Friday, July 31, 2009

bag gorgeousness

my bff Kim lives in LA which is sadly 3,000 miles too far away from me. but it does give me an excuse to go out there, and in addition to getting to see her - i always meet some of her friends, all of whom are amazingly creative. (she's like a magnet for people - she's fab and i love her)

one of these friends that i met years ago, Michelle Frantz, a bag designer, is now working for Donna Karan. the collection is BEYOND gorgeous and i kind of want every single one of them. i love seeing people getting places - and it's even better when they are making beautiful things!

bloomin' SALES!

slightly irritating, but kind of funny, admit it!

Bloomingdale's is having an end of summer sale. now then my dears - there are plenty of goodies there on the website. but if you go into the stores - as i did today (and let me just say here - i did for you. i did it because i care. it's what i do for you) there are loads upon loads of racks that are 50% off the already reduced price. allow me to repeat myself. 50% off the already reduced price!

this involves some math of course, which is why the inventors of cell phones put calculators on communication devices...clearly. but really now - something that is 50% off of something that was already reduced by 50% - well that is just practically free now, isn't it??!!

a daily dealie

i have always liked Vita bracelets - they're half punk/half luxe - but not in that late '80s "high end designers trying to do punk and selling billion dollar ripped things" way... like the whole Chanel biker thing... oh don't get me started on that. anyhoo...

i'm a big fan of leather jewelry - it just hits me with its best shot. i tend to go neutral, but there are some very fun colors that could add a little pizazz to an otherwise simple outfit... a little color on the wrist, and jeans and a t-shirt are a lot more fun.

take a gander at their website, and use the code People09 at checkout and you will get 20% off, thanks to the lovely people over at People StyleWatch magazine! ah sales. i love them.

a little morning man style

it is probably rather difficult not to look great when you are Brad Pitt. that fact aside - i just felt this deserved a little man shout out.

men, or ladies who help their men, look how simple it is. it's just a short sleeved button down shirt and a pair of khakis. (sunglasses and the hat are optional - but they certainly give it an extra oomph). it just looks good. and the man bag. fear not, strong men. the man bag is a great thing. it means you don't have to load your pockets with crap, making you look oddly mis-shapen and lumpy. embrace the man bag. it is your friend. dress simply, dress well, it's hot.

that's about all i have to say about that. now i'm just going to look at this picture for a second...

Thursday, July 30, 2009

i can't quit the junk

apparently i am having a hard time kicking the habit today... not that i've even tried... but it's feeling like a product-y day today kiddies!

check out InStyle makeover issue. i'm never a fan of the full-face makeover in stores - but it is always fun to try on a new face at home, and see what really stirs your noodles style-wise. i personally always always always end up with the boho look - any time i try ANYTHING else i have to wash my face ten minutes later. my friend melody can rock the bombshell look. jealous!

for ye product lovers!

i used to go into the SpaceNK shops in London and spend a healthy amount of time wandering around and looking at every single solitary item... part of my fabric, as a product junkie.

they came over here a few years ago, and it is still a great shop, although nothing beats the thrill of scoring new products in a different country. why? i'm not sure... it just is what it is.

for all ye of the same fabric of which i am created - it's SALE TIME! strap on your strappy sandals and get yourself to one of the shops - i bet it is air-conditioned, so it will be a double delight.

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

beyond adorable

these bags are a) super cute and practical, as any good tote should be, and b) give 30% of the proceeds to a childrens charity. so, i ask you - what is not to love about THAT? hmmm... i'm going to add a c).
c) they are affordable, which plops them directly into cheap thrill territory my dear stylies.

i'm thinking this will be a perfect gift to give people - and i may just have to get myself one... if i behave. hey look! i behaved!

the website I am Beyond has a bunch of very cute things in addition to the bags - so check it out and do some good while you satisfy your itch to purchase!!! ( and then you can use the bag to carry all the other things you purchase!) it just keeps getting better. beyond better!

Gap guestie!

as you may recall, i was going on about guest designers at chain stores... AND i was just going on about the Gap! once again kismet rears its head...

the Gap did a shoe collection with Pierre Hardy last year, and there were some really great sandals that for some stupid reason or another i did not get my hands on. (i was particularly enamored of a green chunky wedge) ...but i digress....

he's back! this time with a fall collection that looks like it will be pretty darn cute. they will be available in September. so all you shoe freaks, mark your calendars and get ready to run - they go fast!

coming soon... to my closet!!

oh jeans. how i love you. you are soft and comfortable and you go with everything. we were meant to be together...

i have not, one bit, lost my obsession with Paige or Levi's. never! but there is now an addition to the jeans lust list. the Gap baby. the good old, one in every mall, Gap. they don't let you down, when you need something they usually have it. (they also happen to have my favorite bras - but that shall be spoken of at a later time)

as i do, i was perusing the fashion mags. and there was a picture of these little jean-jeanies here. i glanced at the pic and thought "adorable", and before reading the blurb, imagined they were up there in the 200 dollar range like jeans seem to be these days. but i pressed on - and lo and behold! they were Gap jeans and they were $69. "hello, lover!" i said to them. as kismet would have it, i received the next day in my email a "friends and family" coupon to the Gap for 30% off. and so i wait - patiently (kind of) until July 30th when i can use my coupon.

check out the new arrivals at Gap. there is some very very cute stuff there - and please don't everyone buy these jeans before i can get my pair!

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

cute and free! totes awesome!

those of those who know me are aware that two of my favorite things about being British are my obsessions with Queen Elizabeth I and Topshop. wildly different, i know, but that is me in a nutshell.

Topshop recently came to the olde United States of America, and i highly suggest you go. if you are not in NY - then go to the website. it is one of the most fun stores ever. and if you are lucky enough to find yourself in London, go to the Oxford branch of the store. it is like you died and went to fun store heaven. the stuff is really up to the minute in terms of style, and the prices are great. my favorite part of the store is the accessories - but any pieces of clothing i've bought there have lasted me years. i literally have one favorite tee shirt i bought there 15 years ago, and it's still in perfect condition.

now, to the free part! right now, with any purchase online, they are giving away these adorable tote bags. and that my stylies, is just totes amazing. (heehee)

daily love affair



i'm a lover, not a fighter. i love to love. and i love pretty things. sigh. there's a lot of love there!

with that in mind let us wander to the loveliness of Halle Berry. once again looking completely gorgeous, seemingly without trying very hard. luxe-hippie gorgeous. of course it's easy when you look like her - but even if you don't - if you throw a few simple items together in the right way - it's perfection.

i love the dress, i love the bag, and as my bf would note "you really love those shoes don't you?". i do. i own several pairs. i lusted after the first pair for about a year, they were Prada, and there was no way i could afford them. so i stalked them. and i found them on ebay thank you very much. i have had them re-soled, mended, and i will continue to forever. i LOVE them. as a far more affordable option, Bernardo makes a perfect pair of these shoes (the style is named "milly") if you are so inclined. they are just flat out (pardon the pun) sexy in their barely-there-ness. love, love love.

a little cheap thrill

these are a few of my favorite things.... la-la-la.

seriously though, two of my favorite things are accessories and cheap thrills. especially when they come in the form of the "guest designer" for the not so pricey shops. this is something i LOVE. Target does it, (and i get a piece almost every time) H&M does it (scored a pair of Stella McCartney pants and a couple of Matthew Williamson dresses) and now the Gap is in on the action. sadly i missed out on some very cute pieces from their recent Vena Cava collection. you have to move fast with these things! i am always on the hunt - so i will be posting when these things come up...

Target's
most recent dealie is with the Hollywood boutique Intuition. it's pretty darn cute, i have made the trek to get there (it's way west on Pico). they do have a website, which is great. but for those of you who are lovers of the Target, as i am - they now have a cute little accessory line together really cute bags - and bracelets that i just may have to go for... it's guilt free pleasure!

Monday, July 27, 2009

a little love affair

sometimes i am a sucker. and when i saw this little get-up on the very adorable Miranda Kerr, i got sucked right in. not a brand new concept - but how freakin cute does this tube top/long skirt combo look? love, love, love. throw on that big belt - please. how much better could it get? oh i know - add some great sunlasses. BINGO. (i would add a big ol' stack of bangles myself... but that's just me. accessorize as you see fit my dears)

here's where the sucker part comes in. i don't think i've even thought about tube tops in at least a decade. but i saw this picture, and it has been simmering in a corner of my brain ever since... so on the 14 hour drive home from the beach i made the big decision. damn it, i said to myself, i'm buyin' a tube top!

reality kicked in when i went online - as in "where the h*ll am i going to find one?!" lo and behold, there is a website dedicated to the things! and it's even a cheap thrill!! god i love when that happens. so - my order is placed, and i even got a tube top bra to keep it all decent. the minute that package arrives - i'm breakin out the cute long skirt and happy hippie chic - here i come!

break it down.....

in the words of Phoebe Buffet... "yeah, um... NO".

it's NOT HAMMER TIME. even when it was Hammer Time, the clock was wrong.

i am wildly open minded when it comes to things fashion. i love it when people try new things. this is not a new thing. it was tried before and died then. let's just let it rest in peace, shall we? do you really want to look like a little kid with a full diaper? no - you don't. i know you don't.

luckily i think this is already going away. i just wanted to deliver a nice RIP wreath.

a bit shocking!


what is shocking to me here is not the outfits... it's that i am posting about a Hilton. albeit, the classier of the 2. and cuter. i hereby vow to thee, my stylies, that i shall never blog about the other one.

(i hereby vow too, that i will never EVER post about anyone involved now or before on a tv show that rhymes with "the schmills". i will take other vows but that's it for now)

anyhoo. this girl is a cute little dresser. i can't help it. i'm just a big fan of throwing a few cute and simple pieces together, and i love when someone does it well. and Nicky Hilton just does. they don't have to be pricey pieces - and you can do the whole "high/low" thing. mix it up.

i've said it before and i shall say it again. style is about expressing yourself. what you feel in the moment. get dressed in the morning like you're making something. it's good clean fun.

if you happen to have any stylie obsessions, be they trend or celeb -- email me--perhaps it will make it into the blog-o-shpere! deb@theestylist.com

my brain is still on the beach!


i seem to be experiencing a bit of a hard time getting my brain to return to "normal" after a week on the beach... so in an effort to ease the transition - i'm going to do a beach-stylie post.

let us just bask for a moment in the gorgeousness that is this woman, the lovely Eva Mendes. as you may or may not notice - i use the term WOMAN. this is not a girl - this chica is a woman from top to toe and she is workin' it. i was cruising through a load of celeb-frolicking-on-the-beach pics, and two things struck me. one - i wish i could go to malibu all the time and frolic. and two - about 94.35% of the pics are of little stick figures with lollipop heads and disproportionate boob jobs wearing bikinis. i'm assuming most of us are not that person.

and then i happened upon this fine lady here.

this is an homage to the body of woman. granted, she has a bangin bod. but it is a womanly bod, with curves and meat on it. and she is in a bikini not hiding it, and she looks amazing. i've always had a little girl crush on Eva. she is 100% female, in all its glory.

so - a battle cry to all ye women. love the curves, hit the beach, and let your lady flag fly!

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

fear not I have not abandoned you!

my stylies!! calling all stylies!!

I have not posted in days - but tis only because I am at a beach house where there is less than stellar internet access.

fear not - the thoughts are still brewing. I will blog myself silly when I return this coming weekend!!

(



-- Post From My iPhone

Thursday, July 16, 2009

ooh! more cheap thrills!

there are some super cute new pieces in this selection from BB Dakota. "hello tangerine laurie skirt...i'm deb. lovely to meet you". ye know i love pretty things - and ye know i like deals. these fall into both categories.

(by the by - speaking of deals -- if you enter the code July25 at checkout - you get 25% off everything on the site over there at Chickdowntown!)

cheap thrills me stylies!

ladies! a little cheap thrill to look at (and who knows, maybe buy?)... just sharing. because sharing is caring, don't you know...

it's like shopping in your own closet!









by nature, by birth, i was not an organized person. my thoughts tend to scatter, and my objects always seemed to follow... and then, i met my bf. he is one of the most organized humans i have ever come across. i'm sure there was horror in his heart the first time he saw the closet in my old downtown apartment... but he has taught me well, and like an organizing Buddha, he has led me along the path to enlightenment. i ate the lotus.

when you organize your closet and your drawers - you can find your stuff in a wildly short amount of time. who knew?! and as a bonus, each time you open a drawer or your closet, you see something and you can think "hey i LOVE that!" and wear it. it's like shopping - but it's totally free, and you don't have to leave home. brilliant.

when we moved uptown (yep - i am now an "uptown girl". it's official. i love it up here), my bf built for me the closet of my dreams. sometimes i just stand there and look at it. it makes me happy. it's the little things in life, my stylies... you can buy these organizing systems to fit any closet - i got mine at Home Depot, and i cannot recommend these things highly enough if you are in the "less than naturally organized" category with me. it has changed me into an organizing machine. in addition, you can also buy little organizing doo-dads at places like Bed, Bath and Beyond, and Ikea, even your local hardware store, to make your drawers or closets impeccable. last but not least, there's the tried and true "roll it up" method i have come to love. it lets you see every item, where as stacking, the poor things at the bottoms of piles never see the light, and you forget you own them and they are never worn. it's cruelty to clothing.

all these things are inexpensive ways to make things easier. add to that the feeling of shopping free in your own closet -- what's not to love?

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

oh nicole richie...

that previous post got me a bit worked up. so i'm going to have a little Nicole Richie interlude to calm me down and make me feel love again.

ahhhhhhh. ok. this is not a brand new picture, but it sort of sums it all up for me. cute, cute CUTE, super casual but dressed up at the same time. she's just my kind of little lady.

by the by - she is now designing jewelry which happens to be pretty freakin cool in and of itself. the line is called House of Harlow 1960 and yes, as i am a certain way, i have purchased a couple of pieces. and i LOVE them. Singer22 has a great selection, but it's sold at a bunch of online boutiques, and i've seen it at Bloomingdales as well. the gold aztec bangle with leather has entered the almost daily rotation and the sunburst necklace is great for either a night out of blingin up a white t-shirt. there are a few other pieces in there (in particular, the tigers eye ring and the leather cuff...) that may well find their ways into my heart and my home.... anything's poss.

ok - i now feel calm and filled with pretty images and possibility.

i don't even know where to begin...

it is not that often that words fail me. i think there are maybe 3 people in the world who have the "strike me speechless" effect. i shall not name names. i shall perhaps, post pictures...

here are a couple of words i can think of: REALLY?!, what!?!?!, and "oh god just get over it".

i'm a big fan of dressing up. it's fun to dress your mood. that, in fact, is what this blog, and my website are going to be ALL about. but who, seriously, who on what planet, wakes up in the mood "crack head bunny going to a funeral wrapped in part of a futon cushion" ??? honestly.

if you want attention just take off all your clothes and run down a busy street. otherwise, snap out of it. you're obviously a savvy girl to have made it this far. so get over this nonsense.

wow - i guess the power of speech returned to me. just in time.

it's SALE TIME stylies!!!

hear ye, hear ye. and all that. it's a SALE TIME post me lovelies.

Nieman Marcus' "Last Call" sale, to be precise. it tends to be a doozer - where you can score some good designer items for up to 75% off their (to be frank, and let's be frank, rather pricey) regular prices. i have picked up some really beautiful things picking around the sale pages there.

happy hunting!

another Lucky post...

it seems i like Lucky magazine a bit... i do. it's true. i think it's a genius mag for the style hunter (and bargain hunter!!) another thing i like a bit, ok a LOT, like Lucky, is the iPhone. recently i dropped my poor iPhone in the toilet, and murdered it. it was accidental phone-slaughter. and i am a little embarrassed to admit how utterly and completely lost i felt without it. (happy ending is that BF bought the new version and donated me his old one. i am complete once more)

ANYWAY. there is an app on the iPhone for Lucky mag. it's called "Lucky At Your Service". when i saw it, it felt like the first time i saw whipped cream on top of ice cream. it has little sections for shopping for shoes, bags, Target, all of which make me happy, and they just keep adding more goodies in there. if you do not have an iPhone, fear not. they also have this little shoppers helper online -- it's well worth a look, to shop or just to cruise it!

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

cheap thrills - truth in advertising

often advertisers are, for lack of a nicer way of saying it, blowing it out their asses. i get it, they're trying to sell something. but a lot of the time it's just a bunch of bunk. every once in a while, however, a product comes along that is every bit as good as "they" say. it's always kind of gratifying, and even more so when it falls into the cheap thrill category.

one such product which has rocked my little world cheapie style is Cover Girl Exact Eyelights, with its selling point of being an "eye brightening" mascara. i should admit that part of the reason i bought it originally is because Rihanna just looked so damn pretty in the ad. (yeah, i'm a sucker sometimes. but i mean she is really REALLY pretty, and i kind of really adore her, so it's not entirely my fault)

so i hopped on the elevator and skipped into the drugstore. bibbadity bobbadity boo i have my eyelights. i got the "black sapphire" - to bring out the blue in my eyes (i just may go hog wild and try the "black ruby" and jimmy up the green i have hiding in there) i got home, sat down at the vanity and went to work. and i swear on all things holy that my eyes looked brighter, a bit more sparkly, and just a bit more blue. all this happiness, just from a trip to the local drugstore. i mean really, what more can a girl ask for?

stack attack! ring a ding ding

not that i would, because i am a lady, but at least it would be pretty and sparkly if i flipped someone the bird.

giggles aside, let's talk stackin' again, shall we? as you may recall, i'm a creature of stacks. i love my jewelry and i have a tendency to love to wear it together. it's like a happy little decorative collection on my body. over the course of quite a few years, i've hunted and scoured and found little rings to stack. i'm all for the big "statement" ring - have a few, but i am a ritualistic lover of teeny tiny rings that i can pile on my fingers.

this is my happy stack left hand version... the two bottom rings are from Ippolita. BEAUTIFUL jewelry - and they recently came out with a sterling silver line, and a rose line, which is a mix of silver and gold, making a gorgeous colored metal that is less pricey than the straight up gold. it's really pretty and it mixes well with both silver and gold. (which is good for mixy me) the plain thin rose-gold band is from Fragments, and the diamond band is from the now gone Fortunoff. (cue sad violin music here - Fortunoff was a damn good jewelry store, victim of the times)

like with the necklaces - i say to all you stylies out there - get out the jewelry box and pile on your rings. play around with different stacks on different fingers until you find what clicks. very often you might have two or three rings that you normally wear separately that end up looking amazing stacked together - so experiment and play. stack and style yourself silly! it's good clean fun.

nieves lavi - me lovee

ye shall learn, as we go along the stylie path together, that i am obsessed with Nicole Richie. not the too skinny hot mess girl she was, but the woman she is now. cute, cute mommy with a bangin' body and a fantastic bohemiam, luxe-hippie style. i love her.

a couple of years ago, i was cruisin the mags, as is my wont. and i saw her wearing an oh-so-adorable mini dress. i did my hunt and it turned out the dress was from Nieves Lavi. so i went on hunt part deux. found myself at Saks, before taking my visiting niece to American Girl (or as i now know, "little girls addicted to dolls like they were crack") for a special birthday tea and shopping spree. anyhoo - i grabbed some Nieves Lavi pieces and hit the dressing room with my little lady in tow. tried on the first dress - and she said out loud "wow - that is so flattering". two things here - one: how cute is that, and i love her two: if a 10 year old says that - it's real. they don't know enough to say "no that doesn't make you look fat". dress was purchased and my love affair began. they do sell on their website, and also have a list of other retailers and websites who sell them.

most of their pieces are silk - and so ridiculously light and comfortable, and yes, flattering that you could live in them. they do also do cotton pieces. i hunt and i scour, because the-e-stylist likes things on sale. i'm just that way...and i have collected a few dresses and tops that i LOVE. they feel like air on your skin and as a special bonus, you get to feel just a little bit Nicole Richie bohemian luxe-hippie for a day. it's a win-win sitcho my friends.

a little quickie SALE style!

if you live near a Barney's, it's always fun to walk around and gaze at the pretty, pretty things. (most of which carry a hefty price tag - but there are def a lot of things that are affordable)
the jewelry department makes me drool. i could walk around there for a very long time just staring and loving, and occasionally, trying on and buying... but i digress. the best time to go is SALE TIME me hearties. and now is that time. when it is sale time, the designer shoe department makes my heart go pitter patter like you wouldn't believe. it's like i died and went to shoe heaven...sigh

it is now that time. it is sale time. if you are close by - GO. if not, look on ye olde interwebs. there is an additional 25-50% off all sale items - so it is a bit of what one might call an extravaganza... now excuse me, i must go and look at pretty things...

Monday, July 13, 2009

you call that a shoe...? REALLY?!?!

ok - it's a bit hard to tell from the pic - it was taken from far away with an iphone by a trusty agent on the street (special thanks agent!) but these are some of the new "sculptural" shoes that seem to be happening to us these past couple of seasons. the first thing that springs to mind is "what?!?!", closely followed by "REALLY?!?!?!?" it bears saying that i am NOT into this. a shoe is a shoe people. it can be gorgeous and it can be almost a work of art - lord knows i love, love, love shoes. but as a shoe, it is a frickin shoe no less, and should have the parts a shoe is supposed to have. if it is a high HEEL it SHOULD HAVE HEELS. i'm exhausted by how ridiculous this is. i have to stop talking about this travesty.

a little jeans-ie fun from Lucky magazine...

check out the fun slide show of jeans styles in this little blurb from Lucky ....as you know i do heart me some denim!!

perfect pumps please!

i am more of an "interesting" shoe person. so i don't often shop for the "traditional" kind of shoe. however, necessity sometimes calls, and like any polite person, i must answer.

this brings us to the pump. not a shoe i normally wear, nor crave. however, a staple to have in the old shoe wardrobe no doubt. i have a rather large place set aside in my heart for Karen Walker from Will and Grace. she is pretty much my favorite tv character of all time. and that's saying a lot, because miss e-stylist here watches a rather large amount of television. don't judge please. ANYWAY - Karen Walker is, 99% of the time, wearing full on uptown Manhattan rich mama clothes. not my personal style, but the woman looks impeccable. i like that. she's perfectly dressed right down to her pumps. perhaps that is what swayed me into thinking i should probably own some. (in case at any moment a magic wand is waved in my direction and i become a fictional billionaire socialite...or a real one, i'm not fussy)

and so, some time ago, i began one of my hunts. as i do. i went pump huntin'. usually i wear flats. this may be because i live in NY and have to walk a lot every day, or it may be because i am a klutz and am afraid of falling. that is neither here nor there. i just wear flats a lot. so heels were a challenge. i decided to start small. i tried on approximately 40 billion pairs of shoes. (give or take a few) in the "ok i can totally manage this without injury" category, i ended up with Christian Louboutin simple pumps in the lower heel height. (left photo). now, let me say here that i can't really afford to buy these shoes full price. i love them like chocolate, but they are pricey. worth it, but pricey. so if you are like me, (i really don't like to pay full price. i'm a sale fiend) i suggest trying them on at a shop, then doing the online scouring to score them on sale. Neiman's often has sales, and Bluefly is a great resource for markdown designer goodies.

0nce i had become ok with that height and worn them out a few times, i decided to get really crazy and go high. this still scared me a bit, so i decided to try a platform pump to even the playing field, so to speak. what i ended up with here was a pretty hot looking pair from ye olde Banana Republic...(right photo) they have enough of a platform in front so as not to give me vertigo, but they look high! i practiced a few nights in my apartment - then went out to dinner wearing them and felt spectacular and fancy. i felt like a lady. well, i felt like Karen Walker, and as she once said "I'm a lady, assface!" what's not to love?!

stack attack - starring the neck

i am a stacker. i am not sure where it comes from, perhaps from my weird emotional attachment to pretty things, breeding a desire to pile them all upon myself until i collapse in a heap of beauty... dunno. i stack my rings, my bracelets and my necklaces. because i love them.

today i'm feelin' neck-y, so we will go there. this is my latest pile of passion. (it will vary depending on mood, and the mood can last for varying amounts of time. there may well be future neck-y stack posts)
it stars Me&Ro, Tiffany, and a sweet little flower from Fragments. this is just my own personal neck - i strongly urge ye gals to stack away out there with what lovely things you have in your own jewelry box. it's fun and pretty and an easy way to make a plain outfit look dressed up boho style. (a running theme in my life)

i was wearing three of these little lovelies when i purchased the fourth, and the woman at Tiffany said "i love the texture you're creating with them". i'm not entirely sure what she meant with the texture, but hey, a compliment is a compliment so i said thank you and check please.

the teeny flower pendant is from Fragments. i'm not sure of the designer (sorry designer - i love your flower!! it was just a long time ago!!) but it's a lovely store to wander around with loads of beautiful sparkly things to make a girl feel giddy... and pretty.

the two bezel set stone necklaces are Tiffany... from the "diamonds by the yard" collection. they have just added sterling silver to the mix - which makes it far easier on the old wallet! online they only show diamonds, but in the store they also sell the collection with aquamarines, which takes down the price even further - and it's really pretty. good + good = "super fantastic"

the longest necklace is from Me&Ro. i am OBSESSED with their jewelry. i have a couple of pieces, (can't go too nuts with collecting, as i'm not raking in a ton of money at the mo, and it's a bit pricey...but god is it gorgeous and worth it.) including a ring giftie from the bf. and i plan on adding bits and bobs as i can afford. it is beautiful, bohemian-tastic, and i love it. in the show Weeds, Mary Louise Parker's character Nancy Botwin wears PILES of this stuff, and it always makes my eyes go wide and my heart pulse with envy. in case you didn't get the point, i like the stuff.

phew. that was a bit long. sorry my dears. the point of the matter is - PILE IT ON. collect things that you love, and don't be afraid to wear them together. mix and match, have fun and look beautiful doing it!

Saturday, July 11, 2009

i loves me Yankees

hmmmm... you might be thinking. i thought this was a style blog? what are the Yankees doing here? well... you see...what i did was... a little celbri-sport coupling. one of my favorite (and HOT) Yankees is Alex Rodriguez. yum. he happens to be dating one adorable ms. Kate Hudson... who happens to have a really cute luxe-hippie sense of style. see that? it's like i'm a magician or something.

Kate hasn't done any spectucalar stylin in the past couple of weeks, aside from sporting (haha) really cute chunky turqouise jewelry at a baseball game. i just wanted to have a little moment combining my love of two things.

there, i've done it.

Friday, July 10, 2009

flapjack to fab

like any lady, i have, in various states of zeal, (verging on the "OH GOD WHY?!") submitted myself to the task of finding jeans that fit and flatter. it is one of life's mysteries that this arduous undertaking is so dreadful.

a few years ago i got into a Levi's kick. and i still hold fast and true to my love of Levi. one style in particular fits me perfectly - the low rise skinny (531). love them. but sometimes a girl craves a little designer jean flare, n'est-ce pas? and so i ventured forth on a quest that lasted years. sadly, every single designer i tried, every one - made me either look like a sausage squeezed into a too snug tube, or made me lose my bum entirely. we're talking flat as a flapjack. either way, NOT good.

i then read about Paige denim. i don't really remember the article or blurb particularly striking me in the moment. it did not spark in me my hunting instinct, but it did apparently lodge in my subconscious. some time later i found myself at Bergdorf Goodman, waiting on a friend to have high tea. she had found herself stuck in a meeting, so i had an hour to kill. i wandered to the lust-worthy 5th floor, thinking i'd cruise the shoes... but i found myself in the midst of jeans. the first thing i saw was Paige - and i thought "hey, why not check this out?". i pulled a few sizes and styles, got secured into my little dressing room - and suddenly my world was transformed. you see, i am a girl who wears jeans almost every day in the fall, winter and spring. i live in jeans, i love jeans. jeans are my uniform. and suddenly - i was looking at myself in jeans that gave me a pleasingly plump posterior. my personal favorite styles are the Blue Heights skinny and the Laurel Canyon, but i will keep on trying what comes next... i'm a fan for life.

i didn't purchase in the moment, i got distracted by the tea. so i went home afterward and started up the old hunt on the web. some scouring later, i had secured two pairs, and on sale no less. they do sell on their site, and they are also sold at loads of other sites, and in loads of stores. they're nice and easy to find. these babies are well worth the full price - they are magical. but they also do go on sale from time to time. i do suggest trying on each pair, the styles i have tried, i vary in sizing. but they really are amazing. this lovely woman Paige is more about fit than fad - and that is a rock solid idea in a slippery word . and now i look like i have a rock solid bum!
Paige - i thank thee.

oh, hello!

i had to have a little nasty round of NINE shots into my back yesterday. not fun AT ALL - but that is not what's on the table here, so i shall not stray. after said procedure, my caring bf accompanied me to the pharmacy (thank god - i was more than slightly left of center from the anesthetic) as we were waiting on line, i looked down and saw my shoes. god i love shoes. god i love THESE shoes. i got them last year - and they have remained one of my almost every day, go with almost everything staples. i. love. these. shoes.they're made by Matt Bernson. they do sell on the site, and there's also a selection at Piperlime (by the by - an awesome website for shoe freaks like myself)

after initially seeing them on Nicky Hilton in a magazine and doing my usual hunt it down!!! thing, i purchased the shoes with happiness in my shoe-heart. the shoes are really well made, and all in all, just pretty perfect. i am completely obsessed with them. i also found on my hunt these lovelies and another pair that are no longer made... so i guess it's true that good things do come in 3's... although i may break down and buy another pair this year. so maybe good things just come.

Thursday, July 9, 2009

a little celebrity interlude

this shall serve as my first public declaration of love for Cate Blanchett. i adore her. i think she is one of the most beautiful things i have ever seen. (and on top of that she is one of most talented actors that is alive) i love, love, love this woman. in addition to the sheer gorgeousness and the mind-blowing talent, she has a tres cool sense of fashion. the lady gets DRESSED UP. i love that. she obviously just has fun with clothes. and that, my dears, is what
the e stylist is all about.

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

handbag, oh handbag...

second perhaps to the amount of love and joy i feel for the shoe, is the love and joy i feel for the perfect bag. like the shoe, i feel there is not necessarily a limit to how many a lady should or can own. (although i do try to hold fast to my rule. if i buy a new one (or pair as the case may be) i must delete one from my closet. this could be a donation to goodwill, a consignment store dealie or a gift to a friend...keepin it real people)

there are bags that are cute, there are bags that are useful. but the only ones i want are the ones that make me feel kind of oogly inside. i have bought one bag out of necessity recently, to "match" things to go to a wedding, and it kind of annoyed me, even though i do like the bag. i have bought totes, to lug around the crap that every girl seems to accumulate, but that too annoys me. basically i've been carrying the same bag in one of 3 colors for the last 5 years. i love them, they're gorgeous bags that i will have forever, but i felt like something new needed to happen...

and then - there was this little beauty on the left... i saw it in a few magazines, the love crept in, it grew, and i began the hunt. it's made by J.J. Winters. it's gorgeous leather and perfectly boho, which floats my little boat just right. their site does not sell, so a good bit of interweb scouring later, i had located it, 30% off for a 4th of July sale at a little boutique-y site ivyblue. God bless America, even though i'm British, i still feel the love.

underthings....

summer is about comfort and staying as cool as poss in the NYC humidity. (well, it's actually all about the beach - but life happens and i can't be on the beach 24/7 so this post is about reality)

over the last 2 years i became obsessed with dresses. it's one piece of clothing. it looks nice, and it's super comfy. i went on a rampage, and now have a happy little collection from which to choose when i get dressed every day. one glitch in the system is what might need to go UNDER said dresses... there are a couple that are a teeny bit sheer in bright sunlight. not ok. i have no desire to show my butt to the streets of NY. i don't feel they deserve it.

armed with the challenge, i went on the hunt for the perfect slip. it felt kind of glamorous to tell you the truth. very 1940's languid movie star. i perused every website and every lingerie section possible. i tried about a billion slips on. the creme de la creme has turned out to be Commando slips. you can buy them online, but they also do sell them at Saks, Henri Bendel, Bergdorf Goodman and Neiman Marcus. the one annoying thing is that they are a bit expensive - but they are worth it. i bought a mini full slip and a half slip, and i wear them CONSTANTLY. i don't know what the fabric is, but it never static-sticks to anything, and each piece has teeny little weights in the bottom, so it doesn't ride up like so many other fabrics do. the dress extravaganza of my summers now feels complete.

that's about all i have to say about that....

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

excuse me miss, you forgot something

oh... where to begin. my secret agent on the street sent me these photos at EIGHT THIRTY AM. so i will begin there. "um, miss, it's 8:30 am and you don't seem to be fully dressed. can i help you get to a secure location?" i am not old fashioned. i am far from conservative in the way i dress. (to the point where i have been told by bf i should not leave the house wearing what i am wearing because it is too sexy) however there are limits.

this is not a skirt. this is a napkin. true style, my minions, is about feeling comfortable in the clothes you choose to wear to express yourself. true style is amazing and can take on a million variations of what it looks like. what it does NOT look like is tugging at your skirt-napkin (see photo) to make sure that you are not exposing your ass cheek to the crowds around Grand Central at 8:30 in the morning.

special thanks to agent Calagna for the brilliant spotting.




Patricia Wexler, i think i love you

i am, i have been told by most all of my closest friends, a "product junkie". aka "product whore", although i prefer the first. it's true. i LOVE beauty products. goos and gels and creams, for the body, the hair, and especially the face. i am on the quest to make my skin look perfect. i am fully aware that they airbrush the living daylights out of magazine photos, but i look at the faces of the ladies in there... jennifer aniston, halle berry, all of them... and i want that skin. i want to glow and look soft and pretty!

alas, as i am not a highly paid celebrity, i do my own research and facial work. and i think i may be onto the holy grail. i was having a bad day last week, and decided to go walk 5th avenue to look at pretty things and clear my head. i walked into Henri Bendel and was about to go upstairs when i saw a Patricia Wexler display. i stopped for a second and Sabrina came over and asked me if i wanted to check out any products. "ok!" i said and plopped my ass down in her chair. she scrubbed me, put on magic pink goo, lotioned me up, and i swear to high holy heaven - my skin looked AMAZING. i was glowy, like the ladies whose skin i covet.

i bought the scrub and the goo and the lotion. and i LOVE it. love love love. if you live in NY go to Bendels and ask for Sabrina. i love her too. if you don't live in NY order this stuff online. there are a ton of products and i'm sure they are all great - but the MMPi.20™ Skin Regenerating Serum - aka the pink goo is like magic potion. i may possibly try to swim in the huge vat of it...

this is 5 hours after Sabrina did me up. pardon the quality of the photo - i was just rather over excited by the whole day...

Monday, July 6, 2009

the wallet!

most men are not creatures of accessory. there are of course exceptions to the rule - including my impeccibly wardrobed and accessorized friend mark. and of course my bag and shoe loving friend tim. but i digress. back to the topic. men, they like the basics. for work, they have whatever "uniform" may be required of them. a tie usually being the flare in that routine. for casual - maybe a snazzy shirt, or the new hipster sneaker-du-jour. (especially in NY or LA)

the 'handbag' of man therefore - the statement - would be the wallet. and to each his own. there is the George Costanza wallet, causing back pain, ripping pants, and weighing in at 35 pounds. there is the in between. and there is my boyfriend. he wants as little wallet as humanly possible. not a money clip - there are other things involved here people, like ID and credit cards. he wants a wallet, but he wants it to barely exist. yet, it must be perfect. (as must my handbags and shoes, thank you very much. we all want what we want). he had one that was purchased at a street fair. it unraveled. i got him a great replacement - it is now ripping... and so the hunt was on. we did find it, and it is now happily in use. he bought several so that panic shall never set in. he even bought two for his friend. it's a hot man ticket. fyi it's classified as a slim card case, but if your heart desires it, it's this bad boy right here. the thrill of victory is sweet people.