Fabric as Memory

When I put on a piece of clothing, I'm not thinking simply about how it'll look. I'm thinking about how it feels and what it means. There is always a purpose. For me, getting dressed is a performance. I am thinking about color, comfort, shape, fabric type and where it came from, in relation to my thoughts and who I want to be that day.

The days I feel most confident, I dress eccentrically. When I'm 90, I want to dress with the same uninhibited integrity as I do at 20. I want to still be wearing some of the things I do now, some of the things my grandmothers wore. Fabric isn't immortal of course, but it should be used and celebrated for as long as possible. My wardrobe is filled with vintage/thrift pieces for many reasons - they are sustainable, economical, unique and oftentimes the fabric is of higher, longer-lasting quality. However, the most exciting thing is that through each piece, I am a kind of time traveler. If I don't know where something came from, I imagine it, fabricating the fabric's history so that I can honor it with sincerity, and feel the memories even if I don't know them specifically. When I do know the memories, the experience is extremely meaningful. I want to do the fabric justice because it holds pieces of someone whose story I have become a part of. 

The jeans, jacket, bag, and headband pictured above are all vintage. I found the jacket and matching bag in Montreal at a boutique called "e," which sells reworked vintage, meaning the fabric is vintage but was more recently sewn. The matching set spoke to me because it reminded me distinctly of my grandmother, Omi, who loved bright orange and yellows. The headband is a hand-sewn ribbon of hers. 

The clothing we wear is a marker of who we are. Even if you only wear tee shirts, I think it's important to harness a kind of appreciation for the fabric that houses your body and witnesses every memory you make.

Reworked Vintage: DIY Seashell Sunglasses

One of my favorite feelings occurs when I stumble across a piece with possibility. Especially a vintage piece. There is always a little gasp involved, and then a flurry of silence. I use the word "flurry" because inside my head I am involuntarily brainstorming at top speed. When your brainstorming is so fervent that it cannot be stopped, you come up with your very best ideas. 

Sometimes it is a two-part feeling, as this was. Part One occurred in Cape Cod, when my friends and I began collecting jingle shells, popularly (and questionably) known as "mermaid toenails." I loved how luminescent they were and desperately wanted to use them in a project, but couldn't think of what. A week later, Part Two occurred in my basement when I discovered my old dress-up sunglasses from childhood. It was what one might call an "ah-ha!" moment. These sunnies were in such need of love and revamping, my shells dying to bedazzle, and myself pining to play dress up once more. Alas, this is how the mermaid toenails COUGH I mean seashell sunglasses came to be! Scroll for step-by-step.

Enjoy a quick 45 second feature film after the instructions! Aka me playing dress-up.

Materials I used: A pair of old sunnies, about eight shells, superglue, and some old sparkly and metallic nail polishes.

After they dried completely, I crushed them in a small bowl.

First, I painted both sides of each shell, combining and switching between nail polishes.

Aaaand this was the tedious part. Putting a small dot of superglue on the frames, I stuck each shell piece onto the frames one by one. If you try this, I suggest using tweezers because superglue can be risky!

The Autumn Kimono

It's autumn, which means everything in our environment is constantly changing. We are able to beautifully experience all different levels of texture, light, wind, and color. So, if we can see and feel it . . . why not wear it? Tina's outfit, centered around her velvet kimono, incorporates all of these fall qualities. Then, as I've meant to show in the video below, when combined with her distinct movements, it gives off the same sense of allure and freedom that nature embodies.

In this video piece, I meant to portray the many connections between Tina's movements, the outfit, nature, and her overall graceful aura. I loved the mirroring of movement and visual imagery between the kimono tassels and plants blowing in the wind, or between her dancing shadow and light peering through trees. The life cycle of the dandelion represents the beauty of femininity and maturation, for women should feel proud of how much they've grown and of who they've become! We should be able to move our bodies without scrutiny and dance as we please, just as cotton flowers and dandelions can freely waver in the breeze.

The Athleti-Chic Jumpsuit

Perhaps you've heard of the term "athleisure," coined recently to describe athletic wear that can also be worn in other contexts, ranging from daytime outfits to club wear. After a friend mentioned it to me, I started thinking about the concept of combining athleticism and chicness in female fashion. There is something quite beautiful about celebrating a woman's beauty AND strength in a garment. So, I teamed up with my lovely friend Tina (who you may recognize from last fashion post!) and photographed her wearing an absolutely stunning jumpsuit, which isn't meant for exercising, but I felt it emphasized both her grace and athleticism. 

In all of the images, I doubled Tina's figure firstly to show the garment's functionality and ability to acclimate with her movements, but also to underline the significance of supporting and being there for oneself. Strength and elegance isn't just physical. The physical connection of her limbs to the sturdy, metal bars of the fire escape underlines her mental fortitude. 

To me, this image epitomizes the concept of female elegance and strength. Her pose and the blackness of the jumpsuit cause a kind of silhouette effect, which gives her an Audrey Hepburn-like quality. At the same time, her bare back and arms are muscular, showing that yes, women can be both graceful and strong! Mirroring the image resulted in a heart outline connecting both of the same figure, which emphasizes the importance of loving oneself.

Macrame and Movement

There's something super satisfying about tying knots. The first way I tied my shoes as a child, before learning how to make a bow, was to knot my laces over and over until I had created a little cluster that kept my shoes tightly on my little feet. It worked so well, in fact, that it was quite the endeavor to remove them. As I grew older and learned to tie my shoes correctly, knotting was put on the back burner. . . UNTIL I discovered macrame! If you haven't heard of it, it's an amazing knotting technique that has been around since the 13th century. Not to mention it became very popular during the ~hippie~ era in the 1970's. The coolest thing about it, though, is that it looks extremely complicated and intricate, but is actually very doable! Keep scrolling to see how I made the shirt pictured and how it relates to the movements of your body.

Macrame is totally doable, but I definitely suggest watching a video tutorial. I used this link. To make my shirt, I took a tank top and cut the front and back into two separate pieces. Then, saving the seamed armhole edges to use as a frame to support the macrame, I cut the back piece of the shirt into long strips. Watch the video tutorial to go from there!

What I love about macrame is that it has such an element of movement. In the photo above, you can see how it curves along with my spine and shoulders as they twist. You can create a loosely fitted macrame shirt too, but make it more fitted if you'd like it to move along with your body.

The Vintage Jumpsuit

"Oh. My. God." is exactly what came to mind when my nana handed me this 40 or so year old jumpsuit from her closet. Sumptuous. Palatial. Posh. This bright pink garment only deserves big words. Where to wear it? Out on the town of course... Perhaps to a disco if you're vibing 1977 Travolta.

Accompaniments:

Choker: Asos
Shoes: Tommy Hilfiger

My main piece of advice to you: have fun, get low, and don't stop until the king of a foreign country notices and begs to court you. To which, of course, you will say no. UNLESS he has an endless supply of vintage clothing and a kitchen stocked with everything you could ever want and need. That's the only exception.