Pretty as a picture

Picture prints are refreshing change from the usual florals, plaids and geometric patterns. They definitely elicit second looks and grab your eye as you try to figure out what story they are trying to tell. Only if all those photo developing companies would let you put pictures on coats, skirts and dresses instead of just tshirts and mugs!

The deep claret red accents on the Havana sweatercoat are a perfect compliment to the charcoal-like drawing on the coat's bodice. All together, this piece is surprisingly neutral despite the intricate print.


The horse and carriage scene on the Sable Print Snap Dress would make for some ugly living room art. But put onto a shift dress and accented with a wide black border, the effect is decidedly modern and unexpected.

Not exactly a print, but the leather work on this Marc Jacobs bag should be appreciated as much as the whimsical scene it portrays. At first the cute little animals grabbed my attention, then I realized how much piecework and how many different colors of leather were involved in putting it together.

This TopShop skirt comes just in time for Halloween. Or you can wear it year round if you're into the goth thing.

Ugly things that make me want to cry

Normally I like to post things that I find beautiful. However, sometimes something catches my eye that I can't help sharing because it is that hideous. It started with the ruffle bottom leggings. And I figured I'd look for a few more items to make this a more complete post. I'm not listing the retailers (email me if you want to know), because they do normally carry fun merchandise. But yes, these are items you can buy now, and were found on contemporary clothing websites.

Colorful Winter Coats

It's been a tough year, and the thought of winter coming on doesn't make it much better. We all know you can't buy happiness, but who's to say a little color can't brighten your mood. Especially when it comes in an uber-cute winter coat. Here's a little preview of some of my favorites. Any of them are a nice change from the standard black wool peacoat.

Novica

I've always been a fan of National Geographic for its beautiful photographs and equally interesting stories. What might this have to do with fashion you might ask? Well, Novica (novica.com), in association with National Geographic, is an online store featuring over 2000 artists from around the world, bringing you everything from housewares to jewelry. Novica is a great resource for earthy accessories, but also has few surprisingly modern-looking offerings. It definitely is a great place to find beautiful, unique pieces.

I love the fluid curves of the various pendant and earrings pictured above, these pieces of jewelry could easily pass for something you'd find in an art museum store.

This streamlined leather handbag, made in Mexico, is a stylish option for everyday use, without being boring.




Neida Ambrosio pretty much has found a way to recycle soda pop tabs in the coolest way possible. Her accessories give new life to these little pieces of metal without making it look like a 6th-grader's Earth Day project. Check out more examples of her work on the Novica website.

Leather bracelets are a great way to jazz up a simple jeans and t-shirt outfit without looking overdone. Novica carries a pretty nice selection in a variety of colors.

Here's a necklace that is dramatic, yet could be worn day or night. The delicate airiness of the leaves keeps the bib design from being overwhelming.

Mismatched earrings

In the latest issue of 'Lucky Magazine' there was a small write-up about mismatched earring sets. It reminded me of a pair I had back in high school that I thought were the greatest things ever, with one earring being a star and another of the moon. I had forgotten about them until I saw the blurb in Lucky. Still a pretty cool concept after all these years I think, so I tried to put together a few complimentary pairs of my own. After some trial and error I've got a few tips on how to pull this off - 1) choose a theme, such as 2 interpretations of the same subject; 2) more 'natural' designs, rather than highly stylized ones, tend to make better complements; and 3) earrings made of unfinished gems or fragments of minerals also seem to make the most 'neutral' pairing partners. Who knows, maybe you have a few new pairs of earrings sitting in your jewelry box by mixing and matching what you've got already!

Nervous system jewelry

Founded in 2007 by two MIT grads, Nervous System (n-e-r-v-o-u-s.com) makes jewelry that uses patterns from nature as inspiration. Since the collection combines two of my favorite things- science and art- I was instantly drawn to it. I was pleasantly surprised to find that everything was very reasonably priced, especially considering how intricate each piece looked. Their process of generating the patterns for their jewelry also ends up creating dozens of unique designs within each style, so that you can choose the exact one that floats your boat.

The Filament necklace was inspired by the bifurcation seen when plants grow.

The custom dendrite is an item that you can create yourself. The algorithm that generates the pattern is based on how some types of corals grow. You get to choose the size of the circles, and then adjust linear and spiral forces on them to get a very cool, one-of-a-kind pendant.

The pattern of the Diagrid bracelet comes from the computer-morphed skeleton of radiolarians, which are microscopic creatures that are found in ocean water.

Another piece inspired by botanical bifurcation, the Undergrowth earrings almost look like a cross between a feather and the skeleton of a leaf.