fall colors

Venice (A Vision in Three Parts)

DSC_0496When you are in Venice, there is nowhere else on earth you could be– the mysterious passages, romantically gloomy water around every corner, picturesque bridges, burly, striped gondoliers, and creepy masque shops (coupled with the overall abundance of leather goods). It’s not the destination for the claustrophobic or the penny pincher, but to the dreamer of unrealized visions? Venice is bliss. Venice is the nearest scratch with reality.

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No visit to Venice is complete without a trip to the fabulous Rialto market. While it’s not a prime location for the vintage-seeker, there may be no better place for fresh fruits and vegetables. I was particularly pleased to get three large bags of sun dried tomatoes for 5 euro. In the US, you always pay the same amount for a small jar! Also, if you’re in need of an eel for dinner, this is the place to come (namely because they sell them). While generally I try to err on the side of adventure, on this occasion, I must report a timely abstention.

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In the afternoon, we went over to the Jewish area. A little known and sad fact: in 1516, Venice was the first place to ever instate a Jewish “ghetto” (the English appropriation of the word stemming from the Venetian “ghèto”). Today the area remains Jewish, though less than 500 Jews live there. However, as of 2009, the population of Venice dipped under 60,000, meaning that it may be a higher percentage of Jews in the city than you would expect at first blush. DSC_0490

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Where in the world is Rebecca Santiago?

What I Wore:

Hat: Vintage | Dress: Vintage (and if you like bubbly effect of the bottom, I literally safety pinned the extra fabric up, so it’s not hard to achieve) | Earrings: Israeli market! Shades: Urban Outfitters | Necklace: Anthropologie | Belt: Thrifted | Tights: Gap | Shoes: Primark (still there, I believe!) | Purse: Kate Spade

Stay tuned for more soon, although I may be a bit delinquent over the next few days as the reality of exams sets in– wish me luck!

 Shared to Hat Attack and Trend Spin

Trend on the Horizon: Carpetbags

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As exams grow ever nearer, I am regressing to all my favorite books and movies out of fear… but it’s hard not to celebrate when

On December 10th (just in time for Christmas y’all!) Mary Poppins will be released on Blue-Ray (and combo pack and digital HD) for the first time! And I’m wondering if she will usher in a new bag trend:

CARPETBAGS

Seriously, is it just me or am I starting to see needlepoint, jacquard, carpet-esk material everywhere? First it was these:

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For some reason all the men in my dreams are named Mr. Stubbs or Mr. Wootton.. probably because I can’t have themmmmm *sob*

Then Zara gave us this: (my pictures are from ebay and if you dare buy this out from under me… I will eat too much pizza crying and there will be no more fashion)

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Mary Poppins, needlepoint shoes, Zara jacket? Coincidence you say. But you can’t argue with AGE!

If you have not seen the blog Advanced Style please leave now and go enlighten yourself (but come back now ya’ hear!). Really, it’s the most beautiful and charming collection of pictures taken by Ari Seth Cohen. There are only two stipulations: they subjects are all elderly people and  they all have fantastic or quirky or dynamic or intriguing style. So, as I was staring my future in the face the other evening: 

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This is Ari Seth Cohen’s photo!

That might not be quite a carpet bag… but it’s definitely in the carpet bag family… making it a welcome mat bag? They very next post you can’t deny.

This photo is property of Ari Seth Cohen.

This lovely lady even has her own vintage purse store WITH carpetbags here.

So what do you think? Are carpet bags the next big thing or did they go out with Reconstruction? Let me know what you think, and in the mean time have a jolly holiday!!

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Disney came out with copy a few years ago. Notice they don’t show you the bottom of the bag…

In case, you want to get in on them now, they are going for relatively little on Ebay… in the range of 20 to 50 for the cheaper ones.

Fashion: ?

Funky: 7

Fancy: 2

Function: 5

 

A Provocative Body of Work

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The other day, I *tumbled* across Betty Baker‘s (a student from Mulhouse, France) senior project, and while I usually try to leave anatomy in the realm of scientists or certain late night trysts, this expose (literally from Latin’s expositus- to put or set out) on a woman’s body is tantalizing. Both honest and ironic, the piece asks, “I am a woman, I am a body, I am a womb?” by literally presenting the body as a method of discourse. Questions aside, I can’t help but croon over her rich color palate and textures. These seem perfect for an evening, reading with my espresso and a wool beret. Then the more immature part of me likes to think that the uterus looks like a longhorn, and how funny it would look to thrust in these panties. Law school aggression surfacing?

Fashion: 3

Funky: 9

Fancy: 2

Function: 8