Brief Jaunt

I know postings have been a bit erratic, as the last month has been quite hectic! And again this weekend I find myself on a bit of a last-minute jaunt out-of-town.  Please accept my apologies, but I will get back to regular schedule soon (and will try to capture a bit of the travel if I can)!

xx,
P

In Bloom

 Prada coat and skirt (from TJ Maxx), Brooks Brothers half-sleeve shirt, Fenton Fallon X Proenza Schouler necklace (new fave accessory and only $15!), Chloe sandals (it's warm!), Balenciaga bag, Tom Ford sunglasses

 Soaking in the sun, who knows how long it will last

Now I don't know if it's quite ironic or to-be-expected, but even as a trained lawyer, damn, do I hate a suit.  On-campus interview time in law school was a waking hell of grey suits and nude pantyhose.  I remember actually getting comments (comments!) for wearing nude colored (but patterned) Wolford stockings. While the interview regimen hasn't changed much since then, the corporate one has--huzzah!  So, thanks to the auspices of T.J. Maxx, I went ahead and convinced myself it was worthy to invest in in this "interesting" S/S 2010 Prada "suit"which was (if I calculate the original MSRP at the boutique correctly) in the 75% off range.  Which, as you may or may not know, is impossible to come by even during sale time (last season Prada discounts peaked in the 40% off range).  It seems I have also officially developed a penchant for the longer coat.  What do you think?  I love a good cropped jacket, but they've been so everywhere for the last while that I feel the longer length is refreshing.  Especially when festooned with sun-bleached acid-print flowers.  And it's quite flattering for basically every body-type (also quite comfortable, as no one will know when/how much you've eaten.  This is a proven fact--I wore it to Easter at a friend's and it was smooth sailing the whole way.  Perhaps too smooth...).

Does anyone actually like a proper suit out there?  Very curious!

Refinery 29 - Beauty Secrets from Real Girls!

Givenchy shirt, Mac lipstick in Violetta and eyshadow in Goldmine

 Some of you may have already seen this on Refinery, but, if not, they just launched a new beauty column about "real" women's beauty secrets/tips and--they were kind enough to include me in the first roundup!  While I can't say I'm not a bit uncomfortable/embarrassed to have close-ups of my face on the interwebs, the column is a fun read and I can't wait to see who else they feature coming up!  You can read the whole thing here. Happy Easter!

Even in [Her] Youth

 

 Derek Lam sample jacket, Wythe striped shirt, Joe's Jeans "Cobain" jeans, Tory Burch boots, Fenton Fallon x Proenza Schouler necklace, Ray Ban sunglasses

What you see here is the consequence of getting bored, having a 40% off coupon from Borders, purchasing Nirvana Live at Reading, and watching said dvd twice through within 24 hours.  It was awesome.  Needless to say, the 1990s are on the brain again (don't think I'll ever quite get over them, but who would want to?).  And this time, it's in a very literal incarnation.  A little The Craft-meets-Friends. The Courtney Cox updo!  The darkish red lipstick!  Stripes! And the piece de resistance, my "Cobain" style (no joke) Joe's Jeans.  A little embarrased about the last one, but as someone who tried desperately to wear in her jeans authentically and failed miserably, this is what I ultimately settled with in the late 90s.  In grunge's hey day  (circa 1993) I tried everything possible expedite the natural wear process, including rubbing my jeans furiously against the carpet, and my favorite, strategically grating scissors against key areas (i.e. knees, hem, butt)--but all was futile.  I was and am still that pristine with my clothes that the cool worn-in look has always eluded me (I have jeans from late middle school that have nary a fray to them).  So, finding these "authentic" looking jeans was a bit of salvation for me, even if it was a few years after I had pretty much given up on the whole grunge look.  I just couldn't let them get passed me once I found them.  And, as pant-legs continue to widen, I'm completely fine with resurrecting the straight leg/slight boot cut (even though I kind of hate the low rise).  They're the perfect companion to YouTube-ing videos of 120 Minutes and 1991: The Year Punk Broke (the former of which is being resurrected on MTV2 with original host Matt Pinfield (but unfortunately not the original kick-ass bands) and the latter of which will finally be on dvd in the fall!).  Now, if you need me, I'll be moshing in front of my lovely LCD flat screen.  Oh, the irony.

Uptown Girl

Chloe cropped jacket, Alexander Mcqueen dress, Forever 21 tights, Lanvin shoes

I had a meeting the other day, hence the looking all fancy-like in my pearls.  I've luckily been able to take some liberties with the outfits lately, but sometimes you just need to come back to a proper, lady-like, Upper-East-Side-ready outfit.  With neon pink pockets, of course (so on trend, natch).  The Chloe jacket was resurrected because I attempted to streamline my closet (verdict: unsuccessful) and a bit of sentiment got a hold of me, as it was not only my first sample sale purchase after moving to NYC, but also reward to myself for passing the NY bar that very same day.  Good times.  Which came after many bad times of trying to get results on the NY bar association website that kept crashing over a period of several hours.  But it's all good now.  My, how thing have changed since then!

You may also have notice some not-so-fancy, but solidly classic tabs at the top of the page:  yes, I'm not only trying to organize my closet, but also the blog (insert psychological assessment of my mental state based on those facts here).  It's mostly self-explanatory, but the "Styling" and "Shop" tabs may deserve some further elucidation.  After receiving more than a few inquiries about whether I was available to style/shop for others, I thought I would just put the information out there on it's very own page that yes, I am completely ready and available for such fun endeavors (schedule willing, of course)!  I really enjoy helping other people realize their personal style potential, so it's something I'm definitely interested in doing on a freelance basis.  So that's that  As far as "Shop" goes--I am beyond capacity with storage in my apartment,  so I hope from time-to-time I might post things that unfortunately no longer fit, that have to be edited out due to space constraints, that were bought but never wore, etc., etc.  I'll probably be tinkering around here and there, so don't be alarmed if things look a bit askew for the next few weeks!  I promise it'll all be for the better! :)

Rah-Rah Oh Rochas...

Rochas dress and shoes

Throw a layer on underneath or over and it's ready for work

Love the pleating and seaming detail

 Just barely on-the-shoulder

 Yeah, I know bad pun, especially considering my dislike of Lady Gaga (I mean come on, it's fun dance music but she is NOT the second coming, not even of Madonna).  But alas, the broadness of my love for Marco Zanini at Rochas requires only the broadest of puns, so the Lady it is. :)  Until now, I had only been able to express my love Zanini et al. through rambling, hyperbolic blog posts and a growing Rochas shoe collection (mostly due to the fact that the MSRP of most Rochas pieces (rightfully) land somewhere on the side of way-too-expensive-to-even-think-about)--but, that's all changed!  Thanks to the ever-generous giver of designer RTW, yoox.com, had this beauty of a dress for over 80% off.  Besides being pitch-perfect for spring's ballet-inspired looks (see: Chloe), I think it also succinctly represents what I love so much about the new Rochas aesthetic: sexy yet demure; classic yet innovative through the most thoughtful details (let's talk about this sleeve length, the pleating and the back on this dress--divine)!    There's no doubt about it, I will be scavenging the internets and beyond for whatever Rochas I can get my hands on/afford--and I suggest you do to!

Frames of Your Life

Theyskens Theory jacket, Brooks Brothers shirt, Phi jodhpurs, Prada platform brogues, necklace from India

Signature notched collar of Theyskens jackets--so that the shoulders get that cool "shrug" effect

 

Hi, everyone!  We're back in action in NYC now, so no more beautiful vacation pics (believe me, my heart hurts more than yours).  But, in the spirit of getting back to the "working" part of The Working Girl, I thought I would mark my New York return with a little suit number.  Now, obviously jodhpurs are a stretch in any office environment, so only the most daring need attempt, but, since the the '90s are back in full glory (I couldn't be happier), I thought I might also re-introduce the un-cuffed French Cuff shirt.  Now, I don't recommend this look without a jacket (preferably a skinny-sleeved, long-armed jacket), as you'll end up looking more Benny and Joon than high-power fill-in-the-blank. But, as long as you stick with those broad guidelines, I think it's a fun way to funk-ify an outfit (yes my return of the 90s means "funk" is back).  The high-contrast, minimal look also screams to what's been going on on the runways, and since it's still a tad (read: a lot) too cold to break out those minimal brights, I think the black-white combination can substitute nicely during this very early spring weather.  Add a statement piece of jewelry--I chose a collar necklace, but it could be a great ring, or earring--and you're ready put Blossom to shame.

I also happened to get snapped by the illustrious Tommy Ton for the Armani "Frames of Your Life" web promotion in this outfit. The pics of me are up on the Armani site now, so if you have the time and inclination, you can click over and "vote" for me (it would be much appreciated).  The glasses were really great, and fittingly had a bit of a 30s/40s by way of 90s vibe to them.  I was tempted to get a pair even though I don't wear glasses!  And then I realized I'm not ready to take that step yet.  I'm also trying to get a hold of the full, un-cropped pictures, which were pretty awesome, but sadly, have not receive them yet.  One more thing for the to-do list.

Mihir Garh, Rajasthan, India

Dries is pretty much perfect for India--Dries Van Noten shirt, pants, and shoes

 Rochas scarf, Proenza Schouler shirt, American Apparel Jeans, YSL earrings, Michael Kors sunglasses

J. Crew shirt, Miu Miu shorts, Rochas sandals, Prada sunglasses

Somewhere in another, more verdant part of the desert was our last stop in Rajasthan--a wonderful little hotel modeled after a traditional Indian fort called Mihir Garh, which was built by the "Don" of the nearest town as a tribute to the landscape, culture and history of Rajasthan. In the middle of nowhere (closest real town was about 30 min away), it was quite the surprise when I ran into a friend from college, who was on vacation as well.  Talk about random!  Especially considering the hotel only has 9 rooms.  Small world indeed.  So besides having some very welcome company for our delicious meals (I was able to finally eat again!), we also took this opportunity to get a bit of R & R and take a tour of a couple nearby villages.  One in particular definitely gave me pause to think about the way we live as a society--a sect of Hindus whose main aim is to conserve and preserve their environment. The "village" was little more than an extended family and was without any electricity whatsoever (purposefully).  Their huts (which were beyond spic and span) were made from foraged materials only--nary a twig was cut down to provide for their needs.  That conservation ethic extends to the local fauna as well, and we were told that one of the main reasons the elusive Black Buck still exists in those parts is because of the active protection of these people.  They are so committed to honoring  their surroundings that they don't even have chimneys (the soot just collects on the roofs of the kitchen-hut).  They also one of the very few people in India to bury their dead (in order to avoid wasting arboreal resources). Most interesting was that there is a specific kind of tree (the name escapes me the Neem tree) that is literally their giving tree--it provides much of the material for their housing needs (roofs, rope, etc), as well as their medicinal needs (the sap is apparently a pretty good anti-septic, anti-inflammatory, etc.)  Best of all, they use the twigs as a combo toothbrush/toothpaste.  And let me tell you, it works! They have pretty amazingly healthy teeth. In any event, it was a really eye-opening experience that they  seem live so "well"  (and beautifully) yet can fit all their worldly possessions in one modest hut.  It definitely convinced me to start re-evaluate my own hoarding impulses.

We then went to a more established village (i.e. with electricity), and by wonderful happenstance, I matched the blue/coral color scheme to a T!  We also got to partake in an opium tea ceremony, which was quite the trip (ha!). Mostly used for times of celebration (in the past, it originated as a way for enemies to solidify their alliance in war, or to join ornery in-laws in peace), it was really amazing to see how the practice is still in existence (of course now regulated by the government) and can co-exist in a quickly modernizing and Westernizing society.

Think this is it for the India installment--hope you enjoyed taking a little peak into my trip!

 Opium Tea Ceremony

He could tie a turban in 60 seconds flat--and out of something like 24 yds of fabric!

Really can't get enough of this blue

  If you squint hard enough, I swear I blend in

Oh yeah totally legit.

  Had to capture the colors/patterns--however cheesily

 

  Baby Black Buck turns into...

Actually black Black Buck

2-in-1 toothbrush and toothpaste

My bf made a new very friendly friend

  Someone didn't get their chocolates that day.  Seriously, he was sad because he didn't get chocolate.