Logo-A-Gogo

I know a special piece is meant to be mine when circumstances conspire to have such an item in my possession. I blogged about this apparently elusive Yves Saint Laurent tote that I had seen on Jak and Jil months ago as a shoot-for-the-moon option in my search for the perfect summer tote. I’ve since scoured boutiques and outlets in the Northeast USA and beyond, and all my resources online, and it was nowhere to be bought. Fast forward to a few weeks later, sitting pretty at the window of the YSL boutique in Tsimshatsui, Hong Kong, the bag I wanted was available---a special personal order not picked up by a terribly misguided customer.

Yves Saint Laurent Sac Vavin tote in black leather

I’d typically be apprehensive of toting a bag with a logo larger than my head stuck on it, but I thought the idea of the handles and buckles morphing into a network of leather-roads winding and going up and over each other---much like the twisting flying roads leading to an airport terminal---forming the iconic YSL emblem was clever and subtly done.

close-up of the thick textured leather emblem detail

The large open-tote style is infinitely functional. I’ve used it as a weekender on a trip to Boston, as a blanket bag for an afternoon of laying around in Central park, and as a picnic basket to a little dinner party last night.

In a city where the young, beautiful creatures all wear things so homogenously obscure and nondescript, where laurels are won when people ask and then find themselves unfamiliar with who makes another’s clothes, I think it would be, for once, refreshing for people to know exactly who makes my bag, even from across the block.

In Search of: The Summer Tote

The weather is finally hitting the seventies in New York City, and as I stow away my woolen snoods and heattech tops, I begin my quest for a vessel to hold my everyday essentials with ample breathing room. I need a tote for the summer, and I need it to be beautiful.

I've had my eye on this YSL tote for about a couple of years now. It's reasonably priced, subtle, and handy, and the tumbled buffalo leather will age well.

YSL tanger tote (via YSL)

Here's something a little more obscure, but from the same house: the YSL for Atelier New York tire track-embossed tote in chocolate brown. It's a beautiful bag, but I'm just not a fan of the pregnant look on flat totes. Must I only carry around sheets of paper, and if I'm being generous, a pack of Listerine breath strips all summer?

YSL x Atelier New York tote (via Atelier New York)

This Margiela tote, a roomier riff on the popular Jil Sander market tote, exudes an art world vibe. Margiela leather shopping bag on one hand, complimentary crudité at a Chelsea opening on the other.

Martin Margiela collection 11 leather shopping bag (via Margiela)

Speaking of the arts, this Lanvin tote of pieced satin and leather seems to be a Parisian post-apocalyptic take on patchwork arts and crafts. And I have yet to own a piece of Lanvin.

Lanvin satin and leather tote (via Lanvin)

I've blogged about this a while back, but I still want my version of Tommy's rainbow-lettered Goyard St. Louis tote. I'd have it in a size larger, with the front emblazoned with my Lord of the Rings name "ISIDORE", rendered in roygbiv.

painted Goyard St. Louis tote (via This is Naive)

I might yet have to be sold on the idea of boys with Birkins, but the Hermés Haut a Courroies (HAC) is legitimately a men's bag; a piece of luggage, but a men's bag nonetheless. And it is breathtaking.

Hermés Haut a Courroies on the Fall 2011 runway (via The Fashionisto)

Dare I say Kanye West pulls off his man-Birkin rather masterfully? (I'd swap out the white sneakers for black slip-on shoes but) I can actually see myself in this outfit. The bag is beautifully battered.

Kanye West with a vintage Hermés Haut a Courroies (via Birkin Watcher)

Hermés dreams aside, if there exists a summer tote close to perfection, it may well have to be this elusive YSL with the handle straps morphing into a slithering network of strips forming the brand's insignia.

YSL Sac Vavin (via Jak and Jil)

It's called the Sac Vavin, produced in limited quantity Spring of last year, and is rumored to be available via special order at select boutiques. It straddles the line between clever and logo-a-gogo, and in this age of feigned subtlety and an obsession with obscurity, carrying around a bag with a logo bigger than my head could well be quite refreshing.

Dear readers, what will you be toting around this summer?

Spring in a Safari Jacket

Yves Saint Laurent introduced the safari jacket in the 1960s, and today, the belted, pocketed jacket is a classic. I think I want one for Spring; the cinched waist will allow me to wear it with more relaxed pleated pants, and the abundance of pockets will afford me the luxury of going bag-less.

Yves Saint Laurent in his iconic jacket, in what looks like beige twill on the top left and bottom right, and white linen on the top right; a model in a provocative lace-front version on the bottom left.

I'm particularly fixated on this safari jacket in buttery light yellow beige, from YSL, no less:

The color is perfect: neutral but bright enough to keep it from being boring. The jacket is also cut slim, and would look great belted or not.

The zippers add a touch of modernity

and the belt cinches the silhouette in at the smallest part of the waist (at least on mine), so you can keep everything else loose and lazy.

collage photos via Clovetwo, Retro Vintage Mod Style, Brightstarlights, and Brook & Lyn

all the rest via Mr. Porter

Quick Fix for a Better-late-than-never Buy

The idea of the marching band jacket as a fashion piece has been around for quite some time now. In fact, it was one of the things I had blogged about wanting really early on in this blog (read: ages ago). But I had finally found the perfect marching band jacket at a vintage store in Boston and it was only 15 dollars and it was like magic when I put it on and it fit me perfectly---well, not quite. The arms and shoulders hung beautifully, but the jacket could benefit from a little shortening. Bereft of my tailor, I decided to take matters into my own hands, and I'm glad to say I'm pleased with the result.

Fellows, allow me to present The Dandy Project quick-fix jacket-shortening method. Shortening a jacket instantly modernizes it, and prevents you from looking as if you're drowning in fabric. Take note that this works best on fabrics that drape rather than stand stiff (e.g. suiting wool, not gabardine cotton). Also, I suggest you do this to a jacket that you wouldn't mind looking a little shabby, say, a thrift store find. Leave the hemming of your Margiela suit to a trusted tailor.

1. Pencil-mark on both ends and in the center where you want the jacket hem to fold. This will determine how short the jacket will be.

2. Heavily iron on the fold from the inside, using some spray starch to set the fold. It should look like this laid out:

3. Using thread the same color as your jacket exterior, make loose stitches far apart from each other, making sure to go through the lining and on to the exterior so that the inside fold stays in place. Try to make the stitches on the outside as invisible as you can, anchoring them on one or two threads at most.

close up of my far-from-Savile-Row stitching

4. Use safety pins on the heavy corners, and on the parts that you might mess up. Just iron out the kinks here and there, and your jacket is ready to wear! Here's what it looks like worn:

Ray-Ban aviators, DIY shortened band jacket, H&M t-shirt, Cheap Monday jeans, Zara shoes

As we danced on the street, my hemming stayed intact!

A few snapshots of Cannes on the day I wore it:

the busy coast of Cannes on a film festival day

my most tasty supper of poached cod, garlic aioli, and boiled eggs, potatoes, and fennel

the hand of the photographer, my brother, wearing my ring and making a gesture he entitles "F*ck Hipsters"

Inspiration: Old Gucci

I'm toying with the idea of resurrecting Tom Ford-era Gucci for this spring and the couple of seasons to come. Ford has long since left the label, has launched his eponymous line which is now doing quite well, and has even made success as a filmmaker, ergo, it isn't anymore too early to revisit those magical years. Old Gucci is practically retro.

If there's one look Tom Ford did well, it's dark and sexy. This ad campaign collage of his predominantly black Fall/Winter 2002 collection was came alive with references to orientalia (the obi belt), the wild west (cowboy hat and neckerchief), and goth culture (black cross + jet bead necklace).

I remember fawning over glossy Gucci magazine ads and diligently studying the runway shows which downloaded so slowly over my dialup connection at the age when I could barely afford a keychain from the brand let alone fit into one of their shirts. Fast forward to today, when I still couldn't afford to buy on-season at full price, but when wonderful blessings such as discount stores and fast fashion and DIY make every fashion dream possible, I plan to infuse the general feel of these looks into my wardrobe:

Black

(left to right, top to bottom) 1) retro noir in a turtleneck and velvet flares, 2) black russian in the perfect peacoat and flares again, 3) women's fringe coat I'd actually wear, 4) and 5) spring summer relaxed all-black, 6) billowy black satin that wouldn't look out of place on OAK today

Maximalist White

(left to right) 1) that white coat - someone better do a men's cut version of that with the same exaggerated collar, 2) white wool and gold buttons - Tom Ford did the band jacket before everyone else! 3) huge cream flare pants

Flowy Robes

I'm on the hunt for a silk robe to wear as an indoor jacket: probably not floor length, but mid-thigh, and to be worn with a buttoned-up white shirt or a flimsy t-shirt underneath.

Floral Silk Bottoms + Velvet Slippers

These will make for quite an unexpectedly dandy summer look. I just recently acquired the latter, but the bloom-bedecked bottoms I'll have to get creative with in sourcing. Vintage? Women's? Pajamas? Suggestions?

all Tom Ford-era Gucci runway photos from Vogue UK

Gucci Fall 2009 ad campaign collage from The Fashion Spot Forums

The Velvet Goldmine

Velvet slippers have been there since forever. Is it so backward of me to be blogging about wanting them just now?

embroidered green velvet slippers by Shipton & Heneage

They give off that air of being extremely high maintenance. I would love to wear them with holiday party suits as much as i would with the most casual of clothes:

slashed jeans

This photograph of stylist Keegan Singh almost singlehandedly drove my search for the perfect pair of velvet slip-on shoes.

and shorts.

via The Sartorialist

I haven't made up my mind whether I want mine embroidered or not. Right about the time when Gucci's ad campaigns featured a model with a "G" carved out of her pubic hair, the Italian brand churned out this pair of velvet slip-ons embroidered with the word "suck" on the right shoe and "me" on the left. What I would give to have a pair of those shoes right now (let alone a photo of them) just so I can garishly wear my Tom Ford-era Gucci nostalgia on my feet.

I tried on these velvet slippers at Topman in New York but decided against getting them. I felt iffy about the squared-off toe and the gaudy gold fleur de lys.

Topman velvet slippers

the same pair in wine red

This pair by Barker Black appears to be sumptuously embroidered, but never in a million years would I be willing to fork over $800+ for a brand that is mostly GQ hype.

Barker Black skull and crossbones velvet slippers

I might have found the perfect pair of velvet slippers: Cole Haan at Gilt.com, elegantly plain, handsomely shaped, and made more comfortable by some hidden Nike air footbed.

Cole Haan velvet slippers from Gilt

No thanks to the holiday online shipping frenzy, their earliest shipping date was way past the day I fly out of Boston, so it was a no-buy. Sigh, the search for my velvet goldmine goes on.

Something to be thankful for: finding the perfect penny loafers.

I have found the perfect penny loafers...

...and they come with specially-embossed Bottega Veneta currency!

It's been a long time coming, I wrote a blog entry on my search for the perfect penny loafers back in September 2008. More than a year after, I end up with the most fabulous among the options I put up for myself in that post.

Bottega Veneta penny loafers (photo via Browns)

The slimmer profile and slightly longer vamp bring comfort and wearability, while the zigzag-edge tongue and the antique brass pennies give it that little something extra.

I purchased them (discounted beautifully!) at Woodbury Commons, my idea of the happiest place on earth. Who would have thought that after more than a year, these shoes would be there waiting for me, marked down and in my size? They're the most fantastic footwear fluke!

On my red desk. I can stare at them for minutes.

Prada Recycles Prints

Check out the geometrical square print on silk.

Prada Resort 2010:

Prada Fall 2003:

(all photos from style.com)

I spent the last couple of hours frantically scouring the web for a photo of a Prada men's tie in that geometric print.  I remember it came out on GQ and was also part of an ad campaign.  Anyone who can find a photo of it is a true Internet detective.

Dandy Details: The Cummerbund

Fairisle knit cummerbund from Burberry Fall 2009

white cummerbund with gray jeans and a head of fiery red from The Fashion Spot

I was hoping to score a great vintage cummerbund in Paris, but like the boater hat I was scouting for, I failed to find one. I do, however, intend to test-drive the cummerbund real soon!

janitor dressing

I have long been on the lookout for a light, easy, loose jacket for throwing on during frigidly air-conditioned classes when I don't feel like wearing a stiff, constricting suit jacket.  For the longest time, I've been looking for a good chinese jacket, with no success until now, and neither have I taken the time to have one tailor-made.  

Rummaging through my closet last night I came across this vintage work shirt that I got in Harajuku last October, which I simply purchased without thinking, enamored by the badge that says "SIRENA MOWER SHOP".  

Then it struck me that the jacket I've been looking for had been lying in my closet all along.

Wearing a button-down shirt as a jacket reminds me so much of the innocent 90's of my childhood.  The 90's are the new 80's, don't you think?

random straw fedora, vintage work shirt from Harajuku, AA deep v, Cartier watch, Cheap Mondays, Opening Ceremony desert boots

Thanks for the AA shirt Michelle!

In Search of: The Perfect Penny Loafers

I have been on the hunt for the perfect penny loafers for quite some time now.  Well-made, moderately priced ones that would serve as my go-to shoes to be worn sockless with super faded jeans, tailored shorts, cropped dress pants, or just about anything! They would also be great for showcasing a pair of obnoxiously colorful socks on days when I feel like looking annoyingly preppy.  Rolled-up khakis, lime green and pink polo shirt, grandfather belt, you get the picture.

Majority of the loafers you would find here are of the euro-trash look, with an elongated toe, pointed or awkwardly squared-off at the end.  So 2004.

Dolce and Gabbana

For starters, there are the classic Bass Weejuns, which I think are perfect-looking as they are.  But lo, they only come in wide sizes in here.  

Bass Weejuns

One of my regular blog reads, poliopoliopolio.blogspot.com does a great example of wearing the weejuns casually, with a little humor even.  I like the cordovan color of his against the black pants.  

poliopoliopolio on the left

Brooks Brothers has a version too, priced slightly higher than the Bass.  

Brooks Brothers

Some designers have taken the name "penny loafer" more literally, inserting actual coins into the penny slots on the shoes.  These I love.

Bass by Jeffrey NY

Bottega Veneta (from brownsfashion.com)

Any other choices out there?  Let me know!