Dear Ethers,

At this rate this blog is going to cost me a fortune.  I’m running out of clothes for Fashion Fridays and am gonna have to go shopping to make my 52 week quota!!!  Nah…I still have some stuff up my sleeve….but I keep wanting to save the prime outfits for later and I’m starting to sport my just so-so pieces.  It’s not that they aren’t cute, they just aren’t the “wow” ensembles that I put together in my earlier posts.  Next week I am going to don a masterpiece.  I have 7 days to come up with a brilliant ensemble….the pressure!

The dress featured in this post is from a Kiwi designer named Peter Alexander who had a store on Robertson Blvd. in Los Angeles.  I tend to peek in a lot of these shops because Dr. W’s office is on this swanky street.  I get there early and enjoy seeing all the lovely things that I can’t afford.  But sometimes these boutiques have major blowout sales.  I’m lucky because I usually get to them first since I go twice a week and get bargains.  Some of my best deals have happened because of therapy!   Peter Alexander is evidently really famous in Australia and New Zealand and has been trying to make it Stateside.  However, I think it has been to no avail.  His shop came and went so fast I don’t even think the paint was dry on the storefront when they put the final bolts on the door closing it forever.  He’s known for his nightwear.  It’s cutsie pajama’s and bras and underwear.  Truthfully, I thought it was really immature and silly and extremely overpriced.  You know, it was the sort of thing where it has a satin top and bottom pajama set that has Barbie dolls on it for $300. In pink.  Yeah, no way.  BUT.  In his Robertson store he did a special collection of clothing that you could wear in the public that was made from lush materials and was rather understated, elegant and fun.  It was limited edition and beyond expensive.  One day when walking by the shop I noticed a huge red set of numbers saying 90% off everything in the store.  Well, you know me.  I LOVE a deal.  So I went in, whisked past the crappy thongs with Swarovski crystals on the bum (ouch) and hit this rack that no one seemed to care about.  And there it was.  This sweet little dress made of cashmere and silk.  And I paid $50 for it.  It’s nice and warm, but also surprisingly light and you can wear it with tights or sandals.  I love the whimsical star cape that is attached.

As for the Miu Miu’s.  WELL…..those are ancient!  I got those at a Barney’s warehouse sale in the Santa Monica airport hangar which is famous in Los Angeles because women go bananas and fight to the broken acrylic from Dior to Dolce & Gabbana.  I will NEVER go back there, but I did snag these snazzy shoes.  I think they were $85 dollars at least 7 years ago.  They might be a little beaten up, but I still think they are swell.  They remind me of a sleek jester.  Or, a black and white cookie

Anyway, have a lovely Friday and a great weekend and I will speak to you tomorrow about….well, you never know with me, right?

Dedicatedly yours,

—One of 365

God my legs are pasty! They might as well blend in with the doors. Anyway, this is about fashion....not tanning! I like this dress because it's simple, elegant and also youthful. It's a nice play on the LBD with the added cape and I really respect nice fabric so this is an A-Star (HA) for me. I'm wearing it with flats---throw on some heels with this and I reckon it could be a lovely date dress. It's understated with a bit of personality. Because it is made of cashmere, you can slip on a pair of wool tights and wear it more seasonally.

I had to give a back-shot to show you the cape. It isn't that obvious from the front and I thought you should see how sweet it looks from the back. It's made of silk so it floats with every movement.

Here it is! Lovely indeed! It's a really great travel piece because it doesn't wrinkle and the colors are obviously really versatile. But, as I said, so is the style. You can wear it day to night and warm weather to cold. It also has a bit of stretch to it--great for after a big meal

Oldies but goodies! I fought my way through a bloody airport hangar for these suckers. I really like them because they are black and cream and go with everything. They look lovely with jeans, smartening them up a tad. They are so comfy, and just slide right on. The leather has made them get better with age and hey, who doesn't need a bit of Miu Miu in their lives?

Dear Ethers,

I’m shocked it’s another Friday.  It felt like yesterday I was slipping on my little pleated dress and writing my post.  The weeks are flying by……it’s kind of scary actually.  But none of this deep talk!  No sireee!  This is fashion baby, and a Friday to boot and we want to have fun, right?

As you know I root for anything with an elastic waist.  So, I am donning the most fashionable item of clothing that allows me to wear something without a zipper or buttons.  Yep—leggings.  I’ve sung their praises on this blog a zillion times so I won’t tell you how versatile, easy and how they have become the new jean—but I will say that I will be living in them until Vogue or Glamour or whoever the fuck the arbiter of fashion these days is says they must be binned. And you know what?  Even THEN I will wear them to small Eastern European countries who think they are still hip.  In fact, I will ONLY travel to such places because they will think I am on the cutting edge of the catwalk and will envy my stretchy leg coverlets.

I’m wearing a really fun camisole that I think would look as cool with leggings as they would with jeans.  The top  sort of has a 70’s/80’s “I’m a babe” disco attitude which I like—and the back has—guess what—elastic banding!  Could this top be better suite for me?

The shoes—you either love them or hate them.  I’ll tell you what will make you decide.  You hate moccasin fringe-like shoes or you totally dig them.  I am all about the latter.  I always wanted some fringed shoes but thought they had been overdone by now.  But when I saw them in this cool sandal form in a sleek black, and they were comfy as hell, I said, yep, slip those on my tootsies and call them my own.

I like this outfit because this is just a normal, everyday get-up.  This is something I would run out and get the groceries in or would meet a mate for brunch and a coffee wearing.  Is it jaw-dropping?  No.  But it is young, fun and has a bit more pizzaz than a crappy track-suit and trainers and I feel as comfortable.  I also think it has a beat of its own and unlike all the pastel wearing, glittery girls that can be so L.A., I like to bring a bit of dark casual to the streets here

So happy weekend, and I’ll catch up with you tomorrow.  I am seriously overwhelmed with writing—both my deadlines for pieces are due Monday.  I’m writing a fun shoe piece and a really fab style piece about a very famous dress.  More details to come.  One will be a main feature in a major newspaper.  I’m pretty psyched.  But—I wanna impress because if it goes well, this is the direction I want my career to be going in.  I would love red carpets to be simply a dyed rug in my past.

And speaking of red carpets…let’s roll out one for Fashion Fridays!

Dedicatedly yours,

—One of 365

Casual, easy, fun, youthful and just a really easy way to be laid-back and look put together without having to dawn that horrible tracksuit. It's as convenient but has a little more pizzaz and is a bit more "now." I think the tracksuit, although will always be on the market, has sadly seen its day

I don't know why, but I feel like I'm conjuring Drew Barrymore when I'm wearing this top. It's really fun, 80's, whimsical and somewhat child-like but cut for an adult. I don't know if you can see the little ribbons on either side of the bodice, but they are a cute add on to the camisole. I like the tight top half and the loose bottom ruffle drape. I suppose you could dress this up, but the material is not very fancy and I think it's a cool "throw on and run out of the house" piece. Stars Camisole, 10 pounds, Topshop, London

Yes! Viva La Elastic Waist! C'mon girls....you know if you could make couture and hip clothes with an elastic waist you would vote yay. But, sadly, elastic waist= super Wal-Mart style. Leggings are one of the only items we can get away with these days with a whole lot of stretch unless we're pregnant, so LOVE IT! I have these in brown as well and I wear them everywhere. I look better in them when I'm not shoveling cookies down my gob and going to the gym, but they are a happy piece of cloth for me. And a bargain too. Black Leggings, $6.99, Target, Los Angeles

So, as I said before, you either love em' or you hate em'! I love em'....they are really boho fun and easy to walk in for hours. They are a great alternative then just throwing on a pair of crappy black flip-flops. The only negative is that the laces become unravelled sometimes, but besides that, the sole is comfy and they have great ankle support. I like them with the fun and youthful top and I'm glad I got them in black so I can wear them a little more dressy than I would be able to do with a more rugged brown. Black Moccasin Sandals, Dolce Vita, $98, Diavolina, Los Angeles