I'm Going Strapless In French Connection's Samara Party Dress. Watch Out, World.

I've got a wedding next month in Brooklyn, and the dress code is "Brooklyn formal." That means an olde-tymey mustache and suspenders. Just kidding. Anyway, I interpreted that to mean "dress like an extra from the movie 'Burlesque.'" And I'm certain I'll achieve that in this French Connection sequined "Samara" party dress I bought (in record time, mind you -- in and out of the store in about 11 minutes or something ridiculous).

$198.99, French Connection

I'm gonna employ the assistance of the spaghetti straps, a SERIOUS strapless bra, and the grace of the Lord. Also, hi, half off! Done.

Oh! Shoes!  

I Bought It: Miu Miu-Alike French Connection Dandy Voile Dress

French Connection

I've been in the market for some slightly more professional dresses -- I work in online content for MTV, so this is pretty professional in my realm. I don't exactly need a Chanel suit or whatever (though Chanel, if you're reading this and have some kind of blogger suit program, I'd be happy to wear one to work and watch people's WTH faces). Also, I've been scratching a LOT of impulse buy itches lately, and this French Connection dress was one them. I was at Bloomingdale's, and this pretty much leaped up into my arms like a lost puppy looking for a home. It practically licked my face. Annoyingly, I paid $148 for it (very unlike to me to whip out one and a half Benjamins, but again, this poor dress, it needed a home -- also, I don't carry "Benjamins." I don't think I've ever seen a real 100-dollar bill in my life except maybe in mafia movies... I really need richer friends) and then I saw it on French Connection online for half that, but it was sold out, so whatever. It fit perfectly, despite the fact that it was about 128 sizes larger than the three sizes I might normally wear. (Looks like I'm not the only one who finds that French Connection likes to size up.)

Anyway, as much as I love Mad Men-style everything (duh -- I'm in my '30s and live in Brooklyn. It's a given), there's a time and a place to dress like Joan Holloway, and a time and place to be not costumey. So while the pleated, nipped-waist style feels retro, the ruffled sleeves keep this from looking like you're swilling a Manhattan and vying for Don Draper's attention. It's like Mad Men meets Gaga.

Oh, and the print kinda references Miu Miu, no?

($1094, Miu Miu, Mytheresa.com)

Hmm. Maybe I did get a good deal after all.

Justify My Love: Wanting. Needing This Sequin French Connection Dress

Current mood: Very strongly leaning toward this French Connection "Fast Sequins" Dress.

($288, French Connection)

And if you're bored by black, it comes in this rich-ass, royal blue:

Obviously you wear a sequined mini dress to a holiday party, and you don't even have to bring a gift, because you're like a walking Christmas present for others to enjoy. But you could also dress it down and go real hard in these chunky, harnessed motorcycle ankle boots by Aussie brand Maurie & Eve:

($288, Maurie & Eve, idontlikemondays.us)

Get them at idontlikemondays, or pick them up at the lovely little Soho boutique Babel Fair, which sources cute things from all over the world -- from designer dresses to cute little edible-looking erasers.

I'm Having A Garden Party, And Betty Draper Is Invited!

($118, French Connection, Macy's)

Betty Draper's too busy shooting Season 3 of Mad Men to come to my garden party, but if I were having a garden party, and she were coming, you know she'd whip up some fantastic Jell-O mold, no doubt while smoking, glamorously, of course -- because smoking while cooking was SUPER glam back in the early '60s -- and she'd probably wear something like this classic belted floral garden party dress by French Connection. Oh, and check out the butterfly (I think that's a butterfly -- or a butterfly lady dragon or something?) detailing on throughout the print -- it updates the whole look and keeps it from looking too period.

+ More Mad Men-inspired fashion!

Thoughts I'm Having About French Connection Stuff At 6PM.com

My thoughts are... LOOK how cute this stuff is!

($106.47, French Connection, 6pm.com)

CUTEST little party dress!!! And HI! It has WIDE straps... for ladies who... need straps. And I even wrote about its cousin, the "Seasonal" skirt!

($101, French Connection, 6pm.com)

Go ahead and TRY to tell me that this black cotton trench isn't cute... SEE! YOU CAN'T!

($121, French Connection, 6pm.com)

$120 for black leather boots? Are you KIDDING me? Wait... you're NOT kidding! (BTW, I'm anxiously awaiting the arrival of my f-troupe black leather boots!!)

($77, French Connection, 6pm.com)

Sweet! I like the perforated detailing on the toe. Sorta Mad Men-y too, no? And lots of sizes left! YAY!

Win a $500 JBAndMe.com Shopping Spree For Doing Almost NOTHING!

For serious -- just go to the new and improved JBAndMe.com -- they just relaunched their site -- and sign up for their newsletter, or create an account or buy something, like the CUTE stuff I've suggested below, and you'll automatically be entered into a drawing to win a $500 shopping spree. Which is probably much more feasible than any of us winning that $2500 Barneys deal.

My picks:

($189, 7 For All Mankind, JBAndMe.com)

A nice halfway point between trouser jeans and look-at-my-butt jeans.

($88, French Connection, JBAndMe.com)

Adoor-a-bell on its own or under a cardi.

($99, Nina, JBAndMe.com)

Oooh, with a little denim skirt and some dark opaque colored tights? Divinity!

So enter now because the contest (sweeps, technically), is only through today. HURRY, won't you?

Oh yeah, and you've got only one day left to enter to win the FashionBinge Napoleon Perdis Angel Baby kit, so GO THERE, DO DAT!

Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want

... Like these French Connection studded heels and this new-for-fall Hayden-Harnett bag:

($186, French Connection, Asos)

I don't particularly LOOOOOOOOOOOVE the whipstitching around the top, but I'd walk a mile in heels for those studded cone heels.

($495, Hayden-Harnett)

The most perfectly perfect fall/winter colors. Sigh. Hayden-Harnett: determined to ensure I never stop coveting and lusting after material goods.

French Connection Does Marni

(Credit: Style.com)

First Forever 21 knocked off mix-and-mismatch Marni's link necklaces combining elements of their 2006 and 2007 designs. And I can hardly blame them -- even if I needed a new kidney I'd probably put a Marni necklace higher up on my list of priorities.


Now French Connection is following up with their wood and resin version:

($43, French Connection, Asos.com)

My lust for Consuelo Castiglioni's amazing mixed-media statement pieces continues.

WTF, FCUK?

WTF, French Connection? I love this "seasonal" skirt on the UK version of French Connection's site:




But this gold version ($148) is the only one available on the US version of French Connection online. WTF? I like the gold version, but I don't wanna dress like midcentury Christmas wrapping paper. Or Serge Gainsbourg's bathroom. . I want the silver one, damn it, and I want it in good old-fashioned, worthless U.S. CURRENCY! Dollahdollahbills, y'all!! French Connection, you guys are freaking LIARS! You're neither French nor "connected"... clearly. Bah humbug!

Beautiful Pieces For Beautiful Fall

YAAAAY! It's FINALLY FUCKING FALL! My favoritest time of the year both weather- and fashion-wise! Here are some beautiful deep, rich, dark fall-colory pieces for one to dream about and potentially buy.

($44, Lian Carlo, Vintageamore.com)

I'm not sure how a purveyor of otherwise super-fugz bridal gowns and eveningwear could create such a thing of Abaete-esque beauty, but they done did it. Unfortunately this is only avaible, from Vintageamore.com, at least, in size 6.

($465, Tufi Duek, Nordstrom)

Dude. DUDE. Dude. Tufi Duek is a god among mortals.

($420, Sass & Bide, Standardstyle.com)

Sass & Bide are NOT far behind. I'd wear this thing every day of the week if I had to.

($302, Madison Marcus, Shopintuition.com)

This looks a lot like that blue dress Jessica Simpson's been running around in, though I like this one better.

($205, Development, Madisonlosangeles.com)

Ooooh so perf with a thin black cardi!

($297, 12th Street By Cynthia Vincent, Bluefly)

Casual yet posh staple!

($94, Oh Deer! Nordstrom)

OMG. Check out the obscenely cute sequin detailing. I think I'm slowly warming to T-straps.

($88, Anne Klein, Amazon)

Pure fall jewel-toned beauty!

($59, Style & Co, Macys)

Very nice...

($128, Michael Kors, Nordstrom)
But not as nice as these. LOVE!



($68, Shopsueyboutique.com)

Yes, I know it's a BLATANT Marc Jacobs knockoff, but I sorta almost don't care because I love the Deco hardware so much.

($48, French Connection)
Sheer fall beauty time! All in one bag!

More Things For To Buy

K, here's some stuff I want, all of it, of course, random:

($328, Juicy Couture, Saks Fifth Avenue)
So demure, yet it's also got a great Alice In Wonderland-meets-Betsey Johnson vibe.

($325, See By Chloe, Frankeys.com)

Do I love these, OR, are they too Bonnaroo circa 2003? They might be a wee bit TOO Joss Stone. Though they could look great with a fitted, tucked-in black long-sleeved shirt and MAYBE these shoes:

($66, Asos.com)
These would also look ruling with some black tights, paired with these...





($88, French Connection, Asos.com)
PERRRRfecto bag for fall, y'all!



($43, Argento Vivo, Bluefly)
Muy elegante, but the length makes 'em sorta not-boring, which is good.



($6, OPI, Goddess-within.com)

This season, I am DETERMINED to figure out how to wear midnight dark nail polishes without looking like the pop-goth chick from Evanesence. That it is all.

JACKETS: PART 1: Everybody In Great Grey Coats!

I'm covered (I wish, literally) in coat choices for what I PRAY is any impending cold weather.
This is my top pick:

($655, Robert Rodriguez, Active Endeavors)
Pristine, though at $655, it's no steal.




($640, Rick Owens Lilies, Net-a-porter.com)
... Or save yourself $15 and go for this amazingly chic yet comfy-looking Rick Owens Lilies wrap. I wanna snuggle up into it and hibernate 'til this God-awful humidity passes.



So... some more eco(-nomically)-friendly options:


($343, French Connection, Asos)
Very Sgt. Pepper's chic.




($308, Mike & Chris, Revolveclothing.com)
Ahhh... Mike & Chris. I'd make some lame fratty joke about the two men I'd most like to be between, but a.) that's lame, b.) I'm too tired to think and c.) Chris actually stands for Christine.



($145, Chan Chan, Asos)
Totally the type of trench you'd wear nothing under. If you're that type of trench-wearer.



($148, Free People, Urban Outfitters)
Highly cute.


(Apprx $170 USD, Topshop)
The Jackie O. look isn't me, but this is still darling.



($319, Walter, Saks Fifth Avenue)
Very uptown.


($49, Max Azen, Modcloth.com)
Vintage, very back-to-basics staple.


($36, Coffee Shop, Nordstrom)
Adorable twist on a standard trench, and the PRICE! Eeee!




($38, Forever 21)
Awesome Mike & Chris knock off!!



($29, Old Navy)
Finally... so no one will mistake this for the Robert Rodriguez version, but it's still really cute.