Get To It

No Age. (From WaterCoolerGossip.)

Wednesday, expect levels of frenzy rivaling the scene on U Street this past Tuesday when Diplo spins and No Age rails at the Black Cat. (Bonus: Diplo will be playing records at Commonwealth before the show! Ooo-wee!

Thursday, wipe that smirk off your face before you arrive at the party for Stop Smiling's DC Issue at Civilian Art Projects. DJs Name Names and Nitekrawler will be deckbound.

You should probably just bring a sleeping bag on Thursday because Quintron and Miss Pussycat will be wrecking the house at Civilian on Friday.

FotoWeek DC begins on Saturday. Check out their kick-off event: a group show of six Ukrainian-American photographers hosted by the Ukrainian Embassy. Note: almost all of the FotoWeek events are free! Two thumbs up! (Also free: Breakin' Glass at Wonderland Ballroom.)

Food Friday

This week, in a nod to both the election and the increasingly delicious autumn weather, Food Friday brings you a "Gyngerbrede" recipe that Politics and Pot Roast author Sarah Hood Saloman attributes to George Washington's mother, Mary. I myself am a gyngerbrede (or gingerbread - whatevs) fanatic - for me, nothing conjures the winter holidays like this sweet, dense bread. And nothing conjures elections like George Washington, right? Like, literally?

Gyngerbrede

1/2 cup butter
1/2 brown sugar
1 cup molasses
3 eggs
1 and 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons ground ginger
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon mace
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup orange juice
1 teaspoon orange zest
1 cup raisins
1 cup buttermilk

Cream butter and sugar. Stir in molasses. Add eggs, one at a time, and mix well. Sift dry ingredients together and set aside. Combine the orange juice, orange zest, buttermilk and raisins and set aside.

Beat 1/2 of the flour mixture into the butter mixture, then add 1/3 of the milk mix. Repeat until all ingredients are combined. Put into greased 9" x 13" pan and bake at 350 degrees F for 50 minutes (or until straw inserted into gingerbread comes out clean). Yields 24 pieces.

Fresh Finds

This week finds me travelin' so I am neglecting the Mercedes Bien portion of "Fresh Finds."

In the vintage queen's store this week, though, you can find these Listopad Fresh Finds and many more:

Red satin-bowed wool overcoat, Women's, M/L, Listopad

(This one reminds me of Michelle O and her cute daughters - yup they are already way up high in our style stratosphere).

Fitted Striped Handknit Dress, Women's, XS, Listopad

"Osbourne" modern Neige Warrior Hat, Unisex, Medium, Listopad

Sleek Tan "Cobbies", Women's, 7.5, Listopad

What More Can I Say?

It's Narciso Rodriguez.



Well played!

I'd just like to take a moment to congratulate Michelle on her consistently dope familial ensembles.





I know our city gets a bad fashion rap, but that's only because it's much more challenging to dress well in DC than in "anything goes" cities like New York or L. A. (Don't even get me started on Baltimore. Shine on, you crazy diamonds!) With such a stringent and relatively conservative template for dressing, we gypsies have to be much more innovative and even subversive with our little sartorial weirdnesses - a feat which Michelle consistently accomplishes. She favors clean, simple silhouettes but really goes for the gold when it comes to pattern and color, never shying away from bold hues or kooky prints.

The way she dresses is really similar to the way her husband has campaigned for (and won!) the presidency. His promises of overhaul and change are always posed against the backdrop of our country's time-tested founding principles. There's even a parallel in the way Michelle dresses her daughters: their outfits are never matchy-matchy, simply coordinated - in agreement, even. Kind of the like the way her husband professes to foster individuality united by a sense of American identity.

Music for Lovers

We've all heard the stories of Ike and Tina's relationship, so maybe "Music for Lovers" is not the best title for this post. But I don't want to say that this is Music for Haters, either. This is simply music for people who can appreciate hot pink minidress-clad backup singers, synchronized gyrations, legs that defy convention and explanation, and the unstoppable, earth-shaking vocal powerhouse that is Tina Turner.

Get To It

(Project Beltway)

Tuesday - wait, do I need to tell you what to get to? Pull that lever, son, then go watch one of the nine millions televisions in DC that will be broadcasting the results of the event-which-shall-not-be-named. The Voldemort of happenings.

Wednesday, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas screens at Landmark's E Street Cinema. (RSVP to maintern4@aiusa.org by tomorrow for tickets!)

On Thursday, to kick off their European Union Film Showcase, the AFI will screen Il y a longtemps que je t'aime, Phillippe Claudel's new film about a woman released from prison after 15 years of incarceration.

The Hirshhorn After Hours party is always A Time, but Friday's looks like it will be extra-cragee: Dan Deacon is scheduled to wreck things (your ears, your soul, possibly property?) - plus, the show that just went up promises to be illuminating.

Fresh Finds

We have many cool weather treasures rolling in during the weekends to come at Mercedes Bien!

Lovely grey wool lined dress w/pockets, Women's, S/M, Listopad, SOLD Perfect felt pillbox hat, Women's, Mercedes BienEmpire-waist lined camel coat, Women's, S/M, Listopad
Leather + Linen Etienne Aigner oxfords, Women's, 6.5, Listopad
Carroll Travel perfect travel companion/tote, Listopad
St Croix grandpa shawl cardigan with sueded detail, Men's, M/L, Mercedes Bien, SOLD

Style Warranty

LL Bean? Maybe you haven't perused their catalog since your mom ordered your last initialed backpack in the 8th grade, but you've been missing out. The men have it pretty good with awesome jacket after jacket after jacket, but there's some hunting-chic in there for the women too.

From grandpa's cardis...to aristocratic jackets, they're guaranteed for as long as you live, so you can keep updating your wardrobe ad infinitum.

Woolrich for Life

It's getting cold and we want to help you brace the elements full on. How about some American classics to keep your toes warm? If you can find vintage Woolrich items (which Listopad has been known to offer), they have been made in the USA since the 1800s. Even the hip kids are picking up on the influence and collaborating with the company. I'm not so sure about the current output's nation of origin, but here are some greatest hits from the web catalog:

The woman's berber robe with American Indian motifs is kickass and the sweater stone is a must, but the men really have it good at Woolrich. This shirt, in washable wool, is a winter staple-



Yes, this shirt has elbow pads and you need that--



And a top layer worthy of any army navy store--



Of course, these pieces would also be perfect for your very own androgynous lumberjack look if you are girl--but you knew I was going to say that.

We Interrupt This Broadcast

A little deviation from this week's intended theme that we just had to share with you: Influence hit stores today. (And I do mean hit. From all accounts, the scene at Barnes and Noble was mayhem.) For those of you who manage to stay away from the fashion blogs (it's so hard!) - Influence is a book. By Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen. Need we say more?



Occasional partners-in-crime Fashionista and Nylon have very kindly granted the blogosphere some sneak peeks - MK's fully-chicken-scratched Proust Questionnaire and 8 delicious scans, respectively. Salivate away, lovelies.

Music for Lovers: Little Britain

Sure, Kate Bush is a little kooks, but that's why we love her. In "Cloudbusting" she manages to hit all my style points for this season: vintage denim, collared shirts buttoned up all the way, English knits and boots (this is what I am talking about). The sweet pointy shoulderpads are just the icing on this cake. It's the right kind of androgyny and pauper throwback that we need in these trying times.

Get To It (Halloween Edition!)

Two awesome (and free!) events tomorrow night: the famed High Heel Race in Dupont Circle and a talk at the Hirshhorn by artist Joseph Kosuth.

Wednesday, Breakfast at Tiffany's screens at the American Art Museum. Just in time to get inspiration for your Halloween costume!

Thursday, catch Rainer Simon's Till Eulenspiegel at the Goethe-Institut.

Friday and Saturday, head out to Bentonville, VA, for the Haunted Forest at Shenandoah State Park. Take a break from boozing and costumery to go hiking in the dark. Legit scary!

Food Friday

Last week, as we approached the Whole Foods on River Road, a friend and I were overwhelmed by an intoxicating smell. It was warm, sweet, and spicy - so unabashedly welcoming and autumnal that I grabbed my friend and yelled "What is that?" After sniffing around carefully stacked displays of pumpkins and apple cider and finding nothing (and probably scaring the store's many well-heeled patrons), we discovered the culprit: a cluster of cinnamon-soaked brooms sandwiched between some bales of hay. I gazed at them, transfixed. "Cinnamon brooms," I murmured, as if in the presence of something holy. O, mighty cinnamon! I am powerless in the face of your bosom-y bouquet. I immediately resolved to make better use of cinnamon in my cooking this fall. Simmering it in a pot of water makes the kitchen smell nice, but there's got to be a better way to put this all-star to work.

I am now faced with a first-world conundrum: how to best honor this potent spice? Pork noodle soup with cinnamon and anise? Gnocchi with cinnamon butter? Cinnamon-sugar popcorn? I made the gnocchi for some hungry boys on Monday night and it was a hit - surprisingly light, and vegan thanks to the substitution of Earth Balance. Any suggestions, cinnamon lovers?

Fresh Finds

Every Thursday, we will highlight new items and our picks from the Listopad collection and Mercedes Bien's always amazing selection, available Saturdays and Sundays at the Mercedes Bien store in Adams Morgan. We hope to make it easier to find lasting items to update your everyday look and spruce up your Fall & Winter wardrobes. Notice to all you men out there, Mercedes has a substantial men's collection that you should definitely check out! And remember, these are one-of-a-kind hand-picked items so we can't guarantee that they will be around for long!

Red flannel shearling vest, Men's, S/M, Listopad

Dip-dyed Ombre Wool Zip-up Cardigan, Men's, Medium, Mercedes Bien

One fine Military-style Jacket w/great pockets!, Men's, 44/M, Listopad

Lovely 50's Jack Feit NY jacket w/matching light grey top, Women's, S/M, Mercedes Bien"Just clunky enough" military/granny boots, Women's, 8.5, Listopad, SOLD

Cute and practical 70s crinkle patent burnt orange hobo bag, Women's, Mercedes Bien

Failing Economy, meet your fashion match

Great news pieces as of late...Robin Givhan puts the Republican party in its place and the NYT remembers that well-made, beautifully designed classics are forever.

On a similar note, did you know that Fashionista alum Faran has been penning the fashion posts on Mad Men's blog? What is old is new and all signs point to buying vintage. ;)

Guiding Light

"You forgot Marvin."

Woo! The second edition of eat.shop washington dc is here! I picked up a copy today, and I have to give props to author and researcher Anna H. Blessing for presenting a nicely varied assortment of good ones, from timeless standbys (Tabard Inn, Mixtec) to relative newbies (Hook, Casa Oaxaca) to certified Listopad obsessions (Dolcezza, Mandu). Shopping highlights include excellent spots like Hu's Shoes, the Brass Knob, and Tabletop. While we missed shout-outs to style pioneer Commonwealth, Silver Spring's transcendently delicious Lotus Cafe, and - hello! - Mercedes Bien, we'd definitely recommend it as a gift to DC newcomers (of which there are plenty!) - or even to jaded DC oldcomers like us.

Music for Lovers: One for the Boys

Bill Withers totally walks the line between Bill Cosby and Mr. Rogers. Turtlenecks, sweaters and cardigans are his signatures...and boy do we love them all.

Get To It

Get graphic today: a cheeky Alice Temperley dress on Net-a-Porter - or, if you're a member, on Gilt Groupe; these Betsey Johnson peep-toes on Zappos; Abaete's colorblocked-and-pleated symphony of neutrals from Saks. (Bonus: they're all on sale!)

The only TV shows that Listopad officially endorses are Mad Men and America's Next Top Model, but we should remind you that the season premiere of Stylista will grace your idiot box on Wednesday. Prior to the show, cast member Johanna was a suit-by-day-DC-fashion-blogger-by-night; we must root for one of our own!

Thursday, head north to the Ottobar to catch Ponytail (and others) play a benefit concert for Jawbox and Channels frontman J. Robbins' son Callum, who has spinal muscular atrophy and one of the cutest little mugs this side of the Mason-Dixon.

The Baltimore Women's Film Festival runs Thursday through Sunday.

Saturday, Comet Ping Pong hosts a Halloween Party! Transcendent, locally-sourced foodstuffs and drunk people in costumes? Yes please.

Fall Flava

scenes from the farmer's market

mindblowingly charming handmade sheep from Everona Dairy

dahlias

Etsy Lust

(yokoo's shop on etsy.com)

Continuing with our fave handmade Etsy finds... Yokoo's Shop....
I love the simiplicity and the chunkiness of Yokoo's designs. And, if you are like me, you believe the beauty of knitting to be synonymous with cocooning. Yokoo's items items are perfect for fall and winter's protective requirements. Unusual fact: she operates out of Hotlanta.