undecided

remember this?

well, i still haven't made up my mind and actually bought a baggu. i still like them, but haven't settled on a color or a size....

and then today, i ran across this:

pretty awesome, huh?

i'm still undecided, but if you're not, and are ready to buy...... you can do it here.

spring wishes

i've been wanting a new leather bag for spring / summer, but i've been really hoping to find something super clean and minimally designed...

i've checked all of the usual suspects, and haven't found a style that i'm really excited by.

and then, somehow i stumbled on to what i think is just the right thing, in quite a surprising place:

 

baggu!

yes, the company that started out making durable bags for carrying groceries is now using leather to make really simple, basic..... perfect summer bags!

i really want a white or off-white leather bag, but i'm not sure this is the right style for it. i'm afraid it will just get totally trashed.

i'm thinking about the apricot color..... although that mint color is kind of tempting, huh?

what color would you get?

autobiography of an obsession

i always say to my friends that if i'm telling them i "hate" a particular article of clothing, that i'll definitely wind up wearing it within the next few months.

i'm a chameleon, and it really drives me crazy when there is something going on in fashion that i can't wrap my head around.... even if i don't wear the thing in the way others are, i have to find a way to make it work for me.

obviously this comes with some mixed results. a certain oversized yellow cashmere sweater has just been banned by my husband.....

sometimes, this transition happens really quickly.

a couple of weeks ago, this photo of mandy moore started circulating:

and there was a lot of focus on the shoes. which are jenni kayne's d'orsay flats.

i'm not generally a fan of the d'orsay. the name connotes the upper being made in two pieces- the heel counter, and the vamp. there are no sides to a d'orsay shoe.

sometimes i like a half-d'orsay, especially when the opening is on the inside, instead of the outside. like these, from phillip lim:

but in general, i feel like d'orsays conjure up images of barbie shoes, for me..... especially in pink!

but there was something about that photo that really stuck in my mind. i really liked that the pointed toe shape made them a bit edgier. and i love the really high vamp..... it sort of denies any barbie connotations, right?

but..... pink suede?

yes, they come in other colors....

but i wasn't entirely convinced, until i saw this photo, on the blog stop it right now:

ok....

yes! 

this is the way to wear these shoes. without any hint of girlie affectation..... they have the best combo of coolness and not-trying-hard-ness.

i've been flashing back to this photo in my mind since i saw it last week..... i cannot. get. it. out. of. my. mind.

since i have yet to find the perfect pair of black leather pants, i don't think that the black leather pair is for me.....

but i'm seriously thinking about the navy suede pair....

what do you think?

and why does it take me so long to just own up to liking something!?

my perfect belt

i have a lot of belts.

i find them extremely useful in influencing the style of my clothing- changing a particular look from grown up & classy to relaxed & casual is often as easy as changing my shoes and belt....

in the arsenal of little tricks & tips of wardrobe building, one of my favorites is to go lighter on your array of clothing, and build up a serious library of accessories from which to choose. belts are high on the priority list for me...

but, you may recall that i've recently moved from the east coast to the west... and for the first month of living here in los angeles, we waited for most of our belongings to arrive by truck.

due to some bad planning, i didn't manage to pack a good array of belts for our first, transitory month here in l.a, and found myself about to start a brand new job with no respectable belt in sight. 

so, although i have no real need to add another belt to my overflowing collection...

i had a real opportunity!

but, not a whole lot of time to shop. i literally ran into confederacy on my last sunday afternoon of unemployment and was lucky enough to track down what has now become my numero uno, go to accessory for the past month or so... ladies and gentlemen, i give you....

3.1 phillip lim's braided belt!

it has been a real work horse, sprucing up simple jeans and ballet flats, as well as silk dresses whose "self" belts had been cast astray......

it's a great combination of being lady-like enough (gold hardware, refined matte black leather) and cool enough (not-so-refined buckle size, and whip-stitch style braided motif), that it has literally been a perfect, if accidental addition to my new west coast wardrobe....

if you're so inclined, you can pick yourself up one here (it's on sale. you're welcome), and if you're not, i highly recommend looking out for a similarly perfect fit to your own closet...

when everything in your life is new & unfamiliar (read: moving 3000 miles away, finding a new home and starting a new job), it's really surprising how comforting something like a reliable belt can be...

now, i just need a lipstick that will accomplish something similar!

(or, maybe the 31 hour bag?)

do-in it right

last night was the versace for h&m fashion show here in nyc.

versace is not really my thing, so it wasn't a collaboration that i was anticipating with any kind of excitement....

but of course, this morning the blogs are full of it.

one of the most consistant elements of many of the looks in the show were black leather do-rags, worn on the head:

which reminded me, immediately of a similar look that alexander wang showed for spring:

(all runway photos are courtesy of style.com)

i don't believe the wang pieces will be available for sale, although maybe if the versace ones blow out of h&m, they will consider making them for retail?

my first thought was to wonder what alex might have though.....

but he doesn't look too mad ;)

(above shot is courtesy of hanneli.com)

i read somewhere on twitter that their inclusion in the versace show was a reference to a show of gianni versace's, before his death.

i have no idea about that, since i was not a big follower of fashion in those days....

wang, or versace, these accessories are not for me, but....

maybe you'll be wearing them someday soon?

style in the suburbs

so, i was only supposed to be here in the boston burbs for about two weeks.

but, the design process is taking a little longer than expected, and i'm back here for the next few days. i got a much smaller car, which feels a lot more comfy... and i got a two bedroom suite, which is ridiculous.

one thing that i've learned here in the suburbs is the propensity to shop online. i never really thought about the fact that in most american towns, the boutiques are closed by the time work is over. so..... no shopping after work.

this offends my new york sensibilities.

so, i've joined the club, and started shopping online. here are a couple of the things i'm looking forward to unpacking, once i get home on wednesday:

(skirt only. from my favorite online vintage store. nope, not telling.)

(vivienne westwood skyscraper seditionary boots from zappos. an amazing deal. definitely sharing.)

i didn't plan it, but i guess i have been inspired by the marc jacobs and louis vuitton fall shows.

so sue me. i'm in a fashion wasteland, here!