The Vintage Motherload

In my fantasies I always imagine falling upon the motherload of vintage stores going out of business and having to sell me their warehouse of decades of curated clothing for midwest price, but dream I have to no longer. Some costume/prop/warehouse is going out of business and selling of literally thousands upon thousands of items from every era of the past hundred years. Lame bodysuits, 50's house dresses and a couple dozen police uniforms and everything in between are up for grabs and all separated into the respective areas. Much of it does border on costume, but it is a digger's paradise and if you are looking for something to wear to pride this weekend, while in Chelsea.....


I picked up some epaulets, a large military pin and a pair of Japanese thigh high socks with a poem on the bottom for $8 total. Good deal.

Ebony no Ivory

What the what? Tom Ford's limited edition sunglasses are a shocking 40% off $2,400 on the Outnet. This has to be the stealth wealthiest items out there. Are glasses the new shoes? I couldn't have imagined spending a couple a grand on something that gets rubbed all over the street a couple years ago and I can't imagine spending it on something that I could snap in half like the twig it it but with a basic pump starting at $600, this time next year we may all be wearing narwhal bone glasses. Tom Ford has been known to be ahead of the trends.

A. Wang Resort 10

If only my life was just like this. I see lazy summers, montauk and magnams of the most wondrous champagne.

thank gawd that dirty grunge is out. we are feeling so much more refined i feel young again...

and whose yacht are we on again?

Pony Play

I hear that Nina Ricci is selling off Olivier's last collection. I call treason! That is two strikes this year - for shame. (I would kill to be at that sale though)

Well, in honor to us mere mortals that 1) are not in Paris, 2) cannot afford such things anyways, 3) do not fit into sample shoes, and 4) bemoan the passing of Olivier Theyskens and the fact that all those shoes will not go into production.

If there was a god, I would wake up with these outside my door:


All this brings me to my original point. Now, I must say the resemblance may just be too tongue in cheek, sweetie.

Ex 1:




Ex 2:




...one of these things is not like the other...

Ex 3:




well, at least you can special order the latter. here's the link, you know you want it.


is "ballet" code for something i'm not aware of?

Bright Shiny Things

At DWR's Upper East Side Studio, MDVII of San Francisco held a trunk show from their vintage jewelry collection which is purportedly one of the largest and and finest vintage couture jewelry collection in the United States. I went hoping to be blinded by gems of generations past cased coolly in their respective Plexiglas cases, but the scene was much more laid back. Potential buyers were able to browse across the 6 tables in back while Susie Hoimes regailed the crowd with the stories behind the pieces. I learned that early Chanel is unmarked which I find difficult to understand how something without a label and plastic pearls can be regaled as $$$$$ couture. the price point was high for my recession budget for what I deemed mostly costume jewelry, but there were quite a few beautiful and inspirational pieces which is what matters.




Besides, the green one on the bottom is a Hattie Carnegie and one cannot argue with the taste makers of history.

The News Sample Sale

The News Showroom is running their sample sale next weekend May 28-30th. So, hipsters, now is the time to stock up on all your skinny Cheap Mondays and ridiculously low low low prices. I noticed that this year/season Vena Cava isn't being represented, but all your other favorite downtown brands, including, but not limited to Band of Outsiders, Wayne and Shipley & Hamos are.

This sale always runs the whole gamut of price points which works out well for the starving artist types and their trust fund/luxe boho counterparts. Last year I made off with a very silly sweatshirt dress for $5, some $5 t-shirts and a couple of Wayne dresses for around the $100 mark. So, if you can pry yourself away from Save Fashion - hit this one up. Besides, all the good bars are near enough by if you are feeling ever so parched and satisfied with yourself afterwords.

Thoughts?

Q: Is it tacky to post pricing?

I am always curious and like to hear about it especially if I am on the fence about checking out a sale, but I do know that it does ruins exclusivity, screws with concepts of worth and value and destroys millions spent of creating the image of the brands and the lifestyle surrounding it. Somethings should stay just of of reach, no?

So, I ask you dear readers, are we democratizing fashion or destroying that which we hold so dear?

P.S. I am also a bit afraid no one will let me into their sales ever again....

Shop Till You Drop: West 29th Showroom Sample Sale

The W. 29th Showroom Sample Sale is on at 208 W. 29th Street, Suite 201. The sale is kinda dead, and it's a shame seeing that they have the most beautiful, buttery leather, Italian bags for sale for $250 for your "standard leather" and $350 for exotic skins. Seriously $350 for python. The clothing selection is small and well edited and you can see some of their favorite looks on their blog here, and I would die for one of the cardigans by Masayuki Marukawa (the Japanese have a way with knits.) As I am always open to early birthday presents, I'll make the process easy and set aside some of my favorites including this bag. The staff are so sweet and cute I'm going to have to go see my dentist and if you are nosey like me you can peep all the other beautiful things in their showroom.







Hours Below:

Margiela! Margiela! Margiela!

I was able to catch the tale end of the Maison Martin Margiela sample sale and I think I would have cried if I had missed it. The girl in front of me walked out with a $3,300 bag for $400 and that nearly made me cry in itself. Skipping past DSquared and Sonia what's-her-face and luckily wasting no time of the mediocre clothing led me to the real deal - the shoes.

If these don't turn you know, then I bet the prices will. I got 2 pairs of shoes, a purse and a belt for under $400. Good bye tax return and hello euphoria.



P.S. the dark pink ones are here for what they are totally worth. i'm not complaining though.....




I love Margiela as so many do and it's these hand sewn details of their trademark stitched "logo,"the simplicity of the branding that make Margiela's work and these pieces feel so special. At this time, in this recession, people are whispering about secret shopping. There is a shame in being seem splurging on big ticket items, the über luxuries, when people are worried about chapter 11 and foreclosure. We don't want to be seen flaunting the logos but who wants to give up on fashion and the quality associated with high end items. So, carrying designers like Margiela feel fresh in this era and we feel comfort in the luxurious anonymity and in this shared secret known by those that care yet still hidden from the general public.

I'm going to wear the top ones out with my gang skirt stomp. Watch out NYC!

the end of the scene:

Shop Till You Drop: Phillip Lim

This promises to be a great sale especially if you can squeeze into the real sample sizes. Last year the samples were priced lower than the other merch so if I had your skinny ass I would be running since I'm a HUGE Phillip Lim Fan. Maybe you can even score half of Blair Waldorf's waredrobe. (I can't decide if Gossip Girl is ruining my lust list for me or if I'm excited that we share the same taste)

What I got last year for $35 with pretty little box and all:


(K.I. to insert belt photo since I'm a fool and gave it away and can't figure out the season...)

What I hope to get this year: jackets!

Ok, so this post is lame since it would seem that I am inept at placing pieces I wanted and season.

P.S. does anyone else remeber that red bandleader jacket that looks like all the Balmain that came out recently - his was first - can the man get some cred?....

Save Fashion!

I never thought that I would be doing some shopping at Port Authority, but one should never say never. Save Fashion is a month long, pop-up, super sale in the Port Authority Bus Terminal in NYC with a weekly rotating roster of great designers at shocking prices.









I tried on the buzzed about Rick Owens tops which didn't turn out to be anything special and went into full stampede mode as a I ripped through the racks of Catherine Holstein, Fillipa K and Lou Devon. While there were too many great things to count, but this being the first week of four, I had to settle on just a few key pieces. Making the cut was that Catherine Holstein dress that I've wanted for ages ($90, wow), a madewell tee ($18), and a pair of Melissa x Herchcovitch;Alexandre black and white wing tips (see below) ($59). It has been raining all week and these feel so much more nimble than wellies. If the weather keeps up, I may never take them off. As for Save Fashion, I'm going to keep going back. They were taking an additional 30% off ticketed prices Wednesday before they switched the clothing to the second week so keep checking in.

Turn Offs: amNewYork

Pffffifffff... I'm sensing someones narcissism is soo mediocre. That's ok - not everyone was born with this gorgeous mug.



I noticed this on the subway this morning: amNewYork's hate mongering cover story ""Who loves ya, baby? You do!" Narcissism becomes epidemic, new book argues" addresses the growing trend of narcissism among Americans. This "epidemic" they argue threatens to destroy such American institutions as "charity and relationships" creating "unattainable expectations." They suggest that new media forms and social networking sites like facebook create this narcissistic mirage where people believe that others actually care about what they had for lunch.

Whatever, I had a dosa and it was delicious.

Turn Ons: Les triplettes de Belleville

If I didn't have so much work to do this weekend, I would totally want to stay in and watch this.

Turns Ons: Bones

OMFG! Alexander McQueen for Samsonite on Gilt Groupe. And for 65% off, I want to be buried with it...

http://www.gilt.com/s/womenssamsonite/product/11970533

Turn Ons: Ancillary Squeeze Edition

It was suggested that if I had a main squeeze, then there surly must be several ancillary squeezes lurking in the shadows of my convoluted love life. Normally, I feel that my shiny celebrity status and general sex symbol image might be tarnished if I were to let on that I was off the market (after all, my avid readers do need some fantasy in their lives), but I’m thinking that polyamory is so totally the next big thing and that maybe if you are lucky, I might bring some of you into the fold.

That being said, my fashion Lothario is currently torn between two great loves – Christopher Bailey of Burberry and Olivier Theyskens recently ex-Nina Ricci (his AW09 show manifested the heaven of my fantasies). I was planning on listing how they yin and yang it for me but just thinking about it all has left me so tired. Beautiful men, beautiful clothes.. mmmhhhhmmmm.....

We eat so many shrimp: Normally don't post this kind of shit but

We eat so many shrimp: Normally don't post this kind of shit but




I would say that I normally don't post this kinda shit either, but my heart rings for alice in wonderland. curiouser and curiouser

Travel: Donegal

I thought it would be funny to put an image of traditional Irish dress into my blog, but a google search turned up something much better.

This image comes via irish-guy.com with the caption, "Irish Traveller girls in Traditional Dress (12-07-2004) ." All the horse shit in the background really adds a nice touch.


Wait, wait! There is a point to all this. For memorial day weekend I am planning a romantic weekend getaway with my main squeeze to Donegal, Ireland. We were looking for something drivable from Belfast, and I had wanted Galway, but at 5 1/2 hours, it starts to seem like a bit much.

While I do do a good deal of walking in the city, my shoes may not be cut out for the country life. Stillettos are not designed for cobblestones, cliffs and loughs. Packing will be a challenge as I am more used to scaling steps into those hidden bars and to beat the crowds to the sample sales than treking through the countryside. I am open to suggestions as always - after all, a girl can only bring so much flannel before she loses herself completely.

"Bigger than guns, bigger than cigarettes"

guns are a big thing nowadays, huh?

...watch out for karl in the bushes...

Street Findings and Contract Mag

I found these chairs on the street in Chelsea when I first moved to new york. For the longest time they were one of the few items of furniture we had in our apartment (along with 2 dining room chairs and a 100 year old children's school desk from the Polish church down the block which is another story in iteself)

People have given me a lot of flack for these chairs - "nice wicker.." they snear, but as they are now gracing the cover of a national design publication for the hip new green restaurant The Grove in Houston, I can't help but feel my love (and design taste) validated.

If only philippe's louis ghost chairs were mine as well. *lust!*

Oh, and FYI, they are bamboo - so totally not wicker.

the beginning

as facebook has turned an ugly route and is no longer the petri dish of lies and slander that endeared me to it so, i now hope that this blog will serve as a way for me to expand on my interests, obsessions and general exhibitionism as i hop, skip and jump my way through gotham city.  

please, enjoy!

p.s. to elucidate on my prior f-book comment, since when did facebook become about social networking with your grandparent's dentist? is it just me or do you find it a bit unnerving to befriend people over the age of 30? then again, maybe i should just grow up.

hair hat v. 2

i picked this beaut up at inven.tory on kenmare in nolita. if you haven't been to inven.tory yet, you should. they have a neatly curated selection of vintage items and young/indie designers at very reasonable prices. their slogan, "the value of an outlet, the focus of a boutique" really tugs at my midwest love of all things outlet while pandering to my new york persona who wouldn't be caught dead on the bus out to the outlets. did i mention that they have expanded to a second shop in soho as well?

while this one may not match my hair per se, it is perfect for that ginger fantasy. plus, it is awfully soft and fuzzy. i may sleep in it on those cold lonely nights. 

mohawk hat

the only thing better than brunching with unlimited mimosas on a crisp, sunday afternoon with spring quietly strolling into the city is when you get to cap your brunch with one of those special finds:

it's the mohawk i've always wanted without the sacrifice of my beautiful, beautiful hair. i do love how it blends in with my locks. i'm totally into the hair hats. after all, nothing keeps you warm like another animals skin and often, nothing looks quite as divine. 

thanks you hell's kitchen flea market and thank you HK for a delicious brunch and reminding me of my love of poached eggs on salads!