Sonia Rykiel is celebrating the 40th anniversary of her eponymous line with a film, retrospective show, new Left Bank flagship and team and a blowout party on October 1st in Paris. An independent fashion house, Sonia Rykiel is family owned. Daughter Nathalie is president and artistic director and granddaughter Lola, a lucky 22-year-old, was recently made Rykiel’s ambassador in New York, introducing the brands signature feminine frocks and striped knits to a new generation of young women.

Rumor has it that Nathalie has asked a host of international designers, including Karl Lagerfeld, Donna Karan and Jean Paul Gaultier, to design an outfit in the spirit of Rykiel to pay homage to the effusive red-headed designer as part of the anniversary celebration.

In case your invitation to the huge soiree in Paris is lost somewhere in the mail with my own, treating yourself to one of Sonia Rykiel’s gorgeous pieces is a great way to have your own little celebration in her honor. This striped bow top and feminine ruffled striped dress will work nicely…

Image Source: Vain and Vapid

This weekend while browsing at Sportie LA, I was tempted to try on a pair of Crocs, JUST to see what they felt like. Are they really as comfortable as devotees would have you believe? Alas, they were attached to a display case and I was too embarrassed to have someone take a pair down for me to try on (plus, having worked in retail I will never be a customer who has someone help me just so I can try something on for fun). The boyfriend bought a pair of Nike’s and we went on our merry way. Today, I stumbled upon a very interesting photo shoot featuring Raquel Zimmerman from French Vogue, in which she is wearing Crocs. Yes, Crocs. This led me to ponder the age-old philosophical question: “If something that is universally considered to be plebeian and ugly ends up in a French Vogue shoot, and Carine allows it, is it actually chic and cool?”

I won’t pretend that I have an answer to a question like that, just like I can’t tell you what came first, fashion or style. But I can tell you that I heard Crocs make great gardening shoes, and Style.com is reporting that “winter garden” is a trend for fall, and well, if anyone knows what’s hot, it’s Carine…

May I suggest an understated khaki pair of Crocs, if you have the guts to try to pull them off?

Image Source: Fashionindie

Ever since Madonna made Jean Paul Gaultier a household name wearing his conical bra during her Blond Ambition tour in 1990, fashionistas have waited impatiently from the first announcement of a tour to see what over-the-top looks will be put on display. For her Sticky and Sweet Tour, which kicked-off Saturday in Cardiff, Wales, Madonna, per usual, does not disappoint. This time around, Arianne Phillips, Madonna’s longtime designer/ stylist collaborated a all-star cast of designers to create the costumes for the Material (still young at 50 years old) Girl. Ricardo Tisci of Givenchy designed multiple looks, Tom Ford created custom suits for the band, killer thigh-high boots are courtesy of Stella McCartney, shoes by Miu Miu, sunglasses from Moschino, plus there are outfits and accessories from Roberto Cavalli, Jeremy Scott, and Yves Saint Laurent… oh my!

Above is a dominatrix look from Tisci with Stella McCartney’s thigh- high boots, a Japanese influenced look, a cloak and awesome dress with loads of brightly colored chain necklaces by Tisci for the gypsy themed portion of the show, and a throw-back look reminiscent of Madonna’s NYC club-kid days (with the awesome Moschino heart-shaped glasses).

Layered necklaces like this vintage estate piece were also all over Givenchy’s fall runway, and are a great way to add a little Sticky and Sweet flavor to your own style:

Image Credit: Elle.com

The Sartorialist has given a good name to the bike riders of NYC, capturing images of men and women opting for a carbon-friendly form of transportation and looking incredibly chic while doing so, for his much-loved blog:

NYC’s current transportation commissioner, Janette Sadik- Khan, has taken promoting bicycling in the city to another level. Summer Streets, a program that closed off almost 7 miles of a north-south route in the city to automobile traffic, the Cityracks program, which provides free sidewalk racks for bike parking and a design competition for newer, sleeker racks are all designed to get people excited about bicycling. David Byrne, of Talking Heads and CBGB fame, definitely got excited. A judge in the design competition, he designed 9 of his own bike racks to be displayed in Manhattan and Williamsburg for the next year as functional modern art.

A bit tongue-in-cheek, the dollar sign resides on Wall Street, the red high heel outside of Bergdorf’s, and “the Hipster”, the red guitar, is in Williamsburg.

“By bringing attractive yet functional sculptures to our streets, we are elevating the profile of cycling, and we believe that more and more people will begin to think about cycling as a mode of transportation, and not just a mode of recreation,” Ms. Sadik-Khan said in a statement. “Regular bike riders have an eagle eye for our current bike racks but these nine installations will capture the attention of all New Yorkers.”

They have caught the eye of this West Coaster as well. I’ll be checking The Sartorialist everyday in hopes of seeing a Chloé-clad lady locking her bicycle on the heel or a dapper gentleman pulling up to the dollar sign. For my NYC readers, a list of names and locations follows:

* The Jersey: Northwest corner of Ninth Avenue and 39th Street, near the Lincoln Tunnel
* The MoMA: South side of West 54th Street, east of the Avenue of the Americas
* The Ladies’ Mile: West side of Fifth Avenue, north of 57th Street (in front of Bergdorf’s)
* The Chelsea: In front of 530 West 25th Street, east of 11th Avenue (in front of PaceWildenstein Gallery)
* The Hipster: West side of Bedford Avenue, near North Sixth Street, in Williamsburg, Brooklyn
* The Olde Times Square: South side of West 44th Street, west of Seventh Avenue
* The Villager: In front of 536 La Guardia Place, between West Third and Bleecker Streets
* The Wall Street: North side of 82 Wall Street, west of Water Street
* The Coffee Cup: West side of Amsterdam Avenue, between West 110th and 111th Streets

Inspired? A sleek messenger bag, like this one from Prada, will keep your hands free and your look chic while biking around your own town. With all the money you’ll be saving on gas, you can afford some Prada!!:

Photo Cred: The Sartorialist and The New York Times City Room Blog (who also provided the list of racks)

Dear Jimmy Choo,

I would like to thank you for creating your beautiful Autumn/Winter 2008 shoe collection. Although your shoes are beyond my means at this point in time, this collection has given me the motivation to work hard so that some day I may walk in to Saks and say, “I’ll take both pairs, please.” Some people dream of a big house with a huge swimming pool, others dream of high-end automobiles. My dream is to have an assortment of your ridiculously beautiful shoes stacked neatly in my bedroom-sized closet, organized by style and color. If in fact you realize that you have a couple of pairs just lying around the office and want to donate them to a devoted fan, please feel free to email me. Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

Chicshopper

Source: Jimmy Choo Website

PS. If you are wondering, I am a size 7 1/2 so if you happen to have any of the styles below I’d be more than happy to take them off of your hands. Thanks!

Glenys Elaphe Snakeskin Sandals

Glossy T- Strap Pumps

I am beginning to get a bit tired of my summer wardrobe, yet am not quite ready to give it up for the sweaters and layers of fall (and the Los Angeles temperatures aren’t quite ready to let me go there, either). May I suggest a fall trend that you can jump on a little early? Velvet had a big presence on the fall runways this February, and Anna Sui’s version came in great fall florals and prints:

Velvet is a great transition fabric when it has a playful vibe as it does here. While definitely too heavy for the Fourth of July weekend, it will work nicely on evenings when the sun is setting earlier and the wind it just a little chillier. I love the romantic, feminine, and yet youthful aesthetic of these dresses. For now, pair with sandals and simple jewelry, such as a couple gold cuff bracelets. For fall, these pieces will look great with boots and statement jewelry (another huge fall trend).

Get the runway look with Anna Sui’s Velvet Feather Geo Patchwork dress:

Photo Cred: Style.com

When I was sixteen I went to a hair salon before the Homecoming dance to get an “up-do.” I ended up coming out of there looking like a drag queen with a greasy weave. At that point in time I thought it was the worst but imagine if you came out of the hair salon with one of these little numbers.

Perhaps next time she’ll think twice when she says, “Oh, I don’t care, do whatever you want with my hair… just as long as it’s up and away from my face.”

This one is great for the office. Casual, Hip, Elephant-y. A nice understated look that really says, “hey! I’m here to work.”

A picture of me before the senior prom.

Whether you are sculpting a moose head out of your hair, or just want something to hold your curl a little longer, here are some great hair products to do the trick:

Love the Big Sexy Hair hairspray

GHD Hair smoothing balm will get your locks under control in no time.

Hair Pictures: Source

My transition into a fall wardrobe has come a little soon this year. In Los Angeles it has been overcast in the mornings for a few weeks now, and the air conditioning in my office is insanely strong, so I am always covered up in a sweater, jacket or big scarf at my desk. Monday I wore a little summer floral dress and paired it with my cropped leather motorcycle jacket to brave the 9 hours of frigid temperatures in my office. Throughout the day, I kept wishing that I was wearing a slightly oversized faded jean jacket over the dress instead. I am not quite sure where this urge came from, as jean jackets have been a big no in my closet for a few years now. Yet I have seen images of the likes of Kristen Dunst, Rachel Bilson and Kate Bosworth wearing them out and about lately, and always think they look adorable.

Checking my friend Ger’s blog, she had posted the question “will the denim jacket make a return to your wardrobe this fall?” At least I’m not the only one with denim on the brain, and I guess it is safe to say my answer is a resounding “yes”. But it’s still not okay to pair denim with denim, okay?

Join me in bringing back the 90’s with this cute shrunken jean jacket from Current/Elliott:

During my brief weekend vacation to Santa Barbara, California, I was able to do a tad bit of shopping. As I poked my head in and out of various boutiques I was stopped dead in my tracks by the following items:

I noticed one of the typical Santa Barbara housewives (dripping in diamonds) commenting to her Tommy Bahama clad husband… “Oh, how darrrrlling!!!” She actually went as far as to ask for the golf themed “hot flops” in her size.

Do you know what I wanted to tell her?????

This room is full of people who think those shoes are cute.

With that being said… if you are looking for a new pair of sandals and/or flip flops, perhaps you should take a look at these less… ostentatious alternatives.

Some chic Tory Burch sandals perhaps?

Love these Michael Kors Sandals.

room: source

Hot Flops: source

While of course I know the proper way to wear perfume is on your pulse points- behind your ears, on your wrist etc, I love to spritz my perfume on my hair. Something about flipping your hair and giving off a little whiff of your perfume has always seemed to me the perfect combination of sexy and demure (and perfume lasts longer than the smell of my yummy Bumble & Bumble Creme de Coco conditioner). During the summer, however, my hair doesn’t have it easy. The sun, sand, ocean water, sweat, constant pony-tails and braids have definitely had a toll on my once silky locks. It occurred to me recently while getting ready for a night out that spraying a concoction that is primarily alcohol on my hair wasn’t doing me any favors in my quest for Gucci-worthy hair:

For a split second I was in utter despair, and the next second I thought I may have just come up with the idea that would make me my millions… Alas, it seems that I am not the first person to come up with a hair-friendly perfume, surprise, surprise. While some of you may have been reaping the rewards of great smelling, and looking, hair for awhile now, this is a whole new beginning for me.

Thierry Mugler’s Angel hair mist is perfect for daytime. For a richer, nighttime scent, try Tom Ford’s Black Orchid: