Natalie's raison d'être: Bohemian Bourgeois

If fashion is a culmination of the times and we are wearing generations of ideas, then shouldn't our wardrobes be a reflection of the building blocks that have enabled designers to reach where they are today? Lately I have been dreaming of vintage Chanel sailor sweaters, Dior blazers, Diane von Furstenburg wrap dresses, Lanvin trousers, Balmain cocktail dresses, Pucci head scarves, Missoni belted sweaters, Tods flats...oh the list goes on. If offered pieces from their Fall 09 collections, I would not refuse, but to be honest I would prefer pieces from through out the decades. Each of these designers has pieces that they envisioned and crafted into idyllic silhouettes like Plato's ideal forms. As in the most perfect ballet flats, or the most form fitting pencil skirt. These visions have been crafted carefully and the pieces have been perfected by generations of designers. Personally, I'll take the originals any day. There is a name for this, coined by the New York Times in 2005 as "Bohemian Bourgeois", it is an eclectic combination of vintage designer and new in a way that rejects the capitalist materialism of the the current 21st century while embracing that of the 20th. Whether this is logical or simply an excuse for the trustafarians of my generation to excuse their desire for designer pieces, I love the look. The look I am envisioning is not the bag lady chic made famous by the Olsen ladies in their NYU days, it is more of a Sienna Miller meets Kate Moss with a Parisian socialite twist. Think yachting on the Riviera in the 1960s meets Ivy League university in the 1980s. There is something so marvelous about modern vintage mixed with key basics from the current season. Picture an Elizabeth and James white T-shirt, with a 1980s gold and white woven Chanel jacket, Kova and T leather leggings and knee high gladiator sandals with a Bottega Venetta envelope clutch....ooh lala! While these vintage pieces can be pricey, you might be surprised at what you can find if you look hard enough, and designer is relative. These key pieces are a life long effort on my part, there is no instant gratification in collecting such a wardrobe!

Here are just a few items I would LOVE to see in my closet...