inspiration and the modular wardrobe

think of manhattan.
the film, not the city.

yes, yes, we all love annie hall and her androgyny and her eschewing overt femininity and her just-so way of wearing ill-shaped, but impeccably-fitting trousers and ties and vests and whatnot. but...that trend is on its last legs. let's find a NEW androgynous character to obsess over!

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i watched the movie last evening and this is one of the two that stuck with me. here, she walks through the museum with allen with a straight leg pant and blazer. not shown are the pumps that peeked out of the hem of the trousers which just barely skimmed the base of the heel. i'm not sure why, but this image and that of anne byrne hoffman (who played yale's wife; yale being the best friend of allen's character, carrying on an affair with keaton) wearing a silk (?) blouse--seemingly braless--tucked into a long, almost fluid skirt. such effortless but coordinated ease is what i aim for.
nothing can take the place of a pair of well-cut trousers. indeed, you can dress it up or down for nearly any occasion. i have 3 pairs of these at the moment in 3 different colors, but rarely wear them as i feel such items are best left for formal or semi-formal occasions. being a student, these are few and far between. they are, all 3, understated and simple, but paired well, i have been able to work them into various outfits. with the foundation of a good pair of trousers and a versatile blazer, i just need to build my collection of tops. i feel i will be well on my way to my dream of a wardrobe based on simplicity, form and function.

the modular wardrobe; all parts are interchangeable.
there are 2 pairs of patent shoes because sometimes you don't want to be all sexy, but still chic, although it has been noted that kitten heels cause greater back problems in the long run than stilettos...oh well. it feels better, dammit.

 things i have learned this year:

• i have very little use for items that are 'girly'. this means no frills, bows, pink or lace. ever. period. 
• i like deep colors and earth tones. blues, greens, greys and browns, with the occasional pop of red.
• i prefer crew necks to boatnecks v-necks to turtlenecks. though i have a fairly long neck, turtlenecks are not flattering. perhaps i'm buying the wrong ones. i have a jutting collarbone that is best flattered by simple jewelry or full coverage. decolletage...i'm working on it.
• for every single shoe i have owned, if it's too high, uncomfortable or unflattering, i won't wear it.
• there IS a boot for every occasion.
• a good wool cardigan can take you from day to night, casual to formal, summer to winter with the greatest of ease
• a true 'investment' piece will never give you buyer's remorse. wait it out. sleep on it. even if it takes months. i'm all for instant gratification, but have found that the patient path is also deeply satisfying.
• i really, really, REALLY, like leather. jackets, pants, skirts, shorts. you name it, i want it, lol. and can usually incorporate it seamlessly.
• one good bag, one clutch, a pair of studs, a watch, a string of pearls are all i need to accessorize. i lose the rest or they end up discarded or forgotten at the bottom of my closet or jewelry box. so-called statement pieces are rare (and distracting) for me.
• my hair is a permanent accessory; if my hair does not 'go' with the outfit, i find myself frustrated and at a loss. i often have to build my outfit around the shape and style of my hair (silly? is it just me?) and as such, i spend a fair amount of time trying to maintain it. lately, i've been favoring double buns at my nape. sexy? no. chic? no. me? all the way.
• i don't like to be on trend. i seriously avoided wearing blazers because everyone and their mother had one. whenever the next best thing comes out, i will likely revert to them because i feel they are a great modular element in any wardrobe.
• i favor comfort far more than i favor what's supposed to be in style.

good things to know when shopping, eh? i think this list, though mental on my part, has been useful more recently. i shop based on need. though nowhere near deadfleurette status, i am less of a recessionista (oy...really?) and more of...well, just me. my needs and staples are not dictated by vogue, blogs, or erin wasson. just me.

cocoon

happy holidays, all.

 bit of detail...

so...was santa good to you all? i'm waiting on my real christmas presents: my final grades for the semester. apparently my professors saw fit to enjoy the holiday before submitting our evaluations, despite there being a deadline of the 23rd...awesome. so now, i'm having trouble sleeping. no seriously, nightmares about failing all my classes and having to repeat them.

in the meantime, the boy got me some of the disney movies since i haven't seen most of them. it was a sweet, thoughtful gift, but i REALLY wanted to have those no.6 boots (i'm actually now considering 2 pairs 0_0). with all the expenses that came up this semester, i wasn't able to save as much as i wanted to (ahem, none). but will see how the saving goes for the new year. been working my butt off since school let out. hoping to keep racking up hours until i have to go back. aaaaaanyhoo, what are you all planning for new years? anyone in new york want to invite me out...?

coat: acne
shirt: alexander wang
jeans: buffalo
boots: frye
scarf: eddie bauer
gloves: portolano

new fascination

i have always been partial to stripes. i'm broad-shouldered for a girl so i have also always heard that horizontal stripes are not suited for folks of my...er...latitude. they are better suited for frail, willowy frames.
given the versatility, however, i am disregarding all that rot in the hunt for a perfect collection of simple, versatile tops. 

Slash Neck Sailor Tee by Joseph, 85 GBP
Square Wrap Coat, 615 GBP
Shipley & Halmos Perrier Bomber Jacket, $229
Red Lord Velvet Jacket by Joseph, 415 GBP
3.1 Phillip Lim Drawstring leather shorts, $675
GUCCI AW10 BLACK WOOL PANTALONE, 449 GBP
Jacquard Dogstooth Pencil Skirt, 85 GBP

on the last leg, now, boys.
cheers to coming out the other side alive.

on style

 

i quite like this. simple and easy but classy, elegant. 

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snug. heh.

121410 from pennerad on Vimeo.

sweater: shoptoast

shirt: adrienne vittadini

pants: zara

boots: no.6

fancy a tumble?

 delicious convertible booties from matt bernson. it's about 17 degrees here today with high winds. i'd gladly wrap myself up in a pair of these.

reading day at home.
yeah, i went outside to meet a friend wearing this and my huge parka. nary a breeze to be felt.

hope you all are having a good week!

mixed/media

12710 from pennerad on Vimeo.

12710 

new boots. i dubbed them my 'go-go boots'. the day promptly turned into a bizarre adventure. i feel these two points are not entirely unrelated.
sweater: 3 dots
jeans: j brand
boots: sacco
i have been on the hunt for an ideal coat for quite some time. the stand collar, material, length and cut are all perfect for me.

 

yohji yamamoto coat
proenza schouler turtleneck
j brand 912
dieppa restrepo lace up
jerome dreyfuss billy bag
odeon scarf

if only i had the coat and bag...this would be perfect!


hope your weekends are relaxed and cozy. i need to study...

update

as promised, an update:

sweater: free people
long sleeve: inhabit
leggings: les chiffoniers
boots: frye

but wait, there's more:
12810 from pennerad on Vimeo.

yeah...not big on editing and all that cool, snazzy stuff. sorryyyy.
anyhoo, i'm off to go wail myself into a corner do laundry because i'm having a horrific day. hope you guys fared better on this GORGEOUS but freezing thursday.
talk soon.

 

compromise

sweater: japanese brand, men's
jeans: j brand
boots: frye vintage harness

soooo...for now, this is probably how the outfit posts are going to go. i think it's a nice compromise until i figure out how to do the scheduling for photos. now that i've moved, it's a little bit harder to coordinate morning photos. the apartment is coming together nicely. may be nice as i get to keep my mug off this blog that much more.
before we even moved in i had already decided how it would all be arranged. now i'm just looking for affordable shelves so that i can line the walls like so:

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these floating shelves are pretty pricey at around $40 a pop. if i'm using more than 10 of them, i can see it getting rather pricey. i think i'm gonna head to the lumberyard nearby. may be easier to find some stuff that's better suited to the space there. 

aaaanyhow, hope you're all enjoying the winter wonderland. apparently, everywhere has seen snow now (except maybe the south). we had flurries today. wtf? and christmas is right round the corner. it crept up on me. i'm broke and stressed out and looking forward to maybe a week of peace because i'll likely be taking courses in the winter. 

will continue to update as best i can in the meantime. thanks for reading, all. :)

humidity is a mofo

certainly not glamorous but it is definitely a comfortable alternative for the craptastic weather. my umbrella flipped 2x and i nearly lost my glasses it was so windy. but check out my new shiz (OMG WATCH).
anyhoo, got lucky and bought these yohji yamamoto boots from wartime recess. i adore them. and her for giving me a crack at them. thanks again!
going back to the discussion of fitting into your clothes. i think that i could certainly make a uniform out of this look. i love the sweater/collar combination. just need to find 2 or 3 alternatives for those days when this may get boring.

 sorry for the (exceptionally) poor quality. i know my images are never very sharp or photographically genius, but i have no photographer and nowhere to take pictures what with the dozens of boxes and things strewn all over. still trying to find a place for it all.

i thought these were pretty funny.  i wish i had a before picture. my hair was smooth and stretched this morning when i left the house. then i forgot my hat and the umbrella went to heck in a handbasket and this was the result:

 this was the only alternative:

not sure if you can see it, but you may be able to see the tight curls at the base of the puff. now compare that with the situation sticking out at the top. this is the stuff i have to deal with everyday, man. my hair is schizophrenic. and the humidity is NOT HELPING.

i may be a little off again until the christmas holiday really rolls around. finals are fantastically important at this point so i'm going to try to spend as much time as i possibly can working on getting my shit together and giving it the 'old college try'. yeah. someone really said that. i know it was good advice but...really? college try? that's like a nice way of saying 'stop failing, loser; get your shit together!'.

k. will keep posting if you keep reading. helloooooo december...

case in point

this particular look would probably appear as 'costumey' on me. nevertheless, i love how the shirt fits her and the shorts are perfectly nipped in at the waist and those socks look fantastically soft.

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how i feel today:

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struggling to keep up with my own life's pace. dealing with a bunch of conflicting schedules and demands on my time, attention, and energy. no rest til xmas. how are you all doing this fine week?