open-toe season

panama hat, HOPE striped shirt, Oakley sunglasses, YSL lip gloss, j.brand skinny cargo pants, matt bernson gladiators  

yay! the sun has finally come out after almost two weeks of rainy, icky weather. it's a holiday weekend, which means bar-b-ques and seaside trips to herald the official start of summer. i always think that the real barometer that summer has arrived in the city is the pedicure. now that it's in the 80s, girls and women of all ages are breaking out their open-toe sandals and lining up to get pedicures at the nail salons. just walking down the street today, i saw three women (one with her spa 'flip-flops' still on) rocking some seriously bright and colorful toe polish (fluorescent orange, anyone?). i'll probably be living in my new Hope striped shirt all weekend and trying to keep bbq sauce off of it. 

excuse the close-up of my feet. color is Essie 'escapades'.

what are you up to this weekend?

essential spring accessories

1. panama hat | 2. isabel marant scarf | 3. balenciaga city bag | 4. matt bernson gladiator sandals

when the weather warms up, i start defaulting to a few key accessories that serve multiple functions throughout the week/weekend. a relaxed, slouchy bag that can hold everything but isn't heavy. comfy flat sandals that can go from day to night. a hat, because there's nothing cooler than a girl wearing a hat strolling down a sunny city sidewalk. and a little scarf that will take the place of a light jacket or cardigan when you're dashing in and out of air-conditioned temperate zones.

a note on the balenciaga city: it's a 2007 chevre, which to me in Balenciaga-world equals vintage, as they don't make 'em in chevre anymore! since the new year, i've been doing a gradual edit and sold a few of my bags and found this one second-hand. i was quite skeptical of the Balenciaga city bag several years ago, but now that i have one i've found that it's surprisingly functional (very spacious!) and easy to carry. the chevre leather is much more durable than the current lambskin ones in stores (yes, there IS a big difference). i just sling it over my shoulder and go. no fuss, easy to get in and out of, just great.

what are your key accessories for spring?

a change of heart

  via tfs

in light of the blogger meltdown, last week was a nice week to take a break from blogging. i have some news to update here - and it does seem like a lot has changed since i last posted!

so those of you who read my blog regularly may remember that about two months ago, i splurged on a vintage Chanel classic flap, my holy grail bag after several years of wishlisting and saving for it...

after i got it, i wore it pretty regularly for a few weeks, and did a few style posts about it here as well. however, i noticed that i just could not bring myself to get past the stage of 'babying' it. even though the lambskin leather on the vintage jumbos is a lot more durable than the current ones, i was always slightly too-careful when i was wearing it out. also, as it turns out, the large CCs made me rather self-conscious. so, last week, after much mulling, i sold it.

since i am not a fan of the current classic flaps, i am now newly obsessed with the 2.55 reissue in distressed calfskin. the way Daria is wearing it in these photos epitomizes the kind of stylish ease of the Chanel flap bag that was just missing in my vintage classic flap.

the ever-chic lin and S are also fans. sigh...this is such a bad time to be in the market to buy one, as the much-ballyhooed price increases have just made both the classics and the 2.55 reissues go up another egregious 20% (!!). oh well. patience and more research and ebay stalking for now...

there is quite a bit of trial and error and some fickleness with shopping, of course, but for me to shell out so much for a Chanel bag, i have to be 150% satisfied with such an investment purchase.

have you ever changed your mind after a big-ticket purchase?

blue skies and popsicles

right now, i'm really inspired by turquoise and poppy red. i didn't think of it until recently, but perhaps it has something to do with the radiant blue hue that reminds me of the blue of a clear summer day, and poppy red always makes me think of the perfect berry popsicle.

as jennifer also posted recently, i think the combination of turquoise and gold is such an elegant twist to what is otherwise quite often a 'southwest' stone. i especially love the Persian turquoise that's found in antique and estate jewelry. i've also been really inspired by the expert styling of beaded pouch necklaces against the 'canvas' of silk tunics on - who else? -  the stylish totokaelo ladies.

mociun turquoise and diamond stud earrings

 lizzie fortunato high tide necklace

 essie nail polish - 'silken cord'

what's inspiring you this spring? and if you wear jewelry, do you have a favorite seasonal or year-round piece?