tommy ton for style.com
You should have seen the smile that crossed my face when I saw these pictures. I'm probably Tommy Ton's biggest fan, not just because he shoots in landscape not portrait (oh god I hat portrait shots), but because he just gets it. He's fashion mad and his street style can veer towards "editor" style, but he understands about shooting detail, about showing the shoes or the bag, or even closer - the bracelets, the lipstick, the ring, the toss of the hair. He captures moments and not images. Like these pictures from the CFDA fashion fund awards. One of the shots that he uploaded to his blog was entitled "Gaga has arrived" and showed just two shoes sticking out from a car door. Another on the style.com spread showed Chloe Sevigny laughing hysterically on the side of the shot - and a whole gaggle (shall we call them that? host? pack?) of photographers clicking away madly. I'm so excited to see what he finds from the fashion weeks because without fail he will manage to splice the tried-and-true shots of Emmanuelle and giovanna and ADR with shots of Maya Villiger, or unknown bloggers, or beautiful models. He has a discerning eye.
How could he not include Phoebe Philo and Leelee Sobieski (remember her? I used to have a mad girl crush on her circa Never Been Kissed) in his best dressed list. My initial gasp and insane happiness was seeing Phoebe Philo at all, she's such a private person and pictures of her are dime a dozen. But she is without a doubt the best living advertisement for her brand - look at that gorgeous tuxedo, that triptych celine clutch with the long strap tucked away, that starchy white shirt (no lipstick stains! no children's dirty fingertips!) with the cuffs hanging long and loose. With the shirt buttoned high up there is not a curve or a red lip in sight - this is masculine dressing for feminine women. Leelee's suit is more of a girly take. A tailored, high waisted pair of pants accentuates the waist and a few buttons undone hints at cleavage. A red lip finishes off this sexy look. Both wearing tuxes, both dealing with them in different ways. I feel that the fine line between looking like you've slipped into your boyfriend's tux and looking like you've bought a man's tux to wear is difficult to tread. For most women - me included - we counteract the necessary harshness of the look with failsafe remedies - the tousled hair, the red lip, the high heels. I think that Phoebe's look reminds us that we need not be so worried. After all, she's the queen of the boy/girl look. Sometimes on the runway her overly long shirts with their loose tails and ridiculously disproportionate cuffs (but seriously, what is it about men's shirts and long cuffs?) can look a bit cartoonish. But, as with so many things in fashion, we just need to see them in real life. Phoebe makes it all look so simple, a matter of of holding your hands together - I am more inclined to shove them in the pockets, but this is a far more graceful look - and smiling.
There is a reason why I'm so obsessed with masculine/feminine dressing lately. My friend's 21st is coming up - at which I am giving the speech! oh god!! - and I have nothing to wear. The gimmick of me suiting up has started to get a little old, but I think I like the fact that it's no longer novely but it's become accepted. "You'll be wearing your suit, right?" one of my friends asked me as we discussed what we would wear. I'm not a dressy person and never have been - it was hard enough to finally find my own 21st dress let alone dresses for other people's ones. That's why I love my suit. It's really sexy - which I don't normally care about at all, I'll have you know - and I can rely on it. This time I think I might borrow one of my dad's shirts and give the long cuff look a go. I've got a little black clutch I can pair with it, and then it's just about finding the right shoes. I might not look as polished as Phoebe, but I can give it a go, right?
X
ps okay G, don't read this, but to everyone else who doesn't mind if I cut my hair - don't you think that their long-ish bobs are looking so beautiful? I would want to go for something a little long, like Taylor Tomasi's look, but I love that idea of a really graphic, Gwyneth Paltrow-esque blunt ends, I'm-wearing-the-pants kind of haircut. I'll probably chicken out because I know how much I hated growing out my bob last time, and I do love my long hair, but it's definitely time for a change.
You have read this article celebration /
celine /
cocktails /
friends /
party /
phoebe philo /
sexy /
street style /
street-style /
tommy ton
with the title borrowed from the boys. You can bookmark this page URL http://startthefire-cafagesta.blogspot.com/2011/06/borrowed-from-boys.html. Thanks!
