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.
::

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.
::

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.
::

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

::

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

spotted on the street

::en vogue: maxwell ave::

meet sabrina.

realtor extraordinaire. mother to beautiful chloe. queen of winning.

chic and playful in her style, she makes looking at homes so much more fun. known for her love of stripes, she turns preppy into ooh-la-la.  oui oui! 

sabrina is wearing hudson jeans, tory burch top, YOU by crocs patent boots, and kate spade sunnies. fabulously, mother pixie used to wear the same glasses in her wild days.

love!

sabrina has fun with her wardrobe, and it shows.  she is a conscious fashionista, by supporting local retailers and boulder companies.  she is always herself, whether working or dancing on tables at her amazing parties, and this is something we can all learn from. 

you can read her food blog at:

sabrinaclauson.blogspot.com

xx



putting it all together:  old and new

my friend jackie gave me this great dress.

i am flattered.

the dress belonged to her mother and was worn by her daughters over many years.  she dates it to around 1950.  i actually think it fits the 40's.  the quality of clothing from this time is remarkable.  the beading and the construction are very nice and is likely the reason this dress has stood the test of time.

oh, thank you, jackie.

this is a unique piece.  and i will find a great use for it!  recycling fashion is not only "green" and great for the era we are in, but it also allows us to combine periods in history to make more interesting outfits.  my friend judd would say, "ensembles".  i barely have the heart to tell him that an ensemble is a group of musicians.  again, i digress.

here's one option:

vintage yellow coat, circa 1960, plus blue bag, plus....

modern vintage shoes (suede+patent leather = bliss)

OR

red patent peep toe stuart weitzman's.  mmmm... delish!

this pretty much equals fantastic, either way you go.

this is a lot of vintage, but lately this seems much more interesting. don't get me wrong, buying new has it's advantages.  but scouting for one-of-a-kind pieces will land you in a great category:

NO ONE WILL HAVE YOUR OUTFIT.

..or your ensemble, judd.

it's more fun for you, and it keeps your public guessing.

win for you!

surprise yourself.

your creativity is part of you, and is worth sharing.  don't keep that light closed in a closet. 

let it shine!

xx

fashion chemistry

::
Jungian Chic

what is transformation?

i was asked by my childhood friend, Mark, to explain, in detail, what a person feels when they put on a special piece of clothing. the only word i have for this is:

transformation

i studied lots and lots of chemistry.  not well, mind you.  but in one of my prior lifetimes, i was meant to be a chemical engineer.  the university of arizona even had the foolish thought to foster my temporary engineering status with a couple of scholarships.  after many months of hearing about chemical reactors, and watching my entire class fake our way through an archaic programming language- yes, we used to actually have to write computer code, for the kids out there- i chose a more people-oriented study.  however, i do remember this term in chemistry:

transformation

in chemistry, transformation occurs when two chemical substances meet, ie matter and energy.  the product of this reaction is different from the substances that created it.  there has been a reaction, a transformation.

our bodies do this every minute of the day: carbohydrate, fat, and protein are converted in the Kreb's cycle to create energy, water and carbon dioxide.  the input is transformed into something the body can use to move and sustain life.

Carl Jung put this into relationship terms.  i like what he said:

"the meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical substances: if there is any reaction, both are transformed."

so mr. marky mark, when i discovered this beautiful fur cloche in an antique store, i put it on.  the transformation was so strong, that i couldn't take it off. i browsed the store for an hour and watched the reaction of the other patrons.  i even asked a woman what she thought when i caught her staring.  to my surprise, she said, "it belongs on you.  it looks like you." 

wait.  a complete stranger knows what looks like me?  do i look like a hat??

oh, iphone. here's a better picture... this hat is special:

the point is, the hat transported me to some other time. i felt the history upon me and i wanted to know who had purchased the hat and what it had meant to them.  in my case, it felt unique and quite comforting on my head.  as if that is where it belonged. 

"it looks like you."

i wore this hat for many hours of travel to aunt florence's funeral, not because it was a comfort over many miles, and not because wearing a fur hat on a sweltering airplane in the middle of january is particularly wonderful.  i promise you, it is not.  i wore the hat because i knew that she would appreciate it's time travel, and the curiosity i had for it's history. if only you could talk, madam cloche.  what stories you would tell!!  this is the beginning of the illumination of the topic of transformation. stay tuned for more... just wait 'til i get going!!

xx

the mad hatter

it's officially fall, and i declare "open season" on.....

 HATS!!!

they are going to be big this year...

we miss Taige. his eye for fashion was impeccable. dudes, take note.

 whether for keeping you cozy on a snowy day, or for a touch of a by-gone era, you must try.
tweed, vintage wool, silk, lace, or stretchy modern fabrics, oh the options!

toppers are such a fun accessory to play with! whether you are a lady or a gentleman, almost everyone can experiment with them.

and you should!

why? why, why, why, you ask?

because nothing makes a bigger statement than a hat.

i guess that explains our overwhelming fear of hats.

people say to me, "but... can i pull that off?"

pull it off?!! what?

as if, in some alternate universe, there are those-who-were-born-to-wear-hats-people. 
do you  assume you are not one of them?

i beg you, truly BEG, on my knees here, hoping against futile hope that you would be so brave...

oh please, just put it on your head and walk out the door.

step out of your comfy little box...  you might just be transformed..

and, you might be surprised by the response you get:

"I LOVE YOUR HAT!!"

i challenge you, fearful non-hatwearing humans: go forth and cranially adorn.

p.s.  gentlemen, we really wouldn't mind a bit if you were to tip your hat as we sashay right on by..

xx