ASOS Spring/Summer 2011

The Ivy League and preppy style saw itself worm its way back into the limelight and wardrobes of the high street to the avant-garde style conscious male in 2010 and doesn’t seem to be planning on going away again anytime soon.

For spring/summer 2011 the staple of any preppy look takes centre stage, the letterman jacket. A versatile piece of outerwear that has truly stood the test of time that can be adapted to any modern outfit.

For spring/summer 2011 Lavenham Jackets have produced a unique take on the Letterman jacket called the Hazel Jacket, a lighter quilted alternative take on a design classic.

Button through and contrast sleeves tick all the familiar boxes that make up the perfect letterman style jacket.

Lavenham have got their prep down to a tee.

About ASOS
Besides the ASOS line, ASOS carries over 800 brands!

Photos & text Copyright ASOS.

Marcus Hedbrandh for Asos

Asos Holiday Campaign

The new ASOS Holiday 2010 campaign was shot by notable portrait, interiors, and fashion photographer and illustrator Todd Selby, following the classic idea of individuals in their own personal space, in this case, “Model’s Own.”

See more shots here.

Photos & text Copyright Asos.

ASOS: Combining Retail and Traditional Tailoring

Established in June 2000, ASOS is the United Kingdom’s largest independent online fashion and beauty retailer and is quickly becoming the market leader in the online fashion world. The website carries over 800 branded labels to include See by Chloe, Surface to Air, Dagmar and Penfield—all new for AW10.

Its own ASOS label is best celebrated for its fashion credibility and price points. For autumn/winter 2010, ASOS reveals a menswear collection consolidating masculine dressing with two very different trends.

Nomad and Rebel traverse the boundaries between 50s styling and the great outdoors, whilst Smart takes traditional tailoring and adds homespun charm through a mixture of fabrications and textures. Welcome to the new season…

Nomad treads a grungier, outdoor path. Knitwear is the key to this trend and includes bold cable knits, Navajo intarsia, and jacquard. Chinos are revitalized in both twill and in brighter colors over-dyed. Outerwear has an outdoors feel including a short parka and heavier jackets.

The palette is brighter and bolder. Chinos appear in wine and royal blue, whilst graphics add to the effect. This is underscored by a neutral base of cream, beige and grey, all designed to be mixed up and worn together.

Underscoring the two trends is a new take on tailoring. Smart mixes traditional tailoring into the modern wardrobe and includes different fabrications which are made to be worn alongside everyday items such as denim. The blazer is key, be it in check or herringbone, and outerwear is extended with new features, including double breasted styles, shawl collars, and Check Crombie coats.

Rebel plunders youth cults and veers into 50s territory, mixing collegiate styling with the UK indie underground. The skinny jean remains ubiquitous but wardrobe staples, such as the biker jacket, now come in grey check.

The shirt is key, but studded collars and plackets nod to rock and roll influences. With this collection detail is key and, at times, unexpected.

The palette is dark and subdued. Navy, black, charcoal, and ecru form the foundation but flashes of color emerge through accessories. Even animal print used on shirts and knitwear appears in shades of grey.

Accessories complement the trends. Nomad encourages Navajo decoration and styling on deck shoes and scarves, whilst Rebel sees tartan and check emerge on hats and knitted scarves.

See the look book here.

Photo autumn/winter 2010 collection, Copyright ASOS.

Footwear, Au Naturale

I present you... lots of heels and boots, with nods to nature in the form of wood, straw and earth tones! Hippie chic meets urban sophisticate... errr something...

($114, Asos)

Love the woo heel, though I'm not totally convinced that the peep toe element is okay. Oh well. Sacrifices, I suppose! And they're gorgeous in green too:

($360, Pedro Garcia, Net-a-porter.com)

I'm also not totally sold on these, but I kind of like the rustic, ruggedness of the unfinished edge.

($320, L.A.M.B., Shopbop.com)

Um, okay so I'm sorta cheating with these, but the woven effect is sorta nature-y, no? Rattan and wicker porch chairs and all that?

($70, Faryl Robin, Ravinstyle.com)

Normally these would be just a little too Chrissy Snow for me, but the little turquoise buckle is both totally modernizing and endearing.

($290, Derek Lam, Barneys)

I absolutely love these. They have a sorta sexy, smart speakeasy feel to them. Like you put 'em on and something naughty'll happen on ye olde Bowerie or something! Like two whiskey-drunk dudes in mustaches will have a fistfight over you that'll escalate into a knife fight!

($95, Steve Madden, Cutesyshoes.com)

Not sure who's getting knocked off here. Balenciaga? Miu Miu? Fendi? Chanel? No matter, because I can't afford any of them!

($258, Anthropologie)

Ah, my leit motif: the wood cone heel. I'd break for these.

($536, Les Prairies de Paris, LaGarconne.com)

Ah, a gorgeous wood-heeled ankle boot by the elusive, expensive Les Prairies de Paris. And in grey, no less! Oui oui!!

JACKETS: PART 2: Everybody In Great Grey Coats!

A follow-up post to my grey coats post, part I from the other day, in descending order of prostitution location.


Turnin' Tricks At Soho House:

(Apprx $1248 USD, Alexander Wang, Brownsfashion.com)

Via Catwalkqueen. This coat by Alexander Wang, who is fucking everywhere right now is a work of art. I wouldn't know whether to wear it (and risk dripping coffee on it, as I so inevitably do on the walk to the train at least two out of five mornings a week) or have it mounted and framed and hang it above my bed.

Turnin' Tricks At The Time:

($594, 3.1 Phillip Lim, Bleuclothing.com)

Also a thing of pristine beauty, although nowhere near as gorgeous as the Alexander Wang jacket. It could be winter forever if I had that to keep me warm.


Turnin' Tricks At The Hotel On Rivington:

($232, Plastic Island, Blondette.com)

So simple and little girl chic without being too barfy cutesy pie.


Turnin' Tricks At The Times Square Hilton:

($139, Asos.com)

I absolutely love this jacket, both because and despite the fact that it's named for my favorite trashionista namesake, Lindsay Lohan. And it's waaaaay cheaper than a Mike & Chris, which it totes looks like.



Turnin' Tricks In A Port Authority Bathroom:

($68, Roxy, Tillys.com)

Roxy would usually never be my thing, but this plaid grey coat is too cute. Tillys and Roxy -- who knew?

If You Like Herve Leger, You'll Love...

This shitty knock off!... Or not!

($75, Asos.com)

Surely we all remember Lindsay's infamous Herve Leger bandage dress from the Maxim Hot 100 party back in May.


I actually loved this dress. It's outlandish, but so is she, and I think she looked great in it and was smart to let the dress stand on its own and not add any flair or play up her make up. Regardless, as much as I LOOOOOOVE me some knock offs AND I LOOOOOOVE me some ASOS, their version is a shitty disgrace. I don't mind knock offs that are slightly inspired by the real thing (say, a pair of Steve Madden flats that are sorta inspired by Tory Burch), especially when the real thing is so trendy that it's not worth paying hundreds for. But I'm not into trying to pass off knock offs as the real thing, and this doesn't even come close. Usually ASOS is pretty good as making designer-inspired stuff that doesn't look totally regurgitated, but this is way off the mark. It looks like something you'd pick up at Rainbow or Mandee or something. Yuk. Help, ASOS! This is a totes SOS!

Early Week Shoe Binge

Some swoon-worthy shoes for you on this pointlessly humid Monday, the day before the celebration of the day of my birth!


($195, Maud, Pixiemarket.com)
I finally went into the ADORBZ Pixie Market on Stanton yesterday. I totally <3'd this Youtube clip for a tour -- the space is tiny, so this short clip pretty much covers it all (but the part where the owner refers to New York shopping as "boring" is so shitty -- the sort of thing that ONLY someone who owns a boutique in the LES would ever say. Barf.)


($79, Oh... Deer!, Modcloth)
So ridiculous that they actually almost work. Oh... Deer! is fast becoming one of my new fave shoe brands. I even actually sorta like these...
($39, Oh... Deer!)
I doubt I personally would wear them, but they're cool in theory.



(Apprx $297, Terrydehavilland.com)
If those Oh... Deer! heels are taxi-cab-inspired, then consider these Terry De Havilland heels school-bus-inspired. And speaking of Terry De Havilland, if you were, for some God-forsaken reason, considering purchasing the painted Pop Art mules you saw on Amy Winehouse, that bastion of good fashion sense, she:
(Apprx $692, Terrydehavilland.com)
They're $70 less on Asos.com. Now you know... But if you're gonna drop that much on shoes, why not make it two pairs, like...
($546, Dolce & Gabbana, Asos.com)
Looooooooove.


(Apprx $160 USD, Eley Kishimoto, Asos.com)
I believe I've posted these before, but they're on sale. And still! Still so beautiful!


($398, Pedro Garcia, Kateboutique.com)
Defs not on sale, but so classy. However, read the description -- awful.



($137, Bernardofootwear.com)
Serious shoe boner for these (via Shopalicious.)


(Apprx $6 USD, Office.co.uk)
And, finally... some fun frugal footwear.

Nitey nite!

Shoegasm & More Sexually Charged Objets

That's seriously the name of a chain of shoe stores here in NYC. Shoegasm. For real. The name is so effing horbs, and I have to give it this Yelper for stating perfectly what's so cringe-inducing about this mindless moniker:

"I really don't like when people put "gasm" on the end of nonsexual things to signify that they are in some way sexually satisfying. It's crass, and moreover, it's tired."

Word.

However, I'm now going to both lean upon a cliche and shoot myself in the foot (har) when I state that the following shoes basically did cause me to climax into a footwear frenzy:







They're both by Hetty Rose who creates MADE TO ORDER shoes from vintage Japanese kimono fabric. Let me say that again: the she makes MADE TO ORDER shoes from VINTAGE Japanese fabric. Shoes to fit ONLY YOU. And the fact that she's London based is just another reason why you won't see tons of other ladies on Ludlow in your very same shoes. They start at about $600 USD. Eek. Not cheap yet so gorgeous, they cast some bizarre infatuation-like spell that'd nearly possess me to worth fly over there first class to pick them up in person.

And now, more amazing stuff but nowhere near as amazing as those above shoes yet decidedly more affordable.


($474, The Jackson Twins, Lollipoplondon.com)
Wait, I take that back. These are totally expensy but possibly worth it. I've been seeing lots of Jackson Twins shoes lately, and I truly love everything I'm seeing. I love the not-too-tall heels (most all under 3"), subtle vintage touches and bright colors. Very similar to Faryl Robin.



($441, Beatrix Ong, Lollipoplondon.com)
Darling, but again, I'm rarely a fan of the ankle strap. I like these perhaps a bit better:



($59, Exchange By Charles David, Smartbargains.com)
Boo again with the ankle strap AND suuuuch a high heel, but then again, the price is right. Also, Smartbargains is having a 3 shoes for $99 sale. Wee! Stock up, bishes!



($59, Arturo Chiang Corina, Smartbargains.com)
Love these in black and in their silver version.



(Apprx $42 USD, Asos.com)
I've been coveting these for a while. I should prolly just get 'em, right??



($17, Soda, Lulusfashionlounge.com)
A good staple.



($275, AKA New York, Activeendeavors.com)
Not overly crazy about the lacy trim at the bottom, but it just looks so comfy and cool for the swampass summer weather.



($451, Paul Smith)
I've stated before that white people should usually not wear pale yellow. But IF a fair-skinned white person were to break my own personal rule, I might excuse if if it were on behalf of this dress.



($88, French Connection, Zappos)
I positively adore this top but plan on waiting for it to go on super sale. (Still waiting...)



($138, Original Penguin, Zappos)
Also very cute.



(Apprx $30 USD, Topman.com)
Cute, but also for dudes. I'm also going to try NOT to smirk at the name "Top Man."



($275, Antoinette Lee, Couturecandy.com)
A most beauts fall bag.


Now, two footwear mortses:


($79, Michael Kors, Smartbargains.com)
Worst.


($193, Loeffler Randall, Creaturesofcomfort.com)
The rare and evasive horbs Loeffler Randall item. Terrible.