Always Tea Time

Since moving to NYC almost two years ago I've tried to get a table at Alice's Tea Cup on the Upper West Side about four times but every time the wait was over an hour and for one reason or another I didn't end up waiting. (They only take reservations for groups of six or more).  Last time a friend and I attempted to stop in we decided to go some place else for lunch because it was too cold outside to be wandering around aimlessly while we waited for a table and there's not really enough room inside to wait. So I was pretty excited when a couple of friends and I made plans to finally go check this place out today.  We still had to wait but the weather is pretty perfect right now so passing the time was pleasant.

Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland has long been a favorite book of mine and I do love a good theme (I know, such a dork...) so I didn't hesitate to seize the opportunity to wear my teacup dress and don a few other Alice inspired items for this occasion. One of the newest additions to my Alice in Wonderland assemblage is a gorgeous book clutch I purchased from Novel Creations. I absolutely love it!  Even the way it came packaged was delightful, complete with a red seal heart and a lovely thank you note from the creator. Karen, the owner/creator of Novel Creations, is very responsive if you have any questions about ordering a book purse and when I asked about the antiqued handles she assured me that it would be the perfect choice....and they were! Going to Alice's Tea Cup was the perfect inaugural excursion for this little book purse.  

And tea at Alice's Tea Cup was worth the wait! Such a fun place and I had great company to share the experience with.  Also, I forgot how calming a cup of tea can be. I used to drink tea pretty regularly but only have it on rare occasions now, but I might start making it a part of my daily routine from now on or at least making time on the weekends to enjoy a leisurely cup. Now if only I could find a tea that was as tasty and as pink as what I enjoyed today :)

Outfit Details:

Dress (old): Sugar and Cream Dress, Anthropologie

Cardigan (old): Seashell Cardigan, Anthropologie

Tights (old): Hue Sheer Dot Tights (metal)

Boots (old): John Fluevog Adriana Nuni Boots

Purse: Novel Creations, Etsy

Hair Band: from Hefter Collection Luxe Hair Accessories, Hazelton Lanes, Toronto

Teacup Charm Necklace (old): Purchased from Etsy awhile ago and can't remember the exact store, but similar version here

Topsy Turvy Miniatures

 

When I first saw this dress appear on Anthropologie's website a few years again, I was immediately smitten. It never end up making an appearance in the Yorkville location and soon enough it sold out online, but later on I did find it for sale on eBay and I snapped it up. It reminds me of Alice in Wonderland with its miniature chair print, oversized collar and ruffled  sleeves. This is what I'd wear to the Mad Hatter's Tea Party. It's a bit of a shapeless dress but that gives it a 1920s feel. From far away, the dress appears fairly refined but closer inspection reveals all it's quirky loveliness. Every time I wear it I find new ways to draw out its storybook details, like adding ballet pink tights, a floral hair accent, bow trimmed shoes or a charm adorned necklace (never all of those things at once though). I'm so glad this dress ended up making its way into my closet.

P.S. Here's I wore the dress to a Grad School Exhibition Celebration (incidentally, I'm hoping to grow my hair out to this length....but it seems to be taking a long time). Pardon the red eye.

Outfit details:

Dress: Parlor Games Dress by Anna Sui, Anthropologie

Cardigan: Cable and Gauge, Lord and Taylor

Tights: Hue Supersoft Lightweight tights in color "flirt"

Shoes (the ones I actually wore at work, not the ones I'm wearing): Dolce Vita Orina oxfords, sold out in most places but a few sizes available here

Style Inspiration Drawn from Children’s Literature

Style and fashion inspiration comes from so many places, but for me one of the most enduring might be literature.  Literature from childhood, timeless stories, especially continues to have an impact on the pieces of clothing that I’m drawn to. I’d been thinking about the influence of literature and film/TV on fashion a lot lately…you can’t help but notice store windows and magazine covers showcasing looks inspired by The Great Gatsby, Mad Men, Game of Thrones, and so on.

Recently, I visited the New York Public Library’s exhibition The ABC of it: Why Children’s Books Matter (blog post here).  It got me thinking about how important children’s literature is for adults, as much as it is for children. We grow up on the words and images found in children’s literature, our imaginations expand, our personalities develop….perhaps, that’s why those stories stick with us. So, it’s not surprising that they resonant with other parts of our lives as we age. From Haute Couture on the runway, to Polvore sets and Pinterest boards, it’s clear that many of the characters we grew up with are still inspiring our wardrobes as adults.

In terms of style, I may not wear a whole Alice in Wonderland costume/look on any typical day of the year, but I certainly find myself wearing details reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland. Tulle skirts, smocked dresses, frilled socks, an over-sized bow, polished Mary Jane shoes, checkboard tights, a heart shaped locket, sometimes just a particular color combination…these are storybook details brought to life in fashion.

Here’s a look at some of the children’s literature that have had the biggest impact on my personal style.

ALICE IN WONDERLAND

"Why, sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast." Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

Image source for John Tennel illustration for Alice in Wonderland (1865)

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LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE

"The real things haven’t changed. It is still best to be honest and truthful; to make the most of what we have; to be happy with simple pleasures; and have courage when things go wrong." Laura Ingalls Wilder, Little House on the Prairie

Image source for cover of one of the books in the Little House on the Prairie Series

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GRIMM’S FAIRY TALES

Example: Little Red Riding Hood (actually referred to as Little Red Riding Cap in the Grimm’s version)

"Once upon a time there was a sweet little girl. Everyone who saw her liked her, but most of all her grandmother, who did not know what to give the child next. Once she gave her a little cap made of red velvet. Because it suited her so well, and she wanted to wear it all the time, she came to be known as Little Red Cap." Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, Little Red Cap

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LITTLE SNOW WHITE

‘Oh, Queen, thou art fairest of all I see. But over the hills, where the seven dwarfs dwell, Snow-white is still alive and well. And none is so fair as she." Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, Little Snow White

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THE WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ

“‘If we walk far enough’, says Dorothy, ‘we shall sometime come to someplace.’" L. Frank Baum, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

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HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN FAIRY TALES

"There was once a King’s son who had a larger and more beautiful collection of books than any one else in the world, full of splendid copper-plate engravings." Hans Christian Andersen, The Garden of Paradise

Illustration from The Garden of Paradise and Other Stories by Hans Christian Andersen

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THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA

"Once a king or queen of Narnia, always a king or queen of Narnia." C.S. Lewis, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

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ANNE OF GREEN GABLES

"It’s been my experience that you can nearly always enjoy things if you make up your mind firmly that you will." L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables

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POLLYANNA

"Just breathing isn’t living!" Eleanor H. Porter, Pollyanna

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NANCY DREW

"I don’t promise to forget the mystery, but I know I’ll have a marvelous time!" Carolyn Keene, Nancy’s Mysterious Letter

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MADELINE

"In an old house in Paris that was covered in vines, lived twelve little girls in two straight lines." Ludwig Bemelmans, Madeline

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