Iconic: Shirley Manson

This is the first edition of a theme I'd like to update periodically. I've got several figures in mind for future iconic posts, so keep your eyes peeled.

In keeping with my total love of all things nostalgia, I give you Shirley Manson. The flaming hair, the crimson lips, the unabashedly pale skin! I loved her to death when I was a teenager and I still think her style is iconic. This is Shirley the way I remember her from way back when. Dig her effortless cool with leather and fishnets and cutoffs that she somehow makes sophisticated. Well, as sophisticated as that sort of thing can be!

Nowadays, she's still on-trend, if a bit more grown up. She looks awesome, even in her candids. Still leather and flaming hair, but this time with some casual layering, and majorly awesome boots with wicked cool buckle detail.

On stage, she has a pared-down, but decidedly quirky, irreverent look. Dig her signature black and white stripes and bold accessories.

So... What do I mean by iconic? And Why Shirley Manson instead of Audrey Hepburn? Shirley Manson looks like herself no matter what she wears. She takes anything and makes it her own. She looks rockin' and confident and put together any time I see her. She smile is infectious, her music is genius and she's a great figure to emulate because even if you copied Shirley Manson, you'd never look like you're trying to be her twin because her style is so individual.



The beauty of Shirley as my style icon is that emulating her encourages me to: 1) remember my rockin' roots! Sometimes, I get swept up in being too adult and I start to feel like my own iconic style is getting lost in the pressure to look professional. I need someone to remind me that being professional doesn't have to be boring. 2) Be individual. The essence of Shirley's look is that it's so her. Adding pieces that jump out at me intuitively helps keep otherwise simple looks looking consistently me.

Monochromatic Overcast

Today was overcast. This is what I wore...

Ankle-zip jeans, Urban Outfitters, $68.
Jacquard blouse, Newport News, on sale for $29.
Ambrose boots by Bandolino, Zappos, $92.
Letter of Marque belt buckle by Alchemy Gothic, Gothic Cavern $57.

This is a lot of splurge items in one place for me. The jeans were a gift from my mother, so I can excuse those. The boots, I bought for work when I was standing all day, so it was imperative that they be both elegant and super comfy. Well worth the splurge. I can wear them with jeans or under a pants suit. And that belt buckle... Well, there's simply no excuse for it, barring the fact that it just happens to be fucking awesome.

And speaking of fucking awesome, Gothic Cavern (linked above) is by far the cheapest and best place I have ever found to buy Alchemy Gothic stuff. A brief word, however, about AG. Some of their stuff is downright atrocious for the average adult to even consider adding to his or her wardrobe. Please stay away from any vials containing fake blood, t-shirts with tacky fairies or gargoyle prints, badly done skulls (not to be confused with totally awesome skulls, which I love), or any other bullshit like spiderwebs or bleeding hearts that look as if they came straight out of the closet of a mall goth. Remember, kids: It's a trap!

If you want to know about how to be a goth without looking like an idiot, I must highly recommend Gothic Charm School.

Neglect

I'm pretty disgusted with myself that I've neglected this place for a whole year, before it even got started. For that, I sincerely apologize. But with fall approaching, as I am wont to do, I am again inspired by fashion and ready to attempt to take on this thing head on.

Anyway, while a big fat post on the principles of this blog should probably still be done (Tom Petty influences not withstanding), I'll update you on what I'm feeling fashion-wise, today. It's a weird time for me. Since you last heard from me, I quit my brain-bashing office job, got a new one at an ant farm... er... call center... Quit that one, too, and have just moved to a new apartment in the capital of NY for grad school. Yay! But let me say this: It is hard to be fashionable while in grad school. I'm living on a loan. Yes, a fixed budget. Oh, the pain! I'll be rationing food to go clothes shopping! But here's my look today.

I apologize that this is essentially a style board, but I haven't got the means to be photographing myself today, as I'm not yet done unpacking. But it will happen, I vow it.

Although I really was never into white jeans before, they are summery and still bold. Plus, they're a fun departure from my typical all-black (or all dark colored) ensembles. I don't know and I refuse to adhere by the white pants rules, so I'll probably rock these jeans year-round.

Lace-back tee from Urban Outfitters, on sale for about $15.

Destroyed white jeans, Wet Seal, $29.

Black pointed-toe flats, Target, $17.

Red leather envelope purse, vintage eBay, $10.

Long pendant necklace, Forever 21, $5.

Metal-Eyed liner in "Shotgun" by Too Faced, Sephora, $17.50.

The Intro

The first order of business, I suppose, is to put forth what this place is going to be. I love fashion blogs, but never find one that really showcases precisely what I want to see, though often with many elements I enjoy. To really give you an idea of what I'll do here, the best thing to do is tell what my style is like and where it comes from.

First, the name of the blog. Its from this poem:

Upon His Drinking a Bowl Vulcan, contrive me such a cup As Nestor used of old; Show all thy skill to trim it up, Damask it round with gold. Make it so large that, filled with sack Up to the swelling brim, Vast toasts on the delicious lake Like ships at sea may swim. Engrave not battle on its cheek: With war I’ve nought to do; I’m none of those that took Maastricht, Nor Yarmouth leaguer knew. Let it no name of planets tell, Fixed stars, or constellations; For I am no Sir Sidrophel, Nor none of his relations. But carve theron a spreading vine, Then add two lovely boys; Their limbs in amorous folds intwine, The type of future joys. Cupid and Bacchus my saints are, May drink and love still reign, With wine I wash away my cares, And then to cunt again. - John Wilmot

Blast from the Past
When I was a kid I was heavily influenced by old albums and often lame rock stars. Tom Petty comes to mind. I thought I was going to be him when I was about 6. Don't get me wrong, I still love Tom Petty, I just can recognize how lame he can be.

You can't tell me, though, that he wasn't a little weird. Remember the videos? How about Don't Come Around Here No More, which pissed off feminists because they ate Alice? The last defiant burp at the end of the song after dessert...

And Mary Jane's Last Dance, even more morbid where Tom dresses up a corpse for dinner and dancing? He was the mortician's apprentice gone wrong. Then he dumps her in the ocean and she floats up like Ophelia with her eyes open. You know that shit was kooky.

On second thought, what is with Tom Petty's psuedo-misogynistic videos?

I got a little older and was heavily into the Cranberries. You may recall their albums were all covered in the same mopey black-clad crap.

I don't claim to understand the couch motif. But they did have some seriously strange videos that linger somewhere in the back of my mind.

I never understood this whole painted-gold Cleopatra-Christ thing she had going on. And the emaciated cupid children. What the hell? Still, I find it compelling.

So, you see, when I did pop culture, I did it strangely. I hate to admit it, but I was also a sucker for Sid and Nancy, and the grunge version of such, Kurt and Courtney.

Ok, so the David LaChapelle picture wasn't something I had back then, but I love it and I love LaChapelle.

Other idols and influences are to include Jim Morrison (and his leather legs), David Byrne (and his huge suit), Iggy Pop (and his peanut butter), Keith Richards (and the rest of the Stones), Trent Reznor (and his really bad hair), Shirley Manson (and her amazing RED thing)...

I kind of missed the boat on David Bowie, who feels ominously missing from this list. But I'm a little glad. I can't see myself in the fashion faux pas that seem to result from so many early Bowie obsessions. (Labyrinth pants?) Oddly enough, I also missed out on most of Marilyn Manson, though I was keenly aware of Spooky Kids and his ass, as it was shown on the MTV Video Music Awards during Beautiful People. You know you remember that.

Can we all see where this is going? And yes, this does imply what you think it does. I was a ginormous Tim Burton fan and I shamelessly admit that I love it when Johnny Depp looks like a hobo.



I also loved to dig through my dad's massive cassette collection (I know, it isn't trendy that we didn't own a record player) and steal the inserts.
I loved the cover of Sgt. Pepper's. No Surprise. Here are some other token albums that gave me pause and still do. Sticky Fingers, Velvet Underground & Nico, Houses of the Holy, Remain in Light...


There are tons more little things that are probably deeply embedded in my psyche from childhood that rear their ugly heads in my fashion sense. Nonetheless, I think this is a pretty comprehensive look at who I am and who I was when I first started to notice the emergence of fashion.

Finally.

The moment you've all been waiting for. Or not.

Like so many others, this little corner of the internets will be a fashion blog. I love high-end fashion, but I certainly can't afford it. If I could, I'd be out shopping, not at home blogging. So, I'll share with you how I put together styles that look like a million bucks, but don't cost nearly as much. This goes for everything from clothes and accessories to decorating, crafts and other goodies.

More to come on my personal style and how you can make it yours.