And now let us turn to Autumn

More to come.  Dreaming of wearing layers won't make it so!

And now let us turn to Autumn by mommylap on Polyvore.com

Bickle Bait

"The days go on and on... they don't end. All my life needed was a sense of someplace to go. I don't believe that one should devote his life to morbid self-attention, I believe that one should become a person like other people." 

           

Any number of forces have gotten me thinking about Taxi Driver lately. Boardwalk Empire inspired a Martin Scorcese binge that started with Casino (which I really only like for the clothes) and also sparked a conversation about favorite Scorcese movies in which my younger counterparts conveniently forgot any Scorcese movie exists prior to Goodfellas. Well, Taxi Driver has all the gritty, sweet, intense, violent, creepy ultra-reality that I associate with Scorcese, and will always be the first movie I think of when his name is mentioned.

Another thing that's brought Taxi Driver to mind was Marc Jacobs Spring collection in which every look seemed to be inspired by Betsy (Cybill Shepherd) or Iris (Jodie Foster) respectively. I can't help but think of the seventies as our sexiest decade and the vibe in this collection epitomizes that look of detached sexuality. These girls have either seen it all, can handle it all, or are above it all. Even on the runway there is something about these looks that just imply these ladies are walking through the garbage of wet alleyways. It's a weird kind of glamour, but it is still somehow glamorous.

I'm in the process of going through my fabric stash, (a subject of which is a future post in itself) and immediately saw some resemblance in this purple mod print knit fabric I already had and the following dress from Jacobs's Spring show. Sadly I only have about 1 yard, but I feel that I can easily create the top portion of this dress with a wide knit band, making it super easy to wear with skirts or pants. I may also accentuate the seventies further by making the long sleeves out of the same contrast material as the band, or maybe making elbow-length puffy sleeves with a knit cuff.  

The fabric is a really silky nylon jersey or tricot, not stretchy enough to be swimwear fabric, but has some of that luster. Knowing already that this kind of fabric wreaks havoc on my machine's tension I am going to make sure to make this top have the least amount of seams I can manage, and will make sure I have a brand new needle. The nice thing is this silky knit is lovely to wear, like the lingerie it was made to be used for.

Here we have Simplicity 5250, a pattern I was completely inspired to buy because of the Cupcake Goddess's current project. Her muslin mockup looked so modern to me, with Taxi Driver on my mind, that I compulsively google-searched for it and somehow immediately found it in a size I wouldn't have to grade up too much. The hat on the pattern sleeve is totally Iris too! I'm thinking corduroy since I have no interest in working with satin, especially for a jacket with lapels.

Lena Horshek Fall 2010

Lena Horshek's Fall RTW 2010 has been especially inspiring to me, partially due to great styling contrast with mens' shoes and hats. I would rock this look without hesitation. Plaid is my favorite color..





I feel all these looks are so wearable that I'd almost say they are more clothes than "fashion", but they are also all the editorially desirable things Nina Garcia seems to always be looking for. In any case, I am captivated. I have striped vintage fabric just begging to be a dirndl (albeit in a Spring palette more than Fall/Winter.)



I adore that black taffeta three-tiered skirt. I have a beautiful sharkskin/iridescent wool that might be great for that look actually, especially if I could find a coordinating stripe. The fabric is cranberry/merlot with a gold/camel sharkskin iridescence. I have enough yardage for a whole vintage dress in that wool though, we'll see. I love the long sleeve tee with the bow accent on the bust too. I have some men's super shiny black squared-toed oxfords that might really work for these looks, not to mention some fantastic vintage gold patent leather mens' Gucci-style loafer circa 1968..(update pics to come!)

A tale of sexual repression, love, heartbreak and manic-depression

By no means am I the only person whose sewing passions have been ignited by what Marc Jacobs put out in Louis Vuitton's Fall collection, but this dress grabbed me first, if only because it reminds me of the dress worn by Warren Beatty's wife at the end of Splendor in the Grass, when Natalie Wood visits him and essentially gets peace from his humble existence. I remember being furious with her character since he was clearly married (in the film) to an impossibly succulent cross between Ava Gardner and Sophia Loren..The actress's name is Zohra Lampert, and I can't find a single picture of her from Splendor in the Grass unfortunately. Of course I agree that Natalie Wood is also a lovely visage, but somehow she was the subject of great hostility in my teenage years. Her performances were exceptionally aggravating to me both in Splendor in the Grass and Rebel Without A Cause. In any case I thought Bud Stamper was better off in the end without that simpering fool.

UPDATE: Forgive the glare from my window on these pictures, I really wanted to get pictures of Zohra in this post. As you can see, her dress is nothing like the LV inspiration dress, it's instead the simplest housedress ever. But you can see how sweet and lovely she is.

This is one of many Fall RTW inspirations I have, and there are many more items from the Louis Vuitton Fall RTW 2010 show too, but this mix of pattern and silhouette is one I am particularly
taken with. Because of the aforementioned recollection it holds connotations of romantic justice and karma to me..