The Little Mermaid

Here's my last Disney movie for a while: The Little Mermaid (I have a pretty time consuming project I've decided on for the next one). Disney came out with its animated version of Hans Christian Anderson's fairy tale in 1989. This movie follows the same basic plot of every Disney movie: girl falls in love with boy, couple must face obstacle put in front of them by the evil villain, and in the end, SPOILER: the girl gets the prince. Now that I think about it, and since we just talked about this in my British Literature class, Disney movies tend to follow the typical marriage plot - the prince is handsome, the girl never has a job or any independence after the marriage, and the man is the provider in the relationship (except in the case of Aladdin; although, after he marries Jasmine he becomes a prince, the future sultan, and the only one with the power in the relationship). But I digress. The Little Mermaid follows basically the same plot, except the princess is a fish, and you know, she kind of needs to get rid of her tail in order to marry her true love.

"I've got gadgets and gizmos aplenty/I have whoozits and whatzits galore/You want thingamabobs? I've got twenty/But who cares? No big deal/I want more" - Ariel

Dress - Julie Haus, Jacket - Talbots, Shoes - Balmain, Earrings - Belle Noel, Bracelets - Forever 21

Dress - ShopThreeDots, Jacket - Junya Watanabe, Shoes - Karen Millen, Earrings - Tacori, Necklace - Peacocks

"It looks just like him. It even has his eyes. 'Why, Eric, run away with you? This is all so - so sudden...'" - Ariel (to statue of Prince Eric)

Jeans - PRPS, Corset - Love Burlesque, Shirt - Fat Face, Shoes - ZARA, Headband - Juicy

"Up where they walk/Up where they run/Up where they stay all day in the sun/Wanderin' free/Wish I could be/Part of that world..." - Ariel

Shorts - Athe-Vanessa Bruno, Tank top - Alexander McQueen, Shoes - Xhilaration, Bracelet - Marina Fossati, Earrings - Aurelie Biedermann

"If you want to cross a bridge, my sweet/You've got to pay the toll/Take a gulp and take a breath and go ahead and sign the scroll!/Flotsam, Jetsam, now I've got her, boys/The boss is on a roll/This poor unfortunate soul!" - Ursula

Jeans - Twenty8Twelve, Blouse - Frida, Shoes - Christian Louboutin, Bracelet - Kenneth Jay Lane, Earrings - Ice.com, Bag - Kate Spade








"Don't you take that tone of voice with me young lady. As long as you live under my ocean, you'll obey my rules!" - Triton (to Ariel)

Dress - Matthew Eager, Shoes - Jimmy Choo, Necklace - Charm & Chain, Bracelet - Heavenly Treasures, Clutch - Cleobella










"Believe me, Grim, when I find the right girl, I'll know. Without a doubt, it'll just-BAM-hit me. Like lightning." - Prince Eric (as lightning flashes in the background)

Skirt - Clemens en August, Blouse - Dorothy Perkins, Shoes - Pour La Victoire, Earrings - Overstock.com, Necklace - Kendra Scott

"Flounder, don't be such a guppy." - Ariel

"I'm not a guppy." - Flounder

(It would have been way too obvious for the guys' outfit to be Triton or Eric.)

Jeans - Diesel, Shirt - American Eagle, Jacket - ORiSUE, Shoes - Raf

Feminism

I'm taking a small hiatus from Disney movies (not to worry, eventually I'll finish out the 3 or 4 more I planned on doing) to talk about, and show outfits for, something I've only recently realized is extraordinarily important: feminism. Now I know what you're thinking: "Oh my gosh. Here's another psychotic, man-hating, hairy, stinky, bra-burning feminist." Actually, that's completely false. Like this comic ---->

it wasn't until I came to college that I met anyone who was a feminist that didn't fall into any scary stereotypes. Well, I didn't actually meet a feminist at all until college. Because I've vehemently been against feminism my whole life (thinking that the girls who believed in it were only doing so because they couldn't get a man so they didn't know that it's actually fun to cook for a boyfriend or be treated like a lady), I never thought that it would turn out that one of my best friends now is a feminist. Or that I would realize that I am one. In all of my almost twenty years, whenever someone has asked me what I want to do with my life, my automatic response has been, "I want to be a housewife." This post won't be about me telling you how my idea has changed and that I now want to be an astrophysicist - I'm terrible at science, so that will never be the case; it's that's I now understand why I want to do what I want to do with my life. I want to be a housewife because I love cooking, cleaning, taking care of kids, and making people happy. I want to make sure that when I have children, I can be involved in their lives. This sounds like something straight out of the 50s, but even with all that, I'm still a feminist. Why? Because I CHOOSE to do this. I CHOOSE to be in college to major in what I want to major in, not what will make me rich, help me gain fame, or even provide a stable job after I graduate (English isn't the most predictable field to go into). I CHOOSE to be with the man who loves me and makes me happy, and hopefully, one day, we'll get married. If there's another woman out there who wants to be a missionary in a third world country, good for her. If another one wants to become President, she's got my vote (assuming she's competent). Basically, women have been gaining power continuously since we gained the right to vote, but what makes a woman extraordinary is her ability to choose what she wants to do with her life: having goals and fighting tooth and manicured nail for them.

"Women are supposed to be very calm generally: but women feel just as much as men feel; they need exercise for their faculties; and a field for their efforts as much as their brothers do; they suffer from too rigid a restraint, too absolute a stagnation, precisely as men would suffer; and it is narrow-minded in their more privileged fellow-creatures to say that they ought to confine themselves to making puddings and knitting stockings, to play on the piano and embroidering bags. It is thoughtless to condemn them, or laugh at them, if they seek to do more or learn more than custom has pronounced necessary for their sex." - Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte

Stereotypical Feminist

Jeans - Current/Elliott, Tank top - Forrest & Bob, Shoes - Vans, Gauges - Hot Topic, Love/Hate rings - UL 13

"I've yet to be on a campus where most women aren't worrying about some aspect of combining marriage, children, and a career. I've yet to find one where many men are worrying about the same thing." - Gloria Steinem

Stereotypical Anti-Feminist

Dress - Blue Velvet Vintage, Necklace - Ben-Amun, Earrings - Ben-Amun, Oven mitts - Jessie Steele, Apron - Vera Bradley, Shoes - Sergio Rossi, Ring - Dorothy Perkins

(Please don't take any offence from the stereotypical outfits - I actually like both of them, and I don't think I'm really stereotypically either.)

"The question isn't who's going to let me; it's who's going to stop me." - Ayn Rand

"I, with a deeper instinct, choose a man who compels my strength, who makes enormous demands on me, who does not doubt my courage or my toughness, who does not believe me naive or innocent, who has the courage to treat me like a woman." - Anais Nin

Blouse - Debenhams, Skirt - Dorothy Perkins, Shoes - Charlotte Russe, Bracelet - 1928, Bag - Lodis Audrey

"A feminist is a woman who does not allow anyone to think in her place." - Michele le Doeuff

Pants - Alexander McQueen, Blouse - Bailey 44, Jacket - Express, Shoes - Dolce Vita, Bracelet - Max & Chloe, Bag, Michael Kors

"Remember, no one can make you feel inferior without your consent." - Eleanor Roosevelt

Jeans - Seven for all Mankind, Blouse - Yves Saint Laurent, Shoes - Dorothy Perkins, Bag - Kate Spade, Necklace - Dabby Reid, Bracelet - Tarina Tarantino

"Remember, Ginger Rogers did everything Fred Astaire did, only backwards and in high heels." - Faith Whittlesey

Dress - Unique Vintage, Shoes - Yves Saint Laurent, Bracelet - Avalaya, Clutch - Badgley Mischka

Aladdin

Finishing up my roommates' favorite Disney movies is Aladdin. Aladdin was a 1992 Disney adaptation of "Aladdin and the magic lamp" from One Thousand and One Nights. After reading the book, the story is much different than the Disney version - for starters, in the book, Aladdin is Chinese, not Indian. Also, Jasmine, as we know her and in regards to name, does not exist in the story. Well, the Disney version is better anyway, right? A street urchin finds a magic genie, meets a beautiful princess, falls in love, defeats an evil sorcerer, and becomes a prince. Sounds like a Tuesday, doesn't it?

"A whole new world/A dazzling place I never knew/But when I'm way up here/It's crystal clear/That now I'm in a whole new world with you." - Jasmine

Dress - Temperley London, Shoes - Giuseppe Zanotti, Necklace - Kenneth Jay Lane, Earrings - Kenneth Jay Lane

Dress - Temperley London, Shoes - Isaac Mizrahi, Earrings - Fantasy Jewelry Box, Bracelet - Fendi

"Riffraff, street rat/I don't buy that/If only they'd look closer/Would they see a poor boy? No siree/They'd find out/There's so much more to me." - Aladdin

Pants - REVOLVEclothing, Shirt - J. Crew, Cardigan - Precis Petite, Shoes - Modcloth, Bag - Forever 21, Necklace - Ugo Cacciatori, Earrings - Max & Chloe







"You're speechless, I see. A fine quality in a wife." - Jafar

Cardigan: Maison Martin Margiela, Jeans - Goldsign, Tank top - Vanity, Shoes - Cole Hann, Headband - Eugenia Kim, Diamond ring - Judith Ripka, Snake ring - Loree Rodkin

"Yo, Rugman! Haven't seen you in a few millenia. Give me some tassel." - Genie

(I figured guys deserved at least one outfit out of all of the ones that I've done so far.)

Jeans - American Eagle, Blue t-shirt - Splendid, Jacket - Asos, Burgundy t-shirt - American Eagle, Brown shoes - Converse, White shoes - Vans, Watch - Sturling, Leather cuff - Yesstyle

Cinderella

Now on to the movie that inspires every little girl's dreams of happily ever after; the movie that makes each 5 year old girl believe she truly does have a Prince Charming (at least until the awkward teen years when we became convinced that our princes took a wrong turn, got lost, and were too stubborn to ask for directions) - Cinderella. Disney came out with the animated version in 1950, and in 1965, the movie was set to a Rodgers and Hammerstein score. Then there was the 1997 Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella with Brandy (which I think I only liked when I was younger because Brandy and I almost had the same name...). Anyway, I used the Disney version because it's the Cinderella that most people have seen.

"The Prince, Sire, swears he'll marry none but the girl who fits this slipper." - Grand Duke Necklaces - Yesstyle

"A dream is a wish your heart makes when you're fast asleep. In dreams you will lose your heartaches. Whatever you wish for, you keep. Have faith in your dreams, and someday, your rainbow will come smiling through. No matter how your heart is grieving, if you keep on believing, that dream that you wish will come true." - Cinderella

Dress - Delias, Shoes - Touch Ups, Necklace - Forever 21, Earrings - Tiffany, Clutch - Santi

Dress - PacificPlex, Shoes - Amazon, Necklace - Swarovski, Earrings - Sears, Clutch - BCBG

"Cinderella was abused, humiliated, and finally forced to become a servant in her own house. And yet, through it all, Cinderella remained ever gentle and kind, for with each dawn she found new hope that someday her dreams of happiness would come true." - Narrator

Pants - Topshop, Tank top - Hanky Panky, Hoodie - New Look, Messenger bag - ZARA, Shoes - Converse

Dress - CHLOE, Cardigan - Maggy London, Shoes - Kurt Geiger, Necklace - Hive & Honey, Clutch - Lanvin

Skirt - Modcloth, Blouse - Yesstyle, Shoes - Mytheresa, Bag - Mulberry, Bracelet - Jackson Jewels

Beauty and the Beast

Because I just finished Peter Pan, I think I'll continue with the Disney theme. So here is the beginning of Disney princesses - Belle from the 1991 Disney movie Beauty and the Beast.

"Tale as old as time/True as it can be/Barely even friends/Then somebody bends/Unexpectedly."

Dress - Herve Leger, Shoes - Ravel Shoes, Earrings - Alexis Blittar, Clutch - Halston Heritage

"I want adventure in the great wide somewhere/I want it more than I can tell/And for once it might be grand/To have someone understand/I want so much more than they've got planned."

Blouse - Armani Exchange, Jeans - PRPS, Jacket - John Lewis, Shoes - Footcandy, Headband - Hanna Andersson, Bag - Bogetta Veneta

"I can't believe it!/I've never seen so many books in my whole life!/Oh, this is one of my favorites!/It's King Arthur/Have you read it?"

Shirt - Old Navy, Skirt - Click, Shoes - Bruno Magli, Bracelet - Tumblr, Headband - Hair flowers, King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table by Roger Lancelyn Green

"There's something sweet/And almost kind/But he was mean and he was coarse and unrefined/But now he's dear, and so unsure/I wonder why I didn't see it there before."

Dress - Modcloth, Jacket - Jules, Shoes - Topshop, Hair clip - Yesstyle, Necklace - House of Fraser

Peter Pan

I will admit that I'm almost 20 years old and Peter Pan is still my favorite movie. I've been obsessed for years - I've read the book, seen the play, and seen every movie version that has been done of the book. Out of all the movies, the 2003 movie with Jeremy Sumpter follows the book the best, and is the most well done.

"He threw my hand to a crocodile. The beast liked it so much, it's followed me ever since, licking its lips for the rest of me... YOU CALL THAT A FAVOR?!"

-Captain Hook

Blouse - Roper, Skirt - House of Fraser, Shoes - Guess, Hat - Roses & Teacups, Necklace - Ginger Pinks, Skull bracelet - Alexander McQueen, Bangle bracelets - Forever 21, Scraped ruby ring - Kenneth Jay Lane, Skull ring - Alexander McQueen, Design ring - Cathy Waterman

"Then she must stay here and die."

"NO!"

"How could I have thought that? Stupid... sorry."
-Slightly and the other Lost Boys

Shirt - Maxstudio, Pants - 7 For All Mankind, Vest - Costume National, Shoes - Maxstudio, Bag - Celine, Bracelets - Miss Selfridge









"Sirs! My brother and I are English gentlemen. English gentlemen do not beg." - John
"Please! Please don't kill me!" - Michael
"Please! Don't kill me either!" - John

Blouse - Clemens en August, Pants - Vanessa Bruno, Messenger bag - Jas MB, Shoes - Surface to Air, Bracelet - Marina Fossati

"Forget them, Wendy. Forget them all. Come with me where you'll never, never have to worry about grown up things again." - Peter Pan

"Never is an awfully long time." - Wendy

Dress - Preen, Shoes - JANA, Bracelet - ASOS, Choker - Chanel, Earrings - Ralph Lauren

"You know that place between sleep and awake, the place where you can still remember dreaming? That's where I'll always love you, Peter Pan. That's where I'll be waiting."

-Tinkerbell (not in the 2003 movie)

Dress - Camden Drive, Shoes - Nine West, Hair clip - Nordstrom, Earrings - Amazon

"To live would be an awfully big adventure." - Peter Pan

Shirt - Otte, Shorts - Abercrombie & Fitch, Shoes - Topshop, Necklace - Mimi Boutique, Bracelet - Topshop, Sword - The Sword Lord