This is Marteen, my fashionable friend who generously donated his time and energy and accompanied me on my music fest exploits this past weekend (see "Fest Gear" post in "What We Wear").  For whatever reason, Marteen refuses to be photographed wearing any sort of average expression, but his outfits for Outside Lands were too above average to pass up.  Not only is he a talented musical artist himself (check out his solo project at http://www.myspace.com/venusboymusic or his band at http://www.myspace.com/yeahrightyeahright ) but he somehow knows exactly how to dress for a music festival.  The keyword here is "Easy". 

 While his Outside Lands outfits were undeniably fresh and feisty in their use of color, deliberate pattern-clashing, and unexpected layering, Marteen managed to recycle items so that dressing was a cinch and packing was light.  It goes without saying that this is a skill I have yet to master.  (pictured above: Marteen's Day 1 outfit)

He bookended both ensembles with this vintage felt bowler hat and the neon blue sneakers pictured above (a tasty dose of color in a otherwise muted palette).  This second-hand pleated beige jacket was his fog-tackler for both days as well.  And yet, despite all these identical elements and the nearly identical colors and patterns, he produced two very different looks.  The first, an uber-layered 80's-influenced dance-ready look grounded by a pair of leggings.  That's right, leggings on a dude: a tricky but rewarding maneuver.  The second (pictured below,) is a curious mix of a gentlemanly vibe -- trousers, a thick knit turtleneck, and a polished chapeau -- and a sort of Bauhaus artistry -- contrasting geometric prints, unexpected patterns, and a shock of neon blue at the toe.  While Marteen took considerable and refreshingly successful risks with both lookss,  his deft wardrobe editing skills pre-music-fest meant that he slept in while I tunneled through an enormous bag of potential garments.  Point taken.  

-K

 Glory be! A straight man who is not above a good shopping spree with his mother! But this fine gentleman is not about to go on a budgetless spending rampage simply because he has his mother’s plastic. No, this strapping young man knows how we like it at Canned Caviar.

 I had been dying to take my old friend Andrew shopping, mainly because when we were in high school, we used to do it all the time…that is, as often as our lifeguarding paychecks could afford. But alas, summer is nearly at a close, and we didn’t have a single day to devote to one of our favorite past times. So I gave him a bit of advice, and sent him on his merry way one Saturday morning. Normally, his mother insists that Bloomingdales can function as anyone’s be-all/end-all of shopping needs, but when he found a lovely tweed jacket priced at 700 big ones, this RPI engineering major put his noggin to work. Not that I was there or anything…but I am sure it wasn’t hard for this smarty-pants to find an inexpensive equivelent at Banana Republic, which, in my opinion is a perfectly viable option to replace such styles carried by John Varvatos, Paul Smith and the like.

I'm not trying to steal his thunder, because he did find all of this all on his own, but I did advise Andrew on the matter of wardrobe essentials for the everyday, stylish man. I suggested a tweed sports coat (check!) and a good pair of boots. I had no idea that he would have such a keen eye, that he would find a pair of luscious leathers that combined two of my favorite styles into one: from Aldo, a mere $140 for this pair of distressed, brown leather oxford-boot fusions. Brilliant.

And to put the butter-cream frosting on this already delicious pastry, Andrew purchased a great Marc Jacobs t-shirt and a good old-fashioned pair of levis skinny jeans. What can I say…I am really impressed.  So I practically begged him to email me some photos, because he had sent me one of the shoes…Little did I know he would blow my mind again. Because he’s a photographer, I should have expected to be presented with more than I asked for. By the end of the day, I had a complete editorial ready to put to press (or blog).  What more is there to say about this fashion aficionado?  Well,  Keely and I both love a guy who can dress, especially one that isn’t afraid to take a risk.  Few things are sexier, so let that be a lesson to every guy claiming fashion apathy.   To us, this kid has a great look--which one might describe as 1 part fashion nerd, with a pinch of hipster and a dash of dapper--for the right price. Cheers to strapping young gents—this one should lead by example.

Okay, so my boss Saffron is not the only well-clothed human in her household…but that’s not surprising. Yesterday at work, I emerged from the storage closet (post-it and sharpie marker heaven) to find a little Lo in the loft…Saffron’s step daughter Olivia had come to visit fully clad in a white, beige and cream confection. Let me just say, that this young tart is seventeen…seriously, she was born in the nineties but rocks a boxy, past-the-waist white blazer ala an Italian Vespa rider circa 1978, a Helmut Lang sensation which she “borrowed” from her mommy-kins.  She modernizes her look with a tight, camel-colored skirt and lovely yet simple white button down. Her sandals too are wise beyond their (and her) years, and her tortoise-rimmed Raybans act to protect her baby blues from the glittering reflection of the skyscrapers nearby. Umm, I didn’t know that teenagers had sense enough to invest in such a classic, sophisticated and somehow effortless look. Gah, I must’ve forgotten what I wore in highschool (just kidding, I wore low-rise jeans, enough said)

And the little gemlin had me cracking up as I took her picture next to a coworker’s bike in the office when she said, “Ugh, my dad makes fun of me because I’m so unphotogenic,” and gave her golden locks a toss as though she were the fashion brain-child of Kate Bosworth and Kirsten Dunst.

…Teenagers

Emma in her frock!

 This is my lovely friend Emma, whose major contribution to my own wardrobe has been her willingness to tailor some of my clothes for free (thank you!).  Her style is usually comfy, cute and casual, but every once in a while she randomly chooses to whip out a saucy little something, like this flirty, form-fitting dress.  Tonight she even donned some rather vampy high-heel boots.  Of course, she wrapped the whole thing up in a sublimely cozy oversized sweater, which keeps the look relaxed.  I am obsessed with the bias-laid front ruffle and the gorgeous draping on this dress, which add a softer side to the sensuality of the fit and neckline, resulting in an overall perfectly coquettish frock.  The dress is from Pretty Penny vintage in Oakland, one of my personal Bay Area favorites.  The suede boots are Michael Kors, but in flawless Canned Caviar-esque fashion, she purchased them for less than $40 at Crossroads.