bonsoir

i am so, so, SO far delayed on catching this boat, i know...but I have recently been watching a lot of classic 1960's French films and have found myself caught up in the aesthetics and general immaculate perfection of French women in the mid 20th century. Women like Catherine Deneuve in Belle du Jour, Anna Karina in Un Femme Est Un Femme, Jean Seberg in Breathless. They all possess something timeless, charming, elegant and classy, regardless of the fact that many of their characters are of questionable employ or social standing. Something about the way they carry themselves, their perfect eyeliner and well-coiffed hair, the way they wear even the most simple ensemble with a feminine confidence and dignity that makes them irresistible - i guess you could say they have that certain je ne se qua that just seems to be lacking in society and fashion today. 

It makes me feel like all I need in my closet is a well-tailored coat (with a matching hat), sensible Ferragamo heels, and a classic sweater or two. For make-up, just a flick of liquid eyeliner and a perfect pink lip. Now I just need to figure out Catherine Deneuve's secret to her miraculous mane of hair and apparent immunity to aging...

If you haven't seen Godard's Un Femme Est Un Femme (A Woman is A Woman), RUN - don't walk - to your Netflix Streaming queue and do yourself a favor. It is hailed as his most original, unique work - which is certainly saying something. It is also the legendary gamine starlet Anna Karina's film debut. I dare you to watch this movie and not fall entirely in love with her, and her wardrobe. I've included just a couple screenshots of my favorite scenes/ensembles for your sartorial viewing pleasure (the blue dress with the white fur collar, cuffs and matching blue hair ribbon!!)

Do any of you have recommendations for more films along these lines? i can't get enough!

Fashion Icon: Sparkle Moore

I draw a lot of inspiration from specific books, music, movie, characters, and people. I'll be making plenty of fashion inspiration posts here - I often find something to obsess over and it consumes me, seeps into my daily clothing hair and make up choices, until i have exorcised it from my system. 

I can't think of a more badass, more ferociously inspiring woman to start with than Sparkle Moore. She was one of the first female Rockabilly singers and she was FIERCE as all get-out. She only recorded a couple songs but they are serious movers-and-shakers. And she pioneered female rockabilly - both musically AND as a fashion icon. She dressed mostly in menswear, suits, and leather, and rocked an OUT OF THIS WORLD platinum pompadour. Keep in mind this was all during the mid 1950's, when most women were wearing pearls and full skirts and generally being prim and proper. Move over Elvis, there's a new heartthrob in town.

Punk rock is over

I relate a lot to the graphic novel/movie Ghost World. Enid Coleslaw is my spirit animal. In my soul I am actually a 15 year old angst-ridden suburban teenager, dying my hair with manic panic and listening to records on repeat in my bedroom, bemoaning the fact that nobody gets me.

The life parallels and anecdotes I could draw - and will draw on this blog many times, i'm sure - from Ghost World are too numerous to tackle in one post. But today, it comes up because I am suddenly obsessed with the idea of  wearing a cropped leather jacket and creepers with  e v e r y t h i n g. skinny jeans, little dresses, trousers, you name it.

I know a lot of designers are picking up on the creeper trend right now, but I wanted the originals. The basics. The good stuff. I even went on the Hot Topic website to track down the real deal. Yeah, i went there. Because you gotta do what you gotta do. Besides, it's not like i'm some modern punk - it's obviously a 1977 original punk rock look. 

I guarantee you these items will appear in outfit posts shortly. Until then, snatch up some of your own, and maybe some green hair dye while you're at it.

Finally found the perfect cropped faux-leather jacket, link below

Quilted Moto Jacket from Nasty Gal

TUK White Leather Creepers from Hot Topic

& these ^ are en route, get ready

You should probably also cancel your plans tonight and re-watch Ghost World. Your inner teenager will thank you.