Not sure how many girls out there cite Rock of Love as a must see – but I for sure do, which is where my difficulty understanding these leggings lies.  Perhaps it’s just this show, or maybe it’s just too much costume history/ sociological absorption on all levels – but the instant I saw these Rodarte cut out leggings, I thought - stripper!  I’m not going to hate on strippers, but I’m pretty sure they coined this look and it’s just another one of those from street to designer trends.  Granted – the Rodarte leggings are adorable and I’m not saying I don’t want a pair, but I will absolutely acknowledge that yeah, I do want to look like a stripper – sort of, in this instance.  The main difference in the aesthetic between Rodarte and below Pat Field’s very close West Side Highway representation - is the smaller, uniform, and cohesive diamond shape – as well as zip ankle detailing that channels a different gal.  Regardless of origin, I will scout out something similar to Rodarte, that’s not so Rock of Love - definitely in white or cream, feminine - and with a little S&M to keep it as classy as a pair of cut out leggings can be.

View Rodarte’s Spring 09 complete collection @ Style.com

Definitely for the daring at heart.  I know I can’t resist any pyramid stud, no matter what the capacity.  These are very specific - but for that price it’s completely reasonable to have but not wear all the time.  Sometimes I buy pieces I don’t wear for years - I just know that I need to have them and there will a perfect time for them in the future.  And, if anything, these shoes are definitely futuristic.

Shoe $34.99 (orig $55) at Payless.com

I said if I found something I would post it - and crazy enough Patricia Field came to the rescue with these Erickson Beamon - seeing double - earrings. I won’t lie - a little pricey for rhinestones, but Patricia Field tends to go in that direction (love her, but hate that), and really - the originals are $445!

I’ve been feeling a very, very 60’s vibe in my style since I moved to Austin - it’s a very chill city with more hippies per square foot than Berkeley - and I even invested in bangs! This past summer (primarily on the train/ferry to Fire Island) I read Pattie Boyd’s autobiography “Wonderful Tonight” (she was married to George Harrison & Eric Clapton, modeled with Twiggy) and fell in love with her hippy dippy style. These earrings seem so retro to me, is it the circular shape - I don’t know - but right now I’m living for that free spirited, hop on a jet to India to study Buddhism - young & in love lifestyle.

Shop Patricia Field earrings $64

I had a pair of GORGEOUS driving gloves - a muted pink crochet with white leather, a cropped version - that I bought from Patricia Field (when she was still in SoHo) my sophomore year. I wore these on one of the first dates my love and I had, and I remember they didn’t go with my outfit at all, and I kept spilling my mojito on them - but I had to wear them. Then, when I was studying in Rome - I don’t know when or where it happened, but I lost them and I forever hate myself for it. That’s the thing about gloves - so easy to lose yet so (painfully) worth wearing and running the risk. While mourning the loss of my gloves - my mom visited and bought me a pair from Ponte Vecchio in Florence - cream leather with a lace/crochet flower detailing on them - I’m pretty sure these are of the bridal kind but WHATEV.

Since driving gloves aren’t very warm, and don’t really serve a purpose as I don’t know anyone who drives a convertible - you may as well be economical and buy a pair that you can easily replace if you do lose them. Because really - It’s purely fashion, not necessity.

In past tense, I loved wearing my gloves on a weekend spent shopping or laying around in the park, or my dearly missed Central Park rowboats. It may be getting too cold for them in the Northeast right now, but I would always pull them out whenever a temperate day hit, or when I knew I wasn’t going to be outside for that long (i.e. cab). Now that I have beautiful Austin winters, however, I may have to invest in a few pairs (colored leather is such eye candy) - since I definitely won’t be needing any Thinsulate.

Nordstrom $38.90

Patricia Field $48

Debenham’s $30

Image taken from Marass Photography @ Flickr