On St. Marks. Get Studs. Go.

To be perfectly honest, I wish I posted this a year ago, when it was most relevant to me. But I'm frequently lazy and forgetful, and now, perhaps this post may be past its prime. I prefer my blog to set standards of style rather than to follow them. If it didn’t, the title of "trendsetter" would be completely inaccurate, wouldn't it? I apologize for my tardy reporting and I hope you can forgive me for it.

If you buy magazines, read fashion blogs, walk down the street, or go in to a store, you are probably well aware that studs are huge this fall. Studded shoes, blazers, jewelry, belts; you name it, it has been punked. I would not be surprised if right this very moment, Sid and Nancy are rolling over in their graves. However, despite its fast track to fashion overkill, studs are a trend that I still totally dig. In fact, I've been into this 80s throwback since picking up the September 2008 issue of Elle magazine, and obsessing over Kate Lanphear and her masterful styling.

As strange as it sounds, it was a High School Musical cast spread that inspired me to attain the punk rock vibe. Being that Kate is consistently faithful to the origins of her look, the majority of the cuffs featured were available at Trash & Vaudeville, and at incredibly reasonable prices. Sure, I may have felt like a poseur walking into that store--as I am far from punk, rock, or goth--but there is nothing wrong with trying to reinvent your style, or at least giving it a swift kick in the ass. A little edge goes a long way.

While I am still drooling over and longing for two of Kate's signature bracelets: the Hermes Collier de Chien and the pyramid cuff I can only find similar in this Noir version, I have managed to stave off the desire to spend excessively by recreating her layered look with the Trash and Vaudeville cuffs ($10-$30) mixed with some Tiffany chains I've acquired over the years.

Remember: anyone can achieve their desired style with the right amount of determination and a little imagination. Moreover, it is worth every penny to mingle with the authentic punks to get the exact look that you want. Fashion is an experiment; not always aspirational or out of reach. In fact, sometimes it falls right into our price range. Now that deserves a gold medal in the Shopping Olympics.




Trash & Vaudeville is located at 4 St. Mark's Place (between 2nd and 3rd Avenues)