boot up!

i'm borrowing from Barney Stinson here people.  as one of the best characters EVER on tv - one needs to quote when one can.  and since i don't really ever "suit up!" - let's doctor it to "suit me" (haha) better and say BOOT UP! 

we know it's winter.  the first official day.  we know i hate cold.  and i know you most likely do too.  in the constant battle to stay stylish in this bastard weather - one of the key players in any girl's army is the boot.  styles galore to suit (oh, i'm sorry) your every need.   some of my favored obsessions are pictured above.
what shoe story would be complete without some Louboutin?  how about these cute bootie devils, on sale no less, at Saks... or the black classic, wear forever shape courtesy of one of my nirvana spots - the shoe salon at   Bergdorfs.   in line with classic shapes, one of my go-to favorites is the Matilde boot by Loeffler Randall, i love this saddle color, but i have them in grey also and they go with EVERYTHING.  lest we get bored by the classics -- i know i tend to -- another gem mined from Barney's,  Fiorentini and Baker keeps the world a more interesting and happy place for me.  these pirate boots are a major presence in my winter world, as are their over the knee boots.  speaking of which, i posted about these babies from Sam Edelman a while back, but lo and behold they are on sale now at Bloomies, so i would be a very naughty e-stylist indeed if i did not remind you... and you do know Christmas is coming so i cannot risk that.  the right boot can make all the difference so venture forth and find what works and wear it with all your stars out!

ps - to look for simliar shapes in prices all over the map - check out ShopStyle.com

twinkle toes

maybe it's the holiday season - don't really know - but i seem to have sparkly things on the brain...  i've learned to just give in when these things happen, and roll with it.  the last few days (not shockingly) the mind has been locked firmly on footwear.  ah yes, the shoe.... and it's a fancy time of year, so why not wear a fancy type of shoe?  it's pretty much scientific logic really...  hardly a surprise, i'm drawn immediately to the blue Louboutins winking their twinkling eyes at me from Barneys...  damn my heart and its desires for the finer things!!!  but how happy would my feet be in these babies???   in a much less shocking to the system realm, these little golden Badgley Mischka darlings at Piperlime are doing their best to seduce me...  even a day as dreary as today is outside can be brightened up if you just look in the right direction - ie down at your twinkly toes!

shop and awe

summer is here, at last.  and because of the crazed timelines of the fashion industry, sales on summer merchandise are already beginning.  no complaints on that!  in the past i've wandered sales simply for the fun of it - and lord knows i've come away with some doozers.  some of my absolute fave closet dwellers were scored that way.  i won't stop the aimless wander - i just enjoy it - BUT i've decided that perhaps it's time to also incorporate some military precision strike tactics as well.   i can't claim all the credit on this idea.  wandering around aimlessly this weekend, enjoying the glorious heat and sun, bf and i did the drill, stop for an iced coffee here, pop into a newly opened chocolate shop there, and of course me being me, a few boutiques and shops.  (where, over the course of the weekend, i was treated to SEVERAL goodies to add to the summer wardrobe by the man.  love when that happens!)   anyhoo -- in one of said stops, Filene's Basement to be exact, i saw a rack of Missoni merch with a big ol' sign saying "additional 50% off!!"   you won't blame me for getting heart palpitations - right?!!?  i picked up a dress, held it up to me - and bf said "it's marked down extra - but it's still a couple hundred dollars for something you don't really need".   i kind of need to admit that he was spot on.  (if it were a pair of Louboutins, it might be a diff story - that's a collectors item thank you very much)  thus was born my 2010 sale shop concept.

Bergdorf's sale is starting this week. will i go?  YES.  will i buy?  only if it is on my list.  there are a few things i've been pining for - and if they are marked down, they may end up mine.  Barney's sale will be starting soon too - same rules apply.   when the further markdowns are made later in the summer - all bets may be off - but let's just wait and see, shall we?  let's live in the moment.  make a wish list.  keep it on hand - and shop the sales that way.  better to get a discount on something you've been lusting after (jury please see photo exhibit A)  than to end up with a closet full of things you never knew you needed, and therefor will never wear.  i believe in you stylies.  shop like no one's watching - do it like you mean it - but do it right and you'll have a closet full of gems to take you through the rest of your life!

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)

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.

close enough!

it's almost the 12 days of Christmas right? and it's the first day of Hanukkah so - it's holiday time. officially!

i was out shopping today in the mecca - the small radius of space that includes Barney's, Bergdorf's and Bendels. remarkably it was not so crowded that i felt the need to pull out my invisible uzi gun. i was shopping for a client, not for myself i might add. but i was reminded of the insane lure of holiday shopping. they just make it so EASY. starting on the main floors of the shops, there are tables of goodies and delights, for relatively small prices, that make you think "so and so would LOVE that". even if you haven't spoken to so and so for a year. these people, they're good. they lure you in. but you know what? it's a good lure. because what isn't nice about giving a nice little bit or bob to someone you care about - even if it was Bergdorf's that gave you the idea?

share the love this holiday. in whatever form. this little Dogeared necklace made me happy with the idea you give someone 100 wishes. we could all use a little wish now and then...

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!

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!

morning coffee obsession

ok, so it took me 2 cups to even get to the point of writing. but i have been thinking. in fact, since i saw this jacket in Barney's, i have not stopped thinking. i know that i have been on a bit of a leather kick, and indeed a leather jacket kick. this one however, knocked my little socks off. one of my favorite things in life is a cardi. it equals comfort plus warmth. my recent fave cardis are of the wrap-y and drapey variety. you can tie them, belt them, let 'em hang. sky is the limit with those things. but i digress... i was wandering Barney's co-op floor - aimlessly. i had purchased boots so now i was just looking at pretty things. and BAZINGA - this popped up in front of me. a wrap-y drape-y cardigan style leather jacket that PRPS seems to have made just for me. for the love of mike... i am using much willpower not to purchase... i try to distract myself with shiny objects to stop thinking of it... sigh. perhaps the sale gods will be on my side and suddenly there will be a massive reduction and there will be no reason that i should not immediately run out and incorporate this jacket into my daily existence... and in case Barney's is out of them (they only have it in store - not on their site) my resourceful side has located it at ShopBop as well. you know, just in case...

stack-tastic!

stack is back! (cue the AC/DC music)...

it's been a while since i have mused upon the stacking of jewelry... and last night i glanced down and saw my first little stack that i ever created. right there on my right hand. awwww. this stack all began with a ring from Tiffany (the silver with diamond) that my mom gave me for my 30th birthday. i love this ring - for reasons sentimental and aesthetic. but it felt alone on my finger, and so at that age of 30 i struck out in search of stacking materials.... and over the years i have gathered a nice little stack that is still near and dear to my heart. i feel totes naked without these rings on me every day. i'd rather leave the house in my bathrobe, as long as i have the rings!

the bottom gold ring is from Fragments, but sadly they do not seem to carry them any more. it was my first venture into rose gold and i love it. the next 2 are Tiffany rings. enough said, right? and the top 3 are my newest little babies from Jennifer Meyer. these little things are so sweet and delicate and pretty, you can't help but fall in love with them. i want to collect more of them with different stones. i bought one of the rings at Barney's, and the rest of the pieces (she also does earrings and bangles in this style - and i have the teenie hoops in my ears every day as well)... from Roseark in LA. they have an amazing sales associate named Brooke, who is beyond helpful and friendly. she did some hunting for me to find exactly what i wanted. i heart Brooke.

stack on, stack happy, stack and roll, stack attack.... you get the idea. stack my stylies!!!!

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...