Say No to Bare Arms (and Necks and fingers)

Unlike many of my gender, I have never delighted much in jewelry- it seemed too much fuss on top of my daily turmoil on what to wear. However, clothing designers of current have been branching out into accessories, ranging from belts to jewelry. The recent explosion of Hollywood stylists have only added fuel to the fire by decking out their celeb clients from head to finger in fully realized "looks." So I guess it was inevitable that I too would be swept up in the craze. I stick to the wallet friendly costume stuff- no pricey jewels and certainly no diamonds (there is no real guarantee in "conflict free"). Accessories are also a fabulous way to experiment on color for those timid ladies stuck in a black and beige rut. Here are some of my favorite trends in body ornamentation.

Agh!-Choo

As my pile of yet-to-be read fashion periodicals reached eye level, I decided to whittle the stack down to size. Flipping through the November issue of Instyle, I saw an article that left me speechless (well, almost). Jimmy Choo, in collaboration with the Swedish retailers H&M, is launching a limited edition of shoes and bags with more proleterian price tags of under $200. Nooooo... I screamed! How could Ms. Mellon betray us devout Choo-ists in such a manner? Part of my worship of the Jimmy Choo brand lies in their exclusivity. Don't get me wrong, I don't begrudge anyone a good bargain, but part of the joy of walking the streets with that pale lavender Jimmy Choo shopping bag is knowing I possess something coveted by many women yet owned by few. I take pride in the fact that my Choos are meticulously crafted by Italian cobblers (the undisputed masters of leather and shoes), and not mass produced in some Chinese sweatshop. If I could purchase and discard them like rubber flip-flops, Jimmies would somehow lose their luster. It brings me a certain sense of pride to curate over my small gallery of stiletto masterpieces. And let's be honest, would Michelangelo's David or Van Gogh's Starry Night be considered treasured art if one could pick up a copy at the local Walmart? So, Ms. Mellon, please heed my appeal, and resist the profitable but pedestrian appeal of mass merchandising. Jimmy Choo on the cheap simply de-values the brand and its afficionados. It's the age old distinction between couture and pret-a-porter. And if these arguments haven't worked, consider Signor Blahnik still sketches every design, carves the last (that's shoe model for novices), chooses the materials, and supervises the factory craftsman. That is what I call devotion to one's art-and that's priceless.

Don't "Fall" For These Trends

While my wish list for the Fall season is predictably long, the focus for this report are the trends to which sensible stylists should "just say no."

Trend #1: Harem/Full pants. In the words of M.C. Hammer, "can't touch this."

Trend #2: Patent leggings. The shiny black skin look did make Flipper a household name, but unfortunately, there are no scuba diving facilities at my office so there will nary be an opportunity to strut in these.

Trend #3: The OTK boots (that's Over The Knee for those illiterate in the fashion lingo).

Brother, Can You Spare a Sol?

After 10 years of stateside sequestration, your friendly neighborhood LSL finally managed to keep enough money out of the shoe fund to take a well earned vacation. In the spirit of "paying it forward," and not make the trip all 'bout me, I decided to join a charitable (but secular) mission. Three plane rides, one rocky cliffside bus trip and a flat tire later, my mission team arrived in a remote village in the Andean mountains of Peru. After four days and five nights of elevated camping, we were ready to luxuriate in finer digs. We spent our last day in a converted monastery cum five star hotel and appreciating the culture of Cusco, Peru. Then I saw it- the most gorgeous knitted cardigan coat made of baby alpaca and silk, the likes of which I had never seen- in the hotel lobby. Well, I determined to find its twin in the less expensive and more bargain friendly street shops. Alas, an entire day of hunting only turned up far from close matches. I resigned myself to paying full retail (ugh!) and trekked back to the hotel. Love...the knit was as soft as a baby's you know what. Actually, the price tag did not send me into shock- oops, that was for the belt, not the cardigan. How many soles (2.90 to the US dollar) did the sales lady say?!!! I hung my head down and said no, could not justify it. As I put my money away, I made one last counter offer, using cash as my bargaining levy. She agreed and I hurriedly stole off with my find and 3 US dollars to my name. Silly, I did not bring much cash as this was supposed to be a working vacation, not an overseas shopping trip. I suddenly realized- how was I to pay for the cab and airport fees to go home? I borrowed $20 from our group leader, but found out in Lima that the fee was $31, no credit cards accepted. My ATM was in my wallet- at home. For the longest 15 minutes, I thought I was to going to have to make a home of Peru for the sake of a cardigan and cursed my vanity once more. An airport worker saw my distress and pointed to a bank. After paying $16 in fees for an $11 cash advance, I paid my way to the gate just in time to board, snug in my baby alpaca ransom. So, if anyone ever doubted my love and devotion to all things fashionably wearable, I present this cautionary tale as irrefutable evidence.

Get In-Vested

The last half a year I have been engaged in an obsessive search for an item seen all over the runways and glossy prints- the vest. We have seen them in every fabric and style- from sexy body hugging to casually loose, rocker tough to pinstripe conservative, urban to posh, basic cotton to fur-lined suede. And, if you look in the right places, the right one for you does not have to be a major financial investment, lol.

Here is my version- surprise, it was from that megaplex Swedish import of affordable trends, H&M. At last visit, H&M had more than a rackfull of cuts and colors- at budget friendly price points of around $24.95. Proof positive that I can mix it up chic and cheap with the best of the fashion rags.

Fall Wish List

As I boil and baste in this week's humid heat wave, I dream of cooler weather. Here are just a few of my autumn fancies, gleaned from sources 'round the world.







And of course, the shoes.....

Early Birds Just Lose Sleep

If the early bird gets the worm, I am forever doomed to starvation. Can I help it if my internal clock seems to have a sticky snooze button? But when it starts affecting my wardrobe's growth potential, disaster ensues. At the beginning of the spring '09 season, the maestros at Jimmy Choo did a first- they collaborated with the Hunter company, the masters of bad weather shoes, to make a signature wellington. Of course, being Jimmies, they are no ordinary rain boots, but a croc-embossed, side buckle-detail, high gloss masterpiece. As soon as I saw them in the Bergdorf Goodman catalogue, I knew they would be snapped up sooner than you can say "over-priced designer shoes." Being the incurable latecomer that I am, I dragged my feet in the acquisition process. By June, the entire country had sold out and the waiting list was backed up to March. Only a devout Chooist could understand my devastation. To add insult to injury, I realized I had also missed out on the last markdown for spring fashions at Barney's after reading and re-publishing my first anniversary blog. It was as if my ghost of Christmas past was visiting me to run an intervention. I lost no time and hopped on the first F train to Bergdorf's- I decided to skip Barney's as their couture castoffs were likely well on their way to the warehouse for the big semi-annual sale. To my chagrin, the size 5.5 clearance racks were almost barren. To avert further tragedy, I decided to adopt at least one pair of Jimmy Choo sandals. Sure they were a little Miami flashy, but as Abby my Choo broker knows, my taste in shoes is as understated as Vegas at night. As the shoe purveyor was about to wrap up my sale, I took a chance and asked if BG would be getting a second wave of the wellies. Lightning struck and to my disbelief, she told me they would not get any more shipments, but a customer had returned a pair - in size 5!
So to all those friends, family members and colleagues who have tried to reform my procrastinating ways, I counter with another old adage- good things come to those who wait. P.S. If you had to ask, naturally, I bought the wellies.