Body Chains

Not just for belly dancers anymore!  I was surprised to see these roll out alongside the heavy winter boots and chunky sweater since they really seem like more of a summertime accessory.  Nonetheless, body chains are here!  These dainty chains make a statement as loud as the biggest bibs or heaviest collars, so wear accordingly... best paired with modal T-shirts, soft tanks, and a well-heated office.  Why layer over these beauties?

Festoon your torso with the following:

Armor Jewelry $275

Bliss Lau $330

Bliss Lau $500

Ellen Arthur $215

'Surrounded' necklace by Brook&Lyn $285

'Surrounded Day' - agate, rope and leather. 
Check out the designer's site here.

Jewelry Faceoff on the Upper East Side

For the last few weeks, Blake Lively has been sporting the same style of mixed media jewelery on Gossip Girl.  What the storyline lacks in consistency, Serena's neckpieces have been making up for.  Big bib necklaces have been appearing on the show since day one, but lately La Lively's are of a particular breed.  Every episode she dons a new tangle of metal chains, dotted with large roughewn stones. 

There are lots of knockoff versions of these out there: Fenton Fallon did a great line for J Crew, Banana Republic and Club Monaco make reasonable approximations, Madewell, Fiona Paxton, etc...
However, there are only two high-end contenders I think might be gracing Blake's clavicle.

Up first, Gemma Redux:

Secondly, Dannijo

According to the CW's blog, it's mostly Dannijo on the Serena VanDerWoodsen of 2010.  Kudos to the duo (sisters) for reaching such celebrity cult status. 


They've had a steep ascent since launching in 2007.  They now have an impressive website divided into 5 themes: Cult, Americana, Rock, Grace, and Boho.  I hope they continue to add breadth to their collection and break away from the teen soap opera set.

Lake Bell in Dannijo

.
.
So I guess there are really two Queens of the Upper East Side. 

At least... for now.

XOXO gillespiegirl

Rave On

Congrats to Blandine Bardeau, a French womenswear graduate whose work in now gracing the Oxford Street windows of Selfridges department store.

Check out her blog, or the article Susie Bubble wrote.  Her pieces are fun and youthful, and brought to mind that necklace I couldn't find from last Winter's Swarovski X Aldo collaboration:

These neon rubber confections are as rave-worthy as glowsticks, lollipops, and LED belly-button rings.
If you're not the trance-dance type, then consider them artful statement pieces that elevate a plain white T.


Blandine Bardeau necklace, anything but Bland.



DIY supplies: look for beading laces, fishing line, rubber craft laces, etc... 

Group them together, string a few beads here and there, and then coil and loop until you're content.  No Masters in Contemporary Design required (although 4-H camp friendship bracelet skills help!).

Ear Cuffs

The Helix or the Conch?

How well do you know your piercings?  Wiki Them Answers.

I have none, but even I knew #4.  The Daith is supposedly one of the most painful places to get punctured.

As one of the few girls who's happy with the holes Gaia gave her, I am limited to #7 and #1.

Hooray for ear cuffs.

below: etsy seller nevertakeoff $75                                       below: etsy seller ringringring $40

above: rough hewn wide ear cuff

from etsy seller

thebeadlily $35

below: ebay seller nicta10

If Geeks Had Girlfriends...

...they could buy these amazing 'Tron' heels.

Canuck designer Jerome Rousseau (yep, like the philosopher) was tapped to create the limited edition platform heel, which will sell for a measly $795 at LA pop-up shops to coincide with the movie's November release.

As with the rumored Snooki memoir deal, or Snook-a-Book, someone should've thought this one through:

I love a good Venn.

The Gift That Keeps On Giving

I know I'm late to this party, but I just discovered the FEED program. Ellen Gustafson, one of the co-creators of the foundation, gave an excellent Ted Talk about global food security issues. Her thesis is this: 1 billion people overweight + 1 billion people undernourished = 1 global issue (food production and distribution). The FEED Foundation puts this Occam's Razor logic into action. To date, 539,188 'FEED bags' have been sold, providing 54,781,980 meals to children all over the world. New bags are launched for specific program targets, like Haitian relief or literacy. The most recent addition to the lineup is the Trick or Treat Feed Bag, sold exclusively through HSN with all proceeds benefitting UNICEF initiatives.

Three more good deeds masquerading as good duds:

ONE) Featured in November's Lucky, Lovetta Conto's Akawelle necklaces:


They are made from bullet casings found in and around the Liberian capital, Monrovia. The unisex design features two charms, one melted down and another untouched.

TWO) Wear You Music produces simple bracelets from used guitar strings, donating 100% of the profits to each artist's pet charity. Blues boy Jonny Lang's runs around $100 (cause: St. Jude's). Each order can be individually sized and embellished with diamond charms or other precious stones.

It's the perfect way to idol worship without having to elbow your way through a mosh pit and hope that Tommy Lee hucks his sticks in your general direction.

THREE) TOMS, founded in 2006 by entrepreneur and traveller Blake Mycoskie, is combatting soil-transmitted disease and injury in third world nations by providing footwear. The company motto "One for One" assures purchasers that for every pair of TOMS sold, a new pair of shoes will go to a child in need. The classic burlap flats are $65, and the rare wrap boots are $95. Think of them as Keds or Crocs, but with conscience.

All The Leaves

All the leaves are brown,

And the sky is grey.

I went for a walk,

On a winter's day.

Leaf dangle bookchain necklace from eBay seller scentsnstuff

Lee Angel stitched leather bangle


We're having a little resurgence of summer temperatures here. The 'leafers' are out in full force, clogging up the bike paths with their awkward gaits and expensive Nikons. Still, it's lovely. I have returned home several times this week with leaves the shade of pumpkin, ochre, and rust in my tangled mane. Perhaps a better way to celebrate the season is adopting more deliberate, less dandruff-like, foliage. I'm particularly fond of the acorn/leaf combo bib necklace below:

Vintage (circa 1940's) carved wood necklace from eBay seller oxfordjewel.

B Mine, B Makowsky

I get kicked out of the The Bay for fondling B Makowsky handbags like regular people get shoo'd from the supermarket bulk isle for grazing on the cashews. I finally bought a little red satchel, and like Lays, "betcha I can't have just one". Damnit.

Varick Crossbody $272 at Zappos.

If you're not familiar with the brand, sold at QVC/Nordstroms/Macys, it's probably because they are relatively new on the scene (since 2006). I think the husband and wife team (Makowsky is married to fellow handbag designer Kathy Van Zeeland) have found their niche in the $200-$300 range. Made from super-malleable drum leather, or 'glove' leather, the bags feature metal hardware that really stands out against clean lines and a minimalist silhouette. A couple past collections had a teensy bit of fringing, studding, or weaving. On the whole, these are just really elegant leather bags in rich colours and traditional shapes. Look for the telltale leopard print lining from the past few years or the current paisley version.

Lahaina satchel $99 (Reg $250) on Amazon

So, why B Makowsky? Well, I recommend buying handbags much like you would buy a cantaloupe, using both appearance and intuition - touch, sniff, hold one in each hand to judge the difference in weight and heft. Of course, you could just take my word that this is the cantaloupe for you. The leather, being drum dyed, should retain it's colour even if scratched or scuffed (the dye penetrates the hide better). The chunky metal hardware usually has a satin finish and is really sturdy, especially when held up against brands of comparable price like Roots, Fossil, and Coach. If you're particularly brutal on your baggage I'd recommend a style with thicker straps to prevent fraying or breakage. You're going to want to wear this bag for a while!

Walking into Spiderwebs

Vera Wang necklace on last season's runway

Antik Batik Anka Bag $495

Just in time for Halloween, arachnid accessories are everywhere again. The deep, loopy fringe is on a more bohemian bent this time, festooning exaggerated bib necklaces especially well.

This Antik Batik design could be recreated by the experienced DIYer, or perhaps with a little help from the lovely middle-aged ladies who inhabit bead stores.

Anka Necklace $187.00-

Leather cord to tie in slipknots $5.50-

Thin wire or fishing line $2.77-

Glass seed beads in 2 sizes $16.44-

Follicle transplants to replace hair you tore out in frustration $788.00=

Total Savings -$625.71

FAIL

Models are so skinny, but they have nice hair

For an old Carolina Herrera runway show, Orlando Pita created beautiful twists and chignons accented by lengths of seed beads. I've been playing around with this look for a while, and am determined to wear it out of my apartment, to a semi-formal wedding this weekend.

I recall reading that Pita custom-made the haircessories, but that they were remarkably similar to the cheap glass tubules you can find at any craft store. To Michael's I went, buyings two shades, gold and copper, which will hopefully blend into my ginger without looking like bad brassy highlights.
So...

Cost of becoming a model to have Pita do your hair (ie: lipo, drug habit, etc...) $18,500

Cost of seed beads $12

One afternoon of bathroom mirror practice $0

Total Savings $18,488