AUSTIN CITY LIMITS

This past Saturday I took a trip down to Texas to celebrate my birthday at Austin City Limits. I listened to some good live tunes, drank bud light tallboys, and people-watched like a statue. Here's your ACL fashion report:

- guys and gals sporting headbands/bandannas around the forehead were ubiquitous (so much so that they now make Ashley C want to vomit)

- scarves were lacking (it was hot), but old school bandannas tied as neckerchiefs with the 2 ends in the front or pulled up over the nose and/or mouth bandit style were prevalent

- aviators and wayfarers still ruled the scene

- little rayon dresses (which I abhor) were the outfit of choice for too many girls

- cowboy boots and boots in general completed the look

- not as many cut-off jorts for boys as I would have liked

- a few hipsters rockin tight ass jeans in the boiling sun

- sling bags and messenger bags RULED

- girls wore bras
- some wore swimsuit tops or just swimsuits
- belly-baring tops in general seemed to have been revived

- american apparel
- some alternative apparel (official ACL tshirt I bought was printed on one)

- fedoras for both sexes

- and a lot of fashion disasters

MGMT was completely flooded, J Fogerty somehow got to sing all the CCR classics, I heard Conor Oberst was brilliant, Black Keys rocked out, Iron & Wine was just beautiful during the sunset, and Beck is a god. One guy said the crowd for Beck stretched all the way back to "the map" which was about half of the entire park. He opened with this one.



The hat, hair, and jacket are genius. Good times, good times.

SURREALITY

I pretty much had two favorite movies as a child: Charlie & the Chocolate Factory and Alice in Wonderland. Apparently I wished my life were a surreal fantasy, and I'm still working on that goal. I'm also a long-time fan of Tim Burton (Edward Scissorhands is ridiculously good), so when I found out he was redoing Willy Wonka I got more than a little excited. Turns out his rendition kind of failed, at least when it kept trying to make appeals to the younger audience (you know, like 5 year olds), but the aesthetic was still exactly what I was looking for. Remember how insane the makeup on the kids was? Strange indeed.
Anyway, a little birdie just told me that Tim Burton is also remaking Alice in Wonderland-- this time in 3D-- that means real people rather than animation. WORD. to your mother. I'm super excited, and I've got high expectations. Do not let me down TB!
Plus, I think I heard through the grapevine that Johnny D is playing the mad hatter. That man is the hottest ironically wealthy hobo that ever lived. Not to mention he's got amazing (acting) skills and some kids with some (super hot) French girl, but whatever. I'm a middle child so I know how to share my candy.

lollipop.

Hurricanes & Gravy Trains

Excuse me if I'm late jumping on this gravy train, but Hurricane Gus really f'ed things up for a while. Anyway, I've got to give props where props are due even if they are late, so I'm handing out Best-in-Show award to Gucci for both Fall '08 and Resort '09 lines.

Not seen them yet? You must not be lugging around one of those 5lb (and up) fall fashion mags. Pick one up if you haven't already, and you are sure to find Gucci's "haute hippie" look. Normally I can't stand a hippie, but Gucci's version is edgy, dark, and sexy like rock n roll. It's as if Mary-Kate and Sienna ran off to Morocco to make a secret love child who is, without a doubt, totally badass.





Amen, Frida Giannini for reviving the Gucci brand. Plus, isn't she just so adorable?
check out the entire show at style.com

P.S I'm not really sure what a gravy train is and I'm pretty sure "props" are no longer given. Hurricane must've gone to my brain. <3 <3

BESTIES

At 7 years old, I did not know how to match. I remember repeatedly asking my mom if these shorts matched this shirt or could I wear this dress with these shoes? Does aqua match with baby pink and light yellow? If the bottoms didn't come with a coordinating top, poor Ashford really didn't know how to get dressed.

I'm still not sure the whole matching thing ever caught on with me. I'm all about mixing patterns and colors (love love love (!) the clashing floral prints going on right now; see Dries van Noten for inspiration). As of late however, I've really been into matchy-matchy ensembles.
Even Paris Hilton can do it:





There is something just sooo darling about this look. It's like she woke up and decided to wear everything red in her closet. Okay probably not everything, but even HER NAILS MATCH HER PARFAIT.

And if her knickers are red too, then Paris is my new best friend.

J'ADORE: Black & Brown

What do you get when rich ebony blends with warm shades of honey, caramel, mocha, or chocolate? Something delicious that's for damn sure. I love a black and brown combo for fall.


Munch on these:

2 Black &Tans, please.

(dress, urbanoutfitters.com)








Break up an all-black, edgy overkill with a warm helping of milk chocolate. (photo courtesy of The Sartorialist, style.com)














Boys can do it too. In fact, this time they do it better.

(photo courtesy of The Sartorialist, style.com)

SO OVER IT: Tunics

Can a girl get a MF'ing shirt that isn't a tunic these days? Apparently not. I've been shopping all over the place and it seems every tee, tank, and blouse out there is just sooo long. I mean, I am on the taller side so when tunics first became popular I was the first one to get excited about a shirt that would cover the muffin tops/tramp stamps/plumber's cracks of the world that were creeping out all over the place, set free by the advent of extreme low rise jeans. Unless you were super petite and super tan, i.e. a sufferer of tanorexia a la' Tara Reid, those waistlines were Out-of-Control unflattering. But now that normal and high rise jeans are vogue, isn't it also time we please lose the tunics? I'm not asking for the revival of the boxy crop tops or tiny fit baby tees of the 90s. All this girl wants is for shirts to be long enough to tuck in, but not so lengthy that I've got bunching all around the anus area. Yeah I said anus- the strong language expresses my frustration.

In case you missed it, tucked in tops are my current obsession. From 70s high waists to oxford prep to vampy pencil skirts, a tucked in shirt is all the rage in my style book.

Also, these blog things really should come with a soundtrack. Today's track is "Homecoming" by The Teenagers. Listen while you enjoy my rant. Better yet, stop whatever you're doing and watch this video right now.




Told you it was good.