Eye Candy: Crush on this dress
This here is the type of jersey dress that you can dress down with flip-flips or wedges or dress up for a hot date.
But you know what I lovelovelove about it?
Check it out:
Really like the slit up the front, which makes this maxi a little more sexy than most and a little less wimple-like.
Also, other maxi dresses are pretty horrible if you have anything in the way of hips, and despite what the name implies, they’re most suited for the minis — willowy types. A shorter or rounder (or, gasp, both) figure can look squat.
Not in this dress, with its asymmetrical layers that move and flatter, regardless of size, although girls with more up top will have to make sure they’re wearing the right strapless bra (as usual). The drape at the chest also stops it from being too bandeau-like.
A cool necklace or maybe just a fabulous pair of earrings and an edgy do for night (strong eyeliner optional) and you are ready for battle.
Plus, at $135, this number from Lotta Stensson won’t break the bank — maybe just hearts….
Deal of the day: Horseshoe ring (and luck!) $80
Even if you never wanted a pony....from Early Jewelry
Do you believe in luck?
I’m not sure that I do, but these days, I feel like most of us want to surround ourselves with our little talismans, no matter what shape they take — an old key chain, an evil eye pendant, or maybe something a bit more obvious, like this horseshoe ring. Maybe it’s a piece you wore when something great happened, or maybe it’s just that when things are kind of rough, we need a cheery reminder of good fortune. Just looking at these things might make us feel a bit more positive.
From indie line Early Jewelry, this ring is silver, simple and not at all cheap-looking, like those rhinestone ones you see around.
Plus, I love the line’s mission statement.
Why kids don’t belong in high heels
Ah, kid. You belong in sneakers..... (Splash)
It’s bad enough they’re raising that kid in that strange, Hollywood/Scientology scene, but must they trash her feet too? Why on Earth are they slapping high heels on little Suri Cruise?
Of course she’s going to stumble right out of them…see?
Plus getting into the habit of chosing form over function when it comes to shoes at such a young age can only mean that her feet are going to look like gnarled stumps by the time she’s 30. And her knees? Forget it. They’ll be shot, even if she wears the best made heels
Even SPJ admitted all those Manolos and Jimmy Choos she wore on the set of “Sex and the City” destroyed her knees.
If this can happen on a perfectly flat, rain-free runway, what chance does a kid have on Boston’s slick streets (as above)?
Even the pros can't always hack those heels (Fashionising.com)
Gaming the system: Celebrity high street wear
Missed the Choo shoe frenzy? Don’t even sweat it.
I was on Oxford Street yesterday and popped my head into the H&M there. They still had heaps of the Choo line — three shoe styles, plus the over-the-knee boot, dresses (including the off-the-shoulder one in grey suede and black leather), a couple of different bags, the cuff, beaded numbers, etc. How choked would I have been had I lined up buy all this stuff over the weekend, in the wind and rain, overnight, on the streets of London.
I tried on one shoe and one boot. Honestly? They felt so cheap. Especially the boot. Only, at £179, it really wasn’t cheap at all.
Um, nooooo thanks. So, I left everything there and walked into the GAP (yeah, you want to make something of it?) went to the children’s department and bought the coolest Stella McCartney for Kids tunic, 100% silk, for £45. It’s kind of an onion-skin purple, which will look fanfreakintastic over skinny jeans tucked into brown boots.
Pardon the wrinkles but...it looks amazing on. Really.
Sure, it’s not a trick you can pull if you’re larger than average, but believe me, I’m no skinny minnie, and I still fit into the tunic, a cool, lined plaid shirt and a trench coat. Yes. A trench coat. Which I resisted.
Still. Silk tunic. £45. To quote “The Simpsons,” Stella, I Choo Choo Choose you. And you, Choo? Not so much. Besides, if you’re going to spend a few hundred pounds on something, why not go to the real Jimmy Choo boutique when they’re having a sale, like they are right now, and buy a pair of shoes for as little as £132? Or is that just too logical?
Is Bigwardrobe better than eBay?
True, Bigwardrobe is free (for now, anyway), whereas eBay slaps a fee on everything imaginable. Still, I can’t help but think that the latter is more effective than the former.
My experience with Bigwardrobe has been limited, but I find that even when I list something for a “Cash Only” offer, I get several, “Hey hon, how about a swap?” messages.
Yes, “hon.”
Okay. So then I check what they have to swap and it really borders on insulting – stuff I wouldn’t pay £10 for new in a shop, let alone swap, for, oh, I don’t know, a skirt you couldn’t get for less than £300 in a boutique. New, with tags and everything. Has this happened to you guys?
I’d love to hear of other experiences. I know some people looooove BW (I’ve read their “testimonial” page), but I’m wondering how it compares to eBay in real experiences.
Addendum:
While I haven’t heard from anyone out there check out what I got from this one girl, who despite acknowledging that I didn’t accept swaps, wanted me to look at her stuff anyway. Well, I almost went for the “I did your Boyfriend” T, but really, how many of those does one girl need?
I checked this girl’s profile, and look at what she had under “Most wanted item(s)” (I redacted the other user’s name):
MY NEG FEEDBACK FROM XXXXXXXXXXXX- SHE SENT ME DIRTY SCRATTY EXTENTIONS THAT SHE TOLD ME WERE BNWOT…. WHEN I ASKED HER TO RESOLVE IT SHE INSULTED MY NEWBORN SON! SO I LEFT NEG FEEDBACK, SO SHE LEFT RETALIATION!!!! SHE IS A SICKO!!! BEWARE!!!!! so please ignore that FB. bodycon . platforms. leather. studded stuff. oversized tops. long vests. union jack
Wow. Just. Wow.
Get thee to the Really Really Great Garage Sale NOW
It’s still on for another two and-a-half hours and it’s totally worth it.
To start with, Selfridges knows how to run an event — orderly lines, lots of security,etc. No stampeding here. Five pounds gets you the bracelet (above) and entry into the fundraiser…it’s for the kids, so honestly, what better thing do you have to do with a fiver?
Then, once in, you’re in for a treat. There’s a bit of a crowd at the celebrity tables (one of the Kidd sister…Jodie?) was manning a booth, I saw Trinny (from “What Not to Wear” and, of course, their own Trinny & Suanna brand), etc. But with little effort, you can find some great stuff.
Here’s some of my booty:
- Prada wool & silk coat and matching shift dress, £50 — yes, for both pieces!
- 5-piece Caudalie set (full size, not sample!), £4
- Pair of brand new folding ballet slippers with pouch, £1
- Bally toiletries bag, filled with La Prairie skin care products, 50 pence
- Store-wrapped Liberty scarf, silk, £5
Oh, I could have looked for so much more but really, I was getting exhausted. Plus, I was like in the first 50 people going in and figured I should leave something for others (although there was so much there).
So, go on. Hop on the tube. Go. It’s for charity and you’re sure to find something!
Deal or no deal: “price upon request”
In the NYT gift guide, you can know the price of the Chanel fur muff, mais pas for the Dior item. Why?
In this economy, don’t we all want to know how much something costs, right up front? That whole, “If you have to ask how much it costs, you can’t afford” it deal is passé. Why? Because regardless of which survey or story you believe — that the rich are cutting back on spending, or, alternately, that they’re not — the stock and real estate markets have yet to recover, and well, even the net worth of the wealthy is down.
Of course, anecdotally speaking, if you know people who work in the retail or service industry (say, department stores, spas, etc.) they’ll tell you that times are tough, that hiring freezes are the norm and that they’re doing what they can to keep customers and bending over backwards to bring new ones in.
While magazines go for this sort of thing all the time, I’m surprised that the Grey Lady is following suit. Just last year, one of its own reporters filed great a story on the bizarre practice:
If the dress costs more than a Pontiac, could the sticker price of the shoes be too shocking to reveal? Are times so bad that some prices are so ridiculously high as to be unmentionable to just anyone?
(…) on the face of it, there is little rhyme or reason as to which prices are listed and which must be requested. Calls to stores over the last week to do just that revealed a more-surprising truth: most of the unpriced items were never available for purchase. (…)
Two editors at different fashion publications, who would not speak publicly because they did not want to embarrass their employers, said “price upon request” was usually a misnomer. It has become a euphemism used to credit designs that were never produced for sale. It is appearing more commonly, they said, for a clear reason: less and less runway fashion is actually being produced.
So, either the price for the item question is offensively high, or it’s just not all together available for mass retail. Brace yourselves — the reason why the NYT is being vague with the Dior pendant price is actually a combination of the two: If the Elite Gift Guide is right, not only is the Dior item a one-of-a-kind, it’s also $430,000.
Still, even if the rich were spending like vodka-soaked oligarchs, is that who the New York Times gift guide is for? I doubt it, given the number of reasonably priced items in their gift guide. And to be fair, this Dior trinket is listed under the “Bonus Round” section, but then, there’s a $695 makeup brush set in the “Cosmetics and Enhancement” gift category. Whooo boy.
Are you queuing up for Jimmy Choo’s H&M launch?
The pre-launch press mania is in full gear, as it’s reported that shoppers should start lining up at midnight on friday for the kick off of the Jimmy Choo collection at H&M stores on Saturday, Nov. 14.
Yes. The first 160 people will get a bracelet, which gives them some sort of VIP treatment (may ye gods of high-street chic help you if H&M’s idea of VIP is anything like my recent Uniqlo VIP experience), and shoppers are limited to one item per size or something. Marie Claire reports (with the headline that includes the words, “Wrists at the ready!” yeesh):
H&M has decided to issue wristbands to the first 160 people in the London queue to try and cut down on the inevitable pandemonium, which is practically guaranteed to take place once doors open.
I don’t know. On the one hand, designer collaborations with high street stores can be cool — liked Comme des Garcons line for H&M, actually – and sure, I’d love to see what Choo’s designs for the store are like, in hand (photos aren’t good enough).
But lining up in the dead of night in November for the opportunity to spend money? How magical can the Choo line be? Won’t it just be made it China like nearly everything else at the high street store? Can’t they just make enough of the pieces to stave off this kind of frenzy? Anyway.
If you’re going to line up for anything this weekend, might I recommend The Really Really Great Garage Sale at Selfridges on Sunday starting at noon?
For one thing, it starts at a civilised hour, and it’s indoors. For another, it’s a fundraiser for a global group of children’s charities. Also, everyone gets in. Tickets cost £5, and for that, you get to rummage through second-hand goodies donated by celebs. Even if you come away empty handed, you’ve donated £5 to a good cause, checked out some cool stalls, and, most importantly, you won’t feel like a sheep, baaa-baaaahing in the cold, dark night outside a chain store.
Beware the Liberty Gift Card (prepare to delay gratification)
Okay, so I was giddy when I got a Liberty gift card for a birthday present from my best friend. I mean. Come on. Liberty.
Yes, it’s fancy, and maybe stuffy in places, but just the building alone is amazing.
For the uninitiated, the department store is housed in a gorgeous Tudor building made from timber salvaged from two ships, the HMS Impregnable and HMS Hindustan.
It’s really quite something to walk around and yes, they do have some very nice things.
I was hoping to buy one of these things – a scarf (Liberty is famous for its prints). Easier said than done.
The sales girl, who was lovely, by the way, couldn’t figure out the gift card thing. “It’s new for us,” she said as she struggled. She ended up adding £100 pounds to my card. Not that I mind, but…
She called a colleague over to help. Nope, she had no idea how to fix it. The gift cards? Also new to her. Then they called a third colleague over. And she couldn’t help.
By this point, I had to leave. I had several errands I had to get done and so I the sales girl that I needed to leave. Only they couldn’t let me leave because they needed my card to fix their initial error.
A manager is called. And guess what? She couldn’t figure it out either. In fact, she insisted that the first sales girl hadn’t actually added any value to the card, except when she went to run the transaction — remember, I’m still trying to buy myself a scarf for my birthday — it turns out she was….wrong. Even more embarrassing for them is the fact that as three of them are standing around looking at a laminated sheet of how to run gift cards there’s a little display, right in front of them, advertizing the gift cards (in these pretty little purple boxes).
By this point, I reeeeeally need to get going. Plus, I feel bad. I want my scarf, which cost £140 pounds. This is supposed to be a fun transaction, and so far, it’s been pants.
Also they won’t just let me take my card and go. I figured they had the card number, they could fix it in their system without physically holding the card. But..no. Then I asked if I could leave them the card and £40, and they could mail me my scarf (see how pretty it is?). No.
They could mail me my card and get me to buy the scarf via a catalogue. Then they could mail it to me. Which seems like a lot of work on my behalf for their TOTAL LACK OF TRAINING.
They’re all very nice, but come on. My stars, how can they sell gift cards when 100 percent of the employees I dealt with that day — 0 for 4, my friends — couldn’t run the things as part of a transaction!?!?
Anyway. I came home and called to see if they’d figured it out. The sales girl in the scarf department had no idea, so she said her manager would call me “right away.”
So far, nada. Hope you guys have better luck out there. At best, you might want to wait a few weeks before trying to use your gift cards. Maybe they’ll have people trained by then!
Follow up: No one called me back yesterday, so I called again today. I got put through the manager of the scarf department, who was on a cell phone. I could hardly hear her (the line kept cutting out) but I gathered that she was just about to call me — and yet, she didn’t have my number and asked for it again so that she’d look into the situation and call me back in 15 minutes. Goodflippingawd.
Follow up, Part 2: Had to call in again, this time, was put through to customer service. A few more phone calls later, I got an apology, a 10 percent discount on the item and a promise that they will, in fact, mail the scarf to me. Pretty good, right? Let’s see if it happens!
Follow up, Part 3: Scarf arrived! It took some work (which it shouldn’t have) but at last, satisssssfaction.
Note: I never mentioned anything about this blog, so I’m inclined to believe that they’re just following through on a customer complaint.
Deal of the Day/Object of irrational lust: Kurt Geiger Antonia shoes, 50% off
Oh dear God. These…contraptions. I saw these Kurt Geiger’s at Brown Thomas in Dublin over the weekend and for some strange reason (self-loathing?) decided to try them on.
You’re going to want to have me committed when I say this but they’re….comfortable.
Not Converse All Star comfortable. But they’re surprisingly light. The leather around the ankle is soft and the platform offsets the height of the heels. Nothing cuts or hurts, and even I could march around the shoe department in them for a time. They are a touch narrow, which is why my duck feet ultimately made me pass on them, but if I had normal feet? Yeah. They’d be mine.
I still might lose my mind and buy them. They’re half off, after all, and cost about $100 (£ 70).
