holy moly

Modcloth is having a HUGE sale right now.  Check it out - there are still lots of bargains on dresses, skirts, tops and jackets to be had.

x___x

Fendi's tights/shoes combinations for Fall have caused me to have multiple simultaneous strokes in my brain.

Every single one is perfect.

Gucci Fall 2011

Thanks, Gucci, for reminding me about this fabulous color.

I cleaned out my closet Monday night and found a pair of 3" patent-leather wedges in this exact hue and made a pact to myself that I would wear them weekly once the weather turns warm.

making me die 1000000 times

I think I'm just going to leave this here and never update again.  Most perfect.
From The Sartorialist, of course.

BDG denim legging

I got these on sale last week (in black) and have worn them pretty much every day since.  Going back to get the dark denim (below) tomorrow.  Super comfy, perfect with everything (flats, ankle boots, Chuck Taylors; tank top, long knit tunic, AA tee...) and extremely flattering (long, lean legs, low elastic waist).

spring 2011

Some things that have caught my eye for spring:

Cole Haan's vintage valise Kendra tote bag.  I am very much NOT a handbag person, but this is about as perfect as I think a bag can get.

Jimmy Choo parfum.  Spicy, woodsy, a little powdery.  I have never smelled so good folding laundry.

The Essie Spring 2011 nail color collection.  Love every single one.  And you can get all six in a boxed set on Amazon.com:

Etro's stunning print dresses.

As U Wish sequin prom dresses from the Juniors section.

perfect boots...

Y u no be affordable?

dislikes

I've been thinking about writing a series of entries on fashion trends that I don't like.  After my shopping trip this weekend, I've got a really, really good one.  A STRONG one.

ANIMAL PRINTS.

I was in Macy's (among other stores) on Sunday and at one point, I looked around me and saw: giraffe, snake, zebra, cheetah, tiger and pony.  I swear, I'm not exaggerating.  I can't STAND this.  It's all so busy, looks cheap (no matter who is doing it) and makes me think of North Jersey grandmas or Krystle and Alexis Carrington.

And... it's based on the skin of an animal?

I am not anti-prints, but for some reason this never sits right with me.  No matter how subtly it's done, the quality of the fabric, the talent of the designer, or the desirability of the item.  It's just.... ugly.

In the same section of the store were these two gorgeous print dresses by Rachel Roy:

Tangled forest of trees

Retro floral silk.




So much (infinitely!!) better than polyester snakeskin, yes?

nanette lepore fall 2011

Two very nice looks for fall:

Don't mind if I do!

the lover

I needed a philosophy for summer, and now I have it.

Growing my hair out, neutral shift dresses and belts, a boater, Chanel red lipstick.

superb stripes, on everything

Shorts, Lucca Couture at UO:

Blouse, Tiffany Talls at Need Supply:

Dress, Need Supply:

Skirt, Forever 21:

Sweater, Forever 21:

Blouse, Mod Cloth:

see by chloe: springtime!

Similar to the Felicity Brown collection I posted earlier, this See by Chloe dress is making me LONG for spring with the gorgeous color, layers of ruffles and movement.

felicity brown

And her gorgeous colored silk ruffles.

So perfect.

pffffttt

Lucky magazine must read my blog - the current issue (March) has at least 6 items in it that I've blogged about in the last month.

So where's my fashion shoot?  Pout!

Regardless, make sure to visit their site throughout February and March to sign up for their every day giveaways, the stuff is great: Stila makeup, a Marc Jacobs dress, a Rogan shopping spree, awesome jewelry, bags, electronics (Flip cam, xbox kinect!), bath and beauty products (Kielh's gift basket!) and even vacations!

my modern "1990s revisited" outfit

The dress:

The tights:

The socks:

The boots:

spring skirts

The gorgeous weather today has me erroneously thinking that spring has sprung.
So I'm looking for fun skirts in my current (negative $1 million spacebucks) budget.

Forever 21 linen blend skirt, black with pockets!

Forever 21 jacquard skirt, red (or navy or white)

Modcloth Market Street Skirt, neutral florals

Zara simple colored mini, in green or blue

ASOS cotton gathered mini, khaki

foxy

I'm probably going to wear this every day of the entire summer.

hipster fashion cycle

RL Spring 2011

I find myself coming back to one spring 2011 collection image – one that didn’t necessarily catch my eye or snag at something in my mind at first – but I’m thinking about more and more as the dead of winter drags on.  Almost like a fashion brain worm.  The image pops into my head at odd times, perhaps because I’m longing for warm spring weather, or perhaps because I’m reading Brideshead Revisited this week.  The book is conjuring daydreams of 1920’s British countryside estates, art deco fountains ringed with boxwoods, champagne cocktails on Venetian patios and steamer cruises across the Atlantic.  The image I find myself stuck on is Mario Testino’s photo of the Ralph Lauren Spring 2011 collection for Vogue.

The clothes in the image aren’t particularly my own dressing style, or even things I would normally find overly appealing.  Lots of cream and ivory, lace and crochet, layers of Stevie Nicks, Victorian hem lengths and frontier sharp-shooter.  But the more I study it, the more I think it’s gorgeous and charming.

I may be recalling it because recently I, along with a lot of my friends, online acquaintances and female contemporaries, are revisiting our 1990s rot grrl ideologies, sensitivities and aesthetics (I think it's time to bring back my amazing high school zine, BFF!)  Knee-length pinafores, crushed-velvet empire-waist dresses, fishnets and combat boots were my uniform in high school and early college.  Horn-rimmed glasses (I’ve noticed an explosion in popularity of Warby Parker frames), calico prints and peter pan collars – all things I wore nearly to death between 1990 and 1995.

The Ralph Lauren pieces in Testino’s photo, along with more from the collection, evoke a lot of those 1990s feelings and associated memories in me.  The collared dresses, high-necked frocks, modest long sleeves, calico, floral lace, crochet, and dresses that look better with boots than with heels.  All using five or six fabrics in two or three tone sets to create a true wardrobe.  It feels like they were all designed and made for real women, women I know myself.

Lauren’s collection also contains aspects of fashion from every decade since I was born: 1970s color palette, textures (satin, suede) and long lean silhouettes; 1980s hem lines, crisp white preppiness and Dynasty-style shimmer; 1990s vintage-look slips, layering and redefining of femininity; and the 2000s “post-fashion” fashion, where cyclical trends fall apart, and “decade” style transcends decades.

And this is what I discover at the crux of this collection – an esteem for what went before it and the women who are going to wear it.  A designer who has a seminal style, helped along with incredible longevity.  A blending of the last 30 years into something that is classic, beautiful, memorable, and best of all: wearable.

spring shoes

Ankle boots $270:

Ankle boots $50:

 Black strappy wedge sandals $132:

Black strappy wedge sandals $80:

Black strappy wedge sandals $50: