Thursday in L.A.: Dress Right & Dance Right

Oooh! F your I, Dress Right is tomorrow night at the Cal Mart in downtown L.A.

I've been to Dance Right a billion times, but I never knew it was occasionally an afterparty for Dress Right! Dress Right is looking pretty darn cool, and there is some major swag involved. Free haircuts, chocolate, bumble&bumble stuff, and god knows what else. If you can peel your eyes away from your gift bag, there's a runway show too. And the opportunity to be memorialized on the interweb forever, thanks to ever-hip Shadowscene. I love it that while Cobrasnake is known as the king of the party-pic sites, he's now so famous that he's always off at some fashion show in Taiwan or something, and now Shadowscene is the only one doing actual L.A. party pictures. Like somehow Cobrasnake doesn't actually do what he "does," you know? But he does, it's just in a different context, I guess. Anyway. Amusing. But um, anyway, yeah, this thing tomorrow night looks fun. It also has that designer vodka Veev sponsoring it, which also did the Mesh & Lace event I went to. I can't remember what Veev is supposed to have that's so good for you, but I do remember that it's yuppiefied and hilarious.

So yeah, go party and look at clothes and stuff yourself with chocolates and vodka (high five!). Then roll up to La Cita for Dance Right. Make sure to get tacos at the taqueria next door after--YUM.

AT THE CALIFORNIA | MARKET CENTER (CLICK FOR DIRECTIONS)

RSVP + $5 ADMISSION INCLUDES

OPEN BAR by VEEV SPIRITS

GIFT BAGS with TREATS INCLUDING
PRODUCT by BUMBLE & BUMBLE
HAIR CUTS by CHOP CHOP
CHOCOLATE by THE JOY OF LIFE
ISSUES of GLITTERATI MAGAZINE

FASHION SHOW w/ looks by

Free Gold Watch, Alisha Trimble, Apartment 3 Vintage, 442 McAdam bags...

rsvp to DRESSRIGHT@DANCERIGHT.NET

Seriously, What's With Models And Nipples?

[calvin klein is king of the awkwardly visible nipple. fall 2008 runway]

Universal Truth: models in fashion shows never wear bras. By now, legions of braless runway models have made us (the royal "us," at least) totally immune to the sight of reckless nipple display. It's absolutely the standard at this point: no matter whether it's a chunky knit sweater or a slinky silk jersey dress, you can very safely bet money that there will be no bra interference between luxury garment and scrawny model ta-ta. I never really thought about it until recently, when I saw a video of a runway show (which, of course, I now can't find) featuring slinky, swishy summer dresses and incredibly obvious nipples underneath. These were dresses that no woman in her right mind would dream of wearing without underwear...yet they were paraded down the runway without a hint of Maidenform. Thinking about it now, it's kind of weird, right? To have bra-wearing be even more taboo on the runway than bralessness is in the real world? What do designers have against bras?

[why, calvin, why?]

Now, don't get me wrong: I have nothing against bralessness myself. It can be very comfy, and sometimes is even the best way to go, visually. However, even though we ladies may not always NEED a bra, with a lot of tops or dresses, it just looks bad without. And here rests my dissatisfaction with the braless runway: often, letting the poor model's nips show through her clothes can be highly unflattering and distracting (not in a "oooh, boobies" way, but in a "oh yikes, too bad they didn't give her a bra under that" way). Models are supposed to be "hangers for the clothes," right? Since when do hangers have distracting chest poky-outies? Look at the dresses above! Isn't part of you cringing at the embarassing nipple interruptions, instead of admiring CK's skill? If we're supposed to see what the clothes look like on a body, for god's sake, Calvins of the world, show them they way that any sane woman would wear them, instead of altering the effect entirely by jarring our gaze. Do right by your designs & give them the most flattering foundations! If seeing a hint of feminine chest shape enhances the garment and the whole look, by all means. If not...every mall has Victoria's Secret. Go crazy.

Things I Love Thursday

The thing that most makes me aware of how fast time is scooting by is writing Things I Love Thursday. Every single week, it seems like less and less time has passed since the last one. Just now I actually looked at my calendar to verify that it was, truly, Thursday, since it seemed like mere minutes ago that I wrote last week's. God I sound like an ancient person. But enough about me, let's talk about things I like. (Oh, wait...)

1. The Chance To Stalk Derek Lam

Style.com reports that the super-talented designer is moving to my town! "Derek Lam has called New York City home for the better part of two decades, but the designer (who originally hails from San Francisco) hasn't forgotten his West Coast roots. Case in point: yesterday's sunglasses preview at the Chateau Marmont. "I love it here. I'm one of those people you always see walking aimlessly up and down Sunset Boulevard," he said. In fact, Lam likes L.A. life so much so that he plans to buy a house in the Hollywood Hills early next year. All the better for acquainting himself with the pack of California-based stylists and editors, many of whom experienced an indecisive moment at Wednesday morning's event while attempting to choose a style from the Spring/Summer collection. "Which ones are you wearing?" one asked Lam. But alas, the designer's silver aviator frames are not available—they're a prototype."
Derek, if you're reading this--and surely you are, since surely you Google yourself daily, right?--don't worry about finding a house in the Hills. My house is totally big enough for you, and we have a reaaalllly comfortable futon. You could even borrow my sewing machine! KIT, ok?

[Derek Lam Spring '08 & Fall '08 looks]

2. White Ray-Ban aviatorsSpeaking of aviators, I tried on Dieu's white Ray-Bans last night and remembered how much I love them and am truly incomplete without a pair. They are SO COOL and are one of the few pairs of glasses that look semi-OK on me. I never got them because they were too trendy for a while there (and, um, they're expensive), but now that the mega-trend has passed (replaced by Wayfarer madness) and aviators are nothing remarkable, I think I can safely wear them again. And since it's been several years, all my cheapo pairs have been sat on/lost/smashed at parties and taped onto my bedroom door in several pieces (thanks, Calebm who did just that one time in college). What better time to re-stock with The Pair? If only I weren't so sure that one of the above fates would happen yet again....

Oh yeah, so who are you stalking this Thursday? What's your latest love?

Do I Need This? [Slip-on Sneakers]

OK, so y'all were right. Those Kenneth Jay Lane hoops I was considering were definitely not ones to lose any sleep over. In fact, the only time I remembered them was when I got the comments from other savvy bloggers who were telling me they were totally forgettable. Thanks, y'all! You saved me $42.

Now, with that $42, what should I do? My attention's been turned to sneakers. Thing is, I hate sneakers. I don't wear them. I haven't worn running shoes to do something other than run since high school. I do drag out the Converse All-Stars every once in a while, but not even that often (they're getting pretty nasty-looking). However, I've started working in a part of the industry that deals more with streetwear, and I suspect that, like it or not, this sneaker-obsessed sector will induce me to buy a pair eventually. Sigh.

The gods must have heard my sigh, because Lucky Magazine just ran a spread on "slip-on sneakers," which I've always ignored because I assume they all look like those dorky Keds that Mischa Barton pretends to endorse. But I was wrong! There are totally cool pairs that play on old-school sneakers and use the best elements of the ballet flat shape. Looky!

THE BLACK:

These are all takeoffs on standard sneaker classics. Old-school Vans cut like ballet flats; Jack Purcell doing a ballet version of its cute bump-toe sneakers.

THE WHITE:

Here's a brand-spankin' new Vans perforated edition. Perforated! COOL! Then there's Vans knocking off Sperry Topsiders, ballet-style...also hilarious and I love it. Sometimes I wish I had a really flamboyant TV show about fashion or something, just so I could say "Love it!!" flamboyantly all the time.

The perforated Vans are the most badass, and the girly faux-Topsiders are the most "me." All of the above are astoundingly affordable--another thing in sneakers' favor! (Though not fancy sneaker-freak sneakers, because those prices are practically Manolo-level.) I'm terrified of attempting to wear real, big, cool sneakers; how do you do it? What do they go with? In photoshoots, girls always wear them with, like, tights and hot pants. SO NOT HAPPENING. So I think the sneaker-flat idea is more fathomable for me. Any tips, fashion experts out there??

Also, check out Keren Richter's amazing custom Vans! They are off. da. chain.

To Hoop, Or Not To Hoop?

Net-a-Porter is having a sale. This is terrible news, because it incites me to trawl the site looking for ANYTHING that might possibly have become affordable. Not that it matters, because everything is still absurdly expensive.

Except these Kenneth Jay Lane earrings, which are awfully nice. They remind me of the retro jewelery from Banana Republic (this season and also summer '04, when I'd gaze at it in the cases of the Grove's B.R. store but never buy anything--sound familiar?). And god knows I love a retro knickknack.
So the question is: are these nice? Do we like them? Or am I just suffering from I-want-something-designer-on-sale-dammit syndrome?

"Summer Cocktail" Dress Code, Deciphered!

Dress codes at parties are the worst. "Black tie," "dressy casual," "festive"...these terms are totally useless, since when you receive an invitation with one of these meaningless instructions, you still have to surreptitiously call the host/other guests to ask, what does it mean? I bring this up because of a story Erin told me last night. Erin plans and also attends very swanky events, and therefore has a whole wardrobe of ensembles to fit every dress code in the book. She recently was part of a party whose dress code was "summer cocktail." That doesn't seem too cryptic--surely something short, dressy, and a bit fun or colorful would be in order. So she picked out a royal blue shift dress with a golden paisley pattern: perfect, right? She was shocked when she arrived at the soiree only to find every other woman wearing black. BLACK. If this were Boston or D.C., I wouldn't be surprised, but this is Los Angeles, home of Trina Turk, Juicy Couture, and Paris Hilton. BLACK?! LAME, ladies, LAME.

So, in the highly educated and expert opinions of me and Erin, these women made grave errors in dressing. But what IS "summer cocktail?" Since summertime is basically here, I decided to spend an hour of my precious time putting together examples of true summer cocktail attire for y'all.

Option 1: The obvious pick for a summery frock is something floral. In order to keep it from being too Laura-Ashley-old-lady-ish, choose exaggerated accessories and charcoal tights (tights also help a floral dress look more "night"). This BCBG dress is pretty and flowery, but still dressy because it's strapless, and cool with its empire belt. You could match your shoes to the colors of the dress, or be super edgy-cocktail with, say, these Gucci corset-heel patent sandals. GOD I want this.

Option 2: for black-dress addicts. OK, I don't love florals either (see: proof and more proof), and I'd much rather look sharp than cute. If you live in New York, are a tortured artist or just hate happy bunnies and daisies, you can choose to go mod. Pick a dress that's only partially black, and uses a creative pattern rather than wintery solids. Add a bag with a hint of color (come on, it's dark, you can handle it--and purple is so hot right now) to acknowledge that you know it's not January, and choose shoes that complement the pale, rather than the dark shade in your dress. If your dress is all colorblocky like this one on the left, go with rounder shoes so you don't look like a full-on Picasso; if your dress is a bit more floral, pick badass shoes like the buckled sandals below. Oh, and bare legs are essential for this one; it's not black tie, after all.

Option 3: it's kind of a crime to ignore the potential for using fabulous summer colors that might be too much otherwise. Go for sherbety tones, which are more tasteful than pure Crayola colors, and pick a dress with some drape to it (summer is all about, like, flow). To keep the outfit from looking too afternoon-at-the-beach, ground it with darker bottoms: summer patterned stockings and substantial sandals. If you're going to a more conservative event, stick with solid-color close-toe sandals (these left-hand ones aren't flashy, but still, the t-strap and double closure are GORGEOUS); if your crowd is more fashion-conscious, insane black-&-gold Prada sculpture shoes might be in order.

This collection of options is failsafe, I promise. When you go to a summer cocktail party wearing any of the above, and are consequently swarmed with people admiring your flawless interpretation of the dress code, don't thank me--just send me an invite next time.

Things I Love Thursday is back!

Oh lordy, y'all, I have been SO BUSY recently that I've just been saving up things in my head for a monster of a Things I Love post. People think that because I work on a computer all day, I should have time for these things...except, um, I don't. But I'm-a keep trying.

• My new job. That sounds supremely dorky, but it's TRUE. This is the first time in my life that I've had a job that isn't just a good learning experience, or good for the resume, or entirely exploitative of me,or interesting in one way but really crappy in another essential way. On the last day of my old job, I was accused of trying to steal intellectual property (because I unwittingly took old trash papers to recycle), wasn't thanked for the incredibly labor-intensive design I'd laid out for another designer, and left without any thanks for the months of unpaid work I'd done for them. The other day at my new job, I got to write tons of content for a huge new fashion show campaign, design 3 full-page magazine ads and help plan a website. A heavenly choir practically sang above my head. Being happy & challenged is so amazing. Yup, dorky but true.
• poetic & chic. I am totally girl-crushing on Annie Wilson, P&C's author. She writes about fashion, food, art, film, and miscellaneous junk; and not only is her taste great, but she's just so SMART. The blog is actually funny and interesting, which most blogs--especially fashion-related ones--are not. Her post "eHarmony = Fingers + Blackboard" made me practically LOL at my desk. "Who are these well-scrubbed, excessively-homogenized, hand-holding, falsely-chipper, starry-eyed Stepford people? Does eHarmony seriously think that by presenting these 'ideal' couples their service becomes more appealing? It makes me want to burn the house down." I KNOW DUDE, FOR REALS.
• "Why Hollywood's bad girls are rarely fashion victims." This article from The Independent talks about an upcoming London film festival that focuses on fashion in thrillers over the past decades (lucky Londonites!). It's called, ha ha, "Fashion in Film: If Looks Could Kill." From the article: "Fashion is all about fabricating the ultimate arresting image and, on top of that, it can be very obsessive and indulgent. It is all artificiality, which makes it inhuman – and this is why it can make crime absolutely captivating in its cruelty. It's generally the baddies and the troubled ones that are portrayed as glamorous and gorgeous, not the goodies." I wish I could fly to London for the festival...or at least slick on red lipstick, tuck a knife in my boot and rent every film (like the Swedish "Mannequin In Red," about a murder in a fashion house. Hello, how perfect for me?).
• The fact that Lindsay Lohan actually came through on her threat to create a leggings line. I'm not saying I love the line; no, I just adore that she actually did it, despite being totally hated on for adopting leggings as her sole pants choice for months (The Fug Girls were especially incredulous at the endless stream of stretch). Lindsay, go on, girl. You just show all those people with taste that you don't have to listen to them. You are FIERCE, Karl Lagerfeld loves you, and surely there's someone out there who appreciates the finer things in life, like rubberized leggings with jodhpur patches on them. And yeah, why don't you go back to your old habit of violently over-tanning, while you're at it? GREAT.
• Shorts & heels. It's super-hot today, I'm wearing cutoffs (nice ones, mind you) and there's only one way to dress 'em up enough for work: wear staggeringly high heels with them. I tell you, it's an unbeatable feeling. Try it at home!

I should keep on with the rest of my life now, but hey, you can lengthen my list: what do you love? SPILL!

xoxoooooooooo

What Not To Wear To The Gym

Having just returned from a yoga class, I have workout clothes on my mind. I don't claim to be that always-chic gym couture girl, with her Nuala leggings and taupe Stella McCartney hoodie and futuristic mesh sneakers. Quite the opposite, really; I've been wearing the same pair of cutoff yoga pants from Target for 4 years. But they fit so well! And therein lies the point of this post, inspired after surveying the multiple outfit sins committed by my gym-mates.

WHAT NOT TO WEAR TO THE GYM:

Leggings. OK, fine, I get that stretchy fitted pants make sense when you're moving all around. But for god's sake, please be aware that if you wear the skintight variety and wear a normal-length top, every single jiggle of your bum, and every unfortunate cellulite crater, will be not only exhibited but especially highlighted by the very unkind stretch jersey clinging to them. Plus, when worn as pants (LEGGINGS ARE NOT PANTS!), they make everyone look weirdly big-hipped and tiny-ankled. Plus--for me, anyway--tight leggings tend to scootch up into awkward locations when doing mat Pilates and stuff. Why subject your poor, innocent, noble gym-going body to such indignities? Invest in a pair of looser yoga-style pants ($14.99 at Target), and all of the above will be circumvented.

A normal bra. Underwires are bad enough during the normal workday, but when you're bending all around and downward-dog-posing and lying flat on your chest holding your ankles behind your head? Come on, now. There's GOT to be a better way than having a poky wire meandering all over your chest and wrestling with falling-down straps while youu're supposed to be concentrating on your obliques. And there is: it's called a sports bra. Again, $14.99 at Target will get you real far.

Um, what else? Oh god, of course: Don't wear loose workout shorts without extensive underwear! For both genders, the reason should be obvious. Be kind to your neighbors, people.

That concludes this written installment of the catty running commentary that goes through my head every hour or so. Stay tuned for next time!

Style Snapshot: Dieu, 20-something Consultant & Cool Squad Member For Life (IMHO)

Another style snapshot! LOVE IT! This time, my very frequent associate (and Nordstrom companion) Dieu has offered her fashion statement for our viewing pleasure.

Hi, I'm helicopter! I'm totally jk'ing. I'm no helicopter and as you can well see, I'm either a girl, a dog or a fridge. we could play 'I spy' for hours but that's just stupid. I'm here to extol the quality and cuteness of my outfit and the reason for said outfit. Let's start with the situation. This is a picture of me standing next to the worlds fluffiest poodle mix, Hendrix. He's very well trained and such a floppy floppy pup. Coming directly from the 6:30 spin class at the gym and with a quick shower, yours truly is ready for sushi at r23. DATE NIGHT! I am wearing a Crispin & Basilio top, Levi's square cut jeans, and Nine West pumps with one Banana Republic black plastic bangle wrapped intermittently with gold wire. Folks, ya'll should be wearing Crispin & Basilio. This top is next level cute. it's a pleated brown raw silk chiffon over some sort of shinnnny silvery top. I think I look a little fat in the picture but hey, you wear boxy shirts, you're asking to look like you're smuggling muffins. Levi's square cut jeans are made of amazzzzingly soft denim and are skinny/straight legged but a higher waist than the normal low, low rises but defo lower than the mom jeans. they're also available only in asia and I'm not saying it to sound cool that "oh snap, I was in Asia and you weren't" but it really doesn't make any sense. they're amazing jeans. Look at how they rolled them out in Thailand! Superheros are so necessary. I think it's got something to do with the proven fact that asians have no ass and these jeans definitely make me look less lacking in this department. I swear. According to my boyfriend, I have a great ass but he's biased. as I would say, and to quote a great karaoke song, he's "blinded by science". The pumps are necessary because a) I have a height complex and I think I need to wear heels a lot of the time b) these jeans aren't hemmed for flats and c) I like heels.

XOXO, DBUNNIES.

I love how her caption gives you not just clothing stats, but also manages to squeeze in her gym schedule, dinner plans, travel history and helpful style resources. No, really--I love it. I also love the convenient glass of wine that was clearly in her hand one minute earlier. These snapshots are such a fabulous way to peek into people's lives...I hope you all are as nosy as I am. Oh yah, and Dieu also has a hilarious (and useful) blog about L.A. nail salons. Ch-ch-ch-check it out.

Cool Is Uncool in Venice Beach

I've recently changed jobs (huzzah!), and have consequently switched from working in the industrial town of Vernon, south of downtown L.A. and home to 72 people and 7200 factories, to working in sunny, palm-filled, affluent Venice Beach. Even though it's double the commute time, I'm still SO much happier working in a place where I can take walks after work and see the sun set behind the palms instead of seeing the trash blow across creepy warehouse parking lots. There are pretty little shops, cafes and galleries and nice architecture and people with dogs and is altogether a charming place. However, there is one area in which I feel suddenly and extremely out of place: clothing!

Back at the ol' grind, my designer coworkers all dressed in relatively chic fashion-ite clothes, with things like, oh, tights and ankle boots and dresses and vests. In Venice, an enclave very proud of its "artsy" feel (though with property values, I doubt most artists can actually afford to live there), the look is decidedly less fashion-forward. Fleece jackets and leggings and Uggs, oh MY. Yup, Uggs are officially still haunting me. I can't BELIEVE that despite working in fashion, staying far far away from Beverly Hills and The Grove, and not associating with any teenage girls whatsoever...I now see Uggs on a daily basis more than ever, ever before. I must have done something seriously wrong in a past life to deserve this.

[a typical day at the old design office. thanks catwalk queen]

The last time I went for coffee in the new 'hood at The Abbot's Habit, I felt weirdly snubbed by the guy at the counter. As if it were causing him some internal pain to serve me my (nasty, dishwatery) coffee. When I commented on his nastiness to a coworker, he said, "Oh, you're just too edgy for them." Edgy? ME? I always think I veer too far in the "sweet" direction, actually. But the more days that go by, the more out-of-place I feel among the hordes of people dressed in Comfortable, Vaguely Activewear-esque Outfits. Dressing in a way I'm used to thinking is cool is, in this weird new corner of the L.A. universe, decidedly not cool.

Basically, on the beach boardwalk, you'll find one sort of pseudo-hippie, the kind with dreads and a rasta cap and some bad artwork spread out on the sidewalk for hapless tourists to buy. Then, once you head inward a bit and hit the parallel street, Abbot Kinney (photo above), you'll get another sort of pseudo-hippie: the kind with some variety of expensive stretchy pants, a yoga mat rolled up in a carrier slung across her back (naturally I am talking of women here), some sort of zippered hoodie garment and ugly shoes. As for the men, I don't pay attention enough to be properly catty, but I know they're always in some sort of generic athletic-looking gear with a zippered thing up top. They're proving Stuff White People Like's point about performance outerwear with painful accuracy. They go around in pairs of dudes or chicks, wearing clothes that imply they are in a constant state of either doing yoga or playing hearty beach soccer, having self-satisfied conversations about The World or whatever, and paying way too much for coffee (incidentally, the #1 thing White People Like).

[thank goodness these people were wearing performance activewear. otherwise, what would they have done when the urge to strike Tree Pose struck at 3:12 P.M. downtown?]

The question is, friends, will I eventually start to morph into a Venice Beachian (Venetian?)? Will I start to believe that Athleta and Patagonia are valid places to shop for clothes to wear in public, and that perhaps I should also stop washing my hair in hopes of becoming more one with the earth mother? Please, friends, help me escape this fate; if you ever notice me letting up on my Uggs-detesting duties or perhaps featuring some outfit that looks overly...comfortable, stage an intervention, stat.

Style Snapshot: Erin, L.A. arts-org pro

For the latest installment of Style Snapshots, my very very dear friend Erin is showing off what she wore to work today. How does she do it? It's perfectly dressy-casual, but not boring; conservative, but in a hip way; overall, damn, girl. I remember in college when she always had that casual-yet-interesting thing going on, and I was always supremely impressed (I am utterly incapable of making casual interesting. I put on jeans, I put on a slouchy shirt, I proceed to run out of ideas.). She is also the only person I know who has successfully ordered gorgeous shoes off the internet, which makes her a champion among women. Without further ado:

“I work at a large arts non-profit in LA and I’m always trying to walk the line between work appropriate, artsy, and comfortable. And I never know when I’m going to run into a donor, so I generally make SOME effort to class it up a bit. This look is pretty typical of me – if I wear heels, that makes it nicer, right? Sometimes I like to channel Blair Waldorf and throw on a headband and pearls, and pretend that makes slouchy jeans acceptable work attire.

Also, notice the incredible weather outside and my careful (read: not careful) choice of black and brown. Take that, Spring ‘08! Much like Material Girl, I am not a fan of your neons and your florals and whatever else you’re trying to bring back from the 80’s. Except for these badass sunglasses I got for $6 at Target. I’m glad you brought me those.”

Oh yeah, I forgot to say: Erin is also the best person ever at finding Target treasures. And making handicrafts. And making brown and black go together. JEEZ, enough already, lady.

Things I Love Thursday

Happy May Day, kids! While you're taking a break from twirling around under a Maypole (don't knock it 'til you try it), check out this edition of Thursday love [sorry it's late; arrghh, stupid Blogger]:

[From left: Thierry Mugler, fa/wi 1996–1997; Dolce & Gabbana, sp/su 2007; Thierry Mugler, sp/su 1992.]

The Costume Institute's superhero exhibit - I think it is so very cool that the Met is acknowledging the very real connection between fantasy costume and runway fashion. And, by extension, between fantasy and clothing in general. Like, how totally true. I'll write more later when I get to review the exhibit (or maybe go! maybe!), but for now, here's The Cut's preview of the exhibit (see photo above), with more photos. Keep in mind that all of the looks are REALLY from runway shows! [The looks in the exhibit are organized by various superhero "bodies," such as the graphic (think Superman or Spider-Man; those that incorporate iconography), patriotic (like Wonder Woman and Captain America), or armored (Batman), amongst others.]

Weird, unnatural spring nail color - Just as I've raved about robot-chic about five billion times before, I'm raving again about the trend toward painting nails funny high-tech pastel shades. Especially purple, like this Essie "Looking For Love". Lovvve it. When I was in junior high, I lived for colored nail polish. I had every shade of the rainbow, and my friends and I would even painstakingly mix (ack! split infinitive! I know.) shades and paint little designs with toothpicks. Then came high school and college, and a total ban on Rainbow-Brite shades. Now we're all so cooool and all into dark red and pale nude. But then came the ironic return of goth black...and then the bizarro winter trend of grey nails...so now, of course, junior high has shown up on the runway. Probably due to all the people my age who are now old enough to be trendsetters and can't wait to revive all their youthful mistakes, just like the slightly-olders did with the 80s.

Marimekko at H&M - I'm not entirely sure whether H&M's "Tribute to Marimekko" is sanctioned by the Marimekko people or not--I mean, "tribute" is kind of a sketchy word and I sense copyright lawsuits ahead--but I don't really care. I love Marimekko. Her designs basically injected into my veins at a young age by my artsy-fartsy mom, who had a Marimekko tin container in our bathroom that held all the extra buttons (the ones that come with clothes and which you'll never need except for the ONE that you threw away). Marimekko is also Scandinavian, and I am Scandinavian, and when I traveled there I went to the store and looked at everything and couldn't afford any of it. But now, with H&M's legal-or-not prints, maybe I can. New York Magazine did a little preview/review here. Some (okay, most) of the pieces are way too eye-scalding for my taste, and I think a tad less tasteful than the Marimekko I'm used to. But that black-and-white halter dress with the floaty skirt--see below--is oddly dreamy! I want!