The Clothes Horse: June 2011

Thursday, June 30, 2011

O Solitude

"O Solitude! if I must with thee dwell,
Let it not be among the jumbled heap
Of murky buildings; climb with me the steep,-
Nature’s observatory - whence the dell,
Its flowery slopes, its river’s crystal swell,
May seem a span; let me thy vigils keep
’Mongst boughs pavillion’d, where the deer’s swift leap
Startles the wild bee from the fox-glove bell.
But though I’ll gladly trace these scenes with thee,
Yet the sweet converse of an innocent mind,
Whose words are images of thoughts refin’d,
Is my soul’s pleasure; and it sure must be
Almost the highest bliss of human-kind,
When to thy haunts two kindred spirits flee. "
-John Keats

photographs by Charlotte Ortholary

Restless Thoughts Rush Upon Me Thronging

After these pictures I realized how dissatisfied I was with this outfit. To analyze it in the literal/visual sense it is too busy for my tastes. I find fault in the two-tone accessories and the large print, but the trouble is greater than that. I try to keep my room uncluttered; I hang few pictures and rarely paint my walls, but much like my outfits which start simply and end hidden beneath accessories, things pile up. Vintage National Geographics litter the floor, bookshelves are crowded with as many heels as novels, and my nightstand is a veritable bazaar of discarded rings, necklaces, electronics, and books. This chaos is a better reflection of my true nature than any minimalistic outfit or bare-walled room, but the disorder only adds to my mind's hectic sprawl. My thoughts are always in a dozen places at once, rarely consumed by the present. I seek tranquil, empty landscapes to rest my head upon and try to dress my body in uncomplicated, sweet pieces that might counterbalance my nature. My eyes grow tired from too many points of stimulation and I do not need to wear my restless mind on my sleeve...

Outfit details:

Mark fedora

ASOS dress

Rebecca Minkoff MAB mini

Seychelles heels

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Dear Photograph

Dear Photograph is a new nostalgic Tumblr featuring pictures of the past melding with ones from the present. I get slightly bitter when I look at these sort of things because I moved so much as a child my pictures are from all over and many were taken in places I can never return to. Perhaps that is why I feel it is necessary to point out Dear Photograph's similarity to this Flickr group which has been around for much longer...

photographs via Dear Photograph

Wandering By Lone Sea Breakers

In the evenings, as the sun is setting, my mind likes to wander down twisting corridors and through uncharted waters. It ponders alternate realities, taking leaps and bounds while my body sits frozen in place. I go on grand adventures without a passport or suitcase and return feeling changed. Yet, these alterations must be invisible to the naked eye, for no one ever asks me where I've been or seems to notice I wandered away at all. As each journey concludes right where it began I wonder how this time will be remembered. A summer spent sedentary in little red dresses while my mind ran away from me.

Outfit details:

Club Couture denim jacket

ASOS dress

Yellowstone National Park gift shop necklace

Seychelles sandals

self-mixed nail polish

P.S. Old tutorial I did for milkmaid braids here.

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Guest Blogging

I wrote a little guest blog for the lovely Amber Rose of Modest June. It's full of pictures and words you won't see here, so go check it out!

Face The Music

Teal has to be one of my favorite colors to wear. I wish I could find more dresses in this shade. I'm definitely exploring new sartorial territory this summer; embracing new colors and as this outfit evidences: skinny heels (stilettos if you will). Anyway, just a simple outfit to face the blazing hot days--a minimal number of pieces and fuss. I'm off to endure another sweltering summer day with a pitcher of lemonade handy...

Outfit details:

ASOS dress

Juicy Couture purse via Gilt

heels c/o Sole Society

P.S. Get $10 off your first purchase at Sole Society with code "TCH10"

Monday, June 27, 2011

Interview: Letters From Maud

I've been reading Letters From Maud (and the blog she had before it) for ages. Maud truly is a romantic soul and her blog is a true reflection of that. She is blogging about her adventures abroad right now, but she took some time to answer a few questions and plan her dream party.

What type of party is it?
A summer dinner party (my favourite kind of party).
Who's invited?
Anyone who wants to come, on condition that they bring with them as a guest their favourite literary character so that we could all discover each other.
Where does it take place?
Somewhere big (this is likely to be a very busy party). An old country mansion, perhaps, with sprawling, messy gardens in which we could all stumble after eating. A place that could be haunted, but probably isn't.
What are you serving?
Oh my, I don't know... There will be a lot of us, so we'll need a lot of food. Some quiches and salads and something with salmon in it and fruit tarts and chocolates for dessert. And plenty of wine and champagne (my imaginary resources are limitless).
Who would get to sit next to you?
If I'm playing hostess, I wouldn't want anyone to feel neglected. I think we'd all mill around and talk to each other.
What is the theme or what is everyone wearing?
I'm not a fan of theme parties, so I suppose the theme is just 'pleasant evening,' really. Everyone needs to dress up, though. Women in dresses or skirts, men in jackets and shiny shoes. I'm in a bit of a 1920s-Virginia-Woolfish kick these days (I'm currently living in her old neighbourhood of Bloomsbury in London!), so ideally there would be lots of muted colours and delicate floral prints and that sort of thing.
Is there entertainment?
Ideally there would be a small jazz ensemble that could play soft, atmospheric stuff while we eat and later transition into some dancier music when we want to swing around! Knowing how parties I attend usually unfold, at some point someone would pull out a laptop and speakers and put on something mildly embarrassing but totally wonderful, like the Spice Girls or cheesy French hip hop.
Are there any party favors?
Upon entering the party, all of the guests (including the fictional ones) have to bring their favourite book and leave it on a big table. When everyone leaves, they can pick up a book that one of the other guests has left.
What are the hot topics of the evening?
Literature, quite obviously, but also art and music and someone's bound to bring up something controversial and opinions will flare (I perversely delight in situations like these). We'll probably all think that we're terribly clever and dive into theology and philosophy as we get tipsier and then when we're sick of being pseudo-intellectual frauds we'll stop talking altogether and go dancing.
Who is the most likely to get drunk and dance on the table?
Er, I don't know. Definitely not me, though!
Who is the last to leave?
I wish I could say 'me' (as hostess, I should see everyone off, no? And clean up?), but to be honest I'll probably have got tired and fallen asleep on a lawn chair or something.

for more visit Letters From Maud

Put A Bird On It

So, I mentioned this tote bag earlier and asked for everyone's opinions on which design to choose and now it is a reality. Eep! I partnered with Promotes.Me to produce the bird tote. It's wonderfully exciting to carry around a bag featuring some of my doodles. I chose the birds since several people said they felt uncomfortable carrying a bag with a human face on it (hopefully I'll make another tote one day for people who liked the other designs better). I'm very happy with how the design translated into a tote and the tote itself is the perfect size and quite sturdy (10 oz cotton canvas). I couldn't resist debuting the tote with a new favorite dress of mine. It's from Zara and Noel of The Owls Are Not What They Seem bought it for me since there are no Zaras here in Virginia (it's good to have friends in other states). It was a tad too big and I didn't like how a shoulder detail on it looked on me, so it has undergone a number of alterations (taking in the sides, shortening the sleeves, raising the shoulders), but now is pretty much perfect.

If you are interested in a tote, they're available right now for pre-order: $20 and free shipping (domestically, unfortunately! we will calculate international orders individually).

Outfit details:

ASOS sunglasses

customized Zara dress

Seychelles heels

The Clothes Horse tote bag

Sunday, June 26, 2011

A Pretty Pairing

I'm quite infactuated with this pretty bra by The Loved One and it would look oh-so-lovely with nails painted in Tartan Swizzle.

Saturday, June 25, 2011

Saturday Remix

My long-time sponsor Shop Ruche asked if they could participate in a Saturday remix and of course my answer was a resounding "yes!" It was nice motivation to take a new piece and be as creative as possible with it. After a peek through their shop, I selected this dress. It's an easy summer piece you can just throw on and the detail at the neckline keeps it interesting without becoming fussy. It's also the sort of dress that can be worn in a myriad of ways. Since it is quite warm here at the moment I didn't do many layered looks, but I think this dress will transition nicely into fall and winter outfits as well. Here are seven outfits that came together super easily.