Loving Gwen Stefani

The last post on pink hair reminded me just how great Gwen Stefani is. Her style has evolved over time but, has also stayed true to it roots. Her music is fabulous, her label is excellent and she had an entourage of harajuku girls!
Stefani is a fan of the 50s pin-up style  and carries it well. From her signature red lips, to her blonde jelly-rolled hair she is a work of art and would cut it as a Vargas girl What an individual!

Pink Hair

I love baby pink hair. It is the cutest hing ever. A touch rebellious but also a touch of whimsy. You are never sure with people with pink hair if they are terribly girlie, a latent faerie or a rock star. The possibilities are intriguing. Perhaps my next trip to the hairdresser will bring about some radical change...

March Booklist - Drug Month

The reading challenge is progressing well and at the end of February the total is

The progressive books for the year are:

1. Life at the Marmont by Raymond Sarlot
2. Nightingale Wood by Stella Gibbons
3. The Complete Short Stories of Truman Capote by Truman Capote
4. In My Shoes by Tamara Mellon
5. The Untouchable by John Branville
6. The Chemistry of Tears by Peter Carey
7. I am Dandy by Rose Callahan
8.  The Seven Addictions and Five Professions of Anita Berber by Mel Gordon
9. The Freudian Slip by Marion Von Adlerstein
10. The World According to Karl Lagerfeld by Karl Lagerfeld
11. The Flying Mannequin by Freddy
12. Memos The Vogue Years by Diana Vreeland 
13. Risotto with Nettles by Anna del Conte
14. Half the Sky by Nicholas Kristof
15. The Society of Timid souls by Polly Morland
16. C.Z. Guest: American Style Icon by Susanna Salk
17. Consuelo and Alva Vanderbilt by Amanda Mackenzie Stuart 

The autobiography of Anna del Conte was wonderful, her life story is fascinating and the way she links the anecdotes to foo is superb, cooking some of the included recipies would be divine.
The Vanderbilt family is well known in American history and financial circles but, the story of these two women and their private and political lives was complex and largely unhappy.

While in March we are exploring the theme of 'Drugs', the selected books are as follows:

18. Junky by William Burroughs
19. The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test by Tom Wolf
20. Confessions of an English Opium Eater
21. Brave New World by Audious Huxley
22. The Philosophy of Andy Warhol by Andy Warhol

Chanel - The Latest

I have to admit I have had reservations about the most recent Chanel show (big, shot tops and bottoms with tiny waists) until I saw this image.
Karl Lagerfeld is genius once again. The models appear to be wearing loose, transparent clothes. What they are actually wearing is a close fitting flesh tone slip, covered in sequins that create the sense of luminosity in the whole outer garment.
The fact that the woman seems to glow is so romantic and a celebration of femininity.
Bravo Chanel!

T-shirts: A leitmotif

The last Chic Exchange post was on printed t-shirts and while online shopping this beauty of Anna Wintour was discovered:

 

And it makes you think about icons. Mrs Wintour is certainly an icon and her image is instantly recognizable but, how long has she had this look?

Loves me a Printed T

Sometimes a little whimsy is called for and a printed t-shirt fits the bill perfectly. These fit the bill perfectly for me.

As far as I am concerned you can't go passed Sass and Bide for a great t shirt.

Couches and Cushions

Just as the orphans in Annie sang "You're never fully dressed without a smile." So too is a couch never fully dressed without cushion. The straight man in your life may want to kill me for but the gay man in your life will nod in agreement - a couch needs cushions.

I am in the process of finding cushions for my couches right now, it is a task that has lasted four years. There were cushions, lovely, cheerful, inexpensive cushions. But, they were destroyed by the dog. With that phase fully over the cushion reign can rise again.

So the details:

two couches, one three-seater, one two-seater both dark brown leather
one cowhide rug
one vintage danish rosewood coffee table
one man who loathes cushions

The goal:
To lift a very neutral palate with some colour

The essentials:
A mix of textures and sizes
Some plain and some patterned
All MUST be feather filled (otherwise don't even bother)

The ground work so far:
After going (physically and digitally) to ever store to be found or thought of some results have emerged.
MUJI
Now that they have opened in Australia their lovely feather cushions can be used easily. They also have some excellent chambray cotton cushion covers in a pale blue. Perfect for size and the colour is 'man friendly'
Matt Blatt
The genius at imitation of classic pieces they have the most lovely woollen cushions (feather filled). So already texture and size have the tick and a tonal link has been made. This blue is like the blue of the UN soldiers helmet, a shade Jack from 30 Rock thought more appropriate for an Easter parade than a war zone but, perfect for the lounge room.
Missoni
When you love the classics and fashion you can't go past Missoni zig zag's for a stylish hit. They are instantly recognisable and offer the pattern factor without being too bold.

Other suggestions:
Marrimeko do wonderful fabrics, all of which can be made into cushions. My elegant mother has these so I was restricted by that otherwise they are a must.
Country Road do excellent cushions each season in wonderful textures, colours and patterns. Always worth a look.

Jewellery and it's Long Tradition

Jewellery has so many traditions that go with it. Weddings, anniversaries, engagements, commitment, birthdays and in more recent years for 'pushing'. In many cases the traditions and meanings have been lost or perhaps, conveniently ignored.
While recently reading a biography of Consuela Vanderbilt it was surprising to read that she was resentful of a particular gift of jewellery from her first husband the 9th Duke of Marlborough. He gave her a pearl choker the likes of which had not been seen before. It was specially designed to accentuate her long neck and had diamond clasps (which cut uncomfortably into her skin). But it was the symbolism that hurt the most.
Jewels in particular were seen as the fee paid for the purchasing of a wife. A husband buying himself a submissive companion for life. A choker was particularly symbolic of this and was particularly resented by Vanderbilt as she was a woman who had the potential for great freedom. She had been forced into this marriage for the title it would bring, the Duke was also forced into it for the money she would bring to a flailing aristocratic family.
Her wedding gift was loaded with meaning, one that has been forgotten. It makes one think about our willingness to accept gifts and what they are really for. Is it a gift unburdened by greater meaning or does it in fact purchase the recipient for some greater purpose?
It all comes back to the same thing; if you want it, earn it for yourself. You are rewarding yourself and making a statement about your own Independence.