fringe benefits

tis a previously posted fact that i am in love with my JJ Winters fringe bag.  i put it away for the freezing winter and have recently put it back into rotation full swing for the nice weather months. these little boho babies seem to be popping up EVERYWHERE now - and i'm feeling the pull of temptation to add a little more fringe into the mix!  wearing fringe just feels good, it swishes as you walk and it just makes you feel a little bit more sass in every step.  LOVE it..  you can run the gamut on what you spend.  in the interest of fiscal responsibility, i will skip the lovely fringed bags by Jimmy Choo and Givenchy.  there's a fantastic mid-range with from JJ Winters, Charlie My Love and Susan Farber.  AND you can also go the route of the super cute bag my niece got at H&M, or this cute Forever21 bag... get swingin' dolls!

big bangle theory

it is a scientifically proven fact that i am a huge fan of jewelry. i am a fan of layering it on, numerous pieces at once. for some reason it seems most apparent on the wrist. i am a pile-r of bracelets. the more the merrier. the size and style of bracelet varies according to mood, with several pieces that never come off. lately i am feeling drawn back to the bangle... let's call it the big bangle theory... one will not do. two works, three is usually the charm. they clunk around when you move and it is oddly satisfying and comforting. and it looks great too.

i have a happy little collection of bangles (and then sadly some that i gave away throughout the years in fits of cleaning the closet) but it is always fun to add more - and of course always fun to see what is out there...

a few that are top runners in the current obsession category...

this lucite lovely from Alexis Bittar (and as mentioned yesterday - until 1/22 100% of sales go to charity for Haiti!!). i have a couple of the plain lucite bangles and they are light as air, and have a crazy pretty glow to them. LOVE.

last weekend my lovely bf treated me to an amazing steak dinner and a gorgeous necklace from Tiffany. that's just a happy prelude... in the same collection by Paloma Picasso , there are these amazing bangles that do this crazy trick where the etched design changes in the light. cool AND gorgeous. also at Tiffany, these gorgeous Elsa Peretti hardwood bangles lacquered in a variety of colors. simple but beautiful - and beyond satisfying in the clickety clack factor on the wrist!

if you're feeling a little more like a rocker this little number by CC Skye could make its way into the mix...

and on the down low - of the price scale, that is - there is quite the amazing collection at Forever21. some really cute on-point bangles at ridiculously low prices. definitely worth checking out to flesh out any collection of clink-y delights!

artfully draped

i am a fan of draping in clothing. it is a beautiful trick that makes clothing look fluid even when standing still. when done right - it can be staggeringly gorgeous. however -- not always easy to pull off. i find it's best to choose wisely. for example, the draped blouse invariably ends up either falling off a shoulder (not in the sexy flash dance way) or exposing a boob. not a desirable outcome in the average social situation. it's nearly impossible to keep it from flailing around you - and it just makes a lady fidget. fidgeting is not attractive. it makes one appear as if one might need to go have one's demons dealt with in a quiet medicinal setting.

and so i say HAZZAH! to this lovely draped skirt from Burberry Prorsum. beauty. pure and simple. and nothing to flail around and expose, as it's all neatly contained within itself. LOVES it. and it can be styled any which way from over-the-top glam with sequins and heels, all the way down to a tank top or tee and flat sandals. the possibilities are both limitless and gorgeous. ergo - it's a perfect piece of clothing. i just love it when that happens!

(as a less pricey option - the ever on-the-mark trend spotters at Love21 by Forever21 offer up a similar skirt)