Bar Method

Why have a light fixture when you can have a light sculpture? Especially one that matches your favorite never-take-it-out earring by Kathleen Whitaker.

Earring Mood

PersephoneVintage has the most amazing collection of earrings. They're vintage but perfectly curated for right now, with single earrings, mismatched pairs and statement shapes à la Céline (love their clever video here) everywhere. They feel architectural in a mid-century meets art brut kind of way that I'm really into.

Pluie

This crescent comb by Pluie is fueling my minimalist metals addiction. My Kathleen Whitaker stick earring and Miansai cuff are on heavy rotation and like those pieces, Pluie's comb is so simple yet striking at the same time. It has kind of a futuristic crown vibe, but also looks totally wearable. Plus, you could style it in so many ways depending on where you place it and how you do your hair. If you need tips, Pluie even has videos:



So the question is: is more more when you start out with less-is-more pieces? You can pick up the crescent plus more barrettes and combs at Pluie's site (they include a handmade pouch so you can carry your comb with you) or Shopbop. Plus, check out Pluie's dreamy lookbook video to see some of their other styles:

Chiyome

I'm pretty bummed I missed out on this Chiyome for Of a Kind bag.  I'm mostly a wear-one-bag-to-death kind of girl, and while I'm still completely into my beloved, monogrammed Cambridge satchel, it's been a while since I've rotated something new in. (Although sometimes I think my satchel is so perfect I should just get another one in a different size and color with a different style monogram - silver? gold?). I hadn't heard of Chiyome until I saw this edition, and when I put the bag in my cart I thought maybe I would check out the other designs on their site to see if there was anything else that jumped out at me.

I love the convertability of Chiyome's bags — many of them you can wear on your shoulder, across your body, as a backpack, or by the chicly minimal cut-out handles. Also they're ethically produced, and made of an interesting mix of materials like leather, canvas, acrylic, and rubber cord. When I realized that not only did I really like the Of a Kind version, but that it was a great deal, I clicked back over to pull the trigger only to find that all 60 were gone! Limited edition indeed. I think this was the second bag Chiyome has made for Of a Kind, so here's hoping for a third (they seem popular enough!). If it comes around, snap it up quick!

Kathleen Whitaker Jewelry

Kathleen Whitaker's jewelry is my latest boutique-trolling find. Once I saw it, I couldn't unsee it, and it's definitely landed on my x-mas wishlist. Her pieces are somehow really dainty and refined but also stark and edgy. It seems like the kind of deceptively simple jewelry you wouldn't want to take out of your ear. 

I love the stick earrings because they're minimal but exaggerated, which means they could go with anything, but are interesting enough to catch the eye.  They're sold individually, so a set is a little pricier, but consider it an invitation to make them even more striking by wearing one asymmetrically with your other earrings, or no other earrings at all.

The image above is from Totokaelo (one of my favorite places to boutique-troll) where, in addition to her own shop, you can find Kathleen Whitaker's jewelry online. Locally, it's stocked at James Rowland in Berkeley, a place I've been meaning to check out for their seriously amazing vintage shoes and boots (more on that later).