archival clothing

You may remember I have kind of a soft spot for beautiful backpacks.  An oxymoron, you say?  I think not.  More and more we're seeing brands that specialize in these super sturdy, super functional, super thoughtful, and yes, super beautiful everyday backpacks.  One of my favorite discoveries of late is from Archival Clothing, a label that actually started off as a blog where founders Lesli Larson and Tom Bonamici researched, field tested, and reviewed heritage apparel.  They eventually decided to start their own line, one in which every product would be up to the standards they used to evaluate everything on the blog, and thus Archival Clothing was born.

 More Archival...

madcap

Show some skin, cover some skin.  That's how it works.  Gotta keep the sun off the face, cause by now we all know that sunscreen isn't a magic bullet.  (Though of course you know you still have to use it every day, right?  This is still my favorite everyday sunblock for summer days.)

My go-to baseball cap, in fact the only one I can ever remember owning, is a 5 euro cheapie from the men's section of H&M.  It once was black and now is faded, but it does the job.  Maybe it's time to think of something a bit more... more?

Some options...

for a nomad

Was this blouse made just for me? I think it might have been.

More details...

ulla johnson

Some gorgeous and super wearble stuff in Manhattan designer Ulla Johnson's Fall 2013 line.  Both of these shots make me want to wear exactly what this gal's wearing today, the marled elbow patch sweater with a big black hat or deep red paired with magenta tailored pants, both looks just seem so easy and effortless without looking the least bit thoughtless.

More from Ulla...

last minute

 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8

Still plenty of time to find the perfect gifts.  The folks I still have to shop for are always the hardest; I'm sure everyone as a few of them in their life. 

Here's a handful of ideas to help you fill those gaps...

mad hatter

I've been wishing for a new hat for a while now, and while I was lusting after this one from Madewell, I missed out, leaving the country before I could convince myself it was a reasonable expense (it totally would have been).  It actually worked out for the best because I found me a hat that went beyond all my expectations for what a hat can do.  This guy can sit low on your forehead, or high and back, it will handle hair sticking out from under it or tucked away underneath.  It's part fedora, part grandpa's fishing hat, part Pete Doherty rocker hat.  I don't usually post too many self-portraits here but I figured, what's a hat without a head to put it on?  So here it is in action:

There you go, I've outed myself for the love of a hat.  It's by Italian brand Forte Forte (creators of a lightweight jacket which totally bewitched me this summer), which sadly is extremely hard to find online, but it has made me really really excited about hats in general for fall.  Here's a few other options worth considering...

beanie love

I am in love.  It happened to me around the same time last year, and it's happening again.  At the time I thought I might be a wee bit insane for spending so much money on a mere beanie, but I wore them nonstop all year and they're still going strong; they have been the source of much happiness in my life.  So now I don't feel so shy about proclaiming my love for this little knit item.  These magical beanies from Steven Alan are lusciously thick and sturdy, not to mention they come in all these super covetable colors.  I'm thinking maybe navy.  And maybe burgundy for the husband.  (Which means I get to steal it all the time.)  Oh, and maybe red too...

entrapment

A break from my Vancouver posts to say, "Damn you, Madewell."

Seriously.  A few weeks ago in San Francisco I went in to browse and walked out with this blue striped sweater, but of course I tried everything on and fell in love with this shirt as well.  I was still pining over it a week later (which is always a sign that it's meant to be) so I ducked back into the store to pick it up.  But of course they had new things!  Which of course I had to try on.  Which of course I am now pining over, yet another week later.  Argh.  So, at the risk of boring you all (and myself) to death, in what will hopefully be my last madewell post for a long while, I present to you the pieces that caught my eye the second time around.

striped transmission tee - the perfect soft and comfy striped shirt with a bit of spunk in the pocket

biltmore felt fedoras - floppier and slightly rumpled in the store, like an old man's fishing hat

enticing jewelry - dangly earrings that are half elegance, half rock 'n roll, delicate neon rings for stacking*, and yes, again, the llama

*I know I saw a beautiful photo of someone who had slipped a thin neon ring in with her wedding and engagement ring, just a crazy pop of color in an otherwise very traditional elegant stack, and I absolutely loved the effect.  Can't now find it, of course, but if you've seen it let me know where!

to top it off

It's hot. Summertime hot. I don't think it's permanent, seems like it's going to cool down here at the end of the week, but for now, I'm enjoying every sunny minute of it.  It also makes me want a new hat.  You know, to keep the sun out of my eyes.  Come on, it makes perfect sense.  Eugenia Kim, as usual, has a few options that caught my eye immediately.

But so does Club Monaco.  I don't know why I'm surprised by this, but I am.

mongolian ears

What?!

Ginormous faux mongolian fur ear muffs?!  I can't honestly tell if I have to have them or if I have to laugh really hard and then run in the opposite direction.  Oh, wait, they come in pink and red too.  In case the cream ones were too, you know, understated.

Would you?  I think if they were priced lower I would seriously consider it.  But it does seem like a lot to pay for wacky tufts of acrylic fluff.

found via le blog de betty

the perfect beanie

It may not look like much, and you might be thinking, who in their right mind would pay $135 for a beanie?!  But I, my friends, have found the holy grail of hats.  This baby soft alpaca knit hat from Ann Demeulemeester has the perfect weight, the perfect slouch, the perfect ribbing... What I'm trying to say is, it's perfect.  So who would buy such a thing?  Me.  That's who.

after the jump a few Demeulemeester items that haven't yet made their way into my closet...

yesterday's temptations

The Bill Cunningham New York documentary was amazing, and I highly recommend it to everyone, even those not so interested in fashion.  His joy and singularity of purpose were mind-boggling, and I wanted to reach out and hug him through the screen.  Such a wonderful and inspiring film.

After the movie my pal and I went shopping, a dangerous thing the two of us together, thank god it only happens once a year.  I fell in love with too many pieces, and as a consequence didn't buy anything (except for, finally, a water bottle).  So I put to you my favorites so you can tell me what I need and what I can live without.

This blazer with its heavy sturdy herringbone wool in this surprising shock of orange (much more textured and rich in person) stole my heart as soon as I walked into J Crew.  This is not just a for-looks blazer, this is a real warm fall jacket, and looks amazing layered with sweaters and hoodies and scarves.  

This soft cotton button-down has the perfect leopard print on it, almost more cheetah, much more casual edgy safari shirt than wealthy old lady blouse.  It fits a little snug on my curvy hips, but as a layering piece it pretty much blew my mind.

more i-think-i-must-haves after the jump...

my new hat

Does it seem like I do a lot of shopping here in Wisconsin?  Well that's because I do.  It's not because Madison is the fashion capitol of the world; it's because a) I'm on vacation and b) I get to shop with my mama, which is something I sorely miss in my day-to-day life.  She's the one who urged me to get this hat ("you have to buy it or I will kill you") against my first instinct ("but I don't need it"  what?  who am I?).  And of course, she was right.  I love my new hat.

A purplish reddish brown raffia fedora tied with a black grosgrain ribbon, this guy has major attitude but in a slightly unexpected way.  And he comes to me by way of Banana Republic.  Yeah, I was surprised too.

reinhard's hats

Last month I showed you his clogs. Now feast your eyes on these hats by Reinhard Plank. Why had I never heard of this guy before? These are some of the most beautiful hats I think I've ever seen.

Rainy day gear

I'm not an equestrian kind of gal. In fact, I've never ridden a horse. I've never even been on a donkey. Which is sort of why I think it's ok to dress like this.



Excuse the weirdo pose, still trying to figure out how to fit my whole me in the frame.

In any case, by the same logic (or maybe the reverse of it), I don't feel like I can ever wear Mary Janes again, even if they're as cute as these Tsuba Acrea ones (on piperlime.com)


I just think they look too much like flamenco shoes, and something about walking around on the streets in my dance shoes seems kind of wrong. I guess what I'm saying is, I can dress like things I'm not. Wha...? And as I write this I realize my rule doesn't make any sense, but hey, sometimes I don't make sense.