Personal Flair

I was happy to wear this dress without anything layered on top, so that all the interesting details showed. However, since a dress like this can't be belted, or layered over anything, there aren't too many options for giving it a personal flair. I threw on some fun jewelry and thought, "This is all I can do; I'm just going to have to let the dress be the star and settle for a fairly tame outfit." Then I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror with my fab new hair color. An interesting dress, pink skull jewelry and peacock blue hair; that'll do, that'll do indeed.

Dress: Escada Sport
Jewelry: Betsy Johnson
Tights: Hue
Shoes: John Fluevog
Hair: Michele at Colorbox

Red Letters

This t-shirt just seems like such a natural mate for the blazer, and with the punchy red pants to pick up the red lettering in the shirt, the outfit just came together perfectly. I didn't actually wear these pants 2 days in a row, it's just that I'm not taking pictures every day anymore, which explains why I'm not posting as often anymore either. It's good though; the looser schedule works well for me and although I miss the more frequent feedback that posting every day brings, I also enjoy being able to just throw on a previously-worn outfit and get out the door some mornings. The blog archive is great for those days when I don't really want to think too hard about it.

T-shirt: Stacy Lomman
Blazer: Helmut Lang
Pants: Michael Kors
Boots: Brakko
Bag: Botkier
Rings: Metal Pointu's

Rolling

This is the last of the pre-scheduled posts that have been keeping the blog rolling along while I've been hopping from city to city. And, since I've now been blogging for a couple solid hours straight, I'm pretty much out of things to say. I'll be back in a few days with a report on the trip. In the meantime, here are my new bright red pants making their second appearance, again paired with black and neutrals.

Scarf: gift
Top: Express, also a gift
Blazer: Helmut Lang
Pants: Michael Kors
Shoes: Tsubo

Intense

Slim-fitting, bright pants have been on my shopping list for a couple of months now, so a couple weekends ago I set out to find a pair. The effort proved slightly more difficult than I had imagined. I had seen this very pair on the Michael Kors website, but when I popped into the store in the Westfield Mall, I saw that they didn't have any pants on their racks. I then headed to Bloomingdale's, where I proceeded to try on bright teal, coral, fuchsia, yellow, you name it... but they all looked monstrous. What I realized is that the colors I was trying all struck me as being great for a woman in her 20's, but on me they just looked awkward, and not really me. What I needed was what I'd been originally drawn to on the website. What I needed was an intense red, which was the one color I couldn't find on the entire vast, bright-pants-laden floor.

Frustrated, I headed down the escalator to make my way out of the store, only to come face to face with a whole section of Michael Kors clothing, and there, front and center, were the red pants I'd wanted all along. I knew exactly how I'd wear them for their first outing: as a splash of intense color behind high contrast black and white. A sophisticated color combination that still looks fun and springy.

I'll definitely be avoiding things like dizzy floral prints or flowy boho sheers when I wear these pants because I think that has too youthful/trendy an appearance for my taste, but paired with black and neutrals, this is a great way to work with a current trend while keeping it office appropriate and staying true to my personal style.

Cardigan: Survival
Tunic: Asos
Scarf: Alexander McQueen
Pants and sandals: Michael Kors
Jewelry: Metal Pointu

Low Maintenance

For this outfit I took one of my favorites from last year, and mixed it up a little by adding the tulle underskirt and skull scarf, and changing both the cardigan and the shoes. In fact the only items the two outfits have in common are the dress and the tights.

My new, perfect cardigan is exactly the right length and shape for an outfit with a 50's vibe. For the previous incarnation of this outfit I tied a long cardigan at the waist to achieve the same effect, and while I liked the look of it, the cardigan itself wasn't really designed to be tied, and required a fair amount of adjusting and readjusting to make it work. This version was low maintenance, which is always a good thing.

Dress: J. Crew
Cardigan: Survival
Scarf: Alexander McQueen
Tulle skirt: Noa Noa
Tights: Wolford
Shoes: BCBGirls
Ring and bracelet: Metal Pointu

Sharks Colors

For this outfit I wanted to bring in a little more of the teal color, but it was too chilly for just the fishnet tights alone, so I layered them over some sheer black pantyhose. I like the effect because it still looks semi-transparent, but the black underneath gave a little more depth to the teal tights and also made them more comfortable to wear. I don't really like the way fishnet tights feel under my feet, and these don't have the solid foot pads that prevent the feeling of having a pattern pressed into your skin.

I wore this outfit for a Girls' Night Out because Laura and I were going to a bar to watch the Sharks game, and teal and black are the Sharks' colors. They won that night, and I'd like to think my awesome tights layering had something to do with it. If they don't make the playoffs this year, it isn't for lack of fan support.

Dress: Escada Sport
Cardigan: Anthropologie
Boots: Brako

Thank You Gift

For the first time all winter it got cold enough to wear this boiled wool tunic. The boots have also been suffering from neglect, so I was happy to trot them out again for what may be the last time until December.

The pretty scarf was a thank you gift from one of my former employees, who I wrote a letter of recommendation for to help her get into a graduate program. Wasn't that sweet? Not to mention that it perfectly suits my style and is incredibly soft and comfortable. For me though, the best gift of all was seeing her get accepted to the program and start down what I'm sure will be a really successful path for her. Hands down the best thing about managing people is helping them develop their careers. It's also gratifying to see that despite the fact that Americans are getting ruder, and their kids are getting brattier, there are still young people out there who have great manners.

Tunic: Promod
Pants: Club Monaco
Boots: Bos and Co.

Smart Shopper

This dress was another purchase from when Sal and Mike were here, and it was also another item on my shopping list: basic sheath dress. It seems my tastes are shifting towards the simple and unfussy lately. This dress is utterly perfect: it has a good amount of stretch to it, the subtle darts at the waist give it shape while still being really flattering, and the asymmetrical pleated ruffle gives it some visual interest while still looking classic. I got this dress for a steal at Jeremy's, a local shop that sells discounted designer clothes. Many of their items are damaged, but this dress is perfect as far as I can tell.

When I got home from work I wore this dress, sans cardigan, to our neighbors' open house. This was no ordinary open house; it's a spectacular Victorian mansion, the gem of the entire neighborhood, and it's listed at $3.8 million. One dresses up for an open house of this caliber. Thankfully I was already dressed, so I waltzed on over and tried to look natural amongst people who actually have $3.8 million to spend on a house.

The next day our neighbor called to thank Mark and I for coming, and also to say how great I looked in my dress. Just as the open house was no ordinary open house, this was no ordinary compliment; when a sophisticated gay man with impeccable taste calls specifically to tell you how great you looked, that's a compliment to treasure up and enjoy for a lifetime. I'd gladly have paid full price for this dress to get a compliment like that, so you can bet I feel like a smart shopper now.

Dress: Escada Sport
Cardigan: Anthropologie
Tights: Wolford
Boots: All Black
Earrings: Wendy Mink
Bracelet: Betsey Johnson

Restraint

This dress is the last of my Paris purchases, and it has a fun memory to go with it. I'd been out shopping all day and wound up over near the Centre Pompidou, where I stopped at a nearby creperie for a galette and a very large carafe of wine. Feeling warm and merry, I set out towards my hotel and along the way spotted a Promod store that was still open. Tipsy shopping ensued, and I ended up popping into a couple more stores and finding some great gifts in addition to this adorable dress for myself. Surprisingly, while at Promod I limited myself to just this dress and a few basic layering shirts including the one shown here. I tell you this showed remarkable restraint, given how fond I am of Promod and how many other cute, mod style dresses they had on the racks.

A few people commented on these boots when I posted them the other day. They're made by Brako, a Spanish company whose beautiful shoes are designed both for comfort and style. In fact I've made the 3-mile trek to work several times in these already and they're perfect for walking. I found them at a wonderful shoe store here in SF near Union Square, called Nobel Shoes. Brakos seem to be difficult to find this side of the Atlantic even online, so I'm happy to have stumbled upon them in a brick and mortar shop; a shop which incidentally I pass very often on my way to and from work. I expect there may be more Brako shoes in my future.

Dress, shirt: Promod
Boots: Brako
Bracelet, ring: Metal Pointu

Quick Conversion

One thing I've noticed since I've been walking to work is that I'm wearing pants a lot more often, I think because they feel less fussy -- there's no slip to deal with, or a skirt that's clinging to my tights, or blowing in the wind, or whatever. There have been a couple of times where I've changed my entire outfit once I got to work, but that involves a lot more hauling of stuff than I'm willing to do most days (especially since I often also walk home and thus have to haul everything for 6 miles). So my goal is generally to build an outfit where I can wear it mostly in its finished state, and change or add one or two things once I get to the office. Don't worry, I'm still looking for ways to make my skirt and dress-based outfits easy to wear for the walks, and I'll happily share any new tricks I hit upon.

This is an example of just the sort of quick-conversion outfit I'm after. I wore my Bastien short boots for the walk, and carried the tall boots as well as the white cardigan in my backpack. Then when I got to work it was quick and easy to convert the outfit for the work day.

Next week I'll be traveling to Germany and France on business (I know, I know -- what a sacrifice, right?), so I'm definitely going to be putting some of these new tactics to work for my travel outfits. In fact I think a couple of the pieces in this outfit will be making the trip with me. I'm going first to Dusseldorf and Strasbourg, and then spending the weekend in Paris before coming home. Dusseldorf and Strasbourg are for work, but the Paris weekend is all mine. Good thing I haven't started my Christmas shopping yet!

Tunic: All Saints
Knit pants: Club Monaco
Cardigan: 12th Street Cynthia Vincent
Boots: Modern Vintage
Necklace: Wendy Brandes

Spirit

I wore this to work on Halloween, so as to be in the Halloween spirit and still not have to deal with a costume. It was a good call, because pretty much no one downtown wore a costume, and also because this was way more comfortable. And yes, Halloween was almost a month ago and I'm just getting around to posting this now. It has just been that busy lately.

If you're in the US, I hope you enjoyed your Thanksgiving weekend. I certainly did; we spent a lot of time relaxing for a change, and for Thanksgiving dinner Mark and I went to Harris's for some delicious steak. OK it wasn't exactly a traditional meal, but I've made up for it by spending the last couple of weeks warming up for International Pie For Breakfast Month with plenty of pumpkin pie. It's always Thanksgiving when there's pumpkin pie.


Dress: Skunkfunk
Tights: Sock Dreams
Boots: Modern Vintage
Necklace: Untamed Menagerie

Duster

I found this funky sheer zebra duster at a thrift store near my mom's house a few months ago when I was up there to visit. It was actually a dress when in combination with the long black liner that came with it, but I much prefer it this way. I made a couple of modifications: I hemmed it from straight across to the tapered hem you see here, and I added a pleat in the back to give it some shape at the waist. It was quite the boxy 90's shape before.

This was a perfect outfit for our gorgeous fall weather. It was warm enough outside to bare a little skin, but not quite warm enough to expose all the limbs in their entirety. Boots and socks and bare legs was just the thing.

Duster: thrifted
Dress: Max Studio
Belt: Lazarro
Boots: from Scoop in Copenhagen
Bag: Lucky

Shorts Suit

I wore this outfit to the after-work welcome party that my new group took me out for. Which means I waited 3 whole days before hitting them with a shorts suit that shows off my tattooed arms. I'm sure no one cares; our VP, who I worked with at a previous job, only asked, "Are those new?" Biotech is certainly one of the least conservative of the professional fields.

It occurs to me that I might update the look of this jacket by removing the cap sleeves and turning it into a vest. Does anyone have any thoughts on this? On the one hand the cap sleeves give me a little more shoulder width, which is flattering. On the other hand they're sort of puffy and only look good with just the right top. Would removing the sleeves make this piece more versatile, or is it cuter the way it is?

Jacket: BCBG Max Azria
Top: Max Studio
Brooch: Trifari (vintage)
Shorts: White House Black Market
Shoes: Bettye Muller

Janet

Recently I had the honor of being featured by the fabulous Sarah Von on her blog Yes and Yes. If you haven't done so already, go check it out!

Looking at these photos, which are now several weeks old, makes me realize how badly I need a haircut. Usually when I get my hair done I make my next appointment then and there, so as not to forget and let too much time slip by before the next cut and color. But for some reason the last time I forgot, and the other morning I realized that my hair has begun to look like Janet from Three's Company. Which was cute... in 1982.

Not exactly the look I'm going for in 2011, though.

Of course making the appointment has been on my to-do list for the last week and a half, but somehow I just haven't managed to remember to call during business hours. I'm hopeful that this is the week I'll actually make it happen.

My aunt gave me this cute top, which has a panel of sequins that show subtly through a layer of sheer chiffon. I like how the soft neutral color looks contrasted against the black shrug.

Top: Express
Shrug: Cenit
Necklace: from a glass shop in Venice
Skirt: Noa Noa
Leggings: Black Market Baby
Boots: All Black

Amazon

I felt like an Amazon in this outfit, what with the sky-high heels and the long, floor-skimming skirt. I actually want to hem this skirt to ankle length but I just haven't gotten around to it yet. If I were several inches taller, like the Asos model, it would look like this:

And isn't that cute? The shoes are fully visible even when she's standing relatively straight; i.e., she isn't thrusting one leg out to show off her shoes, like I had to do. Lopping off about 3 inches ought to do the trick; that way if I ever want to wear it with flats it won't be dragging on the ground. I also won't step on it when I climb a flight of stairs. Did I ever mention that falling down a flight of stairs and knocking my teeth out is a huge phobia of mine? Don't think I didn't have visions of that phobia being realized when I wore this outfit.

This was one of my last outfits at the old job, and I got lots of compliments on it. Other than the shoe-hiding and the stair trampling, oh and the rolling over the bottom of the hem with my office chair every time I moved around, and the wind picking up the skirt like a huge sail when I was outside, I really loved the outfit. Yeah. Time to look into that hemming.

Top: Michael Stars
Cardigan: Express (a gift from my aunt)
Necklace: Wendy Brandes
Skirt: Asos
Shoes: Pour la Victoire

Sporadic

Wow, that was an unexpectedly lengthy absence. Sorry about that everyone; life just seems to be getting in the way of my entire blogging experience right now. I haven't been keeping up with my reading, with my commenting, and clearly not with my own blogging. I'm afraid the sporadic posting will continue for some time to come, because although I've finally wrapped everything up at my old job I'm now busy getting settled in at the new one, and Mark and I are furiously working away getting everything ready for our new rental apartment. But things are progressing nicely, and it sure does feel great to be in a job that I'm excited and hopeful about. It doesn't hurt that we're into our most glorious weather here in SF right now, so I'm enjoying days of bare limbs and sandals at last.

This outfit is a few weeks old now, but I'm happy to finally post it because it was an instant favorite. The knotted cardigan over the A-line dress has a classic 50's shape, but the bold black and red, bandage-style tights and studded boots give it a modern edge. This outfit was inspired by Prabal Gurung's fall RTW line, but it feels much more casual and easy to wear. I liked this outfit so much that I wore it that evening for girls' night out. I liked how the shiny silver necklace just peeks out at the edges of the cardigan, so as not to distract too much from the contrasty red and black.

Thanks for hanging in there as I get my life settled down again!

Dress: J. Crew
Cardigan: Express
Tights: Wolford
Boots: All Black
Necklace, earrings: Ambiance on Haight Street
Bangles: Amrita Singh

Excitement

This outfit is pretty much a repeat of a previous one, but with ponte knit pants replacing the original leggings, the red bag to add a little color, and a few accessories to jazz it up. The first time around I was going for a strict minimalist look, whereas this time I wanted to throw in a few more finishing touches. Since it's a repeat there's not too much else to say about this outfit, which is fine because today I have other things to talk about.

In the comments to Friday's post, many of you correctly guessed that my birthday wish was a new job. I'm surprised that no one pinpointed the specifics though: the outfits I posted were the ones I wore to my interviews. And yes, there were 5 separate rounds of interviews, mainly because people that I needed to interview with were either traveling or out of the office on different days, so the interviews were broken up. Good thing I have a wardrobe large enough to put together 5 interview-appropriate outfits.

Finding the perfect job has been my quest these last several years. I haven't been overly thrilled with my current job from the start, to be quite honest; it's a very large company and is mired in convoluted processes and absurd politics. But for all that, I respect what the company does and its commitment to finding treatments for serious diseases, and so I've stuck it out and made the most of it while I held out for just the right opportunity.

I knew it was really time to leave this job when I started blaming "the company" for irrational things such as the lousy South San Francisco weather. Admittedly, at times it really does feel like our campus was designed specifically for maximum discomfort and walking hazards, from the building layout that funnels in the icy afternoon wind, to the high-heel-destabilizing textured floor of the parking garage, to the multiple loading docks with their procession of large trucks that have to be crossed to reach the front door of the building I work in. Eventually I had become so ready to leave that every little inconvenience just soured me more and more.

I remember vividly getting off the bus one morning and seeing people smiling and greeting each other, and thinking, "These people seem to be happy here; what the hell is wrong with me?" But rationally I knew that it wasn't me, and it wasn't the company; it was like that relationship where although you care for the person and wish them well, you know that you can't continue as a couple because you bring out the worst in each other. It was simply time to move on. Luckily, that perfect opportunity I'd been hoping to find materialized at precisely the right time.

You guys, I could not be more excited about this new job. It's a very small start-up biotech company that's working on an exciting new technology for cancer indications. My job will take me in lots of different directions and although it'll be a lot of work, there's a real chance to make a substantial  difference. Additionally I know several people there, including a very dear and trusted colleague who is also one of my best friends. But here's the kicker: the company is located in the heart of downtown San Francisco. My dream is realized!

So now you know one of the things I've been so preoccupied with these last couple of months. It has been hard to be patient, but finally I was able to give my notice and settle on a start date at the new place. Next Tuesday is my last day, and I'll start at the new job the following week. Not only that, but Mark and I are in the process of buying another house. In fact, we close escrow the same week that I start my new job. How's that for excitement?

Tunic, cropped top: Asos
Pants: Club Monaco
Shoes: BC Footwear
Bag: Foley + Corinna

Resilient

Here's another black and yellow combo, this time with brown as the intervening color. The belt serves as the transition piece that makes the brown and black work together; note how the antique brass hardware on the belt is in essence a repetition of the brown. I often deploy brass accessories in place of a true brown.

The cords are still hanging in there, and have proven to be more resilient than I imagined. I'm still feeling pretty lazy with regard to putting together really creative outfits, so I've been defaulting to pants quite often. Having a casual, non-denim pair in my wardrobe allows me to add a little variety.


Black top: Asos
Scarf: Forever 21
Belt: Chico's, thrifted
Bracelet: Leslie Danzis
Cords: Marlowe
Shoes: Fly London

Bumble Bee

Just look at that sweet little puppy face, will you? Spencer decided to give me a good pose this time. He's doing really well; he's starting to settle into the household and learn the daily routine. He's still a handful when he gets in his rowdy moods, running all over the place and randomly grabbing all sorts of stuff he's not supposed to have, but once he settles down he sure is sweet and snuggly. Once his injured leg is healed up and we no longer have to carry him up and down 2 flights of stairs every time we need to take him out, he'll be a lot less work. In the meantime I'm seeing a noticeable improvement in muscle tone in my legs, so I guess it's not all bad. Carrying 40 pounds of puppy up and down stairs is a great workout.

I've decided that I love black and yellow together, even though it's sort of a taboo combination due to the association with bumble bees. But it occurred to me awhile back that there really isn't anything wrong with looking like a bee; in fact, bumble bees are pretty darned cute. As Katie pointed out, most bees aren't even yellow anyway. Nevertheless, the easiest way to avoid bee comparisons, should you wish to do so, is to add an intervening color to break up the black and yellow. Here, I've added the long white tunic to separate the yellow cardigan and black pants, and then splashed in a little purple and green with the scarf. Brown can also make a great intervening color, as the cords did in this outfit.

Note that in this outfit, where I have large solid expanses of black and yellow, I separated the two main pieces with the intervening color (though I threw the black belt in to integrate the two halves of the outfit). In general the larger the blocks of color, the more you'll want to separate them if you're working with a difficult combo. Unless, of course, you think it's perfectly fine to look like a bee.

For more on difficult color combinations, check out this post from Sal.

Tunic: Asos
Ponte knit pants: Club Monaco
Cardigan: Anthropologie
Scarf: vintage
Belt: Red Dress Shoppe
Shoes: BC Footwear
Bangles: Amrita Singh