Totes Obsessed

Say all you want about the craftsmanship of a Birkin or a Speedy, but I love me a good ol' canvas bag. Here in SF, with the new "pay for a shopping bag" law, the pedestrian tote is making a come back.  Here are a number of cool, fun totes that will allow you to haul anything, from groceries to magazines to gym clothes in style.

Left: Anchor Tote by Berreca, Society6; Right: California beach tote, Maptote

Left: Poppin Canvas tote in Long Beach print, Poppin; Right: Weapons tote, Society6

 Left: Put the Needle On tote, Sweet Perversion; Speak Up tote, Roxy

His vs Hers

I remember I found an old wool sailing sweater of my father's when I was in high school.  It was oversized, wooly perfection and I still have it, ten plus years later.  That was the first time I realized that some pieces of clothing are not about which gender they're "for" but all about how you wear them.  I love buying men's sweaters and sometimes men's socks have way cooler patterns and color combos than their female counterparts!

Because of that sweater and because of an amazing Menswear internship in graduate school, I always look over the Men's shows.  There is an attention to even the tiniest detail that I love about men's clothing.  I spent a fair amount of time perusing Fall 2013 and to my delight and my wallet's potential dismay, there are a number of pieces I am lusting after.  Here is how I would style my top four faves using items from my own closet...

Jonathan Saunders

My heart skipped a beat when I laid eyes upon this Jonathan Saunders tonal stripe coat. I'd keep it simple with my Genetic Denim "Twig" super skinnies; J.Crew Vintage Cotton Vee; Steve Madden "Remingtn" bootie and RayBan Think Cat Eye Wayfarers (which to be fair I don't own but I really want)!

Paul Smith

My name is practically written on this Paul Smith ombré houndstooth sweater! I'd pair it with JCrew's Minnie pant and oxfords from Target that I glittered, more on that fun DIY to come.

A.P.C.

As I mentioned above, I am a sucker for an amazing sweater!  This cable knit one from A.P.C. would look great with my Madewell Bootlegger jeans,  J.Crew Outlet Favorite shirt and Merona faux suede booties.

Burberry Prorsum

I love the heart pattern on this Burberry Prorsum button up. The Emerald green was my fave.  FYI Emeralg is Pantone's Color of the Year!  I love the juxtaposition of the crisply tailored shirt with destructed Gap jeans that I patched, similar here, and my fuchsia Dolce Vita tassel loafers, similar here.

So, just becuase it's in the Men's Department doesn't mean a girl can't wear it.  What are some of your fave pieces that you either bought yourself or stole from your father/boyfriend/brother??

Label Love: Very French Gangsters

It wasn't until recently that I started wearing glasses.  As an adult, I really don't mind wearing them.  Dr. D would even argue that I was excited to get my glasses.  (He would win, I really was excited.)  When I was a kid,  friends of mine would complain about how much they hated there glasses.  They felt so nerdy and awkward; and who could blame them since choices for cool frames were limited in 1991.  

Now kids these days can look cool AND see clearly thanks to Very French Gangsters.  Located just outside Paris, VFG not only makes très chic eye and sun glasses, they also have an AAA-dorable lookbook.  These kiddos look so cool, I want to hang out with all of them.

See for yourself at Very French Gangsters.

New Look

With the weather changing, it's time for a new Fall beauty look. Arguably it's only just getting to Summer here in the Bay Area, but alas, the magazines tell me its time to retire the Neon Pink lippy until next year.  So what is a girl to do, but truck down to her local makeup counter!  Darn.  Here are my two top picks for the crisp weather.

Red-Orange Lipstick

Yes, I will always be devoted to my Neon Pink, but I am really excited about the awesome orangey-red shades.  These are my three faves:

Mandarin is my go to shade for fall.  It has a great buttery finish and lasts a long time.  I like that it's a little bit corally, and swiped over the top of MAC's So Chaud, it looks really really similar to Scarlet Ibis.  I bought mine at Ulta, but you can also get it here.

Heat Wave is for the bolder girl, NARS' Heat Wave is for you!  Its slightly too orange for my fair complexion, but it is TO DIE FOR on darker girls.  It's super bright and happy and will brighten even the grayest of Fall days.

Scarlet Ibis is one of the pretty shades I've seen, but it is next to impossible to find!  MAC, if you're listening, please please start running this color ALL THE TIME!!!

Dark Nail Polish

A nail polish junkie such as my self has a hard time committing to a favorite color.  Luckily, I don't have to.    I love dark colored polish, but sometimes it's a bit to harsh against my pale skin.  I'm in love this fun twist of a French.  Just the right amount of darkness for me.  I used OPI for Sephora on the tips in Never Enough Shoes.  I might try it again with Live and Let Die from OPI's new Skyfall collection (we'll talk about how much I love James Bond another day) or L'oreal Color Riche in Breaking Curfew.  To be fair, I can't claim this look as my own, I totally copied it from the lovely Caroline, of It Looks Good To Me.  (Follow her on Instagram!  She takes amazing pics!)  

What are your beauty re-freshes for Fall?

xo,

aims