A little while back a lovely young woman named Sara Washington got in touch with me asking if I’d mind if she interviewed me on-camera about my closet and style. Obviously that’s one of my all-time favorite things to talk about so I said YES. The result is the video below, which I think Sara did an amazing job on. It’s part of a series she’s creating called Dressed, so stay tuned for more installments on her blog, She was so much fun and so easy to work with, and I’m so excited to have this keepsake—especially since I’m going through a MAJOR closet overhaul at the moment. I just listed 20 items on Poshmark, and many more are to come!
In the video, I talk about my style evolution, from hippie college student to fast fashion addict to now, which I don’t know how to define exactly, but I do know that I’m finally taking Tim Gunn’s excellent advice from his Guide to Quality, Taste and Style. He says something like: “Nothing in your closet should made you sad.” In the video I share several pieces that make me happy, but I also have SO MANY things in there that make me sad, mostly because they’re uncomfortable and/or unflattering. They are evidence of me succumbing to a trend that doesn’t work for my body, or ordering online and being too lazy to make the return when I realized the item didn’t look great. And it is TIME TO PURGE!
ANYHOO, I’m slightly embarrassed but honored that Sara made this video below. I’d love to hear what you all think, and about all of your style evolutions. I feel like whether you were a hippie or a goth or a prep, a little bit of that always stays with you, do you agree?
The lovely ladies of Adornia, an amazing luxury jewelry site you should totally check out, featured me on their blog recently, where I share my my top picks from their site, which was very hard to narrow down because they have so many amazing pieces. “Hip” and luxury jewelry don’t usually go together, but it’s happening here at Adornia. Black and pink diamonds, turquoise and gold: it’s all droolworthy. I also share a bit about my two very favorite pieces of jewelry: one from the husband, one from my grandmother.
If these pants look familiar, it’s because I also wore them in my previous outfit post, which was taken on the same trip to Sonoma as these photos. What can I say, with a baby in my life, I’m not getting out all that much these days! And also because of the little missy, I wanted for once in my life to not overpack since I also had to pack for her. And I pretty much succeeded! As you can see, I got double duty out of the pants and shoes. Hopefully no one noticed
So you want to show your girlfriend or wife you care with a cute and romantic Valentine’s Day gift, but you have an inkling she does not feel the need to Getta Gund. You can walk that line between adorable and fashionable with these super cute sequin Teddy bears designed by Freddy Dico, available at AhaLife for $300. A bit steep for Teddy bears, perhaps, at first blush. But consider how psyched she’ll be to display them on her bed, and if you happen to share one, imagine how pleased you’ll be that they don’t embarrass your masculinity every time you enter the room. They would be just as at-home on the couch—so fun. Imagine just for a moment the points you’ll be collecting. Priceless. Also, can Teddy bears be rock and roll? I think these prove the answer is yes, yes they can.
We decided to make a weekend out of The Lab Event last weekend, and we’re very glad we did even though the temperature was 23 degrees when we woke up on Sunday. 23! I’ll be honest, I brought this coat along with thoughts of doing up an outfit post, but I figured I wouldn’t actually need it. I needed it!!
Coat: vintage (similar here); turtleneck: Bebe from approximately 1,000 years ago, the last time cropped sweaters were trendy (similar here). I couldn’t get rid of it b/c it’s such a chunky and super soft cashmere; pants: November (similar here); belt: purchased in Guatemala approximately 100 years ago; booties: Opening Ceremony; socks: Timberland; earrings: Sheila B; ring: Alkemie, similar here; glasses: See Eyewear.
Baby Frida’s outfit is all hand-me-downs except for her Robeez booties.
Last weekend I was a model. That’s right A MODEL, unlikely as that may sound. I wore a wedding dress—two wedding dresses actually (not at the same time)—while walking down a runway. And you know what it was kind of fun.
It would be even more fun for someone fixing to get married. It was for The Lab Event in Sonoma, which was kind of like a wedding fair but more like a really fun party. All kinds of vendors were there showing off their wedding cakes, invitations, food, photo booths, the whole nine yards. And the venue itself, the Cline Cellars barrel room, was romantic and would be quite a dreamy place to tie the knot.
The fashion show models were mostly my fellow Bay Area fashion bloggers, inluding Natalie Goel of Like Fresh Laundry, Krystal Bick of This Time Tomorrow, Chandamheer Stacker of Pancake Stacker, Rebecca Gunthrie of 35-Inch Inseam, Julia Engel of Gal Meets Glam, Anne Sage of The City Sage, Maria Morales of Kitties and Couture and Angela Tafoya of Refinery 29. And then there was an experienced model, Lluvy Gomez, who starred in cycle four of America’s Next Top Model! She now has two kids and can still rock the runway like a major pro. She just turned it ON walking down that runway and we all dropped our jaws and realized what amateurs we were (perhaps I should speak for myself but that seemed to be the sentiment!).
Bottom line, it was a fun day/evening, and the husband and baby came to support my modeling debut, which I appreciated very much. Here are his photos and (exciting) a video!
If your sweetheart proposed over the holidays, major congrats! How romantic. How exciting. How… stressful is the wedding planning going to be?! Deep breath. If you start with The Lab Event this weekend, planning your wedding will feel like the most fun ever. The event was created by three wedding aficionados: Erin Taylor of Bustle and Heritage & Craft, Allison Silber of Engaged & Inspired, and Yasmin Zialcita Ali of Floral Theory, to create a fun evening where folks planning weddings can experience Northern California wedding vendors in an actual party setting. Industry professionals who create dresses, floral arrangements, food, photography and more will be on hand at Cline Cellars to give a first-hand glimpse of their products. This way to find out how you could win a free ticket!
Posts that give long explanations about why the blogger hasn’t blogged for so long are kind of annoying, right? I mean everyone knows people get busy with kids and jobs and blahbity blah. Still, I just kind of wanted to share the latest in the Stylenik world and I will do my best not to be annoying about it. About a month ago, I started a new gig as the San Francisco editor of Racked. Yay! I’m super excited. What is Racked, you ask? It’s a blog about shopping, retail, and fashion. I KNOW! That’s not a job, that’s a fun thing to do during the day, right? I launched the site in early December, and it has indeed been extremely fun so far.
It feels like a good start to 2013. I think it’s going to be an amazing year, don’t you? What you’ll find on Stylenik in 2013: some outfit posts if I can get the husband to pick up the camera (like he did here, bless him), lifestyle stuff, like stories about being a mom, travel, food, wine, and fashion topics that don’t conflict with Racked. Any local news on the fashion beat will go on Racked SF first. But I’ll post here about general trends or national/international fashion stuff.
A quick word about the sweater I’m wearing here: it’s possibly the best wool sweater ever. It’s by Mina + Olya, a sustainable luxury brand out of San Francisco that launched in 2011. I typically cannot wear wool against my bare skin. Even the softest cashmere makes me so itchy. But THIS, this sweater is fully lined in silk satin. It is a dream come true.
So there you have it, my Happy 2013 update. I hope it’s a successful and stylish year for you!
Oh, and if you’re wondering, this is why my baby girl’s face is not in the photos.
On baby girl: cashmere poncho from Blumenkinder on Etsy (thank you Auntie Robyn!), Robeez booties, the rest is handed down; On me: organic wool sweater courtesy of Mina + Olya, gifted necklace from Shadin who needs to get a blog i can link to, Sheila B earrings (very old), Hue tights, vintage skirt
Cuddles at sunset are the best
Can you even deal with those booties (I mean the baby's obvs)
These booties, courtesy of Kurt Geiger, are shockingly comfortable (for real)
I love the chunky zipper, and it makes for easy off/on
Blumenkinder on Etsy (thank you Auntie Robyn!), Robeez booties, the rest is handed down; On me: organic wool sweater courtesy of Mina + Olya, gifted necklace from Shadin who needs to get a blog i can link to, Sheila B earrings (very old), Hue tights, vintage skirt thumbnail" />
I encountered this “Untouchables” post on Eater about Melissa Perello’s “Lumberjack Cake” at Frances in San Francisco’s Castro neighborhood. First of all, how freaking delicious does that look? Second, doesn’t it make a fabulous outfit? I included lots of wood jewelry as a nod to Mr. Lumberjack. I thought the gray leather pants invoked the lovely earthenware plate Frances is serving it on in the photo. The sweater is very Lumberjack Cake-ish, no? You’ll also notice a touch of powdered sugar and Humphry Slocombe, and some shiny, sparkly touches for the holidays. Enjoy!
Blumenkinder on Etsy (thank you Auntie Robyn!), 
