I wish that I could have found a larger image of Slow and Steady Wins the Race's pearl brooch...part of their jewelry series, the seventeenth "issue" of designs which skew how we view certain items...sunglasses, white t-shirts, sweats, et al. The brooch is amorphous...like a strange sea creature which you could imagine scuttling along the ocean bed...yet chic...you could imagine the impeccably turned out ladies of Norman Parkinson's black and white world sporting one of these.

"You know you've made it when you've been moulded in miniature plastic. But you know what children do with Barbie dolls - it's a bit scary, actually." - Cate Blanchett

I'm just curious but...am I the only one who's had enough of the Barbie 50th anniversary hype? I don't seem to be able to turn on National Public Radio without hearing another "little known facts about Barbie" article...Colette is awash with Barbie-related products (she's encased in a Goyard trunk, encapsulated by a Uslu Airlines nail polish, and enrobed by Jeremy Scott)...she's even been photographed by Karl Lagerfeld (with model Baptiste Giabiconi as Ken).

But does anyone spare a thought for poor old Sindy...Barbie's equally plastic though less well-endowed British cousin? Apparently not.

And so, I offer a small homage to the only doll that dated both Dr. Who (the Tom Baker version with jointed wrists) and Luke Skywalker (larger in stature but less well-formed and with a startlingly shiny plastic chest peeking out from his white Jedi top)...at least the only one to date them in my house, I can't say what sluttier Sindy's did in other locales. And so, without further ado, may I introduce runaway bride Sindy (in the remains of her wedding dress ensemble, pearls, and toting a plastic gun)...and one-armed, ship-wrecked Sindy (found on a beach, chewed by a dog, her up-do dyed by some purple and green pens). Barbie may have been a tad more glamorous, but Sindy lived life to its fullest...

I'm using a seahorse to gauge my enthusiasm for the shoes and boots from Prada's Fall/Winter collection because, even though based on some of the outfits there seemed to be a gladiatorial theme, I'm getting a distinctly aquatic vibe when it comes to the footwear. The shoes...which would make your average Hippocampus green with jealousy...are also making me a little envious. The boots, on the other hand...is there anyone who sees fisherman-wader-chic in their near future...apart, that is, from actual fishermen?

You know that an economic downturn is taking place when articles start appearing that offer utilitarian and, dare I say it, thoroughly useful advice. Like the article on The Times' website entitled "How buy clothes that last". There's nothing earth-shattering included...especially for someone like me who hand-washes about 90% of their clothing and therefore examines the labels on garments with an alarming degree of detail...but it is nice to see common-sense advice being proffered.

And while I admit that it may not take a genius to ask the question "With trousers, skirts or dresses, sit down, stand up, sit down. Is it creased and disorderly? Are you? Is your underwear on show to the world when you’re seated?...it often seems that it might, especially with the vast amount of knicker-related sightings that one encounters on a day-to-day basis.

Of course, it would be lovely if an upsurge of interest in durability led to more clothes that were actually...well, durable (a drop in prices for "decent" clothing would be nice as well)...but that's probably just wishful thinking.

Another bitingly cold day as the temperature veers wildly between relatively mild and bone-chillingly bitter...it's the stage of winter where, let's face it, I've lost the will to go on. I feel like I'm wearing jeans all the time...yet jeans (with tights underneath) are virtually the only option if I need to go outside (and I want to maintain feeling in all my extremities). I'm whining, I know, I'm just so fed up with the lack of options. Thank God for my coat fetish...and the two closets full of coats and jackets that the aforementioned fetish has compelled me to buy. Today's selection reminds me of a friend of my mothers who she nicknamed "fancy-pants" because of the patchwork trousers that could usually be found on his lower limbs...this is the upper-body equivalent...an antidote to any glum feelings as it's virtually impossible to be 100% filled with ennui if you're sporting a varied selection of mis-matched tweeds (the knitted chain link scarf being the final cherry on the anti-glum cake).

Every so often I feel like the fashion Gods are a malicious lot...the kind that laugh when you trip over an uneven sidewalk and then prod you as you lie there, flailing like a bug on its back. How else to explain the phenomena that is currently occurring and which, for the sake of this piece, I'll call the curse of the summer shirt? A malady that has struck during virtually every summer of my adult life...and whose symptoms consist of an extreme lack of non-t-shirt options once the thermometer hits a certain point.

Of course this year (when I have set myself a limit on the amount of clothing that I'm going to buy) I find myself faced with a plethora of options. The latest is this olive-toned, nautical-inspired, little number from Alexandre Herchcovitch...a perfect casual (but not too casual) summer top. The only downer, apart from my self-imposed shopping limit, is the $385 price tag. Without wanting to sound too curmudgeonly...doesn't this seem a little much for what is essentially the next step up the food chain from the humble t-shirt...or am I just bitter because it will not be mine?

Until recently the majority of fashion-related Do-It-Yourself was to be found on blogs. Either because of financial necessity, sheer creativity, or the allure of having something that no one else owned bloggers have been creating all manner of things (from necklaces made from old t-shirts, to pvc leggings, to studded boots) for years. And, by the very nature of blogging itself, the process behind making these DIY creations was usually well documented, allowing the reader to create their own.

But recently mainstream publications have been getting in on the act. The online version of Britain’s Guardian newspaper, for example, ran a series entitled “Make your own designer clothes and accessories”. Readers could choose to unleash their creative urges upon, amongst other items, a Jade Jagger bracelet, Paul Smith shirt, or even a Martin Margiela newspaper waistcoat.

The strange thing was that even though the photography was better than that of the average blog, and the DIY items were designer-endorsed, some of the excitement was missing. It wasn’t just that the skill-level required for each project veered wildly from either end of the spectrum (Jagger’s ribbon and safety pin bracelet could easily have been made by a child while Smith’s shirt required expert sewing skills); there was a feeling of sterility about the whole process as the enthusiasm that bloggers bring to their craft projects was sadly lacking. Perhaps, in some instances, certain things should remain in the (virtual) streets.

Back home...and so tired that I slept for most of the day...

I'm not sure why admitting to something like that induces such an overwhelming feeling of guilt...but it does. You feel the need to add qualifying statements like, "I only slept four hours a night for the last three days"...or "I'm conducting a study into the sleep habits of fruit flies" (for anyone who's curious the fruit fly demands ten hours of rest a night and need to sleep more if you keep them awake longer...they're also, presumably, rather pissy the next day as a result).

I noticed Shourouk's necklaces while I was browsing through Lane Crawford's lookbook...not that it took a lot of observation skills...the over-sized necklaces and brooches, laden with sequins and Swarovski crystals, aren't exactly subtle. But they are fun...especially for the summer when you could use them to jazz up even the most uninspiring t-shirt. While I'd love one of the actual necklaces designed by this former textile designer for Chloe, Galliano, and Cavalli they're out of my price range for costume jewelry...they do, however, provide excellent DIY inspiration...a few sequin appliqués from the craft store, some chain or ribbon, and voila...a homage is born.

Even though I have a slight trench fetish...part of a much larger jacket and coat fetish...I'm still rational enough to realize that of all the things that I may "need" another trench (albeit in cropped form) is not one of them.

Which is a shame as I just came across rather a bargainous designer doppelganger at J Crew...on the left, Phillip Lim's $675 version...and on the right, J Crew's $118 one. Admittedly, the Crew adaptation is lacking some of the extras...hence the $557 price difference...and has a detachable ruffled sub-collar which I would remove immediately (and wear back-to-front as a necklace with other outfits)...but it's pretty close if you're looking for something a little more budget friendly.

“READING, n. The general body of what one reads. In our country it consists, as a rule, of Indiana novels, short stories in "dialect" and humor in slang. We know by one's reading His learning and breeding; By what draws his laughter We know his Hereafter. Read nothing, laugh never -- The Sphinx was less clever! --Jupiter Muke” - Ambrose Bierce Another day...another favorite by Isabel Marant...this time a (un-classic classic) grey flannel dress...pretty much a constant travel companion as it takes up very little space in my suitcase and is roomy enough to allow for a variety of layering options underneath...

Dress - Isabel Marant, plaid shirt - H&M, zip flats - Ash

"Writing at the same time as Shakespeare was Miguel Cervantes. He wrote Donkey Hote. The next great author was John Milton. Milton wrote Paradise Lost. Then his wife died and he wrote Paradise Regained." - an unknown schoolboy Sometimes I feel like I have the sense of humor of a pre-pubescent boy...even if the p.p.b. in question also has a love of fashion...as I'm a sucker for any kind of bad visual pun. Like, for instance,...this t-shirt by Sixpack France...which features Hermes' classic logo taking a well-earned rest. It's cheesiness personified...yet it makes my p.p.b. giggle away to himself...which can't be such a bad thing, surely.

Day one in the Hoosier state...just me and an old friend a.k.a. a curiously mis-shapen khaki skirt by Isabel Marant. I'm not sure why I'm so drawn to pieces that hide or deform the body...it could be rebellion against all the body-conscious pieces that I wore when I was younger...or maybe the inherent sense of mystery that such items invoke... Skirt - Isabel Marant, shirt & cardigan - Fred Perry Subculture, zip flats - Ash

Craft alert...well, actually, it's a potential craft alert...because I can't decide if I'd be biting off more than I can chew if I try to re-create Fernanda Pereira's accordion pleated ruff. The online ruff instructions that I found uniformly agreed that creating a single ruff is a time consuming process which uses more fabric that would seem possible and is enough to drive a person to drink...a towering mass of pleated fabric can surely only end in madness.

Yet the combined forces of a) my belief in how incredible this neck piece is and b) my innate cheapness mean I am seriously considering a pleat project.

Well, I'm traveling again...this time it's a short trip to Indiana by way of Kentucky...I know, I know, right about now most fashion blogs are taking you to New York, London, or Paris...

It's odd but I usually find the actual outfit that I'm going to wear to travel in the most difficult to decide on...anything constricting can be downright uncomfortable (that's on top of the discomfort of trying to fit a 5'11" body into a plane seat whose legroom must have been designed for someone measuring 5'6")...and the thought of wearing sweatpants makes me itch. Another consideration is that I've suddenly become fixated with the dark denim jacket that has been languishing in my closet since...well, what year did denim jacket overload hit? Obviously long enough that it's had a chance to rise phoenix-like from the ashes and demand to be worn again. Denim jacket - Gap, striped sweater - Banana Republic, dress - Anthropologie, suede boots

It's taken a while, but we US based folks can now rejoice in the news that Topshop's NY store will open on April 2nd...at $20 million it's a sizable investment in the lure of hip during a down turn in the economy...and I can't wait to see the "reclaimed timber floors, exposed brick, futuristic lighting, and suspended DJ booth" mentioned in the Telegraph's article. Although, personally, I have a love/hate relationship with Topshop...I love their designer collaborations...but I hate the fact that everything on their US website is priced at exactly twice the amount of the UK site (exchange rates fluctuate, and pricing must be difficult, but as the current exchange rate is currently hovering around the 1.42 mark doesn't it seem a tad greedy to consistently round up to 2?).

And, if the unsympathetic price conversion wasn't enough, I'm currently...confused, I suppose is the best word...over the $600 suede dress currently listed on their site. Maybe it's just me, but I don't equate Topshop with such expensive items..."fun cheapies", yes..."lower priced designer collaborations", yes...but not $600 dresses. Quite frankly, for that amount, I could invest in a true designer piece that would last me for many years...I could also, quite honestly, fritter it away on a designer item that would amuse me for a couple of months (I'm irrational, yet honest)... My question today...what is your limit when it comes to "disposable fashion"?

As I didn't have to venture out into the snow today I decided that I might as well defy the cold by wearing the lace turtleneck that I picked up recently at H&M's sale extravaganza. Upon consideration, I think I'd prefer this outfit in the summer...with bare legs and black ankle boots...but I'm only willing to rebel against nature to a certain extent (especially when the temperature outside is hovering around freezing). Turtleneck - H&M, dress - COS, cuff - Chanel, bow flats - Old Navy

Judging by how neurotic I can get over my suede handbags I probably shouldn't get too excited about the suede/fur trench that Derek Lam showed as part of his Fall/Winter '09 collection. I mean, really, how many days are the weather conditions going to allow you to wear this? And even if you happen upon a perfect fall day, where do you go? Only a food/drink/liquid/stain free environment will ensure the maintenance of its purity and beauty. All of which explains why I shouldn't be excited...but I can't help myself (heightening the excitement...the fact that Lam's inspiration was one of my favorite films...Louis Malle's 1958 movie, Ascenseur pour l'échafaud).

Whenever I read those lists of "classic must haves" in fashion magazines...you know, the ones that include a black Chanel bag, perfect red lipstick, and a trench...I wonder where the un-classic classics are. The pieces that have been around for long enough to obtain classic status but, for whatever reason, don't fit in the neutral color palette-d world of the "must have" list. Like...Lucien Pellat-Finet's sweaters...made from ridiculously soft and light cashmere...in an exuberant mix of colors and designs...they're fashion Disneyland (and I don't say that purely because I'm lucky enough to own the Mickey's skull design...or that for the price of one of these sweaters you could send a family of four on vacation to the Magic Kingdom*). All of which is leading me...via a very circuitous route...to asking what your un-classic classics are? * I should add that the only reason I actually own an LLP sweater (as opposed to just drooling over it in pictures) is because it was drastically reduced

I get an awful lot of emails from people trying to get me to write about them on my blog...from how to tell if you have bad breath (apparently you lick the inside of your wrist)...to skincare...to updates on "shapewear" for the upper body (think Spanx for your upper arms)...but, as you'll have noticed, I rarely write about them because...well, they're just not my thing (the blogging equivalent of "he's just not that into you").

One email that I was into though concerned a new site called The Black Buoy which sells t-shirts from the New York/Hamptons based art collective Lola...along with clothing from Hamptons designers Max & Suzanne...and (the biggie for me) a nicely curated selection of "Driftwood" a.k.a. vintage and "Seaweed" a.k.a. vintage oddities (matchbooks, lucky wooden nickels, and Beatles collector cards).

They're also very kindly offering 15% off your first order (through March 1st) if you enter bbpreview at checkout. I'd have already used to to snag the vintage Courreges two-toned vest...if only it were a little larger...