ClandestineChic

There’s always a huge difference between posting about your wants and what you are actually able to buy when you size everything up: availability, pricing, convenience.  I wrote about what I wanted for Fall 09 with a tentative wishlist, and although I was able to get a couple of items, I’ve still had to make some tweaks here and there.

I was able to get one of my most anticipated purchases which was the harness belt from Angie’s iheartnorwegianwood’s shop.  I’d been eying the belt all summer, and I finally bit the bullet and bought it.  Since I’m a bit on the er, busty side, I contacted Angie and gave her my measurements and she was able to make one that would fit especially for me.  Here it is after I threw it on over the dress I was wearing that day after I immediately ripped the package open:

And I love it.  I’ve worn it twice already since I kept it on that day and on my birthday when I went to get my driver’s license renewed.  This was definitely a purchase that was well worth it for me.

I’ve also picked up a few “classic” tops that I can pair with dress pants or pencil skirts:

This top that I got on sale at Ann Taylor.

And this top that I saw at H&M.  Hm…something about bows for me this season, huh?

Plus, today I went on a mad dash to scoop up this cardigan from Akira boutique:

All in all, I think I’m pretty close to being done for my fall shopping.  I still want a pair of Dr. Martens, and a couple of warm sweaters and that’s about it.

How is your Fall shopping going?   Have you gotten everything you’d like or are you still searching for the right items?

Although I will admit I’m a a bit biased as a native Chicagoan, I’d like to think that Chicago is a very stylish city. And while there is a street style blog in virtually every major metropolitan city in the world, the MidWasteland captures the best street style photos that display Chicago’s style. I was very happy when I got the chance to interview Monica Dimperio, the face behind MidWasteland, to discuss her take on Chicago street style, where she takes her photos, and her recommendations on some great Chicago shops.

Tell me a bit about your background.
My fashion background consists of a degree in Media Management from Columbia and several years in retail. I worked as a manager and merchandiser at stores including: Lacoste, Prada, and Adriano Goldschmied.

What inspired you to start The MidWasteland?
I got into fashion blogs in early 2007 before a big trip to Europe. Facehunter and Stil In Berlin are two that I really liked. When I was there I saw the most amazing style. When I came back I saw things differently so I picked up my camera and started capturing Chicago street style in July 2007.

Why did you name the blog The MidWasteland?
It’s been a while so I can’t remember the process but I know that I wanted a name that let people know that this wasn’t a blog you wanted to take seriously, like The Sartorialist, for example. I wanted to create a place for people, like me, that know firsthand that most Midwestern stereotypes ARE true. Though, on the same token, also know that style exists within our region, which is why I think The MidWasteland fits nicely. We’re all about having fun here.

Where in Chicago do you take most of your street style photos?
When I first started in 2007 I mostly shot in Wicker Park because that’s where I lived and it was always easy to spot a stylish person there. Now I take my camera everywhere I go. There are stylish people all over the city so I can’t say just one neighborhood.

What Chicago neighborhoods do you think have the most style?
I’ve lived here my entire life. I find beauty in every neighborhood in the city. From Hyde Park up to Andersonville and everything in between, I think each has their own individual style. Of course, not every neighborhood has the most mainstream or “style setting” aesthetic but I don’t think that matters. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

What do you think sums up Chicago style at the moment? Any specific looks or trends?
To be frank, I think everyone has started to dress like a “hipster”. The indie aesthetic has hit the mainstream and now it’s the thing to do because it’s everywhere. Girls in every subculture are wearing skinny jeans, scarves, and fedoras. Boys in every subculture are wearing Chucks, nerd glasses, and vests.

When taking street style photos, what look inspires you to take a photo of them?
I love interesting details and people. I also veer towards great ensembles. It’s rare that you see someone in a “complete look” but when you do, you know it and it’s a wonderful thing.


What has been a favorite look of yours to photograph so far?
I’m not sure if you mean one person in particular or a specific style. In general, I am not biased. I love taking photos of both men and women in every walk of life as long as they are eye-catching.

How would you describe your own personal style?
My style is pretty eclectic, maybe a little eccentric. I’m not really afraid to wear things that make me stand out like sequins, vintage fur, and bright colors. Though, my daily uniform is generally a basic dress/romper or jeans and a tee paired with a combination of funky accessories. Scarves, necklaces, handbags, big rings, and tons of bracelets. I love it all!

What are your recommendations for some cool Chicago shops?
Some of my favorite shops include:
Eskell: Beautiful vintage-inspired clothing and amazing accessories run by two great gals.
Pivot: Pick up eco-friendly fashion which includes my very own vintage collection, Elegantly Wasted
Hejfina: Out of my price league but super modern and fashion forward clothing.
Penelope’s: Cute and colorful pieces for girls and guys.

Images Sources: The MidWasteland

Beauty, Style, & the Blogosphere

Edited by Ashe Mischief

Beauty and Style come in many forms, and this weeks Links á la Mode choices showcase the many discussions entering the world of fashion blogging at the moment: excessive judgments, the value of personalities, and cultivating your inner beauty as well as your outer beauty. Bonne-Vie challenges the values of the show “More to Love” and Fivve Blog shares model sensation Lara Stone. Newcomer Jaka’s Tea Party calls to action with the Wholestyle Manifesto and Betsey J asks “Are we too judgmental as fashion bloggers?”

Not to overshadow this weeks Links á la Mode with too heavy of discussions, we’ve also go a great roundup of make-up tutorials & inspiration, along with great DIY projects & giveaways in the forums!

Links à la Mode : August 20th

• Ask ThinkThru: – What Can You Wear From the Office To an Event?
• Betsey J: – Have we become too judgemental when it comes to fashion & style?
• Bonne Vie: – Fox is doin’ it wrong with new reality show “More to Love”
• BRICK MY LANE: – 3-in-1 DIYs: Ripping, slashing andd patching everything, rock’n’roll style
• Broke & Beautiful – International Indie Designers can be found with Novica, plus an opportunity to REALLY make a difference by shopping.
• Confessions of a Fashion Editor – Fed up of emails from big fashion brands demanding interviews, I decided to speak to a young, bright and new designer instead.
• Denim Debutante: – How to Clean & Care for Your Premium Denim
• fivve blog: – If you have a fashion mag addiction, then you probably have seen who W Magazine is calling the “fashion it-girl” Lara Stone.
• Independent Fashion Bloggers: What’s so great about Gravatars?
• Jaka’s Tea Party – A mission statement for a new movement that believes style isn’t about the clothes you wear, it’s about being a whole person.
• Little Miss Makeup: – Pretty makeup is an evergreen fashion trend. Get the low-down on how to get the look!
• Meilily: – Highlights the debut collection of Project Runway phenom Christian Siriano for VS Makeup.
• pie wacket: – yesterday I worked with Kiehl’s to create a wonderful late summer giveaway and shot an original beauty story to demo the products.
• Rags to Reverie: – 2 days ago Space 15 Twenty’s Pangaea Pop-Up makes deka ray’s architectural jewelry available for the masses
• Retro Chick: – Why we buy – One woman’s journey in fashion and the decisions we make every day.
• sweet archivia: – Anthropologie’s Secret Code – In-House Brand Guide
• THE COVETED – The Coveted: Make that a double: Take Off Your Clothes Double T-Shirt Dress
• The Demoiselles – Jennifer Nicole uncovers the secrets behind the new PETA ad, which degrades women based on weight.
• The Fashion Planner: – The Fashion Planner’s Guide to Chicago offers great places to eat, shop, and more.
• The Midnight Feast: – Did I really just put on black lipstick? How to tackle this trend: a guide for those who would prefer to leave the gothic look in the 90s.
• Unfunded – Unfunded: White Rabbit Inspired Baubles
• Wit & Whimsy: – First Look: Michael Kors Goes Hollywood Glam with the launch of VeryHollywood.com

I’m pretty much a self-admitted fangirl of Azzedine Alaïa and I’ll also admit that it’s hard for me to consider much of his work as less than perfect. I would love to have a full collection of his clothing one day, but for now, a collection of photographs will have to do. The F/W 09 collection was recently featured in Cover magazine’s August 09 issue and I’ll have to say that it’s nothing short of amazing. Here are some of my favorite shots:

And this is definitely my favorite with the belts:

Source: The Fashion Spot

I admit that I was inspired by this post from a thread on The Fashion Spot.   I love reading the tidbits from other posters about their personal style and what makes them unique.  For me, this was a bit of a challenge because I wasn’t sure if I could sum up my personal style with 10 tidbits.  I’m somewhat of a chameleon, so my look can change depending on my mood or what I’m into that particular season.   The more I think about it, there are some staples of my personal style that never really change.   Here we go:

1.  The majority of my clothing is either black/navy or bright colors like yellow, pink and purple.

2.  I love, love, love colored denim.  I love jeans that are green, purple, gray or anything other than regular blue denim.

3.  The only sneaker I wear outside of the gym are my Converse low-top red shoes.  Since they’re Converse, I consider them to be classic and almost not even a sneaker, really.

4.  For some reason, I consider purple to be the perfect Fall color.  It’s bold and dark, yet very subdued.

5.  I only paint my nails during the Fall, and when I do, it’s a dark color such as black, purple or chocolate brown.

6.  If I had the dough and money wasn’t an objects, the brands I would wear would be Dries, Marni, Ann Demeulemeester, Rodarte, McQueen, and Hussein Chalayan.

Dries Van Noten, Fall 2009 RTW

7.  Cardigans are a mainstay in my wardrobe in all seasons.   For me, the longer the cardigan, the better.

8.  I also wear flats most of the time.  Whether they are dressy flats for a more formal occasion or casual for everyday,  I don’t wear heels often at all.

9.  I’ve only recently gotten into wearing vintage, and now it’s playing a much bigger role in my everyday personal style.

10.  I don’t like looking too “matchy” and I prefer to mix my colors up.

What are some of your personal style “staples”?

Sources: Style.com, TFS, Amazon.com

Over the years, I’ve heard of so many fashion rules of how to wear or how not to wear this item or that item.   In breaking these rules, you’d garner a look that let you know that you’ve stepped out of fashion bounds and you have to step back in.  For me, I don’t really have many rules.  The only rule I’d adhere to is that the items I’m wearing look good on me and my body shape.  Other than that,  I don’t really pay attention to “You shouldn’t wear color with this color” or “You can’t wear this color after this holiday.”

I think one of the biggest unspoken rules I’ve broken is wearing flat shoes with dresses.  Especially dresses that are made for heels.   And I love heels.  I really do.  But I love my flats and sometimes, I love feeling comfortable as well.   I admit feeling a little  vindicated once I started seeing photos of Michelle Obama wearing flats and/or kitten heels to her much more important events:

I also used the wonderful Looklet.com to put together some other outfits that break some rules that I’ve heard of.

Wearing blue and black together in an outfit.

Wearing beige and black together.

Mixing Prints

Wearing boots in the summer

Should some of these rules be “enforced” or can they work given the person wears them right and with confidence?

Source: TFS

Veronique Branquinho F2009 RTW

I know I’m a bit late on this since it was announced in late May that Veronique Branquinho would be closing down her shop and forced to liquidate due to the current recession.  I’d written about  Branquinho’s work in a previous post and noted that she was always under the radar when it came to the fashion world.

However, Branquinho was meticulous in her attention to detail and was a pro when it came to her use of fabrics.   She was one of the designers that I said I’d buy a piece from their line once I “made it”, because I knew that it would last forever in its stylish form.

Plus, her shoes were always on point:

Now, it’s one less designer I’ll be looking  for in the stream of Fashion Week photos and reading the runway report on Style.com.  Not that I ever got the feeling that she was the highlight of their reviews, anyway.   As for what’s next for Ms. Branquinho, she  will likely focus her time as the artistic director of Belgian leather-goods brand Delvaux.

So as we bid adieu to another talented designer who had the goods, but couldn’t stay afloat during these economic times, I leave with this video from of her Paris 2008 Fall runway show.

watch?v=ZAPjWbZxT4U]

A few days ago I was going through a backup drive and I found some images from my old computer.  I thought I’d lost these images and I vaguely remember rounding them up from various sources a couple years ago.  They were going to be printed and they were to be added to my “mood board”.  Well, the mood board never happened and the images, until now, have been mostly forgotten.  However, I wanted to share because I think it’s interesting to look back at what inspired me at that time (and just a quick note, please don’t laugh at my faux-Photoshopping skills.  Thx):

These adverts and images are at least a couple of years old or more, but I can still find inspiration from some of them and I remember why I saved them.  I will say this, I must have been in a romantic reverie, because these images come off as incredibly romantic and idyllic in my mind.  Soon, I hope to update this and show what imagery currently inspires me.

Right on the heels eight Oscars for Slumdog Millionaire, the lovely Freida Pinto graces the cover of Vogue India.   Clothing by Louis Vuitton, makeup is by Gucci Westman.   However, I think the scene stealer is the beautiful necklace she has on.   Hopefully I can get my hand on a copy.   Also, below is another picture from the editorial.

Both images from The Fashion Spot.

As many interested in fashion know, it has not gone unnoticed that fashion has suffered from a lack of diversity in the past few years.  A few months ago, American Vogue had an article titled, “Is Fashion Racist”, which featured Chanel Iman, Jourdan Dunn and Arlenis Sosa. And Black models (and other ethnicities) have been missing from Vogue’s cover and editorials until very recently. Italian Vogue published their “All Black” issue in July to much fanfare and it became a best seller. And Ms. Naomi Campbell has spoken up about the issue and is said to be planning a London agency for Black models.

This brings me to the topic of this post, Ms. Donyale Luna.  Ms. Luna was the first Black model to grace the cover of Vogue magazine in 1966.  Born in Detroit with the birth name Peggy Ann Freeman, Ms. Luna was discovered by photographer David McCabe and quickly moved to New York to start her career.  In addition to a modeling career, Ms. Luna was also a party of Andy Warhol’s Factory and starred in a Federico Fellini film.  As a model, Luna supposedly demanded $60 a day for bookings, which was a pretty hefty rate during those times.  During my research, I saw an excellent post from Afrobella, who excellently summed up her life and career.

The real shame is  that Ms. Luna seemed to deny her Black ancestry and claimed anything but.  In a profile written by Judy Stone for the New York Times, Luna’s background was described as ” Mexican, American Indian, Chinese, Irish and, last but least escapable, Negro”. When asked if she thought her appearances in films would bring more opportunity for Black actresses, she remarked, ““If it brings about more jobs for Mexicans, Chinese, Indians, Negroes, groovy. It could be good, it could be bad. I couldn’t care less.” Luna’s career declined when she started to exhibit unprofessional behavior.  She died of a drug overdose in 1979.

Seeing how hard the path is for Black models today, Ms Luna definitely blazed a trail whether she wanted to or not.   Imagining how hard it was for her in the 1960’s, Luna definitely rose to succeed beyond expectations.   Here are a few more pics of Ms. Luna that I found from this website, The Beautiful and the Damned.