Wednesday, April 28, 2010

in pursuit of cooler boots

is there anything more moronic looking than a girl wearing fuzzy uggs with a mini skirt and bare legs? (maybe girls walking around in uggs and terry track suits with the words "pink" or "juice couture" emblazoned on their asses.) i always thought summer boots were an oxymoron, but my love for boots has sent me on a quest for warm weather-appropriate versions.

it's been particularly cold here in new jersey this week, so even though it's almost may, i'm still wearing leather booties and long pants. what i really want, though, is a pair of transitional boots made of canvas or linen to take me through spring and right into summer.


bootsaholic.com

since these isabel marant spring 2010's are out of the question...

i'm considering some far cheaper options.



for me, all roads seem to lead back to urban outfitters. i'm trying to expand my budget-shopping horizons, but it's hard when there's an urban store right five minutes down the road from my office! i've become an expert at scouring their $10 and $20 dollar sale racks.


i see these boots paired with an old, vintage slip of a dress, or an old ratty tee and perfectly worn in denim or leather shorts. more on my new leather fixation for another post...


Sunday, April 25, 2010

blondie is the name of a band

rateyourmusic.com

i need a tiny, black one-shoulder romper to complete my life.

ebay. com

deborah-harry.com

if i could have any face in the world, it would be debbie harry's. her beauty is unreal, all razor-sharp cheekbones and cupid-bow lips. the men behind the front woman may have insisted "blondie is the name of a band," but it was all about the inimitable debbie.

i think that many times, when i'm getting ready to go out on weekends, i'm subconsciously trying to replicate her look. platinum hair, dark cat-eye eyeliner, sky-high hemlines, black one-shoulder dresses...

dress, urban outfitters. chain necklace, vintage. wedges, faryl by farylrobin


i'm pretty sure the only reason i go out anymore is so i can wear all the things i can't wear to work, which is like 80% of my wardrobe.

Thursday, April 22, 2010

for the birds


i can't help but love anything bird-related. but in recent years, bird motifs have been exhausted as an interior design trend, with cute little birds flying on everything from pillows to curtains to wallpaper (anthropologie, anyone?)



however, it seems like the trend has been re-invigorated through fashion with miu miu's spring 2010 collection. overall, the collection, which was kind of chaotic, didn't really do it for me. the collision of clashing animal prints (cats with birds), colors (navy with black), sequins (splattered on top of prints) and shapes (collars, ruffles and cut-outs) seemed contrived and disjointed, like "let's see how many random/quirky/kitschy things we can slap on a pants suit!"

thefashionpolice.net

style.com

the stand-out items in the collection were the much-blogged about satin bird platforms. scanning through images of the collection, i was instantly drawn to the shoes and reminded of the beautiful, dreamy bird-appliqued sky-blue rochas dress that kirsten dunst wore to cannes a few years ago. i remember a lot of critics hated that dress!

played out or not, i still love birds. some recent bird-related online scores:


bird cage jewelry stand, urban outfitters ($10)

owl jewelry tree stand, urban outfitters ($5). dollar store elephant figurine.*

*i may love elephants more than i love birds!

i tend to neglect a lot of my jewelry by leaving it tangled up and out of sight in dusty old jewelry boxes. these jewelry holders offer the perfect solution: visibility, with cute bird themes to boot.

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

glitter shoulders


if you can't get your shoulder-sequin fix at balmain...



dress, h&m. turquoise cross studs, san francisco street vendor.

...there's always h&m.


Tuesday, April 20, 2010

sock it to 'em


recently, i've been feeling conflicted about socks
. yeah, these are the silly kinds of things i worry about in my free time.

usually they're relegated to the confines of boots and long pants, but lately, designers, bloggers and the odd celebrity have unabashedly displayed them for all to see.

burberry spring 2010 showed ribbed, scrunched socks with beautifully twisted and knotted heels. (god, i would kill for that entire collection!)

jcrew.com

jcrew.com

j. crew infused its spring 2010 catalog with shots of neon color, courtesy of sheer anklets. their fall 2010 collection features nubby tweed shorts with heathered thigh-highs.


thefashionspot

chloe's been rocking the socks for years, some times more successfully than other.

here's my burberry interpretation for $30:


wedge sandals, sheer socks, target.


dress, forever 21. cuff, express.

*please excuse the quality of my photos... i'm working on getting a better camera ASAP!

i don't know, sometimes visible socks just look... gimmicky. they work best when they complement an outfit, as in the case of burberry's muted sock n' shoe tones, not distract (chloe, i love you, but white socks with black clogs?)


(speaking of j. crew, how great is their collaboration with fenton/fallon? i would order one of the necklaces, but i determined they're not worth the $200/avg. price tag due to the trendiness factor (chains? check. spikes? check. tangles? check.) if i'm going to invest in jewelry, i'll stick to more classic pieces.

Monday, April 19, 2010

inspiration: roman holiday


a little inspiration for spring...



"american girl in italy" by ruth orkin, stuck in the corner of my mirror.

i love this photo, which graced the cover that i tore off from a thank-you note. don't we all want this reaction when we walk down the street? the shawl, the bucket bag, the gladiator sandals... so effortless, even though her beautiful face is harried. a year ago, i was traipsing around rome in the cold, early-spring rains that alternated with warm sunshine. yeah, it was difficult to dress accordingly. we've gotten over the cold hump of winter, and now i'm craving the ease and simplicity of summer dressing... but light jackets, thin sweaters and flats will have to suffice for now.

actually, i think orkin took that photo in florence... but i made it there, too.


p.s. yeah, i know my bra is showing.


crazy strappy bra, urban outfitters. tank, american apparel. lipstick, revlon matte in really red.

Sunday, April 18, 2010

a proper introduction post

first things first. welcome to "boots and tights," a lifestyle blog where i'll be documenting my personal style and thoughts on fashion, design, beauty, food, fitness, and the other things i love. throw in a healthy dose of narcissism in the form of personal style photos - because when it comes down to it, isn't that what a personal style blog is all about? - and we'll see how this thing evolves!

so why the name "boots and tights"? it's a nickname i earned during sophomore year of college because of my penchant for black boots, tight tight pants and short short skirts, items that have come to form the foundation of my wardrobe. come spring of that year, my then-crush (and present boyfriend) would call me "hermes" because of the now-ubiquitous gladiator sandals i wore to class everyday. people around me didn't always seem to "get" my outfits, but
i never balked at the nicknames or took offense. instead, i embraced them. to me, these names not only symbolized the individuality in how i choose to dress, but also the freedom in not caring about what others think.

for now, i'm in central jersey working professionally as a grant writer, devouring as many fashion, health and lifestyle magazines and blogs as i possibly can in my free time. i tell myself that someday, scott schuman or garance dore will snap a photo of me walking down the street, and the selby will immortalize my amazing soho apartment and the beautiful, over-flowing contents of my closet. but until then, i'll survive on my less than modest income with a wardrobe cobbled together from urban outfitters, thrift and vintage stores, and wal-mart (yeah, wal-mart! and i'm not ashamed to admit it.)

please comment, link, suggest to others, etc. i'd love to hear from you!