Paper Bag It

Lately, every time I go shopping, I've been looking for pants and skirts with paper bag waists. They seem so flattering. I've found a few online, but I'm determined to find something that's a little bit cheaper. I love the way this girl on Oslostil has worn her paper bag-waisted skirt - it's pulled together, but not too serious.


Topshop Tie Ruche Skirt around $36, Acne Jeans Tie Waist Tulip Skirt around $350, Topshop Wide Leg Trouser around $90.

CL

Gypsy Camp

Gypsy Camp is one of Atlanta's best kept secrets. Located behind the Angel in Decatur, it's only open a few weekends out of the year. Basically, Gypsy Camp is a collective of wholesalers selling their leftovers for super low prices. It's mostly outdoor/garden pieces and homewares like mirrors and pitchers. The first time I went to Gypsy Camp I bought a giant, circular wall mirror for $18! They also have great garden statues (without the weird creepy faces that some have) for only $30. Everything is priced so low I can't image anyone going in and not coming out with somthing. Even my boyfriend, who hates shopping with a passion, bought a pitcher for his mom. Gypsy Camp is open this weekend. I recommend going because you never know when the next sale will be.

The images below are just a taste of the goodness you can find:






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Tom-Toms

After waiting for two months, my pair of TOMS finally arrived! These could possibly be the only pair of sensible shoes I've purchased in the past two years. They're incredibly comfortable and, for those of you not familiar with TOMS, everytime you buy a pair, another pair is given to a child in need. Talk about guilt-free shopping!

You can purchase a pair on the TOMS website. They're also available at Urban Outfitters. Eviva Shoes and Whit's End in Decatur also have them, so you can shop local and help a child in need.

I choose the navy blue/pink design, but there is a large selection of style online.

Last Chance

There are a total of six Last Chance Thrift stores in the Atlanta area. Every time I venture into the location closest to me I never know what to expect. I've found some great things at Last Chance, but I've also gone away incredibly disappointed - and disgusted (for a couple of months there was a funky smell at the back of the store, which kept me away). Last Chance Thrift stores are huge - more like warehouses - so you never know what you'll find. Monday's are the best because everything is half off and I made a couple of great purchases today: One pair of women's black oxfords and four piano scarves.

Oxfords might have been a fleeting trend, but I'm willing to risk it. These were too good to pass up (see left-hand image below). They're a little worn, but really good quality and I think they'd go well with some long, high-waisted straight-leg trousers - something similar to outfits in the Luella Spring 07 RTW line (right-hand image).


I'm not sure if these are technically piano scarves - actually, I'm not really sure what piano scarves are, but these seemed to fit my idea of piano scarf-ness. It's a little warm to think about wearing these, but I'm sure I'll get a lot of use out of them in the fall and winter.

When I saw the scarves, the first thing that came to mind was the image of this French woman in Nylon's Street. I like how her outfit isn't trendy and the scarf adds a bit of je ne sais quoi, no?
CL

Go International Update

Only 22 more days until the Libertine line at Target is released and the Alice Temperley Go International preview is already available for your viewing pleasure at Target.com. It looks pretty good - I especially love the oversized gray sweater (bottom left corner). The Libertine line will run through September 15, so I suppose that's when the Temperley line will be released.

According to Fashionologie, Erin Fetherston (pictured here with Zooey Daschel) is the next designer after Temperley. It's an odd choice for the fall/winter line, but I can't wait to see some great dresses at Target prices!

We Love Maira Kalman

In our opinion, Maira Kalman is one of the best illustrators out there today.

Her illustrations can be found on the cover of 11 New Yorkers - not too shabby!


Many of you might recognize her work from the illustrated version of E.B. White's The Elements of Style.
She has a blog on the NY Times website, but it's under Times Select so you have to pay extra to read it.
Until we're willing to shell out $$$ to read the Times Select, we'll stick to visiting her site for drawing/painting/interior designing inspiration.

Atlanta Pride

The city of Atlanta is a mixed bag of opposing characteristics. For example, the city spent millions of dollars in the 70s to create MARTA (the city's version of a subway system), but it has a giant highway running straight through the center. It's also considered a major center of the civil rights movement, but today it remains socially segregated. And then, around this time of year, one of the city's largest dichotomies becomes even more apparent. I'm of course referring to the conservative southern Atlanta (fundamentalist baptists, neo-conservatives, all-white country clubs, khaki shorts, southern belles) vs. gay Atlanta. The annual Atlanta Pride Festival is one of the most popular festivals in the city. The event includes a huge market place, all-day entertainment and the highly popular Pride Parade. Now in it's 37th year, it really is one of the best festivals in the city.

Last night I attended the VIP Pride party at the Magnolia Room in Piedmont Park. I did feel a little out of place being one of the only straight people there, but it was a lot of fun. A number of Atlanta's top restaurants were offering tastings of their best dishes, there was an endless supply of watermelon martinis and the "flight attendants" at the Delta lounge were passing out gift bags. I'm guessing that Delta was the major sponsor of the party (and overall festival), which explains why everything was plastered with the triangular Delta logo, including the complimentary Delta flask:
All in all it was a fun night. For those of you brave enough to venture downtown today, enjoy the parade!

CL

Dae Jang Geum

My mom got me hooked on Dae Jang Geum, a Korean soap opera that's incredibly popular in Asia. It's more of a television series than soap opera and there are a total of 54 episodes. Jang Geum came out in 2003, but it takes place in the 1500s. The clothes are absolutely beautiful. The bell-shaped dresses in the show kind of remind me of the 2003 Rochas RTW dresses - and of course the Asian-inspired Christian Dior 2007 Couture line.

Montana in Atlanta

Where would Atlanta be without Ted Turner? No CNN, no Eco-Maner and, most importantly, no bison burgers! Ted's Montana Grill is a popular chain in the U.S., with a handful of locations in ATL.This city has an endless amount of independently-owned restaurants, so I don't eat at Ted's too often, but every once in a while I get a craving for a bison burger and a coke float. No, it's not very healthy, but it's delicious and American! And apart from the calories, eating at Ted's is pretty guilt-free because the place is very environmentally friendly.

We've been experiencing classic Hotlanta June weather, but Lauren (pictured left) opted to wear boots today. What can I say? It's all in the name of fashion. Rising temperatures be damned! There's no denying that those boots make the outfit.Ahhhh...a coke float...so refreshing and nostalgic...
CL

Rumors...

According to the June 1st issue of the Atlanta Business Chronicle, H&M is seriously considering a space in Atlantic Station. Considering that it was written up in the ABC, this is more than just a rumor. However, I don't want to get my hopes up yet because no lease has been signed. And then there's always the complaint that a H&M would make Atlanta just like every other city. Well, if the addition of cheap, trendy clothes from a Swedish think-tank means that Atlanta will be more like NYC, then I'm all for it. Bring on the homogenization because I want to go shopping!

Fifth Ave. H&M

CL

Turban Fever

I really thought the whole turban trend would blow over quickly, but it seems to still be going strong. Then on the other hand, I suppose people that are not obsessed with fashion would think the Prada-like turbans look ridiculous. I'm not one of those people. Instead, I consume every fashion magazine and style blog that crosses my path, so I'm convinced that a giant turban looks great. That being said, I'm not sure if I'd have the guts to wear one out and about. We'll see...

In the following images, you will see that, after extensive research, I've found clear evidence that the turban craze is alive and well.

Prada's Spring 2007 RTW line started it all (note the jewel tones, variety of knots and the headband turbans):
Courageous style bloggers have purchased and styled their own turbans and have done quite well. The top image is from Style Bytes and the bottom from Style Bubble.

Topshop now has it's own version (pictured on the left). The Topshop turbans come in four colors and can be purchased online, which is good news for us Americans. Then there's Teen Vogue (yes, I read a teen magazine), which can't seem to get enough of Prada's turbans and headbands.
And of course, there's the celebrities who have incorporated the item into their personal style. Designer Rachel Roy paired hers with a black trench, while Ashley Olsen wore hers with Ray bans, cut-offs and pursed lips.
I personally am not willing to shell out $200+ to buy the Prada turban or even $30 for Topshop's, but I don't mind playing around with some of the scarves I do have! The following headscarf tying how-to is from the most recent issue of Jane. I thought I'd give it a go and ended up with something that looked pretty turban-esque.

1.) Hold up a folded scarf behind your head

2.) Tie it once at the top

3.) Crisscross the two ends, twist once and tie at the neck

4.) Adjust all around to make even

For other good scarf-tying instructions visit Tznius.

Biltmore...than you!

You can't go to Asheville without taking a trip over to the Biltmore , "America's largest home." Built by Vanderbilt in the late 1800s, the home/mansion/palace has 250 rooms and a ridiculous amount of land. Some might call it a bit over-the-top, but I think of it as cozy. Actually, it's overwhelming, but we had fun walking around and enjoying the mountain air:
Lauren is wearing a dress from Target and her pair of Toms:

Lauren and a Biltmore lion:

Wearing my American Apparel poplin dress and leggings. Seeing as American Apparel clothing is sweatshop-free, I doubt Mr. Vanderbilt would approve. You can't build a 250-room house without exploiting a couple hundred workers!


CL

Black Mountain College

Black Mountain is a small town located a few miles outside of Asheville. In 1933 Black Mountain College was founded to break the mold of traditional education. The college emphasized the importance of learning the liberal and fine arts in and outside the classroom. Although Black Mountain College only operated for twenty years, it was a revolutionary school that produced some of America's most famous modern artists. Today the town of Black Mountain is known as an artist enclave and has over ten galleries.



Two of the college's founders were from the Bauhaus school in Germany. The modern German style is evident in the college's buildings that still exists today.

John Cage, Merce Cunningham and Robert Rauschenberg are just a few of the college's famous alumni.

Black Mountain College Museum and Arts Center

Although we didn't make it out to the town of Black Mountain, we visited the Black Mountain College Museum and Arts Center located in downtown Asheville. The current exhibit is Signs of Life: Robert Rauschenberg Posters.














CL