American Classic

I swooned when I saw the ensemble featured on Shop Bop’s front page today – it looks like something off a Michael Kor’s or Ralph Lauren runway. I just love the American classic style, and have always been a sucker for nautical navy and white stripes. Two items stick out in this styling that really make the outfit – the straw fedora and the unique scarf.

The fedora is by hat-making style maven Eugenia Kim, and features a pleated grosgrain band and eye catching gold metal accent. The bad news is that it retails for $286, but the good news is that I know similar styles can be found for a fraction of the price.

The scarf, which looks like three layers, is actually a triple looped infinity scarf. It’s constructed of soft & comfy jersey and is made by Son of John. Luckily, this summery scarf will only run you $69; a good thing, since finding a similar version would be much harder than replicating the hat.

Straw Fedora, Eugenia Kim at Shop Bop – $286

Navy Stripe Infinity Scarf, Son of John at Shop Bop – $69

Friday Funday: Shoes on Sale

I’m thrilled to set off for SF this weekend, but wanted to put up one more post celebrating Friday in the best way possible: with fabulous shoes, on sale.  The latest Victoria’s Secret catalogue reared its tempting little head in my mailbox earlier this week, and I fawned over their cute selection of shoes on sale.

They have everthing from embellished flip flops and gladiator sandals to night on the town heels to beachy espadrilles for summer. I even happened to pick a pair up for myself… can you guess which one I picked out of my four highlights pictured above?

Shoes, from L to R, clockwise:

Patent Criss Cross Pump (A Jimmy Choo substitute, perhaps?) by Oh, Deer, $99

Almond Toe Leather Pump, $39

V-front Slingback Heels, (which totally remind me of a Bottega Veneta style) $58

Peep Toe Espadrille Wedge, $39

If you like any of the styles above, use free shipping code  VS50SHP for orders over $50.

Happy Friday, and happy shopping!

I Want.

J. Crew, how I love thee. Your beautiful sorbet summer hues, classic clothing with a touch of sass, and Americana basics are just the things I want to fill my wardrobe {regardless of the fact that it’s already bursting at the closet doors}.  And of all the lovely things in your store, these shoes have been at the top of my Shopaholic radar for months now. The Carmen peep toe is perfectly proportioned, stylish yet timeless, and comes in a range of lovely colors.

Even the heel is the perfect 3.5″ height – tall enough for a night on the town, but low enough that they can be worn to brunch without arousing suspician that you’re doing a walk of shame in last night’s party heels.  Utter. Perfection.  If I were to indulge in my obsession {which, sadly, I cannot, due to the strict savings plan M & I have masochistically placed ourselves on}, I would pick these pretty pumps up in the light gray version.  Dove gray, besides the fact that it goes with everything and is very en vogue, pairs beautifully with the muted romantic sorbet colors of Summer.

Carmen Pumps, $265 at J. Crew

If I Had a British Wedding To Attend…

…I would most certainly wear a fabulous feather hair piece.  Mike thinks I’m crazy for wanting to put large feathered (or silk flowered) objects in my hair, and sadly I can’t seem to impress upon him how fabulous it looks.  Feathered flowers and other millinery is just so unnecessarily frivolous, which is what makes it such a fantastic fashion statement. They serve no other purpose than to make a statement – fashion at its finest, if you ask me.

And though there are many well known Etsy designers who create lovely feathered hair pieces, one I am particularly obsessed with is seller Portobello.  My favorite design is the thin headband with a dramatic feather pad on them that lays flat against the head. Some are further embellished with a vintage button or beading for a sophisticated evening look, like this black one above, though I also love the simpler brown striped feather version.

What do you think of the feathered hair piece trend? Love it or hate it?

Bloomies Shoe Sale

Shoe-aholics who love a good deal should click their way on over to Bloomingdale’s, where they are offering the following promotion for TODAY ONLY:

• $50 off $200 of shoes

• $100 off $300 of shoes

• $150 off $500 of shoes

The only thing that irks me about sales like these is that they aren’t a consistent percentage off. You get the best discount if you buy $300 worth of shoes, and get screwed if you buy $1,000 of shoes since you only get $150 off.

Am I being too critical? I mean, a sale’s a sale, right? I think perhaps the 80% off January sales are still too fresh in my mind to get excited by 30% off.

The Jaws of Defeat

…Or should I say, da feet.  It all started about a week ago when I was perusing Endless to help a friend locate the perfect wedding shoe.  It’s no secret that I’m in love with shoes and I’ll take any excuse to shop my little heart out, so I was more than happy to help locate the brightly hued bridal pump of her dreams. In the end she settled for a gorgeous white shoe I found that will be dyed to match her wedding colors, but in the midst of my perusal I also came across these – and stopped dead in my tracks.

The shopaholic within me cried out and clapped her hands in glee – the perfect flat! So vibrant, so rich, so feminine; daintily demure yet somehow still sexy. And…. what’s this I see? GASP! They’re. ON. SALE.  No joke, I had to fan myself to avoid hyperventilation on the spot. I’d been keeping my eyes peeled for the perfect colorful blue satin shoe for months now, and here it was, right in front of me. Just when I thought victory was mine, something tragic happened. As I clicked on my size to put these pretties in my shopping basket the lovely blue color disappeared from the webpage. Apparently the only color left in my size was brown.

My heart sank, but I was still hopeful – many sites sell RAS brand shoes, I reasoned, and I would definitely be able to find another pair. And then I did – on eBay of all places, going for only $15 brand new, never worn, in my size, in the gorgeous blue color. Hallelujah, I was saved.   I bid on them and waited eagerly until the auction’s end, this past Saturday, so I could place a last minute bid in case anyone dared try to rip them from my grasp.  It was a great plan, save for the fact that I forgot my parents and inlaws were descending upon us to visit for the weekend. My error in planning was my fatal flaw, and the shoes went to another bidder while I joked jovially and snacked on gourmet sandwiches with the fam.

Mike can’t understand why I’m still lamenting the loss of these flats every time we leave the house (I’m reminded of them when I have to put on my shoes, ha), but I can’t forget the taste of near victory that was snatched away so suddenly. I even tried looking up where RAS is sold in stores, only to find that a trip to the Bon Marche in Paris was my only option. And in that case, I’d have better luck trying to bribe someone who already owns them to give them up.

So that, my friends, is the story of my latest shopping FAIL. The moral of this sad tale? eBay, for all its virtues, can also be a cruel, sadistic mistress, snatching away the one you love and mocking you with one last jab when you’re already down -  “You Were Outbid.”

Stunning Summer Sandals

For those of you who are wondering what to wear underneath your lovely maxi dresses, the best shoe to pair them with is a summer sandal. Though I adore flats, I just don’t think they look right with a patio dress – unless they are super strappy and open toed, at least. The best summer sandals to wear with a long summer dress are the Bernardo or Mystique flip flops, gladiators and ankle-wrap sandals.  Sandalworld has a fantastic selection of the prettiest summer sandals, including the below. Their sandals retail between $50 – $150, so while they are not cheap, many of the sandals are made from real leather and semi-precious stones and should last years.

Pretty Baubles I’d Like To Buy…

Is is possible for a lack of money to be burning a hole in your pocket? If so, my pockets are scorched. My wardrobe feels fairly complete, but my jewelry box does not. I had many fabulous pieces of costume jewelry that I’ve collected over the years, which suited me just fine. Then, early last year without any warning, I became horribly allergic to all my beloved costume earrings. I was seriously devastated, since I prefer to spend money on clothing instead of jewelry, and buying cheap but cute earrings was my shopping M.O.. 

Fast forward to today, when I still have to get over the reluctance to plunk down more than $10 for a pair of trendy earrings – I’ve fallen in love with these two pretty yet simple pairs of earrings on Etsy. The first (Exhibit A) is handmade netted silver with a vintage crystal chandelier (!) in the middle, crafted by seller Precious Meshes. The second (Exhibit B), is a delicate solid gold and amethyst pair of earrings by Tahirih. Readers, what do you think: is the juice worth the squeeze (on my wallet)?

Vampy Summer Sandals

These shoes are the antithesis to my usual style, but something about them drew me in nonetheless.  After studying them for a moment or two, I found myself falling hard for their peep-toe perfection. I love the juxtaposition of the natural braided upper with the vampy style and sexy cut.

How perfect would these heels be for dressing up a cute little summer dress, or paired with dressy shorts and a flowing top?  Plus, the nude color means that they’d go with just about everything you own.  Okay, now  I need to stop coming up with reasons why I heart these so much, lest I break down and add them to my shopping cart.  Needless to say, I’m in love and I wish they were mine. If you can fork over $195 for them, promise me you’ll love them like I’ll never be able to.

Natural Lucie, by Report Footwear – $195 at 80s Purple

Rack Trap is the New Clutch… right.

This is not a joke – which is precisely what makes it so damn funny.  The “Rack Trap” will hold all a ladies’ necessary personal belongings inside her bra when going out – no purse required. A small hypoallergenic pocket has just enough room to hold your cash and cards for a purseless night out. My only question is, what happens then you’re at the bar and you need to pay for your cocktail?  How does one access their “rack trap” without getting all “Girls Gone Wild” on the bartender?