Jen Rocks Fashion » pink

Tulips in Technicolor

Jennifer — Sun, 07 Jun 2015 20:25:23 +0000

Let’s see, for a blog post about visiting the world-famous Keukenhof Tulip Gardens in Holland, what headline would you use? I admit that my knee-jerk reaction was to go with “Tiptoe through the Tulips.” But besides being too obvious a choice, am I the only one who thinks Tiny Tim was a really creepy dude? I saw this video and thought…euwww. Luckily, I just read about MoMA’s new exhibition celebrating 100 years of Technicolor. Bingo! The description of filmmakers using Technicolor to stage “a full production in candy colors” couldn’t be more perfect—it’s Keukenhof to a T!

On a warm, sunny day halfway through our European trip, Andrew and I took two buses from Amsterdam to get to Keukenhof, also known as the Garden of Europe. The 80-acre park is only open from mid-March to mid-May, and we were among the one million tourists from around the globe who made the journey this year.

Here are our tulip* pics—all unfiltered and only lightly edited. (Btw, I’m omitting captions because I could spend a crap load of time brainstorming clever summaries, and each one would still end up sounding like “glorious ribbons of flowers in full bloom.”) Pro tips: since we don’t have smell-a-vision to share the heady floral scent, view the images while sniffing a bottle of Lilac Path perfume. Also, click on each photo to enlarge. Enjoy!

* You may be wondering why the Dutch are so wild about tulips. Check out this fascinating book which recounts the history of the tulip, and breathtaking rise and ruin of tulip speculation in the 17th-century Netherlands. For historical fiction, try The Black Tulip by Alexandre Dumas.

Check out my Pinterest board for more info and resources.

Previous posts in this series:

Next up: I amsterdam!

Wonderlands: Terrain and Longwood Gardens

Jennifer — Mon, 26 May 2014 11:57:18 +0000

Click to view slideshow.

Tracing a Vogue Pattern

Jennifer — Wed, 15 May 2013 01:25:10 +0000

I’m at a loss. I really don’t know how things got to this point. I mean, this might warrant an intervention.

What’s the crisis, you ask?

[Deep breath.]

I am three months behind reading Vogue.

You’re aghast, right? Yes, I hang my head in shame and should forfeit my fashionista card. Here’s the ugly (or pretty?) truth: April 2013 with Michelle Obama and her toned deltoids is collecting dust on my nightstand, while the month of May with cute-as-a-button Carey Mulligan sits untouched in my dining room. But this past weekend, I decided enough was enough! I just had to start down the road to redemption by tackling March.

B’Day: finally time to enjoy Vogue, March 2013.

I got nestled on my sofa with the 618-page tome and started flipping pages.

That’s when I saw this ad:

Knockout color punch: beautiful powdery pattern and texture on the Fendi jacket.

For whatever reason, the vibrant spray of colors anchored by black caught my eye. And then I kept noticing the same palette repeated throughout the issue:

Similar color mix: illustration for the The Academy of Art University.

No shrinking violet: painterly brushstrokes in this Escada ad.

A sight for bored eyes: stunning Proenza Schouler dress embellished with grommets and paillettes.

Visual feast: a sumptuous flower and home décor shop in Paris.

The bright pastel combo wasn’t limited to Anna Wintour’s fashion bible. Look at the latest cover of Runner’s World:

Powder power: celebrating the Color Run 5K series.

Apparently, Vogue‘s June issue is coming out any minute with blond bombshell Kate Upton on the cover. You know what that means, right? I’ll still be three months behind. But since my savvy color observation didn’t register on any of the spring trend reports, maybe I’m actually ahead of the curve!

The Springboard

Jennifer — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 11:33:07 +0000

A recent style article in the New York Times said it best: “There is something about chirping birds that makes us want to say goodbye to earth tones.” In case you’re one of the, umm, six women on earth who wants to cling to the depressing ochre, umber and sienna in your wardrobe even as the days turn balmy and optimistic, the cheerful accompanying photo should convince you otherwise:

Get happy! An array of summertime make-up and fragrance. Photo via the New York Times.

Asian women don’t look good wearing colors described as “moss,” “mushroom,” or “mousy” (that last one is not legit but you get my point). Color Me Beautiful taught me that back in the ’80s, duh. So instead, my autumn/winter inspiration board had been awash in jewel tones:

Fall/winter visuals featuring jewel tones and strong shapes.

Fast-forward several months and we’re now on the cusp of summer. The warmer weather and longer sunny days beg for soft pastels and some levity (yes, dear God, some much-needed levity):

A breath of fresh air: my light and airy “springboard.”

Top image: 37 y.o. carefree model Carolyn Murphy rockin’ Charlie by Matthew Zink shorts with white piping. Bottom image: model Raquel Zimmermann in a sublime silk printed dress by Rochas.

Models Karlie Kloss and Caroline Trentini in double-faced silk shift dresses with bejeweled necklines by Gucci. I just love the sweet (read: forgiving) silhouettes—you could actually eat dessert wearing these!

Items of note: the hot air balloon in the background of the J.Crew ad packs such visual punch…Living in DC, I like the cherry blossoms on the birthday card…Pantone Peony is pretty perfect.

Update on September 20, 2013: If you wanna see some really elaborate inspiration boards, check out these beauties on Design Sponge. Whatever gets your creative juices pumpin’.

Pink Wrapped

Jennifer — Sun, 04 Nov 2012 13:56:26 +0000

People, it’s almost Election Day! Can you believe it? According to most polls, it’s still too close to call. How is that even possible? I won’t divulge my allegiances here but geez, I hope you can make a pretty good guess. For this post, I’m gonna dodge politics altogether in favor of featuring a gift I recently bought for my dearest friend. (Bear with me—it ties in at the end.)

You see, I’ve been obsessed with bright pink lately. No, I’m not taking a cue from the First Lady and the Wannabe who both wore fuchsia to the second presidential debate. As I laid out my case last year, the color just makes me happy. So I figured, what better color to wrap a present for a birthday party?

The gift box from Anthropologie.

Lots of pink tissue paper concealing the contents.

Unfurling the paper reveals a hint.

Ta-da! A small bowl made in Japan, perfect for ice cream, nuts, etc. I included a set of four.

A ribbon runs through it: a matching card and scented candle.

All set to party! Gift wrap from Paper Source.

Proper topper: some decorative Japanese tape and a flower attached with a dollop of clear glue.

Color-coordinated pair.

My friend loved the pink-themed presentation, which I believe gives my previous winning effort a run for its money:

Pretty pleased with my hostess gift for a garden party earlier this summer.

Which one is better? It’s really too close to call.

Product sources: anthropologie.com, papersource.com

The Fall Buys

Jennifer — Sun, 09 Sep 2012 11:12:10 +0000

You know, I so wish I could tag this post as part of the “What’s In My Wardrobe” category. Instead, it stubbornly resides in “Aspirations” with no real hope of crossing over. Unlike last year, I didn’t have a chance (or, honestly, the motivation) to parse the Fall 2012 Collections. After first checking out the trend report at style.com to get an overall sense of the season (we’re talkin’ brocades, prints, peplum tops, etc.), I went the more practical and expedient route of visiting several retail sites to see what would catch my eye.*

J.Crew pleated poly crepe skirt ($128). I love the color and silhouette but wish the fabric was wool or silk crepe. I refuse to pay for polyester. Ever.

10 Crosby Derek Lam flouncy skirt. A lot to love here: silk georgette, made in USA, vibrant but wearable print, flattering A-line silhouette, side pockets. Price is still a stretch at $335.

I actually prefer the back.

Carven high-waisted, wool blend skirt. So much practicality (its pockets, length, color, fabric, detailing), except its price ($420).

Magaschoni embellished cropped cardigan ($350). OK, I know that white is not easy to keep clean or maintain. Still, it’s yummy cashmere with a cropped length and subtle but special beading. Wonder if it will go on sale…

McQ Alexander McQueen pin-shoulder wool sweater. I don’t know why I find white knits so appealing right now. This version features a hint of punk rock with the oversized safety pins. (It also makes me think of Elizabeth Hurley circa 1994 in that infamous Versace dress.) Hmm, $305. Or I could get a backsplash for my kitchen.

Anyi Lu “Melanie” bootie. The “greige” color? Heaven. Very versatile. Made in Italy. I may have to try these on. $465. Yikes.

J.Crew Excursion quilted down vest. Color? Warm bisque. I’d be channeling the outdoorsy parka trend, but would only get a few months’ use out of it. $110 is doable.

Marchesa. Total fantasy piece. I have no idea how much this costs. The gold-silvery brocade is opulent. It’s short but demure. (And is that an homage to Wonder Woman with the eagle/falcon design on the bodice?)

There you have it–my relatively down-to-earth fall fashion picks. And I’m usually not that into the color blue for my wardrobe but as luck would have it, Pantone just announced its top 10 colors for Spring 2013. What tops the list? Monaco Blue and Dusk Blue.

Images via style.com, jcrew.com, neimanmarcus.com, barneys.com, nordstrom.com.

* I realize this could work better as a Pinterest board but geez, I don’t know if I can handle committing to yet another social media platform.

Update on Sept. 20, 2012: I headed to J.Crew after a rewarding day at work and bought the Excursion vest in navy. (The warm bisque color wasn’t all that flattering on me.) The store was having a spot sale so I got it for 25% off. It’s warm with a streamlined silhouette and just the right amount of puffiness. Perfect for October days to come!

Frocks N’ Flora

Jennifer — Mon, 03 Sep 2012 01:03:45 +0000

Last year, I wrote a series of popular “Inspired by Nature” posts which showed flora-meets-fashion visual relationships. Well, I recently found some more examples at my mom’s house. Think of these as summer’s last hurrah as we get ready for fall.

Floral wrap: Lucia Wild Ginger and Fresh Fig guest soap.

Rockin’ the frock: Dolce & Gabbana Fall 2012 RTW Collection.

Decked out: flower pots in the backyard.

Intensely yellow close-up.

Floral swirl from the Mary Katrantzou Fall 2012 RTW Collection.

Runway images via style.com

Loving Frank

Jennifer — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 02:00:12 +0000

So here’s a random question: have you ever read the novel Loving Frank by Nancy Horan? It’s about Frank Lloyd Wright and his mistress, Mamah Borthwick Cheney. The story is riveting, especially the shocking tragedy that occurs at his residence Taliesin. Well, (awkward segue alert!) this post is actually about another famous architect named Frank.

Frank Gehry is arguably America’s most renowned living architect. Yes, his design for the Eisenhower Memorial on the National Mall is currently the subject of debate but visiting the stunning Guggenheim Bilbao remains on my bucket list (duh). Besides his small jewelry collection for Tiffany (which doesn’t appeal to me at all), I have realized that my opportunities to own a piece of Frank Gehry are few and very far between…

And then one day, I was trying to figure out how to decorate our finished basement. (My practical fashionista ethos* applies to my approach to home decorating too.) Since we’re going to use the space as a laid-back TV room, I definitely wanted some fun, durable furniture. I ended up reusing stuff from our apartment but we still needed a coffee table. I didn’t want anything traditional so here’s what I came up with:

Orange sofa bed from cb2 (I bought it back in 2005); metal end tables from Urban Outfitters (I think those were only $25 each several years ago); green and magenta Frank Gehry Twist Cubes from Design Within Reach.

You want details? The new Frank Gehry cubes that I bought from Design Within Reach are made from virtually indestructible “rotational-molded polymer” and can support up to 300 lbs. They are made in the USA, UV protected, weatherproof and versatile. We can use them as end tables, for seating outdoors or in, etc. And of course, the preppy colors of pink and green make me happy.

The basement also features built-in shelves. You can see a bit of them in this shot:

And here’s a close-up of some of our books on display:

Adding some accessories like throw pillows and artwork comes next. Stay tuned…

* The orange sofa is treated with Scotchgard and its cover zips off (with a lot of effort) and can be dry cleaned. The colorful end tables were so cheap that I don’t care what spills on them.

Update on April 17, 2012: I’m noticing these Gehry cubes in a lot of different places these days—check out this post on Design Milk.

Fresh Picks

Jennifer — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 02:11:07 +0000

As I mentioned in my previous post, I spent the Christmas holiday with my mom. And one morning, I observed that she had many colorful vignettes involving vegetables, plants and flowers scattered around her house. The visual feast of freshness inspired me to go on an impromptu domestic photo safari:

Gourds and fresh tomatoes by the kitchen window

Yellow pepper plant in the kitchen

Orange pepper plant on the kitchen table

Close-up of a delicately-patterned orchid in the family room

A different orchid in the dining room

Can you tell that my mom is a health nut and a green thumb with artistic talent?

Inspired by Nature: Prada

Jennifer — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 00:43:52 +0000

The Chanel post a couple of weeks ago was supposed to close out my “Inspired by Nature” series, but I’m throwing in this one as a little bonus. Hope you enjoy!

Pinkish-red roses still in bloom at Georgetown Waterfront Park:

They remind me of Prada’s jewelry collection for Resort 2012.

So maybe in this case, a rose is a rose is a rose. (Sorry, Gertrude Stein, I couldn’t resist.)

Necklace photo via prada.com

Other posts in this series: