Seen with Four Eyes

the various, scattered musings of a twenty-something new yorker (rerouted via SF for now) with too much time and not enough money.

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Woah, having trouble figuring out this brand-spankin'-new Tumblr interface. In the interim, here's just a few swoon-worthy shots pulled from A PIECE of TOAST as I surfed through some of their posts over the years. Those sisters really have some excellent taste.

If you can't tell, my mind is clearly focused on Spring (yes, with a capital "S"). Most specifically, nude wedges, florals (and Frenchies!), and high-impact loud prints. I'm clinging to the theme of tropical, although last time I checked the warmer months in SF are mostly fog and grey.

But still! The mind is a powerful thing.

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A very new sort of adventure upcoming tomorrow: travelling. With the boyfriend. For two weeks. In Thailand.

Very much looking forward to seeing the world through a different scope, chasing after experiences, eats and moments that will feel as good as they look, and eventually resting at a beach like the above.

Bon Voyage!

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In the deepest Kinfolk Journal spiral this morning. Just beautiful, quiet photos that help spurn on internal desires for dinner parties and gatherings and solitary moments too (with a French Bulldog in there for good measure!).

Happy Long Weekend. Off to Portland, OR for hipsters, plaid, coffee and cocktails.

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One resolution for the new year has been to drink more (green) tea. Restorative powers, ritualistic, closer to the Downton Abbey lifestyle I am constantly striving after. Dream big, right? Anyway, I thought it was a fairly easy resolution. And then...AND THEN I found Bellocq. These teas are so gracefully packaged, and so gorgeously scented that they have pushed me to the realm of tea obsessed. I've decided that drinking tea is the highest art form achievable and that all I'll do all day is steep tea in these cute metal baskets and look down on lesser plebeians who don't drink this magical potion or, what's worse, use TEABAGS.

Woah, I'm already starting to sound like Lady Grantham! 

Sourced from India, collected in Brooklyn. Ready for you: click here.

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It's been pre-determined that I am a huge sucker for double-duty fashion and accessories. ESPECIALLY accessories. And peruse my previous post re: my more than mild obsession with denim/chambray/why don't I just move to a ranch this instant.

Sooooooo, I kind of lost my mind when these bags were delivered to my Inbox from DailyCandy. Ali Golden, being enviably persistent in search of the perfect bag, just decided "Hey, I can do this better myself."

And then, she did.

Reversible bags, made from fine leather, kickass denim, and fabric sourced by Ali personally, that have two PERFECT length straps for toting your own DIY projects, or multiple bottles of wine, all your leftover candy from Halloween (you were "helping" your cousins Trick-or-Treat ... right?).

Regardless, scoop it up. Clearly, poor Ali isn't cranking out 1,000s and 1,000s of these puppies. 

Read more about her here.

And then purchase here. (I want the white ikat. Too early for Christmas lists?)

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I am kind of a denim freak. I'm not one to repeat purchase articles of clothing -- a girl really only needs one gingham shirt, if she chose wisely -- but I can't ever help it with denim. I am a repeat offender with jeans and shirts. I STRONGLY believe in the Canadian Tuxedo (hi, if it is two different shades of denim, it doesn't count!)

Sidebar: it might help you to rock the top-to-bottom jean look by calling your button up "chambray." Trust, people get distracted by that word. Meanwhile, I promise you want to try this out, because once you do, you will ALWAYS be pairing denim with denim. Especially with flower espadrille (yeah, I went there). Part dweeby, part hipster, part trendy, part "So what? I wear what I want!"

Anyway, I'm a fiend for denim. SO, imagine how AMPED I was to read about the two ladies of Job & Boss, right here in SF, who are hand-dyeing and hand-sewing and hand-everything these exquisite bags. The jean is dyed using an ancient Japanese technique called shibori (this is art, people!) by one of the girls and then completed with local leather by the other. That is my perfect definition of teamwork. 

Now give me the fucking bag, because there IS an 'i' in 'denim.'

Track down at these boutiques, or shop their online store here.

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I'm a girl who wants to get as much as she can for her money (obviously). Shoes are always a toughie for me because even though I am constantly coveting, they inevitably end up being a big ticket item.

Take, for instance, the above Sandstorm Fringe Boots from Madewell. I picked them up in store, having been drawn to the color and heel (what can I say? I'm a sucker for a stacked desert boot!) but immediately put them down when I noticed the price.

And then one of the (smart) salesgirls came up to me, God bless her hipster soul, and said, "Aren't those so fun?"

(Duh.)

"I really like them because they're two shoes in one."

(Whaaaaa? Don't lie to me, you big-glasses-wearing, chambray-rocking lady.)

"I love it with the fringe, very Back To School. But see? You can remove the fringe part if you want something a little more serious."

My brain practically exploded in my head. This chick had single-handedly slashed the price 50% right in front of me (yes, that is how my brain works; and yes, that is how most shoppers' brains work). 

I started to envision myself trotting around SF in billowy blouses, long cranberry skirts and these boots (with fringe), with a satchel (NOT bag) and long hair with a part in the middle. Or, in all-jean everything, a big Navajo scarf, and these boots (without fringe).

I mean, these shoes brought me to A PLACE. TWICE.

Once you get your hands on them, they'll do the same for you. Buy here.

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Ok, this is not a new realization by any means. I've been dressing men in Bonobos for a while now. But what I still can't get over is how these guys (and gals) can continue to crank out well-fitting, affordable fashion that is the same cut season after season and have it feel new and different each time.

Bonobos is my new go-to for men's clothing, beating out J.Crew's Men Shop by a LONG shot. Long live fit! Great marketing doesn't hurt either.

I actually visited the NYC showroom in July, and was thrilled to find that their service in person only exceeds their online service (free shipping, easy returns; jump on the train, people!).  Don't worry, there's another showroom in Palo Alto, with Boston and SF on the way soon.

Anyway, browse and buy here.

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Surely there is a world in which I am able to afford and then actually wear these Chloe metal-dipped loafers outside without fretting every second that they will succumb to bird poop or gum or GOD FORBID a scuff. Right?

That world has to exist. Or else, what am I living for?

Purchase/drool over here.

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Through various strolls around town, I've started to pay intense attention to how people (women, in particular) layer here in the Bay Area because HOLY CRAP THE MICRO-CLIMATES ARE RIDICULOUS.

Aaaanyway, I hate bulk, but I also hate being cold, so I've been expending all my energy on looking at people without them noticing (hopefully) that I have been staring at them for more than five minutes in an attempt to figure out every bit of their outfit.

Which leads me to the one and only Marine Layer.

These guys know what they are doing. First, everything is locally sourced (i.e. in the state of Cali-for-nigh-ay) and their fabric is made of recycled Beech Wood (yes, that is possible). Second, these tops are SOFT AS CLOUDS. I mean, this is the most comfortable you will ever feel in a shirt. Ever. Third, every single bit is limited edition, so if you see something you like, grab it and grab it FAST because it'll be gone in a week.

Which means you'll be the only kid on the block rocking that tee, read: the cool kid on the block.

Learn more and buy here.

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Completely enamored with the new shoe and handbag looks from Bloomingdale's, featuring little animals of all shapes and sizes. I'm totally over large exotic animals as escort to high-end style. Give me a French Bulldog any day of the week.

See more here.

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I've been thinking a lot about structure recently, and what it means to create a foundation around yourself without building yourself into a corner. Is it possible to know this bridge has an end point, when we can't see because of other elements in the way? 

So much waxing philosophic on a Monday morning.

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I've always been a big enthusiast of strong accessories--defined, vibrant things that bring out personality without saying a word. 

Eyeglasses obviously are in a class all their own. Hi, it is the accessory you wear everyday. On your face. It has to be right.

I bought my first pair in 2010, and adored them to the point where, at work, I was "that girl with the big brown eyeglasses." Well, yes.

Until now! I've been coveting new frames from Moscot for over a year now, and finally, with a new Rx, I've been able to live out the New York dream of owning and wearing a pair.

I mean, this is original New York, New York. Their first store in the LES was founded in 1925. Since then it's been family-run by four generations of men who've devoted their lives to designing and selling perfectly balanced frames--thick, thin, delicate, detailed. It's all there.

Can I prove it? Check out the site for yourself. And yes, it's still family-run, since Dr. Harvey Moscot (4th Generation) himself waited on me, guessing perfectly with the third pair he handed me what I wanted from my new frames.

Now THAT is what shopping local is all about!

Learn more, or better yet purchase, here. 

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Recently, my shopping pastime has mostly been consumed by coveting every single thing that Of A Kind is peddling. At the moment, it is Gemma Redux's thorny, but graceful jewelry -- made with gold and malachite or quartz or agate to create the vibe of a warrior princess who is out to lunch (they do that, right?).

Especially her collar necklaces that I want to tuck under a white peter pan collar and constantly pet. Weird. But not -- I mean, look at it!

Purchase here.

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Never thought I would see the day I was lusting after wooden-heeled clogs. I mean, really. I used to loathe wearing mine in grade school (Yes, I wore clogs in grade school -- not my coolest years).

But look, here we are. Soup to nuts, this look is all I'm thinking about for spring. Especially that pastel leather? Insane.

What's the point in shoddily made wedges or plastic gladiators when you can trot around in these delicately designed and lovingly made Swedish Hasbeens clogs, inspired by styles from the 70's (groovy) but with the colors and execution of today.

Start here.

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I <3 Fridays, and hate to <3 JCrew.