There is no more elegant garment in the world...

...than a well-draped sari. Here are a few lush, gorgeous pieces from Delhi's very first Couture Week.

J.J. Valaya









PallaviJaikishan



Varun Bahal





ManavGangwani1





Pics courtesy of Project Rungay

Today was an auspicious day.

I began my program of budget austerity and more healthful and frugal eating. I spent the weekend cooking and freezing food in various sized portions, so that I can bring my lunch to work for the next 6 weeks. I also have stocked up on fresh fruits and vegetables from Eric and Stephanie, who own a local farm and sell their produce in their front yard.

I have seeded and coarsely chopped peppers to freeze for use in the fall and winter. I also intend to make my own pickles, and I may freeze containers of fruit, if I can find some nice peaches or berries.

I changed my layout.

Again.

The image is another one of Jennifer Gordon's collages. I own it, so I figure that I can use it for my header.

After all, it's been my avatar for months already.

Gifting Vintage

A friend of mine recently turned 50. She loves interesting and unusual purses, so I gave her a vintage Enid Collins Mille Fleur canvas bucket bag that I had in my collection of vintage purses. Circa early to mid-70's (when the bags were made by Collins of Texas), it was in excellent condition, the interior was clean, none of the jewels were missing, and she seemed to really like it. But afterwards, I wondered if it was a bit gauche to give someone what was, essentially, a used purse.

What does my flist think?

More Hats

One of the older gentlemen at church lost his wife to a long illness a couple of months ago. He and I shared church guide duties on a Saturday in June, and he brought me all of her hats in boxes, about 15 boxes in all. I finally got around to pulling them out and trying them on last night. I'm going to keep most of them, but there are a couple that are too small for me, and the fur hats are a color--blonde mink--that I don't wear well, so I've offered them to other women in the parish through the women's listserv.

I've already had two takers. :-)

I'll try to post some pics of me wearing the hats sometime soon. There's a particularly cute black summer trilby trimmed with a pink silk peony, an elegant layered cream white toque, and a pink pillbox covered with a mass of silk flowers. I don't really like pink, but I might buy something just to match that flowered hat.

Fabulous Hats on a Beautiful Woman

Christina Hendricks on the cover of LA Times Magazine:


Hat by Philip Treacy, necklace by Tim Szlyk for House of Lavande


Hat by Philip Treacy


Feather face piece by Irene Bussemaker, diamonds and peridot by Harry Winston

Pics courtesy of Project Rungay.

Dior's Fall 2010 Couture Collection

Galliano hit this one out of the park.















Images courtesy of Project Rungay.

I may not make the Balenciaga exhibit...

...but Nashville has its own exhibition of vintage haute couture, The Golden Age of Couture: Paris and London 1947–1957, at the Frist Center for the Visual arts, including this Balenciaga dress from the 1950's:



Check out the exhibition here.