Accessories Anonymous: Un-Bow-lievable

There are some things that are so quintessentially girly that you can't help but feel completely feminine when wearing them. To me, flowers and bows are two of those things. My personal preference of the two is flowers- I love floral prints, flower brooches and pins, even flower jewelry. I've got floral shoes, dresses, skirts, blouses, scarves, hats, and even purses. I've never really been a fan of the other side- bows. But then I noticed one of my coworkers- Sadie- has a tendency to wear bows all the time and they always look great. She tends to pair them with more edgy pieces and the balance of the two works really well.

In honor of Sadie and her bow obsession, here are some great bow-inspired accessories I've found for you:

 

Marc by Marc Jacobs Textured Bow Ring, Nordstrom, $37.90 

Darling Dottie Hair Clip, Modcloth, $12.99

Sweet Bow Necklace, Cocoro Jewelry (Etsy), $17

Autumn Kiss Brooch Pendant on Bow Pin, Tina Tarnoff (Etsy), $45

Valentino Couture Patent Bow Pump, Neiman Marcus, $745

Oasis Leather Bow Envelope Cross-Body Bag, ASOS, $41.37

Elasticized Bow Belt, Yes Style, $9.60

Even a die-hard floral fan like myself can't help but be won over by these absolutely adorable bow accessories! What about you? Would you wear any of these pieces? Do you wear a lot of bows? Leave a comment! 

Shoesday Tuesday- Wish List

Based on my typical posts, those of you who don't know me personally probably think my taste is a little overdone. While it certainly can be and I sometimes walk out of the house in what Tim Gunn refers to as "a lot of look," I also appreciate the beauty of simple things. Simple, clean lines with a classic or completely new and different approach take my breath away as much if not more than the intricate, complicated designs of other pieces. All of the shoes featured today are beautiful because of their simplicity. Whether traditional in styling, or out-of-the-box, they are all gorgoues. And as this is a "wish list" I have paid no attention to price.

Dolce & Gabbana Cut-out Booties, $230

Chie Mihara Two-tone Mary Jane Pumps, $350

Brian Atwood Side Snap Ankle Boots, $765

Valentino Glamorous Bow Pumps, $695

So there you have it- four beautiful, but simple and elegant shoes. Can you guess which ones are my favorite? The Valentino's of course! What about you? If money was no object, which pair would you buy? Leave a comment and tell me!

Fashion as art

The idea of fashion-related artwork is nothing new, and neither is the idea that fashion and other art forms are related to each other and have followed somewhat parallel lines throughout the years. Many museum and gallery exhibitions have explored the links between fashion, art, architecture and design, so the concept is not particularly new. What has changed is the idea that fashion is art by itself- it's a medium for an artists' ideas and it happens to also be something people can wear as opposed to hang on a wall or put on a pedestal. Once you look at fashion from the perspective of the artwork that it is, you'll be open to a whole new world of possibilities. Think of yourself as the blank canvas and the clothing you wear is the artwork of the designer who created it. Visual art comes in all sorts of forms- paint on canvas, charcoal on paper, stone, wood or metal sculpture, and pretty much anything else an artist can think of to use. Why shouldn't fashion designers be viewed as artists whose medium is primarily fabric?

I was in a high end department store yesterday and that is what got me thinking about fashion as art. I am a budget diva, but I do appreciate the quality of high end clothing. The materials, the craftsmanship- it's all out of this world. There are subtle and not-so-subtle details that separate the high-end from the bargain basement, but sometimes I have to see the high-end pieces in person to truly appreciate their worth. It's like looking at a picture of a Picasso versus seeing it in person. There was one item in particular that made me feel like I was looking at a beautiful piece of artwork, so I pulled my camera out and decided to sneak a picture of it:

Ansel Adams I am not- this photo really doesn't do the bag justice. This Valentino has gorgeous silk rosettes in an aqua ombre pattern with patent leather handles and a gold logo plate and hardware. It's so feminine and beautiful, isn't it? What do you think? Is it art?