consumption: bardot baby, it’s time for spring shopping

Part I of the spring/summer shopping revue.

.   .   .

Bond girl in the winter months, and Bardot-meets-70s-Ibizia by spring and summer. It’s amazing what an extra hour of Vitamin D can do for the soul. And the skin; caramel macchiato tan, here I come.

For a while now I’ve been hunting for the perfect denim jacket. Too blue. Too dark. Too cropped. Too nineties. I promise you I’m not that high maintenance in reality; I’m just a girl with, for better or for worse, perfectionist tendencies.

I found it. At H&M, no less, from their Divided line for Spring 2012. A light, slightly distressed wash with rose gold buttons and cinched detailing at the back. It hits just above the hip bones – the perfect length for pants or dresses without cutting me off. Worn cuffed always; I haven’t stopped wearing it.

Classic white tee made trendy with a sheer fabric and high-low hemline.

Another favorite spring find – a pastel peach blouse from Forever 21. A sheer, button-down vest top reminiscent of something Marilyn or Brigitte Bardot would wear over a cream balconette bra or bikini, tied nonchalantly about the hips. Just the slightest hint of skin – leave them guessing.

Ignore the wrinkles if you must. I think they give a shirt character. I hate when things look new for a specific outfit. So pretentious, methinks.

.   .   .

x

consumption: rory beca x forever 21

Contrary to popular belief (or the majority of wardrobe, for that matter), I love color.

I do. (See previous few posts if you’re not convinced.) 

Color is empowerment; it is the essence of positive dressing, the crucial element. Color brings out emotions and conjures the mood. It sets the ambiance. It is the tone, the setting, the foreground and background to your story. Color is both your first impression and your last.

Black is both my staple and safety net. But come any hint of spring – a thermometer inching its way up the scale, waking up to warm sunlight – all things bright and colorful and sheer come out of hiding. Blacks lie buried beneath lucid streams of vivid hues. I’d have forgotten what black even was…

… I haven’t had the courage (nor the patience) to venture into Forever 21 for over a year now. It’s too overwhelming, for one, and I’ve been having a love affair – or relationship, since it’s been so long now – with a Swedish someone with the initials H and M.

It’s too bad I have a wandering eye.

I went back to the infamous F21, a fling from summers past. What was once lost was found, passion reignited. I saw not stars, but color. Peach. Pinks. Beach-y blues, bright teals. I felt not butterflies, but a sudden (and unstoppable) urge to grab everything. One of each, please. Whoever said the color of love was red was wrong. It’s all the above, good sir.

It would be a woman who would prove those old, adage-writing, wiry-haired men wrong.* In the area of color theory and symbolism, specifically, Rory Beca would be our modern-day savior. She knows what women want. We want color! Love is color, and color, love. It stands for possibility. Excitement. Adventure. Fun. Desire.

And that was exactly what her collaboration with Forever 21 embodied: the very essence of spring. You know; twitterpation and all that jazz.

I told myself my ideal future spring/summer wardrobe would consist entirely of Rory Beca. But the future ended up not being so far away, and this ideal wardrobe was more attainable than expected. Instant gratification at its finest, I’d say. The tops may not be silk, but they’re still well made given the notorious F21 reputation and price tag. And they’re beautiful. Really. I’d wear them for the rest of the season, on rotation, if I could…

The first top that caught my eye. Sits nonchalantly at the waist and hits right above the hips. Summer is about skin – caramel macchiato, golden-browned skin – and this top is exactly that. Easy, breezy, beautiful, with a low V-front and delicate T-back. It’s an unapologetic bright coral-pink that complements a tan gloriously. And the cream embroidery – the perfect amount of detail.

Hot coral is hot indeed.

Forever’s take on a Rory Beca classic, silk vest top. Pearled buttons down the fuchsia, polyester (!) front, and a greyed jersey panel on the back. Another easy, everyday top that begs to be worn with a matching lip. The perfect combo: Essence lip liner in “Cute Pink” (no. 7) + Buxom lip gloss in “Laura.”

And even more perfect worn with a skinny cropped, black pant and pumps.

Remember when I said I used to avoid pink at all costs? I make exceptions for fuchsia.

This. This little number. This gauzy, teal little number. It’s not much when hanging from a hanger, but even on the F21 racks I had this feeling that it would be the one: the ultimate day dress come spring and summer. And it is. Beautifully cut in all the right places in a tan-enhancing shade of blue-green.

It’s a lucky dress, this one. The two times I’ve worn this have been lucky days (and nights) indeed…

I think I'll call this my lucky dress. I also have a freakum dress, did you know? Beyonce says every lady should have one.

.   .   .

x

Editor’s Note:

* Totally kidding. But not. But kind of. This is what happens when you write under the influence (of multiple cups of green tea!) at wee hours of the morning.

the verdict on burberry body

Just a few months ago were the Burberry Body campaign images released. Wise men say never to judge a book by its cover (did anyone like my “Can’t Help Falling In Love” reference? I adore that song), but Malcolm Gladwell says to trust your gut instincts taken after a blink.

Have I ever mentioned how much I admire Gladwell?

I’m also easily sold by rose-gold, celebration of femininity and female sexuality. Sensuality sells, and Rosie (and Burberry, of course) does it well. Mind you, this is going by pictures, only.

Set up in the corner of my desk as constant inspiration & a subliminal message to innocent passer-by's that if you're to ever win me over, I best find a full-sized bottle of this under my pillow...

A few weeks later and a little package via Royal Mail arrives (in real time, that was this past Friday, with an inadequately sized sample spray of Burberry Body. Resistance was futile, immediate spritzing was in store….

My verdict on Burberry Body: deliciously lush, incredibly sensuous. Full-bodied, feminine.  Everything I thought it would be, and more. There’s no better feeling than (1) finding that a product is precisely what it embodies (2) knowing something is inexplicably you and (3) the taste of truffles. Truth be told number three was completely irrelevant, but given that I’m taste-testing buttery bits of melt-in-your-mouth chocolate and there is no denying that chocolate is the epitome of sensuality in terms of taste and texture, it was indeed relevant.

But back to Burberry Body. Its notes: Freesia, Green Absinthe, Peach, Rose, Iris, Sandalwood, Cashmeran, Musk, Amber, Vanilla. 

The list is sensual in itself! Everything I’ve ever wanted in a fragrance, but never found. On my skin it reads freesia, peach, musk, amber and vanilla more so than the other scents. One sniff and the half-hour test wasn’t even necessary (it’s dry-down is even more beautiful, for the record).

I’ve determined Burberry Body is my new signature fragrance. It’s now at the top of my Christmas list. But I am torn between this and Tom Ford’s Black Orchid…

.   .   .

x

{Burberry Body available at Sephora.com}

smart shopping is sexy: isabel marant vs. gap

I’m a huge contender of smart shopping, and an even bigger advocate for women’s financial literacy: save more, buy more. A totally twisted philosophy I was bred upon, and will now try to impose upon you. It’s all rationalization, really. Do you need it? Or do you want it? If it doesn’t make your heart palpitate and get your mind racing, it’s not love. And it’s not worth it.

Put it down, slowly. You can do it.

Learn to balance the practical and the desirable. Smart shopping is sexy. It shows you’re a woman who know what she wants and exactly when to get it. You are always in control of your desires – but also aren’t afraid to unleash them. Think like a coquette, always!

… and now, my latest window-shopping find:

There’s a fine line between a look-for-less and the authentic thing, one between inspiration and blatant disregard for an artist’s work that is too oft blurred and indiscernible. I have no problem with pieces with a strong influence from an iconic brand, as but a trickle-down effect is only natural.

Take, for example, Gap’s rendition of the highly coveted cable-knit sweater from Isabel Marant S/S 2011, as modeled by Kasia Struss.

Even pre-Marant craze I could never resist a chunky knit, worn one size up for optimum toasty-roastiness, of course, and paired with leggings, skinnies or over a fitted skirt. The je ne sais quoi factor is undeniable regardless of how it’s worn: pulled off the shoulder, rolled at the sleeves, dressed smartly or thrown on — making its cult status nearly inevitable.

But it’s the color that makes the piece: a marled burgundy with speckles of pink and taupe throughout the knit. I’ve not an inkling of doubt when I say berry/magenta shades will always be on pointe during the fall season. I’m not one to wear color, but graying weather somehow always persuades me to forgo my usual, all-black wardrobe for something with color. A rich, jewel-tone berry never fails, and it just so happens to complement a fading tan incredibly well…

I’m hardly surprised that Gap’s A/W collection has the closest approximation of the Marant pullover. Gap’s creative efforts in a branding makeover (over the past few years) have been incredibly successful – their collections are always impressive. Classic, yet always on point (this sweater is a prime example). For $59.95, it’s far more attainable than the original Marant; I even prefer it’s coloring. Still, it’s a bit pricier than I’d like, but considering cost-per-wear, it’d be a steal…

.   .   .

x

{images via, via}

the lbd diaries: a non-bodycon (!), customized little number from eShakti, and why I’m a horrible human being…

If you’re anything of a decent human being, you would have had the majority of your wardrobe tailored — after all, it’s but the right thing to do.

So say the style books.

I suppose, then, that I’d be labeled as a terrible person. But, alas, a moment of redemption! If my mother has hemmed the bottoms of a number of pants (being vertically challenged has its pros and cons), would I be spared from the fiery — or icy? (I’ve always wondered…) — wrath of Hell? Or, at least put in the uppermost level of Dante’s Inferno? Mercy on me, fashion deities; I’ve recently converted to using a lavender Brita bottle in lieu of my liter-sized Poland Springs! I have a oonscience!

Not to mention — my not-so-petit derrière was saved in the nick of time by the sweet and Jennifer from eShakti who was so generous to have sent me an item of my choosing. And while I was hesitant to accept at first on the basis of style alignment, I was drawn by its name. Shakti, meaning power (amongst other things) in Sanskrit. The words I have in a ring around my finger, always. To be able to. Female empowerment. Et cetera. A meaning they’ve chosen to interpret and rework so that eShakti means power of the (inter)net, and how it empowers the consumer and pushes companies to be customer-centered.

And the best part? All clothing can be made as if it were a custom fitting…

I’m impressed with the quality, the precise cut and fit to my measurements and specifications. It looks a bit bland on the hanger; only when worn can the deep V-neck front (and back!) be fully appreciated for its modern elegance. The beaded applique is exquisite as well. I had good intentions of photographing myself in this dress as to do its silhouette justice, but (1) photogenetics skipped my generation and (2) I’ve been engrossed with school and work. (Excuses, I know.)

I couldn’t help but picture Carrie Bradshaw wearing this little number as not a casual, cocktail dress for evening socials but during the day, clutching a little metallic, mesh purse. Perhaps paired with a brightly colored Blahnik of sorts. An emerald green? A rich magenta? Possibilities are endless, though being the boring (and practical) girl I am, I’d reach for my trustworthy black heels. Pumps for day, a strappy platform for night. I need a reason to wear this outside the four walls of my bedroom…

And if my headline wasn’t a dead giveaway (and if you somehow couldn’t tell from pictures…) — it’s one of few dress I own that isn’t form-fitting. Every LBD (and LRD!) under my possession is of a body-conscious silhouette. A cut I’ve grown perfectly content in, but renders opportunities for showcases slim — strictly evenings only. I needed to venture out of my comfort zone; previous attempts at dipping toes into silhouettes of the A-line, column, et. al families proved futile and ill-fitting. For too long I’ve associated anything that wasn’t tailored for a curve-hugging fit was shapeless.

This dress is a new start.

.   .   .

x

{dress c/o eShakti – merci beaucoup!}