Clean It Up

Part I - Trend topic: tie dye.

On this Earth Day I think it is important to acknowledge the fact that we don't necessarily want to be dirty hippies. It is nice of us to recycle (a law in NYC), hug a tree, be nice to a bird, etc. I love tie dye. I'm going to go ahead and shamelessly say that Vieve and I called this trend in the Fall of 2007. I love it when done in moderation, not in rainbow or with peace signs, and of course when someone brilliantly uses it like the Marni tie dye rug for The Rug Company (cannot find a picture of that yet).

Here is my warning. Use tie dye sparingly. Moderation is key with any trend; let's not waste tie dye or paper. When embracing the trend, be sure to wash your hair, wear shoes in decent repair, maybe don't pair the tie dye tunic with the cut offs (also back in style thanks to Vieve and I speaking it into existence)...

Part II - Clean it up, folks.

My forecast for the next 4-10 months is that we begin to shed the messier looks and go for more tailored pieces. Is it a coincidence that the people whose personal style you admire most are almost always wearing a jacket? The framed bag in all shapes seems fresh compared to the slouchiness of leather trash bags all around us. Stripes, a cousin to tie dye, are always clean and orderly. This look above is great. Comfortable, casual, yet clean and concise. Trend is not driven by some mysterious inspiration (well, some of it is). It is born from boredom and necessity.

Designers are exhausted by the collections they have poured themselves into and often either: a) do it better a second time giving us two+ seasons of similar looks; or b) swing the other way in order to maintain interest in what they are doing.

Necessity plays the part when what is readily available/affordable/interesting becomes a street trend and takes on a life of its own. Please refer to Malcolm Gladwell's fantastic book The Tipping Point for incredible examples of trend and epidemic. He discusses the rise and fall of the Doc Martin trend that will make you see life as a consumer in a whole new light.

Ikat! U-kat! We All Kat for Ikat!

This chair is really wonderful...and wait until I tell you the details! 1. It is from Urban Outfitters online.

2. It is available in four Ikat color combinations total.

3. The delivery charge on it is only an additional $35.

4. The chair is a mere $325!

I really want two of these for my undecorated apartment in Brooklyn. It would be a good start. I'm on the fence because of a slight space issue. Right now if I cannot sleep on it and/or the item does not store something (like oversized sweaters!) it might have to be added to the ongoing "if only" list.

A Texturally Soft Grrrr

Bear rug. Knitted (brilliant). With fangs, also knitted (brilliant and not scary). This is exactly the kind of whimsy I admire the most. I got this off of an email blast, so I don't know who did it, or who owns it. But it is really funny and deserves a little share and a shout out.

Flash Me (Part Deux)

I love lightening. It's beautiful, and the phenomenon is amazing.

(I am also afraid of it although there is some kind of adrenaline high you get during a good boomer) This is just a cool picture...that makes me want to see a good waterfront storm blow around. Happy Spring.

I'm Late! I'm Late!

The new Alice In Wonderland movie has been out for over a month now (I still haven't seen it), and I just discovered this Tom Binns for Disney Couture necklace inspired by the movie. This necklace is a "couture" piece, priced over $1,000 and available I'm-not-sure-where. There are other more affordable and slightly more mainstream Alice jewelry options by Tom Binns available under $250.

I would love to wear this to the tea party I am attending next week. Is there time to assemble such a collection? I may end up teetering on the fashion risk wire and wearing a broken teacup around my neck on a chain.