to go away on a summer's day never seemed so clear

i have tentative plans to do nothing at all this weekend (after a busy stressful {ick i hate that word} workweek) but so far my weekend non-plans are getting filled up with more and more shopping plans. first, there is target for cynthia vincent shoes and maybe some basic v-neck tees (you can never have too many and i like the $8 price tag). then maybe this awesome-sounding-fashion-school-sponsored-for-a-good-cause CLOTHING SWAP in downtown sf (see flyer below). and then maybe off to painted bird for some new (to me) vintage dresses, with a stop by goodwill, thriftown, and salvation army since i'll be in the area, obvi.

i also kinda wanted to sit around and read and draw and take pictures and clean and nap and blah blah blah i'm guessing one to none of these things will actually happen, but ohhhhwelllll.

what are your plans for the weekend?

this boots were made for walkin'

nothing like a little blatant self-advertising on a monday morning....
i'm selling a pair of boots on ebay! they're over-the-knee black suede boots by jeffrey cambpell, size 9, and if you want them they can be yours! they're super hott but not really me (i'm not that into boots) and i kinda got them on a whim--oopsies! so i'm asking just what i paid. message me if you are interested, and if you're not then WISH ME LUCK!

but there's better people with more good to do

if you live and/or work in the city, please try to come shop for a good cause at shotwell. consider it your make-other-people-happy hour.


shotwell: 320 grant ave (b/t bush and sutter. right next to chinatown gates.) t: 415.398.9898
title song by: xavier rudd

don't walk, run!

if you are a girl and you live in san francisco, listen up! london sole is having their amazing annual sale!!!! bins and bins of adorable ballet flats are $60/pair. that is pretty much 75% off!!! it's such a deal and it is KILLING me that i must resist temptation due to a self-imposed shopping ban. i just have to keep telling myself, "i am wearing brand new shoes today. i am wearing brand new shoes today" and hopefully this mantra will get me through the day. it's killing me! somebody go buy a pair and then come across the alley to show me!

London Sole

19 Maiden Lane, SF, CA

415.397.8088

party on

 

today officially is officially the beginning of the non-stop holiday party marathon. for the next week, my schedule is jam-packed with one christmas fete after another. naturally, i'll be shopping my closet for most of the outfits (and maybe even recycing outfits, shhhh don't tell!)...but this doesn't stop me from a little online window shopping! here are my holiday picks from modcloth--which, btdubs, is the best place for online window shopping. i'm going east this year to celebrate with my man's fam, so i incorporated some more casual dresses for the laid back parties i have been told to expect.

styling tips: black opaque tights and patent flats or heels--both wardrobe stables-- would go perfectly with all of these ensembles. also, try layering! a thin turtleneck under dress #4 or pullover sweater over dress #2 would be fun and warming tricks. don't forget the jewels...a statement necklace and brooches would knock any of these dresses out of the ballpark, and make them your signature style! 

which one is your fave? have any winter styling tips?

1. freda the snowlady dress, $89.99.

2.the royal park dress in richmond, $84.99

3. sally jane dress, $89.99

4. geometry sweater dress, $52.99. 

5. the kindness dress, $59.99

why didn't i think of this?

i was so stoked about yesterday's gilt sales that i just had to tell my girlfriends at work, and the favor was most definietely returned! i told my friend sharon about the sale (where she scored a botkier satchel. sweet!) and she told me about dekkori, which is just about the coolest thing i've ever seen.

founded by shoe-lover stephanie kim, dekkori is a line of shoe accessories that glams and transforms an ordinary pair of pumps. the concept is to "maximize the styling options" for a given pair of shoes, turning in slingbacks into strappy sandals or even boots. dekkori is perfect for those on a shoe budget, or when under-the-bed, over-the-door, and every inch on the closet floor is filled with shoes. the possibilities are truly endless.

dekkori just lanched an online shop, and stockists can be found on the sleek and stylish website. it's not too late to put these bad boys on your holiday wish-list....trust me, i am!! i can just tell i will be day-dreaming about these until i have my hands on them!

my faves: (ps it is really hard to pick out only five)

the defiance ankle boot

the miracle over-the-knee boot

 the simone lace-up boot

 

the allison satin ankle wrap

the tiffany fringe t-strap


pics via dekkori.com

coming back at 'cha

geeezzz am i the worst or what??  i haven't posted in 5 days! i totally effed up the layout and then spent hours trying to rebuild, and the worst is that i'm not even sure i like the new layout. it def needs some more work, but time is getting harder and harder to come by!however, i do pledge to do my best in these busy times....this blog is such a great outlet for me and i appreciate all the people who have checked it out, even when there is just a weirdo pic of a chick making a silly face (not meeeee, the cartoon picture from the previous post). so, here we go again--onwards and upwards! 

let's start with today's events...i bought myself a little christmas present! i decided i needed a reward after getting all (read: most) of my christmas shopping done and shipped, and starting my christmas cards. plus there was an ahhhhmazing sale on gilt group today. email me if you want/need an invite...somedays it is just so worth it!!!! after much deliberation, paitence, and a little bit of fate, i officially became a gilt customer!

my spoils:

T by Alexander Wand Muscle Tank in Cobalt

American Apparel Jersey Pocket Skirt

American Apparel Yoga Pants


pics via giltgroup.com and americanapparel.com

tidbits

• thank the sweet lord that my least favorite, most oversaturated ads are DONE. louis vitton has officially tapped the gorgeous lara stone to replace madonna. i actually hated looking at those ads.
• my rainboots have arrived!!! i opted for the olive/hollyhock tretorns. it was the fuzzy inside that got me. i mean, i might not have to wear socks, and we know how much that idea thrills me.
• my homie jess was in nyc this past weekend and got me a suuuuuuper cool bracelet from wrecords by monkey. i love this idea, and honestly the bracelet is as comfy as it is cool!
• i'm officially learning how to slappa da bass! i learned two "riffs" as they, i mean WE (i'm a musician now, i can say that) call it. now i just need a bass, and thanks to joanne a temporary solution may be coming my way!
• oh, and don't miss my girl diana making headlines and changing the world!

the countdown begins

humina humina humina omigosh guys! member in the fall when i was all stoked about the rodarte+target collabo?well not only is it a just a few weeks away, now there's the possibility to get it before everyone else!!! for those  lucky enough to be in SF, NY, or DC, target is launching a little pop-up shop for quick holiday shopping. from december 11 to 13, you go to the store, walk up and pick out gifts, order by number, then pick up your wrapped and ready pressies! and RODARTE pieces are included in the gift assortment! that's NEXT WEEK!  

pic coming soon, the one i chose (and linked to/credited thankyouverymuch) was not working well.

OMG OMG OMG UPDATE ALERT!!!!!

the full lookbook including prices is available for your viewing pleasure here. holy moly thank you so much NYMAG!!!!

tidbits

Cyber Monday came early this year:

·         nastygal is offering 20% off all merchandise

·         opening ceremony is offering 30-50% off a wide assortment of styles

·         tulle is offering 50% off sitewide

·         modcloth is offering up to 40% off 50 different items everyday thru Sunday

·         20% of purchases over $100 at gumps.com

i'll keep callin' em as i see 'em!

ps...the sale at apple is not as exciting as i would've hoped

man-post by me (a girl)

our resident man-blogger is working on assignment, so i thought i would post something for the dudes myself. 
actually i have two things i would like to man-tion (get it? instead of mention?? #imsofunny)....

1. my mom called me sunday morning and told me to get the sf chronicle because there was an article about dan hoyle, aka the golden child. dan is my good friend kailey's brother; he is also a fulbright scholar, and the author and star of a one-man play about nigerian oil politics. the article on sunday was a cute little piece on his fave spots in the city. it was nice. but on the next page there was a great article in about where to find better fitting men's clothes. a lot of the stores were local to the bay area, but the article mentioned that mass retailers are beginning to carry slimmer cut shirts and pants as well. i feel as though a common complaint i hear about men's shirts is how big they are, well it seems as thought the designers were hearing that too and decided to do somethign about it. check it out here! more men's shopping advice by the pocket square here.


2. i realized this morning that i pretty much only own black cardigans and promptly decided that i need to introduce some color into my cardi collection. so i hopped on over to jcrew.com to check out the merch, only to get bored a short little while. my man went into a jcrew store earlier in the week and said he had his eye on a few things, so natch i mosied on over the men's section to see if i could guess what to get him. it was there that i met (online) jack. jack is the men's head stylist at jcrew and he just started a great advice column. the best parts? it looks really cool and it answers some common style q's. so boys, if your not sure to tuck or not to tuck, just go ask jack. 

there you have it, two great new style resources for all the men in your life!

man-shopping

 

my dear readers,
i promised you man-blogging, and i slacked on that one. well not really me, but my guest man-blogger (it's ok i still love you baby). fortunately for all of us, a dear friend jumped at the opportunity to help out and wrote a charming essay about his experiences with shopping. i think it is quite helpful for all those daunted by the shopping process, men and women alike. and i think even seasoned stylistas could learn a thing or two from this insightful editorial. enjoy!
love, signature_styles 

Square One

image from jcrew.com 

Previous to a few months ago, I never felt it was cool to buy clothes. While looking good was vaguely appealing, it didn’t seem worth the imagined shame I would suffer browsing racks and magazines. I can only recall four distinct episodes in my life where I spent any time shopping. For a year in high school I knew the t-shirt racks on Haight Street fairly well.  I also collected a couple vintage jackets (one of which I still regularly wear). Senior year in college I went to B Brothers with my dad and got a gold-button blazer, two pairs of wool gab trousers and a couple ties for interviews. Post college I added to my work wardrobe with some more trousers, shirts, ties, a suit and a pair of shoes. Around the same time I used a gift certificate to get a pair of jeans and a herringbone coat with a sewn-in hoodie on Maiden Lane.
 
Until two months ago, those were the only jeans I owned. Around that time I decided it was time to start caring. The creator of this blog agreed to go shopping with me (I asked because I felt drastically unqualified to pick out any clothes on my own), and we picked out a second pair of jeans and the first t-shit I’ve bought in about 10 years (not counting the two I made for myself and friends). And I felt great about it. But I also realized how little I own.
 
So I’ve set aside some money in my budget and put together a bit of a plan, however misguided, to build myself a functional wardrobe. I’ve decided to start with my work clothes. An inventory revealed my blazer, four pairs of trousers (tan, olive, grey and charcoal), about 12 shirts (mostly blues), a black v-neck sweater and a blue cashmere v-neck. Shoes included cordovan tassel loafers and black lace-ups, and gold-buckle belts to match.
 
The results of my fist shopping trip were mixed. I picked up two sport coats at Macy’s (two-for-one sale), two pairs of brown trousers (light and dark), four shirts (RL and CK; stronger colors and patterns than my current, pale-ish collection), a pair of tobacco lace-ups and a matching silver-buckle belt. I also changed out my gold buttons for blue buttons and resoled by tassel loafers. All this was good. But there were some frustrations. One of the sport coats shed a button after three wears. The shoes are still breaking in. One of the pairs of trousers had to go back to the tailor to fix an unfinished hem.
 
But now that the issues are behind me, I am faced with a bounty of options in the morning. In some ways, I’m a bit lost as to how to put it all together. I also have some ideas for what’s next. Augment my sweaters. V- or zip-neck? Another pair of brown shoes. Chocolate lace-ups or brown Chelsea boots?
 
A significant change resulting from my increase in shopping (and browsing in preparation for shopping) is, as I walk around downtown, noticing what looks good and what doesn’t. I’ve never paid attention before, but it really is a lot of fun.

 happy monday! have a great week everyone!!

(and wish me luck on my root canal, yikes!)

more boots

geez i am the worst. not only am i more torn on which pair to get thanks to everyone's insightful comments...now i have more to add to the mix.

banana republic equestrian rainboot. $98

too boring? i love these classic looking boots, but maybe some color would help make a rainy day less drab.

michael kors stormy rainboots, bloomingdales. $125.

also too plain? but they are motorcycle rain boots! like frye's but rubber!

ok, so i've been lucky and it hasn't poured again yet. but i need to be prepared...let's choose a winning style! i think i have elimated the lace-up chookas if that helps. but i still like the rest! help me out in the comments!

rainy days ahead

it's that time of year....winter is on its way. in san francisco that means months of mild gray days with hopefully good amount of rain (yes, i went there and while rain is no fun for anyone, it's certainly better than a drought and fires). unfortch for me, my super cute rainboots cracked and now they don't serve their primary purpose all that well. that is to say, they don't keep my feet dry. i can get away with it on light rains, a.k.a. mist, but not for actual drops of water falling from the skies.

i'm not exactly the biggest fan of boots, rain or otherwise (see carousels and bows wherein i discuss that socks are like prisons for my feet. boots are maximum security, but cute). nevertheless, wet feet are pretty awful so i am embarking upon a search for new rainboots. knowing me, this could last all season and then i could put it off again until next october.

chooka lace-up rain boot. nordstrom's. $79.95

too much?? i like the lace-up cuz it's different. and i love the olive green trim at the top.

chooka signature croc boot. nordstrom's. $79.95

too boring? what's up with that big chooka label on the side. but i do like the croc.

tretorn skerry vinter. piperlime. $60.

too short? hmmm i kinda like that. and fur!! they come in a goodlooking brown also.

hunter original in merlot. piperlime. $115.

too expensive? these are the classics though, so maybe they are built to last. hopefully.

kate spade randi. kate spade. $125.

too absolutely ridiculous? yes. but too cute?? also yes.

can we play the voting game on this one? that was so much fun last time. also, please if someone who lives not in a mostly dry climate has any suggestions i would looooove to hear them. i'm all over the place on this one and clearly need some guidance. thanks!!

let the wild rumpus start

in a world so blessed by designer collabos it takes a lot nowadays to stand out. and the latest to hit the headlines does just that. opening ceremony is launching a line directly inspired by the film adaptation of "where the wild things are". and let me tell you, these pieces are divine! fall is all about texture (like i said...) and fur is being seen everywhere. my recommendation: if your budget allows, splurge on these whimsical pieces! the silhouettes are modern, feminine, and totally wearable. my fave is on the left--so stylish!

bull shawl jacket, alexander mini, k.w. boxy coat

if you are worried about the pull-off-ability of such high priced goods, not too worry: here are some faux-fur separates that won't break the bank. i just want to throw it out there though, that OF COURSE you can pull it off-- all you need is big smile and some self-confidence girrrrl!

   

fred flare isabelle coat, $153. hm faux fur vest, $50ish. faux fur cap sleeve dress, $79.

OMG, if you take the k.w. boxy coat, the leather skirt and shoulder pad tee from the previous two posts, and the MaraisUSA two-tone flats (or either of the boots) and that would be the coolest outfit everrrrrr. hmmm.....

on the list

so, i just took a look at my funds for the month and have come to the rational, wise decision to not buy this skirt...

leather pencil skirt, $160 from topshop

...at least not today anyways.

hold up!

wait a minute!

i mean, whoa! aykm? this site is fantasitc! i just checked out theoutnet.com and have been trying to control the gasps and coos while cruising the site. i subscribe to a lot of different sale sites/emails, but the outnet is something different. first of all, the breadth and depth of their merchadise selcetion is amazing. they have everyting from juicy to 3.1 philip lim to burberry and celine. and all the sales are between 40% and 60% off! so that means you can get these pants (originally $340) for $102!! a pair of dress pants at h&m cost almost that much and these are hella nice and built to last! amazing!

my favorite part of the website is the "dress me" page. you need clothes for the office? hop on over to slick separates. feeling trendy? check out "back to the 80s" or "monochrome". not feeling trendy? that's cool too over in "classic styles". i loooooove this feature, it totally takes the hassle out of online shopping! (i know, i know. shopping sitting down is not a hassle per se, but clicking through endless pages of stuff you don't want is just annoying). remember to sort prices low-to-high so you don't get intimidated. oh, and! if it turns out that say, thakoon, just doesn't cut for your body, simply send it back for a full refund or exchange (not on shipping, duh). in the world of online shopping i don't think it gets any better than this.

 

so go ahead, put a little love in it!

shannon

this morning on the way to work i came across the most darling girl at the bus stop. her clutch caught my eye first-- i love the vintage feel and wearing it to work is brilliant! since i'm officially a blogger now, i asked her to pose for me so i could share with everyone the super cute outfit she had on. she kindly obliged, and i am pleased to present the newest addition to the signature styles segment!

she's wearing:

shoes: bcbg, thrifted. skirt: jcrew. blouse and scarf: h&m. purse: iman (gifted). feather hairclip: tigerlily

shannon also gave me a hint for a new shopping opportunity: hayes valley. i haven't been there in a million years but have reason to go this weekend; the local label tigerlily sells their wares in the area (and, there's a boutique that sells MaraisUSA shoes--doublescore!) thanks girl!!

perfect for the place des vosges

a few weeks ago one of my oldest friends, kailey, showed matt and i around the marais --an almost too cool neighborhood in paris. she brought us to an excellent breton crepe restaurant, then to the swedish cultural center for some courtyard coffee, then to 'merci' aka the coolest store in the entire world, and finally to chill in the places des vosges. it was sitting here amongst the french hipsters and beautiful families, that i realized i want to live here. one day i want to look and act as effortlessly cool as the parisians manage to do.

the first step to accomplishing this is, obvi, owning all shoes produced by MaraisUSA. owned and founded catherine chu and haley boyd (also the designers, natch), MaraisUSA is named after the iconic, eclectic neighborhood that straddles the third and fourth arrondisements.chu and boyd have used their parson's educated minds to create super cute shoes, adored on covetable on so many levels. i'm telling you, all i need to do is to wear any pair of these and stand outside the Musee Picasso and i'll fit right in!

below are some of my favorites, though i am not lying when i say it's hard to choose just one (or four). but at prices this good you don't have to. plus, if you purchase now you can save 25% off by entering POLKADOTS at check out. and that totes means you can add those boots to your order...all the cool kids are doing it.

army boots, $98

tuxedo boots, $145

oxford, $88

two-toned flats, $64

classic pump, $96

tidbits

inspired my dear annie in new york:

• i actually have been listening to this song on repeat for, oh, over an hour. it's just such a great jam that when it ends all i want to do is hear it again
• too cute: tu.tu.blu. the clothes are adorable, the site is playful, and the model is beautiful.
• here is where this inpirational chica is headed! can you believe? i am so excited for her to rock it down south...not to mention my wishlist is miles long. textile developer in peru?! send me one of everything, please??
• oh, no big deal she just got her start in the textile world at the ultra-hip up-and-coming bodkin.