Net-a-porter.com is what makes my Mondays and Hump-days bearable. Feasting my eyes on what fabulous merchandise they have stocked on these blessed days is the source for Designer Discoveries and the ever present goal in fashion; seducing me into things I never knew I wanted or needed. Warnings for the site should advise shoppers, and especially browsers, on the potential side effects: Sudden onsets of fashion orgasms, impulse purchases of items that were once thought impossible to obtain, and the occasional shopping blackout, triggered by overwhelming salivation at the available options, an innocent glass of wine, and followed by general disorientation and irrational justifications for the numerous packages that arrive during the following week. I'm happy to say my credit card has never had to endure a Net-a-Porter shopping blackout. However, this week has been borderline, and I just had to share the options.

First, a little pit-stop.

All this month, my internship has taken me on photo shoots, it's a fashion magazine, and we took the above glove with us on numerous occasions. While waiting for hair and makeup or other tedious tasks, the stylist and I played with some of the jewelry, and I always picked up the glove and fooled around with it; mostly mocking it's Michael Jackson-esque ridiculousness. Lo and behold, it's on Net-a-Porter today and it's worth a whopping $1,170. Had I known it was that much, I probably would have been a little less dismissive, and more careful. Oops. Oh, well. Moving on.




#1 D&G Dress

This confection is super cute and functional for this humidity plaguing New York, my current location. It cute, easy to dress up or down, and it's D&G. I saw this in the boutique in Soho first, but now I know the price, it's not terrible.










#2 Oscar de la Renta flats

How fun are these? They're Parisian with a carnival twist. I don't know, perhaps its the sudden desire to have more "fun" in my wardrobe that I'd developed today when I bought a black lace dress, and dismally realized how bland practicality was making my style. Whatever the motivation, these are worth a mention and, perhaps for the sake of name dropping an American favorite, worth an investment. Decide for yourself.





#3 Vivienne Westwood Anglomania coat

This little number caught my eye in the back of Vivienne's London shop near Oxford street, kind of. I don't really remember where it was, but the coat was, of course, the only thing not on sale and sadly my pockets were rather empty by that point. Here it is again, back to entice me again, and it looks less overwhelmingly shapeless than it did on the hanger. I can say that up close, the material is divine and the large collar is just so yummy for the fall.




#4 Alice and Olivia dress

This color struck me with this one. It's a little drab with it's neckline, but the styling here makes it seem very versatile. It reminds me of the comment my roommate made when she was watching the city. She noticed that Olivia Palermo never wears low cut things, and this seemed like just the chic, pleated, "oh this little thing?" sort of dress that she would have. To, you know, just throw on for the market.




#5 Balmain Jacket



Although Balmainia has passed, it's hard to deny the striking silhouette and impeccable tailoring. Add in a pinch of military and a dash of tuxedo and you've got this guy, subdued but chic enough to transform even the lowliest of hipsters into a power Manhattanite. Note how the satin isn't wrinkling in the slightest, a downside most designers struggle with.





#6 Marni purse




If you're into the shearling trend that's cozying up to the fashion elite, this might be an easy way to join in. It's cute, neutral, and when you stop paying rent to buy it and you're sleeping on the streets, you can use it as a pillow.







#7 Etoile by Isabel Marant Coat

Who doesn't love Isabel Marant, and at reasonable prices? This tweed is just darling for the winter and it's spacious for the sweaters and extra pounds that usually accompany the wintery months. The model even has liquid leather leggings, and a Rocco bag! How on trend is she?

A few honerable mentions that are also available this week:

-Plethora of P.S. 1 bags that sold out in 24 hours (for the few that don't yet have theirs).
-The actual Rocco bag by Alexander Wang is available, I think? It might be sold out by now.
-The hot pink rabbit jacket in all the D&G ads, if you're feeling frisky.
-A tiara. The one in our opening picture. Yeah, not sure who is going to buy it, but brownie points for Net-a-Porter for going big or going home on that one.

All year long, the days on my calender are ticked off with anticipation for my friend Tom's soirees. He's flamboyantly gay and lives off campus so he throws real parties that always have themes that require dressing up in less than conventional party attire. And, of course with me being a huge fan of costumes, I embrace the theme to my very core. Since I'm usually the only one dressed according to the theme, Tom bugs me all week to see if he can squeeze my costume idea out of me, but to no avail! I live for the wolfish grin on his face when I walk through his door. Anyway, two weekends ago, he threw his last hurrah and the theme was Trashy or Trash: Wear anything but clothes or dress like white trash. I took on both themes and decided I would attend Tom's bash as Britney Spears (fulfilling the white trash requirement) in a dress made of Cheetos bags (...trash).

Lets do it y'all!


So step one was buying all the bags for the dress. I bought 9 bags including traditional Cheetos, Puffs, and Twisted Puffs. On Monday of that week, I gave each of my friends a bag and demanded that they finish it by Friday. Most of them did, even my suite mate with IBS.

Here she is hard at work.

They are well aware my costume productions tend to be major events. Still, I had leftover puffs on Friday that needed to be removed from the bags, so I put them in my shopping bags.


This photo is indicative of my life, I think; classy on the outside, but full of artificial cheese on the inside.

Ehem, moving on.

I began assembling the skirt and the bodice based off of my own measurements, but I couldn't do much until that night. The dress would have to be taped to my body. I had managed to cut the bodice and tape half of it, though, one of the finer architectural feats of this garment.

Finally, after listening to the Oops album and half of Blackout, the dress is complete and I'm suited up for the night! Add a blonde wig, Carerras, and my friend Rachael's trucker hat and Britney was ready for the clubs!

I wish I had more pictures of it because it was pretty impressive for someone who has no dressmaking abilities, if I do say so myself. The skirt had vents in the sides so I could bend and sit down. It didn't come apart all night, nor did I smell like week old cheese balls. It's my greatest costume to date, but expect me to one-up it the next chance I get.

So it's a bit redundant to say that Miley Cyrus is a teen idol fallen off the tracks. Although maybe that's a little harsh, considering it was only a few scandalous photos and boy toy choices, but she's one of those celebrities that keeps on trucking even when the going gets rough, probably because she's to rich to care. Don't get me wrong, I am thoroughly amused by her antics and I used to be a huge fan of the show, but I'm far from paying my own money to hop on the Miley train, evidenced by the photo above. Her Max Azria collaboration for Walmart (of all places) was another eye roll for me and most of the public over the age of 12. I pause for a moment and think to myself, poor Max, he's been dragged into this by his money hungry publicists, no doubt. Walmart is a wonderful place for those who are hard on cash but it's the last place a Designer ever wants to bear his name. Vera Wang at Kohls is enough.

Never in my right mind would I envision myself owning a single article of clothing from that line, but lo and behold, the surprises of Christmas morning never cease to amaze. My Grandmother decides to gift us all with pieces from Miley's "collection" and upon reading the label, I barked a laugh. It was when I put it on and looked in the mirror that I fell speechless.

I liked it.

So with this lovely purple tag hanging from all of our candidates we can begin the dissection. There's not much I can say about the logo. There's a slightly different one on the inside of the shirts with a wonderfully creative butterfly but that's it. I would have gotten excited if it was a cowboy hat or a frozen yogurt cup maybe.

*So as a general disclaimer all of the shirts were quite form fitting but they were all smalls and mediums. I'm sure if the right sizes are chosen the clothing would fit a little more comfortably. Moving on.

This shirt was what caught my eye at first. I didn't know where it was from but when I opened the gift I thought it was generally pretty cute. I love peacock feathers and I'm trying to embrace purple as one of the current colors of the season. The shirt is actually pretty vibrant without being flashy. It's a v-neck with helps me to tame my endowed torso, so that's a plus. Overall its a cute shirt for the price my grandma paid. I mean come on, there's no lasso or plaid anywhere, so I'd consider this a step in the right direction.


Right after christmas I planned to jet off to England to visit my friends and Grandma thought I should wear this little number around town when I get there. Yeah, didn't really do that, or pack it in my suitcase at all. Still, it's cute to wear now that I'm back and it's desperate cry for punk rock is nice with it's faded paint effect. This one is the most form fitting but this was a small where the other is a medium so that explains that. At least Miley is becoming a little more worldly.


*I spelled Blouse wrong, my bad*

I am shamelessly guilty of liking this shirt. It's incredibly flattering with it's blouse effect around the waist and black looks good on everyone. The shape and the scoop neck are just wonderful for the upper torso problem area it's almost up to caliber with a good find from Forever 21, also a guilty pleasure. The only thing I can whine about is the material is kind of flimsy and will last about as long as the next song Miley shits out next. I will cherish it until then.

My aunt received studded faux leather leggings and some bizarre pink top from Miley's debut line, but you can seek those out on your own. Do it for Max Azria and his now horribly disfigured public image. Even though moving from High school homecoming dresses to a line at Walmart isn't a significant plunge.

One word that I used frequently and accurately to sum up this collection is "cute." Although that word may be complimentary, it's a very simplifying compliment delegating her fashion creations as nothing more and nothing less.

This summer I purchased a fantastic Hermes scarf. You know, the big 3x3 silk screened one with a fantastic print and color scheme. However, I purchased said scarf with little knowledge on how to wear it or what I would wear it with. I wanted one for the sole fact that it was iconic. Period. So, a bit frustrated with my shopping logic, I vowed to find a way to wear it once a week, but the regular wrap and knot method aged me more than I would have liked. Ergo, I set off on my internet travels to find alternative scarf tying methods. I share these with you in hopes that you will not fear or dread the powerful accessory that is the scarf as much as I did.

1. the girl in the photo above inspired me to wear my scarf in that fashion and all I can tell you is experiment with it for a few minutes. No fancy knots are required, just a regular one that you kind of have to play with a little in terms of it's location on the scarf.

2. I found this fantastic website HERE that shows you a long list of scarf ties for any occasion and preference. It also has step by step instructions on how to tie each variation with pictures! It's not a good how-to without pictures.


3. the ever classy Brooks Brothers has a lovely Flash tutorial for the basic knots. It's got actual photos instead of sketched pictures and the scarves are lovely to look at. Also, added bonus, at any moment you can stop your scarf tying and purchase a Brooks Brother's scarf via a link in the middle of the screen. How convenient.

4. If you would like it straight from the horses mouth, Hermes.com has a feature called "Playtime with your scarf" that has wonderfully sketched ways to tie one of their scarves. You also get a little fashion show for some of the prints, but ultimately, you get the seal of approval from the French king of scarves himself that you are tying your scarf correctly.

PART ONE

PART TWO

As for a rule of thumb of sorts, all of these sites advocate playing with your scarf to find new ways to wear it. I've come to see that my scarf has so many possibilities if I were to just sit with it and give it a few moment of my creativity. I am not so patient, but maybe you are. Happy styling!

Today we will explore the idea of a style icon, which I've never really had. I don't like to call them icons because I don't just become obsessed with the person's style, I become quite stalkerish towards the actual person or character. I think about them all the time and how I can be like them. A little circa Elementary school which makes me pathetic in a way, but I think it's healthy to draw inspiration from others. Yeah, that's what I'm going to call it. Moving forward. My current style icons are a school bully, a Fashion bully, a drugged out emotionally detached British kid, and a princess. I would include Blair Waldorf, but her style is waning currently and its not really an innovative statement. However, click to find out the style mavens of today!

Style Icon #1: Marion Hawthorne from Harriet the Spy

Granted, this is a bit of a stretch in terms of noteriety, however this was one of my absolute FAVORITE childhood films. So I went on a 90's children movie binge the other day and I noticed how much I loved Marion's style.

Tidbit for the unfortunate uninformed, Marion is the school bully who uses her prissy snobbery to strike inferiority in the student body.

What you can't see in this outfit is her killer chesnut colored riding pant-esque leggings and oxford shoes. Talk about chic androgyny.

Marion is on the left. Excuse the extreme lack of quality. I nicked these screenshots from Youtube.

I adore this. Classic Marion reprimanding her classmates on their lack of refined taste. Over the top she may be, but it works, and she rocks it.

Fantastic. A neutral palette with a pop of color with the ascot. Again she's wearing riding pants and oxfords, but you can't see them. Oh if the pixilation wasn't so strong.

Style Icon #2: Emily Charlton from The Devil Wears Prada

Okay, so maybe not that original, but it is Emily and not Andy that I'm idolizing here. Her modern cuts and sometimes cat-like makeup make her so beyond stylish that she's, dare I say it, fierce. There, I said it, but Emily truly deserved it.

Not quite sure what's going on with the blouse here, but I love it. It's that crazy thing that nobody but Emily owns and for good reason. If you could see the skirt and the boots, this outfit might short circuit your screen.

Again, the structure of the jacket on her shoulders is very obscure, but looks fantastic on her. Her penchant for black is actually realistic in the fashion world. Most New York Fashionistas own mostly black clothes. Sad, but true.

Oh come on. It's the Emily glare. That and she's wearing a storm cloud on her shoulders. FTW.

Style Icon #3: Sara (i forget her last name) from A Little Princess

Think early 20th century with massive bows and uber-girly clothes. To me, that's perfection. Frills with no boundaries. Here, we have a wealthy slightly British girl with a killer wardrobe. Unfortunately, she attends a private school that requires uniforms so we only get a few glimpses into her closet.

What a coat. Just wow. The bonnet is added wow, however not as enviable.

Okay, not Sara, but her classmates in the uniform. How cute is this!!!???

Upon her rescue from being pesudo-orphaned, Sara's father gifts her and her for real orphaned friend with new outfits in, again, white.

Again, not exactly Sara, but her classmates displaying a horribly pixilated version of their overcoats. Think Madeline's blue coat in black with a lovely crest on it. Stunning.

Style Icon #4 (Biggest Fashion Crush Ever): Effy Stonem from Skins






About as notorious in England as Blair Waldorf is in the US, Effy is the younger sister of the series' first and second season's title character Tony. Third season, she took center stage and we really got to know Effy, and her style. She's the fun loving, dark, drug user with emotional problems and sick (both literally and the "cool" definition) manipulation skills. Her style is quite appropriate.

Circa Season 2, Effy grows up a bit, compared to the first picture in which she is 14. This 15 year old Effy is edgier and more gothic. Still fantastic, if not entirely possible for someone as suburban as moi.









Effy's premiere outfit in Season 3. She's apparently ahead of the no pants trend considering this was shot last fall. There are no words.









Again, she's ahead of the leather jacket trend, maybe not entirely, but she got into it before Urban Outfitters started making faux ones. Once that point hits, the trend should get the ax.



And there you have it, my style inspirations at the moment. I want to include Max from Where The Wild Things Are but that would be both impractical because he only wears a wolf suit the entire movie and also a lie; I just really want the wolf suit coming out at Opening Ceremony.

Anyway, enough of me. Go find some style icons of your own.