What's Old is New Again

New clothes are great. Trends are ever-changing and I am always a fan of keeping up with the ones that work on me, HOWEVER, some of my most favorite pieces in my closet are vintage. With a plethora of vintage stores around Austinit's not terribly difficult to find great pre-loved pieces, but the keeper of my fashion heart is by far Feathers Boutique on South Congress. The space feels like something straight out of NYC, and the two owner's have an amazing eye for fashion. So many other places seem to simply take whatever they can get, but the pieces at Feathers are clearly hand-picked by people that really know what they're doing. While you peruse the 4 rooms where clothes are separated by color (which makes shopping so much easier!) you're likely to be met by the friendly faces of one of the two owners, Masha and Emily. I often find myself asking them for fashion advice and they are always happy to oblige. One of the greatest things about this store is that they will ship pieces to you if you are not lucky enough to live in the Austin area (or 2 miles away like I do)! Whether you're a resident of Austin or of Hong Kong, you can have one of their pieces hanging in your closet. Clothing, shoes, jewelry, hats, bags, scarves...this place has it all! Visit http://feathersboutiquevintage.blogspot.com/ to get constant updates on what's "new" in the store. Below are just some of the amazing things I've found there recently.

This scarf is actually brand new- Feathers carries a few new things on top of all the great vintage

Vintage YSL silk blouse- this thing is to die for in person! The photo really doesn't do it justice.

Halston Slingbacks

Teal Paper Leather skirt-again the photo doesn't do it justice. This skirt is amazing on.

Black Leather Skirt

This is the newest piece to be added to my closet. They've got someone who tie dyes corsets for them which turns them from drab white underwear to beautiful tops that can be worn alone or peaking out from under something.

I really can't say enough good things about this quaint little shop in the heart of Austin. With prices that are totally reasonable, anyone can add a little piece of something old to their wardrobe.

it's that time

that's right folks, it's time to find Kim a New Year's Eve dress! do I have some fabulous party that I'm planning to go to? no. does that matter? obviously not. being that I fully intend on having some sort of plans that call for a new dress I feel it's necessary to start early. I can't decide this year between a sequined number (because we know that I love a sequin) or something plain and black that I can jazz up with tons-o-accessories. so, without further ado I give you dress option #1. 

I'm totally loving this lace dress from Free People. It's short and and sweet which I like, but it also has a bit of a vintage feel with the lace sleeves. vintage in an Audrey Hepburn way, not vintage in a 1980's tragic prom night way.

currently coveting:

someone please buy this!

I'm currently having to fight the overwhelming urge to buy this Mabe Pearl Faceted Onyx ring from Editor's Closet

 and at $95.00 it's really a steal (compared to the original $237.00 price tag).  unfortunately (and this is truly unfortunate because I neeeeed this ring), I am sticking to strict budget this holiday season. Santa if you're listening, I've been a good girl this year, and if you bring me this yummy piece of jewelry I promise to make my bed every day, do the dishes, take out the trash, and whatever other chores may be required of me. pretty please?

i love a sequin

there are two things I don't have: enough money to buy all the clothes I want, and a closet large enough to hold the ones I have. fortunately, I have a solution to both of these problems. thanks to Ikea, under-the-bed storage bins, and a boyfriend who is handy with a power drill, I have cleared just enough room for a few new additions to the 'ol closet. in the spirit of saving money, of which I do not have a lot, I decided to look for some bargains online that would do little damage to my bank account.

now, this girls loves sequins. I like them on anything, including but not limited to, accessories of all sorts, dresses, t-shirts, skirts, and shoes. there are a few little sequin numbers on my list of must-haves at the moment. I've been looking everywhere for a fabulous sequin blazer, preferably in color other than black but I have been slightly unsuccessful in this venture. a sequin vest and skirt = more things I feel I currently need.

 here are a few things I found that certainly won't break the bank:

$24.99 Arden B 

(on clearance! get it while it's hot!)

$15.80 Forever 21

$24.00 Arden B

$19.99 Arden B

(also clearance! if you are a medium grab it quick)

topshop and bebe also have some great sequin stuff so get to gettin. I know I will be.

baby it's cold outside

assuming the weather in Austin ever drops below 100+ degrees, I am dying to get my hands on fall must have #2 (ok #2 and #3  but similar categories so I'm combining): vests and peplum jackets. I have endless theories on fashion one of which is that a girl can never have too many jackets. I myself have a closet full of fabulous (some of which are far too thick to ever wear in this city) coats that rarely make it out save for a few "ice" days and of course NY vacays. this season's peplum jackets are insanely chic and are absolutely something I need several of. I use the word "need" a lot, but never loosely. I need all of these things. obviously. and vests, well vests I just like in general for any season so I figured they could piggy back on the jackets. 

Forever 21--$29.80

H&M--$90

LaRok--$278

Erin Wasson--$209

Ronny Kobo--$219

**Needless to say I know where my next paycheck is going...

what a stud

since fashion week is upon us (just a few short weeks away!) I've decided that I will be sharing my fall must haves with you all. I'm dying to see what the forecast for spring 2010 is, but for now I'm searching for some great fall staples for my wardrobe. one thing I simply can't live with out this fall is studs. I want them...on everything. here are a few accessories that I've been lusting after:

the Botkier "studio" clutch is the perfect accessory for a night out. I love love love Botkier in general, but this super soft leather envelope bag is one of my faves.  and best of all, at $98 it really won't break the bank. It's a great staple that you can use a million times over.

You can find this fab bag here.

I need, like more than food or water need, these studded platform Steve Madden's. check out the heel on these babies! buy them here....but not before I get my hands on them.

ladies meet the Alexander Wang "Coco" mini duffle. she's soft with a bit of an edge and definitely a bag you want to have for fall. any fashionista planning on carrying this baby better start saving now because it carries a hefty price tag; $895 to be exact. is she worth it? totally.

I have a little project in the works and assuming it works out, (theres a 50/50 chance really) I will most definitely be sharing it here. stay tuned....

necessary objects

I've been a little short on the moolah lately so to feed my shopping addiction I've been doing quite a bit of "window shopping" online. I've made a list of a few things I think everyone should be aware of:

1) Botiker at Gilt.com today! (I know it's a little late to be announcing this but I'm still excited). I'm absolutely loving the Elena Platform. not usually a huge platform girl myself but in teal these heels are to die for.

2)Nordstrom's anniversary sale starts July 17th! tons of clothes, shoes, and accessories to be had. could definitely make a major dent in your funds.

3)Nancy Rose at ideeli.com. now I'm not totally familiar with this designer but I will say that there are some great pieces at unbelievable prices. I mean, $25 for a $250 top?! 

4)Karl Lagerfeld unveiled the Chanel  2010 Cruise Collection in Venice recently and I'm loving it. a lot of it has a retro 20's feel and I'm diggin it **sigh** if only...

dear friday, please hurry up and get here with my paycheck. i promise not to spend it all in one place.

best. idea. ever.

so as I was trolling the internet after a long day of work I came upon something so exciting that I had to share. apparently there are vending machines in the UK that sell "Roleasoles"- adorable little ballet flats that are to be used after a long night of partying. I want to meet the genius who came up with this one. 

please please send these magic machines to the US of A on the double!