passion is in fashion

The making of Mad Men:

Mr. Weiner once stopped a scene in season one and asked the props department to find smaller apples to fill a bowl because fruit was smaller in the 1960s. He asks actresses not to have toned arms or porcelain veneer teeth and directors say he requires that actors whose characters smoke (and most of them do) have also smoked in real life.

- The Women behind Mad Men in the WSJ

Miroslava, special events correspondent for Russian Harper’s Bazaar, among other things.

Pret-a-Manger is the cutest *ever!*  Thanks to f reporting from NY.  ^_^

Something about Sundays that are just so lazy, that heels seem somehow out of place.  Ideal Sunday activities include a leisurely brunch, hot yoga, followed by dinner and a movie.    I previously explored my philosophy on appropriate Sunday dress here, and would like to revise my stance based on recent experiences.

Usually I like to “date” during the weekdays or on the weekends on Friday or Saturday.  Weekday dress is easy.  It’s the oh-just-got-off-of-work look.  (For me this works because I can dress pretty creatively for work!)  Weekend dress is easy again.  It’s one of my many many dresses and the oh-I-might-go-out-with-my-friends-afterwards look.

What about dates on Sundays?!  On the one hand, I subscribe to the theory that Sundays ought to be lazy and is the only day where flats are not just welcome, they are assumed.  On the other hand, I am a staunch believer in the school of thought that is “Heels.  Always.”  This is therefore a profound question requiring careful analysis.

The appropriate dress depends on three factors: the activity, the place, and the height of the other person.  If the activity is anything remotely active, such as going to the beach or hiking, heels are definitely out.  Dressing appropriately for the occasion is sometimes a welcomed gesture!  (Even if I constantly expound you should not dress for the life you have, but the life you want to have.)   The place you are going to offers clues as well.  (Robuchon?  Heels.  Burger King?  Flats, also never go out with him ever again, but McDonald’s has a soft place in my heart. )  To be considerate, I avoid wearing my 5 inch wedges with guys shorter than 6 feet, but this is true for most occasions anyway.

So on the last few Sunday dates, I alternated between mule sandals and wedges.  Mules are heels without backs.  Most of the time they are secured simply by a band in the front.  Unlike strappy sandals, they remind me of a more dressed up version of flip flops, and therefore perfectly appropriate for daytime wear.  (Gucci does this style very well!)  Wedge sandals are also a good casual alternative to heels.  They forgo that click-clack sound on marble floors, so are less intrusive and better for walking quietly.  For the same reason, however, I don’t find them appropriate for evenings.  I believe the sound of your heels “heralds your arrival and prolongs your departure” just as much as perfume.  (Recognize that quote?)

As winter approaches, I will also briefly opine on winter Sunday dress.   Due to the fashionable-ness of flat boots, this is a clear and obvious choice.  Also not to be forgotten is the simple jeans with heels combination.  As much as it reminds you of the college sorority girls, it is a classic standby for a reason – that is brilliant and forever appropriate!  Jeans tone down the heels to make the outfit versatile for most occasions. (However, because it is Sunday, no need to bust out the metallic four inch platforms – lower heel will do.  Nothing over 2.5 inches.)

So, my final conclusion is: heels, always – unless they are boots, and choose more casual versions when possible.  To help you get started, here are a few of my favorites:

Gucci mules. Not saying paillettes are appropriate for day, but just an example of how the shape is *perfect*. Doesn't Frida do it nicely? <3

Christian Louboutin wedges. Why teeter around in stilettos when you can run around in wedges?

Giuseppe Zanotti flat boots. Rare occasion where flats are acceptable: sometimes it's not about the height of the heel, but rather the height of the boot.

Christian Louboutin kitten heels. Remember, boys and girls, *nothing* over 2.5 inches.

Images from saks.com and net-a-porter.com

Summoned back to the office today upon the lowering of the typhoon 8.  (Stolen typhoony times, you are gone but not forgotten!)

Another day at NYFW.   Spotted some more yellowy goodness!  Other than yellow, other colors that I’m seeing a lot of is blue and beige.  But these are very safe classic colors that I don’t believe are truly newsworthy.  A reflection of the times, perhaps?

A child-like mod-ish piece from Zac Posen.  Her stance is fierce!

Image from style.com

A truly Hong Kong phenomenon – the typhoon 8!

Got news of this around 5pm today and we all promptly left the office.  The elevator going down was pretty crowded.  The whole building cleared out asap!  Walking on the way home saw everyone walking briskly and boutiques shutting down.  At the grocery store, everyone was in line to buy some last minute essentials, and even poor bachelors have to finally get some food!  One guy got two giant Tsingdao beers.  Guess he is looking forward to a nice evening in – hehe!

The elevator back up to my apartment was similarly crowded.  Everyone rushed back!  These two grown men walked in really excitedly with a bottle of wine in hand.  I asked someone to press my floor for me and they did so with great enthusiasm – like little kids!

Oh typhoon 8, as long as one is not stuck at the airport, is quite a joyful experience!

Asian-Americans in their 20s and 30s were part of an immigration boom. The passage of the Immigration Act of 1965 effectively ended policies that put quotas on the numbers and origins of Asians allowed in the country. Once they arrived, the children of this wave of Asian immigrants generally didn’t feel as much parental pressure as previous generations to excel in more-traditional fields such as business or science—in part because the previous wave of immigrants had proven themselves in those fields.

…

Asia’s reputation as a clothing-manufacturing hub plays a smaller role in the rise of Asian-American designers than some might think. With a few exceptions, these designers didn’t come from families that worked in textiles or clothing manufacturing.

Today’s Asian-American designers don’t wear their “otherness” on their sleeves as did the wave of Japanese designers like Issey Miyake and Yohji Yamamoto, who took the fashion world by storm in the ’80s with avant-garde designs. Many young Asian-American designers’ clothes, such as Jason Wu’s blend of modernity with the intricacy of couture and Phillip Lim’s modern takes on classic looks, are generally aimed at a broad mainstream audience.

- Ray Smith in the WSJ

As you may know I am mildly obsessed with the color yellow.  Ever since Slumdog Millionaire came with out with Latika running around sporting various symbolic yellow items, to when Michelle Obama attended the inauguration in the lemony yellow Isabel Toledo, until Pantone declared yellow the official color of 2009, you know yellow is the shizzy!

New York fashion week has started and I’m spotting yellow everywhere!

Luca Luca

Elie Tahari

Diane von Furstenburg

*All images from style.com

A bit late to the game but just browsing through the list now.  WHAT!?  This is like the worst list ever!!!  The only ones I agree with are the Obama’s, Carla Bruni, Tiki Barber and like that’s *it*!  Who are these people?!  Private banker?  Private equity investor?!  Pleeease!!  They are clearly selected by a handy combination of who’s rich and who’s friends with the editor.  So MAD right now!