It looks like everyone here wants snakeskin sandals for summer. The first sign was when accessories director Chris Frey stopped by my desk to rave about a very glamorous pair from J.Crew: the Galaway, which have a silver metallic snakeskin upper, antiquated brass buckles, and straw-covered heels. The effect is very arty/Italian in its appeal: a bit off-kilter but ridiculously chic.
Next came Hope, our fashion director, who pointed me in the direction of the Seville by Dolce Vita. The snakeskin is in graphic black and white, and they have teeny wedge heels to give a little boost in height. Very clean, sexy, and surprisingly affordable at $106. The Seville is from factorypeople.com, by the way, which is the e-commerce site for one of the Lucky staff's all-time favorite stores. If you're ever in Austin, Texas, make a point of stopping by.
For the past few months I've been craving nothing but dresses and more dresses—until I saw what our creative director, Andrea Linett, was wearing to work the other day. They were jeans, but completely unlike any denim I'd ever seen: grayish blue and railroad striped, subtly and appealingly dusty-looking. They were just a little bit high-waisted—but not in an exaggerated way—and fit tight at the hip but long and loose at the bottom, which is pretty much universally flattering. I assumed they were one of her vintage finds, a dead-stock limited-release pair of Levi's from the '70s maybe. But as it turns out, they're new, from Urban Outfitters, $68, and couldn't be more convenient to purchase.
Usually the intentional kookiness of something like this limited-edition wall clock by Umbra would really rub us the wrong way, but in reality, it's too weird and wonderful to resist. It's made of reclaimed vintage toys (the designer, Matt Carr, sourced them all from the Goodwill next door to Umbra's Toronto headquarters) that are glued to a birch board and spray-painted. We love this inventive, brilliantly whacked-out approach to recycling, and there's something sweetly nostalgic (and yet decidedly sinister) about seeing all those little totems of childhood reinvented with a coat of stark, matte black. There were only 200 made, so if you love it, place an order fast.
Look closely, and allow us to share with you exactly why we're obsessed with this scarf. For starters, it's gorgeous: The metallic stripes and wispy tassels add a bit of flash, but only precisely the right amount. It's therefore subtle enough to wear every day, and it's made of very fine cotton, so it's seasonless. Also, as fashion news editor Jen Ford points out, "If you loop it around your neck it basically doubles as a breezy, lightweight necklace." And despite all its refined and gilded fabulousness, it's only $50.
Our fashion director, Hope Greenberg, loves this exquisite 22-karat gold serpentine ring by Robindira Unsworth, and who could blame her? It's both very delicate and very cool, goes with pretty much anything, and makes enough of a statement that it can (and should, according to Hope) be worn on its own—so there's no need to fuss with piling on loads of other accessories. And while $200 isn't nothing to spend on a piece of jewelry, this particular ring looks like it costs so, so much more.
Fashion news editor Jen Ford was the first to spot this sculptural necklace by Lara Bohinc, and now, pretty much all of us want one. It's perfectly face-framing and dramatically sophisticated, and the aesthetic feels faintly Egyptian—but not too literal or at all costumey. "It's so glamorous, without being bling-y," adds Jen, who envisions wearing it with simple dresses and strappy flat sandals all summer long.
Super-wide belts are super-cool—but not particularly easy to pull off-unless you are as effortlessly stylish as our creative director, Andrea Linett—or at least know to look where she looks. She likes belts by Bef du Suede, in particular, the Corinne. It comes in a very deep and very versatile chestnut brown, and the spiky, studded edges, corsety fit, and oxidized copper buckles give it a look that's "a little ethnic, subtly sexy, but fashiony too," says Andrea, who recommends using it to cinch a tent dress to show off your shape and add a bit of edge.
Smythson—manufacturer of the chicest paper goods and travel accessories on the planet—just launched their new spring pieces on their site, and we want all of it.
The Capri collection is done up in rich ostrich-grain calf leather in a crisp, sunny yellow hue. I'm obsessed with the travel clutch, which has built-in accordion-style pockets for your passport, boarding pass, and cash. To justify the splurge, think of it as a wallet, organizer, and evening bag rolled into one. While you're at their site, click through their linen collection too—it's their first fabric-based series, and the natural, flax-colored material gives it all a vaguely safari-ish, organic vibe.
There are some things you don't realize you need until you try them—
at which point you wonder how you ever survived without them. Aveeno's Positively Smooth Shave Gel is the newest addition to my own personal list, for a variety of reasons: It's laced with an addictive, subtly almond-y scent; it foams up into a perfectly rich, dense lather; and it moisturizes like crazy. But most amazingly, it contains some kind of miraculous, all-natural soy extract with hair-growth-suppressing properties, so you don't have to shave as often.