my pre-fall 2012 faves so far...

Am not really a dainty-bow kind of gal. But I love how Burberry Prorsum makes these bow-belts so tough and edgy! I am also loving the collar of that beige top on the left and that pretty light mustard dress!

Am smitten with these prints as well...

And the stripes in these... Especially the flattering v-lines on the Missoni dress! And in case you can't find the stripes in the Band of Outsiders ensemble, they're on her pants' cuffs!

Am also drawn to the band details in these pieces...

What about you? Any Pre-Fall 2012 faves?

Photos from vogue. 

my pretend closet: j.crew maritime dress

This Maritime Dress from J.Crew's Spring Catalog makes a repeat appearance in their Midsummer Must-Haves. So I thought of trying to dress it up for the workweek and the weekend...

A Parisian look for the boardroom. Structure, leather and heels to make the summer dress office-appropriate. Relaxed but polished pieces for an elegant weekend.

Among my favorite pieces are the:

• Reed Krakoff Wide Vermeil Cuff - Reed calls this rectangular hinged bangle "modern geometry". I never thought Math could be this stunning.
• Jennifer Meyer's Initial Pendants - Katie Holmes has been spotted with a diamond disc pendant with an "S" for "Suri". It's so sweet for a mother to wear her kids' initials around her neck. They're $1,500 a piece so it's a good thing I only have 2 kids. Haha!
• DVF Linen Wedges - Am in love with the sculptural heel, the dark wood of it against the linen straps!
• Etch-A-Sketch iPad Case - I don't even have an iPad. But this fun case is actually making me consider buying one.
• Reed Krakoff bags - I love the black nickel hardware of these bags, the mixed materials of the new Boxers and the gym bags in Techno Green or Peacock Blue.
• Reed Krakoff Navigator Shades - "A strong design is balanced by the ethereal quality of translucent frames." This is how Reed describes these sunglasses. And in this ivory color? How can one resist that?
• I also like the Michael Kors Knotted Belts and the Isharya Luna Drucy Agate Necklace.

My pretend-mall has the following shops (read: where the photos are from): J.Crew, Net-A-Porter, Reed Krakoff, thisnext, thefind and getahead.

What about you? What's in your pretend closet?

edges with an edge

It's all in the details... If I remember my Home Economics Sewing class correctly, the details I am loving in these pieces from various Resort 2012 collections are called "piping" or "bias". I know. When I put it that way, it loses the sophistication which I am actually attracted to in these pieces. Crude as they may be called, the basic sewing tool of a "bias tape" lends an elegant finish. Truly, they provide the edges - whether they be on a neckline, or the waistband or the opening of a coat - a sophisticated edge.

I personally love this floral Tory Burch dress, this Chanel cover-up and this long Reed Krakoff dress with a red cord-belt matching the "piping" at the neckline.

What about you? Are you biased to any of the bias-details here? :)

Photos from Vogue. Layouts by moi.