I Can't Stand the Rain

 Nonia sweater, Ralph Lauren button down, Stella McCartney raincoat, Erdem skirt, Nine West boots, Eddie Bauer backpack

Cold rain in NYC makes me as petulant as a sick child.  Throw in being sick...and well, you get the idea.  So, to honor my general crankiness, I dressed the part of annoying 4th grade brat.  I took it all the way back to 1991 and threw on a backpack and the tights, and the big sweater. This is new inspiration for me clothing-wise, but has been the catalyst in forming my now semi-adult (emphasis on semi) personality.  The years '91-'95 were probably most crucial in the crystallization of my core beliefs and values, which haven't much changed since then. Really.  This very fact, I confess, is why I will never really be a true "fashionista". I might succeed every now and then, but ultimately I will always "mess" it up with a crazy sock, or too many prints, or too baggy a something, or, like, un-brushed hair.  You see, that was "cool" to me then, and is some kind of sartorial truth to me now.  As my esteemed friend A Better Roni might say, "Eh, who cares?"  Exactly. But every blog needs a uber self indulgent post once in a while, amiright?

 IF YOU WANT TO SEE ME LESS CRANKY--CHECK OUT 5 STRAIGHT DAYS OF REAL ADULT STYLE HERE:

Bright Ideas

 Dries Van Noten blazer, American Apparel t-shirt, Rochas skirt, Lanvin shoes, Celine bag

While I have my wardrobe primed for the grays and charcoals and earthy colors of fall, there's something that seems so rebellious about sticking with brights.  This Dries Van Noten blazer is my favorite for playing the summer-for-fall trick--it's actually a bona fide fall/winter wool blazer, but in one of the most tropical colors out there, most people would never guess.  Stripes and flora-inspired patterns all scream for warmer days; yet, somehow, a modest black patent pump grounds the whole thing in the crisp autumn air.  Maybe I don't know what I'm talking about, but sometimes you just have to be out of season.  Or at least seemingly so. 

Old and New

 Farewell mandals! Balenciaga vest, Club Monaco t-shirt, Marc Jacobs leather pants, Proenza Schouler sandals

The folks at Elie Tahari were nice enough to invite me to a little shindig a couple weeks ago, and as outfit posts pile up (seriously, every time I think a break is around the corner, things just ramp up even more!), I thought the juxtaposition between this very modern outfit and the below, styled by Mr. Tahari himself almost wrote itself!  The wonderful Guerre of Guerreisms took pictures of all the attendees in the window wearing Tahari's wares.  If all that wasn't good enough, the inimitable (and fellow Canadian) Joe Zee was on hand to supplement Mr. Tahari's styling capabilities.  Not bad for a Tuesday night, huh?  As someone who has always associated Tahari with solid, if not predictable, office wear, I was fortunately surprised to see that the brand has grown past that and included some great fashion-forward pieces for Fall (like a great silk leopard trench, pant, and a ruby velvet suit (very 90s Tom Ford)).  My favorite was the black floor length below that Mr. Tahari took to an Old Hollywood level--a place I don't go too often, but was happy to visit!.  Goes to show--don't pigeon hole yourself!  You can go anywhere in your fashion dreams--that's what makes it so great!

 

Curiosity Killed the Curator

 Ralph Lauren sweater and skirt, J. Crew shirt and vest, Band of Outsiders tie, Marc by Marc Jacobs socks, Marc Jacobs shoes

Between overcoming sickness, drawing up Fall wishlists (emphasis on wish) and general grown-up problems (the worst!), I've been trying to find my feet both sartorially and intellectually.  For some reason, the wealth of information available to us at all moments of the day is just finally overwhelming me (and I don't whelm easily).  Then I read this Gawker article on the death of College Radio.  While, yes, FM analog radio is outdated and by no means "necessary" to life, I think my sadness over its demise is symbolic of a growing problem I'm having these days: a lack of curatorship.  We have so much information from so many sources that the whole process becomes totally incomprehensible.  Having the option of 5,000,000 white shirts when I need only 1 makes me just want to go out and buy lots of bags of potato chips. Hearing a million mediocre bands instead of just 3 mediocre bands makes me want to puncture my ear drums.   This is where the college radio analogy comes in--those near-extinct stations used to be a reliable and trusted source from which to explore new music (and to do so in a decidedly  non-commercial way). Everything wasn't mind-blowing, but you could generally get a sense of what the best new things out there were from people who really had knowledge of and a passion (as well as time) for and knowledge of the subject matter.  Nowadays, music is just "out there", as is fashion, current events, and everything else under the sun.  Even the sites that attempt to "curate" fall victim to the necessity of spitting out information at an incessant pace to match our voracious/bored appetites while at work, waiting for the subway, or waiting for dinner.  Yes, maybe this isn't the biggest problem to be up in arms about, but I'm wondering when people will stop equating quantity with quality.  Just because there is greater access to information doesn't mean it always improves quality of life.  The trick is to balance the two, of course.  Having no selection (i.e. your friendly NYC bodega--WHERE ARE MY CHIPS??) is obviously atrocious, but when limits aren't even a consideration, I can't help but think this overwhelmed feeling is going to become pretty familiar....

Ok, so to tie this all to the blog (besides my sweet techie/old-school collegiate mash up outfi--ha!): having already vowed to streamline the dressing process, I am ALSO going to challenge myself curate my clothing choices in and of themselves.  The effects will probably be unnoticeable to everyone else, but gosh darn it, I think it might give me some satisfaction to rid myself of some excess!!  So, that's not really anything to do with the blog or fashion, but it IS my rant for the day. ;

AND if you aren't totally bored/annoyed by me and my thoughts, Chictopia did a little interview with me HERE!

Ribbed For Your Pleasure

 Northern Watter's sweater, Theyskens' Theory cords, YSL boots, random t-shirt 

Corduroy season is upon us (yep, that means I'm already sick!), and although in recent years my fondness for it has waned more than it has waxed, we are in a full wax-on (sorry) mode here guys!  These amazing Theyskens' Theory cords had more than a little bit to do with it.  The flare and fit are immeasurably perfect--trouser enough for more professional environments, exaggerated enough to have some fun in!  As you can see, I was so inspired that I kept the ribbing going all the way to the sweater. It is true: my love of ribbing extends beyond the corduroy plane.  I think it's such a great way to get a cool shape in a knit.  Really gives sweaters a couture dimension in the thick variety, and a cool 90s body-con look when you go on the thinner side.  While corduroy may not be for everyone (and may induce horrifying acid flashbacks to the 1970s), it's definitely in the midst of being reinvented--and even having quite the moment.  So give it a shot.  And oh, it doesn't hurt that it's actually pretty damn warm and cozy!

Bowie to Bowie

 Dries Van Noten pants and bag, random blouse, Ferragamo shoes, 

Of course, after my last Dries gushing, I had to go put on my Dries " Bowie" pants.  I completely love how Dries combined different era David Bowie ('70s and '80s) while putting his own signature twist, to create the most original pants I've seen in a very long time.  The shape alone is quite innovative--the dropped crotch (but not dropped in the the popular way), the slight flare that breaks quite low, the oblique single pleat--all things I haven't seen on a trouser before.  Throw in an amazing print, and I'm thoroughly enamored.  The printed pant may not be for everyone, but if you're looking to shake things up for work (and beyond), there's never been a better time than now!

On an unrelated note, I was perusing Tommy Ton's latest style.com pics and came across the one below from Paris--familiar combination, no?

At least let me pretend....;)