Maven Pick: Espadrilles

Hiya, lovelies. It's Friday in the city and I'm already wondering how much traffic I'm going to endure on the way to LGA today...summer Fridays and Hamptonites and such...naturally, I wish I was headed out East as well- Montauk would be ideal- very in the mood.

And as all moods lead to Summer, I'm simply obsessed with fashion's current fixation with espadrilles, the perfect summer shoe. I'm not super sold on them on men, but there are those amongst you who can pull it off. For the lady set though, go for it. These little gems are super cute with all of your leggy looks- and at $28, you can't go wrong. I'm digging these from cute brand Soludos, whose espi design is based on those found in Meditteranean markets during the balmy months. One thing to note- don't wear these cute little guys in the rain- they don't like to get wet. Other than that, you're set. I am a fan of the pink seersucker ones pictured here...perfect for a clambake or a lazy summer Sunday in the city...and at that price, you may want to buy a spare pair to stick in your bag when those high heeled sandals start digging due to that humidity induced swell. Plus, they're a classic summer shoe that are chic no matter how you rock them. If they were good enough for Grace Kelly, JFK, and Picasso, surely they are good enough for you.

And that's what's up this Summer Friday in the Apple...all the love. On the way back to the MIA.Link to the 'drilles below. XO

http://www.soludos.com/

As I sit here sweating...

Hiya- it's Thursday and hotter than...oh I can't think of anything clever to compare it to. I am too bloody hot.

If you are a close pal of mine, you know how insanely sensitive I am to heat. I am a bit Victorian in my swooning when it gets too hot, and the a/c wars that take place on a nightly basis in my Miami apartment as my husband bears icicles on his face and I happily revel in the cool have become an "agree to disagree" notion of temperature in our marriage. And no, I'm not menopausal, I just run hot. Perhaps part werewolf maybe. Just know that I will not be doing bikram yoga any time soon, in fact, that's pretty much my worst nightmare. Unlike most women, I am almost always warm, and want to strangle people at my gym during yoga when they cover up the vents. Sure I know yoga is meant to be done in a warm space to properly loosen up our muscles, but feeling like I can't breathe or get air is more important to me than the perfect asana, and I'm sticking to that (sorry, Kat). I am so much more the cool type. Screw the printing press, the telephone, or the personal computer. The greatest invention of all time is clearly air conditioning. Yea yea yea the internet is cool and all and what did we do before Google blah blah blah, but air conditioning trumps other tecnological revelations any day. And that's that. When people say they don't like air conditioning, it's almost worse than when they say they don't like TV. Heathens.

New York, my love, we need to talk. Can you get that a/c thing right please?  I'm here in the city and it's insane how hot it is. And I'm so not happy about it. My walks too and fro are not possible, people are cranky, and my hair is sweaty as I try to catch up with some biz peeps and keep it together, even though I know I look less than fantastic. Oh and to top it off, my chi chi boutique hotel's a/c went AWOL last night, and is not yet fixed this am. There is simply nothing like spending a few hours of eating and drinking in the city and coming into an inferno of a hotel room. I may shoot myself. My New York is not as fun when it's heat index resembles that of Hades.

And yes, I realize the joke's on me. I live in Miami which is pretty much scorching from April to October. But the big difference is I'm able to jump into my air conditioned car, right into my air conditioned office, and back to my air conditioned house. And there's something the 305 does much better than the 212- air conditioning. Miami businesses have it on lockdown. You can't go into a store or restaurant in Miami that is not heavily under the influence of freon. And I am more than ok with that. New York has a ways to go with this notion- how come stores like H&M can't figure this out? Trying on clothes and sweating? Blech. If it's going to be hot like this in the city (and all signs point to a hot summer), it's time to call in the big guns. I for one am calling for a/c reform in Manhattan. I can no longer shop or dine or sleep in such archaic a/c. Come on, best city in the world, step it UP.

I'm aware I did not post yesterday, but honestly, my brain was scrambled eggs from the high temps. I got almost nothing right yesterday and I blame the heat. Speaking of which, where in New York should I watch the game tonight? Do tell. I need a Miami sympathetic crowd, please (I was told last night that the Raccoon Lodge in Tribeca is decidedly Dallas slanted). I don't care where I watch it really, but it better be heavily air conditioned, as today is going to be 98 degrees. I have a morning meeting and then am going to find a place to park myself that is cool, cool, cool.And hopefully I won't pass out on the street. I do have the vapors, you know.

So as I sit here sweating and counting the seconds til lthe a/c guy comes to my room and fixes this shite, thoughts of suffering and whether or not any deodorant can withstand this balminess fill my brain. I never thought I'd be wishing for Miami, but if it's going to be hot, it's not such a bad place to be...

And that's what's up this heated Thursday in the 212. I still have mad love for you but oy. XO

 

 

CFDA Goodness...

Hiya, Tuesday...one day closer to Nuevo Yorko. I can't wait as usual. Only going to be inz and outz quickly, but still. I'll take a taste.

I looked at loads of pics from Sunday's MTV Movie Awards and I was struck by how trashy most of the women looked. The music industry is definitely more "out there" in terms of fashion these days, but there are so many oportunities to look awesome and not sleazy...go Balmain. Go Rick Owens. Go vintage. Go anywhere but another bandage dress. Can we ban those now please?

On another note, last night's CFDA awards had some stellar fashion- of course, it's the awards show for the fash crowd, so naturally, right? I saw many standouts, color galore, lovely dresses. But my partiality to menswear won- even though today I am in a super girly dress, I just love this look. It's so effortless, so chic, and so confident (cue  'I've Got the World on a String' by Mr. Sinatra...).

Here are pics of Phoebe Philo of Chloe fame rocking the look, as well as Leelee Sobieski, not sure what designer she was rockin' but amazing...so sexy, yet subtle non? Why can't the women of the music world be as cool as this? What a world, what a life- I'm in love.

And that's what's up this suited Tuesday in the MIA. Frances Albert all day methinx. Starting Barbara Sinatra's book on the plane up to the city tomorrow. Here's a pic of Frankie just because he rocked a suit exceedingly well. XO

(UPDATE: MY MOST FASHIONABLE FRIEND MONICA JUST INFORMED ME PHOEBS IS AT CELINE NOW..DUH. USED TO BE AT CHLOE. DOUBLE DUH. THANKS MONI.)

 

Why Don't Men Care?

Hiya, Monday. I am up and at 'em again and looking forward to my quick pop up to Manhattan on Wednesday...v.v. excited.

So I titled this post "Why Don't Men Care" not as a reaction to some sort of male insensitivity or insouciance. I titled it such because I'm wondering why men don't care that there's not any "plus sized" (does that even exist for men?) models in their magazines, and why "real men" are not strutting their stuff down runways during Men's Fashion Week. I started thinking about this a couple of weeks ago, but with Italian Vogue showing some fuller figured girls on the cover this month, it gave me pause. And with Franca Sozzani, the editrix of said magazine declaring "curvy women are back in all their splendour", I can't help but wonder if they ever really went away?

We are a world obsessed with the female form. And with good reason, it's a beautiful thing. But why oh why do we constantly have to refer to women as "plus sized" or any other size? And why do fuller figured women in fashion magazines always have to be in lingerie, as if their very image is somehow erotic and fetishistic, and not simply the way some women look? I am tired of the back and forth about whether models are too thin, about the message we are sending to our budding females, and how we can eat this and not that. The new female ideal can have the ass of a Kardashian or the toned legs of a Cameron Diaz. Who cares and why do we need to keep discussing it? Do we have these same discussions about what else makes women sexy? Like their intellect or success in their careers or their ability to be fantastic moms? I guess those things don't sell clothes, but can we please just stop? Women come in all sizes- stop calling issues of magazine "shape" issues so we can gawk at women that may be a bit larger than we are used to seeing...or more pregnant or whatever. I have had it. And why do we feel the need to see "real" women in fashion advertising anyway? Why can't we just see "real" women being, well, real? Why do they need to pose- why can't they just be themselves? Real women are not models. We know this, right? Let's just celebrate women, period. Big, small, whatever. If you want to show bigger girls in magazine, great. Just stop making it so bloody newsworthy, because it isn't. Or at least, I don't want it to be.

Now back to the title of today's post. Men don't really give a fig about whether or not they are portrayed properly in magazines. Most men have a little extra acreage around the middle, loads of them are balding, and many of them don't have a square jaw. But do they care that they are not properly represented in the pages of GQ? Nope. Are they up in arms because their abs look nothing like those featured in Men's Journal? Nuh uh. And are they worried that that hot guy in the khakis advert does not speak to "real men"? Negative. Sure I've read that there is an uptick in eating disorders in men (it is estimated that 8 million people in the United States are suffering from an Eating Disorder, and of that number 10% are men). And true there is big, big pressure on jockeys and wrestlers to keep their weight down, and that today's men are definitely more conscious of not ending up looking like Homer Simpson one day. But perhaps there's enough funny men's marketing out there that men feel connected to, as opposed to seriously looking at ads for Dolce and Gabbana and wondering why some hot Italian model with a spray tan does not look like them. I wish I knew the answer as to why men don't care about these things, and why there is no shape issue in Details, or an issue devoted to hair loss. As a woman, I am tired of the self-obsession we must endure as a result of this ongoing argument about shape. Am I really the only girl that realized at a young age that I would never look like Kate Moss? Can we simply start talking about how thin is in, or that big is beautiful? Can we just be women and be done with it? PS- there will always be skinny models, that's their bloody job. So why don't men care about these things? Maybe it's because they're too busy being dudes to notice.

I would love for you men folk who read this (probably about a similar percentage to that eating disorder number) to tell me why you think men are not as consumed by such things- I know you care about how you look and can be very vain, but why do you not care about how skinny or fit or how ill portrayed normal dudes are by the male fashion industry? Is it because these ads are supposed to appeal to women and gay men only? Tell me, please. I'm dying to know for real.

OK I am done talking about full figures- my cup has indeed runneth over. Cause that's what's up this neutrally shaped Monday in the MIA. XO

 

For more photos from the shoot, shot by Steven Meisel, go to link below. And yes, these ladies are sexy as hell, but we already knew that:

http://www.vogue.it/en/magazine/cover-story/2011/06/belle-vere

Steve Martin, His Banjo, and the Need to Try...

Hey Thursday...resisting shopping on Calypso's site today which is offering an extra 40% off of sale. I just can't...trying so hard to be good. Must. Be. Good. I am on a bit of a self imposed shopping hiatus, but with a trip to New York looming next week, I have no idea how long this little retail respite  will last. A girl can try, right?

And speaking of trying new things, I'm not sure you knew this, but Steve Martin, he of the white suit, King Tut, Shopgirl, and museumworthy art collection is playing the banjo. Yes, the banjo. My husband is a big Steve Martin fan so he was super psyched to see that his favorite wild and crazy guy, backed by The Steep Canyon Rangers, would be playing at an ampitheater in Nashville while we were there.He's been playing most of his life and is an awarded picker, but perhaps you, like me, have not been following the banjo circuit of late. And although I was not primed on trends in modern banjo playing, music under the stars is not such a bad way to spend an evening, so I agreed to check it out. And what an evening it ended up being- I was floored by how talented Mr. Martin is- and the band that he plays with are young and cool and wear good suits (Martin himself was in a white one, natch). In true form, he killed- combining his stand up with song with great results.

And then it hit me- he's good at everything he tries, and the trying is the thing.

Yes, Steve Martin is a comic genius. And sure, he's made some career choices that are questionable (that movie with Queen Latifah immediately comes to mind). But here is a man who is creative to his core- he is a brilliant stand up, a talented actor, and a fantastic novelist (I recommend reading his books like 'Shop Girl' and 'Object of Beauty'- they are both profound).  His art collection is substantive and no joke. I watched him being interviewed about it once- he simply started collecting things he liked when he was younger at flea markets, and as he became a bit more flush, his purchases were less Rose Bowl and more MOMA quality. He's smart enough to use his instincts, and he applies them to whatever he does. I am sure many of us raised our eyebrows at a career as a banjo player. And although the banjo is not my favorite instrument, I more than enjoyed watching him play, because he put his soul into it and he was damn good, and super entertaining. And he tries new stuff and reinvents and retools. It's an important part of the human experience, and sort of essential for creative types. I am a firm believer that many of us are not meant to do only one thing, but are maybe good at a few things, and find this notion of a lifetime career of one a bit limiting.

I say this because I happen to have worked in an industry for years that claims to be nimble and adaptable in terms of change, just not in terms of one's own career. True ad folks adapt to the latest social networking tools, change strategy to affect cultural shifts, and are front and center when big news is made that can change brand perception. But try to change career paths in this industry, and the walls go up really quick. I'm not sure why that is, but it's true. Very rarely would you see someone who works on the client side in an agency (an account person) move into the creative side of the equation (as an art director or copywriter). Rarer still is a move from production to strategy.  I'm not saying it never happens, but it's on the rare side. It also seems fairly tough for people who have worked on a lifetime of car accounts to move into fashion, or anything else- the industry itself is quite rigid, regimented, and insanely literal. And I'm not really judging this inflexibility, I'm just observing it. But I do think it should change (ok maybe I am judging it).

So my point with all of this is the following:

Don't let anything or anyone be a barrier to anything you want to try in life- whether it's a mid career shift or an interest in playing an old timey instrument just for fun. It doesn't matter what it is- just try it and do your best to be really great at it. Bulldoze those walls right the hell down if they are holding you back from fulfillment or joy or a passion.

If you are in an industry or career where you feel less than nimble, perhaps it's time to vamoose. It could very well be that you are not a one trick pony and wish to be doing something, or many things that utilize your many mad skills-  I suspect this may involve working for yourself, but that seems the best way to go these days anyway. Very few of us feel we were born to do something, but that's ok. Maybe it's because we were not only born to do one thing. I'm cool with that, are you?

If you are a creative soul (and I believe we all are), you can infuse just about anything with your unique brand of YOU. It doesn't matter if you're terrified of writing, or can't understand how your career as a painter could lead you to shredding on the guitar. If you bring your take to things, there's not a lot you can't do. Just ask Steve Martin.

I really was so very in awe of his talent, and rest assured, he's still funny as could be. It was great to see somebody who could very easily sit in his big house in LA, enjoying his art collection and tweeting promotional musings for his next big film. But instead, he was at an amphitheatre on the grounds of the former estate of Barbara Mandrell, picking and grinning. I love people that just go for it like that. It's what life is really all about. Reinvention is the path. I'm sure of it.

Cause that's what's up this multitalented Thursday in the MIA. Go do your thing today. Or maybe try a few things. XO

 

 

Loco for Local: Why Nashville Matters When Making the Case for Localism

Good morning, Wednesday...we made it to the midweek didn't we? I'm hanging listening to Estelle (More Than Friends is a song that makes me exceedingly happy) and trying to see the light at the end of this chasm like tunnel of a week...

Besides dark tunnels and light and such, I wanted to mention a few more little notes about my trip down South. Yesterday I mentioned I love cities where dreams are fulfilled, or at least can be indulged for 15 minutes or so. Nasvhille is a dreammaker for sure, but what they also have in spurs is a local pride that permeates the whole city.

There's been so much talk of late of "localism"- of rooftop farms in Brooklyn, of farmers markets in Cincinatti, of farm to table movements feeding a nation hungry for something that feels authentic and not mass produced. Nashville is a city where local informs everything- from homegrown musical talent to vintage stores that share space with a guitar seller. And the food has always been local down South- farm to table might be the new buzzword for eating chic, but I suspect Nashville has always eaten local- how can you not love a place where local cuisine has nothing to do with organic but everything to do with bbq, grits, and a heaping helping of food prepared with love and fried bits of all kinds? You can't go wrong with local, baby, and that's that. And have you ever had a Jack Daniels cocktail in an ice cold copper mug? The Oak Bar at the Hermitage Hotel is a class act, with a copper mugged cocktail to match. Amazing...oh and you MUST do the Patterson House if you ever go to N'Ville- best cocktails I have ever heard and a dark and stormy that was second to NONE- in a speakeasy setting inside of an old house with a savant-like class of bartenders. And ice of all shapes from big orbs to long slabs that populate your drink with happiness.

And in an entire city built on music, how can local not play a huge role in a city's culture and vibe? New Orleans is another city where music is everywhere and knit into the fabric of the people. I know I sound like a Miami hater of late, but I gotta say- I can't think of many things that feel uniquely Miami to me besides the beach. And no, mojitos don't come from Miami. In Miami, people come from all over to live here, but I am not sure there is an indigenous Miami thing- closest thing I can think of are the Keys, which very much march to their own beat and feel absolutely local. (Yes, I know we have the Heat. For this I am thankful. Go Heat and such). Are fake boobs indigenous to MIami? Ha. I kid. I kid.

But in the ville of Nash, you can't help but get caught up in the local flavor- I almost bought a pair of cowboy boots, but had to restrain myself as most likely I would never wear them. I was on the hunt for a neutral pair of suedes short ones but couldn't find them. There's even a uniform to how people dress there- boots, jeans, cool belts, tees- girls in sundresses with cowboy boots. It's all very adorable, really. I'm not saying it's the height of haute, but I dig it nonetheless. An embrace of local keeps things indie and real, just the way I like them.

Oh and on a side note to my single female friends but still in the local mood- guys in Nasvhille are hot. Super hot. I have a dear friend in New York City who is single- beautiful, successful, and single. She tells me she can't get down with this hipster thing happening in New York, she just wants a guy that can fix shit when it breaks, who wears jeans and tee shirts, and is just a real man. Well to her and all my other single friends in search of a man who does not wear skinny jeans in rainbow colors- Nasvhille is your place. There are some well fed men there of above average height, who wear Levi's and tee shirts and work boots and probably know how to change a flat or fix your sink when it gets clogged (is that an entendre? Perhaps...hmmm). In any event, the Southern boys are cute as could be (I should know, I married one). Just sayin' ladies- go get yourself a real man. Who wears cool boots to work.  Who rocks a pair of Levi's with confidence. They grow them locally there.

So Nashville is exceedingly local and cool and soulful, and sexy if you want it to be. PS- never before have I been to a town where you can go to a gospel church service in a bar. At 10 am. With no alcohol of course, but amazing what went on there the night before...only in Nashville, kids. Local color is the spice of life...and that's that.

Cause that's what's up this localized edition of Wednesday in the 305. Keep it real, peeps. Keep it real. XO

PS- spotted boots by this brand, Vintage, in Nashville. They are made in PA so are not local, but they are PHENOMENAL. Check out link below:

http://www.vintageshoecompany.com/

The Thing about Nashville Is...

Hi, Tuesday..I miss Saturday. Sweet Lord- can you please be kind and rewind?

So check it- finally made my pilgrimage to Nashville- was it everything I hoped for? Well, it was cool for one thing. Super freaking cool actually. I realized a few things about myself and why certain places move me, and one of those little observations is that I like places where people go to make their dreams come true (yet, I don't really like Disney, so go figure).

What I mean by this is that I always loved New York because I felt people went there to "make it big", and I've always found that part of LA super inspired as well. I like places where people are insanely talented, creative, and driven- Nashville is unlikely in that regard, I know, but people go there to sing their hearts out, expertly play a myriad of instruments, and dream of a career singing songs about the Southland, the best part of being a woman, or whatever they want, really.

I adore being in cities where dreams can come true, even if that means you may have to get a bit trampled upon along the way. Though none of these places come with a money back guarantee of success, the chance to do that thing you know you were born to do is real, and potent. I have never seen so much live music in my life- it's like religion, really. And on that note, is there a coincidence that there are so many churches in Nashville, as in every block? A bar on every block and a church on every corner...whatever you believe in, really.

I guess this is my struggle with Miami- people come here to spend their money with reckless abandon, after they've made it. I'm not sure people come here to make their dreams come true, because most of the folks who live here have already arrived. What fun is THAT?

So Nashville is a city with a bar, a church, and a story on every corner. Where music is baked into the culture in heaping doses. It's a wonderful place- I highly recommend a visit- and I for one will continue to go to cities where people have the urge, and are allowed, to dream BIG. And dreams go down well with a little Jack and Coke, I'll have you know. I have a renewed love for Mr. Daniels and his particular brand of sweet, brown seduction.

Cause that's what's up this two steppin' Tuesday in the MIA.  Keep dreamin', friends. XO

 

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