Saturday's Alright for Estate Saling

I've been getting back into the swing of weekend thrifting and estate saling lately, which is how I found this denim vest with battling French-sporty/70s trucker vibes. It's great for layering as we enter what I call 'false spring' in the Bay Area: the time of year that's filled with beautiful cherry blossoms and weather that lulls you into believing summer days are right around the corner, only to revert to rain and gusts of arctic wind to remind you that, yeah, not quite yet. And that's why you need layers. You know what makes a good layer? A denim vest. Go ahead, pretend it's not irresponsible to wear your fun spring dress when you know it's a smidge too cold. Here's some denim vest inspiration for you.

I wore this to an estate sale high up in the hills. It was mostly tapped, but the thrill of exploring the rooms, belongings, and detritus that made up someone's life can surpass even the thrill of a great find. This particular house, which you really could have called an estate, was full of crumbling grandeur and I assume, stories (were they ear doctors, or child psychologists, or both?).  I did find a giant vintage safe, made in San Francisco, a bottle of 1987 Australian fumé blanc, and a $1 tropical shirt, but sadly only the last item made it home with me. The l'esprit d'escalier of shopping needs its own word!

Hot Tip From a Hair Stylist

Hot Tip: Jella Jojoba (that's hella 'ho-HO-ba') for your hair and scalp. If your hair is dull or your scalp is dry, or  — horror — both, jojoba can restore supple shininess in a snap.  My friend and stylist at Marquee Salon, Amanda, turned me on to it. Derived from shrubs native to the Mojave desert, jojoba oil's chemical makeup is similar to that of sebum, the oil we naturally produce to keep our skin and hair healthy, so it's easily absorbed and less likely to irritate skin. To use, add a small amount to your normal conditioner, or for a deeper treatment, massage a generous amount into your hair and scalp at night and wash it out in the morning (use a towel to avoid giving your pillow a deep oil treatment).

And it doesn't end with your hair. Because of its similarity to skin's natural oils, jojoba has all sorts of beauty and skincare applications: makeup remover, cleanser, moisturizer, cuticle oil, the list goes on. According to Wikipedia, you can even use it as a biofuel for your car! So massage some into your scalp, onto your nails, and toss some into the tank of your converted '78 Mercedes — viva jojoba!

NY Fashion Week Favs

   Clean + Embellished @ J Crew

Sleek + 70s-inspired @ Jenni Kayne

Polished Proportions + Pattern @ Tanya Taylor

Oversized Layering @ Karen Walker

Bare Midriffs

Clockwise from top left: Suno, Proenza Schouler, Rodarte, Organic by John Patrick.

Not risque enough? No pants

 Left, VPL. Right, Marc Jacobs.

Acid Maxi Prints

 Left, Rodarte. Right, Kimberly Ovitz.

Cute Designers

Left, John Patrick. Right, Max Osterweis and Erin Beatty of Suno.

 Left, Karen Walker. Right, Rachel Comey.

Tune In: mbv

Have you been wearing grooves into your iPod listening to Loveless for the past 22 years? Well, happy My Bloody Valentine's day. Alright, the advent of the iPod was only 12 years ago, and I probably discovered Loveless around that time, but none of that changes the exciting fact that the servers are back up, and there's a new My Bloody Valentine album out, mbv.

A bit more percussive, a little floppy even, here and there, but mostly still a mosaic of layered guitars like beautiful, bending buzzsaws — mbv is the My Bloody Valentine you know and love, but who've developed a few new tricks over the past couple decades of recording.

Happy shoegazing, friends.

P.S.- Some totally gaze-worthy shoes and an awesome Amazon review of Loveless.

Linda Rodin + Rodin olio lusso

 

I want to be Linda Rodin when I grow up. She may be the chicest person on the planet, and the same goes for her beautifully designed line of luxury oils (that's olio lusso in Italian) for hair, face, and body. Composed of floral and botanical essential oils like jasmine, juniper, and neroli, the ingredients sound like aromatic Italian cocktail tinctures (and not a laundry list of chemicals). I love the brand ethos too — a less-is-more attitude that rejects complicated regimens and finds beauty in simplicity, right down to the artfully minimal packaging.

Rodin is an all-around inspiration — in addition to her covetable personal style, skincare line, and veteran status as an NYC stylist, she has an awesomely eclectic apartment.  

 

The phrase 'aging gracefully' makes it sound like you have something to apologize for as you become older. So forget 'aging gracefully,' I just want to be as rad as Linda Rodin when I'm older!

[Top three photos from Advanced Style, bottom photo from Pinterest.]