motivate people to take a more creative look at their own ensembles.
From the Screen to the Sidewalk: Mrs Robinson
May 27, 2010One of the aspects of my blog is a series titled “From the Screen to the Sidewalk” in which I take the styles of iconic movie characters and translate them into wearable, accessible pieces for the modern woman. The first character in my series is Mrs. Robinson from The Graduate. Mrs. Robinson’s stylishly seductive outfits have captivated audiences for generations, and her style is easily emulated. Mrs. Robinson’s outfits rely on classic silhouettes paired with unexpected details; a black sheath dress with a lace overlay perfectly captures this aspect of Mrs. Robinson’s style. A classic beige trench-coat paired with nude platform mary-janes and a bright green vintage scarab ring also take inspiration from Mrs. Robinson to create an outfit that translates perfectly into the styles of today. The most recognizable moment of The Graduate is when Mrs. Robinson seductively unrolls her sheer black pantyhose. To achieve a similar eye catching look, pair black, navy and gray over-the-knee socks with a pleated gray miniskirt. By pairing classic pieces like a trenchcoat and a little black dress with interesting, attention grabbing pieces like over-the-knee socks and vintage costume jewelry it is possible to put together ensembles that take inspiration from the essence of Mrs. Robinson without seeming gimmicky or costumey.
“There are about 20 too many degrees out here”
May 27, 2010With the school year winding down and summer quickly approaching, I simply haven’t been able to get one thing off of my mind…this heat. Don’t get me wrong, I love summer–the lack of classes and abundance of late night swims, bonfires and beach volleyball tournaments–but walking outside and being hit by what feels like a brick wall of humidity and UV rays is just not for me. Walking to class this morning I could feel the heat building in the air, it ended up reaching about 90 degrees, and by the time I reached my first class the sun was burning down angrily on the one shoulder left uncovered by my sundress. I prefer to be outside on days when I don’t have to douse myself with SPF 175 to avoid sunburns, and when going to class does not first require a pit-stop in the bathroom to redo my hair and wipe away the sweat beads on my forehead. Although the air in most buildings on my campus is currently set at a lovely cool temperature, I dread the moment when I have to reemerge into the extreme heat (I know, I know, 90 degrees isn’t exactly extreme, but it felt incredibly hot to me). While the summer heat does give me the chance to wear sundresses and sunglasses and gladiator sandals, if it would stop hovering around 90 degrees, I would be much happier while dressed in my favorite things.
