That Magical Red Dress

The "Stop Staring!" red dress by Billion Dollar Baby continues its TV dominance as Voice contestant Sasha Allen wows the crowd with her singing AND her chic.

That sounded very press-release-y, which this post is not, but something about That Red Dress makes people gush with excitement.

We first saw it when Nigella wore it in promos for her new cooking competition (looking unsettling like Liz Hurley in this magazine shot):

And more like herself here:

The dress fits women with curves, which is why I'd say it failed when New Girl Zooey Deschanel wore it:

It comes in other colors, like pink and elegant navy, but red is the showstopper:

Wild Horses and the Caves of Grand Central

Maybe Grand Central doesn't *really* look like its arches lead into caves, but a Cave is making a stunning impact on the terminal.

Nick Cave, the artist I most recently admired for his splash of turquoise (!), has fashioned a gorgeous team of thirty horses to visit and perform in Grand Central from today (March 25) through March 31.

The turquoise on Mr. Cave's shoulders thrilled me.

These dancing ponies express themselves so well:

Puffy Paper Wigs and Moncler Puffers

 Not the most poetic title, but nevertheless, it speaks to two of my favourite things: paper-cut wigs and puffers from Moncler.

But of course summer wear doesn not include puffers, so Moncler has substituted puffy textures instead.

The wigs are from Salk and Flurry, and are, I think, irresistible (they rival my beloved Chanel paper flower headpieces).

I thought I'd put them together to see what happens:

 

S'trooth, Chartreuse

Well, yes I am copyediting a Shakespeare play, as if the antiquated term in the post title didn't give it away already.

But more than a means of showing off, it captures my current feelings for the colour chartreuse.  The other day I was browsing through the massive book The Editor's Eye and found a black-and-white photo of a voluminous dress (from the back) that I loved because of how the photo highlighted the drape of the fabric.

One of my long-term goals is to make dresses--not to wear, but to hang on my walls--and the dress in this photo would be a good candidate.  It reminded me of a dress from a Vogue magazine published in what I believe to be the early 90s--the photo was an intense close-up of some beautifully draped chartreuse fabric that was, if I recall, a Grecian-inspired dress.  As I didn't keep a clippings folder back in the day, the photo remains in my memory, and I mean to locate it, with a good long library visit one week.

Chartreuse is one of those colours that's difficult to wear: the shade has to be Just Right for one's skin else we look frightfully sallow.  But when it's on, it's on.  This dress by John Galliano worn by Nicole Kidman is not my favourite, but it's received lots of critical acclaim.

However, this dress by Jason Wu, worn with these ultra violet shoes, is my cup of tea.  And the dress in the 1961 Bert Stern photo, far above, just calls out for a cocktail.  A martini, perhaps?  S'trooth, not shaken?

Clutching at Liberty

Gentle readers may remember that I adore Liberty of London fabrics. I use it in quilts, bunting, accessories, and sometimes buy clothing in Liberty prints. 

I think I prefer making things out of Liberty to purchasing items fully assembled, but I have been eyeing two new J. Crew spring pieces: the clutch above and the shoes below.

The clutch print is on a myriad of J. Crew items, from trousers to a skirt to a shirt and a scarf, but I prefer the clutch for its shapelessness, if you will.  There's no darting, no seaming, no scrunching, just print. 

And this print can come across a tad too yellow in a garment, so the clutch is perfect.  It's kind of a Miss Rumphius-in-a-hothouse look.

(The bad news is that the clutch comes with a beyond hideous chain and matching fabric shoulder pad.  Tuck in the chain or remove it.)

I've known the print on these shoes for a good fifteen years, at least. 

I've used it in a quilt and still have some of my original stash tucked away.  I don't pull it out any more, because I prefer different colours now. (These colours remind me of the "old" days, when Liberty was less available in the United States and I'd have access only to pre-cut bundles.  How I looked forward to and treasured those bundles!)

But on a pump this print catches my eye again.  Anything too bright would be annoyingly playful; these pinks and blacks have a measure of sophistication.

Do gentle readers have any favourite Liberty prints, items, or garments?

Separated at Birth? The Oscars Edition

It was a surprise to see FLOTUS Michelle Obama join Jack Nicholson via camera at the Oscars last night.

But I thought I recognized her dress--it has a strikingly similar cut to the one Nicole Kidman wore.  Not that there's anything wrong with that, of course.

This morning I checked the designers, and Mrs. Obama wore a custom Naeem Khan, while Ms. Kidman wore L'Wren Scott.















On another front, Jack Nicholson, in his red bowtie, slightly oversized suit, and strong spectacles, seemed to be channeling designer Alber Elbaz:

They are also not so separated at girth either.  Or mirth, from their happy expressions here.

Reeling from the Oscars

Yes, the Oscars had me reeling last night. 

Not because of the host's sexist production number--that inspired a different reaction--but because of Halle Berry's beautiful dress that, to me, recalled sparkly strips of film from a reel.

Clever without being self-conscious or perhaps even intentional, the Versace dress nonetheless paid homage to film-making.