Winter is here, y’all—and so, therefore, is coat season. This means that I, your #fblogger #fbuddy, am feeling compelled to tell you all about which coats are cute, which ones are lame, and which ones are kinda in between. Harken to my wisdom!
Coat Thom Browne // Bag WANT Les Essentiels de la Vie // Scarf Acne // Boots Saint Laurent // Jeans Balenciaga // Eau de Toilette Comme des Garçons
This look is super simple, which I love, and draws heavily on what I think of as classic English references—the houndstooth coat, the military boot, the less-classic-but-still-English “punk” skinny jean. It’s pretty well monochromatic, which I get off on, and is super-luxe without being overtly so. Also, just for the record, that WANT clutch is actually pretty affordable (and totally gorgeous.) The EDT I literally only discovered this past weekend—I actually reworked my lil’ collage here to fit it in. I am completely and totally consumed by desire for this frag. No joke. When I think about it, I want to touch myself, that’s how good it is / LOLZ #TMI. Another really good fragrance I recently discovered is Like This, Tilda Swinton’s collaboration with Etat Libre d’Orange. It’s Tilda, so obvs it’s unisex, and it basically smells like the complete and total opposite of CDG Black—perfect for those days you don’t want catching a whiff of your own wrist to incite overwhelming sexual desire. Anyway, while I love the Thom Browne coat, I think I may be leaning this season more toward really oversized lady coats.
Zara actually has a pretty nice, albeit overpriced, drape-y robe coat that’s a little bit boner-inducing (and actually a wool/silk blend, natch.) I’ve told myself I’ll get it the second it goes on sale…unless I find something better / actually cut for a small man and not a woman. Below you’ll find Christophe Lemaire delivering his signature blend of casual cool, plus some other coats/jackets I’m into. Are you ready for coat weather? Or are you kind of over it already? Image sources on ma Pinterest, clockwise from top-left: 1, 2, 3, 4.
(Clockwise from top: suit + turtleneck c/o Alder New York; ph. John Kim // Clément Chabernaud in Balenciaga; ph. Tetsuhara Kubota, styling Eugene Tong for Details // The Sartorialist // Dapper Lou // Steve McQueen) I don’t mean to toot my own taste horn, but I told you turtlenecks were going to be hot this season and—according to the moodboard I just made—they so totally are. Don’t just take my word for it—Glenn O’Brien agrees! (In an article from like, 2005, but whatever.) A more recent testament to their hotness would be Details’ editorial Ready To Wear, in which hottie-with-a-body Clément Chabernaud wears a Balenciaga turtleneck and makes dudes be like, “Where my manties at?” They’re on the floor, drenched in sensational f*cking style, that’s where they are.
What I’m trying to say is that turtlenecks are wicked sweet, even though you may think they’re kinda nerdy in a Steve Jobs way—or, worse: in a Steve Jobs as played by Ashton Kutcher sort of way. Maybe you think they’re stylistically on par with bellbottoms and polyester point-collared shirts, but I’ve got news for you: ok, 1) bellbottoms are amazing and 2) so are turtlenecks. Polyester shirts are literally the worst, so I can’t fault you there. Read my tips for wearing your turtleneck like a pro, after the jump!
Ph. McArthur Joseph // turtleneck American Apparel // sportcoat A.P.C. // pants Marc by Marc Jacobs // shoes Rachel Comey // pocket square vintage // reading Monocle
Blah blah blah, faShIon! I have so many thoughts and stuff to talk about, but I’m exhausted—not because I was hopping from one show to the next in heels, but because work has been really demanding lately and now I just want to nap all the time. That being said, I did manage to fit in some #NYFW action this past week—it was my first time ever actually getting invited to anything, y’all! The two runway shows I had time to see (pics below) were The Art Institute of NYC (top) and Concept Korea (bottom).
I got the chance to meet Tommy from MyBelonging this week as well. We share a love for Zara leggings and Azn fashion, so after the Concept Korea show we took pics of each other’s outfits and practiced looking bored:
I know! I’m wearing a leather apron skirt! I am telling you nothing about it, though…you’ll have to wait for the full outfit post/details next week. Aside from actual runway shows, I got to take in a few presentations (pics below, again, duh). Two favorites were Frank & Oak (top two) and William Okpo (bottom two). Also of note: Frank & Oak just released a really sweet ‘zine (you saw it on Insta h with top-notch photography and an interview with Waris Ahluwahlia. Looking forward to seeing more from them…
…and I loved the William Okpo presentation, too—great prints, great hair. Then I took some other street style snaps of people (you can see another angle on this lady’s outfit on The Sartorialist).
I got up to some other life choices, all visible on IG, in case you’re looking for more! And now I’m going to go get a large coffee…Like this post? Check out my other fashion week-related posts here and here.
What you really need to ask yourself is: do I look like a power lesbian summering in Nantucket? The answer should be, “Yes.”
I feel like I could totally life-partner with Rachel Maddow in this outfit. The black pant, rather than a lighter-colored chino, makes it a little more boardroom appropriate and would nicely complement Maddow’s hair. And you know Ellen would wear the balls out of a pair of Chuck Taylors with her summer suiting, a look she probably made cool back in college, well before Jeremy Piven & Co. hopped on the bandwagon and ruined everything.
Up top we’ve got a pink, seersucker shirt from J.Crew that I’m literally wearing with a Band of Outsiders repp tie with boats on it, wHaT!? Let me explain: I was in J.Crew one day because I know they make XS’s, looking for a basic white or dark navy oxford and striking out. Then I saw this on the rack and thought it couldn’t hurt to venture out of my comfort zone. #TakingChances ( <– Celine Dion reference, anyone?) It fits really well and looks even better wrinkled than ironed out, which means it’s super easy to dress up or dress down. (This is it dressed down.)
And then we have these boss-ass (are we hyphenating that now?) Warby Parker frames. Ugh, aren’t they so sick? Someone at work said I looked very “weekend in the Hamptons” in them, so basically she called me an asshole…but a hot one!
Shot by McArthur in Washington Square Park, a great place for:
Watching hot men do things
Instagramming iced coffee
Instagramming a cute picnic
Taking selfies
Being like, “this is like, my favorite park.”
P.S. Here’s a beauty tip – don’t wear a tinted moisturizer on the back of your neck (it had SPF in it and I didn’t want to burn!) It will ruin the collar of your shirt and just generally be disgusting to look at.
You can also have an eyelash extensions. Extensions can make a huge difference. You’ll get more lasting results if you work with Honolulu eyelash extension professionals. If you’re not happy with the way that your natural lashes look, why not give this option a try?
The other week, I stopped into one of my favorite new-to-me cafés in the city, Lost Weekend, for a quick coffee and also to take pictures of myself getting said coffee. #META. More #META? This is me, asking myself five questions about the Montauk-meets-the-LES establishment:
This week’s post is all about layering, because it’s winter and if you don’t have on lots of layers you will die. #Science. The third installment in our Coat Tales series finds me moving on from butch and glamorous and taking trad for a spin with this vintage wool shirt. It’s super thick and has some wonderful details like that natty back vent. The second incarnation of buffalo plaid we’ve seen on the blog this season (the first being these pants), it’s about a size too big – perfect for layering over a sweater and sportcoat (and chambray shirt and tee). Plus, it’s a great pop of color, no? I paired it with these thrifted Boy Scouts trousers I found the other week – a total steal at $7! (That’s the second pair of Boy Scouts pants I’ve had lots of luck with…is this a good thing? Did I mention I’m twenty-five?) Also, can we talk about how they’re stylish cargo pants? They might as well be made out of unicorn, people.
The hat is a vintage Greek fisherman’s cap from What Goes Around Comes Around at Astor Place. These babies have been super popular for winter. The shape references a pageboy cap, a style recently featured on The Sartorialist so you know it’s #hotrightnow. I feel like that last picture could be from the 1920’s – I’m ready to toss my hat and celebrate our troops coming home, y’all! How do you layer in winter?
And finally, here’s a second round of awesome photos by awesome photographers you should know. The above three are what I’m calling, “obscure object portraits” by Clemens Fantur. The people in them seem to be a little bit invisible, I’d say…quite beautiful, no?
Here we have some realllly wicked fashion photography by Sasha Kurmaz (that first image links back to the set these are from). I just think these are so inspired…quirky and a little bit unhinged.
This little section I’m calling, “modern still lifes.” First up is a group of silver spray-painted fruits (#winning) by Jay Bing, then a pair of jeans and a skateboard and plant by Ada Hamza, whose work with shadows and negative space is really interesting.
And last, but not least, we have hot guys in nature. Brought to you, in order of appearance, by Jeff Luker, Carles Rodrigoand Harley Weir.
Be sure to click through to view people’s work on Flickr and all names link back to a website or blog/Tumblr. On a side note, if I’ve featured your work here and you’d like it removed, grab my email from the “About” section and let me know!
Time for some makeover madness! I’ve synergized my orangespiration with my decorating-with-candles mania here, and crossed it with my overarching love for all things shiny to bring you this post. It all started with the sidetable, which I got on sale for $15 at Urban Outfitters. (It was originally $148!) It’s color was something akin to tapioca, which is just so not hot right now – crisis. I picked up a can of spraypaint at my local hardware store and set about revamping this little number in a delicious shade of tangerine, the Pantone “Color of the Year.” (View some more tangerine-spiration at Apartment Therapy.)
Considering the fact that I’ve not only done this before, but photodocumented the entire process, you would think I couldn’t screw up…so I even sort of surprised myself when I forgot to prime the thing. It is, in the words of Cher Horowitz, a Monet now – pretty from a distance, but a bit of a mess up close.
In other life lessons: this candle. I bought it because it’s just soooo cute, but then, you know what? I don’t think I love the way it smells so much and sometimes I think I can’t even smell it at all! Oh, well, I still like the look of it. In this post: flowers from Hedge, candle from O’Suzannah, Foo dog from the Consignment Shop on the downtown mall. Click through for the “before” shot!
Matin Zad is blowing up the internets right now—he shot a much reblogged Duckie Brown campaign and has done some editorial work to boot. His aesthetic is subversive, minimal, and abstractly peculiar and I love it. If you check out his portfolio you’ll see he was a pretty big influence on the art direction for this week’s shoot. Photography Matin Zad. Find him online and on Tumblr.
Designer Joy Gryson launched her eponymous accessories line in 2006 after an impressive corporate career that began at Liz Claiborne. There, as assistant to the Vice President of design and development, she cut her teeth in a category that would become crucial to the solvency of many a fashion house; she was then on to Coach, Calvin Klein and Marc Jacobs, all the while honing her eye for smart and desirable design. I sat down with Gryson to talk about her experiences in the industry and her three accessories lines, Gryson, Olivia Harris, and IIIBeCa.
To do justice to Gryson’s words, I enlisted the gorgeous Lauren from The Marcy Stop to model designs from IIIBeCa and Olivia Harris. I styled them with vintage from Amy Yee’s bitchin’ online boutique, Maeven, as Gryson made clear in our conversation the importance of timeless appeal. Enjoy!
A New York City native (she grew up on the border of Queens and Long Island), Gryson went to F.I.T. for merchandising and marketing, but knew her passion lay in the creative process. “I didn’t want to sit there and do numbers,” she says.
She launched IIIBeCa, the youngest of her three accessories lines, in the fall of last year as a means to give back to her local community. Sales from IIIBeCa support three charities she and her husband and business partner, Peter, care deeply about: Family Focus Adoption Services, a non-profit Gryson’s mother co-founded; Memorial Sloan-Kettering hospital; and the 9/11 memorial.
The look of the line was inspired by Gryson’s first designer handbag, by Il Bisonte. “It was that yummy, grainy leather that you know is going to wear so well over decades. You still see all of these vintage ones today—they really are completely timeless.” Despite its accessible price point, the IIIBeCa line is no stranger to the level of detail typically associated with a more expensive product. Made of vegetable-tanned Vachetta leather, the bag’s interiors are left raw—taking minimalism to the max. A drawstring lining is included for customers who prefer something a little less rough. “I’m very detail oriented, that’s the Virgo-ness in me,” Gryson says with a laugh. “I’ve designed for people who are at a couture level and I’ve also designed for people who sell bags at Target, so I understand that you can make a great bag no matter what the price point is.”
When Joy and Peter first launched Gryson their most eager customers were not so close to home. The Japanese market was one of the first to express a lot of interest in Gryson’s designs, notably for their unisex appeal. “I saw a lot of Japanese men wearing Gryson bags,” she remembers. “Takashi Murakami actually ordered a Gryson bag for himself, which was a big deal for me! So I definitely feel like there’s that masculine/feminine balance throughout the collection…in China, Korea and Japan, it’s amazing—in those three countries, the men’s market is almost as big as the women’s market.”
So how does a mom-and-pop operation get to be Big in Japan? 1) Know the industry ropes and 2) Foster the right business relationships over the course of almost two decades. “I worked 24/7,” says Gryson of the early days of her career. “At those types of corporations, everyone did.” Nowadays, she and Peter have more time to focus on their family and pursue that ever elusive work/life balance—something of a challenge when you’re the face, name and brains behind an expanding business. “The economy has been such a rollercoaster [ever since we launched]…the fact that we’re even still alive really says a lot. It’s all about being versatile and being able to maneuver. You have to be creative, not just in designing things, but in how you handle your business.”
And for a brand with only one brick-and-mortar outlet (the bags retail primarily in department stores), how important is the function of e-commerce? Gryson stresses that online sales are crucial to a diversified growth strategy. “Financially it makes more sense for the customer to come to our site because we’re going to make more money—the markup is simply different. But it’s also important for people who don’t know our brand to be able to go to a website like Net-A-Porter and discover us [in the context of their favorite labels.] You’re going to get more potential customers through a website like that because they have a bigger outreach. It’s important to have both outlets and to be in balance. You never want to completely write off any venue, because it’s the whole process that’s important.”
And a few last words of wisdom: “No matter who you work for, whether it’s for yourself or for someone else, it’s about doing the best that you can. I think that’s part of what’s made us successful. So we just keep on going, you know?”
A big thank you to Joy for sitting down and chatting with me, and to Lauren and Amy for helping me tell this story a little better. Shot on location in Greenpoint, Brooklyn and at Le Gamin restaurant. Don’t forget you can shop these looks!
