Flash Back Friday #57-Thomas Crown Affair

In 1999 the remake of the classic movie The Thomas Crown Affair (starring Steve McQueen and Faye Dunaway) was released with Pierce Brosnan and Rene Russo in the lead roles. On a recent evening I poured a class of wine and settled in to watch a movie that's become a favorite. Russo plays an insurance investigator who's searching for a 100 million dollar painting stolen from the Metropolitan Museum in New York City. She of course thinks it was stolen by a billionaire financier with an impressive art collection played by Pierce Brosnan. The chase in this film is half the fun...who is chasing who, Russo chasing Brosnan or Brosnan chasing Russo. The rest of the fun includes the gorgeous sets (autumn in NYC) and the actors, who are both at their best in their mid 40's.
I was in my late 20's when I first saw the film and I still enjoy it, the music, the story and the great style of Russo's character. Knee high boots, check. Perfect little black cocktail dresses (I lost count after 4), check. Classic pin-stripped suit, check. Topless wearing nothing but a sarong, check. Thigh high black stockings and a garter belt, check. Cable knit sweaters worn with leather gloves, check. Black velvet jacket, check. Camel colored wool coat, check. Double strand pearl necklace, check. Hermes Birkin purse, check. Really, 14 years later I still want everything she wears. Brosnan is also gorgeously styled, his suits fit him like a glove.
During the film Russo's character remarks how well Brosnan lives and anyone watching the film can't argue.
To view the trailer, watch below.

Once Upon a Time... a film by Karl Lagerfeld

Karl Lagerfeld (head director and designer at Chanel) has directed a short film starring Keira Knightley as Coco Chanel. Lagerfield is not much of a film maker and the models are definitely not actresses, but the fashion and jewelry are stunning.
It's worth a watch.

Now This is Advertising...

WOW. You may be interested in watching the latest movie/commercial/ad for lingerie company Agent Provocateur.
Now this is the way to sell lingerie...sexy, gritty and not what you expect.
And if you are wondering why the woman in the film looks so familiar, her name is Monica and she is the look-alike-sister of the beautiful Spanish actress Penelope Cruz.
Warning: May not be appropriate for viewing at work.

From Norma to Marilyn

This week is the 50th anniversary of the death of Marilyn Monroe. Websites and magazines have featured Marilyn in articles, released "never seen" photos, rehashed her mysterious death, condemned and praised the most famous woman of the 21st century.

Marilyn's style is classic and continues to be imitated today. For the ladies who are interested in how to create Marilyn's look, often seen on celebrities such as Dita Von Teese, below is a video tutorial by British makeup artist Lisa Eldridge.

If you are interested in books on Marilyn, here are a few I've enjoyed:

Marilyn in Fashion: The Enduring Influence of Marilyn Monroe by Christopher Nickens
Dressing Marilyn: How a Hollywood Icon Was Styled by William Travilla by Andrew Hansford
Marilyn Monroe: The Final Years by Keith Badman

A Visual Life

A video from one of my favorite bloggers/photographers, The Sartorialist. Seriously, I am addicted to his site.




Sorry for my lack of recent posts readers. I need to take Ferris Bueller's advice, (Link) View more Ferris Buellers Day Off Sound Clips and Matthew Broderick Sound Clips

Fun book by Project Runway's Nina Garcia

First a little tangent on my TV watching and how that relates to this book review.

I can count on 1 hand how many TV shows I watch on a regular basis.
1. Tori and Dean: this train wreck reality show is addicting and mindless, love it!
2. Grey's Anatomy: after years away I returned this season to a guilty pleasure (it's all about McSteamy).
3. True Blood: completely obsessed with this series and cannot wait for season three to start in June.
4. House Hunters International: real estate and travel, perfection!
5. Project Runway: catty, funny and fascinating.

In order to get my fashion fix after this season of Project Runway ended I picked up judge Nina Garcia's book, The One Hundred: A Guide to The Pieces Every Stylish Woman Must Own. The book is illustrated with whimsical and beautifully drawn artwork that only adds to the fun of the text. Organized alphabetically Nina's suggestions of the 100 pieces every woman should own begins with A-Line Dress and ends with Zippered Hoodie. She gives suggestions on brands to invest in and alternatives to pricey classics.

Of Nina's suggested 100 items, I own all but the following pieces:

4. Aviators (I'm not into the Top Gun look)
8. Bikini (no, no, no)
15. Caftan (only Mrs. Roper and the girls of Sex and the City can pull this look off)
27. Diamond Studs (a WANT of mine for a long time)
33. Frye Harness Boots (why, I'm not a biker nor am I a model in NY City)
46. Leather Pants (are you kidding me? I do have black suede rocker pants, does that count?)
56. Missoni Knit (pricey)
69. Pucci (someday soon)
92. Vans (not since high school)
95. Wayfarers (I'm not into the Risky Business look)

Of the pieces Nina suggested that I do already own, here are my favorites:

5. Ballet Flat (BEST shoes to travel with)
9. Blackberry (my latest addiction)
11. Blazer (I own at least 6)
12. Boyfriend Cardigan (the perfect item in my closet)
21. Cocktail Ring ( I have many, always the quality jewelry I purchase for myself)
40. Investment Bag (my weakness is for Louis Vuitton and Chanel, they will last forever and never go out of style)
50. L.L Bean Tote (I have at least 3)
67. Plain white tee (I have about a dozen and wear them with everything from jeans to fancy skirts)
71. Quality Champagne (always in my wine fridge)
86. Trench (my Burberry was a splurge during my last trip to London but a classic)
91. Valid Passport (of course)
93. Vintage (always)
96. Wellington Boot (my Hunters from England are incredibly comfortable and make me feel like the Queen walking the fields of Balmoral)

If you are a fan of fashion or maybe just Project Runway, this is a fun book to pick up and would make a great gift for any woman interested in classic clothes and accessories.

Blogs I Love Right Now

I love when I stumble across a fantastic blog. I read each of the blogs listed below as they are updated thanks to the magic of Google Reader. I've included a brief description of each and why I heart them. You might like them too. Happy Reading!



The photographs on The Sartorialist are gorgeous. Real people in real locations. The fashions inspire me and the people make me want to travel, drink red wine and wander the cobbled streets of Paris and Milan.
http://thesartorialist.blogspot.com/

Over at Poor Girl Eats Well blogger Kimberly is a young, single woman living in California who shares her struggles to eat well on a very tight budget. She's creative, funny and inspiring. I've been broke, like really broke when I was a single 22 year old college drop out with a new baby. I get her desire to eat healthy and keep food on the table but I wasn't half as creative as she is with $25 and a grocery list. I like her moxy.
http://www.poorgirleatswell.com/

And then we have Clara at Great Depression Cooking. She's 94 and cooks from the heart. Love her and her great home cooking videos. I think she knows the secrets of life. She's also got a great Facebook page and YouTube channel.
http://depressioncooking.blogspot.com/

At Sea of Shoes our blogger is a Texas teenager who debuted in Paris last year at a debutant ball. She seems to have an unlimited budget for clothes (how many teen girls do you know who wear Chanel and Prada?) and a passion for fashion. Her photographs are divine and inspire me to think outside the box with clothes and costume jewelry. Oh and her Mom blogs too at Atlantis Home. I want to live in her closet.
http://seaofshoes.typepad.com/sea_of_shoes/
http://atlantishome.typepad.com/

And finally my favorite blog of the moment and shockingly by another teenage girl. Clothes, Cameras and Coffee is charming, ethereal and whimsy. Her name is Roz and I don't think she is even old enough to drive. She lives in rural England, recruits her family and friends to take pictures of her dreamy thrift store/family heirloom clothes and jewelry and the locations are drop dead gorgeous. Like Alice in Wonderland meets Jane Austen. Oh and her love of reading inspires her looks. Love watching her grow up through her photographs and rambling writings.
http://clothescamerasandcoffee.blogspot.com/

Have a blog recommendation, share it in the comments!

"Dahling just throw on your Burberry and we'll go for a pint."

During my travels I usually buy something special on each trip. I enjoy not only the shopping experience but the benefit of VAT refunds at the airport. I've bought beautiful leather goods, Louis Vuitton, pearls and other items that have cost me less by purchasing them in Europe (even with the exchange rate). While I was studying at Oxford last year I bought a classic item that to me defines English fashion. During a weekend in London I purchased a Burberry trench coat and joined the devotees of this timeless piece.

For London Fashion Week this year I was only interested in a few collections like Pam Hogg and Pringle but especially the classics of Burberry. While reading a fashion blog about the collections I found a link to a great website for lovers of Burberry trench coats. Burberry-Art of the Trench is a fun site with all the information you would ever need to know about the trench. You can submit a picture of yourself in your Burberry trench coat to be featured on the site and I submitted the picture above of myself wearing mine in London.

Sure it's just fashion and clothes are a basic and simple need. But really, there is something to be said about wearing something special when it fits you perfectly and makes you feel good enough to meet the Queen.

Librarian Shoes

I'm in between events on my 2nd day of the ILA Conference and enjoying a glass of wine while waiting for the cocktail party/dinner/fashion show Style from the Stacks to begin later this evening. In the name of style I thought I would blog about a particular area of the library professional that drives me a wee bit insane. Librarians and their footwear.

This afternoon while sitting in a rather boring session about reorganizing your workflow, I started to glance at the ground and thus found it hard to avoid the overwhelming display of bad shoes. Now librarians are not known for their sense of style, the hard to break image of the middle age librarian with her hair in a bun, her oversize sweater, practical skirt and non nonsense shoes is alive and well and most likely helping patrons at your neighborhood library. However many librarians, (like myself, rewatch my librarian fashion show video) are trying to change that image. Unfortunately based on the shoe parade down here in Peoria, we have a long way to go.

Here is a sampling of some of the more awful shoes women are walking around in. Don't even get me started on those with runs in their pantyhose (AKA nylons for those of you who've never had the pleasure of sliding flesh colored stretch material over your entire leg) If you have anything REMOTELY like a pair of the shoes pictured below, give them to Goodwill. Yes I know they are comfortable but there are excellent shoe companies that make attractive AND comfortable shoes. Try Clarks, you'll thank me.





If you haven't seen the hysterical and painfully accurate video March of the Librarians, check it out below. Note their shoes and welcome to my world.