An Unstudied Air

Mr. Collins has a line in Pride & Prejudice that always makes me smirk.

Says he, "though I sometimes amuse myself with suggesting and arranging such little elegant compliments as may be adapted to ordinary occasions, I always wish to give them as unstudied an air as possible."

Not that I want to expose us to ridicule, but don't we aesthetes do the same? I subscribe to that brand of just-so-perfectly-imperfect styling that demands the most deliberate tweaking. I adore a meticulous mess- like this jumble of books and artifacts, harmoniously united in faded jade and gray and beige. A happy accident, to be sure!

Image Courtesy of Domino Magazine

The same is true of those chic ensembles calculated to inspire envy, of which we flippantly declare, "oh, this old thing- I just threw it on!" I aim for edited excess. Almost (but not quite) matching celadon greens, too many (but just enough) beads and baubles. Effortless, I assure you!

My fashion fancies: the Pearly Girl Dress, Guinevere of Glam-elot Necklace, & Oh Pear Bracelet (all from ModCloth), Pearl Pave Posts (from Anthropologie), Peony Espadrilles (from J. Crew), and the Kimchi Blue Lady Satchel (from Urban Outfitters).

Style may be an artifice... but we all have our follies!