i had a lot of requests for esther from the bell jar, so here goes. regardless of her mental issues, i think esther was probably really a little quirky, off beat and likable, especially in this day and age. so she didn’t like the glitz trampy new york city life? who could blame her? most people i know are much like her, same sort of career (she interned at a fashion mag) and same distaste for the “scene” of it all. eventually, esther’s mental health deteriorated and she entered treatment. she equates her depression to being trapped under a bell jar, struggling to breath and survive. after several suicide attempts, esther moves to a new facility with a new doctor, dr. nolan. she prescribes electro-shock therapy and has esther fitted for a diaphragm, freeing her from fear of sex and its consequences. additionally, her friend joan commits suicide—helping esther fully understand death and the story ends esther heading to an exit interview. hooray, esther kicks ass.
1: i’m interning at a fashion magazine: dress by oscar de la renta, jacket by jason wu, sandals by bottega veneta
2: with dr. nolan: dress by marc by marc jacobs, shoes by ferragamo, bag by celine
3: exit interview: marc jacobs head to toe
All images from Style.com.
the romantic portrait of the romanov family as do-good monarchs victimized by an irrational people is a little off to say the least. russia suffered a great deal under their watch, compounded by global change and world war i the country turned against their leaders. when it came to tsarina alexandra, they never liked her to begin with. she was more devoted to her personal life than her political duties and when the time came for her to rule in her husband’s absence, the country faltered even more. lets not even mention the whole rasputin thing. long story short, she probably had some nice furs.
1: i’m german: coat by marc jacobs, dress by dries van noten, shoes by dolce and gabbana
2: let’s go to the party anyway: fur by valentino, dress by jason wu, shoes by dries van noten
3: where are we going?: coat by j. mendel, dress by bottega veneta, shoes by celine
oh ophelia, you’re such a mess. much like many of shakespeare’s ladies, ophelia was just a little too crazy for her own good. hamlet’s bizarre behavior leads her and others to believe that he must be in love with her. typical rich princess girl brat behavior. makes me mad. despite these shortcomings i always liked ophelia and wish she didn’t meet her untimely end but i suppose when you’re in hamlet you have it coming.
1: hamlet loves me: dress by jason wu, shoes and socks by rodarte, coat by boy by band of outsiders
2: okay hamlet is crazzzy: dress, tights and shoes by rodarte, coat by oscar de la renta
3: i’m going to climb this here willow tree: dress by marc jacobs, fur by anna sui, tights and shoes by proenza schouler
cleo de merode is the rare exception to tragic beauties. i feel like so many times we hear of phenomenal people, especially exceptional creative types who end up plagued by misfortune. as humans, we’re conditioned to hope for the best and aim for happy endings but so often, we’re denied. the story of cleo de merode is that she was a beautiful girl, daughter of nobles and fantastic dancer. her whole life she was seen as a fashion icon and beacon of glamour, taste and style. aside from her ensnaring beauty she made great strides for the world of ballet and was basically loved by all who knew her. she danced to her early fifties and then retired in a tropical paradise. thank god, happy endings do exist. and speaking of glamorous types, this post is in honor of my good friend cleo, who embodies the spirit of ms. de merode effortlessly. happy birthday cleo.
1: just bouncing around austria: dress by christian dior, hat by erin fetherston, socks by christian dior, shoes by lanvin
2: off to perform: dress by jason wu, shoes by valentino
3: i’m a free bitch baby: coat by oscar de la renta, dress by isaac mizrahi, shoes by givenchy
