Winter Wrap-up: Part I

It's March. Damn. How did I make it here? Meaning when I return from so-called spring break, darty season will be in full swing, I will be taking a grand total of three classes and my since-endless quest for fur and the perfect pair of lace-up heeled combat boots will be rendered obsolete. Regardless, Shopbop's self-proclaimed Long-Awaited Winter Sale has been the source of not one, but many lady boners. Lush fabrics, intricate beading and airy draped blouses? Drool.

Warning: thanks to midterms/being 21 consuming my life, I've slightly neglected my poor little rich blog. As a result, this is kind of a loaded post.

Asabi Strapless Dress

camilla and marc, $790 $553

Tulle Ballerina Skirt

Haute Hippie, $395 $277

Scalloped Dress

Robert Rodriguez, $594 $416

Karolina Dress

Sachin + Babi, $425 $298

Piper Top

Joie, $368 $258

Texture: So much three-dimensional movement here. I'm positively in awe. The first camilla and marc dress is actually so elegant it hurts. The drape and flounce potential of these looks reminded me oh-so-fondly of Man Repeller's "vag couture post", and warrants opposite bodycon separates to strike an appropriate balance. Just envisioning a cup of Everclear-and-God-knows-what-else punch defacing the virginal white accordion-pleat tank pains me, but I would definitely make it a point to somehow assimilate that fun black ballerina skirt into real life. Pretty sure Carrie Bradshaw would approve.

Little M Jacket

Diane von Furstenberg, $565 $396

Sequin Blouse

Elizabeth and James, $365 $183

Simone Dress

Karen Zambos Vintage Couture, $254 $178

Signature Blouse

Equipment, $252 $176

Bias Sequin Miniskirt

Haute Hippie, $295 $207

Oil Slick Sweater

Mara Hoffman, $398 $199

Metallic Chain Clutch / Cross Body Bag

Olivia Harris by Joy Gryson, $325 $228

Sparklies: What a fantastic name for an apparel category, if I do say so myself. This brings me back to Last Resort circa two Thursdays ago: Senior Spring Bar Night, AKA when I slightly damaged the left side of my body and thus was forced to employ the use of band-aids in the form of Dora the Explorer, Toy Story and Hello Kitty (the Ni Hao Kai-Lan ones were unfortunately nowhere to be found). If college has taught me anything, cuteness trumps the pain of frat wounds. Always. It's also the night when a certain frat star (Face? Name? Recollection? Nope.) exclaimed, "I like your sparklies!" Practical application of the term "it's not gay if you're in a frat." And to think I wasn't even going to go out that night... But I digress. A good metallic fabric will make a world of difference in any and all situations, even if the name of the piece is "Oil Slick"... questionable yet awesome.

Noel Trapeze Velvet Blazer

Club Monaco, $249 $75

Plush Sleeveless Top

Madison Marcus, $218 $109

Plush: I used to really not be a fan of this texture, but when I saw the likes of Rumi Neely working her magic on some thick crushed velvet, I began to view it otherwise. I hadn't noticed how well the material reflects in the light and how it's draping potential lies somewhere between delicate and dramatic. And who would think of creating a beyond-foldable velvet blazer? Greatness. Thanks, Club Monaco.

Tiger Skirt

Gryphon, $285 $143

Embellished Faille Jacket

Haute Hippie, $795 $239

Whistler Faux Fur Jacket

Kova & T, $330 $99

Zipped Fur Vest

Adrienne Landau, $595 $298

Fur Wedge Sandal Booties in Amber

Opening Ceremony, $520 $260

Royal Spots Fur Collar with Chains

Haute Hippie, $695 $487

Zoo: There's no denying that people (even mainstream mall-ers) became super comfortable with rawr-esque prints and textures this past season. While there were some who insisted on wearing fur vests with the wrongest of bottoms (let's say, for instance... American Eagle jeans and UGG's) and sporting leopard print on otherwise demure blouses, Shopbop shows us that there is absolutely a right way to wear zoo prints and a huge return on investment to be gained when done correctly and in good taste. To be honest, my favorite of this entire set is the fur collar with chains. Sure, the piece's name sounds like something more appropriate for a large dog than a small Asian, but I'm lusting for it though Spring is upon us. Also, those open-toed Opening Ceremony booties are so fluffy and weird that I can't help but want them.

And we'll save the rest for later. Time for homegirl over here to indulge in some cheesecake and discover the enhanced wonders of music through my pristine white Studio Beats (thanks again, Gilberto... love you xoxo). More coming soon... I promise I'll try my very best until then to refrain from happy Asian bouncing in all of my sincere excitement.

Here's to you, fashion. Cheers.

Pretty bright things

I'm at a loss for words. Literally. My mind is basically mush from forcing myself to stomach these endless readings about goods and service design (Customer Benefit Packages, Quality Function Deployment, blah blah blah), out-groups in the workforce and the different cost drivers of managerial accounting... all when I'm coming off a fever.

Calloway. TFM.

Here's where, once again, shopbop comes in to save the day. Below are the SO aesthetically-pleasing party dresses that made my eyes starry all the way from 117B, and fortunately, I'm not talking about from the Calloway glaze.

 

 Eclipse Sequined Dress

Tibi, $1,238

Sequined Ruffled Dress

LaROK LUXE, $228

Milia Tunic

Temperley London, $1,175

Sequin Mini Dress

Halston Heritage, $495

Annette Sequin Dress

Alice + Olivia, $396

One Shoulder Dress

T-Bags, $198

Audrey Dress

Kimberly Taylor, $227

 Sequin Stripe Sleeve Dress

Haute Hippie, $425

Rhy Dress

camilla and marc, $760

Lauper Dress

Karen Zambos Vintage Couture, $385

And now I can come full-circle and remember exactly why I work my ass off each and every day in the first place-- so I can be baller to the point where pieces like this will just be icing on the cake for my endless wardrobe of sartorial fabulosity. There we go.

Here's to you, fashion. Cheers.

A cut above

I say this with intentions of expressing as little narcissism as possible, but I was kind of fashionably precocious as a high-schooler. Precocious meaning I was just very aware of what was out there, beyond Greenville's pastel-grosgain-ribbon-lined gates of Lilly Pulitzer and Trina Turk. That being said, when my friends were browsing prom dresses from the familiar lot of BCBG, etc., I wasn't satisfied, looking to shopbop and Singer22 for inspiration. I finally settled on the ever-statement-making alice + olivia Poof Paillette Dress in canary yellow.

My graduation dress, though, was another story. I remember feeling helpless when presented with the mission of finding a simple white dress, and making it my own. It sounded easy enough, but how would I find a dress that so perfectly conveyed my blossoming transformation from awkward, ugly duckling to Wake Forest-bound success story? After browsing endlessly online and in local boutiques, I fell in love with the Deep V-neck dress by Catherine Malandrino. With its thick pintuck straps and laser-cut flower cutouts at the hem, this delicate little number was perfect for my petite frame and its babydoll fit accentuated my tiny waist.

My graduation dress, shown here in black.

 Deep V-neck dress in black

Catherine Malandrino, $400

"Successfully merging Parisian flair with New York cool, Malandrino's clothes are intricately cut, colorful bursts of subtle sophistication." 

--net-a-porter.com

Since then, I haven't been able to associate the Catherine Malandrino brand with anything but fashion-forward elegance. Browsing her Pre-Fall 2010 collection, I am in awe of how inspiring the separates and dresses are. The line ranges from neutral beiges and creams to some popping reds and canary yellows to keep fashionistas' interests. I would wear variations of a number of looks in the collection, as they most notably employ the use of heavy and light layering and a mixture of textures. The skirts vary from dancer-chic swingy silk to gladiator-inspired pleated leather, so Malandrino has gone above and beyond with her creativity for this season. Featuring some lighthearted floral resort pieces, it's apparent that there is still a hint of summer involved with this collection, coupled with the more serious black jumpsuits and fringed leather vest. All in all, looks 22, 31, 33 and 64 are my favorites, but all of my top selections stated here convey my basic principles of balance and understated luxury.

 

 

Long live Malandrino.

Here's to you, fashion. Cheers.