night light

i should probably learn how to take pictures with flash now that the days are getting shorter...

Nanette Lepore silk blouse (one of the few "going out" tops that i own);
Balenciaga leather pants;
Prada evening bag;
Alexander McQueen warrior skull ring;
Yves Saint Laurent Tribtoo patent leather pumps

reality check

oh, the irony. one day last week these were the only two things in my mailbox - the new Barneys shoes & handbags catalog, and some news about my retirement fund. cruel, huh? at least the universe (or the mailman) has a sense of humor. i'm sure the TRowePrice ram breathed a sigh of relief when i didn't find anything in the catalog i couldn't live without.

may as well stay on topic and post a work outfit, seeing as i'll be working for the next 40 years until i reach retirement age...


Costume National one-piece shirtdress; Christian Louboutin wedges; Prada bag

i absolutely adore this Costume National dress/one-piece suit, which i purchased many moons ago. i don't wear it as often as i would like because
1) whenever i deviate from my usual trousers + button-down shirt combo and wear something dressier at work, people worry that there's some big meeting they aren't aware of. i should totally mess with them one of these days - "you mean you weren't invited to this very important meeting today?" j/k, i'm not that mean...
2) the skirt part does not have a back slit so it severely restricts my movement; i have to climb stairs bow-legged and forget about trying to board a bus - i would have to request for the driver to "kneel" the bus toward the curb like they do for the elderly and handicapped! but it's such an awesome piece of clothing and i love it, even if it takes me twice as long to get anywhere because of the half-strides i'm forced to take.

still staying on topic, here are some looks from the Barneys house collection which i would love to wear to work. the pants in the third outfit are perfection:



let's see, if i wanted to update my work wardrobe with these pieces it would cost me roughly $7500 pre-tax (and that's not including the shoes!) while i would much rather have the clothes, i think i ought to put that money in my retirement fund instead. thanks for the ideas, though.

problem solver

all in all a good outfit choice for a day that was neither hot nor cold, sunny nor rainy. it is my belief that a good trench coat will solve 90% of outfit issues (this particular issue being -> i didn't want my a** hanging out on display but it was too warm to wear tights.) just throw a trench over it!

ITEMS (mouse over to view detailed picture)
vintage Dior Jeune homme shirt (super old, from eBay)
McQ leather shorts (from theoutnet.com)
Alexander McQueen trench coat (super old, from yoox.com)
Alexander McQueen viking warrior skull ring (from saksfifthavenue.com)
vintage Hermes collier de chien cuff
Charles David boots (from endless.com)

dangerous territory

if you told me five years ago that leather booty shorts would be a staple in my wardrobe, i would have worried over where you thought my career path was headed!



but here they are, my awesome leather shorts, the last thing on my fall/winter "needs" list. just in time, too - the holidays are coming up so no more shopping for myself for a while. i can work on my "wants" list during the post-holiday sales ;-)



crossing my fingers that it will be cool enough to wear them this weekend for a proper outfit (i don't plan on wearing them outdoors without tights!) but the forecast for friday is 92f so i don't think that's going to happen.


McQ leather shorts (from theoutnet.com)

say hello to my little friend

Jil Sander knit minidress; Balenciaga Le Dix boyfriend blazer ; Charles David boots; Mulberry "Alexa" bag...

...and let me introduce you to my Alexander McQueen viking warrior skull ring!

yeah!

lookbook, fall 2010

like most people, i am inspired by beautiful design - Alexander McQueen's last collection, the latest Givenchy haute couture collection - but honestly, where am i going in a jewel-encrusted gown? i'm dressed up enough as it is just running around getting my errands and grocery shopping done. this is probably why i prefer magazines like Elle and Vogue Paris - American Vogue has some beautiful editorials and features some really nice clothing, but i don't find it very relate-able.

when working on these collages i found my "inspiration" folder quite sparse. i'll try to be better at saving images i like, and also plan on looking for new sources besides the usual. most of these looks aren't very exciting, but i wanted to focus on outfits that i can easily copy without having to run out and buy a whole new wardrobe. hope you like!

lagarconne/les chiffoniers/theoutnet/style.com

tfs/vanessa jackman/altamira

tfs/google images


tfs/google images

addendum

this post is sort of a footnote to the previous one. this is what i wore last saturday. when i go away for the weekend i usually bring: one pair of pants (which i usually wear on the train), a dress, a couple of tops, and one pair of shoes which i wear for the entire weekend. i choose either silver or gold jewelry and plan my outfits and handbag accordingly. i check the weather forecast to make sure i won't be, say, stuck in a thunderstorm wearing super-fancy shoes. i know some people like to have outfit choices when they go away for short trips, but i much prefer to pack light.

i guess my only gripe with Les Chiffoniers pants is that they all stretch out after a couple of wears - apologies for the saggy leather butt!


p.s. for those of you who asked, i received Dexter and American Psycho last week. apparently Netflix thinks i'm in a serial killer type of mood...

p.p.s. finally updated the archive.

p.p.p.s. i will try to retire these pants from the blog for at least five posts, lest you all think i wear nothing else! (though i could very easily live in them!)

ITEMS (mouse over to view detailed picture)
Les Chiffoniers classic leather pants with zippers (from Barneys.com clearance)
Helmut Lang drape-back tank (old, from Barneys Co-op/Philly)
Jeffrey Campbell "Ann" boots (from eBay)
Free People lace bandeau (in black, from Urban Outfitters)
vintage Chanel purse
vintage Hermes collier de chien cuff
Luxirare giant cross necklace (from shopluxirare.com)
Yves Saint Laurent "le smoking" jacket (super old, from eBay)

sports night

fresh off Amtrak from my weekend trip. got back in time to catch the second
half of the Giants season opener, then the Yankees are playing in about half
an hour, and of course the US Open men's final tonight. in case that match
isn't as interesting as last night's semifinal, i picked up some Netflix options
that were waiting for me in my mailbox. and i still have ny fashion week
photos to browse through.

what a great way to unwind before the work week begins again!





ITEMS (mouse over to view detailed picture)
Yves Saint Laurent "le smoking" tuxedo jacket (super old, from eBay)
SHIRT by CP Shades oversized button-down (old, from Intermix/NYC)
Les Chiffoniers leather pants with zippers (from Barneys clearance)
Jeffrey Campbell "Ann" boots (from eBay)

9/11

stay strong and resilient, new york.


Metrocard by Reed Seifer

thank ye, weather gods

quick after-work costume change. needless to say, i found any excuse to go
out after work since it's cool enough to wear leather pants and a jacket!
woohoo!


vintage Yves Saint Laurent blazer; Rugby Ralph Lauren button-down; Les
Chiffoniers leather pants; Christian Louboutin flats

shorts story

yeah, was in a booty shorts kind of mood for labor day. must be because it's
almost time to retire them for the season?! i certainly hope so...





dang these are short... i wonder how many more years i can keep wearing
this stuff? they do have Garance's seal of approval, though, so i think i've
got a few more years of booty shorts left in me ;-)



SHIRT by CP Shades oversized button-down (old, from Intermix/NYC);
Prps denim shorts (old, from Intermix warehouse sale/NYC);
Charles David "Bryden" boots (from endless.com);
cross pendant from Portobello Market/London;
G-Shock MT-G men's watch;
Oliver Peoples "Elsie" sunglasses (from Oliver Peoples/NYC)

colorguard

so sorry for the lack of updates. i blame a combination of work deadlines,
busy weekends, family functions (i have another to attend later on today),
and general ennui with the way i've been dressing this summer.

i feel like i've gained a couple of pounds with all these family functions and
the mountains of food everywhere, so loose and billowy clothing has been my
choice for the past few weekends. i dug up this old knit dress from my
StyleDiary days.





the dress is still in great shape. for as long as i can remember, i've been
using Cheer detergent with Colorguard (i think it's now called Cheer for Dark
Colors.) it helps prevent my dark clothes from fading. in case you care.

the weather seems to be turning and work is slowing down a little, so i hope
to be back to more regular posting soon!


ITEMS (mouse over to view detailed picture)
KA7 by Katayone Adeli dress (super old, from Barneys/NYC)
Charles David "Bryden" boots (from endless.com)
Hermes collier de chien cuff
Vanessa Bruno classic tote bag