30.3.10

everything is connected: easing our way into spring



It started last night, when I saw this post by Erika, of the Fashion Chalet, and decided it's my favourite look of the moment. Of course, she lives in the American South, and on a sunny day can pull this off: I don't know if the London light will ever be quite right. I love the way she channels D&G (her white eyelet dress) with Chanel (the hay).. well just read the post, you'll see what I mean. (E's rings, dress and suede fringe bag by Forever 21, H&M bow hair-clip, suede fringe Minnetonka Knee-Hi boots.)




Anyway, it got me thinking about how if I had to point to one universal 'trend' - it's more than a trend, it's a meme, a movement - to mix it up (feminine/masculine, casual/chic) and decided to pull out one photo that epitomised that trend. I couldn't do just one, of course: but I think black biker jackets - leather and lace, basically - are the best example.



Note her fringe bag channels Erika's boots, and Jen: see her demure patent loafers? Aren't they exactly the ones you wanted in Kate Kanzier but they didn't have in your size?



That led me to thinking about last Friday, and how Jen couldn't decide what to wear, ('easing my way into spring') and I realised how similar her scarf/jacket looks. And how it really is all about that: easing our way into spring, with our own unique but often uncannily similar style.



(On Jen: Mulberry Scarf, Madewell Jacket, Zara T-shirt, Urban Outfitters Leggings, Kate Kanzier Green Luella Brogues)



THEN, I went to E's blog to steal her shots (with her permission, of course) and lo and behold! A new post by her ('forward march'): which, in the most serendipitous, unplanned way, kind of brings it all full circle.

Thank you Alex, for your gorgeous photos of Erika. Thank you Erika for agreeing to 'guest blog', thank you Jen for posing.. thank you blond girl whose name I forgot... thank you each of you, for reading this and maybe even commenting, because otherwise, I'm just shouting in the dark! Have a lovely Tuesday night, wherever on the planet you are, and hope you're easing your way into spring nicely (unless of course you're in the Southern Hemisphere, in which case, you're easing your way into fall).

p.s. While I was posting this, Mr. Dot found this on youtube.. you should have seen us both, mock surfin' & singing along. Something to help ease you into spring, and oldie but goodie:

23 comments:

Cristi Silva said...

Such a rad post full of insperation!!!! I love your photo of the woman laughing!

daniela kate morosini said...

i love how erika wears those clothes like they aren't expensive - that's a style in itself. she makes them her own, and they're so perfect for where she lives! your candid photography is really something, and i love those green brogues!

the style crusader said...

jill i absolutely love this post! you are such a wonderful blogger and do such a fab job of bringing so many different elements together into one coherent concept. those shoes on the blonde girl are exactly the ones i want from KK! i have been stalking them a little bit about getting my hands on some... sadly, they are still out of stock in a 37.

i'm a little embarrassed about the sad state of my droopy bun! oh no! haha, that's really funny. that is my bun without a hair donut to give it shape and volume! oh thanks so much for featuring me in this jill. it really is an honor! xx

Style At Every Age said...

It didn't feel like Spring today so much rain, I was back to hooded puffa coat today!

jill said...

haha! thank you: christi (thatsorad) i'm really honoured you'd think my post is inspiring, anyone reading this you must see christi's blog, i always leave it feeling three feet off the ground: she's got such great energy & it's full of such beautiful photo art!

danniekate maybe i didn't explain it well ; ) - it IS inexpensive. she's channeling them in the style.. she explains it better on the post (the links are the coloured words, if that helps).

jen: if you're out there - will email you, too - who made YOUR bag? didn't you say it actually was something really cool, like alexander mcqueen? or did i dream that? and yes: good eye: i mentioned it in the copy, that i think they're the same shoes!

re: the donut thing, I WANT ONE! i don't know if my hair's long enough but now i want a donut. so curious. where does one get one??

jill said...

well you know what they say fab in your forties: march goes in like a lion, out like a lamb.. we still have a day or two for the lamb stuff to start. then it's freakin' april showers to look forward to..

Emeraldo123 said...

This is lovely- Jen looks gorgeous and I love Erica's military inspired look.

EML said...

that video just made my day, thanks

Anonymous said...

Very nice post Jill, it was so interesting to read. I do like the D&G inspired look, it's very different to London fashion I feel.

S
http://notjustmedical.wordpress.com

Anonymous said...

By the way, thanks for the tip, I will definitely be looking out for that ;) Also thanks for always being so lovely :)

S
http://notjustmedical.wordpress.com

Lorelai Sebastian said...

we want Urban outfitters in Greece NOW!
Beach Boys Rulezzzzz!!!!!!

martha said...

You made me smile today! In the 70's (yes, I'm old) I had hair as long as the girl in the first pic and wore a lacy dress - very similar. And around that time I was working in Chicago and was sitting in Daley Plaza on my lunch hour. A guy came up and asked if he could take my pic. Said he just liked to photograph people on the street and he liked my style. I was a little creeped out but he was nice - good vibes. Anyway, he said he knew I wouldn't want to give him my address, but if I wanted to tell him where I worked he would drop off the pics. (No e-mail or blogs in those days to post them on.) He did and I was thrilled. Anyway just wanted you to know your profession has evolved.

christine said...

jen looks beautiful here, droopy hair donut or none. i'm glad she chose the green kk's. they are bringing springtime to the whole look!

polka dot - happy to be a friend of a friend.

love, stine

Leah said...

I love this easing our way into spring inspiration... I love Erika's look. And Jen is so pretty.

Have a great day Jill! xoxo

The Photodiarist said...

Love leather and lace!

jill said...

Oh what lovely messages: thank you all! (& Stine: happy to be a friend of a friend, too).

Martha: I don't see a link so can't reply directly, but I love that story. I'm old, too! Very old. Old as the hills ; ) (not old enough to know the Beach Boys in their heyday, but still.. old) I'm always talking about 'before there were blogs' and 'before there was facebook/twitter/whatever'. My inspiration was Bill Cunningham of the NY Times Style section: he's still doing it - with real film, via bicycle. The Sartoralist is just coincidence for me: Bill's my man.

Well it's raining cats + dogs here + I don't have a clue what to wear! ; ) xx

jill said...

p.s. speaking of Bill Cunningham.. on my sidebar, under the Photodiarists's LIFE IS ART photo, is a link to something about Bill - a documentary about him.

Sarah said...

Great post! I adore Erika's style- she always pulls outfits together so effortlessly!
I am so headed to KK for those green luella brogues! Fabulous!

PS thanks for the surfing USA- always cheers me up! xx

daisychain said...

I love Erika!

Quick question, what are the Kate Kanzier brogues like size wise? x

FASHION CHALET said...

Thank you! :)

xx

Pearl Westwood said...

Just as I was easing into Spring, in fact the very day I just put my winter coat away, we get the crazy weather warnings, snow - in March!!!!

dot said...

Ha, Pearl, I know: more like sliding backwards in driving rain on icy roads into December.. Erika, thank YOU for letting me use your images & ideas, and daisychain: pretty much spot on. I don't think they use half sizes, but they didn't particularly run small or large. What we can't get over is how COMFORTABLE they are. And you can always exchange it if it's the wrong size.

I got a pair in cream/celery, without perforations (I must check out the names) and a pair like Jen's, non-suede, in a kind of tangerine/rust. If you can bear with me, I'm going to do a post on them any day now..

Hedvig said...

I love this post Jill, and you are so right, it's all about easing our way into spring.....