Shiny Gold Chains and Blue Jeans

Obviously a chic bag on a gold chain is a classic look created by Mademoiselle Chanel. I have always loved the 2.55 quilted Chanel bag but since I don't have one I have been thrifting for a similar type vintage bag. I found an 80's bag from Anne Klein that is really nice quality and unique. I've show it with a reptile Judith Lieber bag and a Whiting and Davis chain link bag that I thrifted. The look I love right now with a chain bag is to carry it with a faded denim jacket; kind of the quintessential anti-Chanel jacket with a classic bag. Another fun high/low mix that dresses up the jacket and mellows out the bag into a great casual look.

Marine Biology

This weekend I'm headed to the beach. So of course I am thinking about marine inspired looks. I don't know why, must be the whole buried treasure thing, but going to the beach always makes me think of charm bracelets and pearl jewelry. Some of my favorites are attached including my new sea anemone bracelet from Target. My outfit is inspired by all the nautical looks for spring including a recent favorite movie "Coco Avant Chanel" in which Coco Chanel wears a striped nautical shirt from her trip to Deauville, France. Plus my Steve Madden Luxe sky high wedges with patent leather clouds to hope for sunny weather. Have a great weekend!

An American Girl in Uniform Part Deux

In a veiled reference to the final episode of "Sex and the City" (no pun intended) on the opening day of the new "Sex in the City 2" movie, I designed a more casual version of the summer uniform I posted yesterday. This time I went for an all American look of faded vintage Levis jacket over a new yet vintage style Mickey Mouse T-shirt picked up at Disneyland and Ralph Lauren cargo pants. To give the look some fun and polish I added a pair of Tommy Hilfiger clogs. All items except Mickey tee were thrifted.

Summer Uniform

The latest issue of Lucky magazine had a great article about creating your own personal summer uniform. So as I reread the article yesterday I decided to challenge myself to do just that. First of all I had to do a little spring cleaning to clear my mind and my wardrobe! As I attempted to edit my closet and my inspiration notebook, i realized the answer was right in front of me: the Dries Van Noten inspired look of luxe jacket, longer tee and cargo pants was perfect. My version includes a sequin jacket and silk top both thrifted and paired with a great pair of army green Levis I found. Paired with one of my favorite recent finds: a pair of Vince Camuto heels that looked very Alexander Wang to me. Voila! A great start to my summer uniform.

Real Rosebuds

My real roses have finally started to bloom. Yeah! Summer is almost here and the arrival of my roses brings out the love of pink in me mostly because my roses are the same color. Here's to garden as inspiration in my recent finds and favorites!

Tough and Tender

In keeping with the military theme, many of the spring editorial pieces have shown differing mixes of lace and tulle with safari and military pieces. I love this look. I also like the mix of the army green and khaki brown with pink, peach and other pastels. Recently I found a beautiful vintage apricot colored lace dress that I paired with a khaki safari linen jacket. I also plan to wear a studded Michael Kors chocolate brown belt around the jacket for another mix of tough and tender. The floaty mixed fabric scarf with separate pink, peach and pale white strands I found at Old Navy is the final tender piece to finish the look. The shoes? A great pair of two toned leather 70s style stacked heels from Banana Republic.

Khaki Green with Envy

For the past several months the fashion magazines and blogs have been filled with photos of military inspired looks. I guess it has soaked into my brain as I keep finding army-inspired looks. Mostly I am drawn to that dark olive color! Recently I found a great silk blouse of khaki green for $3.50 from my favorite department store brand: Nordstrom. This color seems to go with everything including safari type jackets, black jeans and multiple shades of denim. Over accessorizing this color does not work but I've found gold jewelry looks amazing with it. I've shown my new longer olive blouse with my favorite pendant, a vintage Givenchy piece I found on Ebay. I love the cobalt and grey colors on the pendant. I find myself wearing this piece with everything.

I have also been wearing this great field jacket I found for $6.99 at a thrift store from Old Navy. It is really versatile and has a low belt that can be removed and replaced with another type belt. The thing I like about it is it looks good loose fitting or wrapped around double with a big belt. I've worn it with a denim shirt and a flowered top. Guess I am green crazy because I also wore a great shade of bright green nail polish called "Spring Green" with this jacket.

Little black dress with dots

Polka dots just keep popping into my closet. I have had this sun dress for a couple years and I can't wait to pair it with some tall wedges this summer. Black and white is such a classic combinations and the dots just add a cheery dose of sunshine. They make me smile like a sunny summer afternoon.

Found this beautiful dress yesterday that is a very elegant LBD just with dots. Or should I call it a LBDwDs?

Camel Coats

For as long as I can remember I have loved camel hair coats. The look and feel of a camel haired coat always felt so classic and elegant to me. I have had various versions over the years but never a 100% camel hair coat. Not until recently when I found an amazing vintage version. The coat I found is from Nordstroms and I found it at a thrift store. It is longer and wraps with a belt. One of the items I look for when thrifting is Nordstorm brand vintage clothes. They are amazing quality and the fit is very consistent.

Favorite Blog Inspired Search

The first fashion blog I ever read became my favorite: The Glamourai written by Kelly Framel. The first post I read regarded one of Kelly's big obsessions: Dries Van Noten. After several posts about this fashion designer, I decided to take a closer look at what all the fuss was about. Dries Van Noten makes beautiful clothes that flatter a women's figure but also uses the most exotic and unusual fabric combinations. One of my favorite looks from 2010 Spring/Summer is a cargo type pant shown with a collarless jacket plus the most beautiful seed pearl necklaces. The look is fresh and casual yet dressy and feminine at the same time.

Since eyeing those beautiful necklaces I have been searching for similar ones. Finally found two together after looking for months! I can now attempt a Dries Van Noten look at a fraction of the cost with my own cargo pants and a great J. Crew jacket I picked up at an outlet store for 90% off.

The Perfect Jacket

As I mentioned in my initial post, I love beautiful clothes. But like so many others, I am on a rather restricted budget. My solution? Voila! Thrift stores and tag sales turn into a magical treasure hunt for my latest obsessions. Currently (and always) I love jackets. It seems to be the one thing I can never have enough of - black, navy, patterns I love them all as long as they are the right shape and fit. I think I may have found the perfect jacket recently. While perusing through a rack of new arrivals at a local thrift store and spotted a beautiful shade of navy blue. Not too dark and not too bright but just right. I pulled the hanger and there hung the loveliest navy boucle jacket and skirt with small gold buttons. At first my heart raced because I spied a white tag and black writing and thought it might be...Chanel. Not to be. However this suit was made in France under a Saks Fifth Avenue label and is very nice quality. Even better, it fit me like a glove. Seems my latest "rosebud" seems to go with everything- striped sailor tees and flats to bow blouses and heels. A wonderful and versatile addition to my closet.

The Original Rosebud

Once upon a time I had a beautiful moss green dress with a overlay of white organza covered in tiny rosebuds. The dress hung in my closet, as so many dresses do today, not worn and waiting for the perfect event. Time went by and as any child does, I grew and the rosebud dress no longer fit. I vividly remember trying it on and the sleeves felt too tight and the length too short. But this dress was special; I had worn it for Christmas and to birthday parties. I wanted it to last forever and stay in my closet so I could remember those special times.

The rosebud dress was eventually given away. Even at the age of 5, I felt a profound sense of loss for losing such a beautiful thing. I believe these memories of my first important dress began my love of fashion and beautiful clothes. I may never find a dress as lovely as that dress but my search continues and I will chronicle my journey here searching for "rosebuds' for my closet.