Vintage All Over Again

It always cracks me up when I see a very vintage design crop in in a modern story or store.  Not even an "inspired by" design but one totally reproduced from a vintage piece they must have gotten a hold of.

For example, I was browsing a Who What Wear article on "9 Style Secrets That Bloggers Know (and You Don't)" and saw this purse featured from Gaia.

Oh wait!

 I know that purse... because I have it!

And mine was not $98. It was like $20 and is an actual vintage piece bought from an vintage accessories dealer at a show in 2011.

Maybe I'm a blogger in the know.

At least I know to buy the original vintage piece for a much better price and quality than a reproduction!

One Special Night with Sophia Webster Evangeline

Last week was our 19th Meeting-versary.  We consider that day even more special than our wedding day because our meeting was so by chance and lucky and just filled with kismet and serendipity.

So special shoes were in order.

If you want to stand out in the best way possible, wear winged shoes.  People cannot get enough of them.

I paired these with a pastel-ish shift dress from Anthropologie:

And used a white and gold faux snakeskin clutch I've had for ages.

Here are a few better views...

As you can see, I was having the best time.   I have to say I'm lucky.  I'm still having fun after nearly 20 years together. I wish the same for anyone else who wants that.

: )

Party Glam - Owls, Sequins and Mohawks

On Saturday night, we went to a local "runway" charity event.   So since the event has a fashion-y spin to it, we decided to get a bit glam and have fun with our outfits.

The husband wore his new tux and I donned a shiny sequin patterned dress from LuLu's.

(insert obligatory bathroom selfie here!)

I wanted to be equally fun with the shoes and bag.  I mean the Kate Spade Night owl bag is always an adorable addition but how often can you really wear the YSL Mohawks.  They're just too kick-ass for everyday mortals.

Such a fun dress in person!

Even with a bold dress, at the end of the day the heels are still the star of the show.  I mean, I fell in love with them from just this image.  How can you resist in real life?

As per usual, we were a bit too much for the rest of the attendees, I'm sure.  But we certainly had fun!

Neon, neon

I haven't worn this JCrew skirt nearly enough. I love the bright, almost neon, pink of the sequins. How they swish and move and reflect the light.

I paired it with a simple black top and then bookended it with Sophia Webster Daria slingbacks with the black cap and the neon orange and pink patterned straps and heels.

And this clutch just arrived from Kate Spade. The Kiss Me, You Fool clutch is a part of the "On Purpose" collection and I just love it.  I wish I'd had it to wear with the skirt and heels.

I almost never wear my midsize bags any more. It's all about the clutch and Kate Spade does do the best whimsical clutches around.

You'll be seeing this a lot come Spring.

Holiday Sparkle 2014

Last night was my work holiday party.

And, always looking for an excuse to dress up, I had purchased this gold sequin dress from Lulu's a little while back.  The husband looked dashing in his JCrew and Banana Republic ensemble in grey and burgundy.

When I finally got the Sophia Webster Mila's a new they would be the perfect edgy combination to pair with the sparkly dress.

They're graphic and just so cool.  Now that they've had their "debut" I plan on wearing them with tons of other skirts, cuffed jeans and cropped pants.

For a clutch, I'd had my eye on a Charlotte Olympia Pandora for a while but haven't found the perfect one.  In the interim, I got this great customized version from Estoite on Etsy.

I love the details of his combo too. They're a bit hard to see here but the burgundy shirt has white and blue dots which are picked up in the blue bow tie with white equations.  The cool tones of the blue work with the grey heathered jacket fabric and contrast with the dark burgundy.   Snazzy!

We had a fun time at the party seeing everyone's outfits and then the two of us went to our favorite taco restaurant for a delicious meal!

Antique Treasures

Over the weekend we went to my favorite antiques festival.  There are some amazing vendors and there are always a million things I want to bring home with me.

But while I'm identifying trends, I try to limit myself to just a few special items.

This season it was a vintage clutch with gold metallic threads and squares.  Very modern and glam.  I had been needing a gold but not all gold clutch and this was perfect.

The other item just jumped out at me.  It's a very dreamy 50s-60s babydoll nightgown with black mesh over a pink satin-y base and a long pink satin ribbon, edged in lace.

I've already been lounging around in my new nightgown.  I can't wait to take the clutch out for a night on the town.

Clear Winner

I've been pining for a Charlotte Olympia Pandora clutch but I haven't found the perfect one yet.

Maybe the new "Love Shoes" version is the one for me???

Doesn't a girl dreaming about shoes deserve a clutch to match???

Give Me Liberty!

I totally wanted the JCrew Invitation Clutch in the Liberty Tresco Floral and now it's sold out.

Now I have to go on a hunt!

Dammit! Dammit!  Dammit!

Inspiration = Flattery? Kate Spade Enchantment Under the Sea Coin Purse vs ModCloth Carp Diem

Obviously shoes are not the only thing that can and will be knocked-off by some sites.

Case in point...

Kate Spade each season puts out a whimsical little coin purse to go along with their current collection.  From tennis balls to owls to pineapples and hedgehogs, they are a cute little luxe item.  A few seasons back they created the Enchantment Under the Sea fishy.  I loved the crinkly gold and the clever use of the clutch opening to create a wide mouth.

But now this piece has been almost exactly recreated and listed for sale on ModCloth as the Carp Diem Clutch.

I hate to keep picking on ModCloth but they keep insisting on picking up knock-offs.  Either they know it and are okay with that (hello TopShop!) or they are woefully ignorant of what's out and popular in the fashion world.  I mean, this isn't my job and I can see these examples in 2 seconds, shouldn't their buyers know better?

Or are they more about selling cute (albeit not original designs) to the masses???

Thoughts?

UPDATE 7-2-12 2:31pm: ModCloth has responded and is taking down the piece -

Thanks for bringing this to our attention. We're committed to supporting original designs and the valid intellectual property of all designers, and our designers and suppliers guarantee that they have full legal ownership and copyright to their designs. We're removing the Carp Diem Purse from our site based on your feedback, and if you have any follow-up questions, please contact press@modcloth.com. Thanks again, Turi at ModCloth

Thank you for your response, ModCloth!

Caught My Eye - Oscar de la Renta Lapis Clutch

I don't tend to gush over runway shows but I am such a fan of color that I couldn't help but love on the Oscar de la Renta S/S 2012 RTW presentation.  I was especially fond of these yellow/black and green/black dresses.

But what really caught my eye was this... a lapis stone clutch with a tiger's eye clasp.

It's something that I would never have a "need" for but it's so beautiful that it's something that I really really want.

I am sighing about it until next year to see if I need to only dream about it...

Investing in Gold

Pinterest is getting to be deadly.  I keep seeing images like these and deciding that I must go out and grab these items myself.  I need gold for Fall.

I've been off gold for a while but this season, it just seems right.  As real gold shoots up, I find myself wanting to add it back in.  But not real gold... I want burnished vintage warm old gold.

I want to wear gold with red, with black, with navy and brown and especially leopard print and tortoiseshell.

So my first and best bargain was this leopard print clutch from ASOS.  With a coupon code, I nabbed it for about $25 (it's only $35 now) and have received tons of compliments on it.  I've been searching for a clutch that grabbed my attention, was the right size and price and this is it.  I've been wearing it to work the past few days and it's funny how a clutch makes you feel instantly more put together.

This even has great metal accents and, on the upside, I don't have to worry about it getting ruined!

I have to admit, I've been wanting this watch for over 4 years.  I finally found a good price on Amazon ($50 off!) and caved.  I love a chunky watch and Michael Kors created the perfect one.  It's acrylic tortoiseshell and just dreamy.

But then Pinterest and my sucker-ness for sequins got me again...

Zara got me with this sequin "wallet" clutch. (They also got me to get this polka-dot jacket but sadly it didn't fit right and had to go back.  Sad face.)

So yes, me and chunk watch-clutch-magic-time is going to be happening all winter long.

To add to my clutch-bracelet soiree, I found some great pieces at my favorite antiques fair.

Not the hex nut bracelet, of course.  I made that during my big craft weekend.  It's amazing how photogenic these are.

Nope, my two vintage pieces were these great mesh bracelets.  They are so comfy to wear.

The teal accent is going to go perfectly with my new mary janes.

Little mesh bracelet... just as sweet.

And my favorite finds were these Volupte cigarette case and compact with a gorgeous Persian enameled motif.

The case is tiny but I'm going to use it as a clutch. Just pop my cards and id and that's it for a night out.  No keys carrying that night. Or I can pop it into one my my new clutches instead of my overstuffed wallet.

I usually default to silver, but this season, it's all about gold.