Did You Miss Me?

Is there anything cuter than sleepy kittens? I submit there is not.

Anyway, just so you didn't think I came into bodily harm or something: There are no posts today because I've been traveling all day, from Singapore to Bangkok (where I had a long layover that contained meetings and shopping), and then from Bangkok to Bombay, where I arrived just a little while ago and where I am going to fall asleep any. second. now.

I hope to be back fresh as a daisy tomorrow, but realistically, I'll be in Busy Work Mode for the next few days (as opposed to Normal Life Mode, which generally includes a lot of leisure time for trolling the Internet and also singing showtunes very loudly in the bathroom. An aside: Hairspray? Amazing!) In the meantime, have you checked out all the links at your right? They are all quite fun and have the Fashion is Spinach seal of approval. Hours of entertainment, at your fingertips.

Okay, see you in the morn!

Make it Work!

Have you seen Tim Gunn in the new EW yet? Because if you love Tim Gunn – and really, who *doesn't* love Tim Gunn – you will want to check it out. And! Did you know that in addition to the blog, Tim now has a podcast as well? Totally yay.

Instruction Manual Required

We admit to being a wee bit intrigued by the Infinite Dress that Style Bubble is featuring right now. However, we're not sure if we're $169 worth of intrigued. And we are definitely not intrigued by the questionable Infinite Pantsuit.

My Bow Fixation Gets Bigger (and Poofier)

I totally love these: Phi shirt, now on sale but still too expensive for me; DVF coat that I so didn't win on eBay this week. (Boo.)

Back on the Street

In case you missed it: On Friday, Slate managed to make street fashion blogs look positively high-brow. Lots of tidbits about and links to blogs like The Sartorialist, Singapore's very own The Clothes Project and Facehunter (where I found the very fun outfit above).

That's Hot, Minus the Paris Hilton Part

My fun blog find of the day is That's Hot by Katey, who owns adorable online shop One Good Bumblebee (and maintains another blog just for the shop as well. That is a LOT of internet time.) Anyway, her site is totally cute and really well done, and I'm not saying that just because we love all the same things (like, how cute are these biscuit and chocolate block greeting cards from D-Bros she recommends?).

I Screen, You Screen, We all Scream for Silkscreens

Also via Katey, a great tutorial on how to silkscreen posters and t-shirts from No Media Kings. Which is something I really would like to know how to do, though I got a little lost around "emulsion" and "scoop coater." Um, it's probably best not to try and read that if you've just had two large glasses of wine.

But really, the instructions are very detailed and (seemingly) quite do-able. I'd also been toying with getting this silkscreen tutorial DVD from Fred Flare. Thoughts?

Mad for MAAD

One of the top ways people locate us is through google searches for MAAD, the new Market for Artists and Designers at the Red Dot Design Museum here in Singapore on Sundays. (It's second only to searches for "Philip Lim sweater dress," which we featured last month and which is definitely going to be *hot* this fall. We seriously hope that you took our advice and searched your local thrift stores for an even cooler vintage version.)

Anyway, you'll recall that Mike checked out the inaugural MAAD a few weeks ago and contributed a helpful little report about how it was shaping up. We had the chance to check it out ourselves this weekend and have two things to say: a) Don't even think about going before 1pm, because even though the market technically runs from 11am to 6pm, half the merchants don't set up until after lunch. Not that we can blame them or anything; we like sleeping in too. And b) The market has a small but (hopefully) growing number of truly talented young creators, and we'd really love to see it get even bigger and better in the future. Stop by and give your support! It's a really fun, friendly scene and a great way to spend a part of a Sunday afternoon. [End gush.]

Some more thoughts and photos from this weekend's market:

We are still positively smitten with Tiny Red Bird, an adorable line of felt pins and keychains by a young graphic design student from Singapore. I bought several more of her little bird pins on Sunday, which some of you may receive as gifts unless I decide to keep them for myself, which very well may happen. (They're apparently also available at inQbox at Far East Plaza.)


We were very impressed with the vintage-inspired dresses at L'ile aux Ashby (also behind the adorable retro prints from the last write-up).


We continue to be in love with White Dog Bobby, the actual pup (sporting his camo, above) and the cute artsy products (below).



We were surprised by a new addition, called DOLLY, which are these cute little t-shirts featuring a little cartoon in her underwear (above), with these perfectly adorable pin-on outfits to cover her up (below). I just bought myself a little pin-on printed coat, which I'm planning to wear by itself.



We totally enjoy gardensilly -- both the website as well as the fun illustrations and stuffed vegetable people.

Bits and Bobs and Blogs

+I'm happy to report that Fashion is Spinach is a proud new member of online fashion community Coutorture (which doesn't really require anything except asking them if you can join. Still, we're thrilled. We're also sorta hoping there might be a fun badge or cute kerchief involved eventually.)

+Bunnyshop highlights some great finds from the Shopbop sale, going on now. (I totally heart the Karen Zambos dress.)

+Guise has me reminiscing about that perfectly shrunken navy boys' blazer I once found at a thrift store, but inexplicably chose not to buy. Non-buyer's remorse strikes again.

+Fashion Binge helpfully points us towards some legitimately affordable (read: on sale) Tara Subkoff for Easy Spirit shoes.

+Happy Mundane directs us to his great slideshow on a very cool L.A.-area house, full of inspiring decorating ideas. Also full of some of the same Ikea furniture we own and love, like the PS locker cabinet and the Expedit bookshelf.

+Inside a Black Apple loves Remix Vintage Shoes, which recreate vintage styles. Which is perfect for those of us with size 10 feet, who can woefully never find vintage shoes in our size. (I have been holding on to the tiny vintage round-toed pumps above – a thrift store find – for about four years now, with the hope that I'll be able to have some cobbler-type person remake them in my size one day. In the meantime, they still look pretty cute just sitting on my bookshelf.)

A Little Friday Melancholy

Lena had linked to these overdyed vintage scarves by Jerome Jerome, and they reminded me instantly of this photo by artist Bas Jan Ader entitled "I'm Too Sad to Tell You" (he also did a short film of the same name). Apparently, he sent this image via postcard to his friends but never revealed what is was that made him cry, only that it was genuine. It's always really gotten to me, kind of like those scarves.

Yesterday's Vintage Dress, Britney Spears-style

The basic flipflops I ended up sporting were really detracting from the cuteness of this dress, so I took 'em off for the photo. I'm wondering how long it will take before I bump into Singapore street fashion blog The Clothes Project out there? It's so much fun to see what all the other kids around town – and, if you click on all the links on her blogroll, around the world -- are wearing.

Here I Go Again!

Perhaps we can think of my Project Runway season 2 entries as delightfully retro (and not, say, "so last year"). I caught three more episodes the other night (because, when you own the DVD, the joy and the danger is that there's nothing to curb the number of episodes you watch. This has had dangerous consequences for me from time to time – most notably when Mike and I watched the first season of Lost in a excessive weekend binge – but I seem to be controlling myself nicely with Project Runway.)

Anyway, thoughts: Love, love, love Santino & Nick's kimono jacket for BR – which, annoyingly, is not pictured online. (I've had quite a kimono fixation lately, and theirs was really elegant and beautiful and just different enough.) I also thought Emmett and Chloe's creation was stunning. I was much less keen on Andrae and Daniel V.'s winning design, but they are both so cute it doesn't matter.

I also loved Kara Janx's Nicky Hilton dress (she – and I, apparently – just loves a big side bow). I was actually terribly sad that Daniel Franco got kicked off, because regardless of any personality… quirks, I thought his lingerie collection was quite pretty and undeserving of being booted. I actually shed tears when Tim Gunn told Daniel F. that he was leaving the show with integrity and respect – though this won't be surprising if you know me at all, because I also cry when I see that commercial with the blind marathon runner and also every time I watch the end of The Notebook, particularly around the part where Ryan Gosling yells, "I wrote you every day for a year!" I'm really very teary.

(Sometimes, I think Mike hides The Notebook on purpose, just so he won't come home and find me bawling on the couch. Which has happened on more than one occasion. Anyway.)

Shapes Week, Day 5: Anything at all!

Well, Shapes Week kind of fell apart, didn't it? Too bad, I always enjoy these things. Still I might as well finish out the week, with this photo of an art project on display at a local university I happened to be passing through recently.

An Afternoon Idling Lazily on the Internet

The best weblogs always just suck you right in, don't they? You click on them and suddenly it's four hours later and you don't even know where the time went (and your wishlist suddenly has 10 new things on it, but more on that in a minute). Such was the case with me today with Mizutamago, a website I only just discovered this week. Let's review:

First, I was totally smitten by Mizutamago's own graphic designs (above and below). I have ambitions of taking my own graphic design classes this fall, and adorable things like this really get me all excited:


Then I started clicking through her archives and realize it's easy to find really cute clutch purse patterns. (!!) I don't know why I never realized this before -- I'm still new to the sewing, you see. I'm currently scouting about for the perfect pattern to use for my first attempt, but you can see some of Mizu's – er, is it okay if I just call you Mizu? – clutch creations here.

Then she got me desperately wanting Built by Wendy's adorable jacket pattern. And about nine thousand other things on the Built By Wendy online shop (some photos below), which is, rather conveniently, having a huge sale.


And then, of course, I needed to put Sew U: The Built By Wendy Guide to Making Your Own Wardrobe on my Amazon wishlist, so I can buy it immediately when it comes out Sept. 1. (And then I had to add Amy Butler's In Stitches -- also out Sept. 1 -- because you know how I love Amy Butler.)


Oh, but we're not done yet. Mizu also made me desperately want to own even more books -- specifically, Eva Zeisel On Design by the notable industrial designer and ceramicist, as well as this book on graphic designer Paul Rand (a few of his creations are below, and you can see even more from the book here. Aren't they great?)



Also, I am clearly one of the only people in the world who hadn't seen the trailer for Marie Antoinette by Sofia Coppola (out this fall), but if you are one of the other people, I -- and Mizu, of course -- highly recommend.

And I haven't even gotten started on all her great Japanese toys, which is inspiring me to plan a trip to Japan *immediately.* Really, this was such a fun way to spend an afternoon. [And now, actual work beckons. Or, more accurately, it's sitting here poking me annoyingly until I attend to it.]

Shape Week, Day 4: Hearts!

Manish Arora skirt, India Fashion Week, April 2006:


From a design exhibit I saw in Singapore earlier this year:


Some modern Chinese art to round it all out:


I'll try and update with a little more later, but here's a little love to kick off your Thursday.

Dresses I Love: Sretsis Tunic

This bird tunic – like modern lace, don't you think? – by up-and-coming Bangkok brand Sretsis has been on my Desperately Coveted list for months now. The label's designer, Pim Sukhahuta, is a Parsons grad who returned home to Bangkok to start up her own label three years ago. The result has been pretty, playful apparel that's gotten recent mentions in mags like Lucky and Elle and getting stocked in boutiques in New York (LES hotspot TG-170) and L.A. (Third Street shop Milk). I'm stopping off in Bangkok for a day next week, and really looking forward to catching up with Pim and see what she's been creating lately.

Current Obsession: Chinese Medicine Packaging

Chinatown is probably my favorite area of Singapore – it houses my favorite boutique, a great fabric market, and a whole lot of local shops that are always good for poking around in. Lately, an emporium stocking traditional Chinese medicine products in bright graphic packaging has caught my eye, and I decided to go in and buy some of my favorites. (It was really kind of funny for me to pick out a handful of random products without having any idea what they're for. The owner was like, "Um, can I help you find something in particular?" I just declined; I wasn't sure how he'd take it if I said I was looking for the prettiest boxes.)

I've been trying to think of a cool way to display them or even craft them into something. Thoughts?

Shape Week, Day 3: Triangles! (Sort of!)

I'm completely behind on love, joleen's shape week. (Though at least I'm consistent. Er, right?) I'm going to do the first three days all at once, then try to stay on task for the rest of the week. And! I'll include some extra pictures, just to make up for the delay.

As triangle-y as I could get:

Shape Week, Day 2: Squares! (…with liberties)

Shape Week, Day 1: Circles!

Desperately Coveted, part 23 of 332: Mike & Chris

Guise turned me to to the new fall collection from Mike & Chris, the husband-and-wife team who have (until now) been known most for their leather jackets. Which are still very good. But I am smitten with their new fleece pieces (above and below) – the style and shape is so clean, with that little unusual design twist that makes it stand out.

Project Runway! (Er, season 2!)

Y'all are going to have to indulge me a bit this week. I know you are all about Project Runway season 3, but we over here have only just started season 2 this week. And we really, really want to talk about it. Just a little. Just the highlights. Okay?

We've gotten through the first three episodes and so far: totally hearting Tim Gunn, totally not hearting Santino, totally finding Daniel Franco to be a little too touchy-feely for our taste, but admiring his work quite a bit thus far. It seems like it's only a matter of time before the "bliss" starts getting thrown around, even though he promised it wouldn't.

I'm also in love with Diana Eng's amazingly modern nerd-chic designs (above). They're like artwork! With magnets!

I really loved the shape of Kara Janx's debut dress – the full cut, empire waist with the bow on the side. And Chloe's cool mini-dress was undeniable:


For both of these, I was like "eh." And then I was like "ah!" I've decided I really like the jeans-shrug thing in particular:


Okay, you can go back to discussing season 3 amongst yourselves now. We are trying to avoid the coverage, but that is proving to be impossible. We may need to resort to downloading from iTunes.

Rudi! Rudi!

I've also been following Tim Gunn's season two blog, and was intrigued when he compared Diana's designs to those of Rudi Gernreich, who I immediately had to look up. (Unforunately, Tim spelled Rudi Gernreich's name wrong -- even he is human sometimes -- so it took me awhile to figure out why I couldn't find many photos.)

You may be interested to know that Gernreich is, among other things, credited with the invention of both the thong and the pubikini, a bathing suit that exposes your pubic hair. Er. Hmmm. But he's also heralded for his amazing, futuristic clothes from the 50s, 60s and 70s:

Jersey Girl

I've said it before, I'll say it again. Many, many times, I'm sure. I just love Rachel Pally's comfy, well cut jersey dresses. They are – depending on your budget -- either a) pretty reasonably priced or b) a good investment, because you'll wear it about 900 times to every type of event (work, party, beach, grandma's, the possibilities are endless). Because US Weekly can take several long weeks to make it to my mailbox over here, I've only just seen this pictures of SJP in a bright Rachel Pally short jersey caftan ($238, but only left in white at Intermix). Never fear! The Rachel Pally fall collection has plenty of similar options, and some highly covetable new stuff as well.

For example, these shorter versions, both $167 at Shopbop:


And I also really like this Spanish Dress with low back, $198. Yes, even the ruffles are working for me:

Yes, please!

If you are in any way considering buying me a present (er, perhaps for Bastille Day?), then please proceed immediately to the Carrot & Stick Press online catalogue for the most amazing letterpress notecards and notebooks. Just about anything you see there would be wonderful.

Heigh-ho, Heigh-ho, It's Off to Work I Go…

I'm late with the post today because I've been off doing work-type things. And here is what I wore: Vintage flowered dress (the sun has lightened some of the sections, so it has this wonderfully unintentional fading thing going on); basic bag from Coach, always good in a pinch (and my "Thank You for Slaving For Us" gift when I departed one of the magazines I once worked for); the great Zara shoes.

Here's the view I see:

Home Sweet Home

The other day, I was e-mailing with a friend about the "apartment blahs" -- those times when your apartment (or house, if you have one of those instead) feels all wrong. I'm a firm believer that one new addition can turn your thoughts about the place around like that – and so I thought I'd highlight some of the things around my apartment that always make me smile. A little Friday inspiration, if you will, minus too much touchy-feelyness.

We’ll start above with our wooden chair from Bangkok's Chatuchak flea market (the fabulous section 7, if you're headed there). It cost less than $200, including the shipping from Bangkok to Singapore. However, we got slapped with a few hundred dollars in customs fees and local delivery charges upon arrival. We don't like to talk about that part of the story much.

Then there's this hanging fish mobile from the very cool Flensted Mobiles, discovered at Flea + Cents, my very favorite store in Hong Kong except for Lane Crawford during sale season:


I am completely smitten with these coasters from the Brooklyn-based Sesame Letterpress (they've got a bunch of great designs, if pink buffalos aren't your thing):


You've already seen this if you caught my "virtual apartment tour" on the other blog a few months ago, but I still love it. This is actually an Ikea newspaper rack that I turned into a coat and umbrella holder:


I also heart this pink and green Chinese lantern lamp, from Lee's Décor in Shanghai. I believe I will invent a new term and dub it very mando-preppy:

More Home Stuff: Mental Decorating

Of course, this doesn't mean that I'm not constantly trying to fix up the place. (Lately, I have been much more interested in buying furniture than clothes. Though I think it's just a phase that will end once new fall collections start appearing in stores.) This week I've been spending a lot of time at Ikea to get my new sewing area ship-shape (that's it above, in all its work-in-progress glory!). But if I made just a little more money, I'd be purchasing these items *immediately*:

I love the rough wood look of this Primitive Dining Table by John Erdos Gallery here in Singapore (the chairs, however, I will skip):


I'm wondering if I can get that table to work with the simple lines of these amazing chairs by Wild Spirit:


Though I'm also kind of intrigued about pairing it with something very unexpected, like these metal Holz chairs from Design Within Reach:


My TV needs a nice new home very badly, and I have been coveting the Telefunken TV credenza from the Plank line of Singapore-based modern furniture company Air Division:


I have desperately longed for a wooden slat bench for years (my brother has the one from our house growing up, and so far I have been unsuccessful in my attempt to wrest it from him.) So, I'd probably make Lucky Olive (one of my absolute favorite flickr-ers, her vintage finds are just incredible) an offer she can't refuse on this mid-century slat bench she recently found at a garage sale. For $5. I have been in the throes of insane jealousy ever since:


All remaining money will be going toward bedding. I am in desperate need of a bedding makeover, but I haven't precisely identified what that will entail.

And that's it! That's all I need. Except this thermos…

Behold the Power of a Really Good Makeup Artist

We here at Fashion is Spinach have a slight obsession with celebrity gossip. Um, so much so that I have US Weekly delivered to me overseas. However, it's rare that my celebrity fixation and my fashion fixation intersect (for example, Gwen's Gucci baby sling? No thank you.)

But the recent pictures of Eva Longoria without makeup have gotten me thinking about cosmetics. I mean, should I be wearing more makeup? I thought I was doing okay with just a few basics, but looking at these photos has me imagining the drastic-yet-kind-of-positive possibilities. Hmmm.

Gripe, Whine, Moan

When I moved from Beijing to Singapore late last year, I thought it would be a good opportunity to finally purge some of the excess stuff I was carting around from country to country. (Okay, so other people were actually carting it for me, but it was definitely taking up a lot of space.) I filled up something like 10 large garbage bags of clothing I hadn't worn for a long time and gave it away to the housekeepers who worked in my building.

This was, to put it mildly, a big, huge mistake. When you're dealing with clothing – particularly vintage clothing, which isn't constrained by labels like "last year's spring Gap collection" – you just never want to be too hasty when throwing it away. At least fifty times since The Big Purge, I've gone looking for a favorite old dress or a skirt and sadly realized it is now being sported about Beijing by some middle-aged ayi. (I seriously hope she appreciates the awesomeness of some of that vintage.)

Why am I retelling this story of woe? Partly as a warning. (And partly to cry about how I'll never see that fabulous 60s purple-striped dress again. Sob. Sniffffff.) But it seems you might not want to be so quick to throw out more recent trendy items either: Style Bubble has just remade last year's military jacket into an amazing avant-garde coat (below), which is completely inspiring me to return to my sewing area immediately.

Meanwhile, Elsewhere on the Internet...

I am having too much fun hanging out with my sewing machine, singing showtunes at the top of my lungs and trying to work out this bag pattern I desperately want to make. So here are some other things happening in the blogosphere to keep you entertained:

*Cat has an exhaustive report on the cutest (and very affordable) little print bags you could ever hope to own, plus some suggestions for how to make your own.

*The amazingly prolific Holly B. at Decor8 has a terrific roundup on fun bed linens that makes me wish I had about four extra beds to cover. (Unfortunately, Mike has already nixed the girly apple tree print sheets from Delia's, but does seem open to the graphic bloom print from CB2.) And then Design*Sponge highlighted this great circle bedspread from Urban Outfitters, so now I wish I had five extra beds.

*A Bird in the Hand sparked a great little discussion on magazines, which turned me on to the newish Pop Life (modern, creative decorating; I ordered it immediately) and the very new Adorn (for crafty types). Meanwhile, I've been on a quest for a copy of Selvedge, but apparently it doesn't have a strong Singapore following. Boo!

*My very fun friend Holly P. is having a baby and counting down the days 'til she can have wine and tuna again. Read, laugh, and go eat a sandwich for her.

*Mike promises to be bringing me home fun packages, including Project Runway season 2 (which should keep me from being too jealous of those of you in the U.S. who got started on season 3 this week). Speaking of! Did you see this lengthy new interview with the "endlessly quotable" Tim Gunn, via Fashion Addict Diary? I love Tim Gunn more than anything, and I also love that he refused to lie about the fact that Banana Republic asked for his wardrobe back after season 1, including the socks. I'm also expecting Visionaries: Interviews with Fashion Designers by Susannah Frankel, which I cannot wait to read. So. Yay.

Gone Shoppin'…

But first! Just after I posted yesterday, I saw this Balenciaga coat in a style.com slideshow on "The Balenciaga Effect" and immediately made a weird little noise that indicated much excitement. It looks like the exact same style as my green satin one. (Uh, except it's velvet. And purple. But from what I can tell, the pattern is the identical.) Now I just need a similarly amazing dress to wear with mine.

And that's going to be it for the day. (Or, at least, until later tonight.) Even the fashionable need to do things like go to the dentist, and attempt yoga, and run errands, and that's what I'm off to do. (And I may just sneak in a liiittle visit to Topshop while I'm out. You know, just to see what's going on.)

Because It's Impossible to Have Too Many Bags

I had picked up two large tea towels in this great Candy pattern by Klippan at Mxyplyzyk back in January, with hopes that I would eventually be able to sew them into some sort of cute bag. Well, now that I can sew (sort of). I'm thinking of making a tote bag out of one of the towels (the other I'm going to save for that wonderful day that I learn to make my own clutch purses. I'm already kind of giddy in anticipation of that moment.) My mom just sent me these easy sew-it-yourself tote bag instructions from Martha Stewart Living, and I think they're basic enough that even I can attempt it. Wish me luck!

Vintage! Vintage! Vintage!

I don't know about you, but any mention of the words "vintage," "retro" or "Salvation Army" and I immediately get all excited. I had some extra time this morning while the repairment tried to fix our air conditioners, so I thought I'd put together a little fashion spread for y'all. I was originally going to do my Favorite Vintage Fashion Finds, but when that list started creeping well into the double digits, I had to rethink. I decided instead to do my Favorite Vintage Finds I Don't Get to Wear Nearly Enough (or something like that. I was never very good at being concise.)

It was great fun to pull out my favorite not-forgotten-but-not-practical-for-everyday-use purchases. It was even funnier to traipse back and forth in front of the repairmen to take pictures of myself out on the patio. I'm sure they think I'm a complete lunatic. But, hopefully, a very well-dressed lunatic.

Let's begin:

I'd completely forgotten about this belt until this other day, when something triggered my memory and prompted me to go and dig it out from the back of the closet. It's a big plastic flower buckle on a wide elastic belt – somehow, a little bit ridiculous and kind of perfectly simple at the same time.


I generally have loved living in the tropics, where it is warm and palm tree-d and sunny nearly every day, except when I think of this coat. Because this is a coat that you just want to wear, as much as you possibly can. It was a thrift store find in Delaware – quite possibly the only really great find I've uncovered at the college kid-scavenged Goodwill in Newark – and it is one of those purchases that makes all the times you visit the thrift store and find yourself digging through piles of cruddy cotton totally worth it.



I took about fifty pictures of this coat and just couldn't get it too look as amazing as it really is. It's an emerald green vintage opera coat, and probably my most expensive vintage purchase ever, but the minute I saw it in at She Sells Seashells, a vintage store at 8377 W. 3rd St. in L.A. on a trip there last December, I knew I *had* to have it. It's made from about a hundred yards of fabric, just the most beautiful, voluminous pouf of a coat you've ever seen. It also desperately needs to be cleaned and pressed – I haven't had the chance to wear it yet – but I'm just terrified of giving it to the dry cleaners.


Here is a small story about this little flower bag: I first saw it at the aforementioned (and long beloved) Hooti Couture in Park Slope (their website has all kinds of great vintage links, and their book -- Alligators, Old Mink & New Money -- is supposed to be a vintage-lover's dream. It's currently sitting on my Amazon wishlist, waiting for me not to be so poor.)

But anyway, this bag. I went back and visited it again and again, but it was something like $25, which on my meager Editorial Assistant salary seemed like an awful lot of money to spend on something I could only use on special occasions instead of, say, bread and peanut butter and other items of immediate need. My birthday rolled around, and my great roommate Amy secretly bought it and completely surprised me with it, which was just amazing and is something I have never forgotten. So, it's the perfect evening bag *and* it has a very nice story to go with it.


I just adore the cut and print of this dress, which I found years ago at a now-defunct vintage store in Park Slope. It's been awhile since it's been worn, but I fell in love with it all over again when I put it on for this picture, and I think I'm going to wear it today. I love when that happens.

Also, I'm pretty sure the repairmen liked this one best too.

A Joke That Just Never Gets Tired

I laughed out loud when I saw this t-shirt on Threadless.

Monday, Monday

I'm a little slow today because I've just come back from spending the weekend at the beach. Of course, in Singapore, "the beach" means a tiny island in Malaysia, where (fortunately or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it) there are no vinegar-drenched french fries anywhere. The only fashion you have to think about is what bathing suit you want to wear, and that's kind of the simple fashion state-of-mind I'm still in at the moment.

I'm just catching back up with life, and The Internet, and I thought today that instead of musing about John Galliano in a ridiculous but kind of amazing space suit, I'd muse a bit on the other stuff that's keeping me occupied when I'm not shopping. Or thinking about shopping. Or, specifically, thinking about how I'd really really like a pair of Rupert Sanderson shoes (discovered via Lola). Really, any of them would do.

Moving on…

Currently inspired by: The gorgeous fashions of Marie Marie (both photos above), who displays her collections on her site in beautiful fashion spreads by photographer Nikos Vardakastanis. (Finally! A fashion website where the clothes aren't ruined by hideous plastic dummies. Not that I'm -- cough cough -- pointing fingers or anything. But seriously, that french terry tunic is amazing in person, and on the site it looks so… meh.) Even the clothes in the *background* of Marie Marie are lovely – that blue striped dress caught my eye immediately. Yes, please!

Currently reading: Comfort Me With Apples, by Gourmet editor-in-chief Ruth Reichl. For, like, the 11th time. (But I finally just received my own copy – yay! -- so I can stop checking it out of the library every few months and give someone else a chance.) All three volumes of Reichl's memoirs are great, but this one – when she transitions from Berkeley hippie-chef to serious food writer -- is my favorite. Every time I read anything by Reichl, I have an intense urge to accompany it with a big glass of red wine and a slice of delicious, stinky cheese. Which is an urge I often oblige. Which is always just perfect until Mike gets home and I'm already little giggly from the wine and I worry that he might take my Reichl away from me. Until then: Amazing!

[I'm on a food-writing binge these days: Bill Buford's Heat and some M.F.K. Fisher (a Reichl favorite) are up next on my list. I wish I knew of fashion writers who wrote books the way food writers do – with such intense love for what they write about, that you can practically taste it, that you immediately want to go out and buy something incredibly delicous, like brie or olives or sourdough bread. I've found that intensity lacking from the fashion writing I generally read, but maybe I'm reading the wrong stuff. Suggestions?]


Currently sewing: Have I mentioned that my sewing class finally got around to learning how to use a sewing machine last week? Now that I actually know how to change the bobbin without having to get out the manual and puzzling over it for twenty minutes, I am all about sewing. My first personal project was to make new handles for this tote bag I bought on one of my trips to India. I love the bold graphic, but the original handles were too short and kind of dingy. I think this bright woven ribbon works so much better, no?


Currently watching: Tonight, I'm highly anticipating my first viewing of Seamless. (And: Have you seen the amazing film suggestions in the comments from Friday's post? I barely know where to start!) I've also got a private Bollywood marathon lined up for Wednesday night, when Mike has a work dinner. He's not so much into overwrought weeping and the rampant singing and dancing (occasionally punctuated by an appearance by the Swiss Alps and/or Egyptian pyramids), but I totally heart all that stuff.

Currently disappointed by: Remember when I got all excited about that cute-looking Target garden-party dress? And then it arrived. And it is really not cute – weirdly sized, way too short, sort of crappy fabric. And I cannot get the bow to get perky like in the picture. Anyway, it's getting returned, and I've demoted it from a Dress of the Day to just a Dress. Grrrr… it had such promise in the photo. I *hate* when that happens!


Currently impressed by: Style Bubble has developed an ingenious way of sprucing up your ballet flats, which I love. (Those are some tantalizing snippets of her work above -- click the link for the full spread.) Of course, I'm still looking for the cute ballet flat aspect of the project – you just don't realize how important the right cut and fit is to a ballet flat until you try on about 30 crappy pairs.

Currently eating: In order to counter all that wine and cheese, I'm about to go concoct a Superfoods Rx Salad for dinner. Mike is totally obsessed this month by Superfoods -- 14 foods that will change your life, or so they say – and we're on a quest to add more spinach and soy and pumpkin into our diet. I got all excited until I realized they didn't really mean the pie version.

You Don't Understand! This is an Alaia!

Inspired by last week's release of The Devil Wears Prada (at least in the U.S.; it's not out until September in Singapore… grumble), I've been on a quest to make a list of the top fashion films – the very best flicks either about the fashion industry or featuring amazing fashion.

A little Google-ing turned up a pretty good list at Final Fashion and another over on MSN Movies. Both aren't bad, but I want more! Anyone have suggestions? I'll kick things off with a list of my Top Fashion Film Recommendations (Bonnie & Clyde, above, didn't make the final cut – but I'm certainly open to discussion):


Clueless: When this movie came out in 1995, I was obsessed with Cher's little matching mini-kilt and sweater vest combinations. I may have even tried to replicate the look with some Gap ensembles (what can I say? It was another chapter in my fashion life…) The movie may not be the epitome of chic anymore (more like a great example of ridiculous '90s excess), but Cher's fact-heavy fashion-speak still deserves much credit for educating me to the fact that Alaia is "like, a totally important designer."


Down With Love: So it wasn't exactly a huge hit, but I really love this cute Renee Zellweger-Ewan McGregor romantic comedy, which is full of amazing 1960s styles. Pillbox hats and pink everywhere! Every time it's on TV, I have to stop everything I'm doing and watch it, if only for the clothes. And, uh, Ewan McGregor.

Unzipped/ Seamless: Douglas Keeve's fashion documentaries may have been shot 10 years apart (Unzipped follows Isaac Mizrahi – in his pre-Target, pre-talk show heyday – as he puts together a new collection; Seamless follows three finalists of the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund award) but they both provide a great g