the french know what they are doing

i would like to make a slight modification to my last post. the french, at all ages and points in time (again, in general) really really know what's going on when it comes to fashion. i

mean, these people KNOW how to dress.

paris was and is, to some extent, the capital of the fashion world. think about it--christian dior, coco chanel, louis vuitton. these names and many less prominent but equally as fabulous designers like agnes b, for example. and the citizens of paris just uphold the reputation.

as i walk around paris, i am struck by the lack of awful color choices, the well-matched shoes and bags, the daring choices of hairstyles or hats that just seem to work out so well. half the things these people wear would look like potato sacks on americans, especially the women. even men who are dressed in women's clothing look better! today on the metro i saw a woman (formerly a man) who was wearing the most beautiful shade of lipstick i've ever seen in my life. it was stunning. i wanted to compliment her, but my french isn't that good and i figured it might be a bit odd.

but still....how come the rest of europe and america, for that matter, cannot catch up with the french? its not that they do that much outrageous stuff....they stick to the basic colors, basic styles and cuts...every now and then a crazy shoe, but it works. risks only work if you try them as part of a simple ensemble, and that's what the french have caught on to. sure, go ahead, wear that crazy skirt with the diamonds and ninety colors, but pair it with a simple blouse and shoes, I BEG OF YOU.

it shall be interesting to return to new york and rediscover what it means to be a fashionable new yorker.

the europeans puzzle me

when they are young (this is in general, of course)....i see europeans with bad haircuts, bad color choices, poorly worn sweaters and oddly shaped shoes. jeans that are too tight or too lose or just a weird wash, mullets and random braids or rattails. these young people are trendy, they are cool, they could be at least if they stopped dressing like it was 1982 and they were desperately trying to fit in with the cool kids. they are pretty, prettier than most americans could ever hope to be...but they need help.

then, around the age of 27 i would guess, something magical happens.

all of a sudden the men get suits, beautiful suits, designer ones. they get a great old bike and a gorgeous leather bag, a great pair of gucci glasses and they go to a hairdresser. the women buy suits, dresses, pants from sergio rossi and the most beautiful shoes money can buy. they too get great chanel or gucci glasses, buy designer bags, and all of a sudden these awkward, messy teenagers are well put together and ready to take the world by storm.

i wonder if there's a coming of age ritual where the european elders take their children into a designer store and show them the ropes, and then officially initiate them into the beautiful europeans club.

but don't even get me started on the ones who keep wearing tight jeans and spandex. its just wrong.

observations on a florence nightclub.

While at a HUGE international hotspot in Florence, Italy (Central Park) I found myself standing at the entrance with my two very stylish roommates and examining the various outfits that walked by on the way in.

There are so many styles in Europe…there’s no one standard trend that you see everywhere, like at many American clubs. Some girls in black dresses, others in pencil jeans and teeny tank tops, and others in leg warmers—they pull it off the way most American girls dream of.

The point is, there seems to be no real standard of beauty/fashion here. True, most of the clothes are obscenely petite, and the women are mostly very teensy, but the clothing is incredibly diverse. Some sport the classic “Eurotrash”…men in tight jeans and brightly colored tanks, others are totally haute couture in Gucci and Prada. Even others (and this was hilarious) were decked out in “hip-hop gear”…do rags and all. NOTE: My question is…are these men between braidings? It makes no sense!

Regardless, this diversity of style is indicative of the diversity of looks that exist here in Italia. Sure, the majority of girls that I seem to see are significantly skinnier than me, but skin tones and hair colors and shoes and sizes vary much more than I am accustomed to—and they are all somehow beautiful, regardless of how incredibly bizarre or mismatched I think the outfits are.

Next stop, Milan (I hope) for a fashion show. Thank goodness I know a few people who are already MORE than willing to join me.

More on Italy soon…

its not about fashion, but its much more important...please click and make yourself aware

Recently, I picked up "Elle" because on the cover it boasted an article entitled, "ELLE SHOPS PARIS!" I am going to Paris on August 25th as I am en route to my semester in Florence (lucky me, I am aware, no fear)...and I feel that I MUST dress correctly for this endeavor. Although I will be on a budget, its important I put myself together well because, it is Paris. And I am a label whore, and I must show that if I can. I MUST show everyone that I am not some stupid, uncoutured-American who never opens European Vogue. I know, obsessed with appearances...but it is Paris. And I cannot go into Chanel if I don't look totally fabulous.

So, back to the Elle article.

They divided their little shopping excursion into three sections--Paris, Right Bank, and Left Bank. Left Bank is very typically bohemian, ripped skirts and pencil cut jeans, with A.F. Vandevorst leading the way. Right Bank does the French Audrey, as I like to call it...elegant, classy lingerie, Hermes bags and trenchcoats. But, seeing as I am going to be spending my first few days in Paris, I figured fixate on that for a bit. I am just dying to buy that $340 Chloe sweater, but I mean....a girl can only do so much, and seeing as I passed up buying a pair of $220 Gucci sunglasses that looked TOTALLY FABULOUS on me, I don't think its in my future.

What's important to me is that I can fit in. Seeing as the state of French-American relations aint so good right now, I think that looking like a trendy American actually can do more for diplomacy than our current President (or, as the Simpsons have dubbed him, "Commander Cuckoo Bananas") could ever do. I am totally in love with the idea that fashion can bridge cultural divides, which is what the Elle article brought to light for me. Although I may struggle with my own feelings of patriotism, I am always loyal to fashion and its beauty...as are my French counterparts.

Make sense at all? Oh well....

Allons-y!

me and kate

Many people question why Kate Spade is my favorite designer.

True, she sticks to the same general trend season after season.

But that's what I love.

She knows what she does well, she knows what her clients want, and she gives it to them. Her designs are timeless, classic, perfect, beautiful. The lines are clean, the patterns are bright but not obnoxious. Take one of her evening bags, the del mar medium jensen for example.

There have been many similar designs made, some before and some after Kate's, but this is the epitome of the classy evening bag. The silver is still wild, ready for a party, but its not overstated and obnoxious (ahem ahem anything the Hilton sisters are carrying ahem) like many evening bags can be.

The key to being a timeless designer is keeping it clean. And that's what Spade does...she's even brought it over to her male line, Jack Spade, which I highly reccomend for any fashion-loving man reading this. The woman knows her stuff, and she does it damn well. If I see her on the street I want to hug her. Maybe someday...

fall 2005--vera wang

You have to look at Vera Wang's fall ready to wear line.

Wang's skill lies in her simplicity. I am a simplist myself, Wang and Kate Spade are my favorite designers--I feel they are the only ones who are able to create fashion that is not only beautiful and simple, but edgy and innovative.

The wonderful part about Wang's fall line is the color scheme--using the greys and browns in deep, beautiful shades along with brightly colored jewels and fur-lined hats is genius. There's a way to make old, dull colors new and alive.

That is all!