no more ugly

New York Magazine just informed me that ugg-ly is in this year. In reaction to the recession, buyers are turning to comfort over style. People, why would you do this to yourselves!? Perhaps it's not the best environment for starting a fashion blog...

Ugg. Literally.

all season t

I really do love a good t-shirt. I have tried tons of different brands and styles to find the best tees to stock as my staples. These work great as layers or on their own in every season. You can dress it down (with a zip-up hoody) or dress it up (with a statement necklace and slouchy cardigan!)

The types of tees that are in style right now have a tissue-like material and a comfortably long length. In order to keep them looking and fitting like the day you bought them, I highly recommend to cold wash (or handwash) and hang dry...unless you are interested in a pilly crop top...

Here are my picks:

LnA cotton v-neck $36...I love these LnA tees in any style, but the deep V is the best. They are usually available at a discount on bluefly. These are my absolute FAVORITE!!

American Apparel Unisex Tri-Blend Deep V-Neck $22...I think everyone has at least one American Apparel tee in their closet somewhere, but this tri-blend has the best texture and color options.


J.Crew Ringspun Crewneck Painter Tee $34...these fit great and come in a large assortment of colors. I also like the special styles with embellishments like rosettes or silky appliques.


Hurley Icon Burst Girl's Tomboy Vneck $32...for graphic tees I prefer Hurley's artistic designs in many different styles and colors.

onesie

I know there's still snow on the ground, but I'm already looking forward to spring 2009 because of the amazing comeback of rompers! I support a new addition to the one-piece concept (I have been stuck on dresses for too many seasons) that allows you to focus on just picking shoes and jewelry to match. Many stores are still unloading fall/winter items, so I will continue searching for the perfect romper for the next few months...my search so far has resulted in far less options than I had hoped for. There are many different styles, but I prefer the casual version with shorts and a halter, deep V or a short-sleeved button-up on top. The designer pieces are gorgeous, but I don't see this trend staying around for too long so I'm not willing to splurge.

Here are my picks...
most casual...American Apparel Tri-Blend Halter Romper $28.00

denim-inspired...Guess Pacific Romper $89.00

bikini cover-up...Silence & Noise Odyssey One-Piece $68.00


super splurge...Alice + Olivia Halter Shorts One Piece Romper $297.00

crumb catcher

french connection mini $129.99 (orig. $218)

I found this beautiful crumb catcher mini dress in a merlot color at french connection today. Holiday party season is over, but maybe it could be a valentine's day dress...or any other occasion that requires a flirty party dress.

I love the crumb catcher style. First of all, it's called a crumb catcher, which summons imagery of an elegant young woman making a mess of herself while eating crumbly cookies and muffins in a fancy party dress. Second of all, the well-placed pleats at the top solve the "spillage" issues that oftentimes occur at the top area of a strapless dress, which creates a beautiful neckline instead of an embarrassing bulge. This "spillage" is the reason why I think most women openly state "I dont do strapless." Well perhaps you thought you don't, but with the crumb catcher maybe you do.

The crumb catcher style was extremely popular in wedding gowns in 2008.

Platinum for Priscilla of Boston
Carolina Herrerathe always lovely Vera
(images from New York Magazine and InStyle )

farewell to fay

The bad news is that my absolute favorite shoe store, te casan, has hit hard times and closed its doors permanently. The website links to a sad message and the formerly glowing jewel of a store, where I was served hot tea and treated like royalty whenever I stopped by, has been emptied. I was always inspired by the idea that the young unkown shoe designers were discovered by te casan and were given a great chance to produce the shoes from their own personal sketchbooks. I hope this concept is picked up somewhere else so I can continue my dream to one day learn to design shoes...ooh that would be amazing...

The good news is that the leftover limited edition shoes have been extremely discounted and are now being sold at Amazon and bluefly.

Here are some of my picks...I will miss Fay Baldock...she was always my favorite...


Gaetano Perrone Satin Diana Pump $128.69 (orig. $395.95)
These were worn by Blake Lively on Regis & Kelly! Supposedly she has them in many different colors...
Gianluca Soldi Snake Glenda Stiletto $150.38 (orig. $375.95). I tried these on once...they are super sexy.
Fay Baldock Faith 2 $93.40 (orig. $325.95)...I think I need to get these...

cloche

I have been searching for the perfect cloche as a stylish hat this winter...and I finally found one. It seems that the modern ones are slightly more structured than the original designs worn by the flappers in the 1920's.

bio

Kelli is an architect and fashion blogger from Portland, Oregon who currently lives in Brooklyn and works in Manhattan. She is interested in examining the way that art and design can be found in all areas of our lives and finding ways that design can be accessible to everyone. She believes that if designers were involved in all aspects of our environment then our world would be more beautiful.

She started her blog to share her fashion, shopping, and design thoughts, observations, and amazing discoveries with those who might be interested.

Kelli is interested in hearing from her readers about fashion or design or anything creative and inspiring. Please feel free to contact her at hello.kelli@gmail.com.