just added

sofia coppola in vogue paris

for all our readers, I am pleased to say that a sister in black frock has recently been added to the fabulous http://www.iwanttobearoitfeld.com/ as one of its contributing editors. the blog, created by kellina de boer follows the ever so stylish roitfeld family...it really is such a stylish, informative, and above all fashionable site. my second article for the blog is a review of sofia coppola for when she was guest editor for vogue paris back in january 2005....this was such a memorable and iconic issue. if you are a fan of vogue paris and the style that carine roitfeld brought to the magazine when she was editor-in-chief do have a look!

valli girl

our mom in giambattista valli

happy birthday to our fabulous mother! or shall we say, mother in a black frock. whether she knows it or not, our mom will always inspire us as a style icon and as a human being. from a young age, she always taught us to think for ourselves and to be individuals, and of course to always wear black....as a good mom should!

what we love most about our mom is that she has the ability to go from glamorous like in this giambattista valli gown (at my sister's wedding) to just as gorgeous as to when she is casual in her gardening clothes. she really has such an innate sense of style that goes beyond the clothes....you can't really say that about many moms or many women, in general.

this is one of our favorite photos of our mom....she shined at my sister's wedding in her black giambattista black dress from spring/summer 2006. I love the way she paired her black cocktail frock with those black tights and heels. its minimal, yet completely cutting edge, at the same time. I will never forget how graceful and confident she looked in this gown....she definetly brought a new meaning to the term valli girl. by far, this is one of her most standout stylish moments. thank you so much for inspiring us....you are a real beauty, in every sense! xoxo

would you wear that?

photo by steven klein

ever since I can remember my mom, sister, and I have been playing the game WOULD YOU WEAR THAT....the game is quite simple you look through a magazine and you decide if you would wear that outfit. I guess you could call this game a family tradition. I will never forget the time I showed this marc jacobs dress to my mom from US vogue june 2006 and asked her if she would wear this. her answer was a dramatic YES! I am not really surprised...this LBD is tailored perfectly and so her type of style. the best part of the story is that immediately after showing my mom this photo she drove out to the marc jacobs store and asked for this dress. at the store, they told her that this dress sold out, but they still had a black draped shirt version of this dress.

of course, my mom tried it on and she bought it....she was a bit upset that she never got the exact dress in the magazine, but she still loves the shirt just as much. we are still to this day a little bit surprised marc jacobs designed this look. honestly, the design looks a little more haider ackermann or donna karan than marc jacobs. despite all that, the drapery on the back is amazing and I always tell her that when she wears her shirt she should always walk backwards....it really is all that fabulous from the back. I love it when we play WOULD YOU WEAR THAT it always leads to interesting fashion adventures!

beautiful in black

backstage at haider ackermann fall/winter 2009

I so admire that my mom never gets bored of a black dress....in our family, a black dress is our best friend and something we can definetly rely on when in a fashion dilemma. yes, my mom has numerous black dresses in her closet and she most likely does not need another, but I always like looking for a black frock that will catch her attention. I love the expression on my mom's face when she sees a beautifully tailored black gown....somehow, I think that excitement for a black dress runs in the family. this haider ackermann black dramatic gown is definetly one that would bring a smile to my mom's face.....its totally her style and would look amazing on her. who ever said a black dress is boring should seriously think twice!

gladiatrix

photo by irving penn

this week I am feeling a little nostalgic for gianni versace's fall/winter 1992 bondage collection..... I think it all started when I saw photos of stylist giovanna battaglia last week at the cannes film festival. I remember in the 90's I was so shocked by this collection. it just seemed so meretricious. so much leather and gold mixed in with chain belts and super high heels. at the time I didn't get it, but now I am slowly starting to appreciate this look. its strange how fashion fluctuates...you can like a look one season and hate it the next...or vice versa. I like to call this versace look the gladiatrix....its part biker and part rock goddess. it definetly takes a lot of confidence to wear this look....but I was so glad to see giovanna battaglia wear her versace fall/winter 1992 in such a modern, yet chic way! I don't know about you, but I always find it exciting when fashionistas wear daring and cutting edge vintage looks like this..it makes fashion a little more fun!



giovanna battaglia in versace fall/winter 1992

safety-pinned

elizabeth hurley in versace

who could forget when elizabeth hurley attended the four weddings and a funeral premiere with hugh grant (her then-boyfriend) in this safety-pinned versace dress?....I remember everyone was talking about this look...whether you love or hate it you got to admit that this is a pretty clever way to use safety pins. I think gianni versace was quite the master at creating body-contouring cuts with theatrical details...this was such a great time in fashion. I have always felt that this dress made elizabeth hurley a style-star...after this dress, we all took notice of what she was wearing on the red carpet!

can i bum a YSL

i can't believe my eyes. YSL makes cigarettes. i guess if you must have a dirty habit, at least look your best doing it.

lovely in lace

photo by daniele & iango

last month, I stumbled upon this image of christina ricci in the new visionaire 60 magazine, edited by riccardo tisci....I think this has to be one of the best photos I have ever seen of her....she looks so fashionably incognito! from what I have read, it appears that christina ricci is shown as the classic spanish madonna, with flowers in her hair and covered with a veil. I particularly love the texture of that lace....it almost looks like a second skin. I don't think I have ever seen a lace veil look that good....holy chic!

a sexy lace dress

natalia vodianova

I do love a sexy lace dress, that is, if it is styled correctly. recently, I was looking back at the vogue paris 90th anniversary party and came across this photo of supermodel natalia vodianova at the event. yes, her dress is sexy and revealing, but I also love how mysterious it is, as well. the lace shows off her body in just the right places....this is the way I love lace to be done...stylishly provocative!

baroque at balenciaga

balenciaga spring/summer 2006

I don't think I will ever forget balenciaga's baroque art inspired collection for spring/summer 2006...it is still to this day, one of my all time favorite balenciaga collections. nicolas ghesquière captured such a romantic mood that season which emphasized ruffles, lace, and victorian-inspired splendor. I especially fell in love this asymmetrical black dress and all that intricately worked in lace and chiffon....so elegant, yet a little cutting edge, as well....my kind of style!

the inspiration

photos by steven meisel

by far, one of my favorite steven meisel italian vogue editorials.....the headbands, hats, turtlenecks, sunglasses, and beach setting are all so inspiring.

sisters in black turtlenecks

sisters in black frocks couldn't help but be inspired by ingmar bergman's film persona and steven meisel's italian vogue editorial entitled cottage by the sea from the november 2008 issue....we love it when we think of interesting ideas like this.

the persona look

persona (1966)

now, let's take a closer look....I love the style of actress liv ullman in ingmar bergman's film persona.....I particularly admire those hats and headbands paired with those turtlenecks...it is so sisters in black frocks and what I love most is that it is such an easy look to imitate....this is very much our everyday style!

mode sport

photo by mario testino

my new favorite look this season is a pair of shorts...I recently purchased a pair of black ralph lauren RLX shorts and I must say that they are so sporty chic. I love an athletic look when it is styled properly, much like the vogue paris november 2004 issue dedicated to sportswear. this was one of those issues that completely changed my attitude towards sportswear. I love the way carine roitfeld blended high-fashion with athletic-wear....she really was one of the first stylists to start this trend and she really defined the way a sporty look should be. I remember when I first saw this editorial I was so inspired by it and now five years later I still feel the same way.....I love it when that feeling never goes away!

the agnès way

mademoiselle agnès

there is really something intriguing about fashion journalist mademoiselle agnès. I recently found this photo of her in adidas style shorts and a button down denim shirt. even though this is not my conventional type of look...I love the way she mixes sporty with denim...she definetly has that nonchalant french sense of style that I so admire. I actually own a similar denim style shirt like hers and I was thinking perhaps it could go with my new shorts....I love it when I discover casual cool-style moments like this...it can always lead to major fashion inspiration!

schiele-style shorts

egon schiele:seated woman with bent knee, 1917

sometimes, I like to look to the art world for fashion inspiration. for a couple of months now, I have kept a postcard of this egon schiele painting on my dresser....I particularly love those shorts she is wearing and how she pairs them with those high leg warmers....its a look that I would really like to emulate with my new ralph lauren RLX shorts. I love it when I can find functional fashion out of art....and this is a perfect example. I have always felt that this painting could easily pass as a fashion illustration....don't you agree?

the perfect bun

photo by herb ritts

this is a look that will never go out of style...the bun. it looks so chic, pretty much all year round, but I have always thought a sleek bun looks best this time of year...especially when it gets a little warmer. this has to be one of my favorite herb ritts photographs. I love the the reflections of those shades and shadows on christy turlington's face...and I assume by her expression, she feels very much at peace with her bun...I know I would!

keep it loose

photo by julian schnabel

there is something very sexy and cool about a loose bun, as well. lately, I have been admiring the style of actress-poet stella schnabel. she had a bit part in her father's film miral, and I couldn't help but take notice of her in the film....she has a very natural, I don't care kind of attitude towards style that I always like...pehaps, it is an artist thing, but I always I admire people who can get away with this type of look....she is my current hair inspiration...I love the way she works that bun in this photo...very messy chic!

renn in black frocks

crystal renn's gorgeous dress at the met gala inspired me to research some of her other looks. apparently she loves a black dress. black is her color, she looks beautiful in all of three.

renée at the met gala

renée zellweger was made for the red carpet....sometimes, I wonder if she practices in front of the mirror?...I still am in awe of how she looked in that backless V gold carolina herrera gown at the met gala in new york city last week...her figure is so incredibly toned! I even loved how she wore her hair up in a bun to show off that dress to its fullest potential....she really is a perfect example of modern day elegance....sometimes I think she should be teaching other actresses on how to properly strut and pose on the red carpet....I don't want to name names, but there are quite a few who need help.

its in the genes

i see so often stylish girls usually have stylish mothers. the sisters in black certainly have a fashion forward mom. early on in life when others girls were frilly in pink, we were taught black is stylish and utilitarian, especially on young children who like to get dirty. i love this photo of our mom taken in austria in a butterfly house. the coat is vintage, and it just so happens the butterfly she caught matched perfectly. happy mothers day tres chic bella! xoxo

kate moss on daughter lila

"Lila’s already got a great handbag collection! She’s got a mirrored Fendi bag and she’ll say things like, ‘I’m not going to wear that anymore’. She knows what she likes and I can’t force her to wear anything she doesn’t want to, which is annoying sometimes. She loves clothes. She’s got really good style, as well. I rarely go shopping without her now. She tells me what she doesn’t like or she’ll say ‘Mummy, you look nice,’ or ‘That dress is amazing!’ She’s got it.”

mother and child

photo by patrick demarchelier

recently, I was looking through my harper's bazaar archives and came across this photo of supermodel kristen mcmenamy with her daughter lily from 1994....I always thought she seemed like a cool mom so I thought I would post this pic for mother's day. on a side note, I know that everyone loves her current long silver hair, but I always liked her dark androgynous look of the 90s.

two women

la ciociara (1960)

since it is mother's day I thought it would be appropriate to pay homage to vittorio de sica's classic film entitled two women....I have been wanting to discuss this film for awhile and now is the perfect day. the story tells of a mother (sophia loren) trying to protect her young daughter from the horrors of world war II...as they try to escape the allied bombing of rome, both mother and daughter flee for ciociaria, a rural province of central italy.

I am not one to praise many actors, but I was completely amazed by sophia loren in this film. she just exudes so much strength and power in this role. I can't even imagine what it must have been like to live in a situation like this...or just how difficult it must have been to be an ideal mom during war time. I really felt as if I was experiencing what she was going through....all the pain and sacrifice she made for her daughter was just so intense and very real. La loren really went above and beyond....I must admit that after watching this film I felt like giving my mom a hug and thanking her for being who she is. I think that is what I love so much about de sica's films they make you appreciate certain people and moments of your life...I highly recommend seeing this film!

sicilian style

photo by ferdinando scianna

there is something about the look and style of vittorio de sica's films like two women that reminds me so much of photographer ferdinando scianna. its very obvious that scianna is very much influenced by the films of de sica. I remember I first discovered scianna in the 90's when he photographed the ad campaigns for dolce & gabbana....particularly those shots of model marpessa bagheria. she really represented that sexy sicilian dolce & gabbana woman. I don't know why, but the 90's will always be my favorite era for dolce & gabbana...

this is one of my favorite ferdinando scianna photographs of marpessa. I can't help but think of sophia loren's character in two women....perhaps, if you see the film you can see it, too. its interesting now, after many years and watching a couple of de sica's film that I can see what an influence he has had upon scianna...I love finding out where inspiration comes from!

a perfect cover

photo by steven meisel

yes, its may 2011, but I am feeling US vogue may 2007...this is really a perfect example of why we need models on the covers of magazines. I love the styling of these models with those gap white button down shirts paired with those dramatic skirts...truly classic! I don't think the gap has ever looked this good. I can't help but think of the look and style of fashion designer carolina herrera when I look at this cover.....she must have been the inspiration. I don't know about you, but this is the way I prefer vogue magazine to look....with more models and less celebrities!

the classic white shirt

audrey hepburn

the key to looking sharp in a white shirt is how you choose to wear it....its all about adding your own personal style...just look to the one and only audrey hepburn. her white shirt looks comfortable, yet classic at the same time....plus, I love the bracelets...I have always felt that a little jewelry is the perfect accessory for a white button down shirt...

april showers bring may flowers....

photo by sølve sundsbø

there is something about this time of the year that reminds me so much of alexander mcqueen's spring/summer 2007 collection....coincidentally, in just a couple of days the mcqueen exhibit entitled savage beauty will open at the costume institute in the metropolitan museum of art in new york...I bet this dress would look so amazing in real life. I don't know about you, but those delicate floral details from that season will always remind me of the month of may!