camel toe'd.

oh Cyber Monday, how I love thee!

let me count the ways:

one, two: 2 camel-colored washed ballerina flats with darling bows from Topshop! 20% off and freeee shipping, today only. thanks, email. my bank account will hardly know the diff.

per.fect.

thread show + holiday pop-up = funtimes mcgee

Bummed because you're not one of the chosen ones who get the privilege (ha) of attending most fashion tradeshows? Fear not, oh tasteful fashion fiend, thread is arriving in L.A. with a holiday pop-up shopping show event (couldn't we just write "shop-up"? hmmm? anyone?) downtown featuring 50+ rad designers and extra fun stuff. Honestly, I'm going to have a big dilemma ahead: attend, say hi to all my lovely pals involved, and risk major violation of my shopping ban? Or stay home, crying and eating bon bons? Decisions, decisions.

THE OFFICIAL DEETS:

THREAD highlights include: men’s and women’s apparel and accessories, eco-friendly shopping, gift bags for the first 250 shoppers, a free style lounge & nail salon, fashion shows, blogger DIY sessions (with Jazzi McG and Fashion Intel), an art gallery featuring paintings Justin Herber and photos from Please Excuse The Mess, DJs, cocktails, food trucks, a clothing swap and so much more!

RSVP for the event at WWW.THREADSHOW.COM ($5 with RSVP, $10 at the door).

file under: double-you, tee, eff.

1. Ankle boot.
2. Platform clog styling with hammered nailhead accents.
3. Ponyskin upper.
4. Gingham laces.
5. Polka dots.
6. Did I mention PLATFORM CLOG STYLING?

Hard to believe ANY of the above descriptors have been paired with any of the others, never mind ALL....

Spotted this hot mess at Barney's Co-Op and just had to share.

[official product shot from opening ceremony]

check it out to view the other insane colorways (or if you actually want to, uh, buy it).

finally, attainable perfection!

I know, I know, the blog has been really bare recently. A lot of random personal stuff, and even there I've left things out (like the documenting of my Spock haircut and day as an alien!). To attempt an apology for being so goldurned useless to you, I'm offering up a Helpful Video to Improve Your Life!

HOW TO FOLD A TEE SHIRT TOTALLY FLAWLESSLY IN LIKE 2 SECONDS.

Made by some nice Japanese people (duuuhhhh).

You may have seen this video before. I've seen it before. But I just watched it again, and it thrills me utterly and makes me make all kinds of honorable promises to myself about learning how to do this and then packing my suitcase like George Clooney in Up In The Air.

sweater weather (not really)

Usually, when I have a fashion mission, I agonize for weeks and then maybe, maybe find something, and then have to agonize further over cost, practicality, whether I have real estate available in my closet....

But this time around, as my buddy Teo at work would say: it was TOO EASY, TOO EASY.

I wanted a long, woolly, fireside, lounge-around, wear-it-with-socks sweater. (P.S. Great minds think alike: Miss Susie Bubble herself was just musing on the mysterious joy of "being all covered up at the top with practically nothing on the bottom."

Behold (and erm, yeah, I'm not trying to be arty with the censored piece, I was just having a really bad face day): my new (old) sweater, picked up at the awesome Berda Paradise thrift shop on my way to the Silverlake farmers' market. Handknit, all cable-y and bobbly, HUGE, sleeves for days, and totally wearable with socks.

As for agonizing? Cost: $7. Agony-free. Practicality: maybe not exactly daily workwear, but just the thing for my winter cabin escapes, and certainly useful for obsession-quashing. Real estate problem-causing: uhh, well, yes, definitely. This thing is massive. I washed it by hand in the bathtub and rinsing it out felt like trying to squeeze water from a 50-pound stone. No joke. But I think it'll find a home in the baskets under my bed, if I put it in one of those handy-dandy vacuum bag thingies. As for now, it's going straight into the suitcase. Which, come to think of it, I'll probably have to unzip the expansion zippers on thanks to this bad boy.

cozy fixation

So, I'm running away to Big Sur next week, and that -- along with the sudden advent of properly chilly fall weather here in L.A. -- has gotten me completely obsessed with cozy, comfy, oversized, nubbly, chunky SWEATERS. I'm not talking your dime-a-dozen Gap v-necks; I'm talking run-out-and-jump-in-the-leaves, then come-in-and-sit-by-the-fire-with-hot-cider sweaters. I'm talking lounging around in a long woolly sweater, preferably with a giant loose cowlneck, thick socks with snowflakes on them, and nothing else. You feel me?

[this hunk of fabulousness from LF is the closest I've found

to the frumpy, too-big sweater of my dreams]

I know you do, because I'm not the only one gabbing about cabin chic... because im addicted is on the hunt for "a perfect cabin-southwest-inspired cardigan," and Tasha (Blackburn & Sweetzer) was just this morning lusting over this rustic toggle sweater from Club Monaco.

[I was so obsessed I even made a winter escape mood board... and was unable to find a worthy sweater! 

You just have to assume that the tights are being worn with a whole mess of Fair Isle up above.]

Over the past few days I've scoured every POSSIBLE source of chunky knitness, from Forever 21 to eBay, and the pickings are slim, friends. But I've come across a couple of diamonds in the rough. Let us consider:

This Zara textured-knit v-neck with pockets looks like the most delicious snuggly thing. not quite giant enough, but I suppose it does have the advantage of actually being somewhat flattering.  P.S. I have to stop looking at that Zara page, because I literally want EVERY SINGLE THING on it. Good lord.

This long cable-knit bad boy from AE Outfitters (why do I always forget they exist? They are EXCELLENT! Don't mock me, you know it's true.) is kind of perfect, maybe? But also awfully dress-like. Maybe too skinny/flattering.

Extended eBay searching ended distracting me from my original goal, and I started down a path of dorkadelic nostalgia. Check out this ski-tastic mess from Trashy Vintage!

I adore the blueberry madness of this fair isle vintage treasure from Ghetto Vintage.

And OH MY GOD I OWNED THIS SWEATER.  Maybe not EXACTLY this one from Eddie Bauer, now yours for only $34.99 on eBay, but one very, very similar that I adored and wore for several years running. Mine had bigger hearts, though. Booyah. [Hey Susan, I know you're reading this; you must have a photo of The Heart Sweater, right?]

So:
am I any closer to realizing my dream? Probably not, since the ultimate one is from LF, which is doubtless a bajillion dollars (though, hell, I'll check it out at the Robertson store anyway). But I'm certainly inspired to go do some serious thrift store raiding. Wish me luck (and now for finding the ultimate woolly socks...!).

the world off its axis

If you weren't convinced yet that the Americana trend is more firmly rooted than the obnoxious oak saplings in my yard, this update from Barneys should do the trick.

MANOLO BLAHNIK HAS MADE A MOCCASIN. 

You do realize what this means: if SATC were still on the air, Carrie would be wearing tasseled, nubuck FLAT ankle boots with her Galliano for Dior FA/WI 10/11 haute couture ballerina skirt and acid green crocheted crop-top.

Ahh, how times have changed.

Manolo Blahnik / "Alter" / only $995 and zero cents at Barneys!

Nubuck round toe moccasin ankle boot with laced tassel detail at foldover topline.