Santa

Reading this blog post on the santa annas brought me back to my childhood christmases, on my visits with my dad to my wacky grandmother's place down in southern california. I remember my uncle complaining that in LA, you wake up and its sunny, you go to sleep and its sunny. In this land, the santa anna winds become our version of a 'noreasterner.

This Christmas I'll be at home back in the northern part of the state. No Santa Annas but probably a lot of rain. I cant wait to see the centuries old oak trees sitting in the fields, which finally free of leaves expose their most sculptural form.

natural, easy, chic.

Unfussy chic hairstyle.  Not too polished, but healthy, not the I-haven't-washed-or-brushed-my hair-in-weeks (I think its time for that look to be on its way out)

So Simple, So Perfect

This photo literally stopped me in my tracks when I first saw it., and I still find it completely arresting. It's clean, its sexy, its not fussy. Even the hair- its freshly washed and neatly brushed. Maybe next summer i'll be feeling the waves again, but this is perfect for the transition to winter, for having the hair that your mother told you to have.

parisian style

Inez de la Fressange.

A model for how to dress for the city.

Autumn in the Big Apple

To be honest, being in the city in the summer makes me feel like a fish out of water. While the Loving Spoonful made it seem romantic, I'm struggling to see the allure. I put on my white flowy shirts, my jean shorts, let my air hair dry into my best imitation of beachy curls- and all I feel is that I should be back home, pedaling around on my cruiser, rolling down addison on my longboard. I long for the dappled sunshine of Palo Alto, or the salty smell of Santa Cruz.

But fall. Fall will be the season of New York. When the leaves get crispy the cement skyscrapers will stand in perfect opposition. I will wear blazers and wool sweaters and I will drink hot chocolate. I'll step on the leaves with my leather boots, and I will wear suede. Yes, suede.

Summers winding down

...and I never got a chance to go inner tubing with a drink in hand. This has been a pretty incredibly summer, but can there ever be too many of those moments? Those ones with the sun on your skin, the water beneath you?

Chic

Damn chic.

Wisdom of the Water

from fresh every day

Jessica De Ruiter

I've been closely following this girl before I even knew her name. I, like so many others, was instantly taken with the original image in domino. Her style was masculine, classic, and still sexy. A few more photos on the Sartorialist and I was a goner. Back in the summer of 09 Refinery 29 did a tour of her home and her outfits became my shopping guide. She even got a shout out from Garance Dore.

One of my favorite blogs, Tomboy Style, scored an interview with this amazing lady. So great to hear her voice, and to learn that she went through a grunge-meets-claudia-schiffer phase in the 90s.

The Forth

I had a surprisingly wonderful day in San Francisco. In the morning my plans fell through, but by the afternoon I was holding a tallboy on a rooftop in San Francisco, seeing old friends and watching the clouds across the bay.

Catherine from Rickshaw Design appears to have had an equally amazing day right north across the bridge. Bolinas is one of my favorite little salty surf towns. My family used to rent a house up there during the summer and I can still remember the anticipation in the death defying drive.

clamshells and cashmere

"an endless summer of canoes and clamshells and cocktails on the porch calls for an effortless wardrobe of August-night cashmere and sunday afternoon skirts bursting with hydrangeas"

-US Vogue, June 2004

anouk aimee

simple peasant shirt

Brand Management

"It's crucial for luxury brands to be consistent and authentic," he said. "They become cultural reference points as the world shifts. It's not that they don't take account of cultural forces, but they can't react. They have to be beacons of a certain point of view."

-Colin Mitchell of Ogilvy's Global Strategy and Planning Group

I've always been fascinated with the business side behind the fashion, particularly how these companies shape their brands. Thus I've been closely following the coverage of Millward Brown's list of most valuable brands. I thought that this article in the Atlantic did a good job of providing insight into the brains that powered Louis Vuitton to the top of the luxury companies.

...You say you want a revolution

I know it seems like just yesterday that I was planning my outfits for spring break in the dominican republic. But I am blessed enough to be heading out on another adventure in a ittle less than two months, so it's time to get packing!

My friend is writing a travel article on how to visit Cairo post revolution. From there we'll be sailing on down the nile and checking out the pyramids. Since I don't have to start work until July, I'm trying to figure out where to hang my card after visiting Egypt. Snorkling off the Sinai peninsula? Exploring the ruins of Petra in Jordan? Only time will tell!

While my itinerary is still a work in process, my vision for my suitcase is already shaping up.

dusty pink t shirts tucked into blousy off-white linen plants, fedora, ray ban aviators, silky tunics over white bermuda shorts, long flowy skirts, w thin drapy tees tucked in

white tank tops with gauzy wraps to cover shoulders, leather sandals, wrists and fingers draping in jewelery picked up in souks along the way...

pictures to come soon ...maybe

J Crew has a tumbler?

http://jcrew.tumblr.com/

not entirely sure why it has taken me this long to find this on the jcrew website, or how it hasn't been all over my favorite style blogs. I know that at times the J Crew worship can seem overhyped, but I enjoy wearing their clothes, and the website is jam packed with styling ideas. Needless to say I am anxiously awaiting to see the shape that their blog takes.

Defining Style

I struggle with defining my style. I see admire elements in all of the different tribes, and my favorite is constantly in flux

.

flipping through the photos that I've saved, I've come to realize that my style could most closely be described as the nexus of Grace Kelley and the Grateful Dead.

Classic Beauty

Elaine Irwin (nee Mellencamp) in a early 90s Calvin Klein Ad.

Rules for My Unborn Daughter...

Wear Sunscreen.

But also enjoy the feeling of sun on your face in the late afternoon. Enjoy the rosy glow of your cheeks in the evening. Enjoy the sight of your nose peeling.

Carve

I borrowed my friend's longboard, and ever since I've been bombing around the little hills around my apartment. I'm become obsessed- the sun on my shoulders, wind in my hair, and my hands dirty with the powder of the black asphalt.

My goal is to become confident as a longboarder so that this time next year I'll be skating down the west side highway.

peace love and white rabbits

One of my friends in elementary school was named Royanne.  She had several things in common with Mary-Kate Olsen, one of which was a penchant for stacking 5,6, 14 rings on her little fingers.

Not only did she the best name, but she also lived in the Jefferson Airplane house. SICKEST PLAYDATES EVER

My most recently saved searches...

How to make a good gin and tonic

How to make a friendship bracelet

Summer is almost here.

Rule for my unborn daughter...

The best years of your life should always be this one, and the next.

fast break for spring

In 2.5 days I will be jetting off to the lovely dominican republic. Because my friends are totally awesome and on the same page as me, we'll be staying in a funky little bungalow in a small, off-the-beaten-path surf town. I'm hoping to spend my days surfing, paddleboarding, and my nights drinking beers on the beach. Excited is an understatement.

Over the last week I've been working on the trip's playlists, and now that I've got my jams sorted, it's time to move on to my wardrobe.

I'm thinking preppy basics like white denim and chambray shirts, mixed with neoprene neons, friendship bracelets, and tribal patterns. Think psycadelic summertime sailing safari.

Frayed hems

It's been fairly well documented that i like my denim in either one of two extremes- dark rinse, or beat up and destroyed. This look combines my love of cut-up denim with my passion for capri length pants. Seriously the most flattering look for your ankles. I've been folding my hems all winter long.

I took a pair of rarely-worn jeans and cut off the last couple inches. Results are still to be determined- the jeans had a little bit of a flair, which made for a slightly suboptimal outcome. But the more I wash them the better they get, and I'm pretty optimistic for the future

The awesome Laural Pantin

Never underestimate the power of a white button down.

I have a longstanding obsession with Kate Schelter. I've been eagerly scouring the internets for more images, articles and interviews. While trying to appease my insatiable demand for Kate Schelter, I stumbled upon this interview. As I'm currently planning my spring break, the timing couldn't be better. This is a pretty phenomenal packing list.

Bright Colors

Ethnic Prints

St. James

Watercolors

Caftans

Yoga

nature, architecture, and the power of a uncompromising woman

Tonne Goodman. Pretty damn close to the definition of chic.

http://habituallychic.blogspot.com/2007/09/tonne-tonne-tonne.html

Messy Buns

A rut I'm quite happy to stay stuck in.

At risk of sounding like a broken record

So many of the pieces I've been harping on- corduroys, tweed and a thick ribbed sweater

Rules for my unborn daughter...

The easiest way to avoid looking lazy or unintelligent is to proofread.

So true- you can never edit a document enough.

That being said, this advice may be a little bit more of the "do as I say, not as I do" variety

My winter Wardrobe

A black turtleneck sweater has become my winter go-to, I feel like it frames the face beautifully even if you're face doesn't have the same cheekbones as Mrs. Kennedy