Sunday Best

After a one-week hiatus from fanciness, I'm back! Let's jump right into the outfit. Bright color, check. Bold accessory, check. A basic gray knit dress with a great cut provides the perfect backdrop to experiment with. I wear this dress many ways and with many things, but pairing it with this handmade necklace and yellow peep toes is probably my favorite.

Gray Knit Dress - Banana Republic

Yellow Cardigan - Ann Taylor Loft
Yellow Peep Toe Mary Janes - J.Crew

Fabric Necklace - Etsy

Sunday Best

I really hate how the button closure on jeans makes a little bump underneath tight fitting shirts. But did I hate it enough to take part in the jegging trend? No. As much as I like the idea of getting rid of that bump, I just couldn't bring myself to buy elastic waisted pants. Along came the denim minnie pant from J. Crew, an adorable cigarette pant in denim with a side zip closure! I was a little worried about the fit because I find J. Crew to run very large these days, but these were perfect, exactly what I was looking for. They are modern, sleek and a little dressier than your average denim. I paired them with a flowy blouse and cropped sleeve swing jacket for a slightly vintage look.

San Telmo Jacket - J. Crew
Printed Blouse - Ann Taylor Loft
Denim Minnie Pant - J. Crew
Peep Toe Pumps - Nine West

A Commentary: The Row, Fall 2011 Collection

I am both fascinated and creeped out by Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen. I have been for as long as I can remember. A friend and I were even going to dress as them for Halloween one year, but neither of us wanted to be Mary Kate so that never panned out.

I never really understood the fuss about their luxury line, The Row. I just didn't see the appeal of $300 t-shirts and leather leggings. But the Fall 2011 collection takes wardrobe staples to a whole new level. The collection is stunning, the pieces are sophisticated, streamlined and elegant. The fabrics look just exquisite, and that, according to Mary Kate, is what makes The Row so successful. She says "It's about the fabrics, the fit, and how the clothes feel on the body." And based on the reviews, it sounds like they've hit the nail right on the head. Below are some of my favorites from the collection. Obviously, I can't see myself wearing an oversized fur hat anytime soon, but touches like that just add to the runway drama.

Although I routinely question their personal wardrobe choices, it looks like Mary Kate and Ashley may actually know what they are doing. And after reading this feature about them in Vogue, I have a new found respect for them.

photos courtesy of The Row

Sunday Best

It's pretty much my mission to cram as much color into my outfits each day as humanly possible without looking like a clown. I see people dressed in all black and I just don't get it, color is so fun! I especially love to mix colors that people wouldn't normally think to. Maybe it's the designer in me, but monotone and duotone just don't really do it for me. In that spirit comes this outfit from last week. I got four pretty distinct colors (navy, pink, yellow and turquoise) into one look! It's bright and sunny and just makes me smile.

Dress - Nordstrom Rack
Short Sleeve Cardigan - Ann Taylor Loft
Necklace - Eastern Market, DC
Peep Toe Mary Janes - J.Crew

Target + Missoni = Love

I nearly died when I read this! Has high end Italian label Missoni really agreed to do a line for target? It seems so. Due to hit stores September 13, 2011, the collection will feature clothing, bedding and housewares. With over 400 pieces slated for the collection, I will have to do some serious research before the debut to figure out my must haves.

Target has done some great collaborations in the past, think Zac Posen, Liberty of London and Richard Chai, but this one is definitely the most exciting for me. As a graphic designer, prints and color are pretty much what I live for. I better start making arrangements to camp out at my local store.

Sunday Best

As soon as I got a sneak peak at H&M's garden collection last year, I just knew I had to have the red rosette dress and jacket. Don't fret though, I would never wear them together, except  to an 80s party of course. Normally, I don't wear much red, but how could I say no to a puffy shoulder, three-quarter length sleeve embellished jacket. I had to make it mine.

Much like my other fashion escapades, this was going to be more difficult than I originally thought. On the morning of its release I went to the store in Georgetown and had a friend go to the store downtown. No luck, I was told the jacket and dress would only be available in urban markets, i.e. New York, Chicago, Boston and Philadelphia. I quickly thought about every friend I had in one of those cities and hoped that one of them would be nice enough to pick up the items for me. After several phone calls to stores all over the country, I found both the dress and the jacket in my size in Boston and by sheer coincidence, I was going to be there visiting a friend in a couple of weeks. Now came the hard part, getting in touch with my friend who almost never answers her phone or emails. After several attempts I finally got through to her, but the one catch was that she had to pick up the items that day as they don't hold special merchandise longer than close of business. I am on the phone with them at 8:57 pm (they close at 9) begging them to hold it one more day when she walks in the store. Of course she hated the jacket and couldn't believe I went through all this trouble to get it. I'm lucky that my friends humor me and continue to remain in my life considering all the ridiculous things I make them do.

Red Rosette Jacket - H&M
Burnout Tee - Urban Outfitters
Cigarette Pant - Victoria's Secret
Peep Toe Pumps - Nine West

All Things Pantone

The Golden Gate Bridge is PMS 173 also known as International Orange. Is it weird that it's my mission in life to know the PMS (Pantone Matching System) color of like everything? I am a sucker for all things Pantone. I already have the mugs, a peppermill, a coin purse, but I just can't get enough. And now I find out that there is a Pantone Hotel. I have to go! This blog has some terrific photos of the cheerful looking hotel. According to the hotel website guests are given a room to compliment their moods at check-in. The hotel seems to convey the identity of Pantone perfectly without going overboard. I must make a trip to Beligum soon.

In addition to visiting the hotel, the Pantone item I am coveting most at the moment is the Capsure. This hand-held device allows you to capture color inspiration from everyday objects. Now I can finally find the exact PMS color of that little part of a rug I liked or a tote bag I saw. With a library of up to 8,000 colors the possibilities are endless.

The pictures below are some of my other Pantone obsessions. Click on photos for purchasing details.

How cute would these chairs be in an office or den type space? Maybe one day when I have my own studio.

These tins filled with Pantone chip cookies would make the perfect little gift for the design geek in your life.

This DIY project is sort of amazing. Again, on my wishlist for my future design studio.

Owning this bike is reason enough to move to Europe.