Spring Break '08: Day 4

I woke up super early for last minute tweaks on my interview outfit. This was my initial plan, but the weather was just not cooperating, so I threw on a pair of black tights at the last minute. And horrors of horrors, there was a huge run going the entirety of my back leg. I ran out to Duane Reade, but all they had left was a pair of black stirrup tights, but it was way too late to care to much.

The tie-dye dress was from Forever21, the blazer is an old one from my Forensics days in high school (The Limited, I think), the insanely high platform shoes were from the sick fucks at H&M (oww), the bag from H&M also, and the necklace from ForLove21. Overall, the outfit was comfortable enough to sprint around in, but the unholy, terrible shoes of death didn't feel like cooperating much.

My plan was to the area fairly early and buy some coffee a few blocks down to sip while walking there. The plan would have worked, save for the fact that the streets were completely paved with COBBLESTONES so what I imagined would have been a super-fashionable sashay turned into this a super-precarious tiptoe with my coffee spilling everywhere. Wahoo.

I got to the offices, and was informed that the editor was going to be half an hour late, so I started going through my portfolio. And then, the office doors swung open, and guess who walked in.

LC.

From the Hills.

LC FROM THE FREAKIN' HILLS.

I cannot even tell you guys how surreal it was to have watched the Hills premiere the day before and then see Lauren actually sashay into the offices with her personal assistant in tow. I don't exactly remember what they talked about, but the names "Kristen", "Audrina" and "Les Deux" definitely popped up.

But the interview went swimmingly and I'll let you know my decisions as soon as I make them!

I rushed to the Coutorture offices in Brooklyn right afterwards, and had a wonderful chat with Julie who took time out of her busy, busy day full of photoshoots and press releases to talk about the industry and Coutorture. Thanks for the afternoon Julie!

By then, I was POOPED but was adamant on going thrifting, but as soon as I stepped into Beacon's Closet (thanks for the tips LC), I was feeling unbelievably uninspired, my feet were being eaten alive by my terrible shoes, I had to pee, and all I wanted to do was take a fat cat nap. So I did a quick run around the store, saw so many fabulous things that I kick myself in hindsight for not at least trying on, and headed back uptown. I fell asleep at 9pm and didn't wake until noon the next morning.

Spring Break '08: Day 3

Since I knew I was going to be trying a lot of things on, I wore this really fantastic vintage silk top and high waisted jeans from Urban (no shots of the jeans, but they're braaaaided). The bag is my favorite part of the outfit. It's totally convertible, and you can wear it as a backpack while shopping so you have your hands free, or you can change the snaps around and turn it into a cute shopper. I wore it on my shoulder for the most part, but this thing is seriously bottomless, so I was able to fit most of my stuff in there.

Knowing that I have the worst sense of direction EVER, I plotted out all of my shopping destinations via the MTA trip planner (nerd nerd nerd alert). I got off at the Prince Street exit in Soho and stepped into Dean and DeLuca's first to grab some breakfast. I'm not sure how representative this is of snobbish, high-brow supermarkets, but I can say with some confidence, as someone who lives right in the middle of the most snobbish, most high-brow supermarket district ever, Dean and DeLuca should probably reign right up there with them. The coffee was meh, but I've never tasted a fresher peach in March.

I made a quick stop into Old Navy first where I headed straight for the shoe sale racks. I was on the lookout for the canvas wedges that Fashionista blogged about before--and believe my luck when I saw one last pair in the exact size and color that I wanted. I also picked up a pair of cheap black sandals.

Uniqlo was A.Ma.Zing...oh god, so many walls of the most beautiful basics you could possibly imagine. I picked up a grey sweatshirt and a pair of new pair of dark skinny jeans. I'm always on the search for really raw, inky indigo jeans. Marcus and the boys apparently try to only handwash their denim, but handwashing jeans don't quite get them back to that original, tight fit. But after a few machine wash cycles, the jeans inevitably start fading, and I need to go pick up a new pair. My favorite purchase was definitely this typography t-shirt. I'm a nerd for typefont and there are few things in this world that can get me as riled up as a good debate about modernist and post-modernist fonts. I also picked up a men's blue gingham short-sleeved button up as well as dark grey chambray shirt of the same cut for Marcus.

Muji was also sooo sick, but alas, I just didn't have any room in my luggage for any home goods, so I'm going to wait to go back until this summer when I have to outfit my temporary dorm room (huzzah!)

I walked up a few blocks to Opening Ceremony so I could check out Chloe Sevigny's line. It was hot, most definitely, but it was so close to treading in "Contempo Casuals" waters that it really didn't justify the extreme price tags. I did try on the floral bustier dress, but I was surprised at how thin the fabric was and how infuriatingly simple it was for a $400 dress. I also tried on a few White Trumpet shirts which were beautiful origami creations in thin jersey from recent grads of St. Martins, but there were some obvious fitting problems especially in the sleeves, so I left them alone. I ended up just getting a Sevigny canvas bag which was cheap enough so I won't have to worry about taking too good of care of it.

By then the sun had set and since I'm so paranoid, I rushed back to the apartment, hunkered down with some paella and pineapple smoothies and watched the Hills. For serious, can we talk about Heidi's face?

Spring Break '08: Days 1 and 2

I'm currently all cozy under some blankets at my friend's NY apartment by the Bronx and I finally have some time to blog a little about my trip to the East Coast. but, like an idiot, I left my camera cord at another friend's in DC, and won't be able to post any pictures until I get back to Berkeley. So, until Thursday (or Friday, let's be realistic here Connie), here's a briefish post:




After 5 hours by plane, 1.5 hours by subway train, and 4 more hours by a terrible, horrible, no-good, very bad Chinatown bus (but it was cheap, and since that's usually the qualifier, I probably shouldn't be complaining), I finally arrived in DC in the evening to meet up with my friend Bekah. Exhausted, hungry, and slightly delirious, we went on a little Georgetown rendezvous to a local hookah haunt for some shisha and pitas and later walked along the waterfront. Someone had placed a single cupcake on each pillar and maaaaannnn I wanted one so bad.






So we made our own! The supermarket didn't stock food coloring, so we said a quick prayer that we wouldn't die of poisoning and bought easter egg dye. But we (by which I mean "I") ate half a dozen and am still alive, so no worries.

The next day was spent wandering the city and going to all of Bekah's favorite places. But first we got our nails done at the Watergate Hotel. Yes. The Watergate. So bizarre. Then, it was off to the Sartorialist exhibit by way of Embassy Row. Side note: the Iraq embassy is one of the first ones you walk past when you exit Dupont, and it's all abandoned and creepy now. Sad stuff.

The Sartorialist exhibit was nice, but it was honestly a underwhelming as I've seen all the prints before (they're up on his website). The prints were going at around $1200 for a signed photograph, and the most expensive one was incidentally my favorite (go figure)--you know the one of the redheaded chick in the black dress and grey kneesocks standing in what looks like the backyard of some cobblestoney place whose hair has just caught the wind? Yaddadimean? I probably should also comment about DC fashion at this point because this picture of me at the Adamson Gallery hallway is pretty representative (albeit, accidental). There's the requisite black, trendy coat (because it's still fairly chilly); dark, skinny jeans; black flats or boots. There's also the the stuff that I'm not rocking: the structured bag; diamond or pearl stud earrings; sleek polished hair, and big, oversized sunglasses. It's part Jackie-O, part senatorial wannabe, and very, very conservative and sophisticated.


Then it was to the Post Office Museum which Bekah swears is the best place in DC for silly photo ops. As I've been to DC a few times before, I really didn't feel the need to see the Smithsonian, the Natural History Museum, or the monuments again, so this place was a refreshing surprise. This was one of the pictures in our series titled "Senior Photos: Into the Wild Edition". The embarrassed/whoops face is because an elderly couple walked in us right when Bekah was taking this shot. Ehheheh.


Oh, and I finally got to wear my new VPL silk/wool off the shoulder top that I got from Shopbop. I got it one size up so it drapes a little more dramatically.

Then back to Bekah's for a girly movie fest of My Best Friend's Wedding, Before Sunrise and Center Stage. Oh yeah, and more cupcakes.

I didn't do any shopping in DC, although it was hard to stop myself from going into all the pretty boutiques and shops in Georgetown because I knew that I would have plenty of time to shop in NY. So, sorry on the fashion-lite-ness of this post, but I guarantee that I'll make up for it with subsequent trip posts.

What's coming up:

1. My afternoon with Soho and why me and my bank account are NOT on speaking terms anymore
2. Wandering around under a bridge in Chinatown for half an hour
3. Interview outfits (we won't talk about the 30482 hours it took to put it together)
4. Trip to the Coutorture offices
5. My night in Jersey
6. The Upper East Side (xoxo)
7. The most magical, transformer shopping bag EVER
   

Until Friday, lovelies!

Really Obsessed With: Neck Scarves

Kate Moss's new line for Topshop launched today, and while the pieces in the collection are a little too Duran-Duran's Summer Tour in Bali, I did find myself gravitating towards these vintage looking scarves. I can't tell how big they are, but if they're substantial enough, I imagine wearing them looped once around my neck with the tie in front (kind of sailer style, yaddadimean?). Wearing them graffiti-artist style feels a little contrived, but you don't want to get too saccharine by tying it in a bow around your neck. I'm trying to prep my wardrobe for the colder weather in NY, and I'm bringing way too many of scarves like these to keep me warm.

Inspired By: NYC

Big, big apologies for the week and a half hiatus--but I swear, I was cramming all my schoolwork in before I leave for New York this Friday for Spring Break! No doubt my trip will be fantastic, but I need a little help from all of you. I'm looking for: cheap eats, cheap buys, cheap thrills, and lots and lots of fabulous things to look at. I'll keep you all posted on my outfits (there are interviews, trips down to DC and Jersey, and a whole lot of aimless walking days), but until then, here's the quintessential NY outfit which is a bit of Blair, a smidge of Holly Golightly, and a whiff of those creepy touristy vendors.

Really Obsessed With: Marching Band Jackets

This girl from facehunter (I think?) has been haunting my Inspiration board for a few weeks now. This chick DEFINES what it means to be effortlessly chic. It's like she rolled out of bed in her black tank, grabbed the nearest jacket and a pair of jeans and slipped her feet into the first pair of heels she could find. This look is neither dated nor trendy, quirky enough for my tastes, and look! She's having fun! There's no trace of that "OOH fashion is SO serious" thing that makes most facehunter regulars resort to that stone-faced "I'm pretending to be noncahalant" pose. I've been on the lookout for a similar jacket, but my stipulations (primary colors, fitted, with tails) have made it pretty tricky. The jacket on the right is up on ebay right now and bidding ends soon so make your move if you're feeling it.

Channeling: Claudia Kishi

I was such a Babysitter's Club fan when I was younger (I'm plead guilty of turning my closet into a club headquarters where I presided over my stuffed animals and doled out babysitting assignments). Those days are over, but I still look back to the raddest babysitter of them all for fashion inspiration. Topshop's new stuff in this week totally reminds me of Claudia: heavy floral printed skirts, drapey masculine tops, and a good side helping of arts-and-crafts jewelry. Who cares if her seven year old sister could do her math homework and she failed middle school? Claudia could draw like a bamf and always had leftover candy to share at meeting (remember?).

Neon Doc Martens
Rest, Topshop

OMG, Why?: Boho Tunics

Even though I hail from Berkeley, I cannot condone the recent proliferation of "stoner-chic". It is not ironic, not "fun", and I pray for Shopbop's soul for using the word "hot" to describe the monstrosity on the right. And if you follow Shopbop's advice and "wear it on vacation", I can guarantee that the locals will stay far away--the knuckle graing sleeves, unflattering stripes and general "Robin Hood of Sherweed Forest" look just screams "I have decided to accessorize with dried bits of bum vomit and microbrew beer stains. Huzzah!" And it being comfy and "alternative" is NOT an excuse to spend an offensive $300 on something that looks like it passed through Bob Marley's digestive tract. Just say no, boys and girls. Just say no.