24 March 2013

Valentine's Day, Revisited


Love can really suck. All my favorite movie characters know it. You can always spend your V-Day taking some style cues from a few of the best down and out film characters. Why is it that the romantic nay-sayers always have such great fashion sense?



1.  Of all the punk-bohemian, love-denouncing goddesses of cinema, Clementine Kruczynski from Eternal Sunshine of The Spotless Mind has got to be at the top of my list. In the film, Clementine (played by Kate Winslet) and Joel (Jim Carrey) have their memories erased in order to forget their doomed relationship, only to realize that their love is near impossible to dismiss. Clementine is fickle and hard to pin down, which makes her all the more loveable. Her style is just as reflective of those characteristics: she has no less than four vibrant hair colors throughout the movie, and sports an enviable wardrobe including camo pants, a day-glo orange hoodie and various neck scarves. A few tubs of Manic Panic semi-permanent hair dye will go far when achieving Clem's look ($10 a pop at Sally's Beauty). 



2. It's hard to choose who has better digs between these two thrift-store-chic characters, so I'll just have to talk about them both: Tyler Durden and Marla Singer are the self-destructive alter-personality and the equally self-destructive girlfriend of the 1999 film Fight Club. Tyler's clothes are simultaneously the epitome of cool and the ugliest you've ever seen: he wears 70s sport-shirts and pink tinted glasses with the utmost attitude. Give a nod to Tyler's (anti) style with this trippy Taxonomy Duck shirt ($40, Topman). Marla's fashion sense is more moody and dark. The black feathered floppy hat at Nasty Gal ($38) will do the trick, especially if you plan on attending several support meetings incognito like Marla.


3. Blue Valentine (2010) is the tragic story of Dean and Cindy, who have instant chemistry but end up trying to sustain a feeble marriage. Maybe it's just the way the movie is filmed, grainy and nostalgic, but Cindy's style is so wistful and lovely that's it's worth taking inspiration from. In one scene, Cindy dances in front of a storefront wearing a cute red sweater and denim pencil skirt and biker boots. Best outfit ever. You can cop Cindy's look with the g.m.p.b. polo sweater at Uniqlo ($40).



1 comment:

  1. I love all of your selections (though blue valentine was soo depressing but great style) especially <3 Eternal Sunshine...Michel Gondry is a great director, I can't wait to see Mood Indigo!

    <3 Haley
    http://haleyhere.blogspot.com

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