Favorite New Thing!

Like everyone else, I get into a rut with my work outfits. I try to mix things up, but when your work is always freezing and you are on your feet 8 hrs a day, your combos dwindle to something like: pants + flats + sweater/blazer or skirt/dress + flats + tights/leggings + sweater/blazer.....Day after day after day...Not that exciting. Lately, I have been throwing in some different, inexpensive accessories to get my daily dose of inspirational pizazz. This week, I got a scarf at this ultra-exclusive boutique you might know as Forever 21 (hehe). I am a fan of prints, but animal motifs are a little unnerving in large doses, so this scarf is the perfect amount of fierce for me. Paired with black skinny pants and drapey cardi and some gray pearls, this scarf kicked the outfit's intensity up a notch while remaining cozy.
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The color is a bit more vibrant in person, which is fun, and the price tag ($8.80) was waaaaay too good to resist :) What do you do to prevent the "Office Outfit Rut"?

Spring RTW 2011-- Lanvin

I am a sucker for draping and pleats (as I have mentioned before here). As this is one of the things Lanvin's Alber Elbaz does best, it's pretty safe to say that I like the creations he churns out season after season. This season was not much different, but I appreciated his use of color, the addition of texture and prints and a little sparkle. Nothing was outrageously inspiring, but I figure that if Elbaz can maintain a signature style for the house, tweaking it slightly each season to keep it fresh, and make them tons of money, he's probably doing something right ;)
Here are some of my fav's:

I love the yellow and grey combo and the fitted top VS flowing skirt contrast.

Flattering draping + nature-y prints = every woman will want one to take her from poolside to party when the weather warms up...

Texture on both top and bottom! Sparkles! Exclamation points! :)

Have a great Monday, everyone!

(All images from style.com, where you can see the full collection)

Ring Around the Rosy

Let me preface this post with--I am not getting married, don't get too excited about this. I am not even the type of girl who plans for her big day and has lots of dreams and wishes and blah blah blah. But, occasionally in life, you notice something special and decide to bookmark that something in your brain for the future because it is perfect. Alex Sepkus makes rings with an antiqued, quasi-cloisonne look that is somehow contemporary. My favorite examples of his work balance being cute and chunky while remaining small and delicate in appeal. These in platinum/while gold would be an amazing little engagement ring that would be unique, but not overly trendy and not something everyone else you know would have.


Alex Sepkus has a lot of other cool pieces, too. Check him out at his website and at French on Main

Is there a style/type of ring you are in love with?

Oh, the Possiblities!

On my latest trip to Last Chance, I stumbled upon (what I thought was) a crazy blue/purple jacket. The sleeves are short and ruched, but the length is longer, to the knee, so I thought it would snazzy with a black shift dress and other fitted outfits. The tag was labeled "S" for Small, but it looked a little big, so I looked at the inside tag, which also said "S," so I thought maybe Ted Baker was making jackets with a boyfriend fit or something and, since it had no imperfections other than a missing belt, I gleefully pranced to the cash register. When I got home, I did a search to see what my jacket's original belt looked like and this is what I found:

Yeah......it's really a wrap dress. And I forgot that Ted Baker sizes are 0-5, so what I assumed was a S was really a 5, so that's why the jacket-now-dress is way too big... Rather than get discouraged over buying something (non-returnable) that is way too big, I thought, "if I initially thought it was a jacket, why can't it be a jacket?" Maybe it just needs a few changes and a little tailoring. Let me know if you have any ideas and stay tuned for the (hopefully) successful outcome!

Where Have I Been All Day?

Holy handbags! I don't know what I was doing yesterday or how I missed this fashionologie article on Helmut Lang handbags...?! I am a fan of the Helmut Lang aesthetic, esp during the winter (who doesn't want to be swathed in luxe knits and paperweight leather in a decadent-yet-minimalistic way?) and wondered why the brand never had handbags. Now I don't have to wonder anymore and can just stare, blissfully at the slideshow on fashionologie.com.

I love the color, slouchiness, and scale of this hobo. Sigh. Now I just need a second mortgage to own one ;)

Spring RTW 2011-- Jil Sander

It isn't even cool enough for me to wear a jacket yet, but I am already looking ahead to spring. I am still really digging fall trends for this year (some of my favs will be in future posts), but something about spring fashion is so appealing... There is a lightness about it and an ease that is not always present in the dark and heavy dramaticism of fall presentations. One collection I especially love for spring is Jil Sander. I loved that she used different silhouettes (maxi skirt, tailored pants, mini dress) and had a lot of fun with color, thus creating statement pieces that will transition into your current wardrobe seamlessly.
Here are some of my fav's:

Love the skinny, tailored trouser contrasted with volume/color up top!

Draping is always flattering, esp in such an awesome hue!

Wearable art....I want to go scuba diving for some reason... ;)

*All images from style.com

'Net Savvy- New Store!

Have you ever been in a store that is just ridiculously cool-- a store that seems to know exactly what you've been looking for? Like you had picked everything you like to be in a store, but much, much cooler? When I discovered this internet collaborative boutique, it made me want to hang out with the owners-- I bet they are way beyond my chic-level! Magpie and Rye is based out of San Francisco and it is very evident that the owners carefully curate their collection of offerings. A well-edited display of accessories for person and home greets you on the mainpage and it gets even better as you delve into each category. I love the hand-made, high-quality pieces--here are my fav's:


From left:
Desert bag, Hexagon ring, Fragment Light No. 2

I am in love!