Twenty-Seven Names’ new summer collection “Nine Lives” was inspired by a Katherine Mansfield short story that I’ve never read, but ought to. I don’t know anything about Katherine Mansfield–actually for the longest time I got her confused with Katherine Anne Porter, and never even knew that she was New Zealand-born until now.
Anyhow, if Mansfield’s stories are anything remotely like these clothes I think I’ll like them. They were designed with a ’20s garden party theme in mind, which explains the wispy dresses and skirts. There are plenty of structured, classic Twenty-Seven Names pieces too, from jackets to cropped pants to button-up shirts.
The last time I posted about Joel Meyerowitz’s summer photos it was still technically winter, and summer was still far off in the distance. We still have a bit to go, but I can see Memorial Day just around the corner, and a summer trip just beyond that, and so posting photos of beaches and oceanside vacation cottages doesn’t seem quite so crazy.
These photos are from Meyerowitz’ book Cape Light and were taken in the ’70s while the photographer was renting a house in Cape Cod. They are about as different from his New York street photographs as you can get—mostly quiet and peaceful, shot in large format for an almost painting-like effect . . .
The Australian label Dress Up teamed up with photographer Natalie Nikitovic for a series of film photos featuring some of Dress Up’s earliest customers, and I love them all, but I really love this last series best. I love the colors (I’m even into red this spring) and the clothes and that old greenhouse setting, and most of all I love all those plants. I don’t have a green thumb in the least, but all week I’ve been obsessed with the idea of starting a garden, thanks in part to the books I’ve been reading (right now: Real Food by Nina Planck, and then some Michael Pollan books before that). The older I get, the better it sounds to be somewhat self-sufficent; Drew and I have a dream of having a tiny farm somewhere in a Tennessee/Georgia mountain valley, complete with chickens (for fresh eggs) a cow (for milk), goats (because they’re cute), and lots of fruit trees and vegetable plants. I don’t even care how urban hipster Kinfolkian back-to-the-land cliche the whole idea sounds; to me it sounds peaceful and rewarding.
But I’m not very good with plants (Jamie made us a beautiful terrarium, and I somehow already managed to kill the air plant), and so I’m starting small with a tiny herb garden. Pictures to come (if it ever starts to look good). If it’s a success then we might clear away one of the few non-shady spots in our yard for a tiny garden. I want to grow cucumbers and spinach and green onions and berries and whatever else would be fairly easy for someone who’s not particularly good with plants to start out with.
The stuff at Anaise is very Greek goddess goes to California, which might be my favorite inspiration for summer so far. California has pretty much become for me what New Zealand/Australia were to me last year; right now my favorite brands and blogs and stores are West Coast ones, probably because they do laid-back and grown-up so well. And also because last year’s California trip is still fresh in my mind; the weather is getting Palm Springs hot around here (well, almost) and I just want to wear silk dresses and sensible sandals the whole summer long. And lounge about on hammocks and faded Turkish rugs, dreaming up healthy meals to cook, just like my favorite grown-up Californian bloggers do. (No shade–I like them a lot).
If there’s any online store that gets this look it’s Anaise. I’ve been stalking it for a while for its selection of Mina Stone dresses (talk about Greek goddess clothes), but lately it’s gotten so much better. Everything from the photos (just the right amount of dreamy) to the models (healthy and beautiful and not 15 year old girls, thank goodness) to the stock (Rachel Comey, Mina Stone, Loup Charmant) is so good I find myself checking for updates all the time.
Photos by Drew
Dress: New Alisa Dress, gift from The Hellers
Shoes: vintage Ferragamos, from Kudzu
Bag: Etsy
Sunglasses: Karen Walker Number One
Chattanooga is one of those towns I don’t think I’ll ever get sick of. Even though I’ve been there more times than I can remember, when Drew asked me if I wanted to tag along to Chattanooga for a bike race this last weekend I didn’t have to think twice. And my mom and dad came too, so we all stayed in the little house on a hill that we’ve stayed at a bunch of times, and got to hang out some more—I needed it after our too-short cabin stay last week. While Drew and my dad rode their bikes up the Chattanooga mountains on the hottest day of the year so far, Rufus and I slept in, and then my mom and I walked down to the funny breakfast and punk rock (I only like it when they play Iggy Pop) cafe Aretha Frankensteins for lunch. The guys got back and were probably completely sick of mountains, but we got them to take a drive to Lookout Mountain so we could see Point Park. Which I’d been to years ago, when I didn’t care so much about Civil War battlefields and was only looking for a suitable place for outfit photos (stupid). This time there were no outfit photos–just walking and marker-reading and lots of looking over steep rocky ledges and the city from up high.
Afterwards we rested and then went to the burger place Urban Stack, where Drew and I had also gone the night before for dinner. But . . . it’s good. Probably our favorite restaurant in town so far. (We haven’t gotten around to the Public House yet, and I hear such good things that I’m guessing that that might be my favorite when we do try it). The first night I had salad with strawberries and beets and corn, and the second night I had a vegan mushroom burger (I’m not a vegan—I just really like mushrooms) and tomato/blueberry/basil salad that I did my best to copy when we made dinner last night.
We had fun just talking and trying to find the super moon through all the trees and hills in Chattanooga. I wish I could see my family every weekend. The older I get, the more I feel that way.
On our way back to Atlanta Sunday morning we stopped along the river to do a little more walking/sightseeing. Well, I really wanted to go back to Rock City to see the Southern Blooms Festival, but Drew thought we should go to the riverfront, and I’m glad he did. It was probably a little bit cooler by the river (maybe?) and we saw a sculpture garden that we didn’t even know existed. It was the right place to take photos of a new dress I got from the super nice Dania of The Hellers. Of all the pieces in her bright and wonderful Jane Eyre-inspired collection I loved the New Alisa Dress best, so I’m thrilled to be able to wear it. And it seemed especially fitting that when we got back to Atlanta and turned on the tv, the old Orson Welles version of Jane Eyre was playing on TCM. I hated that one when I was a teenaged purist-snob, but it’s grown on me.
