Meet Bonzie, Pt. 1: Which skirt should I get?

Bonzie is an independent Irish "aunt-niece design duo with a love for an olde worlde time worn aesthetic."  I first discovered them on etsy (of course) months ago and have been in love with their designs ever since.  Bonzie is best known for its boleros, which I'll feature in Part 2, but if I were to get one thing for myself, it would have to be one of these fantastic upcycled skirts.

Combining ladylike ruffles with traditional plaids, hard-edged leather and hardware, they suggest a bit of steampunk, a bit of Scottish kilt, a bit of wayward pirate wench, and all romance.  Problem is, they come in many colors and are customizable, so I'm having trouble deciding on just one style.


Bonzie and Ger were so cute in their response: "Thanks ever so much for your kind words about our work, we are chuffed that you enjoy our designs and would be delighted for you to...be featuring us!"

Hot or Not? Expensive Designer Jellies

I can't quite decide if Tory Burch et al has created the most brilliant-nostalgic throwback to our little-girl days of carefree sunshine and outdoor frolicking, or if it should join the ranks of absurdly unnecessary things designed with one thing in mind: to rob us blind.

I'm guessing the latter.  Who out there's gonna pay $90 for plastic shoes, however cute (and some of them really aren't)?

Cholosoy is having a sale

One of my earliest posts was asking people which chullo hat I should buy from Cholosoy's Etsy shop, which featured some of the most lightweight, ugly-awesome chullos I'd ever seen (I got the blue-green one).

I thought I got a deal for $18.50...this weekend only, they're having an even better sale.  All hats $15!  Makes you wonder if they are employing Peruvian orphans to make these and paying them $1/day.

Dilemmas: Someone please talk me out of this trench coat.

By Alvin Valley - the 'City Spire' trench.  "Long sleeve v-neck faux snake trench coat with optional belted waist and back flap detail. Front slash pockets. Button down front."  Final sale: $98, down from $1,030.40.  

Pros:
1) Fantastic cut, structure, and make.
2) It's less than 1/10 the original price.

Cons:
1) It's still $98, which for normal people is a decent lot of money.
2) It's FAUX SNAKE and it's GREEN.  Where the heck would I wear it, a vampire prom?

Fashion Friday: Dresses of Plaid

Taking a cue from Annie's series of dresses, I thought I'd share the one trend that's really gotten under my skin--silk tartan gowns.  Not your usual frumpy plaid flannel stuff!  These offerings by Ralph Lauren, Dolce & Gabbana, Alexander McQueen and others are cheeky, irreverent and unexpectedly gorgeous (I think).  I like how flowy they are in silk, and how the loud, distracting pattern doesn't quite mask the gorgeous structure of the dresses.  I wish I could make one for myself this holiday season.

Trend that should die: Gladiator Sandals.

I knew something was up when I was NYC last week and everywhere I looked, there they were.  Gladiator sandals.  How they can be construed as attractive, I have no idea.  They are ugly enough when limited to one's feet, but then somewhere on the ACE train I saw this most HIDEOUS example of the trend, the Chanel Knee-High Gladiator Sandal.  I thought it was a joke.  But clearly, they aren't kidding.