More Fall Transition

It's hard to think about buying jackets or even jeans right now since it's still hovering in the 102 degree range in Central California, but soon cooler weather will be upon us and fall shopping will commence for real. Here is a little bit of inspiration:

At Banana...

Love the belted sweater and wide leg jeans.

At Anthropologie...

Gladiator ballet flats, cropped cords, bright sweater...Cute, cute, cute!

The tights! Love this.

Forever 21...

Love the ruffled, high neck blouse. Classic.

At H&M...

This just makes me jealous of all of you living near an H&M. That belted top is adorable.

Old Navy...

How cute is the sweater fastened with a brooch?

The Gap...

This is a jacket that would be worn again and again.

Ikat Believe It!

In my recent shopping forays, whether they be in store, online or through the pages of InStyle, I keep running into something called Ikat. Ikat dresses, ikat camisoles, etc. So finally I decide to find out what the heck Ikat is exactly. According to Wikipedia

Ikat, or Ikkat, is a style of weaving that uses a resist dyeing process similar to tie-dye on either the warp or weft before the threads are woven to create a pattern or design. A Double Ikat is when both the warp and the weft are tie-dyed before weaving. Ikat means "to tie" or "to bind" in the Malay language...Through common usage, the word has come to describe both the process and the cloth itself. Ikats have been woven in cultures all over the world. Like any craft or art form, ikats vary widely from country to country and region to region. Designs may have symbolic of ritual meaning or have been developed for export trade. Ikats are often symbols of status, wealth, power and prestige. Perhaps because of the difficulty and time required to make ikats, some cultures believe the cloth is imbued with magical powers.

Ikat fabrics have become quite the trend as of late. Kristen Bell wore Jenni Kayne's beautiful Ikat maxi dress and Bulgari jewels to the premiere of her movie "Forgetting Sarah Marshall."

Other lables are fueling this trend, putting out pieces that incorporate ikat designs. It's easy to wear, just incorporate one patterned piece at a time into your outfit. Wear an ikat dress with simple sandals, or pair an ikat cami with jeans and heels for a night out.

Free People Alissa's Ikat Dress $138

ASOS Chiffon Ikat Cami $47.50

H&M Ikat Tunic $19.50 www.hm.com for stores

Topshop Ikat Stripe Longline Camisole $50

Kristen Bell's Jenni Kayne Ikat Tie Gown retails for $1695. Check http://www.jennikayne.com/ for stores.

Depressed Rambling

My Mom just returned home from a trip to San Francisco, and she brought me back some peppermint bark from Ghirardelli and a magazine from H&M. I have been looking through the H&M book this morning and it has left me feeling very shopping deprived. It has been a very long time since I have been anywhere near something as cool as H&M, or even Nordstrom, for that matter. I also fantasize about having a TopShop somewhere whithin driving distance.
TopShop at least allows you to order online, unlike the uncooperative H&M. In fact, I am eyeballing this little number from TopShop for any holiday parties that may crop up. It is a Lurex Stripe Sequin Trimmed Sweater dress. Wouldn't it be cute with some tights and heels? It is 38 British pounds , so...oh wait, I just converted to US dollars and it is about 79 bucks. It would be a much better deal in Euros. Oh well...

We are heading to the Bay Area after the Christmas madness is over, and I will try to run in to SF for a few hours to shop. Hopefully I will feel renewed with shopping bliss after some time at Union Square or Fillmore Street.