Character Style: Matilda Wormwood

character style: matilda wormwood from Polyvore. click the above image to see a full list of items included.

From Roald Dahl's Matilda! Everyone's favorite genius with the ability to levitate things like empty glasses from a dysfunctional family. I always envisioned her as a headstrong girl and incredibly independent as a young adult. She seems a bit demure, as well, but only because she doesn't recognize her own genius. 

She'd be modest in her clothing - muted pastels, peter pan collars, knee socks, loafers, Mary Janes, and canvas knapsacks so she could carry all of her books. Of course, where would we be without a cute pair of reading glasses? All of these outfits are versatile enough for her to go from school to the library and then off to a nice little tea party with someone (or, in this case if we're speaking about transitioning her from the novel world into the real world, a coffee shop for a poetry reading). 

Matilda would be that girl in high school/college that everyone knows of and is well liked, but very reserved. That isn't to say that she's hard to get along with. She's a very compassionate and outgoing character, but with someone of her brilliance, she's certain to be a girl of few and careful words. She prefers to spend time with her nose buried in her books, sitting on a nice comfy couch at a local cafe or book store.

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Character Style: Holden Caulfield

Image courtesy of Polyvore. Click to view the full list of items used.

I know it's quite cliche, but Holden Caulfield is one of my favorite literary characters. He's also one of the most influential characters on my fall and winter wardrobe. When I think of What Would Holden Wear If He Was A Girl? I couldn't help but be attracted to cable knits, slacks, plaid, beige, navy, and everything that has the essence of a preparatory school uniform.

He has that sort of whole 'poor little rich kid' thing going on. Where he can't help but be rather well dressed. Here, in the first outfit, I envisioned sheer t-shirt with a lace tank top on top, paper bag slacks, and a navy cable knit cardigan, completed with a pair of oxfords. This outfit sort of reminds me of the scene where Holden is having drinks at the Lavender Room with those three girls that he couldn't stand.

The second outfit, for much colder weather, consists of a plaid dress (to make up for the lack of a houndstooth print), a black cape, sheer printed hosiery, black boots, and a signature deerstalker. The scene that reminded me of this outfit is when he decides to take his little sister, Phoebe, to the Central Park Zoo.

For the third outfit, perhaps a modified school uniform,  reminds me of the night that Holden is sitting in his dorm room and Stradlater announces that he has a date with Jane Gallagher. A simple beige skirt, red cable knit sweater, a green jacket, knee-highs, and brown riding boots.

Hopefully I'll be able to put together a few outfits like this for this fall! I'm quite excited, especially since the temperatures are dropping! I even decided to scour the internet for a few more images that reminded me of what a female Holden Caulfield would wear.

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Character Style: Claire Standish & Allison Reynolds (The Breakfast Club)

my favorite quote from the entire movie, besides the ending letter.

Screencaps courtesy of Driver Picks the Music @ Flickr

I absolutely love The Breakfast Club. It's one of my all time favorite movies, and I can't help but be inspired by Claire Standish (Molly Ringwald) and Allison Reynolds (Ally Sheedy)'s characters' outfits. I often find myself as a quirky and misunderstood individual, much like Allison, but at the same time, I have the feminine, princess-y, doesn't-take-anything-from-anyone aura that Claire exudes.

I find myself in two different places when I dress; I've always been 'one of the boys'. I enjoyed being athletic, running around, riding my bike, falling and scraping myself, but I also enjoyed staying inside and playing with my Barbies. Oftentimes I prefer comfort over style and I have yet to find a happy medium. I'd pick a pair of Vans over a pair of heels (though, perhaps that's due to the fact that I can barely walk in them).

So, I decided to create a 'character style' mood board trying to mesh together Claire and Allison's styles.

Character Style: Violet Baudelaire

I'm quite the avid reader. I always find the main characters (and sometimes even the minor ones) just so inspiring that I envision what they would appear to be like if they were to really exist. The most impressive visual I would have of them would be their attire. Most often, the author does not describe the outfit of the character but, instead, the attitude and personality. Based on these, I find myself dreaming up 'closets' for these characters.

For now, I start off with Violet Baudelaire from A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket. I imagine her in mostly subdued colors - black, mostly, with varying assortments of dark, royal colors, such as a blue, violet (like her name), and teal. Patterns are scant, but her outfits consist, mainly of solid colors with slight, classic embellishments. Her attire is fashionable but comfortable too, as she is a girl that enjoys working with her hands and her mind. And who would Violet be without her assortment of ribbons?

I definitely see her wearing Chloé, Thakoon (especially his Fall 2009 collection), and Miu Miu.