Height Perception

This little lacy black dress is another one Mark and I use a lot for our Etsy shop photos, but that I rarely wear. I've actually owned it since about 1993, but with this season's resurgence in the lace trend, I figured it was high time I pulled it out again. These days I wouldn't wear it as a dress because it's so short (somehow it seemed ok when I was 24, even though it barely covers my butt), but it makes a great layering piece.

I've noticed  from time to time in the comments that people will assume I'm petite, and I wonder why this is. I'm actually 5'8" in bare feet, and the other day I got to thinking that I must subconsciously assume other bloggers are all roughly the same height I am, because I'm surprised if I find out they're considerably taller or shorter. Do we perceive height differently depending on how tall we are ourselves? I wonder also how much of our own body image plays into it; if someone feels they're too short, for instance, does everyone else automatically get perceived as taller, whereas someone who is comfortable with her height (or simply doesn't care) assumes everyone else is the same size?

Why do people care so much about height anyway, other than difficulty in finding clothes that fit? My only gripe about shopping for my own height is that sleeves are often too short, hence I push them up to my elbows a lot. Other than that I wouldn't say I spend much time thinking about it; until of course someone says I'm petite and gets me ruminating on the subject.

How do you perceive the height of people you see on the internet or on TV? How much do you think your own body image plays into those perceptions?   

Brown dress: from Ruby on Haight Street
Black dress: Betsey Johnson
Necklace: from Ambiance on Haight Street
Belt: Audra Jean
Skirt: thrifted and shortened
Bracelet: Leslie Danzis
Tights: Falke
Shoes: Fly London

Soft

If you live outside of California and are wondering where the sun and all its heat is, well, we seem to be hogging it all over here in the Bay Area. Early last week when I wore this outfit, it was barely making it into the low 50's during the day, but by the weekend it was downright HOT. As in shorts and bare arms kind of hot. As in don't leave the house without your sunscreen hot. Apparently there just isn't enough sun to go around right now; sorry guys. Don't blame me; you can always come to California, you know.

Speaking of the miserable weather in the rest of the country, that's exactly what I'm headed for on Thursday, and I have to admit I'm slightly terrified. First I'm off to New York to meet up with Sal for some Fashion Week events and also to meet a few of my favorite other bloggers; after that I'm headed to Seattle for my friend Lisa's wedding, and from there I'll continue to Oregon to visit my family and attend my sister's wedding. It's the New York bit that really scares me; other than a couple of times in Iceland, the last time I had any serious exposure to snow was in 2000, and believe me I have not missed it. You might even say I've actively avoided it.


Whenever I think about how wimpy I am when it comes to temperature extremes (and by "extremes" I mean anything lower than 50°F or higher than 80°F), I'm reminded of that old song from the 90's, "Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen)." The line goes, "Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard; live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft." Well, if being soft is a crime then lock me up; just don't make me live anywhere it snows.

Sweater dress: Banana Republic
Scarf: Forever 21
Belt: Audra Jean
Tights: MP, via Sock Dreams
Boots: Bata

Tribute

This is my Wendy B tribute pose; I totally missed out on the contest, but I figured I could still rip off her signature pose and post it over here. Hopefully she doesn't bitch slap me for it when I'm in New York later this week. You don't scare me, Wendy! However your weather does. Don't throw a snowball at me!

Every time I wear this dress someone comments on the bright red color. On my scout's honor this dress is ORANGE. A reddish orange to be sure, but still squarely within the orange family of hues. My camera clearly does not agree.

Cardigan: Anthropologie
Dress: Orla Keily
Belt: a gift from mom
Tights: Foot Traffic
Boots: from Scoop in Copenhagen

At the Crossroads

Yesterday's sweater dress wasn't the only gem I found at the Crossroads Trading Company; when I spotted this blazer I just knew it was going to fit me perfectly. I fell in love with the 40's-style wide lapels and beautiful tailoring in both the front and the back, and at $40 it was an amazing steal for a designer piece that's in perfect condition.

The blue sweater ended up being more hidden than I intended it to be, but the v-neck just left too much skin exposed for as cold as it was, so much of it was by necessity covered by the scarf. The sweater is a basic cashmere one and has been a wardrobe staple for many years; it was nice to bring it out again and layer it under this gorgeous blazer, and I like the way it picks up the subtle blue stripes in the skirt's pattern.

Blazer: Karen Millen England
Scarf: Banana Republic
Sweater: Nordstrom, ages ago
Skirt: La Redoute
Boots: Scoop in Copenhagen

An Abundance of Leather

In my continued effort to make use of all my warmest items before the winter is over, I pulled out this dense, boiled wool tunic and paired it with my leather pants. And oh man, was it comfy and warm. These pants started out pretty tight when I first bought them, but after a few wears they've broken in to a nice, relaxed fit. I'd definitely recommend buying leather pants a bit on the snug side if you're thinking of adding any to your wardrobe.

It did feel a little weird to have my legs encased in such an abundance of leather; I mean, tall leather boots over a layer of leather pants? It felt a bit extravagant, but I got over it.

Shirt: J. Crew
Scarf: Forever 21
Tunic: Promod
Pants: Firetrap
Boots: Bata

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

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

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

Gothic Lolita

I have a soft spot for Gothic Lolita style, partly because I've been to Japan twice, and partly because it's so unique and boundary-pushing. I also love the fact that it combines so many different concepts: fantasy, punk, cosplay, goth, and so on. And though it's not really a look I'd want to try out in its entirety, there are elements of it that I can incorporate into my daily wear, such as this dress. Actually I'd call it more of a jumper, since it really is designed to be worn over a shirt.

I ordered this jumper from Fanplusfriend, a company that specializes in all sorts of fun Gothic Lolita styles, as well as cosplay costumes and a lot of steampunk looks as well. All of the clothing is very reasonably priced, they can custom fit just about any of their items, and there are different options available for fabrics. The fabric I selected for this dress is called "tender fleece," something I hadn't heard of but which turned out to be similar in texture to a cotton twill. It has a nice drape and weight, and resists wrinkling.

Because it was custom fit, the dress did take several weeks to arrive (I'm assuming it was also due to the fact that I placed my order before Halloween, which is likely an extremely busy time for them). But I'm quite happy with how it turned out, and it fits beautifully. Worn over a button-down shirt and belted, it has less of a schoolgirl vibe and to me works perfectly well as a workday outfit. If you're interested in adding some Gothic Lolita or steampunk elements to your wardrobe for not a lot of money, I'd say give Fanplusfriend a try.

Shirt: thrifted
Dress/jumper: Fanplusfriend
Belt: Red Dress Shoppe
Boots: All Black

Gothic Lolita

I have a soft spot for Gothic Lolita style, partly because I've been to Japan twice, and partly because it's so unique and boundary-pushing. I also love the fact that it combines so many different concepts: fantasy, punk, cosplay, goth, and so on. And though it's not really a look I'd want to try out in its entirety, there are elements of it that I can incorporate into my daily wear, such as this dress. Actually I'd call it more of a jumper, since it really is designed to be worn over a shirt.

I ordered this jumper from Fanplusfriend, a company that specializes in all sorts of fun Gothic Lolita styles, as well as cosplay costumes and a lot of steampunk looks as well. All of the clothing is very reasonably priced, they can custom fit just about any of their items, and there are different options available for fabrics. The fabric I selected for this dress is called "tender fleece," something I hadn't heard of but which turned out to be similar in texture to a cotton twill. It has a nice drape and weight, and resists wrinkling.

Because it was custom fit, the dress did take several weeks to arrive (I'm assuming it was also due to the fact that I placed my order before Halloween, which is likely an extremely busy time for them). But I'm quite happy with how it turned out, and it fits beautifully. Worn over a button-down shirt and belted, it has less of a schoolgirl vibe and to me works perfectly well as a workday outfit. If you're interested in adding some Gothic Lolita or steampunk elements to your wardrobe for not a lot of money, I'd say give Fanplusfriend a try.

Shirt: thrifted
Dress/jumper: Fanplusfriend
Belt: Red Dress Shoppe
Boots: All Black

Never Say Never

Well, Wendy B always says that, "Never is the next new thing" and I'm pretty certain I've said before that I would "never" wear a maxi dress, and that they look universally terrible. And yet here I am, wearing one, and liking it a great deal. A few things finally came together and prompted me to give this look a try: I'd seen Queen Michelle from Kingdom of Style and Emma at My Daily Clothes Fix look amazing in similar long striped dresses, I'd seen Sal wear long skirts to great effect last winter, and in fact when Mark and I were out in Minneapolis over the summer, Sal pointed out how big a difference there is between an unflattering mid-calf length and a true full length skirt, which further eased my doubts about wearing one.

So it was that when I saw this dress on the Forever 21 site for TEN BUCKS, the seeds of the idea had been planted and I knew I could reasonably give this sartorial experiment a whirl. For ten bucks, even if it did look terrible I could always hem it up to knee or even tunic length and it would still be worth it. The odd thing about this dress is that one of the straps is twisted; at first I looked at it and thought, "Ah, I see why it was $10 -- they sewed the straps wrong!" But when I went back and looked again at the listing, I saw that it was done that way intentionally.

To me the twist in the strap doesn't look very intentional though; it looks like a misguided afterthought. So what I ended up doing was taking a piece of black jersey and making a small, scrunched up tube of fabric that goes around the twisted part, which accentuates the difference and makes it look more finished. For this outfit I mostly wore it with the denim jacket, but next time I'll try it with the modified strap showing and you can tell me which you like better. Of course I also have 2 other options: either twist the other strap, or take the twisted one apart and sew it normally to match the other.

I thought it would feel odd and frumpy to wear a big long tube, but to be honest it didn't feel that way at all; in fact it felt sleek and elegant. I've seen lots of maxi dresses styled as summer wear, but I'm looking forward to layering this one up for some more cozy winter ensembles.

Hat: ADS Hats
Jacket: Tulle, thrifted
Dress: Forever 21
Belt: Audra Jean
Socks: Sock Dreams
Boots: Bata

Sandwiched

Our long weekend was wonderful, and the city was just as quiet and uncrowded as I expected it would be (of course, we stayed well away from Union Square). On Thanksgiving Mark and I met some friends for dinner at one of our favorite comfort food restaurants, Home. On Saturday we saw the fantastic Yard Dogs Road Show, which is sort of a vaudevillian revue with music, dancers, magic, and burlesque. If you're in Los Angeles, the Yard Dogs will be playing on New Year's Eve at the Edison, which I'm sure will be an incredible show.

It certainly isn't warm enough for shorts and bare arms this week, but thankfully I made the most of it when it was. Funny that I had to wait until late November to wear some of my summertime outfits, but such is the bizarro weather in San Francisco. 

With this outfit I used one of my loose, open knit vests as a shirt, securing it with a fitted waistcoat as a top layer. To my surprise, the vest stayed put all day with no readjustment necessary; I think having the tank top underneath made the difference, because the vest was then sandwiched between two non-slippery layers of fabric.


Tank: American Eagle
Knit vest: F21
Waistcoat: Promod
Shorts: White House Black Market
Shoes: MIA