I'm signing off for the rest of the year, but before I do, I just want to say thank you for your tremendous support this year. The emails and comments, tweets and recommendations have been a true inspiration and I'm at a loss to describe my gratitude. 2011 has been filled with an abundance of good spirit and I can't wait for all the exciting things 2012 has in store! Cheers! xxLGM

p.s. That's Harrison, she's the official TbS mascot and is usually napping under my desk for each post.

p.p.s. Some of my favorite posts of the year:

Heather John's lesson on whiskey and whisky

Jen Wang's Q&A

Memories of X-Girl by Haydee Sentianin

Do you drive stick?

The Essentials Grid!

Hermes + Vans

Do you ride a "boys" bike?

UNIFORM | Levi's Cords

Photo by RJ Shaughnessy for Levi's, styled by my pal Amy Keller.

Levi's corduroy leggings in gray ($30) and in red ($21).

UNIFORM | Glacier Bay National Park

Photo of a woman taking notes in her kayak in view of Muir Glacier at Alaska's Glacier Bay National Park by Tom Bean, 1983.

Proenza Schouler Round Aviator ($325); A.P.C. Merino wool-cashmere blend ($74); Field Notes Northerly edition; RRL Men's Wool Shawl Pullover ($200).

SCENE | The Fire Brigade

Images clockwise from top: British firefighting trio in 1927 via Bettman/Corbis; woman inspecting wellingtons of Auxiliary Fire Service in Manchester, England, 1939; New York Times article dated Feb 8, 1884.

In the 1880s, a women's college outside of Cambridge, England formed their own fire brigade after a nearby haystack fire. The Girton College fire brigade remained intact until the 1930s when they became in range of the Cambridge fire trucks. They made national news when The New York Times praised the force in 1884, but just four days after the article was published, a men's college in Cambridge, Massachusetts published a follow-up that was quite skeptical of the female firefighters.

"The truth is, the duties of a fireman and a lady are entirely incompatible, and it is not creditable that the Girton girls have resolved to imitate the typical fireman. What they have probably done is this: They have formed a young ladies' fire company. They wear a pretty uniform, with feathers in their hats and flowing sashes of pink ribbon." —an excerpt from The Harvard Crimson, 1884.

MOMENT | Vintage ELLE

Images via H Prints, found via the always-ace Chance Discoveries.

Vintage issues for sale from 1946, clockwise from top left: ELLE N°40 du 20 Août 1946 ($12); ELLE N°8 du 9 Janvier 1946 ($22); ELLE N°38 du 6 Août 1946 ($16); ELLE N°44 du 17 Septembre 1946 ($10).

CONTEMPORARY | Coryander Friend

Photos of L.A. set designer Coryander Friend by Jory Cordy, via A Well Traveled Woman.

UNIFORM | Joanne Woodward

Carrera Champion sunglasses ($120); A.P.C. Short Trench ($575); Steve Mono Jimmy 2 Handbag ($415).

P.S. I'm glad I'm not the only one sharing sunglasses with my husband.

SCENE | The McCartneys in Scotland

Photos of Paul and Linda McCartney in Scotland via Coup de Foudre and via LIFE, 1969.

UNIFORM | The Hill-side

Photo grabs from The Hill-Side's Autumn/Winter 2010 campaign.

I'm hoping this Hill-side polka-dot scarf is out of stock because Santa nabbed it for me.

SCENE | Aspen '71

Photos of Aspen "ski bums" from the March 5, 1971 issue of LIFE.

UNIFORM | Phyllis Major

Photo of Phyllis Major via Projector Has Been Drinking.

The Row Aviator ($355); Ted Baker Checked Sharp Shoulder Blazer with Suede Elbow Patches ($362); Jackson Browne's The Pretender ($2+); Nars semi-matte lipstick ($24).

NOISE | Florence and the Machine

Shake It Out (acoustic version).

UNIFORM | Blackwatch

Photos courtesy of Envoy of Belfast.

I'm loving this festive tartan suit made up of FWK Engineered Garments' officer trousers ($388), its matching tartan jacket ($519) and smartly rounded out with a pair of Lanvins ($525). All items are from the spot-on shop Envoy of Belfast in Northern Ireland, which is providing free shipping worldwide until December 24th.

ICON | Gaia Repossi

Photo of Gaia Repossi in a black silk tuxedo by Tom Ford, her own cream silk blouse and her father's grey wool jacket by Kasim Sadhi for the Autumn/Winter 2011 issue of The Gentlewoman Magazine.


"Women who have their ultra-stylish mothers to thank for their vintage couture collections and insouciant ways with thrift-shop finds are ten a penny in the fashion industry. Far fewer could say they owe everything they wear to their fathers. But this is literally the case for Gaia Reoissi, the elegant creative director of fine jewellers Repossi." —Penny Martin

GIFT GUIDE | Part V

Part V: Jingle Bell Rock.

Built By Wendy Blanket Scarf ($65); Kisses Johnny & Mary t-shirt bundle ($40 for two); Rodarte Roy Orbison sunglasses ($220); Sonic Editions Blondie framed photograph ($109-$259); Vahram Muratayan Paris vs. New York lighter ($17 for set of three); RGB Slate ($16); Fender '62 Jaguar ($2,400); Pamela Love Spectrum Pyramid Double Stud Ring ($250); Chloë Sevigny for Opening Ceremony Vision Canvas High Top Sneaker ($160); Polaroid 300 Instant Camera ($70).