Shoe of the Week: Nina Ricci platforms

Whenever I look at these shoes, the song "#1 Crush" by Garbage enters my head:

I would love a pair of these. Preferably in black but beggars can't be choosers -- a pair of these and I could die happy. How tragic that the first collection for Nina Ricci that I really, absolutely went head-over-heels for was Olivier Theyskens' last at that house...

Come On-a My House: Kitchen and Entertaining

I love to think about what I will have in my house when I finally get to decorate such a place. I warn you though, I have frivolous tastes -- I don't do minimalism. More is More, Faux-Baroque, Rococo is delightful. I saw this place with black walls and black floors and black carpets and chairs, working so hard to be chic, and it just looked so affected to me -- not edgy. If you are going to be affected you might as well be balls-out about it. That is where I come from, anyway.

1. Druggist jars by Jonathan Adler ($65 at Charles and Marie) -- flour sugar oats for the countertop

2. Blaue Blume tea set by Tina Tsang (cup, creamer $59 each, teapot $128, dessert stand $249 at supermarkethq) -- sweet and creepy. I have been lemming this tea set for several years. I am obsessed with serving tea, it's such a WASP-y hostess kind of activity that it makes me feel like a Stepford wife. These teacups might throw some guests for a loop...

3. Billie candle holders by Jean Pelle ($40 at supermarkethq) -- these would look lovely clustered on the dining room table, or perhaps a cluster beside each place setting..

4. Skull hand towels by Kathy Steig ($20 at shanalogic) -- for the teenage girl lurking inside me... these would be nice in a guest bathroom or as hand towels in the kitchen.

More next time...

Etsy Trawl: Qu'ils mangeant de la brioche!

"Qu'ils mangeant de la brioche!" -- Let them eat cake! -- the famous line attributed to Marie Antoinette (probably apocryphally) is the starting point of this set. Innocent, decadent, and blindingly ignorant, right up until the chopping block.

1. Marie is Queen earrings by justbedesigns ($12.00 at Etsy)

2. Sweet Cake creme fraiche moisturizing body scrub by Savor ($11.oo on Etsy)

3. Rose Garden headband by samanthasultana ($199.99 on Etsy) -- Marie Antoinette was famed for her elaborate and often costly hairstyles, as well as for her love of her 'country house', Petit Trianon. 

4. Victorian Black Moire Cockade brooch by houseofninesdesign ($190.00 on Etsy) -- Marie Antoinette's adamant refusal to wear the revolutionaries' tricolor cockade stirred up further bad feeling against her, even as other members of the aristocracy caved in to political pressure and wore the badge. This black moire cockade is a symbol of mourning for the ancien regime.

5. Let Them Eat Cake tie by toybreaker, a.k.a. Cyberoptix ($40.00 on Etsy)

Beautiful Things: Ridiculous and Lovely

The new Agent Provocateur collection is scheduled for release on September 8th. I've heard rumours that there will be a re-issue of Manuela, my favourite set from the Witches collection three seasons ago, in blue brocade as opposed to red. Teasers for the new collection here.

Today's Beautiful Things collection is brought to you with LOVE, in all its fortunate or unfortunate forms:

Fleathers Bunny Love ring ($205, via Etsy):

Vintage From Russia with Love coat ($248 via Nasty Gal):

Maison Michel Dentelle Rabbit Ears (E295 via Colette): you can think of this as 'bunny love' or something rather different.. it looks like it would be very pretty worn with lingerie.

Juliette Has a Gun, Miss Charming ($80-110 at Luckyscent): Moroccan rose, musk, and wild fruits -- the scent Juliet might have worn before she met Romeo.

Shoe of the Week: Marie Antoinette

Love these ridiculous shoes from Moschino Cheap and Chic, available at The Outnet:

Shoe of the Week: Chanel Redeemed

Chanel Tsar pumps, by Darryl Peterson

If these beauties live up to the promotional images, Chanel -- the grater heels incident will be forgiven.

c/o Fashionista

The Gimmick

Oh, Chanel, no...

c/o Jak & Jil. Visions of these hideous gun shoes from several seasons ago...

Norma Kamali Modern Sculpture

Norma Kamali Modern Sculpture Dress with Pins / $650

Norma Kamali One Shoulder Modern Sculpture Top with Hole / $325

Norma Kamali Legging with Foot / $99

Shoe of the Week: the ultimate stiletto...

Gia Lorenzi Metallic Platform Sandals (Farfetch) / $727

I don't actually like the shoes that much... but look at that heel!

Dear God the Leggings: Costume Dept

Looking at Costume Dept's website and reminding myself that I don't wear leggings. I don't, I don't.

Hologram Forest leggings (Revolve) / $32

Okay, that is it, I am done. If I can find these in my size, I will convert. I still wish they were tights though.

**EDIT: Norma Kamali offers a legging with foot! It's not a full foot, but that way you don't get the weird line at the ankle that I loathe so much.

Miu Miu FW09: Want!

The Leggings

I have mixed feelings about leggings. And by mixed I mean that generally they are loathsome. My reasons are the following:

(1) Leggings can make even the skinny look disturbingly sausage-like. Metallic or shiny leggings especially can do this.

(2) Leggings -- especially cropped leggings! -- create unnecessary horizontal lines on the body. Much like wearing ankle boots with bare legs (another pet peeve of mine), leggings can give the body a choppy, horizontal look when what you want is to draw attention to the whole picture, and vertical lines.

(3) LEGGINGS ARE NOT PANTS. Trusssst meeeee.

However... I saw this post on Kingdom of Style and am now seriously reconsidering my position on leggings. Observe (pictures c/o Kingdom of Style):

Generally I feel that leggings can be replaced by either pants or opaque tights. They are neither necessary nor flattering. But these leggings... they are awesome. They are beautiful and striking and strange, and could not be replicated either by pants (too loose) or tights (feet would look funny).

Unfortunately they are not bandagey all around. This is what they look like from the back:

Perhaps I could achieve a similar effect by dyeing some muscle-wrap bandages black and artfully safety-pinning them around my legs. Project!

Leggings from Stolen Girlfriends Club are sold out at Pixie Market.

Gilt Groupe: Catherine Malandrino

If I wasn't on a buying moratorium, I would be all over this Catherine Maladrino blouse from Gilt Groupe:

$158, down from $440. ((sigh))....

Karen Walker Eyewear

I really like the promo photos for Karen Walker Eyewear SS09! Fang-tastic... yes, I said it. Although I'm still fixated on the Trixie sunglasses from last season.

the Milky version, from Bunnyhug.co.uk:

And of course, the classic black from Forward by Revolve:

Shoe of the Week: Diego Dolcini

I really like these two pairs of Diego Dolcini heels from Farfetch. Especially the boot (pictured below):

Ann Demeulemeester FW09

OMGWANT

Vintage Lingerie Roller Derby Carnage!

The lovely art of Zan Gullo, now available in stationery form? With girls in girdles on roller skates? **swoon** oh man, I feel a stationery binge coming on... must - resist - so - difficult...

**incidentally, read Mr. Gullo's excellent comics My Life in Blue and Baritarian Boy!**

I am coveting....

1. Space Jam pant from Insight, at NeedSupply [$59.99]

I like these slimline cotton pants because they look sharp and comfy at the same time. The unusual, slightly parachute-pants waistband was a bit off-putting at first, but I like how the legs are tailored, and it's easier to dress up a high-waist pant -- even when the waist is unconventional, like these.

2. Dapper Held Macbook Sleeve from Hard Graft [E89.99]

I love all of Hard Graft's collections, but the Dapper collection is my favourite. My macbook is my baby, and so I want to dress her up right. This bag makes the laptop look so secure, and sharp as well! Hard Graft also makes Moleskine cases, in which I am so very tempted to indulge...

3. Black Elastic Harness by Norwegian Wood [$45.00]

Kind of in love with these. They are like a sparer, vaguely S&M version of a vest, and I love vests. I can imagine this being super-sexy over any number of things, from a simple tee shirt to a more elaborate jersey dress, to even worn all by itself...

4. Jackalope Cards from Dandylion Press [$4.00]

I love Jackalopes -- I'm not sure why, it's just a thing. And I love sending note-cards, and paper goods of all times. They are a personal touch in an impersonal world, and they are so much more tangible than email! I am holding myself off from another stationary binge, but once I run out of my current notecards these are coming home to me.

5. Nabisco Pinwheels (image from crumbs! on flickr)

om nom nom.

Shoe of the Week: the Winklepicker

Direly late, but... the Winklepicker!

Jil Sander lace-up leather brogues, courtesy of Net-A-Porter. At $505, these are a *tad* steep. Gorgeous, but really...!

The following shoes are all from Pennangalan.com -- I wish I could own them all. They also have a lovely selection of Chelsea boots with Winklepicker toes. Cuban heel winklepicker boots in black suede... yummy.

The Want List: settling in for summer...

The Want List: vol. 03 (5/04/09) by myoubi featuring Forever21 knee length skirts

Things I am seeking right now:

1. Full summer skirt -- something I can pull on in the morning with a tee and a pair of flats, and still look cute. Or at least acceptable. A full skirt shows off one's shape to best advantage, and always looks more 'dressed' than a slimline skirt in my view -- generally speaking, a fuller shape goes more places. Plus, flowy skirts are more comfortable in warm weather...

2. Floppy sun hat -- I don't tan, I crispy-fry. Sunscreen or not. I'm not a hat person, but I need to keep the sun off my skin.

3. Crisp jabot shirt -- not something with a little wee pussy bow, a dramatic neckline with a bit of oomph. These look lovely underneath vests, and I love my collection of vests!

4. Slip-on flats -- have worn my current pair to death! I am especially in love with the Acne Position ballet flat, which looks like a pair of pointe shoes.

Scrub Sales! Among other things...

So both The Soap Box Co. and Scent Addict are having sales on Arcana sugar scrubs. Needless to say, I splurged... I'll post reviews as soon as they arrive. I got Arcana scrubs in Little Ghoulie, Madame Lapin, Marshmallow, and Sweet Milk, and Villainess scrubs in Kill Switch and Ennui. But I am kicking myself for not ordering this one -- it was out of stock when I placed my order:

Arcana Chocolate scrub, as described on The Soap Box Co.'s website:

Chocolate Scrub (Limited Edition): The scent of creamy chocolate combines with raw organic cocoa powder, shea butter, cane sugar, and the delectable bittersweetness of French cocoa absolute. Use in shower or bath massaging into skin using circular motions for maximum exfoliation. Rinse well. (sucrose, sunflower oil, shea butter, castor oil, palm kernel oil, emulsifying wax nf, raw powdered cocoa, French cocoa absolute, proprietary blend of essential oils and fragrance oils.) 10oz.

As a veteran scrub addict, I'm already planning my next set of orders, and there are a few more items on my to-try list. I've never ordered anything from Haunt, but their Cinnamon Girl Sugar Polish sounds appealing:

creamy vanilla, sticky molasses, and fresh coconut shreds, lit with cinnamon, ginger, cardamom and nutmeg. (white sugar,brown sugar,Macadamia Ternifolia (Macadamia) Seed Oil, Prunus avium (Cherry) Kernel Oil, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Mangifera indica (Mango) Seed Butter, Cetyl Alcohol NF, Emulsifying Wax NF, fragrance, vitamin E, Phenoxyethanol (and) Caprylyl Glycol) 6oz.

My one quibble is that Haunt charges $11 for 6oz -- only a dollar less than Arcana charges for 10oz. In between the two is Villainess, my very favourite scrub and soap co. Pearl Diver, Villainess's luxurious and super-scrubby salt scrub (used to buff away calluses!) smells like "A delicate play of bergamot and jasmine, orchid and pikaki, over a sensible wash of sandalwood and salty kelp." It's one of my favourites -- the scent is so delicate, and the blend of four salts helps to remove my industrial-strength foot calluses as well as exfoliating.

But I'm really looking forward to Brooke's exclusive scent for Magical Omaha, Blackout:

Characteristic Scent: Dark cocoa with opoponax, blackened with patchouli, cyanide, and a breath of aniseed. Ingredients are not available. 

Apparently it smells like evil Dr. Pepper!

---

LINKS OF NOTE:

Villainess official site * Arcana official site * Haunt official site

thesoapboxco * scent addict * magical omaha