Just as the heat wave was hotting up - Wednesday 23rd June, to be exact - was about to go into a blog-related meeting off Oxford Street, when I saw this sweet girl with her mother. I haven't posted it sooner because frankly, altho all I want to wear is white, that window to wear lace and boots had slammed shut in the heat. Now that it's a bit cooler, I can start revisiting this look.
There's something I've always semi-consciously done, which she's doing here: not being too matchy matchy. Sometimes, I'll do it to be ironic, or because I'm in the mood for that crisp, black and white feel. But to me that little touch of a brown belt just makes the third element in the trilogy.
Wish she'd got in touch: they had to go, we had to go, I think I asked her to look me up, but I"ve totally forgotten her name. Isn't she sweet?
p.s. Weird coincidence: 'lace' is the current American Apparel on my sidebar. Which reminds me: if you have a moment, would you mind clicking on the ad? You needn't buy anything, but once you've clicked thru, if you then buy something another time, I think it figures it out. Up to a month. And I'd get money. Which would get me brownie points with Mr. Dot ; )
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29 comments:
loving the double lace! and the socks are a great touch with such chunky boots! I have no idea where or how you find such stylish people! xxx
LOVE this outfit so much, the soft lace and the masculine combat boots work so well. Adore this look.
Sarah: Haha, I've become like a huntress. It's really hard to switch it off once you start. I'll be hanging out with a friend who might be telling me somethig really important @ the time, and see someone pass outside a window and it takes all my willpower not to interrupt and say 'excuse me, I've got to chase someone down.' Even when I go to the gym, I'm afraid to leave my camera home.
Elliejane: that's what I love about it, too. Hard/soft, dress it up, dress it down: I've always done that, and I'm pleased as punch that it's finally in fashion! xo
Oh yes, this is lovely! The make-up especially.
I'm worried about getting a reputation among my friends for rudeness, I'm sure they'll soon tire of me dashing off after a passing stranger. Last time I thrust my discarded lunch into my friend's hand and took off across the road without a word!
Oh well, we can happily ditch each other if the need arises, on FFF!xx
wow, I love it!
xoxo
hi!
your blog is so cute..
i loved!!
xx
LOVE this look! She really pulls off the double lace and combat boots! Loving thos socks too!
Little Rachael Vintage
Http://littlerachaelvintage.blogpot.com
wonderful outfit
so so cute with these adorable stockings, too! ;)
Adorable! I love lace! I love the American Apparel lace collection!
- Adele
MOLTOCURIOSA.COM
Her boots are great. They stop her outfit looking too girly!
Lydia xxx
Ahhh, I love this look! Lace is so pretty (:
And I may be saving up for the floral 3d mesh flower jumper... thing :p I'll use your ad when I shop (:
http://itscohen.blogspot.com/
Oh bless your (lace) cotton socks, Rebecca. It's like a fundraiser!!
Thanks all! Hope she finds this blog so we can know her name. I'd love to know where she got that dress and tights! x
This is a fantastic look. I love how she's paired the lace dress with lace stockings. And the frilly socks peeking out the top of the boots is just the icing on the cake!
I always have been cautious of lace on lace..but this totally works! I love the frilly socks peeking out the boots. She must have been sweating though!
S
http://notjustmedical.wordpress.com
amazing blog! love it!
Dear Polka Dot:
If the shoe fits, wear it: http://www.kendallfarr.com/blog/archive/2010/7/aging-and-curse-super-cute/
Time to grow up.
Shoes that fit? I love lace, and the fact that it is timeless, excites me. The brown belt makes it perfection, and I can hardly wait to see your version of this look, Jill.
As for anon's link, read it, and fine. We don't need to dress like 20 year olds, but I am still wearing my romper, with my lady thighs and all. Just cuz I wanna.
<3
Anon: great article, thank you for sending. I'm going to mention it in a post, and I happen to agree with a lot of it. Jackie Kennedy happened to have had very similar taste to me (even in men) and my personal style is innately similar to hers. She was a gracious, well brought up lady - in all sense of the word - who might privately feel critical of someone, but never publicly.
You, on the other hand, in your two sentences, 'if the shoe fits, wear it', and 'Time to grow up', seem to feel that you are - quite cleverly, I assume you feel - insulting either me or the other bloggers who like lace. I'm not sure which, because the girl in the poster IS a girl! I had to ask if she was over 16 - and her mother's permission (who was with her) before I posted it. I don't know how familiar you are with my blog, but I am not the person in this post.
As someone who tends to be a pretty good judge of character (she says modestly) I'm now finding that in the blogging world I can tell a lot about people by their comments. I can't tell your age but I know you're not a teenager. I don't know if you're married or single but I'd better my bottom dollar you are neither attractive (at any age), nor slim and healthily fit. The only thing I know for sure about you is you're quite bitter, and angry. I'm not a shrink and I don't know your reasons - and some might be quite valid, but my suggestion for you is:
Time to get over your resentments. Life's too short.
I always find it funny that the few people who leave derogatory comments (it rarely if ever happens on mine, but I've seen on other 'big' blogs, especially Karla's or Rumi's) ALWAYS - and I mean, always - post anonymously.
One thing I've learned in my old age is this: bullies are always, not often, but ALWAYS, cowards.
I'm not deleting this post, because I want to publicly shame you, Anonymous: if you're gonna be a bully, then you really need to have the courage to post a link, so we can see what your blog is about. Don't have one? No problem: just post your name, email address, and a current photo.
If you're gonna go round casting stones, I mean.
Rosebud: you go rom around in your rompers in your lady thighs all you'd like!! And Ladyplay: thank you. Will check yours out later today.
; ) xox
ooops meltdown
Yikes!
Good on you. Frankly, I think you look fab in your American Apparel lace dress thing. Thinking of the bluebell pictures here. Why do we have to stop wearing the lovely fun things? Bugger that, I say. Lu
P.S. Just read the comment & article...I do agree w/ the gist of the article. Rompers at 50?! Just say no to that. Short-shorts? um...no. But that's just my taste. Like I said, taste is open to interpretation. However, there is the thing called discernment, directly related to taste, which is related to style...
Jill- We don't know for sure that anonymous is referring to you ("if the shoe fits" and "grow up") but one could reasonably conclude that. But I don't feel the shoe fits at all. Therefore, don't take it personally. If she/he IS referring to you, I'm not sure why- for that's not you in the lace outfit; clearly it's a very young girl. And she looks age-appropriate in it. Hello?!
xoxo
Awww. I just found your blog a few weeks ago and enjoyed reading it, but did you have to go and ruin it by saying anon can be "neither attractive" "nor slim and healthily fit."??? Isn't that kind of judgmental also? I suppose someone with an extra 20 lbs on them is incredibly unfashionable and ready to kick the bucket in your view. I guess I will have to leave this blog for all the fashionable, pretty, thin and healthy folks.....
Disappointed in Detroit
People who leave berrating comments are just like school bullies, however the great thing about blogs is that you can just delete them, shame I couldnt do that at school!
Oh, Disappointed, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you or anyone else!! God, know, I just know that from my own experience, whenever a female has been hurtful or judgemental to me or other women, it's been based on envy.
My standards of beauty - and I'm sure the other people who come to this particular blog will agree - have absolutely nothing to do with conventional standards of boring, stick thin, botox, fake ideas of beauty. I hope you'll see this - you just posted it, so you might - please give my blog and the other bloggers who comment on it (and have wonderful blogs of their own) another chance.
That was a bitchy remark, and I apologise if I've offended you or anyone else. I can't tell you how many times in my life I've seen women whose thighs happen to be wider than mine (thru no fault of my own) look me up and down and dismiss me because they feel inferior or competitive with me. My point is let's all stop this nonsense! We're all sisters, and we're all on the same side. And 100 years from now, we're just gonna be dust, so let's make the most of our time on this green planet while we can.
p.s. Pearl, I know. I love the delete option. But I wanted to leave this one because the article happened to be good, and because it's made for such an interesting conversation!! But absolutely: it's school yard bullying, and no less hurtful, or powerful. IF we let it.
Polka Dot, thank you for reading my comment and responding. I sincerely appreciate that.
You see, I was in my teens during the late 70's, early 80's and back then had a body much like Jessica Simpson's today. Only I was 13! All my clothes were huge to accommodate my chest. As a result I was constantly called fat. I came to feel like a huge freak. I look back on pictures and would no way today consider myself to be fat at the 120 lbs. I was then. My body type is just not one that is tall and willowy. No woman in my family is actually. (And if I'm lucky and take after them, I too will live to see my 90's just like most of them have.) Hence, I'm a bit sensitive with fat always being equal to unhealthy and ugly. I exercise regularly and as far as pretty goes, I guess that's in the eye of the beholder!
I personally love diversity in body types and clothing styles. This is why I prefer to get inspiration from street style blogs as opposed to fashion magazines. I already know that the magazines want nothing to do with clothing my body type but at least street style blogs offer some creativity and inspiration on all types of people - short, tall, old, young, fat, thin and everything in between.
I particularly LOVE London styles so that is why I've been checking out your blog pretty regularly when I found it several weeks ago. I enjoy reading your posts and looking at the pictures and was sad to read the remarks you wrote and that I mentioned in my last comment. But I thank you once again for responding to that comment -- sometimes things come out in a way we don't mean them to or realize how they'll sound to others -- I know I'm guilty of that. So I'll continue to check your blog out and look forward to more inspiration.
PS - I'd never hate you for your gorgeous thighs if you don't hate me for my awesome boobs!!!! ;D
No Longer Disappointed in Detroit
Dear Awesome Boobs in Detroit,
I'm chuckling aloud as I type this. I'm so glad you happened to check these comments again - if you had a link I'd find you and reply privately, but I'm happy to say this here publicly: I'm so glad you wrote this!
It's very late here - really late, but I was up doing a post for the morning anyway, my husband is long asleep and he'll freak if he sees I'm still up and on the blog - but, I don't know why, I'm just glad to read this lovely comment as the last thing before I go to sleep. I don't give a toss if the other Anonymous ever comes back, but I wanted to clarify because I do feel the same way.
MANY times I see people who are stylish and quite heavy, and I want to shoot and post them because I feel they're quite attractive, and I want to showcase that type of beauty, but I'm afraid for them that they will be criticised. Or, worse, that no one will comment.
I feel very strongly that I'm not posting images of perfection: I"m posting images of flawed, 'imperfect' HUMAN BEINGS. And it is that imperfection that makes us unique, and beautiful: it is our goodness that shines thru.
Someone said to me not long ago - a young friend, in her early 20s - that back in the days of Jackie Kennedy - the sixties - women were still the general shape they were born with. It's only now that they're becoming unnatural. And when I thought about it, I see what she means: you have people with 'thin' body shapes who, because of their diet and lack of exercise, are distortedly overweight. And visa versa: people - women especially - whose body shape is rounded, 'bigger' - and are in a constant state of dieting and under-eating to achieve a body that is not what they are genetically born to have. And both types are unhealthy, unnatural.
I really feel for what you must have gone thru. I had my own story at the age of 15, but I'll save that for another time, as it's late. I just feel so strongly that we - grown women - owe it to the next generations of women to start to feel beautiful and comfortable in our skin, in our bodies, no matter what shape it takes. The alternative is unthinkable, and so, so dangerous. I guess that's what I meant by 'healthily fit' - not artificially thin.
I've just reached a point in my development where I'm seeing cellulite on my body. My husband thinks I"m ridiculous, but I"m actually seeing my body tone change. I'm kind of fascinated with the changes, and trying to resist feeling that my body is becoming 'ugly'.
My niece, aged 6, once asked me why 'grandma' (my mother) had such krinkled skin. I explained to her that we will all get that, if we are lucky to live long enough. 'Even you?' she asked, and I smiled and said yes, it's already started. And she got really sad. And then I added, 'Even YOU, someday' and she just laughed.
Anyway, I am so glad you're back, Awesome Boobs in Detroit! You've made my night ; )
Polka Dot, I'm glad you got a chance to read my remarks. By the way, I much prefer to be Awesome Boobs rather than Disappointed!!! I'm finally getting a chance to get to my laptop and saw your reply.
I'd love to see bigger stylish people as there are not many blogs devoted to people like that. No doubt it's scary with the anonymity of the internet and the comments some are apt to make. I'm not much of a fan of the Sartorialist (all his female subjects look like models on their day off--not that interesting to me) but every so often I check out his blog and on a very rare occasion he'll have a photo of a non-runway model. I don't even know the term to use for these women (and they are always women) since they are not plus size but not a size 0 either. Maybe a US size 8 at most. He said he frequently sees women who are larger than his usual subjects but they don't want their picture taken. I'm not sure if I believed him or not. However, the remarks that some commenters make regarding these rarely photographed size 8's (ha! like they're an endangered species!) are truly unbelievable. The words "fat", "unhealthy", "fashion isn't for people like that" fill up the comments. If I was the subject, I certainly wouldn't want to read those remarks about myself. So perhaps there is some truth to what he says.
I long to live in a world where there is no such thing as an "ideal" body type. We each have our own ideal naturally and we should appreciate that. Too bad it took me forty-some odd years to figure that out! But I finally have and therefore wouldn't want to be 20 again at all. (OK, I probably would take my 20 year old body back, but I would appreciate it so much more!!)
And I do enjoy all the photos of normal, natural, non-plastic surgeried women you feature. English women seem to prefer to age naturally. Living in a small US town and working at a small school, I see many moms, some as young as their 30's already starting to look like the Madame puppet (I hope you know who that is) with their cat eyes, puffy cheeks and lips! Their attractiveness is now gone as far as I'm concerned. Plus they look scary too!
Your niece sounds cute! Let's all live with what we've got and mentally put off aging until "someday!" I like that. After all, that may be why my eyes are starting to go a bit, it takes the edge off the wrinkles when I look in the mirror!
Awesome Boobs
PS - I don't know if I should put this here, but I love this blog: http://frocksandfroufrou.blogspot.com/
She's gorgeous, plus size and has and an amazing sense of style. Please consider photographing some larger women (if they'd like). Maybe you will find one that says Yes!
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