There are few wardrobe staples more satisfying than shoes with a split personality...
Alexander McQueen fabric pumps, $749 at Zappos.com
Sweet but sexy.
Dainty yet dangerous.
Minnie Mouse marries Marilyn Manson...'till death do us part.
Australian designer Jayson Brunsdon -- whose celeb fan club includes Naomi Watts and Hilary Swank -- got me fired up for Spring on the CBS Early Show this morning (watch the clip here) with this emerald green top and bamboo print skirt from his Spring/Summer collection.
Shop now for your own Brunsdon bamboo-print fix at Neiman Marcus
Not only did the ensemble make me feel festive, but the impeccable cut of the clothes made the outfit look -- and feel -- effortless.
Stay tuned for lots more Jayson Brunsdon in my TV wardrobe!
p.s.
Admittedly, I have a soft spot for Aussie talent...here I am hanging out with the locals on my honeymoon in Queensland!
One-stop-shopping alert! Get two Spring trends --- bright colors and ethnic-inspired textiles -- in a single slide.
Geometric slides, on sale for $37 at Vivre
Style Spy has been home sick in bed all week...BUT that doesn't mean you won't spy me being stylish. Even comfy PJs can be chic. My fashionable flu ensemble by Tepper Jackson (a gift from Mr. Husband several Easters ago) is still on-trend for the season (florals!) and has helped keep my spirits up...the psychedelic pattern has also kept me feeling grooooovy (or is that the NyQuil?!)
Image from PajamasSeenOnTV.com
Tepper Jackson Delight White Lounger Pajama, $125, available at PajamasSeenOnTV.com.
Speaking of being seen on TV...sick or not, Style Spy will be appearing LIVE on the CBS Early Show tomorrow (not wearing pajamas) in the 8:30am half-hour talking about transforming your look with accessories.
Be there or be square!
I have never been to Alaska, but if all the shoes there look like this, I'm moving. Ok, not really. BUT, I did just add these Jimmy Choo "Alaska" sandals to my collection, and I generally don't even like low-heeled shoes. The siren song of the iridescent green wedge heel and the contrasting wrap-around straps seduced me like a lonely sailor. Or at least like a girl who loves shoes.
Ikat textiles are at the top of Spring's "It" list -- whether in the form of scarves, dresses or housewares -- but I found these chic Bahasa throw pillows priced like they're going out of style.
ON SALE for $15.89 (22" square) and $23.89 (16"x35" rectangle) at Z Gallerie
I have been spying tons of elephants lately (not real ones, that would be scary), particularly in the world of home design.
There are re-issued classics...
Eames miniature plywood elephant by Vitra, $185 at Accurato.com
George Nelson Elihu the Elephant Zootimer Clock, $130 at Nova68.com
Alexander Calder 3D Elephant Puzzle, $69.99 at Nova68.com
There are modern interpretations...
Siecle champagne flute, $195 at Vivre
Smythson Correspondence Cards, $90 for ten at Smythson
Elephant bedding (cotton percale or flannel) from $19 at The Company Store
And, of course, there are elephants you can wear...
Roberto Cavalli bracelet, $700 at Vivre
Tory Burch Bailey top, $275 at ToryBurch.com
Even celebrities are embracing the elephant...
Hilary Duff image courtesy of Kenneth Jay Lane
Kenneth Jay Lane bangle, $140 at Saks Fifth Avenue
But why now? Is it simply an offshoot of Spring's global/tribal fashion trend?
Perhaps a viral
marketing campaign launched by some young, hip GOP strategist?
Or has everyone simply had it with pigs? As in, forget the piggy bank...I want an elephant bank!
Jonathan Adler bank (also in black, baby blue and white), $68
(Donkey version also available. That Jonathan Adler is so PC.)
If you don't want to save your pennies in a ceramic elephant, you can put your pennies towards saving a real elephant. Like Eleanor here, orphaned in Kenya when she was 18 months old.
Visit SheldrickWildlifeTrust.org for details.
Perhaps "herd mentality" isn't such a bad thing...
Let's face it -- so many of those eco-friendly bags -- even the "designer" ones -- just really aren't that great to look at. They ultimately give off a crunchy, wavy gravy vibe that just doesn't do it for me...and why are they almost always the same shape, with the same flimsy cotton straps?
That's why I am so impressed with the new, limited edition eco-chic (for real) bag from Kooba that launches this week exclusively at Barney's New York. 
Kooba for Barney's Green
The 100% organic cotton canvas bag is accented with recycled cork trim (love it!!) and comes in natural (above) or green. $245 at Barney's NY and Barneys.com.
Spiced coladas served in ceramic coconuts with umbrellas. CHECK
Retro bamboo furniture. CHECK
Kitschy ship's wheel decor. CHECK
Pool table. CHECK
Cheesy Budweiser lamp above pool table. CHECK
Tacky fish tank complete with neon scuba diver figurines. CHECK
Jukebox stocked with so-bad-it's-good 70s tunes. CHECK
I've always been a fan of both Ken Friedman (The Spotted Pig) and Taavo Somer (Freeman's Alley and creator of the original "My boyfriend is out of town" t shirt) who have joined forces to open the Rusty Knot -- but now I am officially in awe. They have tapped into an aesthetic, a vibe, and an attitude that many hip New Yorkers have subconsciously wanted, but hadn't yet realized they wanted.
With the Rusty Knot (in the spot vacated by West, although the old awning remains), Ken and Taavo have articulated those latent desires: Nostalgia, with kitsch. Groovy tracks from Journey, Starbuck, Christopher Cross, Heart, and Cheap Trick. A dive bar with a marlin on the wall flanked by a ship's wheel mirror and a diner-style menu board that lists pretzel dogs, roasted razor clams, meat pie, peel-and-eat shrimp, their (already) wildly popular bacon and chicken liver sandwich, as well as the times of high and low tide and sunrise and sunset.
After gushing to Ken last night about how beyond right-on the place was, he laughed and said, "It's like your parents' basement in the 70s, isn't it?" Well, maybe more like a friend's parents' basement a decade later, but you get the idea. I see it as more of a surreal, time-warpy, transporting experience: Basically, if you were living in the original Jaws movie (not swimming, duh) and went to a local dive bar, this would be it. I actually heard someone greet his friend with an affable "Ahoy!" when he came in the door.
And, the crowd congregating last night (including Robin Wright) was not drinking green beer, nor did anyone appear to be congratulating themselves on being too cool for school. Instead, everyone kind of hung out together like a group of new friends...we chatted about the cute fish in the tank, reiterated the virtues of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, and marveled over the obscenely long straws that come with the scorpion bowls.
Come to think of it, it was kind of like being in my (friend's) parents' basement...
Can't make it to The Rusty Knot? Throw your own nautical-themed basement blowout! Get inspired with these cheeky coasters:
Or these porcelain coconut mugs (dead ringers for the ones at the Rusty Knot):
$8.50 each at Myriahs
And seal the deal with cocktail mermaids:
RELATED ARTICLES:
Roni had me just after hello, when I spied a floaty chiffon star-patterned blouse that delicately echoed Spring's star-studded runways at Chanel and Yves Saint Laurent, but rocked a stellar price tag of $149.
This new NYC clothing boutique at 657 Broadway (Roni's second outpost; the first is at 119 St. Mark's Place) stocks never-before-heard-of labels from around the world and manages to fill its petite, bi-level, glass box of a shop with affordable pieces that you haven't seen everywhere else, from sleek LBDs to funky patterned dresses.
Image from RoniNyc.com
Roni also recently debuted her own collection -- my favorite piece in the shop right now is the red tartan plaid belted military jacket. What better way to get a jump on NEXT Fall's ginormous plaid trend than with a chic wool coat for less than $400?
Advertisement
