I used to keep a journal full of cut out pictures of things I saw in magazines and I’ve shared a ton with you in the past. So, what does a grown woman do on a Wednesday night? Well this grown ass woman sat with her September issues spread out, a pair of scissors, a glue stick, paper and a pen. In all the magazines, I honestly didn’t see too many things that I fell in love with. I enjoyed concepts and styling ideas but not many individual items, except for these.
Oh, and I totally ordered the DKNY Pure perfume. I rubbed every last microbe of scent on my wrist off that magazine strip and couldn’t stop smelling myself. So cozy and comforting and sexy. The bf loves it. Part of the profit goes to a microfinance program for vanilla farmers in Uganda as well. I haven’t given up on my beloved Kenzo Amour… it just needs a little rest.
PS- I can’t spell Gabbana obviously
Click for the large version:
Almost 2 years ago, I did a post on nude pumps that’s still consistently getting views. Nude heels will always be in. They make your legs look amazingly long and pretty much go with everything. So, here’s a new installment of nude pumps that are readily available in the stores. I’ve tried to include different price points and skin tones like last time.
Since they offer free return shipping and colors vary so much online, all are from Zappos. You can still shop around of course.
Oh, and how cute is Zappos?
Now to the shoes:
$295
$275
$130
$83
$88.95
$78.95
$89
$285
$78.95
$298
$78.95
$275
$65.95
$101.95
$298
$108.95
$295
$91
$399
In February, I did my big Fall/Winter 2010 fashion post after all of the runway shows, sharing what tickled my fancy. Now that Fall items are starting to fill the stores and the September issues were starting to line the magazine racks the first week of August, you can begin to see what the buyers picked out and what trends will be prominent in stores. Nothing seems so out of the realm of what you might already have hiding in your closet, or you could pick up that missing piece easily and inexpensively to feel current.
All photos via Style.com.
- If I see the word “classic” one more time, I’m going to scream. Classic styles are never not in style. Do we need to be told that they’re really really in style this season? White button ups, pencil skirts, blazers, trench coats, ladylike bags… got it.
- Lace. I don’t do lace. Never have. It washes terribly. I wasn’t expecting to see so much of it (and really piled on) but I guess the pendulum always swings back after all the hard edgy stuff saturating the fashion world the past few years. The metal bracelets that look like lace are kinda neat though.
- Leopard print! I really think it’s going to be the biggest trend for A/W 2010. I wore leopard so much during my punk rock years and even slept on leopard print sheets for about 10 years so I’m still taking a breather. It would be easy to add some leopard bangles, a little cardi, a belt, some flats… The only leopard things I have kept are heels. They may make an appearance, paired with a bright dress.
- Fur. Everywhere. The vintage stuff doesn’t bother me so much. I mean, that game is over. (I do worry that it encourages new production though, since the vintage market can’t fill the demand.) I have a black fox fur muff that belonged to my grandmother. I’ve never used it but part of me is willing to hop on this furry bandwagon for at least one outing when it gets cold out. It’s a vintage muff for crying out loud! How glamorous is that? I also just like saying muff.
- Capes. Get outta here. I’m not wearing a cape. Maybe if I were taller but, I feel like I would look like a Hobbit at 5’1″.
- Proper trousers. Cropped, wide legged, straight leg… whatever. I may just pull out some of my old wider legged pants for the hell of it and feel chic.
- Statement jewelry. The bigger the better.
- Another thing that my height will be nixing – long body-con skirts. That was also part of my grunge days, with Doc Martens. My poor mom had to hem them. All of my velvet and long skirts are gone and I don’t miss it. Yeah, velvet is back in a big way too.
- Ruffles! My god the ruffles! The only way a ruffle is getting on my body is if it’s part of a structured jacket or interesting cardigan. This is my kind of way to do ruffles:
- I already have enough belts, blazers, coats, and I’m covered in the boot department now. (You’ll be seeing more of my boot shopping soon!)
- Longer strapped bags – messenger or just your average bag with a longer strap. I’m going to admit, after using shoulder satchels for sooo long, I finally got one with a shoulder strap and long strap as well. That long strap across my body drove me insane! I got a neck cramp and It’s difficult to maneuver over boobs. I am glad to have it though because there are times when you simply need to have your shoulder free. So, I will use the cross-body strap for those times only. Maybe I just need to quit carrying 20 pounds of crap with me.
- I’m dying to mix neutrals when it gets cooler. Greys and camels and creams and black all together. So soft and cozy!
- I’ve only seen one editorial include the white tights. Dun dun dun dun! I am totally making that look happen this winter. I can’t get white tights out of my head! They were paired with graphic b&w looks, bright minis and with neutrals. We’ll see how this works out in real life, solid or textured. Maybe just some cream leggings worked into a layered look (which are impossible to find for dirt cheap and not at AA).
- Sweaters, sweater knit skirts, sweater dresses (I have two chunky knit dresses I haven’t worn in 2 years and forgot all about! They’re coming out!)
What is your perfect Fall outfit that you have worked out in your mind?
My bf’s friend from way back (military school in S. Korea) has the cutest pair of baby pink rhinestone flats I’ve ever seen and I don’t even like pink. She has a relative who owns a shoe store in S. Korea and her mom had sent them to her. They had rich details but she said they were super cheap. I had never heard of Good Choice (or GC Shoes) until this past weekend. These have some of the most fun embellishments I’ve seen on lesser priced flats. They remind me a lof of those great pink ones!
Most of these are available in multiple colors. They’re not exclusive to any one store so the prices vary wildly, but only a few online stores are carrying them. Different places offer different colors and sizes.
$49.99 & $29.99
$49.99 & $29.99
$49.99 & $34.99
$39.99
$39.99
Looking around on YOOX, I discovered some beautiful shoes by a designer I’d never heard of, Barbara Bui. After a little digging around, I find that she’s been designing for her own line in France since 1987 and started her handbag/shoe line in 2000. How have I not heard of her before?
Here are some images from her Fall 2010 collection. Love the mixing of browns greys and black. (photos by Matteo Volta via)
Here are those shoes.
I’ll definitely be getting my runway coverage and pics off ELLE.com from now on. Sooo much more than Style.com.
Isn’t it great seeing things you love in a swanky shop then going home and finding it online for waaaay cheaper than the store price? The bf and I are the most ridiculous bargain hunters. If you had a $20 bill in your hand, would you flush it down the toilet? I didn’t think so. If you don’t comparison shop, that’s pretty much what you’re doing. Plus, with smart phones, it’s so easy to look up a brand and the style online while in the damn store to see if it competes. All that saving adds up and you end up being able to treat yourself a lil bit more.
While I love supporting local business, the mark-up can be ridiculous. I got this same bag I fell in love with at Pink from Moxsie instead with a 15% discount on their already much cheaper price + free shipping. 30% cheaper than the swanky store price. I can’t wait until it gets here! It reminds me of Natalia Brilli and her amazing leather work.
So, I checked out this handbag line Deux Lux. I had never heard of it until I saw that bag. They’re vegan (nice word for fake leather) but a really nice thick quality with a lot of heft.. It was started in 2005 by a mother and daughter team. They’re mainly sold in boutiques and Anthropologie. Urban Outfitters has some exclusive designs. I found this new without tags bag for UO on eBay and managed to score it for $18 and free shipping! I think I’m set for bags now.
Here’s the Urban Outfitters pic in black.
Here’s the one I got in mahogany.
It’s been so long since I’ve bid on anything on eBay. I was really inspired by Adrien (from Looks Good From the Back) who scored this Marc Jacobs bag for $50!!! I see other bloggers finding amazing stuff for crazy cheap and Wendy B is always reminding you to snipe to make sure you don’t get outbid at the last second.
Yeah, about sniping… I didn’t do it. I sat like a moron watching the clock tick down on the auction, with two other tabs open with two larger bids ready to confirm if I got outbid at the last second. Ridiculous. No one jacked my bid up though. I got really lucky. This time.
Speaking of hunting… I finally started using Shopstyle and I’m loving it hard! It takes a minute to register and you can search for anything under the sun, tag things for sale alerts in email, put things in a wish list, etc. The interface is really nice. You mouse over something you like to get more info and tag, and click on it to have a new window pop up of the actual place where it’s being sold. (This is how I also found that black bag up above. I never checked the brand at the store so, “covered studs” in bags was the winning search.)
My friend Jen fell hard for this pair of heels at Fab’rik this past Thursday. Unfortunately, they were too wide. She was crushed. So, I hunted for “woven heel” on Shopstyle and found a bunch of other options for her at different price points. (Oh, and I found Jen’s shoes cheaper online too so if you have a wider foot, have at ‘em!)
RIP hot shoes, RIP
I think I would make it okay in a hunter/gatherer society! How do you hunt?
It’s hit me. Fall fever. I’m stricken with an overwhelming desire to get some new boots. I have looked at thousands of pairs online and the new Fall designs are still coming out. I want some sleek flat brown leather boots that I can live in this winter.
Lets’s discuss this for a second. These are the boots I already have:
- Knee-hi chocolate-brown suede 4″ heel, pointed toe, side zip
- 2 pairs of the same knee-hi style in black and brown faux suede – pull-on, slouchy, rubbery wedge heel, thin straps and buckles wrap around
- black leather knee-hi lace-up, side zip, curved heel, rounded toe, I wrote about them 2 years ago here
- rugged flat, slouchy, black suede mid-calf pull-ons that I lived in last winter
- Square-ish toe, light brown suede, knee-hi lace-up, side-zip, with a thick rubbery slight wedge sole, furry inside that peeks out of the laces, very casual but heavy
- plain black suede ankle boots with a 3″ heel and almond toe (they shouldn’t count as boots)
- rainboots with owls on them
This is 8 pairs of boots. What the hell is wrong with me? You didn’t see any flat brown boots though did you? See! I do need them! Here’s what I have my eyes on, regardless:
These are my top choice. Love the distressed brown leather, side-zip.
This heel feels a wee bit too high for what I’m going for. Still sleek and pretty though.
Laces or no laces? I love the details.
For good measure, here are my fantasy boots for Fall. They’re in the August issue of InStyle magazine and I can’t find them online yet, so I took a pic from the page. My god they’re gorgeous!
What’s on your Fall wishlist?
So, until I saw these boots on Shoelust, I had never heard of award-winning Columbian designer Haider Ackermann, who is now working in Europe.
I love the adjustable snaps, heel height and slight platform. The fullness of the slouch isn’t over-the-top. I checked around and found some more styles, all for Fall 2010. So beautiful! So outrageously expensive!
Same basic style – shown snapped at the highest most fitted point. Laser cut leather! via
How simple and gorgeous are these?
I haven’t done a shoe post in a loooog time! It’s summer… a time that I don’t like to put too much thought in shoes. I’ve been living in a pair of silver sandals and a pair of black satin flats covered in silver studs. Both pair cost me $20 total at Burlington Coat Factory.
Anyhoo… Solestruck… their slogan is “to rid the world of ugly shoes one pair at a time”. I have to say that I think they’re adding more to the problem than ridding but either way, I found some cute options for both summer and the upcoming cool season… all from the SALE section. (Sizes are limited and when they say to order a size down, they mean it so read carefully. What fits may actually be available.)
Check em out:
$39.95
$59.95
$49.95
$64.95
$21.95
$39.95
$49.95
$39.95
$29.95
$59.95
$69.95
$69.95
2011!!!
I spent a Saturday evening being really exciting and perused the resort lines on Style.com. When I think of resort wear I think of glamour, relaxation and fun rolled into one… and breaking outside your own box a wee bit! It’s a vacation! I have absoloutely no desire to go on a rugged trip involving much hiking or any camping. I want lovely lunches, clear beaches, shopping, museums, spa treatments, and drinks dinner and dancing at night. Forget the majority of sloppy looking duds in most of the resort collections.
Here are my picks in alphabetical order:
BCBG Max Azria Resort 2011 – I dislike when a designer pairs every selection with the same pair of shoes, especially when they’re this ugly, but the dress is so different!
Bottega Veneta Resort 2011
Carolina Herrera Resort 2011
Chris Benz Resort 2011
Christian Dior Resort 2011
Diane von Furstenberg Resort 2011
Donna Karan Resort 2011 – this is beyond sexy
Marc Jacobs Resort 2011
Naeem Khan Resort 2011
Rachel Roy Resort 2011 – love the syling of this look
Reem Acra Resort 2011 – pair with some simple flats for day and you’re set
Thakoon Resort 2011 – still wanting to pull off sheer pants
I loved pretty much all of the Burberry Prorsum collection, even though it felt more like fall/winter.
Now, let’s see if I can manage some sort of vacation this summer!
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