Monday, April 30, 2012

Collapsible Backpacks

My sister was the first person I knew who had a super light, collapsible backpack.
She got it in college and always packed it with her on vacations or to the grocery store and it always came in handy.

I have tons of tote bags, and some of those are the stuffable kind that fit into their own pocket, but I don't have a stuffable backpack.
They are great for day trips when you're on vacation, and I'm considering a few models:

$24 Baggu daypack
Made of ripstop nylon, 16" high / 9" wide / 4" deep. Adjustable straps. Inner drawstring closure, with outer snap and buckle.
Machine washable which is so great--bags can get totally gross.
It comes in solids and elephants and a really cute white and blue stripe but I think this is the most versatile and I can make E carry it without the excuse that it is a girly bag.

 $39 Gossamer Gear BigBag
A Big stuffsack/daypack/ with a reinforced hanging/haul loop. 14 x 23 in
silicone-coated ripstop nylon
I wish this came in other colors because it looks like a big trash bag.

Compressible design that allows the pack to be stuffed into an interior pocket / Large main compartment with zippered top closure / Side water bottle pockets / Contoured Airmesh shoulder straps
Fabric: 70D PU-coated nylon ripstop Volume: 1040 in3 (17 liters) Weight: 9 oz (245 g)
This one is more of a real backpack and has more pockets and features than the other, but it is 3x heavier. 

$34.50 REI flash pack
This one has tons of features and is made of ripstop nylon, 18 x 9.5 x 8 inches.
  • Turn inside out and it's a stuff sack to help organize your gear; once at basecamp, reverse it and use as a daypack for short hikes away from camp
  • Removable back panel pad doubles as a sit pad; removable hipbelt and sternum strap make the pack cutomizable for different uses
  • Interior zippered pocket secures keys and other small items

Etsy Find of the Day: colored pencil ring

$18 Pencil slice ring

Wouldn't this be a great gift for a primary school teacher?

It's fun and colorful and the geometric shapes and different heights of the pencil slices make it surprisingly sophisticated to boot.

Friday, April 27, 2012

Pewter mirror flats

 
$19.99 Deena and Ozzie Mirror Skimmer 

Shiny shiny!
Almond-toe flats are the best, because they straddle the line of round and pointy.
They elongate your leg but don't make your foot look ginormous.

These are like the flat version of Michelle Obama's pewter mirror heels (and the Ivanka Trump lookalikes) that I posted about earlier.

Let's look again at Michelle Obama's:
Don't you think the looks are close, without the heel?

And these skimmers are only $20.

Great Online Shop: ClosetGroupie

ClosetGroupie is a site where you can shop and list your own clothes and put them up for sale.
I haven't tried it out yet, but I did browse and find some good deals.
Here are my picks:

$40 Diane von Furstenberg silk dress
This is size 0 otherwise it wouldn't still be on the site to purchase (bc I would have snatched it already).
The pattern is great, the colors are great, and the material is awesome. You never have to worry about ironing these or packing them and having lines. They can go from day to evening and are always appropriate.

$30 Alice and Olivia tunic
The peter pan collar and the piping are very cute and schoolgirl-ish.
This would look great over bright tights or leggings and Mary Janes.

$50 Vintage sailor dress
Look at the tiny waist! This is a great shape and length, and would look cute on a brunette. I like that they thought of and included a little modesty panel in the front so you don't have to wear a camisole.

$22 Vintage beaded top
This would be pretty over a simple black dress and would jazz up a skirt suit.

$45 Giorgio Armani silk skirt
This pleated skirt looks really comfortable, and would fit in with my plan to one day have an all-silk wardrobe.
You can wear it with anything and wear it to work.

$12 Gold coat
Priced low because it is missing one of its big gold buttons on the left cuff, this coat is a fun spring layering piece.
The 3/4 sleeves are flattering and show your wrists, and the swing shape is easy to move in.

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Great $25 wedge espadrille

$24.99 Tilly stretch wedge dress sandal
 I really like these shoes.
They have a good platform-to-heel ratio and look like you could walk in them. The heel has a touch of snakeskin which lightens up the black.
The braided espadrille wedge also adds summer lightness.
The ankle straps are elastic so they won't cut into your foot or let you fall out of the shoe.

I'm so surprised these come from Kmart! I didn't think I'd find things there that I think are actually fashionable.

Etsy Find of the Day: Black Architectural Cuff

$32 Faceted Cuff bracelet

This bracelet looks to me like scaffolding.
It is made from nylon and plastic and it was produced by a 3D printer. How cool is that?
I want a 3D printer.

This cuff comes in three sizes to account for different wrist shapes.

The seller, ArchetypeZ, makes a bunch of other 3D printed jewelry, but this bracelet is the clear standout.

Rami makes wedding dresses for bebe now!

Do you remember Rami Kashou from Project Runway?
He is awesome at draping and Grecian folds.

He has a new line of wedding dresses and bridesmaid dresses for Bebe, and  some of them are really nice.

Here are my picks:



$1,800 Off shoulder white tulip trumpet dress
The folds of the skirt echo the crossover neckline.
This dress has a lot of texture and volume, so it would probably swallow a woman with a small frame, but look great on an hourglass figure or women of larger stature.


 
$1,800 Layered silk taffeta wedding dress
The piecing on this dress is really impressive. Imagine cutting all those layers and sewing all those seams...
The bodice has vertical seaming and then the hips are horizontal and then the legs have a crossover mermaid effect. There is a lot going on here!
I think the neckline is really pretty.
I don't love the skirt, I wish it had been a sleek column.
This would look good on a narrow, slender woman.

 
$198 Boatneck draped jersey dress
Also comes in white or black.
Easy and wearable, and one you can shorten when the bridesmaid duties are over and possibly even wear to work under a jacket.
Jersey is comfortable, but you gotta watch out for panty lines and lumps. Spanx are your friends here.

 

$179 Silk chiffon layered skirt strapless dress
The structured bodice contrasts nicely with the gauzy skirt and light layers. I think he should make this in more colors. I would want it in coral.

What do you think?
Are they Rami-ish enough for you?
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