Numberwang

That's Numberwang! 

You're probably wondering what is Numberwang, in addition to what Numberwang is. I wish I could tell you. Maybe if you watch this video you'll understand. And then this one. And then this one. 

Not only is Numberwang hilarious, but it also has Alexander Wang's last name in it, which is terribly convenient considering the topic of this post. Wang's eponymous brand has come to epitomize cool girl, effortless chic. He's known for his gratuitous use of black, his phenomenal construction skills, and his inspiration drawn from the French and grunge cultures. Every girl wants to be a Wang girl. I want to be a Wang girl. 

The designer was born in San Francisco in 1983 and grew up in California. He moved to New York City when he was 18 to attend Parsons New School for Design, but ended up dropping out in his sophomore year to launch his women's wear line in 2007. Being the complete boss that he is, he was an instant success. Alexander won the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Award in 2008 and was granted $200,000 to expand his business. He won the Swarovski Designer of the Year Award in 2009 and 2010 (the 2010 award was for his accessory design skills). It was recently announced in late November of this past year (weird!) that Alexander will become the creative director of Balenciaga since Nicholas Ghesquière left. Basically, A-Wang is completely owning the fashion scene, everyone loves his work, and he's supposedly a crazy dancer. One major, major con is that he's been accused of having a sweatshop in New York where laborers are forced to work 25 hours straight without a break, which is not only really really illegal, but also just ridiculously unethical. It actually makes me feel quite immoral myself to praise him, but his clothes are awesome. I'm vacillating. 

On that note, let's see his stuff, shall we? 

[Photos via style.com.]

FALL/WINTER 2011

FALL/WINTER 2011

RESORT 2012

SPRING/SUMMER 2012

T BY ALEXANDER WANG PRE-FALL 2012

PRE-FALL 2012

FALL/WINTER 2012

FALL/WINTER 2012

SPRING/SUMMER 2013

SPRING/SUMMER 2013

And that's Numberwang! 

P.S. Happy New Year! 2013 is such a pretty number, isn't it? 

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Current Obsessions: Hagrid-Inspired Outerwear

If you know me at all then you know that I love Harry Potter and everything related to it (I stated it in my Blogspot bio on the left, just sayin'). That's why instead of just flat out saying that this post is about maxi coats, I'm referencing my good buddy Rubeus Hagrid, half-giant and fashion innovator. "Hagrid, a fashion innovator?!" you may scoff. "Yes!" I shall reply. Ever noticed how he is almost always wearing a floor-length coat, whether it's a furry one in the winter months or a lighter one in the summertime? In case you haven't noticed this, here is a photo that may refresh your memory:

"Just because he wears a long fur coat doesn't mean that he's a fashion innovator," you may counter. "Yes," I shall respond, "it does because maxi coats are a huge trend right now!" Then photographic proof would follow. Which will happen in a minute. But this post is not merely a trend post; if it were, I would have titled it "Trending Right Now: Hagrid-Inspired Outerwear." However, it is named "Current Obsessions: Hagrid-Inspired Outerwear," which implies that I am currently obsessed with floor-sweeping jackets. 

The other day, I saw a woman walking down the street wearing a floor-length black wool coat, and I was instantly jealous of her. I was a bit shocked at myself, seeing as I had never outwardly (or inwardly for that matter) expressed or acknowledged a penchant for garments such as that one. The thoughts passed and were unremembered until I was on Nadia's blog, FrouFrouu, where she was discussing her love for long coats, and I realized that I, too, love long coats. Then, last night I was looking at the Band of Outsiders F/W 2011 show when I saw a model wearing a white fur maxi coat and my immediate reaction was, "Can I be her." It wasn't even posed as a question. You'll see the photo in a minute and when you do you'll see how comfy-chic she looks. That's my favorite style and it's very difficult to pull off, but when it happens, it's magical. Scott Sternberg has somehow mastered the comfy-chic look, which makes Band of Outsiders one of my favorite brands ever. We'll discuss that at a later date. The sight of the maxi coat at Band of Outsiders triggered something in my memory--the fact that Rodarte did a bunch of floor-length coats in their F/W 2011 collection as well, and I vowed that I would go through my archives the next morning and do a post about it. That is what I did, except for in the afternoon. 

Without further ado, I will show you the photos I collected. 

All photos courtesy of style.com and harpersbazaar.com. 

Give into your animal instincts: 


                         Band of Outsiders                                                                            Missoni
   

                        Band of Outsiders                                                                 Alexander McQueen
    

Wooly mammoths are not extinct: 

                                     Céline                                                                                   Rodarte

Lightweight champions: 


                              M Missoni                                                                                   Rodarte
           

Chloé

I want to just cuddle up inside of one of those forever, hence why I am currently obsessed.

I would just like to point out that I wrote this post in the car ride to Boston today, and then my computer flipped out and I had to rewrite the entire thing. #Bloggerproblems (that's a pun because Blogger is the platform and I am a blogger). 

Enjoy the last few days of 2011 cuddled in a maxi coat!

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Winter Solstice

Happy winter, everyone!

Yup, you'd never guess, but it's the shortest day of the year and the first day of winter today. And it was 56 degrees outside. On December 22nd. I am greatly disappointed in Mother Nature. You hear that, Nature? Disappointed.

I actually used my tripod and remote for the first time today, and the improvement in the photos is cray-cray. No more awkward lighting, weird doormats and excessive appearance of the floor and ceiling. Let us rejoice! Thank you, mom! You're the best! She also completely surprised me and got me the Harper's Bazaar Greatest Hits book by Editor in Chief Glenda Bailey. I'm beyond excited. This woman...she knows me well.

Anyway, here are my first photos taken with my tripod! Plus, stick around until the end of this post, I have some very exciting news to share with you all.

All photos taken by me (forever!!!).

Let's ignore the fact that half my face is darker than the other half. That never happened.

Top: Urban Outfitters 

Jeans: Candies, modified by me

Jacket: Hamlet's Vintage

Socks: Great question. 

Brogues: Giorgio Brutini via Savers

I can't believe I've never photographed this jacket before! I literally lived in it for a good 10 months--October to April of last year. And now it's back. Even if military chic is not as big of a trend this year, I don't care. I still love this jacket with all my heart. 

Just havin' a bit o' fun.

Now we get down to business.

Notice the rolled sleeve. I think this is so cool-looking. I can't take credit though--I learned to do it from two really stylish girls in my math class, Caroline and Sadie. Credz to them!

I was wearing red lipstick earlier today, and it matched my shoes/socks/earrings, which are right below this caption. 

You see those pink ones that are actually rubies in real life? My mom got those for me for Hanukkah, and they're hearts, which you also can't see in this photo. Whatevs, guys. 

Now for the exciting news! Remember how I mentioned a while back (exactly a month ago, actually! Whoa.) that Vogue Patterns magazine was going to feature my blog in their February/March issue, which they'd send me in January? Well, it came in the mail today, to my complete shock. I was expecting it in a few weeks, you see, seeing as it is still December and not yet January. I took a picture of the little blurblet to show you all, since you won't be able to see it unless you buy the issue. Feel free to if you'd like, it's on display until March 13th, 2012, so you've got time.  

When I read this, I literally died. I can't believe how nice their review was. (This is the link to the Missoni/YSL/Levi's/Spongebob outfit they're referring to.) If you're reading this, thank you so much! I could not be happier right now. 

Tomorrow is my last day of school until winter break (thank GOD, I'm so ready), so hopefully I'll get to do all the blog things I want to do. I feel like I have a title to represent now that I've been published in a magazine. Things just got real. 

See you next season! (Get it, 'cause it's the first full day of winter tomorrow? I'll probably use that one again on New Years'...don't be surprised if it rears its little head come December 31st.) 

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F/W FTW: I Am Too Ready For Fall

I am in love with fall. I've just decided this, within the past few days. It was sort of like an epiphany. I used to love summer, because, uhder, no school, but this summer I decided, meh, not so much. Don't get me wrong, this was one of the best summers I've ever had, but I get tired of wearing shorts. It might've been the fact that I wore the same 4 pieces of clothing for 3 weeks while in France that tired me out, but in any event, I am done with summer. And I am so excited for fall and winter. The one thing that I am looking forward to the most is snuggling up in a nice big sweater, or a chunky cardigan, and wearing a comfortable pair of pants (I'm very picky about what pants I wear). I am so overwhelmed by how excited I am.

This post is the one I have been dreading, because covering fall fashion is a huge job. (Funny how I'm posting this right at the start of fall fashion week, where we're suddenly taunted by spring and summer once again, the second they're officially over.) However, thanks to my extremely well-organized folders on my computer, it wasn't such a daunting task. But since I have a folder for around 37 designers, I could only choose around 1 from each (and there are some that I left out). The following pictures are in alphabetical order, btdubz.
Heeeeeeeere we go!!

Adam: 

 The perfect slouchy-meets-sexy look for fall and winter.

Alberta Ferretti: 

I already told you that orange is in for fall, so Alberta Ferretti is just confirming it. This falls into the category of 60's mod as far as trends go.

Alexander McQueen:

Red is yet another trend this season. Why the fuq not go all out? Kill two birds with one stone with this coat, because it includes red and fur.

 Alexander Wang:

Alexander Wang is known for his supah laid back and chill-style clothing. This season is no exception.

 Alice + Olivia:

I really liked most of this season's collection from Alice + Olivia, but I told you that I'm really digging the big coats and sweaters and whatnot. And anoraks. Those are pretty g.

 Chanel:

Look at who it is!!! My fave grl, Arizona Muse! I was more of a fan of the original Chanel stuff than the contemporary collections, but this stuff is right up my alley. One of the main things that determines whether or not I'll wear something is if it's comfortable. This looks comfortable, and it also strikes the perfect balance between menswear-inspired clothing and femininity, a.k.a. menswear without looking androgynous.

 Derek Lam:

Anyone who knows me knows that I love a good maxi skirt, so there's no reason why this should be an exception. I love the way it flows and moves around the model's ankles. The simplicity is also nice--not something I'd do, but it works for a lot of people. 

 DKNY:

More of that red showin' its very bright face at DKNY. I also love slouchy cardigans, like so. This is good stuff right here.

 Giorgio Armani:

Armani is not a brand that usually tickles my fancy, but I loved the simple elegance and ease of this dress. It's gorgeous. I don't wear a lot of sparkles, ever, really, but the cut of the dress is so effortless. And the fur neck ring makes it that much more glamorous.

 Gucci:

I wouldn't be covering fall 2011 fashion if I didn't include Gucci's colorful furs. I'm not much of a fur gal, but it's growing on me (fake fur, of course) (oh wait also a pun sort of, maybe just a play on words?). 

 Lanvin:

I liked the structured-ness of this dress, and the large, abstract print. It's fun, but also sort of sophisticated because of the black and white color palette. 

 Malandrino:

Malandrino. By Catherine Malandrino. I love this brand. I rediscovered it during fashion week in March, and at the time I wasn't as smitten with it as I am right now. It's the perfect sexy hipster collection. Hipster Bitch, if you will. Now, I'm not a hipster, no matter what my cousin Sara says, but I do love the nerdy-chic thing that Malandrino's got going on. In fact, I loved it so much, that I cheated and put in two pictures from the F/W 2011 collection.

 Malandrino:

I'm pretty sure it's a velvet dress. Everyone knows that velvet drapes well when it's used like this because it's used to make, well, drapes. Velvet never appealed to me because it reminded me too much of my childhood wardrobe (not in the cute overalls way, though), but this is shexy. Her hair mimics the shape of the skirt. Pure genius.

 Missoni:

As you all know, I covered Missoni last week, but this stuff is taken from their lookbook, not the runway show. I already told you why I love Missoni's F/W 2011 stuff, but this is another one of their awesome, snuggly but not shlumpy/frumpy sweater dresses, and my beloved socks-with-heels look. She just looks übercomfy.

 Nina Ricci:

She's chill and laid back, but still looks like a badass chick. Rockin' a leather jacket and a white shirt with floral detailing at the neckline? I think yes.

 Rodarte:

Rodartedy-dartedy-darte! How I love you so! The hair was just awesome, but I also really liked some of the clothing. No duh. This is a look that fits my style, and I can definitely see myself wearing something like this this season.

 Seth Aaron Henderson:

The winner of Project Runway Season 7 is at it again. I was rooting for Seth Aaron the whole time, and I was so happy when he won. However, I was worried that he'd disappear off the face of the earth like some other winners, like Leanne (season 5) or Irina (season 6), but he's stayed in the game. In this look/collection, he not only referenced his previous collection, but he was also on top of the black and white trend that's so prevalent this season.

 Tibi:

I only discovered Tibi after the Man Repeller styled their window at Bloomingdales and when she was chilling at the Tibi boutique in Soho earlier this year, but after that point, Tibi started popping up everywhere. I told you just before that I've started digging the (fake) fur trend all of a sudden (it sort of started when I saw a fur vest from Bel Air while in France in August). 

 Valentino:

I'm not usually a fan of huge names like Valentino, Prada, Louis Vuitton, Gucci, etc., but I thought this outfit was really cute. It's just overwhelmingly adorable.

 Zac Posen:

Remember when I told you that I have all 34 of Zac Posen's collections saved on my computer? Well, here's one of those pictures. This was my favorite from his fall collection, and I'm actually really excited to try the buttoned-up-cardigan-under-a-blazer look. I'm actually really excited. 

I hope that quenched your thirst for fall fashion coverage--now get ready for spring! As we speak, meaning as you read this, I'll be at school, for my first day. I would've posted it yesterday, but I had to do the live stream of the IFB Conference yesterday. If it's your first day of school, good luck. But more importantly, show me your first day outfits! I'll show you mine if you show me yours. Well, I'll show you mine anyway. 

Send your picz to youreatulle@gmail.com, post them on my blog's Facebook page or my Twitter.

MissOWNi

After buying my camera, my bank account was wiped clean. Not a cent to my name. That's why I'm pretty sure I'll have to stop buying at Urban Outfitters for a while, and head over to Goodwill for the next few months years.

I'm currently in the middle of catching up on some television, and I am so not ready to cover fall fashion. It's too much to do while multitasking. It would involve all of my attention. However, I am ready to cover winter. And speaking of things I can't afford, let's talk about Missoni. 

Missoni is not for everyone. And usually not for me. But lately, I've been amazed at their ability to mix the most exotic prints and colors and lengths and garments and somehow make them work together in perfect harmony. It's quite admirable. 

I'm not one to wear an excess of vibrant prints and whatnot, but I'm kind of feeling it this winter. Especially since Missoni is doing a 400-odd piece collection for the ever-affordable Target. I read about it in last month's issue of Harper's Bazaar, and I've been hearing/reading a lot about Margherita Missoni lately, and when I read that her family's brand was coming out with a wallet-friendly line for Target, I was so on top of that. 

You can view the lookbook here.

I'm not quite sure what changed my mind, but I'm all of the sudden ready for snuggling up in big sweaters paired with a faithful skinny jean or a cool pair of tights, but I'm so over my usual brown, shapeless thing that was probably my dad's at some point. If you know anything about my style, you'll know that I'm the opposite of a minimalist (well, not the polar opposite--I don't think "more is more" is a good motto, and I know when to stop piling it on), and I'm always looking for ways to put awesome twists on classic pieces, such as an incredible print or color on a simple blazer or sweater. That's why I'm digging Missoni's stuff for Target. If you compare it with the stuff for their full-on Missoni brand, it's not that different, just more wearable for the average person.

Before I show you my favorites from the line, I'll tell you a few things that I NEVER wear: 

• a boring shmoring jeans and a t-shirt (or tanktop) combination. I am just bored to death by skinny jeans with a v-neck (or regular) t-shirt--on me. I don't mind when other people wear it if they do it well, but I can't bring myself to wear it. There are few exceptions--if the jeans are printed or if the tee is especially cool and speaks for itself. 
• sweatpants. EW, Ew, ew. I will never wear sweatpants in public, or in my house. I just hate them. They make me feel disgusting. No offense to people who love them, but I really have no desire to wear sweatpants ever in my life, especially not the Victoria's Secret/ Abercrombie/Hollister ones. However, I am not opposed to a slouchy or loose and comfortable pant. They are different.

The perfect combo of cute sweater-dress comfiness, practicality and ultra fun prints. 

Not sure if it's a romper or separates, but I dig it either way. The colors are more subdued so they're more wearable, but still a party on account of the cray-cray print.

PLEASE TRY TO TELL ME THAT THIS DOES NOT LOOK OUTRAGEOUSLY COMFORTABLE. 

Perfecto examplo of a nice, slouchy pant and also a sick sweater. 

That looks like a good contender for this winter's uniform/outfit I would be totally fine to live in for the rest of the season.

Note: This is a supersnazzy drawstring pant, not sweatpants. In any way, shape or form. Do not insult them. If you were planning on it. Just take that off of your to-do list. 

And now for the real stuff: Missoni F/W 2011 Ready-To-Wear Collection:

Missoni put a twist on things this season: pastels for winter. Interesting. I dig that.

And ombre. I LOVE ombre'd anything. Hair, fabric, whatever. I'm not biased.

I don't think I'd like this garment if it weren't for the way it looks in motion. I love the proportion. Oh, it also incorporates an eye-catchingly printed maxi dress and a floor length snakeskin coat. That's a plus, I guess.

That is one of the coolest jacket I've ever seen in my life. Just thought I'd let you know. And I'm also confused as to whether she's wearing pants or a skirt. And I'm fine with it being ambiguous.

It's not a comfy knit, but she looks too chic not to include her in this Missoni-themed post.

There's mah good ol' knitz! Still unclear about the orientation of her bottoms, but it don't rilly matter tah me. Also I want her hat a tad bit.

And her hat. And pants. How FREAKING COMFY DO THOSE PANTS LOOK? Couldn't you just live inside of them? I could, I'm telling you right now. 

Budda bah bah bah! I'm lovin' it.

Last one. Let's break this down, shall we? A nice knitted top and calf-length crazy shorts, paired with python boots and a ridiculously warm-looking fur coat and a blue fuzzy beanie. I'm pretty sure this outfit alone covered 75% of this season's trends.

Whether you're looking into buying Missoni for Target, the legit Missoni, a knock-off of the style at Missoni for Target, or you want absolutely nothing to do with it, I'd be expecting to see me wearing something along the lines of all this in a few months' time. I hope my sartorial brethren shall join me.

(Also I own this jacket. I bought it at a vintage store (Hamlet's Vintage, I've mentioned them before several times) a while back, like last October, and all of the sudden they're selling a nearly identical one at Urban. Loling at how mine's more authentic.)