Wanting: Sequins

My budget can probably only handle a sequin clutch, but... a girl can dream, can't she?

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Art School Teacher Wardrobe

I love this wardrobe that EZ posted on Creature Comforts.  Maybe I was meant to be an art school teacher?  I do love art...

Who is Fifi Lapin?

Have you heard of Fifi Lapin, "the world's most stylish bunny"?  Fifi is certainly the most fashionable animal - illustrated animal, nonetheless - that I have ever seen.  Take a look:

Fifi Lapin (lapin = "rabbit", for all you non-Frenchies) has been around for a couple years, with a blog and Etsy shop where you can buy print of the oh-so-chic bunny.  But with a new book about to be published, appearances in Vogue, AND even the main star of the Topshop show in Tokyo, Fifi is now very, very big:

(Literally).

I am so entranced by Fifi, because it's such a fun idea.  Fashion illustration used to style, rather than as a concept for my design, is my favorite. (Ruben Toledo for Nordstrom is another amazing example!)

Most intriguing of all... who IS Fifi Lapin?  Nobody knows. Well, maybe Vogue and Topshop do, but in the general public, the blogosphere... nothing. 

I kind of love it. 

Images courtesy of Fifi Lapin

Modest Wedding Dresses

I think it's refreshing that with the growing love of all things vintage (and all things "Mad Men") has come a return of the modest dress.  I'm a big fan of dresses with sleeves. 
I recently posted about my own wedding, and while I loved my dress, that might be the one thing I would have changed -  it was so difficult to find a fashionable wedding gown with sleeves that I bought a strapless dress and extra fabric and had the seamstress make sleeves.  I would have much preferred to just find a ready-to-wear dress, with set in sleeves.

Thankfully, I've seen a whole wealth of lovely, sleeved wedding dresses as of late, so I thought I'd share a few...

Snippet and Ink

JCrew Bridal

Abigail Wright Designs via Eliza Magazine

Grace Kelly dress, Maggie Sottero

"Queen Anne's Lace" by Claire Pettibone

Style Me Pretty

Look for Less

It all started with this Orla Kiely outfit:

I LOVE it.  The pattern mixed with the stripes, the layers, the leather bag and tights.  It's stylish without being pretentious or elite looking, with a bit of humor... everything I love.

Trouble is, I'm a thrifty kinda gal (read: cheap), and I don't have a few hundred bucks to drop on this outfit.  And it's hard to recreate, as no one does an Orla Kiely pattern like Orla Kiely and that is why we like them.

Still, I really want to recreate this layered, mixing of patterns look.  So I did my best to find some more wallet-friendly options. Which wasn't easy, people - I think I looked at every printed dress available for purchase on the entire Internet - and I'm still not sure I nailed it, but take a look:

We start with a great printed dress (or even a top with a black skirt or dark jeans could work):

 Yellow print dress    Go-Jane strapless dress  Urban Outfitters Ikat Dress 

 Grey Printed Dress   Floral tube top  Forever21 Grey Dress

If you are more modest like me, you can layer the strapless dresses or a solid color tee.  Then adding a second (or third layer), go for a striped cardigan:

Merona Striped Cardigan    PacSun Grey Striped Cardigan   Gap Blue Shawl Collar Cardigan

Add some solid (neutral) color tights, some platform shoes like these suede covered pumps from Charlotte Russe:

And a great leather-look shoulder bag:

Charlotte Russe bag                              Target Bag

And voila!

So what do you think? Ready to go fall shopping?

Fashion Friday

This post actually came about while I was doing my Wednesday Winks and I noticed nearly every link I marked was about fashion!  With the start of school fast approaching, I suppose it is time for a post on fall fashion (even though in sunny California it doesn't really become fall until Halloween).

I'm a bit schizophrenic when it comes to fashion, always trying to walk a fine line between unexpected bohemian and classic minimalism.  As opposed to summer - where I'm wearing the thinnest pants possible and resisting the urge to strip in public - the cool weather offers more opportunity to layer (read: more fashion choices), and more chances to experiment with color and texture.  Good thing, cause there are a lot of exciting new fall lines out (Hello Brochu Walker and Orla Kiely!).

Check it:

clockwise, from left:

Orla Kiely raincoat (via Black*Eiffel)

Brochu Walker (via Bliss)

Bhalo silk dress (via Greedy Girl)

Amy Butler Knits (!) (via sfgirlbybay)

Les Marquis des Anges "Claudine" blouse (via Etsy)

LWN.

Everyone wants to have the cool kid at school (or playgroup, or family reunion...). Either you already have kid(s), or you're one of those people who don't have kids but think, "If I were a parent, I'd be awesome. My kid would awesome. He'd be like Maddox + Kingston TIMES INFINITY."

Even people who fall into the "there's a reason the animal kingdom eat their young" category has a godson/niece/bestfriendfromhighschoool's kid who is the "IhatekidsbutthiskidisTHEcoolestkidever" kid.

All those cool kids gotta look cool, so thank heavens for House of Mongrels. Organic, eco-friendly playclothes with vintage-esque graphics like rockets and robots.

And if there's anything cool, it's rockets and robots. And House of Mongrel has plenty of both. Check more out on their website, or at Urban Baby Runway.

Your kids can thank me later.

2010 Costume Institute Gala!!

A few years ago I met a friend in New York for a girls trip. We were short on time, so we only made it to one museum - The Met. I enjoyed the collection, but more than that was walking up those steps. Those steps. Every year, the Costume Institute holds the holy grail of fashion galas. Pose after pose, dress after resplendent dress, all carried and modeled and walked along those steps at the Met.

Find pics of the glorious CI fashions here, here, or here.

Favorites (oh too many): Marion Cotillard, Maggie Gyllenhael, Emma Watson, SJP, JLo, Diane Kruger, and Brooke Shields (really). I also like Nicole Ritchie, though many did not.

Not so much: Tina Fey (sigh), Katy Perry, Kristen Stewart (double sigh), Vera Farmiga, Rosario Dawson, Donatella Versace (who is skeletal...ugh ugh ugh!)

image courtesy of Yahoo OMG

LWN.

Love. Want. Need.Diane von Furstenburg "Paulita" ruffled mini-skirt. Ooh la la.

I heavily debated whether to post about this skirt. In general, I'm not a fan of the mini. I have neither the legs, nor the inclination, to show so much skin (see my Shabby Apple post). But it was too gorgeous not to share.

When I talk about fashion as art, this is what I'm talking about people.

Insane fashion... and not in a good way

So, I admit that sweatpants are my best friend when I'm lounging on the couch, watching Project Runway, eating some Ben & Jerry's. Mmm...

But sweatpants at work? No. Or at a cocktail party? Unforgivable. And have you ever seen a garbage bag - yes, a garbage bag - used as a purse on a night out?

You will soon, apparently. A garbage bag made by Louis Vuitton, no less.

The Wall Street Journal just posted an article on the new "low-end" high price fashion that's become trendy. Among the must have items: "upscale" sweatpants made of high-end fabrics like cashmere, meant to be worn with heels. According to a Senior VP in Miami who purchased a few pairs of Alexander Wang sweatpants (price tag: around $110), the heels take it "to a whole new level." Hmm.

Of course, if Alexander Wang isn't your thing, you can always go for Michael Kors cashmere version, which sells for $995 (no, that's not a typo). The WSJ quotes top trend expert Sally Lohan as saying the sweatpants trend will take off: "We really balked at wearing leggings but eventually we all did—they were a good comfortable item to wear," she says. Um, speak for yourself Sally.

The trend just doesn't stop at sweatpants. The new "it" bag from Louis Vuitton this season is the "Raindrop Besace" - essentially a plastic bag attached to a strap. And sold for $1,960.

Read that again.

A plastic garbage bag. For nearly $2,000.

Unfortunately, Marc Jacobs isn't the only designer featuring trash as fashion. In January, punk icon Vivienne Westwood debuted her Fall 2010 menswear featuring "homeless chic", complete a cardboard box runway, and models sporting bedrolls and and shopping carts.

Now, I love fashion. Love love love fashion. I truly think, when done properly, it is an art form onto itself. It can also be a luxury. While I personally cannot afford a $2,000 bag or $250 Tshirt, I get why people who can (and can't) spend their hard-earned money on a beautiful, well-made bag in butter-soft leather, or a fabulous, flowy evening dress in the perfect color. It's gorgeous. You'll use it. It makes you happy.

Still, I've always had a bit of a guilt issue when it comes to high-end fashion. As much as I love it, should I really even think about spending hundreds of dollars on a bag or a dress when there are folks lined up at food banks around the country?

At the end of the day, for me, it all comes down to the artistic element. We may "need' that dress as much as we "need" a painting, but arguing that it’s useless or unnecessary is simply saying that art is not important at all. Which is obviously not the case, or the Louvre would not exist.

But there is also the matter of taste, and of responsible art. Marc Jacobs argues that people will buy anything Louis Vuitton makes just as long as it’s exclusive. Well, just because you can take a crap, wrap it in tin foil, put a couple of fishhooks on it and sell it as earrings… doesn’t mean you should.

What do you think? Is this just yet another ridiculous fashion trend in a long line of ridiculous trends (read: hammer pants), or have we as a society stooped to an entirely different level? Is it irresponsible to be “inspired” by the recession and the homeless to put garbage bags and sweats on the runway…only to sell them for thousands of dollars? Have we finally become "Derelicte!"?

Wall Street Journal Article via Yahoo Shine!
Sweatpant Image via Net-a-Porter

Vivienne Westwood Image via Times Online

One Dress, Three Ways

One day as I was perusing the wonderful world of online shopping, I came across Shabby Apple. I couldn't believe I hadn't heard of them before. Check out their mission:

"After years of not being able to find stylish dresses that covered enough skin to make you really feel comfortable (without wearing a tank top, cardigan or long slip), owners Emily and CK decided to do something about it. "

Love it, right? As a mom and woman turning (ahem) 30 this year, let me tell you, certain skin should just not be shown any m

ore. Consider it a public service. But that doesn't mean I don't want to be stylish and work the latest trends. Au contraire.

As usual, I couldn't pick just one, but their "Tuxedo" dress seemed to have it all: a little black dress that's casual enough for the weekend, cute enough for date night, and chic enough for work. Check out my suggestions for the three different looks below:

Weekend Casual

- Orla Kiely Multi Scribble Stem Print Super Maxi Sling Bag

- Chocolat Blu “Jillian” Sandals

- Sequin Metal Paillette Teardrop Hoop Earrings

Date Night

- Big Buddha "Mia" Purse in Fuchsia

- Betsey Johnson "Calandra" Pumps

- Juicy Couture Multi Flower Hoop Earrings

Work - Neutral Chic

- Olivia Harris Pop Out Convertible 22000 Purse in Blush

- Nine West "Ambitious" Pump in Natural White

- Kenneth Cole New York Circle Woven Chain Bracelet

The Color Issue!

As you can tell, I love color. And apparently, so does InStyle. Love this cover!

Besides the eye candy, it features a fantastic interview and spread with Gwen Stefani. The makeup, the hair, the styling... all on point. I highly recommend.

For more style tips from Gwen, you can check out the behind-the-scenes video here.

PS: Before I forget, check out Gwen's deep aubergine nails! It's Lippmann Collection "Dark Side of the Moon".