cinematographic: practical magic watch party

floral maxi skirt: forever new / mocha lace bandeau: miss selfridge / ella moss portabella cardigan: shopbop / lovely people dahlia flat: nordstrom / plumeria gardens vintage copper hair barrette: 1928 / sun and moon tiger's eye pendant:etsy shop nadinessra / pressed flower handmade autumn ring: etsy shop hiddengarden11

This year is the perfect opportunity for me to do a collage post for the Practical Magic Blog Party, as, for the first time in quite a while, the beautiful late 90s fashions featured in that movie have come back in style. Well, at least in part. The soft, feminine trends of flowing skirts, florals, crochet wear and lace have surely returned (along with a few of those Buffy-era dark jewel tones I've been missing), but unfortunately anything I've seen that mimics the shapes and patterns of the time has turned out nowhere near as flattering as its predecessors. On the plus side, the makeup this season is going to be so stunningly 90s. I cannot wait to bust out the dark lipsticks.

Wish I could have done a group outfit shoot for this party (I did grow up with a redheaded Gilly and a young Frances, after all), but alas, it's been an incredibly busy couple of weeks.

Fashion aside, Practical Magic is one of those films that really makes a girl want to play pretend. Or at least that's what it did for several of the women in my family. (What can I say, sometimes it's nice to vicariously experience a universe where being female is seen as something special, rather than something to be overcome.) 

It is not what I'd call a particularly blockbuster story, nor one that hinges its whole existence on any overblown sense of drama. This is to the film's credit. For me it's the quiet things that make Practical Magic worth watching over and over again: the family moments, the day-to-day workings of the house, the townie gossip, the characters' solitary struggles, and the wonderfully spare use of magic to illustrate a woman's small-time life.

That's the broken noose swinging in the background, there. Looks great in motion, but makes for terrible screencaps!

I know it's just a shell set, but this? My dream house.

I love how all of the women have such distinctive personal styles. Frances has the best in the whole movie, hands down.

I also love how Sally is allowed to wear normal schlubby clothing, as opposed to so many movies now where everyone, even little kids, looks like they stepped out of a magazine.

Fierce, even in pajamas.

Couldn't get a good shot of these outfits, but I'd kill to have those top styles come back into vogue again.

This inspired us to build a pergola for grapevines in our backyard. Unfortunately, no one but me and Laura wanted to paint it white!

Lovely color scheme in this scene.

Someone needs to build me this kitchen, like now. 

Not my usual type, but Sally, I totally get you.

These glasses, lmao. I may or may not have a similar pair.

This was an excellent, ageless special effect. Looked seamless and creepily subtle.

Gorgeous example of the kind of dress I wish would come back.

Get on over to the Practical Magic Blog Party and check out the other bloggers' posts!