In Spades

Style... in abundance

Fashion Friday

Need Supply Stelen dressThis week’s Fashion Friday is all about closing chapters and new beginnings.

First, the goodbyes.

Need Supply & Totokaelo

Two retailers I adore and have shopped for years, Need Supply and Totokaelo, are closing their doors.

What makes these stories different is their unique beginnings.  Need Supply started out with 300 pairs of vintage Levi’s.  And nothing more.  Originally called Blues, it went on to expand it’s brand line-up and became the indie go-to for affordable and luxury designers alike.

And it’s sister, Totokaelo?  The brainchild of the eternally chic Jill Wenger, it was one of the first to carry Margiela, The Row and all the top Japanese designers under one roof.  (Wenger has gone on to create her own label Roucha, which has a super interesting design philosophy.)  Seattleites and New Yorkers helped to spread the word of its sartorial prowess and put it on the global map.

May they both live on in sartorial memory forever.

Prada x Raf Simons

From final chapters we move to new beginnings.

September 24, 2020 is a fateful day, my friends.  Raf Simons and Miuccia Prada will unveil their first collection as co-creative directors for Prada.

I am pretty much jumping out of my skin about this debut.  I don’t want to hype it too much.  It could end up being very mediocre.  But if it does what I think it’s going to do, I might have to invest my life savings in Prada.

With this debut AND Prada’s newest collaboration with Adidas, the brand is poised to take over the world.  In my mind, it already has.

ALL EYES ON MILAN.

DIY Beaded Bracelets

DIY Beaded BraceletsOver the weekend I did my best to unplug.  I barely picked up my phone.  It was fabulous for many reasons, but one unexpected one was crafting.

If you know me well, you know my creativity comes in the form of having the fashion eye… and that’s about it.  I’m the last person you want decorating anything or helping with your kid’s art project.  I bring new meaning to the term Pinterest fail.

So when I picked up a bunch of affordable bead making kits, I wasn’t expecting to be very good at it, let alone enjoy it as much as I did.

I think I’ve found my new hobby!

Below are my picks for easy, fun DIY beaded bracelets.

You’ll Need
  1. 0.8mm elastic cord – wrap the cord around your wrist, meeting at the lower thumb knuckle bone. Add 2 inches of slack.  Double-knot the cord on one end and start!
  2. Beads – I’m currently a fan of pastels (they look so retro) but definitely have these evil eye beads and a darker color palette on the brain for fall.

Finish your bracelet by double knotting the end before you tie the two ends together.  This keeps the beads stable.

It took me about 30min to make 7 bracelets – super easy and quick!

Tips

Look for beads with a 1mm hole or larger.  Anything too close to the 0.8mm cord width is going to be super hard to make and take forever.

With so many companies charging lots of money for very similar bracelets, this is a super fun activity to do with kids (or just solo) at an affordable price.

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Life Lately

Joie Spring 2019

Top // Shorts // Sandals // Sunglasses // Earrings (top, shorts, sandals 75% off!)

I thought I would switch things up from my usual What I’m Coveting Wednesday and share my life lately.

The past month has been absolutely bonkers.  While the world is far from back to normal, I feel like everything has switched into overdrive.  Work, kids going back to school and lots of reflecting seem to be the norm for a lot of people right now.

Fitness

I’ve managed to stay consistent with my workouts (check out my review of the Peloton here) which has definitely helped my mental clarity as much as my physical wellbeing.

I was talking to a friend about “the COVID 15” and how our bodies seem to react 80% to food (what you eat) and 20% to exercise (how you workout).  I’ve never been one to diet – I’ve done one juice cleanse in my life and that’s it – but am interested in following the Mediterranean diet.  This recipe by the Barefoot Contessa looks incredible.  Bonus points that you can make it 1 day ahead of time and pop it in the oven when you’re ready to eat.

Amazon Purchases

The what I purchased on Amazon blog post is quickly becoming a popular feature for many bloggers.  While I don’t do much shopping on Amazon beyond Kleenex and cleaning supplies, two of my best ever beauty finds are from Amazon.

These hair ties are the absolute best.  Hands down.  They never stretch out, can handle thick hair and are totally seamless so there’s no pulling or damage to your hair.

This curling wand is the best $20 I’ve ever spent.  I have it in both sizes (0.5-1 inch and 1-1.5 inches).  My ONLY complaint is that the wand is cylindrical – thick on one side, narrow on the other.  I wish it came in a non-tapered barrel.  The only well-reviewed ones I’ve been able to find have just one heat setting which isn’t ideal.  If you have a favorite 1 inch curling wand, let me know!

Fashion Finds

I’ve been thinking a lot about my closet and the pieces that are the best finds (like these sandals).  I realized that I have a lot of stuff that just kind of fits the bill.  I either gave up on finding the “perfect” piece or was too lazy to deal with returning something that worked but wasn’t perfect.

This, I realized, is the great conundrum of modern closets.  It’s the reason our closets are stuffed full.  The reason why we feel like we “don’t have anything to wear.”

My goal moving forward is to stick with only those pieces that check ALL the boxes.  If the sweater is beautiful but a tad itchy, than it’s not the sweater for me.

I did a big sweep and sent a box to The RealReal.  I listed a bunch of stuff on Poshmark.  And for anything that can’t be donated, I used the For Days Take Back Bag.

Are you cleaning your closet out during the pandemic?  Should I do a post on Capsule Wardrobes?

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Fashion Friday

NYFW Then and Now

It’s pretty crazy to think another NYFW is around the corner.

This year, of course, will be MUCH different.

I haven’t attended NYFW since September 2019.  For someone who never missed a season in 5 years – even while extremely pregnant or with a newborn – I feel like the tides have finally turned.

NYFW SS19 OOTD The Vampire's Wife

Before the pandemic, my goal for this year was to skip NYFW and attend Copenhagen fashion week.  I adore Scandi style.

Even though I live and die for NY and all it has to offer by way of fashion, it was starting to feel a bit “been there, done that.”  I craved something new.  That newness will have to wait another year.  In the meantime, let’s talk about what the heck is actually going to happen with NYFW in September.

NYFW SS20 OOTD 1 The Vampire's Wife

NYFW S/S 2021

The typical 7-day schedule has been whittled down to 3 days.  But here’s the kicker.  Not ONE runway show is confirmed.  Every major brand has pulled out and those that will show have yet to lock in their plan.  Fashion week is always chaos, but this?  I’ll be watching through tightly closed eyes (with a quick peek).

Conversely, Milan has 28 confirmed runway shows.  Including Fendi and Prada!

Jacquemus coat & No 21 Motel Skirt

The Future of the Fashion Show

This is a long debated question with no clear answer.  Boston Consulting Group dubbed the fashion calendar broken almost 4 years ago.  While we saw designers experiment with see-now-buy-now collections, on the whole, the model didn’t change much.

Will this finally be the turning of the tides?  The minimum cost to host a runway show is $200,000.  The big shows cost upwards of $1 million.  All of that fanfare for clothes that won’t be available for 6 months after you see them on the runway?  No wonder experts think it’s broken.

Ih Nom Uh Nit Stranger Things t-shirt

Moving forward I see a huge emphasis placed on pre-orders.  I see smart brands engaging their customers even more to outline their strategies.  I see conversations, open-dialogue, performance art and intimate gatherings in place of the large-scale show.

Fashion conglomerate brands will always have the money to host what we know as “the norm.”  And I think they’ll stick to that model for the foreseeable future.  Afterall, they can afford to stage a multi-million dollar runway show that will leave people talking for seasons to come.

But for the indie designers, the industry disruptors, I predict a new revolution.

Time will tell.  T-minus 3 weeks.

What I’m Coveting: Linen

The Best Linen Blazers

Linen blazer

Normally this time of year I’m frantically pulling together my New York Fashion Week looks.  Normally my brain is set on nothing but fall fashion.

But this year is quite different, of course.  There will be no NYFW.  (More on that later).  There will be no rush to break out my leather jackets, boots and sweaters.

This year I’m all about extending that summer-time vibe.  And if there’s a fabric of summer, it’s linen.  I adore a head-to-toe linen look.  There is something Lake-Como-George-Clooney about it.  Like I should sitting on a veranda, holding a glass of rose, overlooking the Italian countryside while wearing it.

I’ve collected quite a few fabulous linen pieces over the years and wanted to share some of my favorites.

This blazer is an awesome transitional piece.  It will carry you well into fall.  Bonus points – it’s currently 40% off and comes in 4 colors.

Other Linen Pieces I’m Coveting