holy mother of discount retail

there is a buzz on the buzz-o-sphere that the Barnes and Noble at Lincoln Square will be closing (sad - it's my fave one. i buy at least 50% of my xmas gifts there!) this fall. and here's where the real BZZZZ comes - word is that Century21 will be opening there. for those of you who have not experienced it - Century21 is like if Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdales and the biggest sale in the world all got together and made a baby. in short - it's AH MAZE ING. now let's all just cross our fingers and hope hope hope.

the (bleh)mmys

i think i have become jaded.  there was a time when i was OBSESSED with awards shows.  i could not get enough.  i hosted Oscar parties, dressed to red carpet standards and we handed out little gold spray painted awards for game winners...  but now - meh.  i actually got so bored that i turned the show off midway last night.  don't get me wrong - i still loves me my telly.  and i do love to find out if my faves won (YAY Sheldon from Big Bang!!!  YAY Modern Family!!)  but at this point i was far more interested in the red carpet show. 

that being said - even the red carpet was only meh last night.  too many dresses looked the same.  a few looked like they were trying way too hard.  and then, thank the gods of style - there were these few that made it worth while to watch.

Kelly Osbourne looked ADORABLE.  i have loved this girl since the days of their family reality show.  (one of my fond NYC happy moments was seeing her outside Tiffany's one day.  teeny, tattooed cuteness.)  last night she was covering the carpet for E! for the first time - and she looked super fantastic in Tony Ward.  the draping on the dress is gorge - and it fits her to perfection.  well played missy.

my bf's tv girlfriend, uber-hottie Sofia Vergara was drop dead in Carolina Herrera.  i'm relatively sure at this point that you could put a hefty bag on this woman and she would rock it.  but she stunned last night.  perfect to go up on stage to collect the award with the Modern Fam cast.  hazzah!

Tina Fey - sometimes hits sometimes misses.  last night she hit it hard in Oscar de la Renta.  this dress is amazing.  love love love.  her, the dress, the whole thing.

last but not least - a girl whom i have utterly no clue who she is.  Nina Dobrev.  she is adorable.  and this Zuhair Murad dress is hands down my favorite of the night.  it.   is.   GORGEOUS.   the color, the texture, the draping, the slit, the train.  LOVES.   IT.   btw - she's on Vampire Diaries... if the dress is that good, she deserves being looked up, n'est-ce pas? 

another day, another red carpet, another select few who stand out from the crowd....

diamonds are a girl's best friend. but...

sometimes life calls for other things.  in my mind, life ALWAYS calls for jewelry.  i have my pieces that i wear every day of my life (my nieces like to go through piece by piece and ask me the stories.  they all have a story)  and then there is the "who shall i dress up as today?" jewelry.  that's where the real fun comes in.  i have a LOAD of jewelry that i have amassed over my years.  and it is just as much fun now to root through it and dress up as it was when i was 4 playing with granny's jewelry.  some of it is "real" and a lot of it is costume.  the more the merrier!  it's how Coco Chanel rolled - so it makes perfect sense to me.

i read each and every fashion magazine out there in the world.  i love them.  even though it's for my job, flipping through the pages brings me immense satisfaction - and the utmost is when i find a new line i can play with.  for me AND for my clients.  my most recent fun discovery -- Stella & Dot jewelry.  i saw some of their pieces in Lucky and InStyle over the past couple of months and the seed was planted.  then i was invited to a trunk show and bazinga!  my ever so lovely bf bought me 3 pieces, including this super fab mixed metal chain and crystal lariat  (the one i mentioned in the wedding post) and these gorge rings i'm rockin.   in chatting with the great girl who was running the show - i decided to sign up and start selling as well.  i love jewelry - i love styling people.  voila.  the pieces are priced really well. there are some classic Coco-type pieces, a load of boho bits and baubles, and some kind of rocker-y pieces like the lariat and some really chunky bracelets.  LOVE.  also loving the charm section - you can pick one or pile them on in any combo on a chain or silk chord...  the pics are just a few of my current obsessions.  check out the link and look through the whole catalog and find some of your own.  let yourself be the kid in the candy store!  no time like the present to give yourself a present dolls.

neutral territory

i'm not always a huge risk taker in the color realm. i usually tend to splash out with accessories and stay a bit more to the neutral side with the clothing. it gives you a lot more options in how to play with accessories, which as you may have gathered by now is one of my favorite pass-times! there are arm-fulls of lovely pieces out for fall in a variety of colors that can be placed comfortably in the neutral category. this makes me a happy camper. or shopper as it were. the H&M fall lookbook was just put out - and once again those price-minded mavens have done the season well. any (or all, considering their price point!) of these pieces could slide easily into anyone's wardrobe. i'm already imagining the white shirt over leggings and over-the-knee boots... or the belt cinched around a military jacket... not that i'm picking favorites. i shall remain neutral. (haha)

forward thinker

there are indeed some days where i find it virtually impossible to figure out what to wear.  on occasion it has caused me to fly into an anxious frenzy, so there are times where i realize it is very wise for me to plan ahead.  this is one such case.

one of my lovely friends, with whom i shared a huge part of my life (including some of my more deep and dark secrets and tattoos), is getting married.  she is a singer, and has an amazing, eclectic sense of style.  as does her fiancee.  (also a singer).  ergo - i must look both fab and far from boring at their wedding... had a moment of panic before immense calm came over me and i whipped up this little get-up. grey Herve Leger dress; leopard Botkier shoes; Tolani wrap (in case it's chilly) and my fun new mixed chain and crystal lariat wrap necklace.  (gift from the ol' bf - i'll have a little update in the next few posts with some further info on this and some other great jewelry....) ok then - ready to rock!

while we're on the topic...

yep still here in la-la land.  i love it here.  and i LOVE this Alexander McQueen get-up.  the blazer is drop dead gorge - but it's the jaquard leggings that put me over the edge.  silk and merino wool perfection.  i mean come on - i could even wear them with the Louboutin boots!!  fantasy friday.  loves it.

imagine

after reading the (enormous) September issue of Vogue, i have decided to spend all day living in the imaginary world where i can acquire the things i desire from said pages.  i won't bore you with the list.  but let's just say that this pair of Christian Louboutin boots knocked me over the head and dragged me into their cave.  OH.   MY.  GOD.   completely impractical, and teetering on the almost too sexy line... but none of that matters because today is all about fantasizing.  aim high as these heels dolls!

the ghost of handbags past

one of the services i offer as the-e-stylist is a closet overhaul.  this is based largely upon the immense satisfaction i have had over the years after doing a MAJOR rampage on my closet.  being able to see and find your things and coordinate them makes life much easier.  and as a side note makes it poss for you to dress better!  it's now one of my favorite things to do.  i have in times past made a mistake or two. but  i've mastered it now - through often doing mine and loving doing it for clients.  the ghost that haunts me of my own cleanings is the Botkier Trigger bag.  i bought it about 7 years ago - just when the line was just coming out.  i became obsessed, scoured the world and found the one i wanted.  i called ahead (it was in LA and i was going there for work) and had them hold it - it was the last one in stock. i literally jumped out of a car on the way to the airport home to pick it up.  and MAN did i love that bag.  the design is perfection for someone like me.  my bf frequently refers to me as Mary Poppins, because i am consistently digging around in my bag in search of something amongst the everything.  the Trigger has compartments and pockets that aleviate such woes.  long story short - LOVE the bag.  so the question still haunts me as to exactly why i decided to sell it on ebay...  everything else i have ever sold - never missed it.  this is the one.  my ebay achilles heel.

anyhoo - cut to now.  i've been casually looking for a new one every since. they turn up every season in limited colors - but i don't need ANOTHER black bag, and i've never fallen in love with any of the other colors.  until now.  a little Botkier birdie on twitter sent me looking at LunaBoston - and lo and behold this gorgeous creature.  as they say (whomever "they" are)  seek and ye shall find!

something for almost nothing!

fact:  yours truly LOVES scoring a deal.   fact:  in order to BE a deal it must be quality stuff at a great price.  fact:  this falls squarely into that category.

just for one moment lets take a product break, shall we?   a few years ago, a super cute friend of my bf's introduced me to the make-up line e.l.f. (stands for eyes, lips, face.  adorbs!)  it's made by the same people who manufacture a major dept. store brand (pretty sure i shouldn't tattle so i won't) and the quality is on par with said brand.  now here's the kicker -- THE PRODUCTS COST ONE DOLLAR.  yep. "breaking news" is that there is now a professional collection, e.l.f. Studio, that will still not put a ding in the wallet with the products coming in at the three dollar price point.  i am spelling it out so that you don't think i forgot a zero or something.  at these prices, you can fully stock up on all your necessities - like this concealer (has been compared to YSL Touche Eclat), gorge little eye shimmer palette, and loverly lip gloss, and not even feel a teeny pang of guilt about it.  honestly, how often does THAT happen?

not just jammies

say you have a favorite grey sweatshirt... (or want to get one)  like this perfect little Elizabeth and James number, or a basic American Apparel or even old school Champion...  it is the equivalent of mashed potatoes in clothing, oui?  say you love it SO much that you want to wear it out of the house but don't want to look like a "don't" picture from Glamour magazine.  well then....  two ideas to make you look fab  and like you put in a bit of effort getting dressed (even if it wasn't that hard).  throw on a faux-fur vest, your fave pair of jeans and some great boots. (and of course a bunch of bracelets never hurt).  voila.  instant upgrade.  feeling a bit more rocker than glam?  no problem.  black skinny leather jeans (or faux - there are some brilliant ones out there!), ankle booties, if it's cold a denim jacket, and you're out the door.  easy like sunday morning baby.

say hello to my little friend

i went out for a friend's bday celebration on Friday night.  (got totally busted for wearing the Elizabeth and James blazer AND the Paige Denim cargos i recently blogged about...oops!! good friend - good reader!)  when it came time to pay, i got ridiculously annoyed by the size of my wallet.  i love the wallet - it holds everything but the kitchen sink.  it was the first "big girl" wallet i ever bought.  but its glory is also its downfall.  i don't always WANT everything but the kitchen sink.  especially when i'm carrying a smaller bag.  and the option of just shoving bills and credit cards into a bag does not go well with my rather klutzy and air-headed tendencies.  solution?  small wallet.  for some odd reason i hate wallets. (i waited till my 30's to buy a real one)  my mind wanders to little coin purses instead.  do i want the Balenciaga version?  duh.  of course i do.  i stop myself from figuring out a justification for the spends with the fact that i often carry a Balenciaga bag.   and i would feel a bit of a wanker pulling out a matchy-matchy purse from a purse.  PHEW.  many dollars saved.  this little Marc by Marc Jacobs fella fits all the requirements.  perfect size to fit credit cards, ID, money.  small enough to fit in a smaller bag for evening.   looks adorbs, color is spot on.  he calls the style Totally Turnlock.  i call it totally perfect.

FNO 2010

love fashion?  obvi, you're reading this...  love shopping?  yep...  love a good party with a poss of seeing a celeb or two or four?  sure why not!!  well then dolls - it's time for Fashion's Night Out 2010.  last year was a blitzkrieg indeed - and this year looks about 48.3 million times better, so start your engines.  September 10 is the date for NYC, other locations are listed on the website.  the site is actually rather genius - it lets you map out your itinerary so that you can conquer all you need to do in strategic fashion.  (nothing makes me happier that strategic shopping.  i'm being dead serious.  i map out my shopping on my travels.)   one of the more hilarious events this year is the Olsen twins judging karaoke at Barneys.  even just typing that makes me giggle.  and makes me know i want to be there.  what's not to love about an Olsen and Barneys????????  see you there!!

a bit o' bang for your buck

the buzz has been... well, buzzing for some time now about the Vena Cava collection for Aqua at Bloomingdales.  despite the fact that i can in no realistic format consider myself a "junior",  there are always a few pieces that i like, and can fully get away with wearing.  fear not - the junior collection does not HAVE to be off limits - as long as you are very honest with yourself about what you pick out.  case in point:  i have a really nice Aqua maxi dress that a lady at Bergdorf's  (in head to toe Chanel) told me was the prettiest maxi she had ever seen.

anyhoo, back to the point.  the super fun and hip design duo at Vena Cava is doing a collection for Aqua that debuts September 1.  word has been out on the style street for some time now, but FINALLY there was a presentation yesterday, and some good images to share.  the price point is well under their norm,  the highest price comes in around $300.   the fur vest is uber-cute and could go with pretty much every and anything in a gal's wardrobe.  my fave - and the absolute yes in the collection for me is the pleated skirt (you can just see it under the gorge blue peasant blouse...also a yes!)  LOVE the metal detailing on the waist band.  love, love, loves it.  and this sweet little dress/tunic (depending on your age, legs, and daring factors) is a keeper too.   so set your clocks and calendars dolls.... september's comin soon!!! 

sucker for Tucker

it's getting a bit exhausting just trying to keep up with Target's break-neck pace of designer collabs. but in the name of style i will fight on!

next in line is Tucker. hitting Target stores (and ye olde interwebs) September 12. not all that many images are out but i'm already fallen hook line and sinker for this grey fleece jumpsuit. it's barely worth even saying words after that. GREY. FLEECE. JUMPSUIT. ring ring. "hello? is this heaven?". and it is only 44.99. so yes - it seems this IS heaven. the dress (33.99), vest (24.99) and jacket (44.99) are also pretty darn adorable, and leave me a bit drooly for the rest of the collection. but let's get back to the superbly genius idea of a grey fleece jumpsuit. sigh. happy place.

pantsy

once again my poor body is confused - it's in the 90's and air is thick as pea soup.  yet my mind is wandering to fall clothing because of the crazy cycles of fashion...  ah well. 

aside from the perfect pair of jeans, it seems a lady's other main pantsy quest is the perfect black pant.  that's definitely another story for another day - because as i was putting together some ideas, the idea of black pants upped my body temperature by about 10 degrees.  so it must wait.  in my scouting around, i experienced a moment of distraction (SHOCKING!) and stumbled upon these rather ridiculously cute tuxedo pants from Gap.  (they've just put out a whole new line of pants with Patrick Robinson - upping the hip factor once more.)  this color, which i'm loving quite a bit.  the slate blue version would leave me feeling a bit too much like i worked for the post office.  and i can barely keep track of my own paperwork so that just doesn't work out well for me.  so while it's still to steamy to break out even a THOUGHT of black pants - roll and cuff 'em a bit, and these babies could do quite well with some black gladiator sandals... or a leapord wedge.... or an espadrille wedge... see?  multi tasking pants.  brill!

hidden treasure

pardon the awful pun but i love finding a new gem when it comes to designers.  a lovely old friend of mine from way back in the days of yore wrote me recently telling me that she had re-connected with a student she used to teach, who is now a jewelry designer.  i'm not sure what i was expecting when i clicked the link to her site, but what i got was blown away.  these pieces are stunning.  all the stones are beautiful and off-beat, and the pieces are simple but unique.  the little twist ring with the black diamond is my favorite - so beyond adorable - LOVE.   the jewelry is sold at several little boutiques and more information is on her site - www.elizabethstreetjewelry.com.   always fun to find a new little treasure to add to the chest!

ring a ding ding

it has come to my attention that there is a distinct possibility i should never allow myself to enter a jewelry store.  lord knows the shoes and bags are bad enough, but the way my mind gets fixated on jewelry could be studied by scientists. on a cloudy day on the beach holiday, i made the mistake of going in.  the result is that i seem to have these sugarplums dancing through my head on a non-stop loop.  (occasionally interrupted when i distract myself with some other delight in a magazine) there were a load of other things in the shop but these little David Yurman yum-yums seem to be the ones that remain in my mind. i will not beat myself up too much about it, because after all i am a lady.  and it is a proven fact that we like pretty, shiny things.  now, if i can just get money to start growing on trees...

grey skies

sometimes it's comforting to have an overcast, grey sky day like today in NYC.  it has a calming effect. (unless it happens on vacation, then it's a bit of a bummer, but we're here in real life so let's just stick to the story...) this may or may not be the reason i'm so drawn to grey clothing.  i love it.  it says "comfort" to me.  and you can wear it with pretty much every color under the sun. (or grey sky. haha)

it makes perfect sense then that these looks shown by Stella McCartney and Marc Jacobs bring me to a happy place.  you could stay simple as they were shown on the runway.  you could change up the looks entirely by wearing any one of a whole closet full of different shoes or boots. you could pile on gobs of chunky bracelets.  leopard print, camel or bright colored coat?  hello perfection.  and a handbag to suit whatever mood you may find yourself in that day.  we have ourselves here a lovely grey canvas to go self-expressionistically crazy on!  loves it.

photos:  dan & corina lecca

shoe-bee do

i'm back dolls!!!  long awaited week's vacation at the beach kept me from obsessing daily over all things stylish... so here i am, slightly more tan and rested, ready to rock it all over again...

as always, i massively over-packed.  it's now at a point where it's just flat out ridiculous, but try as i might, i can't seem to control it.  as i pack, i realize what's happening, but the winning part of my psyche just keeps saying "how do i know now what i will want to wear all week next week?  i need to have options"  then as i pack to come home, i laugh at how little i have actually worn. 

it goes across the board, but i'll use shoes as the example.  when in doubt, always use shoes.  anyhoo - i went to the beach in South Carolina.  days consist of beach and pool.  MAYBE a trip to the grocery store.  nights consist of big family dinners and sitting on the couch in a sun-daze till we all nod off to sleep.  why exactly i thought i would need TEN pairs of shoes to do that, i'm not sure.  but that is what i had.  i wore two pairs.  that's it.  will i learn from this?  sadly, it's highly unlikely.  i will probably pack ten pairs again next year.  maybe i'll shock myself and only pack nine.  however i do have a new justification for my over-packing.  my nieces now fit into my clothing AND my shoes.  my oldest niece paired these adorable Elizabeth and James shoes with her own romper - and i must say, if i had not so over-zealously shoe packed - how would this fabulous look have been pulled together?  clearly i have a responsibility to keep up my ridiculous habits!