Stocking Around Town with Lydia Kornegay

One of the best aspects of living in New York City is the sheer variety of the way people dress. You can, in just a few minutes, see someone in a complete hipster look, a high end sartorial stance and even someone dressed in newspapers. You never know who that person sitting next to you on the subway is, what they do during the day and who they can become at night.

Where I am currently working, Eileen Fisher, there is a very casual vibe. I guess that is due in part to the clothes that are designed here.  There are a few exceptions and Lydia Kornegay is one of them. Lydia wears both vintage and vintage inspired pieces with flair and allure. Her hosiery collection is both classic and attention-grabbing. Theses beautiful tights she is wearing have a black floral motif with a gray under color. She purchased these at Daffy's a great place to find of the minute trends in Hoisery!

I love the way her shoes and scarf coordinate!

Colleen Atwood inspired Outfit and Hold-Ups

Colleen Atwood is by far my favorite Hollywood costume designer. Yes, there are some pretty amazing costume designers out there, but by far Colleen Atwood has a  unique style and it runs through every film she is involved in from Tim Burton's Sleepy Hollow & Sweeny Todd to Tom Hank's That thing you do! She even did the costumes for NINE which were the only good thing about that terrible movie.

 

Whenever I think of Colleen Atwood I think of vertical stripes in black and white. A style I like to call Gothic, Steampunk meets German Expressionism with a lacy Victorian twist. However it’s hard to define her in only one category. Colleen’s costumes range from Silence of the Lambs to Public Enemy and even Memoirs of a Geisha and my personal favorite Lemony Snicket’s Series of Unfortunate Events.

Tim Burton's Alice In Wonderland

Colleen's verison of the Red Queen

worn by Helena Bonham Carter*

Tim Burton's muse Helena Bonham Carter in her costume for Sweeny Todd*

A image from Lemony Snicket’s Series of Unfortunate Events. *

My favorite Scene from Sweeny Todd*

Did I mention Colleen did the costumes for Chicago too*

I would love the chance to chat with Colleen Atwood and talk about her inspirations and discuss my ideas for my designs for hosiery. I had a similar dream when I met Tim Burton at the Press Day for his show at the MoMa, I only got a chance for a brief discussion about what his films have meant to me. 

Needless to say my script that I have been holding on to for 13 years remained in my purse! But I did leave with an autograph in Max’s Nightmare before Christmas book. If I did get a chance to talk with Colleen Atwood, it would be different. I swear!

My tights today are the brand Bas Love Me. My favorite little indie brand from Paris! They always have a cute pin-up girl on the package and are scented! This particular pair is hold-ups with my favorite little touch, the name “love me” stitched into the top portion of the hold up are a sheer denier of 20 with vertical strips -very Colleen Atwood. I would say this pair are a mustfor any Steampunker out there! My top has the feel of a corset, especially since I must of shrunk it the last time I washed it, my button popped!

These hold ups are particualary special, my friend Laura Angela brought them when she came to visit from Paris last month-THANK YOU AGAIN!! Laura Angela!

*Note the legwear in the Colleen Atwood Film Stills

Hunting the Missing Cobra of the Bronx Zoo

We went to the Bronx Zoo this weekend in search of the missing snake. When we arrived we found out that she was found! THANK GOD, because I was very wary of visiting a zoo that had a cobra hiding in some place other than in a contained environment.
I never really liked snakes, but I wouldn't say that I am scared of them. I find them creepy and sneaky...
The Bronx zoo is hosting a competition to name that sly snake that escaped!  Max thinks she should called Slippy

Max and I posing at the Bronz Zoo

I am also using my Thursday Friday Together Bag whenever I can! Its not only stylish and interesting to look at it holds everything! Great for a MOM with style- and a suspicion of snakes!

These are another pair from Nordstroms! I felt these tights were appropriate for the snake hunt! They are a grey slate color with spirals that look like snakes climbing up my legs......


 

Futuristic Tron Tights

I am always amazed by the variety of hosiery that is out there in this world.  There is something for every style and taste. From the plainest Jane tights to stylish "of the moment" trends. Some of the most amazing hosiery are "of the moment" trends that reflect pop culture or a reinterpretation of a classic.

 Trends come and go, but style reamains- and sometimes they can be a total miss or against all fashion odds- successful. The  tights I am wearing today are truly an interesting addition to any outfit. They feel like I should be in the movie TRON, or an eighties advertisement for a computer. They also have the look of that old school Windows screen saver.

I purchased them at Goldenpoint a European hosiery store in 2009, I think they might be the brand Sisi but I didn't keep as detailed a record as I do now.

Oroblu Tights

Italian hosiery has always reflected that country's unique style, sexiness and brovado. Unlike the more understated French hosiery with natural colors and heavier deniers, Italian hosiery is an explosion of colorful graphics and odd color combinations. I have countless pairs that feature color stories that are difficult to wear and showcase with out buying specific outfits to wear with them.

The brand Oroblu is no exception. They have classic hosiery, or as they call it the couture high-end chic. The elegance collection, the daily collection, the ex cell collection that help massage the cellulite out your legs and the bronzing collection that give your legs the appearance of being tan, similar to the Gerbe sunlight collection.

They even have the Miss Oroblu collection which is a "younger" version of the Trend line that Oroblu creates for the fall/winter and spring/summer seasons. I always eye up the brand, and often resist

This pair of Oroblu tights are from the fall 2010 collection remind me of a Harlequin or Picasso painting. I purchased them at Nordstrom's this past weekend.

When I first picked them up I wasn't thrilled by the color, but very intrigued by the pattern. I turned them around to find that they were gray and purple, SCORE! Then when I got home I found they had a third color, green. Well like I said, classic Italian hosiery-great patterns odd color combos! I paired them with a simple black outfit and gray sweater. I only wish I would of worn a shorter skirt to truly showcase the bold pattern.

Nordstrom has the best Hosiery Department!

Nordstrom hands down has the best hosiery section of any department store.  

Nordstrom has everything from the basics; Spanx, HUE, Orablu and both DKNY and Donna Karen . They also carry their own private label that has some of the best textures patterns that are sometimes equally as great as Europe's Calzedonia. 

At the beginning of each season, I dash to my local Nordstrom and scour both their private label brand and the brand names. Their recent rebranding of their private label packaging is both modern and fresh. 

After my recent visit to the King of Prussia Mall Nordstrom PA, I decided to see what they had for spring. I found a pair of floral leggings similar to a pair of tights I got from Calzedonia spring collection. Usually, Nordstrom private label are made in Italy. This time, the pair I naturally assumed were made in Italy were in fact made in China. 

The fact that they are made in China did not stop me from wanting to purchase the whole range. I did buy 4 pairs, 3 pairs made in China and one pair made in Italy. The quality of some hosiery made in China is not nearly what it is if was made in Italy. I don't know if its the choice of yarn, the dying of the yarn or just the machines that the hosiery is knitted on. But this particular pair was identical to the pair made in Europe. 

This particular pair of black lace floral leggings are right on trend for the Spring 2011 season. A mixture of bold florals with a classic lace. Whenever I wear a bolder tight or legging I am inclined to wear a simple outfit. 

Today, I wanted to wear these leggings as tights, so I paired them with boots to hide the legging aspect.

Now we just need spring to arrive so I can wear my new white lace leggings and 

the rest of the amazing Calzedonia haul Nathan bought me!

Calzedonia for the Eileen Fisher All Store Event

This weekend Eileen Fisher held their annual spring event, a special day of shopping which supports local leadership programs for women and girls.  


Each store/region partners with a local non-profit organization that promotes women's leadership, and solidarity.

10% of the total sales are donated to the organization that the individual store partners with. I attended the store event at the King of Prussia Mall outside of Philadelphia, a location I chose on its close proximity to my parents and one of my favorite old Sephora accounts!

The King Of Prussia Eileen Fisher location partnered with Moving Creations Inc. 

Moving Creation Inc. is an organization that empowers girls and teens in impoverished communities in an arts based education program, to promote social change through rites of passage, by using the performing and creative arts. 

These events are an integral part of the Eileen Fisher culture.  The EF empowering initiatives along with other grants for women owned businesses and other leadership organizations are one of the most inspiring aspects of the Eileen Fisher culture.

Eileen Fisher foundation and the EF company as a whole strives to bring that vision to other young women entrepreneurs and activists. It's a real lesson on how to give back once you've made it, I hope I can do the same thing one day! 

The awsome team at KOP!

A selection of clothes from the spring collection

Sips and Sweets

Moving Creations Inc

For the  Event I decided to wear my favorite Calzedonia leggings, along with a beautiful Eileen Fisher shirt , with two underpinnings a black jersey and my favorite Free People raw hem slip. The juxtaposition between the stylish simplicity of the Eileen Fisher top and the raw edge of the slip compliments the lace insert of the ankle portion of the legging.