If there's one film to watch this year to reflect the biggest fashion trends right now it's 1975's Picnic at Hanging Rock. Hair bows? Check! Long white dresses? Check! Basket bags and boater hats? Check! It's a perennial favorite of mine (and the rest of the fashion world) for summer inspiration, even though the film is set on Valentine's Day. I won't begin to give a synopsis of the plot, but it's well worth a viewing if you like mysterious and unsettling films with amazing fashion (a remake of the film is also coming out soon!). But even without viewing the film a quick Google or Pinterest search of "Picnic at Hanging Rock" will yield hundreds of inspiring results from the film itself to the numerous editorials and lookbooks it has inspired. The key elements to take away for channeling this look are long white dresses, preferably with a vaguely Edwardian inspired or with lace detailing, romantic, wavy hair topped with a straw hat, and delicate satin ribbons to be tied in the hair or around the waist. There's this tension in the film between restrictive looks and more relaxed ones; uniform/conformity and breaking free. This tension is partly what captives in the style; high collar blouses and tousled undone hair; feminine bows juxtaposed with more rugged elements or a setting. Details to finish off the look--vintage jewelry (perhaps a heart locket as a nod to Valentine's Day) or a butterfly motif to echo Miranda's butterfly buckle on her belt. It was an intentional symbol of the ephemeral nature of Miranda, a delicate beauty like a butterfly that flutters briefly into sight to add a moment of wonder, but is gone in the blink of an eye.   

I live in an area known as the "Apple Orchard County" which means there are apple orchards dotting nearly every hill around us. I can walk from my house to an apple orchard in less than five minutes. In autumn this means admiring the trees full of apples and a busy season of picking at all the local farms. In spring it means the fleeting blossom season where delicate pink-white blooms dot the branches and feel the air with their sweet perfume. Thomas grew up here, on an apple farm, and yet he still finds this season special, finding excuses to take the long road home from errands to drive down narrow country lanes lined with blooming cow parsley to peak into different orchards in their infinite variety. Our favorites are always the orchards left a bit wild, with grass up to your knees and hundreds of dandelions dotting the ground. The trees are a bit taller, their branches more knurled, some even keep their sheep in the orchards and you can watch spring lambs leaping wildly around below the trees. Always though the blossoms fade too soon, the petals knocked away by a gentle breeze or soft rain and the magical atmosphere starts to fade until the next year...
P.S. Use code CLOTHESHORSE15 to get 15% off your order at Palava. They have so many pretty spring prints right now! The code is good for one month.
“Oh, look, here’s a big bee just tumbled out of an apple blossom. Just think what a lovely place to live–in an apple blossom! Fancy going to sleep in it when the wind was rocking it. If I wasn’t a human girl, I think I’d like to be a bee and live among the flowers.” -LM Montgomery

I'm a sucker for theme dressing. Walking through woodlands blooming with wild garlic? Let me wear a white dress and grab my basket. Going to the seaside? Time to bust out my lobster purse, or shark backpack and nautical print clothes. Lately shellfish have been on my mind and in a lot of shops--I'm so tempted by every lobster print, crabby bag, and nautical sandal. But how many lobster themed pieces of clothing does one girl need??? Seeing as there is so much out there in the shops right now, I thought I'd write a post featuring a few of my favorite finds for anyone similarly inclined. While my style preference does tip towards the cutesy when it comes to a theme, shellfish pieces can be done with vintage pizazz and elegance. For inspiration look no further than Schiaparelli's lobster dress from the 1930s or a modern beaded bag from Zara embellished with petite crabs. Whimsical chic. 

What's your favorite fairy tale? Mine has always been One Thousand and One Nights. As a kid I enjoyed that it packed so many stories together and the interesting characters--like Sinbad the Sailor and Alibaba and the thieves. It was a wild adventure from start to finish; if you aren't familiar with the story in brief: a king finds out that his wife has been unfaithful to him and in his bitterness decides all women are untrustworthy; he begins to marry a succession of virgins only to execute each one the next morning, before she has a chance to dishonor him. Scheherazade volunteers to be the king's next bride and starts telling him a story the night of their wedding, but doesn't finish it before dawn. When the king requests she tell him how the story ends, she points out that it is morning and she has no time to finish it, so he spares her life so that she might finish it the next night. Each night Scheherazade finishes one story and starts the next, always leaving a bit untold for the next day so the king must spare her life to hear how each ends. After a thousand and one nights she tells him she has no more stories to tell and he says he has fallen in love with her and makes her his queen. As an adult looking back at that familiar story, I like that Scheherazade is the hero of the story and uses her cleverness to save the day--she has no fairy godmother, but her passion for stories and her wit keeps her alive and changes the heart of the king. In most versions of the story there's also little mention of Scheherazade's beauty, instead the focus is all on her wisdom and story-telling. In some of the versions of this story, Scheherazade even uses the stories to soften the king's heart, making him feel for the characters that echo her own plight and loathe those who more reflect his own character. All of this Scheherazade musing has little to do with today's pictures aside from a vague connection to fairy tales as I wear an Alice in Wonderland inspired dress from Cath Kidston. I think it's fun to revisit the stories of our childhood every now and then. I love that C.S. Lewis quote, "I wrote this story for you, but when I began it I had not realized that girls grow quicker than books. As a result you are already too old for fairy tales, and by the time it is printed and bound you will be older still. But some day you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again." Maybe this is the week to dust off your favorite fairy tale and disappear into that world again...

If there's one comparison I've received with increasing frequency in the last few years it's: Anne of Green Gables. It's not one I sought out for myself, she wasn't my inspiration for red hair or a fashion influence for me either, although it's also a comparison I enjoy because I do love the books and her character. Who wouldn't want to be like spunky Anne? And while I don't think I'm as bold as her, I do have a similar love for novels and nature. It's L.M. Montgomery's descriptions of nature that really make my heart sing; it's rare to find an author who is so similarly invested in the scenery and seasons. She wrote beautifully about nature and I like to think my love for the natural world is expressed through my photographs. Today I thought I'd embrace my Anne vibes with double braids and straw hat--and a little Anne of Green Gables book necklace. Bunnyhell makes all sorts of classic novels into book necklaces and brooches, from Jane Eyre to The Princess Bride. And if your favorite book isn't in the shop (like Anne) you can always request a custom order. The custom necklaces for your favorite book are the same price as the ones already listed in her shop as well, so unlike some shops where custom costs an extra penny, you can pick your favorite for steal! It's a really sweet gift for any book lover you know or a way to wear your favorite novel on a daily basis! I'm also partnering with Bunnyhell to give away someone's favorite book necklace, go check out my Instagram later today to enter.
Also, can you tell I'm wearing a petticoat in these pictures? I've never worn a petticoat with my dresses before (outside of playing dress up as a kid), but I thought some of my vintage pieces might be better suited by the literal "oomph." It's a bit outside my comfort zone as I tend to prefer things more natural looking especially when walking through the woods and gathering wild garlic since it's such a peaceful scene, but what do you think? I'm feeling quite settled in my style, but I'm trying to do little experiments within that set look. Even if you have your styled figured out you can always look for ways to refine it.