Sweet Country Road

Country road tote, $59.95

I'm not usually a fan of the Country Road weekender totes on the grounds that every second person has one [and literally every person at my work as they gave them out as Christmas presents] but this one is particularly cute.

Three little letters: WBJ

Alannah Hill, Arthur Galan AG, A|X Armani Exchange, Bally, Ben Sherman, BettinaLiano, Camper, Farage, Gorman, Hugo Boss, Jayson Brunsdon, Karen Millen, Leona Edmiston, Max&Co, Oroton, Oxford, Pandora, Paradis, Paul&Joe, Peep Toe, Polo Ralph Lauren, Satch, Trenery, Witchery, Zimmermann.

Plus Chanel and LV....

Love Westfield Bondi Junction

Fantasy world of warmth

Missoni towel, $US120 @ Couturelab.com

JETS by Jessika Allen tuxedo swimsuit, $US270 @ netaporter.com but probably less at David Jones

Its almost October. Therefore it should be warm - or at least "not cold". In this fantasy world of warmth the above items have practical use - not just aspirational value.

Prep work

Ralph Lauren sale now on, 30-50% off selected styles. Hot foot it to @ WBJ, QVB & Chatswood Chase.***

*** Qualification: don't really like Ralph Lauren. Too generic, American and preppy - Tommy Hilfiger does the same thing for less. Just needed a reason to post this picture...

Best laid plans

Last hotel in NYC is finally booked. The Jane Hotel in the West Village is a classic old-school hotel where the rooms are inspired by luxury train cabins.

I'm intrigued by the Jane Hotel Ballroom, the hotel's newly opened bar. The Ballroom is Miranda Kerr's local [if you read and/or believe this weeks' Grazia] but has been subject to noise complaints and models dancing on tables.

With a checkout time of 12 noon, who's complaining?

At Liberty

Since UK Vogue did a spread using Liberty fabric [as shoe laces/belts/hair pieces] a few months back, Liberty prints have popped up everywhere. Can't get enough? Check out Libertyoflondongirl's blog.

Retrosuperfuture modified Wayfarers in Liberty print. 120 pounds at Liberty of London, "They are - to put it frankly - awesome" [style.com]

Liberty print hi-tops... [?]

Large poppy daisy cotton scarf, Hermes pour Liberty, 140 pounds at Liberty of London

Balenciaga overload

Balenciaga blazer, shorts, belt & pumps at Louis Vuitton [ironically]

Marie-Amelie Sauve, the woman with the impossibly French name & head-to-toe Balenciaga.

Knotted

Knot jersey jumpsuit $149.95 @ Witchery

The ultimate jumpsuit challenge? Knot for the faint hearted. Apologies for bad pun.

Comfort is king

Tuck it in. Pleat detail shorts in latte. $149 @ Witchery

Found!

The answer to my question below is...

Taylor Tomasi, Senior accessories editor at Teen Vogue. Thankyou to Garance for tagging her posts so well!

Cheeky @ Marc Jacobs

Dress of the Year

Love this girl. Love love love this dress.

Who is Taylor?

Pic from Garance's blog

Pic from the Sart's blog

OK, so perhaps I'm a little obsessed with street style blogs. But his girl Taylor is showing up everywhere. Case in point:

1. Page 21 of this week's Grazia "POW! This Zara boyfriend jacket pops against Taylor's hair, while her vintage necklace, Alexander Wang shorts and Chanel bag add glam edge."

2. Tuesday September 15 on the Sartorialist's blog in some v hot shoes.

3. Also on Tuesday September 15 on Garance's blog. This is the same outfit [different picture] as in Grazia.

Jak and Jil went up the hill [via fashion week]

Nicholas Kirkwood shoes for Rodarte, as featured on Jak & Jil Blog

Oscar Wilde once said that "fashion is a form of ugliness so intolerable that they have to alter it every six months".

Apparently street style bloggers last a little bit longer. After 6 seasons as official fashion week blogger for Style.com, The Sartorialist has been replaced by Jak & Jil's Tommy Ton [as reported by Fashionologie].

Toni my girl

Congrats go to Toni Collette for taking out the Best Actress in a Comedy at the Emmy Awards. She beat the favourite [and very awesome] Tina Fey. Love it when Aussies take out awards, especially when they beat Americans.

Harpers Bazaar personal stylist

NYC shopping map for Midtown

Harpers Bazaar [the not quite Vogue, Vogue] have launched a personal stylist service for your NYC shopping trip. Personally, I'd rather spend the $US700 fee on actually buying clothes, but each to their own.

What is exciting it that the website has awesome downloadable shopping maps for SoHo, the Meatpacking District, Midtown and the Upper East Side. Love.

Playsuit!

Blake Lively in a cute playsuit not unlike mine

Ever since spotting a retro jumpsuit @ Port Macquarie earlier in the year, I've been working up the courage to buy a playsuit/jumpsuit. And today, the spring weather messed with my head - the budget went out the window - and I came home with one playsuit [Cue], one fedora [Portmans], a waist belt [also Portmans] and a sensible work dress [also Cue]. Oh, and two giant red cushions from Freedom that are threatening to eat my leather lounge. But are tres comfortable.

Oops.

Peter Alexander

Sleep tee with detachable velcro guitar, $49 at Peter Alexander

Now that the Saba bag I was going to buy (see below) has disappeared, the disposable income is burning a whole in my pants (I mean, wallet). Perhaps this little darling [with detachable velcro guitar] from Peter Alexander?

Oscar de la Renta SS 10 #2

Who says you can't wear a purple dress with purple shoes?

Oscar de la Renta SS 10

Aww sweet

Which bag?

Am looking at buying a hip bag to tote around in New York, primarily because my current bag is too big. Requirements? Tan and leather. The short-list is...

Riviera mini bag in Whisky from Saba, $150

Mini Jetson Hip Bag in Beige from Mimco, $325

Irony is funny

Tuck it all away

Marc by Marc Jacobs Lock it pocket tote, $US79.99 on sale @ Piperlime.com

This foldaway style tote reminds me of the Lucy tote that was a Mimco favourite years back, and has been brought back recently. Looks like the Lucy totes are on sale on the Mimco website, probably because at $80, they are almost double the price they used to be.

The real September Issue

With Fashion's Night Out and the RJ Cutler documentary, Anna Wintour and her beloved [Vogue] have been in the spotlight of late.

The "real" September Issue of Vogue [all 584 pages of it] plays up to this, stating on the cover "In the REAL September Issue...".

Despite all the hoo-hah, Wintour remains frank and honest. In her editor's note she writes:

"Speaking of great adventures, some of you will have seen The September Issue, R.J. Cutler's documentary about how we put together the 2007 version of this issue. It's difficult to speak about a film that scrutinizes oneself, but at Vogue we're very happy with the result. I hope that viewers will understand more clearly the hard work and sense of mission that goes into producing the magazine..."

and wait for my favourite bit...

"Fashion is so often presented in the culture as a thing of froth, which, of course, it is; but the bubbles are blown with care and a sense of values. Likewise Fashion's Night Out. Frivolity must have its foundations."

Whatever you say about Ms Wintour - don't say that she lacks a sense of humour - she wore Prada to the premiere of the The September Issue ;)

PS I must admit I headed straight for the article on Hugh Jackman in A Steady Rain...

S&B girls what were you thinking?

sass & bide beast rats leggins, $US175 on shopbop.com

To buy or not to buy?

$150 @ Mimco, reduced from $450

Allhomes find

Real estate love at first sight...

Townhouse in Canberra, $388,000 through allhomes.com.au. More pics available here

Things that make me happy #465

The leather bracelet

Classic Hermes or punk McQueen? That is the question.

Bracelet Hapi 3 MM, $US275 @ hermes.com

Elboy skull-embellished cuff, $US290 @ net-a-porter

Thigh high

Shoe p0rn for the Stella lover. 100% animal cruelty free.

$US1595 @ net-a-porter

Fashion's Night Out #3

Ladies and gentleman, we have a winner! GRACE CODDINGTON will be featured at the Prada store during Fashion's Night Out...

Fashion's Night Out # 2

In case I didn't quite make it clear just how awesome this event is... here is the list of events *just at Bergdorf Goodman*... [emphasis added...]

ZAC POSEN PAINTS ONE-OF-A-KIND CREATIONS IN THE FIFTH AVENUE WINDOWS. 5:30 - 6:30 PM. PADMA LAKSHMI, HOST OF BRAVO'S TOP CHEF, JUDGES A DESIGNER COOK-OFF WITH CYNTHIA ROWLEY, EDWARD BESS, GILLES MENDEL, LELA ROSE, NAEEM KHAN AND PETER SOM. 6:00 - 7:00 PM. ALEXANDER WANG PRESENTS HIS T-SHIRTS BENEFITTING THE SEPTEMBER 11 MEMORIAL. 6:00 - 7:00 PM. GUEST BARTENDERS ASHLEY OLSEN AND MARY-KATE OLSEN MIX UP THE SEASON'S TASTIEST LIBATIONS. 7:00 - 8:00 PM. AN EXHIBITION OF PHOTOGRAPHS FROM THE BOOK EXTREME BEAUTY IN VOGUE, WITH SPECIAL GUESTS CURATOR PHYLLIS POSNICK, DR. PATRICIA WEXLER, DARIA WERBOWY AND CAROLINE TRENTINI. 7:00 - 8:00. ANDRÉ LEON TALLEY HOSTS A LIFE-SIZED VERSION OF THE NEW GAME FASHION RULES!™, WITH TEAMS LED BY DONNA KARAN, LINDA FARGO AND ROBERT VERDI. 8:00 - 9:00 PM A CONVERSATION WITH ISAAC MIZRAHI AND TUNES BY THE BEN WALTZER TRIO. 9:00 PM. PLUS ROOPAL PATEL AND TROY SURRATT PRESENT THE ROOPAL PATEL PALETTE FROM LE METIER DE BEAUTE. CARLOS FALCHI PRESENTS HIS EXCLUSIVE FNO GRAFFITI TOTE. DESIGNERS INCLUDING MANOLO BLAHNIK, NARCISO RODRIGUEZ, VICTORIA BECKHAM, AND MANY OTHERS WILL STOP BY TO SIGN FASHION'S NIGHT OUT T-SHIRTS. MUSIC BY D.J.S ANDREW ANDREW, JOHNNY DYNELL AND JON JON BATTLE.

Fashion's Night Out [NYC shopping on smack]

Anna Wintour has decided to single-handedly drag the US (actually, the world) out of recession.

Fashion's Night Out is a global joint initiative "to promote retail, restore consumer confidence, and celebrate fashion. US and international editions of Vogue are coordinating evening extravaganzas in their respective world fashion capitals."

For example, the NYC event features free manicures @ Chanel, cocktails @ Banana Republic, AND A MEET AND GREET WITH MANOLO BLAHNIK. [Opps, caps ;)]. More details of events are available here. And even the t-shirts are cute.

Interesting observation - no event in Australia. Perhaps Sydney & Melbourne couldn't decide who was the fashion capital? The obvious solution - hold it in Canberra...? Kidding, kidding!