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Well-Tressed

Posted on October 30, 2009
Filed Under Events, Women | 4 Comments

Somehow, I have gotten to my mid-to-late-twenties without knowing how to properly braid hair. I know it’s not rocket science, I just don’t really know how to do it. I mean, I guess I do, but I’d probably only be able to do it on someone else, and forget about this magical French-braid business. These are the sorts of things that worry me irrationally, like in a what-if-I-have-a-daughter-and-I-don’t-even-know-how-to-braid-her-hair sort of way. Hair braiding being only the tip of the iceberg, I feel somewhat clueless when it comes to coiffure. But just like keeping this blog has made me hone my style preferences, (now if I only had the cash to take advantage…), it has also made me more interested in the “finishing touches” – the elements of personal style that take a look from meh to WHAM, from hm to DAMN. A signature accessory, artfully applied makeup, great hair. Those Mad-Men-era wiggle dresses? Not so cute with a frizzy ponytail.

Washington has undergone cultural, social and sartorial shifts over the past few years, I think hair is just starting to quietly hit its stride. For years in Washington, the hallmark of feminine “stylishness” has been the hairstyle equivalent of the oft-joked-about Ann Taylor look: a smooth, preppy blowout that is professional, reliable, and free from distracting ethnic flourishes. A while back, I contributed photographs and interviews for a street-style-hair feature in Washingtonian’s “Great Hair” issue, and, later, helped weigh in on some salons competing for an award or place on a list. I was astounded and, honestly, annoyed, by the number of salons who sent in photos of their “best” work: all long, blown-out locks that said very little about style or innovation or hair texture. It used to be hard for me to walk into a salon in this town with my naturally wavy hair and not be sent out the door with it ironed straight, with a cut that looked best when forced into such submission.

But I have to say – the times, they are a-changing (even Ann’s getting a makeover). Washington women are getting more interesting about how they dress, and hairstyles are following suit. Hot new salons like Immortal Beloved and Ted Gibson are opening up shop with fashionable opening parties. Yelp.com is holding a Hawt on Yelp promotion from November 2-8 with half off services at salons like Toka and Parlour and The Mandarin Oriental Spa. Salons like one80 and PR at Partners are offering how-to sessions and makeover parties for groups of girlfriends. I found myself in attendance at one of these parties recently, in the capable hands of Jacqui Davis. I’d heard about Jacqui from several different well-coiffed friends, and before you could say hairspray, she was showing us how to perfect the artfully wavy, textured side-swept bun. It was like having your chic older sister – or the woman with perfect hair you see at Starbucks – sit you down and confess the tricks (one included an *actual* rubber band and two bobby pins).

Call me crazy, but to have a stylist take the time to explain – and then have you do it yourself (minus the braiding…babysteps) – felt nothing short of revolutionary. I have to say too that Lauren, my stylist at Fiddleheads, is also amazing with this sort of approach (she’s painstakingly walked me through the product application/diffusing process many a time).

I’m loving this easy style. There are a few iterations of it I’ve noticed recently, in the form of smooth, forties finger-waves at the Allison Parris (I attended her fall show; she’s now being sold at Hu’s Wear in Georgetown) Spring 2010 presentation…

Their music was a remix of 40s Andrews Sisters music. Now they had hairdos!

After-a-roll-in-the-hay retro waves at Costello Taliapietra Spring 2010…

Photos via style.com

Elegant and not-too-done on Scarlet Johnasson at the Tribute to Cinema event…

Photo from LIFE archives

…and on me at the Corcoran’s Fall Fete on Saturday!
And you know, I did it all by myself. I’m a big kid now….

Photo courtesy Stephane Janin

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I’m Right on Top of That, Rose.

Posted on October 29, 2009
Filed Under Everything Else | 1 Comment

Thanks to Brent Anderson, who won a copy of the Rules! Now don’t be sad if you didn’t win. Be a man (or lady) and buy your own.

And then watch this clip from one of my favorite teenage-fashion-80s movies of all time, Don’t Tell Mom, the Babysitter’s Dead. This is the scene where Christina Applegate’s character unveils the hot new collection of uniforms for General Apparel West as the “teenage fashion wave of the future!”

Epaulets! Tangerine tights! Bodycon fuschia dresses! Whistle earrings! And then Brian rolls up in the Clown Dog truck! Love this movie.

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Love Like You Mean It

Posted on October 29, 2009
Filed Under Shopping Events & News | Leave a Comment

This is going to be a great party. Aside from being funny and stylish, Lori (who owns Redeem) surrounds herself with interesting and creative people (and amazingly cool clothes, I might add. Sleek-but-gritty boy stuff and girl stuff). So, a reason to hang out just a weeee bit longer on the increasingly cool 14th-Street-strip, plus the artistic talents of Kelly Towles PLUS beer and whiskey AND the chance to try on as many soft knitted things as you want from Virginia Arrisueno’s line DeNada. If these photographs don’t make you want them all so that YOU TOO can lounge around in perfectly mussed hair, vintage slips and slouchy hats in your cool apartment/tiled bathtub, then something must be wrong with you.

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Win it!

Posted on October 28, 2009
Filed Under Everything Else | 20 Comments

Almost forgot. Who wants to win a copy of Walker’s book? All of you do, but only one will. Leave your Rules – on style or attracting the ladies or whatever you fancy – in the comments so we can all learn from your wisdom. One lucky winner will be picked tomorrow at noon (I’ll drop you a note via email). Happy entering!

- Rachel

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The Rules Rule.

Posted on October 28, 2009
Filed Under Around Town, Men, Only in Washington | Leave a Comment

Thank the waitstaff.

Last night I attended a party celebrating the release of Walker Lamond’s book, Rules for my Unborn Son, at the at the amazingly gorgeous home of his friends Meg and Chris Ferguson on Dumbarton Street. Walker’s been here on the blog a time or two, and over at Washingtonian, and now he’s well, everywhere. Walker’s one of my favorite men in town, and such success couldn’t have come to a nicer, cooler person. The book is witty, useful and full of life tips for not just how to be a good man, but how to be an interesting, charming person. The advice goes far beyond rules for men – anyone can and should take notes. A sampling of wisdom:

Be subtle. She sees you.
Know the proper time to wear a tuxedo. It’s more often than you think.
Dance with your partner, not at her.
The best thing to do in the rain is be quiet and listen.
Don’t show off. Impress.

For fun, I asked Walker to give a Rules spin to a few questions and fill-in-the-blanks (those are fun, don’t you think? I’d like to see more people bent over Mab Libs on the Metro in the morning…):

Every guy should own CORDOVAN WINGTIPS and know how to TIE A BOWTIE and BAIT A HOOK.

Every girl should own BICYCLE and know how to RIDE IT IN A DRESS.

Guys should lay off the DISTRESSED JEANS AND GRAPHIC TEES.

Girls should lay off the GROUP PHOTOS.

Favorite online sites for men’s style inspiration: A CONTINUOUS LEAN

List of men who inspire great style: BOBBY KENNEDY, THOM BROWN, BASQUIAT, JACK EVANS, YOUNG WOODY ALLEN, DAVID LYNCH, BING CROSBY, GRANDFATHERS

I could go on, but you should probably buy the book instead (for yourself, a holiday gift, the guy you’re dating). And conveniently, there’s a book signing today at the Borders in Friendship Heights from 7-8 (I’ve begun thinking in rules as I write this: – perfect your signature).

Next up, Rules for My Unborn Daughter-?!

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The Sartorialites

Posted on October 20, 2009
Filed Under Events | 6 Comments

Scott with Sheila and Sarah, two of my favorite girls from Marvin

Last night I was at the newest addition to my neighborhood’s rapidly expanding offerings, Masa14, for FW‘s one-year anniversary party & Scott Schuman appearance. I have to say, it was so refreshing to see so many unfamiliar faces sprinkled among the social-circuit regulars. And so many interestingly dressed folks. Too many to shoot – especially while balancing a mojito, a clutch, and Scott Schuman’s just-published photo book, called, what else – The Sartorialist. It’s a chunky brick of a thing, and I wonder if he’ll reissue this one, or do book number two, in more of a coffee-table form.

Nakea West, who I met on the Sidewalk Style beat, wearing an amazing ear cuff from Litter and a shirt she’d DIYd with safety pins. Loving this site right now, as I’ve recently been interested in attached rings like these. She is an inspiration every time I run into her!

Possibly my favorite look of the night, on Patricia Harr. It was a Valentino pantsuit rescued from the racks at TJ Maxx (or Loehmann’s?). She reminded me of Audrey Tautou.

As much as I’d love to see the book in a more luxurious, large format, I’m enjoying it (also, enjoying the fact that when I came up to Scott to have him sign my book, he said, who are you? you are gorgeous! – week: made). There’s not much in the way of text, and though that probably frustrates some who want to know the who, what, when, where and HOW of every shot, I appreciate that he wants us to take from it what we will. Maybe make up stories about the subjects, wonder why they are laughing, who they are. In a world full of oversharing, there’s something to be said for a little mystery, no?!

Speaking of mystery, he did say that he and girlfriend Garance are already collaborating on yet-to-be-announced projects. Blogosphere power couple, anyone!?

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The Wall Street Journal, Blogging, and the Subject of Free.

Posted on October 14, 2009
Filed Under Everything Else | 1 Comment

I was quoted in the Wall Street Journal yesterday! And because, like many of you, I do not have a WSJ subscription to read the online version, I’ve scanned a really really crappy version of the article, from the Marketplace section, above.

While I’m thrilled to have been included, I feel a need to put my quote into context. I end the article, and it goes like this (typing directly because again, I know that scan stinks):

“Rachel Cothran, a 27-year-old blogger in Washington, D.C., used her card to purchase a pair of Wolford tights for around $60. Ms. Cothran said she typically buys hosiery at discount stores and never would have thought to splurge on a luxury version – until the gift card.

“People want things to be free,” she said. Ms. Cothran said she loves her purchase and is considering going back to the store to pick up another pair.

Needing to set a few things straight here. First, I, ahem, most certainly do think to splurge on luxury hosiery. I think about it A LOT, actually. I have just learned to physically restrain myself and make do with the Target and “irregular” TJMaxx varieties.

But what I really want to clear up is the quote, which feels to me that it was published in a way that was out of context with the discussion I was having with the writer, Elizabeth Holmes. I had just mentioned Chris Anderson’s recently published and much-debated book, Free, where he addresses moneymaking in the digital marketplace, and how, basically, people want and expect information to be free. He then talks about how powerful the idea of “free” is when it comes to consumer buying patterns generally. Holmes asked me if I thought people came to the Neiman Marcus event because of all of the events going on within the store, or if I thought the free $50 gift card was the draw. To my mind? The gift card, hands down. Referencing Anderson’s ideas, I said that “people want things to be free.”

It’s hard to say how people read that last bit of the article quoting me, but for what typing it out here is worth, I feel that it’s important to address the act of blogging and the standards bloggers hold themselves to. Especially as a writer who goes about the act of blogging as an exercise in journalism, I’m naturally a bit protective of how I’m perceived as “a blogger.” I try to hold myself to a set of unwritten rules, even though I didn’t have to until now (you may have read about the FTC’s new rules and this one on fashion blogs is interesting). I don’t have a blog to promote clients or partners or events, much less advertisers. Not that I’m against advertisers or any of it really. It just isn’t the point of my blog and I wouldn’t want it to be. Maybe one day I’ll accept ads and etc and etc. If the content’s there, the readers will be there and then the relevant ads and promotions that benefit your readers will be there, and then we can all retire to the country or Spain with our hot, smart, interesting, insatiably lusty boyfriends.

If I ever get something for free (and honestly, it’s not like I’m getting Louboutins in the mail), and if, like any other journalist, it makes its way into a post about a larger idea or concept I’ve been thinking about for a story, then that publicist has done his or her job – having provided relevant, interesting and timely information to me as a writer with readers who trust me and my opinion. Companies want bloggers to write about their products because their readers trust them as an independent voice. The minute you compromise that, you’re no longer valid. I don’t find it compelling to read a blog that consistently shills products or events, especially overpriced luxury goods. Leave that to the magazines! Honestly, even I, a self-professed magazine junkie…no, whore, have a hard time enjoying magazines for this reason. Say something about yourself, trends taking place locally, and offer original content. Ultimately, your readership will grow and other writers – both print and new media – will respect you.

OK, that is all. Back to the pretty clothes and lip gloss!

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