Dear Ether,

All will be back to normal on Friday.  Well, I hope.  Unless this feature doesn’t kill me first.

In the meantime, a treat for you!  

Here is a photo of English gent looking particularly dandy and chic.  It takes a REAL man to pull off pink, no?

Rings are also tres Karlfeld!

Dedicatedly yours,

—One of 365

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.

Dedicatedly yours,

—One of 365

PS: As it is the recession…………

This painting is by one of my favorite artists, Sir John Everett Millais. Usually he captures women who are rich and opulent. What I like about this painting is how he is studying a humble seamstress in muted colors. She stares out the window pondering her future and her life. I wonder whatever happened to the sitter in this painting? Did her fingers bleed for the rest of time, becoming rough from years of labor? Did she ever escape the fate of this moment and leap through that window, or was she forever captured in this existence of hers? I wonder, will I ever leave the canvas that life is painting for me? I want to make sure that before the varnish dries, I'm happy with the finished portrait.

Dear Ether,

I had the most magical night on Wednesday with English gent.  He and I have been jonesing for art and culture for some time. We were so used to having our pick of museums and underground do’s in England.  We’ve been sorely missing it.  Los Angeles has a few good museums, but it just isn’t the same vibe as London.  There is The Getty which is more about the museum structure itself than the art and LACMA which has some amazing pieces, but once you go, you sort of have to wait like, 6 months before it changes its scenery.  There is a MOCA, but man is it a schlep!  There are a few other token little museums out there too, but I’m not privy to the art scene here.  One that is amazing is the Huntingon which I’ve been meaning to take English gent to.  The gardens are extraordinary with different themes, and the museum houses a Guttenberg Bible and original manuscripts from famous authors.  Los Angeles also has Frank Lloyd Wright homes you can check out, and I’ve been foolish and haven’t visited those yet.  But, there is nothing like the Tate or the National Gallery in Los Angeles.  I just spent 8 years visiting these places and getting to know them inside out.  The Rodin’s and the Rembrandt’s became old friends and I just miss them so much.  

Knowing our desperation for culture was dire, the Big Apple Beauty, who lives it up museum-wise in NYC, bought us tickets to The Pageantry of the Masters, which is a festival in Laguna Beach (about an hour and half drive from Los Angeles) that is the most remarkable event.  They plan it all year, taking painstaking measures to do the incredible: using live people to re-enact famous paintings using scenery that has been copied perfectly to mimic the artwork.  It is a marvel.  The paintings become 3-dimensional and the characters who play the roles in the famous artwork don’t even breathe, that’s how still they are.  They are literally painted with the exact brush strokes someone like Frieda Kahlo used. Human beings are transformed into art.  They also have a narrator who described the paintings, gives a history of the painter, all while beautiful music like Brahms and Beethoven are played by a live orchestra.  This is all done in an oudoor coliseum under the stars.  It’s simply magical. The amazing thing was none of these actors were being paid.  They were all volunteers.  Though the show only lasts a month (and is sold out a year in advance) the dedication and love for this Pageantry of the Masters is unbelievable.  I was so happy to have been part of the evening.

Laguna is a really interesting town because it is a real artists colony.  Every other store is a gallery and they are famous for paintings called “Plein Air” which literally means in the open air.  Originally started in Europe by the Impressionists trying to capture light from outside, they took their easels into the landscapes they were painting and captured the light as they saw it.  Normally they would sketch outside and then re-create colors as they remembered it in their studios.  But Plein Air allowed them to snag the tones in the moment which added a whole new spectrum of color to paintings changing the way light was looked at forever.  Laguna was the perfect spot because of the flawless weather, the sepia toned landscapes with the bright blue ocean and the warm sun, creating amazing shades of color reflecting off of nature.  These galleries house many of these incredible paintings and they are so unique.  Though the idea of the art came from Europe, I really associated it so much with America.  But maybe this was because the paintings I saw were of American landscapes.  

An example of Plein Air art. Truthfully, it's not my cup of tea. But you can see how the artist captures the landscape and is trying to grasp the light and nature.

I enjoyed seeing artists at work and learning about a new form of art.  We ate lunch outside with the sea as a backdrop and just had a wonderful escape from the drudgery we’ve been experiencing lately.  It’s really funny, as beautiful as Laguna was, both English gent and I felt the same way—that it just wasn’t us.  It was too laid back.  Too calm.  We’re not accustomed to people walking slowly and a more laid back way of life.  We’re so used to the hustle and bustle of a big city, it just seemed too small town.  I think we were happy to visit, but very happy to be going back to Los Angeles (which still doesn’t seem to suffice). 

I hope that English gent and I find our niche.  That we can figure out where we belong.  Like the artists in the paintings caught in a frame, English gent and I also feel like we are stuck in a place we can’t move.  We feel painted into the scenery, but unlike the characters in the Pageantry of the Masters, we don’t get to wipe off the make-up and return to our normal lives.  We are forever on a canvas waiting for our portrait to be finished, but we seem never to be able to get our opus completed.  I dream of being unleashed from my painted life and being free.  I still want to be colorful and creative, just not locked into the landscape.  Like the players in the show, I want to breathe.  

Dedicatedly yours,

—One of 365

PS: I’ve attached a slide show below for you to see behind the scenes of the Pageantry of the Masters. I felt that my description wouldn’t do it justice and I think you need to really see it to understand what it looks like and what goes into making it the marvel that it is. Remember, any people you see in the completed paintings are REAL!  I hope you enjoy!

Dear Ethers,

A very excellent Friday to you!  For some Ethers, your work-week is ending and “Fashion Fridays!” will be a nice little treat to end your day.  For others, you’re dragging yourself to your 5th (and thank fuck FINAL) day of work and this perky post might help get you started (with a large cup of coffee, of course).  

And speaking of coffee, this is where I got my Friday inspiration from.  I met a lovely girl from Elle magazine in Los Angeles who works in the fashion department and thought I’d get a little funked-out to meet her since she is a young fashionista.  Since we were meeting at a great coffee chain here in Los Angeles called “The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf” (famous for its Frappa-craziness in a million varieties) in a trendy part of town, I wanted to look casual/cool.  I always feel when you initially get together with another girl in the “biz” you always should wear heels.  It’s like men wearing ties to a meeting.  I think it’s just the done thing in the magazine world.  So, I picked out my favorite sky high KG’s that you’ll see a LOT of because they go with EVERYTHING, and put them with something I thought was unique and flavorful.  BE WARNED!  Unfortunately, the camera-woman (my sweet mom—my dad wasn’t around for this photo op) isn’t Mario Testino and couldn’t figure out the ways of the beast that is a ”point and shoot.”  By the time I taught her its “crazy” ways, my battery was low, we couldn’t re-shoot and the pics weren’t very flattering.  Trust me, it looks SO much cuter in person.  The skirt fits me better in the waist and for some reason my legs appear funny.  Please keep that in mind—and besides, who am I kidding, it’s not like I’m Amber Valetta.  Right-o, shall we begin “Fashion Fridays!”?

PS: I decided to put the poll at the top of the page as no one was voting  I want to see if this changes anything.  Truthfully, I don’t like how it looks as much and don’t think it works as well, but, I’m curious to see if more people vote if they see a poll right-away.  

Let’s break down the look from top to bottom:

My black and white panther T-shirt is from a brand called “PRIMP,” a label launched in 2004 by Wells Butler whose belief is that clothes should be “comfortable AND stylish.” PRIMP patterns are easily spotted by their unique silhouettes and bold prints.  These can range from animals to anchors, or for more chilled-out chicks who wanna make a fashion statement, Wells has a really cute peace-sign that will bring out the hippie in everyone.  The patterns can be found on everything from thermal leggings and sweatshirts to shorts and tank tops.  The clothes all manage to be whimsical, fashion-forward and unique.  The color palettes range from simple blacks and whites to sizzling reds and heart-stopping pinks.  Often the patterns will have a little rhinestone randomly placed on the fabric so when a bit of light hits, you glitter!  Worn by celebs Rachel Bilson, Paris Hilton, Lindsey Lohan, Britney Spears, Mischa Barton, Hayden Panitierre and even the Obama girls, PRIMP is a brand the cool gals like to kick-back in style with.

Next up is my lilac-gray high-waisted skirt with embroidered straps (in the States it can also be called a jumper–but that’s a really old fashioned term and in the UK that refers to a sweater!).  This piece is an absolute fave of mine!  I bought it at the Sunday Up Market in London just off Brick Lane  (one of my top markets in London that I recommend visiting) from a student who makes her own clothes.  Now, I’m sure she didn’t embroider the straps herself, but the design is amazing, the color is unusual and I loved that she only made 3 of them (1 in my color, 1 in black and 1 in cream).  She probably has reproduced more since, but it was such a cool feeling that you were helping a budding designer, getting a one-off-piece that was really unusual, and you felt you found a “find” (which I think is the whole point of  market culture in the first place).  I get compliments on it often and I adore that it has pockets–very fun.

Those metal gauntlets you see on my wrists are a gift from my English gents Mum.  The Eg’s family lived in Saudi Arabia because his father taught English to Saudi’s (that’s why my lovely bloke went to boarding school and has become anal about things like my eating in bed read: http://bit.ly/45qbdv and folding ties refer to: http://bit.ly/i50Eb).  The good thing about the Eg’s folks being in Saudi were the goodies they got (though his poor folks really hated being abroad).  You have to remember, a lot of the fashion they get in S.A. that’s “new” is actually from the 70’s and 80’s.  So, my Eg’s mum would get amazing brand-new designer clothing (and we’re talking like, catwalk quality) that we would consider vintage/retro with tags!  Hermes scarves, Dior sweaters, Lanvin shirts…and here’s the killer, it’s cheap as chips!  They also encourage you to haggle in Saudi, so almost everything is a bargain.  The modern stuff is more on the normal side of the price line, but even those duds are much more affordable–and when it goes on sale–forget it!  Again, bargain central.  If that place was safe to visit, screw oil, it could make a fortune just from shoppers.  

Anyway, I digress.  Right, so those gauntlets are actually from Yemen and are antiques.  They aren’t supposed to leave Yemen (shhhh….) and were smuggled into Saudi Arabia where his mom bought them as part of a jewellery lot at an auction (oh man, you should see some of the stuff she has—drool worthy).  When I left for the States she gave me 3 of these bracelets (the 3rd one is much bigger and isn’t part of any pair hence me owning a trio–it is stunning though).  I love these because I can wear them as matching bracelets on each wrist or double them up on one hand to make them look like one large bangle.  It’s also a great safety device if anyone tries to steal my purse–some people have brass knuckles, I have my antique studded gauntlet bangles!

Finally, the feet!  I’m one of the many girls out there who always dreamed of being taller.  I’ve told you before I’m by no means short (I’m 5′6). However, I’ve thought that 5′9+ would be awesome–like being an Amazon lady.  These suede, platform KG’s with their 4+ inch patent heels give me that uber model height.  When I first tried them on I was skeptical that I would be able to even stand in the stilts let alone walk a foot in them. Here’s the shocker, not only are they pretty comfy, but I can strut my stuff  without having a Naomi Campbell Vivienne Westwood catwalk incident (I can’t move terribly quickly…but they’re swagger shoes anyway).  They go great with SO many things: jeans, trousers, dresses and skirts. What a great investment.  I love wearing them with tights in the colder seasons–a good tip if you wanna wear open toed heels when it’s chilly.  

So, there’s the story behind my outfit.  I always love knowing what made someone buy something, where they got it and if they got a fab deal.  As a lover of fashion, it’s just so much fun to share your “war”drobe stories (trust me, I’ve had to fight for some items with nutty women at sales—don’t get me started with a fight at Selfridge’s circa 2004 and a pair of Prada trousers…I’ll write to you about that one in another entry).

Okay guys, happiest of Fridays and clink a cocktail to your health and happiness for me, okay?  Have a great weekend and I’ll speak to you tomorrow.  

Dedicatedly yours,

—One of 365

My coffee inspired casual-funk look (with heels, of course!).

My PRIMP shirt (hey, take out the R in PRIMP and what do you get, yeah that's right, the kinda bad-ass super star you are when you don this, baby!). Notice the black crystals on the panthers. Meow! Bought from T.K. MAXX (yes, America, same chain as T.J. MAXX they just changed 1 letter--dunno why) for 5 pounds sterling on sale! These T-shirts normally retail for $60! Always check those clearance racks.

Original, cute, versatile and hand-made. I love this piece. I'm wearing it with a casual T-shirt, but I've also dressed this up with a lovely flowing blouse, black tights and I'm ready for a night out. Go from cute to beaut'! Purchased from Sunday Up Market, London 30 pounds sterling

Ahhh....respect them. Honor their immense patent heel height and platform madness. Respect the tassels! These puppies are dead sexy and can make those gams go from sausage legs to rocket launchers! KG heels bought from Harrods in London for 50 pounds sterling on sale from 100 pounds sterling.

They don't make them like they used to, eh? These are so beautifully handcrafted and delicate (even though they look like they can take your eye out with one fatal swoop). I treasure all antique jewellery, but love these because they are a gift from my English gent's mum and also from a place so exotic. Priceless.

Pssssst: I know the poll is at the top, but don’t forget to VOTE! X