Elizabeth Taylor almost doesn’t seem to belong to the era in which she lived.  Unlike Grace Kelly or Audrey Hepburn, her charisma and risk-taking (in style and life) could easily be splashed across the pages of People and OK today.  If anything, she’s the antithesis to the demure, classic persona that was expected of women up until the feminist movement became mainstream in the late 60s and early 70s.  Though her career spans the same era and she starred in nearly as many movies, Liz is unfortunately remembered mostly for her tempestuous marriages rather than her sizable contribution to film and fashion.

Perhaps part of the lack of recognition regarding her obvious love of clothes is that her figure was front and center regardless of what she had on.  Even in the corseted gowns and high-waisted trousers of the 1950s, she’s an obvious bombshell with the kind of beauty that would have her playing heartbreakers and vamps for much of her career.

Fortunately, unlike Marilyn Monroe who was similary infamous for her volatile love life and sexy persona, Liz won many roles with weight and meat to them.  The Taming of the Shrew, Giant, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolf, and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof are all films worth seeing.

While she may not have cultivated a classic style that transcends time, it’s obvious she had fun with fashion and embraced whatever trends defined the decade she was in.  And if anything, I identify with her more than Audrey or Grace–especially after combing through some old college photos where my own love of stuff I would never wear now is very much in evidence.  Of course, at the time I wouldn’t have said I was following trends and I’m sure Liz would feel the same way.

There are those items you stumble upon and, unbeknownst to what you thought, you realize you love and need them and must take them home now.  Then there are those items that you have perfectly framed in your mind that you can never find in real life.

My current spring wish list contains two items: a shirt dress and a pair of simple oxford heels in black that are less than three inches high. 

I spotted this shirt dress in person and have since been back to visit it repeatedly at Banana Republic’s web site.  Available in a stripe and a solid, it’s almost exactly what I have in mind–perhaps without the chest pockets and jaunty poses.  The price also has me hesitating.

These two dresses by Boden are also appealing but also too expensive.

The oxfords, on the other hand, have been found.  They’re just sold out.

If someone knows of an online retailer or brick & mortar shop that might have these in a 7.5, I’d be eternally grateful.  Or if someone from Frye is reading, put these puppies back into production.

I’d been to southern California once before, a graduating-from-college gift to myself.  At the time, Paris Hilton was only nineteen, Lindsay Lohan’s only film credit was Parent Trap and people didn’t know just how crazy Britney Spears could get.  Being that the Northwest was once famous for their distaste of southern California, I was no exception in my preconceived notions–despite the fact that my mother was born in east L.A.  Hollywood, Rodeo Drive and Santa Monica were definitely spectacles but that was what I expected–and no, being that I was 21 and trying to see L.A. in a day, I didn’t see much beyond those three things.

This isn’t to say that my trip this time around drastically changed my mind.  Southern California is a world apart from the Pacific Northwest.  There is a level of maintenance here that you simply do not see in other parts of the world.  I saw at least 6 people in a span of a few hours that would qualify as muscle head gym freaks, the same number of which it would take me at least a year to see in Seattle.  Not that people in Seattle aren’t fit–they just don’t run down the street in short shorts after having obviously applied oil to their entire body.

Sometimes this high maintenance translates into high fashion, something that I often mourn as being entirely missing from the casual, laid back region I live in.  Sometimes, though, carefully manicured acrylic nails, artfully blown out hair and painstaking make up is simply accompanied by a velour track suit and Uggs.

As easy as it is to take the obvious pot shots, L.A. is wonderfully colorful and I wish I’d had more opportunities to take pictures of the brightly painted neighborhoods we drove through.  Half the time, we’d be speeding down a main highway and be blocks past whatever had caught our eye by the time it occurred to us to try & turn off to find parking. 

 I was equally charmed by Santa Monica and Westwood despite the fact that we only got an hour or so in each place.  They looked to be walking neighborhoods, unlike a lot of the city we’d seen earlier in the day and had time not been such a constraint, I’m sure I’d be waxing poetic about various boutiques and shops.

Given that we have two sets of friends who moved down here recently, I’m sure I’ll be back and have a little bit more to share.

Until then, back to the rain.

Pictures by malingering.

If you didn’t already know, the Library of Congress has added their photos to flickr.  Unlike Shorpy, one of my favorite repositories for old photos, a lot of their images are in color.  It’s amazing what a difference it makes.

These images were two of many that I could have posted here–snapshots of life for every day people in the 30s and 40s.  Don’t check out the photostream unless you’ve got hours to spare.  It’s seriously addictive.

As much as I love a clever or pretty screen printed tee or tank, I only have so many opportunities to wear something like that given the office environment I work in.  That’s why, when I was putting together a treasury of dresses, I was excited to find a designer creating things at a price level I can afford.

I’ve expressed my love of this type of collar in the past and have always been a sucker for a chevron print.  Despite the fact that it’s decidedly summery, I couldn’t wait to wear this flirty dress by SRB Designs the minute it arrived.  I’m sure it’ll get a lot more wear the minute the weather warms up.

And yes, it has pockets.

I have a love of dark stained woods.  When I moved in with the boy, this presented quite a contrast to some of his Ikea furniture, especially in the living room.  With the addition of an Xbox and DVR, the boy got enthusiastic about replacing the pale birch TV stand.  To our shock, a beautiful piece of hardwood furniture was available at Costco for an insanely reasonable price and the color coordinated much better to the antique I’d brought into the apartment when I moved in.

While we had also been thinking about replacing the shelves in our living room, both the boy and I realized that if we get any more dark wood, the place is going to start feeling like a gentleman’s club.  But how to mix things up?

Then I saw Erin’s shelf in my flickr contacts stream and had to see where she got it.  I should have known–given her knack for color with the amazing home goods in her shop–that this was something painted by her (and her significant other).

So now the boy and I have started looking for something very basic that we can paint.  I love the green but am partial to the idea of red, too.  We’ll see.

Check out Erin’s shop, Yellow Canoe, if you have a chance.  She carries beautiful artwork, key racks, and jewelry holders featuring some truly wonderful block prints in the best colors.

Happy Friday, all.  I’m off to Irvine (don’t ask) through Tuesday so expect some insight into Southern California shopping & style in the coming days.

Prior to heading to Susan’s for a binge on fabric, I leafed through the pile I’d received from her previously to get an idea of what I already had.  In doing so, I found the perfect accent for some plaid wool I’d had for some time.  This design is sure to see lots of iterations as I love the look and am dying to replicate it in different fabrics.

I’ve only got scraps of the plaid fabric left so this is one of a kind.  But I’m imagining it in a houndstooth or tweed with a contrasting pleat in metallic…or my favorite koi prints.  The possibilities are endless.

The possibilities are endless with this project as well.  I’d seen various wrist cuffs in leather & lace and thought using the African prints I got from Susan would be too perfect–their gold prints are definitely vibrant enough to double as jewelry.  Mixed with prints in the same color family, I played around with closures until I was satisfied with the results.

Everything is in the shop–the cuffs are priced quite low since the fabric was a gift.

Trying to comprehend the marketing genius that came up with this houndstooth print capelet style track jacket is kind of like trying to comprehend why Paris Hilton is famous. 

The best reaction is to just avert your gaze and hope it goes away soon.

As much as I tried to stay conservative when presented with three bins of fabric, I still brought home enough to cover the dining room table.

Like last time, I couldn’t resist the Asian prints or pretty vintage reproductions.

Floral prints that made me think of Mucha and everything Art Nouveau along with some basics.

There’s a ton more and I’ve got a dozen small projects in mind–perhaps wrist cuffs or coasters?  More sleep masks and more embellished purses?  I’ll keep you posted.

The contents of my bag might as well be that of an old lady.  But I’ve been tagged by Catherine and Jill to spill it and who am I to resist the gamma ray power of the tag?

My love of patent crossed over into purchasing this bag shortly after Christmas.  It’s some generic brand but I loved the color so much that I wasn’t super worried about quality–not that a known brand necessarily equals quality.

And here’s what I tend to regularly carry:

1)  An umbrella.  Two friends of mine were recently laughing that carrying one marks you as a non-native.  Given that of the three of us, I’m the one who was born here I’m not quite sure what that says.  That I’m high-maintenance when it comes to rain?

2)  The cell.  No idea what kind.  I often forget to actually have it with me but am trying to be better about that.

3)  The keys.  Exciting.

4)  A reusable bag that helpfully folds up into a little square that my boss gave me for Christmas.  I so often pop into the grocery store right after work that I realized I had to carry it with me in order for it to get any use.

5)  Some knitting.

6)  This bulge is my wallet.

Seriously, my purse might as well include this:

What my purse doesn’t include is a book.  I promise you I’m not lying when I say I used to finish a book per week from the age of ten to about four years ago.  Even in Prague, where books cost as much as they do here, I’d read shite like Grisham and old Jackie Collins because it didn’t occur to me not to read.  Now, between crafting and the internet, I just haven’t had time.  What can I say, all of you are far more fascinating than Augusten Burroughs (or anyone else) going on about their screwy childhood.

The picture also doesn’t show my mp3 player.  We won’t get into my personal vendetta against Apple (my iPod died 2 weeks after the warranty ended) but let’s just say it’s not anything by them, it cost less than a Shuffle (while still having an LCD screen) and I’ve had it for more than 3 years with no issues.

And I don’t chew gum because I’ve ground my teeth in my sleep since I was a child and it’s pretty much forbidden to me.

God, I’m old.

Someone please take advantage of the fact that these Frye Adrienne t-straps are on sale for 59.99.

I can’t justify getting them for myself since I already have two pairs of t-straps but that price is just too phenomenal to pass someone out there by.

The Seattle area crafters got together this past Sunday for a swap that I unfortunately had to miss.  At the last minute, the boyfriend needed the car to go into work and being that we’re a one car household (and the car is technically his), I ended up making a couple of pairs of earrings and enjoying the sunshine on a brief walk into the city.

Though I’m sad to have missed it, it’s probably for the best since I was shortly thereafter invited to Susan’s house for another go at her fabric.  For those who missed the first fabric extravaganza, Susan is an expert, published quilter who also happens to be the mother of very good friends of mine.  She has a fabric room and has recently started purging her stash, letting myself, her daughter-in-law and another quilting friend of mine choose whatever our hearts desire.

Wish me luck and have a fabulous weekend.

While the votes were marginally in favor of the khaki, I decided the black was a little more classic and would have more legs over time.  After all, I’ve got fun, colorful coats covered.

I love it.  I was berating myself a bit for getting another coat until I realized almost every piece of outerwear I own was thrifted for less than $20–not that I advocate overconsumption but at least I’m not overspending.

I’d never heard of Soia & Kyo but I have to say I’m a new fan of the brand.  The outer fabric is a nice weight while the lining is a brushed houndstooth that’s insanely soft and surprisingly warm.  I wasn’t sure I could wear this with the temperatures currently dropping so low that it’s snowed around here lately, but it’s kept me perfectly toasty.

And the collar!  How can I not love the collar?

While I’m not big on resolutions, the thought of joining the various photo-a-day projects starting in the new year seemed like something I could feasibly tackle for 2008.  Given how much I try to take photos these days, I figured it wouldn’t be too much of a stretch to take one every day.  So far, so good.

I try to take photos of 3 subjects per day at the most.  While one of my hopes in participating in 365 is to improve my photography in general, I don’t have the time or inclincation to take 100s of photos in the hope that one will be artistic and beautiful.  If anything, I’ve had more fun simply opening up to the idea of what could be a subject–what little things I see every day that are worth taking a picture of.

The Project 365 group on flickr has plenty more.

Though Kudu is a duo of a man and a woman, they’re about as far from the White Stripes as a duo can get.

They’re far more like Prince crossed with New Order, synthy, poppy and definitely sexy.

Sylvia, the singer, and D, the programmer/drummer, are as appealing as their music.  Their publicity shots are sleekly stylish but somehow roughly DIY as well.

I discovered their music via Fluxblog more than a year ago and would love to see them live.  For now, I suppose YouTube will have to do.

As much as turquoise and red remains a stunning combination, teal and red took first place this weekend.

I zoomed through cutting and sewing the outer shell of this bag on Friday night.  I used buttons from a thrifted coat; the first one is for a closure while the second is purely decorative.  When even my boyfriend is admiring something I’ve made, I know I’ve done well.

In the shop.

It seems like every few months, some photoshopped before and after of a magazine cover gets leaked–or simply shown on the photographer themselves web site.  The wonder (and sometimes horror) of retouched photos is an element of our culture that we need constant reminding of if only because it’s too easy to look at photos, a medium we think of as conveying reality, and fail to understand that what we’re seeing is not real.

Given my constant fascination with classic Hollywood, I picked up a copy of Flesh and Fantasy, an out of print book with the subtitle: The Truth Behind the Fantasy.  Along with tidbits on how stars were groomed and molded in the days of the studio system, there were an eye-opening couple of pages on retouched photos.

From Barbara Stanwyck’s peach fuzz to Bette Davis’ wrinkles, I was shocked to see that photoshopping, or the 1930s version of it, was alive and well many, many years ago.  Perhaps it was naive of me to think that the stars back in the day were somehow more flawless than the train wrecks that seem to haunt the pages of magazines today; what’s more, I had to wonder how they’d gone about ‘fixing’ flaws without the software even I have on my computer at this point.

A book I’d had on my wishlist for ages turned up at Half-Price Books for a ridiculous amount and I had to nab it: Hurrell’s Hollywood Portraits.  I’d always admired his work and was thrilled to pick up this collection cataloging the arc of his career along with most of his best work.  Even better, it explained how retouching was done with a visual example showing how the very negatives were altered.

Perhaps the best example of the level of detail of this work was the photograph showing how each & every freckle on Joan Crawford’s face was removed.

Even then, perfection was not the reality.  And somehow, I find that reassuring.

I did receive one of the Christmas gifts I explicitly mentioned, a wrought iron stand perfect for holding my ever-growing collection of jewelry.

I decided it was too pretty to keep on my night stand (besides which, it’s already crowded with various things) and wasn’t even certain I wanted to use it for its original purpose of holding jewelry.  Finally, however, it’s become laden with various things.  I have to thank Helena at Red Saffron for mentioning the rings, a type of jewelry I haven’t worn since I was 20.  They’re courtesy of Day Lab and were cheap enough that I figured if I ended up unable to wear them, it wouldn’t matter too much.  Thankfully, I love them.  The earrings are by the immensely talented Abigail Percy and the bracelet was bought off ebay two or three years ago.

I can’t bring myself to throw away the remaining scraps of felt left over from the bags I made this past autumn.  Because I’m also trying to expand a bit from jewelry and bags and the usual ribbon brooches I carry in my shop, I put together these two pieces.

I figured the daisy should be as masculine as possible given it’s such a feminine shape while the rosette was an experiment that I’m quite happy with.  Both are in the shop.

I know it might seem like this place is becoming some kind of Coat Central with my constant going on about every detail of outerwear but you’ll have to bear with me for one more post–for I?  I have been given a mission.

The dilemma at the heart of the mission is something I can completely sympathize with having grown up in Seattle.  How can you look stylish or simply avoid looking like you’re headed on a hike, but still have the means to deal with the weather?  To this day, despite admitting in the past that prizing function over form might be a good idea, I do not own rubber boots or any type of rain jacket.

However, a good friend is not as unreasonable as me and is dying for something with some kind of water resistance that won’t make her look like she walked out of R.E.I.’s catalogue.  Thank God she didn’t self-destruct after telling me.

These three are all available at Nordstrom and all feature weather-proofing.  The first and the last have hoods but you’ll pay a little more for North Face’s HyVent technology.  Whatever that means.  The middle jacket is the cheapest, on sale for 84.90.

For that patent, water-off-a-duck’s-back look, Mango and Nordstrom (again) provide two shiny, shiny options.  The red is quite a bit less than the color block by Cynthia Steffe.

I have to agree with my friend that this is a tough search.  The few I’ve managed to post here, besides the patent versions, are quite a bit blander than the plaid, ruffled and pleated outerwear you find in the very same shops.  It’s as if designers think anyone who actually gets caught in the rain can’t possibly care about fashion.  Only Gap offered something with weather-proofing in a color other than brown, black, gray or white.

Maybe an umbrella hat can substitute for the hood?