Jackie Kennedy and Sailing

Over the past few weeks I've been busy developing a new project, and since my non-working  hours are limited, I've neglected the blog. I'm sorry, faithful readers. I do appreciate you!

Did anyone else spend a good part of last week reading and listening to snippets of the long-awaited Jackie Kennedy: Historic Conversations on Life with John F. Kennedy?

In support of my local library, I joined the waiting list for the CD's. Hah.

Despite the negative reviews, I am hopeful that the interviews have some substance and give some insight into how her husband's actions and untimely death affected her. She cannot have thought that her scathing opinion of her political contemporaries were worth recording. And to gloss over her obviously difficult marriage to JFK? I hope that, even in mourning, she was able to honestly reflect on the past. But then again, she was protecting a legacy she worked hard to build.

Always a style icon, here's an image I found this week; it's one I've never seen before:

  

 

Lovely, lovely, lovely!

The Game, Part II

Click here for rules.

Today's seven shows: 

Araks 

Charlotte Ronson

Christian Siriano

Behnaz Sarafpour

Cushnie et Ochs

Diane von Furstenberg

Jason Wu

Araks

 

Charlotte Ronson

Christian Siriano

 

Behnaz Sarafpour

"Clothes that I'd want to wear, and that women who I know would want to wear." -- B. Sarafpour

Cushnie et Ochs

 

Diane von Furstenberg

Jason Wu

(All photos and quotes from style.com)

The Game -- A/W 2010

Rules: Everyone browses quickly through style.com's posted Autumn/Winter fashion shows and marks the looks they like the best, for whatever reason -- color, pattern, cut. Then they post the looks they like, or at least leave comments/praise/vituperations (25 cents!) for the looks I have posted.

A few things "The Game" is not:
1. A comprehensive review of each show
2. A trend predictor -- I am posting my opinion (i.e., I dislike most of the exaggerated shoulders!)
3. A focus of individual garments -- I usually post looks that inspire me, not pieces.

I'll be posting seven shows a day, and may not include looks from every show. I will list the shows I've posted at the beginning of each post.

Today's installment:  ADAM, Ports 1961, Bensoni, Doo.Ri, Chado Ralph Rucci, Richard Chai Love, Ruffian

ADAM

Ports 1961

 

Bensoni

Doo.Ri

 

Chado Ralph Rucci 

Richard Chai Love

 

Ruffian

Smell This!

I recently read two books by Luca Turin, an authority on perfumes and their composition. I admit, that before reading The Secret of Scent, I didn't know how to smell. I discovered that smelling, like seeing, is not a natural talent, and it takes training to discern the elements within a composition. During your first art class, the teacher will ask, "Why is this painting a masterpiece?" She will then show you the lines used in composition, the flawless perspective, subtle shading or dramatic chiaroscuro. Similarly, a sense of smell needs instruction and Turin is a wonderful teacher. He is humorous, making even the more complex descriptions of chemicals comprehensible.

After spending a few hours with Turin, I could understand the importance of careful scent composition and discern the importance and beauty in complex fragrances -- scents which have elements that hit the nose immediately and linger for several hours. I could also speak the some words in the scent language -- aldehydes and phenol and esters.

 

Equally informative and entertaining is Turin's Perfumes: The Guide, which he co-authored with Tania Sanchez, another accomplished and witty writer. Turin and Sanchez rate classic and new perfumes on a scale from one to five, while providing brief descriptions of the fragrance. I would consider using this guide to purchase your next perfume, or when selecting a scent as a gift. In addition to the reviews, The Guide contains several chapters on perfume history and composition, a Cliffsnotes version of The Secret of Scent.  

I enjoyed both books immensely, which prompted me to briefly consider attending perfumery school. I doubt that I will make that step, but the books are a wonderful introduction to a subject that many of us know very little about.

 

 

FGI at the PEM

On Saturday, the 23rd, I attended a viewing of the Spring/Summer trends report from Fashion Group International at the Peabody Essex Museum. The video was followed by a panel discussion which was moderated by Jay Calderin, who is the founder and executive director of Boston Fashion week.

I appreciated the thought that went into the event, and it was fun to hear the different perspectives of panel members, who work in sales, in fashion journalism, and in retail. I also appreciated that there was no admission cost.

That being said, I was disappointed with the trends report. I haven't seen one of FGI's trends reports for several years, and I disliked the music choices and the over-the-top puns they designated each look and style. And with all of the runway shows are available online, I think the videos are less relevant, unless you need someone else to organize the information for you.


I much prefer the fashion trend forecasting books.

Sample Sales -- Online Review

I've been shopping at three sample sale sites for about two months: Ideeli, Hautelook, and Gilt. Here is what I like and what I don't like:

Ideeli, sales at 11 a.m. EST
I became a member at Ideeli (23.00 dollars every three months) because I like the giveaways and the preview feature. Unlike the other two sites, you are able to preview the sale an hour before it begins. The first hour of the sale is solely for members, so you are able to purchase items without feeling too pressured. That being said, the selection of the site can be hit or miss, and the prices are good, but not great, unless you are shopping for items that were previously posted. You also have to be careful for markups and fake discounts. I've caught Ideeli selling products at "reduced rates" that are actually the Mrs.

Hautelook, sales at 11 a.m. EST
Hautelook is the LA version of Gilt, and it has some of the same sales as Ideeli. Usually a day after a sale has ended at Ideeli, you can find the same brands on Hautelook. Hautelook sells couture, vintage and highstreet labels, so you never know what could be on sale that day. This keeps me coming back. Like Gilt, you cannot preview the sale until it begins, so other shoppers are more likely to cart everything that appeals to them and sort it later. Also, sometimes I am not able to add items to my cart at Hautelook, and I end up not purchasing the item.

Gilt and Giltfuse, sales at 12 noon, EST
Gilt is by far my favorite site, just because it sells haute couture at such great prices. I really get the feeling that I am shopping a sample sale: that feeling of buttery leather, soft cashmere, and the overwhelming sight of GREAT design. Giltfuse has more affordable sales, but a good selection of street smart, trendy clothing. Like Hautelook, you are not able to preview the sales, and although I signed up to receive sale alerts, I don't think that the weekend sales are advertised. Maybe there is more to membership to this site than I am aware of.

All the sites have a front, back, and close-up view of each item, but Ideeli and Gilt usually have one image of accessories set to scale: rings on fingers, sunglasses on a face. I find this really helpful, especially when shopping for sunglasses online.

As for different sizes, none of the websites sell special sizes frequently, but Ideeli has sold some items, and has advertised the fact. I haven't seen any on Gilt of Hautelook.

Lastly, I really enjoy Ideeli's blog, which sometimes has several posts a day. They also have a few giveaways, and not too many people seem to enter. I won some makeup samples last month!

I hope that you found that helpful. Happy shopping!