Define: Mine

A friend recently posed a fascinating question to me Darlings asking how I defined my personal style - what title I would give it to sum it all up.

Ooh la la. Despite the oodles of time spent working on that very subject I had never thought to classify it and somehow the question caught me totally off-guard. I was soon reduced to a pitiful blank stare as infinite possibilities ran through my mind.

Define...moi?

Taking some pity on me my friend helped a couture-ette narrow it down.

"Well what are some recurring facets in your outfits? What parts of culture and style spark your imagination and thus play into your own uniqueness?"

Ah mieux! Though it's been well documented through the confessions and examinations of this blog I couldn't resist another chance to play the mental fashion game. So I put my mind to it and did a Sherlock Holmes worthy investigation of 5 things that can often be found in my outfits. Though I'll never really be able to narrow it down I do think these are the most recurring and powerful.

Cutesy: I'm typically not much of a girly-girl but I must admit I do adore touches of the ultra-femme. Unabashed prettiness, colors and frilly detail - love it. There is a certain decadent indulgence in extreme unashamed feminity. I feel as though I am capturing something bigger than myself: Victorian women during spring time, darling Harajuku Lolitas, little girls during Easter. Femme.

Glam-Punk: Since the time I was little I found fascination in punk-culture and the attitude it conveyed. Black, zebra print, chains - the alternative, an embrace of counter-culture and an all-consuming-can't-be-argued-with cool. High fashion punk takes it to another level pairing all that bad with such good shiny little details. Diamonds anyone? I always love adding spikes and leather in outfits where it wouldn't be expected and then pairing that with serious bling. There's something simply fun about being elegant and dangerous all at the same time. Meow.

Shock Value: Bright colors, extravagent print, intricate design, bold accessories: Life is too short to devote to solids - Seize the day! Simplicity has it's place and should be well respected but I find it utterly boring at times. It's also easier to work with an article of clothing that brings something to the table. Forget my heart, I enjoy wearing my personality on my sleeve.

(I LOVE this image, the golden halo, the Mary-Mother of God effect, the visual stimulation of neon topped with the scant clothing. It's fashion porn and

I loves it)

The Extra-Mile: It's what makes seemingly the same outfit or accessory you see everywhere somewhat unique and special. It can be an added bow or button a different stitch or variation of color but it is ultimately invaluable. I am as much a fan of trends as much as anyone else but I consider it vital to still distinguish myself from others by my extra-mile.

Playing Pretend: I fell in love with fashion unexpectedly and like so many other things I love I immediately devoted myself to it. I studied trends, I studied high fashion and couture stylings, I studied the everyday woman and I also studied my imagination. I found that so much of what I wanted to capture - attitudes, time periods, individuals, characters - was accessible when I abandoned common clothing styles and instead became fearless and played dressup.

I do not have a perfect label for myself, or indeed a box to put all my eccentricities in but I do have the ability to explore all these facets. My friend (lucky girl) summed herself up as classical sophistication with a penchant for buisness attire.

I define myself as myself.

And that to me is simply the perfect way to describe it.

Once Upon A Time

I always feel a tad like the lonely heroine of fairy tale once warm weather blooms.

The ball is over and gone are the layers of fantasy and sprinklings of too-muchery. Now it is too hot, too stiff, too-UGH. What's a fashion-baby to do when it gets too hot to do anything else??

I soon find comfort though in devoting myself to new fabrics (taffeta! tulle!) and adorable accessories (florals - pearls - piles and piles, more please!).

I simply get caught up and can't deny whats in the very air.

Which is how I soon come to fall in love with summer. There is something ecstasy-inducing about bare skin and too much everything else. It feels like being caught in that exquisite moment between wearing your mother's diamonds and still being frocked in little girl dresses, frills and all.

Warm weather must be embraced with attention to all new expressions once ignored (jewelry, hair, SHOES - simplify one, maximize another) while allowing for the cotton-sweet kiss of a simplistic wardrobe.

These heels simply make me happy, they are the candy-confectionary version of Cinderella's glass slippers.

While darling Ella's slippers were so wintery and chillingly beautiful (always in my mind a fusion between icicles and pristine raindrops) these heels are their darling baby sister.

Whimsicle and teasing they are the wishes fairy tales are made of. Don't you half expect those wings to beat and to take off in a rose-colored blur?

One does not not have to wait for midnight and magical pumpkins to find a prince. No Darlings, in these dollish-heels it's midday and he waits by the steps of the Met.

And they lived happilly ever after...

The End.