Costume Crush: Can a Song Save Your Life?

I've been a movie buff since I was a little girl, and one of my favorite parts about any movie is the costume design. Period pieces always offer up the best costume porn, and fashion-y movies are fun even though by the end you're like "Enough already - I want jeans and tees!", but my favorite costumes are the ones that can take perfectly normal clothes and style them in a way that lets you know exactly who that character is. I'm seeing a lot to like in these images from a movie called Can a Song Save Your Life?, which stars Keira Knightley and Mark Ruffalo and is due in theaters in 2013.



That is a great red dress. You could wear that shirtdress on a hot summer day in any city in the world and look perfectly pulled-together. I'll take the car too, please.



According to imdb.com, this movie tells the story of a dejected music business executive who forms a bond with a young singer-songwriter new to Manhattan after he discovers her singing in a coffee shop. I'm assuming that Ruffalo is the music executive, mainly because he's the one wearing the (adorably rumpled) suit. Knightley is the singer-songwriter, and I'm really digging the easy feminine/tomboy vibe I'm getting from her character's wardrobe. She and I could go shopping at Madewell together :)




Hailee Steinfeld is also in the movie. You'll remember her from her Oscar-nominated performance in 2010's True Grit. She looks cute and age-appropriate here (she's almost 16 irl), and I think it's always nice for teens to see how you can find your own "look" without showing lots of skin or coating yourself with glitter.



How adorable does she look here in her pencil skirt???



Keira Knightley has been in some of my favorite period movies (the green dress in the library in Atonement? SWOON), but it's so refreshing to see her in modern clothes. I'm sure it's a nice change for her too, not having to shoehorn herself into a corset every day for three months straight. If you look at the place where her dress meets her upper thigh, you can see her Spanx peeking out. I hear that most of the starlets in Hollywood wear Spanx even if they are very slim - shapewear gives you a smooth line under your clothes and can even squeeze inches off of hips and thighs. It's rumored that Beyonce will double Spanx for red carpet events.



Another red dress and I LOVE it. Simple, polished, flattering, with a romantic quality. Keira has a long narrow torso with shorter legs and fuller hips (well, full being a relative term for a movie star), and this style of dress is perfect for her figure. That's something else I do when I watch movies: if one of the actresses has a similar figure to mine, I pay attention to what looks most flattering and try to incorporate those ideas into my wardrobe. Keira is pictured here with Adam Levine of Maroon 5, who apparently plays her boyfriend at the beginning of the film. Nice beard. I guess he's sporting the... Amish Hipster look? He's got the moves like Jedediah.



This is obviously her "creative working artist" look. Cute brogues and boyfriend jeans.



Yeah, now I'm convinced that the costume design team spent some time shopping at Madewell - Keira looks like she walked right out of the catalog.



Digging this look. Very cool. Simple silk blouse, linen trousers cuffed just so, perfectly worn in leather accessories, and a messy ponytail. She's your always stylish yet low maintenance best friend.




Get it, gurl! Kiss that Ruffalo! Mark Ruffalo is such a terrific actor - I've loved him in every role I've seen him play. He was so perfect in 13 Going on 30, and he was the only thing that made Just Like Heaven watchable. I haven't seen The Kids are Alright yet, but it's on my Must Watch list.




Keira is obviously enjoying her job. "What did you do at work today?" "Oh, not much, just made out with The Incredible Hulk on a sidewalk in Manhattan." What a strange life that must be... no wonder most of them are batshit crazy.




Nice little bit of on-set cameraderie here, and I love the addition of "Creepster Neighbor Guy" in the window in the background. This movie already looks fun to watch and I like the cast a lot, so it's likely that I'll fork over $12 to see it in the theater next year.

All images from LaineyGossip.com and The Daily Mail online.

Martha Stewart Bites Kitten. Kitten Doesn't Mind.

I was looking through Martha Stewart's blog when I saw this post entitled "My New Kittens!", which is about her brand new little Persian kittens, Ch'in and Kublai Khan. It pretty much made my day, since I have a recurring daydream in which I play with Martha's kittens on the floor while she looks at my design boards for her NYC apartment and says, "This is exactly what I had in mind and you've made me very happy." BLISS.

Also, I needed to see some pictures of kittens after the horrifying news events that were reported on this long, sad Friday. My heart hurts for Aurora, CO.

.........................

This image cracked me up:



Martha says: "As with all my new pets, I gently bit each kitten on the face. This is how I let my animals know that I am now their mother."

Is it wrong that I kinda want Martha to bite me on the face...? I like to imagine that this was what she did to all of the other inmates while she was on extended vacay at Alderson. "Just line up, ladies, this will only take a second. Afterwards we'll go to the lunchroom and I'll teach you how to make Apple Tarte Tatin in the microwave."


Here is little Kublai Khan.


Squishy face kitteh!!!

Oh, and Martha also talked about how she found these Persian kitties:

"I first became aware of Pam (owner of Top Shelf Persians) when my friend, Grace Coddington, the Creative Director of Vogue, used some of her cats in a photo shoot for the magazine. I really wanted her cats."



And I really want her life. Imagine being the only person in the world who can boss Anna Wintour around? Go watch The September Issue - it's fascinating.



"There's nothing like a new kitten, except for two new kittens!"

LUV HUH.

Image sources here and here.

Katie Holmes in Madewell Dress and J.Crew Ballet Flats

Source


Obviously I am TEAM KATIE, and I have been not-so-silently cheering her on in her separation and divorce from Tom Cruise (and The C of $). I loved Tom when I was 8 years old, but crushes fade when faced with CRAZY. Now I can stop referring to her as RoboKatie, and it feels so good! Here is why I, personally, have been TEAM KATIE for years:

~She was Joey Potter on "Dawson's Creek", and I was addicted to that show in college
~She always wears subtle, interesting jewelry
~She isn't afraid to experiment with short haircuts, which I love b/c everyone in Hollywood worships extensions
~She's tall, and I know what it's like to be a tall girl
~She's trying to break into the fashion design world, which I admire even though she doesn't seem to have much affinity for it (Holmes & Yang has not been impressive so far)
~She apparently loves J.Crew since she wears it all the time. I can relate....

Here is Katie in NYC yesterday with her daughter, Suri, and mom, Kathleen. I'm 100% sure that the dress is Madewell, and about 80% sure that those are J.Crew's Cece ballet flats. She's looking great, is able to have her own friends and family surrounding her again (as opposed to the last 6 years when all of her "friends" had to be Scientology approved), and is starting a new chapter of her life as a young single mom in NYC.

Katie Holmes: BAMF.



Madewell Chambray Songbird Dress


J.Crew Cece Suede Ballet Flats in Oasis Green

Men's Style Pajamas

Princess Ann: I hate this nightgown. I hate all my nightgowns, and I hate all my underwear too.
Countess: My dear, you have lovely things.
Princess Ann: But I'm not two hundred years old. Why can't I sleep in pajamas?
Countess: Pajamas!?
Princess Ann: Just the top part. Did you know that there are people who sleep with absolutely nothing on at all?
Countess: I rejoice to say I do not.
~Roman Holiday, 1953

Someone once asked Marilyn Monroe what she wore to bed, and she famously replied, "Chanel No.5". I'd expect nothing less from a bona-fide sex goddess, but when it comes to bedtime fashion, there's nothing I like more in the world than a pair of crisp cotton men's style pajamas. Sure, a tee and boxers will do, and sometimes you want something silky and lacy, but a good set of pj's is the most versatile kind of sleepwear that money can buy. You can go from cuddling on the sofa to catching some zzz's to making breakfast the next day without having to worry about being too revealing or sloppy, or having to throw on a robe if you need to let the dog out or get the morning paper from the front steps. When I travel, the only kinds of sleepwear I'll bring along are pajamas because you never know when there might be a fire alarm that goes off in the middle of the night. Nobody wants to be caught at the Holiday Inn with their junk hanging out. Me and the Boy Scouts always like to be prepared.

The word pyjama/pajama stems from the Hindi word paejama, meaning "leg covering", and men first started wearing them around 1870 after the returning colonials brought them back from the East. In the 1890s, pyjamas were starting to replace the nightshirt for gentlemen and, by the 1930's, they had become a key part of a man's wardrobe. One of the first times that a woman was shown wearing men's pajamas in pop-culture was in a scene from the Clark Gable/Claudette Colbert film It Happened One Night, in which a spoiled runaway heiress and a hard-boiled newspaper reporter find themselves forced to share a hotel room for the night.



Peter Warne: Now just to show you my heart's in the right place, I'll give you my best pair of pajamas.
~It Happened One Night, 1934

I'm assuming that women everywhere rushed home from the theaters, immediately commandeered their husbands' cotton pj's, and went to sleep with devilish moustachioed grins on the brain.

Coco Chanel did her part to popularize pajamas as well in the 1920's, with her "lounging pajamas" that were worn while hosting parties at home in the evenings, and there was even a version designed to be worn at the beach! I couldn't find an image of real-life Chanel in pajamas, but here is Audrey Toutou doing a decent impression of her in one of my favorite movies:


~Coco Before Chanel, 2009

I've seen many fashionistas in magazines wearing pajamas as street-clothes nowadays, accessorizing their pj's with tons of jewelry and sky-high heels. I'd never do this myself (I never even wore sweatpants to class in college), but it's totally an option now for the more adventurous out there.

You can, of course, find pajamas all over the place at all different price points. My favorite places to look are TJMaxx and Marshalls, where you can pick some pj's up for as little as $14.99. A more expensive at $150 - but still affordable if you love them - option is this white-on-white striped pair from Frette, as seen on Cameron Diaz in The Holiday:


The Holiday, 2006

J.Crew also does really nice pajamas in the $75-$100 price range. I have two sets, one of which is a pair of men's pajamas (from back when they made pj sets for men) that I found at a sample sale in Baltimore when I was 16. They are green and have multi-colored billiard balls all over them, and the cuffs are fraying from years of wear and love. Right now I'm really hankering for a monogrammed set of pajamas and, for $10 extra, J.Crew will custom embroider your chosen initials on to either one of these perfect pj sets:

J.Crew Vintage Pajama Set


J.Crew Vintage Short-Sleeve Pajama Set

*Apparently lots of people like this short-sleeved set...the white pair is on backorder until August!

How about you? What is your favorite kind of sleepwear?

J.Crew New Arrivals: Beautiful Jewelry...and Merino in June?

New online arrivals today at J.Crew! I have to say, I have been really taken with their jewelry this year, especially the necklaces (I know that RynettaPhD feels the same way, and you can see some great irl pics on her blog). I wear very little jewelry on a day-to-day basis, and I can't do the "arm party" trend since multiple stacked bracelets are too flashy and loud for my office, but these necklaces totally remind me of 1950's costume jewelry that you would find at an estate sale and could wear to special events for years. If the quality is there, I'd definitely classify these as investment pieces worth spending the money on if they catch your fancy.

Flower Lattice Necklace

This is awesome. Any plain sheath or strapless dress is immediately ready to party if you combine it with this necklace. I'd also love it if J.Crew would do a brooch in these colors!

Cabochon Fan Necklace

I saw this necklace and died. Ok, not really, but I did start drooling a little. It comes in this Spearmint color and Peach Blossom. You know where this would be gorgeous? On a bride with a very simple strapless or scoop-necked wedding dress.


Cabochon Pendant Necklace

...and all of the bridesmaids could wear this pendant version to match!

(I worked at a bridal shop for three years. Sometimes my mind just goes to "that place" automatically, I can't help it.)

Mini Ram Bangle

This little guy has been out for a few months and I luurrrrrve heem. Isn't he cute? He had a big brother that sold out really fast, unfortunately. I'd love to buy this bracelet because I'd feel like I had a little pet with me at work all day :)


Tippi Sweater in Heart Me

J.Crew had great success this past fall with their Merino Tippi sweater, and also with their wool-blend Heart Me sweater (thanks in large part to the lovely FLOTUS). They've combined the two to create the Tippi Sweater in Heart Me, and I think that it will also sell very well...IN SEPTEMBER. Seriously, it's not even July yet. Who wants to pay full price for a Merino sweater in the middle of summer??? I understand that fashion seasons don't mirror real-life seasons, but I think that most J.Crew shoppers are going to be cool with waiting until this sweater goes on sale before they buy it, simply because of the material. I seem to remember Mickey Drexler saying something to the effect of "If something ends up on the sale rack, that means that there is a flaw in the design". In this case, I think that they just should have waited until fall to introduce a wool sweater to their collection!

Now, I could be wrong. J.Crew has just started expanding into Canada and Europe, and those customers might just default to Merino as a four-season fabric for more northerly climes. Or perhaps they created a limited run of this sweater to test the waters, and will introduce more stock in the coming months. Is this the case? I guess I'll have to wait and see if all sizes end up in the sale section next month!

This Just In: J.Crew Fall/Winter 2012 Women's Collection Preview

Today in the mail, I received a little pamphlet from J.Crew showcasing their Fall/Winter 2012 Women's Collection. In general, I don't pay a lot of attention to J.Crew's Collection stuff because I'm too poor to afford any of it. Plus they tend to over-sequin their Collection items and I'm not dropping hundreds of dollars on a skirt that I can't wear to work, to the grocery store, or walking my dog, since that's pretty much the scope of my daily activities.

Well, last year they were obsessed with Little Eadie Beale, and the Collection looked like it might possibly smell of cobwebs and cat pee. This year, You'd better break out the Jell-o Pudding Pops because J.Crew seems to be basing a lot of their Collection on this guy's sartorial choices:



Dear fashion world: please stop it with the Cosby Sweaters. I mean, I loved that show as much as the rest of America did - if you had asked me as an 8-year old who I wanted to be when I grew up, I would have said "A cross between Clair Huxtable and Julia Sugarbaker." - but some fashion from the 80's should stay in the 80's. I know the hipsters love this stuff, but they are buying their "authentic vintage" acrylic Cosby Sweaters from thrift shops for $4 and you are not doing anybody any favors by keeping this trend alive.

Anyway, here are some slightly blurry pics of the upcoming Women's Collection, and I've commented with few of my impressions.


No.2 = The texture of that fur looks like dog hair. Why would you wear a fur coat that makes you look like you skinned a few Cairn terriers to make it?


No.6 = "Does this hairy skirt make me look fat?" Yes, it makes everyone look fat. Except possibly Anna Wintour, so J.Crew should just present it to her as an offering along with her afternoon platter of Unicorn steak marinated in virgin tears.
No.7 = Drita from "Mob Wives" would look entirely at home in this ensemble. Just add bling and lots of eye makeup, and she's ready to visit her husband in prison.
No.8 = I would wear that (not sure about the color, though).


No.11 = I like that toggle coat in theory, but I need a coat that covers my wrists.


No.'s 12 and 13 = Pretty. I would wear both of those outfits. Am also liking the dimensions of that little melon-colored handbag in No.12.
No.14 = I don't like snakeskin prints on anything but bags and/or shoes. I guess I've just seen too many hookers on "L&O: SVU" in python mini-skirts.
No.15 = I could see Carly Simon or Sienna Miller in this look. I think it's the hat.
No.16 = What the hell is that bag?


Oh look - a hookup (No.19)! Heh. I'd split those pieces up, but aside from look No.17 (Ski chalet wedding guest?), I would wear everything pictured. In fact, I might have to rob a bank to get the money for that leather jacket in No.20.


No.24 = I need to see this dress in motion. It could go either way for me.


No.25 = This kind of works...annual Hunt Club breakfast, perhaps?
No.26 = I hate the pants and blouse together, but a simple dress in this print would be gorgeous. Maybe it's the lighting, but that jacket looks cheap to me.
No.28 = Hmm...bows. I think I'm too old for bows. Those pants are fun, though.

What do you think? Do you agree/disagree with me on some of these items? Do you see any "must haves" for your cool-weather wardrobe?

Mad Men Season 5 Finale

Aaaarrrgh, why can't this show be on all the time??? AMC is so stingy about their shows: short seasons with humongous gaps in between each one. Do they expect me to content myself with *shudder* NETWORK TELEVISION? TV is dead to me until "The Walking Dead" comes back in October, and I am thisclose to breaking up with that show if they don't give me a strong female character to watch (I want Lori to get eaten by zombies so, so much). Also, Season 3 of "Downton Abbey" premieres this winter (I think). I've seen pics from filming and it looks like Edith is smiling, which means that another bitter Mary/Edith showdown is inevitable. Yay.

*****SPOILERS AHEAD*****



So, let's see where all of our favorite SCDP employees and their families are left at the end of Season 5....

Don = Feeling abandoned by Megan and Peggy, bogged down by guilt after Lane's suicide and seeing hallucinations of his dead brother - another man who killed himself after being treated coldly by Don. About to start back into his old pattern of trying to drown his demons through meaningless sexual encounters.

Betty = Still a delightful mess. Trying to slim down and fit back into her perfect little clothes and perfect little life so that the world can be jealous of her again.

Megan = Through a little bit of old-fashioned backstabbing and a dash of nepotism, is finally about to get her big break into acting. Sadly unaware that she's married to a man who has fallen out of love with her because she wasn't the blank little page he thought she was.

Sally = The spawn of Don and Betty (I always forget about the boys - as will the writers until they can find more children who can actually act) is growing up, and she's inherited both her parents' master manipulation skills. Woodstock is now only two years away....

Roger = Single once more and feeling frisky.

Bert = With his company on shaky ground, he's dropped the doddering old man act to reveal a lion in winter.

Lane = Dead (poor Lane, I liked him).

Pete = Ugh, woe is Pete. Still whining about his long commute and feeling overlooked by Trudy now that her attentions are turned towards raising their daughter. Will only become more insufferable now that she has relented to his pleas for an apartment in the city.

Joan = Now a full partner at SCDP, she is stepping into Lane's shoes as "the responsible one" with the added challenge of getting the other partners to treat her as an equal instead of as a nagging housewife. Other challenges include dealing with her mother, raising her son, and trying to re-enter the dating world as a single mom and divorcee.

Peggy = I am so effing proud of Peggy. When I saw her in her office, dressing-down the copy boys in full-on Draper Style I totally shouted "Get it, gurl!" Peggy has worked hard and made some smart decisions, and now she has become the success that she set out to be from the moment she impressed Freddy Rumsen with her "basket of kisses." This being Mad Men, I'm sure that she'll have a brand new set of problems next season, but right now I'm happy to bask in her sunshine. Just look at how far she's come:


From mousy secretary...


...to advertising Copy Chief.


Peggy Olson has really come into her own! This song was running through my head whenever Peggy was on screen, and I will flip my shit if they let her be the person who came up with "You've come a long way, baby" for those Virginia Slims.




Ta-ta for now, SCDP. Until next season!

Photos courtesy of AMC.