Rich and Ritchier

On Tuesday evening, my friend Jeannette and I - and about 1000 other chic but shameless TO women - went to a FASHION magazine event at Holt Renfrew. Nicole Ritchie, as it happens, was debuting her House of Harlow line in Canada, hence the media melee in the Contemporary design section on the third floor.

Let me start by saying that I have less than no interest in Ms. Ritchie. Anyone who could stomach being Paris Hilton's sidekick (on TV, no less) is not someone who's earned my fan base. And her jewels, if you can call them that, are pure cheap. Honestly, I don't believe she expects to sell that stuff in this economy.

But she was quite lovely and tremendously composed (if the slightest bit grimy-seeming) holding court:


Note: Her officious security team was absurd about keeping people behind the ropes. One guy - you know the kind with the wire in his ear - was positively menacing as I ignored his rude edict to "step back, Ma'am. Step away from Nicole.") I mean, seriously, it was a room full of tipsy shoppers, sluggish on mini-burgers and candy. What exactly did he think I was gonna do with my camera phone? The woman was there on a photo op!

Nonetheless, a party with a zillion attractive, fantastically dressed, industry people and trophy wives make for an interesting crowd:

This woman was impeccable from head to toe

Here are the toes...

This woman wasn't thrilled by my asking to take her photo.
To the extent that you can see it, she's got awesome shoes, a great bag with a skull on it and, Enc, if you're reading, she's wearing a J-suit...

The woman who owns this foot was sweet to tell me her shoe is Fendi.
Um, don't I read Imelda??

Furthermore, Jeannette and I were accosted by the really sexy photog (maybe that's a slight exaggeration):

Get it? I'm being photographed while photographing - oooh, postmodern

Sexy Photog was hilarious, Jeannette an adorable audience

Please stay tuned for tomorrow's post which highlights a) the free drinks b) the food c) the fashion and d) the giveaways.

Filling the Gap

While I'm on the topic of good, affordable American chic from the Gap, please see Exhibits A, B and C below:


I bought this homage-to-the-pumpkin T and, I have to wonder why they didn't use a model with slightly "more boobs" to show off its saucy neckline.


Ditto with this fabulous jewel-tone aubergine crew-neck. The model is svelte and lovely, if the lower half of her face is anything to go on, but she's lost in this shirt. They make an XS for a reason. Hell, I bought the small and my tits are 8x the size.

I had to resist buying this bag (which is shown in black but also come in a very rich taupe), even though I scarcely need another bag, never mind one without a strap:

It costs 150 bucks and is large enough to hold everything you undoubtedly cart around - although it's not "oversize". The leather, which looks a bit cheap in the photo, is actually soft and supple. Admittedly, it looks better in taupe than in black. It really is a great deal for a woman who doesn't need two free hands when out and about.

What do you think?

Into the Gap

If someone had told me last year that I'd be writing this post I would have said you're high on drugs, honey. Really, I say that. It's one of my over-used phrases that's been in high-rotation since the '80s.

Which, btw, was the last time The Gap did something interesting, IMO.

OK, not fair or true. I know. But I've had a real blah-on for this conglomerate (who'd call it fashion house?) for quite some time.

Brief history of K at the Gap:

c. 1980: I remember checking out a boutique version at some big department store (I think it was Bloomingdale's) while visiting family in NY. It was Ts and sweatshirts all the way. With the old time logo. I thought it was the bomb but my mother said it was sloppy so we didn't buy.

c.1990: It opened on Bloor Street in TO. They did some great boyfriend jeans.

c. 1997: I remember going to Gap during many lunch hours with my great friend Jennifer (who, btw, has just moved into a new, gorgeous house and whom I've been thinking of for weeks. Jen, I'm going to call you...). I think J would agree that it was the place then. I remember buying some very good high-waisted grey wool pants (v. Hepburn) I wore into the ground. They did some super blazers and jackets. The white blouse, of course, is ubiquitous still now.

c. 2002: The cannibal days when Banana and Old Navy cut into the market every which way. Let me clarify, I do like Banana Republic - when on sale, mostly - but I loathe Old Navy. Gap does everything at the same price (esp. when on sale) and the kids stuff at ON sucks. I don't really understand the point of all three of them. Don't suppose anyone does - esp. not the market pundits. Does the term "refocus" mean anything??

c.2008: I read that Mr. Patrick Robinson joined as VP Design and I thought "If anything can save this ailing behemoth in the era of H&M, TopShop, Zara and La Redoute, it's Mr. American Sportswear with an Edge himself." I really thought those exact words.

So I walked in there last week and, to my pleasure and surprise can report they've got some great basics at some great prices. And they are basics with a bit of modernity (but, which still retain the American chic on which the brand has prided itself (rightly or wrongly) these many years).

While it's not, perhaps, so smart to show the ad followed by a mediocre photo of oneself, you know how I like to live on the edge... Here are some pro-shot, tall-heeled trouser jeans I just bought at the Gap:


And here' they are on a, ahem, short, real girl wearing flats:

The Long and the Short of It

I got these at Club Monaco on that Saturday excursion with Yulanda (talk about getting mileage out of a fun shopping date). They were $39.00 on sale!




They are extremely comfortable and short (but not sleazy). I particularly like the waistband which is - I can assure you - the only reason why I'm baring my stomach in two of these shots.

In addition to these, I also bought a zebra-pattern, pony-skin belt and (yikes) a pair of super-skinny, super-white jeans. (Don't judge till you see them :-)) I was so saying fuck you to the post-Labour Day, white-wearing naysayers. And it's not like my ass is getting any younger.

This For That

I did a little damage over the weekend: I mean, there was all the stuff I had to buy for the child and then all the stuff I so needed for myself. I'm not sure about y'all, but September shopping is a special sort of drug. The days are cooling and shortening, the clothes are at the season's apex of stylishness, the shoes go from slinky strings to complex design. Throw in a good cappuccino and a great companion and it's got the makings of near perfection.

Yulanda and I managed to work all the angles - you have to see her post for some beautiful shots of the food. Club Monaco and Holt Renfrew had a bit of my business - don't worry, I'll chat more about this - and I ended up with everything from chichi perfume to organic face de-ager to zebra patterned accessories.

This post is a bit about how you can buy one thing, and still make off with ___ things in the deal. (Apologies in advance for the crappy photos - I was drinking when I took them...)

To wit:

At Holt's you buy this:

Bond No. 9 - Bryant Park (Mini-size, $45.00)

And you get this too:

Sample of Age Rescue (Can't remember the brand!) - FREE

You go to L'Occitane for the promise of eternal (and organic) youth:

Immortelle Brightening Renewing Serum ($60.00)

And you end up with a little extra for the eyes:

Baume des Yeux - FREE!

And, maybe best of all, you hit Sephora for some mascara (something you may not have purchased in 5 years!):

Maxi-Frange Mascara - It's "professional"... (On sale, $16.00)

And you end up with this!

ID Mineral Makeup with cute little brush, other Sephora mascara (travel size), Sephora mini bubble bath (almond flavour) - FREE!!!

It's A Gift

So, Yulanda and I went out again on Saturday for "back to school" shopping :-) That's code for I bought everything I could get my grubby hands on while Yulanda tactfully offered her opinions.

If you know me, you know that I am eternally in search of a deal. I cannot tell you the bargaining I've wrought in every retail environment. I LOVE wheeling and dealing - but, let me take pains to clarify - I am never disrespectful. I recognize that we all have our roles to play in this little thing called "the transaction", so I try to infuse some high-flung excitement into the process. It's a small way I express myself. If the retailer resists my bargaineering advances, I graciously desist. And walk, generally. Though not always. (More to come on this topic soon - though I don't want to box myself in by referring to this as "K's Tips for Working the Deal" Theme Week.)

Here's the thing, I do this "can we talk" thing so intuitively that I don't even realize it's happening half the time. So it was very fun to be out with Y (and not even in the sorts of environments where bargaining is encouraged i.e. big box retail) and get little freebies here and there. It made me feel like a wise old owl to her delicious, young chick. I know it's sad when that's what makes you feel special, but I'm a simple girl. :-)

Coming Up: Fun info about the shopping I did over the Labour Day long weekend!

Strawberry Fields Forever

OK, so today it appears I could not take a good picture to save my life. Honestly, 60 photos turned into 5 usable shots - and they're all quite marginal (let's be blunt).

Feeling hideous is no fun but then neither is torrid hormonal flux and, when it rains peeps, it pours.

As it's going to be a while before I get in another shoot, and as I do think this dress - the one I got with Yulanda on our staycation excursion - is adorable (pron. with French accent, for extra flair), I'm posting these nonetheless:




I know the hem of the inner collar is riding up in pic #2 but I couldn't figure out how to fix it (more on my ignorance of Photoshop to come in the near future...) Oh, and while I'm bitching, seriously what is going on with my hair?? I'm having a Beatles at Shea Stadium moment. How regrettable that look has seen its day... (Well, maybe moptop loving WendyB can appreciate it :-))

Toronto Bloggers Unite!

OK, you know how I love little thoughts. Well, I had such a delightful Saturday with its mastermind, the incomparable Yulanda, I've decided I simply must meet the rest of you :-)

We met at The Swan for eggs benedict...




Chatted about all things vintage while ambling along Crawford to Apt. 909 and other faves...


Browsed the shops with such dedication that neither of us had the wherewithal to take any pictures...

Took a well-deserved break at Fresh, over smoothies...


(I know, she's gorgeous!)

And, finalement, said our farewells on College St.

Y is truly a phenom photographer - a woman who observes her world with the eye of an artist and a camera at the ready. I was so pleased to have the chance to speak with her at length about photography and the many other artistic endeavours at which she excels.

At Apt. 909, I did get a fab new dress, which I'd show you except my staff photographer is in Oakville today. Pls. stay tuned for photos in the near future.

And, most excitingly, I spoke with Dai (co-owner) who told me - and this might be a scoop! - that he and a partner from Japan are starting a clothing line. Stupidly, I can't remember the name. It's that I was so blown away but a prototype for a jacket he showed me, everything else is a blur. Seriously, I practically begged him to sell it to me. Natch, he couldn't. But you will definitely hear more about this when the line is in the store...

I would love to get together with other bloggers in TO (or visiting) so please don't be shy. Maybe, next time Y and I go out for the day, you'd like to join us for some fun.

Maybe If I Dress Like This...

Someone will take me out for a special birthday dinner...

Dilemma of the Modern Professional

And if I can tear myself from admiring those, soft-as-butter mesmerising chausseurs, maybe I'll actually make it to work for that 9:00 a.m. briefing...

OK, You Know A Shoe Is Good...

When you are compelled to bend down, a la Rumi from Fashion Toast, and pet it:

It's "OMG, I Love these Shoes" Theme Week

Ed. Note: How strange and fitting that I wrote this week of posts about a pair of new YSL shoes that blow my mind. M. St. Laurent: Thanks for your gorgeous canon of work! Rest easy in that Rive Gauche in the sky...

So...

Welcome to K does the same pair of shoes in 83 (or so) gratuitous poses. (But thankfully - or painfully, depending on how much you like this idea - it'll all be spread out over the course of the week.)

First, meet our star, the shoes:

In case you're not looking at the goldy, special inside: they are YSL. Vintage. Taupe suede - including the heel. Which is 3 inches and stacked. But like no other stacked heel I've ever seen. I got them at Apt. 909. They cost $80.00. Yes, I know, a fortune for someone else's antique footwear, but they are scarcely worn and they're YSL, man.

Then meet the shoes on the feet attached to the girl:

Do they not scream, "I'm sorry, I'd love to chat more but the car's out front and I do need to get to the opening before insert name of preferred NY philanthropist socialite here starts serving dinner. My boyfriend (subtext: filthy rich, adventuresome, well-dressed and even more well-endowed) will been so worried about me by now."?

Don't you want to see them paired with everything from shorts to tight skirts to short skirts to latex leggings and lady shifts? Good. It's settled then. Meet me back here tomorrow for the next installment.

Love, Tastefully Shod in Toronto* xo

(*Doesn't that sound kinda dirty?)

Ecru Brute

I know - I'm pushing it with the title.

So, in addition to art and children's clothing (more examples to come), I managed to find some of the best vintage loot ever at Apt. 909. Pls. note that yesterday I erred by calling it Apartment 909, which isn't technically its name. (I've linked to it in my Places I Love to Shop roll on the right. Aparently, they'll have a website up and running soon.)

In short, you really must visit this place. Even if you live in California, please do yourself a favour, hop on a plane and come check it out. I'm sure the lovely owners Ria, Beth and Dai will appreciate it as much as you do.

Chic cohabits with kitsch and some of the most delicious designer finds around. I saw (and tried, natch) awesomely well-preserved Lanvin, Pucci, Chanel, Gucci, Pierre Cardin, Louis Feraud, Yves St. Laurent, Givenchy, Thierry Mugler and the list goes on... These people care and it shows. Oh, and while not cheap, it's reasonably priced given what's on offer.

Here are a couple of (accidentally coordinating) things I bought on Saturday - and wore today:

Vintage 1950s silk scarf NEW, vintage 1960s polyester shorts skirt w/asymmetrical pocket NEW, AA above the knee tights, Jacob burgundy wool sweater

Apologies for the the scowl and muffin head. It's challenging to look cheerful and fresh at 7:30 p.m. Marth, if you're reading this, I'm going to come in for a haircut soon!

PS, Today's subtext: If you care to look like a waif, don't wear a plaid poly skirt with a polka dot scarf :-)

Prom Night

My most intriguing Charlotte experience occurred at a fancy restaurant called M5. It’s new, open 4 weeks now, and it’s fantastic. Hailing from Toronto, land of delicious food diversity, I’m a critical restaurant-goer. I’m a challenge in that I expect fancy dining to include excellent ambience, amazing food, terrific service and great people-watching opportunities. Oh, and I don’t like it to be “pat” i.e. artificially orchestrated to make your heart flutter. I want it to hit me over the head - incomprehensibly - like the scent of Impulse body spray used to hit those unsuspecting cute guys in the commercials from the 80s. (I should mention, I met my husband on a streetcar and he ran after me as I debarked, yelling my name – which I’d had the foresight to tell him – just like those Impulse guys, but not with flowers. And we’ve been together for 13 years.)

At any rate, this restaurant was spot on with the exception of, perhaps, a smidge of orchestration. I did feel the slightest bit pandered to, but the service, atmosphere, great food and super table more than made up for it. It even had this great wine tasting format I’d never seen before (sorry to seem provincial), wherein you could order 3 different vintages from a particular region in order to savour complimentary flavours simultaneously. Perfect for the foodie with commitment issues who likes to drink a lot. We had 9 glasses of wine on the table at one time!

But one of the surreal joys of the evening was in the people watching. We happened to be out on prom night and, although this restaurant was rather cher (one would imagine) for the teen crowd, it was plein de rich kids on the path of inculturated debauchery. Such fun! Groups of begowned girls and boys in tuxes - whom, my mother was horrified to note, removed their jackets during dinner, couples – whom, my mother was horrified to note, each in turn contributed to the payment of the bill… You name it, we saw it. I didn’t realize prom girls of this day and age wear designer gowns and clutches. And, as the girl in the room, formerly, with the biggest rack, I was shocked by the number of girls who had obviously had their boobs enhanced. I mean, tiny gals plus large breasts plus no bra plus no movement plus no sag = no question. The pomp and circumstance were riveting. They went perfectly with the booze.

Not to mention the other, “regular” people in the place who were wearing some truly glamourous things – black and white, sequined tops, slips as dresses, mega heels. People in TO don’t do themselves up like this for dinner. I guess they’re too jaded, playing up the playing it down. It was a feast for the eyes, being exposed to a whole new kind of dinner dressing. And when you add this to the delicious food and conversation, gotta say it was a super night.

Sometimes There's Just So Much Exciting Stuff In My Head that I Feel Like It Might Explode...

Unsurprisingly, given the title of this post, today happens to be one of those days.

I'm not even going to try to get it all out right now. It's going to take some careful consideration over a few different posts. So sorry for the tease, Dreamecho, but maybe these few details will suffice:

• My husband bought me a cell phone for my birthday (which is coming up soon). It's some kind of fancy Sony Ericsson that is so complex I still haven't figured out how to pick up my messages or answer the fucker before the voicemail kicks in. However, I have discovered how to take pictures with it - and how to get those pictures from the phone onto the blog. I'm feeling so FaceHunter right now!



• Then, last night, en famille, we had the kind of shopping fantasticness that rarely happens - much less in the humdrum milieu of one's own town. Seriously, it was a vacation-style stealth mission to one store - Apartment 909, perhaps the best vintage place EVER!, discovered in the most fun way at 8:00 p.m. still open! More special deets about the gorgeousness of this place to come. Let's just say we all ended up with some dream finds. And you know you are hardcore when you buy the art off the walls and walk it home...



• Meet Exhibit A, taken of the new art, with the new cell:

• Then meet Exhibit B, my daughter in one of her amazing new vintage dresses:

What you can't see here is that the dress has a high ruffled collar and the ruffles continue down the left side of this adorable drop waisted, blue and brown plaid piece.

It's Like Fashion For Your Backyard!

Alas, that is not my gorgeous garden. Thanks to Nicole for snapping this lovely picture on a garden tour we took last summer of a neighbourhood in TO known for great gardens. And, if you can believe it, this house wasn't even on the tour! Since then, I’ve made the image my screensaver and every time a colleague sees it (s)he assumes it’s my garden and then I have to disclose that it’s not, which makes me feel like crap because I’m one of those modern idiots who suffer from status anxiety and who desperately, irrationally, wants a garden that looks like that. I should mention that the house above would probably sell for close to a million dollars in our housing market. Sheer insanity.

Those of you who know me know that I have spent the last 8 years threatening my husband with divorce over the hideous state of our backyard and his unwillingness to work with me to improve it. He feels it is beyond repair – unremittingly ugly by virtue of its positioning and that which abuts it (the excuse for a satellite dish holder cum pigeon farm on the one side, the untended overgrowth on the other and the “laneway” – a strange TO phenomenon - on the third side. Laneway is code for wretched alleyway in which people indulge in alcohol abuse and garbage scattering – I mean “throughfare for parking one’s car at the back of the house”.) I feel that if you throw 12 grand at something the size of 3 postage stamps, there is always hope. Call me an optimist with a line of credit.

Finally, in a moment of lucidity (or insanity, depending on your take), I researched and hired a landscaper, worked with her to develop a design, and advised my husband – unilateral afterthought-style – that we were about to do “a little work”. And I am thrilled to tell you that over last week and next, my backyard is undergoing its own version of a makeover a la “The Swan”. We’re talking the garden equivalent of new teeth (hideous chainlink fence replaced by pretty wooden one that’s tall!), lipo (excavation of Dandelion Village, as I like to call it, to be replaced by tall grasses, flowering trees and beautiful beds), botox (hardscaping with flagstone and rocks from the lake district) and rhinoplasty (a new deck).

It occurs to me that you imagine a backyard of such dubious positioning must be attached to a house that isn’t much better. In deference to my aforementioned status anxiety, let me assure you that my home is really quite nice. All Victorian with tall ceilings and good bones and attractive – if eclectic – design. And that downtown TO neighbourhoods are very heterogeneous: beauty here, squalor there. So I’ve just been walking the line!

My intention is to take some artful photos (code for: ask my husband to take some artful photos) of the finished product – though I’ve been warned new gardens are not lush at first. Has anyone out there undertaken a landscaping do-over? And, if yes, please advise how it has improved your outlook / changed your life / made you an uber-hostess overnight.

Shoe 3: The Exciting One

Enzo Agnolini - 9West ($130.00)
This is the (flashier) nod to the Camper shoe, at half the price and with somewhat better fit (on my particular foot). I'm not going to lie to you. The Camper shoe is subtle and fine - beautifully constructed (as you would imagine) given the brand and the pricetag. It whispers "hello, shoe-wearer, are you delicate enough for me". This shoe kind of hits you over the head. It is much trendier - shiner, bucklier, moving toward the gladiator thing with the ankle strap. It says "get your money's worth out of me now because you have no idea if I'll be a pariah next summer - oh, and I might not last much past then".

Nonetheless, I was really impressed by the fit. From every angle I found it flattering and, well, eye-catching. With a mini-dress, it will add a sexy something without looking trashy. And, while I realize the ankle wrapping is not ideal for every shape of leg, this is one "challenging look" I feel I can pull off (for a change)...

PS - Our bride-to-be Enc, of observationmode, has kindly nominated me to do that fascinating meme called "The Eight". I'm so psyched to do it, but it does take quite a bit of thought and prep. Please stay tuned for my take on this fun game.