A statement jacket

30.12.10

(via brownsfashion.co.uk)

Regarding my style, special jackets are indispensable ingredients. My uniform usually consists of a pair of casual jeans and boots, a simple top and a delicate statement jacket. These collages demonstrate how I would wear this incredible jacket from Dries van Noten. It is rather wonderful, isn’t it?

The Row t-shirt, Current/Elliott jeans, The Kooples boots, SC for Louis Vuitton clutch, Cartier watch, Ray-Ban sunglasses.

Thakoon trousers, Equipment shirt, Repetto boots, Balenciaga bag, Chanel rouge noir lipstick.

On minimalism

27.12.10

“Minimalism is not a style, it is an attitude, a way of being. It’s a fundamental reaction against noise, visual noise, disorder, vulgarity. Minimalism is the pursuit of the essence of things, not the appearance.” (Massimo Vingelli)

This quote is so true, at least this is how I would define minimalism. My style may not be minimalist in the sense of Jil Sander or Stella McCartney, however my approach to life is clearly influenced by the minimalist lifestyle. I am utterly attracted to the idea of minimalism. By embracing minimalism, I have in fact acquired more from purging and decluttering both physically and mentally.

I would say my approach to both style and life is equivalent to the golden mean – a cross between extreme asceticism and extreme hedonism – though I must admit that my obsession with perfection may be excessive at times. I have learned that the pursuit of the perfect wardrobe pays off and decreases the urge to possess lots of clothes and stuff in general. I maintain that having a superfluity of objects yields dissatisfaction. Rather than buying stuff to fill a void in my life, I constrain myself to cope with dissatisfaction by limiting the quantity of stuff I allow myself to purchase. It takes a lot of effort to become effortless and achieve the look of ease – but this is a further theme that I’ll save for another occasion. I suppose that the choices I make as a minimalist perfectionist are still in alignment with my own effortless simplistic values.

Until nearly three years ago, I found it difficult to conquer my impulse consumerism. For me, the transition from being a hoarder to approaching minimalism was like a release from the burden of possessions. In spite of being able to resist purchasing things on impulse, parting with anything once it was in my possession was the hardest part, especially objects I was strongly attached to.

I believe that the best part of being a minimalist is the feeling of freedom and the ease it gives. I suppose that we’re absolutely capable of managing all of our possessions without intrusion into our life.

As I was packing my suitcase for my stay in Barcelona, it struck me that I always bring the same essentials regardless of destination or season. Packing became a lot easier after I gave my life and wardrobe an overhaul. I was not even aware of my accomplishments until my French cousin, whom I see twice or three times a year, stated that I had been wearing the same clothes since 2008. To me, it sounds like I’ve attained one of my goals. My entire capsule wardrobe fits into one suitcase. It makes me very happy that I no longer respond to the endless consumerism that we are bombarded by and that my wardrobe is no longer cluttered.

As for my style, I’m quite fond of maximalist garments but I wear them in a minimalist way.

Au revoir Oslo/Bonjour Barcelona

26.12.10

I’m leaving town to spend a week in Barcelona. I hope you all had a wonderful christmas. I also want to thank all of you for being such great readers, really! Thank you for the lovely e-mails, support and comments.

Nevertheless, is there anything in particular you would like to see on this blog? All advices and suggestions are highly welcome. Maybe less writings and more photos? Or more music, literature and movies? Perhaps less about clothes?

Stay tuned and follow my blog with bloglovin for preset posts.
Happy holidays, everyone!

The search for the LBD pt. I

23.12.10

(via elle, tfs)

I often covet certain pieces of clothing that exist only in my imagination. Fortunately, I stumbled across some photographs of supermodel Lara Stone wearing the coveted little black dress in white from Calvin Klein. I am so happy to have found pictures of my ideal dress. The pictures illustrate what I am in constant pursuit of better than I could ever adequately convey in words. This particular dress is exactly what I look for in a LBD. The cut is unerring, precisely what I covet. It is very minimalist, sleek, discreet, and timeless. The fit is perfection – not too tight-fitting or revealing, and it covers the body parts that I disapprove of. Additionally, the subdued drapery provides the final touch to the perfect dress – a required detail which is an accessory in itself.

Since I am a musician, the dress will not only serve as the little black dress for evenings and formal wear but also my go to dress for concerts and performances. It is utterly perfect for concerts. There is sufficient room for movement in this dress. Pianists need to be flexible and a tight-fitting dress would restrict my flexibility. The sleeveless silhouette is an absolute convenience for pianists and the perfect mix of form and function.

Now, the challenge is to track down a similar dress in black. If I don’t succeed in finding the perfect LBD, I will have this particular dress custom made in black.

Follow my search for the perfect little black dress – the very missing staple in my wardrobe. I believe that the perfect LBD is out there somewhere. I’ve found it in white – now I just have to find it in the right color.

What I would wear today

19.12.10

Sonia by Sonia Rykiel coat, Thakoon pants, A.P.C. sweater, La Perla bra, Repetto shoes, Sofia Coppola for Louis Vuitton clutch, Cartier wrist watch

The usual uniform and silhouette: An oversized and masculine coat, a sleek sweater, underwear that is barely there, a pair of cigarette pants and ankle boots with a small heel, an understated but elegant clutch and an exquisite wrist watch.

Style tip of the day (16/12)

16.12.10

(via jak&jil)

Are you a person who is frightened that someone will recognize you in the same shirt on two consecutive days?

If that’s the case, be a bit careless and wear your favorite garment every day for a week, whether it is your statement boots or an easily distinguishable chunky sweater. There is nothing wrong or embarrassing with repeating the same garment or even outfit several days in a row. It’s called a favorite for a reason.

The basic wardrobe

14.12.10

A basic wardrobe is a collection of versatile pieces for every occasion. I haven’t covered all of the basics yet, mainly because I haven’t encountered the basics that look like they are tailored particularly to my body and taste. In my opinion, basics should be carefully selected in the same manner of selecting special or statement pieces.

Ideally, this is how my basic wardrobe would look like. The collages cover more or less everything that a basic wardrobe needs, it’s just a matter of finding the right garments.

Regarding tops, it is certain that I have a bias towards crew-neck tops. While the V-neck’s sharp lines make my flat chest look too mannish, the crew-neck’s lines soften it. I favor loose tees with longer sleeves that I can roll up. For the winter season, I love variations of the crew-neck sweater, whether it is chunky or silky. One of my wardrobe staples are the striped tops, which I wear regardless of the trends and seasons. The perfect white and blue shirt is practically impossible to hunt out. Admittedly I have purchased shirts that are nearly perfect, but time after time I’ve ended up re-selling them due to the imperfections.

These would be absolutely my ideal bottoms. Unfortunately, it is extremely hard to find trousers that fit my slender frame (except for skinny jeans). I am constantly dreaming of a pair of tapered or pleated trousers. They are so chic and classy. I don’t like garments that are overly feminine, but a pair of tapered trousers would instantly add an androgynous air to all outfits which consist of feminine separates.

The perfect little black dress must be as hard to find as the perfect white shirt.

When it comes to jackets and coats, I like jackets that aren’t to fitted at the waist. The jacket is the most important component of an outfit. I’m leaning towards a uniform that consists of a simple top and bottom and an exquisite jacket.

Shoes! I feel that I have better luck in finding the right shoes. I know where I can obtain my ideal shoes. It’s just a matter of money. I adore ankle boots with a small heel simply because they are beautiful and walkable. Brogues have been a staple in my wardrobe for years but I surely need to replace my old ones with a pair in the best quality. I think I will go for the ones from Church’s.

The matter of money can also be applied to the accessories. I have covered the bags apart from the clutch. The less, the better!

What’s in my bag?

13.12.10

I can’t help but wonder what’s in a woman’s purse. I love peeking inside women’s handbags, especially because the contents of one’s handbag can tell a great deal about the owner and offer a brief look at the owner’s personality, essentials and lifestyle.

I rotate my bags. When I carry my Balenciaga bag, I usually eliminate a book and the pocket moleskine notebook because the bag is already slightly heavy. So, this is basically the essentials that you will find inside my two bags when I don’t attend school (add school books, pencil case, sheet music and a mac):

1. Umbrella (which I always carry with me, because I certainly cannot rely on the weather forecast. It protects me from getting soaked in the rain/snow and it protects my leather bag and the contents in it (such as my computer!)..

2. iPod (my form of isolation from the busy world)

3. Pouch (I use it as a wallet (because I haven’t found the perfect leather wallet yet), first-aid kit (band-aids, pain-killers, women-stuff etc) and a place to store tiny objects like a USB flash drive.)

4. Hand cream (something that I just recently started to carry as my hands get very dry and itchy in winter.)

5. Lipstick (not really a necessity, it’s been lying in my bag for months but once in a while I put it on.)

6. Concealer (because my skin is unpredictable.)

7. Novels (one in English and one in Norwegian. I like having two novels with me for every mood I could possibly be in. I spend several hours on public transportation each day, and I hardly ever have time to read at home. So when I’m not catching up on lost sleep I read.)

8. Pens (one fountain pen and one drawing pen (FYI I can’t draw)..)

9. Moleskine weekly notebook (One of my most important essentials. I’m doomed without my calendar.)

10. Pocket notebook (I love lists!)

11. Eucalyptus flavored gum (it’s a staple)

12. Keys

13. Vaseline (for dry lips and taming my eyebrows)

14. A matchbox (You never know when you’ll need it. –> Chemistry experiments)

15. An old-fashioned cell phone

16. Hand sanitizer (I’m a hygiene freak..)

When it comes to handbag essentials, I’ve always considered myself a minimalist compared to other women I know. But after writing down my handbag’s contents, it seems like I’m a maximalist rather than a minimalist. So, what do you carry in your bag? Do share in the comments!

I am also tagging everyone on my blogroll to do a post on their handbag essentials.

Style talk on a sunday

12.12.10

When I feel slightly uninspired, I like to make utilitarian ensembles of clothing to remind myself of what I’m striving for in terms of style. Creating these ensembles also gives me a general idea of what I like or dislike. It’s quite distinct that I like a sort of consistency in a wardrobe and accessories. Once I’ve found something that suits my taste and body perfectly, be it a piece of clothing or a color, I’ll stick to it. For instance, I only wear the nail polish color ‘rouge noir’ as it is part of my uniform look. Any other nail polish color would be completely wrong.