Saturday, March 28, 2009

champagne at the darling mansion

Last night I went over to The Darling's house for some wine and overall redonculousness. For some reason things are always a little crazy there when we light the fire and keep opening new bottles of wine. It doesn't help that we all showed up with 2 or 3 bottles each and when the other peeps that came over brought bottles of booze too.

Oh well, it was a night filled with drinking, dancing, music making and lots and lots of giggling. And even though I felt gross I managed to produce an outfit that was free of pants.

No Pants After Dark #9



(American Apparel tank, Target skirt, Betsey Johnson heart tights, Zara belt, Sigerson Morrison flats, vintage bracelets)

Unfortunately the tights did not make it through the night. I had a feeling when I put them on that they would be a one wear item, but I was really hoping to get 2. Alas, near the end of the night they basically disintegrated. LAME. I wish I had bought them in bulk, but they were not cheap.

Thursday, March 26, 2009

coffee and interview

I had another interview today. I really hate it when you get all pumped for it, then you get there and your brain freezes. Or maybe, that is just a problem that I have, because it definitely happened to me today. Oh well, I learn something at every interview, especially the ones that don't go as well as I had hoped.

Before said interview, I went to the Fix with Jasmine and caught up with our favorite baristas. All three of them were there today. Since our fabulous St. Patrick's day party plans dissolved, we started discussing having an Easter Egg hunt/party. Max said it should be all over Echo Park, I thought that might be a little excessive and tough, no?

Here is what I wore to the interview. I switched out the skirt for some Marc by Marc high waisted, cropped blue jeans for coffee.



(H&M jacket, Mom's scarf from back in the day, Mayle top, 3.1 Phillip Lim knit pencil skirt, Repetto shoes, vintage and new jewellery)

I love love love this blouse. I've had it for a few years and started wearing it more this past summer. I find it is universally loved, girls always love it and even guys will compliment it, which is always a little shocking. I ended up having to roll the skirt at the waist, because it tends to hit me in a spot that gives me really fat looking knees, so every time I go to wear it - which is very often - I feel like a big fat pig. I have to hem it, but I'm afraid that might never happen, as there are about 5 garments in need of fixing in front of it.

no pants after dark #7 and #8

I know it's been a million years since I've posted anything, but for some reason I just couldn't be bothered with blogging. I guess I was on a blogging break. I am getting motivated to post more, especially since I have had some awesome outfits recently and been going to lots of shows and things.

I'll spare you the stories that go along with these outfits, but I can't really remember which goes to which night. Oh and shorts totally don't count as pants, obviously.

No Pants After Dark #7



(vintage jumpsuit, Mom's belt from back in the day, vintage jewellery, Leopoldo Giordano booties)

No Pants After Dark #8



(Rogan for Target dress, Leopoldo Giordano booties, Gap Kid's leather jacket, vintage jewellery)

I recently rediscovered these booty/shoes from Leopoldo Giordano that I bought a million years ago from Halo in Portland. When I bought them, it was because they were black with pointy toes, and I immediately stuck the accompanying spats to the back of a drawer. Yet another example of something I bought that I wasn't sophisticated or confident enough for. But I wore the shit out of the pointy toed heels and eventually had to have them resoled. By that time, I'd moved onto round toe pumps. When I was packing to move, I found the spats and realized just how NOW those shoes are. So, they are my new favorites, and I will definitely post some better pictures of them soon.

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

nyc and no pants after dark #6

It seems that I've been doing a lot of traveling recently, but I figure it is now or never, right? Because, if all goes well, and my positive thinking works, I should be fully employed in the next 2 months.

I initially planned this trip to NYC because I was hating LA, and wanted to see if NYC was the place for me. Well, I had a blast, but fortunately for me and my wallet, I have no desire to move there at the moment.

The trip was amazing and busy and I sort of feel like I spent the whole weekend on the subway. The first 2 nights I stayed with my friend Anna from high school and did lots of walking around and free activities that included Central Park and the Met. My friend's Robert and Kate were also in town; Kate was passing through on her way to Boston for work, and Robert was there to see us. We make quite a team, the three of us, so it was an absolute blast. I also saw my other friend Kate who lives in NYC and lives a very glamorous life working for a fancy fashion magazine's website.

I cant even really remember everything that I did, but I did eat A LOT and drink a lot and did not take enough pictures. Though I was able to document one more outfit for my No Pants After Dark experiment when I went over to Kate's very cute apartment for dinner and Champagne. Although this post says it was #6, I am probably onto #12 or so, but because they weren't properly documented, I cannot count them...Must be more diligent.



(Vanessa Bruno Blazer, Park Vogel cashmere t-shirt, Tara Jarmon for Target skirt, Vialis booties, vintage bracelet)

The trip was super fun and flew by and I can't wait to go back for another visit!

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

alexander mcqueen = coocoobananas

Wow. Other than a few feathers here and there, Alexander McQueen has done a total 180 from his last few collections. No more exotic fairy princesses here. It's all about M.C. Escher, bondage and sex dolls, black crows, 1940's, killer alien robots with a little Boy George and Kabuki for good measure. Yeah, that's what I said. It's about all those things.









(wwd.com)


Sorry to post SO many pictures, but there is just something crazy going on in every look; it is totally overwhelming. It's sort of entertaining trying to figure out which model is which, because they are unrecognizable! I wonder if Kate Blanchett will be able to find anything out of this collection?

I hate to say it, but I miss the romance. Even if it always was a dark romance.

P.S. I love how Paris Fashion Week seems to just go on forever and ever. It's like Christmas. But, not really.

nyc bound

I leave for NYC tomorrow morning, and am so excited I can hardly form the words to describe it. The trip is going to full of lots of reunions from Paris friends to Portland friends. YAY!



(NYC by Night by Arnold Pouteau)

I've been feeling weird and sickly this whole week and am hoping it is gone the minute I set foot on the East Coast.

There are a million things that I want to do, but I feel like not nearly enough time to do them all. I haven't been to the city since I was a junior in high school, which is a rather embarrassing confession. Because of that, I know it's going to feel like a totally new city; it is always a different experience when you go somewhere as an adult, and when you visit an stay with friends. I am so excited to do all the silly and wonderful tourist things: walking the Brooklyn Bridge, wandering through Central Park, art galleries, a visit to Barney's...As well as the secret destinations that my local friends will take me too.

I will try my best to keep you updated, but most likely I will be running around like a crazy person!

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

stella mccartney: bringin back the faith

I think a lot of us can agree that the Fall 2009 has been all around disappointing, especially compared to some of the phenomenal Pre-Fall collections that were presented by the same designers that have failed to impress me this season. Only a few of my faves have managed to keep that title, and Stella McCartney is one of them.

I've gotten into a few discussions with people about Stella McCartney, and how she can be considered sort of boring and not progressive. Yes, she can be a bit predictable, sky high heels, lots of legs and tuxedos and of course her signature colors, blue, army green, grey and black. But what she does best are great basics with her signature twist that look awesome on, and never does anything but her own thing. She has been quoted multiple times saying that she designs only clothes she would wear, and that gives her work a certain amount of integrity that I totally respect. And her vegan shoes. Don't even get me started.





I would have paired some of those killer, super-hero, stripper shoes with the peak-a-boo dresses, no?





(style.com)

Monday, March 9, 2009

sf

My trip to San Francisco was filled with lots of the usual activities that I enjoy while travelling: drinking, eating, shopping, and museums.

Friday was a blur, we ate and bar hopped and ended the night at a crazy punk bar. I had no idea there are so many kids under 30 who are "punks" in this day and age. A few weeks ago I saw a punk couple at Cha Cha Lounge with The Darlings, and we couldn't stop staring they were so out of place. I started to get nervous when I noticed how many random dogs were wandering around the bar. Scary.

Saturday started off with Shane's AMAZING buttermilk pancakes - we were sneaky and made him promise before we went to bed the night before. After the pancakes Katie and I left for our girly day of museums, eating and shopping.

We started with the de Young Museum, which featured the YSL tribute show. I am sad to say, I was not too impressed. The first room was filled with really beautiful pieces, mostly Le Smoking or other black tie, black garments. But the rest of the show was sort of a mish mash, with too many of this or too little of that. I'm glad I saw it, but I was underwhelmed. A pleasant surprise came with the Warhol Live show that was going on downstairs at the museum. It was all about his participation in the music industry throughout his career. I had no idea how many album covers, beyond The Velvet Underground and Nico, that he really did. I am always happy after I see some Warhol. We ended the day with some food, coffee and shopping, see previous post about the impulse shoe buy.

Before the partay in my honor, we got some delicious pizza at Delphina Pizzaria and participated in some sidewalk wine drinking. Eating delicious and fancy pizza reminds me how there is really no place to get such a thing in LA, and it makes me MAD!







The rest of the night is a blur, and I had to wake up way too early the next day to catch my flight back to LA.

Thanks Shane and Katie for such a fun weekend!

no pants after dark #4 and #5

OMG. For some reason, every time I start to write anything, my brain stops working. SF was super fun, and went by way too fast, but I'll write more about it later.

One thing I will write about now though, is the shoes I found. I had told myself I wasn't going to do any shopping, but then we walked into this amazing shoe store, Gimme Shoes in Hayes Valley that Katie had been talking about, and discovered the most amazing sale section ever. They had shoe after shoe for 60% off, from all the best shoe designers. Katie promptly found some amazing green Fiorentini & Baker boots and while searching through a cardboard box, I discovered these beauties from Loeffler Randall.



(gimmeshoes.com)

I was on the fence till the girls working there told us they would give us 70% off if we both bought our respective shoes. You just cant say no to a pair of 500 dollar shoes for 150. You just cant. Especially when they look like they were made for you. Because they were an impulse buy, I have decided that I have to wear them a lot, right away, so I wont have such severe buyers remorse.

They were featured in my outfit for our party that night, but I didn't really get any good shots of my outfit from top to bottom. And I know, that skirt really is obscenely short, thank goodness for opaque tights.





(Thakoon for Target t-shirt, Isabel Marant skirt, Abaco Paris belt, Loeffler Randal pumps, various jewellery.)

Last night I wore them again and continued the No Pants After Dark experiment, when I went to the Darling Mansion for a Delicious and vegan meal. We all agreed that the vegan Caesar dressing was better than the real thing!



(Gap dress, Abaco belt, Loeffler Randall shoes, various jewellery.)

Thursday, March 5, 2009

a quick weekend in sf

I leave for San Francisco tomorrow. I was going to drive, and then got lazy and scared once I realized that it is a 6 hour drive and that I would fall asleep at the wheel because I have never made the trip solo. So I was searching the Interweb for some flight deals, and boy oh boy! I found one!

So, tomorrow I got to SF to visit Katie and Shane. Yay for quick weekend trips!!!!

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

gareth pugh goes commercial

Gareth Pugh must be feeling the strain of not being able to sell his curazzzzy designs.

Check out his super toned down and very wearable collection that was presented today in Paris - ahhhh Paris, I am missing you...





There were only a few looks that had his full blown crazy, and even the sheer dress will totally be commercialized with a lining or a slip or something.



(wwd.com)

no pants after dark, look #3, oh darling light at hotel cafe and car troubles

Last night was the Oh Darling acoustic show, other wise known as, Oh Darling Light at the Hotel Cafe.



Since it was acoustic, J. Marie wasn't performing and got to sit in the audience, and I was her +1. I met lots of people and promptly forgot all their names, and tried my best not to admit to anyone that is was my first time seeing the band live.

"No Pants After Dark" #3:



(3.1 Phillip Lim dress, Vanessa Bruno blazer, Report Signature shoes, new and old jewellery)

I was lucky enough to wake up this morning to a flat tire - I think that is what happens when I park it on the hill and don't drive it for a full 36 hours - and tried my best not to cry when I realized that I do not have AAA any more. Why am I being punished for choosing to walk instead of drive??? Never ever ever get Run Flat tires, ever.

I am currently counting down till I go up to San Fran for the weekend to visit Katie and Shane, then I will be counting down even more eagerly for NYC next weekend. I am trying to plan my outfits in my head, but having the hardest time, as I believe it is still winter on the East Coast.