Big Haute Hair

Shine Bright Like A Diamond

noreply@blogger.com (Renee) — Thu, 20 Dec 2012 18:56:00 +0000

Pardon the interruption… and by interruption I mean the two-month time lapse since my last post. During my brief hiatus/extended vacation from the blogosphere I managed to acquire one of the most significant finger accessories of one’s life, a circular sparkler of eternal love! In what seemed like a complete whirlwind and flurry of excitement I celebrated my birthday, accepted a proposal from the love of my life and feted our engagement with our closest family and friends. My parents threw us an awesome party where we all tried to act fancy and distinguished but by the end our wild-child ways got the best of us and we were asked to leave after a calamitous spillage of toothpicks and the over-zealous handling of a light-up novelty menorah.

I wore an ivory silk one-shoulder dress by Zimmerman that I ordered from Shopbop a week before the party that draped fabulously and fit like a glove. It seemed like the dress of my dreams, but quickly turned into a sartorial nightmare when I had my mom zip me into it at 10pm the night before the party. In an ironic twist of fate I was watching a scene from my favorite guilty pleasure, White Chicks, where the Wayans brothers (posing as white women) bust open the seams of their outfits when almost simultaneously the zipper of my dress broke. To say I threw a BF is an understatement, but my mom’s a rockstar, and sadly very used to my fashion-related meltdowns, so she sprang to action and had that devil zipper replaced first thing in the morning.

Calf hair and gold spikes are the stuff dreams are made of- and coincidentally the stuff Zara heels are made of as well. It seemed fitting that my shoes were from Zara; behind Ryan, Zara is my second great love. The heels are literally the most amazing pair of pumps I currently own because although they could seriously injure someone should I decide to karate kick them, they are surprisingly comfortable on my tootsies, a true mash-up of form and function. Check out some of my favorite pics from the event shot by my future husband.

Maiden Lane

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 03:22:00 +0000

I look melancholy on Maiden Lane, but looks can be deceiving. I'm actually quite spritely because 1) It's almost time to "fall back" and who doesn't love an extra hour of sleep? 2) The weather has changed and I get to layer all of my favorite Zara pieces with reckless abandon (sweater, parka, purse and coated skinnies all courtesy of Zara) and 3) A pair of brown "leather" boots I scored at Forever 21 last fall have morphed into a miraculously timeless wardrobe staple! I was feeling extra giddy in these pics because I had just spent a solid hour gossiping with my mane man Todd Jeffrey (who tames my big haute hair) at Vidal Sassoon while he worked his magic on the boy's curly tendrils. He's really helped Ry accept his natural texture, and me improve my Real Housewives of Miami impressions-"Nobody beats me to the tweet!"

Silver + Gold Sunday

noreply@blogger.com (Renee) — Sun, 28 Oct 2012 21:02:00 +0000

Silver + Gold Sunday by bighautehair featuring sheer tops

3 1 Phillip Lim sheer top
lagarconne.com

Ted baker
tedbaker-london.com

Balenciaga
balenciaga.com

Allsaint
allsaints.com

Sunday's are lazy and perfect for showcasing laid back style while running errands, shopping or brunching. I've styled the perfect Sunday look that suits any itinerary from downing mimosas with the girls to pretending to pay attention to a wide array of televised sporting events. Just because it's the official day of rest, don't get caught looking like you are still half asleep; rock hybrid styles such as skinny jeans that are as comfy as leggings and sheer tops that feel like your favorite pajama top in lieu of actually leaving the house in sweats and slips. Metallic pops of gold hardware on a pair of combat boots and soft silver silks are comfortable, luxe and pair well with even the gnarliest bed head. The oversized clutch gives shape and texture with the calf hair lending to the touchableness of this ensemble but the bad ass boots warn of possible round house kicks should anyone actually try to reach out and touch you or your clutch.

Zany for ZARA

noreply@blogger.com (Renee) — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 21:12:00 +0000

Zany for ZARA by bighautehair featuring silk tops

I truly believe ZARA and I were made for one another. It could be reasoned that in some sort of serendipitous trifecta ZARA is a shortened version of the name of the main character (Zarathustra) in my favorite book (Thus Spoke Zarathustra) by my favorite philosopher (Nietzsche). No, this post is not about my main man Nietzsche, I was just drawing some pretty deep connections between my love for crazy philosophers and my favorite store in the entire world- ZARA. But, to make an even more mind-blowing link between Zarathustra and ZARA, I do get feelings akin to the Overman every time I step through those shiny doors. All sense of social decency leaves my body and I convert to a nihilistic set of moral values (bad and good no longer have meaning, only the overcoming of all other shoppers) when I see the new merchandise on full display every Thursday evening. I grab whatever I can get my little paws on and hold on for dear life because people go nuts for this stuff, well I assume they do because of my frenzied state so I protect my goods accordingly. I have no qualms about throwing an elbow here or there to snag a chanel-esque coat on sale, and I fully hog the mirrors while trying on all items that don't require me to get nude while previewing. Semi-nude is fine, especially if your bra is more of a bustier-that's basically a shirt.

Everything is amazing, everything is maje and it's sometimes overwhelming how many things I see and absolutely have to have. The fit is always perfectly body skimming and never too tight, most things are backless and I die for anything that lets my posterier feel free. I've usually amassed so many items by the time I make my first pass around the store that my arm starts to ache, I've actually had a sore bicep from some intense ZARA shopping sprees. But, just one lap around the building is not enough, because once I've filtered through the yes's and the no's of the first mad grab, I have honed my skills and can hunt down the secret gems that I may have missed. It's a very cathartic experience, you should try it sometime, but look out for a crazy-eyed blond girl if you dare venture to the Post street location. God I love Thursdays.

Leotard and Leathers

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 04:25:00 +0000

Here is the last installment of my five part ode to my strange obsession with a certain striped bodysuit. My final leotard liaison is by far my favorite of the bunch, I know I’ve said that about each outfit thus far but this one really takes the cake in my eyes. By this point I’ve become so bonded with my bodysuit it’s become like a second skin to me, and what better to go with a proverbial second skin than an ACTUAL second skin: leathers. Just uttering the word “leathers” makes me feel like an instant bad ass. Technically speaking these Zara “leathers” are not real, they are faux, but still get me pretty darn excited because to add to the whole biker chic feel they’ve got zippers on zippers. The greatest part about them is that unlike other leather pants, they do not squeeze or make you resemble a stuffed sausage, they are actually comfortable and a little loose in the waist/crotch area, a very welcome change from my Topshop leather leggings that leave little to the imagination in that region which can be quite scary.

The day we shot this look I got super courageous and wanted to be a jungle girl who climbs trees and scales moss covered rocks in five inch stilettos, it was all fun and games until I had to come out of the tree and I jumped onto Ry’s unsuspecting toes. Said toe-annihilators are my new Zara pumps that are so high I feel like I’m on stilts. They are knock-off Manholo Blaniks and although my dogs bark every time I wear them, I love them with all of my heart. Oddly enough (or not) my preferred pics from the day are in front of the phallus statue that stands proudly in Ryan’s parents’ yard. That thing is inspiring to say the least. I don’t know if it was the suggestive nature of the statue or the heat from the blaring sun but my big hair was too much to handle and it had to be wrangled into a messy bun towards the end of the day.

Sporty Spice

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 14:11:00 +0000

Admittedly, exercise and I have not been the best of friends lately (re. my confession in Beauty Breakdown that my closest form of cardio as of late has been speed shopping), we are more like frenemies, once BFFs and now archenemies. Just the thought of downward dog makes me sleepy and the idea of lacing up my tired old running shoes conjures unpleasant feelings and a general sense of unease. The only cure for my work out woes; a wardrobe makeover! Just like most healthy relationships, the only way to mend my broken union with exercise is with a healthy dose of retail therapy.

What better way to reconnect with my old pal physical fitness than to buy her a shiny new present? My gift of choice, a spiffy new pair of Nike Free Runs (Free 4.0 V2 (Google Affiliate Ad)) to stir up those old familiar feelings. They are so cute and comfy and can almost pass as normal footwear, much like my favorite lounge wear can closely mimic actual clothing when my party clothes become too binding. Here's hoping my new kicks rekindle the flame that once burned bright between us and I can keep to Kanye's workout plan. Just do it.

fitness footwear & fur, a fetching combo

Photos by Me!

Showers According to Anna

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 03:51:00 +0000

Guess what? You're dirty and you need a shower, just ask Anna Dello Russo; she can smell you from here. But, not just any old sudsy scrub down, you need a special shower- a fashion shower. That's right, an invigorating splash of fashion with a few life lessons sprinkled in courtesy of one of my favorite fashionista and the editor-at-large of Vogue Japan, Anna Dello Russo. If she recommends I bathe in fashion and towel off in style, you better believe I will, and maybe you should too because no one wants to be unfashionably stinky.

When Two Become One

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 19:23:00 +0000

Being a tiny person my whole life, I have always adhered to the adage that good things come in small packages, most likely as a coping mechanism to feel better about the fact that I never grew much past the sixth grade. So, I have decided to condense my admittedly overzealous attempt at styling one striped bodysuit five ways over the course of a single work week, into a shorter and sweeter version of my original plan. I've merged part three and four of my leotard series into one succinct reader friendly summary. I swear I'm not alone in my black and white stripe mania; Marc Jacobs, Oscar de la Renta and J. Crew all featured lined looks on their spring runways. See above (photos courtesy of Harper's Bazaar)

For me, the American Apparel bodysuit conjures thoughts of Brigitte Bardot in her breton stripes, denim and perfectly rumpled hair, so my twofer of a post is dedicated to that effortless french girl je ne sais quoi. I've paired the striped wonder with my boyfriend jeans for a more casual take on the trend and a chiffon skirt in an attempt to channel the uncomplicated style of french fashionistas. These looks were really fun to shoot even though I fell down the stairs before we started, got run over by the dog midway through and sank three inches into the grass with my heels at the very end. When you are wearing a striped bodysuit the little things just roll right off your bare back.The chiffon skirt is also AA, completely transparent and appeals to my French heritage and strange love of awkward public semi-nudity. I normally stick with sheer shirts but when I saw this skirt I couldn’t resist the chance to appear as if I was wearing something on my lower half when in reality there’s nothing but a thin haze between me and the world. If I were to sport this look out I would wear some sort of bloomers or tights because my leotard has the high cut leg of a Baywatch bathing suit and may garner more disapproving glances than I can handle. The bodysuit/boyfriend jeans pairing is the most wearable ensemble of the bunch. I love how non-existent they make my butt look, something about droopy drawers is so wildly unappealing to men that this is a great look to wear out if you are wanting to deflect any and all male attention. I wore this exact outfit to a floozy Friday night dinner with all my best girlfriends last week and Ryan more than approved of my choice in legwear for the evening- he is a sly one! Tomorrow will be my final post in what was once known as “1 Leotard 5 Ways” but has now become the chronicles of ridic. So much leotard, so little time.

(photos courtesy of Ryan Beren)

bodysuit, chiffon skirt, watch: American Apparel

mary jane wedges: Urban Outfitters

boyfriend jeans, basic heels: Zara

sunglasses: Ray Ban

Beauty Breakdown

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 18:57:00 +0000

This past Saturday, before the bodysuit bonanza began, I decided to partake in my sole form of cardio as of late- shopping. I had reached dangerously low levels of all my favorite beauty products; this alone is enough to get my heart racing but paired with the rush of adrenaline I get when I enter fine retail establishments I basically broke out in a full blown sweat during my intense Saturday shopping spree. I tricked Ryan into coming with me under the guise of a quick stop at Sephora, but when I casually made a beeline for the sunglass department at Nordy's he was onto my ulterior motives and none too pleased. The excursion turned into an intense workout of my credit card at multiple locations and a mini-meltdown midway through when Ry just couldn't bear to watch me try on one more pair of sunnies.

After some deep soul searching I decided upon a pair of oversized Wayfarers that I'm actually obsessed with, the old man brown leather case they come in makes them even more legit and I fully intend to handle them with tender love and care. This may prove to be a daunting task because my last four pairs of sunglasses have been bent, smashed or stepped on by yours truly.
When I finally did make it to my intended destination, Sephora, I picked up my favorite facial moisturizer, the Wild Rose 24-hour Brightening and Moisturizing Cream from Korres that is simultaneously softness-inducing and delicious smelling. Its like walking into a garden of roses and emerging with a kick-ass complexion, does it get any better than that? I was a little depressed when I discovered that the be all end all of lip plumpers, LipFusion, is no longer carried at Sephora. This gloss is so crazy good it gives you a collagen injection-like pillowy pout without the pain or fear of permanent trout mouth. Alas, I will now and forever be purchasing my LipFusion via the internet, which is probably a good thing considering the strife I caused on this shopping excursion. I have included the links for some of my favorite products below to make scoring some big haute beauty loot easy as can be!
One last stop on my crazy train was at the salon for some big haute hair essentials: Oleo-relax from Kerastase that makes my hair soft as spun silk and tames most of my frizz, Shu Umera Shape Paste to dirty up the 'do and of course Elnett Satin Hairspray- big haute hair's formerly banned BFF. I feel like a new woman now that I'm fully stocked with all my lotions and potions and I've got some sweet shades to shield my peepers from the non-existent San Francisco sun. My shopping frenzy was a total success and although Ry was temporarily peeved with me for my devil-woman trickery he just can't resist my sweet smelling skin and bouncy hair.

( L'Oréal Paris Elnett Satin Hair Spray - Extra Strength , Fusion Beauty Lipfusion Collagen Lip Plump Blingfusion Limited Edition - Beach Baby - 8.22G/0.29oz, Ray-Ban Original Wayfarer In Black black 54 )

1 Leotard 5 Ways Part Deux: Smells Like Teen Spirit

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 14:02:00 +0000

photos courtesy of Ryan Beren

My second installment of "1 Leotard 5 Ways" is an ode to my favorite fashion genre: nineties grunge. Ripped denim, Kurt Cobain, 90210 and a general sense of angst define the nineties and were my inspiration for part deux of my foray into the expansive world of the adult onesie. I've paired my karma chameleon-like American Apparel bodysuit with the archetypical grunge girl garb; shredded cut-offs, ripped black stockings and chunky-heeled boots in an attempt to walk a mile in Kelly Taylor’s shoes.

Striped bodysuit, tights, watch: American Apparel

Cutoffs: Levi's

Boots: Vince Camuto

Hat: Forever 21

Sunglasses: Ray Ban

The smell of teen spirit was thick in the air and it seemed to have a sedative effect on my mood because all I wanted to do was lay in the hammock and dream of taking a ride in Dylan McKay’s Porsche Speedster.

Beat it. I'm saving myself for Luke Perry.

This outfit is a great transition from summer to fall because it keeps my favorite Levi's cutoffs relevant for the upcoming season. I was so comfortable I never wanted to change again, until I had a minor panic attack at the realization of how many layers existed between me and the inevitable call of nature; but if you keep the beverage guzzling to a minimum this outfit is a real winner! I topped it all off with a bowler hat and somehow ended up resembling Heisenberg from Breaking Bad, probably the closest I will ever get to heroin chic.

1 Leotard 5 ways

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 17 Sep 2012 20:11:00 +0000

As promised, this week I will be giving you my interpretation of some of the trends seen at New York Fashion Week in an attempt to fully accept and move forward from my five stages of Fashion Week grief. Today will be the first in a series chronicling one rad leotard worn five different ways. The inspiration for this styling set came from the Michael Kors Spring 2013 show where he featured a striped bodysuit that instantly caught my eye. I have an unhealthy obsession with horizontal stripes and bodysuits, both ultra unforgiving in form and function, so naturally, being the fashion masochist that I am; I had to cop this look.

The striped bodysuit is from American Apparel and is surprisingly wearable for an adult leotard. When I first slipped on my new onesie I channeled my inner Gabby Douglas and had the slight urge to perform a standing back handspring back tuck. The urge was fleeting, and thoughts of gold medals were replaced with contemplations of all the ways one bodysuit will enrich my fall wardrobe.

For the first installment of “1 Leotard 5 Ways” I have kept to the Michael Kors runway look and paired my bodysuit with a black circle skirt, also from American Apparel. Micheal Kors leans a little more toward the all American preppy aesthetic than I do, so I chose some killer heels to dirty up the ensemble a bit. The addition of my new Ugg leather booties (yes Ugg don’t judge, these are not the Ugg of yesteryear, they are super cute and are lined with shearling to keep my tootsies warm while giving me a four inch lift) make the outfit wearable for day or night and can be rocked with black tights when the weather gets chilly. Stay tuned, more looks to come…

Photos courtesy of Ryan Beren

Striped Bodysuit: American Apparel

Circle Skirt: American Apparel

Booties: Ugg Australia

Sunglasses: Ray Ban

Five Stages of Fashion Week

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 15:24:00 +0000

in mourning

feeling blue...

I am going to be honest, I've been in a mood lately. I have had a serious case of FOMO (fear of missing out) since the onslaught of Fashion Week, because sadly my invitation to all the of the fantastic parties and fabulous fashion shows must have somehow got lost in the mail.  My poor psyche has gone through all five stages of grief while I've mourned the loss of any chance of participating in this year's NYFW. Denial and isolation were first when I entered the Nasty Gal NYFW sweepstakes thinking that was my golden ticket to the big show, but when neither I, nor my BFF, were chosen I wanted to bury my big haute hair in my bed and never come out. The anger came next and with every Instagram update or new post from my favorite fashion blogger chronicling their romp through Fashion Week wonderland I grew increasingly more emo and channeled my inner Naomi Campbell by throwing my iPhone in a fit of blind rage. During my bargaining phase I experienced the normal reaction to my feelings of helplessness and vulnerability with a desperate attempt  to regain control– attending Fashion's Night Out in San Francisco.

 I suited up in my newest Zara attire and strutted my stuff to AB Shoes where my boyfriend and his sister were holding an event celebrating FNO at their Union Square shoe store. I figured if I couldn't take part in the the real thing I could 
re-create some of the magic in my neck of the woods, but 
this catapulted me into the fourth phase, depression, faster than you can say Maison Martin Margiela. Although I was surrounded by Salvatore Ferragamo and sipping champagne I was NOT in New York and NOT a part of the fashionable phenomena that was taking place on the opposite end of the country. My spirits sank quite low and I completely lost myself in a Rachel Zoe Project marathon which wasn't the best idea considering Skyler Berman had a better wardrobe than I do while in utero.

dog days

After a few days of wallowing, acceptance started to set in and with it came a new wave of inspiration. I channeled my moodiness into a positive outlet for my fashion fury, a complete submersion in the September issue of Vogue and the creation of my very first mood board! I defamed the fashion bible by cutting out my favorite looks from Valentino, Tibi, Dolce and Gabanna, and Mulberry and constructed a sartorial story of my own. Ingenuity bred of pure envy is always a recipe for success! Stay tuned for the fruits of my labor as I will be posting my interpretation of fall's best trends throughout the week.

In the Nude

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 20:13:00 +0000

Alas, my love/hate relationship with mani/pedis continues. I have had a steady stream of amazing finger paint jobs lately so it was inevitable I would encounter a less than stellar session, and last night I came face to face with one sassy sister at my fave nail salon. The bitter cold of this wintry SF summer has forced me to accept that summer has come and gone and so has the appropriateness of electric colored fingers and toes. So my Milk + partner in crime, D, and I chose fall inspired hues for our tips. D went to the dark side with a deep wine color and I decided to go grandma chic with a mauvey nude by OPI. I have been digging Rihanna's long lady-like nails lately, so I wanted to keep mine lengthy to really accentuate the Golden Girls vibe I was shooting for. The pressure of choosing the perfect color, paired with the endless choices of nail shapes and lengths was almost too much for us to take, the only thing that could ease our anxiety was a good kiki-fest and with all that gossip comes some uncontrollable hand movements. My manicurist was none too pleased when I smudged my nail during a particularly deep and meaningful convo with D about where we would be spending our Fashion Night Out, but she really let me have it when we were discussing our mutual love for faux leather. When my ring finger twitched at the mention of my latest obsession, leather shorts, she shrieked, "Oh Honayyyyyyyyyyy! You're gonna mess up your nail again!" This scolding totally ruined the flow of the convo but luckily not my nails. They look great and will be the perfect compliment to the neutral toned duds I have picked out for FNOSF!

Silk Top: Zara

Rings: (ring finger) David Yurman, (middle) Brandy Melville (pinkie&pointer) Vintage

My Head Is An Animal

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 05 Sep 2012 14:44:00 +0000


she loves me, I swear


oh hai

Dirty Paws

Big Haute Cat Hair

Choupette, eat your heart out

My cat has the biggest, hautest (and hottest) cat hair ever. On my long weekend trip to my hometown I got to snuggle this fashionable lil' kitty while listening to my fave album as of late, My Head is an Animal by Of Monsters and Men. Kitty and I had a little unrequited love fest in my Grandma's garden under the hot, end of summer sun while jamming to her fave tune "Dirty Paws". My head really was an animal because one cranium cuddle with that feline results in a face full of cat fur.  The cat eye sunnies are quite appropriate for Kitty canoodling; chic and a perfect barrier between my eyes and her layers of hair. This post is slight on fashion, besides the fact that in my opinion, she is the next Choupette Lagerfeld. 

Sunnies: Vintage

Country Strong

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 04 Sep 2012 18:51:00 +0000

I decided to take my big hair out of the city for the long weekend and enjoy my celebration of the social and economic achievements of American workers in a place where mud tires and cowboy hats reign supreme, my little hometown of Danville. So I strapped on my boots and immersed myself in Americana for a few days. Check out the first of a few posts chronicling my trek to the country.

Boots: AllSaints

Purse: Rebecca Minkoff

Cutoffs: Lucky Brand Jeans

Cuff: Veronica M.

Watch: Rolex

Bracelet: Brandy Melville

Regina Phalange

noreply@blogger.com (Renee) — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 17:24:00 +0000

I have a love/hate relationship with mani/pedis. The abbreviation for them alone can be hilarious/infuriating when you intend to text your mother, "Hey! Let's get mani/pedis!!" but due to the embarrassment inducing function known as auto correct actually send, "Hey! Lets get many penis!!"

A good manicure can make you want to flash jazz hands at every available onlooker, and pile on the rings to get maximum attention on your phalanges. A bad manicure can make you want to slap your manicurist or scream out in pain or throw a bf and write a letter to the owner of the salon about how ghastly your tips look, "Dear Mr. Nails 2000+...". A sub-par pedi can be even more disastrous and leave you with toes that look like Baby Sinclair from the show Dinosaurs. I was lucky enough to receive an amzing mani/pedi yesterday from Vanity at the Embarcadero and am pleased as can be with the results. I picked Bevin by Zoya, a muted green hue that looks rad with my finger adornments. My manicure was not only beautifying, it was educational- I discovered that Zoya polishes are toxin free and all natural, Zoya was the first to remove toxic ingredients such as toluene, camphor, formaldehyde and DBP (dibutyl phthalate) from the polish formulations. Going green while getting green, wrap your head around that! My green thumbs inspired me to partake in some flower arranging and I am quite proud of the results.

Normally I'm wrestling with stems, swearing, chopping arbitrary foliage until I am left with a big pile of mulch. Not this time!! Me and my nails were in the zone and I've got a fierce centerpiece to show for it. I love the color, avoided having formaldehyde fingers, and did not end up looking like an infant ancient reptile.Score. Time to wave at unsuspecting strangers and make them green with envy over my mossy colored paint job.

Big Haute Boyfriend Jeans

noreply@blogger.com (Renee) — Wed, 29 Aug 2012 05:21:00 +0000

The funny thing about boyfriend jeans is that boyfriends, in general, do not like them. They are big, baggy and although they may be haute they aren't hot in the traditional sense.

Boyfriend Jeans: Zara

Leather Jacket: Vintage

Tank Top: Brandy Melville

Clutch: Louis Vuitton

Shoes: Forever 21

The second I put my new Zara selvage denim boyfriend jeans on my actual boyfriend grumbled, "Awwww, where'd your butt go?". These jeans are a woman's fantasy, they make butts disappear, and for that exact reason they are every man's nightmare. I absolutely love mine and am literally obsessed with riding 'em high and cinching them with a belt. I wore them out on Saturday for date night with my boo and although he wanted to send a search party out for my ass, he eventually warmed up to them and loved the fact that, thanks to my androgynous denim, my derriere was now a highly concealed secret only he knew the contours of. I paired my new loves with a black tank, my black leather jacket, and a chunky pair of 70's style wedges.

We chose Luella for dinner where we had amazing wine, deep conversations about Tom Hanks and after a few drinks I actually convinced Ryan that Wilson the volleyball had won best supporting actor for Castaway. I wanted to be a complete wino and subsist on my Cabernet Sauvignon for dinner, but man cannot live on wine alone and I ended up pigging out on everything because their food is so bomb. My boyfriend jeans allowed me to indulge in some tasty eats (ricotta filled donuts with lavender honey!) without instantly popping the button off my pants and feeling stylish all the while, win-win.

Hail Mary

noreply@blogger.com (Renee) — Mon, 27 Aug 2012 16:30:00 +0000

self portaits are so artsy...

and necessary when your photographer leaves town.

Large Brass Cross Necklace: Melrose Trading Post

Turquoise Cross Necklace, Silver Cross Bracelet: Brandy Melville﻿

﻿

As a real testament to my religious fixation as of late, I am currently listening to Neon Bible by Arcade Fire while writing this post. Jesus has always been my homeboy and my obsession with religious themed jewelry dates back to my
Catholic schoolgirl days when I desperately wanted to wear my rosary around my
neck as a compliment to the tiny gold cross I donned in support of my main man J.C..  This usage was frowned upon by the nuns, and other clergymen,  at my school because apparently the rosary is for praying
not for accessorizing. My passion for the cross was reignited this spring on a
trip to Melrose Trading Post while in Los Angeles visiting friends. We were
doing a frenetic pre-Coachella sweep of the place when I stumbled upon an
amazing sideways gold cross necklace that was screaming my name. The fashion
gods must have been smiling down on me because a few weeks later I was appropriately fitted for
the second coming of Tupac during Snoop Dogg’s set on the last night of
Coachella. Tupac rose from the dead WWJD style to sing me my all time favorite gangsta rap, Hail Mary. Since that mind-blowing night I’ve been oddly
obsessed with the song  and I’ve continued to amass the religious inspired
accessories. Brandy Melville has some great pious pieces at the moment, including this silver cross bracelet and turquoise cross necklace I just picked up. I like to 
see just how many sideways crosses I can wear at once and how that number directly correlates to the number of people that ask me if I am a devil worshiper or part of the Occult. 

Tupac lives

Big Haute Brigitte

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 23 Aug 2012 19:30:00 +0000

The tousled, larger than life mane, the quintessential French fashion sense, I can never get enough of Big Haute Queen Bee Brigitte Bardot

Orange you glad I look this AMAZE??

That choker is killing it on so many levels

Do I look pretty...of course I do I'm french

Big Hair at the Beach

noreply@blogger.com (Renee) — Tue, 21 Aug 2012 05:53:00 +0000

The beach is the perfect place to ponder my top knot philosophy...

The bigger the top knot, the warmer the head...

Thus it should follow...

I've got one haute noggin

Rad


Vintage sunnies and a massive bun keep me smilin through the cold

Sunglasses: Vintage

Shawl: Origin Unkown (beyond the chest in the living room)

This past weekend Ryan and I pretended it was warm and ventured to his family's beach house. Numerous sun dances and countless prayers for any semblance of summer weather were fruitless as we could not will the warmth. Alas, in the wise word's of Ernest Hemingway, "The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco."

Give Me Some Haute Bloglovin

noreply@blogger.com (Renee) — Mon, 20 Aug 2012 23:19:00 +0000

<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/3970374/?claim=px9uctdtjx8">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>

Manic Monday

noreply@blogger.com (Renee) — Mon, 20 Aug 2012 17:12:00 +0000

Back to the grind! The weekend is over and I am still in denial that it's Monday. Mornings like these require the least amount of fuss when trying to look presentable to the world, so in honor of hitting the snooze button and burying my head in the pillow for a few more minutes I decided to honor my big haute bedhead superstars! These ladies make rolling out of the sheets and onto the streets look chic. Their tangled tresses, rumpled clothes and the glimmer of crazy in their khol-rimmed eyes make me feel better about not running a brush through my hair and doing a mad grab for anything that resembled clothing before I left the house today.

Kate can't be tamed, and neither can her hair

Ultimate manic monday move- passing off your nighty as daywear

Her topper is the perfect way to disguise an unruly hair swirl

I'm tired, step off

Big Hair in the Big Apple

noreply@blogger.com (Renee) — Mon, 20 Aug 2012 03:18:00 +0000

Stomping it out on the mean streets of NYC

En route to the Warwick as the traveling shoe model for Arthur Beren Shoes
www.berenshoes.com

Sadly, I didn't see Donald and his legendary hair

On my recent trip to NYC for the Fashion Footwear Association of New 
York Spring 2013 Convention I learned the harsh lesson that big hair and
 humidity don't mix. New York in the summer means flat limp hair, but 
not even a bad hair week could dampen my spirits because FFANY rocked my
 world. This was a  trip dedicated to my favorite accessory, shoes, and it 
fulfilled all of my wildest shoe fantasies: I met Stuart Weitzman, I modeled amazing footwear and I contributed  to the Arthur Beren Shoes Spring 2013 picks. Basically I died and went to heaven.

Oh hey Stuart...NBD


Trying to act casual but secretly thinking OMG shoes!

Let's get some shoes


These shoes are $300...LET"S GET EM

Casual Friday Conundrum

noreply@blogger.com (Renee) — Sat, 18 Aug 2012 01:00:00 +0000

Of all of life's great
mysteries, none is more confusing than what to wear on casual Friday? How
casual is too casual? Are these five inch Jeffrey Campbell snakeskin platforms
office appropriate? Are jeggings socially acceptable as legitimate pants? This
morning, like every successive Friday morning for the last year of my life, I
stood in my closet paralyzed by the task of choosing my casual Friday garb. The
irony of the situation is that my closet is stuffed to the brim with off-duty
attire and sparse on work specific ensembles, so in theory this really shouldn’t
be that difficult. I gravitated towards my favorite new Zara sweater, but it’s
a bit of a sartorial mullet- business in the front, party in the back.

I am in desperate, dire need of the
length in the back due to the fact that I had a mad late night craving for
Annie’s shells and cheese and am really putting the seams of my dark denim
jeggings to the ultimate stress test. I'm still haunted by that bunny on the box and his judging eyes.

damn you Annie and your magical crack and cheese

This hi/low knit would normally be a demure pick for me, the chest is COMPLETELY covered, but I’m not sure that this much exposed skin on the flip side is suitable for the business world. My hair, which has now morphed into a full blown hair blanket as a result of not getting cut in the last 3 months, covers most of said sexiness but I'm not taking any risks today.  My level of appropriateness in the office has been sub-par lately; yesterday I wore a chiffon shirt with a black bra underneath, enough said.