Wear Your Invisible Crown will be taking a blogging break until after Pesach. What’ll be after that? LOTS of posts on Jewish Talent/Events, articles for the Jewish 20-something girl, and of course Modest Fashion/Style. Stay tuned.

 

Until then…happy cleaning and have an excellent Chag!

 

 

A Study in Contrast Part 1:

 

Skirts + Combat Boots

 

Or “How my Ex-Prof Influenced my Style.”

 

Photo via Stockholm Street Style

 

"Why would you want coherence and harmony from youth? Youth is about mashing, breaking and reassembling life to find new answers for your generation. That’s one of the reasons youth moves fashion, they haven’t found their harmony yet, and I’m thankful for that.” –Scott Schuman, The Sartorialist

 

       Welcome to our NEW monthly column on Wear Your Invisible Crown called “A Study in Contrasts.” (Please click on the “Study in Contrasts” label below to view our introductory article). This column will examine ensembles that may seem atrocious-looking on paper, but in reality, exude pure intrigue. The ‘philosophy’ behind this column is that youngsters often turn to fashion to mirror their befuddled identities and subconscious quirks, thus resulting in outfits that juxtapose a variety of aesthetics and stylistic influences.

Photo via www.Luckymag.com

 

        I personally have a tendency to pair oxfords or combat boots with flared, floral skirts (hence Alexa Chung is one of my favorite style icons). But seriously, if I can, then I will wear this kind of ensemble. Overtime, I became addicted to mixing the masculine with the feminine.

        One morning in October, I unexpectedly paused during my mad dash to college. I was in middle of tying my laces, when the dancing light of an epiphany blazed over my weathered combat boots. The reason why I was drawn to masculine + feminine pairings was suddenly revealed (albeit at the very inconvenient time of trying to catch the Q train).

This epiphany involved one of my ex-college professors. Let’s call him Mr. K.I.A (which stands for “Know-It-All”)

Happy Women’s Day Dear Readers!

 

-Wear Your Invisible Crown

Wear Your Invisible Crown’s Spring 2013 Faves: Part II

 

       In line with our recent post “A Study in Contrast,” we enthusiastically introduce Dries Van Noten’s Spring 2013 collection. This collection married two very different stylistic genres—Kurt Cobain grunginess and frou-frou florals—in order to create unpredictable beauty. More than any other Spring 2013 collection, Dries Van Noten’s perfectly embodies “A Study in Contrast.”

       This Belgian-born designer, known for his humility and innovation, generally thrives on idiosyncratic taste and style “that reroutes us from the ordinary.” This season he fashioned plaid, which is usually associated as boyish, into airy chiffon and taffeta. Van Noten continued to investigate “masculine + feminine” intrigue by pairing plaid with floral appliqué skirts. He also styled plaid skirts with leopard print clutches. “The more clashing there is, the more I like it!” said Van Noten.

 

 

Scroll down to see how YOU can easily adapt the nonchalant elegance that defines Dries Van Noten Spring 2013.

The Giant Mechanical Man

A Movie about Postmodernism, Struggle & the Power of being Genuine

I usually experience the abrasive reality of postmodern life during the Subway’s rush hour.

      You see, at my previous employment, the commute from my house to the Upper East Side was utter agony. I’m the official “Priestess of the Non-Morning People Population,” (that’s a mouthful, I know) but I would attempt to unglue my body from the bed anyways.

       When I boarded the overcrowded train, my lethargic brain had difficult time processing information. I couldn’t read. I couldn’t mumble Tehillim. All I could do was slink my body against the train’s door and examine my fellow commuters. Who are these people? As a writer, I yearn to know another’s story. Why is he dressed like that? What country is she from? How did that couple meet? What is he reading on his iPad? I will never know their story. They will also never know mine.

A Study in Contrasts

Photo via The Sartorialist

       A week has passed since Purim and I’m still contemplating it. I was going to dress like a gypsy. I wished to embody that free-spirited woman; fresh from the fight and raw with restlessness. I envisioned my dark hair gloriously unrestrained, bangles creating music with every moment, a folkloric patterned skirt sweeping the floor. Yet, waking up on Purim morning, I rubbed my sleepy eyes and mumbled “nah—not in the mood.”

      What to do? What to do? I initiated an invasion of my mother’s vintage-laden closet. There was a psychedelic top from the 70s, a few flannel shirts from the 90s, and wait a minute—what’s this? I excitedly eyed a hat perched on my mother’s shelf.

It was a round straw hat with a dainty veil attached. Made in England! Very Duchess Catherine. Very “Breakfast at Tiffany’s.”

I swooned at the hat’s effeminate beauty. All I needed was a quintessentially British suit and I would be all set.

“Ma, do you have a tailored, ladylike suit? I need it for my costume.”

“No, I don’t” she said perusing her closet.  

“Hey! What about this one?”  She pointed at a mustard-yellow power suit with shoulder pads the size of my face.

This monstrosity? I balked. If I were to wear this outfit, then I would look like the hypothetical love child of Princess Diana and Superman.