It's really a shame this pretty sweater from Milly is made of merino wool. I've sworn off wool sweaters. Being very warm natured, I just don't see the point. Otherwise....this baby would be in my online "brown bag" at Bloomies. This has Leighton Meester's Gossip Girl character written all over it. Headband not included, natch.
There's something stirring over at J. Crew. Seems they've paired with UrbanDaddy to give away a trip for two to NYC. Ahhh... but there's a catch (as there always is). You've got to prove to them you're hip, cool and knowledgeable.
Here are the only deets they've offered:
"Test your wits with our trivia game for a chance to win the grand prize of an insider weekend in Manhattan, orchestrated by the authorities of downtown cool — UrbanDaddy — or a tie in our daily giveaway."Can you do it? If not, you can enter each day. So... get to steppin' hipster. Time is money.
Are you drooling yet? These are Barbara Barry's pieces from Spring 2009, and part of her "realized for Henredon" collection. I don't know anyone serious about interior design who isn't aware of her impeccable style. And yet, I find myself more and more impressed with her ever expanding design empire.
Here's a woman who has a solid history of design, yet is already hard at work building her future legacy with astonishingly pretty pieces. She's unstoppable. These are more than just pretty accessories. These are well-designed workhorses. Furnishings designed with longevity in mind. She's not kidding around. I'm holding a catalog in my hand that weighs a good couple of pounds...filled from cover to cover with beautiful piece after beautiful piece.
I could easily fill an entire home with items on my ever-growing wish list. So Santa, if you're reading this, I'm creating a neat and tidy list peppered with pieces from Barbara's expanding line of interior design products. If you're stumped for gifts for me this year, swing by and take a look. Don't worry. I've been good. Very, very good.
Last week I took a screenshot of these blissfully pretty shoes. I recall that the prices were offered in pounds...or was it Euro? Either way, I can't recall where I saw them. And although I do recall that they were priced a bit high...I'm still feeling the pangs of love.
So....I'm sending up the bat signal (stiletto silhouette?) for my fellow shoe lovers out there. Any idea who the designer is or where one (me) might find these impossibly pretty tan leather leace up shooties?
Feeling inspired? Excellent. Then my work here is done and I can move on to the next international crisis. Now go forth and be fashionable!
{Photos courtesy of Tommy Ton via style.com}
Now... go get that gym membership, ladies. You'll thank me next spring!
{And if the old adage is true, that stock prices rise with hemlines, you might want to drop a few dollah' bills in your investment banker's lap over the next few months.}
In my mind, the web is the Serengeti and Google is my open-back Humvee - making it all too easy to hunt game whenever the mood strikes.
And in case you're still drooling over the jacket at the top of the post, it was a tougher to track down. It goes under many names and is sold out in most locations. Yes, over-hunted and risking extinction. It's the Juicy Couture "Lisa"...also goes by the name of the Shrunken Fit or Origami jacket. Worthy prey, if you can find it. Even better if you can find it on sale. But don't hold your breath on that one, it moves pretty quickly.
Yesterday was a full, fun packed day of play soaking p the sunshine and perfect "pre-fall" weather. We spent time at a beautiful park, played with the Chanel bags at Saks and enjoyed lunch outside - all before 1:00. It was one of those jam packed Saturdays that embodied la dolce vita. Great weather, great company and not a care in the world.
And it's a good thing, too, since today brought with it rain and clouds. The weather, of course, is driving me online so find beauty "indoors" to catch up on my digital life. So it's about time I mentioned how much I LOVE Shopbop's improved shopping experience.
First - the new layout. As a designer - I give them two thumbs up for the improved functionality and the new look. Bigger images, easier surfing, overall more immersive experience. I LOVE the new look. It makes me want to shop, which is clearly the result of good interface design and an expert design process.
Next up, the shop your style feature ROCKS. The "old" shopbop site used to prove a bit challenging for me. The rocker chic look tends to dominate in terms of merchandising. So much of the merchandise is tattered, torn and filled with grommets and studs. My style is somewhere between girly and classic, and the new site pulls together those looks for me. It makes shopping a breeze and introduces me to merchandise I wouldn't otherwise have seen. The result? I start lusting after merchandise I'd never have seen had it not ben for their gentle merchandising persuasion. Nice work, shopbop.
Take that yummy Thread Social dress above. I'd never seen it before yesterday. Today I'm wondering how I can live without it. Yes, it's that pretty to me. And of course... a cute dress is only as good as the shoes. And these Elizabeth and James open-toe ruffled metallic shoes are (OMG!) to die for, are they not? I love this whole ensemble and am pretty convinced I'd wear those yummy shoes with nearly everything in my closet. LOVE them. (Can't you just see Rachel Zoe rocking these?)
So shopbop, thank you for completely reworking your site. Otherwise I'd have nothing to drool over on this rainy Sunday. Much love to you. Mwwwah!
At the tail end of a work week that I'm convinced in my heart of hearts exceeded the usual five day maximum, Simon Doonan of Barney's sends me (well, and every other modern woman and man on the opt-in list) this email. Even without the accompanying little girl, I could have told you this woman was a mom. She has that look on her face... that expression... that energy about her that is only solved/fixed/remedied by shopping.
See the long coat? No doubt she's naked or in her sleepwear under there. Not to be provocative...but because she has little time for such silliness. See the hair? I dare you to try to get a comb through that nest. And yet... with her cat-corner eyeliner, lace-up leather booties, BV handbag and red lipstick she looks every bit as fabulous as she needs to be. Those are tricks only a fashionista mom can master. There's an art to looking pulled together when you're spending all day caring for a little person. You have to know where to cut corners and where to spend your time. Eyeliner, shoes and accessories are the "can't miss" items. And let's be frank, the sales associates don't care if you're wearing last night's jammies so long as that AMEX is working. Mmm'kay?
But let's not overlook the lesson being learned by her adorable little girl (Lourdes? Is that you?). She's learning some very valuable lessons during her day of hookie from her private school. Stressed? Shop. Long week? Bust out that credit card. Shop, dear child. Shop until you can't shop any longer. Shop until the stress of the week is but a blurry memory. Shop until you've purchased "the perfect amount."
What amount is that, the men ask? (Yes, honey... I know you read my blog.) Just a touch too much, that's how much. It's not so much as to require a trip back to return those fabulous goodies (too tacky). And yet not so little as to indicate to yourself that you're not worth it or that you can't afford it (too insulting). Just a tad too much is what we're aiming for here. And it takes a seasoned shopper and a woman aware of her spending power to achieve this magical result at the end of a power shop.
The perfect amount, you see, is just slightly more than you'd intended to spend. This leaves you feeling just slightly rebellious and bad. Naughty, if you will. But not guilty. Never guilty. Indulgent is the word we're looking for here. A girl needs to feel just a wee bit indulgent once in a while to feel alive.
{Editorial note: in the case of this photo here, I suppose the "perfect amount" might just be whatever the maximum bearing load is for this adorable (and agreeable) little girl. Something tells me this isn't her first time being mommy's little pack mule. I can't help but wonder if she's smiling for the camera or smiling because she sees daylight an is about to make a run for it.}
If you can't tell from my post, I'll just come out and say it. It's time for me to do a bit of power shopping. Mommy needs something. Mommy needs something in black quilted caviar leather with a gold chain. And I can't possibly feel guilty, because I can blame the whole thing on Simon's clever appeal to my baser female instincts. Simon made me do it, honey. Simon made me do it. And I don't feel guilty one little tiny bit.
Thanks in large part to Twitter, Sixapart is showcasing me as one of their featured TypePad blogs. I know many of you adore Wordpress, but I'm a big fan of the TypePad platform and have mentioned this repeatedly on Twitter. The battle between these two blogging platforms is epic. It seems to be the modern version of East Coast rappers versus West Coast rappers. (Let's keep things more civil than Tupac and Notorious B.I.G did, okay kids?)
In the interview I was asked to mention five of my favorite blogs. Five? Twenty-five might have been a start. Fifty might have covered a decent smattering. But five required me to name the first ones that came to mind without blinking, without thinking and without feeling guilty for leaving anyone out. There are just too many marvelous bloggers out there to mention in such a brief list.
But I did mention a few, some of whom are also on Twitter. (Notice a recurring theme here?) If you're curious to see if your fabulous blog was on my mind that morning, check out the full interview.
And for you Wordpress fans out here, more props to you. I know it's an awesome tool for some of you, Lord knows it's just not for me. But don't hate on my penchant for pimping of my big poppa TypePad. Life goes on. In the meantime, keep ya' head up.
Style.com said it best: Prabal "drapes a mean dress."I can barely type out this post, I'm so anxious to research the price points for the collection to see if they are even within reach. Assuming they are priced in the stratosphere, I'll still be using them on my inspiration board for the way I want to feel when I step out of the house. Elegeant, feminine, beautiful and unstoppable.
These dresses - while pretty to the core, are not meant for the wallflower. It takes confidence to pull off a frilly frock like this correctly. The twenty-six looks created by designer Prabal Gurung were inspired by a bottle of his
mother's YSL Rive Gauche perfume from the 1970s. The designer shares, "I loved it, and I love product design, so I thought about playing with the idea of
packaging." Funny how an element from your youth can inspire something so important in your career. Creativity is a wonderful gift, and this collection clearly shows he's been blessed with an abundant supply.
As inspired by that vintage bottle, pretty packaging is exactly what he creates. Ribbons, bows and the art of making a woman feel beautiful. I can't get enough of this collection. One diaphanous creation after another. And yet, each one looks touchably soft and wearable. Nothing is too precious to actually wear.
I hope you'll wear something today that makes you feel as pretty as these dresses. Fashion should be fun and make you feel fabulous. Go to your closet and wrap yourself up like a pretty package - the way Prabal would do if he were your stylist this morning.
{Editorial note: if I'm taking anything away fro the runways this year, it's this: get those gams in great shape, smudge that khol eyeliner and cling to those strappy sandals for dear life - these looks are here to stay.}
Grecian draping, fedoras, abstract animal prints, platform shoes, fringe, smoky eye makeup, embellished fabrics and just a hint of Coco Chanel for good measure. This sums up Monique Lhuillier's looks for the year's Mercedes Benz Fashion Week.
If there was a unifying theme, it was that every silhouette was body conscious without being bandage tight like an Herve Leger dress. Designers like Michelle are taking some heat for not putting on traditional runway shows this year. It saves the designers incredible amounts of money, but fashion is meant to move and be seen in a high drama environment. I suspect that without the ability to see these gorgeous gowns move and turn, many a stylist and buyer will find it hard to imagine their clientele in the looks.
I, however, love the draping. I love the Monique's ability to consistently design for a woman's body. I imagine any of these would make me feel like a Athena. And with that bit of wisdom I shall leave you until next time. Be fabulous!
Yes. I'm painfully aware that Spring 2010 is months away, but that isn't stopping me from planning my attack. If the Hermès runway scene is to believed (and I like to trust Jean Paul Gaultier's instincts) we can expect a bit of the west this coming spring.
The forecast is calling for fringe, cowboy hats (actually, hats of all kinds - but largely those with a western bent), leather gloves, tan belts and a bounty of neutrals.
I'm particularly drawn to the generous use of perfectly sized clutches and chic platform shoes. And if you look closely...we're still rocking the exotic skins.
More than anything, this collection sends a message of adventure and brave new frontiers. While it may just be the obvious need for Hermès to showcase their luggage, I imagine Jean Paul had travel in mind when he designed the collection. The pieces all seem to conjure the image of a sophisticated worl traveler. A woman on the move who knows how to appreciate her leisure time. It makes me want to charter a private jet to a small island in the Seychelles and drift away for a week under the brim of my hat with nothing but a collection of bikinis and glamorous coverups in my suitcase.
And lest you think the show was all cowgirls and casual wear, the looks offered plenty of beautiful options for night. Sleek dresses and pretty purses ruled the runway. But to keep it fresh, they were paired with white platforms and bold silver cuffs. A belt playfully cinches the waist. I'm crazy about this look. And that croc bag is perfection.
Spring...I'll be waiting for you. In the meantime I'll be making room in my closet for those hats and shoes.
{Yes, your eyes are seeing this correctly. on the catwalk above is Stephanie Seymour, Naomi Campbell among others.}
Am I the only one drooling over those Guiseppe Zanotti foldover boots? I can already see my skinny jeans tucked inside them and my cream off-the-shoulder sweater that would surely pair perfectly with these hotties. How dreamy are they? These have Rachel Zoe written all over them. (And now they bear the Franki Durbin stamp of approval as well!)
If you're still in it to win it with your black shooties from last season, you're in luck! We'll still be in fashion this year when we wear them. Notice that these are even more rocker-ish than last years' Louboutin shooties. They call them "corset inspired" but I see more of a "granny" vibe in them, don't you? Fortunately that red sole keeps them lookin fresh and agressive - the way any good boot should look.
I'll make you a deal... you can have your Christian Louboutins as long as you let me know when my Zanottis go on sale!
If you aren't yet aware of this major happening, it's time to bust out your street map and get ready for the festivities. Someone, quick! Pass the bubbly!
And for those of you so inclined: here's the iPhone app.
Let me assure you, I'm not the barns and screened in porch loving kind. Not even close. Yet there's something so unquestionably equestrian chic about this weekend retreat that it puts this city-loving girl at ease. They've kept the color palette simple and the decor perfectly classic. Surprisingly, many of their furnishings are from Restoration Hardware. Imagine that.
For more on this fashionably timeless New York getaway, check out the full article online. You might be inspired to pull out your jodphur pants!
One thing is certain, SJP has one rockin' body. It takes a certain physique to pull off a paper thin silk dress like the iconic Dior printed slip dress above. And Sarah Jessica definitely has such a body.
I found these fabulous images on another Carrie's blog...the lovely Carrie Leber of Boomacious. She wonders much the same thing I do... is Carrie Bradshaw playing the role of recessionista in the upcoming SATC2? (If you recall, she wore this dress during the series when she interrupted Natasha's lunch to apologize for her misstep with Big.) Or are we in for a few "flashbacks" in the film so we can pay homage to the sartorial mastery of Patricia Fields.
Honestly, I'm okay either way. I could look at this Dior creation (and those fab Louboutins) all day!
I hope you all enjoyed the holiday weekend. It was great to get away from the laptop. After a few low-tech/no-tech days of relaxation I'm back in full swing. This week will be about fashion, fashion, fashion. We are only days away from MBFWNY, and I can hardly wait to see what the designers have in store. Standby, fashionistas!
