severe appeal

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I sometimes wake up craving a severe, restrained look like this. Hair sleek, lines simple, fabrics luxe, colors muted, face stark, accessories minimal. I often associate this kind of austere, controlled elegance with Ralph Lauren, who does it so well.

This craving may be attributed to a severe mood, an ungenerous mood, or perhaps it is a display of control to balance some hidden lack of control (surely there is no shortage of this). Or something less traceable.

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Usually I prefer, like J Crew’s Jenna Lyons (good interview), to leave something (or many things) undone to give reality and warmth to the look. An air of carelessness. There is something especially armour-like about heavily polished, curated looks, however, something impersonal and impenetrable that has its own peculiar appeal (though it runs the danger of being completely charmless, even if technically well executed). The transparent purposefulness of the approach also sidesteps the phenomenon of spending much time and effort to look as if you have not spent much time and effort, though this too is compelling in a bizarre way.

I couldn’t want to do this sort of look every day but it is occasionally satisfying.

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The tooling on this bag is lovely. Ralph Lauren, fittingly. A thriftfind.

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Ralph Lauren bag (thrifted), thrifted silk tank, Victoria’s Secret linen beach pants, Birkenstocks, 10mm pearl studs (of course, it had to be pearls) from Pearls of Joy, vintage Geneva watch. On the lips: Stila liquid lipstick in Beso.

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I am often looking rather severe, which is either me being horribly serious or just my face, doing its thing. I don’t think there’s any way to tell them apart.

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le moto

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After years (years!) of futile* hunting, I found a pair of knee high leather boots. The leather is gorgeously soft. You can’t quite see but they have a modest heel. They were destined to become best friends with this jacket.

*bootless…

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Boots better folded up or down? Can’t decide…

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This is my new favorite lip color thing.

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So glad the weather for this jacket has finally come around again. Coach knee-high boots (thrifted), Allsaints Cargo leather jacket, Express leggings, J Crew Kiss Kiss tee, Solange Azagury-Partridge Hotlips ring (thrifted), Mulberry bag (thrifted), Spektre sunglasses. On the lips: Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick in Beso. This stuff is incredible, it goes on opaque in one intense layer and doesn’t move until you take a makeup remover to it (and it’s stubborn even then) or eat something greasy. This shade, Beso (the name fits the look, no?*), is a lot like MAC’s Russian Red lipstick, a deep, siren-worthy blue red.

*Got tons of compliments on this, and hardly ever get complimented on anything, honestly. A Northeast thing, I think. Even a smile is kind of uncommon on the street, though a certain kind of appreciative stare isn’t unheard of. Not that I am especially interested in feedback (I want to do whatever, wear whatever, because because because because because) but it can be interesting social data, what gets compliments. Even more so here in the land of reluctant social interaction. I realize I note compliments more consciously with perfume, for whatever reason.

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