Neo-hippie

Button-down shirt, secondhand. Leggings, Forever21. Necklace worn as headband, Banana Republic. Clutch and scarf, vintage. Shoes, Bebe.

A classic or just so '90s?

Since an obsession with them in 1999/2000 and subsequent overdose and exclusion of them from my wardrobe, I've wondered if the denim jacket would ever feel fresh again. I think I was inching in their direction with this ensemble, and you know, even the revered Ashley Olsen stepped out in a Western denim shirt this week. Scary stuff.

Oh, and to the rather astute reader who asked if I had gotten a new camera, why yes I have! My old Sony DSC-T10 died an abrupt death when dropped (a mere couple feet! but on cement..) during an unexpectedly wild night out, and I had been using my boyfriend's Casio that I gave him for his birthday last year. This of course wracked me with guilt over being a present-user, as much as he insisted he didn't care. Anyway, I hopped into Target after yoga (to everyone who asks if I work out...yoga with weights) on Monday and purchased a brand new shiny shiny in the form of a Sony DSC-W55(memory card incompatibility with any other camera makes me brand loyal..clever company) and am quite pleased with it. Very little lag time, and pretty crisp quality, no? This Carl Zeiss person is good. I'm not that bitter about my old one...it was over a year old (gasp!) and I got it in Tokyo so was left quite in the dark in regards to menu options..my kanji isn't that good even after years of bitterly endured (Saturday-stealing!) Japanese schooling as a child. So it's quite refreshing to be able to toy with almost overly numerous options...beach setting to make the water appear more blue? Really? I will, of course, be trying it.

Jacket, vintage Levi's. Skirt, vintage. Shirt (it's actually more charcoal gray than black..this matters), Urban Outfitters. Gladiator heels, Nine West. Ankle socks, scrounged up at Marshall's. Rings, Forever21. Bag, Balenciaga.

Relevant pictures:

Best of Fashion Week: Model Street Style

Okay so I know I'm behind on all kinds of posts, from every fashion week to the Oscars to a thousand other things tumbling about in my head, but I'm going to go ahead and say that a new crop of model street style pics is one of my favorite aspects about the twice-yearly fashion mayhem. The collections can take a little while to settle in and start feeling right, but the models are always dressed somewhere between impeccable and kooky with the end result being a fabulously playful feast for the eyes. My personal favorites are always Lily, Magdalena, Anja, and Natasha..and isn't Behati just ridiculously adorable?

Sources: shopgirl, elle, jukich, thecobrasnake, style.

The eelskin clutch hath arrived

A few of you asked about the more glamorous sister of the cadet blue/grayish vintage eelskin clutch I debuted this weekend, well it has arrived in my store. This thing is beyond amazing in real life, sumptuously soft to the point of insanity, in mint condition, and quite expensive-looking also I might say (even lined in suede!). Click here to check out the auction...

Feature: Julia von Boehm

Fashion stylist currently stationed in NYC via Germany and Paris, former assistant of Carine, and undoubted Sartorialist all-star, Julia von Boehm encapsulates all that is chic, sleek, and wildly sexy. She first caught my attention in a military green (men's?) coat with studded Louboutins (pic to the left), complete with knowing smirk, and since then has never disappointed my relatively discerning eye. She works with texture, lengths, and shapes easily, and frequently will offset a bulky statement piece (see mega-tulip skirt, aforementioned boyfriendy coat, gray scarf for a giant, and cozy vest/pompom sweater combo) with skyhigh hemlines and bank-crippling heels.

Her perfectly off kilter home:





One Day in Tokyo, styled by Julia, photographed by David Mushegain for Vogue Nippon Feb/08





















Sources: bird-production.com, style.com, cafe-mode.hautefort.com, gastrochic.com, elle.com, thesartorialist.com, scans by evisu donna, 1karina1, berlinrocks, kanna of thefashionspot

That parka

After reading about dreamecho's quest to re-invent her trusty parka, I was inspired to dig mine out of the downstairs closet (ie. land of forgotten clothing items) and play around with it. I've always liked offsetting it with lace or ridiculous heels, takes the North Face out of it just enough.

Parka, Old Navy (from last fall). Dress, American Apparel. Heels, Nine West. Bracelets, vintage.

Reader-inspired

Thank you so much for all the kind words and congratulations! I'm going to answer all the questions in that post today, just want to make sure I address them well. One of you mentioned that headbands/scarves would be fun and it inspired me to dig up one of my favorite vintage silk scarves today. Kind of adds a more boho element to the leather skirt.

T, I forget..skirt, bracelets, and scarf, vintage. Sandals, Urban Outfitters from two years ago. Sunglasses, Forever21. Bag, Charlotte Russe.

Stud muffin

Studs can add life to the most staid of ensembles - they're one of the best ways to juxtapose, methinks. A quick search on eBay turned up some interesting options, the leather gloves winning the award for most fascinating. The gold metallic bag's Stam-like shape intrigued me, though it's definitely sort of an "ugly chic" piece that would have be worn carefully. If anything here strikes your fancy, just mix up the search terms "vintage", "studded, and "stud", should be pretty easy to sift through.

My Forever21 haul

I caved. I was starting to feel like I was wearing the same thing all the time. However disconnected that thought might be from reality, the urge for newness conquered me and I painstakingly put together quite a varied order from Forever21. In it are included a men's stripey French-reminiscent pullover, a dropwaist feathery concoction that could prove to be disastrous upon receipt (my first Twelve by Twelve exploration!), weird meshy oxford heels, and a jeweled collar/cuff combo that I have no idea what to do with but promptly decided I needed to own. Will be reporting back upon receipt in 5-10 days.

PS - They are now shipping abroad! How wondrous. It seems that their shipping and handling is sort of more outrageous than Topshop's, but at least the clothes are cheaper I suppose..

All pics, Forever21.

Valentine's got it

Perhaps the most definitive "je ne sais quois" possessing girl ever, Valentine Fillol Cordier manages to charm me every time, hipster over-affiliation and all. She's hardly drop dead gorgeous, almost plain, but in the best possible, most oddly alluring manner. This makes her both relatable and impossibly chic and I honestly can't get enough. Her personal style is so distinct that she manages to make every editorial seem like she was the only girl that could have possibly been considered for it..or perhaps it's that she acts as a muse to stylists and editors so as to form a symbiotic relationship with her magazine work that blends it all together into one big lovely mess. Or it could be her carefree manner and palpable sense of playfulness that makes everything just work. Who knows...I'm going to stop trying to figure it out.

All pics from her thread on thefashionspot.

Teen Vogue editor breaks it down

She is adorable. Killer Guccis.

Trying to channel APC

Yay sun! It rained all night but now it's bright and warm. I picked up this skirt at a local Goodwill this week from the children's section, it's from the Gap but it has the cutest buttons and pleating with a nice hefty wool fabric. I'm really liking the whole oversized clutch for day trend, plus this one has an inner strap if I get tired of gripping it, which I will.

Skirt, secondhand Gap. T and hat, Urban Outfitters. Clutch, vintage. Heels, Forever21.

Tiger uppercut

Okay sorry, totally lame Street Fighter reference. Man I hated Sagat. Anyway, I've been seeing a lot of tiger motif/print pieces everywhere (or I just randomly started noticing them more), and conducted an eBay search for "vintage tiger" out of boredom (well in between trying to resuscitate my hangover stricken boyfriend) to see what there was to be found in the old global marketplace. I'm particularly enamored with the Michael Kors on crack swimsuit, quite lustworthy. I didn't really find the tiger face emblazoned oversized 80s Tshirt dress I was imagining, but I'm sure with some dedication and patience it could be done. Though I should probably work on procuring the vintage leopard print coat of my dreams first to fill the painful void in my closet, one animal-inspired piece at a time.

A reason to dress up!

Well a better photo could have been had but there were distractions aplenty last night that didn't allow for proper documentation. I love having a reason to put on a nice dress and after pondering to no avail how to entertain ourselves, my boyfriend decided to call a friend that always seems to have something of interest going on who promptly invited us to a low-key beachside cocktail party. My mind immediately went to this Luella for Target dress that I haven't worn since since a a restaurant outing for the boyf birthday two years ago. I loved Luella's Target collection, and though I never managed to get my hands on the metal mini purse I sort of needed, I did score some pretty annoying white sunglasses, the overhyped skull/heart tote, a pair of suspender pants (that I have long since lost track of, I thiiiiink they're at my parent's house), and obviously, this big poufy creation. Hopefully the imminently arriving Jovovich-Hawk collection will have a few gems too, I've been a little disappointed in the last year's collaborations. The crosshatch print dress definitely looks promising...

Ooh and this also marked the debut of one of the vintage eelskin oversize clutches I found yesterday, the other one is much cooler with an amazing gold latch detail and slight barrel shape, I'll be listing it in my store this week.

Dress, Luella for Target. Clutch, vintage. Heels, Oh Deer.

A huge thank you

I just wanted to make a special post to thank all of my readers for visiting Fashion Toast and for the always-lovely comments. Starting a fashion blog was something I've had in the back of my mind for a couple years now, and I'm so glad that I finally did. I think I was inspired to actually get going after becoming unhealthily obsessed with Milk and the Queen of All Blogdom, Susie Bubble, and wanting to get in on the fun. I am shocked, and so grateful for my 5,000 daily visits that Google reports to me. I think it's also played a big part in me getting the opportunity of a lifetime as an associate fashion editor (SOO excited!!) for an unnamed but AMAZING company which is going to involve a move northward and a lot of scary but fun changes in the next month.

So, just to get some feedback, what would you like to see more of? What are your favorite kinds of posts? I would love to hear everyone's thoughts and to get to know a little more about you!

And I didn't want to do a photo-less post, so I included one of my favorite photos that one of my best friends took of me in high school for some super-amateur class project. It was worth all the grass-rash I ended up getting minutes later.

Mmmmk I'm off to an impromptu cocktail party, hopefully will take pictures in my Luella for Target dress!

Weekend roundup

Extremely lovely outfit on the ever-intriguing Genevieve Jones. I personally find myself apathetic towards her much wondered about rise on the NY social circuit, it's just fun to ogle her extremely interesting, almost Sevigny-ish fashion choices.



While yammering about Facehunted Topshop collabo fans, here's the loveliest lovely looking all vixenish in Christopher Kane's line.



I want to try this, it seems like a fun way to play with jeans.



So I have pyramid studs in my closet adorning everything from rings to Maryjanes, but this is just extremely noteworthy. I'm not sure who Vanessa's jacket is by (probably Givenchy too), but it's very stop-and-stare, no? It reminded me of this other Givenchy jacket (accompanying pic) from one of French Vogue's En Vogue features last year. They are quite on it, that team of Carine's...



Ultraviolet = the new black? Melanie Huynh and Julia Stegner are as convincing as ambassadors of the look could be.





Kate Moss' style has been somewhat uninspiring for ohhh the last few years or so, plus if I was gifted with that much beauty, I'm pretty sure I would take more careful care of my skin. Anyway, she still manages to produce magnetic photos now and then, these are just fun to look at, what with the juicy colors, semicreepy Americana themed room, and mind boggling footwear.



Marion Cotillard makes this Balenciaga dress not seem insane.



Could these be the hooves of anyone but Anna Dello Russo and Carine?



Geraldine Saglio - a little safe, but always amazing. And I think it would be pretty accurate to say that Emmanuelle Alt has mastered the (quite terrifying) art of pulling off the cropped pant.



I'm pondering breaking out my vintage over the knee boots again...does anyone have any ideas for de-tarting them?

Sources:wmag.com, the facehunter, style.com, theskullset, thefashionspot, nyt.com, mystyle

Saturday

More florals haha, I definitely feel like I need to get some new pieces to punch up my wardrobe...I honestly haven't made any significant purchases in what feels like forever. A thrift session accompanied by the boyfriend this morning turned up a couple gorgeous vintage oversized eelskin clutches in a cadet blue (will probably be posting one in the store), a cute hopefully high waisted black skirt with buttons, and the usual lot of fun dresses. But I'm feeling the need to make some unplanned expenditures, perhaps from Topshop if I can manage to find anything that isn't sold out...

Dress, vintage (shortened). Tights and sunnies, H&M. Bag, Balenciaga. Jacket, Forever21. Boots, vintage via eBay.

Layered up (well, for me)

I based this outfit on the wet-look top, but wanted to obscure it by offsetting it with a bland floral print, bright plaid, and chunky knits in the form of a hat and my warmest thick leggings. Lamé is so fun.

Top, Coquette. Dress and bag, vintage. Jacket and knit leggings, Forever21. Hat, Zara. Bracelets, vintage and H&M. Scarf, Target. Boots, Marc by Marc Jacobs.

This week's vintage goodies

Lots of fun stuff in my eBay store, click here to check it out!

Levi's were made for studs

Definitely feeling inspired by Melanie Huynh's and Geraldine Saglio's latest En Vogue features (a couple posts below). I've had this belt (from Express!) since high school, one of the few items in my closet that's stood that long of a test of time. Though I suppose there are only so many ways to redesign a studded belt.

T, Urbn. Scarf, Target. Shorts, vintage Levi's. Belt, Express. Boots, Marc Jacobs. Bag, sunglasses, and bracelets, vintage. Will wear a khaki military jacket if it gets colder.

Socks'n sandals

Trying out the ankle sock idea investigated in this post. I realized that I sadly don't have any acceptably strappy sandals to try this out with (Kingdom of Style's would be ever so perfect), so I just defaulted to my Nine West wedges, which are fast becoming a wardrobe staple, mirrored cutout sides and all. I don't think I love the effect of the two together so will have to keep on the lookout for more sock-friendly options.

T, thrifted Gap. Shorts, Forever21. Heels, Nine West. Bag, Marc Jacobs.

Fun photos

Admittedly, I am rarely inspired by modeling's new faces enough to post, but after catching a first glimpse of the Argentinian Flo Gennaro in Teen Vogue's Love Story editorial this month, I was fascinated enough to scrounge around on thefashionspot for more photos...the girl is amazing, with the sharp catlike eyes I've always been jealous of and a sort of raw energy that translates through in every shot.




What is it about Lula that makes me want to be blonde and 4 years old?



In a literally ancient issue of Teen Vogue, I tore out this picture and folded it up between the pages of one of my many inspiration journals. I later scanned it, regretting the foolish decision to mar it so. Folds and all, Carine's beauty is mesmerizing, I wish there were more photos floating about on the internet of her in those days.









I look forward to Vogue Paris' En Vogue feature every month. The items are always relatable yet inspiring, and the fringey boho accessories, denim shorts, and spring-appropriate boots are no exception. The spread also reminds me how badly I need an oversized brown leather bag...



Marios Schwab for Topshop. Lust. Once again, immediately sold out.



I'm always weirdly gleeful when new Keira candids surface. She always looks comfortably cozy and masterfully layered while still almost managing to convince me she didn't agonize over what colored beanie and which fabulous bag she should wear. I'm loving the medieval peasant-ish footwear too.



Lily Donaldson would have perfect taste in little black dresses.




And lastly, I just wanted to declare how much I miss Susan Eldridge. This photo sums it all up.

Teen Vogue Carine pic, scanned by me. Other pics, thefashionspot and keirapictures.com, Paris Vogue scans by member Diorette.

Pared down

Haven't worn this skirt in while so decided to dig it up, I love the soccer shorts material and bubblish shape.

T, Hanes. Skirt, American Apparel. Heels, Nine West. Bag, Balenciaga. Jewelry, H&M and vintage.

Zoe Kravitz

I love everything about this photo, hipster headband and all, it makes me want to wear bright, pop-py colored boho dresses and frolic in the sun.

Pic, thefashionspot.

The bluest blue

My new jeans!

Jeans, Cleo. Shirt, Urban Outfitters. Scarf, vintage. Bag, Anna Corinna. Boots, Jessica Simpson.

Yesterday's news

Dress, vintage. Knit coat, scored at Marshall's. Shoes, Bebe. Bag, Old Navy.

Yesterday, between losing internet spontaneously and miserably weird 40s temperatures, began as an annoying mess, so I decided to console myself with a creamy mocha and a perusal of a beachside cheapy boutique I've always wanted to check out. Downtrodden spirits lifted as soon as I saw a dusty pink dress with alive-looking collar ruffles that I determined to be perfect for the night's Valentine's dinner (perfect with my Oh Deer CL Lastic k/os) and a pair of electric blue skinnies with an extremely friendly $20 price tag. New stuff = happiness.

{Though my favorite purchase of the week has to be this mint condition dress form I scored at a thrift store, clean, sturdy, and marked "Elegance LA". I've already had an enormous amount of fun playing dress up with it and am even considering naming it.}

The night ended up being completely magical, with a wine-heavy dinner at our favorite Thai place that was also where we had our first date almost 3 and a half years ago..one of the best Valentine's I've ever had. Hope everyone else had a wonderful time too!

Think pink

Pink! For Valentine's Day, you know. If only I were slithering about on a beach looking like a modern day Rainbow Brite.

Pics from imgmodels.com

The ol' Topshop wishlist

I have a semi-bitter love/hate relationship with Topshop's website...so many necessary items, but everything is always sold out when I'm ready to click through an order. I recognize that there are worse problems to be had, but still. I'm feeling relatively anguished over the fact that I apparently missed my chance to order the Maggie button-down skirt. How can such a simple item elude me so! And yes I tried on the Urban Outfitters version, and the extra small sat low on my hips, which it was probably supposed to, but methinks the entirety of the allure of this item is based on the fact that it be high waisted.

And the shoes! So many amazing(-ly weird) boots to be had! Just not sure if they're worth like over $200. But talk about taking hybrid shoes to the level after the next. Quite sassy. Oh, and that's the back of the dress (top right)...it was more interesting than the front.

Lastly, hmm it seems I am not the only awkwardly pigeon toed poser. I seriously don't know why I do this, to the surprisingly large amount of people that have inquired. I mean I don't walk like that or anything but I think it helps me to stabilize when standing still for a photo? Especially in heels? Maybe? At this point it's so ingrained that it's almost difficult not to. I tried.

All pics, topshop.com. Obv.

Navy & black on repeat

Brr today. Was getting spoiled with all the 70 degree goodness.

Blazer, secondhand Ralph Lauren. T, Urban Outfitters. Lamé skirt, American Apparel. Tights, Target. Boots, Minnetonka. Bag, Old Navy. Sunglasses, H&M.

Tara Subkoff for Bebe

When I first heard tell of Tara for Bebe, I squealed inwardly with excitement, images of her relatively fabulous/quirky personal style, her much-coveted-by-me Easy Spirit line (I never mustered up the cash for a pair of my own), and her adorable character in The Last Days of Disco flitting through my mind gleefully. And then the photos surfaced...overly Valentine's-inspired (this is relevant for approximately one week of the year) and cheesy. I can barely recognize Tara through the wrappy ruffles and am pretty sure that lookalikes of these items could be find at any cheaper mall store. I suppose I expected more of someone with such close ties to Sevigny. The stripey top/skirt ensemble is cute but I'm pretty sure that everyone already has some version of these items in their wardrobes. Props for the monochromatic red outfit though, pretty intrepid for a company as mass as Bebe.



However, a couple clicks through their shoe section had me lusting after these two-tone sandals. Bebe can always be relied upon for having a couple lustworthy, almost misogynistically vertiginous heels. These would be perfect for achieving the Teen Vogue-inspired ankle sock/strappy sandal look noted previously.

All pics, bebe.com.

A look back

Haha how cheesy was that title. Anyway, with fresh spring merchandise hitting stores as we speak, I'm getting more excited about what exactly I'm going to be putting on my must-have list. Here are some of my favorite (pre-blog) pictures of me from last summer I thought I'd share, photography courtesy of the boyfriend except the last. Excuse the trashiness of that shot, it was his birthday and he miraculously didn't end up contracting footworms.

Waaaaaaaaaaaaaay back. My poor mother looks so stressed out.

Denim on top

Stretch denim in the form of not-jeans...scary territory. This denim dress is sadly more of a tunic so I decided to innovate and wear it as a top. It's a tad bulky underneath the thinner cotton skirt but the full pleats kind of allow this to be masked.

Denim dress, secondhand. Scarf and skirt, vintage. Bag, vintage Chanel. Sunglasses, picked up this weekend at Urban Outfitters. Jewelry, F21, H&M, and vintage. Boots, Jessica Simpson.

Creamy lace heaven

Once in a while in my travels, I come across a truly breathtaking vintage piece that actually makes my heart start pounding harder. I saw all the potential in this one when I picked it up, but I think the fit even exceeded those expectations. I think I would actually describe those sleeves as glorious and mean it. Alas, I can't keep every vintage gem I find..my puny closet that my boyfriend has already sacrificed most of for me doth overflow. Up for auction on eBay right now, ending on Wednesday.

Late afternoon beach stroll

T, Hanes. Lamé bra, American Apparel. Leggings and studded sandals, F21. Bangles and cuff, vintage. Sunnies, H&M. Bag, Old Navy.

The return of the preferred rich girl

Ally Hilfiger! I fell in love with her hippie-dippie-with-a-Birkin routine on MTV's Rich Girls (why is this not available on DVD? I would totally shamelessly purchase!) and was saddened when I was no longer able to see her in all her headscarfed glory due to the show's quick demise. Memories of watching her angst-ridden attempt to make a burrito and shopping for candy in a tiara, boa, and aviators stick out most strongly. The girl could almost rival Rachel Bilson for tiny brunette cuteness, and I'm weirdly enthralled by her chipmunky facial structure. Whatever she was doing since her reality TV sting (rehab? eh don't care), she's upped the style factor and I find myself lurking in her revived thread at thefashionspot semi-frequently. And can I also say how much I am entertained by the randomness of this quote from nymag?

Ally is a painter. "I do a lot of different versions of the number 8," she said.

Awesome.

Pics, wireimage, thefashionspot.