Sometimes Christmas comes early, and sometimes it comes in the form of 3.1 Phillip Lim’s Pre-Fall collection.
With true runway seasons becoming more and more elaborately focused on editorial experimentation and fantasy dressing, Pre-Fall and Resort are becoming a poor girl’s reference of what to wear on a daily basis. At minimal credit, off-seasons provide a nice resounding foundation of silhouettes to stick with. EXAMPLE: things that still feel relevant include cropped slim trousers, ankle booties, sweatshirts, collars, and a boxy take on the feminine aesthetic. At the risk of sounding trite, if next year is anything like 3.1 Phillip Lim’s presentation, then I’m just frankly ecstatic for what 2013 is going to look like - sartorially and literally.
Other Pre-Fall favorites include: Proenza Schouler (SURPRISE SURPRISE), Kelly Wearstler’s graphic chicness, 10 Crosby Derek Lam’s casual approach to well-tailored looks, and Oscar de la Renta because the man can mix texture and print like no one else on this planet.
BUT WHAT DO YOU THINK?
3.1 PHILLIP LIM
WAIT. LET’S STOP. The below outfit could define the next year of my life, and I feel really good about that.
As it goes, you may be wondering, “what does Paul Newman have to do with ANYTHING?” The answer is….nothing.
The answer is also, “I’ve been spending copious amounts of time on menswear blogs.”
Fall is around the corner, which means that an imminent refresh is coming. IT’S COMING. Fall means a lot of things for me, mostly that I can refresh my wardrobe and start dressing relevantly to the rest of the world outside of San Francisco. I’ll use this moment to complain one last time - during Summer, San Francisco secedes from the rest of the world and decides to exist in a misty, moist (I said it) and gloomy underworld where we’re all stuck extending winter’s sweaters and boots.
Fall, however, allows us to press refresh and once again realign to everyone else posting weather pictures on instagram.
To reiterate further, fall is a big, big refresh for me. In three weeks I’ll be starting a VERY exciting new job. Dreams are coming true you guys. And really, what marks a new career adventure [IN FASHION] better than some refreshed looks. REFRESH is the key word here.
All that to say, we’re on the verge of Fall and it’s time to start perusing possible purchases, even though the Barney’s ONLINE (!!!!) Warehouse Sale hasn’t even started yet.
Moving on to newer things, let’s talk about leather pants. This is a territory I really want to explore. If done wrong, the results can be catastrophic. But if done right with lots of layers and bulk on top, a sleek leg with a boot is CHIC for Fall. Two options here: $64 at Topshop or $1,700 for The Row. Obviously I already bought The Row pair. I bought 2.
No but really, I’m ordering the Topshop ones as soon as this is posted.
There are 2 things to take away from these Madewell Fall looks:
1. There is a 97% chance I’m going to start wearing a lot of menswear. No, this isn’t weird, this is good. I want to wear bowties on days I don’t feel like wearing necklaces. And since neckwear IS MY JOB NOW…I want to practice what I preach.
2. Big Ass Coats. This is almost a continuation of the leather pant situation. I’m really into the concept of a well structured, oversized coat.
See: Proenza Schouler and Rag and Bone.
Lastly, but obviously not last, 3 outstanding looks from Banana Republic’s Fall presentation. Really, these are fab. And I’m not just saying that SINCE I’LL BE WORKING AT THEIR HEADQUARTERS SOON. Boom.
Really cool things that remind me of Proenza Schouler’s Fall 2012 show.
This is going to be like a metaphorical poem of sorts, but only with photos. So, sit tight and enjoy my favorite looks from one of the most praised shows at New York fashion week.
Masculine:loose but structured trousers, boxy silhouette, collar…slap a tie on it and I give you Diane Keaton in Annie Hall.
Futuristic mini with colorblocking and bold piping. That top is definitely channeling some kind of space age uniform. But Star Trek is not super chic….if Zenon Girl of the 21st Century was still around. She would totally wear this in the second Zequel.
In the last, heartwrenching 10th season finale of Friends when Rachel is moving to Paris to work for Louis Vuitton (“did she get off the plane?!!?”) she’s wearing an absolutely inconic Rachel outfit. I remember watching this and thinking the day I wear an outfit that cool is the day I have arrived.
Well, this PS look is the Man-Repelling, less sexy, contemporary version of that. Right? Yeah.
This one is SUPER easy. Silk, quilted jacket with majestic animal embroidery….
Duh.
Thus concludes my photographic, poetic ode to Proenza Schouler.
But for real. Get ready for REAL boxy silhouettes in Fall.
Here’s to hoping Zara knocks off this. exact. look.……xoxo
In other words: summer. Basically. That awkward season where you’re not buying fall or spring wardrobes, but retailers still want you to shop. And mayybbeee you’re thinking about making some fall-esque purchases.
Or maybe it’s just to tie us over until the Fall shows in February.
Regardless. I give you this. The best of Pre-Fall 2012 from this week.
Well, we could pretty much just stop at the below image, because I’m not sure what in life is better than this Dsquared look. Green Velvet blazer. LADY BOW TIE. Chic pants topped with pointy toe pumps. This is everything.
OR WAIT. This gothic-meets-Upper East side cape. The lines. Jason Wu. Be still my heart. There aren’t really words.
Rag and Bone. I love the colors shown in this collection. The varsity jacket reappears. I want to wear that multicolored skirt everyday in August. And you can bet I will start saving for those red boots…..now.
Thakoon. I really love the muted color palette and how it creates a sweet and romantic aesthetic. Great shapes and textures. Furry pockets are always a plus.
Proenza Schouler. Loving the 2 piece crop top look.Class PS silhouettes.
Givenchy. Major boots. Re-visitation of the Rottweiler.
Prabal Gurung. GENIUS.
Dsquared. It’s like they captured my soul. This dress is DIVINE. And I want to wear that outfit everyday I’m NOT wearing that dress.
More things like…Collars. The good news is that collars are here to stay, at least throughout the summer. This reaffirms my ceaseless need to wear a collar every day from now AT LEAST until my birthday in late August.
(Clockwise from top left: Jason Wu, Milly, Band of Outsiders, Erin Fetherston)
Cool Outerwear. (from L to R: Carven, Rochas, Rochas, dSquared) I love how each of these coats have an outdoorsy feel, but how they were all styled femininely with pointed toe pumped and skirts. New vibes.
Well, it’s been a month. Oooops that’s embarrassing. First there was Thanksgiving, then Christmas, and apparently holiday is a busy time for retailers (go figure) and work got crazy and family and friends and some dude got involved….anyways. I’m back, kinda.
This isn’t a profound post. This is something to tie everyone over until 2012 when I promise to be back in action. A lot of bloggers will write really cheesy posts about “five things” or “ten simple things that make me happy (!)” or “our year in pictures” to bring a year to conclusion.
That’s pretty stupid.
Therefore, I would like to present “five things” that were monumental style moments of the past year.
1. Miu Miu Glitter booties. Even if you didn’t like these initially, you eventually did because they were EVERYWHERE and you didn’t have a choice.
2. THE bag of all bags - theProenza Schouler PS1. There are 2 subjects I frequently have reoccurring dreams about: Justin Timberlake and the PS1. And then when it came out in tribal prints, every blogger got one. It really is perfect. It’s functional, simple enough, but still really really elegant and smart. In summation, this bag embodies everything I strive to be in life.
3. THE dress of ALL dresses. Prabal Gurung’s entire Fall 2011 collection was incredibly beautiful and full of amazingly deconstructed dresses designed with inspiration from Great Expectations’ Miss Havisham. But this dress surpassed all others, in my humble opinion, of any shown this entire year. It’s both elegant and sexy; modern and nostalgic. It’s hauntingly beautiful.
4. Kate Moss’s Wedding Dress. There, I said it. Maybe it’s because I missed John Galliano this year. Maybe it’s because of the 1920s vintage bias cut. Maybe (probably) it’s because there’s sequins on it. I like Kate Moss’s wedding dress better than Kate Middleton’s. It’s not that I didn’t like Kate Middleton’s. It’s just that I REALLY liked Kate Moss’s.
5. The bib necklace. This single piece of jewelery made everything else essentially irrelevant. Dressed up or down; with collar or sans collar, this was the statement piece this year. (top left: Tom Binns, all others: Dannijo. obviously).
Did I miss anything? Let me know your thoughts. Until next time….Happy New Year!
I realize this is the antithesis of my last post and if I’m being totally honest, I don’t even really like Spring. You could pretty much slap a pumpkin on anything and I’d buy it. You can’t just do that in spring. However - it was just spring fashion week….like a month ago. Retailers are busy planning away their spring seasons (I’m placing orders right now for our spring months…) and it’s time to look forward, just for a bit. You can go grab a pumpkin spice latte after this.
Louis Vuitton. Marc Jacobs is a perpetual genius. Perusing these looks is what made me excited for spring in the first place. Such great 60s silhouettes with major MAJOR collars and lace detailing. Feminine but not in an overly cutesy way. Plus the whole show was shown on a white carousel. So dreamy.
The final Kate Moss look is so important.
Proenza Schouler. I was hesitant to jump on the Proenza Schouler bandwagon because it seemed like such hip hype. However, the legitimacy of their collections the last few seasons has won me over. They don’t play on trends and stay tried and true to their lines. Loved their infusion of Hawaiian prints and can’t wait to see how that plays out this Spring.
Alexander McQueen. Sarah Burton is literally THE woman of the year. She stepped into ginormous shoes as the Creative Director after the tragic passing of Alexander McQueen in 2010 and won the world over in April the second Kate Middleton stepped out her carriage and her wedding dress of the century was showcased. She’s done such an incredible job creating looks that 100% fit the aesthetic of the house, but are innovative and fresh.
I want to wear this red dress every day of my life.
I want someone to wear this to awards season.
Prada. This show was INCREDIBLE. My jaw actually dropped at the teal, pink and black colorblocked dress. This collection had such a Prada vibe with extremely wearable looks.
Valentino. You know how much I love Valentino. And how Valentino: The Last Emperor made me cry. This show got rave reviews as the best collection since the new designers stepped in. I like it, don’t get me wrong.
The long sleeved black dress is clearly very Valentino. And, before I digress, the long sleeved gown is AMAZING, literally GORGEOUS.
But every time Valentino shows it kind of breaks my heart. The house has not been the same since Valentino “retired” in 2007 when an Italian conglomerate bought out the house and essentially ousted Valentino from his own company. None of the looks implicit the same level of design and inspiration. This was so evident in this most recent collection and made me think of an article I recently read (that I REALLY wish I could remember where I read it…) that debates both sides of the question - does capitalism kill art? It’s such an interesting question, especially in the realm of fashion.
When you strip fashion of its art, you’re left with clothing; which in it’s essence is a basic economic need. Fashion perfectly bridges economics and art, which is where the tug of war comes in to play. Capitalism vs. Art. Investors vs. Designers. Who’s winning?
In the case of Valentino, the investors bought out the artistic genius. It’s interesting to wonder who’s dictating what we wear.
Anyways. I’m off my tangent. I wrote my senior thesis on the economics of fashion and explored that topic in a much deeper sense. Also, if the topic interests you I HIGHLY recommend the book Deluxe: How Luxury Lost It’s Luster.
I’m over spring. I’m over my tangent. And I can’t wait to wear tweed and knits the rest of the week while drinking pumpkin lattes.
I know what you’re thinking…September?!? It’s still August! MY BIRTHDAY hasn’t even happened yet! Don’t worry. You didn’t miss anything (or my birthday). That is unless, you haven’t picked up September issues yet. You know…the most important issues of the year. I’ve just finished perusing approximately 2,000 pages (Vogue alone consists of 800 pages total this month) and for my humble self (if you want a more authoritative condensed september, check out Cathy Horyn’s 5 fall must haves), these were my highlights:
Alexa Chung, InStyle-giving a preview of her upcoming second collaboration with Madewell.
Miu Miu- someone should count how many times these Miu Miu glittered bad boys were featured in total in all the September mags. It could potentially be in the triple digits…
J Crew’s Cashmere Russian Ballet- SO. BEAUTIFUL.
PROENZA SCHOULER, LOOK #25- Forgot how much I loved these pants, sheer paneled top and the shoes, featured in a Nordstrom ad that can be found in Vogue.
FUCHSIA/RED/ORANGE COLORBLOCKING- This can be seen EVERYWHERE, but really: how cute are these J Crew kids? Also seen on an adult J Crew model and SJP…and seriously, everywhere…
TOMMY HILFIGER’S FALL CAMPAIGN- witty and whimsical.
STELLA MCCARTNEY SHEER POLKA DOTS- Again, the ad campaign is stellar and the look can be found in editorials in Vogue, Elle and In Style.
Vogue’s piece on Republican Presidential candidate Jon Huntsman- Ok, so not fashion related, but I still enjoyed and think he’s my favorite candidate thus far.
and last but not least….
JOHN GALLIANO’S MASTERPIECE- I was skeptical about Kate Moss covering Vogue this month and frankly, wasn’t terribly excited to read about ANOTHER wedding. But my heart stopped when I saw the wedding dress Galliano designed for her. If this doesn’t make every girl want to get married…I don’t know what will.
*I do not condone any of the outfits my homegirls are wearing in the photograph below*
Ladies. Women. Sisters/Sistas.
Someone asked me what my favorite blog was. This question, to me, is like asking Jesus who his favorite disciple is. Obviously it’s not Judas, but you get the picture. I can’t choose. But I will bear my soul to you and share my source of greatest style inspiration, because sometimes I get really sick of all the pretty blogs out there where everyone takes cutesy pictures of themselves in boring and predictable outfits.
Let me clarify: man repelling is not a state of lesbian-hood or extreme feminism (of which neither party I associate myself, but more power to you if you do). Rather, man-repelling is a state of fashion. Leandra, the Man Repeller herself, defines it as the following on her blog:
MAN·RE·PELL·ER1[MAHN-REE-PELLER]
–nounoutfitting oneself in a sartorially offensive way that will result in repelling members of the opposite sex. Such garments include but are not limited to harem pants, boyfriend jeans, overalls, shoulder pads, full length jumpsuits, jewelry that resembles violent weaponry and clogs.
You know how sometimes you get dressed and your like, maybe trying to impress that super hot guy you consistently run into and this completely changes your outfit selection because you think that he’d probably be more attracted to you in a low cut t shirt than your faux fur vest? Man repelling philosophy tells you: WEAR THE FAUX FUR. And so do I!
Not just faux fur. Wear things that don’t match. Color block Christmas colors (shoutout to you Laura Jane). Wear things 7 layers of clothing. Wear dropped crotch pants. Wear what makes you feel like YOU because when all is said and done, if I were to dress like a Kardashian, I would feel like a Kardashian. Maybe that doesn’t translate. But if it does then I think we would really get along. When you dress, dress for yourself and flip off everyone else who says otherwise.
So here’s to all of us girls out there who are never going to dress like Megan Fox. Let’s all wear bow ties and harem pants tomorrow. And listen to this song really loudly, especially that part that says reap just what you sow. I’m pretty sure that’s biblical, which ties this post together quite nicely because Judas is never the favorite disciple BECAUSE NO ONE LIKE A BETRAYER.
xoxo
can you tell im writing on minimum amounts of sleep and lots of caffeine? i hooooooope so :)
