2006 March » Bunnyshop

The Bunnyshop Bazaar: Teika Jewelry

03.24.2006

This is the new place where we will talk about things made by people who e-mail us, rather than things we go off and find on our own. This is perhaps a slight difference, but we are very jetlagged, and to us, in some ways, in seems sufficient for a new column. Called: The Bunnyshop Bazaar.

It demands its own column because … mostly, because we like getting e-mail. (Really, it’s pathetic.) If you make something you’d like to have spotlighted in the BB, as it will henceforth be known, gun references be damned, please e-mail us at your convenience. The more homegrown, fabricated-on-your-kitchen-table, the better.

Today, from Morocco, Teika jewelry.

From our letter-writer, in Morocco!

“My earrings are inspired by age-old Moroccan tradition and interlaced with delicate and vividly colourful embroidery (not crochet). Each handmade pair takes up to eight hours to create.”

Beautiful! And easily available for purchase through a surprisingly large number of American outlets (here’s a full, international list, including Colette in Paris and a number of other places we wish we could go to but cannot), and Barneys, which makes it as difficult as possible to navigate, but will give up the goods, literally, if you search by designer. The excellent pair at top is $195.

Also: the relatively convenient This is Auto in Brooklyn offers the pair above of hand-crocheted [sic] earrings for $175.

Our Shorts Policy in Less Than Five Words

03.24.2006

Short shorts: maybe, possibly, if we were very drunk: Vince Slouch Short, $125

No, never, ever, fuck off. Gap’s long denim shorts, $38

Day 4: Little Black Dresses and the Difficult Wedding

03.23.2006

It’s Day 4 in the “What do I wear to my ex-boyfriend’s wedding?” We have some other takes as well, but our house stylist says:

“This is casual almost to the point of disrespect, but … only a supremely confident babe would wear this to an ex’s wedding.”

[BS note: We'd finish the second half of that sentence "... it'd be great to wear pretty much anywhere but your ex's wedding, as it's a little Cancun, if you know what we mean. We are a house divided, apparently.]

Karen Zambos vintage couture, $396

Ask a Stylist: The Difficult Wedding, Part 3

03.23.2006

So in part three of our Ask the Stylist spectacular: The question is, What to wear to a difficult (ex-boyfriend’s) wedding? On one hand, we want to say: A bikini, but actually you are not at the wedding at all but on a beach in Hawaii, as you have taken all the money you would have spent on attending the toasting his future happiness on toasting your future tan in Kauai. (Hawaiian margaritas are not the cultural disconnect you might expect, and even if they are, we do not care.)

Still though, duty binds, and so, we attend weddings we do not want to. (Not that the Stylist Asker doesn’t want to attend; we mean only that we would not want to attend, and would, indeed, likely flee to a tropical island.) However, our Asker is likely a better person than we are, and so, we recommend.

Earlier this week, oru expert guest stylist \\ tattoo model \\ Anthropologie buyer suggested a wide variety of reasonably-priced dressed, and throughout the week, our house stylist has suggested a wide variety of unbelievably unreasonably-priced dresses.

Today, we offer our own suggestions. This is because we are too paranoid to wear black to an ex-boyfriend’s wedding. For our tattooed Asker, we recommend jewel tones (er, if navy can qualify as a jewel) with deep v-necks. These are also pretty unreasonably priced, but we must say, if we were forced to attend an ex-boyfriend’s wedding—and again we are substituting our own psychoses for our Asker’s—we would beg, borrow or steal our way to the priciest thing we could afford. And leave the price tag on. And find a male model to escort us. And still wish we were on a beach in Hawaii.

Moving on!

We love, love, love this dress, and it’s not even rent-level, unless you live in, say … well, we don’t know. But not New York. Maybe if you lived in one of those little cubbies in the wall in Canarsie. It’s $445, and from Burberry London. That seems … well, again, we’d cry if we spent that much money. But anyway: lovely! Lorelei empire dress, $445

And now, from Temperley. It’s not our favorite Temperley ever, and indeed, it looks a little too simple to cost as much as the ones with all that involved crochet work. But it’s beautiful, and we love the front-and-back deep v-neck. Helena Chiffon mini dress, $1005

This is an unbelievably tricky color but if it could be done, it must be done. Moschino Cheap & Chic beaded jersey dress, $645

Okay, so “cocoa” isn’t really the name of a jewel tone, but … in the alternate reality that exists where we have all of Paris Hilton’s money and she is an orthopedic shoe-saleswoman, this is what we’d wear. Matthew Williamson silk Grecian dress, $1558

Day 3: Little Black Dresses and the Difficult Wedding

03.22.2006

It’s Day 3 of the Little Black Dress and the difficult wedding. The original Ask a Stylist can be found here.

“This dress can only be measured as a fraction of your rent, but it’s Celine, and it’ll wear beautifully. You could really keep this for 20 years and it’ll still look fabulous. Especially if you have the chest to fill it out.” Celine Duchesse satin dress, $1250

Spring Bags That Are Not The Edith

03.22.2006

We recently saw the new Edith from Chloe and were seized by such a virulent wave of wanting and greed that we felt like the villain in a Dr. Seuss story: We would have been perfectly happy to feed Cindy Lou Who to a dragon if, in return, we could be given an Edith. Or, in real-world terms, we said to ourselves: “Investment banking: Are we really completely unqualified?” Obviously, this was wretchedly disturbing, and we left immediately to go to the nearest den of dirty hipsterdom—i.e. American Apparel.

And so, we present three lovely spring bags that (a) do not cost $2000, (b) are not in every spring magazine and (c) do not make you want to pursue heretofore unpursued career trajectories.

Above: the Thursday bag from La Voleuse. We will say here that we have this bag in our previous favorite color, dark blue velvet, and it is a glorious thing. This one is even better, we think. Pink canvas Thursday bag, $198

We love this sort of graphic, flat bag. They make us feel like we could be architects, a career trajectory indeed unpursued but not exactly uninteresting. Snorestud’s tree cut-out purse, $165

And we also love this very crafty bag from Lorraine McCue. This we would wear with our new lusted-after Gucci sandals. If we shop ourselves into a finance career, we are going to jump off a cliff. This handbag would do nicely, however. Pliqque handbag, $223

Day 2: Little Black Dresses and the Difficult Wedding

03.21.2006

This is Day 2 in our combo Little Black Dress Spectacular \ Ask a Stylist, in that the stylist has decreed a casual \ sexy black dress to be the thing to wear to an ex’s wedding. (A full explanation is here.)

Moving forward:

“I love this dress from Theory because it’s super sexy, with adjustable spaghetti straps to defeat that awkward gap you can get with the non-adjustable versions. It’s bare on top but a respectable length, so maybe pair with a sweater for church. (Since you’re in Texas, I have to believe it’ll be Ice Age-refrigerated.) Plus, it’s cotton, which should be cool in the heat. It runs the risk of being under-dressy, but I’ve always found that a safe space to be in.” Theory Marni cotton dress, $215

Oh, The Frenchness Of It All

03.21.2006

We were at a restaurant called Masala Zone the other night, when a couple speaking French sat beside us. “What is this?” they said, pointing to our plates. “The Grand Thali,” we said. “Le Grand Thali,” we almost said, but did not, because we generally try not to be total assholes showing off our pathetic French. Then, there was a kerfuffle at the table, as the couple attempted to order their own Le Grand Thalis. But what was lamb? The waitress says, “What country are you from?” The couple ne peut pas comprendre. Mais: We can! “What is this, the lahm?” they are saying. “L’agneau! L’agneau!” our head screams. Because we want so badly to be the Multilingual, Helpful Girl at the Restaurant, but we want more not to be the Girl Who Freaks Out When People Speak to Her in Other Languages, Before They Inevitably Revert to their Own, Perfect English. The couple orders the lamb, shrugging their shoulders. Five minutes later, when it can be of absolutely no use, we say, “Lamb, c’est l’agneau.” “L’agneau?” the man says. “Blerg blergh jkhgfdjkshkdjfgh sdjfhskjhf sdf.” “De rien,” we say, hoping our confusion will not manifest itself in the kind of facial movement that will eventually require Botox.

In short, we would like, very much, to be French. We are quite sure that these pieces from A.P.C. will help.

Above, the kind of sweater that you look at and you’re like, “Don’t get it,” and then a French girl puts it on and you’re like, “Duh, right.” Belted pullover, $201. Also in “chestnut brown.”

We’ve shown this dress before so we will only restate our love for it. Dress with crocheted neckline, $163

This is one of those things we’d be loathe to buy, and then we would (rarely, but occasionally), and then we’d be just delighted with ourselves for us prescience. Bustier with thin straps, $126

Honestly, these wedges are just excellent. That is all. Wedge sandals, $251

As is this similarly-patent belt, $76

Honestly, this kind of looks a little fugly to us, but if we owned it, we’d wear it all the time. Annoying. Striped silvery waistcoat, $314

We hesitate to say anything should be worn with skinny jeans, because skinny jeans are the devil’s work. However: This should be worn with skinny jeans. Otherwise, we can’t handle the volume. Flower-printed tunic, $201

Ask a Stylist: The Difficult Wedding, Part 2

03.20.2006

We addressed this post this morning, having gone a little overboard in the experts department for this particular installment of Ask the Stylist.

This morning we heard from the Anthro buyer \ tattoo model. Wednesday will provide another option. And this afternoon, we hear from the titular stylist:

“This is, no doubt, a tricky situation. Often, the first instinct is to overdress. It becomes all about the perfect dress, and you spend all your time not in the office in changing rooms, and usually not happily.

So for situations like this, after beating back that first instinct, I personally always try to go in the opposite direction, and underdress. This is made more complicated by the fact that you’re going to a wedding, and underdressing can be viewed as a lack of respect for the couple, their religion, etc.—and you end up looking disrespectful, which, in this particular circumstance, ends up reading as petty, sad, and a bunch of other adjectives you don’t feel and certainly don’t want to project.

This is, for me, a perfect little-black-dress situation. [BS note: If you're skittish about wearing black to a wedding, answers #1 and #3 will be more helpful.] All of your money should go to everything else: hair, accessories, clutch. This is the time to splurge on the extra-glossy hair treatment, the manicure, the pedicure [Pedicures make us sick, but that's probably just us.] Teeth-whitening. Facial. It’s time to pamper yourself, and look and feel glamorous. Self-tanner, tested as far as possible beforehand. The dress can take care of itself.

And as for black to a wedding, I’m all for it. This is a controversial subject [BS: Especially if there's any room for the interpretation to be that you're in mourning, which is our paranoia, but clearly we are so paranoid we needed to share.] but all the evening weddings I’ve been to have had plenty of girls in black, and they’ve always looked glam and comfortable, and not like a sorbet cone.

And now, the black dresses:

“I just think this dress is hysterical. Black’s always severe, but the pom-pom detail is super fun, and the cotton-silk mix should be comfortable even in heat. It says something to the effect of, I know this is important, but I’m all about fun, and I’m a babe.” See by Chloe pom-pom trim dress, $590

Ask a Stylist: The Difficult Wedding

03.20.2006

It’s my ex-boyfriend’s wedding. In Texas. It’s probably going to be hot (85+ degrees). If it matters, I have a bunch of tattoos and I like to dress boutique-hipster (I know, I know) when I can.

We have had several previous Ask the Stylists, and none have aroused the passionate responses this one did. This is because, we believe, we have—and in this case, we mean “we” in the plural, collective, sense, rather than the royal one—all been there, if not to an ex-boyfriend’s wedding than to something horribly similar, where dressing becomes not so much a diversion as a form of self defense. So, this week, we have three responses: One from us (and here we do mean the royal we\us), which will appear tomorrow. One from the Stylist, whose selections will be running all week. And one from our guest stylist, unusually qualified to answer in that she is (a) a buyer at Anthropologie and (b) a former tattoo model.

We will say a small prayer for our stylist-asker, that she may … all we can think of is “kicks some ass,” so we will go with that.

And now, Answer #1, from the Anthropologie buyer:

As someone with quite a few tattoos who is also attending several weddings this year, I feel you. Trying to look fab can be harder for us than others—but it can be easy if you follow a few simple rules. Without knowing just how extensive your tattoos are, these rules aren’t rules, per se—merely guidelines.

First: Solids, solids, solids! A print will make you look like wallpaper. Simple patterns—stripes, dots—fine. Plaid (unless a Burberry bikini)—never!

Second: Work with what you have. Don’t dress to show off your tattoos—unless, of course, you’re into leather fringe and Reebok high tops.

Third: Remember you look a little edgy/crazy/wacky/whatever. I know you’re not. I’m not. BUT—people will judge you how you look. This might be a great time to invest in something classicly cut, well made, and well fitting. I’d leave the ’60s empire-waist shift at home.

Here are my few suggestions:
Without seeing you in person, it’s hard to fit your body, but dress to flatter your body first, tattoos second. Above all, be CONFIDENT! You are fabulous, smart, and hip. You’re not proving anything to anyone—other than, oh me? Yeah, I’m awesome.

I must preface this—I’m a northeast girl, so I don’t know what’ll roll in Austin. But since it’s evening, I’m thinking black is okay.

And I know these are all from Anthro, but seriously, we have really good dresses right now, and they’re not too pricey.

(At top) This dress is MUCH prettier in person—I’ve tried it on. If you have a bit of a bust, it’s FABULOUS. If not, well—just pin it up a bit. The sash can tie in front or in back. It’s simple, elegant, and edgy without being too edgy. It’s great. The Black Dress, $268

Another simple dress from Anthro. Easy to wear, the jersey won’t wrinkle or get fussy. Very flattering—waist defining and bust enhancing without being trashy. Undercurrents dress, $148

Great color, flattering fit. It’s a shade bare up top, but a sweet sweater (good for religious houses) could work. Emerald dress, $228

I love, love, love this dress. This is great if you’re tall. White and red to a wedding? Your call. But a fab dress, great lines, and just all around pretty. Regatta dress, $148

The J. Crew embossed beach dress is my wedding standby—I have black and navy. The yellow and pink are quite sweet. $69.99 – $98

J. Crew also has the Audrey dress in cotton cady—it’s a bit more expensive, but it’s the most formal of the bunch. Flattering lines, beautiful fabric—it’s definitely an investment piece. $99.99 – $225

Also love the Emily dress—a bit more fun than the Embossed Beach Dress. I love both colors, and the waist definition. $150

I realize that my taste is far from varied. It’s a tried and true formula—the more comfortable you are in what you wear, the better you’ll look and feel. While this is your ex’s day to shine, this is your day to cast a shadow of a doubt (erm, of course, I don’t really mean that).

Keep the shoes and accessories simple, and you’ll be beautiful in any dress you chose!

Good luck!

So ends part one of our three-part Ask the Stylist extravaganza. Part two will be here later today, and part three tomorrow.

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