Oh Mary Kate, we truly appreciate your swagger. We never ever thought of judging you.
Not once. We chalked your oldest absurdities to simple lapses in judgement. We all have them. We’re with you when you must be wondering … can’t a celebrity catch a break? You’ll always get one from us … both when our mouths hang wide open in shock … or in admiration. Like now, for instance. We just caught a glimpse of you and your sister at the Los Angeles premiere of the Hangover. We just love that you’re rockin’ Topshop on any red carpet. You can be our best friend. Continue to keep it real; that printed dress was a nice choice. We also had our eyes on it. It might be our new life in San Francisco finally creepin’ up on me, but those round glasses are a hippie haute we can appreciate. We must find a similar pair of those for many a Bay area music festival. Of course we would like to borrow that Lori Rodkin ring sometime but we’re sure you don’t lend your twenty thousand dollar accessories to just anyone. We wouldn’t either. We can’t identify that other bracelet-ring combo but we’ll settle for taking that one off your hands. Just thought you should know you remain on our radar even if we don’t always mention you.
Gossip Girl’s Leighton Meester singlehandedly made the MTV Awards relevant. I wasn’t planning on commenting on the who, what, and wears of this particular grade of award show; I definitely didn’t watch the red carpet procession but her fit required recognition. The fitted black Emilio De La Morena dress she was wearing was an understated sexy, perfectly on trend with its sheer detail. Those purple suede Brian Atwood booties are beautiful and are nothing to scoff at either. She tops her sophisticated sultry look with a softly pulled back updo, neat with a loose tousle and very natural makeup … lightly pinked lips, bronzed cheeks, and dewy skin. Honor Roll, affirmatively.
We took a few moments to browse and found some more looks that peeked our interest. Sienna Miller always looks flawless. Her green dress is from her own line, Twenty8twelve’s fall collection. That down-to-there dip at back is great. We happen to have a weakness for bare backs. I think it is one of the most beautiful areas on the body. Her Nicholas Kirkwood heels literally sparkle. Makeup is sheer and natural per usual … as if she isn’t wearing any at all.
We wouldn’t usually give Ashley Tisdale kudos for anything but her velvet ‘Gypsi’ wedges from the Paul & Joe women’s line Sister has been on our radar for some time. We love them to death and they are a great pairing to the youthfulness of her leather mini.
Kristen Stewart is super cute. She has a certain allure that is hard to pinpoint exactly. What is it about her? Striking, more so than pretty. Her litle Spiderman-esque dress is awesome and we don’t mind her Converse Chuck Taylors here. We regret that accessories are nil yet somehow it still works.
Last but not least, I don’t even know who Ashley Greene is but there is something early 90’s about her look – very original 90210 – from the deep red lips, body conscious sweetheart dress to the flip of the curls in her hair. We believe there is a conscious science at work and we appreciate her stylist for this one.
Nars Vintage Nail Polish Collection
To celebrate the brand’s 15th anniversary, founder, creative director, and makeup artist François Nars has decided to resurrect some long-lost nail polish hues from the NARS archives. For a limited time, five vintage nail enamels will be available at $16 each. You can grab yours right now at www.narscosmetics.com.
We’re particularly dying to try Blue Lagoon and Cha Cha Cha, the powdery blue tint and tangerine with hints of gold scream sunshine and ocean breeze. The NARS signature high-gloss finish mixed with the extra durable formula is just the right touch to finish off your pool party look. After all, we’re just three weeks away from summer.
Fashion banter for the intellectual crowd yet again. 60 Minutes interviews Anna Wintour.
This interview plays rather superficially. Morley Safer, like the average 60 Minutes viewer, lacked enough interest and knowledge in the fashion industry to uncover anything especially revealing, brilliant or innovative here. You’ll mainly sit through explanations for her well known and assumed eccentricities and painful parallels of scenes from The Devil Wore Prada. However, I think it’s pretty safe to say that most of you have never heard her speak and that alone should be a treat.
Still, watch exclusive Anna Wintour interview clips and outtakes from Morley Safer’s report here.
If cosmetic surgery for eyelash modification surfaces, I will abandon my opinions against the knife and absolutely go for it. I’m very sensitive about lashes in general. i’ve always thought they were one of the most beautiful characteristics of the face. I have a thing for eyes, I guess. I’ve sported extensions here and there for years. Until, I just couldn’t anymore. I had to give up my usual go-to-girl at the salon when she moved out of New York City. With every new technician, I suffered redness and itchiness. They never got it right. I lost some of my own ripping the falsies out prematurely from the discomfort. My short, spare hairs that I have left are dear to me and I am crossing my fingers that they miraculous grow one day. For now, mascara is one of my best friends. The ONE beauty product I can assure you I never leave home without applying. Well that one and lip gloss, of course. My older sister has gorgeous long lashes but the girl is no stranger to makeup. She has one of those tall rolling cases full of MAC goodness and she isn’t a professional, just an enthusiast. She’s always on the look out for the hottest new thing. Which is the inspiration for this post.
We met up for the first time in months for a funeral this past weekend. I certainly didn’t expect to be back in New York this soon but it was a treat spending time with my entire family. Before going out, I had a bunch of errands to run to make as I prepared more belongings for my flight back to my new apartment in San Francisco. When the decision was made to go out for the evening, I had zero time to get all made up. Making things worse, I realized i’d forgotten to pack my mascara. Mood considerably dampened, I considered opting out of the designated night-on-the town. My older sister begrudgingly loaned her new mascara to me since she knew i’d instantly feel better about my look. By the way, it’s usually not a good idea to share cosmetics though I know a lot of us do it. Okay, her new stuff made my lashes look so much longer and thicker and was easy to see the results; I struggled to keep my hands steady as I sat in the back seat of the speeding car. Yet, it considerably lengthened my stubble, the brush separated wonderfully, I was in awe. I’m so over my Bad Gal. Our affair has been long and loyal but Fiberwig is officially the new name of my game. I’m convinced it’s the last mascara i’ll ever need. I instantly had these feathery, beautiful quite natural-looking lashes that made a world of a difference and is much better than the best I thought i’d known. It didn’t flake or smudge all night either, even when I rubbed my lids pretty aggressively after glitter flew into my eyes. The fibers did fall off a bit but did not stick to or stain my skin. And, though it took a little extra work, removing it was still pretty easy at the end of night with warm water and a moist towelette despite its gelatin consistency from the tiny little nylon fibers in the formula. It’s just slightly pricier than i’m used to at $22 per tube. And, you have to apply liberally for the best results so I anticipate replacing often but it’s now a must have and your new must try! Get it here. I instantly had these feathery, beautiful quite natural-looking lashes that made a world of a difference and is much better than the best I thought i’d known. It didn’t flake or smudge all night either, even when I rubbed my lids pretty aggressively after glitter flew into my eyes. The fibers did fall off a bit but did not stick to or stain my skin.
And, though it took a little extra work, removing it was still pretty easy at the end of night with warm water and a moist towelette despite its gelatin consistency from the tiny little nylon fibers in the formula. It’s just slightly pricier than i’m used to at $22 per tube. And, you have to apply liberally for the best results so I anticipate replacing often but it’s now a must have and your new must try! Get it here.
We do routine website checks on the weekend to kick off special promotions from our favorite brands and online stores. Our inboxes are often too full to fit everything in during the week and a lazy, rainy Sunday is perfect timing for a little catching up: ‘window shopping’ via our computer screen and comfy couch.
What I can’t stand is when fancy advertising encourages an intensive search for items that aren’t even available. Like the outfit to the left from ASOS. I need that entire look. Now.
Point us in the right direction, please.
I’ll admit. We get pretty excited when we receive ‘Topshop Style Notes’ updates in our inboxes. As expected, today’s mail inspired immediate reaction. This and this found a home in a our shopping basket. Most importantly we were amused by fresh terminology. Topshop has taken responsibility in coining ‘jeggings’ the new name for the jean or denim leggings invention, a cotton, polyester, spandex mix … in essence, the skinniest of skinny jeans or the stretchiest of stretch jeans.
Maybe it’s a British term in general, we remember spotting these ‘floral jeggings’ at ASOS back in March; twice a trend. Clearly maximum comfort is in mind for summer. We’ll cosign I guess … we like that they won’t get baggy after a wear or two and bunch up at the knees but these are a bit too expensive in our opinion, at $70 when I’ve been ogling a pair at Zara for $39.90. I don’t know if we’re quite ready to make jeggings a part of our lingo but we found a bit of humor in Topshop’s initiative. They also described this pair as the Indigo Knitted ‘Tregging‘. We aren’t embarassed to say that we don’t get the origins of the prefix used there. Trousers maybe?
My ex-boyfriend’s mother furnished him with a definitive list of gifts to give his lady on special occasions that included four things: flowers, jewelry, perfume, and scarves. Though he had strayed from that short list over the length of our six-year romance, he had never failed to satisfy my most covetous affections. While I think the inclusion of scarves to his mother’s mix is a little old school, you can never ever go wrong giving women jewelry.
I’ve always felt however, that jewelry is case-by-case when it comes to men. Aside from a simple chain around the neck, most of my male friends never wear jewelry – unless you consider tie tacs, cuff links, and money clips trinkets of sorts. To me, gifting a man a ring is especially touchy. We all know why women get excited when their lovers present them with a ring … a beautiful band of any kind seems to imply an unspoken promise. While women eat that emotional stuff all up … most men probably wish to stay as far away from a ring as possible.
I’ve found a simple ring I’d love to give my man. It’s plain and practical, understated, with a special touch that sealed the deal – no pun intended. Raised lettering on the inside leaves the imprint of a special message on your finger when it’s taken off. Examples show type options using the words ‘always’ and ‘marry me’ but you can customize with your own words of choice. Artist and designer Jungyun Yoon notes that the ring was inspired by a song written by a Korean singer about a sunburn mark he noticed after he broke up with his girlfriend and removed the ring he’d worn during their relationship.
I meant to link NY Magazine’s ‘The Cut’ blog post describing the Christian Siriano for Payless collection but I know you all must have seen it somewhere or the other and drooled in your dreams just as I did. The footwear collection debuted on the runway at the presentation of his collection during Fashion Week and caused quite the stir that you’d expect when associating Payless with anything high end. It seems we were duped however. Racked got an exclusive sneak peek at the pairs that made the final cut from runway to retail. While the prices are in the same range that they first announced (around $45) and will still arrive in stores in mid-August, they were far less the Rodarte rip – sans spikes, studs, and chains – that we found oh so cant-believe-it’s-Payless edgy. Is it wrong that I feel absoluted cheated? I’m not even sure i’m interested anymore. Take a look and tell me what you think. (more…)
Mark Hunter ‘The Cobra Snake’ recently opened his own vintage e-shop. I’d tell you my picks but we have a feeling this new side hustle of his is going to take off in no time. Race you to the check out.
It has been many many months since I first laid eyes on these Jeffrey Campbell ‘Camp’ heels and though I held out for the wine colored suede version that never re-surfaced, I finally surrended to an army green pair. I’m excited to breath life into an old favorite.
carmen solomons
Carmen Solomons is officially the face of anything we’re selling.
Relatively new to the model scene, we’ve uncovered competing stats about the South African girl of our moment – Carmen Solomons. She could be as young as 16 or as old as 22 according to some. And as far as we know she is she’s anywhere between 5’6″ and 5’9″ – short for a model regardless. We’re hoping she’s as tall as possible because she’s quite the vision and we want her to work. In our opinion, she could be the next Kate Moss or Irina Lazareanu runway anomaly. Highly versatile, she could do anything really … we think she’s the right look for a Victoria Secret’s Pink campaign but we hope she will walk some runways. Her beauty, however unusual or exotic, simply can not be ignored. First signed to Boss Models but now also represented by Storm Model Management, and Why Not … we know major recognition is just a matter of time.
Check out her video reel at Boss Models’ blog.
Hellz Bellz: Spring-Summer 2009, Second Delivery
It isn’t a secret that we’re all about Hellz Bellz around here at Funk Etiquette. We generally try to be equal opportunity but when it comes to ladies’ street wear, we picture ourselves as the ideal Hellz ‘belle’ or muse of sorts: we relish in our NYC bred grit and boast that we are tough as nails … freshly done acrylics that is – we also revel in our hair-done, high-heel swooning femininity. We have a feeling the designer would agree with the Funk Etiquette mantra. We don’t let any one thing define our style but instinct and individuality.
Hellz™ presents the second installment of its Spring ’09 collection, Renegades of Funk, a tribute collection to the Electro-Sound of the 80’s in NYC. Paying homage to the string of electro 12″ records by Soul Sonic Force & Afrika Bambaataa including the label’s all time favorite, “Renegades of Funk,” which truly stood on its own without trying to sound (or not sound) like Planet Rock or Looking For The Perfect Beat. It was a song that was a beat of its own, a beat that the Hellz female can nod to! Adding color, to their often dark color palette, the new look came into fruition during a long day at work, when Renegades of Funk was on the tunes, inspiring a vibrant, cultural, funk style often synonymous to Bambaataa.
All this blasphemously good new stuff for the spring-summer season and I’m still piling up my pennies for the acid wash jacket I recently found on Karmaloop from the first delivery. Definitely gotta have that one and there’s this new Hellz x Coco tee that I obviously also need. Clearly, we can’t keep up!
“Now renegades are people with their own philosophy, they change the course of history…” – Afrika Bambaataa, Renegades of Funk
I think we may have found our theme song.
These particular Desert booties by Clarks Originals, released exclusively for the brand’s 60th Anniversary pulls at my heartstrings. I can hear my inner kindergartener screaming like it’s the first day of the school year. Yipee!
via Hypebeast
Jeremy Scott x Adidas at Opening Ceremony
We knew we could depend on Opening Ceremony to carry a bit of the Jeremy Scott – Adidas collaboration and it’s available to order online via the new webstore. Even better. Once again (and we know we deserve a prize or honorable mention the way we peddle the Jeremy Scott name) Get it while you can!
half an amber rose, on the rocks please.
“Sometimes in life, you need a change,” she Twitters.
“Something deeper than what you thought you were capable of …
Something that displays the ‘I don’t give a f—‘ attitude that was always present, but never showcased …
Something that will shock your mother, but make her call you a ROCK STAR.”
We can sorta appreciate the rebel tone and deep message but this baldy screams more like Britney Spears pre-breakdown … not even half the haute of Amber Rose’s shine. Maybe if she went all the way? I don’t know … Truly, at this point we’ve seen it all. Kelis, Kesh, J Davey … And, for some reason, this girl Alice Dellal gets the same exact high fashion ROCK STAR coiffure right but Cassie doesn’t quite do it … for us anyway. She may not be a bad ass but she’s still a flawless beauty. So darn gorg! We’ll continue to hate on that.
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