They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery!
Folks I am living proof!!!
We all have our fashion muses. The queens whose style we admire. You know I love Miss Rita Wilson:
I love Rita because well
a) she seems like she would be a good time at a party
b) she has boobs. They look kind of real. I have nothing to base this assumption on except that I think they are real. Go figure
c) she is married to that lovely man
d) sometimes she makes fashion mistakes. This makes me think that she dresses herself and is not always styled. Again, no proof to support that whatsoever!
Her style is also accessible to me, because while she looks thin and fit to me, she does not appear to be teeny tiny. It is inaccessible to me as I believe that she has a significantly larger clothing budget than I do!
For some of us, it is hard if the only fashion muses you love are waifs, since much as I love a good waif-y look, I am not necessarily waif-like:
or
BTW - a recent dinner table conversation at our house had us unanimously agreeing (a rare thing indeed!) that we are all Kate crazy and we can abide no Kate critique. Take a run at Pippa and Camilla if you must, and by all means, go for Charles, but leave our girl be!
But as always I got off-topic!
I love to copy the style of other bloggers and get outfit ideas, since you know I can be challenged in that area. My best ideas are almost universally someone else's! I guess this is the universal truth about fashion: someone already had the same thought or a variation of it before you ever thought it up. I imagine it is 10,000 BC and I am saying to my husband, while I carve a picture of prehistoric bubble necklaces on our cave walls, "Did you see what Blanche over in the next cave wore when we all went to pick berries yesterday? That deerskin dress is SO last year.."
Some bloggers' outfits are amazing, but my body type is so different than theirs. While I draw inspiration from them, I cannot easily copy them so blatantly! Yes, I am speaking to you Dani!!!
In the last three weeks alone, I have stolen twice from the lovely Andrea of the Tweed and Toile blog. If you recall, I was recently inspired by her being inspired by Gwyneth Paltrow being inspired by J Crew (you try saying that three times fast!) here. This outfit was much complimented, which makes me think the following:
1) hmmm - should I take it as a sign that the outfits that are loved are typically stolen ideas? Um, yes, I should..
2) at least I am stealing from stylish people...
Andrea has lovely style and when I saw this outfit, I knew I would have to copy it as it looked so good on her!
So today was the office Christmas party - it is a casual, festive party, during office hours, and involves me making a speech to rally the troops around peace, goodwill to all men and women and well done all despite no money! So I knew it was time to try out Andrea's wonderful outfit:
I know - we are back in the bathroom! I am sorry but it is THE best lighting in the house at 6:30 a.m.!
This is a mixture of old and a little new: Old J Crew navy schoolboy (I get so much wear out of this!) , J crew factory shirt, old Talbots red satin belt, new JC factory skimmers in plaid and Joe Fresh Viv knockoffs! I am wearing lovely new smashbox lipstick in "fig" - which I love and which was a gift from someone very special!
Now I am no skinny minnie like our Miss Andrea, but she always comes up with interesting combinations that can easily be stolen for your own purposes - so thanks, Andrea!
So today's question: Are you a copycat and whose style do you copy?
It is snowing madly out this evening and I am off to take a bubble bath! It is now7 days till Christmas and the JC promos are relentless!!! Soldier on, dear friends - and the rumours that Mickey is trying to get rid of stock before the end of the world are simply that - just rumours.
I still can't figure out why he hasn't called....
Have a lovely, lovely day and remember: there is plenty of room for you in town to set up shop - I have decided we need some museums...
Stay safe out there!
Folks I am living proof!!!
We all have our fashion muses. The queens whose style we admire. You know I love Miss Rita Wilson:
I love Rita because well
a) she seems like she would be a good time at a party
b) she has boobs. They look kind of real. I have nothing to base this assumption on except that I think they are real. Go figure
c) she is married to that lovely man
d) sometimes she makes fashion mistakes. This makes me think that she dresses herself and is not always styled. Again, no proof to support that whatsoever!
Her style is also accessible to me, because while she looks thin and fit to me, she does not appear to be teeny tiny. It is inaccessible to me as I believe that she has a significantly larger clothing budget than I do!
For some of us, it is hard if the only fashion muses you love are waifs, since much as I love a good waif-y look, I am not necessarily waif-like:
 |
| My Beloved Audrey |
 |
| Kate the Great |
BTW - a recent dinner table conversation at our house had us unanimously agreeing (a rare thing indeed!) that we are all Kate crazy and we can abide no Kate critique. Take a run at Pippa and Camilla if you must, and by all means, go for Charles, but leave our girl be!
But as always I got off-topic!
I love to copy the style of other bloggers and get outfit ideas, since you know I can be challenged in that area. My best ideas are almost universally someone else's! I guess this is the universal truth about fashion: someone already had the same thought or a variation of it before you ever thought it up. I imagine it is 10,000 BC and I am saying to my husband, while I carve a picture of prehistoric bubble necklaces on our cave walls, "Did you see what Blanche over in the next cave wore when we all went to pick berries yesterday? That deerskin dress is SO last year.."
Some bloggers' outfits are amazing, but my body type is so different than theirs. While I draw inspiration from them, I cannot easily copy them so blatantly! Yes, I am speaking to you Dani!!!
In the last three weeks alone, I have stolen twice from the lovely Andrea of the Tweed and Toile blog. If you recall, I was recently inspired by her being inspired by Gwyneth Paltrow being inspired by J Crew (you try saying that three times fast!) here. This outfit was much complimented, which makes me think the following:
1) hmmm - should I take it as a sign that the outfits that are loved are typically stolen ideas? Um, yes, I should..
2) at least I am stealing from stylish people...
Andrea has lovely style and when I saw this outfit, I knew I would have to copy it as it looked so good on her!
So today was the office Christmas party - it is a casual, festive party, during office hours, and involves me making a speech to rally the troops around peace, goodwill to all men and women and well done all despite no money! So I knew it was time to try out Andrea's wonderful outfit:
I know - we are back in the bathroom! I am sorry but it is THE best lighting in the house at 6:30 a.m.!
This is a mixture of old and a little new: Old J Crew navy schoolboy (I get so much wear out of this!) , J crew factory shirt, old Talbots red satin belt, new JC factory skimmers in plaid and Joe Fresh Viv knockoffs! I am wearing lovely new smashbox lipstick in "fig" - which I love and which was a gift from someone very special!
Now I am no skinny minnie like our Miss Andrea, but she always comes up with interesting combinations that can easily be stolen for your own purposes - so thanks, Andrea!
So today's question: Are you a copycat and whose style do you copy?
It is snowing madly out this evening and I am off to take a bubble bath! It is now7 days till Christmas and the JC promos are relentless!!! Soldier on, dear friends - and the rumours that Mickey is trying to get rid of stock before the end of the world are simply that - just rumours.
I still can't figure out why he hasn't called....
Have a lovely, lovely day and remember: there is plenty of room for you in town to set up shop - I have decided we need some museums...
Stay safe out there!
You look adorable as always!!! Like you, Andrea's outfits always inspire me!
ReplyDeleteThanks Rynetta!
DeleteI love to copy my favorite bloggers and also add my own twists!
ReplyDeleteHa! Yours are always so great!
DeleteHi WMM, your outfit looks really cheery and festive!
ReplyDeleteAs you probably can tell, I love to read blogs and I admire so many of the bloggers I read. I wouldn't say I copy any one blogger - for one thing, I don't have a huge wardrobe. If I were to try and copy anyone, it would be Gwyneth Paltrow's casual wardrobe - jackets and scarves, jeans and boots. Of course, at 52 I don't look anything like her, but I'd just love to emulate that casual chic style.
Hi Patricia, thanks for the comments. Are you finding who you are copying is changing as you get into your 50s? Or are you finding is the "how" of how you are copying that is channging?
DeleteGood question! I'm certainly trying to upgrade a bit - you know, spend a bit more on certain items. The problem is there are so many things I like for which I simply don't have the lifestyle! That's why I look more to images of casual elegance (but again, I'm not really that elegant!).
DeleteWMM, there's also a blog called passage des perles, a Canadian in Montreal - she is a little older, already 60 I think, but she talks about fashion, jewellery, style in general for over 50s. She has some great ideas and philosophies about style as we get older. And one of the blogs I have been reading for the longest time is Materfamilias Writes - she is out West, an academic in her late 50s. She has a wonderful style and I've learned about some new-to-me great brands from her.
Deletethanks Patricia - will look both of these up tonight!
DeleteYay, we're back in the bathroom! There's hardly nay light anywhere in my house just now, all my pics look yellowish. I love your tartan trews.
ReplyDeleteOh I also tried on the red full Tibi skirt in London which I was lusting after, it looked ridiculous, really really costumey and was wide as I'm tall.
tabs - for you I would stand in front of a toilet!!! I like these tartan pants - I likely wear them more casually over the holidays!
DeleteDamn about that Tibi skirt! At least you aren't as silly as me and you don't take any picture of your errors (not to self for new years - less sharing of stupid mistakes...) Although I do like to think I serve a public service of comic relief!
Thanks for mentioning me, thank goodness you have a blog now I can copy you! Because I love that outfit!
ReplyDeleteI'm with Tabs, love the tartan on you. I bought some last year and returned them but wish I hadn't now!
At one time I copied the JC catalogue but those days are long gone. I definitely copy other bloggers (EMA) and often the outfits look quite different on me and not in a good way.
I'm also happy to be back in the bathroom! I might start taking pictures in my bathroom now that it's done, it has the best lighting too, see more copying.
xo!
I am going to hie me over to see if you have pics up yet! I am dying to see. I am still in reno hell...
DeleteICONS & INSPIRATION Dear WMM good to w.c. you. And I think your outfit is plaidtastic! I used to steal all kinds of "style guide" outfit combinations. Haven't done that for a couple of years. But I still have some old catalogs and a folder full of pages I keep in my closet. Having discovered that AJC and Dani own several of my JC faves they are often emulated. ABC is also wonderful for variations on a theme, although she's willowy to my shorty so some sets are a no-go. Other than that, the classics - Jackie, Grace, Audrey and this gen. Carolina Herrera and her daughters. There's a U.K. Italian blogger "Wearing It Today" (currently on mat leave but works for one of the big Brit mags) whose looks I love. "What I Wore" is a source for colour schemes now I've departed the Women in Black. And sometimes I try recreating Net-A-Porter outfits on my real world budget to mixed results.
ReplyDeleteP.S. Now I am emulating you with Tippi sweaters including the celestial blue.
Oh and I missed crediting FFM! I often try to re-make her "little of this..." casual and with a jacket picks.
DeleteGF - it can only be a matter of time before I am posing in the tub!! I amgoing to check out those sites, too. Although soon I will have much less as FFM and I are going to edit cruelly - I am positive we will!
DeleteNow - I am dying to do more black, though today I am pagoda blue. And Fred will be happy as I am wearing the right bra with it!
FFM's little of this are like little style lessons in themselves, aren't they?
It's not cruelly, it's judiciously to make the closet a less complicated more satisfying place. I think black is good and reliable backbone, especially when mixed with pattern and softer hues. But I really had a "habit" for a while and it was depressing me, plus working from home shows every minute smidgen of pet hair, grrrr.
DeleteGF - you are right - all black and no colour would make me a dull girl!! We are still sitting here in dark - big snowstorm. It reminds me again about the poor folks dealing with the aftermath of Sandy - it has only been 4 hours and i am already cold and cranky!
DeleteI need to become a copycat, I'd look a lot better! As it is, I do my own thing and have many misses. I sometimes have plans to copy an idea but then I forget.
ReplyDeleteThose pants are great, I like your outfit. My bathroom has the best light in the house too, I wish it looked as nice as yours does. There, maybe I'll copycat your bathroom, it's a start!
Cate - I will take some pics for you, as I am not showing you the nicest part, which is the tub and over the tub! Will put them up this weekend. As you know, my downstairs bathroom is Paris, upstairs, I pretened I am at my beach house in Maine. Never mind that I don't have a beach house in Maine... I bet I know someone who does!
DeleteI would love to see your pictures. We want to start a renovation on the bathrooms but lack a plan, so ideas are welcome! How did you decide what to do? We're taking out old showers and replacing them with... what? No idea! Is there a good web site to look at for these things?
DeleteCate, while i did the design of the reno upstairs, i actually hired a designer for the firSt time ever to help downstairs, as we had to make some structural changes and we just couldn't figure it out. She did all the research and drew up plans - i told her what i wanted. It was the best $400 i ever spent as her work was impeccable and she had more imagination about how to divide the spaces than we did!
DeleteAs for the duchess, she is lovely and always looks beautiful but I would not necessarily say that she owns her style, however, I think she will evolve with time.
ReplyDeleteI copy all the time, only I call it 'being inspired'. Mostly by other bloggers around here.. Too many to lists and everybody has something different to offer, I love it. From celebrities I like Gwyneth and Katie Holmes style, classic and preppy but still laid back.
Hi AJC - i like katie and gwyneth as well - always very cool!
DeleteBoth you and Andrea look cute in that outfit!
ReplyDeleteKeep warm! I am trying hard to keep dry. It's a deluge here.
Hey Rose - we have had rain and snow and sleet - a real mess - try and stay dry!
DeleteYou look lovely in the tartan pants and navy blazer inspired outfit.
ReplyDeleteI'm inspired first by JC (since I buy most of my clothes there) though not always by their outfit styling, sometimes just their use of colors. Also sites like Net a Porter (colors again), and a few other retailers and bloggers. Then I spend too much time playing on Polyvore where I like to put my own spin on things. LOL
Audrey and Kate land at the top of my style icon list too.
I am going to have to start checking out the styling on net-a-porter, as I need some more ideas!
DeleteFirst of all, you look fabulous...super cute!! and secondly, thanks for the link love!
ReplyDeleteI copy all of the time...catalogs, blogs and just people that I see on the street. I sometimes wonder if I have an original thought. :o)
I hear you! Glad you don't mind the blatant copying!
Delete