| Originally I was going to post a picture of this Chloe PVC brooch featuring some stylized calla lilies and suggest that anyone who fancied adding a little Chloe to their closets...or liked PVC flowers...hurry on over to Saks’ website as they were marked down to the $30-35 dollar range. That’s what I was planning to say...but in the few days between seeing the brooches online and writing this post the sale price has gone up to $52. Which is more than a little sneaky...especially as this is the point in the sales when (as a conscientious consumer) I’d be expecting to see additional reductions...not additions. So, much as I love the look of this pin, it is now tainted by greed and will not be making it’s way into my closet...which, in reality, is probably a good thing...but we’re discussing principles here, gosh darn it. |  |
Okay, I admit it...I have a slight, um, addiction to Ladurée macaroons...mainly in salted butter caramel, chocolate, or pistachio...but I probably wouldn't turn down any flavor in a pinch. Luckily I don't live anywhere near one of their stores or we could have some serious issues...mainly of the "dear God, this skirt used to fit" variety.
Equally fortuitous...these completely fat-free macaroon-ish items that I came across...Ladurée lip gloss for Sephora (I'm not usually a fan of candy flavored gloss...it seems like such a swindle for your digestive system...but, in this instance, I'd make an exception)...and Agnes De Boissieu's macaroon key chains...a sweet treat for your house keys...though I have a horrible suspicion that I might awaken from a daydream to find myself nibbling on it...
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| "The autumn leaves drift by my window The autumn leaves of red and gold I see your lips, the summer kisses Those sunburned hands I use to hold Since you went away the days grow long And soon I'll hear old winters song But I miss you most of all, my darling When autumn leaves begin to fall..." Though the color combination is probably more autumnal than spring-like I couldn’t resist posting this image of stylist (and wife of Jarvis Cocker), Camille Bidault Waddington. This is another one of those pictures that you want to print and hand-out to people who wear Juicy tracksuits for almost every "casual" occasion, whilst screaming "See...you can be casual and chic, you don’t have to look like you’re perpetually going to the gym!". Rant over... |  |
| Up until a few months ago, when I bought Mayle's Jeanne bag, I would not have thought it was possible for someone to lose a decent-sized Louis Vuitton wallet in their own closet. Of course, I would have been wrong, because for the last three months I have been unable to find the aforementioned wallet...doubly depressing as it's the ultimate "walk softly and carry a big stick" wallet, i.e. flat, light, and surprisingly roomy (important for use with a ladylike chain-handled handbag whose chain you don't want to break). But yesterday afternoon, having decided once and for all that I would not be beaten by a closet, I rounded up a posse (comprised of myself and a silver Bearbrick) and started to hunt in earnest. An hour...several new curse words...and a t-shirt avalanche later and the wallet was found...buried under a pile of silk scarves and gloves. Proof once again, if it were needed, that I really need to "cull the herd" a little this year...after all, if you can't find it, you can't wear it. |  |
| Incredibly gray Sunday (would it kill the sun to make a cursory appearance, even for 5 minutes?) needs incredibly pink shoes...namely, these fuchsia stamped snakeskin numbers from Giuseppe Zanotti. Apart from the overwhelming burst of color there is an additional element which I find enticing (in a completely "shoe geek" way). The majority of ballet flats have elastic in the heel...something which can, on occasion, transform the shoe into a modern day torture device designed to lacerate your ankle...funnily enough, this is usually about the time when someone makes an unfortunate comment about how comfortable you look in your flat shoes. These flats however appear to be elasticated on the sides...something which my optimistic side hopes may solve the issue (my inner pessimist, of course, feels that this may just transfer the pain to a hitherto unknown location). |  |
A little bizarre factoid for your Sunday morning reading pleasure...concrete is, apparently, used more than any other man-made material...in 2005 about six billion cubic meters of concrete was produced (that's about one cubic meter for every person on Earth). Those are the hard facts (sorry, I couldn't resist)...now for the tie-in...
As you may have noticed, I've been yearning for some over-sized, chunky rings for a while now, but the ones that I've been drooling over have been gem encrusted...and therefore hopelessly out of my budget...
With these concrete and stainless steel rings from designstudio however I get the bulk I have been looking for...and even some faceting on the "rock" ring shown on the left below...at an affordable price. The added benefit, of course, is that I can claim that my motivations are ironic rather than financial...the "disappearing meaning of postmodern theory" discussed by The Concrete Organisation perhaps.
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I'm taking a break from my M Day celebrations to Spring clean my sidebar...there being, after all, a limit to the amount of almond paste that any human being can consume in one day...additionally, it's a task that I've neglected for a while now and as I'm currently in a rather revolting "get up and go" mode (probably due to too much sugar) I should take advantage of it while I can.
You'll notice slightly larger "What made it out of my closet today?" pictures and a new group of images, "What's currently inspiring me?" which I'm hoping to use as a virtual idea book...much in the same way as I use my hardcopy lookbooks. I'd also like to update my links...so, if you link here and would like a link back...or you don't currently link but would like to...or, you just want to say hello...leave me a comment.
I often feel that, not living in one of the major fashion cities, I rarely see that fabulous beast...the heavily discounted sample sale. Not that I'm complaining...well, not too much...my credit card would probably melt if I had regular access to all those discounts...occasional access though, that's something I can handle...which explains why I was so pleased to run across Catwalk to Closet's online sample sale. All of the satisfaction of a sample sale...without having to fight the crowds...and in a small enough dose for me to avoid financial ruin.
And so, in no particular order, a few things that caught my eye...
Bottega Veneta intrecciato blue leather flats...sadly, they're for children...though at £25 I'd be tempted to buy them just to admire the color and stroke the leather...yet another demonstration, if it were needed, that I have "issues". Marc Jacobs floral mouse flats a non-overwhleming way to do this Spring's overwhelming florals...for £70. Trosman necklace, it's £5...and it's cute...need I say more? Miu Miu whipsnake moccasins because I have an unnatural urge for a pair of moccasins for this summer, at £55 these would be perfect if they weren't too small. Anna Sui embroidered Donegal tweed skirt, I stalked this on Net-a-Porter and now it's reduced to £70 but, again, not in my size. Miu Miu pink & brown structured tweed skirt, perfect for "business casual" and reduced to £80. And the big gun...Chloe 's crinkle chiffon dress at £580 this is as much as everything else combined, though to be fair, this is marked down from £1,940 and would give years of wear.
| I may not celebrate wedding anniversaries...Valentine's Day...or Sweetest Day (choosing a date 6 months from V-Day and calling it Sweetest Day in an attempt to sell greeting cards doth not a celebration make)...but I am going to celebrate Marzipan Day. Mainly, it's true, because of the fortuitous coincidence of finding a food site with the date listed and possessing an entire box of Niederegger Marzipans left over from Christmas...but, who am I to quibble? Let the celebration begin! |  |
| Around this time of year I tend to yearn for a little simplicity and purity at home. I think it's a variation on cabin fever...so much time spent indoors, everything feels cluttered, and I get the nasty sensation that my "Spring cleaning" should be done with a dump truck. So, before pessimism fully sets in, I think I need to focus on some clean lines...like this milk carton flower vase from CB2...functional, minimal, and humorous...just what I need right about now. |  |
I assumed, when I wrote about the Karl Lagerfeld Yule Log, that I had plumbed the depths of "Lagerfeld products that, come on...admit it, he must have only done for the check"...but no. I'm not sure how many people will be running to their local upmarket toy store to snag one of the thousand, limited edition, lead figurines...but for anyone who does find the idea appealing, $300 gets you a three-and-a-half-inch little Lagerfeld. Now, how many times can you say that?
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| Considering my previous post I probably shouldn't be writing about floaty tops but, as they say in pidgin-Latin "Illegitimi non carborundum" a.k.a. "don't let the bastards grind you down". And this Marc by Marc Jacobs top is one of those summer pieces that would work so well now...layered over a thin turtleneck, puffing out from a fitted blazer...adding a shot of much needed color to my current roster of black/grey/navy. Plus, whenever I wore it I could do my "Kay Thompson in Funny Face" tribute... |  |
As I walked home last night I passed two men on the street...and heard the words, "yeah, she's cute, but she's pregnant". Of course, I wanted to know who the comment was directed at and glanced around me...only to find that I was the only woman in the vicinity. Due to a process of elimination (damn you Sherlock Holmes!) I reasoned that I was the obvious candidate.
I walked home...seething with a mixture of wounded pride and righteous indignation...looked in my mirror...and realized that my boiled wool scarf, tucked down the front of my peacoat, was indeed creating a "Mary looking for a place to stay" effect. Oh, bugger!
| As the temperature has gone from a wind chill in the negative teens to sixty degrees in the space of a week and a half...and I find myself wearing Fall of 07, coveting Spring of 08, and getting ready to see what will be on offer for next Winter...I'm taking a schizophrenia break to ogle Balenciaga's pre-Fall for 08 (I'm going to ignore the fact that, thanks to global warming, we barely have a Fall let alone a pre-Fall). Though I wasn't a fan of the Spring collection's wallpaper florals I love the continuation of volume, this time in huntin'...shootin'...fishin'...tweed. |  |
| Several years ago, in Selfridges sale, I bought a heavily reduced APC tunic top. The black and white geometric design was beautiful and, much as I hate to admit it, it seduced me into buying a top that really didn't really suit me. Okay, let's be honest...really, really didn't suit me. So you can imagine the mixed feelings when I saw J Crew's Tangier blouse. I love the fabric...it conjures up images of sightseeing in Marrakesh or strolling around the Alhambra palace in Spain...staring at the geometric delights of Moorish architecture. |  |
| Unfortunately the cut of the top makes me think of the stereotypical "barmaid blouse"...as seen in kitsch cartoons or worn by antique Toby jugs. In case I'm flailing away on my own with this reference point, the barmaid leans across the bar...arms folded...a scoopneck top framing acres of décolletage. Bawdy humor ensues. Great if that's your thing but definitely not for me. As the saying goes, "Those who do not learn from their mistakes, are doomed to repeat them..." I think, for once, I may actually have learned my lesson. |  |
| I think we all have a touch of the voyeur in our make-up...else why are reality shows and the sordid magazines at supermarket checkouts which discuss star's cellulite so successful? Not that I'm saying voyeurism is wholly negative, just something to be handled selectively...which is why Britney Spears' latest woes leave me cold...but eavesdropping on a dinner party at Zandra Rhodes' penthouse raises a flicker of interest (especially when presented in a pleasingly surreal style). "Eat Your Chiffon" by photographer/filmmaker Ben Charles Edwards was inspired by Chaper 7 of Alice in Wonderland, i.e. the Mad Hatter's Tea Party, and John Waters' "Eat Your Make-Up", in which a deranged nanny kidnaps young girls and forces them to model themselves to death in front of her boyfriend...surreal enough for you? Part 1 was released today, with parts 2 and 3 hitting the airwaves on the 14th and 21st respectively...appetizer, entrée, and dessert, if you will. Bon appetit! |  |
| "But yet not cloy thy lips with loathed satiety, But rather famish them amid their plenty, Making them red and pale with fresh variety: Ten kisses short as one, one long as twenty. A summer´s day will seem an hour but short, Being wasted in such time-beguiling sport." from Venus and Adonis...a poem by William Shakespeare... First thought on seeing the cover of the February issue of i-D magazine? I wonder what brand of lipstick that is... |  |
| I really am a glutton for punishment...I should clarify, I’m talking about the fact that I continuously check-out heeled boots and shoes that my balance-challenged self could never wear, not the 101 other things that I punish myself over. I’d stop were it not that I love the eye candy aspect and, ex-Girl Guide that I am (okay, I was “asked to leave” after a week but it still counts), I take it as my Good Deed For The Day if I can steer someone else in the direction of fabulous footwear. Hence, a picture of what I’m going to call either “Martin Margiela's Summer boots” due to the air-conditioning vents or “French girl boots” due to their insouciant vibe and the mental image I get of me wearing them wandering along the side of the Seine (hey, if my mind can get over the hurdle of me actually walking in 4” of heel it can get over the lesser hurdle of location). |  |
Much as I'm a fan of the whole utilitarian-cute look it can be decidedly problematic...in no small part because the percentage of "u" to "c" has to be, as Goldilocks was so fond of saying, juuuust right...too utilitarian and you risk looking a little butch...too cute and you lose the whole "u" portion of the equation.
Built by Wendy's yachting jacket is, to me at least, the personification of u-c...brass hardware, canvas, and corduroy...cute girl goes to sea (Rod Stewart entirely optional).
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I try not to be unduly repetitive...and I mentioned Posso the Spats' updated take on the humble spat last season...but when I saw their latest addition to the spat fold I had to do an update post. The Sound Spat transforms any shoe or sandal into instant full-on gladiator mode...reminiscent of Chanel's sandal from its Spring 2007 Resort collection...yet to my practical mind, slightly better, as not only can the shoe be changed to provide limitless variations on the gladiatorial theme...but the reduced number of leg straps means less time getting them on/off and less chance of looking like a zebra after wearing them on a hot summer's day (unless you're a fan of the "tan tattoo" that is).
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