a.p.c. madras fall collection

i literally squeaked with delight when i saw this in my inbox. i want basically everything. you should check it out for yourself, since i'm having a hard time capturing the images.

i really want to save money for paris and mayle, but i think i'm going to have order one or two things right this minute....

two new blogs

for the past two years, i've tried to keep this blog as focused as possible on clothing, shopping, and design. i've decided to start two other blogs, one which is devoted to the baby, and the second which will be a space for giving away neglected clothing and shoes.

blog no. 1, future*perfect will be open to invited readers only. i don't feel like inundating everyone with pregnancy and baby related news (some people find it boring, sometimes it bores me, too), and considering i am pretty easy to find online if you're one of my students or on a job search/fellowship committee (yikes!), it's probably better for me to know who is reading it. email me if you'd like to be included. hopefully this doesn't come off sounding exclusionary. obviously you don't have to know me in real life before i let you look at endless photos of the baby or pregnant me, i just don't want completely random people to have access to personal stuff.

blog no. 2--still working on a name--will be open to everyone who is interested in giving away or swapping clothing and accessories online. my only rule is that if you'd like to participate, all you can request for compensation is a small amount to cover shipping and handling ($5-25ish), plus a nominal amount if it's something that was ridiculously expensive. if you would like to post several items over time, i can add you as a team member so i don't have to spend too much time uploading your photographs and descriptions. anyone else can email me their postings, but obviously my life will be a lot easier if i don't have to become the sole site adminstrator. it should hopefully work on its own, more or less.

i don't think there will ever be an easy solution to online swaps, so i'm going to encourage members to do random giveaways instead. if you want to do a swap, that's up to you. it's a pretty simple thing, no? if you're a recipient, it's always nice to offer up something as a giveaway or swap in return. obviously, everything should be gently worn and in wearable/usable condition. it's a place for people to give away neglected but lovely things that deserve better than the goodwill racks but can't be sold for whatever reason on ebay (plus i hate ebay's fees and rules). it should be like a craigslist, but based on trust and not really for profit or self-promotion. if you're new to the blog, be sure to introduce yourself so we don't feel like we're giving things away to total strangers who may turn around and sell it.

i love buying clothes, and i probably spend too much time and money on it. i started this blog hoping to curtail my spending habits--obviously it hasn't been successful! it has, however, taught me to be more careful about what i buy. being able to give away some things is another way of reminding myself both to be cautious about future purchases and to be happy that someone else is going to enjoy something that didn't work out for me. i suspect that others are in the same boat as me, so maybe we can use this new blog to do justice to our unworn or neglected sweaters, necklaces, bags, and boots.

hopefully i'll have the site up and running in the next few weeks, maybe after the election madness blows over. email me if you're interested in being a team member.

mayle holiday 08--the last collection

hera blouse


theodora dress


thea dress


i've been so busy with school work that i completely forgot about mayle's last collection. thankfully moya brought it to my attention.

i could definitely see myself wearing the thea dress year round.

ETA: now available at impulse and la garconne, more shops to follow...

toast pine needle cord smock

stephanie's 'imaginary outfits' are one of my favorite things about her blog. last month she featured a top by toast that i hadn't thought much about before ("naptime on the sleeping porch"). i'm not usually attracted to shades of red, but there was something compelling about this top. maybe it's fall, but warm spiced reds, browns, and oranges in the softest corduroys and wools are all i can think about nowadays.

new a.p.c. skirt, whirlwind trip to nyc

matthew and i went to nyc on saturday (we drove) to photograph a public housing project for his studio. we went to the new museum to look at the elizabeth peyton exhibition, and then muji for pens and notebooks. i also went to bird in cobble hill, where i found the most perfect [maternity] knit mini skirt. i tried on two of mociun's tulip skirt tie-front dresses, but i looked absolutely terrible in both. i guess if you feel like a beach ball, wearing a bubble skirt is probably a Very Bad Idea. so naturally i grabbed the a.p.c. knit skirt as a consolation prize/purchase.

it was only $120, but now that i've thought more about it, i'm guessing it wouldn't be too hard to knit and piece together my own version: wide waistband of stretchy ribbed knit, slight a-line shape, sturdy wool yarn, and a small decorative hem.

today was a thoroughly a.p.c. day--cape, cashmere pullover, and knit skirt. the striped top is from jcrew, and i also bought new wool leggings. it must be fall when you're dressed from head to toe in knits.

i was also very excited by the black squirrel, although it looks quite feral and unfriendly....

clothes swap party idea

all photos by stephanie


stephanie of even*cleveland has been hosting clothes swap parties, which of course makes me wish i lived in cleveland so i could participate. from handmade invites to tasty snacks and a boutique display sensibility, even if you came away empty handed, it would still make for a lovely party. on this blah holiday monday (i'm stuck in my basement library carrel...), thoughts turn to neglected and unloved clothing in my own closet and a need to throw a party.

paris!

photo of henri labrouste's bibliotheque ste. genevieve, from here.

we're flying out christmas evening from nyc and returning on new year's day. neither of us have been to paris, and my adviser generously offered his apartment for the week. i'm a bit iffy on traveling during the third trimester, but my midwife's office says it's fine. i guess i better start brushing up on my conversational french, i haven't spoken it in over 6 years...

nomia tunic dress for fall

so, i never managed to get a tova or haeshu dress from jenny's collection last summer.

last winter nomia had a very similar tunic dress, but it sold out pretty quickly. now they have a sleeveless version (available at anica), but with a bow in the back. it has pockets, and i love the color, but is the bow too girly?

update: sadness, it sold out yesterday while i was waiting on measurements. when in doubt, call.
oh well, i guess i better save up for paris, anyway!

debate-y debates

once upon a time, all i wore were 'message' t-shirts. inspired by martha, i couldn't resist going back to my old ways.
shirt from here.
20 weeks down, 20 to go. phew!

fall patterns....mociun dress

not brave enough for a plunging back, but the blue collar paired with the bead print is making me wish i were.

i could do the button down, though.

mociun dress and shirt at anica.

salut sophie!

sophie the giraffe arrived this week all the way from france. i know sara intended it as a gift for the baby, but during these days of high anxiety, there is nothing like squeezing a cheerful squeaky toy to make you feel a little better about the world.

un grand merci à sara!

MM6 day

this dress isn't much too look at on the hanger, but it's super comfortable and so much fun to layer. i also couldn't resist the leggings with kneepads.

williamstown

we drove to williamstown on saturday to pick up a friend and check out the new tadao ando building, the stone hill center of the williamstown art conservation center and clark art institute. aside from some expected concrete formwork issues, it is a lovely building. the bleached cedar siding not only smelled wonderful but also created the most subtle grey-pink-lavender tones.

i bought a pair of moccasins at an 'indian trading post' on the mohawk trail (rte. 2) and two MM6 pieces at The Browns in williamstown.

oh, and we stopped by a farm to see miniature goats, donkeys, and llamas (or were they alpacas?).

will post photos of my new dress and leggings (with knee pads!) if the sun ever comes out. it's been raining and dreary for nearly a week now...

tiptoeing toward things to come

(an utterly crummy photo. i'll post better when the sun is out and i'm less sick and cranky)

my mayle Galina jacket came yesterday, and needless to say, i'm in love. having never seen it in person, i didn't realize just how soft the herringbone fabric was. it's almost sweater-like, which is exactly what i'm craving during these early fall days. its generous shape will also work during the months to come. matthew thinks it's a little too fancy for daywear (the ruffles! the sparkles! oh my!). i think i'll debut it on friday at the ICA.





i know i said 'never again' to skinny jeans, but this pair by Martin is everything i ever wanted in a pair of denim. of course i'll have to hem them since i can't pull off a 35" inseam, but otherwise, the fit is perfect. the extra bit of stretch doesn't hurt, either. i ordered a size up, which was a good idea because 1. i can wear these low-rise jeans buttoned (for now) and 2. skintight skinny isn't really my thing, anyway.

Anne Albert Johnston's capsule collection is like a grown-up version of A.P.C. not that i'm ready to give up my Touitou-love, but there are some days when i crave really simple, really versatile pieces that are readily folded into my existing wardrobe. i love margiela, but this line is 'slightly' more affordable for impulse buys.

so much awesomeness

i was just floored by this gift from stephanie of even*cleveland. our wedding invitations incorporated the sputnik and bucky fuller dome, so it is only fitting that our latest endeavor is named 'baby sputnik.'

as a bicoastal girl, i have been so humbled by the amount of awesomeness located in the middle west: jenny, hannah, stephanie, elly, and martha.

rachel comey chukka boot, i love you

yes, yes, i know i've lost count of my rachel comey shoe disappointments, but maybe these will be better? it's like ice cream. i know it'll hurt my stomach, but i can't ever say no. i think i'm going to buy a pair of l.l. bean boots. i wonder if they work well on icy sidewalks.

rachel comey moccasin style chukka boots, $320 at gimme shoes.

isabel marant denim dress

well, i'm glad i bought the size 3 because it runs pretty tight in the shoulders. it's very tent-like without the belt. i think it'll look better belted at the natural waist, but for now, i don't really have a choice in the matter.

coming soon: mayle galina jacket purchased at 70% off at odessa boutique.

mayle fall 08 review, other random shopping thoughts

(photos from www.mociun.com)

so, i didn't buy anything in nyc yesterday, except for a small present for a friend, but i did do a bit of planning and scheming...

big disappointment: mociun isn't in the stores yet, although there are pre-orders available on a few websites. i'm in love with this batik print. i can't decide whether i should get another tie-front dress or go with a different silhouette. my blue linen tie-front has a full skirt, so buying one with a tulip-skirt would be a 'little' different.

anyway. Mayle.

we went to steven alan, mayle, and bird (which, incidentally, could easily stand in for my closet. they always have such a solid range of casual to fancy-schmancy, i wish boston had it so good).

i wasn't originally sold on this collection, but going to the shop on elizabeth st. and trying on a few things has made me a believer. plus, watching other girls try on pieces that wouldn't work on me has made me even more sad that the shop/label is closing.


the Kaiya top was one of my top picks, but after seeing the color in person, i realized that i don't own enough black to pull it off.



i would not buy the Jeanne sweater dress because i'm too curvy for it, but a tall model type tried it on in the shop and looked amazing in it. i wish i had a close-up photo because it is knitted in such a way that it appears to be a jumper + shirt.



there were three girls trying on this top, so i didn't get a chance to try it on myself. i definitely like it better with the collar unbuttoned, and the graffiti-esque black outlining keeps the print from becoming overly precious.

(images from www.mayleonline.com)

the Eniko dress also comes in the pink/multi-colored fabric, but i liked the contrast in the ivory version. i tried a size 6, which fit perfectly. this collection seems to fit truer-to-size than in the past.

(images from totokaelo.com)

i would have bought the Mariko top except, well, i'm belatedly in the process of coming up with a budget. plus, it's $475. the size 6 that i tried on in black+white was the last one at mayle. they had already sold out of the rose version. eluxury and impulse are both carrying the top, so i'm going to wait for the sales. of all the fabrics, this one impressed me the most with its subtle texture and sheen.


it seemed like the shop was selling out quickly. while i was there, two girls purchased something, and there were three other girls trying things on. usually when i go it's much much quieter. although i can't wait to see the resort/holiday collection, i've yet to decide whether i'll buy anything full price.

painting, off to nyc for the day

the bedroom is finished, but some of the old ceiling paint came off with the blue tape. this apartment was poorly painted when we moved here, so i'm not surprised. i love the shade of grey we picked, it makes our furniture look so much nicer.

driving to nyc/brooklyn in about 5 minutes. after 4 years of the chinatown bus, and a lack of friends to stay with in the city, we've decided to drive. hopefully i'll make it to erie basin. oh, and maybe i'll be able to take photos in the mayle dressing room.

to do list:
mociun dresses
mayle everything
muji notebooks
moma