Per the Usual, Dries Van Noten KILLS IT

You like to mix and match patterns you say? Well Dries just out did you.

 See it here.

Case of the Mondays? Words to Consider to Get You Through

Diana Vreeland's Quotes

 “There’s only one very good life and that’s the life you know you want and you make it yourself,” 

-Diana Vreeland  

Diana Vreeland was the creative force behind Harper’s Bazaar (1936-1962), Vogue (1962-1971)  and also revolutionized the Metropolitan Museum’s Costume Institute (1971-1989). She is also famous for having quite an opinion about everything. Thankfully, Into the Gloss did all the dirty work and mined her memoirs for her 50 best quotes. Here are some of my favorites:

7 “You know the greatest thing is passion, without it what have you got? I mean if you love someone you can love them as much as you can love them but if it isn’t a passion, it isn’t burning, it isn’t on fire, you haven’t lived.”

10 “Style—all who have it share one thing: originality.”

16 “I think when you’re young you should be a lot with yourself and your sufferings. Then one day you get out where the sun shines and the rain rains and the snow snows and it all comes together.” 
 
20 “I adore artifice. I always have.”

Read the rest of her quotes here on Into the Gloss. 

See the film Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has To Travel in NY and LA, if you are so lucky as to live in one of those cities. The documentary chronicles her wild, inspiring life full of vim, vigor, and what D.V. called “Faction” (as in both fact and fiction, because, as she once explained, “why not make a story more interesting?”). 

Can't Stop Loving... Rachel Comey Sweater and Purty Ring's "Fine Shrine"

Buy this 470 bones sweater here.

And I have this on repeat, of course...

Haters Gonna Hate

Monogrammimg: More than Just Some Trend

Moon and Lola Acrylic Monogram Necklace

Any person who has ever been in a wedding or graduated from high school (at least from Midland, Texas or UT Austin grads) knows the value of a monogram on everything. There are two parts to this story: 1) For those presenting the said monogrammed item it is a safe bet that the person will hold onto the item for some time because it has their name on it. 2)For the person receiving the gift it screams 'this is all about me' and therefore you will love it forever. Oh, narcissism. Or, in the case of my newly married friends, at least until your name changes and you are forced to discard the item out of reverence to your new initials. 

Lucky for the rest of the non-preppy fashion world monogramming is not just for us WASPs anymore. Check out Clare Vivier's monogrammed clutch. It comes in lots of colors and its only going to cost you about $184 bones. Not too bad in the word of $2K purses that are in this season and out the next. Remember, your initials emblazoned on an item is classic because they are your initials and you rule.

Stella McCartney's pre-fall took consumers by storm with the full on embrace of multiple monograms everywhere.  In multiple colors and styles the monograms took the place of the polka dot in terms of layout and size. I like this, but am partial to my own three letters so will probably pass on the full body monogram and stick just to the single monogram that's all about me. Check out more monogram-able items here on the Who.What.Wear post from last week.

This Shiz Never Gets Old: Shit Girls Say Part 4

Currently Sweating the Small Stuff: Loeffler Randall's Editor Bag

Buy it here.

Top 2 NYMag #NYFW Day 7 Pics

Photo: Youngjun Koo/I'M KOO - Those monkey glasses are hysterical/the bomb.com. That's right. I went there.

Photo: Youngjun Koo/I'M KOO - Ah, the best for last. ZOMG where can I GET THIS?? See the rest here.

 

Forever 21: Wallet Friendly, Jewelry Edit

Many folks turn their noses up to Forever 21 26 (insert your age here), but I am not one of those people. Forever 26 has always been a safe haven for my impulsively trendy ways and there is no greater sign of that then their pages upon pages of accessories. Yes, that cuff will eventually turn to a dull gold-green sheen, but damn you loved it when it looked brand new. So,

I went through 55 of the 157 pages of their jewelry section (not kidding) and picked my top seven items of jewelry that you have to have now. Plus they all equal a measly $67ish. Chump change.  

Musical Musings: Music Worth Rolling In the Hay With

Many of you know, some of you don't, that my beloved went off to the Middle East for most of August 2012. While he was away seemingly every song on the radio was about coming home and waiting for someone to come home - it was agony... I swear it wasn't just me, but needless to say that music got me through his absence and, best of all, he's back! 

Lots of this jimmy-jams have some staying power and I rec you click to listen and purchase if you love/like as much as I do.

Here's the list for easy reference/download-ability: 
1. Come Home, Chappo 
2. I Will Wait, Mumford & Sons (no doy, am I right?) 
3. Flowers in Your Hair, the Lumineers 
4. Mountain Sound, Of Monsters and Men
5. Runaways, the Killers (new song from their new album) 
6. Take a Walk, Passion Pit 
7. Tongue Tied, Group Love 
8. Let's Go, Matt & Kim 
9. It's Nice to Be Alive, Ballpark Music 
10. Little Black Submarines, the Black Keys 
11. Reunion, M83

Doing Baroque Without Going Ba-roke: F/W 2012 Opulent Dressing

Alexander McQueen F/W 2012

The entire point of this F/W 2012 trend is to look and feel expensive. However, not all of us have the ability to make it rain, but do not fear because I know how to mirror this 'rain' look without you missing October's rent. Enter ASOS.com - the single most compelling and bottomless eCommerce site on the net. Yes, it is based in the UK, but with free shipping both ways who cares? I can't stop perusing and buying and perusing and buying - it's clearly a slippery slope. Thankfully 100 bones gets you more than a single pant (as in one part pants - ha - me so funny) and I always feel really good about all the compliments from my purchases. 

First things first though, let's go to the source of this trend to examine the details of the expensive-er versions. For my quarterly splurges and day dream online shopping the one and only place for me is NET-A-PORTER.com (did you know 'a porter' is French for ready to wear? These people are clever folks) and Google of course.

Jessica Chastain in Alexander McQueen at the Oscars, Getty Images

Opulent, embellished, encrusted... Call it whatever you want, but covered in shiny stuff is what it is.  Oh, and don't forget flowers and cherubs...

Check out all of the fancy wares here. These are not cheap, y'all.

Shop all of ASOS' baroque collection here. It's excellent and much more affordable.

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NYC Fashion Week: Someday My Lovelies, Someday

The Cut has gone above and beyond with their coverage of all thing Fashion Week. At the end of week one I am pumped to have access to their treasure trove of street style images. Lucky for you, I did the digging for you and pulled the top-top images for your viewing enjoyment. See the rest of the images here in their slide show.

This woman is SO much cooler than you, oh and skinnier, and did I mention cooler? Zanna Roberts Rassi, Marie Claire fashion editor photo by Youngjun Koo

Give me that purse, right meow! Where-oh-where can I get this?? Photo by Youngjun Koo

Gratuitous male model shot. They are so-o cool with their graphic tees and skinny jeans. Love it. Photo by Youngjun Koo (think that name is a play on 'young gun'? I sure hope so because that is beyond awesome.)

TheWellSet @Simon's Fashion NOW Event

Follow me on Instagram  today @aftonybalogna. I guarantee a few laughs and some thoughtful, not-overly-contrived images.

P.S. Add the new Scissor Sisters song "Let's Have a Kiki" to your party playlists right meow.

Falling All Over Myself - How to Wear Leather Pants

Hey-hey-hey there WellSet readers,

Please excuse the ridiculously long absence from this here blog. I got a new J-O-B and let's just say it rulez. However, a big part of said job is squirting (too graphic?) all my creative juices into the growth of the Laura U brand. That team is very cool and hip and kinda snarky. Which I LOVE and it is 100% me (and them to be honest, couldn't be a better fit out there, ya heard) - so - all creativity go to Laura U|Blog and the other blog spots I manage to hustle us (like the La Dolce Vita spot and the upcoming Fabulous K spot) and lest we not forget the quarterly Laura U|Mag. Thankfully, as Marketing Director of Laura U, Inc. some of my hard work is paying off. All this hustlin' and slangin' of the truly great work of my colleagues has gotten us featured on Houzz Tours and CultureMap. Click through to read the stories, foo.

As for my daily wardrobe and the likes of my Fall 2012 clothing acquisitions lets start from the beginning: with the fantabulous, black leather pants. Always a staple of the rocker set and now the very thin, ex playboy Kelly Wearstler plus a little wear by B-to-the-Yonce leather pants are it for F/W 2012 (Check Neiman's full selection here). I just got some and you should too (those Helmut Lang lovelies - you jelly?). 

With all the amazing options out there from pleather to leather there is something for everybody at most price points. And someday soon-ish (or not) it will be cool enough to wear these bad boys. Maybe they can be worn on Thanksgiving?? 

I can tell it's you, Kelly Wearstler, so skinny.

Beyonce, giving curvy girls everywheres hope.

RIP Jim Morrison, still so sexy right now.

So, now that I have you all primed and ready for the leather pants dance here are my top selections for fall leather pants plus a little outfit that I would gladly wear if the time (and temp) were right. That's right y'all, colors for summer/fall transition. Consider  your mind blown. I can't get enough of a silk blouse with tight pants because lets face it - I am no Kardashian (which spell check just tried to make guardianship - ha).  The floral-esque blouse and watercolor shoes make this outfit lady like rocker chic. LOVE IT.

Can you tell the pleather from the leather? Hint: the price tag gives it away. Didn't stop me!

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