Tragedy Strikes Paris Hilton!

I know, I know. Paris Hilton is about as relevant as scrunchies. But I couldn't resist this tragedy in the form of yards and yards and yards and yards of denim...

That's not hot. It's the definition of dirty denim. And it's in fact so bad that it almost makes me miss slutty, Stoli-drenched, heroin-chic Paris.

Damn You, 'The Hills' Girls!

Like you, I am probably way too old to watch The Hills, and I'm certainly too old to relate to them. But I accept the fact that fashionwise, it's Sex and the City Lite. Unlike SATC, however, I would actually wear some of the casual-cute stuff the girls wear, and I can actually afford some of the stuff too. To be clear, I condone these pieces regardless of the fact/ despite that, not because, they've been worn by The Hills girls.

A few examples:
Damn you, Lauren Conrad! Here you are at the MTV Upfronts in a PEACOCK dress, WHEN YOU KNOW peacocks are my thing solely and exclusively!

($385, Elizabeth and James, Shopbop)

And it actually looks cuter on Lauren than this chick.




The red carpet dress Whitney Port wore to the season finale of The Hills is apparently one of her own "Eve & A" designs. There's something super glam and '80s, in like a Robert Palmer girl/ Dynasty-but-refined sort of way.

Speaking of Whitney's clothing line, here's a snap from the upcoming collection:
The 20-piece "Eve & A" collection launches this fall. And by the way, in case you were wondering, Whitney's dad is Jeff Port, who owns the apparel company Swarm, which manufactures a young men's line called Shades of Gray, so it looks like she already has some exposure to the biz.


Granted, Audrina's matriarchs never passed down to her the "no-white-bra-with-darks" rule of womanhood, nor the "thou shalt not matchy-match" rule, but I love the shoes:

($175, Kenneth Cole)

Appropriately enough, they're called "Hill Top."

($89, Kenneth Cole)

Another cute Audrina pick... again, one I like regardless of the fact that a Hills chick has toted it around to Le Deux. Actually, this is probably WAY not fance enough for Le Deux, but it is perfect for Urth Cafe, no?

($79, Torn by Ronny Kobo, Intermix)

Lauren likes this one, and it's cute, but not as cute as its striped sister:

($85, Torn by Ronny Kobo, Intermix)

Hee! Check out the snake around the anchor! And check out the designer: she's like just a few injections away from being the next Lisa Rinna.

Pony Necklace: A Tribute to Thumbelina, World's Small Horse

Real quick last post of the day...

I saw Thumbelina this weekend -- the world's wee-est horse! She's only 60 pounds and apparently likes to sleep -- probably because she had kids (um, and grown-ups... guilty) gaping, hemming and hawing at her all day on Saturday, when I saw her at the Natural History Museum's opening day celebration of their new exhibit, The Horse."

Apparently she travels around in the "Thumby-mobile," visiting sick kids and melting hearts in her wake with her freakishly adorable teensy stature. She's only about a foot high! Eeee!

Sadly, I didn't get to see her for long, because I was surrounded by pushy children and even pushier prototypical New Yorky parents, and I felt bad for her (the horse, that is), so I snapped the above pic and scurried away, but her sweet, sleeping mini-horseness will live on in my heart forever.

To commemorate her, check out this horse necklace:

($34, Frozen Peas, CandyStoreCollective.com)

Sweet, and cute, like Thumby herself. Won't somebody think of the kids -- i.e. me -- and get me this? Please? I barely even got to see Thumbelina!!!


... More cute stuff:

($40, Pony Attack, LittlePaperPlanes.com)

By the awesomely-named San Diego duo Pony Attack.

($24, Caitlin Keegan, LittlePaperPlanes.com)

The rare piece of non-wearable art -- "Horse Lady," by Caitlin Keegan. I like to think of it as "Me + Thumby = TLAAF!"

And, sorry to OT for a second, but I also love this one:

($24, Caitlin Keegan, LittlePaperPlanes.com)

Peacocks! My second-fave! (Don't worry, Thumby! You'll always be first!)

My New Aoyama Itchome Dress!

It's Wedding S/S '08 season -- I have at least four between next weekend and October. I say "at least" because you never know who's gonna pull the trigger at the last minute, be it a shotgun wedding (helllloooooo Ashlee Simpson!) or one of those "fuck-it-let's-do-it-now" joints. So, of course, I needed a new dress to wear on this season's circuit.

Target: Atlantic Avenue and points south.

Budget: Under $200. Preferably well under that, but sometimes it ends up being worth it to spend more money and less time/ sanity. Although, ONE dress for $200 around Atlantic Ave. is no easy feat...

BUT...

I'd stopped into Aoyama Itchome a few weeks after it opened on Atlantic Avenue. Aoyama Itchome, by the way, is named for named for Japanese designer Hogo Natsuwa, who resides in Paris, and started Aoyama Itchome in 2001.

Honestly, I liked a lot of the dresses, but I wasn't into all of the pretty-peasant-style flowy dresses, painted silks and and other frocks in a variety of worry-doll wovens.

But I stopped by again today, and I walked out with this pretty, forgiving, flattering, and 'fordable frock:

($155, Aoyama Itchome)

Purdy, right? And in case you're interested, you can't shop the store online, but you can stop by: at 296 Atlantic Ave.

Now... shoes: I might get some pretty purple heels, or these, which I blogged about before:

($104, Pura Lopez, Amazon)

Si? Are the studs too much? I kinda think they'ze just right.

+ More Aoyama Itchome pretties:

(Aoyama Itchome, Noisette)

Sold out! BOOOO!

($60, Aoyama Itchome, Noisette)
Best! Wintery!

($108, Aoyama Itchome, CandyStoreCollective.com)

Such pretty fall colors.

($108, Aoyama Itchome, Aqui-Nobhill.com)

Purdy. Would be even cuter with some tights and flats, and not Mom Jeans.

($79, Aoyama Itchome, eBay)

Love the bib front. Git it, girl!

Shoes I Want to Get... And Shoes I Just Don't Get

As usual, a post with barely any cohesive thread, except for shoes that fall under the two dichotomous categories of stuff I like and don't like.

($136, F-Troupe, Creatures of Comfort)

Ughhhhh. More creature than comfort.

($115, Slow And Steady Wins the Race, Creatures of Comfort)

Riiiight. We get it. You're a ballet flat. And not a plastic bag.

($180, Angeli Inquieti, Zappos)

Less really is so much more.

($104, Pura Lopez, Amazon)

These studded heels, however, are almost perfect. If only they were a little taller.

($206, Modern Vintage, Zappos)

I need these bad I can taste it.

(Apprx $498 USD, Finsk, The Shop Floor Project)

By award-winning Finnish designer Julia Lundsten. Stunning, especially in cream. I like the space-agey-meets-earthy vibe too.

($95, Gabriella Rocha Studio, Zappos)

I need a pair of gold heels for my Weddings S/S '08 dress, and I like the cracked leather, but I don't know if I'm feeling the heeling.

($48, Nina, Lulu's)

Cute just 'cuz.

($195, Jeffrey Campbell, Urban Outfitters)

I've been dreaming of these laser-cut Jeffrey Campbell boots for weeks now, but something keeps holding me back... oh yeah... credit card debt. Wurst.

Oh yeah... hearkening all the way back to last Saturday's post, in which I highlighted my exciting recent purchase of Steve Madden Skiip laser-cut white Oxfords... I found these, which are similar, in case you wanted something a bit higher-end and more expensive:

($136, F-Troupe, Creatures of Comfort)

However, they're practically giving away the Steve Madden ones. Just sayin'!

What's Up, Preppy? Or: Why the Hull Am I Pining For Boat Shoes?

I never grew up wealthy or preppy (oh but how I am SO both now!) but back in the day, when I was a kid in Cleveland, my middle-middle-class family managed to have a small power boat. A boat, in Cleveland, of all places. I used to hate going for rides on it -- all that choppy rocking, the frizz-inducing mist, peeing in a scary toilet that didn't flush. All that shit freaked me out. Then the Bush I recession hit (like father, like son), and we got rid of the boat -- ironically enough -- before we moved to boat-friendly Florida and then Virginia. Now that I am old enough to appreciate the things I didn't appreciate when I was little, I realize how nice it'd be to have nautical access, if only just for the outfits and cocktails. Maybe that's why I, like Fashionista, am sort of currently into the idea of boat shoes for summer footwear. Eek!

($69, Sperry, Zappos)

The absolute classics. Sure, they get sorta gnarly when you wear them all summer with no socks, but that's sort of the appeal. And they look cool when they've faded and get shiny and worn.

($69, Sperry, Amazon)

I don't think I could pull them off, but I like them in white too. Especially for dudes.

($45, Vans, Karmaloop)

Vans has, for some reason, gone prepster too with their take on boat shoes -- and a nice, femmey take, it is too. I'm sure somewhere, some dude in a ratty Vision tee, clinging to his Kurt Cobain haircut, is gently weeping.

More preppy footwear I'm feeling:

($43, Minnetonka, Buddysmoccasins.com)

In January, I used my awesome powers of prescience to predict that mocs would be on the move this spring. And I THINK I WAS RIGHT! Why? Um, because it's SPRING and I'm about to BUY these!

($58, Tretorn, Amazon)($59, Tretorn, Amazon)

I had a pair of Tretorns back in the day, and I recall that they were the most phenomenally soft, comf sneaks ever. I may need another pair.

($48, Sanuk, Swell)

Ah the surf-prep look. I like these, at the risk of being mistaken for an extra in a Jack Johnson video.

UPDATE: Oh hai! It's MK, all up in ur preppy post! I wanted to add that I am kinda pretty really into these bitches:



Vans boat shoes, $45.50, in HOT PINK. And that is why I like 'em, peeps. Hot pink shoes kinda go with everything! Yay!

20% off Sale Shiz at J. Crew

Go now, they don't lie. The stuff, it goes quick! Here's what I snagged:





Cherry-print halter bikini, $16 total. One can't go on vacation without buying a new swimsuit, right? Even if one is deathly afraid of jellyfish and might not actually submerge in the ocean? I thought so.



"Franky" silk cami in lots of gorgeous juicy colors, $23.99.



Python-print silk tank, $15.99. I think this might scratch my snakeskin itch, for now.

And for now, that's all she wrote!

Cute Spring Things + Rogan For Target

Springy things you should buy... some of which I have bought!

($115, Casch Copenhagen, ActiveEndeavors.com)

Sporty but femme but not SUPER boring either. Wee!

($69, Shoes for Lovely People, Modcloth.com)

If these Shoes For Lovely People flats from my beloved Mod Cloth aren't the absolute embodiment of spring, then I certain just do not know what is.

($34, Steve Madden)

Bought these Steve Madden "Skiip" cut out flats on super sale in-store the other day. Also got them in black. Since I'm vehemently opposed to flip-flops and most sandals, these will make a great alternative and a nice change of pace to when I get temporarily sick of ballet flats.

($40, Stila, Sephora)

True, the topic is SPRING products, and this is Stila's Summer Eye Shadow Palette, but I can't help getting ahead of myself when faced with the "Sun" shade -- the peachy one at the far right. NEED!!!

($11, I'm Your Present, Etsy)

Girlie-kitsch Etsy seller I'm Your Present always has the raddest shit ever, like these vintage unicorn earrings. And if they're all sold out, it's because I just bought this pair from her the other week, and they're even better in real life. So, sorry suckahs! But do check out her other stuff too.

($44.99, Rogan for Target)

Ooh, so I went to the Rogan for Target media event at Barney's the other night. Like the collaboration itself, it was... weird. I mean... it's Target stuff... at Barney's... (more on that weirdness at WWD), and aside from the few animal graphic t-shirts that looked like H&M fare
and other animal print stuff that I didn't love, there were some good, basic safari-style pieces, and some simple yet sophisticated bits, like the plaid linen jumper above. I didn't get that, but I did get the plaid linen top:

($26, Rogan for Target)

Oh, and I saw Gregory Rogan at the event. He was cute. Fashionindie has an interview with him. And I saw Waris Ahluwalia and Simon Doonan, who could fit in the above model's pocket. And Diane Kruger, who's very goddesslike, if she's your idea of a goddess. Some other famous, skinny, and famous and skinny people who I didn't recognize were there too.

The eco-friendly collection hits almost all Target stores May 18. Go stock up on the loose, highly layerable tanks, like so:

Beauty Binge: Natural Products Worldwide Lipgloss Pots, Cargo Plant Love & Jane Iredale

Packaging Whore. That should be the name of my next blog. Because I am one. A packaging whore.

Just take a second to consider whether you can even deal with the cuteness of Natural Products Worldwide's (a British gift and design firm) Naughty But Nice little pastried-up lipgloss pots. Just TRY to see if you can handle. Moving right along...

(Apprx $3.80 USD, npw.co.uk)

(Apprx $15 USD, npw.co.uk)

My awesomely thoughtful friend Elinor brought me this little four-pack from her trip to London earlier this year. While usually, novelty beauty products are heavier on the novelty, lighter on the beauty, these l'il guys -- the cream tart in particular, actually moisturize like champs. Sweet!

($20, Cargo, Sephora)

These super cuters Cargo "Plant Love" lipsticks aren't exactly new to market, but they -- and they're irresistible packaging -- are new to me. They're made from all sorts of... green... stuff (green is the new black!) like corn. Six of the shades were designed by celebritayze -- I like Mariska Hargitay's and Evagenline Lily's -- though I like the non-celeb shades best. (And the celebs are super random -- Kim Raver, Denise Richards, Sarah Chalke and Lindsay Lohan... um, probably at least three of them have slept with Charlie Sheen, but at least they've all got fame in common?) Best of all, $2 from each shade goes to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.


Finally...

($24, Jane Iredale)

See, I'm not JUST into the kiddie packaging -- Jane Iredale's Sugar & Butter Lip Exfoliator is totally sophisticado in its dual-sided ingenuity and pretty gold patina, and the product is superb. The brown sugar exfoliator works well, but the ginger and mint plumper is light, lush and lovely and leaves your lips unbelievably soft and smooth. Huzzah! And if you're not into the exfoliator (it does leave a few trace grains of sugar, but that was also because I was practically chewing it off its stick with sugary excitement), check out the regular lip plumper. It tingles but doesn't sting. Huzzah!

Sorry, But I Like Nicole Richie's Airplane Dress!

Tearing a virtual page from Vain and Vapid's Nicole Richie Chanel airplane dress post to do one of my own. (More pix here.) While I agree with many of the commenters' spot-on assessment that yes, the dress indeed looks like it was fashioned from pediatric scrubs, I think it's adorbsly fun in an '80s way.

Some more sophisticated takes from the same era of fun-tacky:

($396, Alice + Olivia, Shopbop)

Ridiculous, and I love it. The best way to do '80s -- one big-ass statement piece.

($194, Charlotte Ronson, Shopbop)

Love the graphic print over the silky stripes.


I just watched Wall Street, and I would very much like a wardrobe that resembles the art of Gordon Gecko's home and the furniture Bud Fox's second apartment. Minus the greed. Plus the cash. Minus the imprisonment.

Springy Outfit I Wish I Were Wearing

In my mind, I am wearing this fantasy outfit...

($119, Supersocial, Pixiemarket.com)

I keep seeing denim and chambray EV-ER-Y-where. This is super cuters and feels like the embodiment of Stevie Wonder's Talking Book album.

($458, Coach)

I can hardly believe I like a Coach bag, but these Ergo leather satchel bags are lush and lovely and NOT full of overblown, mall-chick logos.

($750, Derek Lam, Shopbop)
So stunning, yet so 'spensy.

Two "cheaper" versions:

($369, Opening Ceremony, Asos.com)

Fun, but a bit overly sporty.

($294, Kate Kuba, Asos.com)

Rewling.

Bags: Want Vs. Do Not Want

Inspired by a Bagtrends.com feature filled with bags I either love or loathe, plus a few other bags that have inspired in me extreme reactions in opposite directions...


WANT:

($1295, Marc Jacobs, Net-a-porter.com)

Delicious.

DO NOT WANT:

($128, Anthropologie)

Raffia disaster.


WANT:

(Price available upon request, Lizzie Fortunato, Refinery 29)

Dream of a bag at a nightmarish price.


DO NOT WANT:

($3395, Jimmy Choo, Net-a-porter.com)

Too Heidi Montag.


WANT:

($1954, Chloe, Asos.com)

Unrealistic for many reasons, one of which is because I am not represented by CAA.


DO NOT WANT:

($145, Aksuona, Bagtrends.com)

Oh no. Goodness, no. It's like a gay mollusk threw up on a gem-encrusted clutch.


DEFINITELY WANT:

($675, Botkier, Saks)

That's more like it.

Cynthia Rowley's Whim...

...apparently involves picnics. And lots and lots of picnic accoutrements. Check out the Whim by Cynthia Rowley line for Target if you plan on lots of picnics this summer. My picks:



30-can cooler in red, with a ladybug appliqué! So much fun for $19.99. In less than two months this will be on the beach with me and my beer-drinking brothers and boyfriend in South Carolina. Can't come soon enough, really.



I might wear this floppy green hat, $9.99.



Maybe even this rather cute madras-print tote, $16.99. Perfect beach bag.

This post has given me a hankering for a sandwich and a pile of pasta salad. Byeee!

She Pushed You Out of Her Vagina

The least you can do is get your mom a nice prezzie for her special day, next Sunday. You know you buy yourself enough stuff. Some ideas:

Gap cropped cardigan, $39.50. I bought two of these yesterday, one in a fun geranium color and the other in versatile cream. Uh, for myself. I think I might get my mom these:

Williams-Sonoma Parisian macaroons, $49.

I don't know about yours, but my mom loves her some brooches. Here we have a cute Anthropologie spotted owl pin, $44.

Tam's pick:

($45, Delight.com)

It's a teaposy set. Duh. Not really sure how or why, but it looks mom-like in a cool, non-Anne Geddes way.

Of course, you could always *make* something special, too, but that's another post. For another blog. As you were!

Sale Saturday: A Belated Report

Well, kids, I made it down to the Dolce Vita sample sale last weekend. I was a couple days too late for shoes, I guess, because there was nary a 7.5 to be seen. I fared a little better at the clothing racks, however, where everything was $25 or two for $40. I'm pretty excited about my awesome drapey royal blue dress, which everyone was trying on and advising each other about. I was debating between the small and the medium and was given the sound counsel to go with the small, because it's "already such a loose style." I wish I had a picture of it, but I can't find it anywhere online. It's this color though, but is way smoother:



Dolce Vita "Paper Bag" dress, $275.



This one's pretty cool too: the Dolce Vita "Leslie" dress, $209.

I also got a jersey tie cardigan, since I've been looking for cardigans for this "transitional" weather. Kinda boring but cheap and everyday-wearable. As I was checking out the girl taking money was loudly telling a story about Michelle Trachtenberg's visit the other day, and how her mom tried to get them to reduce the shoe prices from $25 to $15 for her. Famous people and their entitled entourages: still tacky!

Then I went to Puck Fair and had a few delicious beers with some friends I see all too rarely.



Hoegarden, $6 a pint. (Shouldn't daytime be happy hour?)

Then I headed up to the Union Square farmer's market and bought some gorgeous snapdragons.



Snapdragons, $10 a bunch.

Next I decided to check out Filene's Basement since it was right there, and lo and behold, bought two pairs of jeans. Go figure.



Earnest Sewn "Garbo" jeans, $59.99 at Filene's.





Plus a pair of Marithe + Francois Girbaud straight legs with thick topstitching and asymmetrical hem for $39.99. Excuse the extreme butt close-up.

THEN I popped into Payless in search of the fabulous Jill kitten heel in black, which is sold out everywhere, it seems (if you see it in size 8, get it for me! I have it in Berry and it was my go-to fall shoe). Instead the salesman told me they had a lot of shoes for $5 and were also doing a BOGO half-off sale, so I got these two Abaete pairs for a cool $7.50.



Abaete for Payless "Betty" ankle-wrap sandal in baby blue, $19.99 online.



Abaete for Payless "Harlow" pump, $19.99 online. ($2.50 in store!)

I can only hope this coming Saturday is as fun!