Athlete...And Designer

Basketball player Amare Stoudemire really burst into the NYC celebrity scene as soon as he was traded to the New York Knicks. He was spotted at a couple fashion week shows and has been chummy with none other than Anna Wintour.

He announced that he’ll team with up Rachel Roy. He’s going to join her Rachel Rachel Roy label (for Macy’s). Expect to see his threads in stores this fall.

Animal Hats

I was killing some time before a dinner reservation and wandered through Urban Outfitters the other day. I came across these...

There's got to be some better options out there?

Tis the Season

I love Christmas. I love the red Starbucks cups, the cheer, the smell of Christmas trees, (the lack of snow in San Francisco) and of course, presents. However, whenever anyone asks me what I’d like for Christmas I ask for a nice note and if that's not sufficient, a gift card to my favorite store. One thing I am absolutely terrible at is pretending to like something. I even am pretty terrible at showing my enthusiasm for a present I totally love.

A close friend of mine just received this shirt for Christmas:

She’s not a fan, but what is she supposed to do? Enter the dilemma. Women are picky. We love clothes and jewelry. But unless it’s a dress I chose or jewelry that my father picked out, I’m probably not going to like it. Often people insist that gift cards are “far too impersonal,” but I’d argue that’s better than feeling obligated to wear some clothes we hate, no? Do risk offending the gift giver and return the shirt for something you’d like? Obviously it was wonderful of them to think to buy you a gift. Or do you suck it up and rock the bedazzled top? I can never decide. Hence why I opt for gift cards.

A while back, someone introduced me to this amazing website. I find it absolutely hilarious and pretty useful even though I’ve never sold anything on it. Say you chose route b, you kept the necklace you hated because your boyfriend gave it to you. You wore it during the select few occasions when you’re sure you would not be spotted by Anna Wintor or Joe Zee, or the Glamour Don’t crew for that matter. You broke up, now what? Enter ex-boyfriend jewelry. Sell it! And add a funny heart-wrenching note about it about how your ex-boyfriend smashed your soul and you need to sell this tiffany bracelet as soon as possible. Then, watch the pity bids come it. Lovely.

Now, I’m off to compile my Christmas list...

Oscar

Here are some looks from Oscar de La Renta's pre-fall 2011 collection. Per usual, the models look classic and sophisticated.

(Photo Credit: Elle.com)

More UGGs!

As the weather has started to cool down and snow has begun to fall the number of uggs on in Pittsburgh has steadily risen. Luckily none of the cash strapped CMU students have been spotted rocking the Choo uggs, but of course I've been waiting desperately for a photo op. I'm dying to see someone feel the need to purchase $700 UGGs.

And the most recent person to jump on the UGG bandwagon? None other than Tom Brady. Just a few days ago he announced he will be the face of UGGs, or shall we say MUGGS (man-uggs). If he decides to cut his moppy Bieber like hair I'm thinking he could quite convincing (even if you hate all boston sports). I think this might be the smartest thing UGG has ever done:

Why, yes! I'll take a pair...

God Bless America

I previously discussed some of the packing instructions for Italy (Check it out here). I’ve begun thinking about the issue a bit more so I perused the “helpful” hints again. It turns out, I am not only supposed to bring any clothes whatsoever but also I shouldn’t “dress American.” Oh goodness.

At first I didn’t even know what that meant. I had no idea if I in fact “dress American.” I felt like I could fit right in with Londoners, I occasionally rock the white shirt with black bra, I carry a Louis Vuitton handbag… but I’m going to go ahead and say pretty American.

I read on. The instructions continued to explain what this supposed fashion statement was:

-White socks

-Jerseys

-Baseball Hats

-Fraternity/Sorority T-shirts…(which reminds me…How many sorority girls does it take to screw in a light bulb? 2: 1 to do it and a second to make a t-shirt for it. Just doesn't get old for me.)

-Fanny packs

-Tivas

OK so maybe I’m safe…

Nail Bitter

I’ve been thinking a lot about nail trends lately. At fashion week, so many designers played with fun nail polish colors like oranges and yellows, crazy designs and prints. I am not one to stray very far from dark blues and purples, but I am seriously thinking about considering it.

Here are some cool shots from the shows:

I also recent tried "Shellacking" for the first time (a different brand of the same thing is called gel polish) that claims to last for 2 to 3 weeks without chipping or losing its shine. I chose a deep purply blue for my toes; hopefully it’ll remain intact because it’s a bit more expensive.

I never thought about Minx before either. Minx is kind of like a high quality sticker. Some of them look kind of interesting, like the metallics. I’m not looking to plaster a crazy floral print or the face of some celebrity on each of my nails though. Hopefully it’ll come in a lovely dark blue color.

Life Is Like A Box of Chocolates

I was wandering through Macy’s the other day and spotted these gems:

Ah yes, M&M has decided to invade the jewelry world as well as the sweet one. And more crucially, Macy’s endorsed it? I won’t be looking to rock the tacky treats anytime soon...but I did stumble across them after reading terrible, terrible news about chocolate just a few days before.

It turns out the world is consuming way too much chocolate—way more than the farms can produce. According to this article, 20 years down the line chocolate will be like caviar, a pricey treat.

Maybe I should have snagged that necklace after all…

Boots

After what feels like months of shopping; I have finally found some over the knee boots (well actually two pairs, thank you for sale + additional 20% off Macy’s!). One of my favorite looks is a high sock popping just above the boots. And more than anythingelse, these boots keep you extra warm.

Here is one of the pairs I purchased:

These ones are Chinese Landry.

I am pretty thrilled about both pairs. But on my trip home it seems one trend has taken over the city by the bay: the new thing is Orange (for our champion Giants of course). Orange t-shits (Fear the Beard), orange socks, orange headbands, orange everything. It's wonderful, even for us bandwagon jumpers.

On a different note, Boutiques.com finally launched yesterday. I've loved checking it out. After Jane from Sea of Shoes announced her participation with the project I've been waiting anxiously. It looks like it'll be a success.

OCS: Obsessive Compulsive Shopping

I love Alice + Olivia. Love, love, love. I think the brand has a nice variety of styles: some edgy, some girly, some weird, some everything. Sadly, my measly $11 an hour generally doesn’t cover much of the Alice + Olivia gear. So, I aggressively wait for sales. You know the drill, checking back on shopbop obsessively—as if new markdowns might pop up at 1 am.

I have been eyeing this dress all season and the sale FINALLY happened. I snagged the last small.

Breakfast of Champions

I learned that there is such a thing as bacon flavored soda a few days ago. Terrible. As if bacon weren’t bad enough for you, someone deemed it smart to transform it into a sugary can of diabetes!

I don’t really eat bacon, I get that it tastes good but what’s next here people? KFC flavored drinks? While I might not be anxious to guzzle America’s favorite breakfast food anytime soon, I’m certainly amused (and a tad terrified).

I particularly like Stoollala’s idea to transform this into the newest icing phenomena. Brilliant.

The Workout Dilemma

You see a lot of weird things in the gym these days. And some even weirder attire. Of course, I’m all for accepting tons of different types of styles because I don’t think there’s one way “good” way to dress. But sometimes I see some fashion choices in the gym that really just irk me.

I promise, I’m not being judgmental here. I’m a lulu lemon girl, but generally I don’t really care what I work out in and really am never trying to impress people during my morning workouts. But some things just don’t fly.

1.) Working out in jeans. No no no. I have seen this far more frequently than you might think. Why would you hop on the treadmill in jeans? I just don’t understand. They’re restricting, uncomfy and they look silly. Putting on shorts really doesn’t take that long.

2.) The girls that put make up on for the gym. Just no. It’s always super cute when girls sweat and their foundation streaks down their face, right?

3.) Seriously obnoxious outfits. I caught this runner the other day:

I suppose she does stand out amongst the haze of Pittsburgh. But those pants are a bit too intense. I did my best to snap her during sprints, so hopefully the photo does her spandex pants justice.

Check out lululemon for some gym-ready outfits.

Q&A

I’ve always enjoyed conducting interviews, especially when you talk to passionate people. My first official interview for a magazine story was with an amazing woman who founded a non-profit called Project Night Night. She was so enthusiastic about her organization and it was incredibly fun and easy to write the story afterwards.

This past week at Whirl I had the opportunity to interview Martin Yan, of Yan Can Cook! He’s by far the most famous person I’ve even interviewed. Of course, I was given about 15 minutes notice to prep for the interview, leaving me a bit nervous about what I would talk about with the celebrity chef. But it ended up going swimmingly—I’m excited I pulled that one off. I got ten minutes with him, but he didn’t seem to care that our interview went over 20. And to top it off, I got to dial a bay area number, oh how I’ve missed you San Francisco.

A condensed portion of the Q&A will be published in the January issue of Edible Allegheny.

Bags

I've been on the hunt for a new book-bag lately. My Longchamp has somehow aquirred questionable stains, several holes and a general "grubby factor." I've been hoping to mix it up, as everyone seems to have the Longchamps these days.

A few weeks ago I spotted the most fabulous over-sized bag I have ever seen in the NYC subway. I had to actively stop myself from chasing the innocent, yet oh-so-edgy, girl down to ask her about it. I thought I caught a glimpse of a Marc by Marc tag, but extensive internet searches have failed to reproduce that navy patent beauty.

I've slowly been getting more and more sad about this and have started to wonder if perhaps it was a mirage.

In the meantime, I have stumbled across some other "nice" bags from Bloomingdales, although none will ever compare.

Marc Jacobs

Burberry

Marc By Marc Jacobs

Elie Tahari

Ralph Lauren

Statement Pieces

I've been looking to add statement pieces into my jewelry box lately. I love bold pieces that you don't see every day. Over the summer I wandered into a few lovely shops in Richmond, VA and picked up my favorite necklace:

Also, just last week I purchased this new ring from Tiffany's. I love the size and texture of it, especially when its worn with more traditional pieces:

Jackets with an Edge

Punk is going to be big this spring. I am really liking the jackets from the Balmain spring collection. I love just love the studs and detailing. I'd opt to dress them down, with some J-brand black leggings and flats but the styling of the show was a lot of fun.

Photo Credit: Elle.com

Headbands

I blame Gossip Girl for the headband craze. They started simple and have escalated to crazy. I don't look twice at headbands that take over entire rooms anyway. But, I saw 2 unfortunate headbands on the Subway last weekend...

She looks like she has an extra set of ears. Metallic ones...

Just not my favorite.

Also, spotted in NYC: A butterfly clip. I couldn't help but smile about my previous post.

The Land of Dolce and Gabbana, Dishy Men and More Delicious Carbs Than I Should Ever Consume.

I was seriously procrastinating writing a piece for my current magazine gig so I decided to “research” all that was needed to prepare for my 5 month stay in Italy at the start of next year. Reading through visa information, descriptions of the supposed culture clash (even though I think I’ll do quite fine with delicious food and wine, art, and general wonderfulness that the country will throw my way) and then finally packing suggestions, even though I am nowhere close to that point I read through them anyway. Then, I stumbled across something seriously disturbing. And I quote:

“We recommend bringing only 2 pairs of shoes.”

…Um, WHAT?!

Now that is just ridiculous. Sending anyone to ITALY, the fashion Mecca, with 2 pairs of shoes is just terrible guidance. Even for those granola types, they’d need at least 2 pairs of TIVAS one for tromping around, one for back up, and some cold weather shoes (because I don’t think socks and tivas will cut it, it will be winter after all). That’s 1,2, oh no 3.

Then there are the rest of us: Cute boots of different colors and lengths, heels, flats and sandals for spring. All essential. That doesn’t even include my metallic oxfords or shower flip flops. And I don’t even feel like I’m being terribly materialistic here. Part of me thought this was merely a ploy to force us to spend our money supporting the fashion industry in Italy. But it got worse…

“Remember not to buy too much. You will have to fit it in the same suitcases you arrived with.”

No shopping in Italy? Who are these people, and what have I gotten myself into? Forget learning how to write about food and wine and studying fashion, shopping is the real reason behind this life choice to move to a country where I cannot utter one word past “Gucci” in the native language.

If I can’t communicate, I better at least look the part. It’s a good thing I am looking at these rules more as guidelines. Otherwise I’d be in serious trouble.

Coco

I don’t think anyone can ever grow tired of Chanel. Even thought the looks are consistent always recognizable, black and white, lots of tweed, great accessories, the shows are never dull. Take a look at the Spring 2011 collection. Per usual, I love.

Are You Ready For Some Football?

One of my biggest pet peeves is silly dressing for football games. It really drives me crazy. I love fashion and want to spend my life working in the industry but it has no place in football stadiums. None whatsoever, and I think it’s time that someone address this phenomenon.

The first fashion error committed at football games is the “feminine” jersey. Jessica Simpson attempted to make this one cute when sporting her pink and white Romo jersey up in the box while supporting her bf. You either support your team with the proper jersey or you don’t. No need for pink and rhinestones. This is football, after all.

This is getting picky, but I also have zero tolerance for personalized jerseys. You’re not on the team—no need to pretend. I suppose this isn’t a fashion mistake as much as disrespecting the game but I figured I should go ahead and throw that in here anyway.

Then there are the women who seem to be confused about where they are spending their afternoon. No ladies, you are not heading to the club. PLEASE take off the strappy prom shoes and switch that tight dress for some jeans. Sometimes I feel like they took their walk of shame right to the stadium and started tailgating. Again, satin dresses don’t mix with beer and bbqs.

Random Happenings (In My Choos)

1.) I stumbled across one of the most fabulous pair of shoes I have ever seen yesterday:

I am quite literally, obsessed. That’s all.

2.) After purchasing the grey draped BCBG dress I blogged about last August I have worn it twice and it has been borrowed a few times as well. All with the same result: Zero Pitt stains despite steamy rooms, dance parties and general shenanigans. Cheers to you BCBG.

3.) And finally. I just purchased a dress from Revolve Clothing that I am incredibly excited about. I love long sleeves for fall and nothing is better than a LBD, right?

Henri Bendel

I'm really liking these Henri Bendel clutches right now. I just love the zipper detailing:

Magazine Addiction

I feel like I am single handedly keeping the magazine industry alive. I have a serious weakness and can never resist buying the glossy covers when I’m checking out at the grocery store. Some people get distracted by chocolate or candy—not me. Sometimes I get home to unpack my milk and eggs only to find the newest issue of Marie Claire tucked in my eco-friendly reusable bag without even realizing that I bought it. Seriously. Most people blame their coffee addictions for an extra $14 a week, or $784 a year. It’s not caffeine that dents my wallet; it’s fashion. And that’s before even considering the actual clothes and jewelry I buy.

How can you resist this?

I know the answer is to subscribe, rather than paying $5 per magazine, per month. But I can never seem to get over the fact that I’m never in the same place and will miss out on 4 issues a year (or have to constantly battle with changing addresses, trust me when I tell you it’s not as easy as you might think).

The other day someone asked me which magazines I read: Marie Claire, Elle, Vogue, Glamour, Cosmo consistently and then the occasional Harpers, Teen Vogue, and W. I attempted to calculate the how much I spend on magazine. The results weren’t so pretty. It’ll pain me to post my estimate.

If nothing else, my own foolish spending might guarantee that my dream jobs still exist in a few years… At least I’m doing my part?

All Things Floral

I’ve been waiting desperately for the weather to cool down ever since I bought this floral Rebecca Taylor jacket (on sale!) from ShopBop this summer:

I love the bright color and floral and was waiting for it to go on sale as soon as I saw it rocked on the runway. Some people find floral blazers terrible… I couldn’t love them more. It finally made it to the outside world today.

Interny things

This past week at my internship, I had my first ever “real intern” duties. Rushing around town, doing various errands a la internship from hell stories. And to be honest, I really couldn’t have enjoyed myself more. Strange, I know.

On Thursday I just did a bunch of returns, all over the city and its outskirts. I can tell you, there are a lot worse things than having a car full of fabulous clothes, home décor and expensive sunglasses. And best of all, you actually feel like you’re accomplishing something with each receipt that gets signed.

On Friday, I took on some marketing tasks. Whirl Magazine is having a coffee contest so I was sent out to promote it. Deliver posters and flyers to shops and generally spread the word. My poster hanging skills are pretty impeccable.

The contest is great. Pittsburghers get to vote on various categories like best latte, best live music, best ambiance, best fair trade brew etc.! If you live in the Pittsburgh area you should definitely vote here.