Two Years, Too Late?

Two years later, after Wendy Brandes has been extolling the virtues of her Ash Thelma wedge sneakers, I'm on the bandwagon.

These just arrived and I'm curiously excited to try them out.

I don't think these are the exact same shoes but I did love the variety of outfits paired with wedge sneakers in the Pitch Perfect finale (not my typical movie choice - so blame my Pop-loving friend).




Now I want them in white too! Gah!

Trendspotting: Moroccan Wedding Quilt

Did you know that not only am I a sucker for shoes and sequins but I am also very susceptible to buying vintage bedding, quilts and blankets?  I think I have at least 20 blankets with a good majority of them being vintage - from an authentic Swiss army to a Hudson Bay striped camp blanket and a crazy bright yellow chenille peacock coverlet. I just feel a need to have a stockpile of cozy-ness at hand at all times. 

I must be missing my baby blankie.

But now I'm totally smitten with handira, a Moroccan wedding quilt.   These blankets are stunning.  I first saw one on the Corks and Caftans blog.  How could you not want to snuggle into this amazing bed?  Doesn't that look dreamy?

Well, when I saw it, I had to find out more and what I learned made them even more interesting.  These blankets are made made by Berber women in anticipation of a female family member's wedding.  Apartment Therapy has some great information on them including:

Berber wedding blankets are woven in anticipation of, you guessed it, a wedding, by the bride's female relatives. It can take many hours — even weeks — of work to attach those hundreds of mirrored sequins once the weaving is complete; it is thought that during this collaborative task, the bride's relatives teach her all about the birds and the bees, among other marital duties and expectations. After the wedding ceremony, the bride wears the blanket tied around her neck as a kind of cape. It might be associated with her trip to her new marital home, which could be a chilly ride.

For Berbers, objects and visual motifs contain myriad meanings and purposes. The process of hand-weaving, itself, when undertaken mindfully, is thought to endow the textile with baraka, or blessings. When complete, the wedding blanket serves not only as warmth and decoration for the bride, but also to ward off evil and to bestow fertility and good luck upon the newlyweds.
Blessings, sequins and beautiful craftsmanship... dreamy!
 

So I tracked down one of the best sources for these vintage quilts, Maryam from My Marrakesh.  She has a variety of these quilts as well as other beautiful rugs, poufs and textiles.

I'm in the process of ordering one from her (which one to be revealed once it arrives) so I will tell you how it goes.

There are other purveyors of these textiles - L'aviva Home carries them as well - but Maryam is considered the expert and a trusted source.  I can't wait to be wrapped up in a blanket made of sequins and dreams.

Clear as Day

I just realized that I have a new love in shoes... the clear wedge. Clear heels were in last season but I only bought one pair and ended up not even really liking them. But the clear wedge... now that's a whole different matter. Much more sculptural and graphic than trashy, they look iconic.

Of course, you remember these Junko Shimadas that I MUST have.



I WILL have!



But I'm also very much interested in these bold hot pink, orange and black slingbacks from the Louis Vuitton Resort 2009 collection.



This whole collection is filled with great bursts of color and I think these heels are very pop art yet classic. (Thanks to nitrolicious for the images.)



But the one that got away were these Maison Martin Margielas. Ohhh... I cried when I waited too long to get them when they were on sale on YOOX. Silly silly girl.

They could be yours if you wear a 10.



I haven't seen a lot of this style yet but I think it could be very interesting for Spring. It's light and airy and brings a freshness to the wedge style.

Bring Home the Blue Ribbon

Equestrian style has never really gone out of style - slim cut breeches-like pants, crisp shirts, tailored jackets and high flat boots - but lately we are seeing a very strong resurgance. This style has a simple and functional but very rich look.



Of course, Carla Bruni looked amazing on this Vanity Fair cover and Ralph Lauren practically invented the integration of the look into mainstream fashion (and continues to do so, as this Spring 08 look shows).



But what I've started seeing a lot of are the more extranous and fun parts of riding - the prize ribbon.

We all want to look Best in Show, what better way than to add a big blue (or other color) ribbon to your outfit!

You may have seen FemmeSud's Grand Prix rosette wristlets.




I, of course, want to take 1st Place!



I've also long been a fan of ShoeMissy's work, especially her adorable heels embellished with rosettes saying flirty things like "Starlet", "Dolly" and "Filly" but now she's up to something new...



Cheeky rosette ribbon pins...



She has six different styles. Personally I fell in love with and bought four of them, including my favorite teal, the sexy black and, perfect for this season, both plaids.



I think I'm going to be pinning these on tops, skirts, bags, everything!

Fall Favorites: Focus on Heels

A few days ago we looked at the "Rich Details" being seen in the Fall introductions just hitting stores. One of the next (or actually continuing) trends is focusing on the heel area to make an impact.

These Dior heels not only have mirrored insets but they also have the chunky loafer styling which is also popular this year. They also come in a few other colors, not just the tobacco leather.



As typical for Maison Martin Margiela, these nail pumps have a bit of the surreal and unusual about them. I'm not sure how comfortable these are but they're sure to get some double-takes when you are wearing them.



These Oscar de la Renta patent pumps intrigue me because I like how the tweed pattern is achieved not as fabric but a pattern in the patent leather. They also mixed it with tortoiseshell patent accents. But it is the heel that caught my eye. The heel cap reminds me of the Miu Miu Vernice Pop and Spazzolato heels.



Miu Miu and Prada were busy again this year... and leading the trends. These Miu Miu Lightning Bolt booties bridge the 1980s touch points with modern techniques. I think they look more like something that would come from Ashley Dearborn than Miu Miu.



This is more the Miu Miu I'm thinking of for this season - sequins and sculpted heels. It's as if they took the waves and fans from the main body of the shoe last year and moved them into the heel.



And, of course, Prada. Not that their embellishments were limited to just the heel, but this suede sandal in particular was be-ruffled in purple and brown and the focal point for the design. I actually had this on pre-order but ended up dropping this in favor of a Chanel pair. But wouldn't these be pretty with some dark grey tights?



And my favorite of the bunch are actually these Stella McCartney heels with the metal "armor". I know. It's so hit and miss with Stella but I think she does best when she sticks to fabric versus other materials. These would be great with a cocktail dress. I like how they add a tough element but in a classy way.



Do you have a preference?

More to come!

So Frickin' Cool

That's me, baby!

Click the image and see why!

Luv,

Poochie

War 'n' Peace

So in my internet rambles I've started to see a new theme trend popping up.

As we all know, skulls are kind of over and done with (unless you're really cool and ironic like me) and aren't we glad because they were ev-er-y-where on everything from scarves to shoes to earrings.

But the new motif I'm just starting to see around is the peace symbol. The symbol, which reached it's heyday in the 60's/70's is now coming back into vogue with our reclamation and reinterpretation of the fashions of those times.


If you use Polyvore, you know you can search through hundreds of pages of clothes and accessories. I found 15 pages of skull-related items and less than a page of items with peace symbols.

Here are just a few of the pieces at the head of the pack:

1. Donald J. Pilner Jibon - $225 (he has boots and flats with this too - Neiman Marcus)




2. Isabella Fiore Peace Embroidered Flat - $375





3. King Baby Studio Peace Dog Tag - $725



4. Isabella Fiore Peace Out Shoulder Bag - $595



5. Mickael Kors Danbury - $164




6. The Sak Peace Bag Shopper - $315



7. Koolaburra Peace Sign Boot - $425



We're rehashing the past. I didn't jump on the bandwagon for skulls, and I know I won't be getting in line for these. But it's interesting that we went from a sort of grisly image which followed a period of war and strife world-wide and now there is a big push for ending the war, mimicked with a resurgence of the peace symbol.

Ya heard it here!

P.S. A big shout out to Elaine, Sky High, Edwin Star (huh!), and Mr. Tolstoy for being fashion trendsetters.

Flirty Ruffles

Although you see a ton of menswear tailored styles coming in for Fall, sometimes you have zig while others zag. I love the stacked brogues and wingtips and two-tone shoes but Fall and Winter is a time for get-togethers and parties and drinking Kir Royals. Sometimes you need a really flirty, girl-y, ruffle-y shoe to go with that party dress or to glam up a skirt.

I love the almost excessive embellishment of these shoes which go to the other end of the spectrum when compared to the more dignified shoes.



These Pedro Garcia Ruffle Ballet Flats in Flint are $335 at Neiman Marcus. They're kind of a silvery lavender and I love the almost distressed look that they have.

These Miu Mius in black suede are the nighttime glam version of the Naplack with the chunky heel that I featured a few posts ago. With a change of materials and a more glam heel, this style goes from quirky school girl to intriguing vixen. Wouldn't they be perfect with a really sleek dress?



Gorgeous. Buttery soft leather ruffles. Pearly lavender. Enough said. Loeffler Randall Ruffle Pump - $375 also at Neiman Marcus.



And when you are ready to dance the night away or make an impression, in jeans or at a company event, these Moschino Cheap & Chic Scallop Edge heels are so flamboyant and "Notice Me" that you need to be ready for all the attention. Of all of the shoes here, these are the ones I would get first. That ruffle is quite nearly perfect. They're $455 at Barney's.

I'm sure there will be some lower cost options available as the season goes on. These are just too pretty for them to not be reinterpreted all across the board.

I'll keep my eye out for ya!