Boho Threads & the grace of Yellow Tulips

Last week, it was warm. WARM, I tell you!! I seized the day, truly, and wore a new dress by Stella McCartney via Bergdorf Goodman. My favorite designer and my favorite store. How can this be? You know I am a thrifty girl. Later on that.

This is a dress that beckons the wind and says "Take me to the Beach!".

Well I wanted to comply, but real life sometimes gets in the way of the conversation( between me and my wardrobe). I did find a quiet spot, so rare in Manhattan, and enjoyed two resplendent patches of yellow tulips.

My raffia bag by Mar Y Sol is the perfect beach companion. It is also good for shopping outings and picking flowers. Did you know tulips are my very favorite flower?

I find the perfect flower and what happens? The wind kicks up, puffing up my sleeves and waistband. My skirt is held still by the beach bag. My hair gets tossed, and I feel as if I am near the beach, while I am just on an island. The island of Manhattan!

Summer is so close I can almost smell the salt in the air. And yet last night it snowed and today was windy and frigid.

The spinning carousel of weather, it turns and whirls.

Outfit details: embroidered dress via Bergdorf Goodman, sold out, but available here. Mar Y Sol Capri bag via eBay, available here. T strap sequined sandals here. Note: my dress is a children's 12, which is why it looks small in the link. It goes up to a 14 which will fit a size 2-4. Emerald Bracelets via KC Signatures.

By shopping in the children's department, I saved a mint!

Shop My Look

I realize that many can not or will not wear children's clothes. Here are some picks of other embroidered peasant dresses that I love.

From FarFetch:

Also from FarFetch :

From Zulily.com

This last dress would look gorgeous with my Capri bag by Mar Y Sol !

Happy Wednesday Loves! Sending hugs from Manhattan! XX, Elle

My Favorites List : Dresses with Grommets for SP16

Hello Loves! I hope you enjoyed a nice time with family over the Holiday weekend. I am starting out the week with My Favorites List. For Spring 2016, it is dresses with grommets, blush gowns, and denim paired with heels and gingham. And yellow, anything Yellow!

During my photo shoot I saw a lumbering aluminum vehicle snaking its way onto my street. My photographer caught my gaze, and we both went running towards the shiny object. I had a hunch this would look cool in this shot.

I am often dodging foot or vehicle traffic anyway. That is blogging, in the one of the most populous places in Manhattan, for you! Thank you quick reflexes!

Do you do this also. Plan on one location, and then when you head there, become inspired to shoot elsewhere?

I found this Grommet dress at Fox's. They have the BEST designer clothing, and their prices are truly fabulous. A small percentage of their inventory comes from Italy, where clothing is crafted and not churned out of dirty factories. This dress is by Babylon SRL and I will embed a YouTube video later so you can get to know this brand. I love finding new, and/or emerging designers ( especially since the price tag was $89.00, and made of silk) This is not a sponsored post, btw.

I wore it with a statement ring and Minaudière on a chain. A newsboy cap gave it a bit if an impish quality. The sheer panels added a bit of futuristic coquetishness, and perhaps this dress, only partially lined, is not for everyone. The grommets were placed strategically, so I was okay with it. I wore it to a party with fashion forward friends, and the consensus was thumps up!

A shot of the other side. I do like the metal panels behind me. That I did plan on. And I like the windows that reflect the city lights, too. The hammered cuff is older.

You might remember my recent shoe purchase! Love these booties!

Cool Metal vehicle!!!

Feel like browsing this Trend?

Love this dress By LIsa Perry. $545.

This is also on MY Favorites List, via Nordstrom.

This dress is well priced from Macy's.

More Grommeted pieces from Bergdorf Goodman.

I like this trend very much. It adds a bit of an industrial edge to what can be a very floral and soft season. I love that contrast. Please acquaint yourself with the makers of my silk dress, Babylon SRL with the video below. A good way to start your week!

\n","url":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLB_7oSxkHo","resolvedBy":"youtube","overlay":false,"floatDir":null,"providerName":"YouTube","description":{"html":"www.babylonsrl.it Track: Eliza G. \"Don't be afraid\" Video: Michele Nucci Ph: Daniele Guidetti ELIZA G - DON'T BE AFRAID is Under license of 7th wave publishing s.rl. Written by: ELISA GAIOTTO,PAOLO SIGNANINI,MARCO IARDELLA ,ENRICO RANALLI,LORENZO BERTELLONI.EMILIO CARRENO,ALAHIN DE ABREU. Arranged by: Saintpaul dj PUBLISHING : 7th wave publishing s.r.l. - Ed."}}" data-block-type="32" id="block-yui_3_17_2_1_1459124344291_54270">

Have a wonderful week loves! XX, Elle

Spring is the BOMB !

The snow is behind us and I am happy to the core , that spring is truly here. Still, cool mornings and evenings, require some layering, and isn't that what we fashionistas do best? I will start with some 3 season standards: Pleather or leather culottes, leather bomber, striped tee, messenger bag.

My perforated shoes are the giveaway that the warm temps are truly here. Despite the platform sandals, and the fact that I am standing on a bench, I am still standing on tip-toes! ( I am not in denial about my teeny tiny size, she says, lacking any conviction what-so-ever)!

And yes, I am standing in a bus stop where well mannered people sit and stare at their I phones. Did I use some anti-bacterial wipes to clean ,where my feet have been, after the shoot? Well that is for me to know, and you to ponder.

This particular day I had been a bit uptown, and then later, to the Upper East Side. Are you my Uber, I think? How many darn black suburbans are there In Manhattan, I wonder. Alot. So so many! A UUGE number. I know because I am expert, and therefore do not have to consult any other experts, because the number is (H) UGE. ( sorry, too much TV)

A glimpse of my light-weight, height enhancers! ( some call them shoes) Love the studs. A rare shot when someone is not in my space. Normally legions of passerbys are joining me in my photos. But my photographer is patient! Thanks Geraldo!

It is bright, so I added my old reliables. ( by that I mean my vintage Gucci sunnies, what did you think I was referring to?) My leather bomber jacket is off, I mean business now. The serious and happy business of Spring.

See my stripes! Spring!

See my smile. Spring!

I look a bit stiff, like a mannequin in a senior citizens shop, ( does AARP do retail?) tilted a bit by an addled shopper. Okay, I will hop back down to the street now. I have had enough fun for now.

My bomber is back on, but my scarf, so neatly tied in a bow, is now askew. That is okay, I like how it looks in the breeze. Spring is all about the breezes, and not caring if your perfectly tied bow becomes un-knotted, right? ( I think that is right, but maybe there is a panel of experts I should consult, maybe there is a recent poll...)

Now the shopping bag rests. ( I have a thing for Lavender and purple Bergdorf's bags) I know you want to know what is inside. And you will. Soon, after the caucus meets, and I get a expert opinion on when is the best time to announce such matters of such weight and import.

For those of you not following the US political circus, I apologize about my thinly veiled attempts at snark. Call it a coping mechanism.

Outfit details- Pleather culottes Zara, striped tee from CrewCuts. circa 2011, if memory serves. Vintage Gucci sunnies can be found on Ebay. You can refer back to this post for the link on the shoes. The paisley scarf was a gift from a friend. The leather bomber is by Knoles and Carter, also older. See the links below for additional shopping ideas.

You can take this look into summer by choosing culottes in cotton, and later to shorts. Swap the silk scarf for a cotton bandana. Keep the stripes though, it is not summer with out them!

SHOP MY LOOK

XX, Elle @theellediariesnyc

RECENTLY / in pictures

Happy Monday. I thought I would share a few city snaps to start the week. I hope you enjoy!

Flowers!!

Bloomingdale's windows.

Inside Bloomies. Love the hat!

A trio of images: Red sky at night, Pink blazer /stacked bracelets/ pleated skirt, Store window

Dinner Downtown at BOBO, the food and decor is fabulous!

How much are are these doggies in the window? ( Upper East Side)

And in the West Village ( Only in NY?)

So, like many cities, Manhattan comes in many flavors. Each part of Manhattan has its own personality. It is such fun to explore! Closing with a pop- art rendition of my photo inside of Bloomingdale's.

This is a message to you, my readers.

Today we were expecting snow, 4 to 6 inches. Drum roll, we got....... Nothing, Nada Squat. Just sunshine! Now this is a spring I can get I can believe in. I hope it is sunny where you are, and that only good things arebefore you!

XX, Elle

Manhattan Edge

So we have made to mid week! Is anybody out there as bone tired as I am? Maybe it is the lack of sleep last weekend, one precious hour, or the bump up in social life due to the longer days, but I am feeling overextended. The city lights seem too bright.

I had a quiet weekend at the beach on Long Island. Maybe it is just the contrast. Perhaps it is the news of a gunshot a few days ago in mid-day, very nearby, where I run most of my errands. Maybe it is the news of another suicide, another soul leaping out a window at the nearby Four Seasons, was this yesterday? Scary things are happening, everywhere it seems.

Seriously, I read the news. I know there is a lot going on. But the gunshot near me has me spooked.

Not just for me, but how it bodes for the city, in the wake of reduced funds for homeless shelters. I live a safe and privileged life, by most standards, but no one is safe.

No thinking person is untroubled.

So as I write this relatively trivial post, what I was wearing and why, it seems mindless. But maybe that is good. Paying too much attention to to the what ifs, and what is next, is a path to troubled blues. I am a light soul in general... so let me tell you about my outfit. K?

I layered. The warm temps dropped to high forties, from a high last week of 76. I wore James Jeans distressed denim, with my new embellished heeled boots. An old Chanel-like sweater, down to the zipper detail trim, and a soft- as- air cami.

This was later in the day, towards evening, and the city was bustling. This photo near my building has enough blank surfaces that you can discern my tweed, frayed denims, the flash of zipper and metal chain, and the rich overlap of details. I bought this beaded scarf for next winter, but wore it on a whim. I was glad I did, as the wind was stirring. Here is a close-up shot of the sweater that kept me warm, and my patchwork bag.

Above are details of the bottom half, but what I like most are the lights behind me, dusk meeting twilight and the flash of neons to punctuate the grey-black haze. The next shot, has me just a few steps away near the corner. Busy people everywhere, going places.

I hope they are going someplace good. I hope they get there safely. Now I am heading home to to get dinner ready for my husband. (did you notice the work cook was not mentioned?)
I think I will not watch, or listen to, any news. Maybe I will go up to the roof garden and get some city snaps. The perspective up there, is better.

From up there the jostling of limbs and engines may seems like a blur, and how small the people will look. People will seem smaller, and less vulnerable. Then I can remember all of the good things about this day.

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Outfit Details: James Jeans via LVIS in East Hampton, or similar here. Fringed cardi by P. LUCA via Workshop is sold out. Similar here . My Patchwork bag from Fox's is sold out, similar here. Suede booties with embellished heel sold out, similar here and here. My sunnies are vintage Gucci, similar here.

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Have a great day! XX, Elle

Pleats, Flowers, and Bows, oh my.

I did not mean to toss on so many trends when I put this outfit together. In, fact, nothing I am wearing is new, except for my pendant necklace from KC Signatures . My three year old Zara skirt still looks super fresh, and I love the lightweight metallic feel of it.

I take that back, my booties are new, from ASOS on sale recently. I love the heels that look like ice cubes, stacked perfectly on top of one another, waiting for a glass of lemonade or vodka, or lemonade with vodka.

My floral blouse is a bit dated, as an abstract floral. The newest florals are bolder, and more realistic, not rendered like brushstrokes like this old thing. But I care not. NOT at all, actually. Bad Bad Blogger.

I was thrilled to find my skirt 3 years ago. Prada has just produced one that I WANTED! I shopped it on line of course and saw that Top Shop had one much like it, in a pretty pink color. Prada's was blue, metallic blue if memory serves. I took the subway downtown ( no one who buys Prada take the subway- probably).

On the way to Prada, I rationalized that I would love and wear this skirt for years to come. Then, like a divine intervention, I fell into H&M. Who had, weird coincidence (?), the very same skirt, but in a metallic silver, that reads pale gold in certain light. Like a Prada skirt ( which I have only bought at Outlets or resale) it fits small and perfectly. And I was right, three years later I still love it!

It is hard to describe the hand of this fabric, it feels like a cross between linen, silk, and aluminum foil.

It is lightweight, as though it was made for space travel. I also bought a wool knife pleated skirt from Milly that year. It is a tad big, but it is lovely too.

I added an older blouse, and sash, tied it like a bow, and voilá, I was dressed. I did my up-do myself. It is a bit asymmetrical, but I was chill with that. So long as it did not get blown to bits by the wind. I used a couple of jeweled clips, too, that you may see one day. Super cute and perfect for an 8 year old girl! ( just add 5 decades and we are there.) Okay?

I added a cross-body minaudèrie for a dash of the geometric. ( Badgely Mischka, via Century 21, NYC) And now it appears I am standing sentry next to the velvet ropes.

Shall I let you in? Hmm. How much do you like my outfit?

( It is just a gym behind me, but a fancy one!)

My nail color is a bluish purple, Le Vernis 727 from CHANEL. I usually opt for more muted colors, but hey, it is Spring very very soon, and flowers will be coming up in this yummy shade; UNTIL THEN, I will wear it on my nails just to prompt Mother Nature..

I love adding a lightweight minaudèrie to an outfit, or a mini bag, too, is a fun accent. I just bought a new one from Fox's, a designer Off- Price store much like Century 21. The two below, both By Badgley Mischka came from these stores, the gold one bought most recently at $29.99.! Below, too, a better look at my pendant necklace which is rutilated blue quartz, surrounded by marcasite and yellow citrine stones, and strung on a hand-knotted chain of faceted semi-precious stones. I bought this at KC Signatures near Bloomingdales. ( for those of you who are not familiar with these 3 stores, take note!)

There you have it, another #OOTD from Elle, a veritable mash up of trends, lots of shine, and much happiness on this warm day. I am sending it to you. Can you feel it? :)

XXXXXXXOOOOOOOOOEllEXXXXXXXOOOOOOOOO