My sister wears my clothes

Sometimes my sister wears my clothes. Okay, most of the time my sister is wearing at least one article of my clothing, and it is amazing how unrecognizable it becomes. We don’t have the same style at all and yet we manage to share a great deal of clothing. I’m not talking about black tank tops or loose plain colored tees- they are generally peices with personality. When I wear Val’s clothes, I look like Val. She has a skill and it is amazing.

A couple days ago I went to pick up Val and decided I was going to write this post the moment I saw what she was wearing. (She is the queen of bright tights with tiny shorts or skirts and it magically works perfectly for her.) I think the only thing belonging to me were the jacket and tie, but I would never had created that arrangement. It was perfectly prep school in all the right places.

Duo tone tights

I am always cold… and I don’t really like pants. Thats where tights come in. I wear tights all winter long, so I’m always looking for a new warm and interesting pair. The problem is that they make way cooler tights for children than grown women. The great news is that tights are back! It is now possible to get good quality tights, in an interesting print that is larger that 2T. (yes, I am way too familiar with children’s clothing sizes for a single 23 year old woman- I know, okay?)

My latest obsession is duo tone tights. I have yet to purchase a pair, but I have my eye on some. They aren’t as tricky to mix into a wardrobe as a crazy print but they are still a great bold statement for any outfit. The most popular (as evident by the abundance of them on lookbook) is the black and white, but they are available in less contrasting shades as well for a slightly more subtle look.

Killer with ankle boots.

Visually dividing the leg in half is pretty flattering and I think confidence to wear something like that looks good on every woman. Nordstrom sells a pair by DKNY that are only $20 and still get you the same runway look.

http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/3037765/0~2376776~2374327~6014317~6014318?mediumthumbnail=Y&origin=category&searchtype=&pbo=6014318&P=1

I’ve always been a fan of a thicker lace tight. Recently I’ve been enjoying the mashups I can create with a simpler lace pair like the ones I’m wearing in the horrible photo below. I didn’t get a good picture of my outfit that night and the tights were easily the best part. It was a low key bachelor/ bachelorette party in New York at the Jekyll and Hyde Haunted Pub. I opted for my staple little black French Connection dress, the gray floral tights and my favorite lace up black ankle boots by Jeffry Campbell. I think it worked out okay.

Bad picture to illustrate the tights, but it's a funny picture either way.

The dreamiest woman to ever live.

Grace Kelly.

Grace Kelly is a stunning woman. She was an Academy Award winning actress before marrying Prince Rainier of Monaco, making her Her Serene Highness The Princess of Monaco. (How can I get Serene as part of my title?) Then she tragically died in a car crash. Model, actress, princess, mother, legend.

The woman exudes class. She is classic. Classic style. Classic beauty.

Two of my idols in one room. Sigh.

on her wedding day

Harem pants

Let’s put our heads together and try to think up an item of clothing that we can convince attractive people to wear that will make them look as though they crapped their pants and just wore it around like it’s no big deal. Enter Harem pants. Why would you want to do this to yourself?

She has a pretty face, i swear.

Why do otherwise attractive women subject themselves to such an awful look? Are pants that meet your crotch really that uncomfortable? I have been known on several occasions to wear normal crotch-meeting pants and I can say from personal experience that I felt no unusual restrictions from my daily activities. What are these people doing that require so much extra room there? I just don’t get it.

this is a bad situation... starting with the pants.

Letterpress

I have always been intrigued by letterpress. There are few things more satisfying that running your finger over beautiful type pressed into a thick cotton paper. I am currently enrolled in a beginners letterpress class and though it is becoming slightly overwhelming due to the last two weeks being the longest of my life, it is mostly fantastic. I thought learning the process might take away some of the intrigue, but I don’t think it will ever cease to amaze me.

Doesn't it just look luxurious?

I found a fantastic blog called Papery & Cakery about a stationary and patisserie in Boca Raton, Florida. What could be better than cupcakes and expensive paper in one place?

http://www.paperyandcakery.com/labels/letterpress.html

Drooling yet?

For more lovely letterpress and luciously papery things, check out Sarah’s blog called Anderson Ink in my links!

Hats!

I love hats. I collect them. I keep them in cupboards, on top of shelves, and perched on some of the many busts scattered through the house. I don’t find nearly as many occasions to wear them as I would like, which makes new hat purchases difficult to justify. A good cocktail hat is the perfect accessory for any party. I even wear them to church. I found this one from a great milliner named Alice Hart on etsy.

Isn’t that stunning? For more views, or to check out more great hats from this seller, go here:

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=19117115

or   www.alicehart.com

It’s time for a change

I have an internal alarm clock that goes off every 4-6 months I would say, that tells me it’s time for a change. I used to move, but school and work and killer roommates are keeping me here for longer than originally planned. So, I’m forced to make a change in the next logical arena- my looks. It’s probably time for the purple hair to go and I’m liking the length, so I’m thinking all over red. I just can’t decide on the shade. I’m leaning towards a darker red, but long and light red might be fun cause i’ve never done that before. I can’t find a good photo, so this will have to do. Adam is sticking a candle up my nose or something… brothers.

I kinda liked the violet in it.

Option number two is a strawberry sort of blonde/ red that I had when my hair was short.

Thoughts? Concerns? Bored and don’t care what the hell I do with my own hair? That’s what I thought.

New York wedding

I was in New York last weekend for the wedding of a friend from high school and I realized something. I have been in Utah way too long. I grew up in Tokyo, Japan and I felt overwhelmed by the three hours I was outdoors in New York. There was more visual stimulation in a 10 minutes stroll down 5th ave than I get in Salt Lake City in 6 months. I just about fainted when I casually glanced to the store on my left and saw the window display of the Christian Louboutin store. I actually had to catch my breath. And as fantastic as it would be to move to a city where people would really appreciate my love for lace gloves or the perfect red pump, I’m ashamed to say that I might need time to reacclimatize to a fashion appreciative society. Utah, like the rest of the midwest, tends to be at least 3 years behind the times. It’s not only frustrating because you know it will be impossible to find a sharp shouldered blazer for this fall, but also because of the excessive negative attention you will undoubtable draw by wearing one. The problem is that I’m definitely not up to snuff with the real fashionistas out there. Sure, I know my basics, but I’m not sure I could hack it out there after spending two years only experiencing it through VOGUE and lookbook. Maybe I’m doomed to be fashionable in the midwest, which is like being hot in Iceland- It doesn’t really count. Sorry Iceland. 

This is exactly what it looked like: sisters kissing the shoe I stole from the bride and me falling over.

 The wedding was fantastic. It was a black tie affair, held at the Mandarin Oriental. Every detail was stunning, the food was fantastic and I got to try on the bride’s Louboutins. It was a great evening. 

Also a perk- I wore (read: still fit into) the dress I designed for my junior prom. The train proved to be a bit of a problem, even when bustled, for dancing on a crowded dance floor, so I came home with a couple tears but nothing that can’t be sewn while watching an inspiring episode of Project Runway. I would argue that we were the best looking gang at the party ( minus the bride a groom of course). We have good looking friends everywhere. 

 

The Tokyo girls before we hit the wedding.

I danced a lot. Enjoy this:

No, it's not just a bad photo. I actually looked this haggard at the end of the evening.

New layout

I may have found my perfect layout. Thoughts?

Also- how incredible are those Nicholas Kirkwood heels in the header?

Cirque de la Symphony

How can you get better entertainment than Cirque de Soleil performers doing their thing in front of a live orchestra? I say you cannot. It also helped that my planned outfit worked out just fine. I got a few strange looks, but not so many that you know you’ve done something terribly wrong. I went with the circus coat over a strapless French Connection number, paired with my trusty round toe black pumps. 

 

With a few performers backstage.

The coat tails were just barely longer than the dress in the back and cut right at the pleats in the front. The two pieces were made for each other. Next circus themed cocktail party- ready. 

 

The side view. Having him on my arm definitely didn't hurt the ensemble either.