I work in an industry where people are praised for being batshit crazy, where they’re not encouraged but plainly expected to have their own unique out of the box ideas to survive, where bold subtle dark light high low feminine masculine androgynous delicate rugged minimal and overwhleming all intertwine into labors of birthed love, where thoughts emotions landscapes dreams and the breathing taking unexplainable come alive…ah yes, it’s fashion
Every once in a while I dig through my closet and am reminded I need to actually wear some of the things I’ve forgotten I tucked away…hey some call it hoarding, I call it collecting. Have you ever convinced yourself yes, I am absolutely going to wear this single item and I WILL revolve an outfit around it! If you said no I’m sorry I think you’re lying, but here’s my problem, ever done it with a necklace? I found this amazing Alexis Bittar necklace my friend gave me a few months ago and realized I hadn’t worn it yet, which to me felt like a serious crime I’d let it go neglected this long. So I swore to myself I would wear it and I am right this very moment. I woke up this morning though in a completely flog clearly due to a combination of not enough sleep and not enough coffee. I am not entirely sure that the rest of my outfit makes any sense whatsoever, actually it’s pretty basic aside from the necklace. I hate that word, basic, it sounds like boring. Today may have been a failed attempt so expect more promising solutions to come from this necklace. I think I’m going to just have to sum today up with one of my favorite positive quotes,” No bird soars too high that flys with it’s own wings.” I’m unsure yet if the verdict is that I’m guilty of basic or whether it really is just enough on it’s own….tough one to judge.
Sometimes when you feel lost the best way to find your way is to rid of the old and let in the new. Being in such a rut meant one thing only…moving on from some of the things in my closet. Go ahead, give yourself a moment to grieve. Sigh. Don’t you every once in a while just wake up and say yourself, “I never wear this!”, “Why did I buy this?”, or the all dreaded, “What was I thinking?” Although I never took it quite that far I did realize that some things in my closet I either bought for the wrong reasons or that they’ve totally had their fair share of time to shine. Blessed be consignment shops and websites where new and gently used merchandise means you can set yourself up to either exchange for something new, put some money in the bank, or save for a new splurge. So alas although these beauties were loved dearly by me they’ve moved on to be adored by someone new who’ll appreciate them and make them feel brand new.
Oh I am oh so very spoiled! A very dear friend of mine had these boots which I completely gushed over when I saw them go down the runway. Jealous much? Absofreakinlutley. When she made a vow to her very pained feet from wearing heels for so many years and because these boots particularly may exceed even 6 inches ( the pictures do not do them justice) she so very very very kindly passed them on to me. She knew I would love the hell out of them and love the hell out of them I did. I am so in love with these Burberry boots that I wore them into a little bit of trouble. Since the bottom of the shoes are so large and heavy they started to separate from the top starting at the heel if you can imagine that…yikes! To revive them I gave them a much deserved vacation and some rest and relaxation. Thankfully a very handy shoe repair man (aka every woman’s like best friend and necessity in life) they are back from the spa and ready to join the group again and party on. Reunited and it feels so good….
“The stars are the jewels of the night, and perchance surpass anything which
day has to show.”- Henry David Thoreau
What do you think about when you think of stars? Being the fashion obsessed person that I am I see Chanel, and Yves Saint Laurent, and Dolce & Gabbana to name just a few. They all had collections that stick out in my head any time I see a star printed …well anything really. I’ll never forget when I saw one of the Chanel star printed dresses from off the runway and how I drooled over it. Don’t worry, not on it. Then a few months later when I saw it in a store I had to try it on. I stood in the mirror in awe viewing how the abundance of fabric swept the floor due to my petite frame. Buy it? I would have to hem at least two feet off of it and the thought of cutting Chanel seemed like a bigger crime then trying to run out of the store wearing it. I could at least be some crazy Chanel fanatic in the newspapers who claimed, “I just HAD to have it. It’s so stunning, certainly you must understand!.” Cut Chanel? How would I explain THAT to Karl? Preposterous! Alas it unfortunately was not meant to be in this case. Instead I found a cute “vintage” version online and thought that would be the end of the big star search for me. I say “vintage” because I found it on ebay and there didn’t seem much to be vintage about it but whatever. Just when I thought my obsession may have subsided I found something I thought was even more out of reach than that dress… the Yves Saint Laurent star shoes…in black (they also came in gold, or multicolored)….in my size….on sale. Impossible? Apparently not thanks to a fellow crazy fashion hunter friend of mine who tipped me off about them being the last pair she could have a friend set aside for me. (Thank you again!!) I had tried them on once before and was enamored by the incredible details. Cut out stars on straps that criss cross over your foot and around the heel of the shoe, a metal plate at the arch of the foot for maximum sexy exposure and white foot prints where your toes line up with the sketch. A serious work of art…. and now they were mine. It was like the stars aligned and all was right again in the world.
Another voyage among the stars? I’ve been considered adding one of the Dolce & Gabbana star bags to my galaxy or black hole ( aka my closet) however you prefer it……thoughts?
Have you ever had one of those mornings where you wake up and think to yourself …internal monologue,” I can’t deal with today, I should go back to bed. Why am I awake right now? It looks like there’s a tornado outside….yes that sounds like a valid excuse, screw this.” …oooor something like that? Pleeease don’t even try to tell me you wake up like Cinderella everyday with perfect hair and the birds are chirping and little mice are running around singing songs and prepping your garments for you….which if you have little mice running around you should consider calling an exterminator and if they’re singing maybe you should lay off the booze/drugs/ hallucinogens- and go see a doctor…or call the Guinness Book of World records or something. Anyway today was absolutely one of those days where I rolled out of bed and needed to just face the music that was booming from my alarm clock, throw it against a wall and get on with it.
Next thought: JEANS. So necessary when running late/in a bad mood/overtired/ and easy to pull out of the dirty laundry. Today however these came fresh from my closet and yep even put a smile on my face. I’ve talked about how denim particularly for some reason ( maybe because they’re usually one of the most worn, longest lasting items in most people’s closets) can make you so nostalgic about the good times you’ve had wearing them. This pair particularly involves a funny story involving the Gansevoort Hotel roof bar, a very handsome football player (don’t sweat it- not going to name you…for now ..haha), and falling asleep in a taxi- and no it doesn’t include anything racy so get your minds out the dirty laundry I won’t be airing out here. Naughty. Sooo like I was saying…. it was refreshing to find these jeans tucked under all the others I wear more frequently and have a laugh when I put them on. A soft shirt, some boots, and one of my bags I’ve used so much that it actually has holes on the top….or was it the mice? …hmmm…another nostalgic clothing moment, they’re a great way to start the day. I guess today won’t be so bad.
Now that it seems to have officially cooled off I’ve been able to introduce leather back into my wardrobe. -And all was right again with the world.- Okay truth be told I may have snuck in these leather shorts a few cool summer nights but it was for the most part a pretty incredibly hot summer so it was a bit of a rarity. The other issue is that I like to pair my leather with more leather….and I didn’t even add in my leather jacket and leather purse in this post! The one piece here that I’ve desperately been waiting to let loose from my closet though would absolutely have to be my Fendi leather bustier. When I saw this piece go down the runway over blouses and beautifully fitted dresses I knew the possibilities (should it ever make it’s way in my wardrobe) would be endless. Over button down shirts as pictures below, not just fitted but flowing loose dresses, even t-shirts, it would instantly add chic badass go ahead and stare yes I’m wearing a leather bustier appeal. Swoon. I don’t even know how I got lucky enough to find one I could purchase but I am ever so grateful I did. Here’s the introduction with some more to come…
In a previous post I showed you this top and purse that I find during some of my vintage adventures. While considering how I could possibly pair them together I came across this T by Alexander Wang dress that looked like it would seriously tie the two together in a beautiful and unexpected way. I definitely will be wearing this to one of the holiday parties I have coming up! So as promised see how it all came together…..
Top & purse- vintage, dress- T by Alexander Wang
A sleekly tailored dress can easily take you from day to night and on a Friday it’s basically fool proof. It’s no wonder why Alexander Wang has established such a loyal cult following (I’m a member. No I didn’t start some weird fan club where we send you buttons you can put on your denim jacket, okay maybe I did…no really I didn’t, but I’m sure there’s someone out there whom has) because many of his clothes seriously are so transitional and fun you just get hooked. With some flat buckle boots and a leather jacket or black blazer I can run around in this dress during the day (and as the look below) at night lose the jacket so you can see the cutout back, whack on some heels, and heck unbutton a few buttons ( hello fellas). One of my favorite parts about this dress is the corset- like affect. Most shirt dresses are billowy and require a belt to cinch the waist…not this one. It’s like basically any woman who puts this dress on is going to feel automatically hourglass shaped and sexy- truly its THAT good, so you’ll WANT to go ahead and unbutton a few of those buttons later to sass it up some more because you’ll still look polished. No need here to worry about finding that damn belt, thank goodness, one less think to have to think about today.
Dress- Alexander Wang, Booties- Gucci, Clutch- Kenneth Cole, Jewelry- all vintage
