Thursday, August 07, 2008

Penelope and Quirky Girl Style

If you loved the fantasy like appeal of Amelie and the TV show Pushing up Daisies, you will love the costume design in Penelope.  I watched this movie last night while G is out of town to spare him from too many chick flicks.  





Penelope was produced by Reese Witherspoon's company and she said she wanted to make something that she could take her kids to see.  The story line is sweet and has a great message to love yourself no matter what.  It is a must see for young girls especially.  

The wardrobe for Penelope completely inspired me!  I have always had a thing for quirky girl style.  Pippi Longstocking had a huge influence on me from childhood.  When we first started dating, my husband used to call me Punky Brewster.  There is something about striped tights that get my heart beating faster and I love crazy colors mixed together.  

I started thinking about how I dress now and realized that I've sterilized my wardrobe in a lot of ways.  It's time to bring back some personality into my clothes.  Maybe I can't dress exactly like these characters, but elements of fun can be mixed into anyone's wardrobe.

For inspiration I'm going to send you straight back to J Crew because these layouts are a quirky girl's dream. This is a more subtle Penelope look.




And for year-round quirky girl style, Anthropologie will always tempt and thrill you.  I love this store and can spend hours there.  It is expensive, however a little goes a long way in this store. It is easy to find a statement piece or accessory that will take your classic clothes to the eclectic in a second.  Imagine what you already have that you can add any of these little sweaters to and voila you have fairytale style a la Penelope.  Even adding a fun necklace to an all black outfit will do the trick.






There is a scene in the movie that sent me over the moon with shoe envy.  Mary janes are so versatile and eccentric and she had a pair of green ones that I'll be dreaming about tonight. There are maryjanes to suit every style.  Go to Piperlime and search "maryjane" and pick your pleasure. They even have a couple green ones.  I saw a few conservative ones that would translate this look for work like these.

 

This is the shot of the cool shoes scene.  


Even though I don't like to be cliche in my dressing, it helps to define or name your style. Obviously I like to have "quirky girl style" as part of my style, but I also like to see my wardrobe as mainstreamed and simple.  Even when they are opposites, you can do both.  Again the key is having a small and workable wardrobe.  

Think about how you would define your style.  I've heard "sexy librarian", "bohemian", "minimalist", "preppy", and many others.  Make up your own to really help you focus what your lifestyle is right now.  Maybe you are "new mommy chic" which means you need simplicity to the max, or "soccer mom redefined".  It's not about following the trends, but picking through the trends and developing your own little creation.  Have fun!

Video is from youtube.  Pictures are from Anthropologie.

7 comments:

La Belette Rouge said...

I love "quirky girl" style. It doesn't work on me, but I still love it. I call my style "postmodern preppy" which means I wear classics in an ironic way. Or, that is what I try and do. ;-)

elle said...

I love your "label style" idea. I always joked that I coined the term "Parisian Trash" because then I had an instant reasoning for all of the odd parts in my wardrobe that didn't quite seem to fit. Now I'm trying to work on honing it into an actual style with *gasp* rules. Okay, I can't hack rules. Guidelines? :)

Keep it up, fab girl!
Céline

The Closet Therapist said...

LBR-I love your weasel style-it has tons of personality and lots of lovely color!

Elle-Parisian Trash-How original, but I would expect no less from you, the most original person I "virtually" know. I bet you are such a trendsetter that others will make rules by you. :)

The Closet Therapist said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Sherri said...

jen, 4 weeks with no new blog entry?

Unknown said...

Loved that movie! I so want to bring more quirkiness into my wardrobe, but am having a hard time with it. I will keep plugging along and trying though.

Imogen Lamport, AICI CIP said...

I always tell my clients that they need to wear a Hero (piece of clothing or accessory) as well as some Supporting Acts when they dress, as the reason most of then feel bored with their clothes is that they've forgotten to add a Hero, that piece that they love, that says "ME" that adds the dash of interest and excitement to their look.

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