Love Me Some Lucite

Want to know a designer trick to make any room instantly more chic?  Lucite. A little accent of Lucite will turn a ho-hum room into the room of a posh fashionista.  Here are some of my favorite pieces:

Philippe Starck's Ghost Chair

{images via All Modern, CB2, 1st Dibs, & The Paris Apartment}

Ray Bans: Aviator vs Wayfarer

There are some gorgeous sunglasses out there,  but I always gravitate towards Ray Bans.  Now that the sun is staying up longer (YAY for Daylight Savings) I'm feeling the need for a new pair of shades. But I can't decide, should I go for Aviators or Wayfarers?

Let's take a look at the Aviators first. Bausch & Lomb developed the aviator style in the 1930's, were popularized in WWII when General Douglas MacArthur sported a pair and were all the rage starting in the 1960's up until now.  Look who's a fan of this classic style:

Jennifer Anniston

Johnny Depp. Rarr....

Don't know who she is, but she is gor-ge-ous!

And the ever fab Mrs. Beckham 

(how great do gold aviators look with a man's gold watch?)

Wayfarers, on the other hand, were developed by Bausch & Lomb in 1952 as one of the first styles of non-metal sunglasses.  The Wayfarers were "a mid-century classic to rival Eames' chair and Cadillac's tail fins," according to design critic Stephen Bayley. This "new wave" style was popular throughout the 50's and 60's, lost some momentum in the 70's, but the hit their pinnacle of acclaim in the 80's and are currently experiencing a resurgence. 

Audrey Hepburn

So which would you choose? Aviators or Wayfarers?

{images via Habitually Chic,  Atlantic-Pacific & Vanessa Jackman}

Sleek Seventies

A collection of sleek 70's sophistication.  Enjoy!

Adore...

{all furniture pieces 1970's vintage via 1stDibs, 

fashion photography Valentina Zelyaeva by David Burton for Elle Russia via FGR}

Perfect Pair for the New Year: Sequin + Mirror

May your New Year be shining and bright!

{images via West Elm, 1st Dibs, Arteriors, MG+BW & weheartit}

Love of Gloves

My dearest friend gave me such a great Christmas present- a vintage fashion pamphlet entitled 'Gloves: Fashion & Etiquette,' circa 1961.  I adore it.  I have now learned I should never appear in public without gloves, never eat, drink or smoke with gloves on, or make a habit of carrying my gloves as "they should be considered an integral part of you costume."  Isn't it interesting how times change?

It makes me wish I lived in a time where women actually wore gloves and hats and scarves...  they really knew how to dress up and be ladies, didn't they?

Gloves then:

"...nothing looks more luxurious than a 16-button glove crushed to a 8-button length..."

-Gloves: Fashion & Etiquette
(then again, some things DON'T change.)





 Orange tweed + leopard + a hat + gloves = Perfection



 Isn't this a spot-on Joan from Mad Men?  I wonder if this image was ever inspiration for her character...

All is not lost for us modern sophisticates, though!  The past season or so gloves have made their way back in the spotlight.  From short wrist lengths to full lengths reaching almost to one's shoulder, there is a glove out there for everyone!

Gloves for today:

Talk about a modern-day Joan! I DIE over these (also, she makes me want to dye my hair a pretty shade of crimson...).  My etiquette pamphlet informed me that the only appropriate accessories to wear with gloves are bracelets.  Agreed, 1961, agreed.

Trussardi 1911

Sarar

Marc Jacobs

Vera Wang

It seems like pairing leather gloves with fur is quite a popular formula.  You know I love any excuse to wear fur.

And the ultimate glove-wearer of modern times?  Sarah Jessica Parker, of course!  Sigh....

So what do you think?  Would you be daring enough to sport some ladylike gloves in this day and age?

{images via MyVintageVogue, style.com, Vogue and FGR}

House Crush: Jennifer Lopez

I hope all you had a most wonderful Christmas!  Mine was quite good.  I'm currently compiling a post about my favorite gift, white custom frames my hubbie made to go over our nightstands!  Sigh... now back to normal life...

My jaw dropped when I came across these images from the Jan./Feb. issue of Veranda Magazine.  They are of Jeniffer Lopez's Southern California home and I seriously think her designer, Michelle Workman, is my design twin separated at birth!  Does anything in these photos look familiar?

How about this table:

from this post,

and this chandelier:

from this post.  The chairs are very similar, too.  Great minds think a like, I guess!

Check out how fabulous the rest of JLo's home turned out:

The palette of soft taupe, gray and blue was based off vintage black and white movies from the 1940's.  Again, SO my personal style.  True love...

Lucite legged bench from Suzanne Kasler's collection.  Love me some lucite!

{images via Curbed}