LE CATCH

My affinity for Clare Vivier's clutches is probably not lost on any of you, as her minimalist-chic bags can be found on this blog frequently. So, it should come as no surprise that I was delighted to find a few of my favorites, including the iconic oxblood fold-over clutch, above, on sale at Shopbop (which just launched a big up-to-70%-off-sale), along with a motherlode of other covetables, including this amazing sequined sweater from Winter Kate (seriously love!), these Belle by Sigerson Morrison suede ankle boots, and this faux fur vest from Patterson J. Kincaid. I am thinking today might be the advent of my holiday shopping.

$189, club monaco

It's going to be hot today (don't forget to vote!) here in LA, but they say that the season's first more winter-y weather will arrive here on Friday. The impending sweater weather has me hankering for this neutral zipper-trimmed cashmere knit, which would undoubtedly get major play all season long, accompanied with...

1. Club Monaco cashmere zipper-trimmed sweater, $189, clubmonaco.com
2. Gryphon bronze-coated faux fur coat, $193, theoutnet.com
3. J. Crew python bag, $795, jcrew.com
4. Gucci peep-toe booties, $960, netaporter.com
5. Topshop floral print pants, $80, topshop.com

There's an art to stacking bracelets, and one key trick is to mix metals, styles (vintage and modern) and textures, as shown above. These stunning--and well-priced!--pre-mixed sets from Noir Jewelry, Ashley Pittman, Topshop, and River Island make stylish arm parties fast and easy.

$114, asos

A high-drama jacket is the perfect lift for any wintry outfit. This one has bold flashes of gold, stripes, and neon, plus a very Isabel Marant-like scoop neckline.

1. J. Crew wool turtleneck, $49, jcrew.com
2. River Island embellished jacket, $114, riverisland.com
3. Banana Republic leopard print calf-hair clutch, $79, bananarepublic.com
4. Asos peep-toe booties, $79, asos.com
5. Brit Burberry waxed jeans, $275, netaporter.com

A couple of years ago I was at a dinner party at Soho House, celebrating my older sister's birthday, and one of her good friends who happens to be a Supermodel (yes, with a capital "S") asked me where she could buy a great but not terribly expensive motorcycle jacket. I took a moment to respond, mostly because I was wondering why a Supermodel was asking me this question. Then I rattled off a short list that included All Saints, Topshop, Rag & Bone, Asos, and a few others. Fast forward to today and my list is twice as long, because the motorcycle jacket has evolved into a wardrobe essential that's not only intrinsic to the model-off-duty, editor-on-duty and rocker-round-the-clock uniform, but to every woman. This season the leather staple is being rendered in various crowd-pleasing silhouettes (fitted, cropped, oversized) and fabrics (boucle, silk, denim and wool). Here are a few of my current favorites: a classic leather investment from Acne, an oversized Topshop (along with a dressier fleece-lined wool version), a polished boucle and leather-sleeved Vince, a military-inspired BLK DNM, a structured coated denim Asos (particularly love!), a camouflaged lined Nasty Gal (and its distant olive/faux-fur trimmed cousin), and the creme de la creme, an asymmetric leather-coated and woven ground-breaker from Proenza Schouler. Below are some inspirational snaps.

Photos: Tommy Ton, Altamira, Harper's Bazaar, Stockholm Streetstyle, The Northern Light

$39, gap

It took me about a New York minute to decide that this color-block Gap clutch was a winner, but a little longer to figure out which color combo I liked best. See the other options here. I've concluded that the no-fail, easy-to-match camel and red mix is a good place to start.

1. Carven tie-neck blouse, $370, netaporter.com
2. Oasis shaggy blazer, $130, oasis-stores.com
3. Gap color-block clutch, $39, gap.com
4. Madewell leopard print flats, $108, madewell.com
5. J. Crew jeans, $125, jcrew.com

Among this season's statement sweaters is the Fair Isle knit, a cozy, comfy, colorful foil to everything from jeans to leather pants to decidedly formal pieces, like a skirt--which is how I like it best. I adore these lovelies from The Gap, ALC, J. Crew (or this less expensive one) and Proenza Schouler (the one that precipitated my whole Fair Isle fixation.)

$130, topshop

My current fixation is the biker jacket (I'm preparing a round-up for you all on the season's best--look out for it later this week). I came across this denim one today though and could not wait to share with you. I'd cozy up in it with...

1. Madewell striped sweater, $75, madewell.com
2. Topshop denim motorcycle jacket, $130, topshop.com
3. J. W. Hulme cross-body bag, $230, stevenalan.com
4. Ash boots, $220, shopbop.com
5. Mother silver glitter finish jeans, $210, netaporter.com

A staple of tights-and-boots weather, a chunky scarf yields wintry-chic flair and a hefty amount of warmth, too. I like a heavyweight scarf that doesn't completely swallow your head or burden your shoulders. It should feel comfy around your neck and be wrapped or loosely tied, almost like an ascot. I prefer wearing them with casual outfits, such as a crewneck sweater, jeans and a light jacket (like the girl above), and sticking to a muted color or pattern to get more mileage out of it. I'm all over these cozy standouts from Paula Bianco, Topshop and Asos.

$114, miss selfridge

It's a beaded, baroque bonanza! Just the thing to take you from one holiday fete to the next. You could also throw it into your everyday mix with jeans and a blazer, like this...

1. Miss Selfridge pearl-beaded top, $114, missselfridge.com
2. Vanessa Bruno blazer, $342, theoutnet.com
3. Alexander Wang cross-body bag, $985, shopbop.com
4. J. Crew cap-toe suede pumps, $258, jcrew.com
5. Marni cropped jeans , $340, netaporter.com