Faux Fur Frenzy

There is a trend making a comeback that will have you feeling warm on cold winter nights while keeping you looking amazing in your skinny jeans.  Faux fur is gracing the runway like it's authentic predecessor with complete believability, lux textures and colors.  I am completely impressed with some of even the less expensive pieces this Fall. These are a few examples of some must haves.

                                                         I love this jacket!

                             These sweet little snow boots are available at Forever 21.

                                         This chic vest is available at Shopbop.com



 Whether you are climbing the snowy mountains in Switzerland to a private winter getaway or picking up or latte before you get your kids from school, you can wrap yourself in faux fur and look like a million bucks.

Leather, A Classic Staple for fall

Some of the great new fall leather must haves!!!

I love this leather jacket! It says, futuristic, tough and possibly the coolest article of clothing you will ever own! The price is a mere $1500. A small price to pay for ultimate leather royalty!

Gorgeous Anthropologie Leather Jacket.... This one is a more realistic price range and a classic for years to come. I love how it keeps the vintage trench alive.Visit Anthropologie.com before this sells out!

Another gorgeous example of suede...... this rust jacket is so decadent! I am in love with the leather buckles and the shearling look.  This would be fantastic with skinny jeans and some vintage boots!

I love this "Funktional" leather jacket! It drapes and is incredibly biker chic! You can find this for $300 on Needsupply.com

Also, check out RevolveClothing.com and Shopbop.com for some of the best selection on fantastical and amazing leather jackets and coats!

Design flattery: Knock Off or Rip-off?

So many of us walk through our favorite boutiques in wonderment, sighing to ourselves over luxury vs. logistically... "Can we really afford that?" For the most part in my world, the answer is no.  I love the G-Class Mercedes, I adore fine wines and when it comes to a high end shoe by my favorite designer, I'm in!  But is everything worth the money your spending?  How do you know you can't find the same thing for $20 at Target?  Sometimes you can and it is a great find!  It's almost as if a group of high end and low end designers got together and said, "Okay, I'll make this for $200 and it will be a great quality sweater at Saks and you make the same thing in Polyester and Rayon and market it to Forever21."

Case in point, my favorite all time shoe designer, Jeffrey Campbell has cool shoes coming out the wazoo.  He puts edge and flair back into boots, clogs, wedges and sandals. He is the master! And lately I have seen his designs popping up on online websites like Forever 21.  Now, everyone that knows me, knows I love Forever 21.  I used to shop at one of the original locations in the San Fernando Valley when I was in High School. (Ahem, before it was even called Forever 21.) However, I know they knock off designers.  I'm sure even sometimes, it's too close to call who came out with the design first.  But in this case, I side with Campbell.  I am sure his design team came out with the design idea prior to the production line of Forever 21 cranking it out. However, the knock off still flies off the shelf at lightning speed! (The Forever 21 is the shoe above and below is Campbell's masterpiece The Pixie Boot.)

I adore the Campbell boot. I love the fur! You can never go wrong with cheetah print! But how is the Forever 21 wedge in comparison? Is it comfortable? You can own it for a mere $30 compared to the Pixie which is roughly $179 but if it is uncomfortable then is it worth the savings? If you are a leopard loving lady, you may want to go for the investment and save the $20 knock off for the Target tank top!

Fashion in a blink of an eye...

Time is passing through the hour glass quickly. But is it passing so fast you have barely enough time to click the computer keys to place an order online? Apparently so. I watch about a dozen websites, a few blogs and Ebay quite regularly and I have noticed a disturbing trend on quite a few online boutiques. Things are selling so fast, you can't even buy them. No you can't, don't try. Okay, well, let's think positively. Maybe you can but you have to be there the split second they are listed. No wavering. Whip out that credit card ladies! Here are my faves this week that I didn't get a chance to even think about adding to my closet. The first is a dramatic Forever 21 accordion sleeve blouse. I love this for under $30. What a steal! And yes, someone stole it. They stole every size and the cream version as well.

Here we go with another Forever 21 pair of brown booties. Booties are huge for fall and these are perfect in price and design at less than $35. But they are gone. Gone within a few hours of being listed. Aren't they great? Who says you can't have fashion at a reasonable price? What's great about these is they will last as long as this trend does and then you can move on. For the price, it's worth every penny. This might be still available in stores. I would race there before the weekend!

Art Personified....Design and Fashion

The Art of Fashion.

Have you ever been in a boutique or high end department store that sold clothes so refined, intricate or amazingly bizarre that you stood mesmerized by the very concept of their being? Someone actually thought of this particular draping, neckline or length. It is almost tangibly euphoric like standing in a candy shop as sweets of unimaginable tastes, shapes and colors are pulled from an oven. That is one of the ways fashion excites me. It is someone else's technicolor dreams that were placed into reality and if I am fortunate to acquire such a piece of clothing, shoe or handbag, then I acquire their art.

So, this is a forum for me to express such loves of great design. Fashion is at the top of my list, almost parallel with poetry. It is fabric that tells a story and captivates. It may embody a certain place and time but it is timeless. This brings me to the current season and my loves that have been born again from their vintage ancestors.

The Cape, the poncho, the wedge and platform are all tantalizing us with their reappearance and I am thrilled they have resurfaced. I was actually lonesome for a poncho of some sort for fall and decided to purchase one earlier this year. Little did I know that it would be the Big Bang for fall from every major designer to every retail shop like H&M. The pros to this being, I could acquire a few more. The cons being, so could everybody else. However, I say, do what you love, what inspires you, no matter how much or how little others embrace it. You want to wear suspenders and a high waisted jean? Do so. But you just might start the trend. I personally, like to be cutting edges of sharp fashion myself but there are times when I wear three years ago’ trend like it is fresh off the presses because it delights me. Some things are classic and cannot be contained by what editors of magazines prescribe. But I will leave the pretension of my soapbox.

The Poncho. Our good friend that flatters and drapes. It begs me to sit by a campfire in Montana and sip a hot cup of cocoa, laughing and telling stories with good friends.
So many great colors and textures this year! I think I am the most fond of my OBEY Poncho in browns and nudes. It seems to go with all my vintage Frye’s quite nicely. I am a loyalist to brown and think it is always a must have for this time of year.
As far as vintage goes, I have an orange cape that looks a little bit like a 1970’s blanket my Grandma once had. And it is simply too cool. I think anything that looks like you wrapped a blanket around yourself and then decided to go into public like that is awesome. And, in the case that you get sleepy…well, I would say your set.
Here are a few of my fave's this season...
The Nanette Lepore "Get a Clue" Cape..available at shopbop.com This cape is awesome because it has the ability to be military or upscale. I love Nanette Lepore. I think I would pick her designs from a line up if I had to because they are always so amazing.

The Beginning.....

My initial thoughts....

I am a writer by design and a dreamer by nature.  I am an idealist at times and a sour pessimist at others. And by some bizarre twist of fate, these two worlds constantly collide and make a kaleidoscope of my emotional state.  At best, I am a hazy blend of coral reds, copper golds and an outline of shadowed grey. What in the heck, does this mean? I am a women.  And an artistic one at that.  Ha ha, laugh if you must, but women do embody such rich wells of emotional capacity that even the men that have loved them for decades still can't see to the bottom. To some men that is deeply disturbing, to other men, it heightens the excitement of the relationship and ensures a ticket until the end.  I would like to think my marriage is the latter.  That my husband and self professed soul-mate is chomping at the bit to know more about me instead of looking for his escape pod to rid himself of me. He would say he does not own an escape pod...but all men do.  And it looks just like something from Star Trek.

And so you know, this blog is a small challenge for me to vent my views on life, (not just marriage, even though I titled it that accidently).  Hopefully I will inspire the friends that inspire me, make them laugh a few times and forget how their laundry is piling up, there is still soap scum in the shower and bills that sit unpaid...  Anyhow..these are my takes....

Kristen : )