Valentino lace bodice dress / Lili Gaufrette pink socks / Jeffrey Campbell glitter high heels / Rewind Vintage Affairs handbag
dorothy gale, from kansas
Halloween is, and has pretty much always been, my favorite holiday. Perhaps it's my flair for the dramatic, or maybe my incessant sweet tooth, but I live for Halloween. To celebrate, I will be dedicating a few posts a week to Halloween costume inspirations. I don't particularly believe in store bought costumes; I like the thrill of putting it together myself, and what's more fun than giving a classic costume a modern, couture spin?
To kick of the month of October (yes, I'm a day early. Favorite holiday, remember?), I've put together a modern day Dorothy Gale, after one of my all-time favorite movies. I was the child insisting "I'm not a witch at all, I'm Dorothy Gale, from Kansas" and getting to dress up as Dorothy as a four year old was a dream come true. I love the idea of reprising that character now that I'm grown, and these Jeffrey Campbell boots just may be the perfect ruby slipper for me to do so.
So, anyone remember a little show called "The OC"? Like many people my age, it was my favorite show when it was on the air. From its debut in 2003 through the glorious finale, I never missed an episode. Aside from the fabulously soapy plotlines and sexy broodiness of Ryan Atwood, another big draw for me was the music.
Bell X1 sort of got their US debut on The OC - maybe some of you remember the episode in which it was featured? Marissa finally gave into her girl crush with Alex, the cool chick who worked at The Baitshop, and they made out on the beach as the tide turned on Valentine's Day. Meanwhile, Ryan was realizing he'd never get Caleb's approval to date Lindsay and Seth seemed to completely ruin everything with both Summer and Zach and their comic. Oh, and Kirsten found that Sandy was secretly hiding his ex-fiance in his office. It was a really profound ending.
After getting the season 2 soundtrack for my birthday, I found myself listening to this particular song on repeat. I took it with me to college, and I have distinct memories of listening to this song as I walked to class through the cold Chicago winters. Whenever I listen to it today, I'm brought back to that place. Not The OC, unfortunately, but a place where it's quiet, and cold, but beautiful. And I think about missing someone, and desperately wishing they were with me.
This song has such lovely and simple imagery. "The only thing that we share/is the same sky". You realize that it's best that you're apart, but it's still so hard to accept. That's what I hoped to embody with this ensemble. The color palette is somewhat muted and dreary, but there's hope that comes from the bits of color and oh-so-fabulous fur. I can see myself wearing this as I wander through the snow, despite the seasonally inappropriate footwear. This is about looking forward, past the sadness, past the cold, to a brighter spring.
Listen to the song here.
