Molly Bloom knows style

The summer scarf I purchased earlier this season has proved a useful tool in fighting June Gloom here on the west coast. I wonder if people in warm places really do pair scarves with their rompers like fashion spreads and catalogs suggest. Seems like a girl would get hot dressed like that.

I wear my scarf with long-sleeved items instead of a jacket when I walk the dog. It also gets a lot of use paired with a T-shirt indoors instead of a cardigan. I am sick of my cardigans, they get a lot of wear here in Fog City.

There is a good selection of summer scarves at Anthropologie, it’s where I found mine.

The Times ran an interesting profile about menswear designer Michael Bastian. The article is a good snapshot of what is going on in the fashion world right now. The designer can’t afford his own clothes.

But the clothes are good. They are classics of the upscale-casual genre, but they are classics with a twist — “the right twist” as the article says. These are high-quality, big-ticket items produced in Italy by skilled workers. That may have to end, as Bastian hopes to lower his prices. “Right now, it hurts a little too much,” Bastian said. “It should hurt a little, but it shouldn’t kill ’em. That’s the law of designer clothes.”

Really, it’s a good piece. It touches on fashion and style and the economy and New York. You should read it.

I spent the afternoon shopping in the Recoleta district of Buenos Aires, wearing a dress I made a few weeks ago. Argentina is wonderful. It’s summer here.

Famous gamines: Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday, Mia Farrow circa Rosemary’s Baby (pictured above) and Jean Seberg. More recently, the puckish Amélie played by Audrey Tatou is gamine.

Runway looks for men rarely translate directly to street looks but certain details do influence upcoming trends. One thing I’m hoping does trickles down from Jil Sander’s Fall ‘09 collection: subtly patterned suiting and overcoat fabrics. Pictured above, the wavy lines are very subtle against the pinstriped heathered material.

The lapels are wider and that’s a change from what we’ve been seeing. The length of the coat is awkward, possibly because of the slightly nipped-in waist, a detail that’s carried through much of the collection to various extremes.

Maybe these geode-like, earthy color striations could replace the all-over pattern hoodies that have been done and overdone for a few years.

The retro sneaker resurgence continues with the KangaROOS brand.

I had a pair of ROOS when I was a kid. They were purple and I kept a Kleenex in one zip pocket and a Chapstick in the other.

Women’s Wear Daily got the scoop on the hat Aretha Franklin wore for her performance during the inauguration. She bought it at the Detroit shop of milliner Luke Song, where she is a regular costumer. The hats are sold with the label Mr. Song Millinery in New York, California and the South.

My favorite outfit of the day was Sasha’s belted coat. Orange and pink is one of my favorite color combos. Lovely.

A new website allows women to
register the dresses they plan to wear to upcoming events in hopes of not having another attendee arrive in a duplicate gown. The big news here is that women have been registering their inaugural ball gowns. Most are floor-length and described by one reviewer as conservative. New this year is a lot of colors, including orange, purple and red. Cool.

If I were going to an inaugural ball I’d want to make my own gown. For inspiration, I like this heavy satin James Galanos gown from the 1960s (pictured above).

I’m selling these cuisine carriers over on my Etsy store. Buy one today! They’re great for toting food to parties and make splendid hostess gifts. The one pictured above is made from vintage printed canvas.

The carriers fit many round, oblong and square dishes and bowls. The tie allows for secure transport with no loose lids. Also great for pies!

Merry Christmas all.