The Elephant Dress

I have this obsession with elephants. I think they are majestic and beautiful creatures. I adore when designers incorporate elephants into fashion. It all started with Dan. Someone gave me a silver necklace once with a tiny elephant attached. I named him Dan after this guy who passed out drunk at a party I went to once. He was perfect, a really spectacular necklace. I wore it to death. Then one day someone gave me another elephant necklace, then another and another until eventually I had about 6 or 7. They all had names, but I don't remember them anymore. Dan, however, remained my favorite, until one day I tragically lost him in a dressing room at H&M in New York City. I was devastated. My mom tried to console me saying that Dan probably loved being lost in downtown NYC. She was right, but I still missed him. Since then, the elephant necklace collection just wasn't the same. 

Then I found the elephant dress.

I mean the elephant dress. Two summers ago I had the job of my life working at Bananas, a vintage clothing store in Gloucester. So it was a typical work day and I was organizing clothes on the racks when I came across the single most amazing piece of clothing I have ever laid eyes on. It was a royal blue tank dress with a pattern of gold elephants all over it. I went over to the cash register and bought it that second. I didn't even try it on. It cost 8$, 4$ with my discount. I found out the next day when I wore the dress to work that it had previously belonged to Deb, a middle aged painter who shared a studio with my mom and also worked at Bananas. This information just made the dress even more endearing to me. Since then, its been huge. Every time I go out in the elephant dress I get compliments. It makes a statement. A subtle, funky, elegant statement. The only way to wear it is with a big caramel leather belt cinched at the waist. Thats it. Thats all it needs.


The elephant dress has been with me through many amazing days, but some fantastically terrible ones too. It was what I wore the day one of my ex-boyfriends broke up with me. I knew what he was going to do when he called and asked to come over. I wore because it was his favorite, but more importantly because I needed it to give me strength. The elephant dress is me, it fits my body, its fits my style, it just fits, in every sense of the word. I struggled for a long time deciding what to write about for my first post, but this dress has a knack for making the even hardest things seem effortless. It's my favorite outfit. It's perfect. It had to go first.


Ps. Check out the new song. Elephant Gun by Beirut. I recommend watching it on youtube, it might be my favorite music video I've ever seen. Pastel lingerie, elephant trunks, confetti and classical ballet moves all in one place. What could possibly be better?

Check out my new blog. I'm excited about it.

There are so many things in this world that I love. I have so many passions to share with people and exciting stories to tell. I started this blog to combine some of these loves of mine in one place.  

The Medium: First and foremost, there is writing. I am a writer. I write because I need to, because it clears my head, makes me realize things I never thought of before. I write because it teaches me each and every day who I am, and I wouldn't be ok without it. I started this blog because I need somewhere to write that isn't in a journal, isn't inside my head. I need to show others what I write. I need to share, converse, experience things together. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it.  

The Subject: Fashion. What a great word. Fashion. It says to the world, look at me, I have attitude. Fashion commands attention. It's had my attention for as long as I can remember. From my dress up box days, through the ballerina world, past my year in France and now into this crazy town of Lennoxvegas, what I choose to put on my body has always had significant importance. I just love clothes. I love getting dressed in the morning. I love that my room is a borderline disaster zone. I love every single item of clothing I own and I would never have it any other way. My clothing and accessories all have stories behind them, and they need to be told.  

The Inspiration: I surround myself with beautiful people. I do not have ugly friends. Every day I am inspired by the people in my life. I want to share these people with the world, they're just too damn fabulous to pass by. The best part about my friends is that each person's individual style is completely unique and diverse. Whether its quirky, elegant, hardcore, classic, grunge or simply breathtaking, its all original. My friends have outstanding fashion tastes and I can't wait to show them off. This project will go beyond just my friends though. I want my family in on this, my teachers, my style icons, and even people I see on the street. The best fashion inspiration comes from places I would never expect. It can be found in my Grandmother's attic or in the coffee shop down the street. Its always around me, and its always exciting.

Peace,
Helen