Fashion Flashback: ELLEgirl

If you are a 20-something lover of style now, chances are that you spent a good deal of time reading teen fashion magazines when you were younger. And chances are that one of those magazines included ELLEgirl. Unfortunately defunct now (all that remains is a website that is a shadow of the former publication), ELLEgirl was quite the magazine in its heyday, and I was obsessed.

Specifically, I loved the Global Girl section included in each issue. For a girl growing up in the burbs where “style” equated to “Abercrombie & Fitch,”, the glimpse into fashion in other parts of the world was pretty fascinating to me (this was before the days of street style blogs, mind you).

Of course, there were more than a few misguided pieces of advice. Take, for example, this DIY article with instructions for recreating runway looks at home. I sincerely hope that not too many of us wore masks draped over our shoulders or color guard-worthy ribbons around our waists. If nothing else, at least it maybe inspired some creativity for someone.

If you are interested in re-living the awkward days of the early 2000s (or noughties, as we apparently call them?), before Brandon Holley was at Jane or Lucky, and before Gwen Stefani discovered Harajuku, you can find an impressive archive of the magazine on Google Books. What were your go-to magazines as a teen?

Screen captures from Google Books

Recipe: Cauliflower Steak

If you’re looking for a good, hearty alternative to a big juicy steak, well… this recipe is probably not for you. I was intrigued by the idea of a “cauliflower steak,” so I had to test it out myself to see how the idea held up. The result wasn’t bad, but make no mistake — the shape of this dish is the only steak-like quality it has!

You start by slicing a full head of cauliflower into about four “steaks”. Then, you whip up a quick tomato sauce and a tapenade-style relish before browning your cauliflower steaks on the stove top and then baking them through in the oven. Assemble everything on a plate, and you’re good to go. I also topped mine with a crumble of feta cheese to give it a little creamy balance.

Overall, I enjoyed this as a hearty vegetarian dish. This is essentially a roasted cauliflower dish disguised by a clever name I did really enjoy the relish, and I think it would actually be nice on its own on a toasted piece of baguette! Let me know if you try this one and what you think!

Comptoir des Cotonniers Spring 2012

Were you a part of the great Jason Wu for Target debacle this past weekend? Hopefully not, because the scene at my local store on Sunday morning was not pretty. I mean, the women screaming and fighting and calling each other unsavory names kind of “not pretty.” I managed to nab a few dresses and a handbag, but I refuse to play dirty for clothes from Target. Or from anywhere, for that matter. I’m a lady, for goodness sake!

Jason Wu’s capsule collection was inspired by an “American girl in Paris”, which is funny because the new spring collection from Parisian boutique Comptoir des Cotonniers is inspired by two French girls on a road trip in California! Go figure. I love that Comptoir has a blouse with a sweet little bow at the neck, just as Jason Wu did for Target. I really love the clothes at Comptoir for their great fit and perfect balance between simplicity and a unique je ne sais quoi! Also, their boutiques in Manhattan have the most lovely, helpful sales assistants who know juuuust how to style everything in a way that makes it difficult for me to leave empty-handed. Here are a few great looks from the Spring 2012 collection (you can see the full lookbook here)!