February 2012
1 post
rookiemag:
ofanotherfashion:
Maybe the most stylish librarian ever - check out that fascinator! Lucille Baldwin Brown was the first Black public county librarian in Tallahassee, Florida. This photograph is part of the collection at the State Library and Archives of Florida.
jamie
December 2010
2 posts
2 tags
Friday Cocktails! 16 drinks named for authors and... →
Great drinks for your Friday Cocktail literary needs!
Imbibe on concoctions such as Oscar’s Wilde Thang (3 oz Vodka Citron, 1 oz Cointreau, 1 oz Fresh Lime juice, 2 oz Cranberry juice)!
Or others like:
Cormac McCarthy’s Bloody Meridian
Jack London’s Call of the Wild Turkey
or The Ernest Hemingway Special
kr
October 2010
9 posts
2 tags
Tights! With Glasses! →
Anthropologie designs a winner with Lost Glasses Sweater Tights!
the great book clutch!
Clutches by Olympia Le-Tan
Clutches by Kate Spade
A special thanks to KB for the sharp eye!
John Smedley's 'The Archivist'
I know it’s been too long since I’ve posted, but being AA’s (sole?) male correspondent I found this link shared by colleague Amanda Keys too good to pass up.
Fancypants luxury brand John Smedley (known for “high quality knitwear and a rich 225-year [sic] heritage”) has introduced their Autumn/Winter men’s collection and it all looks exceedingly sharp. From...
4 tags
Easy to Wear Pleats - the knee lenght circle skirt...
living in: party girl →
from design sponge: “1995? Parker Posey? New York? Sounds like a classic in the making.”
love this recreation of the style of a favorite fictional librarian!
la
September 2010
3 posts
Sick of articles about the future of reading? Try... →
Perfect for FRIDAY COCKTAILS!
A drinking game for getting through those fruitless articles about the future of the book.
A sampling:
“Will e-books wipe out/kill/decimate/pulverize/HULKSMASH/angry verb real books?” — one drink
Above question is lede — one drink
Every use of phrase “real book” — one drink
Expert you’ve never heard of before predicting percentages — one drink
Any predicted...
1 tag
August 2010
2 posts
Obsession: New Dress A Day
Check out this fantastic exercise in fashion, creativity, self-control, and sustainability: New Dress A Day
Before:
After:
http://newdressaday.wordpress.com/
A special thanks to Ms. KB for pointing out this amazing blog!
1 tag
the long of it...
I love a nice long skirt - though not too long, with my short legs I like to avoid floor length in favor of something closer to tea length. I like this length for a couple reasons - for one, it is really comfortable - no concerns over indecent exposure, and two, it manages to look classic and professional without being too business-y.
Early one morning a couple of weeks ago I had the...
July 2010
5 posts
4 tags
Discussing the LBD (Librarian's Best Device) via...
LA’s recent post left me thinking about the contrast between the allure of the LBD (little black dress) and the less alluring notion of BCLLA (black-clad librarianesqe ladies’ attire). LA wrote:
blackandwtf:
via State Library of New South Wales collection.
I don’t have much to say about the dullness of these black-clad librarianesqe ladies’ attire. It’s dull. There. BUT I think I...
Dispatch from the Field
So, the thing about a style blog, and more specifically the thing about a fashion diary is that it takes a lot of confidence to actually take your picture every day (or even every week!). And you want to know what kills confidence? Walking around in a record high heat wave. Hair goes wild, unsightly stains emerge. sheesh!
Despite my strategic packing and lofty plans of daily photographs from...
4 tags
June 2010
9 posts
2 tags
Pleasantly Profesh
So, I realize that bringing up Anthropologie while discussing cute librarian-inspired clothes is like, um… bringing up… um… Sir Hilary Jenkinson when discussing archival order (?) Paul Banks when discussing preservation (?), … I don’t know, you get the idea - Everything is just so cute, and bookish - knee length skirts! cardigans! oxfords and shirt dresses! Makes my...
up to code
I have just begun an internship in the archives of an esteemed art museum. A few days before the start of my position, after I had arrived in my city of temporary residence and what had been packed could not be un-packed, I received an intern handbook with the following wardrobe instructions: “Men are to wear jackets and ties. Flip-flops are strongly discouraged.” Translation: ...
1 tag
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Friday Cocktails - Disaster Edition
The Broken Coil!!
Today’s drink is inspired by a mess that occurred last Friday in my library. Not your run-of-the-mill disaster, last week’s flooding situation involved bubblegum-pink liquid streaming down columns and sneaking through ceiling cracks (the way being paved many times over from previous leaks). It looked a little like this:
The HVAC unit in the room above had sprung...
2 tags
'a spot of shoe shopping'
While googling “library couture” (natch, what else would I google?) I came across a lovely little blog, Her Library Adventures. Beautiful images, and when you read it you can imagine an Australian accent… what more could you ask for? The author devotes each day to a different topic, and Wednesday just happens to be devoted to wardrobes.
Check out the gorgeous shoes she...
2 tags
Summer has arrived
Well, business here at Archival Allure has been a bit slow, apologies all around. Maybe it’s the heat, maybe it’s my new found habit of hitting the snooze button six times then leaping out of bed only to change my outfit 3 times. Of course, the truth is that I don’t actually see any one all day (except when I crash the conservator’s morning break) so my dress motivation has...
Library Propaganda
While not strictly related, I couldn’t resist sharing this great photoset of WPA ‘library propaganda’ posters:
For more, check out: http://www.flickr.com/photos/marklarson/sets/72157600988703548/
and
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/wpaposters/about.html
May 2010
8 posts
bibliothécaire
The blog on which I found these images from L’Wren Scott’s Spring 2009 ready-to-wear line described them as librarian/schoolteacher. To which my brain added, “as styled by Jean-Luc Goddard.”
But hot, non? I can’t say an overdose of 1960s Parisian is really a bad thing. la
2 tags
Friday Cocktails - A/V Edition
The Sticky Shed
This week’s cocktail is named after the tragedy that happens to magnetic media: Sticky Shed Syndrome. When the binders in magnetic coating start to deteriorate, the coating separates or flakes from the plastic substrate. This is not good. One creative solution to this devastating sickness is called ‘baking’, where the tape is actually subjected to relatively...
books / models
A special thanks to our friend JS, who brought these amazing photos to our attention, and describes the final image “one model giving a discreet but critical look at the other model’s collection storage and management…”
all images via
http://tomandlorenzo2.blogspot.com/2010/04/jerell-scott-fall-2010-collection.html
1 tag
Clothing for Conference, part 1: Milwaukee
Hello friends, and apologies for the long time away. I have no excuse other than I haven’t felt terribly stylish lately. I guess as I settled into work, I also settled (too well) into my style -
Fortunately, my recent trip to a conference (the first of three I will be attending in coming weeks) helped me to put some thought into style once again.
Attending conferences is an important...
3 tags
Friday Cocktails - Wisconsin Edition
With so many of my nearest and dearest attending annual conference of the American Institute for Conservation in Milwaukee, WI, today’s post focuses on what made the city famous. BEER.
Unfortunately, most of these breweries have been bought and sold to other major brewing companies, so let’s just focus on the product (pretending that PBR actually exists physically).
A list of the...
2 tags
2 tags
April 2010
10 posts
2 tags
Friday Cocktails - the OG Edition
MassD! the OG of the PresD!
[mass deacidification - the original gangster of the preservation department]
This week I’ve been dealing with some shipments of books that were mass deacidified, a process that reduces the acidity of papers and books before they get brittle. My department shortens the name to Mass D. I think this sounds like a pretty awesome rapper name, and before I get...
the Dark Denim Dilemma
I recently bought a pair of dark blue jeans at H&M, originally seeing my purchase as an addition to my ‘casual’ side of the wardrobe.
But lately I’ve become bored with my few pairs of pants/slacks, especially as the weather has yet to comfortably allow skirts, and am wondering if these dark denims could be considered appropriate for the regular work day [I won’t lie;...
Fashion Inspiration on Film
Scene from West Side Story
The Times Online recently posted their selection for the “25 movies that shook the world of fashion.” Among their nominees are classics like Annie Hall and Grey Gardens, as well as the unexpected Avatar, Zoolander. Missing: Desk Set and The Apartment (two personal fashion favs).
So, if your in the mood for some research (or maybe just in the mood to...
1 tag
dressing dapper
I know we’re usually pretty skirt and dress heavy here at Archival Allure, but I just found and now adore dapperQ, a guide to crossing gender lines in style. From their about page: “DapperQ is for anyone who wants to make any element of mens fashion truly their own but it’s also for anyone who aspires to deeper levels of personal authenticity. On one hand, it’s for all of us who...
5 tags
Elle's "Librarian-Inspired Spring Fashion"
I came across this feature on “bookish accessories” from Elle and am a bit mixed on my feelings about it. Yeah, the above quotation earings are pretty awesome. As are the $1,520 “book” canvas minaudières. $1,520! Not that I don’t believe that librarians shouldn’t have the finest things in life, but really? For screenprinted metal boxes?
Of course,...
1 tag
The Friday Cocktail Returns!
This Friday Cocktail post is less about a specific drink and more about a lifestyle (even if just for one evening).
So - you just finished your first full week at a new job that has required lots of meetings, introductions, tours, training, and general stress. What do you want to do?
Copy Cataloging!!
That’s right, you check the OCLC (Occasionally Contributed to Liquor Cabinet) to see...
Take a Look: Kendi Everyday
I had a great plan for my outfit this morning - really I did. And then I woke up. 20 minutes after I usually leave the house. Needless to say, I ended up wearing God knows what, and was happy that I managed to get my teeth brushed.
So, in lieu of any sort of personal fashion insight, let me introduce you to one of my new favorite ladies of the style blog: Kendi. This (fellow) Texan has a great...
2 tags
Pink & Grey
50’s style wallpaper by way of Retro Renovation
I was on the train home last Friday and I saw a chic looking lady wearing this combo of grey and pink, and I thought to myself, “I could do that!” I’ve been meaning to incorporate this jacket (courtesy my interview suit) into my normal wardrobe - and this grey and pink combo, plucked right off the 1 train, seemed like a...
4 tags
no dress code woes
There are certain challenges associated with working for an institution with no set dress code. On the one hand, the lack of dress code is liberating; after all, I’m the girl who once turned down a job in an archive because women were required to wear hose (in my defense I was 22 and it was New Orleans in August)! But on the other hand, minus the guidelines it can be hard to know what is...
Library Style at NPR →
March 2010
40 posts
3 tags
