love in the time of chloë

In what might be the first rumblings of celebrity on this blog, I unabashedly declare that I am fascinated with Chloë Sevigny. It goes without saying, then, that I was amongst those bouncing up and down on her tippy toes in keen anticipation of Chloë Sevigny for Opening Ceremony. First there was the Liberty printed, handwritten invitation to the cream of the cream; articles, interviews and photos flooded out later in September. Preliminary public response was less than gleeful, as many felt the look was too niche and unflattering for the masses. I, too, was a speck crestfallen but for dissimilar reasons. I was expecting uniquely constructed statement pieces of the sort to make me wheeze frenetically and jump on the first Fung Wah to Opening Ceremony in Soho. When my eyes fell upon the Ducky from Pretty in Pink cum suburban Connecticut cum punk flavored outfits, I slowly drooped my tensed-up shoulders.

That being said, I still adore these looks as a whole. I'd also gladly take any of these kind clothes into my home, had I the occasion. I suppose the letdown lies in the fact that the resourceful and hoardful amongst us can harvest these looks on our own -- the culmination of sniffing around thrift shops, idling in boutiques, obsessing on eBay, scurrying through H&M and picking at (or deep sea diving through) years-old stash squirreled away in our personal wardrobes. Quite simply, none of the CS for OC items are a standout on their own. The flipside of all this is that if you hunger for the frumpy-sexed up-country club-rebel style (which I do!), you can achieve its effervescence without ever having stepped a ballet flat in the Big Apple. So that's what I did.

Come January when the line unleashes on the public, I may be considering the five-hour bus ride to NYC/Opening Ceremony; for now, I've crafted my own Sevingy-inspired outfit. I actually didn't start out trying to cull crumbs of Chloë, but in due course I realized I was subconsciously going for the stick-in-the-mud-hot-prep-punk attitude. Once that switch went on, I found enhanced focus for the outfit. The elements are all very Chloë, from the mini-florals to the FBI G-man glasses to the black leather over-the-ankle boots. I've also got prairie (yes, once an admitted inspiration from the blase, golden horse's mouth itself) down with the poufy sleeves and pale gold vest. Obviously, I'm no Chloë (why would I want to be anyone else besides me?) but I am loving her motley-hodgepodge-mish mash-jumble-medley influence....

Deborah Sweeney floral silk bow blouse, H&M gold wool vest, Cheap Monday jeans, Ash black leather lace-up boots, eBay glasses.