summer black

usually it's not such a huge challenge wearing black in the summer, but this year every weekend in june had temperatures near record highs. light-colored clothing seemed to be the natural choice every time.

i did manage to break out the black once. i thought this Helmut Lang top, with its slinky fabric and open back, would be a good candidate for summertime black, especially when paired with some crisp white trousers.









ITEMS (mouse over to view detailed picture)
Helmut Lang (original, pre-Theory, by Helmut Lang) halter top (from eBay)
Nom de Plume lace bustier tank (from Urban Outfitters)
Catherine Malandrino high-waisted trousers (from sample sale)
Luxirare consolidated bracelet (from shopluxirare.com)
Tres Fluo mini leather shopper (super old, from ooga booga store/LA)
Matt Bernson gladiator sandals




p.s. updated the archive
p.p.s. i hope you'll excuse my schizophrenic dressing - i go from preppy to modern to girly from week to week, it's difficult for me to stick to one style aesthetic!

things i should stop buying: part 1 - button-down shirts

you know how you keep buying the same thing over and over again? as part of my "smarter shopper" resolution, i have compiled a list of items i should stop buying - i have way too many of the same thing! first up on the list are button-down shirts.

Steven Alan is one of my favorite brands for button-down shirts. they are sturdy (made in the USA!) and come in a variety of nice prints and colors. the cut is basically a man's shirt shrunken down to a woman's size without the addition of bust or waist darts or any of those things i don't like in most women's shirts. here is part of my Steven Alan collection - the pink double-gauze in the middle is a new favorite:



i'm a big sucker for blue stripes in particular. if it's striped and it's blue i will probably buy it. the one on the left is vintage Dior Jeune Homme (shown here.) the one in the middle is by Martin Margiela Line 4 - i reach for it time and time again and never want to take it off when i wear it. the one on the right is by Rugby Ralph Lauren - a good, dependable brand and not as expensive as Steven Alan:



i also like my shirts oversized. the one on the left by JCrew (shown here) and the one on the right by H&M are actually from the men's departments. i don't think i was the only girl buying the JCrew men's shirt because they eventually made a women's version in the same fabric. the one in the middle is by CP Shades from Intermix (shown here.) it is falling apart because i wear it so much:




i'm not sure why i keep buying shirts - i suppose it's a good thing i can wear them to work. i do have a preppy side, it must be from all those years of upper east side schooling and uniforms (although i must clarify that i am a west-sider - west side is the best side! i just had to cross central park to get to school every day.) mostly the prepster in me surfaces when i have to run errands after work - i wear the same shirt and shoes i wore to work, swap out my trousers for jeans, and head out.




Martin Margiela Line 4 striped shirt; Paige denim shorts; vintage Gucci dragon belt; Tod's patent leather driving mocs; thrifted vintage army shirt (so authentic i found sand in one of the pockets - freaky!)

vicky cristina barcelona

i loved Penelope Cruz's wardrobe in Woody Allen's Vicky Cristina Barcelona. she had the perfect summer bohemian look, with vintage floaty dresses and blouses, plenty of crochet and lace detailing, and quirky accessories. i wish google yielded more stills and screenshots from the movie...








my outfit this past saturday had the same vibe. i wore this dress a lot last summer, and after wearing it again i remember why. it is comfortable, keeps me cool in hot days, and every time i wear it someone stops me on the street and asks me where i got it!

i think i will be wearing my hair in a side braid for the next two weeks until i finally get a much-needed haircut...




ITEMS (mouse over to view detailed picture)
Jen's Pirate Booty "senorita" dress/top (old, from MadisonLosAngeles.com)
Miu Miu bamboo wedges (old, from Barneys sale)
Cecile & Jeanne gold cuff (super old, from Cecile & Jeanne, Madison Ave./NYC)




and thank you very much to the lovely (and funny!) QUEAN for the blog award!!!

smarter shopping

this skirt is so old. i think it was my first ever mainline "orange label" Missoni piece.


JCrew tank; vintage Hermes belt; Missoni skirt; Fendi bag; Cecil & Jeanne necklace

sometimes i am amazed at what a good shopper i was back in my broke student days. most of my absolute favorite pieces in my wardrobe were purchased when i was still in college.

i realized it kind of made sense. when money was tight and i could only buy one thing every few months, i agonized over every purchase to make sure it was really worth the splurge. now that i have a larger disposable income, i don't spend as much time justifying purchases before handing over my charge card. as a result i end up with things which i don't love as much as those old standbys, and also more impulse buys.

i will try to return to my smarter shopping self. i am still very good at bargain hunting but there is always room for improvement.

back to non-basics

took a break from the pretty dressing i've been showcasing lately. this weekend was all about designers who inspire me the most.


Comme des Garcons cropped top with felt appliques;
Ann Demeulemeester blush-colored pants;
vintage beat-up leather belt;
Chloe platform sandals





Junya Watanabe "apron" dress;
Christian Louboutin espadrilles (yay! cobbler was able to resurrect them!);
Marc Bernstein leather and metal wrap bracelet

popsicle

the only thing that induced me to leave my air-conditioned apartment and venture out into the stifling heat last sunday was a desperate need for an ice cream scoop. i have a drawer full of bent spoons from trying to coax out hardened sorbet straight from the freezer without first waiting for it to soften.

it was fitting then that i chose a dress which kind of reminds me of an orange popsicle... at least it's a refreshing thought?



i only had about 30 minutes before a thunderstorm was predicted to start, so i rushed to the nearest kitchen supply store which happens to be Williams-Sonoma. i ended up dropping $27 bucks on an ice cream scoop! whatever. it is made in Italy and they scoop tons of gelati and sorbetto over there so they know what they're doing - it should last me a lifetime of summers, right?





then it was back home straight away for some heaping scoops of Ciao Bella sorbet, and no more bent spoons...


Yigal Azrouel maxi dress; vintage Hermes collier de chien belt; Soixante Neuf tusk necklace; Giuseppe Zanotti rhinestone thong sandals

deja vu times two

i hope everyone had a good Memorial Day! no proof in pictures, but i pretty much lived in this Stella McCartney romper from last year the entire long weekend.



now for today's outfit - if it looks familiar it's because i pulled it straight from my outfit archive, from last year's heat wave...

2009:


and today:


ironically, one of my errands today was to bring the espadrilles i'm wearing in the 2009 version to the cobbler for repair since i had literally walked off the entire rubber sole. i guess his "i'll see what i can do" is better than "time to buy a new pair" since none of this season's shoes got me excited enough to drop some dough.

ITEMS (mouse over to view detailed picture)
Tomas Maier one-piece bathing suit (old, from Filene's Basement)
Dolce & Gabbana high-waist shorts (super old, from Filene's Basement
vintage Hermes collier de chien belt
Chloe platform sandals (old, from yoox.com)
Mulberry Alexa handbag (consignment)