medium rare

My look at the IFB Soirée: H&M oversize shirt dress worn off the shoulder (a recently purchased bargain), Jiao Xiang rubber band and nut necklace (clever, so special, to die for!), coral colored necklace and bracelet from market in Beijing.  I prefer the word ‘zen’ to ‘lazy,’ thank you very much! Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: H&M, IFB Dress Up Soirée, Jiao Xiang.

Don’t you love the hat?  My inspirational, muse-worthy friend Jiao not only makes couture gowns, she does hats too.  And I’m the first lady in town to own a Jiao orignal, which makes me special by extension.  So much is right about it: the volume just quirky enough, the small tailored bow the perfect finishing touch.  And the handwork is nothing short of heartbreaking.  Watch out world!  Jiao Xiang is a woman on a mission.

The rest of my outfit is just accessory to the hat.  It was a warm day out so I put on organic linen pants from H&M (a recent under $50 buy — run out while you can!), white t-shirt from the Gap and Nine West shoes.  I felt a little mannish, so I added a soft bow to lend the look a more womanly touch and to emphasize my waist.  I think it reads more French than it does GO USA.  Or at least I hope it does.

I actually felt kinda like a thug-pirate — especially while I was walking home to 2Pac’s “To Live and Die in LA” through the streets of New York City.  It’s really not the most photogenic outfit, but I felt chic as hell knowing that it took me five minutes to dress, very little money and that I was comfy as, well, a thug-pirate.

Tags: H&M, Jiao Xiang, Nine West, the Gap.

So, here it is… my ubertrendy outfit.  The jumpsuit is an impulsive $50 buy from H&M dressed up with a Forever 21 necklace, light wool jacket from Angel Street Thrift Shop, and — of course — my A Détacher shoes!  The belt came free with one of my favorite sweaters.  I’m sure I’ll be photographing the jacket again sometime soon as it’s in heavy rotation these days.  I love the way I feel when I wear it… like pure 90s Armani.

I like monochromatic dressing because it’s easy, chic and luxurious.  I actually felt quite luxe today despite the small price tag, probably thanks to the many textures.  Gotta love wool flannel, cotton jersey and supple suede paired with plastic belts and beads galore.

I promise the next look won’t be as obnoxiously trendy!  Or maybe it will be…

Tags: Angel Street Thirft Shop, Forever 21, H&M.