amsale runway f/11

amsale finale

we have saved the best for last.

i think you will agree, this year's collection is truly fantastic.

tulle+beading=heaven

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so floaty and ethereal she looks like an angel. we love the classic beading with a thin tie at the waist. chic beautiful fo sho.

MEGHAN: strapless A-line gown with beaded bodice and tulle skirt

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the devil is in the details.  multi-color beading in a sophisticated pattern make this bodice stand out. this trumpet gown has exactly the right amount of flare at the bottom and is very figure flattering without changing the line of the dress.  outstanding.

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LIV: strapless trumpet gown with embroidered bodice and silk mikado skirt

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LOVE the changing hemlines: bubble hem and bustle.  how does she do it?

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ROSALIE: silk taffeta ballgown with pleated floral detail and bustle back

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asymmetry is always a fav of mine.  no exception here.

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REAGAN: strapless silk radzmir A-line gown with asymmetrical neckline and bow detail

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saving the best for last: jacquard ivory and lemon dreams.  i'm definitely in heaven.

this dress is amazing up close as well.  i got a chance to get my hands on it after the show and the model confirmed my suspicion: it feels AWESOME to wear!  she could not stop smiling and took her time parting with this gown. i can't blame her!

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DIANA: crinkled jacquard ballgown with low back and bow detail at waist.

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Amsale, thank you!!

xx

mouse in the city: amsale deux

i'm not sure you are ready for this dress.  i certainly wasn't.  i feel delicate, pretty pretty and yet glamorous with the gentle grid lines in the skirt and classically vintage flowers and a touch of bling.  this dress has a lightness which is contrasted by the bold piece in the back that turns modern up to 11.  yes, eleven.  i'm not sure what ingredients amsale puts into her magic beauty cauldron, but i'm feeling intoxicated.

.LIZA: strapless A-line gown with taffeta bodice and grid tulle skirt

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what a lovely design on this bridesmaids dress.  love the color, the sheen, and of course the empire waist with asymmetric top.  front=classic, back=vavoom!  usually this style of dress in the front has a very similar width over the shoulder and to the back, blocking most of the back, which happens to be a great  place to show skin for many women. amsale surprises us by changing the equation.  oh, thank you, thank you.

silk taffeta short one shoulder dress with inset waist in midnight

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edgy bridesmaid in shiny metallic!  love this idea for fall and off-season weddings.  this dress has all of the great construction seen through the whole line, and is truly wearable past the wedding.  bridesmaids around the world applaud!!

silk taffeta short sweetheart dress with ruched bodice in granite

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ok, now you are just messing with us. 

this dress is almost too pretty for bridesmaids.  kidding! truly, it might detract a little, just a teensy bit and only for a millisecond.. until the bride comes down the aisle.  and that is wonderful.  also wearable well past the wedding, this dress spells GORGEOUS. we love ourselves a chiffon maxi dress.  it glides, it caresses.  and look at those lines.  this is the mini sweetheart neckline we love with rosettes to boot! ah, joy.  we know we are lucky to wear this.

strapless crinkle silk chiffon gown with flowers in slate

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these next three bridesmaids dresses are the versions of the above with the beautiful draping. i'm feeling santorini chiffon dreams.

crinkle silk chiffon criss cross halter gown in champagne

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crinkle silk chiffon criss cross strapless gown with draped skirt in slate

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crinkle silk chiffon gown with spaghetti straps and ballerina skirt in champagne

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jersey! navy!  this is really getting seriously fun. 

navy for bridesmaids is H-O-T.  mark my words that navy bridesmaids with black suits for the guys in winter is a definite win.  this old no-no has finally become a chic combination.

poor navy, always in the dark shadow of black, is honestly a most flattering color for everyone.  you cannot lose in navy, no matter your hair color or skin tone.  it brings the best out of tanned or paler skin.  promise.  and this dress in jersey is one you will want to wear as much as possible because it is so comfortable and drapes so gloriously on the bod.  we love you, jersey girl.

silk jersey strapless curved neckline gown with side draped skirt in navy

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the big flat bow, how we love you.  EVERYONE, and i mean everyone was talking about this flat bow short dress.  i'm not going to lie.  the feet started moving in the seats to michael jackson's ABC about the time this little beauty elegantly strode.  we didn't mind one bit!  that said, this dress stands alone, great DJ or not.  brides, please consider a short dress.   best idea i think is a shorty for the party, while keeping it long for the ceremony.  word on the street: many brides are buying two dresses because it is so difficult to choose and the two parts of your day have little in common.  i'm just sayin...

STEFFI: silk mikado little white dress with exaggerated front bow

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please stay tuned... i have saved the best (believe it! it does get even better) for last.  this line is particularly beautiful as evidenced by the sheen and detail in the fabrics alone.  the styling appears to be very wearable and flattering.  i don't think there is a dress in this line that doesn't feel like the quality and workmanship that went into it.  that is when you are really on to something special. 

 amsale, you are a genius!

xx

amsale runway

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a girl, a dream, and beautiful dresses

i am sorry for my absence. 

it's been a bit of mr. hare's wild ride here.
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i finally won something, something pretty amazing.  on thursday evening i sat down at my computer to find a message that my 50 words about our upcoming wedding were chosen by The Aisle NY theaisleny.com. little bella mouse was the winner of a front row seat to a fashion show.  and...oh yeah, the show was saturday, in the big apple!  this was not just any fashion show: this was AMSALE amsale.com, a fabulous wedding designer who caught my eye years ago for her classic modern take on brides.  her dresses are stunning in the past, present, and future.  she manages to keep the modern touches without dating a dress, due to her use of truly beautiful touches: great fabrics, killer construction, and truly forward-thinking touches.  what i mean is, an amsale dress is always in style, whether it is from 10 years ago, or the upcoming season.   she founded the company when she struggled to find a classically beautiful, clean-lines style of dress for her wedding.  well, let me tell you... the fall 2011 holds true to her style and is her best ever!

confession number 2 (of many): i am crazy about dresses.  CRAZY.
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i am always trying to explain this.  when a woman is wearing a beautiful dress, it makes her feel special and feminine and if it is inherently HER (what i mean is, it is an expression of who she is and who she wants to project), then there is an impact on others.  i describe it this way: a person sees a woman who feels beautiful and they take in her beauty.  there is energy in this interchange, kind of like a force between them, and the person seeing this feels it too.  like the girl from Ipanema.  aahhhh.

this happens most often with dresses.  and it happens even more with wedding dresses.

obsession defined.
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my camera died, a flashing red battery sign in the middle of the show.  that is almost the last thing you want to see while sitting on the runway.  my iphone was a last resort.  descriptions below are from the press kit, written by Amsale.  because of the sheer number of dresses, a few will be posted each day as not to overwhelm.  cheers to your readership and to London wedding planner mark niemierko niemierko.com who gave up his seat, with gest, compliments, sarcasm and welcome arms, to this mouse.  j'dore!

Amsale fall 2011

CLARA

silk mikado strapless gown with exaggerated front bow

it was especially nice to have a gracious and welcoming fashion comrade sitting right next to me.  David Yassky http://www.david-yassky.com/ of The Aisle and i were able to share our enthusiasm over our favorites in the show, and especially for this beautiful flat bow.

NAYA: silk mikado trumpet gown with asymmetrical neckline and floral brooch

loving the neckline of this dress and the sheen of fabric. anna of anne be bridal http://anna-be.com/ and i had a conversation a few weeks ago about how so many brides want to "fix" the asymmetrical neckline of strapless dresses.  "if only this dress didn't have this part here..."  are you kidding me? THAT is what makes it interesting.  THAT is where the styling brings an avant garde touch to a familiar body style.  out of the boxes, kids.  Amsale does this so perfectly.

TIA: strapless little white dress with silk mikado bodice and full tulle skirt

this says "party dress" like no other ballerina can.  the flat bow is beautiful, modern and simple, and the tulle so light and smooth.  do not discount tulle.  high quality tulle is soft to the touch and whimsy on the bod.

CARLY: silk chiffon little white dress with ruffle halter neckline

this dress looks so light and wearable.  great for a beach wedding?!

MAGGIE: silk radzmir little white dress with envelope neckline and crystal brooch

simple, yet elegant with the brooch detail. see a theme here? old+new=GORGEOUS

ASHA: strapless silk organza gown with rouched bodice and floral detail

i don't mind telling you that i find the back of this dress to be divine, and definitely drawn from the kenneth pool line, for which amsale also designs.  a breath taker for sure. i'm feeling 1920's hollywood glamour here.  this dress can ballroom dance "all through the night."

xx

the fav

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the tried and true

like a good friend, she's always there.  when you look in the mirror on a blah day and all you see are wrinkles and dark circles, you must return to what you know.  she's there, waiting for the call to action, just in case.  you try everything else first.  but something tells you, this is that day that you will ask her to work just a little bit more.

in my case, she is this sleeveless collared cashmere sweater from Milly:

pictured with the talented artist laura moretz at her showing last spring.  http://www.lauramoretz.com/

Milly top and coat, Botkier bag

foto courtesy of justina from showcase productions  http://www.showcasereflections.com/

she's been dancing

pictured here layered under a BCBG top, Cynthia Steffe skirt that yours truly hand sewed into a bubble skirt that day.  not an easy task for this neophyte.

clearly, she is often layered

shown here with the always dapper Jer, who introduced me to the love of my life on this day.

styled with Hype strapless silk dress and  vintage locket from 1828.  sorry bout that.

at this point, my friend Justin, pictured in the blurry dance foto on the left, decided this was my "dickey".  i am actually ok with that.

she's a true friend and she will be in appearance often.

what item is your tried and true? leave a comment and do tell!

xx

gray's closet

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l'armoire:  'a gray

oh the treasures you'll find.

on shelby's recent sabbatical to wheeling, she once again had the delight of going through her mother's and grandmother's closets.  she has so many vintage treasures, it was time to put them together for a photo shoot.

so many clutches.

beautiful leather, embroidered and woven.  these are a very nice selection and old clutches are much more functional than new ones. 

check out this PROM collection.  satin, silver leather and brocade.  these are very high quality bags and so beautiful.  we just need some occasions for these.  that said, contrasting (yes, the verb: to contrast.  what? never heard of it?) a luxe bag with jeans and a white tank is super chic as well.  i learned this skill from matt's sister alicia, when she suggested wearing a multi-broached necklace with a wife-beater.  yes, i said wb.  you know what i'm talking about.  it is the only appropriate term for a white men's tank.  just sayin.

anyhoo, the irony of a fancy bag with a dressed down look is perfectly hollywood.  love.

outfitter de urban (said with french accent) has nothing on these real deals.  these cross-body bags are not vinyl, and made to last through decades, not days.  i love me some fold over bags.  not only are they cute, but your tucked away monies and jewelry (yes, ladies always have a spare ring or earrings in their bags) and super safe in a secured bag like this.  go find yourself a real leather vintage bag with character.  no remakes for this girl.  bleeeeccchhh

i promise to take better fotos.  i promise to take better fotos.

this foto does nothing to describe the unique nature of these carries.  the brown bag on the left is reminiscent of an old camera bag, rigid in form, with a great chain handle which is totes back in style.  the bag on the right is an antique find, a very cool basket bag.  here is the close-up:

 



for reals? this is too cool.  i feel like skipping!

speaking of baskets and solid form bags, here a three lovelies.

the bag on the left is a hand-painted bag of the town of wheeling, depicting  grandfather's hardware store, the clothing shop where grandmother worked (the clothes tree), and delightful little sayings.  shelby is always grinning ear-to-ear when she carries this bag.  a little bit of family history with a whole lot of happiness in this yummy basket.

so classic.  so 80's.

every girl wanted a dooney and bourke.  and we still do.  i remember my high school friend amy's d&b bag.  creamy leather, lots of room, drawstring closure.  jealous mouse i was!  i failed in my many attempts to convince my mother that this was an "essential" for life at canyon del oro high.  my mother was a solid in her belief that no 17 year old needed a fancy bag.  she may have been right.  i'm sure i would have loved that bag until i destroyed it, but i was in the habit of throwing everything i owned on my bedroom floor.  to this day, every time i visit my parents, my funny dad asks me if he can just open my suitcase and throw everything out on the carpet. 

"no, DAAAD."

after many years of d&b starvation, i found mine in thrifty fashion.  these navy bags (totes classic) were shelby's moms, and mine is the cream version of the left one, an equestrian style bag.   we missed out on a few years together, but i will smile every time i open her up to moisten my lips with bonnie bell gloss. 

 i kid!

"and now for something you'll really like":

OHH EMMMM GEEE

vintage GUCCI

so fab, so timeless

i will say,  in my own search for a vintage gucci bag, i find they have held their value more than any other.  the tote bag on the right is the most amazing bag ever.  it is like a small piece of luggage and actually comes with the smaller make-up bag that is velcroed (another cool verb for the english afficionados out there) to the inside of this superb i-can-carry-everything-i-need-and-love delight.  i hope miss shelby takes this treasure on her honeymoon, wearing it across her body with a little bottle of veuve inside.  this bag makes me squeal.  it is really amazing.

the bag on the left is a doctor's bag and has the vintage gucci signature: red and green.  these are not easy to find, and shelby jo is one lucky ducky.

love love love these bags

nice work, shelby

xx