How I love this store. Their website is now e-commerce, which means you don’t have to live in San Francisco to enjoy their special treats.
aqua matelasse boxes $22/$24
armenian burning papers $26
antique alsatian bed $7500
matelasse wrapping paper $6 for 4 sheets
raspberry box $24
plan de paris boxes $24-$36
wicker storage hampers $20-$26
Chris Benz has such a great eye for color…and I love the waspy-vintage vibe.
Photos courtesy of Style.com
San Franciscans all know about Britex Fabrics- the amazing 4 floor fabric emporium in the tony Union Square. But what most people don’t know is that anyone can shop the store. They have a Britex-by-Mail service that allows customers across the country to shop through swatches hand-picked to match your specifications (for a nominal fee). In the days of impersonal online shopping, it’s nice to know that there’s someone at Britex walking through the store, pulling swatches just for you!
And I’m personally obsessed with the 3rd floor- shop it for vintage lace trims, buttons (over 36,000 styles- including vintage!), ribbons, millinery flowers, feather trims, etc. I bought a little gray wool blazer from a thrift store ($7!) and transformed it into a schoolboy blazer with black grosgrain ribbon trim and crested buttons from Britex.
When a family friend, who specializes in professional organizing and moving for the wealthy, schlepped over her latest hand-offs, I was expecting to find the usual discarded goods. I’m the type that gets excited to score a couple of cute tops among pilly sweaters and ill-fitting pants, but I had no idea I was about to hit the jack pot. I was on my knees elbow deep in clothes and just about to call it quits when she asked me if I knew Balenciaga. Did I know Balenciaga!?! Face flushed, I looked up and nodded. She smiled, left the room, and returned with it dangling from her finger. There it was… wickedly soft and blue-the perfect neutral. I snatched it, not purposely, and hugged it before hugging her. Bizarre that one socialite’s trash could be a fashion pr assistant’s treasure!
The first time I heard aussie band Howling Bells, I was hooked. The sound: a bit PJ Harvey, a bit Hope Sandoval. Rock with a smidge of country edge. Supposedly they have another album coming out this year. Listen to Low Happening, Blessed Night, and Broken Bones here. Their self-titled 2006 album is only available on import, but you can buy it here. Love this band!
P.S. No, that’s not Zooey Deschanel- it’s lead singer Juanita Stein.
This braided rhinestone piece by Philip Crangi for Vera Wang’s Fall ‘08 show is the type of necklace that always catches my eye - very Breakfast at Tiffany’s. When I was 8, my grandmother let me have her big rhinestone costume pieces from the 60’s which I proceeded to wear around the house feeling tres glamorous. It looks like it won’t be long until I add to the cache!
I don’t even remember when I acquired this book, but it never fails to entertain. Written by model-turned-designer Anne Fogarty in 1959, it’s main goal is to educate wives on fashion and how to trick their husbands into buying them more clothes! Hilarious!
Some favorite pages:
(click on page to enlarge)
Ruby Press is a boutique PR agency based in Berkeley, California. We've created this blog so that we can share what we're currently obsessing over... When we find something we love, we want to tell everyone!
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