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
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.
Here is a preview of the silent film about Coco Chanel, directed by Karl Lagerfeld. You should watch it.
This morning I headed downtown before work to see the unveiling of the Comme des Garçons for H&M line. Pardon my Japo-French but it was a m&%$#!f@^>*:+ mêlée. This is the best photo I could get from the escalator; the crowd was jarring and everyone was hoping to score a castaway top.
I arrived at 10:10, later than planned due to bus failure. The store opened at 10 a.m. and there was zero merchandise left on the floor when I got there. No women’s, no men’s, no accessories (my planned first-hit target). There were a few mannequins still standing but not for long. The window displays were being emptied. Sold. Out.
Like a vulture I circled the floor. A few discards were seen but either wrong style or color. Vicious. One woman was putting merchandise behind her infant in a stroller to keep people from grabbing it. I talked to a few sales associates who were way too busy to talk to me but they said people were queued for hours before opening and that everything was instantly gone. Keep in mind there was a limit of two of the same item per person. Whatevs, look for it on eBay, right?
H&M sucks and will likely cost me a job someday. It’s fast fashion, with crap construction and shoddy materials. When big designers do a low line for mass market you’re buying for the style and not for the quality. Most of the people jammed into the Union Square stores are huge Rei Kawakubo fans who can’t afford the luxury pricepoints of Comme des Garçons.
The usual CDG color palate was there: black and white and navy and plenty of polka dots. There was an adorable deconstructed jacket and an even better overcoat. I saw some funny hobble-like gypsy pants that featured a low crotchpoint below the knees. Many of the pieces were intended for that quirky Japanese layering thing, with the scooched-up sleeves and funny socks and shoes plus a cinched belt. I walked away with a navy polka dot crew-neck top and banana-leg drawstring pants. I’ll wear them as loungewear when I’m reading the Sunday Times or spending the night at a friends house.
Election Day rain bonnet made by my grandmother features a donkey on one side and an elephant on the other. Moxie’s wearing her American flag hoodie and making a quick getaway.