I Am Nobody's Little Weasel...

It has to be said, I absolutely adore Audrey Tautou. This should come as no great surprise since I am drawn to all things French, including film, and who could forget the adorable Amélie?

In my opinion, Ms. Tautou has great personal style. Pixie-ish as she is, she is very classy, simple but beautiful and she always has that chic French quality about her. The lucky girl will soon get to play dress up as Coco Chanel when filming begins on Coco Avant Chanel. I am très jalouse. I expect this biopic to be quite good, or at least the fashion will be since Karl will be overseeing the costumes. Can't wait!

-B

Fall Fashion In Focus: Lace

With just about a week away from Fashion Week and September's fall madness, my wish list for the season continues to grow. Currently I'm lusting after lace.

The intricate details that lace creates are absolutely beautiful. I can't say I've ever worn too much lace before, but I'm eager to try out some looks for fall. Unfortunately, I can't afford the lovely lacy Prada numbers that were so prominent on the Fall '08 RTW runways. Hmm, must figure that out. The orange-lace dress shown above on the runway and worn by Miss Maggie G. at one of The Dark Knight premieres looks very much like the Prada designs, but in fact is from Jean Paul Gaultier's '08 Couture collection.

Lace was also a prominent design feature in Philosophy's Fall '08 runway show. Although still utilizing the lace here, a very different look was achieved. The vibe I got from this show was romantic, yes, but it's more of a gothic, romantic feel. The lace combined with the other pieces really creates that style.

I love the romantic yet sort of sexy quality it can add to an outfit. In the Prada and Gaultier shows, you have the prettiness of the lace, but the way they used it as a see-through layer over other pieces, such as the way Maggie wore an orange bra under the Gaultier dress, which adds a more daring sexiness to the look. After looking through various designs, I also think that lace is much more versatility than one would imagine. It's a great trend that can take you from day to night. For example, the Prada look above (far left) could be for day, perhaps even with a blazer or long cardigan instead and then simply peel the layers off going into evening.

Full collections via Style.com:
Prada
Jean Paul Gautier
Philosphy

And for other lace looks featured on the runways:
Style.com

Later!

-B

I Heart Colette

When I was studying in Paris I used to love browsing Colette. The boutique is a fantastic mix of creative randomness and quirkiness. Filled with products ranging from beauty to design to fashion and a whole lot in between.

I'm getting quite excited for the Colette pop-up store that will be featured in NYC's flagship Gap location (54th St. @ 5th Ave.) starting September 6th! It will be there for about a month, ending on October 5th.

You can check out some of the designs that will be featured in the pop-up (such as the t-shirt to the left) via High Snobiety. I think this is one of my favs, but all are fun and unique collaborations between Parisian and NYC artists.

Ahh, so thrilled it's Wednesday! Project Runway tonight perhaps? If I remember AND if there are no apts to see.

-B

M.I.A.

That would be me, not the singer, to which my title refers. I know I've been preoccupied with all that is my mad, mad world at the moment BUT I do finally have some of my own pics to share.

I bought the skinny belt on the left from H&M, but I think I need to invest in a belt that doesn't actually look sooo cheap. On the right I'm wearing my favorite "uniform" as of late, the vest. I love mens-inspired styles and vests are a great way to pull a look together. Oh, and yes, the Balenciaga.

Ughh, collage from my little trip to the BK. Apartment hunting. Disaster. Hmm, at least this wasn't the day I got caught under a karaoke bar awning there waiting for a sudden downpour to let up, because as usual I didn't bring an umbrella ella ella. (Yeah, I did.) Btw, I've been wearing my Dolce Vita sandals practically non-stop since they arrived and I LOVE them.

On the left, as I've mentioned before, one of my other fav styles right now, ruffles. They're just fun. Top on the right is Staerk by Camilla Staerk, love the color and the pattern. I shot the background in lower East Harlem, the side of a building.


I just had to stop and snap a photo of this "house" because I was so struck by how truly normal and house-like it looked as opposed to your usual brownstones and apartment buildings in the city. I think I saw it somewhere on the UES. Me, trying out some white framed Ray Bans. Before, I wasn't really sure I could pull of white frames, but I kind of like them. I'm also really like some clear frames that I've tried on from some different designers. Top is actually a dress by Sally Tseng. I'm very into items that can double as other wardrobe pieces such as a dress as a top, etc. Haha, and check it out:

Heidi Klum's Stardoll dresses like me! You can't really see my entire outfit in the above photo, but I assure you I have on skinny jeans and my DV sandals. What can I say? Great fashionista minds think alike.

La la, ok I do have some other random photos to post but will wait for another day. Premier of Greek was tonight! Yay! Finally new seasons have begun and I have something to watch. But, now it's over and it's getting late, haha. Hey, I DO have work, you know. Plus, possibly seeing MORE apartments tomorrow. OMFG why is this not over yet!?

'Night,

-B

Welcome to the Dollhouse

I did a post earlier on Viktor & Rolf's dollhouse exhibition at the Barbican. If, like me, you're unable to check out such a fantastic display of fashion, head on over to If It's Hip, It's Here to see photos. You'll be able to see some great comparison pics featuring both the doll designs and the original styles. Their doll works are really amazingly detailed especially considering the difference in size they were working with. Very cool.

Later!

-B

What Would You Wear?

Oh my, crazy stressful super busy weekend = not enough time in the day to sit and write a post all weekend. I went out in the East Village to participate in the obligatory birthday revelry for two friends. Then I got up the next two mornings to go apartment hunting ALL DAY LONG. Searching for an apartment in the city is the least fun thing I can think of right now. A broker we were looking with reminded us of something Carrie said about how searching for an apartment (especially in NY) is like trying to find the perfect man. Basically, no man is perfect and no apartment is really perfect, it's just a matter of what flaws you can live with in both.

Anyway, I have a new dilemma, although more time to deal with this than my apartment search (Sept. 1st!). A friend from college is getting married mid-October. I wasn't actually sure I was going to go because it's on a Friday and I have to work. Boo. However, some of my friends who are going are rather insistent that I should be there. This means shopping for not only a gift but also a dress to wear. What exactly does one wear to a wedding? I've been a bridesmaid, so that's fairly easy, but I've not been just a guest. How dressed up should I be? Color? Style? So many questions...

Photos [BCBG]

Normally one of my go-to dress sources would be BCBG. I think they usually have a great selection of styles and colors, look classy but still young. Although I'd rather not spend a ton of money right now, at least it isn't a bridesmaid dress I'll never wear again. I like these three options I found online, but I'm not exactly sure what is appropriate. The one in the middle is simple and clean but very pretty I think, the problem is the color. Is it too close to what the bride might be wearing?

Photos [Bloomindales]

Above are options from Bloomingdales. The first dress is pretty but again, I'm unsure of the color. Is it too bright? The other two are nice colors for fall since this will be in October. The third dress is Diane Von Furstenberg, which always look nice, but is a print/pattern good for a wedding or should I keep it simple with a solid?

Photos [Macys, Nicole Miller]

The first two from Macys are slightly cheaper options. The one-shoulder style is by Maggy London and since I'm quite fond of the one-shoulder trend right now, could be nice. The middle is from Lauren by Ralph Lauren, very simple but nice. The third is a bit different, cute strapless option from Nicole Miller. I like the color and you probably can't tell but it's actually pinstriped.

What do you think about these? Any other ideas? Send them my way, I need help!

P.S. Seeing another apt after work. Wish me luck!

-B

Zag Bags: Poisonous, Or Just Enhanced?

By now the use of Botox for cosmetic enhancement is so prevalent, I'm not really sure why I was terribly surprised to learn that Zagliani has the same idea of "enhancement" for its snakeskin bags.

I've read sources such as Jezebel (via Perez Hilton) that Botox, which is of course a toxin, is used on the bags to give the snakeskin, "a luxuriously soft finish."

However, I've come across other sources that claim the soft texture of the bag is due to injections of a, "complex mix of silicon and resin." Apparently the Zagliani creator, Mauro Orietti-Carella, is trained in dermatology so both of these could be true.

Either way, I kind of find it horrifying that a bag needs to be injected with either a poison or the same substance used for women who want to look like The Girls Next Door. A little excessive, no?

Then again, being beautiful isn't easy...even for a little piece of luxury.

What do you think? Crazy? Scary? You'd buy it anyway?

-B