Childhood Relics: Birkenstocks & Fanny Packs

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I remember first wanting a pair of birkenstocks in the 90's. As a teenager, I could never afford a pair, but now, a few decades later, I finally have my first pair: the Arizona in mocha suede (narrow, with the soft footbed). I love them, it's just like walking on a very supportive yet cushy cloud. It will be hard to go back to flip flops. Another relic: the fanny pack. I'll admit, I have a Lululemon one that I use all the time when riding my bike, walking the dogs, going to Disneyland. This Clare Vivier for Other Stories one is just a dressed up version. Worn with my new but old (ss '13) Isabel Marant Aidan shorts from Yoox. I love Isabel Marant shorts / skorts, and this pretty white studded pair is perfect for summer. It's been in the 80's over here, crazy.

Spring Forward

Isabel Marant Etoile Vicky Blouse and Salome Shorts, Swedish Hasbeens x H&M clogs

It sure does feel like spring over here with temps in the 80's. I picked up this new season Isabel Marant Etoile blouse last week. It's gauzy soft and casual with lovely embroidery detail. Goes well with my shorts from a few seasons ago. Perfect for LA as well my upcoming European travel in a few months.

The Isabel Marant Boots Obsession Continues

I am obsessed with Isabel Marant shoes in general, but in particular her boots. I have a pair for every occasion: Dickers (2), Prescotts, Dewars, fringe boots and now my latest, the Nowles snow boots. I just love her boots, they can be dressed up or down, they are of a flattering yet comfortable height and pretty much all that I wear all winter long. The Nowles snow boots may be a bit overkill for Southern California (as it was in the 70's today) but I still wore my new Nowles, to the beach no less. My justification for the purchase was that we have an upcoming Mammoth trip, but I'm secretly just excited to wear them around LA. They are so fuzzy warm and comfortable, somewhat ugly cute, and I of course love the hidden wedge for that extra boost. Perfection with leggings or skinny jeans.  I got them for an amazing deal, for more than 80% off, even thought they are still full price at most retailers, so well worth it I think...

Courtside Style

Isabel Marant x H&M fringe boots, Adidas Stan Smith sneakers

Gotta make sure the shoes are up to par when sitting courtside. I have to say there's nothing like watching a basketball game with your feet on the hardwood and all the action a few feet away. We've had good seats before but nothing compares to the front row. Plus 1 for a Clippers blowout win against the league's worst 76ers.

Father's Day Outfit: Chiffon and Studs

Etoile Isabel Marant Zaggy dress, pink Valentino Rockstud kitten heels and Prada sunglasses

We had a lovely Father's Day dinner in West LA at Tokyo Kalbi, which is one of our favorite Japanese / Korean style bbq places; I like it even more than the traditional Korean bbq we usually have in Koreatown. We had a pretty ideal day today, starting with breakfast on the patio by the pool (blueberry pancakes from scratch, chicken apple sausages, cheesy scrambled eggs, smoothies), a bike ride to the ocean and back, lunch at the Brentwood Country Mart, the requisite walk around the neighborhood with the dog and finally dinner at Tokyo Kalbi. Yes, we eat a lot. I really love these Valentino rockstuds; I think they will go with a lot of my wardrobe, including this new-ish Etoile Isabel Marant Zaggy dress that I bought at the latest Barney's sale. I like this dress a lot too and have been following it all season; it's an easy daytime casual dress that I've already worn a few times.

Ruffles, Stripes and Studs

Etoile Isabel Marant Sonia blouse in black, Cooper jeans in fuchsia and Edris sandals

This is one of my favorite sale pickups of the season: the Etoile Isabel Marant Sonia top in black. I've wanted this top all season long and have been patiently waiting for it to go on sale, and luckily tracked it down at a local LA boutique; most places sold out of it long ago. I also got the ecru version on sale from Barneys, but debating whether or not to keep it as the black is a lot more versatile. It's such a great blouse though, I might just end up keeping both (especially since they were both on sale). As usual, I've done way too much damage this sale season already: in addition to the Sonia top in black and ecru, also bought the Zaggy dress in blue, the Gustave shorts, Bela top and Charlotte Olympia Kitty flats shown here, a Ferragamo wallet, and possibly Valentino Rockstud sandals. Yikes! Bought and returned a couple of Alexander Wang pieces that just didn't fit.

Isabel Marant Gustave Shorts, Bela Top and CO Kitty Flats

Isabel Marant Bela top in blue, Isabel Marant Gustave Shorts, Charlotte Olympia Kitty Flats and Prada sunglasses

So I've taken a month of shopping hiatus in anticipation of the imminent spring / summer sale season. Bought a bunch of items that I've really wanted but not at full price. I love this very casual summer outfit of the Isabel Marant Gustave shorts in pink, the embroidered Bela top in blue. The Charlotte Olympia velvet kitty flats in black don't really match but arrived in the same UPS shipment so just threw it all on together.

Isabel Marant Olympe @ Connie & Teds

Isabel Marant Olympe blouse in antique pink, Uniqlo denim, Isabel Marant x H&M fringe boots

I can always tell if something was the right buy if I rip the tags off right away and start wearing it immediately. If it's still hanging in my closet with tags on months later, it probably was a mistake. Fortunately, this ruffly pink Isabel Marant Olympe blouse was a case of the former, it arrived yesterday and I wore it to a Friday date night dinner at Connie & Ted's in West Hollywood. Love this blouse, plus it's versatile: weather has been a little chilly so paired it with dark denim and boots, and will pair it with white pants and skirts (and of course my fave Oriane shorts and Edris Sandals) for the spring / summer to lighten it up. Hopefully this concludes my Isabel Marant splurges this season. This blouse is pretty much sold out in my size everywhere (finally tracked it down in Italy via Farfetch), so I knew I couldn't wait until sale season.

Isabel Marant Oriane & Edris meet Madewell

Madewell Memento Tank, Isabel Marant Oriane Shorts, Isabel Marant Edris Sandals and Prada Sunglasses

The heatwave earlier this week was the perfect opportunity to break out what is sure to be my go to outfit for the summer, the Isabel Marant Oriane Shorts and Edris Sandals from her SS 2014 runway collection. Paired with the black embroidered Madewell Memento tank, an easy breezy summertime outfit. Perfect outfit for a morning preschool toddler class followed by a couple days getaway to the Four Seasons Westlake Village, sans toddler. I love skorts, the Zara ones were my first foray back into skorts a few months ago and now I'm addicted.

It's been hard to keep up with the blogging with little k around; her new favorite thing is to insist on being part of all the pictures. The shot above was my only solo pic, this is what most of the pics looked like:

Just in: Isabel Marant Oriane Shorts & Scopa

Isabel Marant Oriane shorts in black, Isabel Marant Edris sandals in black, Helmut Lang sweater and Etoile Isabel Marant Kady leather jacket

My second Isabel Marant runway piece of the season: the Oriane shorts in black. As much as I try to exercise self restraint and wait for sales, I just had to have both the Edris sandals and Oriane shorts from the amazing SS 2014 collection. Glad I took the plunge because both pieces have been hard to find as they have been selling out quickly. They are both practical, easy to match in black, everyday wearable pieces that I will get a ton of use out of. Even though it's been slightly chilly here in LA, I couldn't wait to wear them, so here they are adapted for early spring, paired with a cozy knit and leather jacket. Better detail shots of the Oriane shorts to come.

An easy outfit to transition from day to night; I just swapped out the Edris sandals with the Isabel Marant x H&M fringed boots for dinner and drinks at Scopa Italian Roots, a newish restaurant on the border of Marina del Rey / Venice. We had a great time; reminded me of our old NYC days: a combination of spending hours sitting at the bar, eating and drinking, and chatting with the bartenders at two of our favorite places: Babbo and Lupa and our regular late nights at the original cocktail haven, Milk & Honey. We got there around 8:45pm and waited about 45 minutes for two seats at the bar, assisted by some regulars. The bar is definitely where it is at; the bartenders definitely know their stuff, from well crafted cocktails, to the extensive brown liquor, tequila and rum lists, and the food. All the food was delicious, starting from oysters in the halfshell, followed by humungous perfectly fried squash blossoms stuffed with ricotta, then the decadent uni toast served in a cast iron skillet with generous amount of cockles, the two pastas: a chitarra which was basically a cacio e pepe, and the pork shank pappardelle. Everything was delicious and quite generously portioned. I thought the food was better than our similar menu at Bucato a few months ago. I like the feel of the restaurant a lot more too, just more my style, a large box of a space with exposed brick walls and a very impressive soaring lit up bar. Since they clearly knew their stuff, I stuck with the cocktails for dinner, starting with the Barbados #1, a strawberry and rum based cocktail, followed by off the menu concoctions from the bartender: a strawberry mojito, a honey rum drink and a nightcap with aged rum, coffee liquor and heavy cream (basically a white russian with rum instead of vodka). K stuck with the bourbons and tried lots of great stuff, including Rocking Hill and 4 Roses. It's the perfect spot for 2 people at the bar; I would otherwise recommend getting a reservation for larger parties but the experience won't be quite the same.

Marant in Taipei & Ximending in the Morning

Isabel Marant Risha Dress and Dicker boots

I love Ximending in the morning, it is like a completely different place than later in the day, where it is all packed with people, street vendors and flashing billboards. It's quite deserted in the morning, when most of the people are still asleep and the stores are closed, empty except for the occasional delivery truck or street sweeper. I didn't take as many pictures as I would have liked a) because it rained pretty much everyday and b) I had my hands full with a toddler, but I took a couple of pics on our last morning while little k was sleeping (when she finally got over her jetlag). This Etoile Isabel Marant Risha dress was a recent purchase from La Garconne from FW 2013. Versatile for spring and summer, it's a pretty little chiffon bohemian piece, although a little sheer and prone to wrinkles.

Head to Toe Etoile: Floral Cut Outs, Dogtooth and Flat Boots

Etoile Isabel Marant Presley blouse, Etoile Iti Houndstooth cords and Isabel Marant Dewar Boots

It's warm yet again in southern CA (sorry east coasters), so time to break out a few of my final FW 2013 Isabel Marant purchases: the Presley blouse, Iti dogtooth corduroy jeans and Dewar Boots. Worth the wait and patience; all purchased on second markdown at Barneys / Net a Porter for 60%+ off. I liked the blouse and cords when I saw them on first markdown but decided to wait for second markdown and take my chances. This is my first Isabel Marant blouse, she makes the best lightweight chiffon blouses, though this one is a little challenging to wear with the cutouts and sheerness in the body. One can never have too many pairs of Isabel Marant cords; I have several pairs which I love, including the Ivos and Itzels from last fall, so this one was a nice pick up at 70% off and the pattern is rather subtle which I like. I decided to go with a bigger size this season, a 36, so they are a bit loose but a lot more comfortable. After many seasons of wearing her super comfortable heeled Dicker boots on an almost daily basis, I never thought I would be wearing flat boots, but was convinced to buy this pair after seeing someone else try them on at Barneys looking super chic and effortless. I'm rather relieved that sale season is pretty much over; spent way too much as usual!

The Zara Skort: the Reverse Mullet

Black Zara Mini Skort, Helmut Lang tee, Isabel Marant x H&M boots

That's not a typo, I've actually embraced the comeback of the skort. I don't think I've worn a skort since middle school, but leave it to Zara to come up with this versatile update of the reverse mullet of clothes, party in the front, business in the back. Love the origami style folded front, set of pockets and best part is, they are shorts! It's a touch polyestery, with a little bit of shine and wrinkles, which is my only complaint. I guess it's been pretty popular in various blogs, although I haven't really kept up with fashion blogs since little k's arrival. It's the perfect piece of clothing for chasing after a toddler, worry free while sitting on the floor reading books or running around a playground. The black goes with everything and I can even wear it now in the middle of winter here in LA. It's easy to dress down with a sweatshirt and flats or dress up with a structured jacket and boots or heels. This will be a nice replacement for the slightly too big black Vena Cava shorts that I wore to death last summer simply because they matched everything. Update: I picked up the white version for $15.99 today. I like the black better, the white reminds me of a tennis skirt, but at that price, I will figure out how to make it work.

Pockets!

Winter Lite: Layers of Grey

Etoile Isabel Marant Lexy Jacket, Helmut Lang tee, Isabel Marant x H&M kids sweatpants, H&M x Maison Martin Margiela heels, Prada sunglasses

First blog post of 2014! My go to comfortably loose look lately, based around knit sweatpants and a t-shirt. In the absence of true winter weather and being able to embrace my typical winter attire, I haven't been able to muster the effort in getting dressed up; been gravitating towards lots of greys, whites and blacks lately. This bag however is my latest obsession... Been a great start to 2014, lovely family time, tons of shopping, tasty home cooked meals, even some yoga and exercise!

Well Done

Isabel Marant pour H&M ruffled silk skirt, Madewell sweatshirt, Isabel Marant Prescott boots

A black and white outfit for the warm LA winters. I had originally overlooked this Isabel Marant for H&M ruffled skirt at launch as I was focused on the more statement items like the wool cardigans and boots. The tiered ruffle miniskirt is such a signature Marant silhouette though, I was really close to getting the Sandrine skirt last spring, but opted for the Salome shorts for practicality, and this skirt is quite similar even in pattern to the Zelia skirt from the upcoming spring 2014 Etoile line.

I couldn't resist these mainline Isabel Marant Prescott boots when I stopped by Barneys on my way home from Christmas errands last Friday. Always dangerous to just "stop by" Barneys. They aren't the most practical boots, as I don't have that many opportunities to get dressed up with a busy toddler, but couldn't resist them on second markdown... Plus they were the last pair so I had to at least take them home to "contemplate"...

Leather and Zips: Isabel Marant Kady Love

Etoile Isabel Marant Kady leather jacket in black, Etoile ivo cords and Dicker boots in cognac leather

In addition to spending way too much on the Isabel Marant pour H&M collaboration, I've been busy picking up some of my favorite Etoile / mainline Isabel Marant pieces during my favorite time of year, sale season. I am seriously on a shopping ban after this! I've been eyeing this Etoile Isabel Marant Kady jacket for a few seasons now, and picked up the jacket in black on sale at Creatures of Comfort. Love the easy style of the jacket, the quilted shoulders and epaulets, zippers, and super soft lambskin leather. Like all Isabel Marant pieces, mixes and matches with everything easily, from pants to dresses. I also got these leather Dicker boots a few months ago on sale. Not as comfortable as my suede Dickers, and also scratches and stains easily; probably needs time to break in. In addition to the Kady Jacket and lovely Prewitt dress, I also got the Prescott knee high boots and Dewars booties yesterday on second markdown while stopping by Barneys while "in the area" (always dangerous), and have the Ralf blouse and Iti cords coming to me from Net-A-Porter's second mark down. A little bit of everything and spending way too much...

Girls Night Out

Isabel Marant pour H&M lace dress and fringe boots

Love any chance to get a little dressed up. A pretty much all Isabel Marant x H&M ensemble for a dinner and drinks with the ladies in Brentwood. Can't go wrong with a little black dress; I bought the black lace top from the collaboration at launch, but the dress, in my normal size 4, fits better, plus is lined. These boots are great, quite easy to walk in, even for someone that is not accustomed to heels. I've had this Chanel purse for 5-10 years now, one of my most enduring purchases.

Isabel Marant x H&M loop cardigan, fringe boots, Chanel reissue

Holiday Party Season

Etoile Isabel Marant Prewitt Dress in Midnight, Isabel Marant x H&M fringe boots, Prada sunglasses

I've been loving this Isabel Marant Prewitt dress all season long and finally bought it a few weeks ago, one of my two regular Isabel Marant purchases for the season, since I spent way too much on the Isabel Marant pour H&M collaboration. I don't wear a lot of blue so it was a nice addition to my wardrobe. Plus the color and style is workable into spring, even though its from the fall / winter season. Perfect dress for K's company holiday party with little k, not too revealing for a daytime corporate holiday party with families but maintaining at least some semblance of style. While I wore the dress with the fringe boots and the PS1 for a baby shower in the morning, I changed to regular Dicker boots (and a diaper bag) for the holiday party to tone it down a bit.

Etoile Isabel Marant Prewitt dress, Proenza Schouler PS1 in raspberry, Isabel Marant x H&M fringe boots and Prada sunglasses

Winter is Coming

Isabel Marant for H&M hooded cardigan and knit sweatpants, Madewell sweatshirt, Isabel Marant Betty sneakers

It's about as cold as it gets here in Southern California. I've been wearing this hooded cardigan from the Isabel Marant for H&M collaboration pretty much non stop. As much as I love the looped black and white cardigan, this one is a lot more practical and easy to throw on over any outfit for any occasion. And I know I will be living in these knit sweatpants from the same collection, so comfy! At first I balked at paying $35 (or especially $59 for the women's version) for sweatpants, but now I get it.

Blinded by the Light

This shiny silver pilot jacket from the Isabel Marant for H&M collaboration is a pretty awesome piece. The reversible silk side is super soft and puffy and the jacket is just the perfect weight with a little flash for LA. I actually got it for my mom, who has been wearing it nonstop, but will be borrowing lots. It runs oversized; I like the fit of this size 2 the best. I also love these kids knit sweatpants from the collection. So soft and cozy. This is the kids size 10-11; I would probably prefer one size up for a baggier sweatpant like fit, but I'll be keeping these as I doubt I will find them in a larger size. I tried on the women's version was nice, but not enough for almost twice the price. Obsessed with this collection...

Isabel Marant pour H&M silver pilot jacket and knit sweatpants, Toms Nepal Boots