Belle’s Weekly Reading: September 18, 2014
Sep 18, 2014
My idol. If you haven’t read Slouching Towards Bethlehem, you should. It’s everything.
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1) A man grabs a bartender’s ass. She pens an open later on the Internet chastising his behavior. Gothamist calls him for comment, and he breaks into a barrage of curse words and the oh-so-expected, “She’ll never work in this town again.”
The incident reminded me of this post from Brunch Bird, which sets forth her “rules.” My favorite? “You are not due any acknowledgment when you comment on my body or my outfit on the street. I am not a bitch if I flatly ignore you or tell you to stop talking to me.”
2) H&M is killing it right now. This $70 boucle jacket is incredible–it’s so modern and chic. This $30 racerback, crepe dress is the perfect modern basic. And if you love a simple shift, this short-sleeve one in a bold blue is a must have.
3) Six times that Dorothy Parker understood men better than you do.
4) I adore this pale pink silk-cotton shirt from Gap. Also from Gap, this turtleneck sweater with a fashion-forward wide weave.
5) I’m a bit late to the party on the song “32“–a satirical cover of Taylor Swift’s “22”–but it’s something that every woman over 30 can relate to.
6) This emerald lace dress is perfect for a fall wedding. So pretty. I also love this wool dress, also in emerald-green, with a jeweled collar.
7) Power brokers can turn anything into a competition. Washington’s elite are counting daily steps as a matter of personal pride, brandishing their pedometers proudly. My preferred activity monitor? The Misfit Shine.
8) I’ve put this Ted Baker peplum sweater in my Nordstrom cart three times. This jacquard panel pencil skirt is also lust-worthy.
9) If you need a laugh, Refinery29 has a roundup of the best Missed Connections on Craigslist.
10) Stella & Dot has some lovely pieces right now. I love this Lapis Lazuli ring, and these chic, mixed band stack rings. And don’t miss this gorgeous, layered pendant necklace.
11) In Afghanistan, families without sons often nominate one of their daughters to live as a boy. Bacha Posh escort their sisters in public, attend school, and generally enjoy the societal benefits of being a boy. Time magazine has a story that explores what their lives are like, and how they adjust to living in societies that place more value on women.
Ted Baker is one of my favorites in ANYTHING. There was a dress last year that came in light pink and teal green that to this day I regret not pulling the trigger and continue to search for on ebay. The style of the top won’t work for me, but the color works, works, works, for those of us who truly love pink,
Seriously, Slouching Toward Bethlehem is everything.
The three stages of sudden blog traffic spike emotion:
1. “Hey, I just got a bunch of traffic. Yay!”
2. “Wait, crap, am I getting blown up on Drudge or something? Ugh.”
3. “Aww, it’s from [insert someone lovely here]. Yay!”
There’s always that “oh, hell, what is this?” moment when the traffic spikes. Because you never, ever know what it will be! Loved the post.
I also LOVE Joan Didion.
Last year Didion won an award, presented by Harrison Ford who was her old buddy from back when he was a carpenter. Wild. Here’s the story, which just makes me love both of them even more:
https://articles.latimes.com/2013/aug/22/entertainment/la-et-jc-joan-didion-harrison-ford-pen-center-usa-winners-20130822
I’m glad you included the Atlantic piece on bacha posh — it’s a great read about a sad and fascinating custom. I volunteered at a girls’ school in Kabul a few years ago and the incredible young woman who runs it was briefly a bacha posh as a child, under the Taliban, because women weren’t allowed outside the house by themselves so it was the only way she and her older sister could get to the secret school they attended.