As I feared...

The Ellen Tracy Lambskin jacket(s) I ordered from Nordstrom arrived, and while it's a gorgeous piece, once I removed the clips that held the back pleat in place, the volume was too overwhelming on someone my height. The overall effect is reminiscent of a sturdy shelter for a family of four.
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Gorgeous squared

Fall bags are starting to trickle in!Saw this Cole Haan Genevieve clutch today up close and if you are a clutch-lovin' girl, you're going to want this one! It is beyond dreamy, and would be great for a night on the town or lunch meeting with someone you want to impress. The patent leather version of this woven leather is stunning. (Note: measurements on the website are way off. This puppy is big. Measurements are now correct.)

If you're looking for a statement tote, look no further:




This tote is seems plenty big enough to handle a laptop. The leather is better than what you find on many far more expensive bags, and the color (pinot noir) is deep and rich and would go with everything.
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Sixties Style Swoon

Mad Men is back, on the heels of its 16 Emmy Nominations, including one for Best Drama Series. Season 2 picks up two years later in 1962, and the first episode features actual footage from Jackie Kennedy's televised Valentine's Day White House tour (which you can watch in its entirety here.)The show's 60's era styles have garnered much attention in the fashion press, mostly for the form-fitting "ladylike" dresses worn by the women in the office.
("Sixties" style in retrospect is often associated with hippie/bohemian fashions, but we tend to forget that the more buttoned down look as in the picture above was the norm for most people until almost the end of that decade.)

While I love the nostalgia factor of the dresses, I haven't forgotten the torturous underpinnings required to create those smooth lines. However there were a couple of looks from the Season 2 premiere I would happily emulate. The first was Betty Drapers' fabulous equestrienne ensemble. Look at her! Not a splash or mud or drop of horse snot anywhere! Look at that scarf! I've mentioned before that having grown up with horses, I'm a sucker for any kind of equestrian look. This is so over-the-top classy that I just about fainted. Someone, please-for-the-love-of-God tell me where I can find that cashmere (I'm assuming) jacket! Why can't I look like that when I hit the trail?The other ensemble that totally wowed me was what Betty's friend Francine was wearing in this scene: I would kill for that jacket. In fact, I'd wear the whole outfit exactly as shown here, print pants and all. I'm lighting incense to the Clothing Gods in hopes they see fit to put something like this in my path.

More Mad Men Style to follow after next week's episode!

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Seashells by the seashore

Photo from here. Will have some of our own to post soon.

Wednesday afternoon we threw the kid and the dogs into the car, plopped The Pogues into the CD player and headed north up the coast. We spent one night in Pismo Beach, and had dinner at the famous Alex B-B-Q, then continued north to Carmel-by-the-sea (yes, that's the official name) where we've planted ourselves for a couple of days before continuing north to the bay area. Carmel is quite lovely, but what I'm enjoying most is the weather: highs in the 60's F, lows in the 50's.

Foulard de la semaine

We've had a few cooler days lately, so I've been able to put some of my larger silk scarves back into rotation. Yes, it's the Talbot's tee again, this time in black. The bateau neckline isn't the most flattering for me; by adding the scarf I can create more of a v-neck illusion and vertical line, which makes the girls less obtrusive.

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The R word

Note: I wrote this a couple days ago, and hesitated to post it, as I wanted to be sure it came across in the spirit of educating, not haranguing. I'm hoping I've achieved that.

Retarded. Celebutard. Fucktard.

These words are now part of the popular lexicon, especially on the 'net, and I'm reasonably certain that most people who use them bear no personal malice toward those who are mentally handicapped. But I also doubt that most people who use variations of "'tard" have ever actually known someone who is mentally retarded.

As the mother of an 11-year-old mentally retarded boy, I don't take it personally. As I mentioned in comments on another blog a couple of days ago, I usually "turn a blind ear." When a developmental pediatrician actually spoke the word "retarded" when diagnosing our son a few years ago, we cried a bit, but it confirmed what we already knew in our hearts.

No one chooses to be mentally retarded. In my son's case, his brain damage was one of those freak-of-nature occurrences, a detached placenta that went undetected, and starved his brain and body of oxygen the last several days in utero. If you had asked me when I was pregnant what was the worst thing I could have imagined, it would have been to have a child that was severely retarded. Now that we have one, I realize that there are many outcomes that are far worse. He's happy most of the time, he's physically healthy, he's able to walk and talk and enjoy a good roller coaster ride and basket of fries, and he has an insatiable curiosity about the world and eagerness to learn. He's surpassed his initial prognosis by several thousand degrees, and based on where we started, we truly feel blessed.

It's not worth my energy to open up a can of verbal whupass every time I see someone call something retarded that a word like clumsy or ignorant or foolish or ungainly or inelegant would describe far better. We've evolved to the point where insults based on race, ethnicity or other physical characteristics are frowned upon in most polite company; let's be conscious of extending that consideration to those with cognitive disabilities as well.

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Flying donkey spotted over Ile-de-Cité

Le hamburger? C'est chic maintenant!

“It has the taste of the forbidden, the illicit — the subversive, even,” said Hélène Samuel, a restaurant consultant here. “Eating with your hands, it’s pure regression. Naturally, everyone wants it.”

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Curse you, Nordstrom!

Why do you torment me so?

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Freaks and Geeks

The stuff of nightmares.

In comments from yesterday's post about my Louis Vuitton dream (no, in my dream I did NOT purchase that horror above), Style Spy mentioned she'd purchased a great Cole Haan bag, and that reminded me that I'd been meaning to do a post about this oft overlooked brand.

It's une femme's humble opinion, that Cole Haan bags (and shoes, but that's another post) are some of the best quality available for the price. They're stylish but not trendy, well made and functional. Though some fahionistas may look down their noses at CH bags as being a bit staid and frumpy, if they looked more closely they might be surprised.

The Triple Zip Satchel bag was a hit last year in the gunmetal grey, but this camel color is perfect for summer. You can get an additional 20% off the sale price with promotion code JULYSALE. There are three compartments, interior pockets galore, and it fits over the shoulder with ease. If you like something flashier, check out this fuschia patent dome satchel, also on sale. Pretty! Shiny!! Don't forget code JULYSALE.
Love that luxe woven leather look, like on this Bottega Veneta bag? You can spend $2100 for the BV, or save over $1700 and get the Cole Haan Triangle Tote.

Cole Haan also makes some great basic (but not boring) work totes,and smaller bags for evening. If you live near one of their stores, be sure to go check out the sale in person. Last year I picked up this nifty snakeskin clutch for a song.

The selection on the website is a bit sparse right now, but once they start bringing in their fall bags, I'll be back with some of my favorite picks. I've had a few Cole Haan bags over the years; not only have they held up well, but I'm always asked, "that's a great bag, which designer is that?" by some fashionista with this season's "it" bag.

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To sleep, perchance to dream

Une femme has been sleeping erratically the past few weeks. It's probably a combination of hormones and warm weather, but I seem to wake up warm and restless between 1 and 2am and it takes an hour or so to get back to sleep again.

Usually I don't remember my dreams, but had a very real and vivid one last night. I dreamt I dropped over $4K at Louis Vuitton. And I don't even really like LV bags that much. I woke up to one of those "whew, it was only a dream!" moments. But the residual guilt from my dream lingers, which often happens when I behave badly in my dreams. Here in LA, you can't spit in any direction without hitting a Speedy. Style books will tell you it's one of the "classic, "iconic," "must-have" bags in every woman's collection, and it seems a lot of women agree. It was one of the first designer bags that I purchased (based on that premise) and one of the first that I sold, mainly because it was so ubiquitous but also because it really wasn't practical for me. I'll also admit this was a nostalgia buy: when I was a young, poor working woman in New York, I used to see the (I assumed) successful career women with their LV monogram bags, and so that association stayed with me. But ultimately, what I admired in the past didn't translate into the present.

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Foulard de la semaine

Banana Republic sale cotton silk scarf, ends crosswise through scarf ring.

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Unfaithful

True confession: I cheated over the weekend, and with an ex to boot. I'm feeling terribly guilty and don't know how I'll keep it a secret. I suppose I could rationalize it: I mean my guy and I have had trouble connecting lately, and our busy schedules have made assignations almost impossible, the ex was there and availab--wait a minute, no, I haven't committed adultery...I'm talking about hairdressers!!!

I know some women who find a good person, and stick with them forever. I'm a bit more fickle. Even the best hair stylists sometimes hit a slump with me, or I with them, and I need to shake things up a bit. What about you? Are you True Blue or do you Style Around?
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Weekend Web Wrapup

Some recreational reading for your lazy hazy days of summer.

Goldivas.com, an internet magazine for Women Over 50 Who are Too Young to be Old.

For some of the best fashion and style writing anywhere, check out Style Spy.

Flea at One Good Thing fights back against the Mommy-Drive-By. (A "mommy-drive-by" is when a complete stranger sees fit to publicly critique your parenting skills, usually based on about a three second observation of your child's behavior.)

Harry Fenton providing a man's viewpoint at The Thoughtful Dresser, bemoans the prevalence of Urban Wilderness Gear. (Look for a post here soon on this topic.)
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Chapeau Envy

I would wear this Dior hat. In a heartbeat.

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Taxonomy 101

When it comes to personal style, there are two types of women: those who early on suss out their own unique style and hang onto it with minor tweaks throughout their lives, and the rest of us. Or at least sometimes it seems that way.

Since my late teens, I've had an image in my head of how I wanted to dress and present myself, an image with which neither my body nor my budget were ever in alignment. So I settled for what was available, what was appropriate. Sometimes I came closer to that vision within the physical and monetary constraints. Like art or obscenity, I couldn't define it, but knew it when I saw it.

Now, Simon Doonan has spelled it out for me: I'm an Existentialist. (mostly*)

First, let me say I've been a style book junkie for many years. Because my own vision felt so out of reach, I've floundered and flailed about trying to find something coherent that fit my body and my life. But "Eccentric Glamour, Creating An Insanely More Fabulous You" is a different (and a bit refreshing ) dip into the genre. Written with humor and tongue firmly inserted in cheek, the book combines anecdotes, interviews and style advice to yield an affirming and age-positive brew. Rather than focus on hiding flaws or looking younger or dressing appropriately for the venue du jour, Doonan encourages women to trust their own instincts, to embrace their wackier impulses, and to give freer rein to one's Fashion Id.

*Doonan groups Glamourous Eccentrics into three primary categories (each with subsets): The Gypsy, The Socialite and The Existentialist. While the framework is helpful, I can see how taking the categories too literally would feel just as confining as any other style rules. It did help me identify some of the common themes that run through the styles I gravitate to, mostly in the Existentialist and Gypsy categories. (While I admire women who can pull off the classy Socialite look, trying to emulate that style myself makes me feel as though I'm a little girl playing dress up.)

Duchesse at Passage des Perles says "Doonan breaks a heel stomping on Ho attire, a crime against the aesthetic environment. But any woman who can read his indictment without moving her lips will know exactly how dressing like a pole dancer is likely to be read, and choose accordingly." While this may be true, I suspect Doonan's perspective is that of someone who spends a lot of time between NY and LA, where the landscape is generously dotted with Club Girls who take their style cues from Paris Hilton and no matter what the time of day look as if they're headed to Les Deux, women a few years older trying to prove they can still keep up with the Club Girls, and the Trophy Wives who are hanging on by a thread. (Hey, I work with some women in their 30's who feel that belly shirts and thong-baring sweatpants are appropriate office attire.) The rest of Duchesse's post is spot-on, go read it now. I'll wait.

For those of us who check out The Sartorialist and other style blogs daily, "Eccentric Glamour" will be an amusing read confirming what we mostly already have grasped, rather than a revelation. The interviews are fun, but skip the dysfunctional "weight loss" chapter. Doonan's smackdown of our fascination with les Françaises (his take on that pouty French allure: they're grouchy because they're perpetually hungry) and snarky dissection of Coco Chanel -isms provide a bit of good-natured schadenfreude. I really wish there had been more photos of his subjects and examples.

Edited to add: materfamilias is giving away a copy of this book. Go here to enter!

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Les Lunettes

My most recent eyewear investment. Yes, I love me some big ol' nerdygirl glasses. No, I didn't break my spending ban...got these a few weeks ago. What first drew me to these was the color. They're a nifty greenish blue, with some layers of different color around the eyes, and a more denim blue on the side pieces. These colors go with everything. They're also surprisingly lightweight.

These are by Face Á Face Paris. My previous pair was by Robert Marc. Ooh La-La Paris eyewear (actually based in LA) also offers some great colors and styles.

I'm learning to keep my old eyeglass frames; styles seem to cycle back through every decade or so.

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The Pause That Replenishes

Une femme is putting herself a clothing/accessories spending moratorium for the next few months. I've gone a bit overboard lately (Hermès scarves are addictive and should come with a warning label!!), and some needed repairs chez nous plus the desire to have a Paris Splurge Fund require that I divert more centimes into savings. Fear not, mes petites, I'll still be cyber-window-shopping, and will share favorite finds avec toutes!

But first, one last hurrah:
These NYDJ striped jeans will make your legs look eight miles long. I promise.
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Foulard de la semaine

Happy Fourth!

The Big Schlep

Une femme is not one of those people who considers it a point of honor to travel with only a carry-on. There's no way I'm leaving my tweezers behind, and the pitiful amount of personal products currently allowed would barely get me through a day.

For the last several years, we've traveled with a bulky, oversized wheeled duffel bag that more often than not exceeds airline weight limits when fully packed, and is a real drag (pun intended) to navigate through crowded airports. Plus, trying to discern your oversized black duffel bag from everyone else's on the baggage carousel can be frustrating. I warned mon mari earlier this year that we will be investing in some better luggage before our Paris trip.

Rather than one big suitcase, I'm thinking that two smaller will be more navigable and will help curb our overpacking impulse (ok, I'm being charitable...my DH's overpacking impulse). Researching online, 25" seems to be the recommended size for anything short of multi-week trips. The one brand and model that seems to keep popping up as a favorite in luggage reviews is this Eagle Creek "Tarmac 25" bag.

The company also offers a "No Matter What" repair policy, good news if, like us, you've had handles break, zippers broken by TSA inspectors, or any other wear or damage. Best thing, the bag is available in a color other than black! I'm thinking I'll order one prior to our upcoming August visit to the midwest to see my mom, and if we're happy, will order a second.

What size and brand of luggage do you prefer? Do you travel light or pack for all contingencies?