Merry Christmas!

My sister and I have decided that online shopping on Christmas day is a family tradition for us.

Santa and the pretty model on the ASOS website also wish you a happy holidays.

Sonia Rykiel pour H&M, 51st & 5th, New York City

Wasn't in the store when the collection actually launched, but the place had already decked the windows and spruced up the interior with collection propaganda (in place of the previous Jimmy Choo for H&M megaposters). Love Lara Stone and Caroline Trentini. Perfection.

New York City, Impromptu Visit, #2

Was able to make my way back into the city again last week...my visit was limited to Midtown, but honestly, I'll take Times Square and Rockefeller Center any day of the week over what's normally available to me...

I sat myself down at one end of Times Square and decided to just stare...

Target's perennial billboards, always with Times Square specific ads (as far as I can tell, and have seen)...

...oh hey there, Jamie Dornan, you're looking mighty fine tonight/always...

..."these lights will inspire you"...

Rockefeller tree finally unveiled...it'd still been a work in process during my last visit...just looking around at the crowds that flocked up to the tree for a picture...some nations/faiths look towards Mecca...WE have the Rockefeller tree...

And lastly...it was snowing over at Saks...

Nicholas Hoult in A Single Man

Anybody as excited for the release of our generation's film adaptation of Christopher Isherwood's A Single Man, written (screenplay) and directed by Tom Ford? The Tom Ford name alone is reason enough to watch. But, I think I might be especially waiting with baited breath because of this buddy above, Nicholas Hoult. Remember him? Painfully tragic-looking boy from About A Boy? He's turned beautiful now. Such big blue eyes. God works in mysterious ways.

The film premiers in New York this coming Friday (December 11), and it looks like that's the only city that shows up on ticket searches, so sadly, I'm either going to have to wait for it to arrive elsewhere closer to home, or just wait for the DVD release altogether.

Lily Cole for Sonia Rykiel pour H&M au Grand Palais

Anybody watch the Sonia Rykiel for H&M fashion show? It's completely over the top from setting (le Grand Palais!) to the decorations (themed around a mini-replica of Paris complete with la Tour Eiffel). And different from a traditional runway show, the models were featured on floats that drove down the "Champs-Elysees." I recognized Lily Cole immediately...fierce and fearless reinsman. Hot.

Anybody recognize any other faces?

If you haven't watched the vid, then I highly recommend -- it makes the annual Victoria's Secret Fashion Show look like utter crap.

Banana Republic Holiday Ad Campaign

I don't shop at BR. Somebody please shoot me when I do. Nothing to me spells faux-taste in a can more than this chain. I repeat, one does not all of a gain the privilege of having personal style just by shopping these racks.

Ok, rant aside, I must concede, given BR is run by a parent company with good taste in casting models, I couldn't help but snap this shot from their current holiday windows.

Who is this man?!! He's been around for ages, I think I first laid eyes upon him while flipping through an old A&F Quarterly (remember those?), back when it was still fresh and new, and then he's done some modeling for Ralph Lauren, I'm pretty sure. I'm still digging for a name, but let me know if you can ID him before I do! What a beautiful blonde.

HAPPY DECEMBER!

Maison Martin Margiela Wig Jacket

My sister: "It looks like Cousin It."

I say this is what the word "fabulous" would look like if it were a noun.

Currently for sale in a size 2 on YOOX... Can I fit into a women's size 2?

Leonello Borghi on GILT

Over the seasons, I've found it to be true that the Leonello Borghi line of men's bags are a Barneys staple/favorite. I'm embarrassed to say that I've never really given them much thought as I've browsed through (a big part of that being that they are so priceeeeeey). However, when I saw the line up for sale on GILT.com today, I couldn't help but take a second look at the fur tote above. Fur accessories for men are too lacking (especially on my budget...maybe that can change once I upgrade?).

Behold the Narcissus Silver Fox Fur Tote. That's quite a price slash -- $798 down from $2165, but still way too out of my price range. I'm so sad that I'm so poor :(

GILT also offers this Mercurio Rooster Feather Tote. $528 down from $1480. Feather accessories for men are too lacking.

I love the watersnake detailing on both bags. Snakeskin accessories for men are too lacking.

Everyone and their mother should have one by now, I feel kinda silly for puting this up, but in the event you're looking for a GILT invite, click HERE.

image source

Cyber Monday at Patricia Field and Billy Reid

I think it was last year on Racked that I first heard of this notion of a Cyber Monday. Am I late to the game? Go ahead, mock me... From what I remember, the idea was to replicate the after-Thanksgiving Black Friday phenomenon but this time around, strictly in the world of e-commerce. I also believe I read that promos tended to stay limited to electronics and the like. However, tonite, while emptying my inbox, I found emails advertising Cyber Monday deals at Patricia Field and Billy Reid.

For those of you online "window shoppers" like yours truly, you may have known Pat Field had a 20% everything promo going on over the weekend. If you've paged through my blog in the past, you'll also have known I've had my eye on her macho man thermal leggings since I first saw them up online.

Over the weekend, I'd been on the edge of truly hitting the purchase button -- the thermals were there in my shopping cart the whole time, but shipping (always a sobering presence, wouldn't you say?) kept me from going through with it each time I tried...I finally decided I would come back to it at the last minute possible (Sunday, midnight, EST)...or so I thought at the time... As with all things that I set aside for later, I ended up forgetting to go back and complete the transaction...I was feeling kind of sad for missing out, and stupid for feeling so cheap over S&H... So imagine my surprise and elation when I saw this Cyber Monday 30% off deal had made it worth the wait and procrastination! Even with shipping, the total comes to less than the original price point. It's the little things in life that get me through each day I tell ya... I love you Patricia Field.

Over onto Billy Reid...

I find Billy Reid truly charming...I haven't devoted a posting to this line yet...I really should because there's a few personal thoughts on how this brand has been built that I'd like to discuss, but in the meantime...seriously, modern day dandy? I think so.

Now that I have secured Pat Field's thermal leggings, it's onto searching out my next obsession re: long johns and leggings for all-purpose outfit assemblage. This union suit does the job quite nicely.

The patches are quaint...

...and the butt flap so authentic!

Perhaps this time around, a non-flannel (otherwise, it'd be too cliche, no?) button down with my black boots might do the trick?

image source / image source

H&M Spring 2010 Men's

Swedish site ModeMan posted these images of the H&M Spring 2010 lookbook for men's. As with previous image previews announcing the upcoming season, there's a bit of inspiration culled from here and there... It pains me to think that the majority of this is probably trend...as in none for Minneapolis...except perhaps the sand colored trench above, which seems to satisfy H&M's need to offer the same rendition of a mid-length raincoat (okay, with a few tweaks in color and details) season after season... A few more thoughts as we scroll down the images:

1. The skirt above is SO Marc Jacobs in the flesh, and I badly want to pull it off just as he does...as does Tyler Riggs, Barneys-favorite, and the chosen face for these images...



2. Also, I'm loving the reds, purples, and pinks in those sheer ethnic & ombre scarves... The multicolored (abstract-zebra can we call it?) tie-dyed ones are also now on my wishlist.

3. The drop-crotch has finally trickled down to fast fashion. LOVE drop-crotch. Although, the one featured above is a bit too drop and a bit too draped for my height I feel...but on a guy with long legs...

Jamie Strachan for J. Crew Holiday 2009

While browsing around one of the J. Crew's in my area, I looked up at their current display images and realized that the beautiful Jamie Strachan, UK male model extraordinaire, has been tapped for their holiday ad campaign/catalog. Mr. Strachan has always stood out to me as one to admire -- even back when I was in high school and would hop on over to the local Barnes & Noble during open period to page through fashion mags -- I've always been impressed with his long and lean build...Boyd Holbrook and Jacquetta Wheeler strike me as two other Brits that come from the same "school" of aesthetics. Whatever is in the water over there, I see people like these three and I regret not having grown up in England ;) Look at how great and elongating those jeans are on him...or vice versa...

ON REPLAY: You've Got the Love by Florence + the Machine

H&M, 51st & 5th, New York City

When lurking around the Rockefeller center, no visit is complete without a stop into the H&M flagship on 51st & 5th...if only all H&M's could be of this caliber, no?

Tyson Ballou and Sasha Pivovarova, this season's reigning royalty of fast fashion...although, Tyson can be my king any season he wants...

Inside, I found the remaining vestiges of the Jimmy Choo for H&M collaboration...the behemoth-size banners were still up...

...women's still had a selection of shoes, accessories, and clothing...

...as did men's...although, I was happy seeing that the biker boots were all sold out, there was not a single pair to be found, and now my trip to Chicago feels that much more worth it to me...

Always The Sun by Richard Durand (Roger Shah Remix)

New York City, Impromptu Visit

This past weekend, circumstances were as such that I had the opportunity to drive into Manhattan and visit my dear sister, whom I don't get to see enough of. I drove in Saturday afternoon, and was out the next day by noon. As little time as I had, the one thing that always makes my day when I'm in New York is having the opportunity to just walk. I'll never tire of looking up and seeing tall buildings, I'll never tire of seeing beautiful people walking the streets, I'll never tire of browsing the retail options.

I wish I had been more mindful of taking my camera around...the shots here are nothing to write home about, and I've walked these routes too many times in the past, but they serve as visual reminders of a happier bygone era in my life, perhaps of an existence that was never fully realized, or (hopefully) one that is yet to happen...

The view from where I was staying...Midtown West w/ a glimpse of the Hudson River...

The Rockefeller Tree -- still scaffolded up, the final touch to the holiday transformation that has already manifested elsewhere in Rockefeller Center...

Midtown...

Times Square...

It's been too long since I was last in the city.