Forget the spring cliches of wearing color, floral and more color. Just because turquoise is the Pantone color du jour doesn't mean you need to wear garish paisley prints in the louder-than-necessary hue. Why not set yourself apart by blending in? Rather than wear Jersey Shore-offensive graphic tees or Day Glo shirts like every other schmo, look for well-crafted, understated items with leather features to give off an air of casual indifference. To that end, check out some of these easy-going goods:
[1] You probably know Timberland for its chunky, utilitarian work boots, but have you seen its Timberland Boot Company collection? Superbly crafted with the same level-headed pragmatism the company is known for, these boots are a rugged throwback to a simpler time of thoughtful style. (Timberland Boot Company)
[2] Alright, so this is a white shirt from preppy-polo-bastion J. Crew. But when the linen comes from the Baird McNutt mill in Ireland, with an impeccable fit and just-so casual air, you shut up and ignore its widespread availability to the masses. (J.Crew)
[3] Behind the minimal, expertly crafted leather goods line Billykirk are brothers Chris and Kirk Bray. Their so-simple-you-can-cry designs are beyond unpretentious; the philosophy of Billykirk is for each item to blend seamlessly into someone’s outfit. Frankly, that’s a little hard to do; with something as sharp-looking as this bike frame bag, you can’t help but stand out. (Billykirk)
[4] Fast-fashion outfit American Eagle Outfitters may be the parent company of the stylishly austere Martin + Osa, but don’t let that stop you from checking out their wares. Inspired by the lives of native Kansans and husband-wife adventurers Martin and Osa Johnson, this brand hawks wonderfully low-key, high-quality goods like this tote, featuring leather straps and oil-finished cotton. Just don’t call it a murse. (Martin + Osa)
[5] By now, you’ve probably heard of handmade DIY market Etsy. What you may not have heard of is online shop Marriane Handcraft Watch Studio. Based in South Korea and utilizing Japanese watch expertise, these one-of-a-kind watches evoke a Rudyard Kipling-type sentiment. Each watch can be fully customized by you, from band to face, ensuring that your preferences and character shine through. (Marriane Handcraft Watch Studio)
Six new designers have been chosen for The
Chicago Fashion Incubator(CFI), a program, now in its third year, that provides local emerging designers with the resources and mentoring to launch their careers in fashion design. This year,
the CFI has partnered with The 900 Shops to create a 'pop-up
shop' on the mall's 5th Floor. 2,800 square feet will be allocated to a retail shop while another 8,800 square feet will be used for events spotlighting CFI alums as well as the six new designers in residence.
You can help kickstart the 2010 incubator by attending the official launch event Tuesday,
March 16th. For more details and to purchase tickets visit: Brown Paper Tickets.
Hipster clothing conglomerate, American Apparel, has come up with another great way to save a buck and exploit their loyal followers promote their brand. They partnered with Lookbook.nu, the judge-y social inspiration network, to concoct a hard-copy
lookbook for the spring/summer season.
The book stars the site's cutest members dressed in AA clothes and accessories, styled and photographed to perfection in the way only style bloggers know how.
You can pick up a copy from any American Apparel location or expect to see one in the box when you order online.
[1] Drink like a whale but not look like one. Or something. (New York Times)
[2]
The Internets just became more hipster-friendly: bike directions from Google maps! (PC World)
[3] Joan, Don and Betty, as interpreted by Mattel/Barbie. They don’t come with booze etc., but that won’t stop people from dreaming up doll-related sexy situations. (Jezebel)
[4] This Heidi Montag video is funny only because she’s illiterate. (Funny or Die)
[5] Alexander McQueen’s last show is breathtaking. (Style.com)
For all that technology has given us (the Interwebs, YouTube, iPhones [and subsequently, the NSFW Guys with iPhones]), I have yet to find a decent site to stream TV episodes. Namely, a site that properly streams Kell on Earth. I mean, what the hell, Hulu? You can only show me 22 minutes of a 45 minute episode? Note to Bravo: Get with the times and stream your shows with halfway decent software instead of the NetZero-worthy shiz you've got now. That said, I was only able to watch said 22 min. of last night's haps. Sorry folks; broke blogger = half-recaps. But I digress.
Last night's episode of Kell was a meltdown of loveliness. In short, there was a whole lot of awkward.
Firstly, Stefanie Skinner whines about a ton of work she has on her plate. Like, Emily comes at her with, like, angry words and Skinner runs outside to, like cry. And then she learns how to make a list! Screw technology; give me a pen and paper any day. The PR girls are my idols.
Moving on, Kelly and Andrew M. totally try to tag team a hot-ish tank-topped-bicycle-riding-photographing-New-York hipster. The point? To get Andrew M. a date/laid. Did it work? Laughably, no: dude was totally with girlfriend (though frankly, I find that hard to believe; he had my gaydar pinging like crazy). Funny stuff.
And what about Tandrew's blind date? There was an awkward word association game that netted sexy results. Although I must say, who doesn't know what a spork is? Moreover, who the hell calls it a foon? Just stop talking, Tandrew and date guy; give me more Kelly. Oh, look, it's her and Andrew M., arriving just in time to add some more awkward into the mix! You ain't getting no play tonight, Tandrew. Lo siento.
Meanwhile... (cue star-wipe/Batman transition music) Emily and Skinner host Ina Men's party. As they meet-and-greet editors and the like, they run out of tequila. Ahhh hell no; it's the only thing keeping people mildly interested. Emily gets on the case, Skinner watches in amazement, both realize their diffs and hug it out.
Scenes from next week: breakdowns, responsibilities and...Andrew M. with a haircut? Good god, I hope so.
[1] Ok, we’ve talked about the best/worst dressed at the Oscars and Lady Kanye. Yawn. Moving on: My friend wrote a book based on her blog based on hipsters. Buy it or something. (Stuff Hipsters Hate)
[2] Poor sad, lonely Lindsay Lohan: she’s probably fired. But hey, that’s one less celeb (read: hot mess) designing clothes, right? (Jezebel)
[3] Guess who’s not a hot-mess? Ever-classy indie darling Zooey Deschanel! What’s this? An interview with M. Ward? Happiness for everyone. (BlackBook)
[4] My head nearly exploded when I saw this photo. Someone, somewhere, write a sitcom for Betty White and Posh, please. Should we start a Facebook group? (DListed)
[5] Speaking of FB and Betty White, she will be hosting SNL. Let’s celebrate the power of social media, y’all. (Newser)
For the past two years Chicagoans have been waiting with bated breath for the Marc Jacobs Collection store to finish construction and open its doors. On February 25th the rent-a-fence finally came down. Company President and our favorite (former)twitterbug, Robert Duffy was there to unveil the 3,000-square-foot Gold Coast space.
The lavish boutique, situated on the corner of Rush and Walton, is
distinguished by a classic revolving door (a personal request from
Duffy himself), contemporary blown-glass chandelier, and sleek modern decor. As a bookend to The Elysian, a brand new luxury hotel/condo complex, the store is sure to draw a much different crowd than its Bucktown counterpart, Marc by Marc, though Duffy feels strongly that the haute looks and higher price points of the Collection store will not repel locals. Quite the opposite, in fact.
Duffy sees Chicago and the rest of the Midwest as an untapped epicenter for inspiration and originality. "I think of all the
people I know that have come out of the Midwest: Halston, Bill
Blass. They go on to other places but there are a lot of people here that are stylish and cool." The same type of influential crowd he believes will be attracted to the store.
That evening, the shop was properly welcomed to town with a fabulous invite-only dinner party. Close to 200 of the city's fashion elite along with the Marc Jacobs execs celebrated with champagne and caviar, followed by a five course meal consisting of foie gras, beet salad, short ribs and more foie gras. A carnivore's delight! An old school photo booth accompanied by a table full of accessories from the Marc Jacobs Spring 09 runway show were on hand to distract diners between courses and capture the memories.
After dinner, attendees were given gift bags filled with Marc swag -- Lola perfume, Travel Bag, Juergen Teller T and macaroons from Elysian restaurant, Balsan -- and shuttled over to River North club, The Underground.
All in all, the event was a success and a smashing way to usher in a store that is sure to make its Marc mark on Chicago. Witness the splendor yourself at 11 E. Walton | Chicago, Il 60611.
