© of the WSJ
The snow has melted and the days are slightly warmer which gives me hope that spring will soon be here. As much as I hate weeding and mundane garden maintenance, by this time of year I am yearning to be out in the dirt, no matter the task.
Thankfully, there are some early bloomers, and my all-time-favorite is the hellebore. Hellebores are relatively unknown in the U.S., so I was surprised and delighted when the WSJ did a piece on them recently. A shade loving plant, they are also frost and deer resistant, and come back every year. I especially love their waxy petals and somewhat unusual, non-garish, colors– the hellebore is from the buttercup family, another favorite of mine.
In Arabic, Helibar means “remedy against madness”, and that’s good enough for me.
© of the WSJ
Leave it to Phoebe Philo to give women chic, yet comfortable, clothes. The muted colors and fluid lines of the opening looks are simply put, modern and relaxed elegance at it’s best.
I hope I am tall enough to carry off one of these dresses and over-the-knee boots. The bracelets just below the elbow are really good.
There was more color in the show than I am covering– even though I prefer the neutral pieces, this plaid top is pretty great.
Just when I was becoming a bit tired of the ‘French-women-have-better-style’ drumbeat, Net-a-Porter’s magazine, The Edit, covered the topic with aplomb. The Edit‘s second issue, out last Thursday, pays homage to the chic Parisienne, and coincides with the fashion flock’s arrival in the City of Light.
Who wouldn’t want to look long and lean like the Paris Vogue editors above. They sport perfect run-around looks that could go from drop-off to meetings. Toss a pair of flats in your bag and you are set to go.
And Carine. In the accompanying interview she talks about being a babushka (grandmother in Russian)– I love a woman who embraces her age; her honesty is fresh and oddly youthful.
It’s not that I am disappointed by the Isabel Marant show per se– I just need to wrap my head around the fact that the collection was not about the cool-girl pieces I have come to expect, but rather, essentials.
I am a self confessed IM nut. Her clothes, and overall style, have transformed the way I dress, especially for day. Each season I add a few items from her line to my wardrobe and they are invariably the coolest things I own. I will, however, buy a few staples from this comfortable and effortless FW13 show.
The shearling above is now the coat on my fall wish list and the winter whites below are lovely and wearable. There are a lot of knit leggings that look comfy too.
© Harper’s Bazaar
The Celine striped leather top tucked under a menswear coat, paired with trim navy trousers, and finished off with ankle strap pumps– she’s working many of the leading trends and they look great all together.
© The New York Times
Cathy Horyn’s NYT’s review of Alexander Wang’s first Balenciaga show is spot on, especially when she says “(h)is debut for Balenciaga was smart and graceful, and the streamlined clothes advanced the codes in a modern way. He may have played it safe but he also didn’t make mistakes”. Cathy’s piece is a must-read to really get a sense of the fabrics and details; the bits we cannot truly appreciate from viewing solely online.
I wanted to spend more time with my daughters. KiC is my way to share my thoughts on fashion and style. I believe style should permeate every aspect of our lives — from home, to family, to where we go, and naturally, what we wear. — PRESTON
