The Reading List (Part 1) - La Belle Oiselle I must apologize in advance - the holidays have been turning me into a sucker. A sucker for tinsel and paper chains and love and even for… the Internet. During the holidays, I’m reminded of how much easier it is to stay in touch with the people who can make your heart ache from across the same room, in a different city or across the country. Julia Topaz of La Belle Oiselle taught me that the Internet can even make you feel connected to people on the other side of the globe. They share your interests and unknowingly cheer you on to the person you’d like to become. Embrace the Internet, and it will embrace you right back. Julia and her partner in crime Ben were planning to start a joint style venture after discovering the vast universe of personal and street style blogs. When Julia realized that Ben, “is like Steve from Blue’s Clues, i.e. has a closet full of the same shirt and 12 of the same shoes,” she spearheaded the blog operation and created La Belle Oiselle in March of this year. Ben takes the pictures. When asked how having a blog has affected her, Julia spewed this nugget of wisdom about acceptance in the age of the Internet -  “I wouldn’t say that simply having a blog has affected me, but being a part of a specific community definitely has. For one, I feel much more confident in wearing whatever the hell I feel like wearing, whereas before I would always hesitate before walking out the door and second-guess myself all throughout the day. Just knowing that some girl in Denmark or South Africa or the Philippines or anywhere else thinks I’m cool and understands what I’m wearing somehow justifies the way I dress. We justify each other! So when coworkers give me weird looks, I can confidently plead, ‘I swear this is cool in Scandinavia. I swear I’m cool on the Internet.’” And she is cool on the Internet. She has the unique ability to buy an outfit for only a few bones at the thrift store and wear it in a way that people would (and do) pay hundreds of dollars for it.  Exhibit A: Completely thrifted. This girl’s good, amirite?  Enough of my words - let’s hear some more about Julia in her own words.  Copious: What’s on your Hanukkah list?  Julia: Too many things for a girl who tells everyone not to get her anything. My record player broke, so that’d be nice. I’d also like a stockpile of expired disposable cameras. And I need a big round goldenrod yellow rug for my living room. This list is ridiculous. Copious: If money was no object, what brands and labels would you wear? Julia: Glad you asked! I think people who read my blog might think that all my clothes are thrifted because it’s some sort of gimmicky blog thing, or that I could buy fancy brands like other bloggers if I wanted to.  Don’t get me wrong - I LOVE thrifting. It’s near and dear to my heart, and I would continue no matter my net worth. But you can be sure that if I had money I would stock my closet with Orla Kiely, Rachel Comey, Steven Alan and Margaret Howell (all time favorite!). Oh, and Billy Kirk bags and vintage Hermes. And Ralph Lauren Black Label jackets. I also love APC and Wren and Dear Creatures and Samantha Pleet, and shall I go on? Copious: Do you have any thrifting advice?  Julia: Oh, just the same sort of stuff that everyone says - consider clothes outside of your size and gender. Also, see the potential in basics. Sure, thrift stores are full of wacky and awesome individual pieces, but if you keep an open mind about the basics that you never would have looked at twice, you can really build your whole wardrobe from a thrift store (and no one will be the wiser!). For fun we had our little French major say a little diddy in French - “La belle plume fait le bel oiseau.” It translates idiomatically into “Fine feathers make fine birds,” and it’s also the basis of her blog name - “la belle oiselle” is the feminine form of “le bel oiseau.” She later found out “oiselle” can also translate as a naive, airheaded girl.  From our perspective, Julia is neither naive nor airheaded, but a fine bird indeed. 

The Reading List (Part 1) - La Belle Oiselle

I must apologize in advance - the holidays have been turning me into a sucker. A sucker for tinsel and paper chains and love and even for… the Internet.

During the holidays, I’m reminded of how much easier it is to stay in touch with the people who can make your heart ache from across the same room, in a different city or across the country.

Julia Topaz of La Belle Oiselle taught me that the Internet can even make you feel connected to people on the other side of the globe. They share your interests and unknowingly cheer you on to the person you’d like to become. Embrace the Internet, and it will embrace you right back.

Julia and her partner in crime Ben were planning to start a joint style venture after discovering the vast universe of personal and street style blogs. When Julia realized that Ben, “is like Steve from Blue’s Clues, i.e. has a closet full of the same shirt and 12 of the same shoes,” she spearheaded the blog operation and created La Belle Oiselle in March of this year. Ben takes the pictures.

When asked how having a blog has affected her, Julia spewed this nugget of wisdom about acceptance in the age of the Internet - 

“I wouldn’t say that simply having a blog has affected me, but being a part of a specific community definitely has. For one, I feel much more confident in wearing whatever the hell I feel like wearing, whereas before I would always hesitate before walking out the door and second-guess myself all throughout the day. Just knowing that some girl in Denmark or South Africa or the Philippines or anywhere else thinks I’m cool and understands what I’m wearing somehow justifies the way I dress. We justify each other! So when coworkers give me weird looks, I can confidently plead, ‘I swear this is cool in Scandinavia. I swear I’m cool on the Internet.’”

And she is cool on the Internet. She has the unique ability to buy an outfit for only a few bones at the thrift store and wear it in a way that people would (and do) pay hundreds of dollars for it. 

Exhibit A:

Completely thrifted. This girl’s good, amirite? 

Enough of my words - let’s hear some more about Julia in her own words. 

Copious: What’s on your Hanukkah list? 

Julia: Too many things for a girl who tells everyone not to get her anything. My record player broke, so that’d be nice. I’d also like a stockpile of expired disposable cameras. And I need a big round goldenrod yellow rug for my living room. This list is ridiculous.

Copious: If money was no object, what brands and labels would you wear?

Julia: Glad you asked! I think people who read my blog might think that all my clothes are thrifted because it’s some sort of gimmicky blog thing, or that I could buy fancy brands like other bloggers if I wanted to. 

Don’t get me wrong - I LOVE thrifting. It’s near and dear to my heart, and I would continue no matter my net worth. But you can be sure that if I had money I would stock my closet with Orla Kiely, Rachel Comey, Steven Alan and Margaret Howell (all time favorite!). Oh, and Billy Kirk bags and vintage Hermes. And Ralph Lauren Black Label jackets. I also love APC and Wren and Dear Creatures and Samantha Pleet, and shall I go on?

Copious: Do you have any thrifting advice? 

Julia: Oh, just the same sort of stuff that everyone says - consider clothes outside of your size and gender. Also, see the potential in basics. Sure, thrift stores are full of wacky and awesome individual pieces, but if you keep an open mind about the basics that you never would have looked at twice, you can really build your whole wardrobe from a thrift store (and no one will be the wiser!).

For fun we had our little French major say a little diddy in French - “La belle plume fait le bel oiseau.”

It translates idiomatically into “Fine feathers make fine birds,” and it’s also the basis of her blog name - “la belle oiselle” is the feminine form of “le bel oiseau.” She later found out “oiselle” can also translate as a naive, airheaded girl. 

From our perspective, Julia is neither naive nor airheaded, but a fine bird indeed. 

Tags: The Reading List Julia Topaz La Belle Oiselle Fashion Blogs