Three Dresses

Madame Roger Jourdain (1886), Paul Albert Besnard

1. I went to the Postmodernism exhibit at the De Young Museum in San Francisco a few days before I went back to school. Not as impressive as the "Birth of Impressionism" exhibit that I went to over the summer, in my opinion. I really liked this particular painting though. Picture quality sucks -- but this Madame Jourdain's posture is just so elegant, and there's such a dreamy, night quality to the colors. She reminds me of Audrey Hepburn wearing the Givenchy gown in Sabrina.

2. Speaking of Audrey Hepburn, at the behest of my mother Graydyl and I watched Roman Holiday over the winter break. I must say, having grown up watching black-and-white Old Hollywood movies with my mother while I was too young to understand the plot, I can now fully appreciate the artistry of Roman Holiday. All the little details are what makes the film's premise come alive. Even today, the jokes are still funny. It's a stark contrast to today's romantic comedies that don't really have the same quiet charm -- instead, there is heavy emphasis on sex, which in their defense I suppose reflects the values of today's society. As an analogy, Roman Holiday is the guy who lets a joke slip out and if you're not attentive enough to catch it, all you'll see is the lingering, secretive smile of amusement; whereas your typical romantic comedy of today is one of those guys who cracks out a loud, raunchy joke with an accompanying guffaw, and if the reception is good, proceeds to repeat it over and over again.

Olivia Wilde in Marchesa, 2011 Golden Globes

3. I didn't actually watch the Golden Globes, but as with most award shows I usually make a point to look at the photos of the dresses. Olivia Wilde's was my favorite, and surprise surprise -- the design was by Marchesa. Me like shiny, pretty things. Still undecided about the hair for the red carpet, but considering that's the hairstyle I've been growing my hair out for -- bangs with long, straight hair -- I'll give it a thumbs up. But I give a thumbs down for the photos where Olivia Wilde sticks her leg out from under the dress to show off her gold Christian Louboutin shoes. She just looked weird sticking her leg out... kinda like a dog at a fire hydrant.


I must say though, the shoes were badass. Even the Badass One would approve, if he cared about women's fashion.

"I think there was no other profession for me. I was either going into an insane asylum or going to be an actor." -- Olivia Wilde