Ringleader

I really liked how this outfit turned out; it had sort of a circus ringleader vibe to it, and all the pieces worked together so well. I did discover the particular challenges that this skirt presents for taking public transportation though; its snug fit and zero stretch fabric make stepping up onto a bus stair really problematic. Thankfully the zippers are actually functional, so I was able to unzip one of them a few inches to give my legs more room to bend.


I've never worn this shirt before; it's mainly used to style harnesses and belts for Mark's Etsy listings, so it doesn't get hung up with the other shirts in my closet. That morning I happened to spot it hanging up with some finished harnesses and knew it'd be perfect to pair with the striped skirt. Of the few things I ordered last year from Clockwork Couture, this shirt is the one item that has reasonable quality; the others have had belt loops that tear free at the slightest tug, buttons that fall off, and fabric that looks cheap. Hence, the other shirt I ordered from them ended up being relegated to use as a prop.



Shirt: Clockwork Couture
Velvet blazer: a gift from Sal
Vest: Last Kiss
Skirt: Marc by Marc Jacobs
Boots: All Black

Feels Like Spring

Here's another layered-up outfit using my maxi dress. This outfit was wonderfully soft and cozy, although I have to say I'm looking forward to when I can wear this dress without tights underneath, because the dress does tend to get hung up on the tights as I walk.

You can tell how dark and gloomy it was by looking at the light coming in at the window. Since this picture was taken it has warmed up considerably; in fact, it really feels like spring now. The trees are all getting leaves already and a few of my flowering plants are even starting to bloom, and the daytime temperatures have been in the 70's. Amazing what a difference a mere week can make.

Shirts, scarf: H&M
Dress: Forever 21
Belt: Red Dress Shoppe
Boots: Timberland Boot Co.
   

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

Christmas Skirt

Mark got me this skirt for Christmas; isn't it fabulous? I'd been stalking it for quite some time on the Anthropologie website, so I didn't realize how much cuter it is in person. The navy and white stripes are much more obvious in person than they looked online, and the fabric has a soft, almost flannel-like texture. The draping and ruffles are such fun details to find on a pencil skirt, too; I thought the softness of the skirt made a nice contrast to the structural, geometric detailing on the jacket, even though color-wise the two pieces match perfectly. Together they almost have the look of a suit, but are so much more interesting than one.


Jacket: vintage (from a shop in Paris)
Skirt: Eva Franco
Hat: ADS Hats
Shoes: BCBGirls

Tuxedo

This is the J. Peterman shirt I told you about a few posts ago, newly-arrived in the correct size and fitting far better than the size recommended on the website. Since the shirt has all sorts of tuxedo-like detailing, I decided to play up that look by making the whole outfit black and white, and on the fitted, formal side. To spice it up I chose my leather pants, because wouldn't any tuxedo be more interesting with a little leather?


Shirt: J. Peterman
Necklace: from a glass shop in Venice
Waistcoat: Heathen
Pants: Pepe Jeans
Shoes: Steve Madden

Tuxedo

This is the J. Peterman shirt I told you about a few posts ago, newly-arrived in the correct size and fitting far better than the size recommended on the website. Since the shirt has all sorts of tuxedo-like detailing, I decided to play up that look by making the whole outfit black and white, and on the fitted, formal side. To spice it up I chose my leather pants, because wouldn't any tuxedo be more interesting with a little leather?


Shirt: J. Peterman
Necklace: from a glass shop in Venice
Waistcoat: Heathen
Pants: Pepe Jeans
Shoes: Steve Madden

1912

I think this is an outfit that Tinyjunco (aka Steph) would approve of, with its romantic, Edwardian details. It was cold enough that day that I mostly kept the fur stole on, which I preferred because it brought some rich color up near my face. But it was also fun to wear so much white; I felt like this outfit is something you might wear ice skating... in say, 1912.

The jacket has been lingering in my closet for awhile because it is considerably too large and needs to be altered. But I figured in the meantime I should just belt it up and go ahead and wear it anyway, because the presence of a brand new item in my closet that can't be worn is a torture to me. You can tell from the back of the jacket just how much extra room it has.

The reason this jacket is so large is that I followed the size chart on the J. Peterman site and ordered a size up from my usual. Never having ordered from them before, I didn't realize that not only do the clothes NOT run small as the size charts indicate, they actually run a bit on the generous side, making this jacket nearly 2 sizes too big for me. But, it was the last one of its kind and was marked way down (I'd been stalking it for months), so I figured that even with paying for alterations it was still a fantastic deal.

I also ordered a shirt from J. Peterman at the same time I ordered the jacket; it was also too large, so I sent it back for an exchange. They did finally send me a replacement, but I have to say that it took an inordinate amount of time (approximately 5 weeks), and in the interim the communication was less than stellar. My biggest complaint is that there is no online form for returns or exchanges, so you have no way to ensure it was received or track the progress until the replacement (or refund) shows up -- and my inquires were met with either a vague response, or no response at all. So on the whole, though I'm pleased with the two items I ended up with in terms of style and quality, I'm pretty leery about ordering from J. Peterman again. I know a lot of people really love the company, so it's rather disappointing.  





Stole: vintage
Hat: hand knit by me
Jacket: J. Peterman
Skirt: Noa Noa
Boots: from Scoop in Copenhagen

1912

I think this is an outfit that Tinyjunco (aka Steph) would approve of, with its romantic, Edwardian details. It was cold enough that day that I mostly kept the fur stole on, which I preferred because it brought some rich color up near my face. But it was also fun to wear so much white; I felt like this outfit is something you might wear ice skating... in say, 1912.

The jacket has been lingering in my closet for awhile because it is considerably too large and needs to be altered. But I figured in the meantime I should just belt it up and go ahead and wear it anyway, because the presence of a brand new item in my closet that can't be worn is a torture to me. You can tell from the back of the jacket just how much extra room it has.

The reason this jacket is so large is that I followed the size chart on the J. Peterman site and ordered a size up from my usual. Never having ordered from them before, I didn't realize that not only do the clothes NOT run small as the size charts indicate, they actually run a bit on the generous side, making this jacket nearly 2 sizes too big for me. But, it was the last one of its kind and was marked way down (I'd been stalking it for months), so I figured that even with paying for alterations it was still a fantastic deal.

I also ordered a shirt from J. Peterman at the same time I ordered the jacket; it was also too large, so I sent it back for an exchange. They did finally send me a replacement, but I have to say that it took an inordinate amount of time (approximately 5 weeks), and in the interim the communication was less than stellar. My biggest complaint is that there is no online form for returns or exchanges, so you have no way to ensure it was received or track the progress until the replacement (or refund) shows up -- and my inquires were met with either a vague response, or no response at all. So on the whole, though I'm pleased with the two items I ended up with in terms of style and quality, I'm pretty leery about ordering from J. Peterman again. I know a lot of people really love the company, so it's rather disappointing.  





Stole: vintage
Hat: hand knit by me
Jacket: J. Peterman
Skirt: Noa Noa
Boots: from Scoop in Copenhagen

Twisted

Here's my second go at styling this maxi dress; this is after I modified the twisted strap by covering the twisted part with black jersey fabric. It looks better, but I think it will be further improved by twisting the other side, because twisting the strap actually makes the dress fit better across the bust. I'm still not sure if I'll keep the black jersey accent, but I'll figure that out after the next round of modification. I foolishly forgot to take any close-up photos of the modified strap, but I'll do that the next time.

With this outfit I wore some pretty substantial heels, which I was concerned might look funny, but ultimately I was pleased with how it turned out. These shoes make me about 5'11", but still I don't think they throw the proportions off in any way. I'm really encouraged to try out some full length skirts now, so that's high on my thrift shopping list.

Shirt: H&M
Dress: Forever 21
Belt: not sure, I've had it for ages
Bangles: Amrita Singh
Socks: Sock Dreams
Boots: Doc Martens

Twisted

Here's my second go at styling this maxi dress; this is after I modified the twisted strap by covering the twisted part with black jersey fabric. It looks better, but I think it will be further improved by twisting the other side, because twisting the strap actually makes the dress fit better across the bust. I'm still not sure if I'll keep the black jersey accent, but I'll figure that out after the next round of modification. I foolishly forgot to take any close-up photos of the modified strap, but I'll do that the next time.

With this outfit I wore some pretty substantial heels, which I was concerned might look funny, but ultimately I was pleased with how it turned out. These shoes make me about 5'11", but still I don't think they throw the proportions off in any way. I'm really encouraged to try out some full length skirts now, so that's high on my thrift shopping list.

Shirt: H&M
Dress: Forever 21
Belt: not sure, I've had it for ages
Bangles: Amrita Singh
Socks: Sock Dreams
Boots: Doc Martens