Rusted Revolution

Coco Chanel is famous not just for her physical contributions to the world of fashion. She is also well-known for her gems of style wisdom. A common favorite quote expresses Chanel’s minimalist style: “Before leaving the house, a lady should stop, look in the mirror and remove one piece of jewelry.” As much as I value the advice of one of the most stylish women of all time, I also admire risk-takers, those who sometimes break the standards of fashion, in order to honor their own personal style. I myself look in the mirror, and before leaving my dormitory in the morning, I often tend to add one more piece of jewelry. I believe the BCxRR and BC Sartorialist Pick of the Week and I have a similar mind-set when it comes to accessorizing with gems.

Although Samantha is not a Boston College student, her look was so fashion-forward that she, without a doubt, our pick of the week. The BC Sartorialist described how he only just managed to catch sight of a “glimpse of her glasses” as she walked in the opposite direction on Newbury Street. Going off in “hot pursuit” of this true style individual paid off with the  two great photographs he was able to take of her. Samantha, a student from Emerson, was, according to Alex, simply “really cool.” He loved her all-gold shades.

SAMANTHA

I like Samantha’s outfit because it seems to simultaneously be simple and extravagant. Her outfit, made up of the most basic shades of black and white (Madame Chanel would definitely approve), is contrasted perfectly with her eccentric accessories. Her look appears to be a kind of elegant uniform for this intellectual, yet stylish student. In order to find out more about Samantha, I contacted her viaTumblr. She was very gracious in giving out more details about both herself and her wardrobe. Samantha is an employee of urban street style haven, American Apparel. “I was on my way to work (at American Apparel) when Alex stopped me,” Samantha wrote.  ”So, I’m wearing a lot of clothes from the store in that shot.”  She explained that her blouse, riding pants, hair bow, and sunglasses were all from the iconic brand.  Her sparkly velvet blazer is from a flea market in L.A. called the Melrose Trading Post.

I love that the her dark jacket had those fabulously unexpected glitter stripes, transforming a serious look into a playful one. I like that her bra, also black, is just barely visible through her white sheer blouse. Yet, my favorite aspect of Samantha’s entire outfit is her accessories selection. The stunner shades, the funky hair bow, and, most importantly, the jewelry – they all blend together to create a seamless picture. Her necklaces, a silver dog tag and a bright amber pendant, are an unexpected combination. Samantha’s sentimental side was revealed through her choice of adornments.”The dog tag around my neck is my Dad’s from when he served in the Vietnam War. He wears one and I wear the other at all times.” Samantha is truly an individual, for she wears things that are both edgy and heartfelt.

The BC Sartorialist’s second photograph of Samantha was a detail shot simply of her hands, adorned with multiple interesting rings. Alex declared, “This is perfect. I’d rather not ruin it with my mediocre use of the English language.” I agree that the picture’s beauty speaks for itself. As a ring enthusiast myself, I loved the colorful combination she put together, which seemed even more unique when Samantha revealed the various shops she had acquired the rings from.

“The rings are from a lot of places,” she laughingly told me. The moonstone ring, the om symbol ring, and the elephant head ring were from silver stores in Santa Cruz, CA. The bended spoon thumb ring was from a thrift store in Mount Shasta, CA. The set of 4 rings was from a random little shop in Allston, MA. The double-banded ring that sits on top of the elephant ring was a gift from my parents, and it is from Tiffany’s. The turquoise ring is an Native American antique. The gold face ring was a gift and it was from Topshop.

Portrait of Coco Chanel (via Global Style + Lifestyle)

I began this post with a reference to Coco Chanel. Yet, as I discovered more about Samantha, I began to see a similarity between this stylish student and the namesake of the great French fashion house. Samantha favors the colors Coco herself embedded into the Chanel brand. She also, like Chanel, wears a combination of precious and semi-precious jewelry, all of which reflect her personal style. Even the casual way Samantha is handling her cigarette in her photographs seems reminiscent of the great designer. Samantha revealed that she is a media studies major, looking to “study all aspects of the entertainment industry from production to theory.” If style is any indication of success in the entertainment industry, I believe she has a very fruitful career ahead of her. Thank you, Alex, for your contribution to this piece. Stay stylish, Samantha. Check back this weekend for the next BCxRR and BC Sartorialist Pick of the Week!