{ costume of the day } condiment colors

{ costume of the day } condiment colors

{ F21 knit cap, sunnies, and skirt (last seen HERE), l'ecole des femmes trench, club monaco mustard silk shirtdress, minkpink beaded sweater, michael kors watch, marni clutch, anthropologie tights, pour la victoire boots }

it seems that everything i'm buying this season is mustard and/or olive hued. this works out well on days like today, when it's suddenly super cold outside and i'm super busy ~ i just throw on everything that's close by and trust (hope!) it somehow matches!! also, these sunnies are basically what you'd get if my chloe and prada rims were to mate. trend dissemination really is our friend.

{ photo diary } milan p1

{ photo diary } milan p1

{ some snapshots from milan // sherbert-toned tribal references at marni, elisa nalin's chunky fendi bracelets, pillows on each seat at etro, a pop art spectacular at iceberg, and unexpectedly sliced silks at mila schön }

{ grazia }

{ grazia }

i'm currently writing to you from milan, where i am honored to be a guest of grazia magazine for fashion week. before coming over, they asked me to shoot a story and share a few words for their website on the topic of grace ('grazia' is the italian word for this). it's a trait i certainly aspire to exude, albeit one i don't always achieve. anyway, in case you don't speak italian (me neither!), i've included excerpts from the piece i wrote below:



{ karen walker sunnies, primary blouse and skirt, forever21 cropped cami, gifted corello bag, alexander wang shoes }

GRACE. Grace is a virtue that’s far-too-infrequently celebrated these days. It’s not about stature or prominence or even glamour. Grace is elegance. It is deference and authority in equal measure. It is good manners, it is kindness and it is a sense of propriety.

But grace is not stuffy. It is being comfortable in one’s own skin, while conscientiously allowing others to feel equally at ease around you. In fashion, this means dressing in a way that is appropriate to your lifestyle and surroundings. That is, embracing your age (at any age!) by combining femininity with a dose of mystery, plus a necessary nod to functionality.



{ nine west sunnies, club monaco jacket, kelly framel necklace, vintage dress (last seen HERE), corello belt, yves saint laurent shoes }

Happily, graceful is the perfect word to describe this season’s long-skirted look. Full and pleated, or languidly bias-cut, it matters not. Either way, the look is simultaneously timeless and contemporary. It harkens back to the silhouettes of Audrey Hepburn and Grace Kelly, but can be paired just as easily with a utility jacket and wedges as a trench coat and pumps. Modern mid-length skirts can veer fairly formal or incredibly casual – this is not a 1950’s sort of femininity. It’s current in that it’s comfortable and it’s elegant because it works in nearly any situation. You’ll rarely feel under-dressed...



{ juicy couture sunnies, halston heritage trench, meg dress, gifted corello belt, marni clutch, lamb shoes }

please CLICK HERE to read the rest of the article and see many more pictures of these looks on grazia.it. then, CLICK HERE to check out my up-to-the-minute updates from milano!!

{ the very next day }

{ the very next day }

{ forever21 sunnies (last seen HERE), helmut lang jacket, marni knit top, forever21 pleather skirt (i picked it up in their times square store last week), dedegumo watch, coach classic duffle, j.crew sandals }

ran around in this comfy costumery last friday; i haven't had a day off since fashion week ended on thursday, but have at least been giving my feet a break with flat sandals. i have a huge project currently on my plate ~ as soon as it's cleared i'll get to work on a big fashion week photo diary for you all. fingers crossed that happens before i head to milan!!

{ j'adore } marni's magic mushrooms

{ j'adore } marni's magic mushrooms

{ runway photos via style.com // fungal photos via google }

{ M&M's } modcloth + marni

{ M&M's } modcloth + marni

for me, winter doldrums inevitably lead to increased online shopping (especially when i seem to be snowed in every day!), and i'm currently craving way too many things from modcloth's offering. luckily a few of the beauties below are already en route to my wardrobe ~ but which would you choose?

{ clockwise from top left: black + cream dress ($45), planet earth-print tunic ($90), boxy fox bag ($115), plastic animals necklace rack ($60), black-pocket top ($38), polkadot romper ($45), spunky all-star-style socks ($8), which i would wear with these open-front prada shoes (full post HERE), floral palazzo pants ($70), fiery floral blouse ($88) }
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meanwhile in mixology, i'm positively flipping for marni's prefall 2011 lineup (favorites below). the silhouettes and styling are so, so right ~ and the pieces themselves are appropriately minimalistic at moments, but still totally textural, and adorably, opulently layered. it's just the sort of everyday inspiration i was unknowingly craving right this second, as it's all so uncannily close to perfect:




{ marni lookbook snaps via style.com }