Come Fly With Me

Jean Paul Gaultier seems like a happy guy. Whenever I see photos of him, he's smiling, and in interviews he seems about as far from the stereotypical moody, Sartrean Frenchman as you can get. My theory is that he's really enjoying his life, and why wouldn't he? He has his namesake label, where he's allowed to pursue his wildest fantasies as a fashion designer, pulling in influences from around the world and staging runway shows that can look like the world's friendliest and best-designed acid trip. And he also gets to design Hermès. Designing Hermès means access to some of the most luxurious materials and exquisite craftsmanship in the world. It also means you're responsible for the look of one of the oldest and most storied fashion houses in history, a beloved institution in France; and that, frankly, you don't have to worry all that much about how much your stuff costs.

See? Happy.

I'd be happy, too, if I were responsible for this

Hermès is famous, of course, for its leathers. The company began in the early 19th century as a maker of harnesses and saddles, and is still best-known for its leather goods (like the mythic Kelly & Birkin bags). (They also do a nice little sideline in silk scarves.) Gaultier has been designing the clothes since 2003 and it's been a successful collaboration. The clothes are always good, French to the eyeteeth, sexier than their classic lines give them a right to be, and ageless without being stodgy. JPG has got it down cold with this line. Wearing Hermès, people might not know that you were wearing Hermès, but they would know you looked gorgeous.

This season, JPG was inspired by Amelia Earhart and other aviatrixes. Do I know why? I do not. There seemed to be a goodly dose of 1940's-inflected fashion on the runways this season, and my feeling is that this reflects a sort of life-in-wartime mindset that we're having due to our economic troubles. Rationing, make-do-and-mend, toughing it out, making sacrifices -- all those stiff-upper-lip qualities we look back and admire in our wartime forebears.

Not that an alligator bomber jacket with a mink collar is exactly scrimping by. I do not recall hearing about rationing coupons for alligator...


The aviator influences were mostly found in the styling for the show (no one at Hermès expects you to wear one of those hats this winter, I promise) and the classic military cuts of the jackets

I like Ike!

and so this collection is actually extremely wearable. Yet another example of a designer giving big bang for the (big) buck this season -- there's really nothing that went down this runway that's not going to be wearable for years to come.

Like this. There's not a one of us who wouldn't be better off having this in our closets.

Those pyramid-shaped studs are an Hermès signature. The sort of subtle detail on an all-leather skirt suit that whispers, "Why yes, I did pay $30,000 for my outfit," but doesn't scream it.

Speaking of good leather, get a load of these shoes

Holy cow. Come to mama.

I can't quite tell if this is a removable gaiter-thingie and the boot underneath is just this

in a knee-high version. Doesn't really matter, though. I just love the way it looks.

It wasn't all leather -- there was also, as one would expect, some truly gorgeous silk

Amelia Earhart wears a cheongsam. And looks killer in it.

See? That's just ridiculously good. Classic, easy, beautiful...


But back to the leather, she said, wiping a tiny drop of drool from her chin.

I don't currently have any leather pants, but I need some. I'll take these.

::thud::

Here's a dress I'd feel good about wearing.

Ooooooh, mygoodness. You thought it was silk, didn't you, until you saw the close-up. There was a silk version or two of it in the show, but the leather? Much more interesting. My god, that's fantastic. Not for nothin', but I would totally rock that dress.

Not that I'm going to. Sad truth is, these clothes are entirely out of my reach. Usually when I look at Prada, or McQueen, or any of the other designers I love, one part of my brain is stashing away ideas because some of it will appear in Neiman Marcus, go on sale, eventually filter down to the outlet stores, and just generally be attainable to me if I save my pennies and am judicious. Not so much with the Hermès. First off, it's next to impossible to find the stuff -- the only place you're going to see Hermès clothes is an Hermès boutique, which are not exactly thick on the ground. I've been in the Dallas boutique -- they have a few garments, but not all that much. It's mostly bags, scarves, and other smaller items -- they must save the fashion for the really big stores in New York & Paris (and godhelpus Las Vegas). Although even in the flagship store on the rue du Faubourg Saint Honoré, I don't recall seeing any clothes. Where are they keeping this stuff, anyway??? Doesn't matter. Even if I could find it, I couldn't afford it. The prices are astronomical, and they do not go on sale. Remember, this is a company with years-long waiting lists for handbags that cost $7000. I don't even want to know what that full-skirted leather trench would set you back. (Makes those $350 silk scarves seem like a stone-cold bargain, huh?)

So Hermès is for dreaming. Head in the clouds. Flights of fancy. Vrrrrrroooooom...





Photos: Style.com

Want vs. Need

Oh, it's the week after Christmas. And to make up for the well-publicized dip in spending this year resulting from the well-publicized American economic recession, many retailers are offering well-publicized and pretty drastic sales on merchandise. Which is, of course, killing me. Because I am Not. Shopping. Style Spy is on a No Buy and really needs to stick to it, because funds are thin on the ground in le Monde de Style Spy and if she ever wants to take another vacation in her life (and she does, I assure you, she desperately, desperately does), she has got to get her financial ducks in a row.

And so, the No Buy. But I can still look. And share with you guys.

What I want:


Jean Paul Gaultier High-Waisted Plaid Trouser

These are Gaultier and I just adore them -- they are a nearly perfect pair of pants. Such a great silhouette for nearly any body type and of course, that wonderful Katherine Hepburn vibe that most of us love. However, they are $895, which is a bucket o' cash for a pair of slacks. So I found some more reasonable alternatives.


D&G Dolce & Gabbana Wide-Leg Chambray Pants

These are a slightly more casual take on the wide-leg trouser, made of chambray so they're going to function as a pair of really nice jeans. Super cute.



Tracy Reese Cuffed Trouser

These are adorable -- I really like that asymmetrical button closure at the waist. They are not as high-waisted as the Gaultiers, but I still really like them. Best of all, these and the D&Gs are already on sale at eLuxury and right now they're giving an additional 30% off all sale merch through January 5.

(Click on this link and go look at their stuff -- they've got very good goods over there.)

Okay, so those are what I want. You know what I need?



Under Armour Women's ColdGear Frosty Tight

Yeah. Not nearly so interesting, huh? But it's winter and I need some more running tights. So I look at tights in stores and on online, and I hear myself complaining about how expensive they are. This is really pretty ridiculous on my part. (Not that they're not expensive -- they are. Depending on the various "features," you can spend 80, 90, 100 bucks on what is basically half a yard of lycra and some elastic, which does seem a bit extreme.) The ones above are roughly $50.00. And I'm balking at paying that. Which is silly, because I'm a runner, I run almost every day, and I'll probably wear them at least once a week while it's cool, and for many years to come. Amortized out, these things are going to cost pennies per wear. And yet I'm resentful. On the other hand, was I resentful about spending entirely too much money on these?

(Which I have worn, I think three times since I bought them - on sale - last year?)

Lord, no. I still think these were a bargain.

(The mind of the Fashionista is a funny thing. You probably don't want to go rummaging around in there.)

But the running tights are not fun, are they, and they're certainly not faaaaaabulous. They don't cause one's breath to catch in one's throat like mine did when I met those red Valentinos. No one is going to stop me as I chug through my neighborhood and say, "I LOVE those tights! Where did you GET those???" Whereas when I wear those red shoes I should probably hire a bodyguard, based on the comments & looks I get from other women. (Bitches want my shoes, man!)

Being a grown-up means learning to prioritize. And so -- no wonderful high-waisted wide-leg trousers for me this week, or next. But a gal can dream.

How about you guys? Struggling with any Want vs. Need situations right now? Share your pain -- we'll console one another.

More Things I Didn't Know I Needed

Continuing on with my avaricious coverage of the Fall 2007 Couture Collections, I bring you a few more things I may or may not (probably not) be able to live without:


#1: A patent leather beret.

(Also, Helena Christenson's cheekbones & cleavage wouldn't hurt)

This is from Dior. I do like hats, I wear them, although they do regrettable things to my curlycurly hair. (If you're me and you put on a hat, you're committed to the hat for the duration. Because when I take off the hat, my hair behaves as though it's still wearing the hat. Someone with stick-straight hair was complaining to me the other day about how she can't wear hats because her hat head is so terrible and I looked at her like she had three... well, heads. Was she kidding me?? How could it make any difference? Me, on the other hand -- I look like some weird topiary shrub after I've worn a hat for a while. But I digress...) I'm very taken with this hat, I think it's adorable. I also love pretty much all things patent leather, although I predict this little chapeau may mark the apex of the patent leather trend -- there's pretty much nothing left to make out of it, so I think the pendulum will swing back in the other direction. This means snap up all the patent you can find while it's out there, because it won't be around forever.


#2: This dress

(Lefranc Ferrant)

I just love this. (But not the puffball headgear.) I love the idea of a long, easy shirtdress, that skirt whipping around your feet as you waltz around your fabulous penthouse apartment making sure all your friends' wine glasses are full. So elegant, so cozy.


#3: Long leather gloves

(Lefranc Ferrant)

Because they're just cool. Admit it, there's something very sexy about an elbow-length glove, especially a leather one. Also, since I think the bracelet-sleeve coat is still going to be around this winter, they're practical. I picked up a black pair last year and I really love them, but this year I think I need them in colors:

(Valentino -- gloves AND feathers! Heaven!)

(Dior)

I'm still eating my heart out about the gray patent leather ones I saw on sale at Saks last winter and didn't buy. Look at these with all the fabulous buttons:

(Nicolas le Cauchois)

#4: A gorgeous little jeweled evening minaudiere. I just can't think of anything more glamorous. (These are all from Valentino. Mr. Valentino is responsible for quite a lot of acquisitive impulses on my part this season, and I suspect I won't be alone in that.)









#5: I'm really not at all sure what's going on with these but I love them anyway

(Jean Paul Gaultier)

Wow.


And finally, since I'm asking for stuff, how about this guy:



He closed the show at Dior. I feel he would be a lovely addition to my wardrobe, don't you?


Photos: Elle.com, Style.com

Perfume Moment -- January 15

What I'm wearing today:

(Serge Lutens Ambre Sultan. Wonderful. One of the sexiest 'fumes known to man. But you don't have to take my word for it.)

What I feel I should be wearing with it:

(Hermés F/W 2006. I wanted just about every single thing that came down the runway in this collection. Stunning. Having the adorable Jean Paul Gaultier design this house is a stroke of genius -- I often like his work for Hermés even better than what he does for his own line. Which I like plenty.)

I love the gorgeous dichotomy of this dress: it's made of leather, which is traditionally a tough-girl signifier, slightly kinky & perverse; but it's obviously such a soft & luxurious leather that it would be impossible to resist the impulse to stroke it. I feel that way about Ambre Sultan, too. Dry and smoky, it's not the least bit girly but entirely feminine in a warm-rumpled-sheets kind of way. It's cold & icy here today -- which hardly ever happens in central Texas. Wearing this perfume is a guaranteed way to make myself feel warmer, although in all honesty I wear it year 'round. (If I didn't wear my perfumes that many consider "cold-weather scents" when it was a little warm, half of my collection would only be available to me about three months of the year. I'm an amber gal who lives in a semi-tropical environment, go figure.) Ambre Sultan is enigmatic, deep, at home in a Paul Bowles novel or a Patricia Barber song. Close to the skin I can smell a tiny hint of vanilla, but the sillage is all smoke and spice. It's an exotic fragrance that somehow smells exactly right on me, the least exotic of creatures. When I wear this I feel I should rim my eyes with kohl and speak in a husky voice. It's my favorite amber (and I've smelled a few), and definitely in my Top Five Fragrances. Happily, it is available in the States, so I won't have to panic or run away with a Bedouin prince when my bottle begins to run low.

What are you wearing today? Is it helping you to stay warm?