The Céline Effect / Little Hands

Gesutural hands as accessories and brooches are a pretty little creepy thing I like to add to jacket lapels or cardigan seams. I like the sinister undertone of this Duoh pin, and the idea having what looks like a doll's hand on a collar rather than the usual anonymous bling. Who can we blame for this? Probably Céline. Always blame Céline (see below). So I guess you can spend $520 below and get the Phresh out the Runway ceramic Céline pin, or you can interpret this eery trend your own way with a brass one from Duoh, or a cheekier version by Casa Malaspina. I already own all of the avaialbale hands in both parties, and I have to say the effect of the hands group love is nothing less than charming.

On the fence: Mansur Gavriel Sunshine Yellow Interior Bucket Bag (Help Me Decide)

I originally thought I wanted a black bag. Not a bucket bag either, but a special black bag. My mind was on some sort of anonymous looking, yet quality-feeling, tote like the Petra from Everlane, but my mind was foggy, confused. Maybe it's time to buy things that aren't black, I said to myself. Mind you, it was also week #3 of 60+ hours at my crazy workplace, so imagine my surprise when I saw the hard-to-get Mansur Gavriel bucket bag on Needy Supply Co.  a) in stock, b) in tan/brown, c) with the most adorable sunshine yellow lining. I jumped on it and bought it, knowing that these are pretty much the hardest bags to get a hold of in this very moment.

The question remains: do I only want this bag because it's so hard to get, or is it a genuine thing of beauty that I'll use over and over?

Someone, anyone, please help me decide. I've been working 60+ hour weeks and my mind is jelly. Would you keep it? Would you wait and trade up for something else? What would that be?  

Put a bow on it

The hair bow returns. Unlike the sweet ribbon-tied varieties seen on Disney princesses, this one from Balenciaga is a modern take on the concept. I prefer it on brunette hair, since it looks more subtle that way. If you're down to spend an insane amount on what is essentially a leather Balenciaga headband, here it is. 

PYT

Simple, easy, classic clutches. In a world of oversized everything it's nice to know there are quirky feminine clutches as playfully versatile as Kotur clutches.

Shop the flower one here, and the retro-tastic neon one (below) here.

Details

Zara shorts, Target top, Zara shoes, May 28th watch (courtesy of May 28th), CC Skye and Kate Spade bracelets, Marc Jacobs wallet

A pair of leggy shorts with a Stella McCartney-esque print and a little athletic Balenciaga feel make the perfect backgrop to a lot of accessories. It was my last day of my trip and I was beginning to miss getting dressed beyond the one, two, three, of swimsuit, hat, and cover up. But my eagerness to get dressed was also fueled by the recent edition of a special accessory to my left hand. There are so many things I could say about what it means to me that this post would last forever. Luckily, the whole experience there and now can also be contained in two words: I'm happy.

Photos by Nick Smith

Persian Turquoise in the Atlantic

Mara Hoffman bikini, Hurley boy shorts, Elva Fields turquoise earrings (courtesy of Elva Fields), Target beach hat, Anthropologie sunglasses

Wearing jewelry to the beach is a precarious situation watiting to happen, especially when the pieces of jewelry happen to be the same turquoise hue as the crystal clear ocean. But I recall being quite bothered with dealing with my hair at this point in the trip, needing to pull the salty tresses back into a sleek bun. Now the thing that always gets me about the whole sleek bun thing is that they always leave my face in need of some delicate framing to keep me from getting too boyish. And especially in this beach situation where I can't rely on very much clothing to bring some of that back in, I rely on accessories.  The gifted Elva Fields earrings, colorful and of substantial weight, are the right amount of accessory for the occasion: an afternoon reading on the beach. The slight facets in the briolette stones keep pastel clusters neat and layer in a slightly scale-like way which is almost too appropriate for the scenic Atlantic ocean view.

May 28th

Mara Hoffman bikini top, Hurley surfer boy shorts, Zara studded bleached shorts, Anthropologie sunglasses, May 28th watch, courtesy of May 28th


I am beach bound and in this moment I am not in the mood to care after something overly precious on my body. It's the beach. That's why when May 28th sent me over a couple modern plastic watches, I knew exactly where I wanted to take them: on vacation! And just like in the city, my swimsuit attire for this Turks and Caicos trip is composed of a sleek black (typical) in the form of a Mara Hoffman bikini top and a highly-swimmable Hurley boy short — no time to mess with the skimpy Mara Hoffman bottoms today when there's heavy duty swimming and diving to be done. The only thing missing is a hint of color, which my skin is happily working on, while the rest is handled by this happily retro, simple and quirky raspberry/teal May28th watch. You can shop them here: May28th.me. With prices ranging from just $18-$39, and mix and matching watch faces and straps, it's pretty easy to see why you'll want more than one. 

Not that I'm even keeping track of what time it is here, but with such a captivating ocean view and a sun that doesn't set until almost 9pm, a girl needs some way of knowing when to start getting ready for dinner.

The Pelican Brief

If you're like me and have been searching for a bag that you can carry 5" heels for the day, a sensible pair of flats, perhaps a laptop, a camera, make up case, tech accessories, then you have been waiting for The Alexander Wang Pelican Weekender bag. It's a thing of beauty. But then there's the sensible, lady-like version of me that really just wants the Pelican satchel. The quilted leather, the beautiful frame, reminiscent of The Row doctor bag, it's too much to resist. Break the bank, get both? You'd be a fool not to pre-order these now on Moda Operandi  if you're into them, because seeing as how Alexander Wang has a track record for designing the "IT" bags for the next season, you will be so sorry to know these will likely be sold out everywhere come Fall 2012.

On a side note: you may have noticed the recent redesign of 12:04 blog posts. The end result is beautiful large images with attributions. I hope you like it! All the links in the text are now highlighted, so don't be afraid to hover and click on anything highlighted, you never know what little easter egg may lie within!
 

Awesome NYFW Street Style