nothing new here

So here are a few odds and ends. As usual my closet is a mess this time of year, with lightweight summer dresses fighting for space among winter coats that I have yet to dry clean and store. Most of my sandals are still tucked away which makes it difficult to figure out what I need to buy for the season, if anything. I'm going shopping with my mother and sister tomorrow on Mother's Day and I only have a vague list in my head. The only thing I'm sure of is that I'll be paying close attention to return policies!

I have been taking outfit pictures I just need to find the time to sort through them. I also want to be better at documenting my 'fancier' outfits ('fancy' might be a stretch, most of the time it's just one of my regular outfits with dressier shoes!) It was difficult in the fall/winter because by the time I was ready to head out it was so dark outside, but perhaps now that it's light until late in the day I will do better.

Thanks for sticking around, guys. I have always said that my blog is for myself primarily as a point of reference but I'm still very glad to have a few loyal readers ;-)

overload

Junya Watanabe F/W11 puffer vest, my only sale purchase last season

Junya Watanabe vest again // Margiela shirt // Les Chiffoniers suede pants

Current/Elliott leopard jeans (guys, size down 1 or 2 in these -
they stretch out a ton! I'm sooo annoyed they are super loose now) //
T Alexander Wang striped tee // Sorel boots // ADD down vest

LOVE the cut of these Balenciaga pants - super low-rise,
yet magically I don't need a belt to hold them up //
worn with 2 Rick Owens ribbed tanks

American Vintage tee // McQ leather shorts

Stella McCartney romper // thrifted army jacket // original Helmut Lang watch band bracelet

vintage leather jacket // Rick Owens tanks and maxi skirt // Alaïa grommeted ankle boots

Balenciaga skirt // Chloe boots // Gucci watch

Red Engine jeans (so old - they still fit!!) // American Vintage tee //
Dolce & Gabbana jacket // Balenciaga belt // Charles David boots

knit tales

Belated Happy Holidays and Happy New Year to all of you! I've been busy but life is great, which to me is a perfectly valid excuse for not posting more 

thin cotton turtleneck (American Apparel) // vintage wool nubby sweater // Balenciaga leather pants (yoox.com) // suede boots from Daffy's // Alexander McQueen skull ring // vintage Gucci watch // Maison Martin Margiela gold ring set (yoox.com) // flea market bracelet

You haven't missed much; mostly I've been wearing some version of my usual Les Chiffoniers pants + button-down shirt + coat uniform. But I finally have something new to show you guys - this awesome hand-knit wool sweater tunic. Apparently it was from the 60s. I love pieces like this - kind of a no-brainer, just throw it on and go. I plan on wearing it with over-the-knee boots as well. I like to think it is Isabel Marant-ish, but that might just be my way of consoling myself because I can't actually afford any of her stuff!

sale away

How is everyone? Any good sale buys? I myself did not partake in Black Friday madness, and I missed out on everything I had my eye on online. I just wasn't quick enough with "proceed to checkout!" I'm not even that disappointed, I feel like I'm in a good place with my wardrobe right now.

Rick Owens Lilies asymmetric top (Century21/NYC)
Calvin Klein Collection over-the-knee boots (theoutnet.com)
Comme des Garçons wool vest (Second Time Around consignment)
Hermès cuff

Vanessa Bruno Athé double-breasted jacket (theoutnet.com)
Balenciaga leather leggings (yoox.com)
Rick Owens boots (brownsfashion.com)
Elizabeth & James knuckle ring (Intermix/NYC)

old and new

I love chunky sweaters but the season to wear them is so short. They don't exactly fit under my winter coats so the window of opportunity falls between the end of autumn and the dead of winter. I am actually considering chopping the sleeves off some of them and turning them into vests so that they fit under coats. I have yet to pull the trigger though - one of the candidates is this Rick Owens sweater so you see why I'm hesitant.

Martin Margiela Line 4 shirt (yoox.com) // Phillip Lim chunky cardigan (Barneys Co-op) // JBrand Houlihan skinny cargo pants (Barneys Co-op) // cashmere scarf // Givenchy wedge boots (Century 21/NYC)

Phillip Lim rosettes dress // Balenciaga leather leggings (yoox.com) // Ann Demeulemeester scarf (aloharag.com) // Vince short-sleeve hooded sweater // Dolce & Gabanna coat (eBay) // Rick Owens boots (brownsfashion.com) // Martin Margiela gold ring set (yoox.com)

thrifty

I haven't been trolling thrift and consignment stores as often as I used to. I'm either too busy or too lazy and most of the time I'd rather shop online. When I do get out and find something though, the thrill is still there.

I found this Ralph Lauren linen blazer in pristine condition at a consignment shop. It is made in Italy and has lovely wood buttons. I actually spent more money getting the sleeves hemmed than on the blazer itself, but the total cost was less than similar jackets I had been considering from H&M and Zara.

 The Row t-shirt I'm wearing in this outfit is also a consignment find. I would never pay full retail (~$200!) for it but it has become one of my favorite basics.

Makes me wish I had more time and energy to devote to "thrifting"!

Ralph Lauren Collection linen blazer // The Row t-shirt (Fisch for the Hip/NYC) //
Sara Berman cropped leather pants (theoutnet.com) // Balenciaga belt (eBay.com) //
YSL Tribtoo patent pumps // Alexander McQueen warrior skull ring (saks.com)

interchangeable

The weather has been marginally more tolerable lately. It is still about 30 degrees hotter than my comfort zone but at least it no longer feels like I'm stepping into the fires of Mordor whenever I leave my apartment.

Still, the heat makes me do things I normally wouldn't, like show my bra in public. I should care more but I really don't. It must seem strange to some of you to hear an East Coaster complain about the weather. It's not so much the temperature (although it has been hovering above 90F for most of August) as it is the high humidity. I'll take dry heat over humid heat any day. It's the humidity than really makes you sweat. It's actually cooler out on the West Coast most days.

Rick Owens jersey skirt // James Perse ribbed tank // Urban Outfitters bra //
Chanel sandals // Hermes cuff // Gucci lizard band watch

If I had known how often I would wear this tank I would have purchased multiples. I'm always hand-washing it so that I can wear it on consecutive days without doing a full load of laundry. Same with the pants, actually. I have been living in them this summer. The perfect slouchy pant.

(same as above) // Balenciaga trousers // Chanel t-strap flats

odds and ends

string vest from eBay // JBrand "Houlihan" skinny cargo pants //
Giuseppe Zanotti jewelled sandals

"Radical Fashion" by Clair Wilcox. The book itself is so-so,
but add Rick Owens and I hope my closet will one day read like this list!

I may not like hot weather, but I do love cute bikinis. These are my newest ones.

Wireless Bluetooth headphones by Rocketfish. Best new tech purchase - freedom from wires is amazing!!! You don't have to worry about the length of strap on your handbag or always having a pocket to stick your iPod in. Great for running, too. I keep a playlist on my phone (my iPod is so old, it is not Bluetooth-enabled) and also have it paired with my iPad since I always have it with me on the weekdays. There are controls right on the earpiece so you never have to take out your music player to rewind/fast-forward or change the volume. Of course you can also take calls without taking out your phone, but personally I hate talking on Bluetooth because it looks like I'm talking to myself! Lol. Wireless range is ~30 feet (10 meters.)

Whoever the fit model for pants is over at Balenciaga clearly has me in mind ;-)
Best fitting pants ever. Too much is never enough!

I hope everyone is enjoying summer!

midsummer dressing

Rick Owens jersey is an integral part of my summer survival kit. 

So comfortable and cool against the skin.

Rick Owens tank dress // American Apparel tube dress (underneath) //
vintage Hermes belt // Martin Margiela gold ring set //
Ralph Lauren Collection sandals

It was actually way too hot for a jacket, but doesn't every outfit look so much chic-er with a blazer thrown over it?

Rick Owens tanks // Rick Owens Lilies skort // Balenciaga boyfriend blazer //
Alaia sandals // Hermes collier de chien cuff

backlog

original Helmut Lang top // McQ leather shorts

Ann Demeulemeester shirt and pants // Ralph Lauren Collection sandals

Ralph Lauren shirt // Current/Elliot shorts

streamlined

Balenciaga x 3 // Margiela body // Cecile & Jeanne gold cuff

scheming

Thank you everyone for your advice RE: mixing metals. Although I can't see myself committing fully to it anytime soon, I think I should definitely relax when it comes to little things like hardware on shoes or belts. 

This is what I wore today. I went to visit the Apple "geniuses" to pester them about the iPad2 launch this Friday. If an Apple employee says the store won't be getting the shipment until 5 pm, are they blatantly lying for the sake of crowd control? I should offer one of those broke college kids money to stand in line all day and save me a spot...

even better than the real thing

After several failed attempts to purchase the Martin Margiela ring set I've been lusting over from thecorner.com (I would go through the entire checkout process only to be told the item was unavailable), I turned to my trusted personal shopper, a.k.a. Google, out of frustration. He came through for me once again. I found these cuff rings from a site that turns old silverware to jewelry - these rings are actually made from old butter spreaders. When I received them they were all a little too big. I had trouble re-sizing them without proper jeweler's tools (you can imagine how sturdy a butter knife is) but after pinching them for several hours in a vise and fine-tuning with a pair of long-nose pliers, they fit quite well. Overall I am very pleased; usually when I settle for second best it's only temporary until I get my hands on the real thing. Not so with my butter spreader rings - I love that they are recycled. These are a permanent addition to my jewelry collection.

before the season's over

Earlier this month on Groundhog Day, Chuck the groundhog predicted an early start to spring. Judging by next week's weather forecast it looks like he might be right (he does after all have a winning record of 6 out of 8 years!) Knowing that spring might be around the corner forces me to wear fall/winter items that I neglected to wear during the season, like this Helmut Lang hooded scarf from his F/W 2002 collection. I can hardly wait until all the snow has melted and the temperatures climb up to the 50s and 60s, but it would have been a shame to let the season pass without wearing this scarf at least once.





This scarf/halter top hybrid is more than five years old now. Some of my readers might remember it from my Stylediary. Here is a back view and runway picture of the scarf (Stella Tennant opened the show wearing it) to give you a better idea of what it is. Flipping through old Helmut Lang collections is so nostalgic for me, it always reminds me of his quiet genius and brilliance as a clothing designer.





original Helmut Lang by Helmut Lang scarf (Century21 Dept. Store/NYC) // Martin Margiela nude bodysuit (yoox.com) // Balenciaga pants with ankle zippers (Joan Shepp basement sale/Philly) // Christian Louboutin pointed-toe pumps (eBay.com) // Hermes collier de chien cuff // BCBG (Repossi knockoff) gold knuckle ring // Alexander McQueen warrior skull ring (saksfifthavenue.com)

better late than never

I've had this coat for many years but I don't wear it often because it's about two sizes too big. I remember the day I bought it. I was running around the department store with my mother growing increasingly frustrated that none of the coats fit (this was back in the day when shopping online was still a rarity for me, and also I probably weighed less than 100 lbs.) Finally I bought this one out of desperation. Needless to say, once I found a petite coat a few seasons later this one just hung in the closet, sad and forlorn. Fortunately I never got rid of it because I recently discovered (thanks to Phosphene's most recent look, in which she layers a jacket underneath a winter coat) that I can comfortably fit a blazer or a jacket inside. I love the slim fit of my JCrew coat but I would never be able to wear anything more substantial than a thin sweater underneath. I'm very happy now that I don't have to give up my beloved jacket collection during winter! And also somewhat miffed that I didn't discover this sooner...



Ann Demeulemeester moto jacket (Bergdorf Goodman/NYC) // Balenciaga leather pants (yoox.com) // Ann Demeulemeester scarf (aloharag.com) // Chanel motorcycle boots (Bergdorf Goodman/NYC) // self-shredded tee and James Perse black t-shirt // Via Spiga coat