Fashion Fail: Part II

Sometimes I go for drinks with my old work buddies at this hipster bar off Beverly and La Cienaga called the Roger Room.  The Rog has a vintage, Prohibition-era vibe, and all the bartenders and staff wear these cool outfits with collared shirt, suspenders and oxfords.  This was the primary inspiration for this outfit.  I wore this to work a few months ago, and I intended for this to be a preppy look, with a splash of 1920's.

[Cardigan- Marciano.  Shirt- Express.  Suspenders & Skirt- F21.  Shoes- Hinge  by Halogen.  Knee highs- Asos.com.]

In retrospect, I think this may have been less "Prohibition-era Prep," and more "Oktoberfest wench."  I regret nothing.

Jewelry: Part I

I titled this "Part I" because the discovery that I love jewelry is actually a new one.  So I predict I will have a lot more to say about this in the future.

For the longest time, I didn't wear any type of jewelry outside of watches (which is a staple item for me), or earrings and facial piercings (back when that was a thing).   I just never got into jewelry.  I preferred to make statements with bags, sunglasses, or shoes.

Then slowly, I started paying attention to rings, necklaces, and higher-end earrings more. I think it may have started with a neat pair of diamond earrings my mom gave me for Christmas a couple of years ago.  Then it graduated to a Tiffany necklace that my BF Steve gave me for a birthday.  Then I started scoping out pieces on  my own.

My artist friend recently had an exhibition of his work at a cool little bar/lounge in West L.A.  All can be found at   http://www.neivz.com/ .  I think his work is quintessentially L.A.- lots of personality, unapologetically eccentric, and inherently cool.  The show was pretty rad:

[50% of my friends in this pic are lawyers.  If you have a problem with your image being used on this blog, send me a Cease & Desist.  :)   Note:  My friend also designed and built the furniture displays.]

[The layering pieces on the bottom leftish are modeled by my lovely friend Regina below.]

[Kinda blurry, but cute, subtle pieces.  Perfectly accented with a wine glass.]

[The missing space is where I picked up the wavy-faced ring.]

[Please excuse my chippy mani.  Thinking of getting this item.  Delicate, barely-there jewelry items are the thing again.  But I am really all about statement pieces.]

Fashion Blooper: Floral Tights

While I appreciate risky fashion, sometimes bloopers happen with things that are seemingly on the safe side.  Floral pants were the go-to last season for both soccer moms and hipster chicks. I love the look of floral pants, and thought that a great alternative with a twist would be floral tights.  The reason for this, is that I think floral pants are on the way out, and that it will not be the look anymore come winter time (basically now).

Well, I should've just gotten the damn pants.

[There are shorts under there, I swear.]

I wore this to work, and amongst some of the comments I received during the course of the day were: "Did your legs get run over by a truck?"  "Wow, those are....interesting."  and "Jesus, I thought you were involved in a domestic incident."

I don't think these were improperly executed.  I think that they are an inherent fail by design, because the blush coloring blends in too closely with skin color.  They were tossed so fast after work that day!  

Winter Wonderland

I think I've written before about my utter disdain for cold weather.  It took forever this year, but it finally looks like winter in L.A. By that, I mean it's not consistent 80-degree weather anymore.

I was hanging out at the Grove yesterday, and this is what it looked like.  The white stuff is fake snow that the mall turned on.  The machines were shooting it out left and right, from the rooftops of Nordstrom, J.Crew, and the Italian restaurant.  Yes, that is the only way this city produce a winter- fake it til you make it!  I with a friend who went to school in Boston, and I'm from Colorado.  So we had to laugh at the fact that this place has to fake something that makes life a living (cold) hell in other parts of the country. 

Anyway, here's my best impression of a cold person in L.A.:

[Coat and Bag- Marciano, Gloves- Vintage, Shoes- Express, Necklace (it is actually a hair band) -Bloomingdale's]

Style Envy: Gwen Stefani

My friend Jen and I were just talking about this last night, so I think this post is fitting.  When I was a kid and No Doubt blew up, I found one of my first fashion icons in Gwen Stefani.  The bindis, the long burgundy nails, the baggy camo pants or adidas track pants paired with crop tops, jeweled bra straps under white tanks or tube tops, lace up boots, rasta wristbands; the lady had style!  Everything she wore was very her.

I later read an interview in which she confessed that her style is not original at all, that she draws inspiration from a mishmosh of things that inspire her, such as the chola girl style in Long Beach when she was in high school, the punk rockers, and old Hollywood style.  I still think that she has a superb eye for arranging her inspirations in a way that works on her.  While it may not be completely original, what is nowadays?  She makes her numerous style inspirations work for her, which I think ends up being unique in its own way.  And that is the kind of fashion philosophy I try to adopt as well.

Liberty Ross

Why do I know so much about the whole Twilight cheating scandal??  Even though brain cells were lost after gaining that useless knowledge, at least now the world knows that the director dude is obviously brain damaged.  I mean, look at this lady!  She has flawless style.  Those Alaia boots!  The Balmain button up!  The fur!  It’s perfection!!

Paris BDay Gift

This is the stuff I adore more than anything.  I’ve gotten more than one complaint from loved ones over the years that I am hard to shop for, because when there is something I want, I just get it myself.  So my usual response is to donate to charity, or to make me something.  The handmade gifts are always my favorites.    

My BFF Danette has taken up both options over the years, which is so rad.  This year, she put together this thoughtful gift set:

[Including handmade jewelry and candle, notebooks, beauty products.  My friends are the best!  They know of my  Frenchy obsession.]