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.   

Here she is, the real deal, as promised -- the boss lady Saffron, fully clad in a delightful concoction of white with brown accents. She looks positively sunny in this simple white dress, even though here in NYC, the sky's been threatening rain all day long. Perhaps since she's just left the office for the day (party time!) the heavens will finally open up and let the rain fall down on our 'very small office' but we'll have to wait and see. For now, have a look at this gorgeous ensemble that keeps this 'very small' person standing tall in cork-textured  brown pumps, and matching bag and belt. What do you think all, am I worthy of such a stylish superior? We may have to get a shoe competition going on here in the office. I'll let you know ahead of time that I'm certain she's in the top three spots for the shoe-olympics, as she is the reason I wear heels to work more often then not...At just a smidge taller then me (we won't even go into that) this very small commander in chief is the head honcho at my place of employment 'A Very Small Office,' LLC...don't let the name fool you, this small office does big things.

-A

Since Ani gave you a glimpse of her boss's fabulously fresh summer style, it only seemed appropriate that I share a few shots of Nathan, the namesake of Nathan & Co, the uber chic gift shop where I work. He was having a great hair day today so I thought it fitting that I use this opportunity to document his particular style.  And particular is perhaps a perfect word to begin describing Nathan's aesthetic.  His attention to detail is obvious in every square centimeter of the store. Much like his superb eye for design, Nathan's fashion sense is a combination of the classic, the colorful, and the cool.  Here he's wearing a salmony Lacoste button down (his favorite brand since birth) and Jcrew flat-front shorts.  It's a very preppy pairing but he's edged it out with faded indigo vans and that fantastic watch.  That royal blue, extra-large, polyurethane-wrapped timepiece by Michael Kors is really the star of this outfit.  It's probably a bit of an investment, but the interest it adds to his outfit makes it well worth the price.  

p.s The gorgeous chartreuse background to these photos is Nathan & Co's signature shade of green. 

-K

Meet Lizzy, a darling, curly-haired cookie who works at our Design and Animation Company, Offspring NY. Lizzy's done such a fantastic job coordinating and working weekends, that the boss lady (that's Saffron, we'll see if she let's me get a photo of her sometime!) purchased a $600 ticket to the AICP awards, which if you're in the biz is often referred to as the ad industry's prom. She got all dolled up in a lovely slate grey dress, the color of which has just the tiniest lick of blue. The free-flowing form and fabric strips remind me of a petal at midnight. Her clutch totally pops without being too obnoxious, and in a way, matches the flowery look of her dress. Her outfit, in sum, just flows from head to toe. 
-A

  Sunday mornings in South Berkeley, CA wouldn't be complete without a cheap Thai lunch at the Buddhist temple, Wat Mongkolratanaram.  Today was especially sunny and the Thai food especially delicious.  It seems that two of my lovely counterparts for the day, Arielle and Ella (both seniors at Oberlin) were in the mood for a similarly exotic flavor in their clothing choices this morning.  On the left is a close-up of the cool ethnic-inspired patterns they donned.  Although Ella's wearing it on a peasanty skirt, and Arielle on a short-sleeved button-down, both ladies work the trend in just the right way.  By keeping the shapes loose, the fabrics filmy, the amounts in moderation, and the colors muted (faded even), these two have avoided the overly costumey threat that often comes with wearing ethnic-inspired prints.  Arielle's shirt was a Thrift Town score, worn with moccasins and American Apparel short shorts.  Ella paired her skirt from the Alameda Vintage Fair with J. Crew leather sandals, a camisole swiped from her mother, a slinky braid in her hair and...gasp...the bitchin' sunglasses pictured above.  They are such a cool hybrid of teashades and aviators that she purchased from (in her own words) "a crazy old man in Jaipur, India."  I grew progressively more jealous of those specks as we cruised on to the Temescal Street Fair in Oakland.  I also worked up a nice sunburn (not a cute fashion statement, I assure you).
-K 

Paragraph.

Ahh Senior Week, how you nourish our guilty pleasures.  One of our favorite daring indulgences here at Canned Caviar is the carefree color combination.  Matching is for power suits and sweater sets; blending is a whole lot more fun.  Here, Kyle, c/o 2011, wears a scrumptious assortment of colors: mulberry, indigo and teal.  The combo works because the colors are in a similar family and level of saturation, keeping a constant that results in "blending" instead of "matching." It's a more advanced form of coordination, but well worth the risk.  Kyle is wearing Frye boots, a lightweight sweatshirt and scarf from Forever 21, and a skirt that is actually a reversible American Eagle tube top she purchased on Ebay.  Yum.

You may only know her as the voice that carries through the loudspeakers late at night when you've been studying for hours upon hours at her place of work, the Lucy Scribner Library. You may also know her by name, as Ani does, having worked for Nancy for three semesters. Nancy and Ani agree on a lot of things: there's no way to shut people up completely when they're having a full-blown top-of-the-voice conversation about their sexcapades the night before (Shhhh, this isn't case center!) and there's something to be said about fashion when you know you've got the hang of it. Here she is, Nancy Rudick of the circulation desk rocking a moss green jacket from anthropology that is so awesome because of its removable shoulder flaps. Talk about versatility! It can go from a gutsy updated capecoat a la Sherlock Holmes (see the photo on the left), to a feminine walking jacket that seems to beg for a stroll on a beach in the Pacific Northwest (below).  We like the jacket both ways. It's so fresh it may even be cooler than getting your own study room for a whole day during finals week.

We've probably explained one-hundred times before how much we love good-looking couples. Brandon and his girlfriend Julie both c/o 2011, arrived at Ani's house last night looking slightly disheveled, but somehow still super sexy. Together they've got a complete look that says, "it's been a hard night, but we looked good getting through it!" Julie's dress has a funky, sophisticated tribal look, a testament to Vogue's prediction that this sort of print would undoubtedly rule the summer season...In this case, it's still spring, so Julie's ahead of the game. And as for Brandon, (whose tie goes beautifully with Julie's dress) doesn't he look spiffy in a classic black suit?And though their eyes are blurry from a night on the town, they've managed to coordinate without being corny. We like couples who complement each other aesthetically, and there's not doubt that we'll be seeing more of this "blending" (not matching) from couples all over Skidmore campus.