I'm heading back to Boston now, but before I left NYC I had a chance to visit the Cloisters. They're an off-shoot of the Metropolitan Museum of Art located all the way up at 190th street in Fort Tryon park. You read that right. 190th street. That's past Harlem and a REALLY long subway ride, but I subdued my underground transportation phobia long enough to make it out there. Basically what the Cloisters are are a modern building done in an early Gothic/Romanesque style with parts of actual Gothic and Romanesque buildings integrated into it, like the archway at the left. Even though there are parts from a really wide range of buildings and countries, the overall effect is very harmonious, especially since it was pretty empty for a Met-associated museum. The Cloisters themselves are full of little gardens and pieces of art, tapestries, sculptures, and precious objects from the Medieval era, like this altar with the head-shaped reliquaries. They have some really impressive pieces for such a secluded museum. I kept pointing out things from my art history textbooks (and then I got a little too enthusiastic and set off the alarm. Of course.) and with so few people around, you get to spend a lot of time with the art. I really loved that they put everything in the setting that it was meant to be seen in--statues that would have been high up on walls were high up on walls.
They have fully recreated apses with authentic frescoes! So cool. We went at just the right time in the afternoon for the light to hit all the stained glass windows--absolutely gorgeous. Here's a view of the Cloisters from Fort Tryon park. The park itself is really lovely, right next to the river and full of trees and flowers. It was surprisingly empty when we went, and extremely peaceful.
And here's an adorably artsy picture that my mom took at the subway station. To get to the Cloisters you take the A train express uptown to 190th street, get into a really sketchy elevator, and walk through Fort Tryon park. Then we went to get froyo at 40 Carrots at Bloomingdales, which is no Pinkberry but it's pretty darn good. And yes, I ate all of that by myself.
I love to study how people dress in other cities. I tend to think that how people dress in LA is how people dress everywhere, which is definitely not the case at all. There is so much more black in NYC. SO much. And the longer we were in NYC, the more I started gravitating towards the all black things in my suitcase. Someone actually asked if I worked at the Soho Uniqlo, so I felt like a real New Yorker (not really, but still). Since I sorta failed at blogging yesterday, I thought I'd put together a little ensemble that I would have liked to have worn this past week.
Rebecca Minkoff Lindbergh Perforated Leather Jacket, $795 at shopbop.com, Temperley London Flying Horse Belt, $450 at shopbop.com, Rory Beca Abbie Trapeze Dress, $190 at shopbop.com: I love my new little leather jacket, but I couldn't find it online, so here's a similar one. Just your standard issue little motorcycle jacket, edgy without being to hardcore and in-your-face. I'd pair that jacket with this little tank dress and that equestrian-inspired belt. The cheetah print of the dress adds a girly contrast to the hardness of the jacket, and the swinginess of the skirt balances out all the structure up top. Plus, that taupey-beige is a nice way to lighten up the black jacket without going all crazy on the colors, which doesn't feel as NYC to me. I love this belt. I saw it at Saks with my mom and we both died. It's so odd and almost antiquidated, but I think the heaviness of it would really work with the lightness of the dress, and the black leather would tie in with the jacket, while the gold horses would pop from underneath it.
Kenneth Jay Lane Snake Print Ring, $66 at shopbop.com, Pelle Moda Finet Stud Caged Heels, $175 at shopbop.com, BE & D Woodstock Hobo, $995 at shopbop.com: I wanted to keep the accessories neutral as well, but not boring. I love this snakeskin ring. It stays in the black/taupe color palette, but since it's snakeskin it's inherently sassy. Plus, since it's gigantic, it makes a statement without detracting from the focal point of the belt. These heels, which I'd never actually wear on a New York street but still, anchor the floatiness of the dress and again, tie in with the jacket. The studs add a little extra visual interest, and work well with the silver/grey tones of the bag. I'm seriously feeling BE & D bags of late. The grey keeps the neutral theme going, but still mixes it up from the black and taupe, the studs are echoed in the shoes, and the shape is that perfect combination of slouchy and structured that we also see in the jacket.
And just for fun, here are some inspiring pics I missed this week (I never realized how much I relied on WiFi before!). Loving the jaunty hats from Kenzo, and that shot is fantastic on its own. Giles Deacon would make a triceratops bag, and Katie Grand would wear it like it was just a regular purse. It makes perfect sense.
I adore Jenna Lyons. She's done so much for J. Crew, and she just seems like such a fun, lovely person. How could you wear such an oversized, cheeky scarf without being inherently awesome? When those maxi skirts showed at Chloe a few seasons ago, I didn't get it. But now...I'm starting to see the '70s appeal.
Image Sources:
Jak & Jil pics: jakandjil.com/blog, Garance Dore pics: garancedore.fr, Rebecca Minkoff jacket: shopbop.com, Temperley London belt: shopbop.com, Rory Beca dress: shopbop.com, Kenneth Jay Lane ring: shopbop.com, Pelle Moda heels: shopbop.com, BE & D bag: shopbop.com.
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