My most favorite spring collection so far must be the indispensable Matthew Williamson. A joyous mix of MIA-licious tribal prints and splashy, feminine, citrus colours making me totally weak in the knees (images courtesy of Style.com).
So now, of course, i’m completely obsessed with smothering myself in a lovely, clashing mess of batik, chiffon and scarves. And although I think I’ll have much better luck altering some early 90s thrift store finds, there are a few lovely tribal-inspired treasures to be found online. Let’s go shopping, shall we?
“After seeing a 1983 Cosmo cover a few weeks ago with this shimmering fabric draped all over a naked body, well that was it. I hunted down the supplier and have made Night City Scarves. The fabric is brass that has been enameled and it’s unbelievably flexible and fluid and will last a lifetime. It is not rigid and moves just like fabric. Each hexagon is 1/8″ in diameter and they are machine linked together. It’s at once luxurious, retro, and rock and roll all wrapped into one! I think it’s the perfect scarf for when you don’t want to wear an oversized wrap at a dinner party.”
gahhh… drooooooool… need. $85. NOW.
An aside: To the mofo who stole my favorite jacket at the bar last night:
May you die alone with nothing but your hateful, hateful self to keep you company. And perhaps some stray cats to gnaw at your rotting corpse.
i’m seriously considering splurging on this dress from Etsy:
lady peacock chameleon dress $85
but only because it comes with a free dvd on how to also make it look like this:
it’s like fashion play-doh! the possibilities are endless! gorgeous fall colors and awesome for layering too. what fun! if i ever planned to wear it, i’d have to leave an extra hour to get ready because i’d have be able to decide how to style my dress and my hair. i have enough trouble deciding on accessories.
nothing makes me feel better on a rainy day than watching The Perfect Ones eat runway. repeatedly and thoroughly. but seriously though, modelling is HARD. here’s a great video of the entertaining humiliation from my favorite canadian fashion reporter, Jeanne Beker and her show, FT Fashion Television!
well, i shouldn’t say NOTHING makes me feel better than model humiliation. a good DISCOUNT is right up there:
the gorgeous Fabricio over there at Waterloo is offering all of you beautiful hipsters a 10% discount (coupon code: PAINFULLYHIP) AND a buy 3, get one FREE offer on his badass t-shirts and shortshorts! Hallelujah!
also, happy birthday to ambika! everybody take advantage of her new age AND her talent by purchasing her already sensationally-priced pretty things on Etsy for 15% off (today only) with coupon code BIRTHDAY!
ah! i think i see a sucker hole forming in the sky already!
I saw The Fountain again the other day and I was reminded about how amazing trees are! Trees are in nearly every creation story, every religion and every psychedelic experience. They represent a metaphor for life and eternity. And since my name is Eve, it seems appropriate that clothes with trees on them have always tempted me.
I paired them with my new mauve twill city shorts and my chocolate mary jane Crocs (I know there are those out there that hate Crocs, but they have obviously never owned a pair. These are the first model that are actually aesthetically pleasing. I feel like a futuristic Wednesday Addams hippie farmer in these and since I like to garden AND cook, I can wear these all day brewing beer, pulling weeds and cooking a ginormous meal and they are no worse for the wear. So with this cute new style, Crocs have gone from “functional: yes, stylish: no” to “functional: yes, stylish: YES!”. Ok, now just let me step down from my soap box….) and voila, I feel like I could snatch a humming bird out of mid-air and use my spiny left foreleg to impale it through the chest.
UPDATE: I found the tee-shirt here but unfortunately, unless there’s a Nordstrom Rack in your town, it’ll cost you $44.
Now this is super hot, nobody can argue with that, but this was definitely designed by a virgin, because that delicate lace will rip at any sign of heavy breathing and for $1549, you could buy yourself a couple sessions with a sex therapist.
My hubby enjoys simplicity. A pair of boyshorts with a sheer tanktop is his cup-o-tea.
And I’d have to agree. Cozy, comfy, and durable is all I need.
Case in point:
(Scarlett Johansson in Lost in Translation )
But I’ve got a little hippie in me. Why not channel your power animal from your nether regions?
Or if you want something a bit more feminine, check out Etsy:
At least you know that these handmade beauties won’t crumble under a bit of horseplay, no?
i went to a hipster craft fair yesterday from a local collective called seamrippers to drool over the wares. there was some wicked stuff there, but the table we spent the most time at was this girl, Nico, who buys vintage baubles and fabrics from all over the place (Rhode Island is the best place to buy costume jewelry - who knew?) and makes them into these one of a kind vintage folk style masterpieces. i couldn’t believe the variety of her talent (she sews rad reversible handbags too!) and the delicious kitschiness of her pieces.
some of my favorites are these hilarious vintage E.T pendant necklaces! lookit! there he is flying around in his UFO! and this pendant which apparently features a porn image from the 1920s of a woman having some sausage with her breakfast. well, slap my arse, if i could make out exactly what was going on, i’m sure i would be turning red.
prices range from $5-$35 for the simpler pieces and from $60+ for the more elaborate.
i know Eve would go gaga over some of these. sorry sis, i should have bought you something!
being a wannabe seamstress/jewelry-designer myself, i am a complete sucker for handmade, well, anything. etsy.com, bless ‘em, are totally dedicated to artisan wares and some of these things are at just amazing prices. most artists i know are completely in love with their crafts and any money they make from it is just icing, so you really can find some great deals on one-of-a-kind (and sometimes even made to order!) pieces there and support the arts at the same time.
one such talented DIYer is Elizabeth Scott of Jewelry by Elizabeth Scott. i am just completely floored at her knack for delicate, nature-inspired jewelry for ridiculously reasonable prices too. if $20 for earrings (ahem, i mean wearable art) is still out of your budget, i would have to say that these are definitely splurge-worthy. most are made from semi-precious metals (sterling silver and copper), and nature-inspired, well, anything truly never goes out of style.
Painfully Hip is a cheap chic fashion blog and a collaboration of a pair of smartass west coast twins and a few hand-picked guest-bloggers. We feature inspired thrift fashion, vintage couture, artists, international streetwear, fashion advice, DIY ideas, independent boutiques and online discounts. We are mad about prints, color and unrepentant personal style.
disclaimer:
all images used are found on the web and believed to be in the public domain. if any images that appear are in violation of copyright law, please let me know and i will remove them immediately.
thanks,
painfully hip at gmail.com
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