Biohazard

I was very excited to get my hands on this Stacy Lomman t-shirt, because I knew just how I would wear it first --as part of a simple jeans-and-tee outfit dressed up with a blazer. Since the colors went so well with my McQueen skull scarf, I figured I'd really go all out and add some bright red nails and lips. I love how the blazer is cut deeply enough to show part of the logo, particularly the "biohazard" part, which is especially fitting given the line of work I'm in. It took a little doing to tie the scarf up high enough to show the t-shirt logo, but through trial and error I made it work.

Speaking of Stacy Lomman, I was so happy to see that she successfully achieved her Kickstarter goal and put on another great runway show. I just love the mod references in her new line; my favorites are the red cutout dress with the long feather vest, the skinny white pants/cropped jacket combo, and the sheath dress with the British flag cutout in the back -- so creative! Click here to check out the video.

T-Shirt: Stacy Lomman
Blazer: Helmut Lang
Scarf: Alexander McQueen
Ring: Metal Pointu
Jeans: Joe's
Shoes: Simple

Writer's Block

For this outfit, I simply swapped out the bottom half of this outfit and tied the scarf in a shorter configuration. I just love how this cropped shirt makes even a casual outfit like this one look interesting. This is the last of my outfits from before I took a week off to spend with family and friends.

I'll be honest with you; since being back from my time off I haven't been terribly inspired by my wardrobe. For one thing I've been sick, which has left me feeling lethargic and decidedly unimaginative in the mornings. I've also been exceedingly stressed out at work, which hasn't helped. I've photographed only half of the work outfits I've worn since my break, because the rest were just too boring. I think I have the sartorial equivalent of writer's block.

Tank: layering tank
Cropped shirt: Asos
Scarf: Express
Jeans: Joe's
Bracelet: Nicole Miller
Bag: Michael Kors
Shoes: Born

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

Fallacies

I don't want to talk about Anthony Weiner. The man has gotten more than his fair share of press already, and the reports of his tasteless social media interactions make me queasy. However, I do want to talk about his wife, and what some of the comments I've seen floating around in the interwebs about her say about our society's feelings towards women.

This discussion isn't just about Huma Abedin. Inevitably when any high profile man gets caught in some sort of bad behavior that humiliates his spouse*, the talk eventually turns to how beautiful the betrayed wife is or isn't (Tiger Woods is another recent example). Huma Abedin is gorgeous, leading the online community to cry out, "How could he do this to her? She's hot!!" And this is the sort of talk that gets under my skin.

Why is so much emphasis placed on the wife's looks? If she were ugly would his behavior have been more acceptable? If she were merely ordinary-looking would it have made her somehow more deserving of being humiliated and betrayed? Her worth as a human being and her value as a wife are not dependent upon her looks, any more than a misbehaving man's looks are tied to some sort of sliding scale that determines how outraged people ought to be about his behavior.

Whether you feel that Weiner's actions were completely reprehensible or that they merely demonstrated a lack of judgment and incredibly poor taste is beside the point of this discussion. The part of the story that disturbs me is when people focus on the wife's looks as if they're something that needs to be accounted for in the body of evidence.

The other fallacy I've noticed in the online discourse is more subtle: the underlying expectation that beautiful women are supposed to be immune to the hardships of life, that they don't get manipulated and lied to and have their hearts broken just like everybody else. That if you're hot and your husband sexted someone else, then you must be a nagging, overbearing shrew because beautiful women don't get cheated on unless there's something really, really wrong with them. Being beautiful does not endow women with a superhuman ability to detect cheaters; it does not prevent them from falling in love with the wrong person or making bad choices; it does not mean that their spouses will love them more or treat them better.

Beautiful women get betrayed for exactly the same reason that other women do: they get involved with men who are liars and cheats. And that sort of man will lie to and cheat on whoever he's with, no matter what she looks like. A man is either a good man, or he's not; what ultimately saves women from the bad ones is discernment, strength, a belief in one's self, maybe even a little bit of luck. Often these things have to be acquired the hard way, too; beauty may bring other advantages in life, but it won't help in this arena.

Huma Abedin is beautiful. But bringing her beauty into the discussion of her husband's behavior is disrespectful to her as a wife and a woman. Beauty will not help her handle this situation; only her character will.

I'd love to hear your comments. And hey look, I wore clothes today too!

Top: Forever 21
Jeans: Level 99
Bracelet: Nicole Miller
Boots: Jo Ghost

*ETA: I didn't mean to make this a hetero-exclusive discussion; obviously people get hurt in same-sex relationships also, just as wives can sometimes treat husbands badly. But when we're talking about a powerful, high profile person doing something shitty to their spouse, 9 times out of 10 it's a straight man doing it to his wife.

Going to the Dentist

I thought I'd include my handbag in these photos to demonstrate how well it goes with black and even the bluer shades of gray. Honestly I think I could use this bag exclusively and it would pair beautifully with at least 90% of my outfits.

I decided to wear these shoes for another day, but this time I painted my toenails, which I thought looked a lot better. This was my "going to the dentist" outfit.

Dress: Aryeh
Cardigan: Express
Belt: Forever 21 (came with a dress)
Bag: L.A.M.B.
Jeans: Joe's
Sandals: Kors Michael Kors

Layered Cardigans

This crazy-ass giant cardigan cocoon thing is really cool; it's going to be the perfect lightweight cover-up for breezy summer days. If you can believe it, this is a petite size, so presumably if I were actually petite this thing would be skimming the floor. I like it better this way.

I started with a plain cream tank to fill in the low neckline of the butterfly tank. But with the two tank tops and the bra there was an awful of of strappage that was visible under the sheer cardigan, so I added another layer, the black cardigan. This not only covered the strap action, but also brought some black into the top half of the outfit and punched up the contrast. Layered cardigans! Is this a new first?

Continuing with the sharp black/cream contrast, I wore opaque black socks so that the lines of the shoes would really stand out. I'm totally obsessed with cream colored shoes lately, and several times now I've had to stop myself from buying more pairs that look overly similar to these. Something about the soft cream leather with the hardware is so appealing.

Butterfly top: Banana Republic
Black cardigan: Express
Cream cardigan: 12th Street by Cynthia Vincent
Jeans: Diesel
Shoes: Rock and Republic

I just loved the way this cardigan looked with the sunlight coming through it.

The Lost Dogs

This was an outfit that ended up being very different from where it started out, and far different (and more casual) than I initially imagined it would be. It was really comfy though, and thankfully Georgie showed up to accessorize me. Too bad I couldn't take her with me to work; I thought she really made the outfit.

Tank: All Saints
Cardigan: Anthropologie
Jeans: Joe's
Shoes: Faryl Robin
Bangles: Amrita Singh

While we're (sort of) on the topic of dogs, and pit bulls in particular, I thought I'd discuss the book I just finished reading, The Lost Dogs by Jim Gorant. It tells the story of Michael Vick's dogs, who were seized from his dog fighting operation and subsequently rescued and in most cases rehabilitated. The first part of the book is terribly sad and horrific, covering the brutality and mistreatment that the dogs endured. If you were ever a fan of, or were even indifferent to Michael Vick, you'll thoroughly despise him after reading this book. In my mind there's really no punishment harsh enough for people who are cruel to animals. There's a special place in hell for monsters like Michael Vick.

However, the second half of the book focuses on the dogs, and the multitude of compassionate and committed people who made their rescue possible. This is the part of the book that really restores faith in humankind; I only wish there were more people out there who could see past pit bulls' bad reputation, and who cared about helping these amazing animals. Many of the Vick dogs went on to be successfully adopted by loving families, some became therapy dogs working with hospital patients, and one is used to help children learn how to read. Far from being aggressive, most of the Vick dogs were fearful and withdrawn, but in time they came to trust people and learn the things that come naturally to a pet dog: playing with toys, jumping up on the couch, engaging each other in play. Dogs, and especially pit bulls, are truly resilient creatures.

PBS did a story covering many of the highlights of The Lost Dogs as well as some of the people and dogs involved. Grab a kleenex, and click to watch.

Watch the full episode. See more Need To Know.

Pit bulls were once a favorite companion breed, renowned for their loyalty and sweetness, but in recent years they've become the latest in a long line of breeds that have suffered from hype and bad press. According to The Lost Dogs, the bloodhound was the most feared breed in the early nineteenth century; after that it was the German Shepherd, and with the rise of the Nazis it became the Doberman pinscher. These days it's the pit bull, in part because their stamina and determination make them attractive targets for exploitation by drug dealers and dog fighters, and the resulting overbreeding, neglect and abuse leads to more dogs that are unsocialized and fearful of humans. In truth, pit bulls are naturally wonderful dogs; intelligent, fun loving, and deeply attached to humans. They've got boundless energy but are also consummate couch potatoes and expert snugglers; they are clever and are easily engaged by puzzles and thinking games, but they also love physical play and roughhousing.

We call Georgie the solar-powered dog; here she is recharging.

Georgie is a pit mix (mixed with what I don't know), and was also a rescue; I got her from a family who had found her as a badly beat up stray and was fostering her. She's the best little companion you can imagine, and Mark and I absolutely adore her. When I first got her she definitely had a lot of fear issues from whatever she endured before she was rescued, but she's a very confident and happy dog now; in fact she probably gets sick of all the affection we heap on her every day. I never get tired of hearing her grunt with satisfaction when she snuggles up with us on the couch, seeing her roll over on her back when she wants her belly rubbed, or feeling her velvety soft face next to mine. I feel truly blessed to have Georgie in my life, and I cherish every single minute I get to spend with her. I can't imagine what sort of a person could be cruel to these sweet, loving dogs.

If you love animals, The Lost Dogs is a tough book to read and one that inspires a lot of tears, but ultimately the outcome is uplifting. It's easy to pretend that things like dog fighting and animal abuse don't exist if you're not exposed to them, so reading this story is a harsh but necessary reminder that the problem is far from being solved. There's still a lot of work to do, from raising funds for rescue organizations to rehabilitating abused dogs, or just giving one animal a much-needed loving home. If you're interested in volunteer work or rescuing a pit bull, please check with the following organizations:

Pit Bull Rescue Central (lists shelters by location)
BAD RAP (this wonderful Bay Area group was one of the key organizations involved in rescuing Vick's dogs)
Out of the Pits
Bull911 (advocacy group)
Pit Bull Lovers (lists rescue organizations)
Recycle-A-Bull Rescue
Best Friends Animal Sanctuary (took in many of Vick's dogs and rehabilitated them)

And here are a couple more things you should check out:

• See how your state ranks in animal protection laws
• Support the Patrick's Law campaign (read more about Patrick here)

Please share your thoughts and ideas, or if you have an organization or more reading to recommend, leave a link!

Upper Hand

T

This top is the third and final item from the trip to Desigual in New York, and isn't it just gorgeous? I love long tops that have interesting details, because they're such an easy way to create a simple, casual outfit with jeans. I like the length on the longer side so that I can wear the top comfortably with my low rise jeans, and the interesting details means I don't need a lot of layering or other embellishment. This top has got a great mix of bold patterns and colors, and the metallic red ink even adds some textural interest. I still can't decide if that's Jackie O's face on the back though.

Here's another look at my new Bos and Co. boots. Up until this week it rained in SF for something like 14 days without a break, so these waterproof boots have really come in handy lately. I love clothing that makes you feel like you've got the upper hand on the elements.

Top: Desigual
Scarf: Forever 21
Jeans: Deisel
Boots: Bos. and Co.

Enamored

This sheer shirtdress arrived via Gilt just before I left on my trip, so I didn't actually get to wear it until after I got back. And let me just say, I am absolutely enamored with it. The waist can be adjusted by pulling on the ties in the back, so I can control how snug or how loose the dress fits. The sheer silk chiffon feels very elegant, and I just love the way it moves when I walk. I've already got another outfit lined up for next week that uses this dress.

I ended up wearing a variation on this outfit when Laura and I went out to see Peter Murphy in concert (who still sounds amazing after all these years, btw). For our evening out I swapped the jeans for black tights and wore a short black dress (more of a slip, really) instead of the tank I have on here.

To hide all the bra and tank strap action that was visible under the sheer chiffon, I added this lacy shrug. The neckline is just low enough to pair perfectly with the bow at the neck of the dress.








Dress: Fremont
Shrug: a gift from my sister
Jeans: Joe's
Boots: All Black










And because I think everyone could probably use a good laugh on a Friday afternoon, I thought I'd share a video by Canadian comedian Jon Lajoie (how could he not be Canadian with a name like that?), who Jess played for Mark and I when we were up in Seattle. To me the funniest comedy is the kind that points out truths, and this video perfectly sums up exactly how I feel about 99% of music that's played on the radio (which is why I almost never listen to the radio). Be forewarned that the lyrics contain a lot of swearing, so it's NSFW unless you've got headphones.

Belated Christmas

For the next several outfits to come you're going to see all the new stuff I brought back from my travels. The new item in this one is the belt, which was a gift from my mom. For the last few years we've exchanged our Christmas gifts in January or February, since I've generally been in Mexico over the holidays. I didn't travel this year but instead stayed in San Francisco and got married, so once again we had our belated Christmas celebration. This little beaded belt was among my gifts.

I mirrored the mixed metal look of the belt with the necklaces; one is silver and one is layered brass and pearls.

Cardigan: Anthropologie
Jeans: Diesel
Boots: Bronx

Bold Statements

I finally had this blazer taken in, after having to scrunch up the excess under a belt the last time I wore it. It fits far better now, with no scrunching needed. I liked the simplicity of this outfit; the long blazer and thigh high boots are fairly bold statements by themselves, so I didn't feel the need for a lot of extra embellishment. The tie at the neckline of the shirt added just a little bit of detail.

Blazer: J. Peterman
Shirt: a gift from Sal
Jeans: Joe's
Boots: Apepazza

Going to the Vet

This was my "taking Georgie to the vet" outfit; it needed to be comfortable and not easily wrinkled as I loaded Georgie in and out of the car and knelt down to hold her for the vet to examine (she's fine, by the way -- she had a back spasm that was causing her some pain when she jumped up).

I tucked the jeans into the short boots by tucking them first into a long, thick pair of gray socks. This kept the hem of the jeans firmly in place even when bending or sitting down. For a little sparkle I added this pretty hammered gold necklace I bought awhile back (I liked it so much I got one for my mom for Christmas too). I love the organic shapes of the circles and the way the necklace fills out the entire neckline.

Vest: Forever 21
Tunic: All Saints
Necklace: from Ambiance in SF
Jeans: Joe's
Boots: Bastien

Icelandic

OK, I'm officially ready for winter to end. It got so cold that I pulled out my Icelandic sweater, for Pete's sake! This thing has never been worn outside of Iceland, because beautiful as it is, it's deeply impractical for the San Francisco climate. Like the Danish sweater I posted the other day, it's another one of those gorgeous items I fell for while traveling in a colder climate than my own, not thinking that I might not have much use for it at home. I don't feel like this was a wasted purchase though; the traditional design isn't really in danger of going out of style, and the sweater is such good quality that it'll last for years.

I felt like the best way to offset such a bulky sweater was to pair it with my skinniest jeans, and to make my legs look longer still by adding these tall boots. I threw on the belt as an afterthought, but I think it gave the outfit nice proportions and kept the sweater from bunching up.

Sweater: Icelandic
Jeans: Joe's
Boots: Apepazza

Casual Outfit Catch-Up

Dress: Skunkfunk...  Belt: Audra Jean...  Tights: Sock Dreams...  Boots: Bata

I have several outfits from the end of December that I'm still trying to get caught up on posting, so I figured I'd group a few of the more casual ones together in one post. You can tell these are older because my hair was still blond; if you look at the photos from when Mark and I got married, you'll see that I've gone back to red since then.

Cardigan: thrifted...  Dress: local boutique Ruby...  Socks: handmade in Latvia...  Boots: Bata

This outfit is similar to something I put together over the weekend for thrift shopping. It's the perfect outfit for such an activity, because the short dress over leggings allowed me to try on skirts right in the aisle rather than having to wait for a changing room. The dress is also thin enough that I can try on tops right over it. And a lightweight cardigan is much easier to deal with than a coat when I'm wandering the aisles carrying an armload of clothes.

Top and scarf: Forever 21... Cardigan: thrifted...  Jeans: Joe's...  Boots: Bronx

This outfit isn't too exciting except for the double sequin action of the top and the scarf. I never would have paired two sequined pieces together had it not been for the fact that the items are distinctly different colors, and the sequins are different sizes -- the top has the regular size and those on the scarf are the tiny ones.

Team Building

This was a casual outfit that I wore to a company event in which we were having a team-building exercise that required a lot of walking around outside. Oh, how I live for corporate team-building exercises (insert sarcasm here). Actually it turned out to be not as mind-numbingly stupid as I'd anticipated it would be, and as an added bonus I got to spend the day in downtown San Francisco rather than having to commute to the office.

The comfy and casual ensemble I picked was made up of my soft, warm argyle sweater, my most comfy pair of jeans, and my beloved and well-worn brown boots. The big scarf not only kept me warm, but it also added some interesting pattern and color to spice up the casual look.

Sweater: All Saints
Jeans: Acne
Boots: Bata
Scarf: a gift from my sister

Blade Runner

Someone at work told me this outfit looked like something out of Blade Runner, which I thought was a most excellent compliment. It does have sort of a futuristic element to it, come to think of it, with the tall boots and fluffy lace shrug. I like how the shrug blends perfectly with the dress and makes it look as if it's all one piece.

This leads me to come up with the brilliant idea, here in December, to go as Darryl Hannah's character Pris the next time I have occasion to dress up for Halloween. But of course, thinking of it in December means that by the time Halloween actually rolls around, I'll have completely forgotten the idea and will be at an utter loss for what to go as. I did it last year too, and of course I have never been able to remember the costume idea since whenever it was that it first occurred to me. I would be a brilliant Halloween partygoer if only all my great costume ideas didn't get lost in the sands of time.

Shrug: a gift from my sis
Dress: local import store P-Kok
Bangles: Amrita Singh
Jeans: Diesel
Boots: Modern Vintage