Looks from Life - Paintbrushes

Today's Looks from Life inspiration comes from one of my favorite up-and-coming photographers, honey.huckabee:

brush.brush.brush.brush.brush by honey.huckabee

Focus on the little bit of shine and the little bit of matte, and you get this dress! A perfect rendering, I must say:

TFNC Tara Zip Dress, approx $74; Dolce & Gabbana Patent Stiletto Pumps, $439

And the black patent leather pump gives the right amount of glossiness, reminiscent of the black ferrule of the paintbrush.

*swoon*
Paige

McQueen's Geometry

Today I wanted to feature this dress from Alexander McQueen's 2010 Resort collection:


It's just so different from other dresses I've seen. Parts of it remind me of an insect's exoskeleton, and other parts remind me of art deco-era detailing. I love the transparent/cut-out sections! Negative space is always key in any art piece, including fashion. McQueen conveys this fact perfectly with this dress.

*swoon*
Paige

Looks from Life - Grande Cafe Latte

Even though I'm from Seattle, I'm not a huge coffee drinker; but I can still see the beauty in the beverage. This late foam art absolutely stunning!


It's truly an impressive talent, and I felt I should honor it with an outfit! Simple, yet sweet:

Ballet School Flats via Mod Cloth, $28;
French Connection UK wrap playsuit, $40;
Furla Printed Tote, $545 (or $85/month as a member at Bag, Borrow, or Steal)

*swoon*
Paige

Photo by baristahands.

Summer Stripes

With the Fourth of July coming up tomorrow, I thought it was appropriate to showcase some cute stripey pieces that channel Old Glory, and liven up any outfit (not to mention they're all rather reasonably priced!).

First there's the navy/gray & white combo:

1. Stripe Puffball Dress, $74; 2. Wooden Handle Clutch, $30; 3. Zebra Scarf, 15GBP;
4. Stripe Bow Tied Flats, $40; 5. Low-Rise Seersucker Shorts, $13; Bandeau Cover-Up via TopShop, $33

And of course, the red & white:

1. Labor of Love Striped Dress, $294; 2. Slouch Bag via TopShop, $50; 3. Striped Origami Dress via TopShop, $58;
4. Stripe Shirred Waist Tunic via TopShop, $33; 5. Stripey Bandeau Bikini via TopShop, $41; 6. Red Stripe Dress, $41

I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday weekend, and that you spend as much time outside as possible! (Oh, and remember to be safe with those fireworks!)

*swoon*
Paige

Copycats

During Season 5 of Project Runway, contestant Kenley Collins was constantly accused of copying famous designers' looks, such as the one below:

Look familiar? Kenley Collins (left), Balenciaga (right)

But don't go thinking only the amateurs design such blatant doppelgangers:

Resort 2010: Brian Reyes (left), Philosophy (right)

Sure, they have different shapes/waistlines, but their similarities are just too obvious to ignore. It just leaves you wondering, who came up with the idea first? And who's most upset about the result...?

*swoon*
Paige

Looks from Life - Harbor

The colors of the sky, water and grass, and the contrast of their drastically different textures, really drew me in to this photo. I knew they would make a great outfit.

Harboring Secrets by transcendency

Personally, I wouldn't necessarily wear such neon colors; but seeing as how I liked the colors, I altered the tones, muting them a bit, and came up with this:

(click to enlarge)

I love the woven look of the dress' fabric, and although the textures of the shoes and the clutch are similar, they are different from the dress, echoing the textural differences in the photo. The dark straps and clutch clasp match the dark row of boats in the distance.

*swoon*
Paige

My Newest Crush

I found this photo and my jaw dropped.
I totally crushing on this dress (sorry, Boyfriend):

Calle Stoltz

Seriously, I love it. The color, the way the wide hem floats away from the body, the waistline, the little pleated/ruffly detailing at the top... it's all so perfect in my opinion. But of course, such perfection is impossible to track down or replicate. I tried my very best but I could only come up with these (still) cute options.


Some are obviously very different, but they all capture characteristics of the above dress. If you were to combine all of these together, you would get my major dress crush of the moment.

If anyone does know who the dress is by, please let me know! My guess is that it's way out of my price range, but it would still be wonderful to find out at least a little information about it.

*swoon*
Paige

1. Dorothy Perkins Flutter Scoop Neck Dress
2. Halston Silk Shirt Dress via Net-A-Porter
3. Coral Tie Back Tunic
4. Orange Belted Dress via Browns Fashion
5. Origami Pleat Detail Dress
6. Satin Folded Dress via Karen Millen

The Modern Ball Gown

Okay, somebody needs to have a big, fancy, ball so I can wear this:

Elie Saab Spring 2009 Couture

Or this:

Carolina Herrera Spring RTW

Or this:

Derek Lam Spring 2009 RTW

Who's up for it? Or would any of you in the Seattle area want to put on a fancy (yet inexpensive!) party? I'm completely serious! I love excuses to dress up!

*swoon*
Paige

Preen - Resort 2010

I've got a routine CT scan this morning to monitor my cancer-free status so you'll have to wait for Thrifted Thursday until later this afternoon.

For now, feast your eyes on these pretty things from Preen's 2010 Resort collection:


Wish me luck!

*swoon*
Paige

Runway Perfection - Lanvin RTW 2009

Oh, Lanvin. You have the equation down pat:

taupe + gray + ruffly layers + large, detailed necklace = perfection
(and those ankle strap shoes are to-die-for!)

*swoon*
Paige

A Thakoon Summer

The Thakoon Resort 2010 line is so bright and perfectly summer (using "summer" as an adjective, of course), especially these pieces:




They remind me of a combination of impressionist painting and Rohrschach inkblot tests. I can imagine throwing the third one over a bathing suit, heading to the beach for the day, and then out for a nice dinner afterward.

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend!

*swoon*
Paige

Monday Shoes

I thought I would start the week off with this fabulous pair of shoes:

The Sartorialist

Happy Monday!

*swoon*
Paige

J.Crew Summer Sale!

J.Crew announced their Summer Sale today, and because I'll be starting a new job(!) soon, I thought I would purchase a few things to spruce up my work wardrobe.

Sweaters in summer? you ask? Well, Seattle summers can get still get a little breezy, and sometimes air conditioning inside buildings is just too cold!

I limited myself to three items (although it was very difficult):

Charmeuse pencil skirt in Bronzed Twig

Chiffon trim pocket cardigan in Shell

Merino Michelle V-neck cardigan in Glazed Pecan

(Where do they come up with these color names?)

Some people think J.Crew is too plain, or too preppy; but I think they have the perfect base pieces for any outfit. It's one of my absolute favorite stores. A lot of their items are a bit pricey for me unless they're on sale... but I don't feel as bad purchasing them because they're ultra high-quality, and they last forever in regards to both in durability and in timelessness.

*swoon*
Paige

Looks from Life - Graffiti

I know most people are still away on vacation, and most likely are not sitting in front of their computers reading blogs on a nationally-recognized three-day weekend; however, I thought I would create a Look from Life because I haven't posted one in awhile.

Today's look is inspired by the colors of this piece of graffiti:

Matr - photograph by Franco Folini

I know some people (a lot of people, actually) have negative feelings towards graffiti - that it's just vandalism, that it stems from gangs, and instigates further violence in certain neighborhoods; but if you take a moment to look at it simply for its artistic value, it is truly amazing, and there are some incredible artists out in the world who might not otherwise get the opportunity to display their work.

I admit, the outfit inspired by this photo does not capture the same sort of grit present in the piece above; however, I did take into consideration the muted atmosphere, and tried to create a more casual look than most of my Looks from Life. I also wanted to keep it crisp and well-coordinated, trying to echo the attention to detail in the graffiti piece.


*swoon*
Paige

P.S. If you haven't seen the renowned, often politically-charged, works of street artist, Banksy, I highly recommend visiting his site.

SoulCal Tank - via Republic
Serpentine Shimmer Headband - via Anthropologie
Venice Beach Bolero - via Baur
Motorboat Trousers - via Anthropologie
Raf Simons Eastpack Messenger Bag - via Browns Fashion
Kenneth Cole New York Clean Cut Flats - via PiperLime

Brush Your Shoulders Off

It is absolutely gorgeous in Seattle right this minute and it's supposed to stay this way for awhile.

On top of it all, I have a four day weekend full of exciting events: the baby-naming ceremony for The Boyfriend's brand new niece, The Boyfriend's grandmother's 90th birthday bash, canoeing in the Arboretum, puppy-sitting, a colleague's performance at the Northwest Folklife Festival, Happy Hours, and friends visiting from out of town!

Perhaps a beach trip is in order, complete with bikini... or at least some off-the-shoulder blouse action!



I love the combo/contrast of the thick pearls with the longer necklace!

Have a wonderful weekend!

*swoon*
Paige

Styling Project - Call for Submissions!

So... I have an idea for a little project, but I'm going to need your help!

Do you have an article of clothing or an accessory that you absolutely love but have no clue what to pair it with outfit-wise? I would love to come to your rescue.

If you need fashion help, please email me a photograph of your item (on a hanger or on you, and relatively well-lit so I can get a good idea of the item). I will put together an outfit or collage of pieces that would work for you, and then feature it right here on Swoonworthy! You'll become an instant celebrity (and help me build my styling portfolio at the same time)!

If this is popular enough, I would love to do one each week to be published on Fridays as a little end-of-the-week treat.

What do you think? Can you help me out? I think it would be a great feature!

*swoon*
Paige

Chloe - Summer RTW 2009

Chloe has always been a favorite of mine (even the perfume bottles are gorgeous!), and this summer's ready-to-wear line only emphasized my love for the company.


The look above is probably my favorite in the entire collection. I would love to wear it on a hot summer's day, lounging around the house with all the windows flung open!




Metallic touches, like the bow above, keep it from being too dull.



The color palette alone is to die for (surprisingly fall-like in places), and the various detailing - such as the scalloped edges, and the belt-like bows - are perfectly sweet.

*swoon*
Paige

On Safari

One look that was subtly interspersed throughout the various 2009 Resort collections this year was the always-classic khaki safari dress... but with a few twists:

ADAM

Badgley Mischka

Derek Lam

Doo.Ri

Louis Vuitton

Luca Luca

Moschino

Ports 1961

I have a greenish-toned 1970's safari dress from my mom which I plan on updating for this summer! I plan on combining it with a thick belt, floppy hat, large sunglasses, and espadrilles. Maybe even a glamorous gauzy scarf.

Have you ever tried this look? If you can get your hands on any version, definitely try it out. It goes with nearly everything!

*swoon*
Paige

Diane and Her Technicolor Dream Dress

I would love to have this dress in my summer wardrobe. It's got a great '70s feel to it, and that huge tote completes the look perfectly! Belting it is also a fantastic style choice.

Diane von Furstenberg, Resort 2009

*swoon*
Paige

Eugenio Recuenco

Most of his work airs on the creepy side, but Eugenio Recuenco's photography is really something to check out. One collection that really caught my eye included the photograph below on the left, capturing the art deco era, and imitating Tamara de Limpicka's famous painting, Girl in a Green Dress.


Another favorite of mine is his portrayal of The Princess and the Pea and other fairytale characters:


And I love the lighting of this one, but it makes me laugh a little:

"OMG. I'm looking through files. This is so dramatic!"

I guess it makes more sense when you see the entire collection and realize she's a glamorous detective. Too bad we can't all be pieces of art, fairy princesses, and Nancy Drews...

*swoon*
Paige