Taxing

This top was a gift from Sal, and it wasn't until after she left that I realized how perfectly it matches my favorite, most comfy pair of pants. I wore this outfit to go to an appointment with my tax guy, during which I discovered that the tax laws are even more confusing and nonsensical than I had previously thought. I guess that's why I don't do my taxes myself.

I took these pictures outside so that you can see the pretty teal color of the pants, which ordinarily doesn't show up very well with flash lighting indoors.

Top: Barbara Lesser
Pants: Anthropologie
Shoes: Born

Happy Feet

Here's an outfit that I put together specifically for comfort while walking to work. For the walk I wore my Bastien short boots, and packed the ones you see here (which are comfortable, but not 3 miles' worth of comfortable) in my backpack for swapping once I got to work.

The Bastiens have been getting a lot of wear lately, so much so that I recently went scouring both the internets and the stores in search of some additional walking shoes, because even the best pair can't be worn every day for 3 (or more likely 6, because I often walk home too) miles of walking.

I ended up with a pair of Ecco boots, which have the bonus of being waterproof, and a pair of Romika short boots, which pretty much feel like slippers, only with really good arch support. Both meet my criteria of being cute enough to wear with most outfits during the walk, or even for the whole day if I don't feel like carrying extra shoes. My feet are happy.

Dress: Red Dress Shoppe
Cardigan: H&M
Tights: Sock Dreams
Boots: All Black

Office Girl

I was happy to pull out these under-worn shoes and give them a spin; they have sort of an early 60's office girl vibe that I thought played well with the vintage-styled dress. In order to add a little color and contrast to the outfit, I used the colorful patterned scarf as a belt.

I'm hoping to finish the second installment of my San Francisco Travel Guide very soon, but as you might imagine my time and energy has been limited lately. It's coming soon though, I promise!


Dress: Red Dress Shoppe
Cardigan: Max Studio
Scarf (worn as belt): vintage
Tights: Hue
Shoes: Tsubo (a gift from Sal)

Cuteness Overload

Wow, new puppies are a HANDFUL. Our little guy is curious about everything, and we have to be ever vigilant to make sure he's not chewing on random items or jumping up and knocking things over. But he is one sweet, gentle boy alright, and very eager to learn and to please. We found out that San Francisco Animal Control was about to put him down, because they deemed him too "mouthy." Uh hello, ALL puppies are mouthy until they get some training. It just goes to show that the bias against pitties is staggering, even here in San Francisco where they're a very prevalent breed and we have so many great breed ambassadors. Hats off to Grateful Dogs Rescue, who stepped in just in time to save our pup!

The outfit is from last week. I'd been wanting to wear this top/cardigan combo again, but had struggled with how to make the outfit look different from the first time I paired them. The maxi skirt offered the perfect solution, though to be honest I think I still prefer the original outfit, and would probably wear it again verbatim. Hard to believe the original outfit is nearly 2 years old.

Cardigan: H&M
Top: Red Dress Shoppe
Skirt: Anthropologie
Shoes: Born
Bracelets: Cost Plus World Market

Mark and I are suffering from cuteness overload these days.

What Was I Thinking?

I loved how this outfit looked, but holy crap was it uncomfortable! I hadn't worn these jeans in quite some time, and after a couple hours of wearing them I remembered why: they're way too tight. They were way too tight when I bought them, but I foolishly listened to the sales girl who told me they're supposed to fit this way. So sad; the jeans are adorable but they have to go. What was I thinking, buying pants that are a good 2 sizes too small?

Top: Mica
Cardigan: Anthropologie
Jeans: Dittos
Necklace: glass shop in Venice
Shoes: Bettye Muller

Bettye

I fell in love with these shoes several months ago when I saw them on Endless, but I steadfastly refused to buy them until they went down in price. I didn't think they were overpriced necessarily, but the original price was more than I wanted to pay for another pair of espadrilles at the moment. I waited and stalked them and finally they went down by about 20%, and I figured that was good enough, especially since by then there were only a couple pairs left in my size.


Anyhow, I absolutely LOVE the shoes. Like the other pair of Bettyes I posted yesterday, they have cute vintage styling and are really well made. I like how most of the wedge heel is covered in leather rather than the jute rope; this gives them a distinctly different look from my canvas espadrilles. The extra wide straps across the top of the foot make them comfortable and also hold them securely to the foot. I'm glad I waited for a lower price, but I'd have been really bummed if I'd waited too long and missed out. That's always a risk you take when you hold out for a bargain.

Dress: eShakti
Necklace/Bracelets: Cost Plus
Jacket: Tulle
Shoes: Bettye Muller

Tweaks

This was one of those cases where having a daily wardrobe blog can be so helpful; I simply went back through my recent posts and found a comfortable outfit that I really liked, and quickly tweaked it into a new outfit by changing to a different colored tank and swapping the scarf and jewelry to match. This was my baby shower attending outfit. I wanted something relaxed and casual that still looked put together, and the weather was warm and breezy, but likely to get chillier as the day progressed. The light layers were warm but not overly so, and the scarf could be removed and replaced as needed. The stretchy garments made it easy to load up on all sorts of yummy food; this was carefully planned, since I knew that the baby shower's host is a caterer. She made all sorts of children's book-themed food, such as tobiko-topped braised pork belly for Green Eggs and Ham, and wild mushroom ragout for Where the Wild Things Are.

The only thing this outfit couldn't do is save me from all the horrific pregnancy and childbirth talk. I really, really didn't need to know those things. I dearly wish I could un-know them.

Top: Asos
Skirt: Anthropologie
Scarf: Rapsodia (Argentina)
Shoes: Fly London

Disheveled

That is not a sly grin of happiness you see on my face; it's a smirk of extreme displeasure. This was the day I had to drag my ass into work at 8 a.m. for a FIVE HOUR MEETING. A five hour meeting with no breaks, mind you. What kind of sadistic bastard would schedule such a meeting, you ask? Well, the sadistic bastards I work with, apparently. Needless to say it was not a happy day for me. Meetings that start at 9 a.m. are bad enough, but 8 a.m. shouldn't even exist as far as I'm concerned. Mornings were meant for sleeping, not sitting in a chair trying to stay awake.

I found this vintage skinny tie on Haight Street a couple months ago, but this is the first I've worn it. It has very thin, diagonal black and white stripes and a sheen that gives it a silvery appearance from a distance. It's not easy to tie, and getting the two ends to hang one in front of the other is nearly impossible, so I opted to let it look a little sloppy and disheveled, which I think works well for menswear-inspired outfits.


Adding some grass green and teal helped give this outfit a more seasonal look. My legs and feet would've been in danger of being chilly, but I knew I wasn't going to be outdoors much, since obviously I was spending most of the day in the same damn conference room. I always check my calendar in the mornings before I decide which outfit to wear, making sure that if I'm going to be out and walking around campus a lot, I'm dressed for the weather and am wearing reasonably comfortable shoes. And if I'm stuck inside all day wasting my time in marathon meetings, I make sure to wear my most appropriate accessory -- an angry scowl.

Shirt: J. Crew
Vest: A. Byer
Tie: vintage
Belt: Lazaro (Argentina)
Harem Pants: Vera Wang
Shoes: Gabriella Rocha

Artsy Cousin

While Jess was in town we made a trip to Anthropologie. I pretty much only shop there on the rare occasions I make it downtown (which is about once a year), because I feel like many of their clothes are often WAY overpriced for what they are. They unquestionably have some gorgeous things, but if I'm going to spend Anthro prices for fairly basic pieces, I want to make sure I try them on and that I really love them. This skirt, along with the top and cardigan I posted yesterday were the 3 items I brought home from there, and I love them all.

I felt like I was headed out for a picnic at The Hamptons in this outfit. In fact I wondered if I could pass as LPC's Artsy Cousin. What do you think LPC, can I be your Artsy Cousin? I promise I'll bring plenty of champagne for family picnics at the beach.





Black top: Asos
Tank: not sure, just a basic layering tank
Scarf: Express
Jacket: Tulle
Skirt: Anthropologie
Shoes: BC Footwear
Bracelet: Nicole Miller Jewelry

Covered in Color

Well it's spring, and right now it's also cold. Clearly this makes dressing in a springy way very challenging, so for this outfit I simply deployed as much color as I could possibly pile on. Electric blue legs, green scarf, orange jacket, yellow bag. When you're this covered up, the best you can do is to cover yourself with color. 

Dress: Desigual....  Scarf: Rhapsodia (Argentina)....  Jacket: Tulle....  Bag: Coccinelle....  

Tights: Foot Traffic....  Shoes: MIA

Get Over It

For some reason this skirt always feels very risqué to me, even though the shortest length isn't any shorter than some of the other skirts I wear. I think it's just the differential between the long back and the short front; somehow it feels like it's supposed to be a long skirt, but then there's that big opening in the front.

I figure I just need to get over it, because to me it works better as a bare-legged spring/summer garment than as a layered up winter one. It's more comfortable bare-legged, too, because there's no good way to prevent tights from sticking to this skirt.

This skirt has a very high waist, and it's made of a dense, slightly stretchy cotton blend fabric, which does a great job of smoothing out my figure. It's like a foundation garment only WAY more comfortable. I combined it with my snugly-tailored blazer to continue the slim line through the torso and to give me some volume around the bust and shoulders.

Underneath I wore my lace-trimmed full slip, which just peeked out at the neckline and below the front hem.

In other news, I'm really happy that my beloved San Jose Sharks have made it into the second playoff round, and are leading the series. Laura and I found a fabulous new (well, new to us anyway) venue to go root for our team, and Laura even got us some shark hats to wear. Stay tuned for some serious team spirit -- I'll be posting photos at some point soon. 

Also, have you entered my 3-year anniversary giveaway yet? There's still time -- the contest closes at 8 pm PST this Friday! Make sure you to leave your comment(s) in the original entry. The giveaway is open to international entries, too!

Blazer: All Saints.... Skirt: Skin Graft.... Shoes: Paolo

In Full Swing

Over the weekend I put together a few days' worth of outfits and recruited Mark to take some photos outside, just to mix things up a little. As you can see, spring is in full swing according to most of the plants, although the bougainvillea seems to disagree; it's half-heartedly putting forth a few small leaves, but seems content to hibernate a little longer until it warms up. I can't really say that I blame it.

For this outfit I kept it springy with the pale pink and off-white skirts, even though with all the layering it was designed with cool weather in mind. It was also the perfect vehicle for this fab new harness that Mark made. Actually I 'ordered' it from him; he had this very pretty caramel-colored, smooth leather in his stash and I thought it would look great for spring and summer in a lightweight harness style. This harness is the basic "Jane Doe" style, with straps that are thinner than the original. This strikes me as being a great option if you've been wanting to try out the harness trend, but don't want to look too edgy or bondage-y. The color reminds me of some of the leather accessories seen in Lanvin's SS11 RTW line.

Tank Top, pink skirt: Anthropologie
Jacket: French Kiss, thrifted
Harness: Audra Jean
Tulle skirt: Noa Noa
Tights: Hue
Shoes: John Fluevog

Product Review: The Amelie Dress from the Red Dress Shoppe

I pretty much tend to shy away from doing product reviews, but when Madeline from The Red Dress Shoppe offered to send me her new original design, the Amelie dress, there was no way I was going to refuse. I've long been familiar with Madeline's shop and have consistently been impressed with her pretty, vintage-inspired clothes, affordable prices, quick shipping and great service. I've linked her shop many times on this blog because I've shopped with her myself and can 100% endorse her business. Doing a product review for her felt more like collaborating with a friend.

The 1950's A-line style Amelie dress comes in 2 colors, olive and gray. Since I already own a gray dress from RDS, I chose the olive. The fabric is a sturdy but soft wool-acrylic blend which drapes well and holds its shape. On someone with a bigger bust, the keyhole detail in the bodice would probably show a cheeky little peek of cleavage, but on me it just showed my bra, so I layered my gray slip underneath.

Like all of Madeline's other items, the Amelie dress corresponds to a size chart that is matched specifically to it; this is one of the features I really love about this shop. According to the chart I needed a medium, which fit me very comfortably. The fabric also has a nice amount of stretch, so I imagine the sizes can accommodate a range of individuals. Those cute little tabs at the collar actually flop around a little because they aren't sewn down, but that was easily fixed with a couple of safety pins. Since it wouldn't really be feasible to wear a scarf or other accessory under the collar, the tabs could be tacked down permanently with no loss in either looks or functionality. That's really the only minor design change I'd make to this dress.

The Red Dress Shoppe is a one-woman operation (unless you count Madeline's baby, who I'm sure provides plenty of moral support), which makes the work she does even more impressive. I also love the fact that when you communicate with the shop, you're communicating directly with the owner. Not surprisingly, I paired this sweet little dress with my Red Dress Shoppe belt, which is an enduring staple in my wardrobe. I added textured tights to bring in a little pattern, and finished off the outfit with plenty of sparkly jewelry. This dress is adorable, just my style, well made and very comfortable. You'll be seeing a lot more of it in posts to come.

I also wanted to show you this coat, which is making its debut today even though I've had it for many months (I was saving it for spring because of the color). I picked it up for a few bucks at Goodwill, but at the time it was a dingy cream color. I figured that for a few bucks I could experiment with dyeing it, and this is how it turned out. I actually used a much darker dye, but because the fabric is a blend of wool and synthetic, and the dye will only stick to natural fibers, it ended up a springy lime green. The green dress provided the perfect impetus to wear the jacket, and I love how the two shades of green complimented each other.

Dress: Red Dress Shoppe
Necklace: from a glass shop in Venice
Belt: Red Dress Shoppe
Tights: Sock Dreams
Shoes: John Fluevog
Coat: Tulle

Death Throes

These cords have maybe one or two more wears left in them, and then they'll have to go; the nap is starting to look worn. If you've been reading this blog for awhile you might recall the tale of the Elie Tahari cords and my embarrassing blue butt experience. That sounds like a great premise for a children's story, doesn't it? Elie Tahari and the Blue-Butted Blogger. Believe me, that story did not have a happy ending. I'll chuck this pair before they ever get that bad.

What's interesting though is that I've had these cords for several years now and they suddenly look very current again, because of the flared legs. Which just goes to show that some clothes can survive the ups and downs of different trends; I wore them even through the skinny-jean trend, but now they fit in perfectly with the styles that are in the stores. And that actually kind of sucks, considering they're in their final death throes just as flared legs are coming back into style. Perhaps I should've shelved them during the skinny jean years. Come to think of it, I'd probably still have those Elie Taharis too, if I hadn't rendered them unwearable by overuse.




Cream shirt: All Saints
Yellow cardigan: Solemio
Scarf: vintage, from Red Light
Cords: Marlowe
Belt: Audra Jean
Shoes: Saks Fifth Avenue

Marie Antoinette

There's a wig shop right down the street from our house, and they always have these outrageous Marie Antoinette-style wigs on display in the front window. Naturally, I desperately want one. So the other day I was walking back from the hardware store and I decided right then and there that I was going to march into that wig shop and buy one, not so much because I have any use for it at the moment, but simply because I thought it would be fun to come home from shopping carrying some landscaping staples, an aluminum dryer vent, and a Marie Antoinette wig. You know, just the necessities.

Sadly the wig shop was closed that day, so my dream of assembling the most random assortment of purchases in the history of shopping will have to wait. Who knows, maybe next time I'll also be carrying some lightbulbs, a pack of guitar strings and a pumpkin. 

Today's featured new thing is this camouflage-patterned infinity scarf, which my mom gave me for our belated Christmas. I think it would look great with a Marie Antoinette wig, don't you?

Scarf: Express
Jacket: French Kiss, thrifted
Top: All Saints
Skirt: Anthropologie
Boots: Timberland Boot Company
Jewelry: Betsey Johnson

Limited Utility

Now here are a couple items you've never seen before.The first is the sweater; I've actually owned it since 2005, but it's another one of those items that requires the absolute coldest days to wear. Since it has been bitterly cold here lately (disclaimer: "bitterly" cold to me is anything below 50°F), it's been a great time to pull out some of these little-used items. I guess I should've realized when I bought it, in Denmark, that it might have limited utility in California. Interestingly I bought it specifically to wear with these very shorts and tights, but as far as I know I haven't worn any of these pieces together since that trip.

The tights you've seen before, but they also have a good story. I purchased them at a shop in Iceland after I changed my travel plans and ended up staying far longer in Iceland than I'd intended, and venturing outside of Reyjavík and into areas that were a lot colder than the city. Like the sweater, they don't get a lot of use here because they're 100% merino wool and are dense enough to wear as pants, but on the coldest days of winter they are delightfully cozy.

The boots are fairly new; I got them just before the holidays (I think I averaged about 2 -3 gifts for myself for every one I bought for someone else. Oops.). According to the description, they were designed as a tribute to Rosie The Riveter and are intentionally distressed, with flaws such as missing eyelets and straps that appear to have been torn off and sewn back on. I love the fact that they're black and brown, because they can truly go with anything. The best part is, I snagged them at 6pm.com for 40% off the retail price. And I don't even have to wait for a bitterly cold day to wear them.



Sweater: from a boutique in Copenhagen
Belt: Lazaro
Necklace: Wendy Brandes Little Woolf (for Sister Wolf)
Shorts: Mango
Tights: Cintamani
Argyle socks: Sock Dreams
Boots: Timberland Boot Company

Nothing But Neutrals

Drat, once again my dark olive skirt shows up as black. I assure you it is green, which makes for a far more interesting outfit than if the skirt were indeed black. You'll just have to take my word for it.

I love how versatile this floral top is; I've worn it with soft pinks and purples in the spring, I've paired it with bare arms and legs in the hottest part of the year, and here I've layered it up with nothing but neutrals for a winter look.

The tulle skirt serves two purposes here: warmth and contrast. Without the white border peeking out at the hem, the outfit felt way too dark to me, and there was nothing to anchor the brightness of the top. The tulle also set off the dark green skirt from the black leggings and made the difference in color more obvious; at least, it did in person.

Cardigan: Express
Top: Mica
Skirts: Noa Noa
Boots: John Fluevog