Madewell comes to Bird

According to our beloved WWD, J. Crew brainchild Madewell has joined the ranks of Alexander Wang, Acne and Proenza Schouler to extend its offerings toward the heart of hipster paradise, also known as Brooklyn's Bird, with three locations in Park Slope, Cobble Hill and most recently, Williamsburg. Being one of the first retailers in NYC to obtain a LEED certification, Bird kicks off this strategic alliance with a shopping event tomorrow night co-hosted by Nancy Whang of LCD Soundsystem, as WWD proclaims, "Hipsters welcome."

I want dat.

So while I may or may not be able to attend this baller opening event seeing as how Midtown will monopolize my time, a girl can still lust after the monochromatic wonders that (along with Rumi, of course) have inspired a gradual yet soon-to-be-complete shift in my design aesthetic. Let's step outside of the box now, shall we?

Cotton Asymmetrical Zip Jacket

Ligne 6 - Martin Margiela, $255

Perfect Tencel Button Shirt

Current / Elliot, $198

Dianetta Melange Cashmere & Silk Scarf

Faliero Sarti, $339

Sun Spike Necklace

Wendy Nichol, $405

Striped Silk Tennis Shorts

Rag & Bone, $255

Large Leather Zip Pouch

Comme des Garcons, $135

3 Stitch Knit Brass Cuff

Wendy Nichol, $310

Sazerac High Heel Ankle Boot

Rachel Comey, $425

On a slightly unrelated note, Bryanboy has the very best taste. How unbelievably awesome are these Mugler F/W 2011 booties? Yum.

At Kenzo. How could you possibly not love him?

Here's to you, fashion. Cheers.

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.

I want the whole world

I went a little crazy Tuesday. I don't think there's a more perfect term to describe my impulsive / resourceful behavior than "engaging in a spree". Oopsies. These actions can absolutely be attributed to Theresa Breitton's presence, which is more than anything, truly wonderful. (If you want a little insight into how our brains work, please feel free to take a peek at my Twitter. I'm such a kindhearted individual, no?) Regardless, being the bottom-of-the-iceberg slightly bitchy nicest-girl-ever is not what leads me to receive the regular, "You know fashion. Let me ask you something" 's. I'd like to think my refined judgment and zeal regarding personal style, however, is.

That being said, enter my recent purchases circa two nights ago.

Multi Knit Sweater Cardigan

Forever 21, $28:

At first glance, I was skeptical about the legitimacy of this piece. On the (perpetually sloppy) rack, this sweater kind of looked like a tragic lump of unwanted fabric, dusted slightly with a hint of glitter. After putting it on though, it's like the boho-chic fashion gods approved. Even with my ultra-petite frame, the sleeves don't even come close to swallowing up my arms and twig-thin wrists. If anything, the volume of the sleeves is what adds to the drama of the entire piece itself. Fortunate timing for me, my fellow Delaware fashionphile and newest bff, Melanie Rose was also browsing the Christiana XXI and I received her sign-off to purchase it after providing an elucidated rebuttal about why I couldn't find a comparable piece at Family Thrift Center. Thanks again, young grasshoppa.

Striped Purl Knit Top

Forever 21, $13:

Seriously? $13 for a blouse this versatile? Only at Forever. Hopefully it doesn't get snagged on something at a party then unravel as the night goes on...

And so begin the H&M purchases. I came in with the intention of purchasing the pair of acid wash leggings I had seen the day after Christmas, only to discover they had disappeared from the original back-right section of the store. Lame. I grabbed this grommet belt and moved on.

Gold Grommet Belt

H&M, $6

To my delight, I found the acid wash leggings on my way out. So excited to break these out in a frat basement and freak people out. As I told Amanda, I've been getting addicted to the shock factor of outfits, so I can proudly say I've been carrying out my first resolution very well (see: outfit I wore to Toscana / Kid Shelleen's last night).

And one final thing to ponder (among many...), what about these Deena & Ozzy lace-up combat boots? They were kind of stiff to the touch, and the arch of the heel was unbearable. But for $30, I almost had to get them. Even though I mentioned here that a foldover or sweater-knit top would be prerequisites for my single pair of laced combat boots, I was really drawn to these (or the price, at least) and can't decide if I should go back and get them. I could be throwing away a huge investment here (or, just $30), but as was the theme this weekend, "let fate decide". Thoughts?

Heeled Lace-Up Boot

Deena & Ozzy, $30 (from $78)

Shit, now I really want them. We'll see what happens with this mini-blizzard tomorrow...

Here's to you, fashion. Cheers.