quotes: innovation, life-long learning, and rule-breaking style

some quotes i've been loving lately: "...innovation wakes it up/breaks it up/makes you think and question..." -just for the kick by coldcut

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"i am still learning. (Ancora Imparo.)" -michaelangelo

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when sarah jessica parker was asked what she learned stylewise from being on sex and the city in a recent issue of people magazine, she responded:

"...That there shouldn't be rules! I always believed in hardcore aesthetic rules-"No white after Labor Day." And I matched, because I thought it was ladylike. I matched my clothes my whole life-at least until Pat Field got ahold of me!"

burda style: free sewing patterns on the web

burda, the german-based sewing pattern company is behind what i think is an extremely clever idea: FREE sewing patterns one can download off the web! open-source sewing!

(photo via burda style)

no need to constantly strategically plan trips to one's local fabric store, or shell out piles of cash for patterns if you don't wanna...burda makes these select and stylishly modern patterns (and more) available via their burda style website. you simply download the pdf's of the pattern, print them and the provided instructions, assemble the pattern as needed, and sew!
want to make it green, too? you could always use recycled fabric or linens from the local thrift store/charity shop or your closet as the source for the fabric for these fashionable frocks!
perfect for those of you out there who like to take fashion into your own hands...and not always leave it in the hands of major corporations.

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i'm loving the marie skirt, myself (that's the one second row down, second photo from left in the grid of photos shown above). it kind of reminds me of the peg skirt portion of the dress i made as one of my final garments while studying at parsons! i think it would be quite sassy (and more than a little sexy!) in a metallic (perhaps brightly colored?) lamè, perfect for hitting the town and probably pretty with one of my favored cocktail hats! i may have to swing by the discount fabrics later today and see what i can see. hmmm!!

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(via nikkishell, of wardrobe refashion fame!)

vintage cocktail hats: the obsession continues...

i love how when you set your mind to something (whatever that is, fashion-related or otherwise), you start seeing that something everywhere! for instance, i've been crazy for vintage cocktail hats this year...i think about them way too much. the thrift gods must be able to read my mind, because i keep finding super special ones on my secondhand shopping excursions!

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this one was found at thrift town, just after i got done filming my little interview for the thrift town documentary last weekend (neat experience, btw!):

and this velvet beauty was found at the alameda antiques and collectables fair the weekend before last.

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i feel sometimes that thrifting/secondhand shopping is a magical, almost transcendent experience. you don't ever know exactly what you'll find when you go on a thrifting adventure...and that's the beauty of it! it's like urban archeology...digging through the discards others deign to drop off is not just fun, it also speaks volumes about our culture at large. and of course, it is like a history lesson, if you dig a little beneath the surface and indulge your curiosity. what's the story behind this object? who made it? what does the design say about the context in which it was made, the time period at which it was most relevant? who owned this object before me? what were they like? why did this object end up being given away?
i have a lot of reverence for this magic inherent in the thrifting process...and for this blessing the thrifting gods have bestowed upon me. i have put my time in: i've been thrifting for years and years, and i've been a student of aesthetics in a formal and informal manner. as such, i feel i've trained my eye to pick out the really lovely things, the delicious diamonds in the rough that deserve to be found amongst the reams of racks and shelves. i'm more than happy to buy something used, and just as happy to give it new life with my love and delight. and i am happy to add it back into the system when i've tired of it...so someone else can potentially feel the same way.
can you relate?