Love this line...I can't tell you how many fashion blogs have featured either a skirt or a dress in their spectacular digitally printed neoprene fabrics! Here's a preview of resort...
CLOVER CANYON Resort 2014
24 Friday May 2013
30 is not the new 20? What?
23 Thursday May 2013
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Think you have 10 more years to get your shit together? You might be wrong about that, like really wrong. Check out this short TED talk which says otherwise. I am dying to know your thoughts on this video so leave some comments below.
Very good points for all the 20-somethings out there...
$6039.20 to spend and I can’t do it! What’s wrong with me?
23 Thursday May 2013
I was inspired, no, challenged is the better word, by the blog http://www.joannaloves.wordpress.com to ‘dream up’ how to spend 4000 GBP, or $6039.20 on clothing and apparel related items (including makeup, fragrance and accessories). Now, being a former Fashion Director, you would think that I would be able to ‘spend’ that at the drop of a hat. Joanna did a quick job of it, by the way.
I, however, several hours later, am still sitting here and have only managed to ‘spend’ approximately $3500. I think I know why. If I had that kind of money to spend, I wouldn’t be spending it on apparel. I would take half and stash it in the stock market(maybe on the next generation of farting apps?), and the other half I would use to go to NYC next spring to watch my daughter sing at Carnegie Hall (for the second time!) with Eric Whitacre. You can always have more ‘stuff’, but memories last a lifetime, and besides, NY is expensive and who wants to visit the city and feel poor?
Here’s what I did manage to ‘spend’….
2 pairs of AG jeans (best on the planet)-Angel 11 year and Stilt in white
Irving and Fine Kutch coat (the most expensive item at $650)
French Sole ballet flats in snakeskin print
DVF wrap dress (a classic!)
Trina Turk Jocelyn skirt (on sale for $159.60)
Liberty for JCrew floral scarf
Thomas Mason for JCrew white shirt
Zara Print Dress (a bargain at $89.90)
Zara Iridescent Sandals (a $49.00, crazy cheap to style ratio)
Mystique for Club Monaco toe ring sandals in celadon
Prada Infusion D’Iris, my favorite perfume, the biggest bottle they have ($138)
Ok, so I broke down at the end and splurged a bit…
Manolo Blahnik BB pumps in camel (again, a classic, albeit an expensive one, at $595)
Reiss Pina handbag in cornflower blue (for the boho in me…)
And just for fun, Superga tennis shoes, for that cool Italian vibe (available at ClubMonaco in navy or white at JCrew) $80
What would you buy with $6000 if you were spending it on apparel?? It’s easier said than done…
Summer Shopping in Charlotte
22 Wednesday May 2013
In our Charlotte Summer in the South guide we tapped interior designer Barrie Benson for tips on the best shopping spots in Charlotte. If it's a great deal you are after, Barrie recommends going to Hong Kong Vintage & Recycled on Central Avenue for chic accessories and breezy sundresses.
To splurge on lust-worthy designer pieces such SUNO dresses, Nina Ricci skirts, and Lizzie Fortunato baubles, hit up…
I agree with Barrie's suggestions, but a few VIP's (very important places) were left off of the list:
Amelie's...only the most insanely decadent bakery cum 24/7 awesome Charlotte hangout (NODA-that's North of Davidson for you non-Charlotte folks)
Dean & Deluca...sure, its a NYC transplant, but there's NO BETTER PEOPLE-WATCHING in town than the Southpark location, which recently unveiled a massive renovation, replete with top notch wine bar.
Pasta and Provisions...homemade pasta, check. All things Italian, check. Impromptu dinner party, this is your place (in Myers Park).
Cottage Chic...lovely one-of-a-kind shop in Dilworth that ALWAYS has something I want. From home to apparel to accessories, a must shop!
Hidden Gem...McGill Rose Garden in NODA; over 1000 varieties of roses and herbs, and I swear, even born and raised Charlotteans don't know about it!
London's Chelsea Flower Show 2013
22 Wednesday May 2013
Like last year, I was lucky to have a sneak peek at the 2013 Chelsea Flower Show on Press Day.
It's brilliant to be able to avoid the crowds, especially for this year's 100 year anniversary show - sold out, of course!
I never know which way to walk first since it's such a huge area to explore, but this year I found myself heading toward a grassy patch with intriguing small huts, which I found out were "artisan retreats" filled with artists like Cath Kidston, the London College of Fashion and more.
This is fitting of a reblog! I would love to go to the Chelsea Flower show one of these days. Have been to the Philadelphia show, which was mind-blowing...can not imagine how much I would swoon at Chelsea!
Facial Oil Frenzy
20 Monday May 2013
What’s up with all the excitement about facial oils lately? They’ve been around for a VERY long time, but recent magazines and blogs have been touting their properties of late. I think it has to do with the celebrity cult favorite Olio lusso…
It started with the body oil, moved to face oil, and finally hair oil. I have tested all of them, and they are fantastic, albeit pricey…
When I say pricey, I mean over $100 for a lovely one ounce jar, as in $150 to be exact. Now, I know most people out there do not have a money tree in their back yard (maybe the owner of Olio lusso does now!) and yes, it won Allure’s coveted ‘Best of’ award, but there are others on the market that are just as good, if not better, and way less expensive.
I will start with my all-time favorite and the one I have used for years…Clarins Blue Orchid Facial Oil, at $50 for one ounce, is a third less expensive, and a relative bargain. First of all, it smells heavenly, which is reason enough to buy it. You pat it on at night after your normal regimen, and it keeps skin moisturized and dewy through the next day.
Another oil I heard about recently, and at a mass market price point is Boots brand (at Target and Walgreens) which, at $8.99 is at least worth a try if the other two seem too pricey.
And if you’re more the DIY type, you can make your own version of the aforementioned Olio lusso…here are http://www.brokegirlsguide.com suggested ingredients:
Grapeseed Oil (naturally absorbent and allergy-resistant)
Argan Oil (anti-aging, highly moisturizing, reduces inflammation)
Rosehip Seed Oil (contains 6 different Omega-3 fatty acids, improves clarity + tone)
Jojoba Oil (very absorbent in skin, meaning non-greasy; good acne treatment)
Tamanu Oil (aids topical healing)
Vitamin E Oil
Jasmine Essential Oil for fragrance (optional)
Neroli Essential Oil for fragrance (optional)
Oh, Those Preppy Struggles
17 Friday May 2013
Hello-Hello, and welcome to a weekend. (Well, it's almost here.)
In the spirit of 'let's have a little Friday Fun,' we present a few items from "17 Preppy Struggles," a post on BuzzFeed's Community page. The series of "struggles" was originally posted last weekend, on the 12th.
Here is the first item in the post.
Another 'struggle' on the list references…
Too entertaining not to share...
Guess what I did this past weekend? Midcentury Modern home tour…sweet!
17 Friday May 2013
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Well, they wouldn’t let us take pictures, but this is the exterior of one of the lovely homes we had the privilege of viewing. There were eight homes altogether, and all of them were built from the mid-1950′s to the early 1960′s…most had been renovated while keeping the original flavor intact. There were slate floors, breezy porches, porte-cochere’s, and multi-level approaches to living that still seem ‘modern’ today. If your community has a historic association, take advantage of what they have to offer. Ours is http://www.historiccharlotte.org
There was also an early 1960′s co-op called the ‘Kimberlee’ where we were able to tour one of the renovated top floor units which had been combined to form one massive, and very gorgeous pied-à-terre.
The impossible dress…
17 Friday May 2013
Of course the second I saw this dress, I wanted it. And of course, they only made 10 of them and they are all destined for museums…sigh! So it is with art…
The dress I am referring to is a collaboration between Ellsworth Kelly, who just turned 90, and Francisco Costa of Calvin Klein.
The dress pictured above is based off of a 1952 sheath that Kelly designed with leftover fabric from a rare piece where he used colored fabric instead of paint.
Its incredible how modern the idea is today…just imagine how radical it must have seemed in 1952!
Dree Hemingway wore the dress at Kelly’s studio in upstate NY in front of one his ‘Black Relief over White II’…exquisite. Now if I could only snag one of these gorgeous dresses to go with my custom black and white Ferragamos….
Mass Customization is the new ‘it’ trend
17 Friday May 2013
According to Plum Sykes in this month’s Vogue magazine, the opportunity to customize a classic Ferragamo pump, called the ‘Vara’, was too good to pass up. It is not a cheap privilege, however. You will be charged $550 for being able to somewhat choose your color, bow, heel and shoe fabric. I say ‘somewhat’ because there is not an endless list of choices, and they are not going to let you mix two unseemly colors together. It only allows certain bow and heel colors with the shoe color, for example. But it was fun playing around with the concept. I just might see a deep purple one with a plum bow in my future…
What I like about the concept is the less waste from the manufacturer’s end, and once you’ve customized something (you can even have your initials placed on the metal Ferragamo label) and made it your own, you will more than likely want to keep it and treasure it for a long time, reducing this vicious ‘throwaway’ fashion culture we’re in. More and more of these ‘mass customization’ sites are popping up. There are several sites devoted to shoes, handbags and jewelry. I’d like to see more for apparel (although there are some out there). Burberry has a ‘Bespoke’ section where you can customize their trench, but not for less than $2000!
What do you think of the idea? Have you tried it out yet anywhere?
