The Rock 'n' Roll Comeback of Denim Jackets.

As modeled by Jake Gyllenhaal.

Okay, lets talk about the "bad ass-ery" of the denim jacket. See, I first developed this obsession when I rekindled my love with The Strokes and watched the music video for "Someday". It's full of "behind the scenes" footage (hanging out in a bar, drinking and smoking- activities you would expect rock stars like The Strokes to participate in), as well as an episode of Family Feud with some pretty hilarious dialogue. ALSO, there was a lot of denim jacket-wearing going on. (By Julian Casablancas & Nick Valensi, specifically.) Now, Julian Casablancas is the definition of a rock star to me. He looks like he never gives a damn, has amazing musical talent, a perfect shaggy haircut, and great personal style. So why would we not want to be like him? He always looks careless and confident: words I now associate with the denim jacket. 

US versus UK: Magazine Covers, July 2011

Sorry this is so late in July! I always tell myself it needs to be done before the end of the first week of the month, but I failed this time. Enjoy the compiled covers!

1. VOGUE

Vogue US: The associate publisher of the magazine I'm interning at has a subscription to Vogue, and when he brought this Emma Watson issue in, we both spent a good amount of time admiring how FANTASTIC Emma Watson looks. We gushed, looked through the editorial, and pretty much concurred that we love her and this cover. She honestly is a model, isn't she? There are so many different textures and complementing colors. It's just so bright and vibrant!

Vogue UK: Also a very bright cover with lots of texture. However, I'm just never a fan of a straight-forward face for a cover, unless there is something extraordinary with the wardrobe, make-up, or hair. I still love the colors- bright gold, for summer. 

WINNER: Vogue US. Emma looks incredibly beautiful. Everything about it is just stunning!

A 1950's Summer & Shopping in the Men's Department.

I would really like to do more outfit posts, but the very nice camera I got for my birthday had the worst battery life I've ever seen. So I had to return it and have yet to buy a new one. So here are the shottiest (apparently not a word according to my Mac...) photos I could have taken: using my PhotoBooth program. It bothers me horribly, but I had no choice! And I was so excited about my new shirt, I had to do a post about it!

What amazing things you can find in the Men's section, as long as you are into the whole oversized, menswear look- which I am. This short-sleeved, gingham button-up was on sale at the Gap and I fell in love. All it took was some careful sleeve rolling, a sloppy tuck in, and I have the perfect, comfortable summer shirt. That's one thing I've learned since getting serious about personal style-- you have to make the clothes work for you, you don't have to buy something as-is and have to deal with the unhappiness of not liking some detail(s) about it. A little rolling, tucking, tailoring, sewing, and you can end up loving a garment MUCH more than the original version. 

If I left this shirt as it originally was on the hanger, I would look like a girl drowned in a nerdy button-up- one meant to be worn under a sweater vest by a "nerd." But I really love it! It can be casual, fit beneath a blazer, etc. And there is this unexplainable confidence one gets when they rock a men's garment-- and love it!

The Classic Ten: Summary

The Classic Ten series has finally been concluded! I just realized it would probably be a good idea to compile all of the ideas together to refresh our memories on these ten essential things. Once again, to remind everyone how this idea came about: these posts were inspired by the book The Classic Ten by Nancy Macdonell Smith. (Yes, it has taken me about six months to put it all together. Yes, the book was very overdue from the library.. Shhh...) I obviously highly recommend everyone to read this book. I learned so much about the history of each classic piece, so much more than I could post on this blog! 


But here we go... The classic ten: ten wardrobe pieces EVERY woman should have to be a classy, modern lady- one who will never go out of style. Then, at the end of the list I've added a couple of other wonderful clothing staples I think really do belong to the "classic" list now. So I supposed this is an Eloise-updated version! (click the name to be linked back to the original posts.)

1. The Suit

"A good suit is a triumph of structure and planning and a paean to the judicious use of artifice. It can make you look taller, thinner, more powerful, and more assured than you really are."

-Nancy MacDonell Smith from The Classic Ten