Down by the Baaaaay: Blanket Stitches by Hudson's Bay

I have been happily, gloriously snowbound, and to say that I am obsessed with snowy-weather dressing would be an understatement.

In particular, I have been contentedly researching the Hudson's Bay outerwear, two vintage pieces of which I featured when I began blogging some two years ago.

This snowfall I'm also locating vintage, if 2009 can be considered such (rather than simply "late to the party").

In a delightful show called "Blanket Statement," sponsored by the Bay, Canadian designers reinterpreted the faithful Hudson's Bay blanket or jacket.

This coat calls up the Bay's trapper/trader heritage.  I don't think I could buy real fur at this point in my life, but if this were in faux, it has the over-the-top the drama that I like in a coat.

Here's an affectionate shout-out to the red coat with black stripe far above, which I know well as a blanket bought for my boarding-school bed.

This pert jacket below creepily reminds me of Hello Kitty: see the blanket-stitch whiskers on the side? 

HK has troubled me ever since I realized that she was a girl without a mouth.  She can be said "hello" to, but cannot utter the words herself. (Gratitutious professorial cultural critique, in case any readers were missing University over the break.)

Then there's this, perhaps the most marketable jacket, if one must go there.  I will, because it would give me a chance to wear tricep-length slinky leather gloves. (The hawking-length gloves here aren't dramatic enough. 

So this jacket is named (by me) the Try coat, because of its triple stripe at the bottom and nod to the triceps.

It's Tutu Chilly: Moncler Outfits the Black Swan Cast?

Was Moncler's Gamme Rouge collection inspired by the antics of the new feature film Black Swan? 

The images below might suggest so.  And yes, it is a one-woman show, so please keep your characters straight!

Do also note that I have not seen the film, so the dramatic confrontation to follow is not intended to be a spoiler in terms of plot.  Though it may spoil the film in other ways.

I want to dance the Black Swan!

No; you cannot dance the Black Swan because you are all technique and no emotion!  I will dance the Black Swan!
















I am SO emotional!  Look how my feathers are ruffling!

Bah--those are tiny ruffles.  Look how I can ROCK a tiny tutu!!! 

I am all unrestrained come-hither danger!
   

Ohhh!  My tutu may be long but just look how I can unleash my ruffly fury!!
















Kid, you're making me uptight.  Beat it.  I am the Black Swan.  And take your ugly duckling mother with you.

Who, me?

I am not an ugly duckling.  I am the Firebird, the Greatest Failed Ballerina in the World!

Curtain

   *  *  *  

But still: when one is tutu chilly, Moncler remains my fantasy choice of a winter jacket.

Winter Mix

Oh, so dressing like this is a trend now.

Where I come from it's called common sense--eh!

Fur hat (25 years old, from Moscow, gift from Russian friend)? Check!

Gorgeously patterned Latvian mittens?  Check!
   
Scandinavian colourful knit scarf? Check!

 *  *  *

In other winter-dressing news, I was amused to see that Starbucks has decorated its windows with images of girls in red coats and sky blue mittens and scarves. 

Does that mean that my much-loved combo (from the post below) is (eeek!) corporate chic?

Red and Sky Blue for Winter

I think that it would be pretty to carry

this petite red Celine box bag

with these sky blue mittens

from Kate Spade.

The mittens also have instructions on the palm:

*Place snowball here*

but any good Canadian already knows that.

I've even been wanting to place snowballs in my winter boots this last week,

so sort-of-but-not-really cold has it been.

Beautiful Books

Had I remained in the in-house publishing world, I think I might be writing books by night and designing them by day.
     
Right now it might be time for an updated Vanessa Bell/Hogarth Press collaboration--primitive, almost childlike hand-lettering accompanying a simple painted line.

But lush certainly has its pleasures, as in these New York Review Books--the classics--created by noted book designer Katy Homans.

Lush isn't quite altogether accurate, though, because on these books the lavish backgrounds are smartly interrupted by a modern block of color. 

When the World Spoke French is a favourite title, just because,

but I'd enjoy taking a peek at The Dud Avocado (do read the linked blurb).