sir, yes SIR

the  danger of doing this blog is that it heightens my desire to acquire the items i blog about.  perfect examples are the Burberry skirt i cannot erase from my mind and that damned Balmain jacket. 
'member them?  i do.  and i do want them so.

there's this little thing called reality, and luckily it checks me.  not always - but it does at times.  so, in lieu of saying "eh whatever" to savings accounts, and purchasing said lust items, i'm doing the reality dance and looking for alternatives.  for the jacket at least...  as much as i adore the gorgeous original designs (and every now and then, esp with shoes - i crumble - but that's a story for a different day), this search for the "real world" option is one of my favorite things to do. here's one of the few i found on my ShopStyle quest.

i'm on the hunt i'm after youuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu.....

Jackets by Victoria's Secret

best tea ever and more

i am relatively certain i've gone on about how much i love the shop Liberty in London.  (and yes i do realize it's a bit of a theme here... and i do realize London FW is over.  but it's never really over is it?  the clothes are still here, oui?)  bit of an esoteric tangent there.

so - Liberty.  my favorite tea room anywhere, AND some of the best shopping this side of.... well, anywhere really.  now, as i am currently in NYC (the shopping here is not too shabby either - but that's another story for another day) and not in London, imagine how it tickled me when i remembered that Liberty is doing a little somethin' somethin' with Target.   it hits stores (and the glorious interwebs) March 14th - and along with a line of home goods (including a tea pot that i will certainly own) there are a few very cute pieces.  it's got a 60's / early 70's flair to it - i kind of adore the jumpsuit, and the dress and coat... and how can you not love a good Liberty print?

they're goin mental at Target with all of these collaborations.  after the Rodarte collab, i wasn't sure i could love again.   but along came Liberty...   

rain? what rain?

right.  two things.   one.  it often rains in London.  if you did not expect or prepare for this, and only brought stilettos, well then... that's just silly now, isn't it?  two.   are you seriously going to complain about it when you're IN LONDON AT FASHION WEEK??   honestly.

ray of sunshine in said rainy times? the Burberry Prorsum show.  GORGE.  lovely and amazing.  i'm still not even close to over my obsession with the skirt from Burberry's spring/summer collection.  not even close.  and now add this in the mix!?!?!  we've got ourselves what is teetering on an addiction.  i cannot even fathom how much i love the over the knee boots in the army green/brown.  and the dresses?  and the bandage sweater?  i feel a bit faint - pass the salts.  seriously.   gorgeous.   stuff.   and call me a broken record, but how fantastic is the cobalt coat?


don't try to make me go to rehab for this one.  (insert Amy Winehouse song here)  this addiction stays in the picture, thank you very much, good morning.

love is in the air

wedding invite... west hollywood... quite the to-do. what to wear? let's go with this, shall we? oh - and add a custom necklace made by a good friend of mine -- keep an eye out for a post on her new online store - coming soon!

i now pronounce myself dressed

a bit of lovely for your monday morn

the shows must go on.  the fashion shows i mean...  there was a moment of silence to mark the loss of Alexander McQueen at the start of London Fashion Week.  bittersweet.   but the shows must go on - with the hope that there will emerge a new talent to grab the reins.

London fashion particularly rocks my little world - i suppose in part because of my Brit blood - it gets all bubbly with excitement.  there's always a bit more of an edge to the collections out of London than anywhere else.  it's just what we do i suppose...

right then, that being said, Matthew Williamson is not one of the edgier designers, but for the love of God he is a good one.  these pieces are BEAUTS.  normally he is Sir Print A-Lot.  but i'm much more into to the gorge lines in the simpler pieces this time round.  while the cape is killer with the shock of cobalt,  the piece that really has me all dreamy is that drapey jacket over a long dress.  LOVE it. LOVE. 

yes please!

it's all happening

saturday morning clicking around the tv yielded one of my favorite movies -- almost famous. the combo of the acting and the music backing it up twists me up into a ball of emotion.  i did have a moment in time where i was a bit connected to a band - that might be part of it... but it's also so honest and raw - it hits a beautiful nerve in me.   OBVS i love the clothes...  knee high boots and minis - and this coat - oh this coat...  i am a sucker for the 70's rock and roll clothing. 

watching it this morning something struck me  -- the quote that rock and roll was dead, and was turning into an "industry of cool".  which it did, and is.  i think the same holds true of fashion -- the fashion shows, the whole exclusive echelon of who is who and wearing whom...  often it's not even about the clothing...  i don't care about who sat in the front row.  i don't care who went to the after party.  i care about the beautiful things that some of these people are making. 

kate moss is a real fashion icon for the very reason that she's a bit of a mess sometimes, and she wears whatever the hell she feels and it's phenomenal.   Penny Lane puts fashion in its place too - saying "when we go to Morocco we should wear completely different clothes and become completely different people".

keep it fun - keep it real - keep it honest - do it with all your stars out.  it's all happening.

dear Sandra...

you looked smashing in Alexander McQueen at the SAG awards.  and you won.  i'm rootin' for you to win the Oscar because, quite frankly, i adore you and you deserve it.  in light of the recent loss of Sir McQueen, how lovely would it be to rock his frock at the awards?  

just a thought...  perhaps one of these numbers here.  unless you have a custom design up your sleeve that you have not yet told us about...

stay fabulous,

love, the-e-stylist

style crush

how friggin cool and adorable does Erin Wasson look at her show? my answer is VERY. her collection was pretty cool as well -- would make sense coming from a girl who dresses like this -- but i just can't get past my little style crush here...

bang bang for your buck

if you are like me and enjoy the thrill of scoring a major find at a fraction of it's original price - and if you live in NYC - then it may be worth your while to scoot and scout the Barney's Warehouse Sale. it's quite the hullabaloo, but if you go in the right frame of mind you can walk out a very happy (and stylish) camper. one year i got my favorite pair of shoes EVER there. Manolo Blahnik sandals - 99 dollars. i lost these shoes 4 years ago and i still have not gotten over it. but that's neither here nor there - the point is - such are the joys that await you. prices are between 50-75% off - it's nothing to sneeze at! (timely seasonal reference, eh?)

the sale runs through next Friday - so the initial madness will have died down a teeny bit and you may not need to go all Monica Gellar whistle action in your endeavors. strap on yer boots and get in there kids!

Warehouse Sale is located at west 17th street (btwn 7th and 8th ave)

i am going on the Lam

just when i think i'm over fashion week - just when i think i have hit the wall - i find out how wrong i am - and how bendy my thresh-hold is when it comes to all things beautifully styled. now we know i'm a leather junkie. if you can make a beautiful piece of clothing out of leather - that just bends my noodle in the best possible way. and the leather in Derek Lam's collection knocked my cashmere socks off. LOVE. IT. and the hats? beyond. i went on a major fedora kick last year - and this has now reignited my flame. burn baby burn. there isn't much to say - these pieces are absolutely GORGE. it's a modern urban cowgirl dream. i am completely and utterly obsessed with that fringe belt, and the short sleeved leather jacket over the grey suede is so perfect i feel like i'm hallucinating. (as a side note, i have never in my life felt the need for thigh high boots more than i do at this moment...)

i am feeling a major fashion crush...

Photos: Marcio Madeira / FirstView.com

more more more!

for a complete listing of shows and pics of the entire collection from each show check out style.com it's a gold mine to see every piece from your favorite designer's collection. the best part is - it's online - so no pressure to even put on pants to peruse!! all the shows are perfect guides to use as inspiration for what to wear. no one wears head to toe designer. (and those who do, i would like to give them a little teeny slap - not to hurt, but for emphasis). take what you love from what the designers create and work it into a wardrobe that tells YOUR story. some of the collections that are a bit lovely - DVF (pictured), Marc Jacobs, Vena Cava, Preen, Prabal Gurung, BCBG, Zac Posen, Doo Ri.... there's no shortage!

once fashion week is over and the hub-bub has died down - let's play a little game. email me your favorite item of clothing or accessory that you own. the one you would die without. and we'll style it into a few outfits that could work in your life. we'll do three readers... first come first serve. starting this friday email deb@the-e-stylist.com and we'll get stylin.

mean time - check out the slideshows of the fashion shows. fun for a snow day!

i'm with the band

as you may have gathered, i'm a bit of freak for the bohemian thing... i am, at heart, a gypsy. along the way i have developed a bit of a taste for the finer things in life, but the heart wants what it wants. in the past couple of years, it's become wonderfully possible to pair those two parts of myself to create a whole. i'd like to personally thank all the celebs and "it" girls who made "boho" chic again, thereby making it easier to find this stuff!

the thing i love about Charlotte Ronson's collection is its "off duty 70's rock" vibe. it's not full on rock chic - it's a bit more laid back. as in "i'm with the band, but i'm just going out for a walk in the park". it's dead on. i LOVE the long skirts. i started a summery collection last year - but i'm diggin it for the cold weather after seeing this inspiration... paired with some boots and a belted jacket or sweater - yum. and the army jacket with the raspberry skirt is like a slap of gorgeous right in your face. the military thing has been making its rounds for a bit now, but pairing it with a crazy unexpected shock of color is NICE.

it's long, it's flowy, it's silky... it's bohemian rhapsody. yep - i said it...

she wore blue velvet

tis clear that velvet is a major thing going on in the fall collections. and i, for one, am loving it. velvet is absurd. in a good way. it makes anything ordinary suddenly feel luxurious. i remember one of the first things i bought with my own money as a "grown up" was a pair of black velvet jeans. i loved them to death. literally. i wore them until they became too natty to wear any longer. and i miss them to this day. lucky for me then, that it seems like i will easily be able to find a replacement come fall.

both Catherine Malandrino (top pics) and Alexander Wang (bottom) used a heavy hand with the velvet - but instead of going rather queenly with it, which is easy to do, they went goth. LOVE. maybe it's the part of me that still loves the Nirvana cheerleader girls. maybe it's the lingering love of my college roommate in philly... but i have a major weakness for the goth chick thing, and if you dress it up with a little luxury - baby you are dialing my number. i'm particularly obsessed with the blue velvet dress at Malandrino - the cobalt and black combo is friggin GORGE. (as a total aside - the leopard coat made me drool a little... and made me a little dizzy with lust...i confess) and the leather/velvet combo is something that little old me is certainly going to be working come fall... (it's somehow easy to think of fall clothes, with a snow storm going on outside.)

and Alexander, oh Alexander. my love for you grows. there isn't really a word to describe my reaction to the grey velvet - it falls somewhere between hysteria, lust and euphoria... hysterluphoria. there - now there is a word for it. it looks like a fall sky in paris. one that you can touch. toss in some black leather and lace, and we're good to go. HYSTERLUPHORIA. he hit it once again.

i'm looking out my window at the snow, and i'm desperate for warm weather to come - but now at least i feel a bit better about the chilly times...

we are better for having had you, sir

at the start of NY Fashion Week came the sad news that Alexander McQueen had ended his own life. this is always a terribly sad and shocking thing, obviously, but there is a weird eery depth to it when it is someone who is an artistic talent. it's like it leaves a gaping void in the landscape of beautiful things that can happen in the future.

as a Brit, there's not much that is more fantastic than being recognized by the Queen. it pretty much sums up your brilliance in your field, a big time "enough said", "say no more" cap on how amazing you are. Alexander McQueen had that honor, made a Commander of the British Empire for his contributions to fashion. he was a designer above and beyond. couture shows are art normally. his shows went to a whole different level - they were full on theatrical presentations. to say he was a creative genius somehow feels like an understatement. love it or hate it (some of them were so shocking it was hard to love) you felt awe at the presentations for the sheer impact of the intense artistic presence. he was costuming the world for the show playing in his mind.

his ready-to-wear clothes and accessories are also amazing, gorge, and utterly lust worthy. they feel like London to me - and i love that. he never designed to sell - he designed what he felt and where he came from. that is artistic creation in a nutshell.

hopefully he is at peace now - back here on earth, he will be missed.

HOW is it SATURDAY?@?@?@?@!!!!!!!!

sometimes time goes so fast that when it's gone i have whiplash. having that moment at this moment. this past week flew by - and i have not been writing and i have so many thoughts in my brain it's spinning!

i'm going today to the Chictopia conference. a pow-wow for style bloggers, designers, and emerging designers... i think it will be really fun and interesting - and i'll probs be yammering on about it next week. and of course, it is NY Fashion Week. so there are about 4.3 million shows going on. yeah - a lot. much to be blabbed about, images to peruse, thoughts of how to put it all together with what you already have in your closet... off the top of my brain Rag & Bone and Doo Ri are leading the pack - but i'm still mentally sorting and lord knows there is much more to come. including my current obsession Alexander Wang, who is showing today... you KNOW you'll be seeing that up here!

so dolls - collecting my thoughts, caffeinating to max capacity and then i'm back here blazing in glory. xoxo

question?

how much do i obsessively desire this little sweater vest top by Alexander Wang at Shopbop?

answer: supercalifragilisticexpealidoscious - ly much. like a lot.

vests are like a scarf for the body - they instantly make a t-shirt and jeans into something a bit more... and if you're feeling a bit saucy you can go with nothing underneath. (provided of course there is some sort of closure - i'm not promoting debauchery here people!) i seem to be creating a bit of a collection... not in a Chandler Bing sort of way - i'm feeling much more "i just stepped out of the 60's time machine door" with it... and i dig it man.

please don't

ok ladies - listen up. the NY Times told a frightening story of a new trend in Japan. there is lot of very cool street style in Japan. this is NOT cool. it makes me shiver in my boots. the Ageha girls are styling themselves to look like living dolls. i have to be frank - this is taking the whole infantilism fetish thing to a whole other level of creepy.

girls, ladies, anyone, everyone. you have beauty in YOU. please don't try and be someone else's fantasy ideal. you can dress up all you want - it is my favorite way to face any day. but dress up as a beautiful variation on
the theme of YOU. women are not toys. we are sexy beauiful humans. no doll parts required.

Chictopia 10 Summit this weekend!

The Social Influence Summit

For more information, visit:

http://www.chictopia.com/chictopia10

Chictopia10 Social Influence Summit is where global online taste makers meet executives from premium brands. This half day conference and cocktail party will be feature CEO presentations and high level discussions on which forces are most influential in online brand image. Ten of the rising stars in designers will also showcase exclusive products from their upcoming line.

WHO ATTENDS

Three hundred fashion bloggers, media, media buyers, designers, and brand executives will attend Chictopia10. One million impressions will be dedicated to videos from this conference on Chictopia. Bloggers attend Chictopia10 to identify opportunities to work with retailers and brands. Brands attend Chictopia10 to better understand how to work with the unstoppable force of social media.

TRENDS AND TOPICS

• Fashion blogging, is this a trend?
• How do fashion bloggers prefer to be approached by PR agencies and brand marketers.
• What is the upside in working with bloggers.
• Beyond blogging, what is the future?
• Why we value individual style.
• What is your brand’s social media index?
• What motivates me as an artist?
• Who is the next Rodarte?

SPEAKERS

• Helen Zhu, CEO, Chictopia
• Judy Aldridge, blogger, Atlantis Home
• Naomi Nevitt, New Media Specialist, former TeenVogue.com Fashion Blog Editor
• Susan Koger, Founder, ModCloth
• Danny Roberts, fashion artist, Igor and Andre
• Jess Lee, VP of Products, Polyvore
• Susie Lau, blogger, Style Bubble
• Liz Cherkasova, blogger, Playing with Fire
• Rebecca Stice, blogger, TheClothesHorse
• Michael Tennant, manager, Vice Magazine
• Dave Cook, Director of Marketing, TheFind
• Jennifer Wexler, Marketing Director of Botkier

ATTENDEES

• Jane Aldridge of Sea of Shoes
• Hannah and Landon Metz of Hannah and Landon
• Dulce of Dulce Candy
• Camille of Childhoodflames
• Representative from Gilt Groupe
• Representative from Revolve Clothing
• Representative from Buy Definition
• Editor from The Wall Street Journal
• Editor from Teen Vogue
• Editor from Nylon Magazine
• Editor from Vice
• Editor from The New Yorker

again with the grey love!

let us all tip our hats to the stylist who did the new JCrew lookbook for spring - notably the JCrew Collection (their limited edition line). it's adorable. big ups to the designers as well - a lot of the pieces are well gorge, and make me a bit lusty. it's the putting together of said items that gets my motor running though. (makes sense, tis why i myself am a stylist. i like putting things with other things to make a glorious whole picture) the spring collection is well worth a lookie-loo and a purchase or two...

and might i just mention that this grey suede jacket is making my head spin. right round baby right round.

bits and baubles

i am not sure why women love jewelry so much. it honestly is most likely the most simple answer. all things usually are. we never let go of the childhood quality of attraction to shiny objects. i, for one, am quite happy to have maintained my love for shiny things. jewelry can "be" a million things too. it can be a fun little thing you see at a street market in any city anywhere, it can be a wardrobe staple, and it can be an incredibly powerful talisman - a little physical link to a point in time on the map of your life. for me personally, to mark an intense moment in life, it's either a tattoo or a piece of jewelry. i feel a need to physically mark these moments - it makes me feel anchored - and i suppose i wear my decorations like the story of myself...

wow - ok, let's come down from there, shall we? let's move to the very practical idea that jewelry can make or break an outfit. a plain white tee and jeans can be brought up to SHA-BAM level with a strong necklace. little black dress can go from conservative (pearls) to bohemian (bangles piled up the wrist as far as you like), and hit every mark in between. and since it's right up top in plain view for all the world to see (as opposed to the glory of a shoe or a bag) it can shout out your style idea immediately. in short, jewelry is a wildly important part of a wardrobe. it helps seal the deal, if you will.

one of my favorite jewelry designers is Ippolita. my obsession began about 2 years ago - and i went on a little bit of a bender. i had just been "downsized" out of what i had believed was my career. i got a nice substantial severance, and i set aside a small chunk of this "blood money" for marking the occasion. with jewerly. (and 2 tattoos). thus began my fixation on Ippolita. it is everything i adore. the shapes are gorge - organic, wavy, sensual. and they throw in every possible amount of stone, so you can go from subtle sparkle to POW depending on your piece of choice. the silver and gold are both lovely - but i am in LOVE with the rose. it is the most amazing color ever - and sets of diamonds beautifully. i am currently attempting to work out a way to justify this necklace... and then to make things simple, if you are in the mode of hinting, they have kindly created a gift page full of delightful goodies.

and now for the best part. A) it's that time of year, that Valentine's day time of year. so you can either hint to another or be in love with yourself and splurge. and B) for the entire month of February - 50% of sales on Ippolita.com go to a relief effort for Haiti. and you KNOW how much i love that. shopping plus charity equals SUPERFANTASTIC. on a site like a friggin candy store of beautiful shiny things, it's nothing short of heaven.

grey day

this image of Jessica Alba has been posted on a few sites - and maybe it's all the grey in the Alexander Wang post, maybe it's the sky, maybe it's the flu, who knows. but i am wildly adoring the color combo here. i am a HUGE fan of grey - it's less harsh than black, but can still go either high fashion or rock and roll... it works in every season. it works with every color. it's pretty much the best neutral EVER... and this little neutral on neutral action is seriously rockin my world.

break out yer greys and tans ladies. it's ON.

WANG it!

first let me tell you how i've missed you my stylies. i am UNDER it with a flu that i hope is not swine. it's a doozer - of the "i can barely mentally function" variety. but i'm actually able to sit upright today so i am BACK bitches.

while on my back, i was able to read. and one of the things i read is that Alexander Wang's spring collection is now avails. of course this excited me, because as you know, i love me some Wang. pardon any entendre there, dirty birds!! clickity clack - i cruise the interwebs... and i came to the realization that my reaction to Alexander's things tends to fall into two categories. one: WOW that is amazing and gorge. two: i never knew i needed that until i saw it, and now i cannot live without it. i'm assuming that reaction number two is what makes him a super genius. the perfect example - i was blisteringly unaware that i MUST have an army green bag. now that i know - it's all i can think about.

there are apporoximately 8 bags that fell into category 2, and pretty much every single piece from the T line. and 3 dresses from the main line... and a couple of skirts... oy vey. it is probably a very good thing that i am under the weather and not able to go to Barneys and abuse my credit card at the moment.