pops of color

I guess it's a trend for fall or whatever, but I've really been into wearing pops of color lately. I came across these sweet brogues while on a mission to score a pair of velvet loafers to wear with my smoking jacket. Just kidding, no smoking jacket... yet. The teal EVA (that's ethylene-vinyl acetate, by the way) sole is so unexpected and totally awesome. Definitely my kind of twist to the classic shoe style. I think they'd make a fabulous addition to my weekend wardrobe, and would be great to have on-hand for those days when getting dressed for work, or simply putting on heels is a little too complicated for my brain to handle.

ultimate inspiration

I thought it would be fitting to start this thing off by sharing my ultimate style inspiration. This iconic photograph shot by Helmut Newton of Scandinavian model Vibeke wearing a "Le Smoking" suit by Yves Saint Laurent appeared in French Vogue in 1975, and has been a major influence on my personal style for as long as I can remember. Every once in a while I will fall in love with a floral pattern or the color pink, but at the end of the day my style is strongly rooted in an intense love affair with menswear-inspired clothing. So much that I often find myself in the men's section looking for things to wear, and ways to recreate the power of this particular photograph.