Archive for December, 2009
I just couldn’t get myself excited by anything last night while trying to work on a cut-and-paste wardrobe post, so instead I mined my inspiration folder! The top and bottom photos I believe are particle images that I found who knows where, and the middle image is a painting by Jeff Depner
In all honesty, what really caught my eye when looking at the work of Norwegian designer Maleen Dalan was the magpie-like arrangement of fabrics and embellishment, not the obvious confrontation of gender associative clothing. Sometimes I just want to look at pretty things without thinking about if I or anyone else would wear them, and this is a good example. Her real challenge for the future will be developing clothing that isn’t so heavily dependent on art school type statements. Click to enlarge
UK based Swash is one of the most refreshing finds I’ve encountered in awhile. You know, because as much as I like black and grey, I’ve wearied of the popular aggressive look that’s been so dominant in the past few years. Swash’s printed scarves, bags, and clothes are just gorgeous and inspiring and a sight for sore eyes. You can find a few of their scarves for sale on Liberty of London’s site. I’ve featured their S/S 09 and F/W 09 clothing collections (click the images to enlarge), but visit the site* to see their equally beautiful scarves
*A warning if you visit the Swash site: It has got to be one of the THE WORST Flash built sites I’ve seen since 2001. To make a viewer sit through literally three minutes of load time on a fast connection in the year 2009 (almost 2010) is just pure insanity and they need to fire their designer stat!
I tend to repeat myself quite often here so I suspect I’ve already bagged on about attempting to transition over to wearing more flat shoes. I’m not getting any younger and I’ve been wearing heels since my mid-teens and my feet and back are starting to feel it. Well, apparently my good buddy, the beautiful Grace, from the always entertaining Woolgathering&Miscellany, has been on a bit of a search herself lately. We’re both shorties, so heels are essentially our best friend, BUT one can only stand the pain for so long. Grace has a wonderful, darkly glamourous sense of style so I asked her to do some online scouting and pick out some flats she’d love to see in her closet. Plus, I gotta admit doing joint posts with friends is pretty damn fun! Grace’s six picks (say that five times fast) are below along with her comments.
I’ve also joined the fun with six pairs on my wish list (Grace describes my style as organic eclecticism, and I think she’s pretty spot on!) A low heel or wedge of reasonable height also works so you’ll see a few of those below. And I gotta say clog shoes are very comfy and the Marni pair below doesn’t have a steeply sloping insole, which really helps me avoid my biggest foot pain issue, metatarsalgia. I hope you guys enjoy! We’ll be doing more of this sort of thing in the near future
Grace’s Picks
Comme des Garcons black oxford: $476 here
“These are so whimsical and fun. I got to see them in person at the Aoyama store & they’re just as cute! The gold version is like a perennial pedicure.” – Grace
Christian Louboutin Glitter Fred Flat:$595 here
“I’m pretty sure these shoes are magic.” -Grace
Comme des Garcons gold oxford: $463.02 here
Ann Demeulemeester mid boot: $589 here
“A great flat boot is far more versatile than a pair of sneakers.” -Grace
French Sole quilted ballet shoe:£80 here
“Something about the toe does it for me. It’s reminiscent of a steel toe capped work boot. Tough, yet girly.” -Grace
Adidas by Stella McCartney flat: $114 here
“I am in love with the idea of activewear as everyday-wear. You really can’t beat the comfort, and the price isn’t too bad either.” -Grace
My Picks
Alexander Wang Ines oxford: $395 here
Even though I usually avoid all things Wang, I can’t help but love these shoes.
Dieppa Restrepo lace up:$232 here
This is just the punch in the face that an all black outfit needs.
Maison Martin Margiela geo boot: $695 here
This super versatile boot has a fabulous, architectural heel that gives just enough lift without the pain.
Sigerson Morrison sequin wedge:$1200 here
Again, wedges are much less painful to trek about in than heels. These are smouldering
Ann Demeulemeester high top: $532here
Seeing as I’ve been digging the all-white look lately, this is a perfect way to get away with sneakers stylishly.
Marni clog boot:$763 here
I live in my Rachel Comey clog shoes. They’re comfy and versatile, and this Marni version looks more than ready for packing yourself across town.
Quite a few years back British shop, Oki-ni carried womenswear and offered, at the time, a rare selection of cool Japanese denim lines. I even purchased a couple pairs of shoes from them. Then, and I can’t quite remember exactly when (it was a few years ago) they switched completely over to menswear. Let me just say, they’ve only gotten better. Their styling, their selection, and their accessories are all fantastic. I told Brannan, “You should buy all of your clothes from them!” Ha! Their international shipping rates are really reasonable and you can view prices in several different currencies. I’m sure a lot of you have heard of Oki-ni by now, but if not, it’s a must visit
Watch: $485.94; Shoes: $349.42; Scarf: $89.38
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