Kate Spade Saturdays

This week, Kate Spade's new lower-priced Saturday line launched after a teased-out preview period on fab.com.  My impressions are mixed. A few cute things, but for this almost 6' tall lady, I have to ask why all skirts must be so short? (Does that make me sound old?) Overall a little too cute for my taste.

Here are some picks from the collection. What are your thoughts?

Let Loose Dress in Stripe, $180, a bit shorty for yours truly

Everyday Teapot, $45

Fantastic Elastic Wallet in Abstract, $70

Saturday Sneaks by PF Flyers in Natural, $65

Deep V Ponte Top in Black, $60

Half Circle Bag in Natural Vachetta, $160

The coolest thing of all, however - is probably the 'design your own weekender' shop. Too many cool options, although I'm leaning towards the more minimal direction above, $280

Toy Stories

Watcharapom - Bangkok, Thailand

This photo series, "Toy Stories," by Italian photographer Gabriele Galimberti is incredibly endearing and endlessly fascinating to me. Traveling the world, Galimberti invited the children he met to put their most treasured possessions on display for his camera. The resulting images give incredible insight into the differences, but more so the similarities among these children from such disparate locales as Fiji and Malta. Their facial expressions run the gamut from unabated pride to timid uncertainty.

Bethsaida - Port au Prince, Haiti

Julia - Tirana, Albania

Kalesi - Viseisei, Fiji Islands

Alessia - Castiglion Fiorentino, Italy

Stella - Montecchio, Italy

Botlhe - Maun, Botswana

In his interview with Times Magazine's Ben Machell, Galimberti analyzes his experiences over the 18 months he spent on the project:

"The richest children were more possessive. At the beginning, they wouldn’t want me to touch their toys, and I would need more time before they would let me play with them... In poor countries, it was much easier. Even if they only had two or three toys, they didn’t really care. In Africa, the kids would mostly play with their friends outside.”

Cun Zi Yi - Chongqing, China

Pavel - Kiev, Ukraine

Naya - Managua, Nicaragua

Noel - Dallas, Texas

Puput - Bali, Indonesia

Chiwa - Mchinji, Malawi

 Often the toys revealed more about their purchasers than their owners:

"Doing this, I learnt more about the parents than I did about the kids. There was the Latvian mother who drove a taxi for a living, and who showered her son with miniature cars; the Italian farmer whose daughter proudly displayed her plastic rakes, hoes and spades. "

Davide - La Valletta, Malta

Allenah - El Nido, Philippines

Taha - Beirut, Lebanon

Jaqueline - Manila, Philippines

Tangawizi - Keekorok, Kenya

Reanya - Sepang, Malaysia

Abel - Nopaltepec, Mexico

Three Things for Spring: The Shirt Dress

Image Via

The final installment in my list of spring wishes and wants comes a week or two overdue, but with no perceivable change in the weather. Still it's a well suited choice for our still frosty mornings, as there is nothing more endlessly layerable than this closet staple, the shirtdress. Sweater over, tank top under, collared shirt under? Leggings, tights, boots, socks - until finally we start to thaw out, and then, what could look better than bare-legged, strappy sandaled perfection?

Office, weekend, date night, travel - this dress is the perfect multi-tasker.

Basic black either belted (can you imagine with brown boots?) by Michael Kors ($150) or LL Bean ($149) or a little looser: J Jill ($29.99) or Calvin Klein ($129.50)

Fluid crepe in nude either Suzi Chin ($103.50) or Kenneth Cole ($138)

Punchy brights from Banana Republic ($130) or Calvin Klein ($90.99)

Classic crisp cotton from Tibi ($262)

With partial buttons from Emerson Fry ($235) or Anthropologie ($118)

Or none at all; Tinley Road ($79) or J Jill ($39.99)

Denim darlings from Paige ($158) or Splendid ($198)

Pretty prints from Land's End ($70), Anthropologie ($118), Asos ($127) 

or Gap ($41.96)

Finally, free-flowing, floaty options that will be perfect for beach vacations (if we ever get there). Gap ($59.95) and Anthropologie ($198)

The alps

I'm headed here -- see you next week

Three Things for Spring: Anorak

Image Via

Once it's finally time to pack away the heavy down and wool (don't forget to dry clean them first!) you'll be needing a new light-weight topper to fight off gusty breezes and sudden showers for a few months. My typical go to is a classic trench, but something about its cinched waist, full skirted stiffness is feeling, well, tired. So I'm looking for something with a little slouch and maybe a bit of an edge, packable, layerable and fresh

Cropped nylon, either The Limited ($49), or Colosseum ($78)

Short safari, either Banana Republic ($130), or Michael Kors ($275)

Classic cotton in a very green green from Madewell ($138) muted olive from Nasty Gal ($68), slouchy black from Urban ($69) and a more structured waxed version from J Crew ($148)

A little bit longer and looser: with a nicely cinched waist, Penfield ($170), with roll-up sleeves, RD Style ($69), dark green draw string, Angie ($49) or subtly sequined, Haute Hippie ($595)

Even softer options in liquid twill from Hive and Honey ($69) or an edgier moto look from Free People ($148)

Finally something only slightly less monotone, either color-blocked from Wyatt ($119) or full on camo from Urban ($89)