Fashion Diary: H&M Black and Gray Dress

The Outfit

H&M dress

Vintage coat

The Accessories

Wolford tights

Nine West sandals

3.1 Phillip Lim bag

Fashion District ring and earrings

Karen Walker sunglasses

The Grade

B

The Commentary

Dug out this old gray and black number. Prim and proper.

Reminds me of a Roland Mouret number that Demi Moore and Nicole Richie both wore recently. Except mine was work appropriate.

Added the beat up but beloved shoes to play off the graphic feel of the dress.

Realized they are THE perfect shoes for my gray, black and brown purse. 

Added the camel coat and the camel-y sunnies to complete the look.  

Pretty if un poco boring.

The Inspiration

The Scene
Bad start to the week. Really helped to talk to Little Miss MBA, Mr. Architect and Rocket Man tonight. Love them. Lucky to have friends who have my back.

Practically all of my friends are telling me to use what's going on at The Office as the kick in the pants to do my own thing full time. We'll see. Don't want this economy to doom my first entrepreneurial endeavor. Have to be strategic in my fearlessness. Plus it's never wise to put all your eggs in one basket.




Needed a Gossip Girl fix tonight like Whitney needs crack but alas it was a rerun. Had to make due with The City.

That Olivia is a piece of work, huh? Whitney needs to grow a pair and tell that Botoxed social and her fugs cousin OFF.

Reason one million and one to love Mr. D: Tonight he watched the bitchy showdown that ended the show with rapt attention and a big shit-eating grin. As the credits rolled, he sighed, "I WISH I worked with girls that hot who fight on each other."

I heart him.

The Outfit
Forever 21 turtleneck and jeans
Theory velvet jacket

The Accessories
Marc by MJ headband
Forever 21 bangle
Chanel bag
Nine West flats
Burberry handkerchief
Faux Van Cleef & Arpels earrings

The Grade
Pass

The Commentary

All black today. To mourn the untimely passing of a fabulous weekend.

Added the comfortable cap toe flats for a bit of color. Loving the similar candy colored Bloch flats on net-a-porter. $165.

Not quite as good as $30 for my Nine West ones but infinitely better than what you'd pay for a pair of Lanvin flats. Or this dreamy Chanel sandal. I NEED!

Today's Burberry accessory was inspired by royalty. Last night's jaunty-scarf-wearing queens.

Hardly ever wear this Burberry handkerchief. It's so square that it can only be worn as a kind of ascot. Or do rag.









Bought it in Japan when I was there for work about four years ago. Absolutely loved it. If my mom and Mr. D were down, I'd move there in a heartbeat.







Thinking I could help write better English translations on signs.





Or work on the Hello Kitty airline that I flew. Ugh. So adorable. So Asian. SO ME!!!

A trip there would be worth it just to thank my friend Hikari who helped me get my hair Japanese straightened. Just $100. Lasted for a year. Changed my life.





The next time I go I'll do more shopping. Maybe get a few more $20 designer handkercheifs. Japanese department stores have entire handkercheif sections like we do for hosiery or sunglasses. The handkerchief is a part of the uniform there. Supposedly no one leaves home without one because public restrooms don't provide hand towels or dryers. But I don't think I noticed that.

I did notice that people had amazing style. And skin. And hair.

Also noticed that I was taller than most people. And that my shoe size was nearly impossible to find.

So when I go back I'll have to bring flats.

Adorable, vaguely anime, Marc flats.

The Scene
Last Sunday of the holiday season. Bah humbug.

Two fashion moments stave off the Monday monsters.




#1: Wake up to discover Mr. D and I went to bed wearing the exact same thing: grey sweats and Rose Bowl 2008 white tops. Great Trojan minds...







#2 Hunting and hunting finally yields this wonderful Marc by Marc Jacobs piece for my mom. Just $100 at Barney's Coop. She told me at the beginning of the day she needed a new sweater preferably Kelly green. Gawd I am good.




I've been thinking I should chuck it all and become a personal shopper. This little mama would be my best customer.






The Outfit
Forever 21 sweater
Karen Millen leather skirt
Banana Republic tank top

The Accessories
Thomas Wylde? Skull scarf
Nine West heels
Forever 21 bangles
Stella McCartney bag
Marc by March Jacobs earrings

The Grade
A+


The Commentary


Decided to step it up today. Way up. If 2009 is going to be my most fabulous year yet then I have to dress the part. Started with these little resale Nine West shoes. Remember how they are soooo Marni?


Well just when I was worried they might be a bit dated, I saw a strappy gray and black suede sandal at Nordstrom today. L.A.M.B. Over $200. Mine were less than $20.

Decided to work with the gray and brown. Grabbed my go-to gray Forever sweater and dug out this brown leather skirt. It's a hand me down from a British friend of my mom's. She turned me onto Karen Millen. A little pricey but the store at the Beverly Center has great sales. Check out her especially gorg party dresses around the holidays. Very Dior.



I love love love the detailing at the waist of the skirt. Looks like a built in belt. And very flattering for a thick waist. The only downside to this skirt? It is tight tight tightness. But I guess that only adds to the fierce fierce fierceness of it.










Also love the brown color. Nothing like leather in buttery colors. So luxe.






Black leather can feel so dominatrix. Too hard and severe.











Brown leather feels softer to me. More romantic. Tres Euro.

To feed the whole fab Euro vibe I added a big bouchy skull scarf today. Got it in a gift bag at a Fred Segal party that Little Miss MBA took me to 3 years ago.


To this day not sure that it's actually Thomas Wylde - one of the hosts of the party - or if they gave us fakes!! I mean in their hey day skull scarves were going for over $200. And everyone at the party got one. That's just not smart business sense, right? But I guess neither is handing out fakes of your design...











I was super surprised at all the comments I got on the scarf today. It is cool and all but tres passe by trendy trendster standards. Lots of people looked at it like they'd never seen the print before.






I guess that's why Alexander McQueen is selling his version of the skull scarf right this very second at Nordie's. A cool $345.

F.

The Scene
Horrid long day at work. Partly because I am taking tomorrow off. Going to see my lawyer lawyer it up in court tomorrow. Cross examine witnesses and shit. V. excited. And nervous ;)

The Outfit
Fashion District blouse
Banana Republic sweater
J Crew skirt

The Accessories
YSL purse
Nine West heels
MaxMara belt
Chanel sunglasses
Fashion District bracelet

The Grade
B+



The Commentary
Built the outfit around one of Sunday's resale purchases. Saw these color block sandals at Nine West earlier in the year but wasn't compelled to shell out $50+. Good thing, got them for $18 at Crossroads. They're a half a size smaller than I'd like but such is the life of a po' recessionista.


So I think Nine West was inspired by Marni, no?



Ugh. I adore their fugly hot shoes.







My new suede shoes also vaguely remind me of this season's Prada.


And my beloved Chloe bootie-cum-gladiators.








But mostly they are Marni. Loving the signature odd mix of patterns and colors and textures for Spring.


Also happy to see that platforms are sticking around for another season. My feet thank you, 7th Avenue.







Picked the skirt and the sweater to matchy matchy the shoes. But the top was an inspired choice.



Blair Waldorf inspired, that is.










All's fair in fashion. Did you see Leighton biting off my fugly gladiators like Katie in her stirrups did?



Seriously all these stars have to start commenting. I know they are reading. I know I am not delusional ;)