Buffy

The very first post I ever put up was about style in Buffy. I had just gotten into blogs and was rewatching BtVS and didn't get why I couldn't find any decent discussion of how stylish the show was. Since then, I've interviewed the costume designer for the show (!) and talked here and there about how the styling influenced my own sense of style.

Thinking about these things today, about progress, about how funny life can be and what an amazing journey this little project of passion has been, I thought I'd go back to my origins a little bit. I'm gonna go back to putting the nerd in fashion every so often and show you how to style contemporary looks modelled on the inspiration provided by icons of pop culture. I'm going to talk about the things I once wished someone else would approach. And, maybe, I'll get to squee with you guys over shared loves of amazing shows and people.

As the show ran for seven seasons, we watched Buffy's sense of style evolve majorly. She went from being a carefree teen to a well-dressed outcast, to a young woman who knew what is was like to sacrifice the person she loved most, to a college student, to someone who lost a parent, to a primary care-giver, to someone back from the dead, to a person dealing with self-loathing, to leader of an army. She grew so much over the course of the show and this was always visually echoed in what she wore.

The three looks I've put together mostly reflect her style later on in the show (mostly season six and seven) but definitely reference her Valley-girl origins. Especially the first look, entitled Patrolling? This is an homage to all the totally situation and terrain inappropriate clothing that Buffy used to wear early on - super-short skirts and heeled boots while hunting demons through cemeteries and sewers, in particular. As someone who once went on a hike in heeled boots (I know), she's kinda a girl after my own heart here. The palette and aesthetic, however, are very much of her style as an older woman. To begin with, she was very much "more is more, is more" with styling the epitome of the nineties; clashing prints, crazy accessories and plenty of flesh-baring. Later, her style became more restrained with less bright pops of colour and more subdued tones. Everything here is very neutral and simple but with some sexy twists. And totally inappropriate for patrolling but who cares? Besides, if you accessorise with a mythological weapon, you'll be fine.

Look number two is along the lines of what Buffy wore out partying with her friends in later seasons when she wasn't sneaking around with Spike or dealing with serious mental health problems. Leather is present as it was in the first look and this is a fabric choice pervasive in Buffy's wardrobe throughout the show. If you wanna dress like her, invest in leather! The top has a low enough v-neck but is oversized and in a more neutral tone and does that thing that older Buffy was so good at, balancing sex appeal with taker elements so that nothing was over-done or overly obvious. Ankle boots finish the look as the Buffster was all about a good boot.

The final look is a little like a blend of season four and seven. In both season Buffy spent plenty of time on campus, for college and then as a school counsellor at Sunnydale High. It's a little lighter, breezier, referencing her brief stint as a relatively easy-going (for her) college student and then her need to be more appoachable. As always, there are interesting details to the outfit, the multitude of colours in the jeans, the attachment to the neckline of the top, but the whole is restrained overall. Buffy was always stylish and current but never had to try too hard and very much wore the clothes rather than the other way around. Besides, she would have pretty much looked great in a burlap sack, right?

Let me know what you think of these looks! Any other BtVS fanatics out there?

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Winter Light

At home, the light is at its most beautiful at sunset during winter. When the air is crisp and your breath floats all around you. When the ground crunches beneath your feet. The naked trees that provide relief from the sun in winter play games with it instead. The two flirt so that light dances all around, between gaps, under, over.

Comfort is important on these cold days. Ease of movement, protection against the elements. The surroundings and the setting influence how I dress. It's so quiet and other-worldly in its beauty that it feels like a different time here. Wandering through it on my own, with internet firmly behind doors and the rest of the world far away, I get this sense of calm. I breathe again. It helps recharge. So I put on a vintage coat owned by my mother before me and as old as I am, from our time in France. It is a timeless piece - navy wool, practical, reliable. Both light and warm. Voluminous enough to hide in but not so heavy as to get lost. Around my neck is a new Fat Face scarf from my aunt. Hardly a practical item, it is such a slip of a thing. But charming in how much it suits my tastes. Beloved for having someone who knows the things I like so well. Muted blue run through with many other colours so subtle that they are like speckles in tweed. Earthy. On my feet are well-worn New Look boots. Slightly cowboyish with a low heel. Enough to feel adult, adequately low for me to walk in with ease. The latest purchase from Zara encases my legs. Again in the blue family - navy pinstripes. Wide-legged. Elasticated waist. Casual today but always sharp and ready to be dressed up. Trusty Topshop sunglasses to help tame that playful sun. All together something a little Parisian in styling but traditionally Irish in elements of materials and tones.

Perhaps not the clothes for trekking around the fields in but something for wandering just a little with camera in hand and head in clouds. For basking in how lovely everything around me is. For embarking on something a little new to me. My first OOTD captured on camera but moving, not still.

Okay, so I'm super-nervous about this one. But I really wanted to show how I see home and winter how they inspire me to dress. I thought the combination of words and photographs and films went some way towards doing this. What do you think? 

MY AW14 Trends.

So, yeah, trends come and go and, as a fashion blogger and aspiring fashion journalist, I have to be aware of them. That doesn't mean, however, that I tend to take them all that seriously. More often than not, I adopt current silhouettes along palettes and themes of my own devising. This way, I still feel as though I'm looking relevant but not slavishly doing as everyone else is. Plus, highstreet fashion is constantly aeons behind the runway anyway. Fashion is an industry and a machine and in order to be economically viable it ploughs on ahead at an intimidating pace, you can try to keep apace with it or weave your own path.

Styling is a great way to breathe new life into looks because things are constantly resurfacing in new guises. For example, the turtle neck is back again this AW. Personally, I'm enjoying the idea of styling it with easy-chic pieces, restraint and then an unexpected flash of lace. Bring a bit of gothic into contemporary urban clothing.

Staple items cropping up that I know I want to invest in are midi-skirts, trench coats and cloaks. There's space for these things in my wardrobe and, if the right ones are chosen, they'll serve me well for years to come as they are timeless pieces. Sometimes it's good to invest as well as indulge in fleeting fancies - though those are important too!

Basically, what I'm trying to say, in a round about way, is I've devised and decided to embrace  my own (well, one is more of a common way of life for many) adaptations of trends for this coming season. These are the six modes of dress that I'll be rocking. They are, in no particular order; Too Kawaii to Function (Or Sailor-Influenced Cuteness, Basic Witch (aren't I funny), Neo Irish, All Black Everything (said way of life), Trench Girl Chic and Pastel Sabbath.

So, which one is your favourite? How are you putting your spin on AW14?

The formula of how to Haim.

Haim's new video for If I Could Change Your Mind is all over my facebook feed and tumblr. It's mostly because girl and womankind alike, journalists and average Josephines alike are squeeing and fangirling to the max. The band's rise, to coin a terrible cliché, has been meteoric. And while many fans are of male and other gender-identifying persuasions, it seems to me that it is the female fans who are most into them.

We're all girl-crushing hard and by three.

And I think I've cracked the formula - how they've managed to beguile us all like wonderful songstressy sirens. Here's a breakdown of why Haim are so perfect.

1. See, Haim manage to be many things at once while maintaining a appearance of being genuine. Now, I'm not questioning this genuineness - I'm as fangirly as the next gal - but pointing it out is important. 

2. Dat Hair is perfect. Srsly. We all want it.

3. Us nineties gals remember when Girl Power was the phrase of the moment and how into it we all were. I mean, celebrating being a girl? So good! The fact that Haim are an all-girl band of sisters - though they are many things other than that and are still musicians and a band rather than merely a "girl band" - adds to our general adoration of them.

4. They're so cool! They never seem to try too hard or as they're high-maintenance. They're cool girls in a band being awesome.

5. But they're also a little goofy. The new video being a case in point. The choreography, the referencing of 60s and 70s girl groups. It's not an artsy short film trying too hard, it's people having fun. And still managing to be cool.

6. They're relatable - they're not air-brushed ideals but beautiful, talented, real, full human beings.

7.  Connected is the fact that while they have an enviable sense of style it's never over-styled - they could easily be a particularly cool girl you know. They're flawless but not in the literal sense of the word, in the fangirly sense. 

Clearly, I've spent my time wisely. Not thinking about the meaning of life or how to end climate-change but about why we all love Haim...hrm. What d'y'all think? Am I a million miles off or spot on?

Cynthia Bergstrom - A Sense of Style that Slays me.

Cynthia Bergstrom has worked on iconic movies and shows such as Scream, Medium, CSI: Miami and Buffy as a costume designer. She has also worked in a styling capacity for celebrities and magazines. Her long and illustrious career in dress has now given way to a new path in psychology dealing with kids with autism, adults with Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, substance abuse problems and more. She clearly was not content with dressing the world - she now wants to help make it a better place. Buffy is my favourite tv show of all time - I'm obsessed - and Cynthia was lovely enough to take time out from her schedule to talk to me about her career and Buffy, in particular. So exciting! I've been fangirling through the entirety of our correspondance.

1. How did you get into costume design?

I was in my early 20s working at the California Mart as a sales rep for a contemporary women's line. It was a great job, but I had mastered it. I thought, there's got to be more to life than this... I started to think about how I had wanted to be a costume designer. As a kid I would watch Charlie's Angels and all those groovy 70s shows and think, who puts the clothes on the actors? I want to be that person!...so when I knew I was complete with being a sales rep, I told a friend of mine what I really wanted to do with my life. He just happened to be producing a small film starring Virginia Madsen called Zombie High. He asked me to come on board as his costume designer. I knew from the moment I read the first page of the script that I had found my calling. I felt right at home. From there the different department heads showed me how to breakdown a script, devise a budget, put together the continuity book, etc. It was a blast. I also became the stunt double for Virginia. I was so young and so excited. It was a great intro into the business.

2. What projects/shows are you most proud of?

I loved my work on Scream. It was iconic in many ways. But really, I am most proud of my work on Buffy. I'll never forget when I first got the show. I had never designed for television before. My background was film. In film there is a long prep time, lots of meetings and lots of discussions about who is going to wear what for each scene. Film is incredibly collaborative. When I got to Buffy, I soon realized that the pace was quite different. It was at warp speed by comparison. I knew that I had to move quickly and efficiently. It was sink or swim or rather swim fast or drown. I knew I had to put together a really sharp team and I did. I had to make some rather tough decisions in order to keep things flowing and moving. In film, I might have 4-8 weeks or more to prep a 2 hour movie. In TV, I had 8 days to prep an hour long show. It was like designing with roller blades on...so because of that I am really proud of the work produced. Many of the costumes were designed from an idea in my mind and then custom built. I loved creating new worlds on a weekly basis. I was really stretched as a designer. I remember the Halloween episode in season 2, I think it was episode 6 or something. Buffy becomes a southern belle from the 1860s. The dress I designed for her was gorgeous. I knew at that point, after that episode, that I could do anything that was presented to me. I had so many costumes to design and actors to dress in that episode. The organization of it all was intense but thankfully to my amazing team, we pulled if off knowing that we could do anything.

Princess Buffy

3. Did you enjoy Buffy as a show? Did you watch it? Which season was your favourite?

I did catch Buffy the first season it was on. At first I was turned off by the look of the show so I didn't watch it. It seemed dark. But one night there was nothing else on so I watched. As I was watching I had the distinct feeling that I was supposed to be working on that show. A few days later my agent called me with the interview and the rest is history. I don't really have a favorite season. I loved them all because they were all so different.

4. Which was your favourite to work on?

I loved every episode. Each was fun, creative, challenging and different. Each episode was it's own unique character.

5. Who was the most interesting character to dress?

I loved the ease of dressing Willow. There was always something for her character, to this day I still find perfect Willow pieces in the stores. I loved dressing Angel. I went to all these cool rock n roll stores in LA where I had a personal connection with the owners, it was great fun. Buffy was so hip and stylish, her character was always evolving and had many different needs. It was so exciting when I would find something interesting and unique.

Nineties Willow

6. You worked on the show from season two so you dressed Buffy as she moved from teenager to adult, how did you make her wardrobe fit with her age accordingly?

Each year I changed her wardrobe according to what her character arc was. Each season there was a different theme that Buffy experienced so her wardrobe was predicated upon the mood and tone of the season. And of course, it was like buying new school clothes each year where fashion somewhat dictated how the kids would dress. I wanted Buffy to wear the latest in fashion and be on point with the trends including setting the trend which she did quite often. She definitely had her school clothes and her fight clothes. As she matured, of course some of the choices matured with her as far as styling, cut, color, etc. At the end of season 6, she was certainly a different person than she was at the beginning of season 2. She went from a sophomore in high school to a college senior whose boyfriend was in a secret military unit...and then of course there was Spike who also became a love interest. She went from a teen to a woman. It was important to see through the eyes of a teen growing into the woman that she became and reflect that in her styling choices.

Valley-Girl Buffy.

7. How did you make her changes in style reflect changes in her character and different story arcs?

Her wardrobe became more serious as time went on for her story arc. She started out in the first two seasons wearing mini-skirts and super bright colors. Her clothing reflected an innocence and youthful charm. As she accepted her calling and began her training and fighting into the night her costumes became more about function and a reflection of what was going on internally. When Dawn showed up and her mother died, there was a huge shift from being a teenage girl to a woman who was just trying to hold it all together. Not only her life but and her own personal world but literally the entire world! She wore darker, more serious pieces and cozier clothing that gave the feeling of self-protection. Almost as if she had become closed off to the those around her and she did. Especially after she came back from having been dead.

c. Season Six

8. Which celebrities do you most enjoy styling?

I loved working with Katie Holmes, Katherine Heigl, Michelle Williams, Naomi Watts, Jamie Foxx, David Boreanaz...some of my absolute favorites are old timers like Jack Lemmon, Debbie Reynolds, George Carlin...I have never laughed as hard as I did with George Carlin. What an amazing man he was.

9. Will costume design always be your first love or does styling for editorials etc. compete for your affection?

It's very interesting that you ask this because after 25 years as a Costume Designer and Stylist I have retired my wardrobe rack ;-) But to answer your question, I always loved costume design way more than styling for photo shoots, videos, commercials and editorial. As a stylist, I made a lot more money but to me it wasn't as creative or all-encompassing. I loved running my department and being part of a collaborative team. I loved taking the written word from the script and transforming it into a visualization of the writers work and bringing to life the vision of the director. I loved helping the actors to feel that they were the characters they were playing by way of costume. One of the greatest compliments I ever received was when an actor would tell me that his or her costume I designed helped them to feel who their character was and thus become them. I loved the creative process of dreaming up costume ideas in my mind and researching the character or time period, etc. To me it was far more stimulating and fulfilling than styling. And so now, I have become a psychologist. I kind of always was one as a costume designer, now I just have a Master's degree that states it. This too is an achievement of a dream of mine.

10. And finally, what movies and shows have costume design that really inspire you? In the past and at present?

North By Northwest. I loved the way Cary Grant and Eva-Marie Saint complimented each other with their look and color palette. I loved Karen Patch's work in The Royal Tennebaums. The costumes certainly helped to tell the story of who these people were. It was hilarious. I always, always love the work of Colleen Atwood. Everything she does is simply amazing from Silence of The Lambs, Sleepy Hollow, Planet of The Apes, Chicago, Sweeney Todd, Snow White and The Huntsman, Public Enemies and the list goes on.

Snow White and the Huntsman.

TCD Fashion Show 2012

Here are some photos I took. I'll link my piece on their site once it's up!

Shoot Out-takes and Behind the Scenes.

It was sunny for the first time in ages (and I realise how obsessed with weather and old mannish I've become here) which corresponded beautifully with mine and Bev's little project of the weekend. I'm entering the e-bay/Style Hunter styling competition for the craic and Bev kindly helped me with the girly things like hair and make-up and consulted on the whole styling thang. I had fun but I'm really weird about my eyes and I reckon my freak-outs while Bev was trying to doll me up might have frustrated her a tad...Sorry. I'm really, really weird about my eyes...I also managed to tip all the gross, stagnant water from a tire-swing all over my arm and freak my parents out with the tramping around in ridiculously elaborate outfits.

Here are the out-takes and behind the scenes from today x

Our colour palate. 

The jewellery options and some of the make-up.

Clothes options (a very small portion of them)

Small portion of shoe options.

Make-up.

Horsies and Belle, my puppy.

Dumping that water on myself.

Reaction shot.

Eyes closed but all the better to see Bev's mad make-up skills!

Hair via my sister, Anna.

Bev and her groovy moves.