The Cyber Fashion Ecosystem

For the past few years, it's felt like a lot of my fashion whims have received immediate gratification from the mass seasonal trends. I remember once around four years ago, I made a list of certain clothes I wanted and was prepared to hunt down in flea markets, since I was certain they certainly wouldn't be available at the typical shopping mall. A few weeks later, I started looking at the new fall products in Piperlime, and - lo and behold, my coveted items were all over their new fall fashion styles.

I had about a five-minute delusion attack where I fancied myself very prescient about upcoming fashion trends - perhaps all the leaders of the fashion industry and I simultaneously shared the same sparks of inspiration this year! - until reality settled in and it occurred to me that the ever-growing prominence of the grassroots, fashion blog community meant that more and more people were collectively soaking in the cyber-vat of ideas, influences, and inspirations. Undoubtedly, the inspiration I had for a certain style dress, or whimsical vintage object must have been distilled from a selection of fashion/style/couture blogs I read on a weekly basis, which in turn were based on the influences of a thousand other blogs. Osmosis is a wonderful process.

Whether it's two women loving the same outfit from "The Sartorialist", or girl-wunderkind Tavi Gevinson or even a low-profile teenage blogger capturing the attention of a single fashion powerhouse, it's no wonder that it feels like nowadays we're reading each other's minds.

A few influences from this summer that, much to my pleasure, seemed to take to the forefront this fall season:

The Equestrian Look

I was slightly obsessed with equestrian-chic this summer, thanks to Elaine Stritch and a certain movie about Coco Chanel....

And this fall I saw the preponderance of crisp'n'clean equestrian all over the market, including a spread in Vanity Fair that heavily featured the equestrian look in their holiday wish lists. Then there was

The Loose, Sensual, Dreamy-Romantic Look

I watched one of my favorites, The Virgin Suicides on a repeat this summer and was continually struck by the clothes, which were schoolgirlish but also had a touch of the ahem, virginal, and coyly erotic. Looking around my college campus and the pages of The Sartorialist, it seems like we've moved from the minimalist, straight-cut lines of the early 2000s to a more whimsical desire to play with movement and form.

American Apparel seems to be playing heavily off this theme in their campaigns, anyways, albeit a bit more heavily suggestive:

Dad's Oversized/80's Patterned Sweater

This trend has definitely been percolating for a few years but I feel like it's hit full blast this year. My dad's oversized green sweater gained notice in my school's hallways last year, and my friend raided the male closets in her own house and emerged with an oversized rugby shirt and a sweater vest that somehow looked appealingly charming when paired with more feminine clothes.

This summer, I just fell in love with Anna Kendrick's strawberry sweater in "Rocket Science". I think it was the combination of its dorkiness, her severely cut hair, strict collar, and a contradictory accessory that changed the entire image - a cigarette.

Not that I condone smoking, but as one of my favorite film bloggers pointed out, smoking will look eternally cool onscreen. Her look is so very Margot Tenenbaum-ish.

And of course, particular sweaters have been making a comeback - chunky ones, Fair Isle, dorky. Below: A divine sweater from Emma Watson's People Tree collection - chunky AND Fair Isle! Want it so much, but lately I've been trying to avoid products that require shipping as a personal eco-friendly initiative.

Overall, I'd observe that this season has really New England-heavy - not faux-preppy, like the burst of Gossip-Girl inspired plaid and horrible bowties we saw a few years ago, and not obnoxious Lacoste preppy either - true New England, with bean boots and hunting/equestrian related clothes - both practical and strangely chic and charming if done right.

I Could Spot That From Anywhere...

A "look". That's something that every girl in the world becomes obsessed with sooner or later. A signature look, one that symbolizes "me", that somehow explicates your personality to the rest of the world.

We draw on all sorts of influences, but I for one wish that I could just invent my own signature look and not think "my god, I want that exact look" and copy every awesome look I see. It's something we all fall prey too.

But it's a tricky and often misguided process. I've lost county of the number of times I want to headbutt a wall after seeing a starlet (cough Lindsay Lohan) dress up as Marilyn Monroe or Audrey Hepburn, or seeing an overweight girl squeeze her poor butt into Spandex or leggings, unaware that the result is just painful to see. Cmon, guys. The iconic picture of Audrey Hepburn in her slinky little black dress isn't iconic because it was the most gorgeous dress ever made. It was because of Audrey. Sure, you can look good, but it's the dash of je ne se quois that makes a look special. That charismatic, aloof quality, of relaxed elegance and comfort is what we're actually striving for. That's the difference between true style and fashion. Be inspired, don't imitate, is all I'm saying, I guess.

Either way, here are some of my favorite movie looks:

Gwyneth Paltrow as Margot Tenenbaum from "The Royal Tenenbaums", my favorite Wes Andersen movie:

Her signature look...

I'm not a huge fan of Gwyneth Paltrow (why is my font purple all of a sudden?) but watching her in this movie, I just wanted to be her. Screw Holly Golightly! Margot's a burnout playwright, smokes like a chimney, is secretly in love with her adopted brother, and is also missing half a finger, but she's just so freaking cool.

The contrast in her signature look is really what makes it so great. She's elegant and edgy and simplistic all at once. I swear, if more people watched The Royal Tenenbaums, Margot would go down in movie style history.

Since she's one of my favorite movie characters, I'll just have to show a video as well:

After watching this movie, I immediately thought about purchasing a fur coat, applying more eyeliner, and cutting my hair. Alas, negative for the three: my vegetarian friends would freak on the coat, I hate putting on makeup, and I actually used to have my hair exactly like Margot's - complete with barrette - but it made my face look fat and me 10 years old. Oh, Margot!

The ladies of "Vicky Cristina Barcelona"

By this entry, you can probably begin to realize that I'm not a fussy dresser. I like fashion but I'm too lazy or too tired most of the time to strap on endless belts, layers, skirts, and pantyhose. But I *loved* what Scarlett Johannssen and Rebecca Hall wore in this movie - earthy-bright cardigans and linen blouses, very crisp and relaxed, and perfect for summer and spring. I've always subscribed to the idea that clothes should be the supporting characters of the picture, not the leading actors.

(love Javier's shirt!)

But twist! It's not the usual grandma cardigan twinset look. There's something sensual in their outfits, and it's not just because they're both gorgeous women. It's the details - the slim tailoring and miniscule ruffles of Scarlett's jacket, and primly rolled sleeves of Rebecca's ordinary cardigan contrasted with a sensual v-neck (picture later disappeared, sorry). Oh, and their hair too. It always comes back to the hair. Seriously, you barely noticed their clothes, right? And yet they look incredibly good. It's in the modesty, the simplicity.

As Coco Chanel said (along the lines of), "if you walk into a room and people say your dress looks good, then you have dressed badly. If you walk into a room and people say you look good, you have dressed well."

Seriously, have you ever seen anyone pull off a hat the way Penelope does in this movie? Her style was terrific in the movie as well, but she doesn't count as a style muse because when you have a body and face like Penelope Cruz, you look good in a damn potato sack.

Keira Knightley as Cecilia Tallis in "Atonement"

To be honest, Keira Knightley gets on my nerves most of the time, but her wardrobe in "Atonement" is probably the first one in years to come close to achieving the "iconic" status. I'm referring to of course, the magical emerald gown that completely seduced James McAvoy (and hence brought on unending years of grief and heartache) but my favorite look was probably the one that she wore in the fountain scene.

The green dress

the fountain outfit

She looked ethereal in the green dress, but it was so perfect it was practically boring. But in this outfit, there are some many things going on. Again, details. Firstly, what color is it!? Is it fawn? Palest purple? Colorless? And check out the patterns. I love the little silk flowers on her blouse, the way its knotted at the waist and that little piece hanging out on her waist that completes the sensual quality of the outfit.

I think a hat (ooh, font back to normal) would have just reduced her image in this one to a cliched '40's outfit (the ones you see in countless period films trying to imitate Ingrid Bergman in the last scene of Casablanca). But you see, a single piece of elegant clothing can do it all!

Finally, no movie style entry would be complete without mentioning the ubiquitous Audrey Hepburn. She dresses like herself in all of her movies, so I don't feel obligated to name just one. Audrey reminds you it isn't just the clothes that makes someone beautiful, that beauty stems from an inner glow. Capris, flats, button-down shirts, Givenchy dresses would have been just that without her sparkling eyes and sly innocence......But for those with similar body types to Audrey, it's great to look upon her as a reference. Classic, chic, timeless...effortlessly Audrey.

working for UNICEF in the 80's - still got it!

So first question - what are YOUR favorite movie styles?