Bits & Baubles
Gold Member
Alexander McQueen
As someone who dresses a little more simply on a day-to-day basis, details are really important to me. For example, I love it when pants are lined with a bright color or when a collar is decorated with studs. The Spring 2012 runways were full of details but the gold adornments were the ones that caught and nestled in my eye. I mean, who doesn’t love a little gold bling in their everyday wear?
To put my art history major to good use, let me just say that Balmain’s collection was like Art Deco meets Byzantium with its angular lines decked out in gold. And then there’s Valentino with those perfect gold studs that seem to be the brand’s new defining factor. Jill Stuart may have been an Easter egg in fabric and colors but the nails were bedazzled in gold dots that I’m officially dubbing my next DIY. Dries Van Noten dabbled in the metallic hue with hints of copper on their shoes and Gucci had an Art Deco 1920s collection that I’d give my first child for. But if I had to choose a single gold embellishment for my Spring 2012 wardrobe, I’d have to go with Yves Saint Laurent’s gold-plated pepto bismol pink loafers that I hope to buy the second they hit stores.
Balmain
Valentino
Jill Stuart
Dries Van Noten
Gucci
Yves Saint Laurent
Green Gucci Envy
I don’t normally do posts like this, but new year, new ideas, new posts. You feel me?
Anyways, I didn’t watch the People’s Choice Awards last night (I’m not a big TV person) but upon browsing through my usual morning reads I blacked out while falling in love with Emma Stone’s look last night. I’m pretty convinced this girl can do no wrong (I think I went a little lesbian when she wore that peach Calvin Klein gown to last year’s Golden Globes), and this tuxedo inspired ensemble is my epitome of outfit perfection. The cropped green Gucci jacket with the tailored trousers is so waiter-chic I can’t stand it. I just searched the internet in the hopes of finding this jacket but had no luck. Any insights would be greatly appreciated. But actual jacket or not, you can expect to see me replicating this outfit in the very near future.
What do you think of it?
The Cleanse
How amazing does my closet look!? Just kidding. I wish this was my closet.
I had a breakthrough moment a few weeks ago while I was sitting in my room back in San Francisco: I have way too much stuff. The fear of my Mom turning my room into an at-home gym or study was always a fear of mine so I demanded that everything and everything be kept exactly the same when I moved out over six years ago. Needless to say, my room became a cluster f*ck of dated paraphernalia; we’re talking sticker collections from when I was 8, at least five unfinished knitting projects, clothes I haven’t seen or worn since high school, and who knows what else.
So for the first time in…ever…I began to clean things out. Some things stayed, other things went to storage, while others were either donated or put in the trash. This resulted in a domino effect and I am now doing the same thing in my apartment in New York as well as my life in general.
For me this means no drinking for the entire month, no more clothes that I swear I’ll wear someday, and no more people who seem to do nothing but hurt and/or criticize me. I’ve never done anything like this before (as I said, I’ve never been one to make a New Years resolution) and I have a feeling it will take some time to accomplish, but I already feel refreshed just after these first few days of the big ol’ cleanse.
Have you done or are you doing any life cleansing like this? Tell me your plan and how you’re coping thus far!
Looking Ahead
{ From left to right: Mary Katrantzou, Proenza Schouler, Jason Wu, Altuzarra, Camilla and Marc }
To me, the new year is about looking ahead; thinking about how you want the year to turn out, things you hope to accomplish, and of course the clothes you’re going to wear. Since fashion is always a season ahead, I’ve been sitting on my favorite trends and looks for spring since last September. Suffice it to say, my buns are sore and it’s time I stood up and shared them!
Take the floral prints above. At first all I could think was “flowers? for spring? groundbreaking.” (we all know that Devil Wears Prada quote) but then as I reexamined I realized that these aren’t your average peonies and roses, these are some crazy city chic flowers that are as vibrant as a tropical school of fish!
And while we’re on the vibrant note, let’s discuss the jazzy tinfoil treats below. I’m a big fan of metallics – on my feet, on my body, on my silverware – and I am loooovin the colorful metallic tones from last season’s runway. The holographic iridescent leather trousers from Theyskens’ Theory (second from the right) had me totally transfixed on the runway and ditto goes for the Prabal Gurung dress on the far left. Both have that sleek feminine look while still being entirely unusual and daring.
(Keep reading! More trends and descriptions below!)
{ Prabal Gurung, Suno, Balenciaga, Theyskens Theory, Giles }
Now, I’ve never been one for pastels; they wash me out and have always felt a bit too Easter eggy for me. But oh, these cotton candy hues had me droooooling and it’s not just because I love me some cotton candy. The colors seen at 3.1 Phillip Lim, Jill Stuart, Versace, etc. had a crisper feel that made them sophisticated instead of baby-chick-in-a-basket-cheesy. Though I’ll have to see how they look on my skin tone, I’m looking forward to trying out some mint green and strawberry sorbet hues come springtime.
{ Prada, J. Mendel, Jill Stuart, Versace, 3.1 Phillip Lim }
Give me a tribal print any day of the week and I am as happy as a beaver in a dam. Alexander Wang (far left) went the sportier route while BCBG (far right) took me on an island cruise with resort ready dresses and kaftans. And you gotta love Christopher Bailey for putting all those embellishments and rich tones on the staple Burberry trench coats! As much as I love the signature trench, it’s refreshing to see the switch up, especially with crazy collar and lining ornamentation.
{ Alexander Wang, Proenza Schouler, Burberry Prorsum, Barbara Bui, BCBG Max Azria }
Last, but certainly not least, we have the heavily structured and detailed candy colored dresses that dominated (and I mean dominated) the runways at Chanel and Louis Vuitton. Again, normally something I would shy away from, but hot diggity dog if Cinderella or Sleeping Beauty were getting dressed today this is most certainly what they’d be wearing. Between Marc Jacobs’ broderie anglaise at Louis Vuitton (far left) to the lacey details at Oscar de la Renta (center) to the razor cut outs at Valentino (far right), I’m going to have to give my spring evening attire a complete and utter makeover!
{ Louis Vuitton, Christopher Kane, Oscar de la Renta, Chanel, Valentino }
Can we just go ahead and skip winter?
Hiatus
Apologies for the brief hiatus! I’m relishing my final days in San Francisco before I head back to the big city – otherwise known as I’m living in sweatpants and my hair could give Beetlejuice a run for his money. Prettiness and outfits and all that hoopla back mañana!
