Read: Self Service Magazine's "The Essential"

A Paris-based bi-annual magazine. I am always intrigued by what people consider their "essentials" and thus it is fitting that Self Service's The Essentials section interests me. I especially enjoyed reading the entries of both Sofia Coppola and Emmanuelle Alt.

Read: Mark D. Sikes

I wanted to feature Mark D. Sikes blog Chic People, Glamorous Places, Stylish Things--an exercise in simplicity. My favorite segment of his blog is "What I Like--My Favorite Things". I've shared a few photos below from the style portion of this segment.

Thoughts: "Why 30 is Not the New 20"

Dr. Meg Jay's TED Talk, "Why 30 is Not the New 20," offered up an "aha" moment for me. It often feels as though our 20s today are an extension of adolescence, as if those in their 20s are in some sort of holding pattern, waiting for real life to start. This TED Talk certainly provides an impetus for acting with purpose.

Joie.

I have always been a huge fan of Joie, but I am especially impressed by some of their newest pieces--especially their warm-weather bottoms. I've been looking for both pants and shorts in light, airy materials and Joie's renditions fit the bill quite nicely.

Further, they really seem to have gotten the cut right as well. Both their Petrona Pants and their Mardina Pants are made of linen, cropped, and have a loose body.

     

I am also loving the loose-ness of their shorts! Shorts should never be tight at the hem... even on the skinniest girl, this will be far from flattering. In my opinion, shorts should be short, but also loose and casual-looking--as if they are an afterthought. Joie does this well with both their Stroud Shorts in linen as well as their Beso Shorts in crepe silk.

      

Deck Towel.

So I recently discovered Deck Towel and am so excited. They are super-soft linen beach towels--or bed spreads or table cloths--and they are made in the USA which is also great!  They have a bit of a price tag but good linen really does hold up for forever.

What got me into the concept of a linen beach towel is my friend from Portugal. She had five or six similar-looking towels--which she says her mom stockpiles whenever they go to Morocco. She loves them because of how light-weight they are and how soft and faded they get with age.

As someone who knows the pain of lugging around a heavy and sand-ridden towel, these are definitely on my wish list!

Parisian Style.

I know I'm late to the party, but I'm just now reading from start to finish all of Dead Fleurette's blog.  I would recommend that everyone read this. It's so well-written and very thoughtful. She is extraordinarily conscientious in her building of the perfect wardrobe and it's been of great inspiration to me.

Anyways, I am writing to draw attention to an article she posted.  It is by Ellen Wallace (written for Cosmopolitan) and explores French style. Despite having been written in August of 1982 it feels entirely current--it is long but very worth the read!

I have posted it below but you can also check it out here.

Stripes.

So after much trial and error I finally settled on two striped tops for Christmas. (I write of them now because they just recently arrived in the mail). I went with the Saint James Galathée tee, pictured below. I went with classic navy and white stripes for one, red and cream for the other.

I sized way up because I prefer a boxier, more relaxed cut so I can roll up the sleeves and loosely tuck them into jeans. They were a bit too big at first, but after washing and drying they shrunk up a bit (I'll be hang-drying them hereafter).  They still are a teensy bit large in the sleeves--the only reason I mind is because they have a bit of trouble staying rolled up so I may just sew a stitch in each to keep them in place!

That said, I am so pleased with these purchases. My old striped shirts were getting dingy and it was time for an update!

My favorite aspect is the slightly thicker material--not quite as thick as many Saint James tees, but a bit thicker than the striped tops I had to return from Chance Co.. I liked it, the tissue-tee feel--which is great for some!--wasn't quite what I was looking for.

Polyvore.

It's been quite awhile since I've last posted here... I bring news of Polyvore.  I'm sure most of you have already heard of it, but I find it a fantastic tool.  On this site you can make an account, "save" items (pretty much anything for sale online), and add them to "sets", essentially building your own outfits (see my profile here).  It really is a great tool for many reasons, which I will get to at the end of this post.

In the meantime, I recently made a template called "Travel Light...". This template is fantastic as it lets me explore with creating what could be considered a very small capsule wardrobe (twelve clothing items, three pairs of shoes, and two bags).  It's interesting to see the diverse number of outfits that can be derived from these twelve items, those that are both casual and dressy.

One of my more recent uses of this template was "Travel Light... Prague", pictured below.

This is not simply what to bring for a long weekend (I should be so lucky to have a "long weekend" in Europe...).  A quick count showed twenty-one different outfits. And this initial count does not reflect the versatility of having both a trenchcoat and a blazer.  Really these allow you to get two very different looks out of one outfit. For example a more dressy look...

And a more casual one...

As you can see, I swapped out accessories to accentuate the difference, however, even keeping both the day bag and the sandals constant, two very different looks are created.

So as I promised... the many reasons I find Polyvore an excellent tool.  When I first joined I focused on finding members who created sets that reflected what I gravitated towards style-wise.  After liking a number of them--and following their creators--I was able to look at all of my "likes" together and see trends (mostly neutrals, lots of stripes, clean lines and tailoring but often ever-so-slightly laid-back, etc.). These helped me to define my personal style more clearly to myself.

Further, when thinking of splurging on an item, it's helpful to be able to try it out in various ways with clothes that are similar to what you have in your closet. This way, you are able to ascertain how well the piece integrates.

Finally (although these are certainly not the only reasons I love Polyvore), and perhaps most simply, it offers a great creative outlet. It doesn't tell you what to do and how to do it, but rather offers you the tools needed to create.  As well as a following of users who may offer input regarding what you're doing.

rib & hull.

This new-to-me brand caught my attention with their exquisite Heirloom Tote in cognac, and managed to keep it with the rest of their leather goods.  Rib & Hull features a pared-down selection of goods and the leather they use--amazing.

Their description of the Heirloom Tote truly captures the essence of this little shop: "Minimal design and high quality leather is what make this bag really stand out".  The leather they use is so rich-looking and vibrant and the classic designs make the price tag worth it.  (The price tag being high, but not unfairly so--the Heirloom Tote is $285).

Just the Basics.

So I've at last done it. Compiled just the items of clothing that you need in your closet.  I have, for the past year, been endlessly fascinated by the concept of "simple style"; simple is timeless, it's chic.

My mom has a close, Parisian friend, Dominique, who not only understands but exemplifies this timeless simplicity.  She does this by maintaining an edited wardrobe of pieces of the highest quality.  It's small; I would guess smaller  than your wardrobe (definitely smaller than mine).  She has one fabulous white t-shirt instead of ten.  She never looks into her closet in the morning and thinks, "I have nothing to wear!".

Andrée Putman said it best: "I love America, and I love American women, but there is one thing that deeply shocks me . . . American closets. I cannot believe one can dress well when you have so much."

Below is my list of the bones of a chic closet.  I have created a Polyvore account; my username is keelyhenesey (to follow me go here).  This account has each of the following articles of clothing in my "items"--but no others.  On that account I will start constructing as many outfits as possible with just these "bones".  I will also post pictures on the blog.  

Remember that you may have versions of many of these items--I do.  However, over time I hope to slowly throw out duplicates and replace them with versions that flatter that flatter my shape the most (as well as being of the finest quality). Enjoy!

Christmas Boots.

I got the inside scoop from Santa: I'm getting two PHENOMENAL pairs of boots for Christmas (both of which were on sale)!!!

The first pair are Dolce Vita "Lujan" Flat Boots in Brown, the second pair were Steve Madden, black and looked very similar to the Jeffrey Campbell Brit Boots (pictured above) which I had had my eye on for awhile.  But the Madden ones were better - in my opinion.  They are buttery soft with thinner straps, smaller buckles, and a less-chunky sole - but they still have treads for the snow!

Both these boots are my first deviation from riding boot territory, but I believe they are both well-tailored and chic while maintaining a timeless appeal.

Equipment Blouse.

A splurge that I absolutely will make soon: a utility blouse.  Actually, two.  I want one in white and one in either dusty pink or coriander (I think the neutral pattern would look great tucked into jeans with a brown belt...).  These blouses fall so well and are impeccably made; worthy investments.

Vintage Levi's Shorts

I love the look of vintage levi shorts (these are from Urban Outfitters). I would get mine a little oversized to cinch with a big belt, paired with an easy white shirt.

Graduation Dress.

I'm in search of the perfect, simple white dress for my graduation.  So far Loup Charmant's Raglan Touring Dress has been my favorite.

I love the idea of it but I would definitely need to try it on; it could be a bit prim.  I only wish that the neckline was closer to a boatneck than a crew neck...

Menswear Watch.

I have been lusting after the perfect menswear watch.  Originally I had wanted silver, but after getting my class ring - sounds so dorky, but it's so tiny and simple - I now want gold.  I finally found the perfect one: The Michael Kors Stainless Steel Chronograph Layton Watch (in Golden).  The face is HUGE and is about the same width of my wrist... Christmas list??