Japanese Hair Accessories: Head and Shoulders Above the Rest

One of the things i love best about Japan is their dedication to hair accessories. As all of my readers know, I'm very into head gear. The bigger and the more elaborate - the better!

As an early Christmas gift, I got to pick out some gifts in Tokyo. So of course, I went straight for the hair accessories. I literally wanted to headdesk when I saw the difference in the prices. Seriously, I would have to pay at least twice as much for similar quality and style in the US.

Even better, I love that the selection I've found here is way more daring than what I've seen for sale in the US. Don't get me wrong I'm a HUGE fan of jennifer behr and and ban.do, but I feel like here I can get as crazy as all get out with my hair accessories. That might be because what I wear is tame compared to the everyday gear of some of your everyday Japanese.

Enough commentary though - onto the accessory porn! Once again, i apologize for the quality in model and photo. I'm in Japan without my digital camera (or Adobe Creative Suite) and well its the end of a long day of trekking merrily about Tokyo.

This one is definitely a night piece. It is really dynamic and huge and perfect for when I go out. I tried to capture it in the photos bus alas an iphone and a bathroom mirror are all I had to make it happen. It is made out of satin which makes it super shiny and the bows are bendable, so it is totally customizable. Well to a point anyway!

This one looks way better when I style it correctly. I love the 20s flapper feel of it and lately I've been kind of obsessed with Boardwalk Empire. It is only fitting then that I should get my hands on an accessory that is reminiscent of that era!

The "plainest" out of the bunch this reminds me of a designer piece I saw quite some time ago. I think it was Lanvin? I seriously cannot remember for the life of me right now. Ah jet lag the gift that truly keeps on giving. I just love how it is able to be understated at a distance and when you get closer it hits you right over the head with the details. Don't you agree?

Stranger at the Party: A Gifting Guide

- Things to Make and Do

Despite being terribly ill this weekend I had to attend a birthday party at someone's home in Brooklyn. It was my husband's friend's girlfriend's birthday so I was sort of obligated to attend. In my opinion, these types of events are sort of unusual as far as etiquette is concerned. Especially, as in this case as I only know the girlfriend in passing.

Would bringing a bottle of wine enough I asked myself? Am I supposed to get a gift? If it was one of my ever dwindling set of friends, I would know the right answer right away to these questions. As I was unsure, I went with my default bring a bottle of wine and pick up a gift under $20.

Normally, my go to gift is some type of hair accessory. It fills all of my requirements for the purchase of a gift for a person you do not know well. It is compact, it is one size fits all, and is mostly in good taste. The key here is to try to score something of quality on sale or if you are me pimp that ex-intern discount I have at a certain retailer. (If going the former route shopstyle is your friend - use it!)

Any one of these would be a great item to grab, well if the party you are going to is for a girl that considers herself fashionable.


1. Amanda Pearl - Leaf Headband ($20.40; Originally $68.00): This twisted wire and black sateen leaf headband is sure to please. It is simple and yet has a bit of an edge with the raw hem.

2. ban.do - ban.do heart ($15.00): I love this piece for reasons beyond it being a sequined heart. It is twofer - a hair clip and a pin! This keeps the options open for the intended, which is great when you are giving a gift to someone you do not exactly know well.

3. TopShop - Flower on Ribbon Headband ($6.25; Originally $25.00): It cannot get more vanilla than this white flower accompanied with a white ribbon. Sure not offend, but stylish enough to please the next one this is a no brainer.

These, however, are not guaranteed to fit the bill if the guest of honor is not female or is not a fashion die hard. What? People might have interests outside of fashion? I know crazy right, but I'm all about being prepared for all occasions. (Take my super detailed zombie outbreak attack plan for example.)

What do you do in this particular case of emergency? Take a tiny fact or something you noticed, and run with it. This will help you find the perfect gift or one close enough to at least peak the interest of the intended.

So, you have heard them mention something that might indicate that they are a greenie? Here are a few products sure to titillate and if they flop are at least conversation pieces.


4. MapTote - New York City ($15.00/$25.00; Natural/Organic): Everyone and their mother has a re-usable grocery bag. But do they have one with a map of NYC on it? I think not!

5. Move Collective - Bobble Filtering Water Bottle ($10.00): Greenies from all ends of the spectrum will instantly fall in love with this piece. It reduces plastic consumption by being a re-usable water bottle, and it actually increases its functionality with a built in filter! It is made of BPA free RPET (recycled plastic), and it along with its packaging can be recycled.

6. Flip & Tumble - Produce Bags ($11.00): One of the hardest ways to be green is at the supermarket. Produce bags are only available in plastic and hence not reusable really. These bags made of polyester are one designer's answer to that problem. Five are included in the pack, and even better you can wash your veggies inside them due their mesh construct.

Or maybe you heard them talking about Top Chef? Then these items are definitely going to intrigue their DIY cooking inclinations.


7. Crate and Barrel - Herb Keeper ($19.95): Not all of us are blessed with backyards or even a windowsill that can support an herb garden. More often than not when I'm forced to buy from the supermarket the leftovers tend to go unused. Then they go bad, but this Herb Keeper would change all that. This is a slam dunk as what cook wouldn't want to prolong the life of their herbs?

8. DIY - S'mores Kits (Price Varies): SHIM + SONS made the one pictured, but step by step instructions can be found here. This is the gift that keeps on giving, especially if you buy gourmet ingredients to kick it up a notch. The leftovers are for you to feast on!

9. Nordic Ware - Microwave Popcorn Popper ($8.99): I know this might not look like much, but this is a powerhouse of culinary potential in a very mundane package. It allows you to cook popcorn without using oil in minutes within the microwave! Also, better yet it allows you to make gourmet popcorn in your very own home! I highly suggest printing out some of gourmet recipes to go along with the gift to make it pop.

Ok maybe all you know about them is that they are we say in my family a "booze hound". Unless you know their poison of choice, I always suggest staying away from buying them alcohol. Accessories are a much safer and often more appreciated route.


10. The Curiosity Shoppe - Cork Screw Driver ($15.00): I am not sure how well this will work in every occasion, but if you are like me and break the cork this will be a lifesaver. Also, it is one hell of a conversation piece. People will be trying to open random things all night with it!

11. artecnica - alia bottle stopper ($12.00): Normally, bottle stoppers are pretty boring constructs of plastic and metal. This one would definitely class up the majority of wines from places like Trader Joes, and probably take a decent bottle down a couple of notches. But who cares - you have a flower growing out of as Micheal K. puts it the "sweet nectar"!

12. Suck UK - Key Bottle Opener ($14.00): This is what dreams are made of when you are trying to brown bag it. Or, are at a party and cannot for the life of you find the bottle opener. Either way the recipient of this lovely key chain is bound to be someone's knight/lady in shining armor sometime in the future.

Or maybe you heard them once locked in heated debate over which is the better New Who Doctor? Then any of these nerdilicous products will be sure to peak their interest.


13. Suck UK - USB Drive "Mix Tape" ($20.00): At 64MB it stores about an hour of music - as much as would be on a cassette back in the day! You can scribble all over it just like when you used make mix tapes. (Yes, I am old enough to have made a mix tape. I was mature for my age - that is it, yeah.) The geeky intended I'm sure will love the fact that their data can kick it old school.

14. Think Geek - App Magnets ($12.99): This can be a bit dicey if the person is not a mac head. But everyone and their brother has an Ipod, so it is a safe bet they will get a modicum about of enjoyment out of it. And if they don't, now they can pretend they do!

15. Fred Flare - Pac-Man Bandages ($9.00): Everyone loves Pac-Man. I mean Google even put it on their splash page for a day! It had every geek's technolust in overdrive, well that I know anyway. (Also, little known fact is that it is still up and playable here.)

Maybe you heard that they have a blog aka meaning they love to write. Then what better way to show tribute to their writing than a gift that encourages it? I mean writers love nothing more than to have their egos stroked - do they not?


16. Moleskine - Mini Notebooks ($6.99): Each of these 3 notebooks come with 64 pages for your intended to fill. Literati have used these for ages to record their ruminations on life, so why not give your giftee a shot?

17. hammer & daisy - mini notebook ($6.50): This notebook allows you to chose the cover! No matter the option you chose, each one will have about 20 pages at its owner's disposal.

18. paperwink - twenty ten lined notebook ($4.50): This one is a bit larger than the others. Its 40 pages are meant for those who have deep thoughts just like Jack Handy, but only relating to 2010.

For everyone else, there is always the iTunes gift card or certificate. That way they can ensure their account isn't being hacked for at least a little bit.

Got any great gift ideas under $20? Leave them in the comments.

What to Wear: Janine Basil Fascinators

Phillip Treacy's Rose fascinator sure has been making quite the rounds. Seen on both Pam Anderson and Heidi Klum lately - Fashionista was forced to ask who wore it better?


The question that I wanted to ask in return is how would you wear it? I mean we all cannot be Sarah Jessica Parker at the Sex in the City Premiere (I or II - take your pick). So, how do we get by with including funky headwear into our wardrobes?


Janine Basil that's how. Based out of the UK and operating a little under a year this designer has been getting press all over the place. Sometimes, even the unlikeliest of places like gawker's scifi blog io9.

Funky and functional her pieces are all about taking a risk and having a bit of fun with your wardrobe. As you can imagine, she has so many amazing pieces on etsy I found it hard to decide which ones to include! I guess that should say a lot about her awesome collection - no?

Enough chatter, onto the headpiece porn!

1. Tattoo Fascinator ($30.00): As long as it is 11-13 characters you can have whatever you want permanently "inked" on your heart tattoo. Can you think of a better way to commemorate your love - well I guess besides tangling with an actual tattoo artist's needle?


2. Floating Pink Butterflies Fascinator - ($35.00): One of Janine's strong points is creating whimsical sculpted pieces. Take this piece in particular, one wrong move and this could have been a contender for regresty. Lucky for us, this piece came out nothing short of amazing!
   


3. Pow Comic - Fascinator ($125.00): Finally a fascinator that does my enormous head justice. Covered in rhinestones this piece definitely screams personality, but do I have enough to wear it? I'll have to get back to you on that one.
   

Thoughts? Leave them in the comments.

Nerdgasm: colette x DC Comics

Nothing like writer's block to totally prevent any progress being made in the blog-o-sphere. I think watching Bridezilla has something to do with it. Seriously, that show is where all creative thought goes to die. I mean have you seen some of the weddings that are cranked out?

Luckily, I came across the colette x DC comics collection created to mark DC's 75th anniversary. It was damn near impossible for it not to break me out of my writing funk as it combined 2 of my most favorite things in the world: fashion + scifi. As you can imagine, I had a total nerdgasm!

My favorites were the ones that were inspired by the imagery, but didn't dwell on it or try to shoe horn their re-imagining onto it. They just let it happen and it turned out amazing.

1. Repetto x DC Comics - Ballerina Shoes (US Sizes 6 - 9; $251.14): Taking their inspiration from The Flash these flats are essential for any fashionista trying to make a mad dash across town. These gold lightening accented red flats will be sure to stand out amongst the sea of standard black flats out there. Also, seeing as they are from Repetto you are guaranteed an amazing comfortable fit!


2. Alexis Mabille x DC Comics - Joker Bow Tie ($167.43): The name just about spells out this item's inspiration. Though more menacing than jolly this bow tie is still nothing short of adorable. Or maybe my version of cute is just as warped as that of the Joker?


3. Karl Lagerfeld x DC Comics - Gloves (Sizes 7-7.5; $591.97): Green Lantern does not exactly jump to the forefront of your mind on first glance, but these gloves are amazing. The more you look at it the more it becomes clear that these were inspired by GL iconography. Lagerfeld after all is known for his amazing ability to tap into iconography to create pieces that use the mythos as building blocks for his own amazing ends.
   


4. Lanvin x DC Comics - Tee Shirt (FR Sizes M - XL; $179.98): Combining the seriousness of Batman with the cuteness of a pug is just the type of insanity that always keeps calling me back to Lanvin. No one else could have managed to capture the seriousness of Batman and the absurdity of comics better!

The ones I was not too fond of either lacked the creative spark or just did not understand where to go with the iconography. Interestingly enough, these pieces were those inspired by characters with the most clear cut imagery associated with them - Superman and Wonder Woman.

1. Maison Michel x DC Comics - Headband ($275.06): This piece inspired by Wonder Woman's tiara just falls flat for me. You all know I am obsessed with headpieces so I was excited to hear there was one included in the collection. I am also a huge Wonder Woman fan, so this should have been a slam dunk. Maybe you just need to see it on?


2. Pierre Hardy x DC Comics - Bag ($1793.06): This was the only piece in the collection I absolutely hated. It just seems so unnecessary and poorly designed. It is supposed to show the duality of Clark and Superman personas, but overall it just looks like they slapped the logo on a bag they had in production. I mean it could have been a really interesting piece since you know Clark/Superman had to constantly change clothes!
   


3. Julien David x DC Comics - Scarf ($382.69): Inspired by Superman's logo this item was borderline for me. I just feel like they could have done more with it than make a scarf that looks like I could have bought it at 6 Flags Great Adventure.
   


4. Sonia Rykiel x DC Comics - Dress (US Sizes 6 - 8; $1076.31): This dress seriously is a disappointment. I really do not know where to begin, but it takes all of the awesome out WW and replaces it with twee. Sonia Rykiel is about the softer side of femininity and I get that - but this was just not a good match up. There is just no excuse when the end product looks like a bastardized version of Sailor Moon cosplay design.

This post has brought me to another point. I think there are tons more people out there like me that love sci fi and fashion. I mean love her or hate her Lady Gaga is practically the walking representation of it! So, every once and awhile a scifi post might pop up amongst all the great fashion dish. I hope you don't mind dear readers!

Fascinating Fascinators Anonymous

Hi, my name is Lauren and I am hair accessory fanatic. Jennifer Behr is normally my drug of choice, but for the purposes of the post I forced shaky to type something other than her url into my browser. What I discovered is nothing short of amazing.

Jeweled Embellishments: "Rich and rare were the gems she wore..." - Robert Moore


1. sereni & shentel - bow down, bridzilla is here ($60.00): I absolutely adore this headband because it literally is a bow sandwich! The layered construction, furthermore, is what takes it out of the realm of cutesy into the world of stylish objects.

2. Brett O'Mahoney - Minnie ($185.00): This piece reminded of pure old hollywood glamor. I love the fact that the designer chose earth tone colored stones for the embellishment, because by grounding it she kept it from traversing into chintzy.

Delicate Flora: "Just living is not enough. One must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower." - Hans Christian Andersen


3. Handle & Spout - White and Pastel 5 Flower Set ($65.00): Mix and match sets are never a favorite of mine, because I always feel they are ad hocked. This piece made me change its mind with its soft elegant design.

4. Claudia Griffiths - gisele headband ($195.00): Go big or go home is one of my phrases to live by and so how could I not love this headband? The best thing about it could be worn with everything from jeans to an outfit for a night on the town. Not many of my hair pieces are that transitional!

Serious Hardware: "It's about putting the pedal to the metal and not asking any questions at all and just going for it." - Brandon Thomas


5. Comme les Moutons - Magdalena ($118.00): If you are looking for a statement piece, well look no further. Those bursting with personality or even those that would like to feign some will defiantly find what they need in this piece.

6. ban.do - mad for joan ($300.00): A bit on the softer side true, but this piece requires just as much hutzpah to get it out the door. The vintage metallic trim gives it a Victorian flair, which makes it perfect for everything from casual to evening.

Flirty Trim: "The exhibitionist loves to flirt with shame.” - Mason Cooley


7. Comme les Moutons - Ginevra ($45.00): Demure until you think about it, this piece's french maid like ruffles will be sure to peak the interest of others. What can I say? I love a conversation starter!

8. ban.do - J ($50): Flirty and fun are the key words that describe this piece. Young knows no folly - right? If you think so, then this piece is definitely for you!

Like it? Love it? Need it? Hate it? Leave it in the comments!

Brunch: The Most Important Meal Of the Day

The weather if you live in NYC has been amazing these past few days. I, personally, spent Friday afternoon on my patio with a blood orange mimosa in one hand and banana cupcake in the other. I guess unemployment has its benefits sometimes!

Mimosas, I have to note, are not just for celebrating they also go hand in hand with one my favorite meals: Brunch. I am in love with this meal as it is one of the few socially acceptable occasions to drink with breakfast. (One of the others being St. Patrick's Day Parade Days - case in point the bars in Hoboken opened on last Saturday at 9:00AM.)

I also love brunch because it is one of those magical times where chicness and comfortability go hand in hand. There was no better place to observe this then in the Meatpacking District at Markt. Sadly, however, it has since moved on and been replaced by an Apple Store. I have yet to find a place that I enjoyed as much, but my love of brunch is still going strong to this day.

If you ever caught me out on a Sunday my outfit would look a lot like something like this:

1. ASOS - Contrast Trim Ponti Blazer (US Sizes: 4 - 16): $85.47

I adore this jacket for two reasons: the red piping and the military inspired motif.

2. Banana Republic - Weekend Chino (Sizes: 2 - 16): $59.50

I normally hate pants with a passion, but brunch is one of those times that I never mind throwing a pair on. Maybe it is just the simple fact that after a night out I can't be bothered to wriggle into leggings or tights? I'm not sure. Plus, these ones actually look like they are midget friendly and as such I would not have to worry about the crotch being too long.

3. Fendi - 'Peekaboo' Satchel: $2,990

Oh this is definitely on my list for things to buy when I win the lottery. I like to chose clean simple lines whenever I invest in high end designer handbags, and this fits my requirements to a T. Why do I do this? A truly fashionable piece is timeless and I will not buy something in that price range if I cannot wear it at 75.

4. Thomas Pink - White Megan Women's Shirt Double Cuff (Sizes: 4 - 20): $250.00

I love button ups for brunch, because they can go from modest to sexy with a flick of a button. This one in particular is especially stylish and versatile due to the double cuff on this one and black piping.

5. Melissa by Vivienne Westwood - Rubber Ballet Flat: $130.00

Flats are essential for brunch for me at least, because afterwards I normally have to traverse the city to take care of last minute errands. I have a couple of friends who think flats are boring, but these rubber ballet flats from Melissa by Vivienne Westwood are anything but! The peephole in the front toe is on trend, the rubber material makes it durable, and the black button in the shape of wax seal makes them unique. A definite stunner in my book.

6. Gianfranco Ferre - Luigi: $325.00

Sunglasses are essential to brunch for three reasons: block out the sun while sitting outside, they allow you to covertly people watch, and if you are like me disguise your hangover. These are a bit different then your normal oversized sunnies, but I really love the way they bring this outfit together.

7. Jennifer Behr - Double Delicate Chain Link Headwrap in Gold: $68.00

I am a huge fan of Jennifer Behr's headbands. I have yet to come across a company that makes hairbands at their level but with the same balance of sophistication. I especially love this one because it can easily be paired with a messy bun and look pulled together.

8. VintageSparkles - Antique Sterling Victorian scroll Pocketwatch necklace: $225.00

I, personally, would wear this pocket-watch as a necklace. I already have one that I wear all the time but unfortunately there is no timepiece inside the casing. That never keeps people from constantly complimenting it and I am sure they would do the same as well for this amazing piece.

Well that is how I see dressing for brunch, what about you?