3 November 2010 – A Little Craycray, originally uploaded by academichic.
Pattern Mixing, originally uploaded by academichic.
Sources:
- Striped top: thrifted
- Scarf: borrowed from sister-in-law
- Gold belt: thrifted
- Tweed skirt: adopted from sister-in-law
- Tights: Target
- Booties: Steve Madden Ollie, via DSW
End Notes:
Gratuitous tv and spoiler warning: if you don’t already know who won Project Runway last week and would like to avoid even allusions to who did NOT win…click the little “x” box and be on your way.
Project Runway watchers, I give you one guess as to which designer I was hoping would win this season.
I may be quoting Valerie Mayen in the post title, but I my outfit is inspired by the quirky, playful designs of Mondo Guerra. Granted, my tweed is nowhere near as graphic as his oversized herringbone, but pattern mixing, a gold belt, and a hot pink scarf (hey, sister-in-law, you left this at my house!) all together is pretty “Mondo” for my closet. It’s not that Mondo’s look is something that I would want to wear every day. I’m definitely not the imaginary “girl” that his final collection was supposed to describe. But, I did think that he had a distinct point of view and I loved how his clothes and styling had a liveliness about them.
This was the perfect outfit to “premiere” (as A. would say) my fall shoe purchase: Steve Madden Ollie booties. What can I say? SM shoes play very nicely with my feet. I find his boots and his heels to be very comfortable and very flattering on my foot shape. (As if I wasn’t already committed to getting as much use as possible out of these puppies, you’d better believe that they’ll be part of me playing along with Kendi’s next 30 for 30 challenge.)
Steve Madden Ollie Booties, originally uploaded by academichic.
Anyway, I wish I could tell you that my whole day in this outfit was neon colored rainbows and bedazzled skulls, but alas, positive dressing can only take you so far. Nevertheless, in the midst of working through a stressful communication and scheduling conflict, it was useful to look down, see the craycray that was stripes and gold and tweed and hot pink, and mentally push “play” on my inner soundtrack button.
3 November 2010 – Antennae, originally uploaded by academichic.
Love, love, love this outfit! You look great! Great idea!
What a great outfit! Love the use of color and textures here!
http://www.afashionfixation.blogspot.com
LOVE this look!!!!!!!!
So cute! And great minds think alike – I’m wearing a really similar outfit today! Only my top is untucked and long b/c I couldn’t find my skinny belt this morning.
I love the last picture.
The pattern mixing here is so spot on – I love it. The pops of color only accentuate the overall look and the booties are fabulous! That last picture totally captures the fun essence of this whole outfit! LOVE it!!
Small Time Style
Oooh, i love this outfit. You always have great shoe options. I need to do some serious shoe shopping.
I love this outfit, and I don’t think it’s too “cray-cray” at all (just the right amount, really). I also agree that Mondo definitely should have won this season–his looks were always so playful and full of joy.
I just watched the finale last night and was so disappointed. I LOVED Mondo! Maybe his looks were a bit craycray for the standard girl, but pieces on their own were very wearable. I think your pictures should be submitted to the PR judges to show just how wearable his looks are. So cute!
I really like your outfit. I think it’s much better than your inspiration. Classier.
Great look!
I am wearing an outfit inspired by that outfit from mondo today too… purple pencil skirt, navy and white striped top, booties! I soooo wish he had won.
I love this outfit so, so, so much. It’s amazing.
Craycray seems to work for you! I feel like most designers’ creations are a little too much for the everyday, but I like how you used features of this person’s style and made it your own.
I like the outfit just fine, but I’m not keen on the idea of relying much on the runway for inspiration. I like the academic focus of fashion on this site and I’d hate to see that diluted too much by being concerned with up to the minute runway trends.
Thanks, all.
@Leigh: I’m glad that you enjoy the theoretical aspects of our site, and the intersections of fashion and academia will always be our primary concern. I don’t think, however, that reimagining trends (as we are wont to do at the beginning of spring and fall) or riffing off of popular culture is at all a “dilution” of what we do. We are, after all, cultural historians. Moreover, I’ve found it to be very empowering to take inspiration from images that are meant to encourage consumption (lookbooks from JCrew or Anthropologie, ads from Ann Taylor, etc.) but to create my own versions by working with what I have in my own closet, thrifting, or refashioning garments. Hopefully we can communicate that better in our posts. In any case, never fear. We are nerds who will never be New York fashionistas.
Love this outfit!
i am so with you – LOVED his point of view. not stuff i’d necessarily wear all the time but i would like to *imagine* myself wearing it all the time. :)
Oh, Mondo’s designs made me swoon EVERY. SINGLE. WEEK. I love the way you’ve reinterpreted his Jackie O. look. It’s a perfect blend of craycray and wearable.
Mad Dress Game
Love it! The colors! Patterns! textures! So fun.
Cray cray works for you. I love this look!!
This outfit just convinced me that I need a cute lil pair of booties myself! I think they look awesome with this outfit!! :)
I love that outfit. Those shoes are adorable. I really really wanted mondo to win.
I’ve entered the 30/30 challenge for the first time, but I’m beginning to get a little worried about it too.
This is a perfect outfit! The Mondo inspiration is also perfect as it was my favorite design of the whole season!
I love this outfit, literally everything about it!
I love this outfit. The color of that scarf is just gorgeous!
really cute. (I was already thinking ‘Mondo’ before the scroll-down.)
I love this outfit! The colors, the pattern-mixing…it all works so well and it’s so bold. Love that you’re having fun in that outfit too. I totally believe in “positive” dressing. When the day is rough, at least I can say, I look amazing and I can do a happy dance. =)
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