I met Gabrielle Fouche Williams at Pulp the other night and promptly abandoned all urgency fr purchasing a wedding card to peppered this gorgeous stranger with outfit questions: where did you get that amazing scarf? (it’s called a kanga, and she got it while in Kisarawe, a village in Tanzania, where she was volunteering for her uncle’s organization, AHEAD) I love those funky but classic boots (Tommy Hilfiger ‘Sadie’ available at DSW)!

That perfect-fit, cheery cherry red topper? A size tall from J.Crew, the only tall sizing that truly looks great, she said. And oooh, that ring! (YSL). Who else is inspired not just by the fact that smart, interesting and cool people are this easy to trip over everywhere you go in DC, but also by this fantastically colorful winter look?!

There’s an amazing, relatively new art-decoish painted mural on the building that houses the Capitol Pool Checkers Club in Shaw. I’m not sure who painted it, but it was done this summer and is signed RTC.

It reminds me of black-and-white minimalism that always looks wonderful. Here, some similarly inspiring visuals seen streetside, snapped by Style.com’s Tommy Ton:

{For a great look at the Checkers Club, check out DeNeen Brown’s Washington Post article from last year.}

I stopped this lovely woman (those dimples!) the other night walking past the White House because I loved the sparkly jewel fastened to her fur coat. I love this idea for adding a bit of texture and fun to an everyday coat as we tough out the last month or so of cold winter weather.

eBay recently launched a new style/culture/shopping Web site (check out the NYT article here) – The Inside Source – the idea being a fun editorial online mag that sources the cool stuff on eBay so you don’t have to. I’m proud to have represented Washington through a street-style set.

I teamed up with McLean over at Deacon Does DC, who shared 10 great picks for holiday shopping and fun in the District (can’t wait to check out #8!).

It’s all a part of eBay’s Mobile Boutique Tour, taking place TODAY AND TOMORROW inside Union Station, offering a unique virtual shopping experience for everything you’ll be looking to buy this holiday season – for yourself or for others on your list. Shopping stations will showcase the most coveted items on eBay, so you can find top items purchase right on the spot. I only recently began shopping on eBay – and it’s very rapidly becoming a problem – so I’m loving the site, chock-full of great fashiony articles, like this one on pairing tough and feminine items, and especially this piece on ideas for an “antiquarian Thanksgiving” through the words of one of my very favorite bloggers, Hollister Hovey.

Dear antique Ford Bronco that lives on the 1300 block of T Street, NW,

We’ve never met, but I can’t stop thinking about you. I live two blocks away, and on my walks home I often take your way in the chance that I might see you. What is it about you that attracts me!? Others dream of some sleek, fast, and flawless thing – but I’ve never been one for the obvious or fastidiously kempt. There’s something effortless and natural about your cool.

Sure, you’re rusty in some places and even bald in others, but I like you just the way you are. I love your broad, rugged construction. I love the studding above your tires more than I love the studded minidress Madonna wears in her ‘Celebration’ video. Is it strange that I feel a level of familiarity, even comfort with you, already? That when I need trees and quiet, you’d understand and take me onto gravel roads? And when I crave the city again, we’d return with leaves in my hair and dirt on your floor? I long to feel your weight, to know your sounds. I want to know your pedals and how they move against me. I could spend countless hours learning all there is to know about you. I want us to laugh often, take long drives together, and sleep under the stars!

You belong to another, they’ve made it clear (a Club possessively clutching your wheel like gripping arms). But I’ll still be watching, dreaming, hoping.

Yours,
Rachel

Saw these girls waiting at the bus stop looking terribly sassy and cute. Hat tip to LL Cool J for the title.

Was anyone else handed a copy of H&M’s Autumn 2009 magazine as they exited the Metro this morning? (me: Street Sense? Did it yesterday. Examiner? Ehhh. Fall fashion glossiness galore? Yes, please!)

Check it out – do those earrings look familiar…?!

Paula Mendoza was a drive-by (as in, I saw her and abruptly circled the block to park and chase after her. Not the first time I’ve done this!) I didn’t realize who she was until I approached – Paula and I know one another, though I didn’t know her well until we had our interview. She showed me a few vintage dresses she’d just picked up in Paris, and then we explored the hat selection at Hit Item Wholesale (1406 14th St. NW). Like me, she loves little sketchy cheapie places. There are great summertime fedora-style hats to be had here for $10. Wear one with something girly, like a boho-style flower-printed minidress.

Valli Ravindran is this week’s subject. While we were discussing Indian designers, she mentioned that her wedding dress was designed by Manish Malhotra. She graciously sent her wedding photos over. She also mentioned the designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee, which got me looking up more on Indian design.

Also regarding Washingtonian: you may have heard that they are taking submissions for their next Best-Dressed list, and you should also think about attending their annual Best Of Washington party July 15. It’s always a feast for the eyes as well as belly – this year’s theme is East Meets West, so you can expect dragon dancers, Asian street artists, and A LOT of awesome food and drink (including an after-party at CoCo Sala). PB readers get $10 off the ticket price when they enter BESTFRIEND at checkout, so buy tix here.