wrapped in songs and gypsy shawls

I have a very cyclical pattern when it comes to how I dress: I tend toward dark, androgynous clothes in the winter and brightly colored bohemian threads in the warmer months. I don't know what causes the switch, I guess it has to do with the weather -- but it's sunny outside and all I want to do is dance around barefoot with flowers in my hair. Currently I am drawing my inspiration from the likes of Lisa Bonet, a Penny Lane-era Kate Hudson, Anita Pallenberg, a 1967 Pattie Boyd and the witchy goddess Stevie Nicks. 

Title: from "Ladies of the Canyon" (Joni Mitchell)

Hot Dudes Doing Cute Things: Cary Grant, Noted Face Sniffer

Okay, so first of all we can all agree that Cary Grant was a superior specimen of a man. While the guys I know play video games all day long and are seemingly incapable of wearing actual pants (men of the world, I ask you: what's up with those hybrid shorts-pants you wear? They're like capris but not. What are those even called? Manpris? I don't even know), old Archie Leach was doing acrobatic tricks in three-piece suits (see: Holiday). He was smoldering, sophisticated and somehow still really funny. He's an obvious choice for a hot dude doing a cute thing.

This works for me on multiple levels. 

BUT what I am profiling here isn't really so much a cute thing as a weird thing that Cary did from time to time. For some reason, he was most often photographed for publicity stills with his lovely leading ladies with his face weirdly mashed up against theirs. Don't get me wrong, I understand the intent. It's trying to be as romantic as possible (under that darn Hays Code), so they nuzzle and whatnot like they're about to kiss. That's fine for one or two pictures, but Cary was photographed doing it all the damn time. This is because -- and this is a baseless rumor that I wholeheartedly encourage you all to spread -- Cary had a propensity for sniffing faces. Simply couldn't help himself. It's the only explanation for why he did it with each one of his onscreen paramours. Think about it -- if dogs sniff rear-ends to get acquainted, why can't movie stars sniff faces?

With Irene Dunne, his costar in The Awful Truth, My Favorite Wife and Penny Serenade. I don't really have that much to say because while I accept that Dunne is objectively a good actress, she's never really floated my boat. That is to say, I personally wouldn't have smelled her face. 

Ingrid Bergman costarred with Cary in two films: Indiscreet and possibly the best movie ever made, Notorious. The latter film is about spies and Nazis, so obviously lots of face nuzzling abounds. The famous kiss they share in the film -- called by one YouTube user, "the most erotic kiss in movie history" -- is full of Cary-face-sniffing action. 

Cary with his third wife, Betsy Drake, who obviously dug the face-sniffing enough to be married for almost a decade. I have a random hobby where I imagine I am a producer for weird films of my own devising, and I have already cast a biopic where George Clooney plays Cary and Kristen Wiig is Betsy and all they do is make movies together and sit around and drop acid and smell each other's face, because obviously they did that in real life. 

Myrna Loy was too caught up with inexplicably dressing up like Amelia Earhart to notice Cary getting his face-sniffing jollies. 

Katharine Hepburn starred with Cary in several of the most delightful films in cinematic existence: Sylvia Scarlett, Bringing Up Baby, Holiday and my actual all-time favorite The Philadelphia Story (it says something when two of my favorite films star Cary Grant). Across those four films, there was plenty of face smelling for Cary to indulge in. 

Audrey Hepburn, on the other hand, was not feeling the facial nuzzles on the set of Charade. 

The promotional shots for To Catch a Thief are a goldmine for proof of Cary as a face sniffer. Every picture I came across was of Cary's faced mashed up against Grace Kelly's in some variation. Perfection. 

What do you think of Cary and his face-sniffing addiction? Tragic for a cinema star or heroic that he called attention to it on numerous occasions? I only feel bad for costars like Rita Hayworth and Deborah Kerr, who, for all I can tell, were never deemed worthy enough to get in on the action. 

there's simply not a more congenial spot for happily-ever-aftering than here in camelot

As I mentioned before, during the past few weeks my mind has been completely flooded with film musicals -- the most recent one to occupy my thoughts is the 1967 Hollywood version of Camelot, starring Vanessa Redgrave, Richard Harris and Franco Nero. Originally a wildly successful Broadway production featuring Richard Burton as King Arthur, Julie Andrews as Queen Guinevere and Robert Goulet as Sir Lancelot (and thanks to Will Ferrell, it is impossible for me to imagine Goulet in the sex symbol role), the most famous love triangle in English history was adapted into a film version in 1967 to considerably less fanfare. The most criticism came from the singing voices of the film's stars (Harris and Redgrave had vocal ranges that were more limited than their stage counterparts, while Nero's vocals were dubbed for his numbers) that some said ruined the film. According to sources, the reason for not casting the stars of the Broadway version -- who were MEGASTARS on stage and screen -- was because the producers wished to make the film sexier. This issue was aimed at Andrews in particular. Though Andrews hadn't hit it big yet with Mary Poppins or The Sound of Music when she starred in Camelot during the early '60s, she was a stage superstar from her work on My Fair Lady and was the ultimate It-girl by the time of the film adaptation, but she had a very wholesome image. Never in a million years could you imagine Andrews writhing around naked wrapped in sheets while telling her husband breathily that he was the ultimate ruler, as Redgrave does in the film.

The film received very mixed reviews, but nevertheless it's one of my favorites. Why? Because you get to witness the early relationship of Franco Nero and Vaness Redgrave (aka THE BEST COUPLE EVER). Nero and Redgrave famously had a brief but passionate relationship after meeting on the set of Camelot, which resulted in a son born in 1969. In a real-life version of Letters to Juliet (a 2010 film that Redgrave and Nero starred in), the couple re-connected many years later, with Nero even walking Redgrave's daughter Natasha Richardson down the aisle when she married Liam Neeson in 1994. The couple were finally wed in 2006, almost forty years after they first met. Isn't that just the most swoon-worthy story ever? Watching them together as a couple onscreen in Camelot always makes me feel like I have the most delightful secret -- I want to whisper to them through the film and tell them that they end up together. I can't do that (obviously) but it's great fun to watch a young couple who will soon become one of the great love stories of our time. 

Title: from "Camelot"

i could have danced all night

It's a musical-heavy week for me as a film seminar course that I'm taking is hosting a symposium on Hollywood film musicals this weekend. Lots of work, lots of fun (I'm quite the nerd, I know -- academia excites me!) In addition to the symposium, I have a presentation on My Fair Lady, the 1964 mega-hit starring Audrey Hepburn and Rex Harrison. Most of the discussion is about the practice of vocal dubbing brought to light in the film (Audrey Hepburn, despite having sung vocals in previous films like Funny Face and Breakfast at Tiffany's, was famously dubbed in parts by Marni Nixon, the "ghostest with the mostest" who had provided vocals for Deborah Kerr in The King and I and Natalie Wood in West Side Story) and it's been very interesting reading about the politics of the practice and the general goings-on behind the scenes for this film. Rex Harrison originated the Higgins role on Broadway with Julie Andrews as Eliza Doolittle, but this was pre-Mary Poppins, so Andrews was passed over for the role. Harrison did his signature talk-singing through the film to accommodate his vocal range, but I find it so interesting that this is overlooked in favor of the 'scandal' regarding Audrey's vocals. It was rather horrid -- studio execs intentionally misled Audrey into thinking she would be doing her own vocals, even having her record everything, with the intention of Nixon re-dubbing everything. The final result is a mix of Marni and Audrey, and while I'm still very torn about the dubbing, I am the first to admit that the final product is a delightful film.
The fashion is obviously incredibly fabulous (the race horse scene is the ultimate example of the wild looks in this film) -- but it's one of the few instances where Audrey's costumes on film were not made by Givenchy. For My Fair Lady, fashion photographer and designer Cecil Beaton was hired to do the designs. The white beaded dress that Eliza wears to the royal ball is so gorgeous and I maintain that only Audrey could pull off wearing it with pounds of diamonds and a giant pineapple updo. I'm a musical lover, so of course I adore the songs -- "I Could Have Danced All Night" in particular.
Hopefully, over the next few days, I can include more musicals that I am inspired by during the course of the symposium -- I know that The Sound of Music is on the agenda, and I believe discussions about Ann Miller, Julie Andrews and the 1967 version of Camelot will also be covered, which I am particularly intrigued by!

Shop It to Me: Courtney Love Grunge

I'll say it now -- I love Courtney Love. I think her grunge chic style from the 1990s is beyond fantastic and I actually seek to emulate it on many occasions. Courtney's look belongs to a specific subsection of grunge called 'kinderwhore' -- a mix of signature grunge elements like chunky boots, layers and unkempt hair with girlish dresses, bows and barrettes and other feminine accessories. I visited tReds to find some grunge-y goodies for my wardrobe:

No Courtney-inspired look would be possible without a girly dress to rock out in. The skater dress is one of the most universally flattering styles that exists, in my opinion, and I love the sleeveless action for the spring. I would layer it with a drape-y, slouchy sweater for that perfect grunge vibe -- the loose knit of this style is a chicer version of the hole-y look that Courtney and her hubby Kurt Cobain used to have in their sweaters. A cool crossbody bag is an essential for carrying concert tickets, extra hair bows and other grunge-gal essentials. Top (err...bottom) it off with the it-shoe of the entire grunge movement: Dr. Martens, but chose a style that is appropriately girly like this acid pink version. Add some vampy lipstick and muss up your hair, and you've got that Courtney Love look! 

and after all, i'm only sleeping

I am lazy by nature, so I love lounging around whether it be in bed, in the grass or anywhere at all. But add the fact that I've been sick this past week and I've got myself a recipe for disaster. I don't usually ever get sick, so when I do -- even with the slightest of colds -- I completely shut down. I've been drawing inspiration from movies, various photo shoots and television programs by trying to be chic during my downtime. Basically that means lying in bed while wearing a kimono and lipstick. This practice, while it might not yield any benefits for my health, is good for my soul -- which is basically the same thing.

This is kind of how I am feeling (glad to know my sickness neuroses are lined up with Woody's!)

The unparalled GTO's

Yes, I look this stylish lying down in my bed as Veruschka does lying about in Blow-Up

Elizabeth Montgomery looks bewitching (of course I had to do that pun) in her reclining pose

Catherine Deneuve looks like a total vixen

The cast of The Edge of Love spent a fair amount of screen time lounging around in bed

Edie Sedgwick could rest anywhere

Audrey Hepburn in a studio shot for Sabrina

Jane Birkin strikes several poses

Keith Richards gets cozy reading in bed

Woody Allen and Diane Keaton in Manhattan Murder Mystery

Marilyn Monroe looks ridiculously beautiful during a nap (i.e. the opposite of me)

Pattie Boyd catches up on her glossies in bed

Jean-Pierre Leaud and Chantal Goya in Godard's Masculin Feminin

Scarlett Johansson looks gorgeous, as per usual, in this Mango campaign

Judy Garland catches some Zzz's in The Wizard of Oz

Disney's Sleeping Beauty

... and Emily Browning in a far less innocent Sleeping Beauty

Yeah Ringo knows what's up

Beyonce in her new H&M summer campaign

Title: from "I'm Only Sleeping" (The Beatles)

Shop It to Me: Audrey Hepburn's Gamine Style

As a female on planet Earth, I of course love and admire the sophisticated elegance of Audrey Hepburn. I always strive to look like her in some capacity, but it never quite comes off. I'm always too all over the place -- my hair never looks as sleek, my clothes are always too rumpled, and my eyebrows are too blonde to ever be that striking. One of my favorite looks is the gamine chic look that was popular on waif types like Audrey and Jean Seberg in the 1950s and 1960s. I went over to Van Mildert to shop the look for myself. 

I really love this updated version of the classic striped boatneck top for its sheer paneling and adorable Peter Pan collar -- it's the best way to get Audrey's look while still being very on-trend. I would pair the top with some dark, slim-legged trousers to get the look of Audrey's cigarette pants. The subtle pattern on these pants make for an interesting but not overwhelming detail. Because the rest of the look is so understated, I would go a bit crazy on shoes. A pair of classic loafers done in a crazy leopard print fit the bill perfectly. Add some thick cat eye-style liner, some nude lipstick and maybe a copy of something by Sartre, and you've got an Audrey-approved gamine chic look!

pink friday

I've said it before, but I love pink hair. Dip dyed pastel ends, coloring the whole head electric pink, temporary dye, permanent hues -- it doesn't matter. My Little Pony locks will never go out of style for me. For the past few months I've been playing around with the Alchemic Red Conditioner by Davines -- a deep conditioning treatment for redheads that temporarily dyes light hair varying shades of pink. I love the results -- from the hot, hot magenta of the first application to the soft candy cotton pink that comes after a few washes. I'm contemplating stepping up to the many different shades of Manic Panic, but in the mean time I will continue having fun with my Alchemic Red.

Me with my Alchemic Red ends

The beautiful Brigitte Bardot

Shirley MacLaine in What A Way To Go

The Kills' Alison Mosshart

I remember being obsessed with Rachel McAdams when she got these pink streaks a few years back

Grease's beauty school drop-out Frenchy

Love Cyndi Lauper's 'do

Charlotte Free has the ultimate mane

Kate Winslet in The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Love this shot of Mary-Kate Olsen

How amazing does Kirsten Dunst look as Marie Antoinette here?

Katy Perry rocked many gradations of the color

Sharon Tate looks so amazing in this image I had to include it twice

The list of pastel-hued beauties is endless