fashion is spinach

Spring is in the air... and on the ground...

2010-03-10T08:32:00.004-05:00

Thanks to Joanna, I've been lusting after Emersonmade's amazing flower pins for some time. (Oh, big poppy, you will be mine!)

They've just added a selection of flower add-ons for shoes, and I'm obsessed with them too. (Because, goodness knows, I've been dreaming about flowers on shoes for quite awhile now.)

Yay spring.

We Have Our Winner!

2010-03-10T08:24:00.002-05:00

Congrats to Caille (of Stereoscopic Magic) for being our lucky Ruth Barzel bracelet winner!

And thanks to everyone for playing... We actually have another awesome giveaway coming (hopefully) this week, so stay tuned!

Current Obsession: Michelle Obama

2010-03-09T18:44:00.004-05:00

I mean, I *knew* she was pretty great. But getting the chance attend this morning's event at the National Museum of American History, where Michelle Obama (and Jason Wu) donated her white inaugural gown to the collections, only reinforced what a warm, witty, cool woman Mrs. O really is. Also how sweet Jason Wu is. It was happiness all around.

Excuse me, I have to go gush some more about it now. More pix (and video!) soon.

Spinach Giveaway!: Ruth Barzel Turquoise Bracelet

2010-03-05T11:24:00.000-05:00

We are totally thrilled to welcome local D.C. jewelry designer Ruth Barzel as a FashionisSpinach.com sponsor. (And not just 'cause already we love and wear her mixed chain pieces -- so cool.)

In any case: In honor of spring (whew, finally), we'll be doing a giveaway of her fab turquoise nugget bracelet (above). It's just one of those beautifully simple pieces that packs a big style punch. (Plus, blue! Huge for spring.)

To enter to win the bracelet, just leave your name in the comments below. A winner will be chosen on Tuesday! (And no, you don't have to be in D.C. to win -- we ship everywhere! And also, if your name is something sort of common -- looking at you, Jennifers of the world -- try to add something that stands out, like "Jennifer of the blog Jen.com".)

But, if you don't win and still want one (or something else), Ruth's offering 15% off all purchases at her e-shop with the code "SPINACH" through April 30. (Or, for you locals, she'll also be at the District Sample Sale on March 16 and holding a trunk show at Alexandria's Treat March 20-21.)

Good luck!

Tonight!

2010-03-04T16:32:00.006-05:00

Apologies for the last-minute notice (um, is it Thursday *already?*) but if you're free tonight (and, of course, in the D.C. area), you should come pop by Neiman Marcus Chevy Chase from 6-9pm for their big "Fashion Rules!" event. There will be snacks, and sips, and a really cool dance performance, and DJ Neekola (who is very, very awesome) and my colleague Jenn and I -- drum roll please -- will be hosting a fashion trivia portion of the night. With really good prizes! (We're talking gift cards, makeover packages and even shoes!)

Sample question: Where is Oscar de la Renta from? (No peeking at the Internet, either!)

Hope to see you there!

PS) And yes, this WAS the only "competition" picture I could throw together.

Update! Update!

2010-03-01T19:54:00.001-05:00

I know some of you wanted an update as soon as Harvey Faircloth's spring collection went on sale. And so: Harvey Faircloth's spring collection has gone on sale!

(Plus, a little bird -- ok, it was Anna, owner of Proper Topper -- told me this weekend that they're planning to bring in some of the pieces to the store as well. Which would be bananas. Stay tuned...) In the meantime, I may or may not have instantly purchased the bell sleeve top.

Spring Wishlist Part 4: Cocoon Wrap (Scored!)

2010-03-01T19:30:00.000-05:00

I met the nicest girl (whose name escapes me, but who was just so sweet) at the Spinach Vintage sale, and pretty much accosted her because she was wearing an amazing, assymmetrical, drapey cover-up that I excitedly thought was the Swacket. (Oh, Swacket! How I love you, but I have not been able to justify your $500 price tag!)

Turns out she was wearing the Lululemon Athletica "cocoon wrap" (above and below), which may not wrap a million ways like the Swacket and is actually more of a sweatshirt than a coat, but which is also a somewhat affordable $118. (Also apparently very popular. It's disappeared from their website since just yesterday!) I skedaddled over to the Logan Circle Lululemon after the sale closed Saturday and snagged the last dark gray one (they still have black and light gray). It is awesome. I predict I will wear it *constantly*. Thank you, very nice girl, for the great tip!

Phew. And yay!

2010-03-01T09:31:00.002-05:00

Remember that time that I decided to hold a vintage sale, and I was worried that no one might come, and then *everyone* came, and I had the best time ever? Welcome to my weekend!

First and foremost, a huge thank you to all who came over, from near and far, to Proper Topper Georgetown this weekend to shop the Spinach Vintage sale. I met so many cool, fun, adorable vintage lovers -- it was beyond my expectations. (And many, many thanks to the kind crew at Proper Topper for hosting, serving cookies and champagne, and keeping the verrrry long dressing room line in perfect order. And also for stocking the very awesome Ikks dress I bought at the end of the weekend in celebration.)

If I can uncover some more cool vintage -- sigh, it is getting harder and harder to find good, affordable vintage these days! -- we are absolutely going to do this again. In the meantime, some snaps from the weekend! I took almost nothing back home with me at the end, which means I expect to see a lot of adorable, vintage-clad gals around town this spring!

Thanks again for coming out. You all really made my whole weekend.

The Weekend is Here. Whee!

2010-02-25T10:56:00.005-05:00

Many, many thanks to Mother Nature for not snowing all over my big weekend plans. Which start tonight with the Lucky party at Cusp Georgetown! A Lucky stylist, photog and I will be there from 6-8 p.m. to kick off Lucky's Luck of the Draw weekend at the store. Spend $300 and get a swag bag with a $20 Cusp gift card, $10 iTunes card and more. And everyone who stops by tonight can enter their name to win a Marc by Marc bag (plus, sips and nibbles. Like a shopping happy hour!) I know a lot of you are coming, and I can't wait!

And THEN... The big Spinach sale at Proper Topper G'town will be all this weekend! I'm in the midst of prepping for the shop to debut Saturday morning at 11 (with more champagne and snacks! Because can you ever get enough?). Here's some quick snaps of just a teensy fraction of the pieces that will be there. And, in keeping with these recessionary times, the prices will be super-low: regular dresses will be $20; fancy or designer dresses will be $35; coats will be $40; handbags start at just $5. (There are, obviously, exceptions to these rules for really amazing pieces -- nostly because I had to pay a bit more to get them -- but that will be the general pricing plan.) {Quick l'il update} Not to worry, thanks to Proper Topper, we do take credit cards!

Here's a sneak peek of some favorites: Jackie O.-style silk sheaths and matching jackets! Gorgeous '60s silk dresses from Lord & Taylor in the most amazing florals. Wool printed dresses with Peter Pan collars! Stripey vintage coats with fur trim! Little sequin jackets with Dolman sleeves! It's a little sad/insanely difficult to let them go, but it makes me happy to know they're going to good homes.

Hope to see you there on Saturday and Sunday! Details here, if you need them.

Spring Wishlist Part 3: Anything/ Everything Below.

2010-02-22T20:58:00.003-05:00

I just spotted the Spring/Summer Harvey Faircloth collection on Jordan's blog and I'm *obsessed*. Love.

It's not available anywhere yet, but it looks like they're launching an online store soon. (Note: Soon cannot come fast enough. Drooool.)

Spring Wishlist Part 2: Feeling Blue

2010-02-18T16:14:00.005-05:00

Blame Ginnifer Goodwin and her adorably chic Golden Globes dress (below) for my new current obsession: Finding the perfect bright blue dress for spring. Marine hues are all over the place, but I've yet to uncover my ideal version (ie, day-to-night suitable and not insanely short. Which is seriously hard as a nearly-6ft-tall person. Why are so many dresses inappropriately mini these days?) One leading candidate: Rachel Roy's color-blocked option (above, $595). The navy keeps it nicely tempered, and really, I'm such a sucker for a blue-on-blue combination.

Also desired, thought I'm not sure I could pull it off: Ginnifer's choppy crop. Love it.

Spring Wishlist Part 1: Loeffler Randall Snappy Shoes

2010-02-17T15:40:00.003-05:00

There might be two-foot snowdrifts across D.C., and I might've been forced to wear rubber boots for the past 18 days straight, but I'm so ready for spring. (Actually, that's probably WHY I'm so ready for spring.) I may have to keep the boots at the ready, but that doesn't mean I can't start shopping for warmer weather gear. And so, my Spring Wishlist -- Part 1 (of many)! Loeffler Randall's snappy, strappy sandals (spotted in Barney's Co-op Georgetown, and also here (for the heels, $695) and here (for the sandals, $295). Smartwool socks optional, for the time being...

You're Invited!: Part 2

2010-02-16T19:25:00.003-05:00

Next week is looking pretty busy! As one of Lucky magazine's Alpha Shoppers (aka a very nice way of saying people who shop A LOT), I'll be hosting a fun event at Cusp Georgetown on Thursday. There will be swag, and a very helpful stylist, and photogs scouting for the mag's Style Spotter site (look cute!), and pretty new Spring clothes, and -- of course -- me (and also, one hopes, this really adorable Phillip Lim dress, because I think I might need to own it).

More details soon. But if you'd like to come, please RSVP over here. Hope to see you there!

You're Invited!*

2010-02-15T15:03:00.002-05:00

There comes a time in every fashionista's life where she looks at her wardrobe and says, "When on earth did I acquire enough clothing to fill eleventythousand closets?" For me, this time is now. I have *so many* adorable vintage pieces that I just can't possibly wear/store/enjoy, and I've decided it's time to pare down.

And so: Proper Topper has been delightfully kind enough to offer their adorable Georgetown store for a one weekend only Spinach Vintage Pop-Up Shop, Sat.-Sun. Feb 27-28. There will be dresses! And coats! And purses! And jackets! And some cute little housewares and such! And they will all be priced very, very low ($20ish for dresses, $10 for bags, $30 for coats... frankly, I don't have the space to bring it home again. So I'm not kidding when I say: Everything. Must. Go!)

I'll be around all weekend to offer advice, styling tips and make sure all my cute '60s dresses go to happy, fashion-loving homes. We'll also be having champagne on Sat. from 11-3, and will also be keeping a stash of good stuff to put out just on Sunday, so you don't have to worry about missing all the best finds if you can't come before then.

Stay tuned for some item previews over the next two weeks. Hope you can make it!

*Although I certainly understand if those of you not in the D.C. area need to send your regrets.

I'm baaaaaack!

2010-02-04T17:26:00.002-05:00

Hey, remember that time when I moved and it was so exhausting/busy/messy that I dropped off the face of the blogosphere for most of the month? Yeah, that wasn't very fun. Luckily, I'm back! Here's what I've been obsessing over since we last talked:

1. Blue and white stripey things. I'm so channeling sailor chic for spring. Yes, please!

2. You might've caught this on my Twitter feed, but Elle.com published a very nice q&a with me a few weeks back. Finally, an interview where I do not sound like a rambling caffeinehead (er, much). Although I have rethought my response to the "$5,000 in Barneys" question about 27 times since then. (My current answer: Buy as much Phillip Lim as I possibly can. These things aren't binding, are they?)

3. Oh my goodness, did you know there is a prequel coming out to "The Baby-sitters Club"? And, um, that I requested an advance copy and read it in one sitting last week? I was really hoping they'd increase the number of Claudia outfit reports, but it was pretty standard. Luckily there is still What Claudia Wore. (Most recently: "Her hair was braided with silver ribbons, and she wore a shimmery dark blue minidress. On her feet were silver sandals, with laces up the calves - kind of like toe shoes." Is it just me, or did Claud always wear shoes that laced up her legs?)

4. Did you see "Kell on Earth"? I'm obsessed. (Also, I loved the part where her assistant, Andrew, showed up in a sequin gown.) I'm totally relishing her new book too.

5. Oh, and! Next Thursday, all the Best Dressed List: DC awardees and the BYT crowd are heading out on the Odyssey boat for a three-hour booze cruise. I am so excited that they put the "Cabin Boy" poster in the promo. In related news: Perhaps an ideal time to debut something stripey?

6. Very excited that fashion week is very, very soon. Tops on my invite wishlist: Prabal Gurung (above).

Further Proof that John Krasinski and I are Soulmates...

2010-01-20T00:30:00.000-05:00

Mere weeks after I purchase J.Crew's navy tux jacket (down to about $65, with all the extra discounts they've been offering), John sports a smashing navy tuxedo on the red carpet for the Golden Globes (LOVED it, btw, and not just 'cause it's on John. Well, maybe a little.) Coincidence? I think not.

Excuse me while I go photoshop my face on Emily Blunt's head now...

New Year's Resolution 1: Participate in Flash Mob

2010-01-20T00:16:00.001-05:00

Ideally a dancing, lip-synching, Glee-related flash mob. (Oh, yes, it WILL happen...)

PS) I would also not object to the "in Rome" part.

Tonight We're Gonna Party Like It's 1995...

2010-01-20T00:07:00.000-05:00

I'm not dead! I'm just busy! I'm in the process of moving to my adorable new place (by "in the process," I mean, "moved approximately three small boxes so far, one of which contained the corkscrew, which was a total Moving Fail.") But! I should be snug as a bug in the new apartment in one week's time, when the blogging will resume wholeheartedly. Or at least semi-heartedly.

In the meantime, I am still writing my weekly fash/pop culture column for The Washington Post Express. Please feel free to join the rabid J.Lo bodysuit supporters over there, should you miss me.

But! For now, I present: My outfit for New Year's Eve 2010. (Er, three weeks late. But who's counting? Except me?) This year, I decided to repurpose my High School Senior Prom Dress, a whole (cough) 14 and a half years since it was first worn. Nope, not kidding. (In fact, Newsweek.com did a story a few months back on '90s fashions returning — spotlighting, yep, my blue sequin prom dress — which prompted me to pull it out one more time for NYE. Pairing it not with silver Payless sandals this time around, but with a tux jacket, black leggings, platform heels and a much better haircut.)

That's it above. And here it is in focus below ...er, in the bathroom of a lovely H Street establishment. Please feel free to ignore the toilet paper dispenser.

Hello from Under a Pile of Stuff

2010-01-10T23:20:00.003-05:00

I'm being especially quiet right now because I'm cleaning. And not just cleaning up -- I'm cleaning out. I'm prepping to move from my nice, large (and yet still quite cluttered) apartment to one that's maaaaybe a third of its size... which means it's finally time to assess my possessions, weed out what I don't actually need (um, 11 headbands, for starters) and start fresh with less. It has not, shall we say, been very fun -- going through every box, debating every book, trying to decode which packet of cords goes with which gadget. And I haven't even started on the closet yet. I predict serious separation anxiety ahead. Wish me luck.

So bear with me, and stay tuned for some exciting purging-related news (such as: it looks like there's going to be a Spinach Vintage pop-up shop very soon!).

Also: I was looking for some Martha Stewart-esque organizational pictures for this post when I stumbled upon the photo above. I couldn't resist.

{PS) I almost forgot! You can catch a look into my closet and read some of my very rambly thoughts on fashion over at my BYT profile for the Best Dressed List: DC. Also, be sure to check out interviews with some of the other winners and/or nominate anyone you thought got left off the list for the People's Choice category. OK, back to work...

Just Your Basic, Wear-Anywear, Felt-Studded Neckpiece

2010-01-05T19:54:00.003-05:00

Well, helllllo! Happy New Year! I hope you had as good a holiday break as we did; there was lots of napping, reading, laughing, cat snuggling and road-tripping. Also a lot of organizing, as we're due to move into a much smaller apartment in about a month (er... as soon as we *find* an apartment. Recommendations for affordable studios in the Logan Circle area very much appreciated!)

As a result, we're working on paring down our closet and purging things we don't need/wear anymore. Annnnd also trying to limit ourselves to buying only the *bare fashion necessities*. Which I'm thinking probably includes giia's amazing felt "stone" shoulder collar, $138, above. (No?) There are six color sets to choose from, but I think I'm feeling the pink option. Really, it's a serious necessity. Just think how it will perk up all my plain T-shirts!

In related news, I am still waiting patiently to get my hands on YSL's exaggerated Peter Pan collar...

The kitties were nestled all snug in their beds...

2009-12-25T07:29:00.001-05:00

...while visions of tuna treats danced in their heads...

"Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!"

Happy Feet. And Happier Feet.

2009-12-23T11:16:00.000-05:00

Sunday:

Tuesday:

I'm in South Florida with the family this week. Posting will either be a) light, 'cause I'm out in the sunshine; or b) frequent, should it start raining. The trip is our Christmas gift, so I'm not expecting much from Santa this year. (Which means I may do a teeeeensy bit of self-Santa-ing. OK, OK, I might've already started with Macha Jewelry's super-cool Rockwell studs.)

But I'm curious: What do you hope Santa brings you?

Also: D.C. Blogger Party!

2009-12-14T11:26:00.000-05:00

The inexhaustable Makeda of The Glamazon Diaries has finally accomplished what we'd always hoped to: A D.C. blogger meet-up! If you blog about fash, food or lifestyle, come hang out with Makeda, Kate, Angie and the FW team (including yours truly) this Wednesday at Sweetgreen from 6-8pm. We are already contemplating outfit choices...

On the fourteenth day of Christmas...

2009-12-14T08:35:00.001-05:00

...We start thinking hard about New Year's resolutions. Among them: A new commitment to sewing projects. Starting with an exaggerated Peter Pan collar, inspired by the YSL spring collection...

On the tenth day of Christmas...

2009-12-10T09:37:00.004-05:00

...More inspiration! One of the things we really, truly enjoy in life (besides handbags, Lanvin and "Glee" ... we can't be the only one who cried at last night's fall finale?), is Cintra Wilson's "Critical Shopper" column in the NYT. It never fails to be equal parts hilarious, insightful and intellgent... much like the woman herself, it turns out. Our friend Johanna snagged a fab interview with Cintra for her blog on Elle.com. It's full of awesome gems. For example (when asked how she'd blow 5K at Barneys):

"For the record, I have never in my life had 5K to blow at Barneys, but if I did, I’d probably end up buying something boring, sensible, indestructible thing that I thought would last the rest of my life for about 2K… and then I’d buy all my Christmas presents.

If there was a gun to my head and I was forced to be frivolous and self-indulgent, I’d head right for the Rick Owens, Lanvin and Givenchy and probably end up with a long, bruise-colored garment, platform bondage boots and/or some tarted-up variation on a big black bowling bag."

The whole interview is a must-read for aspiring fashion writers (um, and we so can't wait for her upcoming book). Enjoy!