Forest of Green

This is one of the two kimonos that I picked up at the flea market this weekend.  It's similar to the kimono I wore in a previous post, and I purchased it from the same vendor, but it has deeper, more autumnal hues.  I had to restrain myself from buying multiple pieces from this particular vendor, especially after admiring some crochet cardigans, peasant tops, and colorful crochet sweaters.  This fall, I'm stepping out of my color comfort zone by wearing hues that I normally shy away from, including: rust, burgundy, forest green, teal, and tan.  I think the trick is to know what colors flatter your skin and hair color, and to wear those colors closest to your face, while wearing the least flattering colors on the lower half of the body.  Another trick is to wear a scarf with your "good" colors in your hair or around your neck to counteract the potentially unflattering effect of your "bad" colors.

Wearing: H&M sunglasses, vintage floral pendant necklace, beaded fringe kimono from flea market, H&M maxi dress (luxury version here), belt and studded bag from Charlotte Russe, and Topshop Amie wedges.

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Flea Market Finds

Despite the overcast, drizzly weather, it managed to stay dry just in time for a visit to one of my favorite flea markets this weekend.  I couldn't have asked for a better Sunday; the combination of no rain, antique shopping, and brunch made it close to perfect. Not knowing what to expect since this particular flea market can be hit or miss, I was pleasantly surprised by both the strong vendor turnout and the large amount of buyers who seemed to be purchasing in droves. In my experience, the wet weather discourages both buyers and sellers, but not this time.  To  top if off, I spotted quite a few stylish shoppers in the crowd, and was reminded that I should start shooting street style again.

While shopping, I spotted some unique pieces, including a very Fall 2011 Prada-esque paneled shift dress from the 1960s, a $350 replica of Napoleon's very ornate pistol, a vintage British Airways carry on, and a memorable sweater with dogs embroidered on the front (seen in the last photo).  Unfortunately, my two favorite jewelry vendors weren't present, so no African beaded necklaces or 2 for $5 friendship bracelets for me.  Fortunately, my favorite kimono vendor brought her best wares, and after trying on a few crochet cardigans and fringe kimonos, I took one home. It's similar to the one I wore in a previous personal style post, and I can't wait to wear it with flared jeans or over a maxi dress.

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The Animal Effect

After waking up to thunder and a very brief bout of pouring rain which ruined my bike riding plans on Friday morning, I managed to luck out and find a tiny sliver of sun just before the clouds rolled in again at sunset.  It was quite unusual weather for the first official day of fall in California, and I took advantage of the sun by wearing my new dress out during the evening.

After some contemplation, I ended up purchasing two pieces from the Kardashian Kollection on sale. The second piece that I bought, this leopard print dress (which I couldn't stop thinking about after shopping and reviewing the collection) is surprisingly well made.  It includes a full lining, high quality back zipper, adjustable/removable straps, vertical lace panels, and a slinky, body-molding fit.  It wasn't easy to find, either. Being one of the more popular pieces in the collection, I had to call a few Sears stores to track it down and place it on hold. As much as I love snake prints and Dalmatian prints for fall, I'll always rely upon the good old classic leopard print as a wardrobe staple.  Like Diane von Furstenberg, I consider leopard print to be a neutral.

**Also, I'm excited to announce the winner of my Erica Anenberg ring giveaway. Thank you to all who entered. The lucky winner is Vittoria! Congratulations, Vittoria! I'll be emailing you very soon.

Wearing: lace fringe kimono from Lulu's, Kardashian Kollection leopard dress (similar style dress here), Forever 21 minaudière (the ultimate version here), assorted jewelry, and Steve Madden Grettta heels.

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Lucky Brand's New Movement in Denim Event

I typically spend Wednesday nights at home, however, this week I attended Lucky Brand's New Movement in Denim fall campaign event at Eveleigh in West Hollywood benefitting the Art of Elysium. A little background info - the Art of Elysium is a non-profit organization that encourages working actors, artists, and musicians to voluntarily dedicate their time and talent to children who are battling serious medical conditions.  Admittedly, it was a tiny bit surreal walking into the cozy French country style restaurant, spotting a light fixture over the bar made of animal skulls, sampling some tuna tartare, and being steps away from a denim-clad Tim Gunn, whose book I just finished reading. Highlights of the evening (which was hosted by Tim Gunn), included an amazing performance by electric violinist Caitlin Moe, a sighting of The Veronicas (who are pictured above and both appeared to be wearing JC Litas), and some of my favorite songs spun DJ Mia Moretti.  (She's my new favorite DJ, and not only is she skillful, but she's gorgeous and reminds me of Portia de Rossi.) On our way out, I posed on the step and repeat just for fun, since many of the photographers had left the area. Unfortunately, I wasn't wearing Lucky Brand, but I'll be heading to one of their stores very soon to check out their fall denim and seek out the perfect pair of flared jeans.

Wearing: lace fringe kimono top from Lulu's, Forever 21 dress, Zara handbag, and T-strap heels from GoJane (similar style here).

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Zig Zag Dressing

One of my favorite pieces in the Missoni for Target collection turned out to be this blue dress.  In all honesty, I'm not typically drawn to sweater dresses, let alone potentially unflattering horizontal zig zag prints, but the rich blue hues in this dress sparked my interest and made this piece a surprise hit for me.  Since I was quite flustered by the frenzy surrounding me while shopping, I didn't notice the full lining until I got home and tried it on, and I was quite pleased with it.  The dress runs true to Target's sizing, as I'm wearing an XS.  It's a simple slip-on style with short sleeves and an A-line shape, and I belted it to define the waist.  (This is one of my favorite styling techniques, since a belt can turn an unflattering dress into a flattering one instantly and effortlessly. If you're short-waisted like me, opt for a thinner belt of less than 1" in width to avoid visually shortening your waist.)

Taller women might find the length of this dress to be too short, and may find the dress better suited as a tunic over leggings or skinny jeans, but it's a satisfactory length on my petite frame.  After taking stock of my Missoni purchases I returned what I didn't want, including the luggage with its lead warning labels. I'm now on the hunt for the perfect tan wide leg trousers to go with my new Missoni for Target knits.

**Also, there is still time to enter my Erica Anenberg ring giveaway if you haven't already. The contest ends Monday, September 26, 2011.

Wearing: H&M bowler hat and sunglasses, Missoni for Target dress, I ♡ Ronson for JC Penney jacket, and Steve Madden Collosul boots

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A Peek at the Hart of Dixie Wardrobe

Last night I had the pleasure of visiting the Warner Bros. set of the CW's new show Hart of Dixie, which stars Rachel Bilson and Jaime King.  On the show, Rachel's character, Zoe Hart, is an aspiring cardio-thoracic surgeon from NYC who moves to BlueBell, Alabama, to perfect her bedside manner as a general physician.  Jaime King plays the part of Lemon, a BlueBell local with demure and dainty style. In stark contrast, Zoe's style is polished, chic, and urban with a touch of glamour.  (Think Chanel and Tory Burch mixed with Low Luv and Rag & Bone.)

As we walked onto the set, we encountered a charmingly rustic diner named the Rammer Jammer. Along with other fashion bloggers including Aimee, Nicole, Melanie, and Rebecca, I got an intimate behind-the-scenes peek at the wardrobe used on the show.

During the Q&A with Rachel Bilson and the show's costume designer Meredith Markworth-Pollack, we learned that many of Jaime King's wardrobe pieces are vintage and locally sourced. Rachel revealed that (like me,) she loves fall because it allows her to dress in chunky sweaters and layers.  She forever endeared herself to me when she inquired of a blogger if her sweater was Missoni for Target (which it was), to which Rachel replied that she'd wanted the luggage.  I admitted that I bought the small luggage, but later returned it when I read the lead warning label.  During the Q&A we also learned that Rachel enjoys shopping at Net-a-porter, and her character's fish-out-of-water style will play prominently in the show.  Rachel also admitted that her personal style is more casual than her character's. After the Q&A I was amazed to learn that Meredith is from the town where I live (it's a small world), and we shared stories about our local secondhand stores and favorite sources of vintage clothing.

While browsing the racks of clothing for Zoe's character, I spied a shimmery Marc Jacobs sweater, a sleek Herve Leger dress, a chic By Malene Birger jacket, Alexander Wang boots, and some leopard Jimmy Choos that would easily be at home in my closet if not for the price points. Unlike Zoe, Jaime King's character, Lemon, is a quintessential southern belle; she wear dainty prints, pastels, and ultra feminine 1950s-style dresses.  Although my personal style is more akin to Zoe's, I was repeatedly drawn to the ladylike vintage frocks, frame bags, and pretty blouses (in the four photos immediately above) worn by Jaime's character Lemon.

I owe a big thank you to all the kind and friendly folks at Warner Bros. for putting together this event and giving us bloggers a chance to go behind the scenes, chat with Rachel and Meredith, and learn about the wardrobe of Hart of Dixie.  The show airs on Monday night after Gossip Girl (9pm ET/PT), and after watching the pilot, I can't wait to see the next episode. Think plot twists, compelling characters, gorgeous cinematography, interesting fashion, and love triangles.

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Symmetrical Asymmetry

While shopping at a secondhand store last month, I discovered this vintage soutache jacket for under $2.  Although it needed some minor repairs to its intricate beadwork and some stain removal, I was willing to give it a try. Fortunately, while browsing, I met a kind woman who admired the jacket and we got to chatting about fashion. She turned out to be a former patternmaker and seamstress, and she gave me a helpful tip on how to remove old age stains and armpit yellowing by using a toothbrush with baking soda to blot the stains carefully away.  With some persistence and patience, I later put her advice to good use, and recently paired the jacket with my latest purchase from the LF sale.

After stalking this floral dress at LF for a few months, I finally managed to score it dirt cheap this weekend.  In contrast to some of my dresses and skirts that have a high hemline in front and low hemline in back, this one intrigued me with its low hemlines on the sides.  After making the purchase, I promptly wore it out to a friend's birthday party, where I tested the impracticality of wearing 6.5" heels on the dance floor.  Let's just say that I sacrificed some of my dance floor mobility in order to feel tall, and I'm perfectly ok with that.

Wearing: H&M sunglasses, vintage beaded jacket, Love asymmetrical floral dress, Zara handbag, Wild Pair Sister WP heels (same style as the Steve Madden Shazzam heels)

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Hazy Gray

It seems as though fringe is a recurring theme on my blog lately. That, along with high-low hemlines, lace, crochet, and kimono tops. When I first saw this fringe skirt at Foreign Exchange, my first thought was, "cute, but not practical." I tried it on with low expectations, but loved the dramatic floor-skimming fringe.  Sometimes you have to choose fashion over function, it makes life more interesting. Sure enough, while wearing the skirt, I learned that walking up the stairs and getting in and out of the car takes more effort.  Oh well, it's effort I'm willing to exert!

Wearing: Mossimo tank top, Papaya feather cardigan, Foreign Exchange fringe skirt, Aldo Qualheim boots (similar style boots by Steve Madden here)

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