Recently in Objects of Desire Category

I think I've found my first pair of shoes for the new decade!

Marc by Marc Jacobs Hidden Platform Pumps, $350 at shopbop.com. Bloomingdales and Zappos Couture have the same shoe but in patent leather, I'm not a fan of patent...

Shopbop lists the heels as 3.75" with a 0.5" hidden platform... but Zappos lists them as 4.25" with the platform and Bloomingdales lists them as 4.5" with the platform. It's funny that it so difficult to get it right.  My best guess is that the heel is 4.25" which includes the extra height from the 0.5" hidden platform.... which is PERFECT.  I find 4.5" just a bit too high, fine really, but you have to be super careful walking - twisting your ankle would really suck!

I have another pair of pretty classic Marc by Marc Jacobs pumps that are a few years old now, I got them in Fall of 06 in my neighborhood at the Shoe Box (77th and 3rd Ave). They have a classic round toe, chunkier 4" heel.  I've kind of worn them to death, what a successful purchase that was...  And those were made in Italy.  This new pair just says "imported" so I doubt they were made in Italy. 

Anyway... I really want these.  They look very versatile and kind of cute like a ballet flat with a great heel. $350 is certainly a lot less than Gucci shoes; but still, I think the average person would say that it's a good bit to spend on shoes. It ends up being worth it though if you really love them and wear them for years. The problem is that you really don't know until later if you will "really love them" or not.

Net-a-porter has this beautiful Chloe dress in plum that I love!  I would never spend this much on a dress though...

Chloe Strapless Pleated Silk-Blend Dress, $3,015

That is just a ton to spend on a dress!  For that, you do get some nice tailoring - the all-over pleats, built-in corset and bubble hem.  Also, for this price, I suspect that the belt it comes with is of the super-nice quality of all Chloe leather items. 

I love how they tempered the fanciness of the dress with the brown leather belt. It's like a dash of equestrian English country on a classic dress ...

Here's an interesting way to wear leather: take a very classic dress design and make it leather.  This is exactly what Rag & Bone has done with their Raw Edge Leather Dress ($995 - eek!).

It's great for going out worn as above with cool boots... but the great thing about the design is that it's classic enough that you could throw on a long cardigan and some tights and wear it to the office too.  With a piece this expensive you'd want to get a lot of wear out of it...

Oh my goodness, I am so in love with this bag. Why, oh why, oh why does it have to be $3,100?  That is just stratospheric, even for Gucci.

New Jackie Shoulder Bag (Large)  (18.9 x 15.4 x 2.4")

Just look at these beautiful bamboo detailed tassels:

Well, they do have it on Gucci.com in a medium size (13.4 x 11 x 1.7") which is at least somewhat more reasonable at $2350.

 I am also loving these: Hollywood High-Heel Open Toe Pump, in black Guccissima leather with a light gold horsebit.  4-1/10" inch heel (perfect!) and $550, which is reasonable.  The only problem is that Neiman's only has these in white in my size (yuck).  And they don't sell the exact same shoe right now at Gucci.com... they have a snakeskin version.

I was walking around Bloomingdale's over the weekend and I ran into this great Marc Jacobs bag. I was happy to see that you can still get a decent sized nice bag for less than $1000. (seriously, how sad is it to even say that? $1000 for a bag is still a lot)

Marc Jacobs Collection Multi-Pocket Bag, $975

The leather felt really nice and soft and the bag doesn't weigh a ton like my other Marc Jacobs bag (mine has a really heavy metal shoulder strap). Bloomingdale's online doesn't seem to have it, so I can't link to it there. But eLuxury does sell it online, here.

Wow, what an elegant shoe!  Jimmy Choo Proud Elaphe Pumps, $860. The heel is just such a thing of beauty!  120mm, that's about 4.7 inches.

Oooh, I so want these beautiful Dolce & Gabbana pumps but I have put myself on a shoe ban. Obama said we should implement personal responsibilty, right?  (I don't "need" these after all.)

Details: Olive green slightly grained leather, round toe, with D&G horsebit and 4-1/4 inch stacked heel.  Cool gold footbed and leopard lining. Made in Italy. Regular price $695, sale price $419.

Such a good deal too.  And they have my size.  Boo hoo hoo!!! 

Check out these amazingly beautiful rosewood parabolic Chanel skis!  They're almost too nice looking to ski on.

Of course, Chanel does not put the price on their website.  I am sure it is shocking.

I generally hate hearts and would NEVER wear heart jewelry (even Elsa Peretti for Tiffany), etc.  BUT, this Marc Jacobs "Love Story" Clutch ($795) somehow is very cool despite being covered with hearts.

Barney's has it in black.

And Saks has it in chalk and silver.

It's so cute!  The size is 12½" X 7½"H, so it's a decent size that will actually fit a good amount of stuff. $795 seems a bit expensive though!

Net-a-porter has these two amazing D&G dresses on sale right now.

Ruched Corset dress, regular $695, sale $486.50.  This is a classic D&G look.  Love it.

D&G Color Block dress, regular $1,150, sale $805. Didn't Scarlett wear something like this a few months ago to some party?

In NON-sale, check out these two beautiful dresses:

D&G Lace Shift dress, $725. I love the exposed zipper and keyhole back.  This dress is elegant and sexy at the same time.

 

 

D&G Cotton Pencil dress, $445.  This one is almost even practical because one could dress it up or down for day to night wear.

Christian Louboutin has a new version of his simple pump that is even more fabulous (and more expensive).  New Simple Pumps, $790.

They have a 5" heel and 1/2 inch platform. Made in Italy, as usual.

I LOVE these, what an elegant heel!  But really, $790 is a bit much during a recession!

I've written before about pearls like the affordable ones they sell at Ross-Simons, but as many know, the ne plus ultra of pearls is Mikimoto.  Why? Honestly, I never really knew.

 

During the mid 1800s in Japan natural (non-cultured) pearls were over-harvested and a pearl crisis was imminent. Kokichi Mikimoto spent decades researching seeding oysters to create pearls, he finally succeeded in 1893. And the cultured pearl was born.  Unlike freshwater pearls which can be very odd shaped, sea pearls are round. Mikimoto pearls are perfectly round and lustrous.

A classic 18" Mikimoto strand with 6.5 - 7 mm A quality Akoya cultured pearls with an 18k gold clasp (in either white or yellow gold) is $2,600.

Here are a couple of Yves Saint Laurent finds at Bluefly. A gorgeous tote bag, the YSL 'Overseas' Medium Tote in chocolate brown leather, $1,436 (retail $1,795). It's made with pebbled leather and brasstone hardware and has a cool chain with padlock.

Detail:

They even have a matching wallet, $340 (retail $425).

Both are also available in black and the bag also in a larger size for $1,516.

Bluefly has a great deal right now on a coveted Chanel flap bag in the best color - black, of course.

It's normally $2,050, bluefly has it at 20% off, so $1,640.  These never last, surprsingly so in this bad economy, so hurry!

So my birthday was over the weekend, I am getting frightfully old, but thankfully still look young enough to get carded (sometimes at least). I had a wonderful day walking around the Upper East Side and into Midtown and finally made it to the Mobile Art Exhibit in the park (see next post). Anyway, along my walk I got these wonderful Chanel earrings, they're from the Chanel store on 57th Street (betw. 5th and Madison).

These are Chanel costume jewelry, so they are genuine "metal" and cost $350.  Funny, ha?  These particular ones are made in Italy, others they had in stock were made in France.  They come with a little fabric pouch for storage and a beautiful Chanel box, they tied it with Chanel ribbon and put a big white camelia flower made of fabric on top.  The flower was just part of the wrapping, but I think I'm going to make it into a pin.  I don't have a link for these because they don't seem to be for sale online anywhere.

Gucci's cruise collection for '09 has been out for a few weeks now.  In shoes they're showing a lot of faux tortoise, gold hardware, chunky wedges and platforms.

Here's a classic style that they've updated with the tortoise horsebit, the "Hollywood" 4.1 inch high heel open-toe patent leather pump. $595.

In handbags they're showing fringe, heart shaped logo crests, patent tortoise and updates of classic shapes and the hysteria style (and others) from fall and other past collections.

Here's the "Hysteria" Medium Hobo in tortoise patent leather with Gucci crest detail. $1,360.

Here's the "Irina" Evening Bag in metalic leather with the heart shaped logo crest. $695.

They're also showing a few designs with cartoon-like detailing that reminds me of Ed Hardy.

And some classic monogram totes with quirky dog embroideries.

Since we're talking about orange today, take a look at this gorgeous Chloe tote bag!  Vermilion orange croc-embossed leather with two tone hardware and chunky turnlock closure.  Made in Italy, of course.

It's at bluefly.com for $1,760 (normal retail $2,200)!  Sorry, but no matter how beautiful I would not spend that much on a bag.  That's pretty outrageous!  Anway, that's why I put it in the "objects of desire" category - it's clearly not a "good find" for that price (well, for most of us anyway).

David Yurman's Fall catalog has some seriously gorgeous rings in it!  Yes, lately I'm obssesed with cocktail rings... and these are super fabulous [and expensive].

Just in case the jewelry wasn't beautiful enough on its own, Yurman has hired Kate Moss, Natalia Vodianova and Daria Werbowy... and Amber Valletta is the face of the new perfume. Here are some of the rings that I love:

Pave Champagne Citrine Ring, $5,200. 18k yellow gold with a 20mm champagne citrine stone and pave diamond bezel, from the Albion Collection.

14mm New Albion Ring, Smoky Quartz, $1,500. Sterling silver and 18k gold with 14mm smoky quartz and pave diamond bezel.

Olive Quartz Cushion Cocktail Ring, $2,100. 18k gold with 15mm olive quartz stone and diamond accents at each corner, from the Quatrefoil Collection.

Champagne Citrine Ring, $1,050.  Sterling silver and 18k gold with a square 15mm champagne citrine stone, with cable detail.

Large Noblesse Ring, Citrine, $850. Sterling silver and 14k gold with citrine stone.

 

I totally love this D&G Pinstripe Dress ($645), kind of a variation on their corset style dress.  It has the same lingerie style straps but is done in a more conservative fabric, a pinstripe wool flannel. This one actually has the corset built inside for a good fit.

Check out the details, the wrap style top and exposed zipper in the back.

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this dress! I think it could go from day into night by pairing it with a jacket for day. It's a wool blend (54% viscose/40% wool/5% elastane/1% polyester) with stretch so I think the fit would be fabulous.  I wouldn't spend this much online though, I'd want to try it on.  But that could be dangerous because if it looked really good then one would just HAVE to buy it.

Check out this beautiful bag from Prada's Fall collection... Vitello Daino Pocket Tote, $1495. It comes in "peltro" (light gold) or "antico" (copper) deer leather with a pebbled texture and silvertone hardware.

I like both colors, it would be hard to choose. I hope the prices of the European bags will be coming down again since the Dollar has been coming back against the Euro, but I'm not going to hold my breath. It does seem pretty crazy though to have to spend $1495 on a bag.

Neiman Marcus has a great selection of classic Christian Louboutin pumps right now including the iconic "Very Prive" style in satin, patent and regular leather.

I particularly love these three styles:
Platform Pump with 5" heel in black nappa leather (pre-order) $700

Slingback Pump with 4 7/10" heel in black leather $770

Very Prive Platform Pump with peep toe and 4 7/10" heel in black leather $770

You can get free shipping until 11:59 pm July 6 with code JULYNM.

It's just barely turned into Summer, but fashion's already thinking about Fall...  Fall is, for sure, the best season for fashion... you don't have to bundle up like you do in Winter, nor keep cool as needed in Summer.  Some really great boots are already available so you can get a headstart on Fall.

Here are some fabulous Dolce & Gabbana boots, calfskin with a 3 1/2" stacked heel in a gorgeous chocolate brown. $1,375.00.

And a sort of miltary inspired style by Fendi, in supple black leather with a 4" heel, gold buttons and round toe. $1,100.00.

This style from Gucci, to me looks kind of 70s retro in a cool way. The Ginerva boot has a slouchy shaft and 4" heel. There is a Gucci crest ornament on the heel, maybe that's a little over the top... $1.390.00.

And last, here's a leather motorcycle boot from Prada Linea Rossa. I can see these looking very cool with skinny jeans tucked in. Buckle detail at the ankle and top, 2 1/2 " heel and rubber sole. $890.00.

In the summer, I find when you're wearing less clothes and your hair up more often, jewelry becomes more important, more visible... What I think would be fabulous right now are these beautiful platinum pieces from Blue Nile.

This gorgeous lariat style necklace, $575:

And matching bar drop earrings, $250.

They look modern, but not too crazy... and platinum, it's just the ultimate metal! Wouldn't these look great with the Bobi dress V neck dress (see June 11th)...

Marc Jacobs (I mean "collection", not Marc by Marc Jacobs) makes some seriously AMAZING bags like of course the classic Stam bag, but it seems that many of his great bags are only made one season and then you can't get it anymore.  BOO HOO.

Like these two bags, that  I just love.  The Capra Bag:

And the Karen Bag:

I love how he uses metal link shoulder straps and the quality of the leather.... and the rather giant snap buttons at the top of the framed bags...

LV has released a new bag design: the Galliera city bag.

It comes in 2 sizes, the GM ($1360) and the PM ($1180). I like the shape and the big size. You can buy them at eluxury.

Yesterday I mentioned the Hermes Beach Towel as the ultimate beach towel... well start saving now, they've gone up to $510!  A few years ago (ok maybe more than a few - around yr. 2000) they were $400.  I had a beautiful penguin one, but it got left at an old boyfriend's beach house.  Woe is me.  :-(

Their online selection isn't that good, but here are a few that they sell online.  They have many more at the stores, especially the Madison Ave boutique.

Aren't they beautiful! And the quality of the cotton is superb, it's really thick and the towel has nice hemmed edges and is a decent size of 36 x 60". I love the seahorses...want it!

Louis Vuitton's Spring 2008 collections are out.  They're featuring some spring-y colors and designs.

Freesia Platform Sandal $740.  I love the wood heel and platform! I love walking on shoes like this, I even like the "clomp, clomp, clomp" noise they make when you walk on a hard floor, and how you feel sort of like a geisha. (does anyone else know what I mean?)

Monogram Inclusion Ring $215.  I don't usually like pink at all, but this would be fun to wear and would be okay to add a little color to an outfit.

Cadenas Key Holder $325. I just love this keychain... a bit pricey, but it's so cute with the lock and key and convenient with a clasp and a key ring.

Last, the Monogram Tisse Beach Towel. $425 Other than Hermes, this has got to be the ultimate beach towel! An homage to the classic LV trunk.

I was watching The Devil Wears Prada again the other day and I've found myself thinking about the Chanel necklace Anne Hathaway got to wear in a couple different scenes.  I'm pretty sure it's Chanel costume jewelry (not Chanel Fine Jewelry).  It's kind of suprising that Chanel, such a luxe brand, even makes costume jewelry, but it is said that Coco Chanel actually introduced costume jewelry to the fashion world back in the 1920s. 

I wonder how much something like this costs?  I can't find Chanel jewelry for sale online anywhere, I suspect that they don't allow it. I guess I'll have to go to the Chanel boutique in New York to check it out.

Lately, I'm feeling like I'd really like a big clunky stoned cocktail ring.  What is a cocktail ring you ask, well according to Wisegeek and Wikipedia, the cocktail ring is a dramatic, large ring set with precious or semiprecious stones, worn at cocktail parties. "The cocktail ring was especially popular during US prohibition at illegal cocktail parties. Such a ring flaunted not only the fact that one was drinking illegally, but also that one was doing it with style."

Surprisingly enough, you don't have to spend a fortune to get a decent cocktail ring. What I mean by "decent" is NOT a ring that is "costume" jewelry. www.Ross-Simons.com is a great place to find reasonably priced jewelry, they often have 20% off sales too. Here are some examples (with sale prices - there is a sale now through March 9th).

10 carats Cognac Quartz in 14k $280

12 carats Smoky Quartz in 14k $468

9.45 carats Smoky Quartz with White Topaz in 14k $292

But, if there were no budget, I would definetly go for something like this (see below): Gucci 21 carat Smoky Quartz Horsebit Cocktail Ring in 18k $3390!

InStyle magazine is saying that one of the top 12 trends for Spring is trench coats.  Uh, duh!  Aren't trench coats always in style?  I am personally obsessed (and have been for several years) with finding the perfect one that doesn't cost a fortune.  (yes, someday I will get a coveted Burberry!) Banana has come close, but in the last few years they had been cutting them A-line, which I think is a mistake.  A trench coat should be cut straight. Banana has one this season too, the online picture isn't very good (see below) you can't really tell if it's A-line or not, and the description doesn't say either.  Anyway, here are some options:
  Loro Piana $1995 

Dolce & Gabbana $1695 

Burberry (longer) $995 

Burberry (shorter) $975 

Prada $795 

Banana Republic $198 

Gap $88 

Banana is having an online special right now, 15% off until March 1, so the $198 trench would be $168.30!  $795 for the Prada seems quite reasonable, but it looks more flimsy than the others so maybe it's not lined?

Keeping on the jewelry vein from yesterday... the jewelry piece that I am dying to get right now is pretty much anything from the Alhambra line from Van Cleef & Arpels. It comes in both white and yellow gold in a lot of different styles, some with inlays of mother of pearl, onyx or tiger's eye.  I love the quatrefoil shape, which they call a "clover" presumably because they figure the average moron doesn't know what a quatrefoil is.  (Art history anyone???) The quatrefoil was common in Moorish architecture (thus the name for the collection, Alhambra) and later in Gothic architecture. Years ago I went to the Alhambra Palace in Granada (Spain), wow, seriously beautiful place.  The courtyard of the lions there is amazing. Everyone must go!

Van Cleef doesn't have prices on their website, but according to InStyle magazine, this 18k bracelet goes for $1,500.  That seems quite reasonable to me.

I love tiger's eye, so maybe I'd get the single pendant in tiger's eye and yellow gold. 

Here's Reece who apparently has 2 different styles. I wonder if she actually bought them, or if they gave them to her?  It looks like mabye the Byzantine Alhambra style in the first picture and either the Vintage Alhambra or regular Alhambra in the second.

You can check out all the styles here: http://www.vancleef-arpels.com/en/van-cleef.html#/alhambra/  Happy shopping (or dreaming).  Cheers.

If you're like me, then you believe that a perfectly designed shoe is like art. I would definitely classify Christian Louboutin's simple 100 mm pumps as this type of shoe.  Sorry I don't have some better pictures, with other angles.  It looks much better in person. 100 mm is just over 4 inches, the leather is super fine and soft, the shoes are incredibly light (of course as with any decent shoe the soles, lining and outer are all leather, this makes them really light), the round toes are the perfect round - rounded oval, and of course the distinctive red soles. Wow!

Isn't that just beautiful, in a classic style-icon sort of way?  If they put shoes in museums, these would have to be there. Louboutin's platforms are more popular, but I don't think they have the simple perfection of these.  They make the exact same shoe with an 85 mm heel, but to me the aesthetic is slightly off with the lower heel. 100 mm is perfection.

Louboutin shoes have been around since the early 90s, but it's really just in the last few years that they've become the ne plus ultra of shoes.  It used to be Manolo and Jimmy Choo, but now I'd say it's certainly Louboutin.  It doesn't seem like celebrities even wear any other shoe (okay, I'm exaggerating).

Here's an old picture of Nicole Ritchie in a similar pair of his pumps.  I think she looks seriously great, don't you? 

Louboutins can be hard to find depending on where you live.  New York actually has 2 stores, Madison Ave. and Horatio Street.  How lucky are New Yorkers?  You can also get them at Bergdorf, Saks, Neiman Marcus, etc. I think Saks has the best online selection.