Category Archives: The Find

The Find: Forever 21 Channels Fallon’s Sparkly Rhinestone Earrings.

By Erin Weinger on December 16, 2009

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Fallon, designer Dana Lorenz’ line of glam rock jewelry, is rad as hell. And with pieces hovering at $300 andunder, these baubles aren’t bank breaking.

Unless your bank account is already badly busted. Luckily, it seems that the fine designers at Forever 21 have taken a liking to Fallon’s pieces, too and recreated a pair of the brand’s long rhinestone earrings for a measly $6.80. Meaning that even if you’re close to living in your car, you can give up a single filet o’fish dinner and still nab these suckers without an afterthought.

Photo on left: Fallon’s $185 version, available at Barneys. Right: Forever 21’s $6.80 take.

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Best Places in Town for Handbags?

By admin on December 4, 2009

Picture 6We had one more question for Freeman Hall, whom we wrote about earlier this week on his 15-year sentence as a designer handbag salesman for some of the planet’s most vile customers. What are his picks for best handbag shopping destinations in town? True to form, he was more than happy to offer lengthy advice:

“For a selection of trendy and designer bags, Nordstrom at Topanga, The Grove, and South Coast Plaza can’t be beat. Kitson is cool for trend also. If you love a particular designer like Marc Jacobs, Michael Kors, Alexander McQueen, Gucci, Kate Spade, or Juicy Couture, hit their individual boutique stores for the best selection and items that the majors don’t carry.

“Although Lohmann’s, Ross and Marshalls are excellent for discounted clothes, I’ve never seen anything awesome there in the way of bags. But a great website to check for discounted bags is ebags.com.

“Designer handbags can also be had on eBay at incredible prices—just be sure the seller you are buying from has lots of feedback and positive ratings. This will protect you from buying fakes. Long time sellers with positive feedback want to protect their ebay status and won’t sell fakes.” — Krista Jennings

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Holiday Gifts for the Workhorse: PostalCo Envelope Bag at Opening Ceremony

By Ronit Nabi on December 2, 2009
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Being a stylist, I’m constantly lugging a Trans-Atlantic sized journey’s worth of bags filled with shoes, clothes and accessories. Never mind the large purse containing all the paper work that makes a shoot work–loan sheets, receipts, inspiration cut-outs, notes etc. I usually fold them all in half and shove them to the bottom of my bag. But come shoot time, I’m humiliated at how unprofessional my purse full of crinkled, creased papers appears to colleagues.
So for about a month, I’ve been on the hunt for a stylish brief case to help me stay organized. Nothing with handles. Nothing with pockets. Nothing that screams “Wall Street bailout”– just a thin, stylish case that I can carry around like a clutch. I searched flea markets, vintage shops, and luggage stores. But surprisingly, I couldn’t find my dream bag anywhere. Sales people didn’t even know what I was talking about. It got to the point where I was considering commissioning a custom piece.
But the other day, my prayers were answered in the form of PostalCo’s perfect leather case at Opening Ceremony. The red calfskin and cloth envelope measures 14 1/2 by 10 1/2 inches and is thin enough for 10-15 sheets of paper. It’s so chic that its kinda making me want to work more.
I think I’m gonna go pitch my editor an idea for a shoot.
Being a stylist, I’m constantly lugging a Trans-Atlantic sized trip’s worth of bags filled with shoes, clothes and accessories. Never mind the large purse containing all the paper work that makes a shoot work–loan sheets, receipts, inspiration cut-outs, notes etc. I usually fold them all in half and shove them to the bottom of my bag. But come shoot time, I’m humiliated at how unprofessional my purse full of crinkled, creased papers appears to colleagues.
So for about a month, I’ve been on the hunt for a stylish brief case to help me stay organized. Nothing with handles. Nothing with pockets. Nothing that screams “Wall Street bailout”– just a thin, stylish case that I can carry around like a clutch. I searched flea markets, vintage shops, and luggage stores. But surprisingly, I couldn’t find my dream bag anywhere. Sales people didn’t even know what I was talking about. It got to the point where I was considering commissioning a custom piece.
But the other day, my prayers were answered in the form of PostalCo’s perfect leather case at Opening Ceremony. The red calfskin and cloth envelope measures 14 1/2 by 10 1/2 inches and is thin enough for 10-15 sheets of paper. It’s so chic that its kinda making me want to work more.
I think I’m gonna go pitch my editor an idea for a shoot.

PostalCo Envelope Bag, $240. Available at Opening Ceremony.
451 North La Cienega Blvd., Los Angeles. (310) 652-1120.

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Holiday Gifts for the Sneaker Freak: Apliiq x The People’s Shoe Sneakers

By Erin Weinger on December 1, 2009

img class=”alignleft size-full wp-image-3071″ title=”tps3″ src=”http://www.stylesectionla.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/tps3.jpg” alt=”tps3″ width=”412″ height=”560″ />What: Limited edition sneaker collab by Apliiq and The People’s Shoe.

Why (if you’re nice): Pure local love–Apliiq is based in downtown L.A. and The People’s Shoe was founded by Laguna Beach native Anton Brandt. Granted the $64 kicks are made slightly outside L.A. in a Chinese factory (with very high quality of life standards in place, we might add), but they’re shipped in reusable canvas totes (no cardboard boxes or polluting plastic baggies necessary) and a percentage of profits go to the Los Angeles Mission on Skid Row, very local indeed.

Why (if you’re naughty): Seersucker. Enough said.

Where: Apliiq’s Website

Photo: Apliiq.com

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PACT: Briefs with a Conscience

By admin on November 25, 2009

PACT1The elastic band on your underwear may read Calvin Klein or Ralph Lauren—or D&G, if you’re a bit more particular about your skivvies. Jason Kibbey and Jeff Denby, founders of PACT underwear, want to change that message to I help protect the world’s ecosystems: The duo founded their men’s and women’s organic brand earlier this year and give 10% of profits to their environmental charity partners.

Each non-profit actually gets its own PACT pattern design. For Oceana, the D.C.-based ocean conservation group, the brand designed intricate shapes that, upon further inspection, combine to form a jelly fish floating over your inner thigh. Translucent white tree trunks and wispy branches spreading across your behind raise awareness for Forest Ethics, which has saved 65 million acres of Canadian and Chilean forests from destruction.

PACT also just unveiled two new designs this week: A new Oceana print conceived by San Francisco-based industrial designer Yves Behar, and a yellow butterfly pattern to benefit Global Green designed by Sage Vaughn and his wife, Project Runway alumna Sweet P.

PACT2

The underwear is made from organic cotton and is available through their website, and the garments are shipped in biodegradable bags with clever storage pouches matching your underwear’s material. At $24 for a pair of boxer briefs, it’s hardly a bargain—but at least you know some of your money is going to noble causes, not the pockets of an environmentally unsound mega-designer. (Bonus: there’s free shipping through the holiday season.) — Corey Scholibo

Here’s the brand’s delicious, recent office-hell-meets-Eden ad:

The Office of Eden from WearPACT on Vimeo.

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Seen in Stores: Punky Plaid Pajama Pants

By Erin Weinger on November 23, 2009

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Plaid pajama pants hold a special place in my heart. The soft, snuggly bottoms are what I used to wear to sleepovers and summer camp, and nary a seventh-grade weekend went by that I didn’t leave a Bar or Bat Mitzvah with a pair confirming that I did, in fact, Rock With Rachel.

Fast forward to last weekend when I meandered in to Ron Herman at Fred Segal on Melrose, where an entire wall was devoted to the plaid pajama

pants of my youth. Only these babies were by Stevan Alan. And on mannequins, the pants were paired with jean jackets and Dr. Martens for an early 90s nod to punk–not a comfy option for the recess kickball court.

As I thought about all the places my drawstring delights could take me, I checked out the price tag. $135. Uh, I don’t remember my University of Michigan flannels costing that much.

But I’m still way into the idea of wearing pajamas in public without judgement (not to mention the geniusness of that drawstring when Cecconi’s truffle spaghetti comes calling). So I did some digging and found much cheaper options for those of us that buy our white T-shirts in a 3-pack from Target.

Pair your pants with heels or boots so you don’t look like you actually stumbled out of bed. Or out of a Bar Mitzvah.

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Tavi’s Terrific T

By admin on November 13, 2009

TaviTween style blogger Tavi Gevinson has dipped her own toes into apparel design in the past, namely knitted baubles and crotched grocery bags. The results are supercute, if not rising to the level of impulse buy. But this collaborative T-shirt with Borders&Frontiers ($37) is an exception–made of 100% organic cotton, a portion of proceeds benefitting her Clothing with a Cause charity for genocide victims in Darfur (the program originated as Gevinson’s Bat Mitzvah Tzedakah service project).

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From Seattle with Love

By admin on November 6, 2009

Picture 2It isn’t often that I dream of living in Seattle. Anytime I’m up there I feel like I’m caught in a squall without a trenchcoat—literally, and sometimes metaphorically. Say what you will about L.A., but our non-existent rates of Season Affectivity Disorder are nothing to sneeze at. But the men’s fashion does transcend a post-grunge “nod to the crispy Seattle weather,” as Cher Horowitz once said. As independent men’s stores go, Blackbird in Seattle’s seaside Ballard neighborhood is tough to beat, and worth a visit when you’re in the Pac NW.

Barring that, owner Nicole Miller’s online shop has consistent prime finds—most recently a collaboration with Alden for a stunning wingtip blucher ($470), made of “100% calf leather blucher style wingtip with Goodyear welt construction in dark burgundy.”

The store’s own product shots always give between-the-lines styling advice as well—skinny, dark-rinse jeans w/ a single cuff work so well with these beauties, it’s practically a fashion symbiosis equivalent of the shark and remora.

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The Find: Labor Day Can Kiss My White Blazer’s Ass

By Erin Weinger on November 4, 2009
There’s something about a white tuxedo jacket that just oozes sophistication.
Blame Bianca Jagger, who sported YSL’s snow-hued “Le Smoking” sportcoat at her wedding to Mick in 1971.
Designers paid obvious homage on their spring 2010 runways with Stella McCartney, Hermes and Ferragamo among the masses putting their spin on the classic piece.
The more interesting versions include those from Neil Barrett, whose highly tailored blazer comes complete with subtle black piping, while Jean Paul Gaultier did away with shoulders entirely to create geometric cut-outs that mimic a strand of hand-in-hand paper dolls.
I want to get in on this trend now. But despite L.A.’s current 75 degree weather and my personal belief that white should be worn whenever one damn well pleases, I admit that blinding white-out white does feel out of place at the moment.
Luckily I found French Connection’s cream-colored Tina jacket ($288), and I knew we’d be together forever upon very first sight.
The jacket’s winter white body doesn’t feel summery and it’s black collar adds the dramatic glamour needed for a proper cold-weather piece.
I may even wear it to a wedding.

French Connection Tina jacket0819-bianca-jagger-wedding_fa04-2There’s something about a white tuxedo jacket that just oozes sophistication.

Blame Bianca Jagger, who sported YSL’s snow-hued “Le Smoking” sportcoat at her wedding to Mick in 1971.

Designers paid obvious homage on their spring 2010 runways with Stella McCartney, Hermes and Ferragamo among the masses putting their spin on the classic piece.

The more interesting versions include those from Neil Barrett, whose highly tailored blazer comes complete with subtle black piping, while Jean Paul Gaultier did away with shoulders entirely to create geometric cut-outs that mimic a strand of hand-in-hand paper dolls.

I want to get in on this trend now. But despite L.A.’s current 75 degree weather and my personal belief that white should be worn whenever one damn well pleases, I admit that blinding white-out white does feel out of place at the moment.

Luckily I found French Connection’s cream-colored Tina jacket ($288) and I knew we’d be together forever upon very first sight.

The jacket’s winter white body doesn’t feel summery and it’s black collar adds the dramatic glamour needed for a proper cold-weather-months piece.

I may even wear it to a wedding.

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Social Primer Pops Up in L.A. (Mind Your Manners)

By admin on November 3, 2009

Is decorum a thing of the past? Yammering on a cellphone while ordering at Starbucks, texting during a screening of This is It, replacing please with gimme—it doesn’t take a curmudgeon to wonder where our manners went. Social Primer, a website devoted to “Manners, Conversation, Style and Handling Your Liquor,” is a welcome throwback to rules of conduct that make for a more courteous world. Launched last year by writer Cooper Ray (known simply as “SP” on the site), Social Primer tackles a wide array of social scenarios, from tips on attending the symphony (familiarize yourself with the four-movement structure beforehand, and skip the wine lest you doze post-intermission) to avoiding spreading your head cold to others (simply keep a pleasant distance and forewarn with honesty). The advice is spot-on—intermittently a tad pretentious, but preferable to the obliviousness to manners that we see on a regular basis.

This week, Ray is launching a pop-up shop at Alpha Male with genteel items like monogrammed belts and reversible bow ties. Don’t save them for only special occasions–wear one next time to Pizzeria Mozza and see how dignified you feel. As far as we’re concerned, gentlemanliness never goes out of style.

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