the ebay

>> Back in March, when denim giant Seven For All Mankind announced its collaboration with LA-based label The Great China Wall, I was skeptical.  Not only because I am anything but a fan of Sevens, but because the whole deal is sketchy.

Great China Wall has established its popularity by handpainting, embroidering and bejeweling vintage tees, army pants, and hoodies (right).  Alfredo Settimio, founder and owner of GCW, is proud of his label's "underground" rep -- he relies solely on word-of-mouth, and doesn't "like to do advertising."  Funnily enough, however, he is collaborating with the very mainstream, advertising-friendly Seven jeans.  Together, they are producing a "limited edition collection" of 30,000 pieces, which will include 10 denim styles, 2 denim jackets, as well as a selection of crystal-studded t-shirts.  Not only that, but fifty retailers have picked up the line, including Kitson, and huge department stores Neiman Marcus, Saks, and Bloomie's.  All this just doesn't quite ring true for "underground" with me.  And since when is 30,000 pieces a limited edition?

I hate to say it, but so far, my hunch has been correct.  I came across a few of the lovechildren available for preorder at Browns.  I can't say that they are anything special -- where's all the hand-detailing that GCW is famous for?  I'm assuming that's why the prices would be so high, because the crystal detailing they've got going there sure as hell doesn't look worth the ₤465 these jeans listed as.  In my opinion, this is just not the way GCW should have gone -- not if they wanted to continue the underground buzz.  But, after all, that's just me. 

**sources: women's wear daily

>>  This season's resort collections have been far from impressive -- Gucci's looks like a page torn from a Liz Claiborne catalog (far left), Marc by Marc Jacobs' is just barf (left), and Louis Vuitton's is eh...(right).  It's like Goldilocks' dilemma gone bad. 

Thank goodness I've found a fit that was juuuust right, or we would've been in trouble.  I have to give it to Roland Mouret, his collection is a real breath of fresh air. 

A self-taught Frenchman who resides in London, Mouret maintains that all his designs come from a square of fabric.  If the man speaks the truth, which I don't doubt that he does, it's no wonder he's becoming so internationally reknowned -- he has some genuine talent.  Plus, his cruise collection just oozes 40's glamour with a pinch of modern twist.  Never thought I would say this about a trench, of all things, but WOW.  I am in love.  With this trench (left).  I don't even know what it is, because the design is so simple.  It must just be the feminine way that it lays.  Forget wearing a dress underneath, I'd be tempted to wear this trench by itself. 

Like I said, the whole collection is sublime, but I just can't resist rounding it out to my top three.  Second on the list would have to be this gorgeous yellow sheath (right).  It hits all the right curves, and its hemline reminds me of a mermaid.  It's sexy in an understated way, very silver screen siren.  And finally, this top (left).  I love the way it hangs -- the tailoring is amazing, and the psychadelic print...I can't suppress it -- I just have to sit back and: "Ooooh...Ahhh."

I give you a standing ovation, Roland Mouret.  Now if only you would do an encore...

**sources: women's wear daily 

>>  When I first saw this shirt, I didn't really think twice about it.  But I recently rediscovered it, and something about it is just sticking with me, like meat on bones.  It's kinda like when you like something, and you don't know why, but you're positive that that you do.  There's some kind of deeper reason, and you just can't put your finger on it. 

Indie designer Wendy Mullin says of her t-shirt designs: "With most of the stuff I make, I am not really concerned if people will like it or even get it.  Most of the pop culture references are like private jokes with myself...So it's choosing things that I relate to."  And maybe it's that vibe that I'm getting -- there's something in this shirt she designed that I can relate to.  The scene depicted is from one of my favorite books, Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, where 8-year-old Scout is walking home from a Halloween pageant, dressed in a large ham costume.  Wendy draws Scout in an inky dark limbo, waiting, inviting the vengeful Bob Ewell to attack her.  Her ham suit saves her from his knife swipes, and you've got the eerie feeling Scout knows the enigmatic Boo Radley will come to her rescue.  And so she waits, biding her time, an 8-year-old wiser than her years, for the benevolent man to appear. 

I know it sounds a little bit nutso to have such intense feeling about a t-shirt, but I kind of like it.  I think it's better to wear things that mean something to you, than to wear things just because someone else is wearing them, anyway.

Ham Tee, $35, Built by Wendy

>> There's this pair of Chloe Dark Chocolate Boots that I've been ogling recently, like a lecherous old man does a teenybopper in a short skirt.  It's bad.  I've become completely obsessed, really.  In fact, sometimes, I just go to the satine boutique site and gaze lovingly into the boots' chocolatey goodness.  I tried to introduce them to my boyfriend, in hopes that the feeling would catch on:

ME:  "Drool." Well, I was salivating profusely.

HIM:  Laughing nervously.  "Look at you.  They're so...expensive."  I could just hear the cringing in his voice.  And then he says it...reluctantly, but he does want to seem like a good boyfriend, after all. "Do you want me to buy them for you?"

ME:  Yes yes yes YES!  "No, don't be ridiculous."  But they're so pirate-y, and sexy, and angelic.  And I love them. 

HIM: I heard that small sigh of relief!  "I could, you know."

ME:  "Yeah, and then we would have to starve when we go to Spain and England and France.  All so I could have some chocolate yummy soft leather boots."  I wouldn't mind...

HIM:  Still trying to be the noble boyfriend...  "You would be happy..."  He knows me too well.

ME:  "Not when our tummies are so grumbly that they begin arguing while we're trying to sleep next to each other."  My tummy is exceptionally talented at being loud, and his at being grumpy.

HIM:  "We have argumentative tummies?"

ME:  "If they're grumbly, yes."

HIM:  "Then we could eat the chocolate boots!"

ME:  "Um..."

HIM:  "Well, they are chocolate..."

ME:  "That would be a fucking expensive dinner."

HIM:  "You mean dessert?"  He just thinks he's sooo cheeky.

ME:  "Dessert before dinner, always."

HIM:  "Oh, sorry, I forgot."

ME:  "Haven't people eaten leather before, though?  I feel like they have.  In times of desperation...like in war..."

HIM:  "People say steak is tough like leather."

ME:  "...I feel like soldiers ate their boots..."

Sometimes I wonder why he's still with me.  I guess it's because he doesn't mind humoring me when I get delusional about $950 boots.

>> I may be jumping the gun (just slightly) by talking about a trend for fall when it's 100 degrees outside, but I just couldn't resist.  Especially when I saw it pop up atop Kate Moss' head during a photoshoot for a Japanese commercial (left). 

There was definitely a strong Russian influence on the runway for the Fall/Winter Collections.  Costume National, for one, had plenty of tasseled passementerie, luxe furs and velvets, and my personal favorite, the Cossack-like fur toque (above right).  Maybe it's because the hat just looks so cozy, or more likely, in wearing it, I could fantasize about being in my own version of that lovely movie Doctor Zhivago.

I'd be willing to bet that toques are going to be all over the place, come the first freeze, because they're already all over the pages of the July 2005 ELLE.  The faux-fur toque on the left featured is...how do crazy kids say it these days? Ah, yes..."hella cheap" ($8 at H&M).  The toque-like hat with the fur Dumbo ears on the right (which is still cute) is not so cheap, but then it has real fox fur ($450 at J. Crew).  Of course, neither are stocked yet, as we are still in...a-hem...June.  What can I say, I like to be on top of things. So, ladies, I leave you with this piece of advice: Come fall, talk the toque, and walk the walk.

>> C-razy -- good ebay finds are just popping up everywhere.  This particular one is a little more on the...expensive side.  But then, it is...ooh la la...Chanel.  It's the lookalike of the g-orgeous black lambskin bag that ol' Mary Kate has been toting around recently (or has it been toting her around?).  Forget man's best friend -- if I had this puppy, I would do just fine stroking its lambskin softness.  And it doesn't even shed.  No more chihuahuas in handbags, sorry Paris -- this beauty would do just fine as my pet.  Now if only I could scrounge up $1,600 from under the sofa cushions -- not likely in my house.  I'll leave the adoption up to you -- she'll be loving, I promise.  And she doesn't bite. 

Note: The auction ends June 17, 5:20 PDT.  No bids yet, starting bid: $1,150. 

>> Trendy LA boutique Kitson has always been a tacky monster in my books.  But this time, it has really outdone itself.  Kitson's latest addition to its wares is a pair of baseball-style t-shirts blazoning "Team Aniston" or "Team Jolie" across the fronts. Appropriately from a brand dubbed "White Trash," the shirts look like just that to me -- trash.  I mean, really, anyone with a computer could print a similar text block out and take it to the nearest t-shirt printing store.  The worst part yet: the shirts, priced at a ludicrous $30 (you really get your money's worth), are currently on backorder.  AKA people are snapping them up.  Jesus Christ, can't people see that they're just buying into a big scam?  Kitson is just riding on the coattails of the big bad PR dragon that has been spurting out flames of Pitt/Jolie conspiracy theories a mile a minute.  And besides, I was under the impression that no one likes picking teams.  At least that's what they told me in elementary school whenever I got picked last.

**sources: vogue daily news

>> I know some of you (as well as I) have become Nicole Richie fans ever since she stepped up her style.  So I have a point of interest for you -- there's a Jill Stuart top on ebay exactly like the one Nicole wore about a week ago.  And it's only at $49.90 right now.  And it's ending June 16 (tomorrow) at 19:37 PDT.  Hope you're a size medium, because whatta deal.  Too bad I think that shirt looks like a pajama top.  Aye, me, what can I say. 

>> Socks haven't been fashionable since the 80's, when they were layered neon horrors with cuffs at the top.  But then we were also sporting hairties on our t-shirts and half a can of hairspray in our hair at the time, so you could argue that things were all around slightly nutty. 

In any case, I think it's about time socks had another chance to shine -- it has been a good 20 years, after all.  French designer Delphine Murat must agree, because she has recreated socks in a way that actually makes them quite appealing.  Her line of minisocks, come in five different styles (including my favorite, the basix, left), and a million bajillion different colors and textures to accomodate your taste.  And they won't be really dorky looking (like most socks would be) if you wore them with ballet flats -- in fact, they would be quite cute.  Not only that, but they add that little touch that sets you apart from everyone and their mom who is wearing ballet flats right now.  Here's the only problem -- while they are available in Europe, Japan, and the UAE, they aren't sold anywhere here in the States.  They are selling a few styles online, but for the life of me, I have not been able to figure out how to work the online shop.  Embarrassing, I know.

So I've come up with an equally-as-cute alternative -- wearing ankle socks with your heels (or flats, for that matter).  I've been noticing this style for a while now in the Anthropologie catalogue and have been wanting to try it out.  It adds a great feminine touch, and it's not like you see people doing this style every day.  So I say, why do socks have to be sucky looking, when they can be "socksy," instead?  There's just no excuse.