I know this is the third new collection I’ve posted in a row, but I just got a hold of these lookbook photos from Wren’s spring collection and I had to post it right away because, 1. it might be my favorite spring collection yet this year, 2. Wren is one of my favorite labels and their spring collections are always their best, and 3. I’m still sick, it’s still cold here, and this whole lookbook is a breath of California fresh air. Seriously, wearing one of these sun dresses during the spring at, say, Hearst Castle, is my idea of heaven.
This collection was inspired by the ’50s and ’60s, and films from that era like “The Last Picture Show.” I can definitely see vintage influences, but one of my favorite things about Melissa Coker’s designs for Wren is that they never go the direction of vintage pastiche, or that dreaded word, retro. There are nods to the past in some of the fabrics and the shapes, but everything looks modern and never too cutesy. I can see a bunch of dresses already that will go on my spring sale-stalking list; that blue one on the top right will probably replace winter’s Leith dress as my Wren dream dress.
Photos: Thomas Whiteside; Stylist: Susan Joy; Hair: Amy Farid; Makeup: Suz Gerstein.
I guess I disappeared for a while because I got sick last week with a cold/sinus infection of some kind that still hasn’t left. Then we took a weekend trip to Asheville, North Carolina, where we saw snow and the Biltmore and a lot of hippies. Photos to come. Today I’m still sick, wondering if I should cave in and go to the doctor, because I really do want for things to get back to normal.
Thank goodness for the internet and for new collections coming out to distract me. Lover just released both the southern and northern hemisphere versions of its new collection, Lydia, and like usual I’m liking the winter (southern hemisphere) version best, because of all its coats and wool skirts and things I could still wear now (or at least if I were well and not in pajamas). The looks below are my favorites from the collection. I will say that lately Lover has been going in a pretty sleek, Russh Magazine sort of direction that, while interesting, is just not really my thing. I’m old-fashioned and kind of resistant to change, and I gravitate towards anything that reminds me of the old Lover, like the little white dress in the bottom row, the coats, and that black middle dress that kind of reminds me of my Lover wedding dress.
I’m really really tempted to start posting spring lookbooks, only I’m afraid they’ll make me want spring to come even more than I already do now. But Orla Kiely’s pre-spring collection is different; the colors are dark and mostly muted, and a lot of the clothes would be decently appropriate for the weird, rainy warm winter we’ve had this year in Atlanta . .
Photos by Drew
’90s sparkle shirt: Rag O Rama
Skirt: H&M
Necklace: Madewell
Bag: Etsy
Boots: Rachel Comey
This weekend was gloomy and rainy, but great for a lot of reasons. If last weekend was crazy (though lots of fun) with New Year’s parties and visitors, then this one was quiet and anti-social and productive. On Friday I cleaned out my closet (it needed it), and on Saturday we made a trip to Rag O Rama in Little Five Points to get rid of bags and bags of stuff. Mostly things I don’t wear anymore, dresses that would work better on younger women than me. I never really like to do New Year’s resolutions, but this time around I guess I do have some, and one has something to do with dressing more my age. Which I know I’ve talked about here recently so I won’t go too much into it, but it did feel good to get rid of lots of peter pan-collared, frilly, overly cutesy things.
This is kind of the outfit I wore at our New Year’s Eve party; I wore this glittery shirt, but another skirt and also different shoes since these ones hadn’t come in the mail yet. They were my Christmas present from Drew and are the nicest shoes I’ve ever owned, by far. They’re also really comfortable, and pretty grown-up.
Other things we did this weekend: go to the farmer’s market; to Kudzu Antiques, where I bought a pair of sensible Ferragamos to replace the not-so-sensible shoes I got rid of; went to the High Museum yesterday to see the Picasso to Warhol exhibit; ate out once (sushi); made pancakes. On Sunday we celebrated David Bowie’s birthday by playing his records all day, and then at night watched Downton Abbey, finally!
If you’ve been reading this blog for a while you already know that I’m a big fan of stylist Linda Marina Portman (I did an interview with her on the blog a few years back) and photographer Marie-Fleur Charlesworth and especially of the work they do together. There’s definitely some magic happening when you add Linda’s romantic styling to Marie-Fleur’s old school-style photography, and whenever they collaborate on a shoot it usually ends up on this blog. I’m a fan.
This shoot was recently published in Crash Magazine, and it has that halfway gloomy, in-between seasons feel that I like so much at the moment. You can see the rest here . . .
