Tweed Coat by Billy Reid: Things I Want

I guess I'm going to be on a Billy Reid kick this week. It is all because of the shop Bloomingdale's created for his wares... everything appealed to me!

I've already written about the Levi's x Billy Reid wool coat I bought. What I didn't tell you was that I was equally tempted by this awesome tweed sports coat.

I tried it on over and over, finally putting it on hold. But alas, I did not go back to make it mine. Yet.

The coat had great construction, fit me perfectly through the shoulders and wasn't too boxy (a dilemma I often face). I loved the warmth and roughness of the tweed. And for an added bonus, I loved the colorful striped lining. This is a piece I could easily put into frequent rotation!

You can also check it out on the Billy Reid website, along with the rest of his F/W collection. Oh and I wouldn't say no to some of his bowties either!

Bootlegger Khakis from Bonobos: Things I Have

You might get tired of hearing me talk about Bonobos. They rock. Their pants (and shorts) are amazing. The fit is incredible and the funky fabric linings keep me smiling whenever I wear them.

So since I've been on the hunt for some new cotton pants that are good enough for work, but that I can also wear casually, I headed to the Bonobos site.

Their site is super easy to navigate, and they make it really simple to select your pants based on fabric, fit, and color. I just picked up these Bootlegger khakis and love them...

You should do yourself a big favor and check out their offerings. Bonobos has expanded from pants into suits, shirts, and they also curate goods you'll love from other labels. These guys do it right!

Levi's x Billy Reid Coat: Things I Have

There has been a lot of talk lately about Billy Reid. He won GQ Designer of the Year and then just recently was named the winner of the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund. Those are some pretty big nods!

Coming out of his GQ win, Reid did a collaboration with Levi's. I hadn't actually seen any of it in store yet (I pretty much shop for a living, how did this escape me?), until I was at Bloomingdale's this week (more on that later -- I was impressed with the array of labels they offered).

Today I went back and tried on a piece from the Levi's x Billy Reid collection that had caught my eye, a thick black wool coat. It was amazing.

It's a short coat, hitting at the waist, and has great structure around the shoulders so fits perfectly. I tried it on with just my t-shirt, with a hoodie, and with a sweater and it looked great with each.

Needless to say I grabbed it and ran, and am now super excited to wear it as the weather gets colder. All in all, there were some really great pieces from both the Levi's collab and Reid's signature line. And I will now keep checking into Bloomingdale's to make sure I see the next arrival!

Go to Reid's website and see this and the rest of his great work. And congrats Billy on all of the recent accolades!

Cape from BBC: Things I Want

Okay, don't laugh. But I have been sort of fascinated with capes for a while now. I even convinced my friend Jamie to try one on at Uniqlo (the armholes were too high). But there is something about the flow and the flexibility of a cape that intrigues me.

Luckily one of my favorite labels (the Pharrell fronted) Billionaire Boys Club has come out with a pretty rockin' cape.

Camel is (in my opinion) the best color for a cape, totally versatile. This one comes with a hood, which is the only part I'm not too sure about... but I'll have to try it on to see!

BBC has a store in SoHo and you can read more about this cape at Hypebeast.

Vincent Schoepfer Spring 2011: Things I Want

A couple of years ago I came across shots from Vincent Schoepfer's lookbook, right around the time he started showing at Capsule. I thought the photos were really fun & playful, and the clothes looked right up my alley.

Since then I've been following the season-by-season merriment that Vincent puts out and I have to say he does a great job keeping it whimsical!

Now I was recently going through his latest collection and I really love the athletic nature of the shoot and the pieces, a couple of which reminded me of Alexander Wang's whole 'football' theme last year.

I've included my favorite below -- the quilted stitching of the shirt, with the mesh shoulders. So cool! I want it!

Check out the rest of the collection here at Fashionisto, or go to the designer's website and enjoy his past collections too!

Karl Lagerfeld Voodoo Doll: Things I Have

Yes, I bought a Karl Lagerfeld voodoo doll. But I need to learn the opposite of voodoo... where I can channel positivity and even further fashion brilliance via my doll.

This story started two days ago, while I was in Brazil on a business trip. Walking through a department store at the Iguatemi Mall, I came upon a pop-up shop full of curious items. It is apparently an extension of Sao Paulo Fashion Week and was chock full of accessories, design gadgets, and voodoo dolls.

They had Audrey Hepburn, David Bowie, Madonna, Lady Gaga (in her bubble dress) and of course the Kaiser. I just couldn't resist. And not only is Karl keeping me company as I continue my trip, I figure he can become my own talisman, who I photograph at each of my global destinations.

And to start it off, here he is pictured on the window sill in my hotel room in Buenos Aires. Hola Karl!

Osklen Shoes: Things I Want

Ever since my first trip to Brazil, I've been a fan of Osklen. They have a really casual surfer vibe (not surprisingly, as the brand was formed in Rio) and to me their stores always smell like the ocean.

They also have some really unique techniques in making their wares... I'm a big fan of their fish skin shoes, something that you won't see anywhere else and they are using local Brazilian products (I have a rockin' pair of high tops).

Well I'm in Sao Paulo again right now and yesterday I spent a good amount of time trying on things at Osklen. Found some great t-shirts, a pair of really nice linen shorts, and a PVC tote bag that is perfect for the beach. But of course the one thing I wanted the most, I could not have. These shoes below...

I loved the mid-high top, the elastic on the side to just pull them on, and the worn canvas feel to them. But the bunched up fabric on the top (Osklen calls it "wrinkled") is what I found to be the coolest design feature. I tried on a size 44 but they were, as expected, too big.

The quest continues (maybe I'll get to another Osklen store before I leave Brazil). But you can check them out here on the website: http://store.osklen.com/loja/produto-27866-47-bota-iate-wrinkle-lona-stone.aspx

Bom dia!

Lanvin for H + M: Things I Want

As many of you know, this is not my first time drooling over an H + M collab... you may remember (perhaps as fondly as I do) the time I stood on Queens Road in Hong Kong to try and snag a piece from the CdG collection. And I was successful!

So now of course comes the collection done by Lanvin and I cannot wait! Today I finally saw photos of both the women's and men's pieces and they were, in a word, exquisite.

For me I really want one of the tuxedo jackets, a pair of the shiny blue shoes, and this amazing navy coat. Please retail gods... let me have it!

I love this coat because of the length, the simplicity of the design (at least what I can tell from the photo) and the gold buttons. Perfect for winter (when it does finally arrive).

Now, check out all of the photos here at NY Mag -- complete with prices so you can start saving. And begin to figure out how long you'll have to camp out in front of your local H + M to get some of this goodness.

Bon courage!

Jacket from Billionaire Boys Club: Things I Want

Okay, so for all of my high-browed talk about couture and color and coordination I am admittedly a sucker for something garish and contrasting. One summer I only bought shirts that had a floral theme. Yes, seriously. Luckily Paul Smith was doing some fun stuff that season.

So in that vein, I am always attracted to pieces from Billionaire Boys Club (brainchild of Pharrell Williams). It started last year with their hunting pattern jacket that I could not stop thinking about. Never got it but wow that could have been amazing.

Well now I've seen this wool check double-breasted jacket they have released and I kind of love it. Granted it's not as eye catching as the hunting jacket, but the fairly subtle (and large) check, the embroidered horse, and of course the double breast which adds some flare to the whole thing.

I could see myself rockin' this with some worn jeans and brown boots.

I found this via Hypebeast (quelle surprise!): BBC Hunting Jacket... go check it out!

Sweater by Gant Rugger: Things I Have

What can I say... Gant is blowing up right now! What a resurgence into the U.S. market. Between their Collection line, Rugger, and the amazing pieces from their collaboration with Michael Bastian (the subject of a future "Things I Have" post), Gant has really leveraged the prep/trad trend, the clamoring for heritage, and the exact right price point to keep customer engaged.

Last month I was in New York and visited the Gant Rugger store on Bleecker. While small, it exuded a great sense of the brand. I initially was so enthralled with the lacrosse print green sweater from the MB collection but at the Rugger store I felt the cream and blue sweater shown below had more versatility. I was sold.

I think the fit is great. The warmth of the wool is a bit much for the L.A. weather but I am sure my winter travels will take me to a worthy climate.

As you can tell from this glowing report, I would suggest you check out the Gant Rugger website: http://www.gant.com/gantrugger/#/collection but for sure find a store near you that carries the line. It is on fire and you'll quickly see why!

Enjoy!