Paris Vogue Recommends: Gray's In

Continuing in a series of style points offered up by the August issue of Paris Vogue (more entries below):

Here, a look as cool as a straight-up martini, with a twist of Adam Ant.

I believe stylist Tom Pecheux is attempting to show, via an outfit by Gucci, that it's possible to be extraordinarily interesting in monochrome, as long as there's a strong variation in texture. See how the wool-silk fabric reverbs against the snakeskin bag, the calfskin shoes, the sequinned top--all within a fairly narrow chromatic range.

It's a nice trick to remember, especially if you have a good stock of basics in the same neutral shade. The accessories don't need to be as high-end as these, they just need to refract light in a similarly variable way.

[the photo--marvelous--is by Inez and Vanoodh. The model--and I hardly ever worry about models--appears a tad undernourished.}

Nancy Talbot, RIP

If you were raised in the suburban northeast of the United States, the store known as Talbots (or "The Talbots", as it was archaically and correctly called in its earlier years) was a simple fact of growing up.

I owned countless Talbots cardies, skirts, and dresses over the course of my teens and twenties. It is a tribute to the store's unswerving dedication to tailoring that was "ladylike, simple but not contrived, gimmicky, or extreme" that I cannot remember a single one of them. Before it became a national chain, the physical proximity of Manhattan--with its helter-skelter seasonal trends--did little to ruffle the becalmed racks of Talbots. No, this shop had as its compass the redoubtable dress sense of Boston.

If you count yourself among the Talbots sisterhood, there's an interesting history here, courtesy of Nancy's obit in The New York Times.

More interesting still might be this vintage Talbot's bathing suit, up for sale on Etsy. Conservative, well-boned, and unwittingly clashy in the color department. It's the Talbots style to the nines.

Paris Vogue Suggests: Classic Fashion Mash-ups

I know. I KNOW. This look, from the August Paris Vogue's 80 Essential Looks (see also here, and here), is not one many Audrey-loving vintage fans are likely to embrace with opera-gloved arms. And yet, it's brilliant: a gender-bendered version of the late-50s, D.A.'ed punk who hung out all sorts of misunderstood on some stoop and wolf-whistled at our grans. (Or . . . an unusually open-minded tribute on the part of the French to America's own Adam Lambert, but probably not).

Anyway, even the girliest among us can learn from this styling. To wit:

1) A little bit of rhinestone looks great on black leather.



2) Completely against the odds, a dash of leopard skin is fab with a classic lumberjack check.



Put a little pepper in your shaker, try one of these combos out.

(Photo Inez Van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin for Paris Vogue August '09, fashion Dsquared², styled by Emmanuelle Alt).

Paris Vogue Suggests: Knuckle Up

As the second in a series of how-tos based on Paris Vogue's "80 Essential Looks" for Autumn 2009, we turn to the genius of Alexander McQueen, even madder than usual with this jawdropping feathered dress, called "Cygne". A swan that is very black indeed--and without a good pair of binocs, liable to be misidentified as a vulture.

Between its panniered hips, humped shoulders, and sky-hooker boots, it gives little quarter to wearability in my world, but this is design with no time for the usual bourgeois drivers. (The photo, too, is transcendental--credit Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin and stylist Emmanuelle Alt.)

So the look, while stunning, is largely unwearable, except . . . .

Check out the model's hand. Doesn't that row of ultra-chunky rings look fantastic against the jewelled bag? (This may be an actual knuckle duster--McQueen's collection included them this season).

It's a look that can be replicated so very easily, with costume cocktail rings. Similarly, jewel-bedecked bags are an easy find at vintage fairs and other secondhand outlets.

Combine heavily embellished knuckles, sock-it-to-em red nails, bijou bag and a little black dress? You, like McQueen, will rule.

Paris Vogue Suggests: An Undersized Jeans Jacket

Last week I had the pleasure of a long train ride with the Paris Vogue August issue for company. The lead editorial was "80 Essential Looks," which brought together Inez Van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin as photogs, the house team of stylists, a small crew of models and what must have been a sheer nightmare of call-ins to present 80 individual head-to-toe looks by various top designers, starting with Marc Jacobs and wrapping with Kenzo.

As a showcase, the concept was fantastic. If only American and British magazines had the same kind of freedom.

Despite affirmatively liking/considering wearable only about 5% of the clothes on view, there was inspiration at every turn of the page. Over the next few days, I'd like to consider a number of the looks and describe how a secondhand/vintage lover might re-interpret them our way. One of the greatest risks of our mode of shopping is being locked into the past. With the cutting-edge styling that Paris Vogue offers, even the most unlikely older pieces can find fresh interpretation.

Let's start out easy. The photo at right (garments by Calvin Klein) caught my eye for the obvious reasons, but then I looked hard at what the clothed model was wearing. A teeny jeans jacket. Hmmmm . . .

As luck would have it, right around the corner at my local Oxfam was a boy's large Gap denim, for a mere £7 (about $10). Not as superteeny as the model's, but as a quick autumn cover-up, just perfect, especially when the rest of the world will be wearing slouchy boyf jackets. And nearly a no-brainer, because there are few easier finds in a big old Salvation Army than a jeans jacket that's essentially too small--the trickiest thing is making sure you have good mobility through the shoulders, and the sleeves aren't too tight.

Even an older and/or larger woman can wear this look wonderfully (think of it more as a bolero than a jacket). Dress up bare arms with gorgeous bangles, and you're done.

La Mode Komodo

The ad above is from Jitrois, a French fashion company I admire for its unabashedly hotcha design ethos. I personally couldn't wear leather leggings and a python jacket with a rabbit fur collar, but love the idea that somebody might, and there's a designer out there who will cater to those needs.

So I've flipped past this ad like, five times, every time idly noting how much the model looks like Darryl Hannah in her Splash years. But then, the last time, I took a good look at the jacket's sleeve (click on the pic to do so yourself).

Sweet mother of godzilla.

And in a rush, all my worst skeeves about reptile came tumbling back (see here, and here).

If your stated aim in life is to give coat-check girls the screamin' meemies, then this jacket is clearly a must-buy. Otherwise, step away from the scales.

Monday How-To: New Ways to Wear an Old Brooch, Part I

Like most vintage lovers, I'm a magpie when it comes to old scarves and pins. I pick them up (usually for pennies) with the best of intentions, but when it comes to actually wearing them . . . not so good.

Part of the problem is that I'm reluctant to mar the fabric of a blouse or jacket with pinholes. And scarves all on their own can look frumpy.

So, how to get these vintage accessories out there to be admired, rather than decorating the inside of a drawer?

One answer is to bring brooches and scarves together to make fabulous chokers, pendants, or other neck-centered ornaments.

Here's how.

1) Take one good sized brooch--a 50s paste starburst, a cameo, a bakelite scottie--whatever--my choice is this marvelous old enamel flower.



2) Add one narrow silk scarf whose colors and pattern complement the pin.

3) Loop the ends through the securely-closed pin and knot a couple times to anchor the brooch to the scarf.

4) Figure out how you want to arrange it on your neck. Tie it high and loop the scarf a few times around your neck for a choker effect. Let it hang lower as a pendant. Re-knot the ends of the scarf behind the pin so that they hang attractively below.

5) Experiment. There's no right or wrong way to do this, as long as the scarf and pin stay where you want them and work with the lines of the garments around them (here, my trusty $5 boyfriend jacket). Have fun!! You will not believe the compliments you'll get.