Little Bulldozers

That's what I call these shoes - little bulldozers. I guess that's what they feel like to me. Are you sick of my purchases yet? Well, these are an oldie. I bought these last year during my trip to Florida and have been stomping around in them on and off ever since. These aren't by any means luxury, but they don't require any effort to put on, and I like that. Did you know Adidas had a line called slvr?



Again, I'm all about short boots and dragging my feet in them all winter. I know it's bad, but I even wear these to work sometimes when I don't care if I look sloppy. Not exactly office attire. But I'm just a rebel.

Purchases in Memoriam

I'm ashamed to admit that last year after Alexander McQueen died, I joined the crowd that felt the need to try to reach out and grab any residual bits from his empire while they lasted. However, I did this with the thought that he was somehow involved in the McQ line, rather than just supplying the affiliation and inspiration for the brand. Whatever. I wanted McQueen any way I could get it, as some were questioning the very continuity of the entire brand. So I bought some things. First up was this wool/silk blend safety pin scarf.


I appeared as though the online shops selling McQueen were acutely aware of this sudden appeal and prices sky-rocketed. No more $200 McQueen dresses to be found. Maybe the label will finally make some money?

Second item was the next best thing to a $200 McQueen dress - a $200 McQ dress. Unfortunately they only came in S, M, and L...


The dress...fit. But damn it is tight around the bust. I make do and wear it out. This dress assisted me in celebrating my birthday this last December in a dark underground nightclub in Tokyo. Renegade? This is what the brand is supposed to be. I'm going to try to live it.

Bootie Call

For fall/winter, I think every lady needs a versatile pair of ankle boots. At least for now, while they are fashionable. I bought a pair over a year ago and despite some wear-and-tear on the stiletto-ish heel, they are as soft and buttery as the day I pulled them from their box. But Pour la Victoire shoes are like that.



And from the picture above, you can see the flash of the gold studded fleur de lis on the sole. And the heel height? Oh-so manageable.



Pour la Victoire shoes are solid-quality shoes at a very reasonable price - I can personally vouch for that. And ankle boots look great with cropped trousers, skirts, tights, leggings, and most things in between. Just make sure you attend to the leather sole if you have one. Any cobbler worth their salt will make these babies as durable as...well, a non-leather sole.

Rant: Irrational Desire

"Irrational Desire" - this is what Marc Jacobs claimed was the inspiration behind his latest Louis Vuitton collection, referencing people's obsession with LV bags and accessories. The icing on the cake for me was the introduction of a new level of ridiculousness - Mon Monogram - which brings narcissism to a whole new level.


As if LV bags weren't ubiquitous enough, now you can now show how rich and trendy you really are with your initials scribbled on the damn thing. And a racing stripe? Oh...now those are oh-so-hot. Gosh, I'm so full of sarcasm here and it's about as appealing as these bags.


Because I want my backseat to look like this.
Instead of 'J.K', mine would say 'L.O.L'.


I totally just made this online.
There is one positive here about monogramming your bag - at least might think twice before stealing it - unless they have the same initials as you. Still, it's lame.

source, source, source

Et Rope

I got the fever! Spring fever, that is. I know that spring is around the corner when I get the itch to start buying dresses. As you may know, I’m currently doing quite well in restraining to buy more clothes. I hope this doesn’t re-open the floodgates.

So, finally, after my Gilt rant (here), they decided to have a sale. The selection was kind of meh, but I did find a pretty blue dress with some lovely sheer bubble sleeves and a nice silver zipper up the back. And roomy! There’s nothing like wearing a dress out to dinner and being able to let it all out afterward. That’s also an important factor about buying clothes online – buy a silhouette in a size you know you will be comfortable with. Guesswork + tight dresses = bad situation. Also, my first dress by ADAM. I don’t know who that is either.

Boner

I bought this necklace at the end of 2009 - this is a story about the lazy blogger. You see kids, when a blogger is so lazy, they don't attract readers because they are not relevant. This necklace is not relevant. I still like it though and you can probably expect to see this style in your local Claires in a few months, if it's not there already. But how many people can say that theirs is a Rock & Bone branded one!? No one. Because no one knows who that is...? Yep.

Blah post is blah. Tuesdays suck.

Haider

I read this blog on a daily basis and the girl knows what she's talking about. I just nod along. During her fantastic coverage of the fashion weeks, I just looked over the good stuff she posted about. It was nice. But then along came Haider Ackermann. Have you seen his work? Um...! You gotta see what he's putting out there...






All her other posts are fantastic too, so check it out if you give a crap about fashion. And as for Haider...well...these are just divine.

All images via Vogue.com

Double D

I love fashion because it's a never-ending ride where every once in a while, something cool comes along that is just so different than anything you could have imagined yourself. And I'm like, "Yes!" because it is precisely those things that make dressing yourself interesting. Of course, this is provided that you can afford said items in question. But really, I feel like I'm cooler for even knowing they exist out there (on someone.) It leaves me excited to find out what comes after.

The first place I saw a piece by Delfina Delettrez was at Opening Ceremony in Tokyo - it struck me immediately because my teenage heritage is rooted in punk rock. And man...if I had one any one of these in my repertoire back then, I would have been...well...even more punk rock (minus all the criticism that would be sure to ensue given the fact that to purchase the item alone requires more money than "punk rock" allows...) Accessories can create a look entirely on their own. Remember my bit about statement pieces? Say hello.






RAD! Don't you feel cooler now too? It's so crazy!

source, source, source,source

Rant: Gilt-y As Charged

Just a temporary derailment from applicable fashion posts so I can get out what I've been thinking for a while...

When I first heard of Rue La La back in November of 2008, I thought I had died on gone to heaven. Then Gilt came along and my wallet just straight up died. As you have likely noticed (if you are a member of those sites and, you know, actually care), a large portion of the purchases on here have arrived at my doorstep via their shopping carts. My rabid fandom hit a fever pitch in January of 2010 when I went nutso from cabin fever and purchased the lion’s share of what you are now seeing come onto these pages as ‘purchases’. But…around a year ago this time, the love affair began to fade.

The business side of me wonders what has gone on behind the scenes at Gilt, mainly wondering if their sales numbers have gone down and if customer usage has dropped. I know my purchases are now few and far between since they changed their sales approach. Touting themselves as a ‘members only’ site (which is a massive joke because anyone and everyone can join), their sales used to be, well, sales. Like the kind you’d fight your own Mother for. And I got some good deals in my time – I bought this Alexander McQueen dress for $199, this Alexander McQueen scarf for $50, and this Fendi watch for $199. OK OK…I’m seeing somewhat of a pattern here – I can attest that the Alexander McQueen has skyrocketed on Gilt and to find even a shirt for less than $200 is going to be tough (since his untimely death left everyone wanting more.) But even the lower-high-end brands are only listing at around 50 percent off retail. And there are next to zero final sales to be found. Which his such a shame, because the scores were awesome! Now they just have hundreds of these variety-type sales where everything is just the same sale price as before because they’ve come down to one item of each in stock because someone returned it from the original sale. Lame. Where is the good sales? BRING BACK THE FINAL SALES and cheaper McQueen!

End rant.

Gratuitous and appropriate Tim Walker photo to break up the text:


ps - HAH! I'm not alone. Just read this comment by MargaretS on another site in response to the changes Gilt has been making to their sales:

Ugh. I'd wondered why Gilt's boutiques had gone so downhill lately. Now the reason is clear: the plebeians only are permitted to access the sloppy seconds (i.e., the "contemporary" or "up-and-coming" designers). Oh, and in the event that Gilt does have a boutique featuring a designer that you've actually heard of, the clothing is seasons' old and has been featured on the site at least three times before. In the past year, I've down scaled my Gilt purchases drastically because the boutiques are sub-par. Now, I'm going to curtail my shopping all together.
--Posted at 2/10/2011

MEN

I just finished watching 'A Single Man' - a movie directed by fashion designer Tom Ford - and it really made me think about how easy it is for men to be stylish, but so few choose to! Sadness rebounds in my world because of this. I must say that this is the first time I realized how completely cool Colin Firth is. Does it hurt that Tom Ford's sleek signature style resonates throughout the movie? Not at all!




I'm not going to pretend I'm some cinematic wizard or anything - this movie doesn't really have a plot point and I'm not always good with those kinds of movies. I just watched because I like Mr. fuzzy-sweater, Nicholas Hoult.




I guess this is why 'Mad Men' is so popular right now - that classic cool style from the '60s kicks the casual crap that has become our go-to fashion choices of the current era. Can't my husband walk around in a Tom Ford suit?



Oh Julianne Moore, you are the epitome of everything gorgeous.

To summarize (though I didn't say anything even remotely compelling), I think this movie is pretty. I also wish more men would take how they look more seriously, but avoid being pretentious while doing so. Impossible?

Ps, men - Can you wear only shiny black shoes with suits? It's hot.

All images from the movie (read: not mine.)

Wearing Tartan

At the moment, I’m feeling uninspired. It’s depressing! So while I’m over here wallowing, trying to think of some (constructive) rant to go on, I’ll just post more of the stuff I’ve bought. The list never ends.

Pink Tartan is one of those brands that frequently pop up on those online sale sites and generally, I’m not interested in the typical office fare available. But during one fated final sale ages ago (they’ve seemed to cease the ‘final sales’ as of recent times), I decided to take a chance on some wool crepe cropped pants (again with the cropped pants). Wonderful! Well, their sizing is generous enough that a belt is required, but these pants are a dream when it comes to comfort and shape. I need more black pants for work now though…can anyone please make a WASHABLE pair? Enough with these wool/silk-blends people. Don’t make me shop at Suzy Shier or Smart Set! I will die.