Auteur Couture

Film and Fashion on the cheap

Looking for a dress for King and Queens.

I really want the gold dress in general (I’m obsessed with the gold trend and sequins and wouldn’t this look great at ANY time of the year?) but it’s $80

This blue dress is classic and cute and $30, but OUT OF STOCK

This blue sequin dress is kind of the mix of the two and $16, but I’m worried it’s a little hoochie. But I have been looking for a sequin item for my wardrobe…

Ok, I am in love with this (as well as Herve Leger’s whole collection). This look is Artemis. To a T. 

Ok, I am in love with this (as well as Herve Leger’s whole collection). This look is Artemis. To a T. 

Favorites of the night:

Rose byrne (wearing Vivienne Westwood) - the cut of this dress is perfect. If it were any other or didn’t fit her right, it wouldn’t work.

Milla Jovovich (Elie Saab) - Elie Saab and Marchesa will forever be Oscar dress darlings for a reason. They are the perfect mix of glamour and fashion. Job well done.

Kate Mara (Jack Guisso Couture) - I adore anything off the shoulder or involving interesting straps. This looks gorgeous and ethereal and her hair is perfect!

Glenn Close (Zac Posen) - Girl knows how to rock it age appropriate style. Love the blazer. Love the dress. Love the color.

Gwyneth Paltrow (Tom Ford) - Gwyneth’s sleek style is amazing. Only she could pull this off.

I love you Emma Stone. I really do. And this dress is beautiful. But your stylist should have known.

Loved your presentation, though :)

Gold dresses! Adore!!

J. Mendel. I never heard of you until Princess Kate started wearing you, and now you’re one of my fav runway shows :). 

Ok, HOW does Ralph Lauren continually understand what I want and need?

First of all, this collection screams Boardwalk Empire (a show I highly recommend), and it seems they share a love of menswear, fair isle sweaters, the 20s, and the palette of black and gold with me. We should be friends.

Seriously, though - If I were a man I would dress like an English Gentleman. Sweatervests, tweed, pocket watches, shawl collar cardigans :).

So, while my goal of this tumblr has been to show you how anyone can afford great fashion, I get discouraged like everyone else. When fashion week comes around, I get SO excited to see the beautiful looks and great trends, but frustrated knowing it will take forever to trickle down into affordable stores. Just take a look at some of these pictures from Spring 2012 fashion week. Fall 2012 fashion week is going on and I still haven’t seen some of the trends I love.

In the meantime, we can enjoy and be on the lookout - I adore the 20’s trend, as exemplified by the drop waist dresses of Zac Posen and Great Gatsby-esque Ralph Lauren collections, as well as Charlize Theron at the Golden Globes! Doesn’t she look angelic? And I am OBSESSED with this white dress by Ralph Lauren. 

FINALLY. Saw “The Artist” on Thursday night with film/AMP buddies (I’m the one in the middle looking weird). Here’s my take… I get why some people asked for their money back because they didn’t realize “The Artist” was a silent film. The silence is a little jarring. Even as a film minor still in college, I found it jarring. Part of this is that you’re in a movie theater and not a classroom watching this movie. You also know that sound is possible, so you kind of hope they’ll sneak something in there besides music.  And you recognize a lot of the American actors, like John Goodman, and it’s weird seeing them in a black and white film without any sound.   Having said that, I think Michael Hazavanicius (writer and director) did a fabulous job! I remember reading an article about this movie last Spring and thinking that it could either be really bad or really good. In the theater I had the same thought, but instead it was “This could have been really awful if they did one thing wrong, but they got it just right.”   One part of how they got it right - they managed to use very minimal intertitles and still get the message across easily. From what I remember of some silent movies (especially the ones that attempted grandiose plots), there was much more of a dependence on intertitles. But this film is about embracing the power of film, sans dialogue and color. It’s about the power of the visual, the cinematography and the acting. I was actually reminded of the love story sequence in “Up,” which manages to make people (me) cry with animated looks and beautiful music.   Another part? The acting. Jean DuJardin embodies the old Hollywood actor. His smile is charming and disarming, every move he makes reminds you of Gene Kelly or Cary Grant. He seriously enchants this movie, and in my opinion, is a very large reason why it works. Also, in a very difficult (but perfect) move, they decided to give him a dog sidekick who steals the show. He adds the humor and the heartbreak.   This movie is an homage to old movies, paralleling movies like “Singin’ in the Rain” (which is also why you keep thinking they are going to talk). It is extremely meta – a silent movie about silent movies dying out and sound taking over, which can be confusing and fun when we see what the sound movies are supposed to look like.   So, do I recommend this movie? Absolutely. To everyone? No. This will enchant true movie-lovers everywhere, and delight people who have a longer attention span, but I would not recommend this to people who need a lot of things going on to keep their attention. Should it win the Oscar? Although I haven’t seen some of the frontrunners (“The Descendants”), in the words of my friend Hannah – it should win just because of how unique it is. The fact that they pulled this kind of a movie off deserves a million awards. Sidenote - for the score, I wasn’t as impressed as I thought I would be by the score, but it does carry the entire film, so no hard feelings if it gets the Oscar :). Basically, if you love movies and like happiness, go see it!

FINALLY. Saw “The Artist” on Thursday night with film/AMP buddies (I’m the one in the middle looking weird).

Here’s my take…

I get why some people asked for their money back because they didn’t realize “The Artist” was a silent film. The silence is a little jarring. Even as a film minor still in college, I found it jarring. Part of this is that you’re in a movie theater and not a classroom watching this movie. You also know that sound is possible, so you kind of hope they’ll sneak something in there besides music.  And you recognize a lot of the American actors, like John Goodman, and it’s weird seeing them in a black and white film without any sound.

 

Having said that, I think Michael Hazavanicius (writer and director) did a fabulous job! I remember reading an article about this movie last Spring and thinking that it could either be really bad or really good. In the theater I had the same thought, but instead it was “This could have been really awful if they did one thing wrong, but they got it just right.”

 

One part of how they got it right - they managed to use very minimal intertitles and still get the message across easily. From what I remember of some silent movies (especially the ones that attempted grandiose plots), there was much more of a dependence on intertitles. But this film is about embracing the power of film, sans dialogue and color. It’s about the power of the visual, the cinematography and the acting. I was actually reminded of the love story sequence in “Up,” which manages to make people (me) cry with animated looks and beautiful music.

 

Another part? The acting. Jean DuJardin embodies the old Hollywood actor. His smile is charming and disarming, every move he makes reminds you of Gene Kelly or Cary Grant. He seriously enchants this movie, and in my opinion, is a very large reason why it works. Also, in a very difficult (but perfect) move, they decided to give him a dog sidekick who steals the show. He adds the humor and the heartbreak.

 

This movie is an homage to old movies, paralleling movies like “Singin’ in the Rain” (which is also why you keep thinking they are going to talk). It is extremely meta – a silent movie about silent movies dying out and sound taking over, which can be confusing and fun when we see what the sound movies are supposed to look like.

 

So, do I recommend this movie? Absolutely.

To everyone? No. This will enchant true movie-lovers everywhere, and delight people who have a longer attention span, but I would not recommend this to people who need a lot of things going on to keep their attention.

Should it win the Oscar?

Although I haven’t seen some of the frontrunners (“The Descendants”), in the words of my friend Hannah – it should win just because of how unique it is. The fact that they pulled this kind of a movie off deserves a million awards.

Sidenote - for the score, I wasn’t as impressed as I thought I would be by the score, but it does carry the entire film, so no hard feelings if it gets the Oscar :).


Basically, if you love movies and like happiness, go see it!

Class + Movie-going outfit! (went to see “The Artist! Review to come!)Boyfriend Blazer - around $30, American Eagle Jersey Pencil Skirt - $10, Forever21 Vampire Diaries t-shirt - Christmas gift from Claire’s pocket watch necklace - heirloom black suede ankle boots - $30 from DSW Cable knit tights - about $8 from Target This is the first time I’ve worn this outfit, but I really like it! I got this Vampire Diaries t-shirt as a joke gift from my roommate, but I love the colors and I always try to use it in unexpected and non-fangirly ways. I like the way it dresses down this pencil skirt and blazer, so its ok to wear to class. The pencil skirt I got on the cheap (one of those fabulous finds from Forever21), and the jersey material makes it very comfortable. I paired it with knit tights to keep it from showing too much (and to protect myself from the winter weather). I used a long gold necklace to break the outfit up and dress it down a little more. I LOVE this pocket watch necklace. I originally bought one my freshman year of college for $20 from fredflare. When my Grandma saw me wear it, she offered to give me her pocket watch to wear. It’s MUCH prettier than the FredFlare one (and the Fredflare one died :( ) and has a picture of my parents in it, since it was originally a present from them to my Grandma!  

Class + Movie-going outfit! (went to see “The Artist! Review to come!)

Boyfriend Blazer - around $30, American Eagle

Jersey Pencil Skirt - $10, Forever21

Vampire Diaries t-shirt - Christmas gift from Claire’s

pocket watch necklace - heirloom

black suede ankle boots - $30 from DSW

Cable knit tights - about $8 from Target

This is the first time I’ve worn this outfit, but I really like it! I got this Vampire Diaries t-shirt as a joke gift from my roommate, but I love the colors and I always try to use it in unexpected and non-fangirly ways. I like the way it dresses down this pencil skirt and blazer, so its ok to wear to class. The pencil skirt I got on the cheap (one of those fabulous finds from Forever21), and the jersey material makes it very comfortable. I paired it with knit tights to keep it from showing too much (and to protect myself from the winter weather).

I used a long gold necklace to break the outfit up and dress it down a little more. I LOVE this pocket watch necklace. I originally bought one my freshman year of college for $20 from fredflare. When my Grandma saw me wear it, she offered to give me her pocket watch to wear. It’s MUCH prettier than the FredFlare one (and the Fredflare one died :( ) and has a picture of my parents in it, since it was originally a present from them to my Grandma!