How to Wear Boyfriend Jeans, by Coco Chanel

ALRIGHT, technically they're khakis, but the point is the same. Follow Madame's lead and grab yourself a boyfriend like Serge Lifar, who happened to be one of the greatest dancers of all time. Next, slam on a simple black turtleneck, said jeans or khakis or other baggy-cut casuals. Finally, accessorize to the max. Check out the Fulco di Verdura enamel cuff on her arm--I tell you, a fortune.

[One caveat: unless you have Coco's legendary self-belief, you might want to draw the line at the turban.]

Paris Vogue Recommends: How To Style Acid-Wash Jeans

Ordinarily I think acid-wash or otherwise distressed jeans can be problematic on women over age 30--a look that's trying way too hard to be rockstar cool.

But here Paris Vogue has hit on a great solution -- use them to deliberately corrupt a look that would otherwise be ultra-matronly.

I love this sort of to-the-manor -born dressing, with the scarf and prep stripes and gorgeous Vara shoes. But with a pair of neatly tailored trousers rounding out the look, it would risk running way too preppy/posh/haute bourgeoise cliché.

With the jeans, it's all a bit less classifiable. And to my mind, that's a cornerstone of true style.

(photo by Inez Lamsweerde and Vanoodh Matadin for Paris Vogue, August 2009)

A New Way to Wear an Old Picture Locket

This entry is dedicated to Jessica and her blog Chronically Vintage, which I find to be an unfailingly energizing. To call it a mood board of all things beautiful from the past isn't quite sufficient, but that's how it affects me . . . take a look and see how it inspires you, for it will.

Onyx. She bestowed Fashion Preserve with that stone, a high compliment, for its glossy black depths are eternally chic. I own only one object of this material, and it is a treasure: a Victorian picture locket, its obverse a sheath of the black mineral, centered with a gorgeous natural pearl, its reverse a glass window that opens to reveal an case for a cherished photo, lock of hair, or other keepsake.

It belonged to my great-grandmother. In my not-terribly-well-off family, it was indeed a treasure. I wear it infrequently, but would love to change that. So yesterday I had a good look at it, and a long think.

I love to do this with vintage pieces . . . reconsider them for modern usage and tweak them into a more up-to-the-minute guise. What could be done with this locket? Pin it on a lapel, wear it as a brooch? Possibly. Somehow attach it to a leather wriststrap, and wear it as a bracelet? Not really . . .

Then I turned it over and the light went on. Who says you have to keep an old photo in it, hidden away? What better frame for a lovely image, or pattern, or other visually graphic element that you could synch to your outfit or mindset or mood?



After that, it was easy. I cut a cardboard template based on the size of the oval glass rim, dug around for some bits and pieces to fill the picture side with, did some more trimming to fit them to shape, and came up with these mini-mood boards, to wear for all the world to see. The beautiful thing is, while a nice locket will cost a small sum, the imagery is essentially free--cut from a magazine, old wrapping paper, or even a photo. What would you put in one?

Have a great weekend.

But He Seams Straight: John Galliano for Christian Dior

For all of Galliano's flamboyant showmanship (and occasional nonsense with half-dressed models), the man upholds the Dior heritage of tailoring with the reverence the name deserves.

Look here at this wonderful Prince-of-Wales houndstooth check suit, shown in the August Paris Vogue. It's so neatly tailored it would make Wallis Simpson weep in her grave, for the fact of being too dead to wear it.

Click on the picture to see more detail--the crossover double-breasted fashioning looks effortless, but must have been the devil to effect. Even more impressive is the meticulous pattern matching across the front opening, and across the shoulder area and arms. If there is a shoulder seam, I can't see it--it's that good.

I've talked about pattern matching before, and how reliable an indicator it is of exquisite attention to detail on the part of a design team. Recently, I bought a vintage Valentino Miss V jacket on eBay for $30/£18 for this very reason.

I loved the fact that the Romans had a go with a motif that is essentially Central Asian. The wool fabric would be right at home in a seraglio of some regional warlord, retired after pillaging the West.


As such, it's a bit of a pain finding the right bottom half to balance it. It's a bruiser of a pattern, begging for a fight with another one, or to be muzzled under layers of shawls. Ideally I'd wear it with dusty blue suede trousers, or possibly a pair of pyjama-y silk cigarette pants in a smaller-grade paisley, whose colors complement those in the jacket.

Since I have neither, I'll probably wear it with dark denim jeans. It's possible that the workers who sewed this jacket--as complex as the piecework is--actually had an easier time matching it than I will.

(photo top Inez Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin for Paris Vogue, styled by Carine Roitfeld)

Paris Vogue Recommends: Chim Chim Cherie

awwwwesome, no?

I'm not naturally disposed to Goth stylings but stone the crows, Rick Owens does it properly. I mean you truly could go out and stone some crows in this outfit and feel perfectly attired, not that I'm advocating any sort of animal cruelty.

Speaking of which, the clothes are so utterly cryptastic that when I first saw the purse, I thought cool! A tarantula! Upon reading the caption, I discover it's in fact a bunny rabbit.

I reckon that very few readers of this blog have the elective-mute/assassin-demeanor/reptilian-core-temperature necessary to carry this look off in its totality, BUT, as ever with these entries (see earlier this week and last), there is a point to take away.

Check out how utterly sexy that sleeve is. Why? because it's tight, from upper arm to just past the wrist. Remember this when you're dressing with intent. Like the ninja this look is so indebted to, it is quietly lethal.

(photo by Inez Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin, Paris Vogue August 2009, styled by Tom Pecheux)

When the Moon Hits Your Eye Like an Itty-Bitty Pewter Pie

This is an equal opportunity blog, serving readers of diverse interests. Some adore vintage pearls. Others will will wear nothing but classic Chanel.

And others still like pizza. Really really really like pizza. And who am I to deny those extra-cheese lovers their very slices of life?

Because eBay truly does serve all needs in all genres, there is no need to limit the pizza to the plate.

Here, an actually rather well-crafted and undeniably cute pewter pizza-box brooch.

If I were Sophia, I know exactly where I'd put it . . .




(wikimedia image at top, Sophia Loren prepares a pizza in Vittorio De Sica's L'oro di Napoli, 1954)

New Ways to Wear an Old Brooch, Part III

A quickie for crafty readers this Tuesday:

Isn't this photo of Julie Andrews, courtesy of Doctor Macro's High Quality Movie Scans, just extraordinary?

And how stunning is that headdress, made, so simply, of wired feather trim and a beautiful 30s brooch . . .

If you have the time and inclination, visit a crafts shop or have a look online for a similar wired trim (keywords wire, ribbon, millinery supply). See what you can fashion with a few twists and an old vintage find . . .