Monday, November 30, 2009

it's a wildcat monday!

i seem to have become obsessed on this day with things of the feline nature, and continued leopard looking throughout the afternoon. i am still definitely entrenched in the accessory department - i'm just not sure i would rock a shirt or skirt or dress with the print... like i said earlier - more power to the woman who can! but for moi, perhaps this lovely scarf? i'm a pretty big fan of Tolani scarves as it is... and now it's like a collision of kismet finding this baby...

massive collections of Tolani on Revolveclothing and Singer22, two of my old stand-by online boutiques - and there's also a new one i just stumbled upon today called Boutiquetoyou, and it may just make my little list of favorites!!

ps- don't forget it's "cyber monday" so lots of online boutiques are running sales!!! including the 3 listed above!

seeing spots




leopard print comes in and out and in and out of fashion like nothing else. it's having its most recent resurgence at the moment - and i'm close to getting sucked in this time round. it can be found on pretty much every single possible garment a female can wear. from a teeny thong to a full length faux fur coat.

for me personally - i only like my leopard in two locations. short dress jacket, or nestled on my feet. and as it is my greatest obsession - i am focusing on the shoe. ahhhh the shoe. i'm not the biggest fan of the leopard pump, although i freely admit there are may ladies who can fully pull it off. my taste goes to the leopard ankle boot.

of course the creme de la creme is monsieur Christian Louboutin. mais oui! these are the ones we truly lust for, n'est-ce pas? Neiman's, Saks, Barneys... you taunt me with Louboutin imagery! however, if we are feeling less than flush, there are of course other options. having done a bit of scouring of the olde interwebs, i found a couple of less pricey versions. the black bootie with the leopard heel is kind of a less "in your face" version too - if you're feeling a bit shy... Giuseppe Zanotti, and they also happen to be on sale at Piperlime. keep on going you say? ok...a pretty adorable pair of Charles by Charles David at Overstock.com and a cute little number at Nine West go even further down the price scale....

my mind is spinning and i'm seeing spots... but i like it!

Thursday, November 26, 2009

ummm... nearly free, really.

one, happy holiday. a holiday all about eating. odd, but ok.

two, i spoke about grey wednesday. i shopped. now, it's charcoal thursday.

three, FORTY percent off today at chickdowntown.

math is math - but let's just say that's almost half off. and that's nearly free, isn't it? now, i must run and finish up the cranberry sauce. but there's nothing wrong with thanking yourself with a wee giftie.

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

screw black friday, try grey wednesday!

once upon a time, in a galaxy far, far, away, i worked at a Mall. it was right after i had moved back from living in Paris. i hated it. not my cup of tea. i would rather have pulled out my eyelashes. however, that is not the point here. the point is that that particular period in my life was when i discovered the earth-bound version of hell that is "black friday". i vaguely recall hiding in a dressing room at one point to get away from the madness.

i don't know what evil genius came up with this idea. but they should be a villain in a super-hero movie. 98.4% of america runs screaming to any available shopping area near their homes and loses any sense of sanity they may have been gripping on to. i see images of it now on tv and it gives me shivers. all this for maybe, $5 off some item that will without a shadow of a doubt go ON SALE AGAIN. it's beyond insane and i just do not understand it.

now, this year, it will certainly boost the droopy economy if we all do shop - and we do all know i love to shop - and so i say: "SHOP! DO IT!" but you don't need to get an arm ripped off in the process.

i'm coming up with my own plan. i'm going to celebrate grey wednesday. i am going - wait for it.... to the MALL to meet my mum tomorrow. i love a good mall. nothin' like it. and on grey wednesday, i shall be free to peruse things at my leisure, and without fear. and i do know for a fact that Neiman Marcus has a load of things marked down, as does Anthropologie, Saks, Barneys, and JCrew. and i imagine that the other shops will follow suit. and for any of thee who are locked to the computer - chickdowntown and amazon.com are doing an "early" black friday deal, and i can only imagine that other sites will be following any moment now - so CRUISE the shops, or the web and find your early deals.

take that black friday! hazzah!

Monday, November 23, 2009

AMA-zing





first things first. i will not post pictures of "gaga". i hereby state that i fully understand that the purpose of art, along with self expression, is to evoke an emotional response from the viewer. as an artist, i know that on every level of myself. ok. so you're an artist. that's nice. however, i also know that each response is personal, and i simply do not give a rat's anus about art for the sake of "shock". i could not possibly care less. i don't care about Damian Hirst, and i don't care about lady gaga. i don't give a crap.

that said, let's talk about some other people at the AMA's last night, shall we? overall i was a bit underwhelmed at the style. everything just sort of blurred into one big puddle of same-ness. Mary Kate Olsen once said that she didn't care if she looked crazy in what she wore, she just didn't want to look like everyone else. and last night everyone looked like everyone else. STEP IT UP PEOPLE. express yourself for goodness sake. even the stage outfits - BOOOOORING.
Adam Lambert - we know by now. you're so flamboyant. goodie for you. pardon me while i pass out with boredom. all of you ladies with short short dresses? oooh - shocking. i've not seen that 45,000 other times. for god's sake people - are you so tired you can't even try?????

exception? gorgeous miss RiRi here. ok,ok, we all know i'm a bit obsessed with her. but honestly - at least the girl gives half a crap about being an individual. clearly this is not a street outfit. but i kind of can't stop looking at it. i might have skipped the studded shoulder pads, but other than that, it's hot. she looks friggin HOT.

mizz Kate Hudson. i recently caught part of "almost famous" on tv. one of my favorite movies of all time - acting that literally tears my heart up - costuming to die for - and KATE HUDSON. i fell so completely and utterly in love with this girl watching her - she is luminous. and she is, in life, my kind of girl style wise. she's a luxe hippie rock and roll chick. SHE can rock this look that makes everyone else look like they're wearing mommy's dress. she lights it up from the inside out. be the clothes, don't just wear the clothes. that is the only way you make style work for you.

mister JayZ. tuxedo tuxedo tuxedo. blah blah blah. but wait! here comes a man who is rockin it right. there is nothing earth shattering about this suit - but this man owns the friggin room when he walks into it wearing this. kudos sir. kudos to you.

and lastly - this one's really just for you ladies to look at. Alex Rodriguez. you know what he's wearing? confidence. and it is HOT.

as Forrest Gump would say "i guess that's about all i have to say about that"

Saturday, November 21, 2009

get your hanky panky on!!

well twinkle twinkle what have we here? Hanky Panky - purveyors of fine fitting thongs have now gone cyber-sell! i have been a major fan of these little underpinnings for a long time. as a girl who could never quite decide which type of undies she preferred - these little genius thongs fall somewhere in the vicinity of "perfect". sort of a thong, sort of a girl-short.... they are comfy as can be and pretty much the thing to have on under any clothes that are fitted. and now, we can all buy them while we're at work, or at 4am, any time really. the beauty of the interwebs. welcome, HP!

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

give a little somethin' special

part of my love of fashion is that "real" fashion is art. a beautifully made shoe, garment, or piece of jewelry is absolutely a work of art. crafted to perfection. it makes my soul feel just as good as looking at a vanGogh. add to that the style element of self expression - boom! two of my favorite things collide. my own personal big bang theory....

hmmm.. big bang theory.... yep, a tv show i am obsessed with. i say it all the time and i don't give a flying poo if anyone judges me for it - "I LOVE TV". that's a little tid-bit that leads us to this next thing... the transitions they are rollin' people!

an old friend of mine sent out a message to us all about the website she just put up. she and her husband are now making jewelry (she had been working with a jewelry maker for years, and now she's struck out on her own, love that!) and they are fully up and running now. the pieces are sweet and funny and amazing - just like she is. the first time i met her, i described her as "a beautiful, magnificent weirdo" which just happens to be my all time favorite type of human. every single one of my friends falls squarely into that category. anyhoo - back to the jewelry - check it out at www.jennyandjimbob.com - they are perfect for a little somethin' to give to someone you love, and of COURSE that includes yourself! and their line runs the gamut in terms of my favorite thing - self expression. there's a necklace for most anything you want to "say.
lo and behold - this one is rather marvelous for my own personal home screen viewing pleasures, n'est-ce pas?

see how it all comes full circle? loves it.

Monday, November 16, 2009

ahoy!

avast ye mateys! arrrrgh... along with my fixation on wanting to be Queen Elizabeth I when i grow up, i harbor a secret fixation wanting to be a pirate. i think i have probably mentioned this before... but as i have only had 2 cups of coffee today i just don't remember.

(a little intermission here - i know i have not been posting as much recently - and i have missed it so. after dealing with some life stuff, i then had to deal with some business stuff and try and get the website up and working its best - please check it out - www.the-e-stylist.com and tell your friends - you know holiday season is coming -- gifts to find and parties to dress for!!)

back to pirate visions... so - i am beyond obsessed with Captain Jack Sparrow. and the movies just rocked my world thank you very much. so, as is my habit, i began to mentally morph into character. pirate-y necklace of a sword and heart from Me&Ro? check. skull ring from Me&Ro? check. boots, harder to nail down... nothing was perfect... i mean who WOULDN'T want Vivienne Westwood pirate boots? but it is easier to locate and return to God the Holy Grail than to find those boots. and i have things to do damn it. BUT WAIT!!!!! what is this????? the most perfect pirate boot EVER?!??!? i think so. Fiorentini and Baker don't seem to be able to do much wrong in the way of the boot...

if this color doesn't shiver yer timbers, there are a number of other GORGE colors to choose from - really amazing greys and the ever perfect black. leather, suede, whatever floats your pirate ship. and the leathers are beat up to look as if Jack Sparrow himself wore them. sigh. don't you just love it when a fashion character all comes together?

Saturday, November 14, 2009

I heart grey warm things

I just really really do. and i think I need to hunt down this grey warm thing. it's hot. love the belt love the draping on the neck. and yeah - ya got me. I love the way Rihanna's wearing it with black skinnies. grey plus black equals a cure for the winter icks.



Tuesday, November 10, 2009

international legs of mystery

back in yesteryear, when i had to travel virtually non-stop for my job, i had the fun of a few years of international travel peppered into the mix. i got to go to London a couple of times a year, which made me tingly with joy. i also made several trips to Berlin. this is a place i probably never would have gone to on my own, so it was kind of cool to go explore when i had an hour or two off work. to be honest, it was wildly overwhelming and humbling at times, because it's the only place i have traveled where i was not fluent in the language. but sign language works very well, as does a smile. (i did actually manage to find some people who spoke some french so that helped too) the one thing i nailed in german was my morning coffee order on my way to the theater.

anyhoo - i am digressing wildly - like 4 miles down tangent road. so, as it is, when one travels a lot, one spends a bizarrely large amount of time in airports. some of them are great (Heathrow rivals the a shopping mall - seriously major shopping to be done there), some are dreadful. and some are random and odd, like Berlin.

howevs - one thing they did have, right across from a profoundly great magazine shop, and next to a CRAP food type shop was a Wolford shop. odd, right? being in an airport, it's duty free, which made it odd and brilliant. this became one of my regular stops pre-flight. i had not tried Wolford before my Berlin experience, and now i'm hooked. hook, line and sinker. you put on the tights (or leggings!!! LOVES the leggings!) and you feel rather glamorous instantly. they have a great color selection, and some seriously sexy patterned numbers. all in all - legalicous.

back in the old USA, Wolford is sold at a number of places - Saks, Barneys, Bergdorf's, Neimans, Bloomies, but for the online shoppers - best bet (as is most always the case) is to suss out ShopStyle to get an idea of what to do -- and they will also let you know if anything is on sale.

it's easing toward winter, so why not wrap your legs in a little luxury?

Sunday, November 8, 2009

getting and giving all in one


today's little "do good" ditty is a shoe-good ditty. so we KNOW it's a good one, yes?
the shoe company Toms has always been philanthropic in nature - for every pair of shoes they sell, they give a pair of shoes to a child in need. i, for one, think that is a spectacular idea. it's not trying to be anything huge - it's just a good deed done. i'm a big fan of the idea of doing small acts of kindness - and this falls into that category on a large scale. loves it.

lately the company has had its name out and about a bit more - sprinkle in Ashley Olsen photographed wearing the shoes, and boom! off to the races. now, Toms is offering up some exclusives to be sold at Neiman's and also in-store at Bergdorf's, ratcheting the awareness up a notch and giving it a little sheen of luxury.

the shoes are simple, cute and comfortable. (kind of LOVING the skull print!!) you buy, you give. it's a magnificent equation in its simplicity, and it's about shoes. happy good karma!


neimans

Friday, November 6, 2009

hands down style award

because of how amazing this girl's style is - she earns a permanent home here on the blog.

there's been a lot of hulla-baloo about the interview Rihanna did about getting beat up by her D-BAG ex Chris Brown. and as painful as it was for her to talk about it - i have to give her a big cyber-five for having the chutzpa to speak out publicly. even if it helps one girl stuck in an abusive relationship, it was worth it. well done Rihanna - a hard lesson to learn for such a young girl - but friggin good on ya for stepping up and being so strong. beauty, talent, strength and style. if there were an e-stylist award - this girl gets it. no matter what style you layer on the outside, a strong woman on the inside is hands down the hottest, sexiest, most attractive thing there is.

Thursday, November 5, 2009

a snood by any other name....

snoods as sweet... it's staggering, my similarity to Shakespeare, no?

i do know i've yammered a bit about the snood before. possibly it's my Elizabethan fixation, or poss the friggin freezing winds that howl through the building tunnels here in NY in the winter... whatever the root - i think i may be obsessing on snoods this year.

now then - this little Burberry number here is quite the catch. the fringe is nice, to swish around a bit while you walk... and imagine the toastiness inside your little cave of cashmere. they have other colors available at Saks, although there it goes by another name - the "loop". between you and me - it's a snood. a snood is a snood. a "loop" is something you either eat, (as in "fruit-") or perhaps drive (just do a loop and come back east) or a knitting term perhaps? ... anyhoo - this is a SNOOD for goodness sake. and i rather adore it. it almost makes me not mad at wind any more..

Monday, November 2, 2009

missus softee



an old friend of mine, from the days of yore is a lover of the blog. which makes me happy. he currently works at Hanro, and wondered what i thought of their delicious wares, as i seem to have no shortage of opinion. or words to express. to be perfectly honest, i had to admit to him i had never tried any of their stuff, although i am very familiar with the name, as it's a brand sold in Saks and Neimans, where i do seem to find myself on a rather regular basis. so he sent me some items to check out - and uh.... i know i have a bit of an addictive personality, but uh... OH MY GOD. i am so completely hooked on the Touch Feeling undershirt, that i seriously think i have to go and buy one for every day of the week. (possibly a couple extra because laundry is not my strongest task) i swear to God and all things holy that this t-shirt is made of magic. it is too soft to be made by humans. also magic? the fact that it is fitted to my body like a glove, does not show one single bit of the parts that are not firmed up by crunches, and does not squeeze me to lack of breath like any "shapewear" item might. (i once almost passed out from one of those "shaping" things, but that's another story for another day) when it's flingin flangin freezing in NYC, i often wish i had a head to toe suit made of Uggs material. now, i wish that for every season i had a head to toe suit made of Touch Feeling t-shirt material.

if i can tear myself away for one second... the Taitu nightgown is also amazing. sexy, but not o.t.t., and will probs be an adorable little sundress for the beach. loves it. usually i get wildly twisted about in sleep things, but this is comfy and pretty. how is there anything wrong with that?

this uncharted Hanro territory was a happy happy trail indeed. now if i can figure out my head to toe Touch Feeling suit - the world will be a complete place, and i can go on to cure the flu.