Looking this svelte should be criminal..

So it's Thursday, and for most second year law students, it's our last day of classes for the week.. Friday-ish. Many are in sweats, and I'm even in jeans, thanks to the last few sleepless nights I spent writing the Moot Court brief for the Bainbridge Competition.

Some of us, however, raised the bar (pun intended). On my way into Constitutional Law, I was uncontrollably compelled to bust out the iPhone and take a picture of one of my favorite law peeps. She happens to be President of the Criminal Law Society, (one of, if not) the largest student organization[s] on campus. And while she and I tend to be on the opposite side of the spectrum, politically, we are one hundred percent on the same side today, fashionably speaking.

Perfect daytime makeup, a sleek ponytail, and a rocking royal blue satin shift dress set the stage.. Note, not only is she wearing colors that match the Touro Law logo, but also the gold and blue lapel pin adorning the Criminal Law Society Logo.. (And I thought I was the only one that matched my outfit to my lapel pins). Finally, she finishes it off with great bronze flats with a fabulous punch-out oversize mesh design, and a brown button-down sweater in the same hue as the shoes. Fierce.

No doubt she will be the most fabulous-looking individual at the Criminal Law Society Meet-and-Greet tonight. Certainly, the fashion police will not be present.

Bags I roll to class.

So I finally took the plunge. After a full year of lugging totes around, and a miserable few months of summer classes in the city, again, schlepping texts around Manhattan, I have finally done the unthinkable. I bought a "rollie bag." My dislike for them is fairly unfounded. The variety just isn't there, and I'd rather fall in lust with and buy a new tote each season than wheel around a bag I just am not crazy about. Not to mention, they can be a bit pricey, and most are downright manly. Well this semester, the books are just too much to handle in a bag with, well, handles (only). Case in point; I scored a fabulous kahaki green, nylon Sequoia tote with a great cross-body strap at Marshall's this summer. The price was unbeatable, and the bag looked like something that would survive the Gulf War. Sequoia is a little-known (to me and mine) French luggage brand, and because the average Marshall's shopper probably hasn't heard of it, I got it at less than 10% of the online retail price, way in the back of the clearance rack (I meet most of my steals there). However, looks can be, and are deceiving. The handles began to tear after just a twice-weekly LIRR-to-Subway trip from Center Moriches to Wall St. Not ok. The bag is now in a discarded pile on my floor, undeserving of even a photo on the blog.

Back to my new pal on wheels.. Black or taupe, black or taupe, black or taupe? The choice was hard, but I went with taupe. This fabulous bag is adorned with black and white snakeskin, so it will coordinate with anything black, and the black bag was a bit severe looking. And with my black locks, I didn't want to channel my inner Selma Blair (Elle's Legally non-blonde nemesis) in my attempt to avoid looking like law school Barbie.

So taupe it is. Going with a rolling duffel, rather than a rolling briefcase bought me a generous 20" x 13" x 10".. and don't worry, I measured the books.. it will be a squeeze, but without upgrading to a carry-on, and looking like a flight attendant any time I decide to wear a skirt suit, this was the best choice. Really, on Wednesdays, with Constitutional Law, Evidence, Property and International Sales Law & Arbitration, and few breaks between, I needed a bag that does its job.

So kudos to my girl Diane von Furstenberg for producing fabulous, (mildly) affordable rolling luggage. The woman is walking fabulousity, and the epitome of class. And now I can be too, on my way to class. So this gorgeous bag.. she's mine, all mine, thanks to www.ebags.com. So if you want one for you, and especially if you go to Touro, opt for the trendy "Betty." She's covered in zippers and comes in an array of colors. Further, in effort to fend off any copycats out there, a gorgeous, vintage DvF scarf will be lovingly tied to the handle on my bag. So authentic, so fierce. Printed with the DvF logo, and her very own mantra, "life is love." Word.

Thanks, Di. www.dvf.com

My latest accessory..

As many of you know, I'm a lover of all things mac. My MacBook, my old iMac G5, my collection of iPods.. the list goes on. (Well, once you go Mac, you never go back). After years of waiting patiently for Verizon to get the iPhone, I finally caved and switched to AT&T. I'll pardon you the story of the fiasco that was my day at pick-up and the obscene amount of time I had to wait to even place an order. And let's not even mention the percentage of calls that drop.. The phone is basically an iPod touch, with unlimited wifi and a serious camera (annnnnd a monthly bill that is so not pretty). Regardless, I'm in love, and I wouldn't trade it for anything. See the funniest video my man posted on my facebook wall that is a perfect depiction of my attitude towards the iPhone: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FL7yD-0pqZg


Obviously, though, it's super important to carry the phone in style. This is not only to protect it like the expensive piece of garbage that it is, and to make the antennae work, since you can't place your human finger directly on the bottom left corner (not that any case really makes a difference at all), but for pure chicness. At the time of purchasing my iPhone, the Apple store was completely out of cases, screen protectors, etc., and the AT&T store had three in stock. It must've been fate, because I found a case that was both functional and fierce. Enter, the Belkin soft touch leather case. It's really hardly leather.. it's some form of plactic-ish/rubber-ish stuff with a nice leather piece on the back. Mainly black, it matches the body of the phone, yet features brown threads, so you don't look totally terrible if you have no black on that day (but why anyone would go a day without any black on is beyond me..). Since I was literally unable to find a stock photo of the case, I had to remove it (eek!) and take a photo of it myself.

Aside from that, you must must must download my fave apps: IncrediBooth, which simulates those fabulous photo booths I can't walk by without going in, and comes with three different exposures for the photos; Hipstamatic, which turns your phone camera into a terribly groovy retro camera with various different films and effects.. it automatically makes whatever you're doing that day look that much cooler; and finally, foursquare (even better because it's free!) which allows you to "check in" to restaurants, shops, etc., which does make it much easier for people to stalk you like a crazy GPS, but also earns you free chips and salsa when you check in at Chili's and show your server that you did.

Shoes (I Can't Buy Because I Can't) Wear (Them) to Court

So my heart is breaking.

I went to Nordstrom Rack on my lunch break before returning to Nassau Family Court. Let me tell you, the court closes from noon to 2:00 daily, leaving ample time for a good meal and some serious shopping. If I worked here full time I would be in big trouble. So while I was cruising the shoes I came to a screeching halt, spinning around, sustaining a minor case of whiplash for the most beautiful pair of Steve Madden sandals.

Royal blue suede, peppered with shining gold grommets, and featuring an open toe with an inch and a half platform, and an elastic slingback.. And I kid you not, they were insanely comfortable. At $65.00 they were probably a steal, but unless I planned on stealing (which I would never) I sadly had to leave them behind. Of course, I walked up and down the aisle for a good 20 minutes before returning them to their box and hiding them in the back of the rack.

It's unfortunate but simply impractical to buy shoes like these that I could neither wear to court nor to school. So sad.

On a lighter note, the black open toe pumps that you see discarded on the floor are the most comfortable shoes I own. They are also from Nordstrom Rack, and are over two years old.. heels still intact. The important thing to notice is that the peep toe is extended toward the end of the shoe, rather than starting up higher. This makes for a more professional look, with much less visible toenail (you all know how I feel about toenails).

And I suppose I should mention the pink, salmon and gold skirt in my hand behind the blue shoes went home with me.. stay tuned.. you will meet it in a later post, somewhere around the first day of school. OXO

Location:Old Country Rd,Hempstead,United States

I like my handbags like I like my men..

..Older and Italian. Meet the newest addition to my wardrobe.. One of the best pieces of advice I can give to a fellow female law student is to have a spare clutch in her car at all times. By the end of the first day of classes, I resolved to give my handbag a break for the semester. Since Louis was a bit too valuable to leave in the front seat of my car in a parking lot so close to the court house (you get my drift), I decided to forego carrying any bag other than that which carried my textbooks. I ended up with my license, school ID, debit card and coffee club card in a business card-sized leather case which lived in my school bag. I encourage you all to do the same..

But let me save you the agony of the day when you forgot about the wine and app mixer with the Suffolk Bar Association at the steakhouse you can't afford to eat at otherwise. If you're smart, you're dressing for law school in a way that you can toss on a bigger necklace and head straight there. And then what happens when you go to grab your ID and some singles for tipping (yes, always tip for every drink)? I never encourage cheating, unless it's on handbags. Keep a spare clutch in your car, specifically for moments like this. Louis (or your version of him) won't mind. He likes to rest anyways.

Last year I ebayed a fabulous envelope-style vintage Fendi clutch. You will die when you see just how cheap you can get a legit, authentic Fendi purse online. If you need help, just ask. Today I won an auction for my newest stand-by.. a vintage Bally clutch. Slightly more feminine than last year's model, still of the Italian persuasion, and complete with a detachable shoulder strap for nights when I have to carry something.. I suggest choosing something with a scheme of black and brown combined, so it will match anything.. opt for understated metal elements, so you don't show up with silver hoops and gold handbag hardware. On a less-fashionable note, I also keep one of those nice cloth storage bins in my back seat, to toss things like my umbrella, spare flats, hairspray, etc. in, to which I add tomorrow's textbooks and whatnot, so my backseat is less of a terrible mess. Toss the clutch in too, and you're never unprepared.