OOTD: Bardot

(AA long sleeve spandex/cotton black top, thrifted skirt, bag, and shoes)

It's begun to wind down into a Friday night, much to my surprise. Here's my outfit of the day. 

I call it "a little Bowie, a little Bardot, and a look on your face that says I could kick the shit out of a truck driver" 

(name that movie!)

A majority of the look is thrifted, including the monstrous Steve Madden platform boots I got for $1 at Goodwill. They are these amazing chelsea boots with a rubber platform. Surprisingly, they are the most comfortable shoes I own...even more comfortable than my Docs. You see, that shouldn't make any sense since they make me literally a teetering 5 inches taller, but I digress. Purple socks for a '90s pop and the usual Bardot inspired hair. I can't seem to do anything else with my hair without it looking weird these days. 

Have a cool weekend, expect a Film Muse in my next post! 

-Lauren Rose

Curbside Fashion

Film Muse: Go (1999) dir. Doug Liman

Hey guys! 

First of all, if you are new to my blog - welcome! Today we are doing a Film Muse, a type of post where I talk about films that I enjoy and recommend accompanied by my hand selected screenshots. 

Rad? Rad. 

I think Go (1999) is one of those movies that would secretly be super popular on the internet- if anyone knew about it. I sort of like it this way though. Not to go all hipster on it, but sometimes its the best feeling in the world to find a hidden gem and share it with your friends (sup). Trust me, I was weary of it in the beginning (it stars Katie Holmes), but I have to say, this is a prime piece of late '90s filmmaking. 

Directed by Doug Liman, Go is a story about a drug deal for a '90s rave (YUP) gone bad. It's sort of like Run Lola Run but less cracked out, meaning the film only loops itself 3 times, each time sharing a new perspective of 3 characters' ordeal (Polley Askew, and Holmes). So much happens in this film, but to put it simply, they have to deal with crazy drug dealers, strip club hit men, and undercover cops. Truly amazing. 

I think the casting was great for this film. I heard that Christina Ricci was going to play the character Ronna (blonde girl), but it went to Sarah Polley instead. That always makes me a bit sad, hearing someone get a role over another. But I have to say, Polley was amazing with her "fuck off" acting. Her relaxed acting reminds me a bit of Kristen Stewart (Adventureland to be specific).  Also, lets give some props to Katie Holmes. She plays her character with the perfect amount of shyness, sex appeal, and fearlessness. Her monologues are a bit stiff but I can't help but love her acting anyways. Keep in mind, this was her badass role during her Dawson's Creek phase and I totally dig it. Also, its always cool to see cult classic actors James Duval (The Doom Generation) and Breckin Meyer (Clueless) take on small but hilarious roles. 

I'm so glad this movie was made around the '90s rave culture. The closest I got to raving back then was getting a hand-me-down velvet and glitter tank top from the store - Rave (thanks sis). I think the concept is pretty cool though: finding a rave in the middle of no where by word of mouth, getting together with your friends, seeing kids dance like idiots (but its totally cool because everyone is on something), and just enjoying the beauty of music. The only other production that I've seen that incorporates '90s raves is My Mad Fat Diary (E4 T.V. show) based in England. If you guys know of any other movies with the same theme, let me know! 

I really recommend this awesome cult classic (lets start up the cult again here, eh?). The loops can get a little bit long, but its all worth it in the end. Let me know if you like it!

With that, I'm going to leave you with the ultimate Go playlist to get you pumped up.

New - No Doubt (!!!)

Steal My Sunshine - Len

Magic Carpet Ride - Philip Steir/ Steppenwolf (!!!)

Gangster Tripping - Fatboy Slim 

Cha Cha Cha - Jimmy Luxury & The Tommy Rome Orchestra  (!!!)

Fire up the Shoesaw- Lionrock (!!!)

To All the Lovely Ladies - Goldo

Believer - BT

Swords - Leftfield 

Talisman- AIR

Stay rad, 

Lauren Rose

Curbside Fashion 

Film Muse: To Die For (1995)

Once again, hello Curbside readers!

As promised, I'm going to share a Film Muse with you today starring Nicole Kidman and Joaquin Phoenix in Gus Van Sant's To Die For (1995). For some reason, this film never gets old. I remember seeing it as a kid and sympathizing with Joaquin's character (a no-good punk who falls for the local weather woman which he then helps murder her husband), yet I must say I also felt oddly empowered by Suzanne's (Kidman) "go-get-'em" power driven attitude. Perhaps I just have a soft spot for the career oriented '90s working woman (shout out to my mom). 

Aside from the brilliant acting in this dark comedy, I also have to give props to the costume designer.  Some of the stills that I have chosen almost remind me of Tim Burton's constructed neighborhood in  Edward Scissorhands.  Suzanne's world is perfectly pedicured and is the epitome of the word "clean". Suzanne sticks to modest pastels of periwinkle, robin's egg blue, and lemonade pink. She rocks checkered print in multiple mediums, yet still manages to ooze dangerous sex appeal. I literally want to time warp it back to the '90s and have a picnic wearing her wardrobe. What a dream. 

Then we have the punks (que Joaquin). I loved how they contrasted Suzanne in every way possible - messy hair, converse, the classic T-shirt over a long sleeve shirt outfit, etc. I had this massive soft spot for Lydia, the grungy tomboy teen who Suzanne chooses to mentor and befriend (with ulterior motives, of course). I'm pretty sure this was the actress's first film, and you can really see the venerability in her character without it being totally melodramatic.  

I could go on and on about Joaquin, but I'll spare you this time. However, one thing I noticed is that his character oddly reminds me of Simon from E4's Misfits. The way he talks/mumbles, that stupidly hot stare that he does, even his mannerisms remind me of the early and awkward Simon. If you're a Misfits fan, definitely look out for it. I swear I'm not crazy. 

     (one of my favorites of Suzanne's outfits. A cashmere looking sweet pea colored sweater, with fitted     high waisted (hell yeah) grey checkered pants. ) 

Lastly, I really enjoyed Suzanne's sister-in-law, Janice. Being a spunky Italian/figure skater, Janice perfectly brings the macabre humor that the movie needed (the last scene, shown above). For some reason, her frilly skating outfits just make everything ten times more hilarious once you get to know her character. 

It's a great movie, so if you haven't seen it - definitely get on it! I hope you enjoyed this Film Muse post. I will be doing more outfit of the days in future posts as they were requested.

Sayonara!

-Lauren Rose

Curbside Fashion 

Film Muse: L'Enfer (1964)

Hello Curbside readers!

As college is coming to an end, I have finally gotten around to making a post about one of my newest film finds: L'Enfer (1964) by the French director Henri-Georges Clouzot. The beauty is that this actually isn't a feature length film. Story goes that Clouzot got an unlimited budget to make the film (which was creatively daunting), and due to many complications - never finished the film.  It's sort of a shame because the cinematography and lighting work were both insanely well done. You can see bits of the film in a documentary by Serge Bromberg if you look hard enough.

There are so many aesthetic appeals in the film that I subscribed to. Light movements of psychedelic reds, greens, and blues juxtaposed by scenes of soft '60s pastels reflecting the film grain. Lacy demure night slips versus lustrous translucent coats. Blue lips (a coloring trick) accompanied by classic '60s power hour eyeliner. The list goes on. 

I think sometimes we forget about lighting and colors within our own wardrobes. For example, the possibility of creating illusions (shout out to the holographic trend, '90s glitter fair hair, etc). I think the film really sparks the core appeal of fashion: aesthetics. It leaves the audience in aw by showing the possibilities of beauty within living. Even though the film wasn't completed, passion within the visual images still remain. It challenges me to bring the same intensity into my own perspective of the world and my wardrobe.

That's it I suppose. If anything, take it as eye candy. Wish I could have written more about it, but this is just the type of thing you have to vibe with on your own.

See you in the summer,

Lauren Rose

Curbside Fashion

(p.s. - for your visual pleasure: )

Film Muse: "3 Women" (1977)

Film Muse: "3 Women" (dir. Robert Altman)

~~~

Hey guys. Another Film Muse post but this time we are bringing it back to the '70s with Sissy Spacek and Shelley Duvall in the film "3 Women" directed by Robert Altman. The first time I watched this movie I fell asleep (I was really tired), but the second time I was actually conscious and I really enjoyed it.  

If you haven't seen the film, its basically about a bonked out girl (Spacek) who ends up working in a nursing home and befriends her future roommate (Duvall). The film voyeurs into their odd friendship in a tight knit small town.   The whole movie has this eerie soundtrack that doesn't seem to be placed in correctly until you realize that Sissy Spacek is in the movie so some fucked up shit will probably happen in the near future.  

I'd like to give a shout out to the person who did the styling for the film.  Duvall's character always wears the cutest southern bell meets 70s-newlywed-hot-housewife outfits. I loved her yellow outfit and how the pieces were meant to be warn as a set. Why don't we do that now? Ahh, right - Cosmo would call it too "matchy-matchy".  I also wanted to mention the twins that probably shared one line. Their matching walk, outfits, hair, DRINKS, just added to the eeriness of the town. And of course, Spacek's modest pastel pinks and long braids perfectly describes her character- the younger sister type that would probably steal your clothes once you went to school.  Also, I have to say I'm really vibing the '70s hair. Amazing. 

Overall, from an aesthetic point I really liked this film.  The colors, the closeups, and the setting made everything work so well. The story can draw long for us 21st century viewers, but stick around for the movie - if anything for at least the styling. 

Anyways, thats it.

Much love,

Lauren Rose

Curbside Fashion