Orange Sweater

While cleaning up my closet the other day I found this pullover I knitted several years ago inspired on a pattern by Rowan, the English knitting company.
I used a yarn with 10% mohair in it, I forget the name of the company now, but it was American. The world of knitting has exploded in such an amazing way since I started knitting in 2001 and I have not been able to keep up.

Longchamp

I haven't drawn in a while because my clothes are repeating themselves! And lately I have been wearing a lot of black...
I took a work trip to Dallas this week and I dug up a little bag I have only used two or three times. It is Longchamps and I bought it at the Paris flagship store around 1998. The typical Longchamp bag was very overexposed at the time, and I found this little foldable suitcase charming. It was perfect for my three-day trip and it saved me a lot of headaches. I love it and now I want to use it as little as possible to keep it in good shape!

Black Coat

This is what I called my "lifesaver" or "magic" coat. It is from H&M and it goes down to my knees. It has a very high collar and a hood, and when it is cold and windy you will not feel a thing. I don't think it is filled with feathers but it has quilted details at the sleeves and edge of the hood.
I had set this on the floor to sketch it when half way through my cat came and plopped on it and took a nap! I was going to paint it with black paint and a thick brush but instead used watercolor pencils once the cat made an appearance.

RRL Coat

I am suffering through a bad cold and my pen tablet is not working, and yet here are the latest sketches.
This is a white & black pinstripe shirt from Forever 21, from 2 seasons ago. I paid practically nothing for it and it's still going (I wash it in the delicates cycle though).
I paired it with a tan corduroy vest from... Old Navy. Yikes, right? But it was actually very well made, from three seasons ago I think, when they were trying to go into a different direction to compete with H&M a little.   I am not one to freely mix black and brown, but it works when you are evoking a bit of a "Wild West" look, for which RRL is so well known.

This is one of my favorite coats: a RRL brown wool toggle coat. I bought it at the RL San Francisco store in 1997 or 1998 without knowing that one day I would end up working for the man himself. It never goes out of style and it is a more relaxed take on your classic preppy toggle coat. It is the length of a car coat and does not have a hood. Those coats are way too preppy for me and always make me think of "My Bloody Valentine" starring Melissa Gilbert back when in the 80's.

Grey & Black

Another grey & black combo. I paired it with a purple sweater actually. It was warm enough that it was all I needed along with a black linen scarf. This autumn has been awesome, I was actually wearing a polo shirt outdoors yesterday.
The boxer shorts here are from Faconnable and they actually used real Liberty of London fabric for this line. I bought them several years ago at the flagship store in Rockefeller Center. They were pricey but worth it. The buttons are mother of pearl, the elastic has lasted a long time, and the cotton lawn fabric is a delight. I think all boxer shorts should be made of cotton lawn.

Fair Isle

Fair Isle season is here again. I took out this Fair Isle vest in navy with jeweltones. Most of the Fair Isle out there is very neutral, but I liked the intensity of these colors, which look better on me. The pants are RL in a simple Tartan. And the gingham shirt is by American Living.

I don't know where I found the focus to sketch last night. I went to Tartine for dinner with friends in the West Village. Because it is BYOB, I always tend to drink too much. Lisa brought a bottle of Domaine Tempier rose - it is late in the season but it was warm enough last night for a rose in November, fancy that. I brought a 1999 burgundy Hautes Cotes de Nuits, which I was saving for a special occasion. It aged so well. The taste was a bit spicy, with a very faint hint of oak, a bit alcoholic, but it tasted expensive.

I started a new sketchbook last night, this time focusing on compositions. Here is most of my outfit today: a Forever 21 tattersall button down shirt, Polo RL moleskin pants (my favorite clothing item this season), H&M socks and C&A underwear.
I was going to add color to this drawing but my instinct tells me to leave it as is.