Philosophical Dilemma Resolved

First off, I apologize for having no photos on this blog. I tried to upload some photos of the objects of desire I referenced in my last post, but they came out very pixilated. I'll have to get some tech help, but my goal is to get pics up soon.

So, I took a lap through the Fashion Mall last night, and soon realized that, at least for the moment until my fashion exploration of the city is more complete, I'll likely have to supplement my Indianapolis shopping with online. Until Saks beefs up its contemporary offerings and adds lines like Tory Burch, Alice & Olivia, Thread Social and Philip Lim, I just don't think it's going to be able to be my "one-stop shop" department store. And French Pharmacie is great, but by its very nature a boutique. Yes, it's well-edited, but by its very nature not a broad enough selection to meet all my needs.

I did have some success at Saks, in the shoe department. Their shoe department truly is great. No, it's not large enough to have its own zip code like the NY Saks, but it'll certainly do. I picked up the chunky heeled Tory Burch pumps, in both black and brown. At first it felt excessive to get both colors, but I know come fall I'll be very happy I did. And, they were reasonably priced, so 2 pairs of the Tory pumps was like 1 pair of Jimmy Choos. At least that's how I justified it.

Happy Labor Day! No more white pants or shoes, or Lilly Pulitzer. Put it away, now.

Fall Wishlist

Ok, so I'm totally lusting after a few key items for fall.

1) This amazing ring I saw at French Pharmacie - a big, pink stone set in rose gold. Very minimalist, but makes a statement.

2) Black sequined Tory Burch sheath. Somehow I think I would wear the black version more than I've worn my gold one. I can see it for a "regular" night out with boots. Can you tell I'm rationalizing? Seriously, I don't think it has to be super dressy.

3) Black patent chunky heeled Tory Burch pumps. Very Mary Tyler Moore...

4) Very cute Alice and Olivia dress with brown turtleneck top and slightly sparkly, poofy skirt. I believe I could sport this one to work. Also very MTM (sensing a theme here).

5) Brown Tory Burch leather coat with gold buttons. Gorgeous - with jeans, or dressy.

Now I have a philosophical decision to make. If I'm going to be all about IndyStyle, does that mean I can only shop in Indy? I'm thinking that before I take the plunge and purchase any of these objects of desire, I should at least thoroughly exhaust what's here...hmmmmmmm. At least a trip to French Pharmacie is in order, I think.

Yesterday - A Strike Out

Yesterday found me taking two fashion excursions. I popped into the Circle Centre Mall at lunch time, where a quick swing through left me underwhelmed. Even Nordstrom, usually a good bet for something interesting, left me cold.

Post-work, I decided to make the trek to Lafayette Mall - yes, Lafayette Mall...sometimes you have to scrounge a little for fashionable finds - for a visit to Steve & Barry's to see if anything fun from Sarah Jessica Parker's Bitten line had arrived yet for fall. I love the Bitten concept - nothing's over like $30, and there are some cute pieces in the line. I've found the fit can be a bit funny, but I did buy a very 60s-influenced little jacket for spring/summer that I'm quite happy with. I've seen editorial coverage of a mod-ish coat for fall that also looks pretty cute.

Anyway, my recommendation if you head to Lafayette Square is to make it a surgical strike. There's nothing else in this mall worth a look, unless you want a grill. For your teeth, that is. Park by the Food Court entrance, and make a beeline right for Steve & Barry's.

But don't go yet. None of the good SJP stuff for fall has arrived yet. I'll keep checking, though.

Chic-o-phobia Strikes

The September issue of Vogue spends a lot of time examining a phenomena called "chic-o-phobia" - women afraid to be too chic, for fear of overdressing or looking like they are trying too hard.

I soon realized, I've become a victim. Since I've moved to Indianapolis, a lot of my chicest clothes have stayed in the closet, because my life is just more casual. I have one jacket, purchased just before I left Chi-town, that I haven't even worn yet. Thank God for Artsparkle - I finally got to wear my Tory Burch sequined sheath. I felt slightly overdressed, but it was ArtSPARKLE, after all.

I won't let myself fall victim to chic-o-phobia. I'm going to bust out the good stuff; life's too short to leave it in the closet.

So if you see someone, say, sitting outside the Brew Pub wildly overdressed - it will probably be me.

Artsparkle a Fashionable Fete

If you missed Saturday night's Artsparkle party at the Indianapolis Art Center, you missed a good one. The crowd was great, the weather was gorgeous, and the IAC staff did an amazing job transforming the grounds of the Art Center into a delightful "lover's lane," lined with luminarias and festooned with lights.

The food was fantastic, as well - my faves were the Asian-inspired pork tenderloin served over seaweed salad, provided by R Bistro, and the mini tenderloin sandwiches from Sullivan's.

I'm still slightly sad that the lovely fox fur coat was quickly bid up above my budget, but at least all the money went to a good cause.

And if you haven't been to the Art Center in a while - I hadn't been in there in years - it's worth a visit. It's much more like an art museum than I remember - although much less stuffy - and, I believe, all the art on the walls is for sale! That's always been a gripe of mine about museums. Yes, it's fun to look at all of the art, but if you can't buy it, what's the point? Yes, I know I could never afford, say, a Picasso, but it would be nice to know what it would cost, if you could buy it.

Anyway, check it out!

Mid-Century Modernism Found in Indy!

Who knew there are enclaves of mid-century modernism to be found in Indianapolis? Well, now you do.

I must thank a woman whose name escapes me, whom I met at a cocktail party a couple of weeks ago. After telling her that my dream is to find a groovy mid-century modern home here in Indy, she told me about a whole neighborhood of them up in Carmel.

Well, thanks to the miracle of Google, I located the neighborhood and discovered that the architect behind all of the cool houses was a woman named Avriel Shull. The Carmel homes were built on some land that her family owned, and as I dug in further, I found that she also is responsible for an entire mid-century modern development off of Emerson Ave. called Ladywood Estates. Wow! A gold strike here in Indy. And how cool that they were designed by a woman.

Fashion Found in Indy

As a fashion-obsessed teen in Indy, I prided myself on ferreting out the most fabulous fashion the city had to offer. From vintage clothing stores to upscale boutiques, I considered myself on expert on Indy style. Some of my old haunts that longtime Indy residents will remember include:

- Herschel's Shoes - definitely the hottest shoe store at Keystone at the Crossing, back when you used to have to choose either the Fashion Mall side or the Bazaar
- Modern Times - the biggest/best vintage store back in the day. I still miss it.
- Marblehead - I'm putting this one in because I worked there in high school; thanks to Marblehead, I had an unparalelled collection of Ton Sur Ton
- Gidding-Jenny - a Cincinnati transplant that, for a time, was THE place to get your high fashion fix
- Jacobson's - a little "old lady," but they brought Chanel to Indy
- Dinwiddie's - for the "alterna-teen" in all of us. Miracle of miracles, it's still here!

Well, I've just moved back from a 14-year stint in Chicago, and I'm thrilled to say there is more than corn in Indiana, there's style, too.

Case in point: French Pharmacie. Can I just tell you that I was SO thrilled to discover this place a few weeks ago. Expensive, but worth it, with can't-miss lines like 3.1 Philip Lim and my new fave jeans, Acne. I just met the owner, Stacy Kosene, over the weekend (she was wearing a fabulous Alice and Olivia dress, by the way) and I'm happy to report that she is as nice as her store is cool. I know where I'm doing my fall shopping in Indy!