{ fetherstyle }

{ fetherstyle }

as part of my arduous duties over on the new & improved erinfetherston.com, i'm getting to mix a bit of the designer's delightful duds into my costumeration repertoire. hard work, i know.

CLICK HERE to see more from my first fetherstonian shoot! { erin fetherston lace dress available HERE }

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also, i wanted to officially congratulate jeany for winning the $500 beso giveaway! and to give a big, big thanks to everyone who participated!! i had a lot of fun checking out your selections.

beso besotted { a glamourai giveaway }

beso besotted { a glamourai giveaway }

{ above: rochas pump, timmy woods carved minaudiere, modcloth shoe clips }

i totally did it: i bought myself those captivating, cougar-tastic casadei boots for my birthday (okay, maybe i picked up the other prezzies too). but don't think i'm done shopping for spotted stuff! i'm completely besotted!! this year, i know i need a be-speckled bag, blouse, bootie, and bonnet...

{ above: tory burch + miu miu boots // below: yves saint laurent + stuart weitzman boots }

i feel like i could do a trend report on leopard print every single season*, and it would continually be prescient. this motif is forever "back in style." still, it seems to be more relevant than ever this fall ~ especially where accessories are concerned. like i need any more encouragement to stock up on my favorite print!

*oops, i think i HAVE.

{ above: topshop bag, giuseppe zanotti boot }

enter BESO. perhaps you've heard of this super search engine? i for one am among the newly initiated ~ and completely infatuated. beso allows you to browse (what seems like) every store on the internet at once, in pursuit of whatever is currently captivating your imagination ~ be it silky caftans, olive anoraks ~ or leopard accessories. how do you think i discovered that i need most of the gear pictured here?!? it enables you to convince yourself that you're "saving tons of time" while deep into your fourth hour of trolling through new boots and bags. or maybe that's just me?

maybe not! with fashion week (or a new school year) looming, we could all use a frippery refresh. that's why beso and i have teamed up to provide one of you with a pre-fashion week treat, in the form of a $500 gift certificate to the store of your choice!

{ above: coach + valentino bags, rebecca minkoff clutch }

here's how it works: [1] hop over to beso now to find that special something you'd love to wear to the shows next week. [2] pop back over here and paste the beso link to your selection in the comments section of this post. [3] sign your comment with a google ID or email address, so we can reach you if (when!!!) you win [4] next wednesday, september 8th (the first day of fashion week!), i'll randomly select one lucky winner for the $500 prize. bonne chance!!

{ only one entry per person, please. multiple entries will be deleted. }
*** UPDATE 09.08.10: this contest is now closed. thank you so much to everyone who entered!!! and congratulations to JEANY, who won!! ***

{ glamourai giveaway } how does $500 sound?

{ glamourai giveaway } how does $500 sound?

since announcing my guest editorship over at beso, i've only added (and added!) to my favorites list. beso is honestly one of my most-frequented shopping spots, and 'favoriting' is such an easy trick for keeping track of all the things i want online.

to get you one step closer to whatever you're currently coveting, beso and i are teaming up to give away a $500 credit towards your favorite things. to enter to win, all you have to do is:

1. create a beso account, if you haven't already (it takes 3 seconds and is a fun and addictive way to stalk all the things you want/need/love).
2. browse the site and 'favorite' (click on the gray heart next to any product and watch it light up) at least 10 items; you can even favorite your most-loved shops by clicking here.
3. then, leave me a comment with your beso username, so i can check out your faves and also alert you if (when!) you win.

pictured in this post are three of my most-favorite 'favorites' ~ karen walker sunnies (does anyone do it better than her?!), work-with-anything alexander wang shoes (totally bought em, totally love em), and cool thakoon shorts that offer a nice alternative to the chevron pair i constantly wear. you can view my complete collection HERE or HERE.

{ beso chic }

{ beso chic }

if you've ever clicked on the product credits in my posts, you've probably noticed i use beso.com as my preferred shopping portal. for a blogger trying to link up lots of products quickly (like myself!), it's a serious time saver. better yet, for an ardent online shopper (again, that's me!! and probably you too?), it makes simultaneously browsing lots of categories, stores, and brands a breeze.

anytime i'm looking for something super-specific (like animalistic apartment accessories), beso is the first place i check ~ and that's why i'm excited to be guest-editing their site for the month of june!

my good friend emily (of cupcakes and cashmere fame) is their style director, joanna (from a cup of jo) is their babies & kids editor ~ and i am proud to be the first in this new guest series. to kick it off, i've selected my favorite finds in fashion, beauty and home decor ~ preview a few below, and check them all out HERE!!

{ simple suiting }

{ simple suiting }

i've never been an itsy-bitsy-bikini kind of gal ~ i find one-piece swimsuits to be much more elegant and comfortable. lately, i find myself most strongly drawn to classic black styles that recall an old-hollywood aura ~ think grace kelly or marilyn monroe on the riviera.
{ above: john rawlings for vogue, c. 1953 }

chic as the look can be, it's still infuriatingly un-fun to shop for (especially when you wait until the last possible second and are in dire need, aka my usual routine) ~ which is why i've done a little pre-summer legwork for us all! here are my picks for the sweetest, simplest suits of the season:

{ top row: vitamin a spotted suit ($238), newport news side-lace suit ($59 ~ i put an order in for this one but have yet to test it out), lisa marie fernandez silver suit via kirna zabete ($385), white house black market ruffled v-neck ($78) // second row: threeasfour mesh-panel maillot via oak nyc ($222 ~ i picked this one up too and LOVE IT), juicy couture side-cinched suit ($164), spiegel corset-style suit ($15), cheap monday simple strapless suit ($52) }

then again, there are also a few totally on-trend, prada-spring 2011-approved, striped varietals currently catching my eye:

{ above: anthropologie bandeau ($144), tommy hilfiger striped maillot ($50), dkny one-shoulder suit ($108) }

finally, as far as coordinating cover-ups and accessories are concerned, i'm really loving:

{ missoni beach towel, classic panama hat (i bought mine last year at brimfield market, from the same guys who supply j.crew with their version), cheap monday dress via modcloth, j.crew leather capri sandals }

what's your poolside strategy this season? or am i the only one shopping like it's already summer?!

{ above: cyd charisse, c. 1954 }