I Like Her Style

October 29th, 2009 Comments

Style

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I haven’t written an “I Like Her Style” post in awhile.  Lately, I haven’t been felt like there is anyone in the public eye whose style has been too inspiring lately.     However, this “I Like Her Style” has been long overdue since I’ve been an admirer of musician Janelle Monae and her style for quite some time.  The pompadour, her “uniform” and unique musical sound are a bit different from what you might see or hear daily, but you can still pinpoint some of her inspirations.   Her style is  simple and usually remains the same: black tuxedo pants, a dinner jacket and her Charlie Brown shoes..   And although I don’t personally subscribe, I love her take on uniforms:

“I have always taken to uniforms,” she explains. “I loved watching the guys and the girls in their post office uniforms. And I was obsessed with Colonel Sanders.”

For me, her style and music are always inspiring to me.  From my failed pomp’ that I tried on my own hair (and it was bad) to listening to her music for stimulation while writing or even cleaning around the house, Janelle Monae never really fails to inspire me.

And if you haven’t already, check out my favorite video of hers, “Many Moons”.  Tell me it doesn’t make you move in your seat.


I Like Her Style

Perfumania: Leslie Blodgett’s Bare Skin

October 28th, 2009 Comments

Choosing the right perfume can be difficult.  I find that for me, wearing perfume is like sharing a personal part of myself with others.  So much of what type of perfume I choose to wear mirrors aspects of my personality, so I can be quite picky when it comes to finding something I like.  For the longest time, I’d been wearing Stella McCartney’s Stella perfume because the notes worked blended so well for me.

So when I received samples of Leslie Blodgett’s (CEO of Bare Escentuals) new perfume line exclusively for Sephora, I was intrigued.  I wanted to review the perfume mainly because of the name, Bare Skin.  It sounded more in line to what I’m used to, which are clean and simple notes,  with a feminine flair.  I received my samples and wore the perfume while out and about over the weekend.  What I really liked about it was that unless you were sitting really close to me, the scent wasn’t overpowering at all.  However, there were times when I would catch a light whiff of the scent and was pleased at the smell.   For those who are like me, and enjoy light, clean, yet musky perfumes, I’d definitely say give this one a try.

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Notes: Top (Black Pepper, Freesia, Anise), Middle (Iris, Vanilla Orchid, Plumeria, Patchouli) Bottom (Sandalwood, Labdanum, Musk)

Perfumania: Leslie Blodgett’s Bare Skin

Sustainable Chicago: Vert Couture Fashion Show

October 26th, 2009 Comments

Last night, I had the pleasure of attending the Vert Couture fashion show, part of Chicago’s Fashion Focus week,  which showcased some wonderful sustainable fashion by Chicago designers.  I was initially drawn to the show, because I heard that Vaute Couture would be showing their designs, and I have been interested in seeing their clothing in person.  However, I was exposed to a slew of Chicago-based and sustainable clothing designers such as Frei Designs, Mountains of the Moon, Bryant McLemora Smith Vintage, the Fashion Institute Student Collective, shoes by Mohop and Kahlia footwear and accessories from Fanta Chelah.  It really  was a fun night with some great fashions.  I really do believe there is great momentum for a movement and future in sustainable fashion and  I’m happy that Chicago designers are a part of it.

My only regret?  That I didn’t get the chance to try one of the vegan cocktails.

Here are a few pictures of the show:

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Sustainable Chicago: Vert Couture Fashion Show

Deliberating: Rodarte for Target

October 21st, 2009 Comments

Finally, some preview images from the Rodarte for Target collaboration have shown up online.  After much anticipation (on my end, at least),  the line which launches in Target on December 20th looks to be a mixture of textures and prints.  I see sequins, lace, leopard print and bows.   Overall, I’m a little underwhelmed by the collection, but that’s how I’ve been feeling about many of the designer collaborations that have been coming out lately. I know many times that the quality of materials is not the same because they are lower-priced and the designers are appealing to a larger base. I had really high hopes for Rodarte, because I enjoy their runway collections so much and I still hope to check out the line when it arrives in my local Target store (if it arrives, rather).   I still think Rodarte did remain quite true to their aesthetic, and some of the pieces are quite creative. Plus, if there are 55 pieces, then maybe I’m casting my opinion too soon.   My one question is: where are the pants?

rodarte-for-target-2-leopard-dress-570x380rodarte-target-pantsless-1-570x380rodarte-target-skeleton-570x380rodarte-target-stripes-570x380Photo Credit: Examiner.com

Deliberating: Rodarte for Target

My Thoughts: Good Hair

October 20th, 2009 Comments

Hello everyone and yes, I can say that I am still alive.  I’ve been semi-active on Twitter lately, but I went MIA as far as writing on this blog goes.  I tried,I’d sit down to write, I really would, but I’d become easily distracted.  Things like the special edition Billy bookcases from IKEA would grab my attention and hold it. So I felt like I was out of gas.   Yes, I know, this is a bad thing that a wannabe like myself should be telling readers.   So this is all to say that I’m sorry for being MIA and I’ll try to be a better ClandestineChic.

I was slated to write a post about Chris Rock’s “Good Hair” documentary about a week ago,when I first saw the movie in the theaters.  Then, I  figured I’d  scrap it since it’s no longer time sensitive in the world of insta-blogging, but something I saw a couple of days ago made me want to revive the post.  Also, brace yourself because this is sort of a long one.

Me_0001 A seven-year-old Clandestine Chic on Easter Sunday squinting my eyes at the camera.  Yes, my mother loved to dress me in pink: pink dress, pink purse and those damned pink ribbons.  However, what caught my eye about the picture was my hair (will explain later).

On Good Hair, some segments of the documentary stayed with me and were still clearly embedded while other parts of the documentary I thought were forgettable.   One segment that stuck out to me the most was the discussion of young girls getting relaxers and going through the pains of having perfectly groomed hair.   Not to give away any spoilers, but there was one very young girl with a relaxer, at one point she made a remark that it was what “you were supposed to do”.  Mind you, we’re talking about a 3-year-old young girl here.   Although I wasn’t that young when I got my first relaxer, I was still subjected  to the frequent press n’ curls that always left me suceptible to a burn, because I was so jumpy.  Well groomed hair was always a necessity, and that meant enduring weekly presses.   I can’t even count how many times I had to remain inside instead of playing with the other kids because my hair was newly pressed.

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Another segment of “Good Hair” that was interesting and left me fuming at the same time,  was a group of 5 high school girls that were talking about their hair.  All of these girls, except one young lady with a nice shaped Afro had relaxers.   They told the girl with the fro that without wearing her hair relaxed, she probably wouldn’t get a job with her and that a wearing a suit and a fro to work would be a contradiction. I was  furiously shaking my head and I felt so horrible after seeing this girl’s face. I was 19 when I went natural after about 7 years of wearing my hair relaxed.   And I had no idea where I was going to begin.  I just knew that I was over sitting in salons for 5-6 hours at a time , increasingly thinning hair without much growth, and being admonished for not being able to take the burn of a relaxer for very long.    Slowly, one by one, my friends were starting to go natural as well and we were all looking for resources to help us learn how to deal with our hair.   Most of these resources were found online and were a big help during those first few months.  I learned how to rock twists, twist-outs, braid-outs and how to just let my hair be free.

500x_good_hairImage Source: Jezebel.com

All in all, I’d say the movie was very interesting.  Yes, there were some segments I didn’t really care for,  and I thought there could be a bit more of a discussion about natural hair instead of so much emphasis being placed on weaves and relaxers.  I went went to see this movie, because I knew that there would be many aspects of the documentary to that I would be able to relate.  And when I saw the picture of me when I was younger, with my newly pressed hair, I can still remember everything that went into achieving my hairstyle.   The sacrifices I had to make all of these years, that I don’t  consider these days, because I’m not going to let my hair dictate anything anymore.   As for the movie,  whether it was a good or bad documentary in anyone’s eyes,  I am just happy that it was able to open up more changes for dialogue in the future.

My Thoughts: Good Hair

Music Makes the World Go Round

October 8th, 2009 Comments

There are a lot of outside influences that can affect the way we dress.  I’d say one of the biggest things is music.  I love, no really, I love music and in many ways, music is always intertwined with my life.   Music and fashion for me, can easily go together as a confluence of style and self-expression as in my opinion.  The type of music that I listen to influences my style choices and my style choices impact the type of music that I’m in the mood for, respectively.

Lately I’ve been listening to a lot of soft, soulful music, with a bit of “offbeat” thrown in: Aretha Franklin, Sia, Janelle Monae, Feist and old Lauryn Hill come to mind.  Some of the songs are heavy and dark; which is  kind of how I imagine a fall mood would be.    Here are three  songs that have influenced my style and three Polyvore sets that I think pairs perfectly with them:

Nina Simone “Sinnerman” is one of my favorite songs of all time.   Ms. Simone’s deep voice is so highly emotional and brings me into a trance whenever I hear it.

Red and Black

Yeah Yeah Yeahs “Heads Will Roll”.   This song always makes me want to get out of my seat and dance.   It’s perfect to listen to if you’re getting ready to go out for a night of clubbing or drinks with the friends.  Pure fun.

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Colleagues introduced me to this song last year and I haven’t stopped playing it since.  The bittersweet nature of this torch song gets to me every  time.   I love listening to this song with a glass of wine and while I’m putting on my makeup or getting ready to put on my most dressy outfits.  I always feel like there is a romantic element to my outfits whenever I listen to this song while getting dressed.

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Music Makes the World Go Round

It’s The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

October 7th, 2009 Comments

Okay, okay, I know they say that about Christmas, but for me, I always feel like Halloween is one of the most festive holidays of the year.  Dressing up, yummy treats and costume parties are what makes this holiday great for me.  I’ve been a Halloween enthusiast ever since I could remember.  Finding a suitable costume at the local costume store was excruciating for my parents, but I loved every minute of it.  I remember being a Charleston girl, an ugly zombie,  and a wicked witch–in which I sported a huge zit on my nose and won first place in my school’s “Best Costume” contest.

I haven’t dressed up for Halloween since I was a teenager.  Mainly because there really wasn’t a reason for me to do so if I wasn’t going to Halloween parties and my creative mind from my former years has not kept up with me and I couldn’t come up with a costume to wear.   A part of me really wants to dress up for Halloween this year and go all out like I did as a kid and just have fun with it.  Where where would I wear the costume?  Unless I am invited to a fabulous party somewhere (anyone?), I have no clue.

So I’ve been thinking about the costumes I would wear if I were to dress up for Halloween this year.  Here are some of my choices:

KitanaYup.  It’s Kitana from Mortal Kombat.  I remember a long, long time ago when Mortal Kombat was hugely popular, I was obsessed with dressing up as Kitana.  This was before the dawn of the Cosplay costume stores online and American Apparel.   Not sure if people would automatically get the reference, but I think I’d feel like I vindicated my younger self by pulling off this outfit.

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I know, I know, Mad Men is everywhere and this is a bit unimaginative.   I wouldn’t dress as one of the characters from Mad Men per se, but I thought it’d be kind of cool to dress up as a woman from the early 60’s: updo, bright red lipstick, nice vintage clothing, red nails.   I wouldn’t have a cigarette in hand (bummer, I know).

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Yet another costume idea I know has been run into the ground.  An Egyptian queen.   I wouldn’t be Cleopatra, but a powerful Egyptian queen.  I’ve always been fascinated by that time period, so it’d be an outfit that I would spend a great deal of time on.  Needless to say, I don’t think I’d order it from a costume company, but I’d rather piece it together on my own.

I still have a few other Halloween ideas swirling around in my head,  but these are the top 3 that pop up instantly.  Are you dressing up for Halloween?  Have any costume ideas?

Image Source: Fright Catalog We Heart It, quizilla

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Also, check out the profile done on me by the fabulous DWJ at the Art of Accessories blog!  I really and truly am honored that she chose to profile me this month of her “Art Of…” series.   I talk about my top 3 favorite accessories, my style inspiration and my favorite gift to give.  Much thanks to DWJ! :)

It’s The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Hello Fall

October 5th, 2009 Comments

Fall Leaves

Not sure how many times I’ve typed this, but I’m sure you know by now that fall is my favorite season. There are always subtle hints that fall weather is creeping in and summer is slowly fading away. The cooler weather, being forced to turn on the heat at night or piling blankets on before bed, the cider offerings turning up on the menu at your favorite coffee shop.

For me, one of my first signs that fall is truly here is when I begin to wear boots on a daily basis. Although I’ve tried, I cannot wear boots year round and I pretty much relegate myself to flats in the summer.  Once autumn rolls around,  I pretty much only wear boots.   I realized  didn’t have a pair of everyday and comfortable flat boots to wear (I’ll talk about this later), but I found a pair on a whim at Aldo and on sale a few days ago.

Can  you guess what the highlight of my Monday was?

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Boots 1

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Breaking in my new boots, of course!

What is your favorte thing about fall?

Hello Fall

Links a La Mode: The Dos and Don’ts of Style

October 2nd, 2009 Comments


Edited by Debutante Clothing

I just turned 35. It’s a landmark year not just chronologically, but style wise. I am now approaching that next age bracket in the How to Dress for Your Age features in mags. You know the ones. Thank goodness for my blogger pals here at Independent Fashion Bloggers. You’ll find some of the best style guides here this week. Guides such as Mischief My Dear’s advice on finding the perfect LBD and Fasshonaburu’s Spring 2010 trends guide. But beware the urge to dress too sexy. 39th and Broadway tells you why toddlers and stilletos don’t mix, and Squareectomy questions the taste level of visible thongs. Enjoy!

Links à la Mode : October 1st

Links a La Mode: The Dos and Don’ts of Style

Letter to a Younger Clandestine Chic

October 1st, 2009 Comments

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Have you ever thought about what you would say to yourself when you were younger  if you were reflecting back at the age you are now?   There are times when I do stop myself and think, “If I only knew this when I was 18, 19, then I’d be a lot better off”.  Of course,one of the things about getting older is that you grow and you learn.  Still, do you have anything that you would warn your former self to do or not to do since you have “seen the light”?  I do have a few words of caution that I’d lend to a 19-year-old Clandestine Chic with my newly minted 26-year-old perspective:

  • Don’t ever be sorry for not compromising your beliefs.  Even if people make you feel uneasy about it or if you begin to second-guess yourself.   It is your choice to believe what you believe, and if you feel right in making decisions based on your beliefs, then that is all that matters.
  • Invest more time into your longer-term goals and don’t always take the “easy” way out.  Especially if it has to do with money and positions of power.  Ask yourself if it’s really something that you want or if you are doing it “just for now”.
  • Chicago is great and all, but uh, you have to travel more!  Be sure to take advantage of all opportunities and see as much of the world that you possibly can.
  • Although I told you to travel as much as possible, since you’re going to remain in Chicago for awhile, take advantage of all that this city has to offer.  You haven’t even begun to chip at the tip of the iceberg in this city.
  • Drink lots of water, exercise and take your vitamins.  People aren’t telling you to do this for their own health, but for YOUR own health.  Your skin, hair, and the rest of your body will thank you.
  • Stop being so damn sensitive and persnickety.
  • Be daring.  You’ll soon learn not to care what others think of the way you wear your hair, the clothes you wear or the music you listen to.  Push your creative buttons with these outlets.

Do you have anything that you would tell your younger self?   Words of caution?  Little nuggets of advice?   For me, I’d probably talk to myself (ha!) for hours and run down what has been great and what has gone wrong in life, but one only has so much time.

Image Source: We Heart It

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Letter to a Younger Clandestine Chic

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