October 31, 2012

Swedish raincoats from Stutterheim


To go with the Rachel Comey rain boots from yesterday, I have been in search of a great rain jacket. Not too shiny, not too tech-y, not too short and most importantly, no Velcro!

On my first year in Portland, my rain jacket was actually a ski jacket shell that was covered in Velcro and wreaked havoc on all my beautiful knit scarves and even the sweaters I had on underneath. After that year, I upgraded to a Gore-tex zip up that while great in rain felt like I was wearing a plastic bag the rest of the time and it only went to my waist, which was a major problem. Last year I found a great fishtail jacket with a hood, generous length and no Velcro. Problem is if it's really really raining, it's only a coated cotton, so it doesn't always hold up so well. And I always wish it had a little bit of lining, a shell isn't always so warm.

Fortunately, I recently found the perfect raincoat. Unfortunately, it is close to $700.


Stutterheim raincoats are handmade in Borås, Sweden (birthplace of my one and only) and even bear the signature of the seamstress sewing them together.  Alexander Stutterheim started making raincoats out of his apartment after he found his grandfather's old one and decided to replicate it with a better fit...or so the story goes. He insists there is
"no Gore-tex. no Velcro. no mass production. no straps or strings dangling from every seam."

He even goes so far as to bill it as
"the last raincoat you will ever need."

Their tagline is "melancholy at its driest" and he means it, all seams are taped and it is wind and waterproof, yet so streamlined in its design.  I guess Stutterheim decided the only way to live with all the rain in Scandinavia is to embrace it.
Out in the elements
The good news is that the unlined version, the Stockholm, is $295 (only!) while the Arholma, the one with lining, is $695 on the American site. Prices in Swedish kronor aren't much lower: $200 and $600 respectively. Guess that's the price of being made in Sweden versus made in China; it's true. And from what I can tell the shipping to the US is free.

They also have a boutique in Stockholm called Regn (rain in Swedish), which sounds amazing. Word is that Stutterheim is working on a rain boot prototype, again with the highest quality in mind. Haven't seen photos yet but will be sure to share them once I have. Stutterheim raincoats can be found here. And be sure to read his story too, he's quite a quirky guy.
Stutterheim couple


October 30, 2012

Piedmont rain boots by Rachel Comey

So on this very rainy day in the Pacific Northwest and on the heels of  Sandy the "superstorm" (this tag is laughable, by the way. thank you Weather Channel), here are some great all rubber rain boots by Rachel Comey. I have been admiring them for a while. They are a fresh update to the ubiquitous tall Hunter-esque ones that have become so humdrum.




Rachel Comey introduced this lace-up rain boot style last season as the Baxter boot but they had a functioning buckle at the ankle over the laces that I can only imagine is quite annoying unless you have a spare 10 minutes to put on your boots. The Baxter is cheaper (only $196) and it is still available in limited sizes from Totokaelo.

the Baxter boot from last year

There is a laceless version called the Colfax, also by Rachel Comey, that is shorter and for sure easier to get on and off.  Color-wise, both the black/brown with hunter green sole and the black/navy with cream sole are nice. The green accent is much more earthy and would look great with black skinny jeans and a flannel shirt. I like the black/navy though the cream sole will get dirty; it's true but it is a more fresh color combination to have black and navy together with off-white.

The Piedmont and the Colfax are both $230. The Piedmont in black/cream is available at Totokaelo and Rachel Comey. The Piedmont in black/green is available at TotokaeloBird, and Steven Alan. The Colfax can be found at Totokaelo.
The Colfax boot - slip on version of the Piedmont

October 23, 2012

Style Inspiration: Jessa from GIRLS



Lately I've been re-watching the first season of Girls and have been inspired all over again by Jessa's miss-mash boho/hooligan style. I mean, who wears a bathrobe out? And makes it look good? A couple of pictures below of her different looks, the clothes are great but I also like the hair style and make up combinations with the outfits. Sometimes, lots of makeup and simple bun. Sometimes no makeup but hair in fishtails. And of course her season-ending wedding look, which was very rock star in my opinion.

Jemima Kirke, who plays Jessa, was recently "featured" in Vice. If you somehow missed the, um, interesting photos of her eight months pregnant, then follow this link

The second season of Girls premieres January 13th on HBO.







October 9, 2012

Steven Alan Kids


While trolling my usual sites this morning, I saw that Steven Alan has added more sizes to their simple and lovely kids' line. I bought an adorable blue check dress for my daughter when she was 1.5 but she has long since outgrown it. The Breaker dress is a simple yoke dress with flap sleeves that is available in the same beautiful prints and lush cotton fabrics as the adult-wear. The reverse seam shirt is the other style they are offering, also in several great plaids, print and in classic denim. I for one love the cut of this shirt, as I recently purchased one for myself in the grey chambray!




Both are very affordable for high-end children's clothes, considering they are made in the USA. The Breaker dress is $68 and the Reverse Seam shirt is $58. And they start from size 18 months and go up to a size 6 years. Available on their website.



October 4, 2012

Isabel Marant - the betty & the boston


I know they are trendy. I know all the celebrities have them, even the B-list ones. I know the trend is almost tired. But I can't. stop. obsessing. coveting. just plain wanting.

They look great dressed up or down, with pants or with dresses and skirts. Personally I love the black but would love the tan suede or the white leather just as much. The boston style with black suede snakeskin detail is the one I would choose if I could have any of them.
the Boston
The hightop Beckett is too much for me and I think one must be either six feet tall or a supermodel or both to wear those.
The Beckett is on the right in two colors

Normally I think anything that is a "hybrid" especially when it comes to shoes is never a good idea. This one though has definitely grown on me the more I have seen it. Not sure if it is BECAUSE i have seen it so much or because it genuinely has great appeal. And having tried them on when I was in NYC - the Betty in black leather at Steven Alan and the Boston at the IM boutique in Soho - I found them really comfortable. And was pleasantly surprised that I could go either way with the size: either the 37 or the 38 (I am a US size 7 shoe), which has not been the case with the Dicker, the Dixie or the Jenny boots. All of which I need a 37.


What I couldn't rationalize however was the price for something so trendy, as I said before, and so unabashedly casual. Sneakers are sneakers. And no matter if they are $600 and from France and make me taller, I don't think I would be wearing them out to dinner either way.

Nevertheless, practicality and reasoning only go so far.  A girl can dream...

The Betty and the Boston by Isabel Marant can be purchased online at la garconne or at Stuart and Wright in Brooklyn.

Emma Watson in the betty in white



October 3, 2012

Kate Moss looking amazing in her sunnies at PFW


It must be said that Kate Moss looks fantastic. I mean, really! Young, fresh and love the shorter hair and the tan, courtesy of the French Riviera. Here she was with husband Jamie at the Saint Laurent show at Paris Fashion Week in a sexy, simple black number with to-die-for booties. All new Saint Laurent, I assume.

And I am truly coveting her sunglasses, seen her at Stella McCartney while sitting between Mario Testino and Sir Paul McCartney. After some internet sleuthing, I discovered they are by Brit brand Prism. I wasn't able to find the exact style on their site. Perhaps something new? Nevertheless, they are cat eye, a trend that's been around, but I haven't seen anyone else in quite so oversized a silhouette and then the white tortoise print is simply stunning!

UPDATE: My friend Marti thinks her *happy* glow is because she is pregnant. Hmmm... I thought it worth mentioning.

October 2, 2012

Spotted at Fashion Week: shirts tied around the waist

Fall is by far my favorite season but it does pose a challenge when temperatures vary a lot. The weather can change at the drop of a hat or whether you are in sun or shade, or if that chilly autumn wind is blowing. In Portland especially right now, this has been challenging: cardigan on, cardigan off; wearing boots in the morning only to switch to sandals in the afternoon.

Leandra over at Man Repeller somehow managed to make having a shirt or cardigan tied around your waist look great. I have always found this a rather bulky, and quite dorky, thing to do. At NY fashion week, she wore it with the same dress on two different occasions and was able to channel Marc Jacobs for Perry Ellis circa 1993 a little bit, with the plaid one. And then go a bit more 80s with the denim shirt.

Marc Jacobs for Perry Ellis (one of my favorite collections of all time, by the way) :

And then both at London fashion week and in Paris this past week, I saw quite a few more doing this. Either with a skirt that gave the look of a shirt tied around:

Or just straight up in general paired with a short skirt, so the shirt is longer than the skirt.

Or to add a pop of color: