The Fruits of the Baekeland family...

To say that the Tom Kalin film Savage Grace (based on the book by Natalie Robbins and Steven M.L. Aronson) is harrowing would be an understatement. Not exactly sure what compelled me to see a film about mother-son incest and timeless decadence last night but the one good thing that came out of this film about the true story of Barbara Daly Baekeland and her social climbing ways is that I got into a bit of a Bakelite searching frenzy. This material created by Leo Baekeland made his family rich but this fortune ultimately ruined the third generation Baekelands (Barbara was the wife of Brooks Baekeland, grandson of Leo...). I think I'll ignore the incest, murder, depression, adultery and suicide and concentrate on the shiny plastic accessories unearthed on eBay and Etsy...

Still, Savage Grace is a superb film even if it does at times make you feel so uneasy you need to look away. Everything is visually lush and it goes without saying that there's some fine clothes in it too, though probably more interesting from a menswear perspective...

Plaid Jumper From TopShop

Plaid, plaid, plaid. I love plaid. Through out my trip in Europe I have picked up no less than four items covered in plaid.

In Belfast I wandered into thrift shops and cheap trendy stores and found a plaid dress with a voluminous skirt, a thick plaid fitted button-down and a plaid vintage corset soon to be worn with jeans. I also purchased an overpriced plaid romper from TopShop in London.

To veer away from plaid for the moment, I was not impressed with TopShop. Quality is lacking in 80% of the merchandised but priced retarded high. $300 for a thin hounds tooth coat with buttons hanging off it? I think not.

Also, the Kate Moss section of the shop had very little to offer and the price point averaged 130 pounds ($260). Obscene I tell you. Mostly because it is supposed to be an inexpensive store. The only thing I saw there that was cheap were the seams.

On a positive note, there were a few cute pieces for sure and some of the leather jackets were quite lovely.

Back to plaid, I love it! The only warning I would say is no short girly plaid skirts: too outdated. If you want a plaid skirt, veer towards a high-waist pencil skirt. Chic!

High Drama!

A look from Bill Blass’ Fall 2008 ready-to-wear collection

Chanel Iman (in 3.1 Philip Lim), Eve (in Emanuel Ungaro) and Eva Longoria (in Marchesa) stop traffic in their dramatic outfits.

It’s not enough to just walk into a room looking fabulous. Nowadays your outfit has to shout it from the rooftops! The classic black dress is all good and well but when you really want to make a show, opt for something theatrical. Many of the Fall/Winter 2008 collections during New York Fashion Week were filled with high-neck collars, fanciful frills and dreamy chiffon ruffles. Bill Blass’ collection, for example, is the epitome of dramatic flair though if you’re not too sure you can get away with such an exuberant entrance look to Victoria Beckham and Charlize Theron who took this look to the streets. Try this Sheer Ruffle top by Wetseal.com. For those of you who love the attention, take a leaf out of Chanel Iman, Eva Longoria and Eve’s style books. They definitely know how to put on a show.

Sarah Mann Jewelry

Jewelry Designer and Metalsmith

Sarah Mann is fascinated by the creative and technical challenges of transforming sterling silver into objects of adornment. She is proud to carry on a family tradition in the crafts, and pleased that this enables her to exercise her talent no matter where she lives. She creates clean straightforward designs that often incorporate kinetics.





'Astral' Sterling Silver Ring

A dreamy band of brushed sterling silver punctuated with otherworldly designs.

$130



Sarah was introduced to metalsmithing at the University of Wisconsin in her hometown of Milwaukee. She furthered her interest under the expert guidance of Heikki Seppa at Washington University in St. Louis, and the craftspeople at Fuji Studio in Florence.





Collapsible Ring

Brushed sterling silver ring with unique design. Movement and flexibility makes for a comfortable fit. Narrow ring has one bar instead of two.

$150



Sarah then lived in New Orleans, where she worked amid its thriving community of metalsmiths and honed her skills in preparation for a transition to New York City. The dynamic nature of the city inspired the strong form and kinetic design of her pieces.





Jester Cuff Links

Sterling silver cuff links with a patina enhanced surface texture.

$105



Sarah Mann has recently returned to her roots in the Midwest and continues her silversmithing there, creating bold yet elegant jewelry with unique surface treatments. The jewelry that she designs and handcrafts skillfully merges geometric and organic elements to create a style that is recognizably her own.



Mann realizes fully the broad potential of sterling silver. She crafts her jewelry with torch and tools - saws, files, pliers, nippers, drills, hammers, dapping blocks, and a rolling mill - then gives it with a range of hues through delicately controlled oxidation. The combined effect of patina on texture is a signature characteristic of all Sarah Mann jewelry.



Sarah introduces a new jewelry collection - earrings, necklaces, pins, bracelets, and rings - about every ten months. She carefully crafts each piece, and presents it as one of a limited edition. "Raw sterling silver cries out to me, begs me to convert it into bold jewelry with subtle finishes. Of course, I must obey."

See full article.





Related Entries:

Jewelry Career Resources - 08 August 2006

Native American Inlay Jewelry - 14 January 2008

Caroline Ballou Jewelry - 26 May 2008

Stephen LeBlanc Art Jewelry - 27 May 2008

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Baltimore Gets Beautified!

Beauty Night Out (BNO) is an exclusive beauty event hosted by SinPR that offers savvy women an evening of spectacular shopping, out pampering, cocktails, and product samples. Indulge and splurge on spa treatments, massages, mini-manicures, boutique shopping - all in a fun, upscale and carefree atmosphere. This is only the second BNO event in Baltimore so be on of the first to join the movement. See the details below or click here to visit the official site.

When: Saturday, July 19th 2008
Time: 6pm -9pm
Where: Maserati of Baltimore, 1628 York Road Townson, MD
Cost: $15 in advance/$25 at the door

Dear Daddy Likey: Don't Make Me Pull A Kim Kardashian

Dear Daddy Likey,

I'm so happy that you've found a swimsuit that you love, and that flatters a part of your body you're not thrilled with. But I have a different problem altogether. My waist measurement is a 26 but my hips are a 42, meaning that I don't mind wearing bikinis because my stomach is okay, but my hips and thighs are all wobbly and squishy and dimply. (Cute, I know.) And there is NO swimsuit for that problem! I hate having to wear a sarong until the second I get into the water, and I don't want to go all Kim Kardashian and actually TAKE A TOWEL INTO THE WATER WITH ME, but I don't know what else to do!

Please help me! Are there any creative solutions? I can't think of ANYTHING!

Signed,
Stacy Sa-Wrong

Dear Stacy,

I'll be honest. My response to your query started out along the lines of, "Own it, girlfriend! Don't let anyone make you feel bad about your squishyness! Woo! Girl Power!" But then I realized that if I asked someone for advice about swimwear that camouflaged my stomach, and they said, "Wear a bikini! Own it, girlfriend! Don't let anyone make you feel bad about your Jack Black-sized gut! Woo! Girl Power!" I would have to track them down and strangle them with a conservative one piece.

So, with that in mind, I came up with a couple more realistic, less annoying suggestions for you.

Swim Skirts and Swim Dresses

For many of us, the term "swim skirt" triggers traumatizing visions of frumpy grandma suits, but a couple weeks ago, my friend Jess bought this swimsuit and showed me the light:

It's even cuter in real life, seriously. The gold details around the bust and the ruching at the waist really stand out.
Black Gold Stud Halter Swimsuit, ON SALE for $39, torrid.com

When she came over to show me and take a dip in the pool (which, because it's located in a condo complex with a large retiree population, has seen its share of scary swim skirts), I was blown away: it was glamorous, flattering, unique, sexy, and SKIRTED. And here's the thing, it wasn't glamorous, flattering, unique and sexy in spite of the skirt, but the skirt actually contributed to all of those things. Paradigm. Shifted.

My beautiful plus size readers can enjoy Jess' lovely swimsuit above and the equally chic skirted suit below:

Hot-Pink Star Print Halter Swimsuit, also ON SALE for $39, torrid.com

This one is so cute I want to wear it everyday, not just to cover up a little extra junk in the trunk:

How cute would it be with a simple black bikini top?
Coral Floral Flirt Skirt, $28, venus.com

Adjustable Gottex Skirted Bikini Bottoms, $74, nordstrom.com

If you like the look of the skirt above, but prefer not to spend so much, this two piece set is only $18:

Going Dotty Swimwear, Target.com

How freakin' amazing is this swimdress? You could wear it to the Oscars, and then go for a dip in the pool, and then wear it to the Grammys. SO chic.
Anne Cole Swimwear Shirred One Piece, $112, nordstrom.com

Also check out this amazing DKNY swimdress, which is kind of cuter than any of the regular dresses I own, on sale at Macy's.

Board Shorts

These can be a little tougher to work into your swim wardrobe unless you already prefer a more athletic look, but with a million different cool prints and varied lengths, you're sure to find one that fits your style.

Board shorts are a much better option than wearing a towel into the water, if just for the simple fact that you won't be clinging to a giant waterlogged piece of cotton while sinking to your death and shrieking "Don't look at my thighs!!" Pair them with a bikini top or slip them over a one-piece, and you've got yourself a hip-covering and functional swim ensemble.

Here are two bright and crazy options (my personal favorite), but just google "boardshorts" for about seven billion different options, including solid colors, designer, and knee-length styles.

Billabong Flower Child Board Short, $38, swell.com

Roxy Polka Party Boardshort, $37, amazon.com

Feel free to share your suggestions for Stacy in the comments!

Fight the Powder? Not Anymore.

I don't know why I bought Clinique's Almost Powder Makeup. Well, that's a huge lie. I do know why: I bought it because the salesgirl was wearing a lab coat which made me believe anything she said, and she said that buying this powder would change my life. She also waved a free gift in front of my face and said it could be mine if I pre-ordered the powder (it has been documented here before that I have the willpower of a particularly impulsive Jack Russell Terrier).

And so, despite the fact that I have never bought or liked powder makeup, I became the owner of an allegedly life-changing compact full of it.


This poor impulse purchase languished in my makeup drawer for quite sometime until a couple weeks ago I realized that my usual tinted moisturizer was not doing so well in the summer heat.
The color didn't match my darker skin tone and the liquid formula was routinely transforming into a sweaty sludge.

Panicked at the prospect of choosing between no skin protection in the searing heat and spending another $30 on makeup, my mind flashed to the lonely green compact. It wasn't liquid, and it was already paid for. Perfect.

I brushed some on over my sunscreen and while it didn't save the polar bears, it kind of did change my life: it was light and flattering and evened my skin tone beautifully. It didn't turn into sweaty sludge on contact. It didn't clog my pores. It didn't make me look like Sean Patrick Flanery in Powder, which was a huge plus. (In other news, I just realized that Sean Patrick Flanery's initials are SPF--coincidence? no. way.)

Perhaps it's only so great because it's Almost Powder Makeup rather than Powder Makeup, but whatever the reason, I've been wearing it almost every day (heh, heh, see what I did there?). I'm pretty sure I'll go back to tinted moisturizer in the winter (the idea of scraping powder onto my ashen January skin is enough to give me nightmares), but for now, I'm quite happy with my excellent, impulse-purchased complexion.