Dress of the week: Anthropologie Moulinette Soeurs Golden Light Dress

Part Yuan dynasty, part Bollywood, this dress shimmers with glowing gold.

Golden strapless silk dress with tiered skirt, by Moulinette Soeurs.

$188.00 at Anthropologie.com

Bless Her Heart, Barbie Has Fat Ankles

Anytime someone makes a remark about Barbie's body it's a scandal. Is she too thin, too fat or too curvy? It's enough to fill one's hollow plastic head with all kinds of body-image issues. So, of course, when a spokesperson for Christian Louboutin suggested the poor dear had the dread "cankles" people went nuts. The thing is, though, he's right.

It's important to clarify that fat ankles do not equal fat. Barbie is clearly not fat. But, let's be honest, her body is somewhat oddly shaped, her feet less than elegant. I know Barbie's figure well, as my sister and I both served as her personal couturiers for much of our childhood. We never attempted to make shoes, but even with Jem on the scene if you really wanted to dress your dolls like Debbie Harry you had to break out the scissors and safety pins.

Barbie's feet are absurdly small for her body and shaped in a way that not only makes it impossible for her to stand without assistance, but also makes one wonder if Mattel is run by a bunch of wacko foot binding enthusiasts. They just seem wrong. I think this is what compelled me as a small child to chew the heck out of the misshapen things. Was I teething at six? Maybe. I think I was subconsciously rejecting or trying to fix those ridiculous feet. They are deformed and they make her ankles look even bigger.

Barbie's ankles are a too slim head-on, too wide in profile mess. If someone with as much reverence for a woman's foot as Christian Louboutin wants to improve things I, for one, approve.

Homemade halloween costume ideas

If you find the idea of purchasing a ready-made Halloween costume sad, but don't have any ideas for this year, here are some costume "recipes" from American Apparel.

Too late for Bonnaroo

Alexis Petridis ponders the sartorial nightmare that is the outdoor music festival:

I'm sure you shouldn't heed the advice fashion mags tend to dole out this time of year. It inevitably comes attached to a photograph of Agyness Deyn, Nick Grimshaw and Henry Holland backstage and a suggestion you get their look: a riot of spotless thrown-together designer gear. They look that way only because they arrived in a Swarovski crystal-studded airship, from which they were lowered into the VIP area, where they stayed, eating veal paninis and enjoying cocktails made with hors d'age cognac and poor people's tears.

You really should be following Karl Lagerfeld on Twitter

Some gems from @Karl_Lagerfeld:

For me, Chanel is like music. There are certain notes and you have to make another tune with them. —5:23 AM May 9th from web

My dream? Transparent fur. The hair on plastic and not on leather. We’ve tried, but nobody has found it yet. —9:34 PM Feb 18th from web

Nothing scares me more than people with some doll collection. As a child, I never played with anything like toys. I wanted to be a grown-up. —6:14 AM Feb 10th from web

After the couture, I am spending a quiet weekend in my all-glass apartment, floating over the river on Quai Voltaire. —8:55 AM Jan 31st from web

Believe it or not, I love rap. —9:46 AM Jan 19th from web

On this day each year, I soak the previous year's calendar in my mother's favorite perfume and then set it ablaze. Here's to a fresh start —2:13 PM Jan 1st from web

For Esther, with Love and Spandex

Oh, the things I've learned from MGM musicals! As a very small girl I knew what life was supposed to be: glamorous, exciting, colorful, filled with music and choreography.

I was madly in love with Esther Williams, and when my Mum signed me up for swimming lessons I simply could not wait. At seven, I was not an excellent swimmer. My dog paddle was strong, but I understood the need to work on some of basic, prerequisite strokes at the beginning of the program. By lesson three, though, I was frustrated. After a bit of aquatic sulking, I finally asked my instructor: "when will we get to the synchronized swimming and the part where I'm underwater standing on the giant shell?"

This was not the last time I felt disappointed by the decided lack of glamor in the world around me, and pretty much sums up the way I feel while shopping for swimsuits. Have you ever been in a Hollister store or looked through a Lands End catalog? There is something terribly, terribly wrong with this world.

As a remedy, here is a small collection of stylish swim attire —all allow the wearer to be alluring while maintaining her mystique, no Brazilian bikinis in the bunch.


This high-waisted petal pink two-piece suit looks like the perfect modest two-piece. If only it came in black!
The Betty Swimsuit
Mod Cloth
$134.99


Halter Swimdress, aka 'The Marilyn Swimdress'
Esther Williams
$89.00



Dottie Swimsuit
Stop Staring Clothing
$98.00



A lovely pastel colored and petal covered swim cap, you've always wanted one. Today is the day.
Petal Swim Cap
Headcovers Unlimited
$14.99



This is a cute, classic black one-piece from Urban Outfitters. I wanted to see this on a girl with a slightly curvier figure, or at least a girl who did not have the hips of an adolescent boy, hence the sloppily edited version on the right.
BDG Retro One Piece
Urban Outfitters
$59.99(on sale, typically $88.00)

Liberty of London Accessory Showcase

I adore my vintage Liberty silk scarves. Here are a few accessories that evoke a garden afternoon with flowers birds and bees:


Silk Twill Peacock Scarf 90x90, Liberty of London



The Elizabeth, Liberty Of London
Oversized clutch in hydrangea print leather



Black Jewelled Bug Pouch Bag, Liberty of London
This bag is amazing. Drool.

More at the Liberty of London website.