Sheepishfashionista's Blog

What I Really Want Right Now: The Sheepish Top-Five Countdown

20 May 2012 2 Comments

by sheepishfashionistain boots, Denim, literature, outerwear, pants, Sandals, tops, Uncategorized

So I know I said I’d be writing about blazers next. But as it turns out something came up: namely, that I don’t want to. What I really seem to want to write about is the larger picture–all the things I’ve been obsessing over as my thoughts turn to Spring and Spring clothes. A good blazer or spring jacket is one of them–even though I tend to have a bit of a leery relationship with this particular wardrobe staple. For one thing, it brings back highly uncomfortable memories of job interviews in the 90′s, and then even less comfortable memories of actually working those jobs in the 90′s.

[AGHHHHHHH!]

Over the past couple of years, though, I’ve started to give blazers another chance. After all, you don’t have to pair them with paperweight clip-ons, David Byrne shoulder pads and Sheila E. hair.  When topping a flowy dress or printed shorts or jeans they have a sort of sleek sophistication that can be downright cool–which is why they also top off my shortlist of summer essentials…

1. A Cool Summer Blazer.

My latest obsession has been the denim blazer; something I wasn’t even aware I coveted until I spotted this one at Urban Outfitters and had raced it over to the cashiers’ register almost before I registered what I was doing.

[Sparkle and Fade Oversized Denim Blazer, $59 down from $79]

Suh-weet, right? And best of all, no job required. I also find myself gravitating towards the “ladylike jacket”–even though (and let’s be honest here, folks) I ain’t no lady writer. I fell in love with this one from Zara–

 –though I can’t seem to find it in my size anywhere (free Cosmo to anyone who can score it in a Small for me!). Also intriguing–and seemingly on display everywhere in Paris right now (did I mention I’m in Paris? Oh–guess what? I’m in Paris!)–is the floral print blazer–another item I didn’t know I was coveting until I began frantically sifting through them on Shopstyle. Here’s another UO option–conveniently on sale at the moment:

[Kimchi Blue Floral Jacket, $49.99 down from $79 (use code SPRINGIT for extra 10% off!)]

I also love the bold colors on this one by Stones:

[Stones Risch Jacket, $149 (but use TULIP for 10% off at Revolve.com)]

…though I’m a little concerned about the shoulder pads.

So that’s one Spring/Summer obsession down, folks. What are the other four? Read on…

2. The Transition Spring/Summer Dress

This has probably been the category getting the most time-wasting web-surfing attention from me over the past weeks. I think it’s largely about projection–I see a pretty Spring dress, and I imagine waltzing down the Brooklyn sidewalks in balmy sunshine and fantastic shoes that don’t hurt. In reality, I’m trudging along in this crazy 40-60-degree neither-winter-nor-spring weather, in jeans, a sweater and a coat. (For the record, I’m in Paris this week and it’s actually worse weather-wise, if you can believe it. But it’s Paris, so of course we forgive it…) Of course, there is no tangible proof that buying a ton of fluttery, sun-loving dresses will actually improve this half-assed climate. But hell, it’s worth a try, right?

[Bellatrix Chiffon Halter, $98]

[L.A. Made Cape Cod Mini, $79 down from $99]

[Tolani "Anna" Tunic Dress, $140 (use code TULIP for 10% off!)]

3. The Comfy but Not-Butt-Ugly Sandal.

As prior posts have indicated, this is becoming an increasingly tough call for me. Truth is, I love heels. I love the way they make me feel in every way except for, well, the pain part. But after six years of gloriously and impractically tripping around Cobble Hill in 3+ wedges and chunkies, I have finally realized that it’s just not happening for me anymore. That said, I am simply unable to give up on the height thing. The solution?

Ta da! The …. flatform! [In this case the Pour La Victoire Noelle Suede Flatform Sandal, $250]

Sheepish confession: I have a slightly dodge relationship with this shoe genre as well, though not as dodgy as my blazer relationships have been. Are they clunky? Yeah. Soul-Trainy? A little. Mobster cement-shoes-y? Well, yeah. But at the same time they give a girl the lift that she’s craving and don’t put so much pressure on her poor battered bunions that she’s popping Alleve just to get to primary school pickup.

[Not me. But clearly just as much in pain....]

Here are a few more cute options in the high-but-flat department:

[Joe's "Trixie" Flatform, on sale now for $69]

[Steven "Berklee" Espadrille, $150]

Another way to go for height without pain? Dansko. Not the clunky Teutonic man-shoes we generally see on nurses and unwashed vegans, but one of their newer, hipper, infinitely more elegant options:

[Dansko "Randi" Sandal, $145]

They are far cuter than they appear in this picture, incidentally. And they are as comfortable as, well…Danskos. Maybe even the kind this dude is wearing, somewhere below the frame…

Actually, this dude is probably wearing Birkenstocks–which I’m also considering buying in bulk since my friend Amy (yo! Amy!) swears to me that her foot doctor says they are better than going barefoot for your feet. Another good-for-you option I’ve recently re-thunk? Orthopedic granny shoes, also from Germany.

[Worishofer Slip-on Sandal, $60]

These began showing up in my super-hip Brooklyn ‘hood a couple of years ago, and I remember looking at them a little quizzically at the time. After all, they really do look like granny shoes, if exceptionally cool ones. With my newfound attention to comfort and heel-height kicking in this Spring, though, I decided to give them a try and ordered them in leopard from Endless. Cute? Actually, yes. At least, in Brooklyn. I was enthused enough to bring them to Paris, where my tres chic Parisian friend Andrea politely coughed and looked away. (Just you wait, my pretty! They’ll get you too!)

So–fashionable? Not so much, maybe. But comfortable? O.M.G.!!  I couldn’t get over how, well, good they feel–even better in some ways than my Birks. Then I did a little research and thought, well, duh. Apparently these are not only worn by grannies but actually made for them–and in particular, for grannies with bunions the size of onions, of which there would appear to be a sizable number in Germany. So they were literally made for feet just like mine. And for the price you can buy the whole granny-lovin’ rainbow and still spend less than you would on a single pair of Manahlos. Though granted you may not get the same attention. Or at least, not from the same age-group…

4. The Crop Pant. 

I am normally not much of a Capri sort of person–unless you are talking about the actual island, upon which I could live en perpetuity. 

But I have found my fancy caught by the new “crop” (so to speak) of looser, cuffed trousers I’ve seen sallying up and down Court Street–particularly when paired with, say, a cool blazer, wedge sandals and the perfect white tee (see item number 5). Here’s a pair I tried on in fave nabe boutique Neda and–improbably though it had seemed to me at first–promptly fell in love with:

[Level 99 Carpenter Crop pant, $100]

I have a healthy wariness of linen–along with “sensible” shoes and coral nail polish, it sort of signals “matron” to me. But these also make me think about drinking red vermouth in an outdoor cafe somewhere off the Amalfi coast–laid back without being sloppy. PLUS, Neda owner and genius shopper Kate/Neda herself told me that the runways are showing cropped pants well into the fall—with ankle boots.

[Intriguing, no? I wonder if those boots are orthopedic.]

I’m also kind of jonesing for these in a smooth, fitted khaki–something that Ann Taylor (of all places) seems to be offering up. Sheepish confession: while I often love the idea of clothes at Ann Taylor (not to mention the prices) the actual pieces can also make me feel a little grandmotherly at times. But I’m willing to give these babies a try–they at least look sleek and cool:

[Modern Crop Polished Pant, on sale for $49.99]

[Citizens of Humanity Thompson cropped jeans, $200. Note the ladylike jacket.]

 5. The Perfect White Tee

One of the most elusive, white-stag elements of the fashion world–at least for me–has also proven to be the most fundamental: the perfect white tee. Which is weird, because it should be a no-brainer, right? There are about a  zillion brands of ‘em, and they all more or less look the same. Or at least, so you think–until you start trying to wear them and find that within that pale and cottony realm there lies a spectrum of fits, drapes and comfort that is downright, well, diverse. But for me, it’s important to get it right–because like jeans, this is an item you wear every day (or nearly so), that forms the foundation of whatever outfit you’re putting together. So if it’s a weak link, the whole damn ensemble is going to feel less polished–at least to the person who is wearing it. Which is why, while I used to buy Old Navy and Gap tees by the pound (and think meh when I saw myself in them) I’ve gradually migrated towards more specialized–and rather pricier–brands. Are you spending two, three or even four times the amount? Yes. But for something you’re going to be wearing all the time I think it’s actually worth it to invest in the quality–so that even if you take off that cool ladylike jacket, you still look and feel full-dressed.

[Unlike Kate Winslet here. For Queen of the World, you'd think she'd have more clothes on...]

So here are a few tees that I’ve culled from the pillowy white pack, though (as always) if you’ve got a find on this front I’d love to hear about it. These, incidentally, are all from a virtual mecca of tee wonderfulness that I visit in the East Village but which is also available online at Tee-zone.com–plus, over the next five days you can get 20% off if you use the code SPRING20. How great is that?

[James Perse Cap-Sleeve Tee, $50 after code]

[Splendid vintage whisper tee, $41 after discount]

[Michael Stars Raw-Edged Tee, $40 after code]

That’s not to say that you won’t find a decent white tee under $40 if you really look. This, for instance, popped up on the Mango website and looks very nice–and it’s only $15.99 (down from $24.99):

Looks nice, right? But again, you’d have to try it….and at this point, having spent so damn much on orthopedic shoes and overpriced tees I actually can’t afford to. If you can, get back to me on it, will you?

Getting on a plane shortly to return (sigh) to the land of hipsters and granny shoes that are actually considered hip. I’ll leave you with a book that seems somewhat appropriate, given aforesaid overspending on corrective footwear and James Perse:

As I’ve noted in past posts, I love this book-not just because of its flawless multi-POV approach and skillful evocation of the World War II era in Europe, but also, simply, because the writing is so gorgeous it makes me sigh. Definitely worth a read if you haven’t yet–or if you simply need an excuse to get off your aching feet.

That’s it–look out for a Paris-inspired post next on scarves and how to wear them. (Seriously. Everyone here does. Everyone.) In the meantime, happy Spring shopping and reading!

On Tiny Fancies, Boys Without Men and Motherhood In the Trenches: An Interview with Gryphon New York’s Aimee Cho

04 May 2012 No Comments

by sheepishfashionistain beauty, literature, outerwear, pants, Sandals, Uncategorized Tags: Adele Enerson, Aimee Cho, Gryphon New York, Jeffrey Steingarten, Peggy Drexler, Sacai

Last week, Spring also had me thinking of detectives–in particular, girl detectives. This was probably because my daughter–who was locked out without her coat, and (I guess) chilly–decided to pick our front door lock with a paperclip, a little experiment in sleuthing that ended up costing us about as much as a Burberry classic to replace. (No more Nancy Drew for you, Missy!)

The thing about trenchcoats though–what makes them both so ineffably alluring and yet also intimidating as a wardrobe element–is that it can be surprisingly hard to find one that feels, well, you. I mean, the real, individual you. Not the you trying to be an international spy, or Kate Moss, or  Ingrid Bergman at the airport.

The truth is, for all its utilitarian simplicity the trenchcoat can be a very hard piece to individualize–at least in the way one might individualize, say, a pair of jeans or a classic LBD. Which is why when I stumbled on pioneering trench design firm Gryphon New York a few years back, I did a joyful double-take. “Now that,” I thought, “is an interesting trench.“ 

[From Gryphon's 2010 Spring line]

What makes this New York brand’s pieces (they also design dresses, skirts, blouses, you name it) so exceptional is the balance founding designer and former Vogue fashion writer Aimee Cho strikes between classic and cutting edge. It’s a tricky line between ho-hum and waaaaay overdoing it, but she navigates it gorgeously, design after design and season after season. Behold:

[From their 2011 Spring line]

[From their 2012 line]

 [Ditto]

I had the privilege of interacting with Aimee over a question I had on one of my Gryphons and–on the off-chance that a powerhouse designer and new mom might actually have a moment for a somewhat peripheral fashion/fiction blog like Sheepish–asked her if she’d be open to an interview. And guess what? To my utter delight she was. Not only that, but she got her answers back to me just as quickly and smoothly as she had answered my trench question–and as she continues to do with her amazing designs. The latter  you can peruse on the Gryphon website,   or in person at high-end retailers like Intermix, Bergdorf Goodman’s and Saks Fifth Avenue, as well as online at Shopbop.com. For her thoughts on designing, reading and life in general, read on!

 [Aimee Cho]

***

SF:  How would you describe your personal style? How about your reading style?

AC: I would describe my personal style right now as a little lazy. I had a baby 3 months ago and my body has completely changed in ways I didn’t expect. I am much smaller now than I was before becoming pregnant which is nothing to complain about, but I think it’s from breast-feeding so will probably be a temporary phenomenon. Because it will most likely be temporary. I don’t want to spend any money on new clothes. I’ve been trying to make do with Gryphon samples and a small useable section of my closet…. leading to some lazy decisions (i.e., wearing the same thing pretty much everyday). My reading style is also fairly lazy. I think since starting Gryphon 6 years ago I can count the number of books I have read on two hands. That was embarrassing to admit, but I only imagine that adding a baby to the mix will further decrease the rate at which I consume books.

[Sheepish aside: This is not actually Aimee's baby--and (presumably) also not the book she is not reading because of him. But it seemed to sum up the dilemma of Literate New Moms Everywhere rather nicely. Plus, it also gives me an excuse to throw in some of these absolutely fantastic art shots by fellow New Mom Adele Enerson, who actually turned her infant's nap-time into a book--When My Baby Dreams--by creating these super-cute and smart pics around his slumber:]

[Sorry--I know that was a divergence. But can I just say how much I love these?]

 SF: Who is your favorite author? Designer?

AC: My favorite writers are David Sedaris and Jeffrey Steingarten – for their humor and sense of the absurd and eye for details.

AC: My favorite designer is Chitose Abe of Sacai.

[Chitose Abe]

[From her SS/'12 line for Sacai]

SF: What books are on your nightstand?

AC: Solve Your Child’s Sleep Problems by Dr. Richard Ferber [Sheepish aside: Oh, I remember that one!] and Raising Boys without Men by Peggy Drexler. My husband thinks the second book is a red flag for him, but I’m interested in the question/concept, not the application.

SF: What beauty products are on your bureau/medicine cabinet?

AC: SK-II cellumination cream, SK-II facial treatment essence, Shu Uemura eyelash curler.

[Honestly? This is one of my "desert island" Big Three. Can. Not. Live. Without.]

 SF: If you could think of a character who might wear your styles, who would it be? Why?

AC:  Thumbelina – because she’s tiny and fanciful.

[Thumbelina, as imagined by Illustration by Vilhelm Pedersen,
creator Hans Christian Andersen's first illustrator ]

 SF: If you could take just one book, one accessory and one clothing item to a desert island, what would they each be?

AC: Probably a survival guide of some kind to teach me how to live on the desert island, a parasol to block the sun and a large tie-dyed length of cloth that I could fashion into a dress, sarong or blanket depending on my needs.

[Tie-die sarong at Etsy, $26. Love these colors!]

SF: What do you wear when you’re making your creations?

AC: Whatever I happened to put on that morning – usually something comfortable, flat shoes, 2 to 3 elements of Gryphon with a minimum of 1 piece.

[One option: Gryphon silk pajama pants and pocket tee, both at Saks. Honestly? The pants made my heart skip a beat. I may actually have to get them.]

SF: What’s your next big fashion purchase? Next literary purchase?

AC: Fashion – Hopefully a magical, new Spring shoe that will make my lazy sartorial choices look new again.

[Sergio Rossi Flower Embroidered Sandal, $1030]

AC: Literary – an iPad 3 for the iBooks reader!

SF: What’s your go-to distraction (online or off) when you have creative block or are just feeling lazy?

AC: Playing with my son!

[Sheepish Aside: I presume she doesn't mean playing like this. Sorry--I can't help it. I love these pics!]

SF: What are you working on now?

AC: We are in production fittings and line finalization for Fall 2012. We are in development fittings for Holiday 2012 and Pre-Spring 2013.  And we are also in fabric planning and initial design development for Spring 2013.

SF: Can’t wait!

[FIN]

So there you have it: words of wisdom from Gryphon New York mastermind Aimee Cho. Such amazing work–and such a true honor to have her on the blog. Thank you Aimee! Now, on to the next Sheepish task…which means, at the moment, reading a whole lot of ghost stories in preparation for the next book. Which–yes, you guessed it–will be a ghost novel. But a literary one. I’ll be back in a few with a piece on The New Blazer (not sure I even know what that is, but having spent all this time on trench coats I’m inspired to find out!). In the meantime, button up your trenchcoat–and stay Sheepish

On Post-Paragraph-artum Depression, Totally Addictive Butterflies and The Sharpest Necklace Your Novel Will Ever Wear

18 Apr 2012 2 Comments

by sheepishfashionistain bags, jewelry /accessories, literature, Uncategorized Tags: Angela Davis-Gardner, Butterfly's Child, Commita, Game of Thrones, Gryphon NYC, Hunger Games, jennifer egan, Joyce, Olympia Le-Tan, Puccini, The Orphan Master's Son

So I am amiss—dreadfully, terribly amiss. I know this, and apologize–I have spent the past two weeks in a whirlwind state of travel and re-entry, not to mention learning to live life without the back-bending and yet somehow stimulating and addictive pressure of a literary deadline. It’s oddly hard. I will say that the oft-made comparisons between finishing a novel and birthing a child, both of which I have done twice now, are not all that much off the mark. Particularly in the last trimester or thereabouts, which one tends to spend dreaming about how great and light life is going to be once this damn thing is OUT of you.

Here’s the surprise–it doesn’t really work that way. Yes, for the first week or so of post-delivery I was thrilled–both novel-wise and baby-wise, though with the babies I was also crazy sleep-deprived and highly depressed about my weight. But after that there’s a kind of letdown. Obviously, in the case of a baby its hormonal and (by necessity) lacteal. In the case of the book, though, it’s more just a kind of blankness. I find myself wandering around a lot, online, in the street, and (most disturbingly) within the dark and unorganized recesses of my apartment, which is now approximately six months behind in terms of cleaning and laundry and which, now that I’ve got no excuse not to do it all, I’m somehow even less inclined to address. I’ve done a rather unhealthy amount of shopping, which I feel slightly less-badly about since my beloved Norwegians not only gave me a very nice royalty check from my last novel’s sales but a very flattering advance on this most recent book, which they are now apparently translating at the speed of White Night light in order to get the book to press by September. (Which, by the way, beats the American version by six months!!!)

[Norwegian fjord. Oh--did I mention that they want me to go there for the publication?  I don't quite understand why, by the way, the Norwegians are so madly in love with my work while certain other countries (I'm lookin' at you, France) don't want it anywhere near them, though I suspect it might have to do with the fact that Norway is not only a very small place but dark and cold a lot, which makes reading (and apparently drinking) rank pretty highly on the list of national pastimes]

One of the other things I’ve done, besides wandering around blankly, making inane and tired comparisons between gestation and publication and spending money on things I may possibly regret next month (for more on this phenomenon read ex-Gawker editor/blogger Emily Gould’s hysterical piece about impulsive post-book-advance clothing splurges) I’ve been reading. A lot. I’m about halfway through The Orphan Master’s Son, which I’m still loving, and recently re-read Lambling Number One’s last work about a middle-schooler whose mother dies in a plane crash, after which her father turns into a grief-stricken alcoholic who makes her clean the house all day, until finally the poor child hurls herself off the Brooklyn Bridge. (“What do you think?” she asked, when I’d finished. “Ah–it’s very….powerful.” Pause. “Honey, is there anything you want to talk to me about?”). Oh, and I’m still trying to finish off the second novel in the Game of Thrones trilogy, as well as the second novel in the Hunger Games trilogy–both of which are  interesting enough but–to be honest–rather less compelling than either of their predecessors. A good friend noted to me recently that this is a common predicament with trilogies in general–a sort of microcosmic “sophomore slump” that seems hard to avoid when you’re writing things in threes. Sheepish thoughts on this, anyone?

On the recommendation of Jennifer Egan, though, I also picked up an amazing historical novel called Butterfly’s Child. Not this one:

….though it certainly looks interesting enough (per Goodreads: While back in the West to attend his grandmother’s funeral, Cord Bridger uncovers two shocking revelations: his grandmother had a lesbian lover named Juanita; and he has a teenaged son named Kalin. Fate brings all three together, but to preserve his new family, Cord must leave his safe life in New York City behind to carve a living from the harsh ranch lands of Nevada.)

Rather, this one:

…and like almost everyone else who seems to have read this have have promptly fallen in love yet again. Like, really in love. Like, Mr. Sheepish grumbling IT’S MIDNIGHT FOR CHRIST’S SAKE TURN OUT YOUR LIGHT in love. For the record, I do love you, Mr. Sheepish. But part of what I love about Davis-Gardner’s novel–part of what’s keeping the both of us awake into the night–is it’s fascinating premise. Set in the late 1800′s, it picks up the storyline of Puccini’s opera Madame Butterfly from the moment Cio-Ci0-san discovers that her American lover, (presumed) husband and father of her child has come back to Japan with an American wife in tow.

[Obviously, she's not very pleased with the situation.]

Following her hauntingly melodic demise, Pinkerton takes their son back to the American midwest to raise him there, as Cio-Cio had planned and requested. This is where Davis-Gardner picks up, exploring (in language as lovely, subtle and lyrical as Puccini’s music) what life is like for the half-Japanese boy in the rural Midwest, as well as for his traumatized and heavy-drinking father and long-suffering, highly “delicate” step-mother. I fully agree with all the reviews that it’s not fair to let slip any of the amazing plot-twists and turns that follow, so I won’t. I will simply echo their suggestion that you read it, right away. Please.

In closing–and in a rather unprecedented format-inversion–I’ll end on the fashion side today. Sort of. Given all my thoughts and immersions in books of late, I was intrigued when one of the fashion blog sites I subscribe to pointed out this fascinating Italian company (serendipitous, no?), Commita, that sells these gorgeous bookmarks-cum-necklaces on Etsy. Check this out:

The Conmita Bookmark/Necklace (around $80).  Now it’s a bookmark….

….and now it’s a necklace!

 The company also makes quite impressive non-necklacey bookmarks, like this dramatic number:

No alternative fashion use suggested, though I’m thinking you could stick it in your elaborate chignon and look rather Cio-Cio-san-ish.

The idea of fashion-accessory-as-book-accessory also reminded me of the other lit-and-fiction pick that caught my interest last year: a high-end collection of purses disguised as novels. No, really.  They’re made by Olympia Le-Tan. And while they’re kinda a bundle (even by my standards) I have my eye on them for when and if the French finally cave and buy my goddamn books….

…Oh, and this one, which is rather sadly sold out as of now: