Mad Men

I finally got a chance to watch Mad Men last night after I ordered it from Netflix (straight to the top of my queue). I know I am waaaay behind the times, since season two is in full swing, but I was a little disappointed with the fashions in Season 1, episodes 1 and 2. Maybe it will get better as the season progresses, and I've seen a few pictures from Season 2, and they look so much cuter!

Peggy's character really fascinates me, though her style is lacking (but that's really the point of her character). I did like her cute purple scarf though!
So I'll see if there are any more clothing gems for Joan or Betty, or if Peggy can come up to par (I'm rooting for her!) as I continue to watch... There was an awesome dress that Betty wore out to dinner, but I can't find a picture of it.

Other than women's fashion, I do like how streamlined, clean, and "modern" everything looks on the screen. Especially that gel in Don's hair...
I also enjoyed the tension of femenism and machoism, and so many sexist issues arise. It added layers to the plot and makes me wonder how accurate of a portrayal it is. If it is accurate, I am so lucky to be working in the working world today.

Abigail Lorick

I've never really heard of Abigail Lorick's eponymous label, Lorick, before I read about it in the New York Times last week. But this photo really stood out as a whimsical, 60's housewife, spontaneous party flashback.
Mostly, I love the cakes, being eaten, half destroyed, and on the model's fingers and faces. It looks like a fun time--so sugary sweet! And this kitchen looks like my mom's kitchen at home, so it is a slight throwback to making cookies and cakes with my friends in high school. Of course we didn't dress so nicely, with tie neck blouses and baubulous necklaces.

But what is with the beehives? I see them all over the place- on Pushing Daisies, on Sarah Palin, on these models! The beehive is coming back.

Lorick's clothes are so prim, so proper. They are more Grace Kelly retro than Katherine Hepburn retro, and very feminine, especially in context... a kitchen.

Look! A proper tea party with white gloves, full skirts!
I looooove the green gloves matching the green dress below. Or is it too matchy matchy?

The clothes and photos are so decadent, so English estate, and as the New York Times says, too much for troubled economic times like these. But who cares about the economy when you can have pink cake and eat it too!

More cake party! From Suffer for Fashion.
For more photos of the Lorick cake fashion shoot: Guest of a Guest.

Don't even tell me its on Gossip Girl. I know.

Eloise

A friend of mine picked up the copy of Eloise that was on my coffee table the other day. His remark after looking at it for a few minutes, "This is the most elitist crap I've ever seen. I mean, who are these people?" Which made me think: Who is Eloise? I had know her so long, so did my childhood taint me to the absurd ways of New York's mid-century upper class? Hells no. It is so opulent and fantastic as a little girl, and as a grown woman, to experience Eloise's complete fantasy world. Eloise was not written as a social commentary, so it shouldn't be evaluated as one, but merely as a crazy trip into a drama queen's mind, and as an inspiration of finding one's inner child and creativity.

Eloise lives at the Plaza Hotel in New York City. Her parents are no where to be seen, she lives with her British Nanny. She orders room service, skibbles down the hall, pours water down the mail chute, and lives a totally privileged life with her turtle, Skiperdee, two dolls, and dog, Weenie.

And Eloise's style is mainly in her attitude. She is self assured and has enough confidence in herself to greet the manager of the hotel, orders room service, attends all of the weddings in the White and Gold Room, and exudes her bright naivety wherever she goes. This includes her fashion pursuits: "an egg cup makes a very good hat," "Kleenex makes a very good hat," and "sometimes I comb my hair with a fork."

Her fashion becomes a little more sophisticated in "Eloise in Paris," when M. Dior designs a dress for her. Kleenex boxes are so passé de mode, after Dior comes along.
Ooooooooooh, I absolutely love Eloise.

Charlotte "Chuck" Charles Style in Pushing Daisies

Part Tim Burton, part Amile, part funky fantasy world, Pushing Daisies is easily the most whimsical, stylish non-style show in prime time this season. (I haven't watched Mad Men, but I've heard good things. But I digress, this isn't about that show.) Charlotte Charles, aka Chuck, is the beautiful heroine of the show. Revived from the dead from her childhood sweetheart, Ned the pie maker, who moonlights as a private investigator who wakes up murder victims, she manages to look cute and unique, and always dressed for the whatever occasion. She wears 50s silhouettes: full skirts, tight, tailored tops, and cardigans. And bright colors! Feminine and fun. And great for a dead girl.
The show came out last season, with some outrageous costumes (see below). The first season was a little more adventurous in costuming, but Chuck does not fail in this season, especially in the season premiere (below, in yellow).

Chuck goes undercover as a promotional girl for a honey-based cosmetics company-- with a mod beehive hairdo and 60s style honeycomb print dress. Her bee pin works as a microphone to communicate with Ned and Emerson (the sarcastic partner) to infiltrate the company. Love it!


A few more cute photos:

Welcome!

Hi! I'm so glad that you have found the StyleIdol blog. This is a fun place where to share style idols--characters, celebrities, personalities with a little bit of funk and a lot of vintage, stylized, decoupaged fashion.

I'm Liz, the author. I live in Boston, work in the corporate world and need a little creative outlet. I also have a personal blog, you can read it HERE!

But this isn't about me, this is about fashion, style, attitude, color, and excitement!