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Friday 22 February 2019

I am not a cone

A big cotton dress worn backwards, a tablecloth, a tutu, a wedding dress, two hoop skirts, and a pink net skirt. The writing, tacked on in felt letters, says, THIS IS NOT A CONE.


The inspiration for this fark fantasy is courtesy of the painter Magritte, the brilliant design duo of Viktor & Rolf, and Shelley of Forest City Fashionista who challenged me to riff on Viktor & Rolf's latest collection, which featured big dresses with memes on the front. Shelley's version is awesome, HERE. She also includes more background on the V&R collection.

Below, feeling couture-ish in my favourite neighbourhood garden. I wanted to experience what it would be like to actually wear something like this as everyday wear. Short answer: I did in fact feel like a giant cone and passersby approached with prudent caution.


I loved doing this shoot - a couple of hours with my tripod - but the tablecloth kept snagging on my glitter platform shoes and shrubbery. I hate when that happens!


The underpinnings above. And I was wearing tights and jeggings and three long-sleeved shirts to keep off the chill on this sunny but cold day. The breastplate of the wedding dress is jewel-encrusted and weighs a ton. It's hidden under there too.


I did not edit the next photo. The sun created a brilliant patch of light in this alcove. But I'll never scramble up a hill like that in those shoes or that dress again.



This bumper-car of a dress is now deconstructed, making transportation and life in general much simpler.

Thanks for this challenge, Shelley. It was a great way to beat the winter doldrums.

Also, stylista Monica, who writes the blog Mrs. Allnut, found me in one of Spain's top magazines S MODA EL PAÍS. Hahaha! It's also in Brazil I think. I had no idea there was a print version. She scanned the cover and the article photo and emailed them to me. Wow. Huge hugs, Monica!




And finally, I was included in The Zoe Report, which is a big online thing, HERE.
"11 Stylish Women Over 50 You Should Be Following on Instagram." The writer, Sarah Lindig, asked for permission to use my photo for a piece she was working on. And then, bam, there it was!

There's lots going on here, and work work work. I'll be holed up for a while at it. I hope you are all surviving the season, whatever it may throw at you - heat or cold. Thank you thank you for visiting.

I'm linking up to Patti at Not Dead Yet for her Visible Monday and Catherine at #iwillwearwhatilike at Not Dressed as Lamb - as I do.

30 comments:

  1. This cone dress is hilarious! It looks surreal. Truly like you are a traffic cone with a head popping out. I would have loved to have seen the looks you got when wearing this piece.

    The added tablecloth frill on the bottom really makes it work! LOL

    Congrats on all the extra media attention. You are such a star!

    Suzanne
    http://www.suzannecarillo.com

    ReplyDelete
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    1. No cone dress is complete without a tablecloth fringe!! That's like Design 101! It was a sunny day, people were not terribly surprised by a cone wandering down the street, muttering to herself as she snagged on bushes. Heh.

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  2. Brilliant dress!!!!! I'm so into it! Congrats on being a superstar----it's all so exciting!

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    1. Yeah, I love how this dress came out. But serious, so many layers!! Hahaha. Not quite a superstar. Glow-worm, that sounds better.

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  3. You kill me. Dead.

    I wish I could have been a passer-by during THAT shoot. It would have made my day. You make even a CRAZY thing look good. Did you sew all that yourself?? You are truly a Renaissance woman!

    And wedding day BREASTPLATE? Ha ha ha ha YUP, we all need some armor and protective gear on THAT day!

    Congrats on the Vogue and Zoe Report includes, that's fantastic!

    Bettye
    https://fashionschlub.com

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    1. The only sewing I did were the letters onto the dress and adding the tablecloth. The dress is one I had worn backwards. Haha, yeah, the wedding dress is truly a warrior piece, weighs a ton. Thanks, Bettye!

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  4. Brilliant and hilarious and surely something only you can pull off. I'm trying to imagine the looks you were given! I'm intrigued by the wedding day breastplate ... xxx

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    1. I wore the wedding dress once for a Halloween party. I'm glad I didn't have to ride public transit. People were all in a good mood that days, sunshine and weak warmth - bliss.

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  5. Oh my gosh, Mel! I'm in awe! I'm in admiration! I'm in stitches! You are really the best. Truly "inesperado" (unexpected), as your Spanish magazine suggests. I would add inspirational as well since what you do always stirs up ideas within me and gives me courage to try new (and unexpected!) things.

    Thank you for bringing a bright orange "not a cone" cone of delight into my view today. So, so good!!

    Hugs,
    Sherry
    http://www.petiteover40.com

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    Replies
    1. The cone is hibernating now, in pieces. I'll need instructions for next time. Shelley was the mastermind - we were both feeling winter angst and this was the best cure. My sewing machine was smokin'! Hahaha. xo

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  6. Oh, yawn, another dull outfit by Mel! Ha ha! You are surely a SCHTAR among sputtering sparklers, my dear. And definitely not a cone.

    Will you be able to nip out and visit/have lunch with L and I on the 22nd? Would love to see you!

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    1. This was a very cool dress but the tablecloth kept gravitating to bushes and always got stuck on the tripod stand, pulling it out of position. Lots of creative language would ensue. Heh. Lunch, been there, done that. Hahaha. The benefit of replying so late.

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  7. I love the splash of orange and the shape of your dress (that was more like what I was going for, but didn't succeed). You are definitely not a Cone, or a Clone. Thanks so much for agreeing to do this with me. Hey, congratulations on the media coverage - I looked at the Zoe Report article and you are in some swell company.

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    1. Such a perfect idea, Shelley. Thank you. I love your iteration, so much like Tilda Swinton in your vibe. Absolutely ice cool. To think women kind of dressed like this all the time in the past. !!!!

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  8. Congretulations! You did it again! And yeah for V&R, Dutchies! I had to laugh about Shelley s smiling storie! Happened to me all the time!

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    1. Right. Where are all the men's shirt asking them to be happy, smile, with balloons and unicorns? Hunh? If I took my resting bitch face and stood on my head, that could be classified as a smile. Although I hate that phrase, resting bitch face, but you know what I mean.

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  9. This is one of your best. You could walk on the runway of V&R with this cone dress. And you actually got the letters on the dress. What a work.
    Love it.
    I had a look at Zoe as well. SWEET.
    Greetje

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    Replies
    1. The article was indeed a pleasant surprise. And it's surprising how it all comes from playing around in my closet, like here. This is a beyond daywear even for me though, but I certainly had fun with this photo challenge. Do not climb hills in these shoes, is my the main note to myself after this shoot. Gaaa.

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  10. Will you marry me? Of course you must wear that gown during the ceremony!
    In all seriousness, your blog is the one I return to when the others have ceased to charm and intrigue my jaded senses (it has been a long, grey February in Chicago). Thank you.

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    1. Hahaha. There would be no room for anyone else in the aisle if I wore this dress to the ceremony. It's been a long, grey winter everywhere, but I'll snap my fingers and it will be spring. SNAP! Done. Only because it has taken me so long to comment here that spring has in fact arrived. Welcome!!!

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  11. Thanks for the wildly cheering post Mel. How lovely that you have dear friends who throw down the fashion gauntlet to you from time to time otherwise life might become a yawning bore x

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    1. Friends make everything more bearable. Especially when they have such cool ideas. And Petite Over 40 Sherry and I did a riff on a comedy show not long ago too. This is what it's all about. Thanks Anna, you know what I'm talking about.

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  12. woww, thanks for this wild piece of creativity and fun!, you totally rock, the pictures are amazing and love the 'Couture-ish-in-the-neighbourhood-garden' style, that's überFabulousness!!!
    Love that you created this collaboration with Shelley!
    And finding you in a magazine totally made my day, so I had to tell you about this! it was so fab!
    besos

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    1. Still sending you hugs for finding that article and sending it to me! Wow. I was in an Elle March magazine in Croatia and I asked for a pdf or anything, and nothing. If it weren't for my friends, I often wouldn't know. Shelley was a star for suggesting this project. So much fun. In the garden!! Hahaha. xox

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  13. You are most certainly not a CONE, a DRONE, or a CRONE (but one day we will all be fabulous crones!) Thanks for this photo shoot that made me smile all over.
    And seeing you in a magazine is also a peak experience, you rock. xox

    Patti
    http://notdeadyetstyle.com

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    1. I'm certainly croning. It's a crooner with missing Oh. Doh. Trying to survive over here. Life is better with friends. xo

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  14. What a happy eyeful you are ! I love this fun and ironic take on couture. And fact I did see some pieces on the runway that were similar. Not quite as good as yours however.
    You were a trooper to wear this and tromp around in all of these heavy items. But boy was it worth it. Congratulations on all of the magazine coverage and Instagram mentions. Hugs from New York.
    ❤️❤️
    Elle
    https://theellediaries.com/

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    1. Hahaha - I swooned when I saw those V&R gowns. It was so exciting. And then I saw a bunch more similar styles. It's definitely the season for coning. I had a great time with my camera and tripod, except for the unfortunate snagging situation. Hugs to you, Elle!!!

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  15. Although I'm quite late I'm so happy to catch up with this "not a cone" post. There are a lot of cones in this world we inhabit! The traffic, the ice cream, the Saturday Night Live Alien's heads, the pine, the nose but yours is the only one with a ruffle! I LIKE a ruffle!
    If the "freakish yellow" skirt and the orange "I'm not a cone" dress had a baby; what would it be? A peevish pencil skirt? Love, Jude

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    1. No cone is complete without a tablecloth ruffle. Heh. I loved those SNL coneheads. Peevish pencil skirt? Hahaha!!! Thanks so much, Jude. You comment was way quicker than mine.

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