speaking of women in suits....

I know I said I was bored with weddings, but when I saw these photos……… I MEAN COME ON

I had to post a few.

Claire + Leslie recently founded O'Harrow Clothiers, based in Silver Lake, and are already kicking ass with their Pocket Squares for Well-Mannered Rebels and button-downs for both women and men.

And, from Claire, re their suits: 

I got mine from Theory and Leslie got hers made by Requisite Clothing, highly recommend them. 

(Photos by Rad + In Love -- check out more from this rad Palm Springs wedding over on their blog)

Dear ESB: WTF do I wear to a wedding in Palm Springs?

I have a fashion dilemma and you are the only person who can solve it.

What does one wear to an early November wedding (5pm, outside) in Palm Springs with the reception (outside) at a fancy hotel? Bride is from southern California, groom is from snotty Connecticut and is a total prepster. I literally have no idea what the deal is - they said jackets with ties optional for dudes, and dresses for women. (Shit, I guess that means I can't wear the gold lamé jumpsuit I had lined up.)  

Last time I got invited to a wedding outside of New York, the dress code was "Mountain Casual" and I nearly blew a gasket when I TOTALLY got it wrong and showed up looking like a lumberjack. So, yeah. I need your help. Any advice would be gratefully accepted - I think I need to buy something this weekend, since I'm pretty much sure everything I own is inappropriate.

Fanks, lady.

*****

The key to Palm Springs is looking expensive but breezy. Like you just stepped out of the pool (cocktail in hand) and threw something on.

Something like this, though maybe without the $495 price tag.

(And with wedges or heeled sandals, obvs.)

If you're willing to brave the meatpacking district, I'd go to Scoop and Trina Turk and maybe Calypso St. Barth. Bird, in Brooklyn, also has the right vibe. Find something on the sale rack in a bright color and/or a bold print that makes you feel like a fabulous celebrity-in-exile.

Palm Springs wedding guest photos at top by Max Wanger via 100 Layer Cake

A TOTALLY NOT COACHELLA RELATED Guide to Palm Springs

My buddy Sam is going to Palm Springs in May, and he asked me for "suggestions on cool places to drink other than the Ace and that place with the purple walls."

What I drummed up from architect/illustrator/design maven Kelly Lynn Waters, is in fact an entire weekend guide:

Palm Springs, how could I have been so blind to you all those years I lived in Los Angeles? Perhaps the incessant sun in LA does not make one search out more incessant sun? I don't know but sometimes I feel like I haven't seen the sun in 10 years living here in San Francisco. Wouldn't it be great if we could mesh the two cities together or at least move them closer? (I'm also voting to move Tahoe closer if we are moving cities around. Wouldn't that be stellar? L.A., S.F., P.S., and Tahoe all within couple hours of each other?) But we aren't moving cities around we are talking about how incredible Palm Springs happens to be so...

I'll admit that I thought it was a bit one dimensional and didn't have much going for it except all that glamour from half a century or more ago but I have to tell you Palms Springs kinda blew me away. To start I always have a difficult time packing for any and all trips. I've been a long time "carry on" girl since my girlscout days when I was told to "only pack what you can carry." This always poses a bit of a problem since I'm always traveling to a city which requires at least four pairs of shoes (something for walking, going for a run, heels, and usually another pair for ensemble reasons) and I can usually only fit in 3. But somehow everything went seamlessly from my closet into my suitcase and I wore every single piece. Of course when you spend most days in your new Malia Mills bathing suit and occasional cover and big hat this makes dressing a little easier. 

Alright let's get down to brass tacks shall we?


Where to Stay:

The Ace (pictured above): Cheap and well designed. Just don't expect much in the way of service here. And if you are anything like me you'll only want to stay here during the week and not on weekends. Do I have to explain that one?

The Korakia (pictured above): An incredible place to stay for a fairly reasonable price with INCREDIBLE service. I swear every gal who works here is gorgeous AND a doll. It's in a great location and feels so private. I don't know how to explain it. It's a gem.

The Parker Palm Springs: Well hello Mister fancy pants. This place is GORGEOUS but it will cost you. But seriously incredibly designed. Book it now. And Jonathan Adler makes me so happy I'm gonna ask him and Simon to move in with me.

Hotel Lautner: And a little out of the way in Desert Hot Springs you have the refurbished hotel originally designed in 1947 by John Lautner of course. I know little more than that as I haven't had a chance to get there yet but an architect like Lautner is worth the pilgrimage.

Or if you wanted to stay out in Joshua Tree you could stay in one of these experimental properties. I lose my breath just looking at them.


Where to Eat + Drink:

Mister Parker's: If you don't stay at The Parker you must at least visit and that means dinner or cocktails.

Viceroy's Citron: While it is a hotel I loved their lunch best, out by the pool or inside to take a break from the sun.

Cheeky's: Brunch or lunch is delicious, organic and affordable.


What to do:

PS Modern Tours: Personally design is at the top of my list when traveling anywhere from the restaurants I choose to the places I stay, to the locations I venture to because what is the point of traveling if you can't view it through the eyes of those that envisioned a place better than they found it? So the first thing I would do is stop at the Albert Frey Tramway Gas Station and pick up a P.S. Modern Tours map. You can tour the area's modern gems either on your own following the map or take Robert Imber's tour. I personally chose to go it alone as I get antsy on tours especially when I usually know more than my tour guide but I have a feeling this guy really knows his stuff and I'm definitely taking the tour next time around.

Frey House II (pictured above): Bribe one of your architecture friends to get you in. It's pricey but it helps pays for the upkeep and restoration of the place. Only architects and students can visit it (but shhhh, how can they make you prove it?) The views are of all of Palm Springs since it's nestled in the mountains. And seriously people there is a damn boulder inside the house anchoring it to the hillside. If that is not reason enough to go I cannot help you.

The Tram (pictured above): Just take it and take a sweater it's colder up there and it's going to shock your used to 100+ degree ass.


Shopping:

Studio 111 (pictured above): I've been shopping for high end furniture since I was barely legal. I've seen so much and unfortunately at this point I'm bored easily. Everyone has the same stuff! But not these kids, they have an incredible inventory of hard to find and obscure pieces and even a few up and comers you've never heard of.

Dazzles: Holy Crap there is sooooo much in this place there is literally not one iota of free space anywhere but what you really want to take a gawk at is the jewelry. I've never in my life seen a collection of costume jewelry like this before. Dazzles is a must go on my list every single time I visit.

Flow Modern Design: This talented design couple just opened their first retail location in Palm Springs. If you take one look at their portfolio I'm sure you'll be curious to pop your head in.

Obviously there are a few holes here but that is what's so great about a place like Palm Springs, you are always going back.

Thanks for the Invite ESB.

Kelly is too classy to include any dive bars (do dive bars even exist in Palm Springs?) but PLEEZ feel free to weigh in below.

Top photo: Peter Stackpole for LIFE via Modern Design, The rest: Kelly Lynn Waters

Dear ESB: Pls help me write my vows

Oct 4, 2011

I love your blog. I wish I had found it sooner before I went through the stages of wedding planning....(excitement, inspiration, planning, sticker shock, disbelief, anger, a sense of failure that I don't want to craft every (or any) part of my wedding, then just relaxing about it and realizing it's our awesome party and nobody's judging it). I could have gotten to the end part faster.

Anyhow, my FH and I are getting married next month, we've planned a laid back, backyard-dinner-party-after-a-short-ceremony type wedding in a rented mid-century-modern house in Palm Springs. Most all of it's planned to the extent it's going to be, except our vows. Neither of us are religious, our friend who's a bit of a ham is marrying us and while I want to keep things lighthearted I also want to convey the gravity of what we're doing.

We have no idea where to look for inspiration on vows. I've only found cheesy inspiration through my internet searches, I'm not sure where to turn to. My FH is very quiet by nature and while I'm more of a talker the idea of standing in front of 60 people and saying the most important promise I'll make gives me HUGE stage fright. I tear up during a good movie montage I'm sure I'll be a wreck walking down the aisle.

Where can I find inspiration for simple, short, sweet, heartfelt vows? Everything but this has already been planned and this is the most important part. We are kind of winging the day-of stuff since it's such a small, casual event but I don't want to be winging out wedding vows because we couldn't find anything we thought suited us. Any ideas or direction-pointing would be SUPER appreciated!

*****

Jan 4, 2012

whoops i guess i blew this one.

how did it go?????????????

*****

Haha! Thanks for getting back to me. It went great! 

It was pouring rain and it let up for a few minutes so we all ran out in the backyard and had literally a 3 minute ceremony before it started pouring rain again. That day was a huge lesson in not being able to plan everything out to the smallest detail like the control freak I am and having it turn out awesome no matter what. 

Instead of a backyard dinner party we crammed everyone under the carport and although it sounds weird it was so intimate and beautiful. 

PS...being married is WAAAY more fun than being engaged.

XO

*****

What was your favorite vow?

*****

This is what we said:

I, Jason - take you Beatrix to be the wife of my days / the companion of my house / the friend of my life /
We shall bear together / whatever trouble and sorrow / life may lay upon us /
And we shall share together / whatever good and joyful things / life may bring us /
With these words / and all the words of my heart / I marry you / and bind my life to yours.

The last sentence was my favorite part, I totally had to keep it together just to get through it. 

Proof once again that you guys don't ever actually need my help.

♥ 

(Photos by Alders Photography)