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C.T.L.E.

Posted on June 29, 2007
Filed Under Everything Else, On The Street, Women | 9 Comments

Clothes
That
Look
Expensive.

It’s what you look out for when you’re scamming quality knockoffs at Zara or Target or Forever 21 or even scouring vintage stores: details that add some pricey-looking design quality without the price. It’s a good rule of thumb to go by when you’re shopping at H&M or any of those places…Does this look expensive? Does it look like I got it at a cheapo store?

I swear, it helps you find the good stuff.

Anyway, I love the oversized tailored pleats and the heft of the skirt (DKNY from Neiman Marcus), the equally structured jacket (Nanette Lepore)and her Hu’s shoes.

UPDATE: So clearly her clothes are expensive–I’m not saying that her look is CTLE (as a commenter just pointed out, her clothes are CT ARE E), but the great detailing and quality look of her outfit can serve as an inspiration for those on a tighter fashion budget. She clearly wasn’t hitting up the bargain stores, but with all of the great knockoffs and affordable design around, you can look just as good. She just serves as inspiration for the CTLE rule…

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Another one for the Fun Hair Files

Posted on June 29, 2007
Filed Under On The Street, Women | 9 Comments

I’m so transparent; at this point it’s pretty obvious that I love cool hair (“hair as accesory!” is one of my favorite turns of phrase for the blog anyway) and I think it applies to Kimberly Nathaniel here, a Design Consultant for Mitchell Gold & Bob Williams on 14th Street. I noticed her hair first and then her dress, which turned out to have the most adorable peaked puffy shoulders.

And how about that mystery photo essay in the background there. It’s right around 14 & T. Anyone know what the deal with that is–who did it??

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Think Runway, Shop Beltway: Unsung Designers Goes Patriotic for Charity

Posted on June 28, 2007
Filed Under Think Runway...Shop Beltway, Women | Leave a Comment

Limited Edition Circa63 Lucite Bangles, $80 (100% of proceeds to charity)
Available at Unsung Designers online here or go visit in person silly (look for the light pink, recently tagged, doors in the alley). If you’ve never been, you’re missing out on some of the best merch in DC.

Unsung Designers
2412 18th Street NW
Rear Door A
Washington, D.C. 20009
202.234.1788 or 202.528.9525

SUPPORT INDIE-PENDENCE!!
Starting today, local indie-design mecca Unsung Designers will donate 100% of the proceeds from the sale of a special limited edition collection of Circa 63 vintage Lucite bangles to the
Fisher House Foundation, which supports America’s military families during times of medical emergency. Unsung Owners Grace Wang & Alishia Frey have teamed up with local designer Danielle Insetta of Circa 63 to offer the red white & blue bangles, were created for fashion labels such as Trifari and Diane
von Furstenberg in the mid-70s.

…And congrats to Jesse Walker of REALM, a Think Runway, Shop Beltway veteran who’s jewelry is now being sold at Unsung.

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The Summer Dandy, Thomas Circle

Posted on June 28, 2007
Filed Under Men, On The Street | 6 Comments

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Works in Progress, 14th Street

Posted on June 28, 2007
Filed Under Favorites, Men, On The Street, Women | 20 Comments

Corcoran students with a talented tattoo artist friend–both of their tattoos were “works in progress,” which is interesting because it’s something you just don’t see much of. I kind of like the way their tattoos look just like this, kind of stripped down.

Hers in the style of Sailor Jerry (I check out the site once in a while and I’m currently digging this).

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Project Beltway’s 2 Seconds of Recent Fame

Posted on June 27, 2007
Filed Under Everything Else | 3 Comments

Pseudo shoutout on Wonkette here, and chat love from The Washington Post.

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“The Fashion’s Capital” our Slogan Will Probably Never Be.

Posted on June 27, 2007
Filed Under Everything Else, Only in Washington | 5 Comments

Photo from The Washington Post.

In the comments for this post yesterday, reader Melanie writes:

I don’t mean to be a hater on the DC Scene and all but this is the reason why no one takes this city seriously..None of those garments would get a second glance in NY. All the good designers who are from here just move to NYC or LA to further their careers because of the market. If DC thinks this is great then it obviously shows the lack of fashion knowledge or interest in this city.

I doubt any fashiony person in the room Saturday night found the show great. Great is like, Vivienne Westwood. On the one hand, this is only one example of a fashion event in Washington and so you can’t really make too many generalizations….but, touche, DC is a town pretty much consumed with running the country, not with discussing breakthrough design or celebrating the trendsetting/unconventionally dressed. Great talent often can’t survive here (or can it? Any indie designers in the room?) and many folks here have a limited definition of what “style” can mean. Which is indeed frustrating. Some argue that DC’s political focus is a big part of this; in a place where campaigns & the economy are normal bar conversation fodder, talk of fashion can come off as dippy (at least I worry that it can). The Hill dictates many other things here–traffic schedules, social climbing backdrops–so why wouldn’t its traditional nature affect modes of dress? The result is that Washington follows its own rules too much, I think. However….

What I find most heartening and interesting part of doing this blog is observing the sheer fact that people’s attitudes about fashion are changing. Female politicians and high-powered executives are finding themselves able to “do both,” J.Crew isn’t thought of as high fashion here anymore, cool independent boutiques are opening up all of the time. I find it truly inspiring whenever I stumble across someone in town with a look far from the K or MStreet-beaten path, and it happens more than you’d think.

But it’s still DC, so generally too much rule-following, too much of a focus on what’s appropriate, and the lack of nerve to really carve out one’s own unique, personal style. But maybe that’s hard when you work for a conservative think tank.

It’s just one of those weird repressed-fashion-lover problems to uniquely specific to DC, and it’s at once annoying and totally interesting if you really like Washington. It’s ultimately what I found most interesting about doing a fashion blog in DC in the first place. I think Washington is a town full of style-starved closet fashionistas (I despise the word fashionista, but it just kinda sounded right): The high-powered Republican staffer who has his proscribed khaki-and-oxford costume but reads The Sartorialist and dabbles in vintage on the weekends….the Georgetown-darling partygirl who wears pretty dresses to parties but dreams of pulling off Kate Moss’s rumply, effortless chic or of channeling even a smidge of Dita Von Teese’s dramatic pinup-girl-come-to-life-aesthetic.

I wish I had a dollar for every person I’ve engaged on this topic who’s quipped some version of, “Well, DC needs some fashion sense!” However, most of them qualify that with “but things are changing.” I find that encouraging at least.

What do people think of the issue Melanie raises?

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