{ friday }

this has been one of those weeks in which friday seemed like it took an extra-long time to arrive. so happy it's finally here!!

{ miu miu hat (recently worn HERE), vintage sunnies, cotton candy coat (also seen HERE), gifted LL bean signature sweater, susan hanover & alexa leigh necklaces (see them in better detail HERE), coach classics bag, textile elizabeth + james jeans, zara boots }

{ boots + brollies }

{ miu miu hat (yep, i just had to buy it), david yurman earrings + necklace (on loan for a shoot, but i couldn't resist test driving them myself!), halston heritage trench (last seen HERE), opening ceremony sweater (similar HERE), gifted joie elephant print shirt, vintage polkadot skirt, anya hindmarch bag (last seen at fashion week) navy hue tights, bottega veneta boots (recently seen HERE), samsonite umbrella }

yesterday was gloomy and grey ~ meaning of course that i was expected all over town, with hiding out in bed a definite non-option. whenever that happens, i'm grateful for the day i decided to invest in a pair of rainboots pretty enough for meetings ~ and an umbrella to match! speaking of these kicks, i recently wore the same pair HERE, but do you also remember them from way back when?!

and below, some ideas for how you can get the look right now, should you be so inclined:

GREY: buckled hunter boots and marc by marc jacobs panther print umbrella // ORANGE: hunter lace-up boots and shed rain umbrella // BLACK: juicy couture boots and swaine adeney brigg umbrella // BROWN: timberland boots and marc by marc jacobs animal print umbrella

{ been } an awful good girl

this miu miu hat shot to the top of my wishlist so fast, i just might have to give it to myself for christmas!!

{ rest stop dress }

{ karen walker sunnies, kelly framel necklaces and wrap bracelet, miu miu dress, michael kors watch, anya hindmarch clutch, gifted corello shoes }

a few weeks ago, i was driving back from newport, rhode island, when i suddenly had to use the loo. after pulling off the highway at the nearest exit, what should i find but a barneys-equipped outlet mall?! i ran in to use the facilities, and ran back out with this new miu miu dress in tow. didn't cost much more than a tank of gas!

{ the streets }

captured at nyfw { above left via refinery29 // wearing: lanvin for h+m sunnies, coach leather bomber (seen HERE), elizabeth & james shirt, c. renee sweater (also worn HERE), vintage skirt & clutch, stuart weitzman boots // above right via nymag // wearing: gifted elizabeth & james sunnies, zara coat, gifted modcloth blouse, miu miu pants & brooch (on vintage bag), lanvin for h+m shoes }

{ reliably styleable }

today, i present (a bit bittersweetly) my fourth and final costume, as inspired by my partnership with ralph lauren and the big pony collection scents. over the course of this collaboration, i've channeled sporty, seductive, adventurous ~ and today's motivation is stylishness!

now, labeling one's own outfit as being stylish can feel unnervingly presumptuous, so i decided to stick simply with those things i consider to be stalwarts of my own personal style. i always feel at ease in: bow-tie blouses, subtly textured layers, slim-fit, collarless jackets, slouchily tailored trousers, and classic gold pumps:

this collaboration's finishing scent-spiration, as i mentioned in THIS POST, is the collection's most abstracted. it mixes energizing hits of kyarawood and mandarin ~ essences i attempted to recall in the colors of this ensemble (ie: woody taupes met with saffron pops)!



while the ensemble itself felt inherently my style, i loved stumbling across this flag-mural garage art ~ as it seemed so rightly ralph lauren! it felt like an appropriate location from which to conclude the collision of our visions.

{ vintage yves saint laurent sunnies, gifted hare+hart leather trench (also seen HERE), borrowed ralph lauren cashmere cardigan and printed pussy-bow blouse, michael kors watch, prada pants, vintage clutch, miu miu bird brooch, manolo blahnik pumps }

if you'd like to win your own bottle of this stylish scent, please leave a comment below, letting me know what you consider to be your own style standbys. and please give a congratulatory clap to hilaryinspired*, who is the lucky winner** of scent number three!

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by the by, if you haven't already, please be sure to check out my GIFT GUIDE FOR GUYS, which was inspired by this and the other three big pony collection colognes!

*hilary, please email me your shipping information so i can send you your prize!!
** once again, i use random.org to pick contest winners ~ i can't bear to choose myself! xoK

{ costume of the day } specs appeal

i don't know if i've ever mentioned it here before, but i am blind as a bat. without corrective lenses, that big E on the eye chart might as well be a rhinoceros. usually, i wear contacts to combat this issue (i'm terrified of lasik surgery), but some days they give me the most dreadful headaches.

since i'm a girl who loves her sunnies, i've had several favorite pairs turned into prescription glasses over the years. that way, whenever i must sport specs, at least it seems a smidge chicer (if only in my own eyes, no pun intended). maybe one day i'll showcase this little collection?

anyway, the only problem with said solution is that, because my vision is so poor, the lenses i require are about a quarter-inch thick. i'm talking total coke bottle territory! you can barely see my eyes underneath them...
...but they're all the better to see YOU with, my dears!! (bwahahahaha...!)

ahem. what i really wanted to talk about today is these miu miu pants (yes, again). i just love them so much!! i've definitely played the fashion victim before, shelling out big bucks for something i later regretted. but every time i wear these babies, i become even happier that i bought them! they're stunningly well-made, super versatile, super comfortable ~ and truly able to be dressed up or down at the turn of a hat. wardrobe workhorses like these are always worth the investment, don't you agree?

and, though i wouldn't really consider this sweater an investment piece (at under $100), it's also earning its cost-per-wear keep. i don't know why it's taken me so long to discover the beauty of oversized sweaters ~ but now that i have, i can't wait to find more!! if only to give this one a few days off...

{ chloe sunnies-turned-prescription-specs (last seen HERE), self-designed necklace, vintage organza blouse, renee c. sweater (last seen HERE, though i've honestly worn it a dozen times since!), miu miu pants (seen HERE and HERE), ages-old colin stuart boots, vintage & juicy couture rings }

{ costume of the day } citizen/bazaar

it was nice to run into jason from citizen couture last week during the fashion madness at lincoln center. not long ago, jason dared to trade in his corporate job and pursue a more impassioned life in fashion. clearly, the risk paid off ~ he's currently shooting streetstyle for harper's bazaar! i met him last winter when we shot THIS POST together, and am thrilled to watch his success grow. we only had a moment to chat, but he managed to snap this picture of me before jetting off to europe for the rest of fashion month:

{ photo by jason jean for harpersbazaar.com // wearing: vintage ysl sunnies, self-designed earrings + necklace, chloe blouse (last seen HERE), vintage bracelets + rings, borrowed follis bag, miu miu pants (i pledged allegiance to them HERE), prada boots (barely visible, but they may be getting their own post pretty soon!) }

{ costume of the day } fancy pantsy

i did a photo shoot with lori goldstein recently (i'll show it to you soon!), in which she had me wear these miu miu pants. i became obsessed with owning them! they satisfy the high school hippy in me, who will never get over a bell-bottom silhouette, as well as the slightly older lass who longs for a little more sartorial sophistication. in other words, they're my kind of perfect. so you'd better get used to seeing a lot of them this fall!! during fashion week, the frequency may increase to every day. you've been warned.



{ tom ford sunnies, the glamourai murky way necklace, helmut lang bandeau, bb dakota blouse (last seen HERE / it's since been altered from its original, longer state), vintage bangles, miu miu pants (fall 2010), aldo pumps }

{ costume of the day } chiffonery

thank you to everyone for the sweet birthday wishes! i've never been too big on birthdays, except that now my birthday also marks the birth of this blog ~ and that makes the day extra special!! indeed, theglamourai.com turned two this week. it's been such a fun ride, and i can't wait to see what the coming years will bring; thanks for sticking with me!

now, about my outfit: i found this dress at beacon's closet in williamsburg, brooklyn ~ one of my favorite secondhand haunts. it's basically a big chiffon sack, but with the prettiest little details. it's very languid and raw, and i think quite nice for these late summer days.



this necklace is one i'll never part with ~ though wherever i wear it, strangers inevitably try to talk it off me. it's quite the conversation starter! thus, i've been working on some similar pieces for the store. keep a close eye open for those ~ they're coming soon!

{ antique rayban sunnies, the glamourai brass bauble bib, unknown secondhand dress, jean yu slip, vintage clutch + miu miu swallow brooch, prada shoes }

{ wish list }

today is my birthday! in celebration of the past year and in preparation for the one ahead, i think i'll cross a few things off the old wish list and treat myself to a some birthday bounty:



{ dreaming of: rachel rachel roy ear cuff, casadei leopard boots, miu miu pants }

any excuse to do a little back-to-fall shopping, right?!

{ costume of the day } hot step

{ topshop earrings / the glamourai amethyst amulet necklace / heritage1981 blouse / anemone cropped cami / hyde belt / club monaco trousers (gifted) / vintage bracelets, rings + clutch (w/ miu miu swallow brooch attached) / d+g shoes }

satisfied yesterday's yearning for fall-ier fashions by pairing draped crepe trousers and animal-skin accessories with my more summery separates. today, i plan to sort through my closet and cycle out anything that's too tropical. if i begin to transition my wardrobe, perhaps the weather will adjust itself accordingly? at the very least, it can't hurt!

{ costume of the day } easy // breezy

as evidenced by my recent ode to ikea, lately my life has involved a lot of running around between furniture, lighting, paint and hardware stores. not super glam, but fairly fun in its own way. if only it weren't so darn hot outside! this is the time of year when, if i manage to find something breezy and cool, i tend to wear it every. single. day.

this slouchy, silken shirt is one such piece (i also had it on here) ~ and as i write this post, i'm going on day three in these über-louche harem pants:



{ tom ford sunnies, vintage jewels, rachel rachel roy top, logo pants (gifted), rebecca minkoff bag, miu miu shoes (previously worn HERE and HERE) }