inspiration

as i sit and struggle to study for my impending finals (and doom?) what would be better than blogging. although this might not be the typical SIMP post, let me know what you think...

here are the things I have been finding comforting and inspirational.

1. the developmentally disabled community

2. turkey and brie sandwiches on cranberry bread

3. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyG1FG3H6rY (seriously, this video will make you want to start boppin your head and make you smile SO BIG)

4. "fight and fuck and run and smile. smile because the older you get, the less you will. so yes, "quit being such a g-ddamn pussy" because bitching, whining and worrying never made anything better."

5. tissue paper flowers (i now have a garden on my ceiling just cuz)



6. painting (a little layered image action, stay tuned for my next one, im SOOO excited for it:) )

7. sign language

8. frida kahlo

9. REAL people with raw emotion and tangible love and feelings; As Dr. Seuss once said" those that matter don't mind and those that mind don't matter"... be a hipster, wear a quirky pattern of nail polish, get your bikini waxed (OR NOT), eat a mango, give a hug, send a brave text...


"take chances, get messy, make mistakes."- thank you miss frizzle.
and until next time friends, keep it real. so much love. (and bueno suerte on finals!)

Appologies

friends, family and followers.

on behalf of maddie and myself, we are SO sorry that SIMP has been lacking. with the school year coming to a close it seems as if the hours just get away and another post goes unwritten. however, on my hunt to procrastinate, i shall blog. until finals are over tho, our usual tuesday/ friday posting sequence will be slightly off, and for that, we are sorry. (and Alissa, thank you for calling us out on our lacking-ness and for being such an avid follower- SERIOUS SHOUT OUT WOMAN)

so last week was the boston marathon (shout out to all the runners, cough, cough- EOB, Megan and Fran the Man!). Marathon Monday is one of the biggest holidays celebrated at BC so your outfits really have to make a stink. Janelle and I decided to go with the homemade shit-show look (team bitchin brunettes, thank you very much). As you can see from the pictures below we had some classic Springsteen going on with the lyrics, animal print and sparkles. What more could you want from an outfit? Please ignore the left side of my head, it seems as if my curls got squashed throughout the day.

Now below I would like to pay homage to Miss. Emily. Not only did she run her FIRST boston marathon on her 20th birthday- but the lady did it in STYLE! also reppin' a pink homemade shirt, when emily passed mile 21 (where I was standing and hopped in for a little afternoon saunter), she looked completely unphased and we even spoke while we ran. Emily was smiley and lucid and finished the race wearing my homemade hat over her luscious amber locks (which were perfectly perky still after heart break hill). now thats a CHAMP. Emily is a true inspiration.

Now this picture below is one of my FAVS. Meet Jill. Adorable, I know. Wearing an amazing Forever21 skirt (I have the same one in purple from Nordstroms- hate it... yes.) she looks fierce. I am going to toot my own horn for a minute when I say I love my dress because, well, I love it. A steal at 344 on sale, I couldn't leave it because I knew my cowboy boots would flip when they saw it. The glasses were a last minute touch that got rave reviews all night. What can I say, we clean up nicely (occasionally).

Poor Scott. Always dealing with janelle and we when we bombard our friends room. well here i'm just loving his shirt. such BAWSTAN pride. everyone here looks genuinely happy which makes me love spring even more (I'm a flower, duh.) Janelle was tricky with this outfit, wearing a tank on top of a dress giving it the appearance of a skirt (great color coordinating here and loving the peace tank). I took the flower child approach this night with green patterned tights, brown earrings and of course my CrewCuts headband.


So friends, thats all she wrote for now. paper writing time. let us know what you want to hear about next! Happy trails!

Drag Fashion

This weekend was Queer Coalition Vassar College’s annual Flawless Extravaganza. As expected, it was a huge demonstration of gaudy, explosively colorful, and extravagant outfits, performances and personalities. But the clothing was really quite a spectacle. Fitting a male body into female clothing is always an experiment, and pulling it off well certainly a challenge. But, all of the five contestants in the drag show did so very well.

Of course, I'm extremely biased, since my best friend Mitchell was one of the contestants, and I was part of his performance. There were three rounds, the first being an entrance/walk, the second a talent, and then the third a question and answer session. Mitchell took everything to the next level. He entered with three back up dancers ( me included in that) dancing to Ke$ha's "Take it off," while simultaneously doing a scandalous striptease.

Me and my fellow back up dancers Callie and Magnolia were all gold and all sparkles!

Mitchell was down to sparkly velour spandex and a corset by the end of his entrance.

His talent portion of the competition included Mitchell in a strapless, bell bottomed jean jumpsuit, freestyling, soul singing with diva and friend Nijae and then finally singing with the Vassar Women's Choir as back up to finish up.

He rocked the question and answer portion of the competition, and did stellar in the surprise walk-off that helped to decide the winner.

I was beyond pleased, and definitely not surprised after hearing Mitchell announced as winner of the Drag Show and of one hundred dollah dollah bills. It was honestly a fantastic night, and my boy was out of this world, so my inner stage mom was gleaming bright.

Happy Easter!

Hope everyone is enjoying this fabulous weather as the Easter Bunny hops along from house to house! While the Easter Bunny didn't bring me a basket of goodies, over my little Easter break, I have been racking up the goodies...

1. Marc by Marc bathing suit- a full piece with one arm, its to die for. a slate gray with funny fish swimming across.
2. jean shorts- I have never owned a pair of jean shorts until last Thursday and these were a forever21 bargain.
3. flower tank top- creme tank with a big pink flower painted (actually painted) across. the best part is, it buttons up the back
4. a little sundress- once again, creme with pewter ruffled sleeves its pretty simple until you get to the teal and deep brown bricked bottom.

pictures will be coming eventually, i left my cord at school... so until then, what have you been on the hunt for?

Ode to the Birthday Girl!

Happy Birthday Alissa! Since your birthday is all about you- why shouldn't this weeks blog be too?! Maddie and I just wanted to wish you happy birthday one more time and here's to you this week and always!

Alissa rocks her butt. seriously i am incredibly jealous that she has such a booty. it looks rockin in jeans and spandies and makes the boys stop and stare. keep reppin it.


Our annual cape trips are always fulled of beach and tennis filled memories (as you will see shortly), but shockingly- we can clean up! Alissa (2nd from the right) looks just adorable with her blouse and flow-y waves. Such a simple chic summer look. shine on.


Tennis is one of our crews favorite competitive and hylarious past times- and outfits are ohh so important. Alissa's wearing an awesome neon pink shirt and trendy fab sunglasses.

What an adorable bubble dress! And paired with black opaque tights for a Mid-March dinner... genius!
Now prom is a ways back but I LOVED Alissa's white dress. with a perfect fit and flattering bustline, this dress was made for alissa to dance the night away in. (and, can't help but say the red rose on the wrist is like the icing on the cake!)

There are many things I(Madeline) admire about Alissa's fashion. One thing I have always envied about her is the way her fast growing hair is always a flawless accessory. Her hair looks good long or short, straight or curly, and she never has to wait too long for her hair to grow long again after getting it cut! Some girls get all the luck.

Look at those long locks in all their glory.

Another thing I love about Alissa's outfits that she puts together is her dedication to color matching. Never in my life have I met someone who is as intense about perfect color matching as Alissa Brill.

Look how she flawlessly matches her earrings perfectly to the greens and blues in her dress. Its unbelievable.

Pink bag, gloves AND scarf, so put together and thought out. It might not be my style, but I commend her for it.

This is just a dress of hers that I loved. Alissa you should wear this more! I also love Sammy's dress and how her and Alissa are so well coordinated with their floral prints, champagne hues and satiny finishes.

What I love most about Alissa and the clothes she wears is that she is never afraid to be herself. She wears what she likes, and sticks to the trends that work for her. She even works it in these goofy kids pj bottoms.

Alissa, baby, happy birthday! Hope you had the best day ever.

Spring is in the Air

First all, shout out. Maddie's lasts posts have been phenomenal as I sat buried in books in the library. But... the midterm madness is finally over and March Madness is in full swing and the sun was out and shining this past weekend so let the posting continue.

If you had the privileged of being in Boston this past weekend you know it was absolutely amazing- a true delight after the monsoon we experienced earlier in the week. When the sun comes out, the outfits get that much better to look at (and judge, who are we to kid). So here is what is hot and what's not...

Hot: Looking Spring time cute... Not: looking beach bound

Ok so I know everyone is excited about the warm weather but lets keep the white pants, skirts and shorts safe in our closets until memorial day. There is no need for bathing suit tops or beach covers, its not desert heat. Try instead a cute pair of jean capris or jeans cuffed up with flats or gladiator sandals. Pair with a tank and light sweater and fun accessories- we are CLASSY not TRASHY.


Hot: Dresses and skirts with boots... Not: booty shorts and boots

Booty shorts in my opinion are inappropriate. I know people that would fight me on this but they look trashy when paired with boots for class or to walk around the quad. Sitting in the sun, Janelle and I saw quite the outfit...picture this: black booty shorts, a bright purple one sleeved tank and silver kitten heal sandals...for a 2 o'clock class. Try instead a high waisted skirt or fun spring meets fall-ish dress with a cowboy boot. A much better go between look without looking like a strumpet.

Hot: Fun curls/ hair dos... Not: bedhead and greaseballs

Just because the sun is shining doesn't mean you can go to the extremes. It's either people are dressed to the 9's or people don't bother looking in the mirror- let's try and find a happy medium. Even if you are going to rep the sweat pant look (*which believe me, I do) at least make the hair something fun and cute. I'm not talking curl your hair or do a fancy up-do but let the natural curls bounce and the pigtails and pony tails speak for themselves.

Hot: working out in clothes... Not: looking like you're working the corner

You would be shocked by the number of people that use the warm weather to look like they are working the corner. We're talking 60 degrees, not 90 so there really is minimal reason to run wearing a sports bra and spandies unless you have excessive sweating issues. I don't really care if your core is like a rock (well, boys- I do;) ) but until it's a certified heat waves, keep the clothes on and look like you hit the gym or the pavement for real reasons.

That is all for now, let me know what you think is Hot or Not!

Art+Fashion. What else?

Art and fashion are two things I care very much about. I find connections between the two of them a lot. There is a lot that they can draw from one another, in terms of inspiration, and sometimes they might even be inseparable. Here are some examples of that.

From Rothko's colorblocking, in his Blue, Green, Blue on Blue Ground...

To color blocking in simple American Apparel t-shirt....

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Another Rothko painting came to mind when I saw this bold striped and color blocking dress from Urban Outfitters. The reds, greens and yellows, and the geometric shapes in the dress reminded me of a painting hanging in Vassar's own Frances Lehman Loeb Center gallery, Rothko's No. 1.

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The tonal grays that dominate John Singer Sargent's In the Luxembourg remind me of the soft and textured grays in this leather and suede jacket...

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Rodarte's Fall 2010 collection was a genius integration of different patterned fabrics and colors, mostly staying in the warm, pinky color pallet.

This combination of colors and textures could be considered an abstraction of clothing, just like the abstraction in impressionism. Compare it to Winslow Homer's watercolor In the Garden. The looseness of fabric in Rodarte's work mimics the looseness of Homer's brushstroke. The color pallets alone are enough to evoke a similar light and airy feeling.

Obviously we can't all afford off the runway, but luckily enough, retailers pick up on quick on runway trends, and are fully embracing these soft, pastel color pallets and floral prints, like in this dress from Urban Outfitters.

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It only seems perfectly fitting that the work of new-on-the-scene Leeann Marshall of Project Runway fame reminded me directly of contemporary artist Tara Donovan's installation Nebulous, that I saw at Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston. Leeann Marshall uses fabric to sculpt the unique shapes of her garments, just as Tara Donovan uses scotch tape to build up nebulous-like forms on the floor.

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Like I mentioned before, impressionism like the work of Monet could inspire millions upon millions of floral, spring prints like these two dresses from Urban Outfitters. See the resemble from these two dresses to Monet's lillypads?

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You rarely see vertical stripes in clothing, because they can be quite unflattering, but if you are thin/brave enough to wear this crop top, then you are probably not too worried about whether vertical stripes are making you look too big. But, anyways, vertical stripes are striking. These light pink stripes reminded me of the notorious cell-bar candy pink stripes of Mary Cassatt's Five O'clock Tea.

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I had to bring Rodarte back into it, because the last runway look of the the Fall 2010 collection held a striking resemblance to Whistler's iconic Symphony in White No.1, The White Girl. The emphasis on the shoulders, the flowing, airy translucent skirt of the dress are all common traits of the two dresses. They both have a very memorable quality.

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This season runway shoes have been topping all new heights and breaking all sorts of norms with innovative designs. Look at Christian Siriano's Fall 2010 shoes. Tall, eye catching, and incredibly detailed. The heel has an intricate and architectural quality almost like Corinthian style columns used in Roman architecture. These particular columns belong to the National Building Museum in Washington D.C. See the similarities?

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After the designer's death, the Alexander McQueen 2010 Fall collection was a much awaiting collection this season. It did not disappoint. Here are just two looks.

The garments brought to mind a Baroque style with it's rich maroons and golds. I thought of one of my new favorite paintings, Tenth Street Studio by William Merritt Chase. The rich decoration and pallet of the interior of this painting looks just like the runway environment of the collection and the intricate fabric embellishment of McQueen's final works. The art and the clothes make a very dramatic statement.

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Another place where you can find art and fashion interacting with one another is in editorial photo shoots.

Here is one picture from W magazine's Art and Commerce shoot, where the model poses in Marc Jacobs dress and Bruno Fisoni Shoes with sculpture La Riviere by Aristide Maillol and M/M's Agent scintillant, gonfle a l'helium in the Jardin du Carrousel in Paris.

This picture is from a shoot by Karl Lagerfield in Voque Germany where he styled model Claudia Schiffer like Frida Kahlo. An artist always knows how to make a lasting statement. Those eyebrows certainly stay in my memory.

Last but not least, the iconic Carrie and Big, in couture, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Great models, great concept, great clothes, surrounded by great art. Mixing Ancient art and modern dresses makes for a beautiful editorial concept.

This was long winded, and probably didn't make too much sense. But I like art, and I like fashion, so hopefully that will tie things together a little.