0 archival clothing

You may remember I have kind of a soft spot for beautiful backpacks.  An oxymoron, you say?  I think not.  More and more we're seeing brands that specialize in these super sturdy, super functional, super thoughtful, and yes, super beautiful everyday backpacks.  One of my favorite discoveries of late is from Archival Clothing, a label that actually started off as a blog where founders Lesli Larson and Tom Bonamici researched, field tested, and reviewed heritage apparel.  They eventually decided to start their own line, one in which every product would be up to the standards they used to evaluate everything on the blog, and thus Archival Clothing was born.

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0 madcap

Show some skin, cover some skin.  That's how it works.  Gotta keep the sun off the face, cause by now we all know that sunscreen isn't a magic bullet.  (Though of course you know you still have to use it every day, right?  This is still my favorite everyday sunblock for summer days.)

My go-to baseball cap, in fact the only one I can ever remember owning, is a 5 euro cheapie from the men's section of H&M.  It once was black and now is faded, but it does the job.  Maybe it's time to think of something a bit more... more?

Some options...
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0 for a nomad

Was this blouse made just for me? I think it might have been.

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0 ulla johnson

Some gorgeous and super wearble stuff in Manhattan designer Ulla Johnson's Fall 2013 line.  Both of these shots make me want to wear exactly what this gal's wearing today, the marled elbow patch sweater with a big black hat or deep red paired with magenta tailored pants, both looks just seem so easy and effortless without looking the least bit thoughtless.

More from Ulla...

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0 last minute

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Still plenty of time to find the perfect gifts.  The folks I still have to shop for are always the hardest; I'm sure everyone as a few of them in their life. 

Here's a handful of ideas to help you fill those gaps...

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0 mad hatter

I've been wishing for a new hat for a while now, and while I was lusting after this one from Madewell, I missed out, leaving the country before I could convince myself it was a reasonable expense (it totally would have been).  It actually worked out for the best because I found me a hat that went beyond all my expectations for what a hat can do.  This guy can sit low on your forehead, or high and back, it will handle hair sticking out from under it or tucked away underneath.  It's part fedora, part grandpa's fishing hat, part Pete Doherty rocker hat.  I don't usually post too many self-portraits here but I figured, what's a hat without a head to put it on?  So here it is in action:

There you go, I've outed myself for the love of a hat.  It's by Italian brand Forte Forte (creators of a lightweight jacket which totally bewitched me this summer), which sadly is extremely hard to find online, but it has made me really really excited about hats in general for fall.  Here's a few other options worth considering...

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0 beanie love

I am in love.  It happened to me around the same time last year, and it's happening again.  At the time I thought I might be a wee bit insane for spending so much money on a mere beanie, but I wore them nonstop all year and they're still going strong; they have been the source of much happiness in my life.  So now I don't feel so shy about proclaiming my love for this little knit item.  These magical beanies from Steven Alan are lusciously thick and sturdy, not to mention they come in all these super covetable colors.  I'm thinking maybe navy.  And maybe burgundy for the husband.  (Which means I get to steal it all the time.)  Oh, and maybe red too...

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0 entrapment

A break from my Vancouver posts to say, "Damn you, Madewell."

Seriously.  A few weeks ago in San Francisco I went in to browse and walked out with this blue striped sweater, but of course I tried everything on and fell in love with this shirt as well.  I was still pining over it a week later (which is always a sign that it's meant to be) so I ducked back into the store to pick it up.  But of course they had new things!  Which of course I had to try on.  Which of course I am now pining over, yet another week later.  Argh.  So, at the risk of boring you all (and myself) to death, in what will hopefully be my last madewell post for a long while, I present to you the pieces that caught my eye the second time around.

striped transmission tee - the perfect soft and comfy striped shirt with a bit of spunk in the pocket

biltmore felt fedoras - floppier and slightly rumpled in the store, like an old man's fishing hat

enticing jewelry - dangly earrings that are half elegance, half rock 'n roll, delicate neon rings for stacking*, and yes, again, the llama

*I know I saw a beautiful photo of someone who had slipped a thin neon ring in with her wedding and engagement ring, just a crazy pop of color in an otherwise very traditional elegant stack, and I absolutely loved the effect.  Can't now find it, of course, but if you've seen it let me know where!

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