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Thursday, August 18, 2011

Dictionary for Dolls & Dudes: Panache

Hey everyone!

So it's Wednesday and I thought I would start up a "Word of the Week" feature on here to bring you all some light into the jargon of the fashion and beauty communities. To keep it relative to the purpose as well as fun, I've titled it the "Dictionary for Dolls & Dudes" (because alliteration never becomes cliched at all)!

To start us off, I'll begin with the word that got me thinking about this in the first place:

Panache 


(Noun) Pronounced "Pah-nawsh, with the accent on the second syllable" 


Definition: Flamboyance in regards to one's style or action.


Example: There was such panache displayed at John Galliano's final Dior collection, it's hard to believe he can truly be replaced.


Origin: The word is of Latin origin (pinnaculum) but the connotation it carries today derives from its French origin (pennache) and literally means the "plume" of a hat or helmet. The word itself became often associated with King Henry IV of France, who was recognized not only by his characteristics as a pleasure-loving, cynical and courageous but also by the white plume that always adorned his helmet and was a part of his battle cry: "Ralliez-vous à mon panache blanc!" Translation: "Follow my white plume!"


Sources:
1. Merriam-Webster Dictionary
2. Wikipedia


The reason I took note of this word was a blog I began following that really intrigued me, titled Panache Offblast, but I had no idea what the term in the title meant! I figured I wasn't the only one, though, because language is always transforming as well as fashion and beauty, so put the two together, and you bet that there are new words getting introduced into those aspects of culture as well. Thus I came up with this idea, which as a lover of language, I thought it would fun feature to share with you all!


Did you know of the word "Panache"? Do you use it in your speech frequently or on occasion? Do you like the word? If you didn't know of it or use it before, will you start to now?


Hope you enjoyed this feature and look forward to being a part of this small-yet-large aspect of fashion and beauty, because how you talk to folks in the industry can make or break who your connections in it.


Also, any words you've heard but aren't sure of? Feel free to post below or shoot me an email at littleluna.love@gmail.com or you can even tweet me (Twitter info is off to the right)!


Hasta Luego!


Love,
Little Luna

Friday, August 12, 2011

Don't Let the Black and White Confuse You; I'm a Rainbow Swirl Lollipop!

Hey everyone!!!

It is absolutely wonderful to be back!! If you aren't a follower on Twitter, the reason I went all Houdini on you guys once again was due to the massive overhaul that took place in my room. I'm sharing it with my little brother and now we've managed to paint the room, as well as the rest of the place, white, get new beds (bunk beds to be exact), shifted some furniture around, got rid of A LOT of stuff, set up a mini office in one corner of the room and I've just about got all of my wardrobe and makeup set up. There are still some minor things that need to take place but things have been working out pretty smoothly now. I will say that I'm still trying to find where is the best place in the apartment to take pics so you may see me all over the place in the next couple posts. Anyway, I'm so happy to get back into the swing of things on here as there is a lot I want to chat with you all about and I've taken the time away to prep some new ideas I hope to begin sharing with you all very, very soon as well as some posts I intended to share before but with all that was going on,  I didn't get the chance. So let's get started, shall we?!

Last week on Friday, I did something out of the norm and got up extra-early instead of my usual afternoon time wake-up (though I'm currently trying to shift that routine so I won't be so out of it once school starts--2 weeks left!!). The reason was due to an interview I decided I'd give a try at Dylan's Candy Bar! If you've never heard of this place, I'll fill you in on why you should check it out:

1. Dylan Lauren is Ralph Lauren's (yes, the designer) daughter! Even though her work is invested in something else, she definitely has her dad's eye when it comes to style, both in regards to the store layout, products, and herself!
2. Even if you don't have much of a sweet tooth, like myself, there is undoubtedly something that will call your attention! They have candy from every country that produces it and it's definitely something we all should experience (I sadly didn't get to go into the store that day but I'm thinking of returning soon just for it).
3. Not a candy person at all? Check out their gear! They have colors galore when it comes to their other products, which include cute clothes for everyonecolorful bagsdelicious-looking stationery (NERD ALERT: I go absolutely wild looking at this page), and many more.
4. The New York City Flagship Store has a separate space for parties as well as a very nice café with a menu full of yummy delights.

Isn't that rad or what?! I obviously didn't take any pics (how odd would that look while waiting on a line for an interview) but definitely will share some next time I go. I don't know how the outcome is looking, seeing as it has been about a week, but I always wait 2 weeks before holding off on expectations. What I thought was a fun part of the interview, though, was the question "If you could be any kind of candy, what would you be and why?" I answered, "A Rainbow Swirl Lollipop because each characteristic on its own stands out well but put them together and you get something awesome, like me!" When written it may sound a bit cocky, but I'm pretty confident in that answer and know that it's definitely applicable. Oddly enough, I was dressed like the complete opposite of a Rainbow Swirl Lollipop but more on that in a second.

After I scampered off and had some breakfast, I scurried over to the Metropolitan Museum of Art to finally check out the Savage Beauty exhibit. I got there at about 11:15 a.m. and was met with the following line:




That would be the museum behind me in the last shot and the first two show the line going down the block, away from the museum, and then wrapping back toward it. Also, this was just to get inside the museum itself! Another line awaited to go to the exhibit! I should have known a little better and my feet were already dying in the shoes I was wearing but I soldiered on till about 12 p.m. when a guard came out with a megaphone to declare the exhibit closed for the rest of the day!! Talk about popular! A little disappointed, but tremendously happy to return home and kick off my shoes, I went on my way and plotted to return over the weekend (more on that in a future post). Before I did that, though, I shot some pictures of my outfit to share:




I wanted to go for a classy look that still felt comfortable for the Summer so I initially thought "Blouse & Skirt & Heels" but didn't really feel my options until I took a look at this midi houndstooth skirt, a vintage score from my mother's closet. Where's the skirt you may ask? It's the dress I'm wearing! That's right: I took it all the way up and it fit beautifully. To keep it figure-flattering I cinched the waist with my favorite vintage green belt (not with the intention of matching it to my bra straps lol). Speaking of the bra straps, I didn't want to show those off so I topped it off with a pinstripe blazer to create some minor print-mixing (TIP: You may have heard it dozens of times but the key to easy print-mixing is keeping your color palette the same on both prints). I finished it off with my classiest purse and pair of heels, silver horseshoe earrings (Yes, I'm wearing earrings after a two year break!), and, of course, a pearl necklace--this having been my two-layered ivory and grey one from my last trip to the Flea Market.

For hair, I went with a messier version of the same hairstyle I wore for the last interview outfit I shared to deconstruct the outfit a bit. Lastly, for makeup, I kept it simple with pink lips and lengthy lashes.

How do you like this outfit? Have you ever tried wearing a skirt as a top or dress? Are there any other pieces that you've alternated its original use and why? If you were any type of candy in the world, what would you be and why? Do you think I was right to say Rainbow Swirl Lollipop or did you expect something else? Did you check out the Alexander McQueen exhibit over the summer? Most importantly, how have you been in all my time away?! What have you been up to in that time?!


For anyone who isn't really confident about switching up a skirt into a dress, I'd like to share another example that does it really well! As I've mentioned a few times, I'm a petite-yet-curvy little doll so you may think "That's why you can get away with it!" Let the lovely Tanesha Awasthi a.k.a. Girl with Curves show you how much of a misconception that is, as she is a woman that is on the Curvy-Girl spectrum (some may refer to it as Plus-Sized or Full-Figured as well, but I love Tanesha's take on it best).


So take those skirts out for a spin one of these tremendously warm days as something other than a skirt! Maybe you'll find out you have a new favorite dress/top (definitely found my go-to dress for a more formal occasion)!

Hasta Luego!

Love,
Little Luna