Thursday, September 3, 2009

sensible shadow.

although it is impossible to visit nyc without shopping, i left with a promise: i am only allowed to acquire things for fall. moreover, i must absolutely and instantly love them and they need to fit perfectly prior to any alterations. the reasoning behind these clauses is self-evident: i have too many "almost there" garments hanging in my closet and i never end up taking them to a seamstress. i also promised myself that neither sandals nor sneakers were allowed because there are several dozen of both types in (and outside) my closet already, but that i should find myself a pair of sensible ankle boots for the fall. based on my previous thoughts on recessionista behavior i had acted according to the dogma of frugality, and i thought it was time to boost the american economy the little it was possible on my part.

since the definition of 'sensible' comes down to one's personal evaluative skills, you can probably imagine that my first, absolutely down-to-earth thought was to find these finsk ponyskin wedges. unfortunately, they were sold out. bummed, i was quite certain i wouldn't find anything that could impress me to the extent of their beauty.

lately my desire for unconventional shapes and structured pieces has grown tremendously; the approaching fall and winter create a longing for strength and shadow that is somewhat unprecedented. i have for years relied on shoes for additional interest in an outfit; a sculptural shoe oomphs an outfit easier for the likes of myself who find layering a challenge and often too fussy. and i did not believe i could find anything as beautiful as the wooden wedge.

wrong! less than a minute after walking into barney's co-op i was teetering in these alexander wang ankle boots. the leather is so soft i first thought it was washed denim, the weight of each shoe closes on 2lbs, and they jingle when i walk. although i hardly have time to stroke the beautiful material, the feeling of luxury seems to submerge through socks and underneath my skin. the heavy steps are as good as exercise (right?) and the clickety-clack is just a fun – and annoying – detail. they're a pair of terminator hushpuppies meet moon boot creepers.

instant love? yes. perfect fit? definitely. but sensible? probably not...


boots hanne by alexander wang.

otherwise i acted true to my plans. i bought things i fell in love with and that fit flawlessly, such as the rick owens jacket below. in perfect accord with his style it creates interesting 3d silhouttes depending on how you wear it and where you're looking from. within my newly embraced femininity that arrived with the shaved head, an hourglass shape does not necessarily strike as traditional. moreover, a tucked waist works better on my body than cloak-like shapes, but the foldings add interest and take a feminine shape to another level.

come fall, i venture back towards my monochrome ways. since i associate color with spring and summer, most of what i wear will hover between black and white. hence, the look i'll be sporting this fall may be a little tough and industrial, but i promise to accessorize with a smile...


click to enlarge. jacket and long sleeveless tee by rick owens, leggings american apparel, necklace i know why no, boots as above.

what does sensible mean to you? are you finding it hard to follow your principles when ultimate fashion love strikes?

10 comments:

Kamicha said...

Oh, those Finsk wedges are absolute perfection. I'm currently coveting something from Finsk badly, very, very badly... ...not that there is anything wrong with the Wangs, they're rad!

I guess that I don't have too tight sensibility restrictions for single garments (ok, I have to be able to actually put them on and walk in them at least few steps). That does not mean that I don't own sensible things. Of course I do, most of my stuff, actually - but if I love something ridiculously unpractical the sensibility probably falls off from selection criteria list...

On outfit level I'm never comfortable showing too much skin.

stellagee said...

which ones? oh, do share. the finsk collection this fall is pretty amazing in its entirety...

my problem is that if i do not follow strict rules, my closet becomes filled with impractical stuff. if i were more artsy, i could prolly get away with it, but i'm just too boring and lazy. but often enough, i fall in love with something that shuts my sensible brain down. which is good, i guess.

much skin? me neither.

Sugar Kane said...

Quelle surprise: I ADORE your Rick Owens jacket.

The definition of sensible does depend on the person. For me, only high-heeled, somehow strange shoes make sense, life's too short for boring, conservative footwear.

Anna said...

Upee toi Owens-jakku!! Ja entäs nuo nilkkurit!!! Törkeen hienot - sopii sulle loistokkaasti!!

Mulla ei juuri mitään rajoituksia ole mitä vaatehankintoihin tulee: hommaan sellaista johon rakastun (jos siis taloudellisessa mielessä hankintaan kykenen!). Mä en ajattele juuri ollenkaan käytännöllisyys- jne. järkisyitä vaatehankintoja tehdessäni: vaatteen pitää jotenkin tehdä minuun vaikutus, jotta se päätyy hankintaan, ja seikat jotka oikeanlaisen vaikutuksen tekevät, liittyvät pääasiassa vaatteen estetiikaan (huima muoto on erityisen kova juttu, usein myös komea väri saa minut pauloihinsa) sekä merkityksiin, joita vaatteeseen liitän.

Mutta sen verran käytännöllinen kyllä olen hankinnoissani, että pyrin pääasiassa hankkimaan vain hyvin mukavia kenkiä (mikä sulkee osan huimimmista koroista ikävä kyllä ulottumattomilleni) ja satsaan AINA laatuisaan materiaaliin. Herkkä ihoni ei yksinkertaisesti siedä muita kuin luonnonmatskuja.

Niin, ja mitä muihin säätöihin tulee, niin myöskään mä en halua vilautella paljoa paljasta pintaa. Ei vaan tunnu omalta jutulta se.

(tulipa sekava kommentti, sorry!!)

Anna-Maria said...

I'm in love with both your shoes and the coat! Amazing! I definitely need to go to NY sometime soon...

Btw, I hope you already heard the good news: Glass Candy is playing in Helsinki and Tampere in November!!!!!! http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=148896131014

stellagee said...

sugar kane, thanks. it is quite adorable, really. and i wholeheartedly agree with you on life being too short for boring footwear. or boring clothes, or just being boring...

anna, kiitos. mä olen aika onnellinen niistä.

taloudellinen järkevyys on ihan hyvä peruste. mä olen joskus skipannut aterioita kenkien vuoksi – ja joskus jopa sellaisten kenkien, joilla ei pysty edes kävelemään. ehkä mä järkeilin sen niin, että kun en syö, voin leijua ne kengät jalassa kaikkialle... nykyisin koitan pysyä vähän paremmin taloudellisen järkeilyn rajoissa.

laatuisa materiaali on mulle ollut ennen toissijainen muotoon ja kiinnostavuuteen nähden, mutta olen siinäkin suhteessa koittanut kasvaa. onnekkaasti nykyisten rättikauppojen huonot materiaalivalinnat tarkoittavat luonnollista shoppaamisen vähentymistä, ja sitten voikin satsata tuollaisiin helmiin kuin owens ja wang. ei siis huono juttu kai lopulta ollenkaan...

anna-maria, thanks,and yes you do! it is an amazing city fashionwise and every otherwise as well.

yup, heard about it and am going definitely.

Kamicha said...

stellagee: there are several summer Finsk pairs on sale in ASOS. Any heeled pair would do it for me. I've also seen the gray fishscale version in sale somewhere online... ...I really like the texture of those.

Noora said...

instant love for your shoes
-checked!!
:)

stellagee said...

kamicha, yeah, the fishscale version is stunning! gotta go hunting, i think.

noora, thanks.

Anonymous said...

OOoooh oon niin kateellinen! I want those shoes so bad.
Ne on oikeesti niin.ihanat<3