“The more Patagonia remains the same, the more cool it becomes.”

So…I might have been inadvertently cooler than ever (ha ha), rockin’ my own Patagonia while traipsing across Montreal. I had bought their “Better Sweater Coat” specifically for the trip, and it was the best.

Chilling out in my Patagonia coat by day…

…and by night.

It’s a descendant of their old-school zippered fleece jacket but updated in a feminine silhouette for a non-rugged gal.

Here are its Practical Fashionista style points:

• The outside is knit like a sweater; the inside is lined with fleece.
• It’s lightweight and non-bulky (vs. a structured overcoat) which made it comfortable to wear on the plane. I could also easily fold it up into my carry-on bag.
• The pale gray color is neutral and goes with almost everything.
• The slim silhouette is flattering but fits over thin layers.
• Its set-in waistband adds shape.
• On my 5’2″ frame, the knee length is versatile—looks good with mini-skirts as well as jeans—and keeps my butt warm.
• Handy angled pockets.
• Machine washable.
• No pilling of the fabric (yet).
• Priced under $200.

What’s missing is a visible logo to broadcast its Patagonia-ness to the world. That’s fine by me, though, because I’ve never been one to wear labels on my sleeve.

Well, the Upper East Side beckoned Andrew and me with its promise of prime real estate too—its famed Museum Mile!

So here’s a recap of our art binge on Day Two:

Ticket to Ride

We took the subway uptown. It was great—we never had to wait more than a few minutes for a train, and the cars were mightily air-conditioned. (DC metro, please take note!)

The Supermodel

While crossing Fifth Avenue to get to the Met, I spotted supermodel, Helena Christensen, hailing a cab. Wearing slingback heels and a slouchy knee-length navy dress with her black lace bra exposed in the back, she’s just as otherworldly-gorgeous in person as she was in the 1989 “Wicked Game” music video. (She’s 44 years old, people! Must be the Danish genes?) Andrew was brave enough to snap this quick photo as her taxi was pulling away:

She acknowledged that it was okay for Andrew to take her picture and then cracked a smile.

Whew! We had to take a moment to recover from the Helena sighting. It’s not everyday that a creature strides in front of you who looks like this:

Photo from Elle Spain, May 2013.

“PUNK: Chaos to Couture” at the Met

We arrived at the Met shortly after the doors opened at 9:30 am.

Banners lining Museum Mile.

After paying the suggested donation (skimping on art brings bad karma), we made a beeline to the exhibition “PUNK: Chaos to Couture.” No photography was allowed in the galleries, and I didn’t want to test the surveillance skills of the security guards. Overall, although the New Yorker had written a scathing review, I thought it was a fun and frivolous spectacle—good summertime fare. I liked its focus “on the relationship between the punk concept of ‘do-it-yourself’ and the couture concept of ‘made-to-measure.’” And I loved the pieces by Comme des Garçons, Versace and Viktor & Rolf, among others:

Members of the press had been granted a sneak peak in early May and obviously were allowed to take photos. So here’s a shot via Women’s Wear Daily (wwd.com). From the left, looks by Yohji Yamamoto, Viktor & Rolf and Chanel.

No, it wasn’t a sweeping tour de force like the Alexander McQueen retrospective in 2011. Then again, I wasn’t expecting it to be.

A couple of sidenotes:

1) On our way to the Punk galleries, I walked passed the daughter of “Real Housewife of New York” Jill Zarin. (How did I recognize her? I may have watched an episode or ten—and lost a million brain cells in the process. Definitely not worth scrambling to get her photo.)

In case you’re wondering who I’m talking about: RHoNY Jill Zarin on the left, her daughter Ally Shapiro on the right. (photo via bravotv.com)

2) Andrew, as is his wont, struck up a conversation with a bubbly, petite twenty-something girl who turned out to be a writer for Elle Poland. She had moved to New York a year ago and works part-time at the Antiques Garage. All of the city’s vibrant energy was channeled through this one beaming, fresh-faced girl whose words tumbled out about everything from Polish model Anja Rubik to taking the BoltBus to DC. She was amazing!

The Petrie European Sculpture Court at the Met

We stopped for a respite in one of my favorite spaces in any museum anywhere:

Breathing room.

I like how the perspective in this shot looks really exaggerated. #NoFilter

Boys Will Be Boys

Andrew was entertained by the punk exhibit (especially since he had been to CBGB when he was a lot younger), but what he really wanted to see was armor, swords and guns. (This may or may not have induced some major eye-rolling on my part.)

What the hell is up with all the male fascination about this stuff?

Andrew Get Your Gun.

Upon exiting the Met, we threw our light-blue metal admission tags into the designated recycling box. Had I known that only six days later the Met was going to do away with them altogether, I would have saved them as keepsakes!

How the 0.001% Live

On our way to Sarabeth’s for lunch (where I had the most delicious seafood salad and Andrew was the only straight man in a sea of social x-rays), this gorgeous house on East 92nd Street was preening and begging me to take its photo:

Look at the lush tidiness. It reeks of Birkin bags and Damien Hirst paintings inside.

The Guggenheim

After lunch, we were off to the Guggenheim, mainly to see the James Turrell installation that I had been hearing and reading so much about.

View of Frank Lloyd Wright’s “temple of the spirit” on Fifth Avenue.

I won’t even attempt to describe the site-specific installation better than someone like the New York Times’ Roberta Smith. You just need to know these two things: 1) “the ravishing ‘Aten Reign’ [is] an immense, elliptical, nearly hallucinatory play of light and color that makes brilliant use of the museum’s famed rotunda and ocular skylight.” 2) you must go and experience it for yourself.

Artist Chuck Close has described Turrell as an “orchestrator of experience.” I love that quote, and it’s so true!

I snapped this photo looking towards the skylight before realizing that photography is forbidden. I was chided by the security guard and hung my head in Asian shame. (But hey, I got the shot, right?!)

 Maurice Sendak

The final stage of our art-filled day was perhaps the most rewarding and unexpected. I had read somewhere about a Maurice Sendak exhibit at an obscure little museum located not far from our hotel. Thank goodness we ventured there because it turned out to be an extraordinary collection of more than “two hundred never-before-seen Sendak originals…[including] rare studies, sketches, photographs, and ephemera, [plus] previously unpublished artwork from Where the Wild Things Are.” It was beyond delightful.

Meticulous drawings and warm memories.

Master of his craft.

Dinner at Tao

Our friend Rachel suggested nearby Tao as our dinner destination. It was a loud and fun atmosphere filled with tacky young women dressed to the nines in short spandex dresses accompanied by cologne-dipped, greasy older men. (Trust me, it wasn’t a brothel!) I ordered pad thai, Andrew ordered Singapore fried rice, and Rachel ordered sushi. And there wasn’t an ounce of Lycra or Drakkar Noir among us.

The dining room was one ginormous double-height space featuring this imposing statue.

Since match boxes are becoming increasingly rare at restaurants, I was pleased that Tao still offered them.

P.S. The Loot

Shockingly, I didn’t build in a lot of time during this NYC trip to do major shopping but still managed to pick up a few mementos. I think postcards make some of the best souvenirs—they’re inexpensive, lightweight and packable.

These two beauties are from the Museum of American Illustration.The one on the left is by Steven Stipelman. The one on the right is by Yuko Shimizu.

Punk rocks. I can’t wait to pin these up in my office.

At the Met, I also splurged on this t-shirt because it’s the only piece of clothing by Rodarte I’ll ever be able to afford. I plan on pairing it with my spiky necklace by Fallon. #PunkforLightweights

Mad for punk plaid.

Info:

The Metropolitan Museum of Art | 1000 Fifth Avenue (at 82nd Street) | New York, NY 10028 | 212.535.7710 | metmuseum.org

Sarabeth’s East | 1295 Madison Avenue (at 92nd Street) | New York, NY | 10128 | 212.410.7335 | sarabeth.com | Yelp review

Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum | 1071 Fifth Avenue (at 89th Street)| New York, NY  10128| 212.423.3500 | guggenheim.org

Museum of American Illustration at the Society of Illustrators | 128 East 63rd Street (between Park and Lexington Avenues) | New York, NY 10065 | 212.838.2560 | societyillustrators.org

Tao Asian Bistro | 42 East 58th Street (between Park & Madison Avenues) | New York, NY | 10022 | 212.888.2288 | taorestaurant.com | Yelp review

Up next: No Sleep Till Brooklyn!

Previous post: Monday in Midtown

What’s the crisis, you ask?

[Deep breath.]

I am three months behind reading Vogue.

You’re aghast, right? Yes, I hang my head in shame and should forfeit my fashionista card. Here’s the ugly (or pretty?) truth: April 2013 with Michelle Obama and her toned deltoids is collecting dust on my nightstand, while the month of May with cute-as-a-button Carey Mulligan sits untouched in my dining room. But this past weekend, I decided enough was enough! I just had to start down the road to redemption by tackling March.

B’Day: finally time to enjoy Vogue, March 2013.

I got nestled on my sofa with the 618-page tome and started flipping pages.

That’s when I saw this ad:

Knockout color punch: beautiful powdery pattern and texture on the Fendi jacket.

For whatever reason, the vibrant spray of colors anchored by black caught my eye. And then I kept noticing the same palette repeated throughout the issue:

Similar color mix: illustration for the The Academy of Art University.

No shrinking violet: painterly brushstrokes in this Escada ad.

A sight for bored eyes: stunning Proenza Schouler dress embellished with grommets and paillettes.

Visual feast: a sumptuous flower and home décor shop in Paris.

The bright pastel combo wasn’t limited to Anna Wintour’s fashion bible. Look at the latest cover of Runner’s World:

Powder power: celebrating the Color Run 5K series.

Apparently, Vogue‘s June issue is coming out any minute with blond bombshell Kate Upton on the cover. You know what that means, right? I’ll still be three months behind. But since my savvy color observation didn’t register on any of the spring trend reports, maybe I’m actually ahead of the curve!

I searched “high,” trying on designer brands like Prada and Tod’s:

Tod’s Bow Trim Flat. Leather. Made in Italy. Color: Wisteria. Price: $425 (gulp). I loved these but they didn’t quite fit like a glove. The sporty details also limited their versatility.

I searched “medium,” like this Stuart Weitzman model:

Stuart Weitzman Poco Pump. Patent leather. Made in Spain. Color: Adobe Analine. Price: $298. These obviously weren’t flats but the kitten heel was low enough. Sadly, my feet balked at the pointy toes, and patent leather tends to be stiff and unforgiving.

And I searched “low,” as in these plain neutral slip-ons:

Corso Como Tawna Flat. Leather upper. Imported (a.k.a. Made in China). Color: Dark Nude. Price: on sale for $66 (reduced from $100). These were out on three strikes: 1) too narrow 2) the back came up too high 3) pointy toes.

At this point, did I fall into the depths of Practical Fashionista despair? Actually…no! Why? Because as luck would have it, I discovered the love of my podiatric life. His name? It’s a mouthful: Attilio Giusti Leombruni. AGL, for short. His shoes were bliss at first try. (By the way, if you think I have smooth little feet, think again! Mine, in fact, are wide and flat with callouses on both big toes and a bone protrusion near my inner left ankle.)

AGL Toe Cap Ballet Flat. Leather. Made in Italy. Color: Nude/Beige. Price: $298. Oh happy day.

Yes, I realize that $300 for a pair of shoes may strike some as extravagant but let me put on my Product Diva cap to convince you otherwise:

• They’re made of THE softest leather (dare I say richer than Corinthian).
• They don’t rub or irritate any part of my feet.
• They can be dressed up or dressed down.
• These are workhorse (as opposed to special occasion) shoes.
• There’s a slight heel for a little support.
• The nude color is just what I was looking for.
• The slim, silvery-bronze strap embellishment is minimal.

Worth. Every. Penny.

Admiring my AGL beauties.

The final test? I hoofed around in them (without sock liners) for ten hours–climbing stairways, running after the bus, scampering along several city blocks, the usual. At day’s end, my feet were completely unscathed: no heel pain, no cramped toes, no instep soreness, no abrasions anywhere. I’d say that’s walking the talk!

AGL shoes are available at Nordstrom. After buying your first pair, you automatically join The AGL Cult. I’m already eyeing more colors.

P.S. The three sisters behind the AGL brand were interviewed in February 2013 on fashionista.com: “The Attilio Giusti Leombruni woman…is creative chic…[H]er personal style…[is] desirable but never showy. In our opinion, shoes should never be too trendy or flashy, but always classic.” I couldn’t agree more.

Related posts you might like:

Rex-N-Effect

Børn to Run

If the Shoe Fits: Part One – Comfort Shoe Offenders

If the Shoe Fits: Part Two – Comfort Shoe Contenders

If the Shoe Fits: Part Three – And the Winner Is…

Get happy! An array of summertime make-up and fragrance. Photo via the New York Times.

Asian women don’t look good wearing colors described as “moss,” “mushroom,” or “mousy” (that last one is not legit but you get my point). Color Me Beautiful taught me that back in the ’80s, duh. So instead, my autumn/winter inspiration board had been awash in jewel tones:

Fall/winter visuals featuring jewel tones and strong shapes.

Fast-forward several months and we’re now on the cusp of summer. The warmer weather and longer sunny days beg for soft pastels and some levity (yes, dear God, some much-needed levity):

A breath of fresh air: my light and airy “springboard.”

Top image: 37 y.o. carefree model Carolyn Murphy rockin’ Charlie by Matthew Zink shorts with white piping. Bottom image: model Raquel Zimmermann in a sublime silk printed dress by Rochas.

Models Karlie Kloss and Caroline Trentini in double-faced silk shift dresses with bejeweled necklines by Gucci. I just love the sweet (read: forgiving) silhouettes—you could actually eat dessert wearing these!

Items of note: the hot air balloon in the background of the J.Crew ad packs such visual punch…Living in DC, I like the cherry blossoms on the birthday card…Pantone Peony is pretty perfect.

Update on September 20, 2013: If you wanna see some really elaborate inspiration boards, check out these beauties on Design Sponge. Whatever gets your creative juices pumpin’.

And most importantly, time to thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading my stuff. (THANK YOU!)

This past year, I wrote a whole lot more about house-related purchases than fashion-related ones (a side effect of being a first-time homeowner). I also saw art exhibitions (Gaultier at the DeYoung Museum and Ai Weiwei at the Hirshhorn were especially enjoyable), daydreamed about a beach vacation, captured the angst and elation of gift wrapping, and got wistful (as usual) about the month of May.

So without further ado, I humbly and proudly offer you my ten best posts of 2012 (in no particular order):

El Camo Reyle

Connecting luxury make-up brands, artist Anselm Reyle, camouflage and tree bark.

Anselm Reyle for Dior eye shadow.

The Closet Dream

This one holds a lot of sentimental value since it was my first post after we moved into our new home.

Double-wide dream closet. (Not quite as good as a huge walk-in but I’ve got no complaints!)

Double-Take Tuesday: Ed Furlong and a (Female) Model

I like this post for three reasons:

1) I decided to launch the Double-Take weekly feature in October. (Yay!)

2) It’s not often that I successfully come up with male and female look-alikes.

3) After finally joining the Twittersphere this year, I was thrilled when model Henriett Barabás retweeted this post.

Hungarian fashion model Henriett Barabás.

The Fall Buys

Returning to my roots: a reminder that I had originally started this blog to talk about fashion and dispense some practical advice.

J.Crew pleated crepe skirt in one of my favorite colors.

Gettin’ Toasty

My grand discovery this year: affordable, reusable and playful wall decals. (My only regret is not having known about these while renting.)

A tasty trompe l’oeil in our dining room.

Fall N’ Objects

Seeing patterns between domestic objects and the Fall 2012 Ready-to-Wear Collections.

A look featuring a paisley print from the Etro 2012 RTW Collection.

Barnes-storm

A lovely day in August at the newly-unveiled Barnes Foundation Museum with my mom.

A museum unlike any other.

Cinderella in Running Shoes

My dream of running in Nikes comes true at last.

Style on the run.

Two of a Kind: Alaïa and Asawa

Masters of design and construction during my trip to San Francisco.

Sublime dresses in a subdued palette by Azzedine Alaïa.

Deck the Halls

I happily spent a good chunk of time doing research and crafting this piece. While the skateboard was the epitome of an impulse buy (and it’s currently selling at a 50% discount), non, je ne regrette rien.

10 Crosby Derek Lam skateboard for the Target/Neiman Marcus Holiday Collection.

Happy New Year, everyone!

Some of my other favorite lists from around the Web:

Vogue: Fashion’s “It” Girls of 2012

Harper’s Bazaar: Best Fashion Ads of 2012

T Magazine: The Best in Women’s Fashion and Beauty

Apartment Therapy: Great Ideas from 2012 for Living Well on a Budget

Fast Company: Favorite Products of 2012

NPR Music’s All Songs Considered: The Year in Music 2012

From my archive: Personal Bests in 2011.

There’s a Baptist church located right near my office. It also happens to sit across the street from an Asian restaurant that’s on my regular rotation of lunch places. One day, I decided to take a good look at its façade:

Greater New Hope Baptist Church near Chinatown in Washington, DC.

Not exactly sure what the building material is, but the overall effect is a weathered, distinctive pattern. The less romantic description would be that it’s encrusted with accumulated dirt and soot!

Another brick in the wall: close-up of the façade.

The gradation of black and tan reminds me of the ombré trend in fashion (which has also been big in design and especially hairstyles!). Check out these color-shaded frocks:

Robert Rodriguez ombré draped silk dress.

The rear view.

Hervé Léger ombré bandage dress.

Now every time I walk past that church, I can’t help but think of two-tone apparel. And I hope they never sandblast the exterior (although the frankenstorm might act as a power wash)!

Images via net-a-porter.com and nordstrom.com

So here’s my pitiful starting point, as you can see from this photo when we first moved in seven months ago:

Scarce pinnings.

Over the summer, I had added a few more clippings but it still needed a makeover.

The Pre-Pinning Plan

I went through a stack of magazines, several pages of which I had dog-eared earlier. After reviewing what had initially caught my eye, I culled it down to these six pages and arranged them on our dining room table.

Tearsheets as eye candy.

You’ll notice a palette of teal and white (the same colors from my “The Fall Buys” post) plus bright orangey-red. Clockwise from top left: Neiman Marcus ad for a pair of devastating Charlotte Olympia velvet platform pumps with pleated ankle collars; sublime winter white dress from Valentino; Karlie Kloss wearing a swingy orange wig and Frank-Gehry-esque (as described by Vogue) Lanvin dress; ad in Dwell magazine for a design conference; Natalia Vodianova in a Stella McCartney sporty, graphic minidress along with shapes that remind me of these Anton Ginzburg stickers at the Cooper-Hewitt; ad from Interior Design for sleek Scavolini kitchens.

Pinning is the Easy Part

With my selections in hand, I headed downstairs and just dove in:

The cork is now covered!

The collage took me less than five minutes to execute. I interspersed the magazine finds with a few personal items: a birthday card from a dear friend and watercolor by her toddler son (future collector’s item); a postcard of Boston’s Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum (I’ve never been) from my best friend; a picture of Shalom Harlow from the Gaultier exhibition; a sticker from the San Franpsycho store.

This visual feast will nurture my creative spirit through the next few weeks, or maybe months–or until another wave of motivation hits me.

So when I was plotting what to wear to an upcoming event, I decided to root around my clothing cache for anything I might have unwittingly banished from memory. The outcome? I’m almost too embarrassed to show you. Almost. A trio of to-die-for purses…but I’ll let you be the judge.

Bally patent leather purse

My late father had bought this glossy purse for my mom more than 15 years ago. She then passed it along to me. My mom is the best.

Since rediscovering this bag in my collection, I no longer covet a Chanel quilted double-C bag, which absurdly makes me feel $2,000 richer.

The calfskin Italian leather is beyond buttery soft. And it has decent capacity for holding a slim wallet, keys, phone, lipstick, and Purell.

Philosophy di Alberta Ferretti houndstooth wool and leather bag

I bought this handbag nineteen years ago during my junior year abroad in Paris. I got it at Galeries Lafayette and have amnesia about the price. It has handles. It has feet. It’s maroon and orange. And it still looks like new.

The original zipper pull broke a few years ago so I replaced it with a couple of brass charms I found at Anthropologie. (That’s about as D.I.Y. as I get.)

Jas M.B. perforated leather clutch

I found this roomy clutch on sale for 40% off at Barneys in San Francisco. It’s made in England, and I love its blue color and handy wrist strap.

The texture reminds me of the steering wheel of a European sports car. And the smell of the leather is divine. (Sorry, vegans!)

Wow, a triumvirate of versatile designer accessories hiding in plain sight! (Yes, I know, I deserve the biggest smack on the forehead.

Related posts about purses you might like:

• A hip but fake Chanel

• Me love you Longchamp

• Clutching the Club Monaco

• Kate Spade “baggy” perfection

J.Crew pleated poly crepe skirt ($128). I love the color and silhouette but wish the fabric was wool or silk crepe. I refuse to pay for polyester. Ever.

10 Crosby Derek Lam flouncy skirt. A lot to love here: silk georgette, made in USA, vibrant but wearable print, flattering A-line silhouette, side pockets. Price is still a stretch at $335.

I actually prefer the back.

Carven high-waisted, wool blend skirt. So much practicality (its pockets, length, color, fabric, detailing), except its price ($420).

Magaschoni embellished cropped cardigan ($350). OK, I know that white is not easy to keep clean or maintain. Still, it’s yummy cashmere with a cropped length and subtle but special beading. Wonder if it will go on sale…

McQ Alexander McQueen pin-shoulder wool sweater. I don’t know why I find white knits so appealing right now. This version features a hint of punk rock with the oversized safety pins. (It also makes me think of Elizabeth Hurley circa 1994 in that infamous Versace dress.) Hmm, $305. Or I could get a backsplash for my kitchen.

Anyi Lu “Melanie” bootie. The “greige” color? Heaven. Very versatile. Made in Italy. I may have to try these on. $465. Yikes.

J.Crew Excursion quilted down vest. Color? Warm bisque. I’d be channeling the outdoorsy parka trend, but would only get a few months’ use out of it. $110 is doable.

Marchesa. Total fantasy piece. I have no idea how much this costs. The gold-silvery brocade is opulent. It’s short but demure. (And is that an homage to Wonder Woman with the eagle/falcon design on the bodice?)

There you have it–my relatively down-to-earth fall fashion picks.  And I’m usually not that into the color blue for my wardrobe but as luck would have it, Pantone just announced its top 10 colors for Spring 2013.  What tops the list?  Monaco Blue and Dusk Blue.

Images via style.com, jcrew.com, neimanmarcus.com, barneys.com, nordstrom.com.

* I realize this could work better as a Pinterest board but geez, I don’t know if I can handle committing to yet another social media platform.

Update on Sept. 20, 2012: I headed to J.Crew after a rewarding day at work and bought the Excursion vest in navy. (The warm bisque color wasn’t all that flattering on me.) The store was having a spot sale so I got it for 25% off. It’s warm with a streamlined silhouette and just the right amount of puffiness. Perfect for October days to come!

Related posts you might like:

• Flashback to the Fall 2011 Collections.
• Swooning over shoe designer Anyi Lu.
• The dilemma of wearing white.
• My love of skirts.
• My love of sweaters.