My Superhero necklace arrived last week and I adore it. I’d pinch its cheeks and rub its tummy if I could. It took me a year to decide which style I wanted. I was torn between the multi-color varieties and the styles with one shape of bead. This necklace matches everything in my closet that is not similarly Bora-Bora blue.
It’s stylish to support your local artisans.
This post applies to men’s and women’s sizing. Because I reported on hats as a trend for men at South By Southwest, I made this a Guy Friday.
Before getting started: Find a cloth or flexible tape measure, not one of those contractor-grade metal ones from the hardware store. You want something intended for use in garment-making because they’re made to measure curves. They cost maybe $2 at the drugstore or fabric store and you should own one anyway for sizing your inseam, waist and other measurements when shopping online.
There is an excellent step-by-step guide to measuring your hat size here. One thing to consider is the amount of hair you have. If you just shaved your head but normally have a lot of hair or if you have a lot of hair and are considering cropping it off, remember that hair takes room in that hat and could change the size by a half-inch or more. If you will be wearing a wig with this hat (you know, like Napoleon or a drag queen or whomever), measure your head wearing the wig.
A tighter hat will stay on in the wind but a looser hat is more comfortable to wear as well as merciful in warmer temperatures.
If you already own a hat that you think fits great, take a tape measure and rest the bottom edge of the tape against the inside of the hat, aligning the base of the tape with the base of the hat. You should also take a measurement of your head to make sure it’s not vastly different from the hat. If they are your hat is probably too big (I cannot imagine anyone enjoying a tight hat). A better fitting hat should have a more proportional shape for your head.
1. It’s cold outside. Scarves will beat back that mean wind or make up for not wearing enough layers. A scarf will winterize your raincoat.
2. It’s cold inside. Scarves indoors are cool awesome. You can keep a scarf at your desk for when it’s arctic in your cube. You can wear a scarf with your jammies when you’re curled up on the couch. Scarves are cozy.
3. Scarves are jaunty, says Ted — wear them easy, not too fussy. I agree.
4. If someone knits you a scarf you are lucky. You have to wear it.
5. You’re in an indie rock band. This one’s kind of weird because it looks hot under those stage lights. The style jury’s kind of out on this one but it does seem that a precedent has been set.
Usually I don’t write about shopping but this being the third week of December, I’m up for it. There’s not a lot of style news, my issues of Women’s Wear Daily have been pretty sparse and everyone on the internets is on vacation. For those of you desperately searching for something to fill your time as you warm your chair at the office, here is a list of stylish stocking stuffers for the dolls on your list.
Stockings for her stocking. They are in the same vein as lingerie but much easier to give as a gift.
The Cadillac of hairbrushes will last her (or him) a lifetime. Nice brushes really do make a difference. Most beauty supply stores will carry them.
The Cadillac of eyelash curlers. This is an accept-no-imitations item. I got one in my stocking last year and love it. Sold at Shu Uemura (most major cities) and Sephora.
Travel jewelry case from Tiffany in the classic blue. You may want to slip
something inside.
Flowers spilling out of the top of a stocking would be a real winner, too. A nice red and white bouquet of tulips, perhaps? I love caviar and conveniently that fits in stockings. Who doesn’t love a sassy little caviar spoon? Take care to add any perishables last-minute. Anything in miniature form is good — teeny notebooks, facial blotting papers, lip balm, high-end hand cream.
It’s kind of generic, but I always appreciate gift certificates to a store, restaurant or spa. Maybe Anthropologie. Or Alla Prima Lingerie. Or San Francisco margarita stalwart Puerto Allegre. If you’re giving a gift certificate, make sure she can buy something with that amount. Be sure to put the gift certificate in a fancy card or box.
Note to San Franciscans: Everything listed here has a store in town. Happy shopping.
Never underestimate the power of a red velvet ribbon. Experiment with different widths of ribbon and shades of red, tie the knot in the front or back, mix it up. It’s easy to make a choker, a headband, a bracelet, a belt. My favorite: a classic hot-rolled high ponytail with a short bow. Festive!
This trick also works with black velvet, satin ribbons, whatever. Tie yourself up.
Mission: Finding a suitable bag for my new MacBook. Guidelines: Stylish and a bit girlie; can be carried on the shoulder or in the crook of my arm; any long shoulder straps must be detachable; it should not look like ye olde standard black laptop bag. I decided that I wanted a bag for the laptop, not an envelope like I was using with my older and smaller machine.
Obviously I am picky. I don’t wear just any old thing and I don’t carry just any old thing. I was ready for a fight.
The official Apple store proved useless. Yuck. Their bags suck. So I turned to the internet.
Initially I liked the canary yellow leather one from Kolobags. Revisiting it the next day I decided that while the color is delish, the bag is too briefcase-y. It looks too grown-up and the shoulder strap is bogus. The handles look too short to swing over my shoulder. Next.
The Sabrina from Abbi New York has the kind of handles I was looking for — long enough for a shoulder ride or hand-carry. While the black “premium faux-leather” may be a dream for vegans, I was not convinced this was the bag for me. I do like the pink lining.
Acme Made bags come in a variety of styles and fabrics. None of them are on the money. The Slim model fits my MacBook but the handles are too short and the shoulder strap ghastly. Many of the patterns seemed a bit dated — a bit too late 1990s.
The Marina from Timbuk2 is the bag I bought. I wasn’t 100% behind it initially — it is a bit sportier than I originally intended but the handles are sturdy. I like that it doesn’t have too many pockets — that would only frustrate me. It has a key tether and a cellphone pocket, two features I am sure to use. I took it out for a testdrive the other day and am happy with it. If you get the red one I will cut you. Kidding.
Oooooh lookie, candy-colored bags made from candy wrappers!
Ecoist is a sustainable company that recycles food packages, billboards and other materials and turns ‘em into accessories. And they’re cute accessories, not crocheted beer can hats.
The gold and silver collections are perfect for special-occasion or holiday dress-up. I’m a color girl and I love the bright tote pictured above — a perfect addition to any holiday resort wardrobe. And they have an entire line made of Luna bar wrappers for you sporty types.
A word on their website: I love being able to shop by color. It’s one of the things that makes San Francisco thrift favorite Crossroads a great place. More organization by color!
Recently someone asked Ted to ask me where they could buy a purse for their girlfriend.
Can I just say that buying accessories for other people is tough business? Dudes are dudes and probably don’t realize there are a million kinds of purses and that women are pretty specific about the kind they carry. You may want to buy her a special handbag, one for weddings and New Year’s Eve, one that will make her feel special. You may want to buy her something she’ll carry every day as a reminder of your love (aww, cute!). Buying purses is not an impossibility. Ladies love gifts so let’s make it happen.
One obvious question is: What kind of purse does she carry now? Some women carry the same purse every day until it falls off its strap or has some sort of blowout. I carry the same bag most of the time, a kicky orange Marc Jacobs number that Ted gave me (that I picked it out, caveat lector). Sometimes I carry a sporty black purse from REI that is vaguely stylish but most awesome for traveling (big enough for a map of Shanghai, camera, travel guide and wallet) or events where it would be stupid to tote around luxury leather goods. Add in the dozens of special occasion handbags and clutches I own and I can see I’ve lost you already. Like I said, purses are tricky.
If I were a professional shopper and I were buying this gift, I’d ask if her everyday purse is a shoulder bag or a handbag. I’d also want to know what kind of shoes she wears most days (dressy? casual? heels? flats? boots? trainers?) and what color her overcoats are. If you buy her a brown leather purse but she wears a black leather jacket most days, that’s a mismatch. I also don’t think you should buy the most basic thing in the store; purses are a peak into a woman’s personality. A handbag completes a look and shouldn’t be a scene-stealer or the dressiest part of an outfit.
One way to find out just what she wants: drop hints. Find out who her fashion idols are, ask about her favorite brands and colors, and inform the sales staff. You could even try the guy standby, “Not to be gay or anything but that’s kind of a hot purse” as you flip through the Sunday Times together.
Perhaps a gift certificate with explicit instructions to buy a purse is the way to go (extra points if you tuck the gift certificate into a child’s purse or cut out a few purses from magazines). Maybe you could go shopping with her. Who doesn’t love a surprise shopping spree? Nordstrom has a solid purse department and helpful staff. So does Bloomingdale’s although their price points may be a little higher. I’m a huge fan of leather purveyors Lava 9 on Hayes Street in San Francisco. Another indie option is Hayden-Harnett out of Brooklyn — check their online store. Purses can be expensive, so do some research and set your max price.
Another new column for the radio station. You should read it.
I wear sunglasses fog or shine. I have light eyes that cannot handle sun — I cannot remember a time when I didn’t wear shades.
The same pair of red Ray-Bans has been with me for four years. The other day I bent down and my sunglasses slide off my nose. I picked them up and placed them back on. Again with the sliding all the way off and crashing to the sidewalk. Upon closer inspection, I saw that the stems are stretched out. I gently tried to bend the bridge of the glasses, hoping they would shrink back to size. No luck. Time for new shades.
Now I’m looking for new sunglasses, and as is always the case when shopping for something I need, I can’t find a thing. I saw a perfect-looking photo of Oliver Peoples sunglasses online (not that I would buy shades without having tried them on first) but they are sold out everywhere.
I may have to make due with stop-gap shades but cheap sunglasses never fit like the real thing. Put on a pair of cheap sunglasses and then try on a pair made of more substantial materials and you will toss that pair you bought at Brass Plum. Cheap shades are more fragile than nice pairs and will break when a breeze kicks up. I was sitting around chatting one afternoon when Pop! my fabulous white shades with the pink rhinestones cracked literally in front of my eyes. Danger lurks in those $8 Manhattan street vendor spectacles.