why?
Some shoe styles just elude me. I ranted about floppy shoe styles a while back and still can’t stand them.
Lately, I’ve been seeing a ton of shoes with things dragging on the ground. Big satin bows and suede fringes on shoes (some are really expensive) that will inevitably get destroyed. I don’t get it.
Christian Louboutin – not too bad but still, at that price point do you want delicate satin to look like total crap after one wear?
Paris Hilton – obviously a genius at work here
Roger Vivier – now these just kill me! Really?
Tight Times
Do you remember the show Reading Rainbow? One story has stuck with me since I was a child. It was called Tight Times. A family is going through financial troubles and the little boy finds a kitten outside and of course wants to keep it. Things are so rough that the parents get upset about having another mouth to feed but after everyone breaks down and starts crying, they figure that they indeed can spare a bit more to keep the kitty. (watch the episode here)
Everyone I know is having a hard time staying above water right now but still want to give those they love a meaningful gift, so here are some inexpensive but thoughtful suggestions to get your Christmas shopping done without breaking the bank!
I am a huge TJ Maxx fan. I honestly think you could get all your shopping done there. It’s full of practical luxuries, so cheap it can make your head spin at times. So here are some frugal gift suggestions that could be knocked out in a jiffy at everyone’s favorite discount store.
I recently purchased a small high quality wok great for quick side veggies for $4.50. This and a package of asian noodles, some sesame oil, a head of garlic and a small ginger root (picked up on your next grocery trip), all bundled together could get your favorite foodie inspired for around $10. You could do the same thing with a pasta strainer or large bowl, some interesting sauce, and a bag of fun pasta. A friend did this, with bottles of wine added, for everyone she knew one year and it was a huge hit. It also makes an excellent hostess gift for any parties you attend.
Another nice combo gift great for mom, grandma, or any lady friend is the fancy tea cup/tea package. There are tons of random patterns of china tea cup/saucer sets, mugs, tea pots, kettles, and a bevy of fancy flavored teas and cocoas available at ridiculously cheap prices. Pair some tea up with a thoughtfully picked out cup or pot, and maybe even a box of cookies, for a gift that should be well below $20.
Practical gifts like scarves and gloves can be boring unless chosen in fun colors that the recipients normally wouldn’t pick out for themselves, but will be excited to work into their wardrobe. There are tons of gorgeous Italian and Irish wool scarves available right now for both men and women at about $15.
Babies all the way to teens aren’t left out. For baby, there are adorable hats, pretty storage boxes for nurseries, a slew of cute onesies and clothing, soft blankets, toys for all ages, and classic books. For older kids there are small electronics like colorful ear phones (usually some from Skullcandy) , portable ipod speakers and cases, hip room decor like bright throws and mirrors, there are tights (usually from Betsey Johnson), fuzzy slippers, pajamas, and luxuriously packaged bath products (for anyone really), all hitting well below $20.
If any of the above suggestions don’t work for office pals, there are tons of stationary and desk organizing tools.
There are loads of beautifully designed hand soaps and towels both for kitchen and bath that would go well together.
There are name brand wallets, cosmetic bags, clutches, yoga accessories, men’s accessories, cook books, coffee table books, photo albums, handblown glass vases, picture frames like crazy, scented candles, kitchen tools, gourmet spices… all at inexpensive price points.
When it comes to presentation, I really can’t stand the suggestion of wrapping a gift up in an additional gift, like a jewelry box wrapped in a scarf. No, I’m not spending an extra chunk of change to wrap the originally intended present. Then there’s the ideas of painting or stamping your own paper. Please. The season is hectic enough.
For wrapping gifts, I usually hit the 50%-75% off sales after Christmas and stock up for the next year. Take advantage at the stores you shop at and ask for their complimentary boxes, especially for odd sized items. A well wrapped gift can make a small item pretty fantastic to open. If you need to stock up on gift wrapping supplies right now, I highly recommend the dollar store. They have tissue paper with designs and huge packs of solid colors, curling ribbon, rolls of wire edged fabric ribbon for luxurious bows, bags of traditional bows, tags, tape, gift bags and boxes of all sizes and the usual seasonal wrapping paper – all for $1. Sometimes just sticking with a solid red or white paper or the big rolls of brown craft paper will allow a $1 ornament to stand out as a gift tie-on. There are glitter snowflakes, large sequined balls, and other novelty ornaments. You can also check the craft section for bunches of berries, fake birds and raffia ribbon for a rustic look.
There’s no reason to go broke this holiday season! Have fun being a thoughtful smart shopper!
sequins
Holiday season is upon us and that means everything in the stores has a thick crust of sequins on it. I would like someone to tell me how all these things are going to wear over time because I have experienced nothing but heartbreak. (We aren’t even going to talk about glitter because if you own it, you deserve to suffer the consequences. In the early 90s, my bff bought a pair of fuchsia glitter Doc Martens and they started looking pretty rough rather quickly.)
Sequins are made of fragile plastic with a metallic paint coating that rubs off and eventually looks worn out. They are also prone to cracking in half and falling off. Then there are the ones that are glued on. You can spot a missing or misaligned sequin a mile away. At least I can, but I may have a mild case of OCD.
If you must wear them… there are good sequins and bad sequins.
GOOD SEQUINS
Not much can happen to this embellished tank. You still have to carefully hand wash it in cold water and it won’t last forever but you still have a chance.
To avoid looking like a Miss America contestant, sequined dresses should be short and to the point. This dress will also require special care but with no belt to rub, cap sleeves, each sequin neatly lined up (not shingled) and tightly secured, and being all one subtle color, this would work well. Minimal accessories needed.
Other good sequins can be found as a light mist on something sheer, a pair of panties you don’t plan on keeping on for very long, and as the most delicate of details that makes something plain very special.
BAD SEQUINS
You know how your shoes wear, so what’s going to happen at the bends of these Converse? They’re part of the fabric so you can’t even sew on new ones to repair!
These sequined leggings are almost $350 at Saks. What is your ass and the backs of your knees going to look like after a while? Like a worn out Las Vegas hooker, that’s what. $350 at Saks or $20 at F21… they’re both going to look like hell after a few wears.
More bad sequins – on jeans but at least they would be easy to remove when they go bust, on handbags (those giant sequin bags and tiny 80s prom clutches), those hoodies everyone got obsessed with (my hoodies earn their keep), and anything else tight that would bend harshly with your body, and doesn’t respect your hard earned cash.
So ladies, you may want to spare yourself the trouble and financial waste and just put on a sparkly cuff bracelet instead!
gears
A while ago, I went through a tiny stud earring phase. I bought a bunch of little earrings made of gears and old plastic camera workings. I bought them from etsy and most eventually fell apart. (There just is no lasting glue for binding plastic to metal.) Just recently on NotCouture I spotted these sterling silver watch gear earings by jewelry designer Graciela Fuentes for Tiriana Jewelry. Steampunk? Maybe. Awesome? Yes.
Just for good measure, I checked out what etsy had to offer again. I was a little disappointed. I’m really not a fan of something looking soooo handmade that it’s sloppy, unprofessional and childish. Do you have to add cheap beads to everything? These are the best things I could find.
Of course, you can start digging around online to find gears and have yourself a little DIY fun.
who copies who?
Last week, when I was feeling especially masochistic and decided to look at every damn Spring 2010 RTW collection on style.com to make my epic list of favorite things, I came across this outfit by Erin Fetherston. I bought that same sheer top at F21 about 2 years ago. That same top!
The only differences are that the shoulders don’t have the extra ruffles, the sleeves are shorter and the bow is sheer as well.
The collar stands the same, it’s the same length, same sheerness, same wrap style, the bow is also just as wide and super long… everything else is the same. Now, I’m sure someone else did this type of top a loooooong time ago because hardly anything in fashion is every truly new but, seriously?
Fall roundup
Here’s a collection of items from previous posts that tickled my fancy for this cold weather season and beyond! I’m chipping away at this list. Almost halfway there!
a wearable top 30 for 2010
It’s barely Fall and all the Spring 2010 shows were a month ago. The over-saturated coverage has come and gone and now the Christmas advertising has started. I avoided the Spring shows like the plague and made a few short mentions of random things that managed to catch my eye. Now, I have finally looked at it all and I am left with a sense that not much is new.
Here are my top 30 realistic picks for Spring 2010 from the RTW collections. All look completely comfortable and wearable. I will tell you that I looked at every single collection on Style.com and I found that most of the Spring offerings fell into a few categories.
- Short, tiny cocktail dresses. So many little dresses for teeny tiny women!
- Dresses really were the prominent item and the knee length shifts started to get a bit boring.
- Ridiculous brights and outrageous prints all mixed up, that take a special woman to pull off. I’m not one of them. Polka dots, stripes, a bit of plaid, florals of course, and abstract prints also stood out.
- The same minimalist architectural pieces and beautiful draping we’ve been seeing for a while now, which I’m totally fine with. So many designers are going the way of Lanvin these days.
- Boxy looks that made the models look broad and stumpy- cropped jackets with cropped pants and ankle boots? No. Big shapeless dresses sans belts were everywhere as well. Strong shoulders are still in. Wide wide wide.
- The usual classic looks such as ultra ladylike, mild safari, the same punky/goth stuff we’ve been seeing from the usual suspects, and denim but not much. (Ralph Lauren used enough denim for everyone.)
- A whole lot of low cut, a lot of leg, and a TON of sheer and lace. Way more nipple than I needed to see.
- White, black and white and black… a lot of red, blues and orange.
- One shoulder looks, drapey jumpsuits, cropped pants of all widths, shine everywhere, drop crotch pants (no thanks), tailored shorts, leggings (still), flowing pants, and light silky charmeuse layers (loving this).
- Short skirts with long panels were all over the place. Not feeling it.
- Big necklaces, big bags, big purses, big shoes, strappy heels, and damned ugly hats.
Spring is all about freshness and while not much that I saw was really innovative, I’m feeling a slight shift of focus in the trends towards more soft elegant pieces and away from the dark harshness that’s been flooding the fashion blogs lately. I’m thankful. So, even though Spring is so far away, by actually taking the time to look at all the collections quietly and slowly over a few days, it has kind of refreshed my heart. Fashion has grown to be a bit boring for me lately and I know I’m not the only one who’s been crying out for more pretty. I’ll be thinking about these beautiful pieces from now on when putting together outfits and making future purchases. I’m ready to make some subtle changes to my wardrobe and work new things in slowly. So, this is my well-edited list of things I could see myself throwing on and feeling instantly at ease right off the bat. No tugging, no hyper awareness of my body… just good old relaxed style… and I found A LOT of stuff…
all pics via style.com
No doubt, the Ports 1961 collection was lovely and wearable but not much really stood out to me. The fabrics were gorgeous and everything was nice. Yes. Nice. It was all very nice. I really didn’t want to show anything from this collection because it was all so innocuous but it can’t be left out because of the simple elegance and versatility of all the pieces. (I supose Rachel Roy would go into the same category of nice.)
This simple outfit from Celine is so clean and fresh. Loose fitting white top. Short black skirt, leather or not. Easy.
Keeping with the crisp black and white theme is this Derek Lam dress and a Nicole Farhi graphic top and wide pants.
Kenzo makes my signature perfume Amour and I think the line’s genius is highly underrated. I adore this breezy white offering. This is an ensemble. I don’t know if I would always pair the separates together (unless it’s a jumpsuit, which would be rad). Not sure what kind of butt coverage you’re really getting here but some shorts could fix that. I think a lot of us are nervous about wearing something so obvious but really, what’s the big deal? It’s perfectly elegant. Seriously love this and the shoes compliment it perfectly.
Jason Wu has been stealing my heart lately. This could not be better for a date night. I had a difficult time picking just one dress from his collection because they are all so very wearable. Check the rest here.
Plaids aren’t usually my thing but I love the shape of this Pollini dress, the gentle mixing of plaids, asymmetrical hem, and draping give it a modern appeal. Seeing it with those killer shoes has given me a fresh perspective on this pattern.
Can I get an amen for this palest mint Douglas Hannant maxi dress?! I’m so short, every long dress I’ve bought needed to be hemmed, which had begun to deter me from buying them. Then I see one so elegant and it makes me forget about what a pain it is to sew sometimes.
L.A.M.B. was a bit too rocker glam for me this time around but, what do you expect? This outfit though… I could wear this every single day and be outrageously comfortable and confident, after switching out the belt with my own wider studded one.
There were a lot of full hipped pants and unless you’re rail thin, I can’t think of any woman who wants to add width to her hips. What about just one hip so everyone knows what’s really going on? These asymmetric pants by Nicole Miller swayed me. Paired with the corset-esque top keeps it slim. I really want to hunt down these pants and try them on.
This abstract print by Giorgio Armani is right up my alley. Blue and red together usually seems childish to me but not this time. This whole look would be so easy to affordably replicate. Perfect for a hot day, comfortable, effortless, and just the right splash of red.
If I were to pick one wild print from any of the collections, it would be this simple dress from Josh Goot. It is a piece of art. Minimal accessories needed. It would be a blast to wear.
The only super formal dress that knocked my socks off was this ultra flattering Martin Grant evening gown. Showing leg is so much more alluring than blatant cleavage.
This has become my new favorite color. A more muted acid puke green that goes so well with earth tones, white, black and all shades of grey. Love the delicate detailing by J. Mendel.
Like the intricate detailing above, you can’t help but admire the ingenious construction of this Bibhu Mohapatra dress.
I can’t do a post without including my all-time fave Lanvin. Don’t even need to say how difficult it was to pick just one. Good grief it’s lovely!
Fashion Fringe is new to me. I was floored by their dresses and had to include three. Just imagine the feel of that fabric against your skin!
These two dark outfits are more in line with what’s been in style lately. The light bleach wash effect on skinny jeans has been everywhere but Elise Øverland’s take with the delicate top and gold platforms takes it to a new level of feminity. Jeremy Laing’s modern outfit is also a lot less harsh. Love those delicate pieced leggings!
There weren’t many earthtones at the shows. I used to wear a lot of browns and I’m looking forward to revisiting the color soon. The blazer and shorts look is prominent for Spring. Pringle of Scotland put together a lovely outfit. The very ladylike Gary Graham draped skirt ensemble is so office appropriate.
Tibi was really pretty and a lot of fun. The pattern on this dress reminds me of a painting done by the stippling technique at a Richmond restaurant called Avalon.
A lot of designers were sectioning off the body into three distinct regions, something I’ve been a fan of for a long time. When patterns and color blocking were used, the oufits shortened the models. The monotone Issey Miyake is lengthening and slimming and looks really cozy. The Naeem Khan embellished tunic with wider bouclé (or are they beaded?) pants also looks soft and comfortable. I would love to pull off something like these for winter.
More monochromatic offerings in my favorite color! While I wouldn’t wear the bra top, I love the softness and ease of thin layers making up this Akris outfit. The silver Michael Kors skirt is subdued enough for day wear and the extra details on the shoulder turn a basic v-neck into something really special. The Donna Karan day dress could not be more perfect.
Last but not least are the ankle ties and bright blue slim trousers by Prabal Gurung. I think this is adorable but still clean and simple… very very wearable but whimsical. That blue is one of my favorite colors.
I hope this leaves you inspired. Phew! I’m DONE!
Previous Spring 2010 RTW posts - Doo.Ri, Givenchy’s shoes, and Dennis Basso.
no surprises
My mom has M.S. and I am her primary care-giver. It breaks her heart that she is unable to shop for me anymore but, come my b-day or Christmas, I know I’m getting what I want since she now has to let me pick things out for myself and do all the ordering… and wrapping. Yes, I have to wrap my own presents. So silly. I always make a big to do about ripping the paper and putting the bows on my head every year.
Now is the time of year when the incessant nagging for me to shop begins. Sounds terrible doesn’t it? Here are three things I picked out for myself from F21. To heck with surprises! I can’t wait to have these things at Christmas!
striped metallic top - oh how I love this! It’s not the most flattering thing but who cares. It’s so graphic and bold and comfy looking!
black velvet leggings - no need for a picture here. They say these have a slight sheen. I sure hope so.
bell hop zip hoodie - I go through about 3 black hoodies each fall and winter. They always fade and inevitably get some oily spot on them that drives me insane and I have to toss them. Love that this one has so much personality. All those band jackets out there don’t do it for me… they feel so costumey. This is just enough.
tights
I was perusing the Urban Outfitters sale online and fell in love with these tights. They’re so much fun and they’re on sale! I still have a couple pairs of black scrollwork tights kinda like this pattern from Victoria’s Secret from the 90s. They were my favorite gothy tights to wear. These are much more whimsical and the color combo is perfect. After a miserable failed attempt at ombre tights with Rit dye, I’ll leave it to the pros.
Type in promo code MERRYHAPPY and get an extra 10% off all orders until December 15th!
it’s already been done
Sometimes you just want to have a great idea… an idea that will put you on the map, give you some fun, give you a purpose separate from the rest of your mundane life.
I was talking to the bf about Fifi Lapin, one of those “why didn’t I think of drawing an adorable little bunny in real fashionable clothes?” conversations and he suggested that since I like to sew and I like cats and all things cute, why don’t I dress cats up in little versions of runway fashion. Genius! Pure genius!
Well… it’s already been done. My god this cat calendar from United Bamboo (featuring their clothing) is fantastic!
(out of stock, of course)
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