Can't get enough...

... of Chie Mihara. This globetrotter was born to Japanese parents in Brazil where she was raised and started designing shoes when she was a student at FIT in NYC (in her apartment in Queens, no less). Now married to a Spaniard and living and designing in Spain (and we all know the best shoes come from Spain), her magnificent shoes are available at high-end retailers all over the world. They're not cheap, but despite the height on many them, they are designed for comfort. She studied foot anatomy and common foot problems at an orthopedic shoe store where she first worked as a designer and her shoes are built to the shape of a woman's foot for ultimate comfort. Here are some of my favorites from the Fall 2011 collection. I'm kind of obsessing over the open toe + tights combination (which I usually hate). Ah, Spanish shoes how I love you.

Shoe Love

I know I have an unhealthy attraction to shoes, but sometimes there are just a pair that makes my heart skip a beat. Admittedly, since getting married (and having to curb more frivolous spending for practicalities like fixing walls and pipes and things), I've reined in my shoe purchases (oh-- and lack of space, of course). But upon seeing these, I couldn't help but suck in my breath and think, "I NEED." Okay, okay-- I know it's completely irrational to NEED shoes. So I quickly altered that statement in my head to "I WANT." They're called posh wellies. And posh they are, those lovely shiny wellies with a lovely grosgrain ribbon accoutrement. And upon showing them to my very kind and completely indulgent MRN, his only response was, "Those are so you." (See? Very indulgent.) Never mind that I already own a pair of perfectly sufficient wellies (okay-- and I love them; they're purple). And I certainly don't need TWO pairs of wellies... I mean it rains constantly here, but I don't wear wellies that much (although MRN does tease me because I do wear them almost every time it rains... Did I mention they're purple??) But even so, I think I may dream about these... yet another test of my resolve, it seems!

**UPDATE** (A mere two hours after posting)
The more I look at these, the more I think that I DO need them. Doesn't the green one look like Christmas? I know, it's a sickness...

I think someone's hankering for a party!

And that someone would be ME! Does anyone want to take me to one?

Latest pins on pinterest (aka my new favorite website) on "My Style" board:

The great pantyhose caper…

…would make a terrific Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys title don't you think? Alas, this mystery may have more to do with my complete lack of fashion sense than an actual mystery. But the question is:

When did it become a fashion faux pas to wear pantyhose/nylons/stockings?

With all the brouhaha over Duchess Catherine's leg wear of choice during her recent North American tour, rather than join the pundits and their gasps of incredulity to the Royal's audacity to don sheer leg wear, my reaction was, “Wait a second! I wear pantyhose!” Oops. Is it just because it's shiny? (because I can tell you from first hand experience-- they only sell shiny pantyhose here in the UK) or is it really out of fashion and I'm really, really old??

So that got me wondering—where did pantyhose come from anyway? (aaaaand here comes my nerdiness) A quick troll around the Internet revealed that apparently in the 1920s when hemlines rose, sheer hosiery in the form of “stockings” emerged to allow women to keep some of their propriety in tact. Originally made from silk or rayon, they weren’t the stretchy (and sucking in) variety we know today. Instead, they were either knee- or thigh-high and fastened to a waist belt or held up by garters. It wasn’t until 1938 when nylon was invented that all hell (innovation) broke loose and an industry so blossomed. As for the "panty" part of the "hose?" Apparently it originated in the 40s and 50s when those wily costumers down in Hollywood (and on Broadway) started having the nylon stockings sewn to the panties of actresses and dancers (presumably to keep them-- and other bits-- in place). Who knew? Pantyhose reached its height of popularity in the 70s and 80s but the mid-90s brought a steady decline, apparently due to “bare leg fashion” (hmmm… missed this trend too) and changes in workplace dress code (casual Fridays and-- gasp! trousers!). Plus, let's not forget replacement costs resulting from frequent (and might I add frustrating-- seriously, nylons are a once-wear item for me) runs in the fabric leading to the good old pantyhose's demise. But while traditional pantyhose has come out of fashion, new styles like fishnets, patterned, colored and opaque tights have flourished (I love me a patterned tight) as well as “shape wear” (can we all stand up and do a little dance for Spanx my friends?). Oh—and on the more things that make you go hmmm side of things, apparently pantyhose for men is rising in popularity. Hmmm.

Despite all of this, the royal ladies never got the memo it seems, and they are advised (translation: required) to wear pantyhose when on official business. I don’t know if it’s been a significantly slow news week (I mean, as far as I know we’re only still at war, health care is still in crisis and Rupert Murdoch is going down in a ball of flames), but the press coverage on the Duchess's “tights” (as they say in England) has been absolutely mind-boggling. Check it out here, here, here and here. I wonder if Kate (can I call her Kate?) is wondering, "Justin brought sexy back and all I brought back was pantyhose?" Sorry-- couldn't resist (nerd comment #2).

(Fun fact: a google search of "pantyhose royals" yielded 173,000 results... the top search page all about Kate.)

But what do I know? Does it mean I’m proper enough to be a royal? (I’d choose Princess over Duchess too, Kate.) I guess I’m still stuck in the 80s (where, by the way, the only tights I was wearing was to ballet (white tights) and tap class (shiny nylons—awwww yeah!). In Jazz dance we little 8 year olds got to go bare legged)-- it wasn't all bad!

WWEPW

It's probably no surprise to those who know me well that I am a big fan of Glee. Singing and dancing television show full of teenage angst and crazy-talk (Sue Sylvester, anyone?)? Awww-yeah. Not to mention guest star Gwyneth's delightful Holly Holiday makes me want to skip around the room-- literally ("Let's get some tacos!"). But of all the wonderfully quirky characters, I am an Emma Pillsbury fan. Not only because of her bit of crazy about dirt that is a little reminiscent of a certain Hawaiian living in England (so MRN tells me) but because of her wardrobe-- which I happen to love. Especially because so much of her attire comes from my beloved Anthropologie; and a lot of pieces it I actually own.

So imagine my GLEE to stumble across this website: What Would Emma Pillsbury Wear. This intrepid blogger recaps Emma's outfits and sources them, along with providing alternatives for things that may be sold out or too expensive. She also gives tips for putting together Emma-approved outfits, and occasionally will throw in other characters' styles as well. Either way, it's a fun way to spend some time, if you're of the browsing / window-shopping set (which I am).

This week Emma showed up in this fun, bright pink cardigan. And yes, I do own it. :)

Top Hat White Tie and Tails

I love hats. I think it's a shame that they're not in fashion anymore... well, in the way they were 70-100+ years ago where as much care went into choosing a hat as did an outfit. It's also a shame that my head is so darned big that even if they were in fashion I couldn't really wear them... well, off the rack, anyway.

One of the fun things about living in England is that people still wear hats. Well-- sort of. To weddings... and even then, not many. But there are still some who hold strong to the tradition. To me a hat automatically makes an event more formal-- more special. And the evolving trend of "fascinators" which are beautiful (and sometimes fantastic) feather and flower (and other things) designs flowing from headbands; or attached to clips that are "fastened" to the hair, is setting fashion a flutter with possibility (or maybe just me a flutter with it inspiring a resurgence in hat wearing). This one that Kate Middleton recently wore (a gorgeous handmade design by Vivien Sheriff Millinery) includes a cameo and badges from a Welsh military uniform (apropos considering the event she wore this to was to launch a Welsh ship-- her first official Royal engagement with her hubbie-to-be). It's hard to see but the pheasant feathers and other baubles are attached to a small, chocolate brown velvet pillbox hat. *LOVE* Perhaps not quite the drama of a hat, but oh so chic. Definitely enough to still warrant my affection. I'm secretly hoping that the impending Royal Wedding will inspire a resurgent trend around hats (I think Kate's already making headway-- pardon the pun).

I spied this one at Zara last week and I'm sort of coveting it. It makes me want to go on an exotic beach vacation somewhere in the French Riviera. Of course, it likely wouldn't fit my head.

Kiki!

It's even fun to say.

I'm not much of a handbag person-- or an accessories person in general. I do love my shoes, but my passion for peds seems to be wavering (gasp!), if only for lack of storage and places to wear them (working at home is killing my shoe social life). Every nice bag that I have has come from my sis in her attempt to keep me stylish. If not for her, I'd still be walking around with the free bags I get through department stores (no-- not plastic ones; the ones that come as the "bonus gift" when you spend a certain amount of money. I'm not that ghetto).

So imagine my surprise when this little gem (from Kiki London via Daily Candy London) came across my inbox and I was instantly coveting it. A bag! But how sweet is it? Made from vintage obi fabric, reminiscent of a kimono... and a terrific color. Not to mention, it matches the beautiful earrings that my sis gave me for my birthday. And wouldn't it look pretty nice (and slightly quirky-interesting... because I'm sort of those things... well, quirky, anyway) with the black dress that I'm wearing to a black tie event later this month? I think so.

Alas, the bag is way out of my price range (and yes, I've given myself a little leeway beyond "free."). Plus, I'm not one for "outfit-specific" purchases. I'm a mix and matcher to the utmost degree. But a girl can dream?

Mallard

We've all heard our fair share of odd terms of endearment. "Pookie," "Snookums," "Bubs." Then there's your more standard fare, "Baby," "Babe," "Sweetie" or "Dear." But I don't think there's one so strangely endearing as one previously dubbed upon me:

Mallard.

Yes. As in the duck. Why, you ask, would someone call me a duck? Weellll-- it starts with a not so funny story (well, at least it wasn't to me...). It was 1997 or 1998 (holy crap that was a long time ago) and I was out to dinner with friends in New York City. We were going to a friend's play following dinner, so we were in a bit of a rush to get through the meal (although I seem to remember this was also the night of the telling of the "Jesus is Coming Subway Story" which I'll have to remember to retell in another post because it's freaking funny...). We made it to the play on time, but I was starting to feel not so good. Throughout the first act, my upper lip started to itch and I was having a bit of a hard time catching my breath. When I tentatively touched my lip I realized that it was swelling-- I didn't know how much until intermission when I rushed to the bathroom and saw that it was indeed swollen-- to about quadruple its normal size (You see where this story is going...).

I went out to find my friends and with my hand covering my mouth, made excuses and dragged my unwilling boyfriend out of the theatre. Upon getting in a taxi I uncovered my mouth and he burst out laughing. (Yeah-- thanks.) "You look like a mallard."

Lots of liquid Benadyrl and a trip to the doctor the next morning for a shot, my lip eventually did return to normal, but the nickname stuck. Used mostly in times when I was particularly pathetic or sad, but always affectionately. It always pushed me out of whatever doldrums I was in and made me laugh. And it was rather endearing.

I'd been having a particularly pathetic, self-pity kind of week when I happened across this sweater on my favorite store's website tonight. I started to laugh. I'm thinking of getting it so whenever I'm having a gloomy day I can whip it out. It would always make me smile.

















Migrating Mallard Sweater from Anthropologie.

A hand model I am not

My hands, and particularly my nails, are always mangled. I don't know if it's a matter of the inordinate amount of typing I do on a daily basis, the fact that I wash dishes and take showers with no cold water, or simply don't moisturize. But my cuticles are always a mess and my nails always uneven (okay-- may also have to do with the nervous picking that I inevitably do when stressed or upset). Manicures, despite obvious need, have never been my cup of tea. Mostly due to the nail polish being chipped the same day as the manicure because I can't sit still long enough to let my nails dry (oh, okay-- my consummate clumsiness may be the culprit). Even when I got engaged I wasn't that girl who got manicures to show off the ring. Any way you slice it, it was never worth the investment. Pedicures on the other hand are a different story. I love foot massages, getting callouses buffed away and toes painted. It's a little slice of heaven. Another entry for another time.

Since moving to England, pedicures have gone away simply due to the fact that it's not an every corner business like it is in NYC and Chicago. In fact, I've yet to see a nail salon anywhere-- even in London. I know they must exist... people have nails here too, after all. But the McDonaldization of nails has not yet hit this country.

Yesterday I was killing some time waiting for MRN in Manchester and happened upon a nail bar in Selfridges (think Neiman Marcus). Operated by Nails Inc London (see? I knew there had to be one in London!), they offered a number of options including a "3 week manicure." Intrigued, despite not being a manicure girl (as my man hands will attest), I decided I'd try it out. Until I saw the price tag.

50 GBP. That's a whopping $78 folks. For a MANICURE. Ummm... I could get two a week for three weeks for those prices in New York or Chicago... NEW YORK CITY OR CHICAGO! Paying nearly $80 bucks for a manicure in Manchester??? I don't think so.

But my nails were in such bad shape, I did spring for the 15 minute manicure at 27 GBP ($42). Given a simple file and paint was 20 GBP, it seemed the prudent thing to do to at least get my cuticles oiled, trimmed and some lotion rubbed on my hands. Even though the sushi that I ate for lunch was HALF the price (and I ate a lot of sushi), I figured, what the heck. Nail salons here are, after all, a commodity. It was a decent manicure-- but certainly on par with the fast food chains in the U.S. (but really, how would I know?). And the technician (that's what they call them here) was super friendly and we chatted about The Hills and Laguna Beach and whether I'd ever seen any celebrities when I lived in LA (yes). All in all, 15 minutes well spent.

So far I haven't botched the job yet... and I even veered from my normal clear (or pale pink... because then at least I don't have to whip out the nail polish remover on day two) for this on-trend, super dark purple (the photo looks black... and MRN thinks it's black, but the description on the bottle said "sultry black grape" darn it. Yeah, okay. Either way-- I'm liking it, despite my man hands. I guess it's good that I [mostly] work at home. Oh well-- it will likely be gone by tomorrow.

(P.S. The nail technician did in fact say that I had very nice nails. I am wondering if that's like when aestheticians tell you that you have really nice skin while their squeezing all the crud out of your pores...)

Shoes, Glorious Shoes...

Some pretty shoes to go with my Fall faves... oh to live in world with unlimited closet space (and, errr, money...).

Wingspan Heels from Poetic License (love, love, love Poetic License...); Gust of Wind PumpsRensselaer T-Straps; Lavandula Heels. from Plenty by Tracey Reese;

Fall faves

Even though it's all-Fall, all the time here in England, I still look forward to my favorite season. I like the way the air changes-- it feels and smells different, and it gets me thinking about Halloween and Thanksgiving and all the yummy smells and food-- apples, pumpkin, cinnamon, oh my. I also love fashion in the fall-- the twilight period before digging into winter coats... where you can get away with a cardigan thrown over your dress and adding some tights. I live in skirts in the fall / winter-- throw on some heavy tights and some boots and I'm perfectly content. I'm a girly-girl at heart, and I'd much rather be in a skirt than slacks (which I'm in most of the rest of the year). So the promise of brisker weather puts me firmly in my happy place.

I'm loving the resurgence of plaid combined with feminine details like ruffles and flowers this season. Plus all the fun detailed cardigans. And skirts with horses? How much better can it get for this now country-living girl? I also love pairing unexpected patterns, textures and colors-- something Anthro does oh-so-well. Now only if I could get there easily enough...

Images from Anthropologie (is there any other?): Sea Fan Sweater, Painted Night Skirt, Half Pass Jacket, Paisley Paths Skirt, Marston Sweater Skirt, Summer's Reminder Cardigan, Best of the Bunch Cardigan, Easy Keeper Skirt, Stable Skirt, Terrace House Jacket, Ruffled Plaid Dress, Herringbone Sweater Jacket

Coveting

Even though I am on a self-imposed shoe ban, boots are a must-have English year-round item. You see, it's cold and rainy ALL THE TIME, so investment in boots is justifiable. I'm still waiting on my Wellie's, which enough hints to MRN might bag them this birthday... but in the meantime, I'm coveting these babies from Anthropologie. I mean, what could be more perfect? Leather with ruffles? Sure, not so versatile, as I couldn't really use them for work... but lots, and lots of leisure. Plus, no heel, so I could actually walk around in them. I love all things Anthropologie. They opened their first European store in London last November, and I've made frequent trips. It's massive, but they don't have the same great sale rack as my beloved State Street store in Chi-town, and buying retail is not as satisfying (or wallet-friendly). Of course, I do indulge in small items (hats, headbands, socks) but mostly save for impromptu US trips (while the GBP has taken a massive hit in this downturned economy, it's still a bit better than the USD). The new Fall catalogue just came out and I'm drooling over all the wool skirts, cardigans and checkered tights. I think a trip to Anthro will be in order for this month's trip to Chicago!

Because you're worth it! (No this is not a L'Oreal Commercial)

In addition to a brand new family blog, my sister way over on the other side of the world has also started a new business venture. She's repping for Stella and Dot, a great jewelry line with some to-die for stuff. Since I'm no longer allowed to buy shoes (self-imposed... I still look longingly, but alas, my little house has run out of space, and I'm continually frustrated by having to unload an entire closet of stuff to find the pair to a pair of shoes. Although I am still in search of the perfect flat boot... but I digress...), I've decided that it's time for me to learn how to accessorize.

I am a rubbish accessorize-r. I have a penchant for losing jewelry (only the stuff that costs a lot) meaning that once it's on, it doesn't come off. Or, I am relegated to putting it in one place, and one place only so that I don't have a heart attack when I can't find it. But the older I get, the more I realize that a necklace, or a bracelet, or a brooch can really make-- and change an outfit. At 34, I am, much to my chagrin, a suit. I have to wear them for work, and since my work wardrobe is a big financial investment, I tend to buy conservatively-- as in styles that will work for multiple years. But I hate boring-- so I try to wear interesting patterns or colors in shirts or scarves-- and especially interesting shoes. But with my shoe ban, I've decided the next best thing is jewelry.

When my sister sent me a link to her website a couple of weeks ago, there were so many great choices, I didn't know where to start. I decided to go for things that were flexible-- so I could pretty-up a work outfit, but also wear it on the weekend. I chose these:















Similar family, but not the same; it will depend on how fancy I'm feeling on any given day, I suppose. I had a load of other things on my list, but my sister and I have shockingly identical taste, so I saved a bunch of stuff to order later. Seriously-- out of 10 things, these were the only two things not duplicated (which perhaps should have led me to NOT choose them because she has better taste).

And have I mentioned that the GREAT thing is that anyone can order something fabulous at anytime from her website?!? (heehee) And my favorite thing? No, not the jewelry (although it's pretty great)-- the packaging (of course). Each piece comes in beautiful gift boxes (for no extra cost) so for the lazy amongst us, built in gift. A treat for you, a treat for someone you love. How can you not try it out?

Paper Snob

I'm not sure from where this love originated, exactly... perhaps it started with stationery because even as a child I loved to write letters... and it then branched out to include every which kind. I have a big box of notecards, paper, cards of every size, color and shape; envelopes, paper and templates to create custom envelope liners... and all the acoutremonts to go with it (fountain pens, ballpoint pens, inky pens, pencils, stamps, and more). I still use a paper planner-- even though I've had a palm pilot and now iPhone, there's something eternally satisfying to putting pen to paper. I have lots of fancy notebooks, which are are a combination of my oldest (miquelrius) and newest (russel+hazel) obsessions.
Russel+Hazel I owe to my sister (or, curse my sister for?). They are "office products for the soul." When I found out I was going to move to working at home full time, I wanted to make my home office an extension of me, not of my work... so beautiful paper and supplies were a must. I'm still getting there, but it's coming along. R+H has a genius binder system that offers the nostalgia of back to school days (yes, I was a nerd who looked forward to back to school-- as much for the friends and books as for the school supplies), but with a chic and sophisticated twist that's certainly not kid-like. The beautiful patterns and mix-and-match paper, dividers, post-it notes and other tools, as well as accessories like file boxes and folders and more give endless choice to make your office effortlessly stylish. I'm still outfitting mine and the biggest disappointment is that R+H doesn't retail in England, and they don't ship internationally either. So I have to covet from afar and when I go to the U.S., have things shipped to my location to hand carry back here. *Sigh.* Even the price of paper keeps going up.

My sis gave me the ultimate R+H planner recently-- their wedding book. I finally broke it out and threw away my ratty old plastic binder for this beautiful gem. It's so pretty I don't want to ruin it by writing in it. Haha-- but I will. Vendors are going to think I'm nuts when I walk in with this thing, but my friends and family won't be too surprised... I'm nothing if not organized-- at least, on the surface! Now I'm prepared to actually start planning the wedding! (it's about time, right??)

Shoe Love

Since moving to England I've been REALLY good about shoes... as in, I've only bought one pair (for my birthday present to myself... because you should always get a birthday present for yourself; after all, who knows you better?), and they were out of sheer necessity-- I replaced a pair of boots that were killing my feet for a splurge; but they are good for both work and play (and more importantly, my feet). But generally speaking, I've resisted my shoe urges primarily due to lack of space (and compulsion to curb superfluous spending in general). But no storage for shoes has been my greatest irk (alright, alright-- a bit melodramatic, but hey, what's life without a little superficial melodrama).

However, this week saw the end to my self-imposed shoe famine. I've been coveting a pair of Poetic License shoes since last fall, but managed to resist until this week when I saw they had gone on sale. And what's better than buying shoes than buying shoes on sale?! While it's a London company, I actually discovered PL at Nordstrom in Chicago. I fell in love with their quirky, flirty, retro-inspired designs, in fun colors and styles. My favorite in my "collection" are a pair of red, mid-heel patent leather with brown side stitching, a brown wooden heel and little peep holes on the face with a leather tassle bow for a little bit of fun. They're perfect for adding a little character to boring business suits. (And as an aside, their packaging is brilliant... and I'm nothing if not a sucker for good design. Yes-- the "box" is indeed also a bag. Clever.)

But these may soon be knocked out by my new purchase... again, practical because they can be used for work and play (well, perhaps a stretch for the office, but I do like to spice up my work wardrobe with fun shoes...). The ballerina "toe shoe" front, rich suede and stain bow accenting a keyhole opening on the face is stylish but practical for colder climates. And the platform heel is entirely foot friendly-- because while I do love shoes, I am not a "pain for fashion" type girl. They must be comfortable-- and walkable. Meaning, I can walk at least a mile in them without killing myself (and seeing as I'm naturally clumsy, these type of heels are much more "maikib-friendly").

You can find PL in the US at the following retailers: Nordstrom, Piperlime, and if you're in Chicago, at Lori's on Armitage. I'm sure a google search will reveal a lot more retailers, but these are my favorite for interesting shoes.

Ahhh... shoe love....