Fall Festival

It's time to break out the boots, sweaters, and scarves! In honor of the coming weekend, and the many fall celebrations that line the calendar, here is some outfit inspiration. 

The equestrian-style high boot is still a wardrobe staple from last year, and skinny jeans that fit comfortably make this outfit easy to throw on at a moment's notice. Layering is the best way to approach dressing for the season. Especially here in Missouri, the temperatures can fluctuate very quickly, so I love this lightweight sleeveless shirt underneath the cozy sweater. And of course, a hat makes weekend hairstyling a snap! Have a cup of cider, do some shopping, and enjoy this season while it lasts!

Fall Festival by zaftigfashion featuring yellow gold jewelry

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New Romantic/Baroque

Perhaps it's my obsession with dead composers, but dressing like an 18th century courtesan has always been something I've been intrigued by. I was Marie-Antoinette for Halloween when I was 19  - powdered hair and all.  However, one does not go traipsing around town in a panniered gown and not get stared at - in a bad way. So you have to make concessions!

New Romantic by zaftigfashion featuring gold plated jewelry

 One of the things I love about the new Baroque trend is the mixture of hard and soft. I love the elements of punk mixed in with the lace. It's sexy and fresh. Curvy girls, remember a mid-rise in your skinny jeans, and don't be afraid to play with color. Did I mention I love pussy bows? 

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Who Do You Want To Be?

I was just snooping around on one of my favorite blogs: Kim France's GIRLS OF A CERTAIN AGE, when I saw her latest post. Her friend, Andrea Linnet, has a new book out called I Want To Be Her! How Friends and Strangers Helped Shape My Style.

I promptly pre-ordered it on my Kindle, because the illustrations look really cool, and I think the subject matter is fun. I also started thinking about some of my personal style icons -  famous and not, who influenced me. I have a lot, so I'll narrow it down to the ones who I copy on a routine basis. Hey, there is no plagiarism in clothing, right?!

ALI MACGRAW in LOVE STORY

I saw this movie with my Mom when I was a teen. She has always had a thing for sappy romances, and would make me play the theme song to this movie over and over on the piano for her.Dramatic crescendoes and all. But have a look at these clothes!  That red meeting-the-parents dress is just gorgeous with its slight bishop sleeves and swishy hem. Plus her hair is always gorgeous and shiny.

 

                                                                                   

Whenever Fall comes, I want to dress like this. I crave it like a madness. Peacoats and belted trenches are just timeless and classic. Plaid, oxfords and lots of navy. You can almost smell the autumn air in this picture, can't you?

KATHERINE HEPBURN

Katherine was such a trailblazer - her feisty personality and her ability to cut a path through the days of the casting couch and "act like a man" paved the way for the feminist movement. While I love her in her iconic high-waisted pants, this column of a dress evokes her ethereal beauty. I love accordion pleats - the way they look and feel, especially when placed on a bias-cut dress. 

And here are those pants. While Katherine was very slender, this look can work very well on a curvy figure. Just make sure the high-waisted pants hit you at the narrowest part of the waist, and have the top be tucked in or form fitting.You want to avoid camel-toe at all costs! Katherine would never have a camel-toe. No way.

RANDOM GIRL GOING UP THE STEPS TO MEYER LIBRARY

1994

I have no picture of this girl, because that would just be creepy. But I remember her like it was yesterday. (Also creepy.) She owned her naturally curly mane of hair, and it fluttered down her back like a pre-Raphaelite waterfall. This was when I was still forcing mine into submission. Denial kills. I was 19 and in my hippie-chic, sloppy t-shirt phase, and it wasn't pretty.  

          

This girl had the easy style we could call New French Bohemian - or messy thrift-store chic. The closest I can get to explaining that to you is Jessa on "Girls."  I haven't managed to make it work for me, yet. But, I want to wear the crazy flowered pants. Yes I do.

FLORENCE WELCH

Talk about style; Flo is all of these women rolled into one package. One minute, she is Belle Epoque beautiful, as if Jane Avril and Isadora Duncan morphed into a modern day incarnation. The next, she's playful and cute. While I don't have her legs, I share her flair for drama. If it were up to me, I'd come to work in costume every day. The thing about Florence is, her style is just enough notches beneath Lady GaGa Drama so as to still be wearable. Love everything about Florence. Everything. 

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Hat Day

Even though I am a fairly shy person, I realize that part of being a fashion blogger is posting pictures of what you are wearing. Most of the time you will see models on Zaftig, but I DO really love the outfit I have on today. The dress is vintage from Decades Boutique, and I got this floppy hat from New York and Company last season. It's great to cover up my wild curly hair when I don't feel like messing with it, but want to look put-together. (Even hairstylists have bad hair days!)

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Bombshell of the Month: Lena Dunham

Don't let the sometimes frumpy outfits this Indie darling wears on "Girls" fool you. This lady has sass, and she knows how to put her best foot forward. I love the pink heels with the green dress - just like everything else Lena does, it screams: "Conventions be damned! I'm going to be myself."

Keep it up, Lena!

Lena Dunham in Wes Gordon

 Met Gala

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Vintage Card Case

It's always nice to find a new use for an old object. While out thrift-shopping, you may run across vintage cigarette cases. These are the perfect size to carry business cards, or your ID and credit cards for a night out. They fit in even the smallest handbag, and are a sure conversation starter. I found this mother-of-pearl and brass compact at Della's on Historic C-Street. 

Now there's no excuse for me to be without my business cards!

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Fashion + Technology = Great Bedfellows

As I was browsing through the September issue of InStyle, I ran across a tidbit which got my attention immediately. It was a blurb about a new App: Cloth for the iPhone.  The app helps with fashion mixology - in YOUR own closet!  Basically, you take a mirror snap of you in your favorite outfits, and the it catalogs the looks and makes suggestions on different outfits, within your existing inventory!  It's like having a high-tech best friend to help you decide what to wear when you're in a rush and don't have time to think about it.

You can also share your photos with your friends, on the website, and of course to all of your favorite social media outlets.  You can also categorize your outfits by purpose - such as date night, interview, and weekend mocha run. I think this app is especially beneficial for color mixology - something many of us struggle with.

I downloaded Cloth today, and I've been enjoying playing around with it and beginning to catalog my closet. Technology is so great...apps like Instagram and Pixlr-omatic have revolutionized blogging and photo-sharing.  Now apps like Cloth can help us be more thrifty, and get the most mileage from our favorite clothes. Pretty nifty, huh?

All images from Clothapp.com

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Makeup Love

I love the Pantone palette. It has been a boon to me while decorating my house, choosing colors for my wardrobe, and now it's an eyeshadow palette! It's also aesthetically pleasing, with its smooth white cover and perfectly flat profile - easy to slide in next to your laptop or carry-on while traveling.

I picked this little treat up during my last trip to Sephora - a place that has ended up with WAY too much of  my money over the past few years. This is their Summer palette, but there are plenty of colors that can go into Fall. Some of the more vibrant shades look best applied with a wet brush. I like accenting my brow bone with the softer shades, and adding a bright flash of color in the inner corner of my eyes.  I can't wait to see if there will be a new palette every season!

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