a simple truth

(photo by emman montalvan, via ben travoto)

less really is more. i've got a thing for the girls and the boys that get that. every now and again i can appreciate the over-accessorized look, but overall it's not my bag. at all. i like to see the shape of someone, uncluttered by too many possibilites. i like when someone makes small honest gestures that reveal who they are.

easy pieces

(image via the sartorialist)

this is my kinda outfit. about as perfect as it gets.

a single dose is all it takes

keira knightley

(image via posh 24)

claudia schiffer

(image via rdujour)

kate moss

(image via mystic medusa)

elle macpherson

(image via rdujour)

All of these women have tapped into something pretty simple— a single spectacular dose of leopard print can make all the difference. The print brings an instant cool factor to pretty much any outfit, taking someone from plain Jane territory into the realm of rebels, sex kittens, trailblazers, class acts, and bon vivants. It's not for the faint of heart or shrinking violets, it's for those who want to cut a wide swath for themselves and know how to keep their cool along the way.

back on the map

(image via elliebalfe)

This look from Derek Lam's Spring 2011 collection takes a classic 70's silhouette out of the fashion archives and makes it current. The high waist and wide legs of the jeans are slimming, the blouse is crisp, and the thin belt sleekly emphasizes the waist. This outfit could easily move from day to night, delivering impact at every turn. It's a look that embodies a pared down modernity that is so 2011, yet still manages to reference the easy, carefree spirit that the 70's were all about.

as good as gold

(image via sneakerfreaker)

(image via nah right)

(image via dallas observer)

santigold is rad. her whole deal is genre-less, indefinable... she is just a mash-up of influences, a rare bird of style and substance. and if you didn't know that she used to be in a punk/ska band called stiffed, you need to listen to this song...

plain & simple

miranda july

(image via venuszine)

josephine de la baume

(image via the vivian girl)

liv tyler

(image via joujou villeroy)

the plain white tee. preferably cotton. preferably 100%. there is nothing quite like it. understated, classic, crisp...but somehow managing to convey a sense of toughness too... i think of cowboys and mechanics and james dean. i think of cigarettes rolled up in the sleeves. it's simple, it's perfect, it's straightforward american cool.

want list

the lake and stars business model pebble knit bra

(image via journelle)

matt and nat zocalo bag

(image via arcadia boutique)

adam shearling trimmed cotton jacket

(image via the clothes whisperer)

turquoise triangle ring with wedding band

(image via hotpieceofclass)

rachel comey hitch boot

(image vis solestruck)

looking sharp

(image via nomehagascaso)
luca luca pre-fall 2011

(image via harper's bazaar)
fendi pre-fall 2011

(image via fashionologie)
stella mccartney pre-fall 2011

(image via guilty and glamorous)
jil sander pre-fall 2011

i like how ladylike they look. all the geometry, all the angles, all the architecture. the severity that still breathes out a slight wisp of sexuality. they look like perfect and very particular secretaries.

what i want to wear right now

from my polyvore

fall into line

chloe pre-fall 2010
image via tais-toi, sois beau

whit fall 2010
image via refinery 29

elizabeth & james fall 2010
image via mama's a rolling stone

american ease

ash jalouse boot
image via polyvore

rachel comey penpal short boots
image via polyvore

charles david bryden boot
image via amazon

aren't all these boots absolutely perfect for fall? i love their simplicity and functionality, and i think they are timelessly good-looking. but seasons don't really matter much to me 'cause i live in boots all year long. i guess it's because san francisco is always boot-wearing-weather, and i walk everywhere so i like a bit of practicality, and i have a dog so i'm in the park pretty much everyday, rain or shine. i feel most at home in boots— at ease, unrestricted, footloose and fancy free. hmmm...that seems so american, so frontiersman-like...wow... how "out west" of me.

general utility

photo by garance dore, found at accidental chic

photo of garance dore via a fashionable life

alessandra colombo via the sartorialist

i guess because it's winter, and it's been raining on and off for days now and yesterday i heard the crack of thunder and saw flashes of lightening, all i can think about is being warm and cozy and comfy. i think all of these looks exhibit what i'm after: perfect layering, neutral color palette, functionality, simplicity combined with individuality, and a bit of androgyny thrown in for good measure. i think all of these girls look practical and self-reliant, but still spirited and free-wheeling. i like that.

a sense of shadows

images via vivat veritas

the fall 2009 lyell lookbook— well, i just think it's styled beautifully and the right wide-eyed puffy-lipped model was chosen and i like the almost gothic-like quality of it all... there is the feeling of glamour and decadence, but also a hint of decay and darkness— a sense of brooding, a sense of shadows

the good girl

all of these pieces are crisp and prim, well-cut and polished. they are oh-so-very lady-like, and oh-so-very discreet. and i like that— i like that they aren't trying too hard to be tough or unconventional or brazen, instead they are quietly communicating through their playful but simple details a level of femininity and sophistication that i find incredibly refreshing. and i like very much that these pieces clearly want to celebrate the female form— the pinch of the waist, the slope of shoulders, the rise of the neck. because really, it is lovely to be a girl.
(all of these clothes can be found on modcloth)

grey areas

modcloth brick lane bag

james perse knit woven dress

le silla suede cutout ankle boots

forever21 zipper accent top

grey is most certainly my favorite color ever.

floral elements

forever21 corset top

marni printed canvas tote

rebecca taylor silk tunic dress

maybe because it's summertime, maybe it's because i've been reading about flowers and re-potting houseplants and imaging how nice it would be to have a proper garden, maybe it's because it's hard to walk past the farmer's market stands and not want to buy every single cut flower– all those tulips, peonies, irises, dahlias, and cala lilies just waiting for my hands to reach for them...but whatever the reason is, i can't get enough of floral prints. 

snap shots

from: elle (italia) june 2004, "alta temperatura"

from: vogue (italia) may 2008

from: elle (us) september 2003, "before night falls"

from: elle (italia) may 2007, "brasile"

from: flare (canada) october 2006, "best of milan"

just a few photos from a random selection of editorials i like...