unexpected treasures make the world go round

I received my blazer in the mail today from Roo Vintage, and I am in LOVE. It is perfectly tailored to my body, and I'm pretty sure that I won't take it off ever again. I love love love love love it.

BUT. Not only did the lovely Lisa from Roo Vintage send me the blazer, but she included this little treasure, as well:



A BEAUTIFUL silk YSL mini scarf/handkerchief! When I unveiled this unexpected gift, I just about died. She knew of my severe YSL obsession and sweetly, thoughtfully included this with my blazer.

The whole thing completely made my day...I encourage you ALL to shop away at Roo Vintage. It's run by wonderful, stylish women who treat their customers like gold.

And now I'm off with Brandon to our friend Jill's art show. So excited! Check her stuff out on Etsy...she's a wonderful artist who does some delightfully kitschy pieces.

it's like oil and water, baby

These are some celebrities that I love:


Lauren Conrad. I am def a Hills addict.

Victoria Beckham. I totally choreographed dances to "Wannabe" and "Spice Up Your Life" with my little brother when we were little. We were pretty fabulous.


Kanye West. I'm all about 808's and Heartbreak.


The light of my life, Katie Holmes. I'm currently rewatching season 4 of Dawson's Creek, where she and Pacey get together. True love has never been more romantic. I mean fine, she ended up marrying Crazy, but she has some pretty sick style and has produced an insanely beautiful child.

Gwenyth. Totally fabulous, in every way.


And these are some designers I love:

Yves. Dear, sweet Yves. He's like a modern day Dionysus in this photo.

I laughed out loud when I saw this photo of Karl Lagerfeld, who, aside from being one of the most talented designers in the history of the industry, says nothing but the most absurd things uttered by any human being. Ever.

Proenza Schouler boys...Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez. So effing beautiful. Such good clothes.


Oh, bless DVF. She's wearing Margiela's wig coat with fishnets and she looks amazing. If I tried to pose publicly in that outfit people would cover their eyes and run. Instead, they just put DVF on the cover of a magazine...no big deal.

My very long-winded, slightly antagonistic point here is that I separated out these lovely individuals into two groups because THE FIRST NEEDN'T BE TRYING TO INFILTRATE THE ARTISTIC CAREERS OF THE SECOND. Sigh. Fashion is a form of art, folks. Just because you have a stylist who's given you some great style, and you have a lot of money because you're a celebrity, doesn't mean that you should just start designing your own line of clothing. I love fashion a lot. I love wearing it even more. But you won't see me in front of the camera, because I'm not a model, and you sure as hell won't see me trying to design anything because I can barely draw a stick figure. I'm perfectly content to write about it. I won't usually rant and rave this much, I promise...I just have very strong feelings about situations where the sanctity of the art isn't taken seriously. And when celebrities just decide that they'll start designing because it seems fun, it takes away from designers who have spent their lives devoted to fashion and to their craft. Each of those celebrities has been notably influential in their field, in some way or the other...whether it's TV, music, or film, and I love that. But, celebrities who long to design, I beseech you...let it go. Do your thing, designers will do their thing, and ne'er the twain shall meet.

i write!

Okay, so clearly I don't have much to do, because I'm updating at kind of a ridiculous rate. But that's okay...I'm feeling a little under the weather today so it's a "too much internet and coffee in bed" sort of day.

Just wanted to let you all know that in addition to blogging (which I've quickly become obsessed with, my desk littered with post-it notes of "great new blog ideas") I also do freelance fashion writing in Chicago.

Check out my newest editorial for twentythirtyforty.net's Friends on Fashion!

runway gone wild

I was perusing my blogs and something just reminded me of a video that my dear friend Brandon (a co-founder of twentythirtyforty.net) showed me on youtube, of an Alexander McQueen SS04 show. She's a McQueen freak, similar to how I feel about YSL, she just has yet to brand his name on her body.

This video is unreal, and I love it. Just watch...my favorite part is the simulated track they run around.

blazin with the roo

I've been searching for a fabulous slouchy blazer that will easily transition between all four seasons, and that has some good length to it. I have a shorter tux jacket that I like, but, as I said before, I love things that are oversized.

I've found one! I just bought this Burberry blazer from The Roo Vintage, and I'm pretty excited for it to arrive.


Isn't it lovely? I like that it has a straight lapel, one button, and that it's navy, because I love navy and black together. I'm pretty stoked...and it went for only $30 bucks! It really doesn't get any better than that.

Lisa and Michelle are sisters who started The Roo Vintage, and their thrifted finds are ridiculous. Michelle's a professional model and Lisa's a fierce stylist...together they're an amazing team. Great fashion, great prices...a magical place for new treasures.

It's my summer goal to shop more vintage. On recent shopping trips, I've been hitting walls and not a lot seems to interest me. I feel like everything looks the same and I'm bored with a lot of what's out there right now. Summer is not my favorite season to dress for, as people who know me will tell you. I prefer big coats, lots of layering, and opaque tights. I hate sweating. So I figure recreating my style and sticking to more non-commercialized shopping will be a good challenge and a way to combat my disdain for summer attire.

Comment and send me your favorite online boutiques! I'm always always always looking for people and places that are offering something different.

the goddess swinton

The hype around Tilda Swinton's recent cover and photo shoot for AnOther Magazine made me reaaaaaaaaaaaaaally want to share one of my favorite photo shoots ever, when she was featured with Rachel Feinstein, Heather Mnuchin, Renee Rockefeller, Yvonne Force Villareal, and others, in W magazine's "Social Studies" editorial in September 08. Seriously, there are no words to describe the insanity that is Tilda Swinton in this shoot.

It's a lot of images...but I'm not apologizing. There's no way I could pick or choose...she is one of the most talented, sexy, and completely insane women in the world. And she's wearing flats throughout most of the shoot. Let's get real here people.















Like, seriously...what was Juergen Teller saying to her as he was photographing this shoot? God, I love it.

mmm...good, good looks

So I know fashion month is over, and I'm a little late with this...but having just started this blog, I figure it's allowable.

Some of my favorite looks from New York (London, Milan and Paris will come later this week):

I loved BCBG Max Azria's oversized, uber-structured coats


Love love the cheekiness of the glasses and these fabulous palazzos from Jenni Kayne...told you I love all things oversized.


Peter Som...such good styling


Two of my favorite things: Jessica Stam and Rodarte. I really love how strong the Mulleavy sisters' point of view is...you can certainly always tell a Rodarte piece.

This Marc Jacobs look is insane...the boots, the turban, the draping with the sleeves, those sunglasses...I would wear ALL of this, exactly how it's styled.

I wish I could wear hats. Everything looks so fabulous with a fedora. And bell sleeves. Jil Sander knows this obviously.

I loved the random swimming cap-esque headpieces from Threeasfour. I'm also a sucker for good draping of any kind.

Zero + Maria Cornejo. I'm also a sucker for zippers...and unbelievable shoulders.


3.1 Phillip Lim...soooooooooooo good. I loved the cropped wigs. Reminiscent of YSL last fall. Which I loved, of course.

There are sooooo many more amazing looks out there, this is by no means a representation of "the best of the best." Just merely a taste of some that really stood out to me (thank god for Style.com lookbooks).

oh, to be a harem

I am jonesing hardcore for harem pants.


How sexy are these satin navy pants from the pre-fall 09 Chloe collection?

I personally love really jacked up versions with massive side pleating and draping, and a strong contrast between the hip of the pant and the leg. Like this pair from Tibi...


I also tend to love things oversized. Which is why any comment like, "that does nothing for your body" means nothing to me. I'm not a big body con fan. No Herve Leger bandage dresses for me, thanks. So basically, I find the harem pant pretty perfect, and delectable when paired with your favorite men's v-neck tees and some serious accessories. And heels. Big, sexy, overindulgent heels.

One of my favorite Etsy boutiques, Babooshka Boutique, has some ridiculously amazing harem pants on sale. I've got my eye on these babies:


There are also these leather ones, if you really want to show people what's up:


And here are some shorter ones, Zero + Maria Cornejo on La Garconne

I got these Loeffler Randall ones from twentythirtyforty.net, and I live for them (check out this site...it's AHmazing, and its run by two of the most fabulous women I know. I'll be featuring them soon, worry not). They're so good, and so flattering...it's unreal.



SO sexy. I really, really do love them.

Things I'm coveting ASAP: the perfect harem, Rachel Zoe-esque cocktail rings, fur. Lots of faux fur. The perfectly slouchy black blazer, and a resurgence of red lips in my life. I'm craving a bit of old school glamour, in addition to trends highlighting elements of disproportion. Some days I'm really moved towards classic vintage, straight up old school style, other days I want too too too much fashion. It all comes from the same place, really. It's about an allure, a good energy.

PS: saw Twilight tonight and LOVED it. I am such a sucker for deep romance. And who doesn't find vampires and their blood-sucking ways ridiculously sexy? Go rent Twilight and then shop on Etsy while enjoying some good vino. It will be a night of sexy, soul-hugging magic...I promise.

treasures, treasures, treasures

Who doesn't love new and wonderful treasures? The recession has caused me to develop a guilt complex about purchasing new things, but luckily, that's where Forever 21 comes in. My best friend Barb and I were there last night looking around for some fun, kitschy items, and when we saw these gems, we knew they were meant to be.




As soon as I saw these shoes, I knew they had to be mine...peeptoe, stacked platform, a good solid heel, and oh-so-much fringe. Mmm. I was equally delighted to see Rumi wearing them on fashiontoast this morning. She has a pretty insane sense of style (and a wonderful boyfriend photographer). Check her out: http://www.fashiontoast.com/.

While we were shopping, I had mentioned to Barb that I wanted a little retro-inspired box purse. Here's where you should know that I am a big bag lady. In a terrible, inappropriate way that causes back pain and many knots in my shoulders. But I can't help it...I like to have everything with me all the time! You'll never know when you'll need your purse wine opener, Vogue, red lipstick, or old movie stubs, so you may as well just always have them. In any event, if I'm going to venture away from my suitcase-sized purses, I want it to be kind of sassy and different, like a fabulous bangle. And then we found THIS cute little thing:



I love the gold, and I love the chain option, although I'll probably opt to go without it. Plus, it matches that massive gold cocktail ring (I love bling), and it has the most adorable little latch:


It's like a little crown!

And here's the ring:



They don't call it retail therapy for nothing.

ain't nothing wrong with a little shoulder sass

Okay, so, if we were randomly going to discuss five things you should know about me, aside from my affinity for cabernet, magazines and movies, YSL would probably be #1. I mean, I have his initials tattooed on my wrist. It's pretty serious. Before you think I'm completely insane, I fell deeply in love with man first, when I read The Beautiful Fall by Alicia Drake (read it, it's amazing) which led to an ultimate and completely biased obsession with his clothing. THAT all being said, you can probably guess how I feel about the resurgence in androgynous womenswear. I love it. I love it a lot. Totally digging harem pants, bowler shoes and blazers in a big way.

When it comes to exploring this trend, you cannot deny how good Balmain's FW09 show was. I'm in love with how masculine, yet so seductive Christophe Decarnin's pieces are. Sequins mixed with studs mixed with sharp shoulders mixed with flowing pants and ass-kicking shoes. But what I'm really loving is the strong shouldered blazer. It's a delicious way of taking a classic piece to the next level, and it gives the idea of a power suit a whole new meaning. Studs, sequins, satin, it's perfect in every way it comes.

Sigh. I find androgyny terribly sexy.






And even as a blouse! Look how soft and feminine this looks...even with the shoulders. So completely chic.


*all photos courtesy of style.com