Suddenly, it is Halloween, one of the strangest and most magic days of the year. If it snuck up on you, here is just the thing:
Read MoreMetallic Makeup Becomes Ephemeral Jewelry
What a curious pleasure it would be to spot a slick of gold on someone’s ear…or face or…
Read MoreApparel for Living: Roz Chast’s Survivalist Cargo Pajamas
We totally relate to this perfect Roz Chast cartoon in this week’s New Yorker.
Read MoreLive Rose Jackets and Other Lovely Flower Apparal
This wonderful live rose jacket got us thinking about ways to use fresh flowers to sparkle up our summer wardrobe…
Read MoreA Cheap Chic Black Bag to Rival Ikea’s and Balenciaga’s Tote
After the designers at fashion house Balanciaga knocked off Ikea’s iconic big blue 99-cent tote (in leather for $2,145), frequent contributor Susan Dworski jumped into the fray with a chic, cheap black bag that we hacked to perfection.
Read More‘Crisis is a Hair’ (Hair Poetry, Visual and Otherwise)
Images and poems of and about hair remind us of the meaning and possibilities, both creative and metaphysical, of the mysterious fiber.
Read MoreTrompe l’Oeil and Conceptual Art Necklaces DIY
This trompe l’oeil, conceptual art necklace takes the classic, waspy pearl necklace to a whole new level. It inspired us to search out doable, actually wearable trompe l’oeil jewelry.
Read MoreSize Matters: Jumbo Paperclip as Liberating, Minimalist “Purse”
My collection of under- and over-sized things often yields surprising improvisations and pleasures.
Read MoreOverpainted Nails (Why Stay Within the Lines?)
Recently, we came across two rather astonishing plays on “nail polish”. We think they are both rather liberating. The bottom is particularly smashing.
Read MoreArtful DIY Minimalist Aprons
This startlingly simple apron by Maison Martin Margiela suddenly made us SEE aprons for what they really are: a piece of cloth with ties to hold it snugly against the torso. And it gave us lots of ideas for making them, some done on-the-fly.
Read MoreMartin Margiela’s Philosophy of Art, Creative Process, Life
In this very interesting interview, purportedly with famously reclusive designer Martin Margiela, are some seriously insightful views of art, the creative process, and what’s REALLY important. Together they make a rather wonderful poem.
Read MoreNature Becomes Clothing and Adornment
In her work, photographer Agnieska Chabros often uses Nature to dress her models. We hadn’t thought of using shadows as a style element. Then we discovered other photographers dressing models with unexpected adornments from the natural world… … … … … Then of course, there is Brandon Stanciell, The Man Who Loved Flowers …and come to think of…
Read MoreDressing for Camouflage or Self-Expression w Rumi
Walking around the park recently, we saw a man leaning on a fence, minding his own business, wearing an astonishing hat: a baseball cap turned backwards and interleaved with fresh green branches. When we asked him how he came to make it, his answer got us thinking about just what our personal apparel really does for us…
Read MoreClothes to Draw, Write, Paint On
At Kleidersachen, a German tumblr whose name name literally translates dresses things, sublime examples of out-there clothing and textiles had us transfixed, culling ideas right and left on a variety of themes, in awe, inspired. To start, we’re thinking about neutral apparel that can be drawn, painted, written on.
Read More$4 Adventures in Artisan Perfumes
We spent several illuminating hours exploring the website of Twisted Lily, a fragrance boutique in Brooklyn that features artisanal perfumes. Buying $4 sample sizes of several of their 648 offerings proved an exciting, affordable way to learn about the mysterious, sensual world of fragrances.
Read MoreTricks + Tools for Instant Clothing Nips + Tucks
The stylish French saleswoman at a NYC Megshop wore a men’s jacket with the back nipped in with a few stitches and the sleeves rolled up. It looked great! It got me thinking about even easier, less permanent ways to give instant form-fitting shape to a shirt, jacket or dress.
Read MoreHow I Reburbished an Old Shearling Coat + Made it Reversible
Although initially pricey, shearling coats are a great clothing investment: they are incredibly warm and last years. But like anything, they begin to show wear. There IS a simple solution that will keep them going for years that I learned from Suzanne Shaker: turn your shearling inside out and have new zipper put in by…
Read MoreCheap + Chic: Crease-Wrinkled Big Cotton Shirt
A fan of the big white cotton shirt, years ago I discovered that XXL MEN’s cotton poplin shirts could be had for about $25 at Target* and looked as good as the much pricier women’s version. Averse to ironing, I’d drop them off at the shirt laundry and ask for “extra starch”. At about $2 each, I’d live…
Read MoreThe Zeitgeist in Pom Poms
The other day, we came across some spectacular earrings: fur pom poms dangling from thin gold wires. WANT, we thought. And then, MAKE, which starts us researching materials and processes. We discovered that pom poms, both fur and fake, can be easily bought and hold huge possibilities for gifts. And then we found we’d unknowingly tapped into the zeitgeist.
Read MoreInjury’s Message + Band-aids’ Vast Possibilities
Over many years of cooking professionally, amidst sharp knives and fire, I learned that an accidental cut or burn was in fact a signal: a message from myself to myself that I was distracted. I needed to listen deeply to what was going on, or at the very least, slow down and take care. I…
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