Winter Trend Alert

I predicted the sheer lace movement and was delighted by winter's heritage revival. Here are my trend alerts for Winter Twenty-Ten.

Roberto Cavalli wowwed the hipster elite when he sent a completely shredded taupe sweater down the runway and demanded $510 for it. He did a brave thing that day. He also inspired Urban Outfitters, Wasteland, and Willow & Clay to peddle much cheaper versions to a curious public.

I'm still not sure how I feel about dropping dough on something extremely DIY-able, but then again I'm seriously lazy. So it may come to that.

If you've been shopping for shoes lately, it's hard to ignore the plethora of mid-calf to thigh-high boots everywhere. Even the department stores are trickled with them in faux suede and rubber souls. I've already scoped out a pair from Target that I may require to exist.

But the boot thing, for all its fabulousity, is a little obvious.

If you really want to break with convention, the Next Great Shoe will be a revival on vintage '70s cut-out wooden platforms. This trend hasn't broken yet, but it's starting to appear in online exclusives and Los Angeles boutiques. I'm a big fan.

A quick search on Etsy led to some fabulous results "for any budget" as magazines like to exclaim. Again, I must implore you to pick up a pair of sweater tights when you rock these (they're open-toe, after all). So cute.

Time Bandits Vintage - $70

Moxie Vintage Apparel - $50

Mother Midnight Vintage - $35

Vintage Shoes and Boots - $65

HoneyComb Vintage - $300

Foolproofed - $35

Katamari Forever,

Sabrina London

Thanks Giving

Birthday Pup

This month, our little baby girl turned one year old. I can't believe how fast they grow up! For Sophia's birthday, we took her to Carney's for a scrumptious hot dog (her favorite) and the whole family watched Babe.

I can't explain my puppy's taste in movies. She likes animal movies, sure. But what she REALLY loves? Super gory horror movies with lots of blood and screaming. When my husband and I rented "The Human Centipede," she couldn't take her eyes off the screen. Same thing with "The Fly" and "Mortal Kombat."

Every now and then, she'll watch "An Education" but her favorite movies involve gross stuff. Go figure.

So here is a year in the life of Sophia, the teacup Chihuahua.

Nine weeks old.

One Year Old.

Her first day with us. We picked her up from LAX, where she was so tiny, she could fit in the palm of your hand. We bought her from AffordablePup.com.

It was love at first sight. Everything we put beside her just reminded us how tiny she was. Instinctively, this made us want to protect her. During her first week, we took her to the Farmer's Market, Target, Starbucks, Ralph's and just about anywhere we went. She became very fond of my Fendi Spy purse, where she fit quite spaciously.

Wherever she went, a crowd would circle. With her amber red hair and dark mask, people thought she looked like a little fox.

As time passed, little Sophia grew. Her short, chubby frame stretched out into a long, slender figure. But most curious of all, her ears got HUGE. Instead of looking like a fox, she quickly turned into a fruit bat!

To build her independence, we let Sophia sleep alone in her crate each night. But after a while, it became harder and harder to put her away to bed. She yearned to stay with us, cuddled in bed, watching movies and gnawing on chew toys. Eventually, my husband convinced me to let her sleep with us. Just once.

And now she's a regular fixture in our bed.

Easter time. Sophia got into the spirit with her bunny cape. Let me tell you: this is a little girl who LOVES clothes. I used to think dressing your dog was the sort of annoying Hollywood thing that dogs resent and owners relish. But the first sweater Sophia got kept her little body so warm, she would fight you if you tried to take it off. She now has a wide assortment of little outfits, and she just loves it.

Basking in the sunlight. It's a little known fact: chihuahuas LOVE sunbathing.

I learned this when I found Sophia curled up by the porch, laying inside the single ray of sunlight peering into our apartment.

Outside the Grove, in her Fendi purse. Sophia loves shopping. It gives her a chance to hang out with mom and dad, and sleep. Basically, her two favorite activities.

We entered Sophia to be in a coffee table book called "Hipster Pups." My assistant and friend, Michelle, made her this Lady Gaga "Paparazzi" outfit, or as we called her: Puppy Gaga. Sadly, she didn't make it in the book. All the winners were wearing black-framed glasses.

For Halloween, Sophia went to ZOOM ROOM, a canine social club that has puppy training classes and parties. On this particular day, they called it DOOM ROOM. Sophia was dressed as a pumpkin.

And finally here she is on her birthday. All grown up. 4 pounds, 7 ounces. We love her so much, and we're bubbling with excitement to celebrate Thanks Giving and Christmas with our special little girl.

Motherly Nostalgic,

Sabrina London

Come Here Fur A Minute...

I made a vow last year that I wouldn't sell fur coats again. They were heavy, cumbersome to ship, and a lot of people had different definitions of the word "soft." But then I looked at some of my favorite vintage stores' winter collections, and found myself quickly forgetting last year's mayhem.

Obviously, every vintage lover should possess a '50s mink stole, but this year what excites me are mixed calico pelts. Blending furs together can create a really modern, bohemian look. I'm also a sucker for mod fur collars and anything amber-toned.

Vintage '70s Arctic Silver Fox Coat - Bustown Modern

Vintage '70s Red Fox Fur Vest - Bustown Modern

Vintage '80s Shearling Trim Leather Coat - Bustown Modern

Vintage '60s Mink Collar Swing Coat - Bustown Modern

Vintage '60s Tweed & Opposum Fur Coat - Bustown Modern

Vintage '70s Rabbit Fur Bomber Jacket - American Archive

Vintage '70s Red Coyote & Fox Fur Coat - American Archive

Vintage '80s Fox Fur Trimmed Cape - Tinroof Vintage

Furried,

Sabrina London

Winter Wonder Wear

Over the weekend, I bought a pair of 6 inch high, superiorly badass Michael Kors platform heels.

Minutes later, I picked up a pair of Dr. Scholl's "fuck-me" insoles and refilled my Vicodin prescription. Is the long-term muscle degeneration worth it? Probably (not). But in the meanwhile, I modeled this week's vintage in full Viking goddess glory. The funny thing is, you can't even tell I'm 6 foot 4" in these pictures.

* * *

It's finally that time of year again, where adorable sweaters get paired with tiny shorts in revolt against logic and safety. Thankfully, Urban Outfitters has a mean spread of sweater tights, which I strongly recommend you snatch up immediately.

Here's a sneak peek at the latest heading to Alameda Vintage this Thursday night. As you might imagine, I'm pretty stoked to have a kitty AND a puppy sweater in the same lot. Pretty stoked indeed.

Vintage '70s Rainbow Batwing Sweater.

Vintage '80s Cutie Quail Sweater.

Vintage '80s Angora Kitty Sweater

Vintage '70s Southwest Sleeveless Sweater

Vintage '80s Novelty Puppy Sweater

Vintage '50s Honeycomb Cardigan

Vintage '60s Crocheted Blue Bonnet Shawl

Baby It's Cold Outside,

Sabrina London