happy tuesday!

there's a fresh one over on 100 layer cake today, in which i share my thoughts on "starter" engagement rings....

once again i have nailed it SO HARD that nobody has anything to add.





at least that's what i'm telling myself.

Feathers (2012) by Kensuke Koike

A Brooklyn travel guide for wedding sh!t?

Hi there,

I've loved the travel guides you've been posting recently. As a new reader, please forgive me if I missed the Brooklyn wedding version. (I promise I did look through the archives.)  

Where besides Catbird should I go to find interesting/artisan/unusual/finely designed/ohpleasegodnotthis rings, and to browse wedding dresses that don't make me feel like the dress is wearing me? The honest truth is I used to live in Brooklyn, but at that time I was 100% never ever ever going to get married, so now that I'm eating my words I need someone to remind me where all those awesome places I saw out of the corner of my eye but insisted on ignoring can be found!

Thankyouthankyouthankyou

*****

Brooklyn is the jewelry-that-I-love capital of the world. Catbird, Scosha, Macha, and Erie Basin are all worth visiting, and if you don't find SEVERAL rings you love, there is something wrong with you.

Brooklyn is not, however, a good place to shop for a wedding dress. I am sorry to say. (Or maybe not that sorry actually. Go to Soho? Or make an appointment at Stone Fox Bride. While you're in the neighborhood, you should probs make an appointment with Anna Sheffield, too.)


Miranda Kerr by Terry Richardson for Harper's Bazaar

Seeking: A black wedding band for the groom

I found my ring on your blog (thank god I was prepared and had been reading you for fashion reasons) but need help with my groom. I've searched in vain - we/he'd prefer a solid black ring, circle or square, preferably no shiny metals or jewels (eww).

We're not trying to match or anything obviously. Can you help?

Worshipfully,
snobby fashion bride

*****

Guess what, snobby? I think black wedding bands are eew.

They're almost all made of tungsten or titanium, which a) EEW, and b) Who is this guy, SUPERMAN? He doesn't need a ring that is HARDER THAN STEEL. What happens if he gets it caught on something? Or they need to cut it off in the ER??

Allow me to recommend Macha's Ragged Wedding Band in yellow gold.

It wouldn't kill you to match just a *little*

Alternatively, you could try to convince Bernice to bring back the Misshapen Men's Ring in oxidised sterling silver.

I hesitated to recommend silver. Not sure it will hold up to 30+ years of daily wear. But this is a sexy, sexy ring, and (obvs) you won't have to worry about it tarnishing.

Accessorize Me

Dear ESB,

I'm the girl who commented on this post, bought the aaamazing Mara Hoffman dress, and then disappointingly really did not like it on! But, as luck will have it I then found my dress whilst helping my mother look for a dress.

I'm getting married in London next summer. We are having a wedding ceremony in a Georgian space, which is now all white and quite minimalist, followed by a big party in a pub. We suspect as the pub will close at one am, that we will have to head over to our regular late night spot (which also happens to be where we met) which is as close as London can come to a dive bar, and is open until 4am. I'm hoping this will give you a feel for what we've planned.

I'll be wearing this dress, and I thought I was wearing these shoes: 

I'm stuck for ideas on necklace/bracelet/earrings etc. I love long earrings, big necklaces and I never wear bracelets. My engagement ring is yellow gold with a cognac diamond. Although I know what I like, I'm kind of terrible at accessorising and I always over or under-do it. Can you and your committed commenters help?

Finally, I'm not certain about the shoes - although I'm a heels kind of a girl, I know I won't be able to dance the night away in these so I'm looking for something a bit lower to change into. My budget is probably £600 (maybe $800ish) as I know I'll wear them again, along with the dress. I think I want something that won't look too far from the original shoes, but I'm open to ideas and opinions! I liked these but I'm worried that they are a totally different look...

Ahh I don't know. What do you think?

Thanks!
With shoes, without accessories.

*****

I think those shoes are FUGLY. Both pairs. (Okay, maybe the Louboutins aren't fugly, exactly. They look like fancy lady lawyer pumps.)

If you've got $800 to spend, why not go Lanvin?

These snakeskin pumps are just the thing to set off your dress.

And then do something like these dangly chain earrings from Macha.

(If they're anything like my Russian chain ring, they are SEE-LAMMIN in person.)

lil wedding earring roundup

Theodore Stud Earrings from Macha ($265)

Mountain Studs from Mociun ($195)

Gold Ball Studs by Satomi Kawakita at Steven Alan ($528)

Lee Hale Black Rose Thorn Earrings at Erie Basin ($205)

Oxidized Bronze Faceted Earrings from mikinora ($44)

friendship bracelets are so over.

I've been rocking this big ol Macha ring all over the place and feeling like a rock star.*

And then they just tweeted THIS PIC? WHAT THE WHAT?

*I won the ring, in fact, in a "What is the most Rock n Roll Christmas present you ever received?" contest Macha ran on Twitter back in December. My answer was a mummified baby mouse carcass, obv.

one more, i can't help it.

Tiny stud ring? Gaaaahhhhhh.

Okay, two more if you count the Men's Russian Chain Ring I must now call your attention to. H-O-T.

Note: Don't ever be fooled and think when you've scoured "Wedding" you've seen all the worthwhile rings. Always look at ALL THE RINGS.

Q: How gorg is this Russian Wedding Chain?

A: SO GORG.

And the Dandelion Ring?

(Named for Keith Richards's daughter. 14k yellow gold band with 14k white gold rocks.)

I die. Macha is killin me dead.

via The Shiny Squirrel

engagement rings under $100

Hello ESB!

I've just recently found your site, and loooove it. Needless to say, I'm also truly looking forward to more posts on MMOHIAC. Hope I don't get in trouble for reading that one online at work. :D

Here's a question, and lord knows, there may not be an answer. Have you seen any rings online that would do super-duty as engagement rings, that any girl would be out of her mind to not love, that are under $100? We're poor/in love out of our minds, and want to get engaged asap. I showed the Love of my Life the catbird heart ring for $88 and he said he loved it, but in all due respect, he couldn't ask for my hand with it.

Ideas?

All my love,
Lady X

*****

Here are my picks.

Erika Weiner Mini Hermiker Solitaire from Bona Drag

Snake Bone Ring from Macha

Pyrite and Sterling Silver Ring by Markhed (first posted here by Pour Porter)

Spanish Almandine Garnet from Rich Ruby Red (this one is $100 even, but I figured I'd sneak it in)