All Knotted Up

So I started my first week of vacation in style by trying this whole "ladies that lunch" concept with my dear friend Beth. She and I had a fantastically down-home (and points racking) meal at the Lakeshore Cafe. Once seated in their charming courtyard, one of the topics we discussed was the AMAZINGLY GORGEOUS website from Hermès. (Yes darling, that Hermès)...

J'aime Mon Carre pays homage to those oh-so-covetable pieces of wearable art: The Scarf.




Now I know that some observant fashionistas will flashback (no, no the good kind) to Burberry's "Art of Trench", and say "biters", "recyclers", but I gotta give Hermès credit for attempting to lure in a whole new generation of devotees to this iconic, heritage brand.

Stunning, Inspiring, "insert favorable adjective here". "A" for effort, Hermès!  What do I care if one of your scarves = my rent + utilities? Spot on for dancing away from your traditional customer (the real 'Ladies Who Lunch") and showing some foresight by identifying / targeting aspirational, fashion conscious, educated females between the ages of 25-35. I just love the fact that I'm picking up some tips & tricks on how to tie and wear my scarves with a little more je ne sais quoi                    


                                                                                                  

So what if your idea of regular 'it' girls are all pouty, off-duty supermodels shown cavorting around the most glamorous cities in the world on the back of their equally off-duty supermodel BF's vespas? That's some disbelief I'm willing to suspend....




After brunch, we promenaded (ok, I rolled) down the block, partly to enjoy some retail therapy, but mostly to avoid the embarrassment of passing out right in the cafe's morning glory canopied fountain. I was just congratulating myself for making it out of the Gap without purchasing something, when something caught the corner of my eye while walking past Juniper Tree. On a little table, tucked to the side of the store, I spotted this little gem:

 And two of little gem's friends:

Seriously, though each scarf was less than a happy meal, their graphics, colors and vintage appeal score high style points. And given the economy's current state, its about as close as I'm going to get to achieving that Hermès look for less. Totally happy with my loot, and inspired by the stuff I learned on the site, I gleefully spent the evening trying different knots to achieve different looks: