Does it get cooler than this?

Um...it couldn't possibly. Love me some Giuseppe Zanotti!

Dress: Herve Leger, www.intermixonline.com
I am thinking this shoe would be the perfect compliment to the LBD...

Dress: Lela Rose, www.shopbop.com ...and the exactly right antidote to a frilly dress.

What do you think, my lovely readers? I say yes please!

what feels right for night

The sexy top/jeans combo no longer feels fresh to me. Perhaps it's because this was the standard uniform all through college and maybe, just maybe because the post college bar scene is a sea of sexy (and also not so sexy) tops and jeans as well. I. Have. Had. Enough!

What feels right to me now? I kept the silhouette the same...skinny on the bottom, a bit loose on top, and high high high heels...but switched it up a bit. Super skinny black pants, a ravaged t- shirt (my favorites are from Elizabeth and James www.shopbop.com/ElizabethandJames and Nation http://www.revolveclothing.com/ ) some unexpected jewelry (high/low combo of vintage costume and my mom's old gold chains that are all tangled up in an accidentally imperfect/perfect way) great shoes (tonight's are going to my YSL wooden platforms that I got in Paris http://www.ysl.com/ ), and my go to bag for evening.

I'd like to chat about the bag for a moment, readers, if you don't mind. I bought my Balenciaga motorcycle bag http://www.balenciaga.com/ 4 years ago and it is still my favorite. I swear, it instantly makes whatever I have on just a bit more cool. I am not a biker chick...but I long to be. I named my dog Harley after all! This bag- though oversold and if I'm being honest with myself, more than a bit over trend wise and I carry it with no sense of irony- just makes me feel good. Four years later it is perfectly beat up. It keeps getting better with age. If you took one look at it, you'd know it's been , lived in and has some stories to tell. Very biker chick if I do say so myself. I will wear this bag until it falls apart, and even then I'll probably replace it and wear it daily until it gets just right again. I love it that much.

If you are looking for a fresh take on this bag, look no further than Balenciaga's arena bracelet. It's hard to find ever since being featured in my bible, Harper's Bazaar http://www.harpersbazaar.com/, so I suggest getting on the wait list fast. Just promise me you won't wear the bracelet and bag at the same time!

lollapaloser

the back-up dress

my carefully planned out outfit

what I actually wore, which wasn't so bad, just not great

It was not easy getting dressed for Lollapalooza. I did my music fest fashion research, studying http://www.whowhatwear.com/ and http://www.themidwasteland.com/ trying to get the look exactly right. I wanted that laid back, cool girl/hipster vibe (not my usual fashion orientation, but that's another topic for another day) and I finally got it exactly right. Unfortunately it all went out the window when I stepped outside. Scorching heat and humidity drove me to dress for comfort (ugh...the worst!) and OK...I'm not being exactly truthful here. Here is what really happened...

I left the house wearing an adorable Karina Grimaldi jumper http://www.intermixonline.com/ with my Gucci fanny pack (circa Sex and the City, season 4 thank you very much!) and my signature Ray Ban gold aviators http://www.rayban.com/. I ignored the heat and decided that I would suffer through it. I picked up my Starbucks (grande black iced tea with 3 splendas, thank you!) and walked over to my parents to meet my little brother, Matt (That's him in the straw fedora!). I figured we'd be on our way. Not so much. I was greeted at the door by my father and instead of a "hello", all I got was laughter. The same response from my mother...and then I was told by Matthew that he would not be seen with me dressed like that. Though all agreed that I looked adorable under normal circumstances, (I have gotten very positive feedback from my jumper. Plus, it is the only amendment to my no shorts policy) I looked ridiculous. I was so bummed...so offended...so flustered because I literally own nothing that would have been appropriate for sitting in the grass on a 90+ degree day while drinking beer. Not my style. I don't own a single pair of shorts (again, I have a strict policy against them) and it was kind of windy for my backup outfit (yes I planned a backup outfit). What was I supposed to do? I'll tell you, darling readers.

I took a pair of scissors to leggings and made bike shorts, topped it with a grey tunic that I hadn't figured out how to wear yet (it's a bit casual for my every day taste) and threw on a cute pair of gladiator sandals. I ended up fairly happy with what I wore, and my brother deemed it appropriate and said he would sit with me.

To read more on my day at Lollapalooza, head on over to Josh Feld's, my fellow blogger, site http://feldthoughts.blogspot.com/2009/08/lolla-recap.html where he conicals our experience and my run in with a hippy chick who didn't grasp the concept of personal space.

je t'aime

It's been over a year and I still obsess over my ultimate fashion moment. That moment is, of course, my wedding. No one in the history of brides loves her wedding more than I did, and do. My dress, my shoes, my flowers, the MOH, and of course, the hubby...all fabulous!

Paul knows me so well. My engagement ring (above) was perfect. He got it exactly right. It's vintage art deco (belonged to my great grandmother's) and has a whole history behind it, which I love. To keep it from looking too sweet, I almost always wear dark polish (Lincoln Park After Dark, please!). Finding a wedding band was tricky, so I went to my favorite fashion outpost, Barney's, http://www.barneys.com/ and found a tiny diamond band that didn't exactly match but totally worked. I never leave the house without my rings.

I wore none other than the amazing Monique Lhuillier http://www.moniquelhuillier.com/ and the most glittery pair of LBs http://www.christianlouboutin.com/. They were my first Louboutins and I was really just looking for an excuse to buy an insanely expensive pair of shoes. The purchase started an unfortunate (fortunate?) desire for pricey footwear and my collection has grown exponentially. I'll do a whole shoe blog soon...don't worry!

The MOH, my incredibly chic auntie wore Riser Goodwyn http://www.risergoodwyn.com/. I mean, how cool is she? She is my shopping soul mate and we are very bad influences on eachother!

Oh, and of course then there is Paul, my husband and best friend. Despite how we look in our picture, we are not, in the least bit, a lovey-dovey couple. Paul and I are about as sarcastic as people can get with out being off-putting (though sometimes we cross that line too), but when I look at our weding pictures it makes me fall in love all over again. I am talking, of course, about my shoes.

Hi...

I started this blog as an outlet for my pent up fashion aggression. When I got married last year (more on that later) I was hit with the harsh reality of adult responsibility. My paycheck no longer went directly to Barney's www.barneys.com instead, it went toward things like my mortgage, my car payments, and groceries. Oh, and med school tuition. It just so happened that I married an adorable, handsome, funny, and brilliant wannabe doctor. This also meant that I was the only one getting a paycheck, so I had to make it count.

I had always worked in fashion and am a writer by trade, but shopgirl about town at some of the most amazing stores in Chicago, fabulous as it is, does not pay the bills quite like some other jobs. And let us not lament over the woes of a starving artist. Writing short stories was out of the question as well. And so I had to make a decision. Work in fashion, or buy it. Dear readers, I chose to sell out and make enough cash so I could shop. And while I love love love my job, I miss the every day chatter about all things fab, chic, and fashionable. And so here we are. My blog.

I'll be discussing all things fashion. What I wear, what I want to buy, my latest obsessions, amazing street style, beauty, where I shop, and so on.

Dedicated to the love of my life, Paul. And of course, Harley, for whom my blog is named for.