What I Wore: Clumpy jacket meets clumpy shoes

The jacket

A Comme des Garcons from AW 2010/2011 from Saks Fifth Avenue in New York.

By a Japanese designer, Rei Kawakubo, who owns the company with her husband Adrian Joffe. They show in Paris. 

If there is anything weird about my closet (apart from the bold costume jewellery), its my love of the quirky shapes of the Japanese designers. Case in point. 

Comme Des Garcons written in Japanese translates to French for "Like Boys".

Saw it & fell in love.

100% black wool, fully lined.

Love the puffy cotton bits - great for pears like me.

& it was < $1K, at 30% off.

Look! It even has under arm air conditioning! Too weird. Too much love.

Too sweet.

The tee is a Coles Mix Apparel tee for $9.

The pants are from Target for $15. 

The scarf

A Sonia Rykiel 100% wool from Christine in Melbourne.
If you're down there, pop into that accessory heaven of a place. Its divine with all the best brands in the world, like Lanvin, Etro, YSL, the list goes on. 

This scarf alternates black & charcoal stripes, the ends are beautifully finished & it has a wool rosette on it - which is really what sold it to me. 

However the rosette is right at the middle of the scarf, so when I hang it on my neck, I need to position it so its sitting above a boob. But when i do that the scarf is very unevern & looks like it needs adjusting. I plan to unstitch it & restitch it further long, but its on a very long to-do list.

The bling

A jacket like this needs chunky jewellery, if any.
These two rings did the job well, mimicking the padding on the jacket.

The shoes

$40 from Wittner (see previous What I Wore for details)

With the pant hems rolled up, this creeper looks perfect with the jacket (which is also clumpy).

http://www.styleintoaction.blogspot.com.au/2012/05/shoes-get-ready-for-creepers-and.html

What I Wore: Mixing a Chanel & a Coles print

The jacket

A Chanel...sigh

Purchased from the Sydney boutique, an Act 1 piece from a few years ago. You'd think I'd remember the exact vintage, but its late....looking at the photo with the label, it looks like AW 2007/08. 

Paid a serious bomb, but they let me drop 50% up front & the rest over 3 months, even though they didnt do lay-bys, because, wait for it, "we know you". I love that place.

I have had it taken out a full size since I bought it - Chanel is wonderful in that way - their seam allowances are massive. The work was done by Vlada in park St, Sydney - I wouldnt trust anyone else.

Love the chain stitched on the hem, on the inside - they make it sit/hang better on the body. Also love the self pattern on the lining - its camelias. 

Love the always functional buttonholes.

Love all the holes & rips in the outer fabric.
But the thing that makes this a perfect buy for my closet is the colours - they are all Valerie colours - black, navy, white, burgendy, each in many shades. Plus the texture. 

The top

A Coles Mix Apparel tee for $9.
I have many of this one - identical & with colour & collar variations. 

TIP: When you're on a good (fashion) thing, flock it to death.

What I didnt realise til after I wore this was that I unwittingly mixed prints - checked tweed with stripes. Totally not intentional, but I think it worked.

The necklace

A silver pendant with a sun on a red background which is just the right shade of burgendy red for me. About 10 years old. 

From Chantal B in Paddington. Chantal is a French lady who brings in very interesting jewellery & accessories. 
Worth visiting when you are in the area. 

This wasnt a cheap piece, but I love it. The cord is a rubber with a square shape which is made up of smaller pieces which fit into each other. From Chantal as well. Love also.

The pants

From Target - & I have a few of these - identical & in different colours. $15 I think.

The shoes

A Prada copy by Wittner.

I have previously written about creepers/flatforms.....http://www.styleintoaction.blogspot.com.au/2012/05/shoes-get-ready-for-creepers-and.html

I dont normally succumb to copies, but these called out. $40 from the Wittner warehouse store in the city (under the HSBC building near Town Hall).

Of all the high street shoe stores in Australia, I think Wittner is the best by far at reflecting the runway trends. I'd rate Nine West next in that regard & the rest dont count IMO.

These are all leather except the rubber sole.

Mind you I did have to clear nail polish down some of the jute on the sole, but once again, you get what you pay for. 

I really like them & they are comfy.

Wittner inspired by Alexander Wang Anais Tassel Loafer AW 2011

When I stepped into Wittner today, I gasped. There in front of me was a shoe that said "hello, I have arrived".

It was an inspired shoe, but beautifully inspired. And I dont say that often!

The inspiration was the darling Alexander Wang, a 30 yr old Taiwanese  American designer who dropped out of the Parsons School of Design but whose designs are now stocked by the likes of Browns, Barneys, Bergdorfs, Neimans and the list goes on.     

His label embodies casually cool downtown mens inspired style, drawing inspiration from the nineties, French chic, and rock grunge—always finished off with a slouchy, rolled-out-of-bed edge. He also has a diffusion line, T by Alexander Wang and a line of footwear which usually produces towering platforms.

Did I hear someone say footwear?

Wittner certainly did......

Firstly, lets go back a few steps and check out a Wang loafer....

Oh, my - silver & metallic pink....its called Anais Tassel Pump & its gorg!

Look at the cute toes.....who would have thought a loafer would have cute toes....sigh....

For those of us with a slightly conservative 

streak, try the black version.

And then I died when I saw this metallic burgendy version. Outstanding combination of modern and traditional.

There were around $460 AU on various sites like net-a-porter and shopbob, but given they are AW 2011, most have sold out by now. I'd suggest ebay if you really must have them.

The Wang Tassel loafer has been used as inspiration by a few designers - 

Elizabeth & James  - "Stela"

This brand is the younger label for the Olsen twins, named after their sister and brother. 

It was $370 on shopbop. I think its a bit of a wannabe, frankly.

Here is the ASOS version.....not thrilled with this poor cousin.....

The Jeffrey Campbell "Zealous" wedge - similar feel but not the same.....

And the one you have been waiting for - the Australian Wittner version - Blaide.....ta da!!!!

Its $160, leather uppers, non leather sole and they have done a great job IMO. 

The heel is a 10 cm black heel & the inner sole is padded.

They call the silver colour, silver foil (how cool).

Available online.

 

I am a very fussy shopper but this has my seal of approval. Do you like it?