Things I Didn't Know I Needed

Okay, I've been going through the Couture collections and it's been brought to my attention (ahem) that there are a few items out there that Style Spy is desperately in need of for her wardrobe this fall. All I can say is, thank god for fashion journalism, because otherwise I would never have known I needed these things. (A narrow escape, that!)

#1: GINORMOUS beaded necklaces:

(Both from Christian Lacroix)

Especially the second picture -- the glass or pearly ones. I really love a big, statement-y piece of jewelry, as I think I've mentioned before. Typically, I only do one at a time, which is a more real world-friendly way of wearing them, I think. But the magic of a good piece of important jewelry is that it snazzes up the most basic outfit & turns it into something wonderful. I'm imagining that oversized pearl necklace with a black cashmere turtleneck and a black leather skirt, along with black suede boots and some sort of great long jacket -- my hot pink velvet one, maybe. I can't resist (most of the time) a bit of well-chosen whimsy in an accessory or garment, and there's something a little Through the Looking Glass about the enormous scale of these necklaces that I'm completely charmed by.

(Important note: If you're petite, do not try this at home. I'm 5'6". If you're much shorter than that, these things are going to overwhelm you. Go with something that has the same idea but on a smaller scale.)

#2 Fabulous over-the-knee boots (all of these are from Chanel):



Ohhhhhh, I just love the way these look.


How's that for a way to sex up a tweed suit?

If you look closely, you can see that these aren't boots, they're actually spats over shoes.



Look! Crazy-gorgeous jeweled fabric ones!!! Oh, I could faint!

KL's been working this over-the-knee boot thing for a few collections now, and I've yet to get tired of it. It does make for a wonderfully long lean legline. Which, of course, is the source of the main problem about this look, at least for me. I have very-well-developed calves and have trouble as it is finding boots that zip over them. Factor my even more generous lower thighs into the equation and I may be talking about a complete pipe dream. But dream I will, because I love this look.

Speaking of gorgeous jeweled things, apparently I need some glittery, gem-encrusted sunglasses:

(Chanel)

These are so very, very not me and yet I'm completely in love with them.

#4: A skirt made of feathers:

(Valentino)

(Givenchy -- I think this is actually made of something like Mongolian lamb, but it reads like feathers)

I know this is going to give a lot of people pause, but I just love the way it looks.

(More Valentino -- how could anyone not love this???)

I'm also a big fan of skirts made of things like tulle & whatnot -- I really love the tutu effect. And the feathers (technically marabou -- the soft, fluffy bits that feather boas are made from) flutter so delicately -- I adore clothes that have movement in them. I already have a skirt that's made of shredded tulle and paillettes that has a similar effect to this one, although not nearly as good:

(Prada)

I've had a sneaking suspicion that this was something I was going to fall in love with since I saw that, and it was confirmed when I saw Miuccia Prada at the Costume Institute event:


I know a lot of people hated this, but I loved it. I don't think this is actually feathers, I think it's plastic strips, but you get the idea. Why do I love it? Because it's fun, because it's whimsical, because it's almost fairy-princessy.

(Givenchy -- This one, however, is full-on Swan Lake and may be a bit much.)

If you can't do the full feather, how about just a little:

(Valentino)

I defy any woman to put on that dress and not feel like the Prettiest. Girl. In the World. Oh, that honestly makes me a little week in the knees.

One more thing I need and then I'll stop (for today) -- these booties:

(Christian Lacroix)

I don't really have to explain why, do I? I just... neeeeeeeed them. Because they're wonderful.

Stay tuned -- more fabulosity coming soon! Did you see anything at the couture shows you can't live without? Tell me all about it!

Photos: Elle.com, Style.com

Monsieur Lacroix et Moi

These, as you may recall, are the shoes I've been obsessing over:

(Christian Lacroix Couture, S/S 2007)

And these are the shoes I've created to soothe my obsession:

(Sorry about the crummy photos, but it is remarkably difficult to get shots of your own feet!)

I'm actually rather pleased with them. I wore them out tonight for a birthday dinner with My Girls (Happy Birthweek, Anita!) with a black skirt and my favorite white blouse. I'm going to stay on the lookout for a pale pink or nude shoe that will work in the same way, but I've had these little red satin numbers in my closet for a few years now, and those strappy bits across the toes made them perfect for attaching flowers to. I got the sweet little fabric flowers from Connie Day, my favorite vintage dealer. (If you're in Austin & hankering after vintage, go see her at the Austin Antique Mall. You wouldn't BELIEVE some of the stuff she's got. Plus, she's a love.)

Now, perhaps they aren't quite as fabulous as M. Lacroix's shoes. However, those are probably going to run you a cool 500 - 600 bucks, minimum. The red ones above came from Foley's (before it became Macy's). Pretty sure they were on sale and set me back well under $50.00. The sweet little flowers came to $7.50, and I've got scads left over. I pulled apart the little bunches and wrapped the wired stems around the straps on the shoes. Took me all of about 15 minutes. Strappy sandals are not that hard to come by, and if you don't have access to a fabulous vintage dealer, silk flowers are available at pretty much any fabric or craft store. Buy yourself a neutral-colored pair of sandals (red is a neutral for me) and with the right blooms you can customize them to go with any outfit you own. Why stop with flowers -- how about a few beautiful feathers, or a little silken butterfly?

So, yeah. For $7.50 I got myself a new, personalized, one of a kind pair of shoes. Couture shoes, if you will. It was a good day!

Photos: Style.com & Style Spy

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

What time of year is that? you might ask.

Not the Christmas season, obviously. Not Valentine's Day (pah!). Not even summer vacation.

It's time for the Spring Couture Shows!!

(Style Spy hops around her home doing Happy Little Fashionista Dance)

On the gray and chilly cobblestones of Paris, fashionable types from all over the world have gathered to view the most fanciful, beautiful, creative, outlandish, opulent, breathtaking, and fiendishly expensive clothes to be found anywhere on Planet Earth.

(And yes, it does kill me that I'm not there.)

Ready to Wear is just that -- clothing that is pretty much geared toward being sold as shown, the season after it's presented. Of course there are some changes that get made between the runway and the sales floor of Saks (a lot of lowering of hemlines this last time around), but for the most part the clothes you see or clothes very much like them will be available for purchasing. But Couture? Ahhhh, Couture is something else. Couture clothes are made to order for a very, very select group of clients and give designers an opportunity to let loose with their wildest fancies. Don't think it will sell? Oh, well. You're probably only going to make one of them anyway. It's the most fun in all of fashion, and often a source for dramatic shifts and influences that eventually trickle down to the racks at Nordstrom's.

Willy Wonka's Fashion Factory. The Oracle. The Garden of Apparel Eden. Fashionista Pig Heaven.

For a rundown on the specifics of Couture, give this a read, or check out this site for a more in-depth discussion.

Here's one of my favorite things so far, just a little morsel from Christian Lacroix's show.




































He seems to have put the same shoe on every model in the show, and just changed out the flowers he tucked into them. The shoe itself is absolutely, gloriously swoony, but those flowers just send me over the edge.

This weekend I'll be dashing in to see my favorite vintage dealer. She happens to have a large collection of old silk flowers from the 40's and 50's, and I'm going to pick up a few sprigs to attach to my shoes.




































Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go rummage through my closet to see which shoes will look best with adorable vintage flowers tucked into them.


Photos: Style.com