Moncler, Mon Cher

While New York is focused on Spring 2009, I’m looking forward to the first snowfall. And the second.

Although I grew up on the beach, summers in Canada are notoriously short, and our thoughts turn to winter fairly quickly, come September.

This fall, I was helped along by the Gorsuch catalogue, purveyor of all things during- and après-ski chic.

As you might recall, I have a blatantly Alpine-inspired bag, but I don’t look to Gorsuch for its edelweiss embroidery on shoes, its loden jackets, or its Oleana sweaters (although I *do* have an Oleana blanket. Mine's the red-and-white check).

Rather, I focus on the Moncler outerwear, which is usually stylish and sleek.

I like Moncler because it’s sporty. I grew up skiing, not downhill, but racing cross-country (I competed in Nova Scotia’s provincials one year, while there in boarding school).

The Moncler jacket I’d wear is unfussy, sans hood or fur trim. It’s appropriate on a cross-country trail or while stomping off the snow on your way into Holts for some treats.

I’d shove a beret on my head, pull some Norwegian-knit mittens or some long leather gloves, and be ready for winter!

Literary Fashion; or, The Book-Her Prize

To join in on the celebration of Linda Grant’s novel, The Clothes on Their Backs, which was just named to the short list for the Booker Prize, I thought I’d share some of my favorite literary fashions.

When reading the works that these clothes are taken from, I truly wanted to wear each garment, whether I was eight, a graduate student, or an associate professor.

There’s nothing shocking or new, just clothes that have stood the test of time for me.

Here’s my short list, in no particular order:


Lady Brett Ashley’s tweed skirts and jersey pullovers (Hemingway)

Helga Crane’s slippers from the beginning of Quicksand (Larsen)

The Parisian dress inside Adele’s “boite” (Bronte)

Catherine’s striped French sailor shirts (Hemingway again!)

Hero’s boots (Marlowe)

Anne of Green Gables’ puffed sleeves (Montgomery)

To a Tee

It’s 12:00 a.m.

I wore a white t-shirt yesterday.

I’m still shaken.

I wore it with a matte cotton taffeta saffron-colored skirt and a bold necklace of big amber chunks connected by small turquoise chunks. I wore high navy blue cut-out heels and piled my hair up.

But you know, I’m wishing I had worn eggplant on top (with different accessories, bien sur).

Anything but white.

I love white on other people, but on me, I feel it’s too lady-like, too outfitty (even with jeans), it’s too, too go-to, I guess, too predictable a choice. Even if it looks “good,” my skin starts to crawl.

I wore it, though, and I like to think I worked it. (I was cool and collected during the day and am releasing all my fretting now.)

Is there a color—or a style—or a combination of both—that you can’t bear to wear?

Today is definitely going to be an eggplant** day.


**Aubergine for my particular pal K.Line

A Dress in Every Port

The Cowboy Junkies sang (on soundtrack) as Ports 1961 presented at Bryant Park.

To my eye, though, a visual touchstone is Emily Carr. What say my fellow Canadians?

Some pieces are wearable, if a tad ladies-who-lunch, like this yellow ensemble.

Some look pretty, but possibly painful,

or classic with a welcome twist.

Should we lower the chair for Ports 1961? (If this question is confusing, please read the Emily Carr link.)

A Surprise in Her Closet

Updated with photos below!

Doesn’t it drive you crazy when you compliment someone’s coat, dress, accessory, etc., and she replies, “Oh, I just dug this out of the back of my closet!”

I confess that I had one of those moments yesterday, when I was doing some fall organizing and saw a dust bag that I’ve looked at every day for the past year, but yesterday, for some reason, I really saw it.

And then I wondered what it held.
I took it down from the shelf and lo and behold, it contained a large Etro pony hair bag!

I had bought it a few years ago but used it infrequently, for truly, it is a statement bag, bedecked with brass studs and Tyrolean flowers and perforations and pinked leather edges, and did I mention that it’s a shaggy white, dark brown, and caramel brown pony hair bag? That it's large? That it could use a brushing?

(But not with my Mason Pearson, thanks.)

With all the talk of zebra hair shoes (Hi Imelda!) on the fash blog radar, I think it might be time to pull out this enormous bag for fall/winter—dressed down with a subtle coat and beret, of course.

However, if it ascends the slope into Alpine yodeling territory, I’ll be sure to pack it away for another few years. Only Broadway belters allowed in my home.

Of Nymphs and Wildebeests

This slippery sea nymph

(Grendel’s mother’s third cousin

on the distaff side)

in Christopher Kane

would be a little timid

to come out of the water

if this Dolce and Gabbana

wildebeest jacket

were waiting for her

on the rocky shore.

(This is, of course, not a wildebeest jacket; I just like the sound of the adjective.)

Leather that Rocks

Although I am positively, unabashedly opposed to his and her dressing,

I do think

that this stunning Gucci Russian rock studded leather jacket

would smolder

next to this

studded leather coat by Alberta Ferretti.

But on a gorgeous couple

that is far, far away

from me,

please.


** photo of Gucci jacket from Japanese web magazine Openers