Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Boston + The Mauve and Yellow Chiffon Shirt

Dearest readers, at the exact time this post is being published, I would be boarding the plane bound for the United States. I'll be making a four-day pit stop in San Francisco (to mitigate the aches of having to fly coach long-haul) before flying to my final destination, Boston. This means I'll have little time to go online, let alone blog, so I have scheduled this post and the next, for your reading pleasure.

my new city for the next few months, Boston, in the fall

Owing to the success of my black and white chiffon shirt, I decided to whip up a sibling for that shirt; and when I came across this charming georgette of what looks like pale lemon yellow abstract goldfishes in a sea of grayish mauve, I knew I had found my fabric. Contrast always works; I needed something to cut through the busy-ness of the print, so I went for a panel on the hem out of an off-white, semi-sheer, drapey fabric. Here it is, chiffon shirt #2:

The last of my tailoring projects for now (at least until Christmastime when I come back home), I'm ready to embrace change and find out what other sorts of "dandy" projects I could get my hands dirty with.

My tailor has produced some excellently crafted pieces for me, but reality is, the workmanship couldn't be perfect all the time. He seemed to be quite sloppy with this shirt, giving me misaligned pockets:

(a detail I'm willing to embrace as an endearing quirk)

and a curved hem that just didn't drape so beautifully. Hence I went on to rip the hemming and cut it straight across, leaving the edges raw.

I quite like the effect of random threads sticking out and fraying, and to be honest, I just can't be bothered to go have it properly hemmed.

As you're reading this, I'd probably be knocked-out, curled up, hopped-up on sleeping pills, miles above the ground in an oversize t-shirt and sweat pants. But wouldn't it be nice if we could realistically travel in elegance, immune to what intense discomfort itchy threads or constricting tailoring would bring us when traveling by air? Inspired by Tommy's laid-out-on-the-floor outfit shots on This is Naive (Tommy, if you're reading this, I direly miss your outfit posts!) here's what I'd like to guys to imagine me wearing on the plane, I'd call it my fantasy summer traveling outfit:

Panama hat from Rome, chiffon shirt designed by me, necklace made from a friend's wedding favors, vintage Ray-Ban aviators, YSL Muse briefcase, Zara khakis, sandals from Cyprus

See you in a different time zone!

8 comments:

Isabel said...

Have a fun time in the States! I'd love to visit SF someday. And oh boy, I am so jealous of your YSL briefcase.

Unknown said...

Love your DIY projects, always so inspiring. Also love the print but it wouldn't work with my colouring...

Have fun in the US!

/Male-Mode.com

Matthew Spade said...

good luck izzy! speak very soon,

if any of your shirts don't fit anymore can i have first dibs?!

khaz said...

enjoy!

it's too bad we didn't get to meet before you left.

oh, and i love that ysl

EJ said...

Make sure you send us your Bostonian recommendations so we can add them to our map! Let me know if any of those vintage places are worth looking at too.

Anonymous said...

you have a real talent for picking fabrics! i LOVE this one. love love love. the quirks in the "quality" you mention just emphasize that it is handmade, which is, in my opinion, a great thing. i just got a top in amsterdam with raw edge at the neckline. are we coming undone?
my travel outfit - you might approve - a black and white checked dries van noten dress. i find i am more comfortable when traveling if i'm wearing favorite clothes.
bon voyage!

Unknown said...

i really dig this getup. the shoes - i'd kill for them. i didn't know YSL did that muse style. it's really very cool. love that shirt. ok, i love every single item.

coin-operated ninja said...

that's a fabulous jet-setter's outfit. goodluck in boston!

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