Ode to Bill

You know, THAT Bill.  I was a little confused as a child because all the grown-up men I knew were named Bill- my dad, grandfathers, godfather...I thought that all boys grew up to be named Bill, regardless of their childhood name! 

I saw the new documentary on Bill Cunningham  the other night- it's just an incredible portrait of a truly authentic man driven by his love of fashion.  And not just capital-F Fashion in the couture sense, but absolutely passionate about capturing the way everyday people dress and express themselves through clothing.  I've loved him since I first came across his weekly On the Street commentary videos on the New York Times website- but I absolutely adore him now.  It's hard not to be in awe of his simple, ascetic lifestyle and cynical yet somehow purposefully naive perspective.  What characterizes his photos is that he lets the street fashion speak for itself, rather than setting out himself with a story to document.  The range of people he's captured in his vibrant on-the-street column over the last 30 years is an astonishing archive- I don't just want a reference book, I want to invest in the catalogue raisonne!

I often have a hard time with documentaries- I'm too aware of the artifice of the production, how the narrative is constructed to tell the story the director has predetermined- but I think here they've allowed his character and personality to drive what is really a reverent and beautiful portrait, or at least what Bill has allowed us to know about the elusive man behind the camera!...

So, I am a lazy blogger, to be sure- I haven't been getting many OOTD shots lately as it's now too bright out when I get home to take an indoor shot (backlit and all), which means it's time to actually find a summer location out of doors.  Here is my half-assed experiment in the backyard- it will soon be greener and a bit less grim I hope!  I've been trying to get around to some  little sewing tasks every weekend- I recently picked up this adorable Field Flower cardigan through the EA board and switched the buttons to vintage brass ones today.  They feel like they've always been there now!  I also fixed a couple of dress hems and tailored a cute yellow pencil skirt that will debut any day now as the temperatures rise!

Anthropologie Field Flower cardigan, thrifted BCBG denim skirt, Aldo boots

I love Field Flower cardigans- the details are always so soft and whimsical but never over-the-top.  I also have the Parted Petals cardigan from last spring.  Does anyone know what this navy one was called? 

Field Flower- Parted Petals cardigan

mystery Field Flower cardigan