{ easy / breezy }

{ tiffany sunnies, white + warren cashmere wrap, erin fetherston blouse (previously seen HERE // i also wore a dress in this print HERE), camille zarsky python clutch and cuffs, blank nyc bell bottoms, zara boots }

time { for sunshine }

i'm backing up all those luckily-not-lost photos before packing to head to LA (then austin!) for a few days. revisiting these shots from erin fetherston's spring presentation is getting me into the right mindset for warmer climes:




{ photos by jeremy james }

PS: remember that giveaway we had going on? well, white + warren is pleased to announce our winner: congratulations to amy kircher ~ expect an email shortly!
PPS: wanna know where i'm staying in LA? here's a hint (or you could just check my twitter). i'm totally freaking out!!

{ four days' } faves

{ from top: tory burch, christian siriano for payless, mara hoffman, mara hoffman, christian siriano for payless, erin fetherston, tory burch, mandy coon, tory burch } follow me on twitter for TRULY up-to-the-minute new york fashion week coverage!!

{ old fashioneds }

{ lanvin for h+m sunnies, elizabeth+james blouse, songbird caroline dress courtesy of erin fetherston, stuart weitzman shoes }

my very talented photographer and i had so much fun shooting this riverside story, that we returned to the same location the next day, with a 1950's land camera (and almost-equally old film) in tow, to see what more magic could be made. here's what we came up with! i love that these images feel like they're from another era ~ but if you'd like to see the ensemble in HD, stroll on over to erin fetherston's site, and enjoy the story from a more modern (digital!) perspective.
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PS: click through to see how i wore erin's interpretation of the same silhouette in a solid chiffon, and the same print in another silhouette!!

{ wrappin n' happenin }

when i was growing up, my mom used to attend an annual 'wrappin n' happenin' party ~ wherein friends would convene with wine, wrapping paper, and ribbons. they'd gab and wrap til every last prezzie was beautifully boxed. i always thought it was such a cute idea, and certainly could have used such an occasion prior to this weekend, when i realized too late that the paper i'd bought for a friend's gift was not spotted silver (as i'd assumed in the store), but spotted cellophane instead!

minutes before rushing out the door for her soirée, i attempted to improvise by lining the package with white tissue. still, even with the help of tons of tape (and lots of licks from a well-intentioned puppy), the end result was a dizzying mess. ah well, at least my erin fetherston dress was elegantly wrapped, with its pretty bow tied to perfection!

{ kelly framel pleated leather earrings, nina wrap dress courtesy of erin fetherston (lots more photos on HER BLOG!), kenzo for wolford lace tights }

in keeping with the season's perfectly-imperfect theme, i had a few friends over friday night to help decorate my vintage tinsel tree. every one of my loved ones brought an ornament or memento to add ~ and i couldn't be more excited by the results!! it's packed with playing cards, pine cones, feather boas, glitzy garlands, and a million memories. i think i've finally founded my own annual holiday happenin!

{ ghost stories }

{ tom ford sunnies, leather trench (in above pic) courtesy of hare+hart, topshop earrings, kelly framel pearl spiderlily ring, bird by juicy couture vest, edith dress courtesy of erin fetherston (many more photos on HER BLOG!), h+m tights, coach boots, OPI's got the blues for red nail polish }

whenever i wear erin fetherston's frocks, i feel like i've fallen into a fairytale ~ and i love how this particular piece seems more deeply indebted to the brothers grimm than to disney-like lore. even its name ~ the edith dress ~ calls to mind edith wharton (writer of many a supernaturalist ghost story), while its spider-web stripes recall lydia deets, beloved beetlejuice babe. paired with this creepy-crawly-cozy vest, methinks i'm ready to hit up the holiday parties with old jacob marley on my arm!! joyeux noël noir...

{ now you see it }

{ lanvin for h+m sunnies, trompe l'oeil jacket courtesy of erin fetherston (more photos on HER BLOG!), cat-print blouse courtesy of modcloth, michael kors watch, f21 neoprene clutch, alice+olivia harem pants, lanvin for h+m shoes }

feeling a sort of super-future, softly techno vibe with this sparkly, scuba-ready laptop-case-turned-clutch, trippy trompe l'oeil jacket and jersey jam pants. this is the sort of ensemble that could have gone really relaxed, but for a few key accessories and a razor-sharp blazer. and i couldn't resist the subtle pun in pairing this kitty print blouse with leopard spotted shoes. hear me rawrrr.

{ of flocks & feathered frocks }

since being given the opportunity to sprinkle my costumery with pieces from erin fetherston's fall collection, is it any surprise that i've been flagrantly fixated on all her delightful bird print pieces?! seriously, it's almost obsessive ~ before today i've worn iterations of them here, here and HERE!

the thing is, aside from being lovely on their own accord, they remind me of hunt slonem paintings (an artist i've long adored and have blogged about BEFORE) ~ and i think everyone should take any shot they've got to wear a work of art!

meanwhile, may i just say how happy i am that this particular dress is so forgivingly cut? don't tell the turkeys, but i'm really looking forward to thanksgiving (tomorrow!) ~ the one day of the year when nobody even blinks as i inevitably go in for a third helping of mashed potatoes, followed immediately by a slice or two of sweet potato pie...

...this is one bird who may soon be too full to fly!!

{ lanvin for h+m sunnies (another surprise from the mister!), reworked vintage earrings, elizabeth+james blazer (i'm crazy for its super-fitted sleeves!), songbird shift dress courtesy of erin fetherston, vintage belt, juicy couture bag (last seen HERE), random thigh-highs (last seen HERE) }
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all avian paintings in this post by hunt slonem // many more images of this look can be seen on erin's blog

{ costume of the day } hair/bow

when i cropped the last of my locks off back in april, i noticed myself suddenly gravitating towards dramatically collared clothes. at first, it was all about sharp menswear-inspired collars. now, 7 months in, i'm still most comfortable wearing face-framing things ~ but i've learned that something as soft as an oversized bow will do just as well as razor-sharp ruff!

thus, this top has proven to be an invaluable layering piece (i also wore it HERE and HERE). it helps that it buttons all the way up to the neck before exploding into a bow; this way it's easier to tuck under stuff than most of my other bow-tie blouses. earlier this week i paired it with this very sixties-esque erin fetherston dress (more photos on her blog) and a pair of eerily-perfectly matched boots ~ and enjoyed the way the combination felt both mod and modern!

i think my crumply, paul-mccartney-coif reinforced the modish energy, and that's probably why i enjoy switching up my hair so often. each incarnation allows me to experiment anew with my style ~ and learn something fresh in matters of dress. so, even as i'm growing my locks out again, the transition is still inspiring me to transform.

{ self-designed jewelry (new store coming soon!), club monaco blouse, julia dress courtesy of erin fetherston, h+m tights, bottega veneta boots (i'm rocking the same pair on tory burch's blog today too!) }
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in other news, i keep replying to emails/tweets/facebook queries with promises of the imminent relaunch of my jewelry shop... and yet there's still just a liiiittle more work to be done! i'm sorry to keep those who have asked waiting; we're just now finishing up all the photographing/coding, etc., and i promise i'll update everyone the moment it's ready (hopefully by friday!). in case you can't wait that long to get your shop on, pop over to erin's ~ where all the pieces i've worn on the blog are now 30% off!

{ costume of the day } sweet caroline

as i mentioned last week, i've been entrusted with the opportunity to contribute my own costume shoots to erin fetherston's blog every wednesday ~ and this week's installment has just launched HERE!

{ prada sunnies, topshop earrings, street vendor scarf (last seen HERE), phi cashmere + chiffon cardigan (last seen way back HERE), vintage lea stein brooch, caroline dress courtesy of erin fetherston, muji socks, pour la victoire boots (i just broke down & bought the same style in black as well, and am seriously considering THIS PAIR too!!) // CLICK HERE for more photos of this look }

this caroline dress is extra-special, as it's a web exclusive and, for this week only, is being offered at 25% off! plus, it's got all the wonderfully twirly goodness i so adore in erin's work!! it's seriously such a joy to get to wear such pretty pieces; i'm a very lucky girl.

{ top story }

recently, i told you i'd soon have fun news from the erin fetherston front. now that i'm finally ready to share, where to begin?! well for starters, i'm especially excited to announce that i'll be contributing my own costumery to her site every wednesday ~ beginning right now!

for the last few weeks, i've had a hard time NOT wearing her dylan blouses (in both solid & printed form). seriously, they work for any occasion ~ so today's post is a tribute to them, and all the places we've been! read it HERE.

{ above: scarf-turned-turban, bird print dylan blouse courtesy of erin fetherston, vintage palazzo pants, adorable papillon puppy // below: tom ford sunnies, self-designed necklace, ivory dylan blouse courtesy of erin fetherston // more photos of them both HERE }

also very exciting? erin's currently running a contest on facebook ~ everyone who 'likes' her page before november 10th will be entered to win a $1000 gift certificate to her store!! (be sure to show some love to my page too, while you're there ~ i've begun posting extra photos of every costume!).

what's more, on fridays from here out (as of this week), the first ten people to tweet the hashtag #fetherfridays + a link to their favorite item on erinfetherston.com will receive 10% off their next order.

finally, if you have a question for the designer herself, post it on her fan page or tweet it at her (using the hashtag #EFQandA) ~ she'll be answering every one of them this weekend!

{ costume of the night } catch wind

{ the glamourai earrings (coming soon to the shop!), stephanie dress courtesy of erin fetherston, lanvin crystal & ostrich feather brooch, juicy couture ring, vintage clutch, manolo blahnik shoes, OPI's 'light my sapphire' nail polish }

last night i had a long-overdue evening out with a very good girlfriend. among other spirited spots around the city, we stopped off to celebrate the wonderfully grand reopening of lord & taylor, ate an incredible truffled sushi pizza and challenged unsuspecting acquaintances to incredibly cutthroat sessions of online scrabble. in between, i seized every available moment to twirl around or thrust myself into great gusts of wind. this dress demanded it.

{ costume of the day } fethers falling

{ vintage ysl sunnies, self-designed hartshorn necklace (now on sale!), songbird chelsea dress courtesy of erin fetherston, reworked clutch, vintage ring, coach boots, OPI's 'my private jet' nail polish (because people always ask!) }

erin fetherston sent me this dress to wear to her recent spring show, and ever since i'd been dying to rock it again! i loved how she showed it with dust-tone boots for fall; i thought it was a great example of how to make light, airy frocks work all year round. that's why i've totally taken her lead both times i've worn it; although, as the weather gets even cooler, i can also imagine pairing some sort of yummy thermal underneath it, or a printed scarf + cropped peacoat on top.
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PS: i'm still working with erin on the continued development of her blog, and we're going to have some really exciting things to share soon! in the meantime, check out my thoughts from this season's show HERE, or click through to shop her entire fall collection HERE!!