Calling All W&L Ladies

     If you go to W&L, you know that there are two items that every student is sure to bring out with them at night: their cell phone, and their swipe card (if they haven't lost it).  The ever present carry-all my first year was the Vera Bradley. This unexciting, overused, and abundantly common cotton handbag designer could be seen all over campus, all day, every day. The designer specializes in paisley pattern, in every color combination imaginable. Now I will confess, that I too succumbed to this trend, and purchased a case that fit my phone and a few credit cards inside (including my swipe which I will add, I have yet to loose!). The problem with said cases is that they are cotton so they absorb liquids and stain quickly, not to mention, EVERYONE had one. And I hate having the same thing as everyone else. Hate it.

     Sophomore year the ladies of Lexington made the switch to the newly back in style, cross-body bag. I love this trend because it stays on you the whole night, while you dance, walk, dorm-storm, or whatever else it is you do in the late hours of the night. It also has the potential to carry much more than the small hand held Vera's for those of us who also wish to take out say a camera or chap stick. I currently have four cross bodys and I love them.
      This year I see a change coming yet again; of course many girls with still be sporting their side satchels at night, but I have just discovered a wristlet that trumps them all. This new Michael Kors has a built in case for your iPhone and slits to carry your credit and swipe cards, and some cash. It comes in patent leather black, python, and gold. I personally prefer the python, but will most likely buy the black since patent leather holds up much better against the forces of college life. Oh yeah and I guess its just too bad if you're not team iPhone...

Shoes vs. the Law

  

There has recently been a lot of coverage in the papers (the fashion section of course) about Christian Louboutin and his claim that the red sole is his trademark. Well the matter of the fact is that other designers had used red soles on their shoes many years before he coined his red bottoms.  Valentino himself had decided to use red sole to match his trademark red dresses 20 years before Louboutin coined his own. Loubi began a lawsuit against other designers like YSL who also painted some of their soles red, and since Loubi has the trademark on it, he is a bit upset.  So what is a designer to do in said situation? Can you really claim to own the color of the bottom of a shoe when other more established and prominent designers have used it before you? If you would like to find out how Christian had his red epiphany, click here, its actually a quite interesting story. 

  On a similar note, one of the biggest threats designers face now more than ever is the issue of knockoffs. Sure, you can find a $20 Louis Vuitton Speedy in China Town, but now you can also find the Proenza PS1 in Target. Lawyers who tackle these types of situations have a concentration in intellectual property rights, which I personally find fascinating. In this case, Proenza Schouler infuriated by the fact that Target, who they had been planning on teaming up with to create their own retail label together (like so many other designers nowadays), created a "look-a-like" of their signature PS1 bag. Now, I understand how a designer can get mad when they see their bags being knocked off, but no offense, this PS1 bag is nothing special. This lawsuit doesn't stand a chance because honestly I  have seen people carrying this kind of bag around for years (and they are most definitely not paying 2G for it)! This bag is very simple and generic and so the chances of any chain store carrying it are beyond high. For more details on the subject, click.

What are your opinions on the subject? Do you really think that Proenza has a right to claim this bag design as their own? Please do tell.

Love at First Chanel Tweed Jacket

  I have always admired the famous Chanel tweed jackets from afar, but this weekend I did what I shouldn't have and tried one on. For anyone who watches Say Yes to The Dress, you know that the number one rule is never try on a dress that is out of your price range; well I tried on a jacket that was not only out of my price range, it was far beyond even my credit card limit.
  Let me explain though, this was not any ordinary Chanel tweed; it is from their Spring/Summer 2011 line and beautifully embellished with hundreds of rhinestones. It was classic with a touch of glamour, exactly the way I like it. And even though I can justify that this piece is something I would keep in my wardrobe forever, at this point in my life, as a college student, I could never justify spending that kind of money. For those who are wondering, the jacket is originally around $8,000, but thanks to Bergdorf's designer sale going on now, it was marked down to only $3,000! ha. And there's nothing I love more than a bargain.
  But as it seems, life goes on and I will live another day without a beloved Chanel Tweed. Oh, did I mention that this jacket has a removable vest on top? Making it that much more unique, versatile, and fabulous. One day...

Wardrobe Malfunction

  Everyone has seen in a movie or heard about from a friend that embarrassing story where one's clothing article rips, and thus they are stuck in a very uncomfortable situation. Unfortunately for me, I got to live one of those moments last Friday. During the year I had purchased this great brown leather skirt from one of my favorite stores, Anthropologie. It is fitted at the waist and flows out from there, and is comprised of vertical panels. Well, as I sat down on the train to Penn Station, the skirt caught on the arm of the chair, and ripped a nice 6 inch size tear into a side panel.
  I sat in shock/horror as the train pulled away, not quite sure of what to do. Luckily,the skirt is very well made and has a liner underneath so nothing was showing. Nonetheless, I had a hole in my $300 skirt. I frantically called my mom and she advised that I stop somewhere in Penn Station and pick up either pins or tape. I explained to her that this skirt was beyond the repair of the everyday sewing kit, and so I went on to shop at the only store open at 8 AM: Kmart.
  I had never been inside of a the Penn Station Kmart, much less any Kmart in my entire life. The closest I have been to shopping in a similar store I guess would be Walmart, but then again, that is when I am shopping for mixer outfits...
  After 20 minutes of frantically running around the 3 story Kmart, I had picked out 3 dresses. I settled on a simple watercolor patterned red/blue/purple shift that cost $25 and sprinted out of there to catch my E train to work. I arrived at work by 9, changed in the bathroom and proceeded to my desk.
  That day I was complimented 4 times on my bargain buy and have now fallen in love with my purchase. I guess I should start shopping at Kmart from now on...
  I am taking my skirt to a leather repair shop tomorrow morning to see what they can do; I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

I just went online to get this image, and the dress is now on sale for 18.74...

A Very Late Update

  Sorry I have not been vigilant with keeping my blog updated! I have been so buys and tired lately that I have neglected my blog.  Anyways, I promise that this week I will get back up to date. I will start with last weekend, and I will keep it brief. The art historian in me, loves NYC because of the numerous museums it holds; so far, I have been to the Met, The MoMA, and after last weekend, the Whitney. For those who don't know, the Whitney holds artwork by American modern artists. I spent 3 hours in the museum, and still didn't see it all!
  As just a highlight, some of my favorite works were in their Singular Visions exhibit. Among such works, I really enjoyed Yellow River by De Kooning, Step in the Arena by Gary Simmons, and House of Fire II by Rosenquist. The exhibit was set up in a very interesting way, so that each work had its own space and experience. I highly recommend it.
  After the Whitney, I went to meet up with a couple of friends from school. We met for wine and cheese in the park, then dinner at Serafino's. After dinner, we went to the upper west side for some fun; after hanging out at the Gin Mill till about 2, I was more than ready for bed. All in all, a great weekend.

Commuter Problems

  This morning, as the guy was coming around to check everyone's tickets, a man in the row in front of me had an off-peak ticket, and at 7:47, it is clearly peak. In these situations (when a passenger either doesn't have a ticket or doesn't have the right kind), they pay cash and receive a paper slip as their ticket. Well this man did not have any cash on him and they don't take credit card. The ticket agent (I guess that's what you call them?) pulled out a slip and asked for his ID--clearly writing him a ticket to be paid at a later time. The cash-less man was clearly upset and asked how much he was being charged--$3! Haha. The passenger then became more upset by the fact that he was going to recieve a ticket for such a small amount and cursed out loud for the entire train to hear, "This is f-ing rediculous, are you kidding me?!"
  Um, excuse me Mr. I-bought-the-wrong-ticket-and-don't-carry-any-cash, but in case you haven't noticed, everyone else on the train pays the fare! I was perplexed as to why this man thought that he shouldn't be charged for his wrong ticket when everyone else is expected to do the same. Some people...

Circle of Life

  Yesterday, I witnessed what my mom referred to that night, as "the circle of life."  As a huge Lion King fan, I understand this concept, yet seeing it in action was heart-breaking for me.  As I stood at the Great Neck train station, waiting for my 7:47 to arrive, I heard a persistent chirping coming from below. I discovered that the noise was coming from the tracks as I starred at a little baby bird sitting in between the two rails. The little guy was old enough to jump around and had a nice plumage, but he couldn't quite fly yet. As it cried out for help, I looked around to see if anyone else was noticing this tragedy; but true to New-Yorker persona, everyone had their headphones in and couldn't care less. I strongly considered jumping in and rescuing him, but with the train arriving in 3 minutes and my mom texting me that she would kill me if I did, I had no choice but to stand there and watch him flutter his wings in attempt to escape the confines of the rail. His mother flew back and forth a few times to feed him and show him how to jump over the rails to at least get out of the way of the LIRR, but it was to no avail. He just wasn't quite big enough to jump that high and could not fly.
  I closed my eyes as the train arrived and almost shed a tear. When I got home that night there was no sight or sound of him, and I can old hope that he stayed in the middle and avoided the wheels of the evil LIRR... If only he had some help!

Food Wars

  Ever since I arrived in Great Neck, I have had trouble with Seymour eating my food. I mentioned in a previous post about how he ate my banana pudding... But recently he has started to eat my frozen meals. I bought these meals (which I might mention are not cheap) for nights when I get home and I am too tired to cook anything. Now, I wouldn't mind if he ate them because there was no food in the fridge, but he always buys so much food! So, after discovering one of my Lean Cuisines in the trash can, I confronted him and asked him not to eat them. Next night, I found another in the trash can. Again, I told him they were for me and please not to eat them. He says, "Okay, so what you're saying, is to avoid the Lean Cuisines and Stauffers." YES, grandpa, that is what I want. Well he went on to eat another.

  Tonight when I came home though, he told me to open the freezer, and showed me the Lean Cuisines he had bought, the exact ones he had eaten.  The guy can't remember not to eat my food, yet he can remember exactly which ones he ate and bought them for me.  How sweet.  Gotta love old people. 

  Thanks Grandpa.

(This is one of my favorites!)