YMC/ You Must Create Created The Perfect Spring Trench

Utilitarian British brand YMC's (You Must Create) -- they remind me of Madewell if Madewill made clothes for men and womenfolk too -- just released their Spring collection, and the anchor piece is their trench coat. It's everything I want in a trench  -- perfect fit, excellent tailoring, Angie Dickinson leanings, POCKETS, OBVIOUSLY -- PLUS Paddington Bear toggles.

Izzy Lane For Topshop Coats Look Way Warm, Way Wonderful

Topshop's going all ethical, which is nice! -- with their Izzy Lane wool collaboration. Founder Isobel Lane makes her wool from her own flocks of endangered primitive breed sheep in the Yorkshire Dales, which is totally what I would do if I were really nice and had a lot of time to do nice things.

How perfectly "smart," as the Brits say, is this faux-fur-trimmed boyfriend coat? I love when other people do nice things for me, so this is totally perfect.

$390, Izzy Lane For Topshop

$200, Topshop

Another Topshop winter coat. The faux-fur is detachable! You don't see enough rust-colored coats with detachable bits, you know?

$440, Unique, Topshop

So dramatic!

You're Lookin' At The New Owner Of A Faux Leopard Print Minnie Mouse Coat

Now how one becomes the owner of a vintage faux leopard print coat with Minnie Mouses scattered happily across is no accident. No accident at all. It's fate.

Thursday morning I was waiting for the train here in Brooklyn. Then, like a freaking ORACLE, this woman walks by wearing this faux fur coat with MINNIE MOUSES printed all over it. I noticed the coat first, and I expected her to be a batshit baglady, but she was totally pulled together and looked RAD. She was probably late-40s, early 50s, and looked like the SHIT. Anyway, I was like, what is that? Jeremy Scott? Jean-Charles de Castelbajac or something? Asish? I paused my game of Word Mole (at which I RULE, by the way), and I snapped a photo of her. Idiotically, the flash and shutter sound effect were both on. Nice one, Tams. Anyway, she didn't notice, but some people around her did. I wheeled around and walked very quickly, in a way that surely called attention to myself and my failure to be covert in any way, and I headed toward the front of the train. (And finished my Word Mole game. And I thought. I thought about that coat).

Anyway, I Googled "animal print Mickey Mouse coat" later that day, and GUYS I'M NOT KIDDING! IT CAME UP ON ETSY!!!!! Not the exact same coat, but almost. It was reserved for someone, but it looked like that someone slept on it because it'd been on hold for almost a month. I emailed the owners, Tarantula Sisters (who have some amazing vintage, btw), who confirmed that the original reserver was no longer interested (SUCKER!), and they sold it to me for $100 (someone on this Ebay message board paid $500 for one back in the day). SAME. FREAKING. DAY, guys!


Anyway, will I look like a wackadoo bag lady in it? Probably. Or a '70s pimp from a Blacksploitation flim? Or worse -- someone from Williamsburg? I'm sure. But I DON'T CARE! This jacket was MEANT to be mine. This must be how those dudes on "Pawn Stars" feel when they open a cardboard box marked that says, like Brawny paper towels on the outside, and it's filled with some total treasure on the inside. And should I happen to see that woman from the train who led me to my own treasure I'll nod in thanks... and pretend not to notice if someone takes a camera phone photo of me from behind.

This Trench Coat Grew A Beard

($380, Topshop)

That's what happened here, right?

I Dream Of: Wren's Leopard Fur Coat

($795, Wren, Shopbird)

The leopard fur coat. It's so classic, so decade-unspecific. So Anne Bancroft-classy and at the same time so old-lady-with-a-cigarette-hanging-out-of-her-mouth-and-waving-a-flyswatter-around crazy.

But mainly, I just love how dreamy a leopard print coat can be. What's under it? Who cares. The coat is the outfit.

I Dream Of Diane Von Furstenberg

($725, Diane Von Furstenberg, DVF.com)

I both dream of and die for this Diane Von Furstenberg navy sequin coat from the Diane Von Furstenberg Fall 2010 collection. Well, I die figuratively for it. Not literally. No coat is worth actually dying for. I knew I loved sequins, but I never knew I could love navy so much. I'm constantly amazing myself, aren't I? 

Diane Von Furstenberg coat

($495, Diane Von Furstenberg, Saksfifthavenue.com)

Please also note the excellence of the Axelle DVF sequined cardigan, which comes in black and navy. Normally I'd go for black sequins, but since I already own a black sequined cardigan and a black sequined t-shirt, I'd go for navy. Also, navy's apparently having a moment this fall.

Anyway, since I'm now clearly on a DVF binge, please enjoy my grown-up girl dress that I bought this summer. It's the DVF Anina khaki silk shirtdress, and it looks casual, but it's really not. It's basically a gorgeous earthy canvas that you can style approximately 17,032 different ways.

I bought my DVF Anina dress (on sale!) at Diane T., which is a really nice boutique in Cobble Hill. It's kind of like a touch on the more conservative/mainstream side than is Bird. And a hair more affordable.

Finally, I TRULY think someone should buy me this Diane Von Furstenberg leather wrap dress (!!!!). I've worked very hard this year, I've been a very good girl, and I always finish all of my broccoli before asking for dessert.

($945, Diane Von Furstenberg, NeimanMarcus.com)

Hayden-Harnett: Surprise Sample Sale!

I left the last Hayden-Harnett sample sale empty-handed, but they made up for it with this sale. They announced it on Tuesday afternoon on Facebook, but sadly I wasn't able to get down to the Nolita store until last night after work. It was obvious from the largely empty racks and the disaster-zone dressing room that they'd had quite a crowd during the day. Amazingly enough, the sale featured actual samples from the fall 2010 line, meaning mostly small sizes. And yet...she shoots, she scores!


The salesgirl was sort of instrumental in convincing me to buy this cool bomber, the Cromwell jacket, in charcoal herringbone. It also comes in brown (below, far left):



Only $60, and guess what it retails for? $538! Jeebus. (Methinks H-H's price points are a wee bit high, but their sample-sale prices, in this case, were just right.) In any case, I win. Is it time for wool jackets yet?



I also got a cozy, cropped sweater vest (above right, worn open). Love that scoop neck! And the zipper! Needed no convincing. $60. No word on retail price, as it's not on the H-H site yet. After a long, annoying day, that's what you call retail therapy, folks.

Some other things from the fall collection that I'll be on the lookout for at the next sale:


Welles large hobo tote, $544, and I guess a Welles hobo/cross-body bag (as yet unavailable)—love that poppy color!



Pistol & Dagger scarf, $95, in many awesome fall colors.



Coats and jackets galore!

The sample sale is at the Nolita store in NYC, on Elizabeth between Houston and Prince, and runs through Sunday, from 12-8 each day. Everything is $20-$70. Long live Hayden-Harnett!