The box is full of goodies that I will be giving away to my readers over the next 7 days. I will be posting about the contest itself in the next day or so, once I decide exactly what the requirements are. The items inside are super cool, and honestly it’s going to be hard for me to give them away and not keep them for myself!
I was honored to be invited to tour Pico Creative Loft, the new Gap 1969 design headquarters in Los Angeles. 1969 is Gap’s premium denim lifestyle line. 1969 sources its denim from the exact same factories as Current/Elliott and other designer denim brands. Gap is powerful enough to leverage its massive spending power into more affordable price points than its competitors. I had no idea that 1969 existed before this collaboration, and now I’m really excited about the concept. The truth is that not everyone can afford to purchase $240 jeans, but most people can save up for a pair of $70 jeans. Gap is making premium denim democratic.
Everyone who I saw at the studio had incredibly cool style. Everyone from punks to surfers, artists and hipsters was represented on the design team. More people had multicolored hair than not – and we all know from my blog how much I love it when people dye their hair crazy colors! This experience definitely made me take a second look at the Gap, a brand I wore heavily in high school. I’m excited to wear my new 1969 bordeaux corduroys and green stretch jeans once fall weather hits!
To read more about my recent trip, click here to visit my post about Vogue’s Fall 2011 trend presentation.
Being quintessential fashion bloggers, naturally we started off by photographing each other. I love being photographed by Andrea. She makes me comfortable in front of the lens like no other photographer can. We headed over to Cafe Ba Ba Reeba to dine on tapas and celebrate new friendships after the quick photo shoot along a tree-lined street in Lincoln Park.
My outfit was inspired by the idea of French casual chic. Hanging out with other fashion bloggers places a lot of pressure on me to look good. The stakes are high! I challenged myself to move outside of my comfort zone of sportier looks. I decided to venture into “girly” territory.
The starting point for my look was the Rodarte x Opening Ceremony skirt. This is the first beige colored garment I’ve invested in, ever. I am not a fan of neutrals but I really liked the cut and drape. The design is super flattering and the fabric provides an interesting texture.
I also broke away from my streak of flowing, dolman sleeved tops. This shirt is much better suited to layering than on its own for obvious reasons, although the fabric has a divine stretch to it. And is there anything more French than ballet flats? I needed one predictable piece!
For jewelry, how cute is the Cynthia Rowley ribbon ring? At only $8 its an easy and adorable way to spice up any outfit with a dash of color. I love that it references that old-fashioned habit of tying a red string around one’s finger as a reminder. I’ve also been rocking my new charm necklace a lot lately. Look at how similar it is to the shape of my Olympus PEN camera! I picked up this adorable piece of jewelry while shooting street-style for Refinery29 at Pitchfork.
GET THE LOOK:
Skirt: Rodarte x Opening Ceremony, reverse pleated skirt, $161
Shirt: James Perse, casual tee, $50
Shoes: Barney’s Co-Op ballerina flats
Ring: Cynthia Rowley, ribbon ring, $8 (1653 N Damen)
Sunglasses: Alexander Wang for Linda Farrow, cat-eye sunglasses, $355
Necklace: Ornamental Things from Austin, Texas (purchased at Pitchfork)
