The Stuff of Dreams

I feature a lot of high-end merchandise, and many of you have asked me to a) feature more affordable products from time to time; b) run occasional posts that only showcase items that ring in at under $100; or c) divulge my secrets in procuring these high-end styles.  What are your thoughts?  Tell me what you’d like to see / hear!

From my perspective, this little blog has always been un espece pour vous fait rever, a turn of phrase I picked up while living in France that roughly translates as — “a little space that makes you dream.”  Certain phrases and coinings resonate with particular power for some unknown, mysterious reason — we pick them up, adopt them as our own — and this one percolated my consciousness and settled in for the long haul.  As I first developed this little bloggeroo, the phrase recurred to me time and time again; it seemed like an apt credo for the sort of fashion lust that has shaped it, and that continues to fuel it.  This explains, to some extent, the focus on higher-end “dream” picks.  And today, I’m going to throw caution to the wind and feature some of the things that really make my heart sing, with no attention to price tag or practicality level.

1.   M. Patmos Short-Sleeved Fur Jacket {$2,295}

Fur jacket.  Short sleeves.  Never the twain shall meet.  Until this borderline obnoxiously impractical jacket weaseled its way onto my radar, and now I can’t stop thinking about it.  It’s almost custom-made for the type of woman who need only prance from her chauffeured town car to the latest event — but ain’t.it.gorgeous?  (And on second thought, one could make it work by layering a longer-sleeved slim-fit tissue tee / sweater beneath it and pairing with jeans and killer boots.  Note how I’m constantly trying to rationalize my way into a purchase.)  Drop this month’s rent check at Barney’s if you need it.

2.  Lanvin Patent Wedge Lace Up {$1,280}

Ummm, I’m fairly certain that only the most talented of heel-walkers could get away with these vertiginous beauties.  You’d need uber-skinny legs and some serious lower body strength to boot.  {I feel like I’d be dragging my feet around in them…they look heavy.}  But they just kill with their ballerina-meets-tough-girl vibe.  And imagine the wonders they’d work on your legs {you’d essentially be walking around en pointe all day}.  D.i.e.  And then buy them at famed NYC-based boutique Kirna Zabete.

3.  Celine Hand Bag {Price Upon Request}

You know you’re in deep water when the site / magazines read: “Price Upon Request.”  You also know that I’ve featured this bag too, too many times to not have it reappear on this list.  But OMG I would so die for this tote — it’s literally what all.the.cool.girls.are.wearing.  Noticeably high end without being label-plastered.  Practical.  And just a darn pretty bag.

4.  Honeysuckle Pink Nina Ricci Dress {$1,716}

Oh, my.  Hello, lover.  I’m ob.sessed. with the hue, the cut, the style, the fun factor.  Everything about this dress is smile-inducing.  Snag your own for a cool $2K (just about) at MyTheresa.  {Gulp.}

5.  Vinta-Bling.  {Don’t Ask the Price}

This goes without saying, but who doesn’t want an insane box o’ vintage trinkets?!  Lately, I’ve been digging around some of my favorite online vintage / consignment outposts, and just drooling my afternoons away.  I mean.  These House of Lavande pieces are just screaming my name {the first set pictured below, $548, are by Mariam Haskell; the second, worn by Jessica Biel (!), cost $428}:

Or how about this mega-wattage jewel-encrusted elephant bangle?  Only a casual $61K at 1stDibs.  {Eyes popping out of head.}

6.  Rachel Gilbert Degrade Evening Gown {$1,435}

Where would I ever wear this?!  Tragically, there just aren’t enough royal fairy-tale balls in my life to accommodate such a wardrobe centerpiece.  But wouldn’t you just kill to try it on?  {If you lead a more charmed life than I, you can find this at Net-A-Porter…I’ll envy you forever.}

7.  Christian Louboutin Pigalle Glittered Pumps {$595}

So this one isn’t totally out of the realm of reality, but I’d have to do some serious justification on its behalf.  It’s one thing to own a pair of black Louboutin pumps that you can wear everywhere.  {As I do with mine.  Literally.everywhere.  To work, out at night, to the dentist’s, to bed.  An LRR for sure.}  It’s an entirely different ballgame to buy a glittered, Vegas-appropriate variation.  {Cough, cough — I did buy the gold version of these last year for my bachelorette party, and then nearly sobbed when they arrived, looking perfect and oh-so-lovely, only to find that the smallest size they carry is a 35 and in this style, it is just too big for my freakishly small feet.  Ergo, these are the SERIOUS stuff of dreams.}

8.  Old School Luggage {Prices Vary}

I’d love to travel in style with some bespoke Norton MacCullough & Locke pieces.  You’d seriously stop traffic with this stuff.  It scares me to think how much a bespoke luggage set would cost from these high-end purveyors…

Can’t be any worse than Goyard or Louis V, right?  I’d take any of them.

9.  Hermes Enamel Bangles {$460-$660 apiece}

My Magpie mother and I obsess over these.  She found one that she fell in love in the prettiest peach color with while we were in Dijon, France, but decided against buying it and has regretted it every day since.  Literally.  I’ve never heard the end of this.  I wouldn’t mind a stack of them myself.  Check out the entire selection here.

10.  Hermes H Hour Watch {starts at $1,600}

Speaking of Hermes, I’ll also take the H Hour watch while we’re at it.  Great.  Thanks.

Um, I could go on forever.  I literally had a list of 3,234 other things I considered featuring, including Cutler & Gross cat-eye shades, a Jason Wu bow-front blouse, those Valentino studded kitten heels that were all over the place last season, a Celine classic flap bag, any of the floaty J. Mendel dresses that paraded down the S/S ’11 runway, etc, etc…I could go on and on until the cows come home.  {Que?  Never got that phrase.}  At any rate — what are your dream items?!  What makes your heart sing?!

I know what will make ONE of your hearts sing: the giveaway winner has been announced!  Chrissie Bortner will be receiving the set of Pretty Printing “Red Sole” note cards featured in my giveaway!  Chrissie, shoot me an email at [email protected] so we can send these amazing cards your way, courtesy of Pretty Printing.

Chrissie was randomly selected, but I love her no-nonsense response to where she’d wear these tootsies: “Everyday to work.”  YEP.