Happy Friday! We made it, friends! Today’s post is inspired by a mood – in fact, it’s really my predominant mood – that feeling of being in a warm, lush setting, with citrus and greenery and old buildings and water. That feeling that going barefoot is just as indulgent as wearing heels, and that fabrics should both hug you and swirl around you as you twirl ridiculously through heavily-scented gardens.
Don’t tell me that I live in the Bay Area and this is just a dream – because it certainly is not, and I’ll tell you why:
- I took Italian Cinema in college and I’ve seen scenery like this in the movies, which means, duh, that it exists;
- The entire island of Madeira (although not truly mediterranean) is essentially my opening paragraph, although with more bananas and more Cristiano Ronaldo (if you don’t know me, my seemingly bizarre obsession with Madeira is because that’s where my Dad’s family is originally from).
- Oh, and THIS GARDEN is a real place in Kensington (tiny town next to Berkeley). It is called Blake Garden and is a true hidden gem that one of my friends introduced me to. I am so in love with it.
So even though the hills are covered in fog today, my brain and heart are in a much warmer, sultrier environment. If you’ve ever seen the old film “Divorce, Italian Style”, you’ll get the vibe I’m in right now. Summery Sicilian dream garden (without the sexism and murdery vibes. If you’ve seen that film you’ll know what I’m getting at).
Speaking of Madeira, this outfit was also influenced by traditional Madeiran dress. Never mind that people only wear traditional outfits for cultural occasions like the annual Flower Festival, because who the hell wants to wear wool skirts in that kind of weather?
But in any case, the fuller midi skirt and drapey fabrics are TOTALLY my jam. Add bold, contemporary florals and I’m all in.
As an aside, most of the photos I took for this did not come out well. That is, most of them had the backdrop in beautiful focus, with me as blurry as bigfoot. Needless to say that I did not have Papa Mendes there to take proper pictures. Womp womp. Better luck next time, haha!
Shoes: Louise et Cie | Earrings: Sachin and Babi
That also meant that I accidentally soaked half my skirt in the koi pond and lost my Virgin Mary medallion ring in said pond. It is much deeper than it looks. I also may have shocked some passersby with my brassiere. I clearly do better under supervision.
As a last note, my sister and I used to call the “midi” length the “death length” because it tends to make the short folks (ahem) look shorter. I don’t disagree. It’s half the reason why most of my top is off in these photos, to distract from the . . . shortness. Julianne, this one’s for you.
Wherever you are, I hope you can find a bit of warmth as we head into February – be it in your imagination or otherwise.
love
Stig.
PS. I searched and I searched for this exact MSGM skirt, but I couldn’t find it. So please enjoy the similar options I’ve provided below!
PPS. Also, if you like the Carven purse I’m using and for some reason want to drop $$$ to buy it (it IS beautiful!), please go to this post and read my note under the “what I’m wearing” section 🙂
Outfit Links
