Things I Want But Cannot Have
Things I want but cannot have: the Edie purse from J.Crew. I practically drooled all over the thing when I was in the store last week. The red is so bright, and the structure so classic, it’s a miracle I managed to find some restraint and not buy the darn thing (trying to do the whole “responsible” thing and be more careful with my cash). One day, I’ll become rich famous and absolutely laugh at the notion that $238 was once pretty much out of budget for the perfect bag. Until then…
Edie purse, J.Crew. $238.
Shop: Walking on Sunshine
Spring-y ballet flats the color of lollipops? Count me very in. I, for one, am going for the Poppy ones on the far left. Taste the rainbow (shoes) at J.Crew.
p.s. I’m obsessed with the song!
p.p.s. I’m also back here.
Give A Little, Shop A Little
Buy one of these super coolio handmade bags, and help the Wayuu tribe of Latin America pay for child care, hygiene programs, nutritional attention, education, and health service. And you’ll support the Wayuu Taya Foundation on its mission to keep the Wayuu cultures and traditions alive. Plus, you’ll be the coolest girl on the block and the luckiest, for you have found the perfect summer bag.
Read all about it here. $120. Via Refinery29.
Fall: Into This Gap Jean Jacket
Yesterday I tried on this Gap jacket. It was super soft and flattering, the kind of thing I’m anxious to throw over gauzy pale dress this summer. At $70, it’s not exactly a bad deal. Plus, I grew up in Gap Kids clothes and have something of a deep seated love for the megabrand. Thanks to Patrick Robinson, I don’t have to feel shame for that love.
Do: Buy Shoes, Help World
I go back and forth on whether TOMS shoes are really ugly or super awesome. With the new spring Blue Tangier print, I’m leaning towards the latter. The color is lovely, and I’m really feeling tribal prints of late. Plus, if you buy a pair the company donates another to a child in need. And this particular pair is “vegan” (read: made from no animal products) and is crafted with recycled and sustainable materials. I mean, what’s not fashionable about that?
Eric’s Your Amigo
Actually, he’s mine. Earlier this week, Eric and I went on this sweet little adventure down to Charles Street to this awesome new store, Uncle Pete’s. He wrote about the shop for his mag writing class, the product of which is above.
It’s a great little spot, which carries the likes of Vena Cava, Cloak and Dagger, and Commes de Garcons. It hits the same notes at Stel’s, only slightly cooler and infinitely less pretentious.
Uncle Pete’s, 125 Charles Street, Boston.
No FAFSA Form Required
Shhh. How about some financial aid? Several really awesome clothing stores offer sweet student discounts all the time. You know, to ease the whole “starving college student thing.” Check out J.Crew (15 percent), Madewell (15 percent) and Club Monaco (20 percent) for the kind of preppy/hip staples none of us can live without. All you have to do is show your student ID at checkout. A+.
She Comes From a Land Down Under
I’m leaving for a trip to Australia in a few days (!!), so I have been following The Sartorialist’s series from down under with some interest. The above is far and away my favorite. Simple, clean, elegant. It’s exactly what I think about when someone says “Sydney” to me.
Another note on the trip: I have been hearing a lot about how Sydney is on its way to becoming a new fashion capital, but have been pretty unsuccessful in tracking down really good shopping tips. Anyone have any ideas?
Champagne Wishes & Dress Dreams
I want this. It’s shiny. It’s pink. It’s bubbly. Essentially, it’s a champagne cocktail of a dress. The end.
She Wore a Raspberry (T-Shirt)
It’s really nice when designers and brands make some effort to be charitable. But sometimes the resulting designs seem a little bit like a gimicky afterthought. Not so with Stella McCartney’s t-shirt for the Gap’s (Product) RED Line. Half of the proceeds from the shirt’s sale ($28) go to the Global Fund to help eliminate AIDS in Africa. Tucked into a high waisted skirt with some tights and flats, you’ll be anything but somebody’s charity case.
Dress Me a Dress
In need of a good party dress? Personal fave Rachel Antonoff and Target have you covered. For $90, you can get Antonoff’s one-dress collection from everyone’s favorite box store. It’s not exactly super cheap, but the dress looks super wearable. Perfect with heels and an up do for a party, or tights and boots during the day.
Fall Into the Last Weeks of Fall
So I’m sort of loving The Gap right now. First, it was their 1969 jeans, which are seriously amazing. And then, it was kind of … everything else. Alright, listen. I know The Gap isn’t cutting edge or particularly cool. But with Patrick Robinson at the helm, their staples have gotten so much better. Now, the pieces are easier than ever to make cool, and that’s sort of the point, isn’t it?
Thus, I’m really into the above skirt in a big kind of a way. It’s pretty basic, but not boring. It’s a purchase that won’t be worthless in a year. And coupled with some awesome purple patterned tights I scored and some ankle boots, it’s kind of the perfect way to bid adieu to the last couple weeks of fall.
Obsession No. 8: Luella
On Eric’s advice (see comments on the post below) I decided to check out Luella’s marked down merchandise. I had hoped to find the perfect holiday cocktail dress I could now afford. I found the former, but tragically not the latter.
The blackberry colored dress above is basically the perfect dress. The purple color makes it stand out in the usual sea of black, gold, red and silver, but it’s still dark enough to be season appropriate. It’s definitely a Spring-oriented dress (there are flowers on the sleeve, for God’s sake), but it wouldn’t seem out of place while you’re sipping champagne and counting the minutes. Plus, the ruffles and asymetrical sleeve are fun and - dare I say? - flirty. It’s the perfect sort of dress that demonstrates how Luella walks the line between making dresses that are chic and memorable, but still totally wearable.
The bad news? Even on sale, it’s still 312 pounds. And they only have it in bigger sizes. I’ve never wanted to be an 8 so bad in my life.
Girls (and Men) Who Wear Glasses
Love Grey Gardens? Uh, obviously. David and Albert Maysles were two of the first real documentarians: people with cameras making nonfiction feature length films. In addition to Grey Gardens (which, ps, made a great fiction feature length film as well), the brothers made other doc greats like The Salesman, and a little ol’ film called Gimme Shelter.
Albert Maysles went on to make some other great movies on his own, but the real reason we’re here to talk about him today is something way more important: his glasses.
Barton Perreira has teamed up with Barney’s to reproduce the plastic specs. You can get them with clear or shaded lenses. We’ve already seen Maysles’ view through his camera lens, now you can see it through his eyes, too.
Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell, Jingle Shoes
I’m starting to get a little burned out by all these high-end designer collaborations with very low-end retailers. The clothes are rarely impressive. Most designers seem not to understand that “leather” and “fake leather” are not the same thing. Fake leather squeaks.
Still, these Christian Siriano for Payless shoes are fun in a Christmas party kind of a way. They’re not a good daily sort of shoe - a big zipper on the back? Really? - but if there’s one time a year that calls for a gold and black pump, it’s definitely the holidays. Just don’t trip in your new $30 shoes.
