Put a big bow on anything, and I'll buy it

French Connection is another brand that seems to be working hard at becoming more sophisticated and relevant. They definitely have done a few pieces really well for the past few seasons; so far for spring, I'm intrigued by the sporty-chic Mayhem coat, $268.

Vogue gets it (almost) right

I really enjoyed this ShopVogue.tv Spring fashion preview on YouTube (runway videos are waaaay better than thumbnails). There's plenty of prettiness – plus little nipped blazers! -- to get you thinking about spring.

One nitpicky thing: It bugs me that they reference "Le Smoking" as "still a classic" at Dior (it's a YSL thing). I'd probably let it slide if I hadn't also caught several glaring China-reference errors in their Wendi Murdoch profile in the new March issue. And I probably would have let that slide if they hadn't included "Jovovich-Hawke" as among the top Gossip Girl designers, also in the March issue. I mean, it's Vogue. I sort of expect perfection, at least when it comes to fashion references and designer names. (The China stuff I'll let pass… but, really, tsk tsk.)

In potentially related news: The cashier at CVS refused to sell me the latest Harper's Bazaar the other day {despite the fact that there was a stack of them in their newsstand section}, claiming they had just been recalled. I, of course, stood in the corner and fervently flipped through the issue, kinda hoping to spot some embarrassing error, like unretouched photos of Lindsay Lohan (um, perhaps I watch too much Ugly Betty?). Unfortunately, none were spotted.

Drum roll please… Our 500th post!

It's been almost exactly two years since I started this site and today we hit our 500th post. 500 posts! Wowza.

It still amazes me that so many of you out there come back every day to read my fashion-related ramblings, and tell your friends, and leave such incredibly nice comments, even when I get a little off topic and go totally gung-ho about things like Marshmallow Fluff packaging. I'm sure I would have given this up long ago if it wasn't for all your positive support; really, it's really enough to make a fashion blogger all verklempt. {Give me a second. Talk amongst yourselves!}

I took some time to peruse the archives and pick out some of my favorite posts from the past two years. Let's take a little trip down memory lane, shall we? {Cue highlights reel.}

Oh, there have been some great finds over the years, haven't there? If I had to choose just one, I'd say my Anamika Khanna appliquéd silk trench coat probably tops the list.

We've had quite a few peeks into my closet too, particularly my ever-expanding vintage dress collection: check them out here and here and here and here and here and here. {Note to self: I really need to start getting back into the habit of taking outfit pics.}

I've shared a lot of random things about myself as well: Former Gap salesgirl! The stuff in my bag! Partying with the Backstreet Boys! Hmmm, on second thought, perhaps we should be a little more self-censoring in the future.

My DIY bangle bracelet post was one of my most popular ever --- it got so much love, Neet Magazine had me do it again just for them.

Here are a few of my favorite posts of all time:
+Fred Eerdekens sculpture. Still one of the most amazing things I've ever seen.
+An interview with James, the flawless-skinned creative gal behind Bleubird Vintage.
+The Pink Prank Project! (A.k.a. my dream apartment!)
+Korean Vogue Girl goes crazy for color.
+A look at Eloise, my all-time fashion icon.

So here's to 500 more posts. Somebody pass the champagne!

The Sartorialist: Coming to D.C. (Yay!)

Street fashion powerhouse The Sartorialist just announced his photo exhibit, which debuted at Danziger Projects in New York, will be shown next at Adamson Gallery in D.C. from March 15 to April 26.

I can't wait for a new influx of fashion inspiration, like this shot above. (Ack! That bag!)

On the Lookout: Off the Shoulder Dresses

My adorable former colleague Daphne (hey, Daph!) used to wear the cutest little drapey dress that hung off of one shoulder. It was a really great look – totally fashionable and different without being too revealing {and really, despite the image above, it wasn't the least bit overly 80s} – and I've been keeping an eye out for a similar style ever since. I haven't had any luck yet, but Agathe's Gina Tricot dress (below) has inspired me to renew my search, or at least finally come up with a DIY version.

Because sometimes, simple is best

I know I've been all about the brights lately, but TeenFashionista (and her readers) point out a cute, classic black & white look that you can find at a range of prices this season. Our favorite buy-able option is this $39.50 Alloy dress, though we'll be opting for a DIY version with some pieces already in our closet (er, at least we hope they're somewhere in there).

Of course, I don't do super-simple very well, so I'll probably end up layering on a bunch of bead necklaces and maybe pair it with some bright shoes. Still, a very cute starting point.

Stop, Drop and Drool: Chie Mihara shoes

Okay, so I am now officially obsessed with Japanese-Brazilian-Spanish shoe designer Chie Mihara. (I blame you, Hu's Shoes, for introducing us earlier this week!) All I want for spring is a wooden chunky-heeled sandal – and right now that's really, truly all I want, as absolutely nothing else is really appealing to me at the moment – and she has created some perfect ones. I submit the following as proof.

First, there is the glorious tri-colored sandal above that started it all. (There's also a brown version, $335, which we personally drooled over at Hu's.)

And then there are these great geometric-ish Marmaid ones, $335:


Anthropologie is stocking these crazy-cool Smoke & Fire slingbacks, $348:


And these purple suede Hazel Twig sandals, $328, are also pretty fierce:


Okay, they're not sandals, but these fab blue suede shoes, $305, make us want to channel our inner Elvis:


I'm so digging the understated green hue and the sporty white piping of these ones, $360. And that heel! Swoon.


The rounded buckle on these, $340, is such the perfect little extra touch:


Just so you know, we're completely dying right about now...

'Cause Tonight We're Gonna Dress up Like it's 1999

It's no secret that the brands I relied on heavily during those prep-heavy, khaki-wearing, collegiate years – J.Crew, Gap, Banana Republic – have had their ups and (lots of) downs ever since. But like all things in fashion, they seem to be coming back – and even appealing to those of us who moved on long ago.

And they all seem to have gotten the same memo for spring: lots of bright solids, freshly-scrubbed skin and tons of layering, particularly of "clashing" colors and prints. Luckily, it's pretty appealing mix – I find myself (for the first time in years) being drawn into their stores. I haven't shelled out any of my hard-earned dollars yet, but I'm definitely taking some notes. Let's review our options, shall we?

First, we have the Gap. They haven't seemed to quite sync their store and online offerings – right now, the store experience is way more appealing than the website. (They seem to be working on it though, complete with tips from new creative director Patrick Robinson and a pretty decent Spring lookbook, where I snagged the image above.)

My favorite part of the Gap these past few years has been their boys section – the pieces are cheaper, cuter, and have a great shrunken fit that works well for layering (like this rugby-striped polo shirt and purple gingham button-down). Throw in hot pink jackets and bold patterned scarves from the women's side and you've got yourself a pretty solid preppy-fun look.


Final verdict: We do like that the quality at the Gap is higher than fast-fashion brands like H&M and Forever 21 (of course, the prices are higher too, but we don't mind paying a premium to ensure our new clothes won't disintegrate as soon as they hit the washing machine). They seem to be on the right path; we look forward to some continued improvements.

Okay, moving on: J. Crew! The prices seem to have really skyrocketed (our perhaps our minds don't move quite as fast as inflation?), but the items are getting quite good and the styling – in the stores, catalogue and online – is quite fun. See for yourself.



Also, I really want these Martine satin heels, in regal purple. And maybe also bright green.


Their boys selection is also pretty cute. I like the idea of pairing one of these little sweaters with flouncy circle skirt on chilly spring days.


Also, Nantucket bracelets! I had one of these permanently attached to my wrist circa age 14. I love the idea of piling them on like bangles now. And! Only $5 each.


Final verdict: Kind of prohibitively pricey, but also the best take on modified preppy and definitely a source of lots of good eye candy. Still, once the brights thing gets old, what are they going to do to keep our attention?

And, finally! Banana Republic! Sadly, their website reads more like a big bland mess of office-appropriate neutrals. (Their store, which we visited last week, is a lot more appealing – we're still thinking about a chunky cropped cardigan sweater in bold Kelly green that was hanging out on the sale rack.) Still, there are some good things, like this dress:

{They've also got it layered over a crisp button-down on the website, which is pretty cute.}

We also were intrigued by their socks. Cute socks!{They've got more in store, especially in the men's section.} I could see these peeking out under chunky leather heeled sandals for a creative twist on early spring dressing.


Like J. Crew, Banana Republic seems to be working hard on growing their jewelry selection. Both brands have some colorful, affordable pieces. This three-stone bangle, $34, is my favorite. (The colorful striped enamel bangle is nice too.)


Final verdict: Well, perhaps we're not the ideal Banana customer – for starters, we don't dress to go to an office every day – 'cause we find most of it a bit too staid and conservative for us, particularly the website offerings. Still, baby steps.

Of course, it's not all fun and games and punchy-hued finds out there. We like where things are going, but we're not so into some of the ideas these brands refuse to let go. We offer as an example this image from the Banana website:

Please, ladies, if you must wear khaki pants, please do not match them with a khaki trench coat. Repeat after me: Too much khaki is just not cute.

Oh, who are the indie shopkeepers in your neighborhood?

In between several failed attempts to finish unpacking all my belongings and actually fit it all nicely in my apartment, I've spent a lot of time these past few weeks popping between the various D.C.-area shopping spots, with the aim of checking out every notable retailer within a reasonable walking distance from a Metro line.

I've hit Georgetown and Adams Morgan, Friendship Heights and Bethesda, Arlington and U Street and Takoma Park and Foggy Bottom and Penn Quarter and Eastern Market and more. It's partly for work, and partly for fun, and partly because I believe a girl should know where she can buy a vintage ruffled-front tuxedo shirt in the area, just in case she gets invited to a 70s prom-themed party or something. (Fyi, The Remix has a bunch of fab pastel-hued ones for $45, but at last check, Mustard Seed in Bethesda has one – in mustard yellow, no less – for $15 on their men's rack. Also, if you would like to invite me to a 70s prom-themed party, I would very much like to attend, thank you.)

My D.C.-area retail reconnaissance is far from finished, but I'm prepared to pass out some well-deserved superlatives at this point, because there is some really good stuff out there, and I think you should know about it. And then, later this week: Alexandria! And next week: Baltimore! And then: Who knows? We've always had a soft spot for Annapolis. Stay tuned…


Most Likely to Make You Drool, Right Then and There on the Shop Floor: Georgetown's fab Relish boutique (a glimpse above), tucked away in Cady's Alley, stocks those stop-dead-in-your-tracks fashion items that make you happy just to be looking at them. (Which is all I can really afford to do at this point, though I am planning on saving all my pennies for one of their amazing Junya Watanabe trenches, or maybe the glorious lemon-yellow short-sleeved leather Marni coat.) It's worth the browse, if only for stealing some styling tips from the extremely well-dressed mannequins.

Drool-inducing runner-up: Longtime favorite Muleh is now setting out their spring offerings, and can we just say that they have one (okay, at least three) lovely Rozae Nichols pieces with our name all over it? Particularly the yellow and gray printed skirt? Swoon.

Best sale rack: We've got to give this one to Urban Chic in Georgetown. There was a Maria Bonita Extra gray sweater capelet that was just fab, and going for something like 70 percent off. It was alongside some really cute Boulee black trapeze dresses with bell sleeves, also on major sale. Resistance was difficult. We suspect these things might end up at the buzzed-about District Sample Sale next week, and that kinda makes us really want to go.

Sale rack runner-up: Back to Muleh! Seriously, we cannot believe no one has grabbed the last of the 3.1 Phillip Lim silky purple dresses with the wide, ruffled collar that they've heavily discounted. And, we offer as further proof of their sale rack amazingness: fab gingham!

Most Likely to Make Us Embrace a Big Spring Trend: Betsy Fisher has these amazing shrunken leather jackets by June (including this one). They are super-soft, have great tailoring, and might be just the thing we could throw over a little spring dress, like they suggest in all the Big Magazines, and actually like it. Bonus find: They've also got some really cool dresses from Hoss. Bonus bonus find: We kinda sorta love how staffer Ricardo – who we do not actually know, we just identified him from their website -- compliments us every time we enter the store and seems completely sincere about it. Oh, Ricardo, we're such suckers for flattery about our faux fur.

Most unlikely place where we might return immediately: We sort of randomly found ourselves in funky streetwear store Commonwealth, and we sort of randomly fell for this great tuxedo t-shirt by the Kid America Club. We've been wanting a tuxedo tee for forever, and this one is really high-quality and well-designed. (Now, $38 worth of well-designed we're not sure about, but on sale, it would be quite tempting.)


Best. Shoes. Ever! (Or, at least, the best shoes we've seen so far for spring): Chie Mihara tri-color sandals with a chunky wooden heel, courtesy of Hu's Shoes. While we're at it, we'd also like these, thanks!


Best. Secondhand. Shoes. Ever!: I'm a pretty big fan of Dupont consignment shop Secondi, and I think their shoe section in particular almost always has some great finds. If I was a size 39.5 (about a US 9), these black and white Chanel heels (about $115, if I remember correctly) would definitely have been mine. Ditto for these size 8 satiny Mary Jane booties (a very reasonable $35ish).


{Um, we do apologize that we are not exactly an ideal foot model, particularly in shoes that are entirely too small for us, but we did want to give you a proper glimspe.}

Secondhand shoes runner-up: Oh, we so loved these sparkly gold heeled shoes from Meeps (which I believe were a size 8 1/2, fyi. {update} actually, i just stopped in again and checked, and they're a 6 1/2. sorry!).



Most Ubiquitous (Yet Highly Adorable) Piece of the Season: Everyone – and by everyone I mean Pop, Mustard Seed and about a dozen other places along the Eastern seaboard – is stocking the BB Dakota cropped swingy Camille jacket in a rainbow of colors (that's it above in white, though we would have to suggest wearing it with pants). Luckily, it's really cute, so we won't mind seeing it all over the place once the weather gets warmer. At this point, any trend would be better than Uggs. {Please, D.C.: No. More. Uggs!}

Craftiest find: Ipso Crafto on Barracks Row in Southeast had rolls of pom-pom trim in different bright colors for $2/yard. I happily snagged a loooong strand of bright purple trim in hopes of recreating Susie B's fab DIY necklace. Plus! They also had a ton of pretty tulle!


Runner up: Moonshadow Antiques & Vintage in Takoma Park has an assortment of oversized skeleton keys for about $8 apiece. And you know how we love using old keys to make great pendant necklaces.

Only recipient of my money: After all this running around, I've only bought one thing (okay, two things, including the Ipso Crafto trim) – a wide gray vintage belt for $10 from tiny Second Affair Consignments over on 18th Street. I'm sure it will be making an appearance here on the blog very soon. As soon as I can reach my closet again. Sigh… the unpacking continues…

Perhaps I think a *teensy bit* too much about fashion...

I plopped myself down on the Metro yesterday next to a discarded Wall Street Journal, and was idly thumbing through it when this headline caught my eye: "Readers Are Long on Cheers (and Some Jeers) at the Idea of Shorter Tees".

My brain's immediate response: Oh, nooooo! Shorter tees? But I was really loving the extra-long lengths all the brands had embraced lately! Don't tell me we're back to the era of muffin-tops and belly-baring Britney wannabes! This is terrrrrrible!

Once I was all suitably riled up, I realized it was an article about golf courses.

{Image of tops from Three Dots, fine maker of extra-long tees.}

Grumpy.

You would think that clicking on Piperlime and seeing this totally fun rainbow of super-saturated shoes would instantly make anyone happy, but not me. Because – grumble, grumble – the pair I want (yes, you, pretty turquoise button-y one) is almost completely sold out and has been for weeks, thus mocking me every time I click on by. If you're a size 8.5, you're in luck – that's the only one they have in stock. (And there's plenty in black too. Unfortunately, I'm only interested in very, very bright shoes these days, and my attempts to satisfy such desires have not been going well.)

In the meantime, I'm also totally stalking the purple satiny sandals from H&M I spotted on Who What Wear Daily's spring transition tips blogcast {gratuitous shoe closeup at 1:40, and also below}. They remind me a lot of Agathe's perfect eggplant pair that I'm still completely lusting after. I'm pretty sure I'm not going to be able to rock the super-high heel, but I'm still watching for them to arrive in stores, with the deep hope that I have somehow developed an incredible new high heel tolerance over the winter. Fingers are crossed. Stay tuned…

A life without boxes (ah, memories…)

I'm alive! I'm even on the road to recovery. But in the midst of suffering from the cold that everyone-and-her-mother (including my mother) had, all my stuff arrived from Singapore. Have you ever tried to move from a very large apartment into a very teensy tiny apartment? While still keeping everything you own? I do not recommend. I'm looking back on pics of my gloriously large Singapore apartment (above) and dreaming about what it was like to have floor space.

So now life is about unpacking boxes, and my wardrobe is about old t-shirts and sweats and scarves wrapped around my head (no point in looking cute when you're digging around in a pile of cardboard). I've made a few forays into the shopping world out there, but haven't seen much I love, except this fab faux-croc clutch purse at Urban Outfitters. It is just so perfectly gorgeous and fifties and pretty. We are thinking if we say we will reward ourselves with it, we might get through these boxes a little bit faster.

In the meantime, this is a pretty fascinating article about Zara's continued pursuit of faster fashion. It's pretty business-y, but there are a few shopper-info gems. For example, did you know that the clothes with the black plastic hangers are the very newest, hot-off-the-sewing-machine pieces on the floor? (They get shifted over to the wooden hangers eventually.) Also, the company make money by charging more for items overseas: Those of us in the U.S. and elsewhere are paying up to 40 percent more than you guys in Spain. Hmmmmm.

Gack. Blergh. Zzzzzzz.

So sorry to disappear like that these past few days. I've come down with an absolutely awful cold/flu thingy and have not moved from bed since Monday night. It will probably be a few more days before I can even begin to put together a concise thought so it might be kinda quiet around here for a little longer. In the meantime, I hope you all are doing lovely, sunny, beautiful, non-coughing things.

And now, if you'll excuse me, I must return to the bed.

Black and white and chic all over

Mackenzie has put us in serious stripey mode today with this starkly graphic yet oh-so-feminine Tracy Reese dress. Love the hint of sheerness in the bodice and the classic, full-skirted shape.

Desperately Coveted, part 779 of 4,322

While killing time with a browse through Fifth Avenue shopping landmark Henri Bendel last week, I chanced upon this gorgeous Bulga two-pocket hobo bag. It's seriously beautiful – supple and subtle, with nice detailing and not a logo in sight. It's also an unfortunate $605 – though $495 from BagShop if you're feeling the taupe.

Pretty in pink

I've got some thoughts on the New York shows -- not many, because you know how I hate clicking through eons of runway thumbnails and would rather just leave that to more diligent bloggers -- and I'll try to pull them together some time this week. In many ways, I'm really much more interested in what people are wearing to the shows, as documented by The Sartorialist and others.

This photo he snapped (of Veronica Webb Katie Holmes? or a Katie lookalike? anyone?) at Isaac Mizrahi has me all excited for spring. The full skirt! The bobbed hair! Pink! *Love.*

My New York Diary: The Conclusion

After all the Gucci hoopla, I decided to stick around for a few more days in New York to spend some time with friends and do "normal New York things" (which for me includes cute little dive bars and discount vintage stores, and not, say, stays in suites at The London NYC and parties with Puff Daddy and Anna Wintour). I moved over to Brooklyn to stay with Carl and Cat (she of Pita and Binge fame) – note to self: carrying five majorly large bags up to a six-floor walk-up is not awesome; perhaps I should really learn how to pare down? -- and spent most of my time wandering around the Brooklyn neighborhoods of Park Slope, Carroll Gardens and Cobble Hill, both shopping and spending time with friends.

Of course, before I left Manhattan, I did spend a gloriously sunny morning walking around midtown, where I treated myself to friend seafood at the iconic Oyster Bar in Grand Central (I highly recommending sitting at the counter; it's just so fun).



fried seafoods galore:


I passed through Bryant Park again, which was really beautiful and bright. (In fact, I completely skipped the tent activity this time – I was just too distracted by all the cool trees.)




My car took the Brooklyn Bridge on our way to C&C's and the sky was just amazing.




Lady Liberty herself:




I later met up with all my favorite girl friends (and their respective menfolk) for a night at Great Lakes. It was, in many ways, just as fun as the Gucci event: stories were shared, Britney and Project Runway were animatedly discussed, lots and lots of laughing.

Friday was crisp and cool and I took a long walk around my favorite Brooklyn stores. Manhattan shopping is pretty great, but I have a soft spot for Brooklyn's mix of eclectic boutiques and small vintage stores.








I met Theo and his mom Holly for lunch and, in return, she introduced me to the darling Park Slope boutique La Vedette (43 5th Avenue, near Flatbush, 718-6386090). It was seriously fab – very affordable, great selection, a regular rotation of new stuff every week. (It's the Soon Lee of Brooklyn!) I bought a gorgeous, poet-sleeved jersey dress that reminded me of the Eventide ones I'd loved long ago.

Dueling cameras with Theo…


…whose adorable one – from Park Slope kids' boutique Romp -- is clearly tastier than mine. I know, I tried.

Then I skipped into the city to meet Kevin (of Vintage Roadtrip! fame) for dinner at Elmo (great comfort food, including Duncan Hines chocolate cake) and drinks at West Village institution Marie's Crisis Café, an amazing piano bar that just might be my favorite bar ever. (Everyone gathers around a piano and belts out pop hits and showtunes all night! What's not to love?) My tired little eyes could barely stay open, so I scarfed down a Gray's Papaya hotdog (the best snack that $1.25 can buy) and scooted home pretty early, by New York standards.




After a great Saturday brunch with college bestie Anne at Cornelia Street Café, I lugged my (estimated by Cat) 80 pounds of luggage to the train and headed back to DC. I slept for approximately 16 hours straight immediately upon return. But what a week! It pretty much rocked.

We now return to our normal banter about pretty things, starting with this vintage hot pink luggage tote we picked up at new Park Slope vintage store Monkey Whistles & Motor Bikes (176 5th Avenue) for $35. Hey, if we can't afford the hot pink Loewe, this is kind of like the next best thing, right?

A few final comments*

*Subtitle: Um, might want to be looking out for those bikes...

When the Gucci people asked if I would take a photo in my favorite New York spot for their Gucci Loves New York festivities, my train of thought went something like this:

1) Ooooh, I can take it with the Central Park disco rollerskaters! I can rollerskate around, sporting Gucci! This is still my favorite idea, but unfortunately, it proved to be too logistically challenging, being that my rollerskates have not yet arrived from Singapore, and the disco skating is really more of a warm weekend kind of thing and not a chilly February weekday kind of thing. So that idea was (very very sadly) scrapped.

2) My next idea was Coney Island, which has such an amazing, old-school carnival-ish feel. I had visions of my Gucci bag and me with the bearded lady and a Nathan's hot dog, with the Cyclone rollercoaster in the background. However, it is really pretty far from midtown Manhattan, which made it especially hard to rope in a friend to come and play photog, even with the incentive of bearded ladies. So I eventually scrapped that idea too.

3) Ultimately, I decided on the Brooklyn Bridge. I do have my favorite Manhattan spots – the Moma, Barney's, the shiny lights of Broadway, for starters -- but I adore Brooklyn and was glad to include it. I couldn't convince anyone to sneak out of work and trek over the bridge with me on a rainy Monday, so I took along my trusty mini-tripod and made do. There are a bunch of outtakes, including when I nearly took out a couple of bikers with my umbrella (see above). In the end, I am happy to report that no bikers were harmed in the making of this picture. And it was all kinda fun.

And thus concludes the Gucci portion of our program. Much thanks again to everyone at Gucci for including us in their festivities – they chalked it up to a big blogger experiment, but it was nice to be part of the scientific process. We now resume our regular, frivolous, non-celebrity-filled schedule.

Which one of these things is not like the other ones?

I really need to work on my pose. But much thanks to Daniel for snapping this shot on the way out. {Plus, you get a full-on dress view!}

Other images from Reuters via Yahoo News.

And then I died and went to Fashion Blogger Heaven*

*Subtitle: My night at the Gucci gala and other surreal musings


I wish I could be totally cool and all, oh, yeah, I went to a party and Gwyneth was there, and Orlando Bloom, and Tom and Katie and whatever. But you know me, and you know that I am rarely so restrained, so really, it's more like, Katie's hair! Super-cute in real life! Oh, and Madonna! And did everyone see Gwyneth's dress? We just don't do blasé very well. (We do incredibly animated very, very well.) And so, that said, we invite you to review our evening at the Gucci gala, complete with hyper-excited running internal monologue, and as many interesting tidbits as we can remember.

Okay, first: What I was wearing. I know this is suddenly the least most exciting part of this post, but I really liked my dress and I know some of you must be a teensy bit curious. And so: After much hemming and hawing, I finally decided on a mod-ish 1960s black velvet cocktail dress. It's appropriately mini, with a white satin belt and shirt-style collar and a very large diamante button on the front. The bow really sold me. (You know how I love bows!) It cost $40 at my favorite Delaware vintage store.


My shoes: Amazing black velvet slingback heels from DC consignment shop Secondi, $25. My purse was a black patent envelope vintage clutch, about $3 from the thrift store. And I did throw on my new vintage faux fur shrug ($40) to get to and from the venue. All and all, I was kind of going for the Thriftiest Ensemble at the Gala award, and at a total of $108, I think I might have come pretty close.

I got myself ready dancing around to Timbaland (natch), and jumped in a car to head over to the United Nations for the Big Event. I shared a car with the totally cool brother and sister duo of Curt and Jenny, who will factor in to this story again a bit later.

And then we were inside! And after I mulled around a bit, not entirely sure what I should be doing with myself – my co-bloggers Elisabeth and Susie hadn't arrived yet – and finally decided I might as well stake out some prime people-watching territory and gawp a bit at the never-ending parade of celebrities coming in. I stationed myself between a really cute older couple who turned out to be Tea Leoni's parents and a couple of British guys who didn't know who any non-A-list celebrities were (they were like, Kimora Lee Simmons? Who?) but who totally redeemed themselves by giving me the head's up on the arrival of people like Suzy Menkes and properly identifying Stanley Tucci.

The celebrity train was pretty much non-stop. My pictures are really pretty awful, but there were a lot of photogs there, and they got great shots of everyone (which I'll try to post later, but which you can see some of here and here) and there are still a few gems and lots to tell you.

First: Gwyneth! Loved the dress (it had an awesome huge bow at the neck). She seemed completely sweet, chatting animatedly with the waitstaff and slowly making her way through the crowd.


Oh yeah and there was Brooke Shields and Aerin Lauder and Drew Barrymore and her cute lil' boyfriend Justin Long and Lucy Liu and The Donald and Martha Stewart and {takes breath} and Demi and Ashton and Angie Harmon and Timbaland and Gwen 'n Gavin and so many more I didn't even see (J.Lo, Ellen Pompeo, Salma Hayek, Puffy). But I did spot Vince Vaughn hanging out in the bar area. And Kate Hudson was running around later clad in some fierce hot pink. And can we just say that Rihanna's hair is just as great in person?

Let's just go to the pictures. Here we have the Amazonian model-entrepreneur-designer Kimora Lee Simmons:


Molly Sims, sporting some may-jah hair:


Gwyn and Drew Barrymore catch up.


The shutterbugs descend:


Gwyn and Katie's fab blunt-cut bangs have a chat:


Remember Curt and Jenny from the car ride? They so love me now.


Here's Tom being all agreeable about stopping to pose. Katie looks less amused.


Lucy Liu's dress was cute. And her date was totally cute:


Why, it's The Donald! (And Melania.)


See, I wasn't kidding about the Donald's ridiculous hair.


The Donald and his Hair meet Dita von Teese.


Let's play a game! It's called "Where's Katie?" First: The back of Katie's highly striking and completely unmissable red dress.



{we're still playing the game, but Gwyn is talking with Orlando here, fyi}




Madonna and her gorgeous daughter Lourdes with Lucy Liu and Tea Leoni (who popped by to see my new best friends, a.k.a. her parents, just before this):


Rihanna: Cute hair, totally pensive. Also, fyi, it's apparently "Ree- Anna" (like, rhymes with Hannah Montana), not "Ree- Ahna". In case you all meet or something.


The highly adorable institution that is NYT photog Bill Cunningham.


Bill and Timbaland have a moment:


Omg. The amazing Suzy Menkes! We'd recognize that coif anywhere.


Nina Garcia, rocking some fierce yellow, for you Project Runway fans.


We don't know who this woman was, but we totally loved her poufy-skirted blue dress.


Lucy Liu and Demi are besties! Ashton looks on.


And much to our chagrin, Ashton did not "Punk" anyone or even get the tiniest bit rowdy.


Martha Stewart, just on the heels of the Donald. Awkward!


Gwen Stefani, Gavin, Pat McGrath. Do you think Pat is responsible for Gwen's fab lip color?


The main part of the event was a big sit-down dinner and live auction to raise money for Madonna's Raising Malawi charity and UNICEF. I was lucky enough to be seated at the very fun UK press table, next to Miss Susie B., whose dress was declared by all to be *amazing*. See for yourself:


The whole venue – an enormous tent on the United Nations' north lawn with some surprisingly nice porta-potties – was decked out in candlelight and roses.







We ate some nice food, we devoured some really fantastic toffee pudding for dessert, we saw a performance by the adorable African Children's Choir, we listed to a very heartfelt speech by Madonna, as well as a speech by Jeffrey Sachs (note to self: must read his book).

Then Chris Rock came out to auction off a bunch of incredible VIP experiences. We had our eye on the Hollywood package – lunch with Zac Efron! – but since bidding started at $15,000, we were pretty much out of the running for everything. It was kind of fun to watch people get all worked up bidding for things like joining Madonna's tour (it went for a whopping $600K – I saw Madonna's daughter Lourdes try to get in on the bidding and Madonna playfully swatting down her hand).

Chris Rock was pretty awesomely funny, doing things like egging on Kimora Lee Simmons to get into the bidding frenzy. Susie and I were completely amused:


Then, the performances! First Rihanna was up, and she did a rocking (and lip-synched, it seems?) rendition of "Please Don't Stop the Music" and then "Umbrella" (Ella! Ella! Ella!). And then Timbaland came on – you know how we *seriously love Timbaland*, which is apparently pronounced more like "Timbalind", which we did not know – and he brought out Nelly Furtado to join him for what is probably my favorite dance song in recent memory, "In the Club." (Sadly, Justin Timberlake was not there to join them for the song's third verse. Bummer!) He then launched into my second favorite dance song in recent memory, the irresistible "The Way I Are" (and Keri Hilson – or at least a ferociously singing woman – came out and joined him). Susie and I were all like, what are we doing just sitting at our table?, and went down front-and-center. It was like my wildest TRL-related fantasy come true.

{if you look very closely, you can see that even Gwyn was on her feet for Timbaland}


We stayed in our prime spot for Alicia Keys, who definitely did not lipsynch and who has an incredible voice and really amazing, super-glowy skin. She had everyone singing along (I saw you, Mark Lee! And you, Drew Barrymore!), and it was really lovely.


It probably cannot be said enough that with all the celebrity watching and A-list hobnobbing and scoping out of gorgeous dresses, the whole event was for some really worthwhile charitable causes, including a school for girls in Malawi. (Of course, after the auction proceeds topped a million dollars, Susie and I surmised that perhaps there could now be several schools for girls in Malawi. I hope that's true.)

After the performances, they launched into the after-party portion of the evening, which was a superb Japanese DJ whose name I wish I knew, because I would probably go to all of his parties {Steve Aoki!}, he was just that fun. After running around for a while (I got some bad intel that the Office's John Krasinski was there, and really wanted to find him for a photo op, but it turns out it was just a John Krasinski look-alike), we joined Susie and Elisabeth and what seemed like the entire, now-able-to-relax Gucci team on the dance floor for some serious shimmying.

Your friendly neighborhood fashion bloggers:


We also got to meet the darling Daniel of Fashion Indie {below}, who was totally fun. (And who has some very incriminating pictures of all of us swilling champagne from the bottle, so we should probably be really nice to him.) We had a little blogger dance circle going. Let it be known: Bloggers love to dance!




We stayed until the very, very end, until they literally kicked us out, and headed back to the hotel to crash. Our feet hurt, our head hurts, we are definitely not looking forward to packing up all our stuff and schlepping it down to Brooklyn today, but we are totally happy.

We will also take questions regarding your most burning celebrity hair and fashion topics – as in, Q: Is Katie's bob really *that* cute? A: Yes, yes it is! And we have proof! -- if you'd like to leave them in the comments.


And now, if you'll excuse us, we have a $50 room service bagel and coffee that needs our full attention.

Oh, yes, I did.

I told you I would!

As many of you know by now, I used to live in New York for several years (pre-Beijing, Singapore and DC. I'm old!) Coming back now is so much fun – not only because I get to see friends and eat in my favorite restaurants and hit up a slew of beloved vintage stores, but also because I have the time (and the energy) to explore the city from a visitor's perspective.

Which brings us to yesterday. After a morning at the brand-spanking-new Gucci flagship at the base of Trump Tower on 5th Avenue (my notes include: "Donald Trump's hair is really just as ridiculous in person"), I headed downtown for some good ol' fashioned New York shopping and eating. First, I popped into Mott Street vintage mecca Resurrection, which is always worth the visit just to be in proximity to so many fantastic high-end vintage pieces (And, if you happen to have a spare $1200 lying around, there is an amazing 1950s Dior couture cocktail dress that is. Just. To die for.)

I headed over for lunch at the seriously awesome (and highly adorable, thanks to its home in a former diner) taqueria La Esquina, which is a recent find for me, but whose fantastic tacos and roasted corn on the cob covered in parmesan cheese is really worth the trip.


Then I popped over to check out the "new" Old Navy, which looks an awful lot like the "old" Old Navy, and where my fun oversized tote is now on sale for $11.99 (grumble). I scored the second-to-last pair of the adorable printed flats everyone's gaga over (hooray for having big feet, for a change!). They are not so comfortable, but definitely really cute, and I suspect some of their popularity comes from Fops and Dandies bringing out The Sound of Music nostalgia in all of us. Oh, how we love Maria and the clothes made of curtains!


I popped back up to midtown for a private blogger tour of the new store (it's now the largest store in the world, and reportedly, they're paying a whopping $16 million per year in rent for the prime location). Gucci CEO Mark Lee personally took us around (it seems he's the one who spearheaded the blogger component to the launch) and didn't even flinch when we collectively squealed over the bubble-gum pink patent stilettos or when I needled him to reveal who was in the VIP dressing room. (Apparently, it was Gucci Creative Designer Frida Giannini giving a TV interview, and not, say, Madonna trying on her dress for tonight's big gala event, which is what I was really hoping for.)


Of course, we had to check out what they're touting for Spring, and it's pretty:



Here's a little bonus for you designheads: The store has some seriously fantastic velvety furniture.



All that touring and talking fashion makes a blogger hungry, so I decided to head back downtown to New York's finest burger institution The Shake Shack, an adorable little concession stand in Madison Park that is pretty much world-renowned for their burgers and fries. I'd never been before – I've heard you've got to hit it in the off-hours, otherwise you're stuck in a line around the park – so it was a pretty big deal for me, being a majorly large fan of cheeseburgers and all. Plus, its outdoor-café-style location with a view of the Empire State Building is just so cute.



(Oh! I almost forgot! On the way down 23rd street from the subway, I walked by The Sartorialist himself. I recognized him almost immediately, and managed to give him a little smile. He did not ask to take my picture, but I'm just going to tell myself that it was because he was busy talking on his cell phone.)

Okay, back to The Shake Shack. {And our apologies for diving precipitously close to food blogger territory in this post.} The Shackburger is Just. So. Good. Plus: Crinkle-cut fries! The best.


I was totally stuffed from my burger so I decided to walk back up Fifth Avenue to digest a bit. After a rainy day, it was clearing up and the Empire State Building was in perfectly glowy, Giants-supporting glory.


And then I stumbled upon insane vintage emporium Cheap Jack's. It is massive. (It is also, at an average of about $125 for a dress, not exactly cheap.) Still, I couldn't resist doing a little dressing room photo shoot.



Um. Tulle!






I didn't end up buying anything, mostly because of the exorbitant pricing, though my big-skirts-for-spring fantasies almost gave in to that last skirt. Ultimately, I decided the pattern was a little too '80s for my liking.

But apparently, where I should have stopped was a Starbucks, because I nearly immediately fell asleep upon returning to my hotel at 7pm. It's just as well: It was a pretty jam-packed day, and I needed a good night's sleep before tonight's major festivities. Stay tuned…

Before we go any further…

There has been quite a lot of fascinating brouhaha this past week about bloggers, and freebies, and blog integrity, and everything else that goes along with that ongoing debate. We aren't one to delve into too much serious on this here blog – because it is our outlet for things that are pretty! and fun! and Zac Efron-related! – but we do want to be sure we are forthcoming with all of you. We are not exactly sure how we ended up on the Blog Shortlist – seriously, we've never even been offered a free lipstick, but somehow we suddenly became worthy of trips to Paris – but we've been extremely flattered that someone, somewhere thought enough of us to include us in some of these events, like this week's Gucci store opening and charity gala.

We have really enjoyed the opportunity to be part of a few of the pioneering blog-focused campaigns, to have this unprecedented access to some of the most creative fashion minds in the world and especially to meet other bloggers from around the globe (this week's happy find is the fantastic Elisabeth, whose comparison to all this as a "Kim in Bye Bye Birdie" moment rings true to our similarly Broadway-minded heart. But beyond that, she is a completely fun person and an excellent writer, and I know a lot of you are going to want to put her site on your blog list immediately.)

Where were we? Oh yes. We have always made it clear to our hosts upfront that our inclusion in such events does not guarantee good press, or any press, on our blog and that we will write what we want about the activities we participate in. It is a delicate situation, but we definitely wanted to thank *all of you* for being so completely awesome and congratulatory and encouraging (and not, for one second, rude or catty) as we test out this new phenomenon. We suspect that there are many more excellent blogs (see list at right, for starters) that will find themselves in similar situations in the near future, and we hope you are just as supportive to them.

When Gucci invited me to come up to New York, the only stipulation was that I take a photo of myself in my favorite New York spot as part of their festivities and fund-raising activities. (Which I did, and which you can see over here. Please ignore the fact that they've currently got me identified as Cory Kennedy, which is a little bit surreal. And yes, I did pair my Gucci with Chuck Taylors.) They've also included me in various other events, and I'll probably tell you a bit more about them as well (or at least, I'll tell you what people are wearing. My scribbled notes read something like "**groomed eyebrows**" {see above – there was a girl at one of the events with the most amazing cheekbone-enhancing arches} and "shrunken fur jackets – so cute!" and "Gucci CEO Mark Lee can really rock a slim-cut suit". We definitely do not expect you to run out and buy Gucci, but we do hope you enjoy the ride. It's been fun.

But we digress. We are done with being overly serious for the moment, and now we go back to our regularly scheduled content of being frivolous and fawning over celebrities. There is a party with Madonna (and Gwyneth and SJP and Timbaland and about a gazillion others whose outfits we really cannot wait to see) to prepare for, after all. And really, what's the point of fashion if it isn't fun?

Hello from Noo Yawk City

It's 5:15am. Can we say lingering Beijing jet lag?

But! We are pretty thrilled to be ensconced in an impossibly fluffy hotel bed in the middle of New York, our favorite city in the world. (Yes, yes, we know we say that about every city, but this time it's really true.) I arrived yesterday afternoon and headed out to do a lil' photo project for Gucci (more on that later), and then had the rest of the day to wander around and drink coffee and take photographs and (of course) do a little shopping, window and otherwise.

Of course, any self-respecting fashion follower has one destination this week, and I couldn't resist dropping by the New York Fashion Week tents at Bryant Park to check out the scene. Which looked something like this:


Truthfully, the big white tents make it kind of look like a wedding with a lot of fashionably dressed people -- plus a handful of gawpers (it was mostly a trio of tourists in ski coats and me, fervently checking out the parade of colored tights and majorly large hats and tons and tons of booties). Curiosity satisfied, we left the other lurkers to gawk in peace and headed up to Rockefeller Center, where we may have had to check out the huge Anthropologie flagship. With windows like this, how could we resist?


We also admired the ice skating. It's just so perfectly New Yorky.


Then we meandered up 5th Avenue, stopped by a deli for a bagel snack (when in New York…) and Cherry Coke Zero (best. drink. ever!), took a bit of a rest on the gloriously pastel pink-and-purple couch in our hotel room and went to meet Susie and others for drinks and dinner. I am happy to report that Susie is as charming and utterly fashionable as ever, despite her awful computer woes. (Note to self: Ask for Susie's Williamsburg shopping itinerary, because we obviously need to be checking out the vintage over there.)

We're going to attempt to navigate the crazy double-headed shower in the bathroom and head off for some more adventures today. Stay tuned!

Oh, and while we're at it: We had a perfectly lovely weekend vintage treasure-hunting in Delaware, where we picked up this funky plaid coat, among other goodies:

Tulle: A Love Story

It's funny how these fashion things go sometimes. For example:

1. A couple of weeks ago, I started thinking about tulle. Mostly because I had to name my Most Wanted fashion item for the D.C. Goodwill Fashionista and I've been obsessed with finding a poufy, tulle-skirted '50s prom dress for the past few years.*

2. And then I fell in love with this awesome vintage-inspired party dress and I started thinking, I really need to get on this tulle thing.

3. And then, in preparation for fashion week, I pulled out my fabulously voluminous taffeta-and-tulle vintage skirt, and tried it on with a little fitted black sweater and was all like, I don't care how much room this takes up in my suitcase, I'm bringing it.

4. And then on the train from DC to Delaware Saturday, I was reading my new Teen Vogue with Blake Lively on the cover (stellar issue, by the way), and I saw a cute advertorial for Lycra-enhanced denim in which they had spritely young ballerinas wear jeans to show how you could plie in denim, if that was something you would like to do. And the girls were wearing jeans under these fabulous poufy tulle ballet skirts (which, incidentally, totally distracted from the jeans).

5. And then, on the way home from the train station, we stopped off at one of (okay, three of) my favorite thrift stores, and I noticed they still had this amazing majorly tulle skirted wedding dress that has been there for the past couple of months. I eye that dress every time I go to the store, which is kind of funny because a) I'm not getting married anytime soon; and b) if I do, it will not be in a big white confection of a dress. And yet, layer upon layer of gauzy white tulle… so, so pretty…

{I have to admire the dress quietly, because I'm afraid if I start showing too much interest in wedding stuff, my mom might have a small heart attack from joy and anticipation.}

6. And then I checked out authentic ballet skirt options online before I went to bed.

7. And then I woke up yesterday and opened up the New York Times and there was