2010 Trends: Military, belted jackets and satchels

=The military trend that was hot for Spring will stick around for Fall this year...ah-gain



The easiest way to incorporate it for me has been wtih my F21 army green jacket.



This summer I've been loving the juxtaposition of pairing it with flirty print dresses







Decided to up the ante and add a new thin belt from H&M



It's a look that's another Fall trend



Thin belts are such a simple way to update a silhouette or create some contrast







Pulled matching sandals and a purse that I stole from my mom's closet last year.



Have always loved the color of it and am particularly digging how it vibes the satchels from Proenza Schouler and Mulberry. Feel very Alexa Chung every time I wear it.















I distinctly remember my mom buying the bag when I was about 11. Right around the time I was wearing little backpacks - a '90s look that is also back and big with the young hipsters now.



Funny how everything cycles back...when you are old enough :)

The Scene
Woke up with a rat's nest on my head. Ugh. Kinda looked like this SATC poster. Except not remotely poster worthy. F to my curly parents.

Despite the follicle fiasco, enjoy a lovely leisurely breakfast with my love before taking him to behold the spectacle that is the new Americana at Brand shopping experience.

He allowed me to pop into the heavenly sprawling Forever 21 store for a quick hello. Knew not to press my luck and think I could shop. Mr. Diabolina rarely indulges me with shopping tolerance. We are talking twice a year - tops!

So I just did a quick as a bunny visual scan of the two glorious floors.


Saw lots of frilly tops that looked promising. Remembered I had just read that ruffly blouses are going to be big this fall. Get yours now :)





Ironically, while I wasn't looking, Mr. Diabolina found some preppy $22 shorts in the boys' Heritage department.


Snapped em up without even trying them on. Humph! How did that happen?? How did HE end up carrying the signature yellow bag out the door????



Relax at home all afternoon and enjoy a lovely dinner with Sable Crow at the Chateau.




Perfect end to a perfectly long weekend.






The Outfit
Forever 21 knit sweater
Proenza Schouler for Target tank
Target skinny jeans

The Accessories
Lucite bangles
Chanel necklace
London Soul flats
Louis Vuitton Speedy
Faux diamond studs

The Grade
P


The Commentary
Woke up feeling blah today. It was partly the weather and partly the fro. Gravitated to this cozy sweater and the headband to address each issue, respectively.

Decided to attempt a monochromatic grey look like the one I threw together back in February. Mr. Diabolina said I must be dressing to reflect the grey skies, that the outfit embodied the bleak uninspiring weather. He is getting good.

Love the Chanel necklace with this little PS top. Very feminine. It's a great top because it mixes equally well with casual or work looks. It was my sole PS for Target purchase, much to my dismay.


Unfortunately, my top does not scream signature Proenza Schouler like, say, a bustier inspired tank does. But the Tar-jay "bustier" just didn't work for me.

Didn't feel like it was worth the $40 price tag with it's cheapy satin sheen. And, well, the rest of the collection felt too East Coast for me, too costumey preppy. I didn't really get it. It just left me cold.

Still love the PS boys tho. So hot, so young, so very American sportswear. Can't remotely afford their stuff but working on it ;)


Their Crayola-like Fall 2008 collection was one of the few that made me giddy this season. Love the use of clashing colors to create a strong yet still very feminine statement.




Two of my fave fashionistas Gwyneth Paltrow and Carrie Bradshaw recently stepped out in Proenza Schouler looks.



Love how their clothes are so distinctly womanly, somehow modern and retro at the same time. They have a pretty strength that appeals to the wild-haired Amazon in me :)

The Scene
Work drama abounds. My suddenly teenage-like skin is proof positive. Ugh. Change is a'comin.

Thanking the tiny infant baby Jesus that I'm taking the next two days off to luxuriate with my Peaches. His timing as always is impeccable.

Here's today's bootcamp recap

Number of times I experience chest pain and
fear full blown cardiac arrest: 4
Number of times I wonder if the course is designed
to get harder each week: 5
Number of times the instructor magnanimously lets us break for water: 3
Number of times I think I am going to lose control of my bladder: 3
Number of times he walks by and I swear he wants to say "maggot": 4
Number of times the bizarre furry tufts on the legs of the guy
next to me make me dry heave: 2

Best part of the class was ending on Madonna's "Die Another Day." Good call on the instructor's part. He knows how to keep the hot chicks and gay men going til the bitter end.

Tonight Mr. Diabolina asked me what my weight is. Ugh. The scale was not budging as of last week. He said I should weigh myself. He thinks I will be pleasantly surprised. Emboldened by his sweet vote of confidence, I went into our closet and fished out three pairs of pants.

Now each pair (Marc, Chloe and Stella) was bought resale and pretty tight to begin with but by the end of last year, I was not able to even zip them up. Today they glided on and zipped no problemo. EUREKA!

Still quite a ways to go though. Not gonna get cocky. Because when you do, that's when the fat gods slap you down.

The Outfit
Forever 21 color block jersey tunic
Black leggings
Vintage Parisian eggshell trench coat

The Accessories
Marc Jacobs putty hobo
Putty slouchy boots
Black pashmina
Gucci black horse-bit sunglasses
Faux Chanel black dangly earrings
Forever 21 "snakeskin" bangle

The Grade
B+


The Commentary
Heart the color blocking of this top. Bought it because it reminded me so much of Proenza Schouler. With this jersey tunic from Forever, I get the cool color combo and the signature flattering optical illusion of their designs plus the comfort and coverage that their bustiers do not afford. Wasn't a big fan of their Target line so me thinks this top is the next best thing.

Oh and when I got home today i realized that the top matches my new Old Navy flats perfectly. YAY :)


Two stories about this bag (which, btw, is a deep blue inside, matching today's top to a T!)

1) During Fashion Week two years ago in New York, Brian Grazer introduced himself to Jean Bean and me after the DVF show. We talked to him for about 20 minutes while he stared at our chests. Very funny.

Then two days later JB and I were celebrating Peaches' birthday at the Mandarin Oriental when Brian Grazer of all people gets seated right next to us. We took it as a cosmic sign and chatted him up again. He tells us about the Marc Jacobs show he just attended and how artistic it was.

Being THE Marc Jacobs fan I act non-plussed that he scored a ticket to the biggest show of the week and casually say "Yes, I love my Marc bag" cuddling my putty-colored hobo. He looks at it dismissively and calls it "Sensible." Ugh. Of course it's sensible, especially for travel. But it's also gorgeous. F to Mr. Spiky Hair. He should stick to looking at boobs.

2) Mr. Diabolina has worked for a big international law firm for nearly 7 years. He is one of the few lawyers that actually likes what he does and everyone at The Firm loves him. Adore!

Every June, The Firm does a summer associate trip to Vegas. I remember my first trip, feeling pretty out of place amongst the wives and girlfriends of the lawyers who were dripping diamonds and designer labels.

I had just finished grad school and didn't have a job yet. Or very many designer accouterments. I was still fabulosity but apparently not fab enough. Shopping and spa trips were planned without me. Interestingly, that helped me bond more with the lawyers who, Mr. Diabolina swears, like me more than they like him.

Fast-forward a couple of years and those same women who weren't interested were crawling all over me at the 2006 summer trip. Or should I say crawling all over my Louis Vuitton and Marc Jacobs.

Not cool in my book. I was still the same funny, smart, cool chick when I wasn't blinged out. F. Diabolina don't play that. Made myself unavailable for most of the shopping and spa excursions I was invited to that weekend. Instead I made the effort to play with the new female lawyers and their boys.

Check this tho: during one shopping trip to the Forum stores, a partner's wife decided to buy today's Marc Jacobs hobo. A newbie summer associate, flush with her hefty summer stipend and looking to keep up, decided to buy the bag too.

Kinda a faux paus that everyone was talking about for weeks later. Damned if you do, damned if you don't, I guess. Pecking order is a fascinating thing, especially when it plays out with a Marc Jacobs bag, no?

The Scene
Happy V-day!

Mr. Diabolina and I are funny valentines. We never celebrate on the actual 14th - too much of a zoo. And we only sometimes do presents - each of us is notoriously hard to shop for. Sigh. We've been together for 10 years. Can you tell?

Last year tho he outdid himself with a gorge DVF dress as a gift. Ironically, it was the dress that started the runway show I saw with Jean Bean at Fashion Week. Something cosmically right about that connection.



It remains my only full price DVF. Wore it to his 30th b-day dinner with his family. Felt like a delicious kept woman ;)




Last night, we went out to a low-key dinner, talked politics. Tonight we caught up on Project Runway. Discovered Christian has the same Prada glasses as me. Ugh.

We're both stressing at work because we are taking the weekend off and going to Portland for the fab 30th celebration of Kate's hubby. VERY excited to dance and giggle and eat and see a place I've never seen with some great college friends.

But that means I won't be able to blog until Sunday night. Wah. Boo. Hiss. So here's a peek at what I'm packing:


Friday plane outfit - comfy Uggs and warm cashmere with a splash of color via the scarf. Bringing my camel coat since it's doing to dip down to the 30s at night.


Plane outfit revised with some sparkle for going out when we land. Switched out the boots for some Cole Haan flats and added a sparkly clutch, bangle and my NEW bow belt from H&M. Just bought it in four different colors. LOVES.


Saturday day outfit - Remember when those beaded purses were so popular? I just spied it in my closet and decided to revive it. Love this hat and the raspberry scarf paired with the color of the Uggs.

Saturday night outfit - Gonna rock my avant garde Forever 21 dress that I've been dying to bust out. Finally the right occasion has arrived. May pair it with leggings and the scarf. We'll see. The Prada shoes continue to kill me - so hot. In a very prissy way.


Sunday day/plane outfit - These boots were made for traveling and that's just what they'll do. Bringing two thin sweaters as options to see what I am feeling that day. It's so important to bring easy mix and matchable pieces when you are traveling. I'm usually a ninja packer but throwing stuff together kinda late for this trip. F to me.


The Outfit
Navy Jackie O shift
Vintage Burberry trench

The Accessories
American Apparel burgundy tights
YSL pumps
Marc Jacobs putty hobo
Me&Ro gold and turquoise hoops and necklace

The Grade
B

The Commentary
This shift was also a downtown score. I adore it even though it's a bit big. I feel so retro in it. Especially with the big bouncy curls today.

My boss' fiancee asked me the other day what color shoes to pair with her new navy suit. I replied you can always go nunish boring with black but that a rich brown and beige also work. Borrowing a page from the Proenza Schouler boys apparently so do mustard and burgundy! So hot! Uber inspiring to me.

The turquoise with the navy also sets my heart a flutter. I saw the pairing in a magazine once and it has become one of my favorite unexpected combos.

Mr. Diabolina got me these dainty Me&Ro pieces for Christmas two years ago. Love wearing them and thinking of him. I did that all day today.

That and, well...ate this delish red velvet cupcake too. Don't tell my bootcamp instructor :)

HAVE A LOVELY WEEKEND!!!

image from Style.com