Loeffler Randall Cowl Back Dress

$164.97 Loeffler Randall Cowl back dress
This dress is so elegant. It's a 4 season dress and you can wear it anywhere. It works very well for day to evening, and would be perfect to wear to a conference and then dinner out.
The cowl back makes it more interesting than a plain black sheath, but isn't too daring and doesn't show much skin, so it is still a conservative dress. On the model it looks short, but that is because she is a model.
It's made of silk and wool so you have to dry clean it, but it looks worth the effort.

The wide neckline flatters your collarbone and shows off a delicate neck.
I wonder if it would be hard to find a bra for the wide-set straps, but I bet it could be done.

Loeffler Randall is a super high end brand that I always covet but can't afford, but now that this dress is on sale, it is almost in the zone where I could make it happen.

Divorcee Sale

This weekend, at the Mondrian Soho, there will be a "Divorcee Sale." 
The idea is that divorcees will be able sell off some of their designer goods and a portion of proceeds will go to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.
I don't like the divorcee theme and I think it's tacky, but at least there is some charity involved. And who knows, the clothes might be good.

You can buy tickets for Fri and Sat, or wait until it is open to the public on Sunday, September 25 from 11 a.m to 6 p.m.
Mondrian Soho: Penthouse 2, 9 Crosby Street (between Howard and Grand streets)

Highlights from the Akris Fashion Show

I was lucky enough to be invited by my friend to the Akris Fall 2011 show, where I got to see models strut their stuff in the new designs.
There were a few items that really caught my eye and I'm still thinking about.

The ones I loved the most were the photo print clothes:

$2,990 Akris Wedding Tower Photo Print dress

$1,250 Akris Wedding Tower Print blouse

I thought this cape looked really luxurious and comfortable:

$4,880 Akris Cashmere cape

Many of the models wore cashmere/silk leggings which I really wanted. I felt them after the show and I could live in them. I'd have to, too, since they probably cost around 1K. I don't see them online though.

There were also really soft lamb jackets like this one:

$9,950 Akris Lamb skin jacket
I thought it would feel stiff like guinea pig fur, because the swirls made it look like that, but it was really soft.
See in this jacket hoe there are cutaways in the middle of the front? A lot of the Akris jackets in the show I saw had those. I don't like them,
I think they were trying to go for an edgy or deconstructed look, but to me it just ruined the nice lines of the clothes.

What to buy from the Express sale

Express is having another sale, and this time it's up to 60% off with another 20% at checkout online. The sale in-store starts today.
Here are my picks:

$31.99 Stretch waistband crystal pleated skirt
(I like the navy one better)

 $7.99 Ruffle short

$15.99 Ruffle front button down top in cream

$23.99 Sequin elbow patch striped cardigan

Sales not to bother with

I posted about the Zadig et Voltaire sale, but it appears that the items aren't that great and that the deals are not as appealing as I thought they'd be. Cancel your trip!

Also, the Hermes sample sale is going on now, but the lines are insane and the pieces are still outrageously priced, so that's another to skip.

I went to the Props for Today sale, and didn't see any great deals. It was mostly furniture- couches, occasional chairs, office chairs, and some china. I was hoping to find a picture frame but they only had small ones at prices that were not that appealing. I am definitely sticking with the Film Biz Prop Shop in Gowanus instead. They have more small items and much better deals, which in my opinion makes up for the somewhat grimy feel of the place.

Alexandrite Gems: They're basically all fake

Alexandrite, the June birthstone, naturally occurs as a pinkish or purplish gem form of beryllium aluminate (BeAl₂O₄), specifically Cr⁺³:BeAl₂O₄.
Some rare specimens exhibit color change, which means that in natural light they look greenish and in artificial light they look pink or purple.

This color change property is so desirable that people have come up with a range of ways to achieve it from natural and man-made stones.

Pretty much all alexandrite you will see on the market is man-made or at least tampered with.

Let's go through some:

$29,994 natural alexandrite and white gold ring

Natural
You can tell this mainly by its insane price and certificates that come with it. Also inclusions, bright green in natural light, yadda yadda you can't afford it.

$2,250 Platinum and Alexandrite estate ring

Verneuil (aka Flame Fusion aka Czochralski)
This refers to the first process of synthetic gemstone creation, starting in 1902. It involves starting with a real, natural stone (in this case corundum which is the mineral behind rubies and sapphires) and powdering it, adding whatever other minerals you need to achieve your look, and then blasting it with a torch until it forms a globule of new gem, which you can then cut.

With other gems, this process can produce a chemically identical stone and those are called "simulated," but with Alexandrite, corundum is used instead of BeAl₂O₄ and it should be called "synthetic."

$233 gold and lab created alexandrite ring

Lab Created/Natural or Russian alexandrite
This is the modern version of the process above. Lab-created alexandrite can be pink or purple in daylight and then color changes to a darker purple or blue, so watch out for those, it is a sign they aren't truly natural.
Many of these lab created stones are almost indistinguishable from the naturally mined kind, and are made of exactly the same stuff.
Created stones might have air bubbles or uni-directional streaks. Get out your magnifying glass. Some display color banding (look for stripes).

$299 Green to blue color change chrysoberyl ring
Natural Chrysoberyl
There are other varieties of chrysoberyl that exhibit color change, like from yellow to green or green to brown. They might be sold as alexandrites, but they aren't.

Then we have stuff that is not even remotely related to alexandrite other than being purplish:
Cubic Zirconia
Swarovski crystal
Glass

And I am sure there is some plastic and other crap out there too.

The question you have to ask yourself if you want a piece of alexandrite is: how real is real enough?

15 Dollar Store Muted Colors for Fall

Whenever I remember to check the 15 Dollar Store, it always has something new and totally worth it.
There are some Fall items for sale now, so I searched through a lot of them to find the best discounts and highest original prices, and the items that are wearable and not made of cheap stuff.

Here is what I recommend:

$15 (down from $64) Treasure Rock Knit Cardigan
This is mostly wool and I like the zig zags (I must still be in the Missoni state of mind) and the light gray.

$15 (down from $108) Linq Gray Striped Open Cardigan
This is a little sheer. I like the open front and how the stripes change direction.

$15 (down from $88) Olive and Oak Twofer Cardigan Tunic
The buttoned tunic comes attached to the open cardigan. I like the draped pockets. You can be really lazy but still look like you took the time to layer smartly.

$15 (down from $139) Cloth Logic Men's Stretch Wool Coat
A simple coat with a few nicely tailored details like the welt pockets and the back strap.

$15 (down from $159) Cloth Logic Men's Zip and Button Wool Coat
The army green and the tabbed buttons make this look vintage.

DIY Scrabble Coasters

Remember when I posted those giant scrabble tile coasters?
Here is a DIY with a different look but a similar feel:

Read Christina's tutorial here.
I like how she stained the tiles with the name to make them stand out.

CB2 V neck Vase

$39.95 V-Neck Vase
This vase is so high end and architectural.
It looks much more expensive than it is.
I like the matte black finish and the organically curved shape, and then the notch at the neck is an angular surprise.
I think this would make a great gift.
It would look striking with a group of simple flowers like a bunch of globe amaranth:

or Billy buttons

or even birch twigs:

You wouldn't want to put a big mixed bouquet in it or one with lots of leaves or droopy flowers because that would distract from or cover the neck of the vase.

Etsy Finds of the Day

$100 Annie Albers sheer back geometric top
This reminds me of the Aztec prints that are popular right now, but it is a little more abstract and I think it would survive the trend and be cute even 5 years from now when tribal patterns are "out."

$49 Shark tights 
These printed tights are unusual. I like the uneven printing and colors and the pattern which is reminiscent of snake skin. The seller, galstern, also has a bunch of other really cool tights like these:

$39 gold on black Goldfish tights
These are supposed to look like goldfish scales. The knee-pad effect is awesome.

$88 Fiorucci silver box purse
A structured, suit-case like vintage bag. The lining is cute too:

$72 Pine branch ring
This is made from recycled sterling silver that's been oxidized to bring out the pattern. I like the little knot details.

Your search led you here

Like any narcissistic blogger, I look at my blog's stats all the time. I am especially interested in what search terms people use to get here.

Lots of them are standard merchandise that I happen to have pictures and descriptions of, some are questions about what goes with what, and some are very strange searches that should not have led to my blog at all and I am sad to have disappointed the people looking for things that I cannot provide.

In the spirit of giving back to those people, here are some items that should appeal to the errant wanderers who've mistakenly come here:

To the person searching "bunny underwear with tail men" I give you:

$27.50 Baby Bunny newborn outfit
Little soft fuzzy bunny baby. I like the floppy ear hat; you could make your kid wear that even without the rest of the outfit.

For the person who searched "50's style jeans" I give you:

$75 1950s light blue jeans
These high-waisted jeans are adjustable with three snaps at the waist.

For the person who searched "bear sweater" I give you:

$21.99 Phat Farm gray teddy bear sweater
Stripes at the waist are... uh... interesting. But the gray and black design is about as classy as you will get for a teddy bear sweater.

I hope those were more along the lines of what you wanted.

Do you guys think I should make this a regular feature?

Anthropologie Sale Surfing

Here is what I'd buy right now at Anthro on sale:

$49.95 Sun Salutation coverup
Silk and sheer

$69.95 Fanning Scallops sweater
loose weave and interesting neckline
Wear this with dark jeans, a wide low-slung belt, and a colored tank underneath.

$39.95 Anna Sui Taiyo Stalks dress
innocent white cotton

$9.95 Triple Bar suede belt
comes in yellow (the tan one above) or green

Two great sample sales tomorrow

Clothing and accessory designer Zadig et Voltaire is having their first ever sample sale, and jewelry designer Lee Angel is having one as well.

Here are the details:
Zadig et Voltaire
Fall/winter (as well as spring/summer) clothing and accessories for men, women and children are up to 80-percent off.
260 Fifth Ave., nr. 28th St.; Sept 21 to 25.
Wed (3–7p), Thurs (9–7p), Fri–Sat (10–7p), Sun (11–4p).

Cashmere sweater with gold elbow patches, normally 350 Euro or $480

Lee Angel
Deals on jewelry of up to 80-percent off at the Lee Angel sample sale. Don’t miss the $5 pieces.  Other baubles include the Desiree Pearl & Rhinestone ring now $45 (was $75), Safina triple strand gold bracelet is $98 (was $140), Marine Gold and Pearl earrings now $48 (was $80).
524 Broadway, 6^th FL (at Spring Street).  212.334.6573.  Sept 21 to 23.
Wed & Thurs (11-7p).  Fri (10-5p).

$45 (was $75) Desiree Pearl and Rhinestone ring

Etsy Finds of the Day

$52 Red vintage 1970s dress
I usually steer clear of polyester, but the double Peter Pan collar and the bright poppy color of this dress are so appealing.

$67 Wood bud vase
This simple wood block comes with three glass tubes to hold water and flowers and makes for an easy but striking centerpiece on a table.
I always like low vases that allow you to see over them to the people across from you.

$18 Hematite cube necklace
The etsy seller of this item suggests these hematite cubes as an alternative to pearls, and I think that is a great idea.
You can also wrap it twice and have an edgy bracelet.
Hematite has long been one of my favorite stones; it's an iron oxide that was really popular in Victorian jewelry. Did you know hematite was found on Mars? It's cool because that is how they knew there was water and something must have rusted the iron to form the hematite.

$65 Miller earrings
These are oxidized sterling silver chains and hooks. Don't they have an old industrial feel?
I like the horseshoe shaped finding on top and the bar rivets.

Real Missoni on Sale at HauteLook

HauteLook is like Rue La La and Fab.com and those other subscription sites that offer deals every day.

If you are bummed out that you missed the Missoni for Target stuff, you can get real Missoni scarves on HauteLook now for reasonable prices.
Don't go on ebay and spend tons on inferior quality materials when you can get nicer items for the same price.

Here are my picks:

$99 Missoni Gray Multi Circle scarf

$99 Missoni Blue Multi Zig Zag Foulard scarf

$99 Multi zig zag Fringe scarf

Rachel Roy Friends and Family Sale Online Today

It's FaF time at Rachel Roy, which means 30% off pretty much everything in the online store.

here are my picks:

$129 Tunic dress ($90.30 after FaF)
I like the taupe color and the length of this dress. It has a very narrow V at the neck which elongates your neck without showing much skin.

$109 The 24/7 dress ($76.30 after FaF)
The draping in the front pinches the waist and is very flattering.

$53.99 Transformer Drawstring Sweaterdress ($37.80 after FaF)
Detachable sleeves! Sexy shoulder cutouts! You can still wear a bra!
I just bought this and I'll let you know how it goes once I have it on.

$73.99 Trench Dress ($51.80 after FaF)
Trench dresses are so hot because... what if you just took it off like a jacket? That possibility is always there.

$99 Kimi Shoe in Blue  ($69.30 after FaF)
There are pyramid studs on the shoe and on the  heel, and I love the Yves Klein-ish blue color. You can get them in several other color combinations, I also like the gold with black heels.

$149 Asymmetric Denim Motorcycle Jacket ($104.30 after FaF)
I like how this jacket looks like suede but is more practical and washable.