A . Charmed . Life

I have an obsession with oversized, chunky jewelry - rings, necklaces, bracelets - anything that's unique, pretty, and a statement piece. Necklaces can be the trickiest of the group however; if the designer hasn't gotten it just right, you could wind up looking like you're going to a Halloween party.

This is precisely why I love Madame Fortuna's utterly amazing, one-of-a-kind creations - a necklace of hers would look just lovely worn over a simple tee. She had the brilliant idea to take individual brooches and then combined them with strands of pearls and silvery chains to make stunning necklaces:




You can buy directly from her shop or request a custom order. (and I just have to add that it's a good thing that ETSY doesn't make buyer's information public, or I'd have to track some people down and steal their custom baubles!!)

Gorgeous.

We . Love . Lame . House

Lame House Press was featured in an article on female run presses - check it out! You can read more from Gina (one of the lovely gals who runs Lame House) at her blog, A Sad Day for Sad Birds

Pretty . Little . World

(Don't) . GO . International . at . Target

Though I don't work for Target, it seems to me that the original intent behind GO International -- capsule collections created a few times a year by fashion designers -- was to provide high-end looks for those on a low-end budget. For awhile, they succeeded at this: Luella Bartley's apple print collection was charming and fun, and Proenza Schouler managed to recreate their bustier dresses and tops for under $60.

Maybe Target no longer appeals to designers the way that it used to, or perhaps , like everything else, the cost of fabric and production has gone up considerably. Whatever the case, the GO International line is just, quite frankly, blah.

The Botkier and Gryson handbag lines have been unattractive and some even used pleather! Most recently, Richard Chai's clothing collection went on sale, and I couldn't be more bored. This is absolutely the cutest look that you can put together from his collection:


I'm sorry, but this is an outfit that you could put together at Forever21 for about $15.00.

Whatever formula Target and their earlier GO designers used, they should get back to it, because their current equation is clearly not working.

Charlize & Mary-Kate

Does Charlize Theron ever look bad? Even getting off of an airplane? Some things are just not fair...


...and, does Mary-Kate know that you need to wear pants with shirts?


BTW, both are carrying the new "Paraty" bag from Chloe...MK's is in Black Croc!
Photos from Just Jared

Hot . Fall . Trends

Hippie Chic Coats -- Fringe -- Patent in Rich Hues -- the 70s

Pretty . Little . Things . for . Fall

Galliano:

The . Hunger . Site

Today's morning post is just a quick reminder that unfortunately it's not always a pretty little world, but it's so easy to help to change that:

The Hunger Site was founded to focus the power of the Internet on a specific humanitarian need: the eradication of world hunger. Since its launch in June 1999, the site has established itself as a leader in online activism, helping to feed the world's hungry. On average, over 220,000 individuals from around the world visit the site each day to click the yellow "Click Here to Give - it's FREE" button. To date, more than 300 million visitors have given more than 500 million cups of staple food.


The Hunger Site provides an easy way to for people to help those who need it the most - one click each day is all that it takes! (or six -- at the top of the Hunger Site are tabs that let you click for breast cancer, literacy, child health, animal rescue, and rainforest preservation.)

(click the linked text above -- not the picture -- to go to The Hunger Site.)

Vogue . Italy

Photographed by Steven Meisel, Aug. 2008 Issue.

Rag & Bone

Rag & Bone, the label founded in 2002 by Marcus Wainwright and David Neville, began as a denim line. When the duo found quick success, they expanded their line to include women's clothing, and now also accessories.

Their collections have been the definition of simplicity: neutral palettes, strong tailoring, and wearable fabrics have anchored their designs season after season.

It seems as though their Resort 2009 is one of their best yet. The small collection is made up of mostly separates - garments that can be mixed and matched with virtually any other piece in the collection. The clothes also feel somewhat seasonless; spring, summer, fall or winter -- they can be worn all year round. Gorgeous and practical!!

(and with prices that typically range between $150 and $500, Rag & Bone is difficult to pass by!)

Seoul . Food

One of my favorite things about Seoul was the food. Restaurants must make up 50% of the businesses there, as this is what many storefronts seem to be. Not only does this mean that you have a variety of kinds of food to choose from, but it also means that most restaurants are quite inexpensive.

Though we paid more for some meals, if you didn't get drinks, dinner cost around $7.00/person -- and it was excellent food, and there was always a lot of it!

Some favorites =

Bibimbap:


Street vendors:


The Best Sushi Ever:

The . Perfect . Fall . Bedroom

I usually like bedrooms -- well, all rooms, really -- to have a bit of color. Whether it's the wall color or the pop of bright velvet from a sofa or duvet, rich color helps to make a room seem comfortable, lived in, and a smidge happier.

Yet when I saw this bedroom in the newest issue of Domino, I couldn't help but fall in love with it. The lush curtains, striped rug, and faux fur throw (vegan friendly!!) all create a cozy and decadent space to curl up in.

pretty . little . street . style

^^Face Hunter


^^Modette


^^Copenhagan Street Style

Fall . Into . The . Gap

I used to like shopping for things at The Gap - they were always a good go-to store for basics. But the last time I remember having this feeling was a good five years ago. One day The Gap just became frumpy and way too overpriced for what they had.

Cut to: Fall 08.

I don't know if it's recent collaborations with designers like Philip Lim, or if Patrick Robinson has finally found his footing, but The Gap has two things going for them this fall: A killer print ad campaign, and **gulp** cute clothes.




...also, who knew that Amanda Peet's husband (screenwriter David Benioff, second photo) was so gorgeous??!!

Fall . Boots

While I don't know that I'm entirely ready for fall (I could use just a quick weekend at the lake), it is that time of year when I start to get excited about fall fashion.

Just trying to change your closet from summer to fall using the pieces that you already own can be daunting enough, nevermind the task of having to decide what new pieces you need to buy.

So after a lot of trial and error (I can't even begin to say how many sweaters I've ended up never wearing because the fall mood struck me and they just looked cute in the store), I've discovered it's best to start from the ground up.

Boots.

New boots are the one staple that absolutely everyone needs each fall, and this year there's a crop of lovely ones that will go with everything from dresses to denim.






(1) Frye Paige Cuff Boot, $398 (2) Frye Owen Lace Boot, $298, both at Urban Outfitters (3) Coach Whitley Boot, $398, at Coach.com (4) Turbo Over-the-Knee Boot, $149, at ChineseLaundry.com (5) Marc by Marc Jacobs Crackled Leather Boot, $695, at eLuxury.com

I . want . to . believe...

...that there are new ideas in fashion. Honest to goodness, real, brand spankin' new ideas.

But then I flip through the ads in my newest issue of Vogue and feel instantly deflated. Here's what I see:

(1) New Burberry ad (which is gorgeous looking). Wow, that Fall 08 dress looks strangely similar to...


...the 3.1 Philip Lim Spring/Summer 08 dress (which is on sale now at Net-a-Porter)...


(2) Dolce and Gabbana (another gorg. ad campaign). But hey, that girl in the middle - where have I seen her outfit before?


...oh, right. Prada, SS 08...




This is not unlike when Marc Jacobs unveiled the Manhattan bags (which I love) for Louis Vuitton. The Manhattan GM is simply his Venetia bag in LV canvas:


I do realize that when you're designing RTW, there's a certain limit to what can be done. But is it too much to ask that designers not rip each other off in back-to-back seasons?

At least when things stay the same, it's easier on the wallet!

Shopping . in . Seoul ... What . I . learned

There are several different types of clothing/accessories shopping in Seoul:

(1) High-end department stores (of which there is no shortage); look for familiar brands like Louis Vuitton, Fendi, and Marni, as well as some newer Asian designers.

(2) Malls. Shopping in malls is a totally different experience in S. Korea, and one that didn't really appeal to me. It's sort of like walking into a beehive but with disco lighting and loud music.

(3) Underground arcades. These are located at the subway stations; made up of different booths of clothes, shoes, jewelry, etc.


What I learned:

(1) If you live in the States, do not buy luxury goods in Seoul. Even tax free, the prices were outrageous. The Chanel Jumbo Classic bag that I've been lusting over: in the states, $2700.00; in Seoul, $3400.00. This price difference was true in pretty much all of the boutiques. A LV Azur Speedy: here, ~$700.00; there, $815.00.

(2) The Cyndi Tote by Chloe is more gorgeous in person than I'd imagined, but totally impractical - empty it weighs a good 10 pounds.


(3) Malls in Seoul make me physically ill -- dizzieness and nausea included.

(4) A lot of places don't have fitting rooms, so you definitely have to learn to eyeball what's going to work on you and what isn't.

(5) Girls there dress impeccably. Not once did I see someone in sweats that had something spelled out on the behind. Dress code: ruffly blouses over tasteful mini skirts, shift dresses, floucy skirts with cap sleeve blouses, expensive bags.

(6) And last but not least, jewelry, jewelry, jewelry. At some of the smaller antique stores and embroidery shops, I really had to reign myself in - I love oversized rings and there were some truly beatiful pieces. The rings made use of Amethyst (the national stone), Jade, and Amber. Most were set in silver, with lots of intricate detail and carvings. In the end I settled on this one -- it was so unusual and I couldn't stop thinking about it!

Signs

I got back to the States from Seoul yesterday evening (unfortunately I brought a cold back with me!). On the luckier side, the trip was wonderful, and I've also got loads of pretty little pictures to share!

One of the quirkiest things about Seoul is that there's no shortage of completely adorable signs/wall drawings around. Granted, I don't know what some of them say, but they were all too cute to totally leave behind!





More to come this week!!