How F--king Romantic

Last night I met up with an old friend who's in from out of town to catch up. We ended up having a heart to heart about the ups and downs of love, and the alternating agonies and ecstasies that one cycles through in an average relationship. Even the best and the healthiest relationships have their rainy days, and I'm old enough to understand that no human is infallible. I think one the greatest, and truest records of all time is the Magnetic Field's album, 69 Love Songs, which outlines the sad, the saccharine, and the just plain silly moments in any love story. My much adored husband led me to one of the best internet finds I've come across in months, 69 Love Songs, Illustrated, a collection of drawings and comics by different artists that all refer back to the classic album. As teens, we both listened to this album from different parts of the world, and still listen to it quite frequently today.

I am a closet romantic at heart, and want to believe that all my friends will have long, lasting relationships, and that the heartbreaks will be few and far between. I can play tough, but I do have a soft spot for all the trappings of modern romance, and Stacey Bendet's latest Alice and Olivia collection is full of pretty things out of your sweetest candy-colored dreams. These are the perfect outfits for a cheerleader of love, through the thick and thin spots. I know that I left the conversation with my friend only half-jokingly offering to be her dating coach (dating in New York is a particularly harrowing experience). These outfits might be just the thing to wear on the sidelines. Here are some of my favorite looks from the lookbook, and some of my favorite comics from the 69 Loves Songs, Illustrated website.



"I Think I Need a New Heart" illustrated by Mark Gamble



"Sweet Lovin' Man" illustrated by Kristyna Baczynski


"Yeah! Oh Yeah!" illustrated by Scott Jason Smith



EDIT: How could I have forgotten to include my favorite song off of 69 Love Songs? Listen to Luckiest Guy on the Lower East Side, with even more video fan art!

-Tiffany