Curses

Has everyone signed the petition for Team Jennine yet? In the event that the scandal that's rocking the blogging world hasn't reached you, Jennine Jacob of the original The Coveted has had her blog name ripped off by... oh, I don't know -- some jackass whose blog I didn't read anyway. And clearly never will now. The whole sordid episode has already been discussed at length by Sister Wolf, Wendy B, Kingdom of Style, Make Do Style, and so many others, so I'll just add my humble contribution to the growing maelstrom of outrage and leave it at that.

In short, I wish all manner of nastiness upon the perpetrators, including (but not limited to): parking tickets, tax audits, a prolonged visit from their in-laws, clogged drains, alarm clocks that inexplicably go off at 4 am, chronic bad breath, and socks that go missing in the dryer. A curse upon you, thieves! Please feel free to heap your ill-wishes upon the scoundrels in the comments.

Oh, and if you buy Wendy B's fabulous swear rings, she will donate part of the proceeds to help Jennine with her legal fees. Which, in truth, will probably prove to be far more useful than the curses you'll find over here. Not that those aren't fun too.





Jacket: thrifted
Necklace: Manu Lizarralde
Shorts: White House Black Market
Harness: Audra Jean
Socks: Sock Dreams
Shoes: MIA

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

Layered Nudes

I hit on the bright idea to layer nude fishnets over nude nylons, the idea being that the nylons would keep my legs warm and the fishnets would sort of hide the nude nylons. It definitely did keep my legs warm, and it had the added benefit of making the fishnets a LOT more comfortable, because these are really course and leave an imprint on my butt when I sit down (sorry for the TMI). However, it still didn't hide the weird color of these nude nylons, which I've realized really need to be replaced. The shade just doesn't look very natural to me, and they aren't quite sheer enough for my taste. But, the idea was still a good one, and I'll definitely try it again with some better nylons. Or maybe better yet, I'll find a good pair that has the fishnet pattern woven right in. Anyone have any recommendations?

Capelet: Forever 21
Shirt: Target
Belt: Red Dress Shoppe
Skirt: Eva Franco
Shoes: John Fluevog

Occupational Hazard

Can you hear the angels singing? That's because I finally found The Perfect Pair of Casual Black Shoes. After literally years of searching (not continuously, mind you), and looking at pairs of shoes online until my eyes crossed and my head hurt, and finding an ideal shoe only to discover it wasn't available in my size, and thinking and rethinking the choices I had narrowed down, I finally took the plunge and bought these. And holy smokes, are they the comfiest shoes ever. My feet have joined the chorus of angels in song.

My requirements: black shoes that are a little outdoorsy looking, weatherproof, with a 1 - 1.5" heel so I can wear them with longer jeans, rubber soles that have good traction in the rain, a wedge heel for stability, cute enough to wear with skirts, and comfortable enough to walk in all day. Yes those are tall orders. Why I needed all those qualities in a single pair of shoes is no longer clear even to me, but it was a lingering obsession of mine and I was determined to fulfill  it. I found an awful lot of cute shoes and great deals while I was scouring the internet for these, I can tell you. Some of them, like my Timberland boots, also ended up in my closet. It's an occupational hazard, I guess.


Dress, belt: Red Dress Shoppe
Cardigan: Cynthia Rowley
Shoes: Bastien

Tension

I wasn't in love with this outfit, to be honest. I thought all the pieces actually looked pretty good together, but between the awkward length of the cardigan with respect to the oversized pockets on the dress, the way the full neck of the dress made the neckline of the cardigan sit funny, and the skirt hiking its way up all damn day, I just didn't feel very put together.

I only added the skirt as an afterthought, because I noticed that the bottom couple of buttonholes of the dress are starting to tear, and I wanted to spare them from further damage by leaving them open. This is not the best design for this dress; the fabric doesn't stretch at all, so sitting down puts a lot of tension on those bottom buttons. I think a more permanent solution would be to sew the bottom of the dress closed from the hips down, and have the buttons as decoration only. That way the tension would be distributed evenly across the whole bottom portion of the dress. It really only needs to unbutton about halfway in order to get it on and off anyway.

The skirt, on the other hand, is not fixable and is totally out of here. By the end of the day I was beyond frustrated with readjusting it, and I was ready to take it off and burn it right there. It was a cheap thrift store purchase anyway, so I'm not too sad to part with it.

Cardigan: American Eagle outfitters
Dress: All Saints
Skirt: thrifted
Tights: MP (via Sock Dreams)
Shoes: MIA

Cocoon

Awhile back I decided I should get myself a sweater dress, having seen Sal look great in them as well as a couple of ladies I've spotted at work. But I also decided I would buy one second hand, because I figured the sort of dress I was looking for would cost more than I was willing to pay. So off I went to the thrift shop, and though I didn't find one there, I thankfully stopped in at Crossroads Trading Company, where I snagged this seemingly never-worn one for just $18.

I had some pretty specific requirements for the dress, too, which makes it even more miraculous that I found it. It had to have a cowl neck, long sleeves, be a thick cable knit and not too clingy, and be soft and of good quality. This one is 100% merino wool, and as you can see it clearly satisfies all the other requirements. It feels like wearing a big cocoon; I couldn't be more thrilled with it.

I added the harness to give the boxy dress a little shape, and tied the scarf cowboy-style up under the cowl in order to bring some vibrant color to the outfit. Adding the purple scarf reminded me that it had been awhile since I'd worn these pretty purple boots, which I thought paired well with the edgy harness.

Dress: Banana Republic
Harness: Audra Jean
Scarf: a long-ago gift
Boots: Eject

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

Resolution

In the last weeks of the year I decided to get a jump start on my New Year's resolution to drive less, and not knowing exactly how far I'd end up walking or how long I'd be standing and waiting for public transportation (I hadn't yet tried taking public transportation to work from the new house), I decided I should make my outfits as comfortable as possible while I was still getting used to the new system. I'm not the sort of gal who will put on sneakers with a work outfit and change at the office; no way. So if you look at the last few outfits you'll see two of my favorite pairs of walking shoes -- these boots as well as my brown Batas -- and plenty of soft, flowy knit fabrics.

Now that I've done it a few times, I've realized that taking public transportation to work is actually quite easy from the new place. Not only that, but I arrive at work far less crabby than I do if I have to suffer through the traffic on the freeway. This might just be a resolution I can stick to.

Cardigan: BB Dakota
Gray skirt (hiked up and worn as a dress): S
Teal skirt: LA Made
Belt: Red Dress Shoppe
Boots: Modern Vintage

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.

Just For Kicks

I have Fawn to thank for this dress; it was she who alerted me to the fact that All Saints was having a big sale (and still is, by the way). I'd had my eye on this dress for quite some time, but in fact it was out of stock in my size when I first discovered it. When Fawn told me about the sale, I decided just for kicks to see if it had been restocked, and lo and behold it had. Not only that but it was marked down 30%, so clearly it was meant to be.

What really made me fall in love with this dress was that it has a slate blue stripe pattern. If I have one complaint about All Saints it's that most of their clothes are solid black or gray; now to be fair, that's probably the one thing that keeps me from unloading the majority of my income there, so in a larger sense it's probably a good thing. But nevertheless, coming across All Saints items with color is something of a rarity, so color AND pattern together made this dress a must-have for me. Even though the fabric of the dress still comes across as a neutral, I could easily pair it with brighter colors and make the blue stripes stand out.

The dress has all the interesting detailing and amazing quality I've come to expect from All Saints. The shape is great for my figure because it adds volume up top and at the hips, while at the same time showing plenty of leg. It looks warm and cozy all layered up here, but it's a light enough cotton that I can also imagine wearing it with bare legs and arms (the dress is sleeveless) for a summer look. As an added bonus, that pile of fabric at the back of the neck unbuttons into a hood; I'm not sure I'd actually wear it that way, but I love that the possibility is there.

Dress: All Saints
Cardigan: thrifted
Belt: Urban outfitters
Tights: Noa Noa
Boots: Bronx

Just For Kicks

I have Fawn to thank for this dress; it was she who alerted me to the fact that All Saints was having a big sale (and still is, by the way). I'd had my eye on this dress for quite some time, but in fact it was out of stock in my size when I first discovered it. When Fawn told me about the sale, I decided just for kicks to see if it had been restocked, and lo and behold it had. Not only that but it was marked down 30%, so clearly it was meant to be.

What really made me fall in love with this dress was that it has a slate blue stripe pattern. If I have one complaint about All Saints it's that most of their clothes are solid black or gray; now to be fair, that's probably the one thing that keeps me from unloading the majority of my income there, so in a larger sense it's probably a good thing. But nevertheless, coming across All Saints items with color is something of a rarity, so color AND pattern together made this dress a must-have for me. Even though the fabric of the dress still comes across as a neutral, I could easily pair it with brighter colors and make the blue stripes stand out.

The dress has all the interesting detailing and amazing quality I've come to expect from All Saints. The shape is great for my figure because it adds volume up top and at the hips, while at the same time showing plenty of leg. It looks warm and cozy all layered up here, but it's a light enough cotton that I can also imagine wearing it with bare legs and arms (the dress is sleeveless) for a summer look. As an added bonus, that pile of fabric at the back of the neck unbuttons into a hood; I'm not sure I'd actually wear it that way, but I love that the possibility is there.

Dress: All Saints
Cardigan: thrifted
Belt: Urban outfitters
Tights: Noa Noa
Boots: Bronx

Obligations

I almost forgot to post this outfit -- it's what I wore when Mark and I saw the Yard Dogs Road Show last month. I figured that like many San Francisco events, there would be a lot of people dressed up in the typical eccentric styles I've come to expect on such occasions; I was surprised, however, that I could've actually gone a lot more over-the-top than this and fit in perfectly well.

San Francisco is a town that loves to get dressed up, and not only that, but people seem to have an outfit for every occasion. Whether you're going to see a vaudevillian cabaret, attending a Jewish LGBT Hanukkah fundraiser, or making an appearance at your realtor's grand Victorian house for a holiday party, it's important in this town to dress the part. Such are our obligations as San Franciscans. So for the Yard Dogs I mixed up a little steampunk with a strong dose of Burning Man fashion and I was all set.

It's tough to make out here, but I'm actually wearing a short, sequined black skirt underneath the tunic, which is otherwise way too short to wear as a dress. The skirt gave the outfit just the right amount of sparkle and covered up the tops of my long socks. Under the socks I wore leggings for warmth. This is one of my favorite tricks for wearing short skirts in the winter; the dual layers keep my legs warm, but because the bottom layer is leggings, there's still only one layer inside my shoes, ensuring that they aren't too tight.




Tunic, skirt: Forever 21
Socks: Sock Dreams
Boots: All Black
Fascinator: "Francine" style, Audra Jean
Harness: "Ryder" style, Audra Jean

Obligations

I almost forgot to post this outfit -- it's what I wore when Mark and I saw the Yard Dogs Road Show last month. I figured that like many San Francisco events, there would be a lot of people dressed up in the typical eccentric styles I've come to expect on such occasions; I was surprised, however, that I could've actually gone a lot more over-the-top than this and fit in perfectly well.

San Francisco is a town that loves to get dressed up, and not only that, but people seem to have an outfit for every occasion. Whether you're going to see a vaudevillian cabaret, attending a Jewish LGBT Hanukkah fundraiser, or making an appearance at your realtor's grand Victorian house for a holiday party, it's important in this town to dress the part. Such are our obligations as San Franciscans. So for the Yard Dogs I mixed up a little steampunk with a strong dose of Burning Man fashion and I was all set.

It's tough to make out here, but I'm actually wearing a short, sequined black skirt underneath the tunic, which is otherwise way too short to wear as a dress. The skirt gave the outfit just the right amount of sparkle and covered up the tops of my long socks. Under the socks I wore leggings for warmth. This is one of my favorite tricks for wearing short skirts in the winter; the dual layers keep my legs warm, but because the bottom layer is leggings, there's still only one layer inside my shoes, ensuring that they aren't too tight.




Tunic, skirt: Forever 21
Socks: Sock Dreams
Boots: All Black
Fascinator: "Francine" style, Audra Jean
Harness: "Ryder" style, Audra Jean

Shape and Proportion

As promised, here is the jacket that goes with my vintage 1960's dress. What's funny is that several times when I've pulled out this skirt to wear, I've searched for the perfect cropped, boxy top or jacket that would give it the mod flair I wanted, but I just hadn't been able to find the right thing. And here it was in my closet all along, hanging there paired with the dress (in the 'dress' portion of my closet, rather than with the tops and jackets) and not even registering as an option. It has exactly the shape and proportion I've been searching for the whole time.

I also wanted to encourage everyone to check out the special deal Wendy Brandes is offering on her Little Woolf necklace. Fellow blogger Sister Wolf has had an incredibly difficult year, having endured both personal tragedy and financial difficulties. Wendy is currently offering the Little Woolf for $50 plus taxes and shipping, with $35 of each sale going to help Sister Wolf repair her crumbling roof. Click on the widget below to go to Wendy's site and purchase this beautiful piece of quality jewelry while helping to support a worthy cause. You can read what Wendy has to say about Sister Wolf's dilemma and the fund-raising effort right here.

Jacket: Violetville Vintage
Sweater: Banana Republic
Skirt: Anthropologie
Belt: Lazaro
Boots: Bronx

International Pie For Breakfast Month

It finally cooled down enough to break out my vintage 1960's wool dress and try pairing it with my black boots, with the cuffs turned up for an over-the-knee length. For this outfit I didn't pair the dress with its matching cropped jacket, opting instead to modernize it a bit with the velvet blazer. But interestingly, when I pulled out the set I realized for the first time that I could use the jacket to give a 60's vibe to other outfits, so I've got one coming up with it. Funny that it never occurred to me before, probably because I always keep the dress and jacket hanging together.

I'd like to digress for a moment and discuss one of my favorite elements of the holiday season: pie for breakfast. Is there anything quite so delightful? A slice of pie is great for dessert, but to me nothing quite matches the satisfaction that comes with eating it for breakfast (especially pumpkin pie, my favorite). If I were a songwriter I would write an ode to having pie for the most important meal of the day, but with my limited musical talents I'll simply declare December as International Pie For Breakfast Month. Please feel free to celebrate accordingly.

Dress: Violetville Vintage
Necklace: vintage
Jacket: a gift from Sal
Boots: Modern Vintage

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