I love that these shoes are the perfect mix of 1970s does 1940s and they are purple suede. I recently went to see film Brooklyn and looking at this outfit now I see I was subconsciously affected by the film. Not only did the costumes get into my head but also Eilis and her story. Ireland is a place that has captured my heart beyond belief. Not only did I relate to the Irish parts but Eilis journey through life and independence. When we make a step to follow our dreams we have to also make sacrifices. Geography doesn't change the love in our hearts. 

My dress is Isabel Marant. 

Le Smoking. Thin White Duke. Betty Catroux. A suit has always held fascination for me. I feel my best when I am in a suit. A well cut one. Putting on a good suit is like putting on armour. I paired this one with a chemise from the 1910s. I like a balance of masculine and feminine. Soft and hard. 

My go to. Nothing makes you feel like you can take on the world quite like a Yves Saint Laurent blazer. I dressed it down with my favorite Citizens of Humanity boyfriend jeans (that I'm always wearing around the house), and my trusty Isabel Marant ankle boots. 

I used to spend a lot of time walking around Greenwich Village & the East Village when I lived in NYC. I had a lot of time to think about...everything. Anything. I would read Murakami and go record shopping. I would get lost turning wherever I desired. I happened upon a lot of great vintage when I wasn't trying to find it.  I wandered in and out of cafes, popped in cinemas to see whatever, walked until my head was clear. I bought this jacket somewhere in the village and I even used to sleep in it when it was really cold outside and my radiator didn't seem to work. It holds a lot of memories. Clothing can bring us back to places and feelings. We have memories that rush back to us when we feel the fabric against our skin. We have shoes that have traveled with us. The dress that we wore on a special night. Our favorite t-shirt. Our trusty leather jacket or blazer that acts as armour to take on whatever the day may throw at us. 

 Silk button downs are a staple of my wardrobe. As well as pops of red and amazing thrifted pieces. I found this skirt at a thrift store and the color is perfect. 

I love the old hollywood glamour of this dress. Along with a lot of other things...it hangs in my closet waiting for another appearace. Sometimes I have to make the occasion myself. 

Two of my favorite things to wear are kimonos (and robes) and ankle boots. I just got this amazing 1970s creme silk robe from Spanish Moss and I still love these Margiela blue suede ankle boots as much as the day I got them. I love textures. Texture was my first word after all. (I promise, ask my parents). Needless to say texture has always been important to me. Silks, velvets, crisp Irish linen, suede, worn in cotton t-shirts, patent leather...I could go on. I was so excited to get these vintage Christian Lacroix earrings for Christmas. For someone who wears a lot of black a lot of people probably assume I don't like color. But I actually love color. Diana Vreeland said that 'water is natures tranquilizer' and I agree. This is perhaps why I'm so drawn to the color blue.  The blue of these Lacroix earrings is amazing, almost hypnotic. I also feel a little bit like Eddy & Patsy when I wear Lacroix.  

I immediately fell in love with this dress the moment I saw it. I love how classic it is. Images of Audrey Hepburn came to my mind. When I thought of Audrey I then thought of Givenchy. I pulled out these vintage Givenchy pearl earrings that my grandmother gave me.  Most of my inspiration doesn't come from fashion at all but from  people, characters, music, books, films, nature, etc. Of course when thinking about pearl earrings my mind immediately went to Johannes Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring. I love that through clothing we can combine different eras and influences into one. We can channel characters, paintings, thoughts, music... whatever we want. 

Speaking of art and Audrey Hepburn. Go watch How to Steal a Million it is one of my all time favorite films. 

This is a jacket of dreams. There is nothing like wearing velvet. Especially red velvet. I feel like part Keith Richards part 1920s bohemian. I love the chiffon lining that peeks out from the bottom. I've been searching high and low for a red velvet jacket for about 3 years now and I am so happy with this one. I've been wearing it out and wearing it around the house. Nothing like wearing velvet and tucking into a good novel. 

Jacket available here (on sale!) 

My dress is from Maje and my shoes are Madewell. 

"Never ask someone how an item of clothing makes you look. Ask yourself how it makes you feel"

Today, along with a lot of the world, I am celebrating the life of David Bowie. His music was almost a daily part of my life. Ziggy, The Thin White Duke, mismatched eyes, transformation, creativity, changes... It's been with me since I can remember. There are a few people in this world who, when you feel like you are on the outside, make you feel okay with that. They make you want to embrace yourself and your creativity. To push the limits. David did that for me. His music connected me with my family and with my friends. I'll never forget the moment when I moved to London and my friend Scott and I had a David Bowie dance party. His music brought us together and after that I knew we would be friends forever. There is something special in that moment when you know that you can be yourself in front of another person. His music is a constant soundtrack to my life. The soulful, sexy, song Win was my summer song. The song forever transports me to driving along Highway 1 in California. I can almost feel the sunset in the song. Changes will forever remind me of my little brother. Singing the song in the car when we were kids and him being so moved he wanted to tell us about how it made him feel. Let's Dance will always be one of my go to get up and take on the world songs. Those songs don't even hit the tip of the iceberg. But they are a few that will always hold a place in my heart.  In a world of sameness David embraced the weird. It's always better to be yourself. But don't be afraid of change or transformation. Thank you.

My heart goes out to Iman, his children, and his close friends. 

Oh how I love a black dress. Black anything. 

I fell in love with this Free People dress as soon as I saw it. I immediately thought of Ossie Clark, Stevie Nicks, & dancing. I wanted to put on the dress and dance. 

Dress available here

I've been deep into the series Grand Hotel. I can't stop watching. I'm obsessed. The early 1900s have always been fascinating to me. As a child I was haunted and obsessed with the life of Anastasia Nikolaevna. I wanted to live in then. I wanted to wear the white dresses and black boots. I wanted to know what happened to Anastasia. When I started watching Grand Hotel I knew that I would want to pull out all of my antique clothing. Besides running around my house in the clothes I wanted to share some of them. My shirt is actually from Free People but it is one of my favorites and I love how it went with this skirt from the early 1900s. My velvet opera coat is actually from the 1950s and I haven't been able to figure out what era this hat is from. It is from a hat collection of my great aunts that was given to me but I felt like it went with this outfit. I tend to get obsessive and I show creativity through what I am wearing. I tend to dress like what I am reading, watching, or listening to at the moment. I love that this show brought out and allows me to share my love of historic costume. It is one of my favorite subjects to study. And there is nothing like being able to own a piece of history. I also love a good drama. So if you love period dramas please watch Grand Hotel. Also Julio is a total babe, so you are welcome. As my friend Madelyn describes the show its like "Downton Abbey and Poirot had a baby". 

I cried a little bit when I first put this blazer on. There is no designer that moves me quite like Yves Saint Laurent. He has and always will be my number one. From his love of Proust to his love of making women feel and look beautiful. His struggles and his triumphs. This blazer and scarf are the newest additions to my YSL collection. I love how Yves uses gold buttons because he said it is "jewelry for the daytime". There is nothing like a well cut blazer to make you feel like you can take over the world. Black will always be my favorite color to wear. I love the way that Yves describes black... " Black is a color. It's the stroke of a pencil drawing an outline on a black sheet of paper. Black is the color of a Renaissance portrait, the color of Clouet, Agnes Sorel, the Court of Valois, Frans Hals, and Manet". Yves will always have my heart.