WIDE-RIMMED

Photo collage Harpersbazaar.com

Photo Tommy Ton

When the weather gets messy, as it did in Park City, Utah for us Good Girls recently, there's no better way to beat the elements than to sport a wide-rimmed hat. No hat says cool quite the same way as the wide-rimmed version. We find that a wide hat gives a certain menswear/androgynous edge that is both rakish and somehow elegant. This breed of topper seems to be here to stay too. The hats pictured in the collage are all from Spring 2011 Milan Fashion Week.

SUNDANCE CHIC

Sometimes it's tough to stand out from the crowd when it comes to winter outerwear. I love some nice black now and again but by the time the end of January rolls around my eyes are thirsting for something to pique my interest. It was a pretty quiet afternoon on Park City's Main Street, when we Good Girls at Thread Ethic stopped for a cafe snack. Soon after we ordered, in walks this lovely girl and her lovely coat, chic gloves and pretty Chanel handbag (worn cross-body). Gorgeous. What a delightful way to rejuvenate our winter afternoon and provide us with some true Sundance festival fashion.

INNER FRENCH GIRL

 

Sometimes I pick a piece or two and build a whole outfit around that idea. Here, I decided to explore my inner french girl (Although, I don't think I have a drop of French blood in me. The closest I ever came to being French was when a curator at Versailles startled me by taking my face in his hands and told me, in broken english, that I looked exactly like Marie Antionette. I have my doubts...). I've had this top with matching bow tie, from H&M, for a while. I used to wear it full and loose, and may still if the mood strikes, but chose here to tuck it into skinny jeans and a rafia belt, both from Urban Outfitters. The hat, also from H&M, is a slightly wider rimmed version of a fedora. I'm in love with wider rimmed hats right now. It takes a bit of bravery to pull off a chic hat, but it will instantly give you that je ne sais quoi. The jacket is a thrift store find.

SUNDANCE

During the last couple weeks in January the entertainment world descends on Park City, Utah for the Sundance Film Festival. We, at Thread Ethic, love the film festival and have been going for years to see some of the best films and documentaries being made. The vibe at Sundance is definitely interesting. One has the feeling that the entire film industry is compressed into the tiny length of Park City's main street. While walking past the shops and restaurants we also brushed by Danny Glover, stood face to face with Anne Heche, saw Mario Lopez swarmed by paparazzi and teenage girls, and nearly ran into James Franco signing autographs until he breezed past to jump in his waiting black SUV. I must say though, that we were most pleased when Women's Wear Daily stopped one of us Good Girls to take her photo. WWD is the fashion industry trade journal - just as Vogue is the every woman's fashion bible, so WWD is the fashion industry's bible. Yes, there is the distinct feeling at Sundance that anything is possible and everyone is an insider.

The stylish guy you see here is a quintessential Sundance goer. He nailed what we call Sundance Fashion - or the city-meets-mountain-indie-hipster look the best dressed at Sundance seem to master. We love how he combined totally urban pieces with seriously legit Red Wing boots.

WINTER SWING

It's Janurary and it's cold out, but it doesn't mean we all have to run around looking like lumberjacks in denim, utilitarian boots, and drab winter coats. We think a lovely swing coat, leggings, a wool skirt or tunic, and mid-calf boots are still cozy and a nice alternative. And put your longing for lumberjack warmth into a lux scarf that is stylish but functional. So there it is - our Modest Girl's antidote to dull winter fashion.

GOLDEN GLOBES

"Spot the common denominator between the best dresses at the Golden Globes? They all had long sleeves, a feature which clearly had nothing to do with the wearers' dislike of showing their arms, that phobia which supposedly sets in with middle age. No: Anne Hathaway in slinky caramel Armani Privé, Leighton Meester in cloudy Burberry, Angelina Jolie in emerald Atelier Versace, and Tilda Swinton in her Jil Sander white shirt and satin skirt all came out in sleeves as an active point of fashion. Compare their elegant reserve to the women flashing cleavage and leg, and the visual shift they effected is clear - the flashers look clichéd, stuck in that worn-out, red-carpet groove."  -  The London Telegraph