1 Elizabeth & James
2 Loeffler Randall
3 Rochas
4 Robert Clergerie

Okay…hear me out. Generally, I have been adamantly anti-flatform. BUT, to be fair, that was back in the day of the platform thong sandals (never again), not the more “sophisticated” flat platform sandals out now, so, I’m wondering if there IS a way to do them right. I mean, who doesn’t love the comfort of flats but with a little height?

I can see a NICE pair of flatforms (any of the ones above) with a long skirt just to give a few more inches, but still be relatively easy to walk in. I wouldn’t wear a pair with a short skirt (although maybe with skinny jeans that go all the way to the ankle) because my calves/thighs are thick, and a woman’s legs always look longer & leaner in a traditional heel.

What do you think? Will you rock a pair of flatforms this Spring? Or are they always a no in your book?

You know I love a good maxi skirt, and I fell hard for the color-blocking (if you can call it that) on these, and the overall colors. But one is almost twice as much as the other (and they’re both polyester!). Can you guess which one? Which one do you like better? Why?

That skirt is my favorite – I’m drawn more to it because of the more neutral colors and the black waistband, and the pleats are less “sharp.” But I do like the colors of this skirt…

(Tomorrow I’ll post links to where to buy)

*edited to add links: This skirt is at Anthropologie and it’s $148. That skirt is by Aryn K, available at Jessie Boutique (who has excellent customer service, by the way) for $88.

OMG. finally, I caved and gave in to my obsession with these Play Comme des Garcons x Converse sneakers from Azalea Boutique. (for those of you who haven’t been keeping track, I’ve been posting about these shoes since 2009!) Honestly, I didn’t really have to cave much; I used my referral credits to Refinery29 Reserve to get the spend $100, get $200 deal for Azalea today and got the shoes + this necklace by Denise Heffernan (pretty, isn’t it?).

I am SO EXCITED!!! I’m not really sure I’ll wear them all that much, but who knows…I can see them with boyfriend jeans, long skirts, lounge pants…

Do you guys have Converse sneakers? what do you wear them with?

Also, if you’re a fan of CdG wallets like I am, this Refinery29 Reserve deal is a great opportunity to get one for $100 less (there are NEVER any coupon codes for CdG); Azalea has one of the best selections online.

Which one would you choose? I’m not linking to them because I don’t want price/designer to influence your decision And if you DO know the designers of each skirt, pretend you don’t. (I’ll add the links tomorrow)

I’d choose THAT skirt because the THIS skirt is a bit too short for my taste. THAT skirt is too long, but at least with it I could hem it to my desired length. It’s also less pleated than THIS one, which I think is more flattering for me of the big hips.

So…which one do you like better? THIS skirt? or THAT skirt?

**edited to add links: THIS skirt is by Mulberry at Net-a-Porter ($435) and THAT skirt is Levi’s ($78). Does that change which skirt you’d choose?? For the price of the Levi’s skirt, I could have it altered, add a belt & change the buttons and still end up right around $125…

I have been not-very-excited for a while with the Refinery29 Reserve deals, but lately they’ve had some interesting ones. The most recent one I’ve purchased was the spend $100, get $200 at Jessie Boutique, which I used to get this Joie dress:

I placed my order on Wednesday and the dress arrived on Saturday, which was very impressive, given how long it generally takes to receive ground-shipped items (a week). The dress is also PERFECT; I can’t wait for warmer weather so I can wear it. Wait, did I just say that??

Also, I’m really intrigued by the new line of handbags, Allibelle, which is being offered for sale on Refinery29 Reserve exclusively before anywhere else. The minute I saw the bags, something seemed familiar, and the reason is that one of the designers used to design KNOXX handbags. Remember them? It’s okay if you don’t, but I posted about them A LOT in 2007. My favorite details from the KNOXX bags was the hardware, and that’s also what draws me to Allibelle:

Since I have enough credit at Refinery29 Reserve, I’m really considering getting one of these bags – probably the one above, or even something smaller. But I’m waiting for more images from the designer before I do it, all sales are final, and I can’t buy a bag without more details! I’ll try to share them with you if you’re interested!

Have you purchased a Refinery29 Reserve deal recently? or are you waiting for them to bring bag the super-amazing deals, like the one they did a year ago with Otte? (if only…)

Here are some more of my favorites. Besides my own yellow Balenciaga

1 Bottega Veneta – $2600
2 Alexander Wang Morgan Hobo – $835
3 Zara – $79
4 Orla Kiely – $545
5 Clare Vivier – $143
6 See by Chloe – $325

I say don’t wait for Spring to carry a bright bag, couldn’t your Winter outfits use a little pick-me-up? Yellow goes wonderfully with gray (my favorite color!), white, and navy. If you’re feeling brave, you could wear yellow with purple, or kelly green…that would be pretty, but too much color for me!

Would you wear a yellow bag? With what?

Oh, and check out LOTS more of my favorite yellow bags on pintrest. I could use a follow or two also

This week’s Refinery29 Reserve deal is AMAZING!! Spend $88 and get 2 pairs of prescription glasses (frames & lenses) from Lookmatic (formerly SpexClub). I have three pairs of glasses and one pair of sunglasses from them, and I couldn’t be happier. My latest pair is the Parker style in Tortoiseshell (seen here); I think they’re my favorite out of all of them…

I also have the oscar style in clear, and they’re really fun. If you wear Rx glasses, this is a no-brainer – you can have enough different frames to suit your moods! I love it

Holiday shopping days are upon us! (or are you finished already?) We really don’t do a lot of gift-giving in my family but it certainly doesn’t mean that I don’t enjoy shopping for them, or dreaming about what I’d love to receive And generally that’s how I approach gift-shopping: if I love it, they’ll love it. But also I think of the person and then try to find them something they would love, but never buy for themselves. Voila! The perfect gift.

So, each day for the next week I’ll be featuring my favorite gift pick from Grechen’s Closet partners AND then give you a chance to WIN IT. Today, it’s the orange foldover clutch by ARCADE at ARCADE Boutique.

I’ve featured this lovely clutch before, and now I’m so excited to be able to give one away, thanks to ARCADE!! Although generally I stick with neutral colors for my clothing, I love to carry a colorful bag, and orange is my favorite non-neutral color. The contrasting colors are great, and I love the foldover style; it gives the clutch a bit more interest in my opinion.

I would be super-excited to receive this as a gift, and I know a few people who would love it also. Would you?

Enter to win below – when you leave your email address you are also giving permission for it to be added to ARCADE Boutique’s mailing list. A winner will be chosen with random.org from all the emails collected and notified via email on Friday, December 16. Good luck!

Earrings: Fortune Favors the Brave (of a kind)
Bag: Alexander Wang Rocco with Resin studs
Sweater: A.L.C.
Shoes: Rachel Comey

Bear with me here…I’m going stream of consciousness:

um. did you SEE THE Rachel Comey shoes in the newest Anthropologie catalog? I need them. They make me smile. They are insane. In a perfect way.

And of course every time I think I’m over the Rocco bag, Alexander Wang goes and does something interesting to it. This time, it’s a smooth leather and resin “rivets” on the botton. I saw this in person yesterday and while I’m not quite sold on the smooth leather, I LOVE the clear resin rivets. And the color. It’s lighter than the classic version too. (also a little cheaper!)

I also saw the A.L.C. cardigan in person yesterday and it is TDF. The asymmetric zipper makes it. When do you think I’ll get tired of asymmetrical things? ever?

What are you obsessed with?

This week, Refinery29 Reserve is offering a selection of some of my favorite travel essentials by Josie Maran for $64, which is nearly half off the original price:

I’ve been traveling with the Bear Naked wipes & pure Argan Oil for several years and NEVER EVER EVER go out of town without them. The wipes are perfect for removing makeup (even eyeliner and mascara) and are a refreshing start to the morning. I’ve even started using them sometimes at home…

And a few years ago I started using Josie Maran’s argan oil morning and night (I did a video review on green grechen); I was immediately able to tell a difference in my skin, it’s much more radiant and soft.

I have always wanted to try some of her other products, so now’s a good opportunity. And I can always use another package of the Bear Naked wipes and travel-sized bottle of Argan oil…

Have you tried Josie Maran’s argan oil? Do you love it? Have you tried any of the other products? Do tell!!