I don't think I've had as much fun as THESE guys. But, I've had my fair share of going out this week and I just wanted to give you an update on what I've been up to. It's rather positive---rare from this old gal. Enjoy it while it lasts........
Dear Ethers,
La-dee-da. I’ve been going out in this town called Holly-weird and meeting some very unusual people at some very unusual venues. It’s really odd what I’ve been up to lately, and my life has seemed like a blur this past week.
So, here is my giant and glam update.
As mentioned, I went to this party thrown by shoe gal. It was an Indian themed night and she hired local women who are brilliant chefs from India to cook massive amounts of the most amazing curries, meats, lentils (I could go on) that you could imagine. My only complaint: no chuntey (what’s wrong with this country!). Her house is a lovely home just off Rodeo Drive and is an Art Deco/Spanish style beauty from the 1920’a that is in impeccable condition and decorated with impeccable taste. To add true Indian flavor to the night, she had a few members of the cast of Slumdog Millionaire (no, sadly not Frieda Pinto or Dev Patel) and gave beautiful embroidered pashminas as presents for coming. I think the highlight for her was seeing Kiefer Sutherland in her home (she’s a huge 24 fan). She sheepishly got the photographer to snap myself and another one of her friends with him (cringe-worthy—especially after seeing the picture). He was actually really lovely. But the weirdest person to show up was this bonkers Arab prince who brought an escort (no, like a 1-900-babe escort) and his bodyguards and I swear to god he was nuts and high on something and it wasn’t Allah.
The next night our new royal friend invited us out to a jazz bar he shut down for the evening, treated us to an amazing show of music and dancing and the most delicious food ever (the bill evidently came to $5,000 for 9 people, a very sneaky guest told us). The champagne and conversation flowed and he, again, was bonkers. From the shirt open to his midriff with chest hair bursting out and a gold medallion sitting on top of its puffs, to his toupee dancing as much as he did that night—it was certainly errrm, different. He’s staying in a cabana in the Beverly Hills Hotel (it is to die for) and the room costs $4,500 A NIGHT! And he is staying for 6 months!!!!!!!!! I’ll just let you ponder all the nice things you could do with the money like I did when I first heard the numbers.
Then, last night, I had the most AMAZING evening. I was invited to an exclusive Chanel dinner honoring their fine jewelry collection. A very small number of us sat at a pre-set dinner on top of the boutique in Beverly Hills where the chef from Lucques made us a 5-course meal with wines to match each dish. The room was dimly lit with Chanel votives scented with No. 5 and their signature white camellias. When I went out for a cigarette, the balcony had amazing couches and the view of the city was sparkling. The backdrop of the building was of dozens of double C’s lit in white. Marvelous. The best part was when the models, all donning Chanel, came out wearing the jewels. All of us got to wear them and I sat with a 2 million dollar diamond collar around my neck (the center stone was 8 carats!). I was so nervous that they thought I was going to do a runner that I kept looking at security reassuringly. They gave us as a parting favor a rare bottle of Chanel Beige EDT which costs $200 (that’s $100 a ml!).
So all in all it’s been an adventurous week. However, I feel guilty that English gent couldn’t join me for the festivities. Shoe gal is really big on it being all girls when she invites people…….so he wasn’t invited to the party nor the jazz club. Her attitude is, if she doesn’t bring her man, she doesn’t want you bringing yours either. I like it in a way, because it allows me to mingle with potential new friends. And in fact, I have made one or two new possible friendships out of these nights out. I think if English gent HAD been there, I might have been attached to him too much and may not have been as gregarious and keen to talk. It’s really nice having girlfriends and I like shoe gal’s philosophy. But there is guilt that he is left home a lot. We are going out to dinner this evening and I hope that we will get a chance to catch up then. But, the truth is when we are at home together, we don’t really do much. So I feel when I DO get the opportunity to go out, I should take it. Why sit home twirling my fingers when I could be out living life?
Besides that, I’ve got the normal worries about work. My company that I freelance for just lost 500 employees which, as I mentioned before, trickles down to me. Work will be scarce. I really am so desperate to get on that oh-so-coveted ladder and have terrible anxiety everyday about it. I want out of this house and freedom. I want to have independence. I want to know if I am building a nest here or not. These are all very worrisome questions.
I hope you are all well. I love talking to you guys. It’s so nice to have a chat and be able to open up. If you ever have any questions or if you ever want to open up yourself, e-mail me. I love getting e-mails and you know I’m a comment fiend. I can’t believe tomorrow is Fashion Friday! Seriously, I feel like it was yesterday that I was snapping my leggings and star top from my last post. UGH, I am so fat, what am I going to bloody wear for you people. Good thing you can’t see back shots. That way if nothing zips, I’ll be okay to still photograph myself in it.
This article is going to be the end of me. And on shoes, nonetheless....and I LOVE shoes! So, sorry for the rambling below (I needed the break from writing!).......but hey, how badass is this Chanel heel that our Queen Of England, Madonna wore? Now these really are KILLER heels!
Dear Ethers,
A really short one tonight. My apologies. Tomorrow could be the same (yes, the victim might be the Wish List!). I have two enormous feature pieces I am writing that are both due on Tuesday and I am having a really rough time with them. One is re-working a piece that was really creative (written like a story). It was bought (yes!) and then my Editor wanted me to add a philosophical element to it that required getting quotes from major companies (which you have to chase, chase, chase) and re-arranging the piece to keep its integrity and also allow it to make sense (no!). It’s tricky when you sell a piece to a major newspaper. Once they buy it, they can be cheeky and keep asking you to make little tweaks until it has elements in your work that you never intended. I really loved my original and wrote it on a whim when a cool event in the fashion world caught my fancy and made me wonder. It just poured from my fingers and I was so pleased with it. So was my Editor, but then she wanted to turn it into a leading feature for the week before Christmas—a very savory slot—and needed it to be a more powerful statement story and not as “fun.” Hey, I get paid per word and am pretty damned psyched, but still, I feel stuck because I don’t think what she’s asking exactly works. Sighhh…but, this is going to be a big deal and I just started working with this paper (and lord knows I need the dosh and exposure) so I’m not going to say no. And, hey, a good writer is always one who can take a deep breath and hit the delete button and make edits.
As for the other piece, you’d think it would be so easy! I had to interview 3 major shoe designers and ask them each the same 7 questions. Then, all I have to do is formulate a story about shoes—and hey, even easier, I get to pick the idea of the theme. I’m allowed a two paragraph lead-in and then I have to weave their answers in cleverly. Simple, right? WRONG. I can’t believe of all things SHOES are giving me a nightmare (maybe it’s my new relationship with shoe gal!). I think I’ve written and re-written this feature about 4 times and have erased them all without saving one draft. It’s the main story for a special on shoes for the November 15th issue and I am having is-SHOES! It’s my first assigned piece from my Editor and I want to show her I’m really good. She says she’s tried out loads of freelancers and they’ve sucked and I don’t want to fail her. Maybe she’s cursed me like many a women have cursed a man. You know, talking about how past boyfriends have stunk in bed right before you and she are about to sleep together. All sorts of thoughts probably go through their minds and then it’s a self-fulfilling prophecy. UGH!
Anyway, the fuckers are both due Tuesday, 9AM PST and I am shaking in my boots. I’ve never been this nervous about my work before. I think I’ve had the confidence kicked out of me by so many Manolo’s (ha ha…ermm…ha) that I’ve lost my One of 365 pride. It’s also nerve wracking when you know that one company you work for just fired a shed load of people and are making serious budget cuts which trickle down to you and this might be a way to make up for that loss of much needed cash.
So, will you forgive me today? My eyes are crossing from staring at my Mac—I even got desperate enough and tried to distract myself from writing by taking crazy pics with my Photo Booth on my computer. I’m proud to say that I have wonderful Warhol-esque images of me cross-eyed and sticking my tongue out.
I have to dish about the party. Some nutters were there and I’ll let you now Mr. Depp, sadly, didn’t show. But a few famous faces did and a crazy Arab prince arrived and I have a hilarious story about that which will make you wonder if I am lying about some of the crazy shit that happens in my life.
If you asked me when I was a kid if I would be 29, sitting in front a computer on a Sunday night ready to burn all my heels as a coup d’etat against the governing body of shoes or that I would even be obnoxious enough to use the expression coup d’etat instead of speaking English, then I think I would have tried to buckle down on my math and science skills and tried to become a therapist (I’m nuts, remember—and they say it helps one to know one—maybe I would have been great!).
Jesus, for a quick post this thing is already almost 900 words with my ramblings. I can’t ever write a short tid-bit, can I
Sorry for complaining, but it sure was nice to write about something else besides heel height and balls of feet. And, seriously, no matter how bad this writer’s block is, it certainly beats the red carpet. BLECHHHHHHHHH! Sighhh……crystal ball, I beg of you, where will I be in the next 5 years??
I’m the type of girl who normally just throws her hair in a loose bun and runs out of the house, long strands flying loose in my wake. Often people are surprised when I unravel my tresses and see that I have extremely long locks. “You look so much better with it down!” Sigh. I know I do, Ethers, but I’m lazy. I just can’t be asked to try with my hair. Such effort! But after looking at hair trends this season, I’m going to get my act together and ban the bun! It’s all about fun and creativity and I can’t wait to make the most of my mane!
Look at the turquoise and metal meshed together in this spectacular head piece from Dolce & Gabbana. It just livens up a simple center part and makes an incredible statement. No need for any jewelry with this on your head!
Embellishments for the hair, whether long or short, are in style and I am so excited about the variety of goodies out on the market. There’s everything from ribbons made from luxurious fabrics to be tied in oversized bows to thick headbands with exotic and colorful feathers. And I’m in love with clips bejeweled in an eye-catching array of sparkles so your hair appears as precious as if adorned with real gemstones.
This is so perfect for the "Russian Revolution" look that is on the runways of Chanel. I love the stones and the different fabrics like satin and grosgrain. This will liven up any dead-do.
This trend is a real blast from the past. In the 1920’s flappers wore fantastic headpieces that dangled and danced as fast as they did the Charleston. In the Victorian era, women wore jet, tortoiseshell, and ivory hair combs that had spectacular carvings that fanned out in their elegant coifs. Oh, and we mustn’t forget the days of Marie Antoinette! What wonderful creations she fashioned for the times. She even wore a sailboat as an adornment in her hair!
We always talk about fly-away hair. Ms. Antoinette had "sail-away" hair. Amazing!
A beautiful tortoiseshell Victorian hair comb. This one is in a fan shape. If you can get your hands on one of these in a antiques shop it would be your "crowning" achievement.
At Givenchy, models were wearing hair stick-straight with stiff-ribbon Alice-Bands in the mid-section of their heads. Severe, yet chic. Dolce & Gabbana had luxurious turquoise gems and metal bauble headbands tied with satin ribbon onto a center part. Their hair was done up in an intricate bun in the back. The show “Gossip Girl” has been making use of the head band with its good girl/bad girl character Blair. She wears the most fab pieces and many of them have gone missing (wink) after a days shoot. Even celebs are getting in on the action. Nicole Ritchie has been sporting the happening-hippie hair look with her self-designed “House of Harlow” chain band that conjures a Cleopatra-esque feel to it. Mischa Barton has just come out with her own line of halo-like bands and girls like Ashlee Simpson-Wentz and Lily Allen have been tweaking their tresses as well.
Here's our girl Ms. Ritchie sporting her signature golden band that uniquely drapes around her beautifully tousled hair. I love the Boho-Chic aspect of her look.
WOWZA! Look at the selection Mischa Barton has created for her new collection! These really remind me of the roaring 20's!
"Gossip Girl" was always a-HEAD of the game when it came to adornments for the hair. Look at this array! Jealous?
I personally love the dressy version of the look. I think it’s great to do the hippie, braided style for a casual day out, but what I think is so special about this trend is that it dresses up your hair and makes it unique. You don’t always have to be big and over-the-top with a black-tie look. A little Swarovski clip in your hair is understated and elegant. An embellished hair-tie is a perfect touch or even just tying a funky patterned bow in a half part through your hair instead of leaving it down gives it that extra zip.
If any of you are thinking, “This is a look that is too young for me,” you’re wrong! Any gal at any age can wear her hair up in a chignon with a beautiful comb in an elegant design. It adds to the beauty of your style, and it is certainly not too immature. In fact, it’s a classic. Another lovely look for a more mature woman would be a low clip holding the hair with some beautiful stones attached. Designer hair baubles are a great way to go if you want a bit of trendiness with just a touch of bling.
This signature Chanel camelia hair comb is classic. It's perfect for any age and is timeless and versatile.
So whether you go a la Marie Antoinette and really go for a “hair-raising” experience or more subtle like old Queen Vic and keep it cool and collected, treat yourself to a little bit of sass this season.
I am a soldier when I shop. I do it for the country that is One of 365. I have to make sure this "governing-body" looks damned good and I can't have ANYONE get in my way.
Dear Ether,
When I shop, I become a fierce, focused creature who does not like to be disturbed by ANYONE. When a friend asks me if I’d like to go shopping, I always try to weasel out of it. I don’t want to be interrupted with questions about HER dress or what I think about how HER shoes look on HER feet. I need to focus on the sale racks, sizes—my eyes rapidly scanning for deals without any deterrent.
I love shopping. There are many women who detest it and only go when they have to find an outfit for an occasion. I adore just heading out and perusing the boutiques seeing what I can drool over and store in my mind for when the sales come. I love the air-conditioned rooms, the music the they play, the pang in my heart when I see a tag with a red slash through it. I am a hunter and clothes are my prey.
I wouldn't make a badge or a bumper-sticker out of this, but it sure is my mantra
I have an excessive amount of clothing. It’s beyond ridiculous. I’m actually pretty proud that through the mounds of cloth I don’t have anything I truly regret. I mean, of course there are the pieces of crap you buy from Primark that you wish you maybe should have saved the 5 quid on for a coffee, or you realize you just bought ANOTHER black top. But for the most part, I’ve done decently well. Nothing too horrible. I’ve had regrets. I bought a Mulberry bag on sale in London that was 250 quid reduced from 500 and it sits smushed in a corner never used. It’s a little small and just a bit traditional for me. Would I like the money back, of course! But, no one would look at it and say, “What the hell were you thinking?” I’m always good about making sure to buy clothes that are made of lovely fabrics (I could ADORE a piece, but if it’s made of polyester or some shit I can’t pronounce—I’m done). I hate when from a distance you see a garment that’s lovely, and then you get close for further inspection and see it’s possibly flammable—oh, the horror!
English gent is an excellent shopping partner. He is the ONE person who I can tolerate to take with me. In fact, he is quite an asset being a fashionista himself (though when we see a mirror we tend to fight over it in a shop). He gives honest advice on how things look on me. He also knows the trends and gives ace investment premonitions. He never tires, he’ll wait patiently while I scour the racks and he appreciates clothing as much as I do (he is so in love with fashion that he has been known to buy something, change out of what he is wearing, and walk out of the store donning his new outfit!).
My style icons are a mix of Ms. Paltrow, the perfect Ms. Sienna and legendary Kate Moss, of course. When I go out, I try to conjure these women. I’m lucky with my figure that I can pull some of the looks off these ladies can (I’m not as tall as Gwyneth nor as flat-chested, I’m not as leggy or skinny as Sienna or Kate) but I can make their looks happen if I try and do get compliments which make my day (because if ONLY they new how much I paid for them—STEALS!).
(This is for you gentleman who read my blog…I thought I’d throw you some eye-candy)
Yep, this is how we ladies feel when we are donning something sexy. Or at least, I do. What an entrance!
My dream is to walk into Burberry and buy some of their Prorsum goodies, hit Chanel and buy a pochette bag, saunter into Temperley and buy a whimsical dress made of silk and air, and have no credit card limit. Oh, yes, there are millions of other designers who I’d kill to wear. But honey, put me on a stranded island with these 3, and I’d make the natives catwalk cuties in no time.
I have kept every item of clothing I have ever bought. They are stored in boxes throughout my folks house. I refuse to give anything away. I believe one day something might come back or if I have a daughter she’d kill me for giving it away (yes, I think there is hope for the overall and the multi-colored high-top). Clothes, to me, have always been my hobby. Some people love thimbles, spoons, Rembrandts. I love Miu Miu or a great pair of jeans. And when I go out looking spiffy, there’s no better feeling in the world.
But………just don’t fuck with me while I’m getting my outfit together.
My sincerest apologies for last week’s debacle. I made a fashion faux pas. I let you down with my end of week clothing choice pairing a fabulous jacket, amazing shoes, a beautiful top, a lovely necklace and (though there is some debate about this one) a beautiful skirt together to make my self look like a 40 year old bridge player (See Last Week: Fashion Friday). I know many of you felt that the skirt was too old for me. I am very 50/50 on this. It is a Nicole Farhi skirt and in person it literally looks like a watercolor painting on pleated fabric. I used to be heavier than I am now. Many of my clothes are too big for me and therefore don’t flatter. I mentioned this in the post—–it hit me poorly in the leg and I had to wear something over the skirt to cover up the sagging waistline. In hindsight, I never should have even shown the skirt at all. I HAVE brought back a relic from last week to show you how frickin’ fab a piece of that outfit is when put together correctly. You’ll remember it when you see it. So again, do not lose faith from my blunder. Out of 52, I hope to only fail once or twice making the rest of the weeks a success. Hey, I haven’t done too badly so far, right?
So, to make up for the horrors of last week, I went all out for you Ethers. I went for the uber grand. Lush velvet trousers from Chloe, stunning beaded jacket from Reiss………it really is damned lovely. I will say, the Chloe’s are slightly too big (I told you, I have lost weight since their purchase) but this time they work in a cool, slouch kind of way. Excited?
So…you know how I wrote about the Russian Revolution taking over makeup (See Beauty Post: Beauty Trend: Say “Da” For Russia!)? Well, this week our girl has taken on that trend in fashion and is our Russian devushka. She’s wearing lush fabrics, sensuous colors and the neckline on the shirt reminds me of the Chanel ads of the models wearing high-neck, severe collars. She’s come West for a day of shopping. (Yeah, well, most of us would wear this to a cocktail event). Her chaffeur is taking her to all of the high-end shops to enhance her already luxe wardrobe and then she’s off to a very dimly lit restaurant to dine with ex-pats for a meal in a heavily decorated private room. She’s not too trendy. Her look is classy, but her pieces are individual. The materials are unique and you can tell are fine quality. Though she isn’t wearing something straight off the catwalk and looking ridiculously over the top, you can tell she knows her fashion, but she also knows the limits of class. Her English is perfect as is her French and she has a penchant for Jane Austen AND Catherine the Great (and maybe a soft spot for the silly Marie Antoinette). Let’s take a look at our revised Fashion Friday and say “pri-Vet” (Hello) to Madame X.
Ya Loo-Bloo Tibia Tor-Ja (I love you as well) Ethers! Enjoy! (Aren’t you proud of my Russian!?)
Kra-si-va-ya! (Beautiful!) The colors match perfectly. From the burgundy in the trousers and the top to the whites in the pattern in the shirt and the coat. Notice our old friends from last week poking out from the hemline of the trouser bottom? Yeah, they don't look too "babushka" like now, do they? And the bracelet with the purple hues and a vintage feel with the cameo. The details are so much prettier in person. If you could see it live, the colors and the effect---so much more dazzling. Trust me, this is MUTED compared to how luscious this outfit really is.
You know when you go into a store at the beginning of a season and see something and pray that if any are left when the sales start that there will be one in your size. And if there is one in your size, the mark-down price will still be cheap enough to afford? I visited Reiss every 3 days during the winter sales and watched this jacket. It vanished from store to store. I was devastated. And then on a fluke, I had come from a PR meeting and gloomily walked into a Reiss in Covent Garden. I went in and, SHOCK, I saw my glittering jacket. I knew it was about 100 quid too much and they wouldn't have my size. I first looked at the price tag. My hands started to shake. The fucking thing had been marked down to 49 pounds (from almost 300 pounds). Trembling, the first one was an x-small. I thought if I had to, I would cut out all bread, meat and only eat greens. But then, I fingered the tag of the one next to it and it was A SMALL!! I looked to see if it was missing sequins or a button. It was perfect. "That was just returned today," the sales girl said. "Bargain." I have worn this jacket on very few occasions. It is extremely delicate, slightly heavy, and beyond spectacular. It is one of my favorite finds. Our Russian girl probably would have paid full price and snagged it without the anxiety, but Ethers, let's come back to reality and step away from our Fashion Friday's story for a moment. This set of digits didn't have the cash flow our Faberge fashionista did....but man....when I wear it I feel like catwalk queen Natalia Vodianova. White Embellished Jacket, Originally About 300 sterling, Paid 49 sterling, Reiss, London
This is a really lovely cotton top that is elegant and has a pleasant paisley pattern that meshes perfectly with the flow of the outfit. It really is there to work as a color layer for the look but mainly I chose it for it's Edwardian-esque collar. I LOVE how high and ruffled the neck is (hard to see in the photo). I think if you have a long, lean, neckline this is such an elegant piece because it pokes out from the jacket and makes a statement that you don't need to make any longer with jewelery. Collars and ruffled fronts are very in right now so this is a great little addition to the wardrobe. Burgundy Blouse, $50, Banana Republic, Los Angeles
Many years ago, when this young Yankee landed in England, she visited a store called Selfridges and fell in love....but not with the prices. However, her first Christmas sales came. She was savvy. She waited until the last day. The place was desolate. What was left was pretty dire, and had 3-4 red lines through the markdown tickets. But out of the corner of her eye in the Chloe section, a section no girl in University had any business being in, she saw the most luscious pair of burgundy, velvet trousers. They were not in her size, but for the price, tailoring would do. I'll reveal the deal at the end... Our Russian look is all about the fabrics being rich and luxurious. I've always thought of velvet as epitomizing this. Even a touch of velvet in a hair ribbon, or on a bow of a shoe...it can add such elegance. I love how our girl has so many different fabrics. I love the casual cut of the trouser, but the statement the color and fabric make. This is a dress pant, but done young and hip. As for the price....Chloe Trousers, Originally 750 sterling, Paid 44 sterling (HA!), Selfridges, London
And YOU thought THESE were GRANNY shoes! Our Czarina doesn't think so! HMPH! They are perfect with the colors because the pink brings out the burgundy so well and just the tip of the shoe shows so you get just a splash of color. I like that they are classic and modern meshed into one. I adore these shoes--no matter what anyone says! And I think they are the perfect touch to this classy cool that she's working. Pink Flapper Style Shoes, Office Sale Shop, Originally 80 sterling Paid 40 sterling, London
This is just a brooch with a pendant attachment that I stuck onto a couple of skinny bangles. I liked the whole idea of a cameo--but this one is funked out in the right color tones. The cameo is something opulent and rich and something I could see a Russian mother passing down to her daughter. I just thought it would add to the classiness of the look and also the uniqueness. I like how it hangs down on the hand. It's obviously faux-jewelery, but let's pretend for our girl it's a vintage piece that's made of amethyst, gold, moonstone and amber. Can you fly with this one with me? Styled Bracelet, Unknown Price, London Market, London
Step out of the Ether and send me an E-mail. I would be glad to have your thoughts, feelings and ideas.
