Acne Gradient Jeans

Not sure what I think about these but something is strangely interesting. Feels very *new*...like the next thing. And gradient is very big for home goods: sheets, pillows, mugs.

Danish brand Hay's gradient sheets here:

Flex Degrade available at Acne and Steven Alan. $300.

A random pic I saw on Pinterest a couple weeks ago. It's a guy but still:

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:

Paris Fashion Week

This week's Chanel show was full of some great looks from their usual celebrity lineup. I loved looks by some of the lesser known on the fashion week circuit. Then while browsing the shots from outside the shows, I found two other interesting looks. I'm loving the angular '80s blazer over short shorts or miniskirt. It is very eighties but the combination keeps it from looking dated and instead it looks chic. And along the same lines, the angular oversized double-breasted coat is a fresh take on the oversize trend, the double-breasting adds more structure and again keeps it from looking dated. The LV show was off the hook but more on that later...

white with black

As spring is right around the corner (for some) a nice segue into the season is with a bold white statement piece on top of a black outfit. Kate rocks an amazing white blazer here with a head-to-toe black look during a morning-after meal in Paris.

This ultra white Acne cardigan works really well as a statement making outfit focal point and its oversize feeling and contrast buttons add a little something extra. It's part of their new Spring line, which if you haven't seen it, you really need to check it out. So far I think they have the best collection for Spring, I want about 20 pieces for sure including jeans and leggings but also tops, dresses, coats and cardigans. I know I already posted about it so I'll wait till later on to post more pictures (also I think they are still getting more stuff) but meanwhile check it out on their site but also at Creatures of Comfort.

black with brown again

Another black outfit paired with brown shoes (see Kate Moss post from October). This time by the flawless Michelle Williams while strolling in Brooklyn with her daughter. And the brown oxfords she's sporting look very similar to the J.Crew ones spotlighted in an earlier post. I also love Michelle's long peacoat. The extra wide collar and the shiny brass buttons combined with the longer length are great updates on a wardrobe staple.

tried and true: part two

As a continuation of the series started with L.L.Bean, now I've been looking much more closely at the J.Crew catalog lately. Who hasn't of course? Their look is amazing right now and just the right combination of old Marc by Marc Jacobs, preppy Americana (pick your brand) and super-feminine high fashion niche brands like Nanette Lepore or Mayle. Each piece is effortlessly feminine. Ruffles, sequins, pearls, satin trim are dripping off everything. These looks are great and have been extremely successful for them (double digit Q3 increases). However I'm much more interested in the other random items lurking under all the fluff. Takes this one-piece "union suit" in red-stripe. An adorable night-time look...or a great layering piece for day. Especially on those very cold days. It was available in navy and white as well but it has since sold out. It is only $69.50.

Another great piece I found instead in the men's department. The men's shirts come in a variety of plaids (lumberjack and otherwise) and are a lot less expensive than the women's fitted shirts. And it is much more chic to wear a loose men's shirt with the cuffs rolled up. This one is $59.50.

This adorable oxford is actually from the women's department, even though it looks like men's. And is very cute in brown especially once it's scuffed up a bit but would also be cute if it were offered in black, which it's not. There are very few sizes left, so this one might be on its way toward being sold out. Also affordable (for shoes) at $225. These are also a much better buy than any of their countless varieties of ballet flats, which sadly are definitely on the way out on the trend cycle. (More on this to follow in a later post.)

Personally I am feeling these skinny, stretch cords. The ankle-length keeps them from being too high-school or granola. Corduroy has had a hard time of late, really falling off the pant radar in women's (and in men's, unless you're a professor). It is slowly making a comeback. The black and the dark charcoal are definitely the best colors although I also think the soft ochre is very striking and could work with the right outfit (grey large-plaid men's shirt, simple black cardigan, black ankle boots, done.) They are $59.50 but I would imagine they will go on sale relatively soon.

And lastly, I just love this laptop case. It comes in 3 colors (red, black and navy) and 3 different sizes (13", 15" or 17") . It is a collaboration called "Want Organic for J.Crew" with a leather goods company out of Montreal called Want Les Essentiels de la Vie. I saw some of their stuff at Opening Ceremony in New York. Beautiful quality and unisex styling. The price is a little high at $285 but it is such a unique piece and sure to be sold out soon. Also, there is room for storage inside the case too, which is a bonus.

While J.Crew is presenting one look, there is much more to be had than face value if you are willing to dig for it. All items available at j.crew.com.

big-a** scarves

Scarves are all over the place. I can't seem to feel comfortable without one, Summer or Winter. But perusing copenhagenstreetstyle today I couldn't help but be overcome by the sheer volume, and not to mention coziness, of the scarves being sported.
Furthermore, it seems like the scarf is much more than just an accessory in these outfits but instead the anchor of the entire outfit. The sweater, jacket and/or dress is there to complement the enormous scarf and not the other way around. In fact the scarves almost look like a soft, malleable sweater that has been stretched and wrapped snugly around the neck. Leave it to the Danes to take it to the extreme.

black outfit, brown boots

something else i've started seeing lately (or maybe just started feeling) is the brown with black combination. a totally black outfit -- the kind that is de rigeur in New York or London -- black jeans, black or otherwise dark-colored top, black coat...and then historically it has always been paired with black shoes/boots or maybe grey or even dark brown. and then all of a sudden i am seeing brown boots, like TAWNY brown, combined with a head-to-toe black look. the contrast is startling yet very fresh.

I had been thinking the brown/black thing subconsciously. have even been wearing dark brown boots with black jeans myself, wondering why i kept doing it. and then saw the picture below online and the thought finally came to life.

and of course it's not a trend until you see Kate Moss sporting it.

backpacks are back

Backpacks have slowly been coming back on the radar. Heretofore it's been small leather napsacks or the square Swedish kånken mini-backpacks. all very stylized and working with a "look."

And then i see these shots today of the Twilight mega-stars Robert Pattinson (above) and Kristen Stewart (below) walking through Vancouver Airport. And they are BOTH carrying these full-size black SPORTY backpacks. And they look very cool!

Yes, indeed. backpacks are back. full-on.