Neglected

For this outfit I hauled out a couple of items that have been long neglected in my wardrobe. I've had both the pants and the boots for ages, but for some reason they just don't get used that much. The boots are tough for me because they have a long pointy toe, something I'm not terribly comfortable with because I feel like it makes my size 9 feet look gargantuan. However, under pants they work really well because that same pointy toe elongates my legs, especially when the boots match the pants as well as they do here.

The top is another purchase from my Minnesota trip. My hotel was right down the street from Saks Off Fifth, where I spent a couple of hours one morning snapping up a few great deals. Between the discounted prices, an extra discount for being on the mailing list, and no sales tax on clothes, I cleaned up.

Cardigan: Max Studio
Top: Calvin Klein
Pants: Liquid
Boots: Jo Ghost (you can get a closer view of them here)
Bag: Boktier

Peep Show

It was a very warm day when I wore this, and the SF breezes did their best to create a peep show with this wrap dress, which I wore without a slip because of the heat. Luckily this oversized handbag is just the right shape to carry in such a way that it holds the dress together when I'm walking. It's important to look nonchalant even when your dress is threatening to expose your underwear.

I just love the silhouette that this dress creates. The draped neckline, the nipped in waist, and the cascade of ruffles on the skirt really accentuate my curves and even create them where they don't exist. I feel like this dress should earn a commission for all the work it does.

Dress: All Saints
Shoes: Bettye Muller
Bag: Coccinelle

Neutrals

I got the idea for this outfit from a store display I saw downtown, and I liked the combination of textures as well as the blend of dressy and casual. Until I saw the display I really thought of these silk pants as a purely dressy item, but pairing them with the military jacket and sandals was a great way to wear them for daytime. The other thing I like about this combination is that all the shades are neutrals, but yet the outfit is still full of color. Navy and olive are fairly universal colors that look great on anyone of any age, and which certainly work well for the office.

Jacket: thrifted
Scarf: a gift
Pants: Vera Wang
Sandals: Levity (DSW brand)
Bag: Lucky Brand

Rolling

This is the last of the pre-scheduled posts that have been keeping the blog rolling along while I've been hopping from city to city. And, since I've now been blogging for a couple solid hours straight, I'm pretty much out of things to say. I'll be back in a few days with a report on the trip. In the meantime, here are my new bright red pants making their second appearance, again paired with black and neutrals.

Scarf: gift
Top: Express, also a gift
Blazer: Helmut Lang
Pants: Michael Kors
Shoes: Tsubo

Thank You Gift

For the first time all winter it got cold enough to wear this boiled wool tunic. The boots have also been suffering from neglect, so I was happy to trot them out again for what may be the last time until December.

The pretty scarf was a thank you gift from one of my former employees, who I wrote a letter of recommendation for to help her get into a graduate program. Wasn't that sweet? Not to mention that it perfectly suits my style and is incredibly soft and comfortable. For me though, the best gift of all was seeing her get accepted to the program and start down what I'm sure will be a really successful path for her. Hands down the best thing about managing people is helping them develop their careers. It's also gratifying to see that despite the fact that Americans are getting ruder, and their kids are getting brattier, there are still young people out there who have great manners.

Tunic: Promod
Pants: Club Monaco
Boots: Bos and Co.

Duster

I found this funky sheer zebra duster at a thrift store near my mom's house a few months ago when I was up there to visit. It was actually a dress when in combination with the long black liner that came with it, but I much prefer it this way. I made a couple of modifications: I hemmed it from straight across to the tapered hem you see here, and I added a pleat in the back to give it some shape at the waist. It was quite the boxy 90's shape before.

This was a perfect outfit for our gorgeous fall weather. It was warm enough outside to bare a little skin, but not quite warm enough to expose all the limbs in their entirety. Boots and socks and bare legs was just the thing.

Duster: thrifted
Dress: Max Studio
Belt: Lazarro
Boots: from Scoop in Copenhagen
Bag: Lucky

Pinup

I loved how this outfit turned out, with all the soft and light colors blended together and accented with the black belt. What I didn't love, however, was the way I had to hang onto the front flap of the dress every time I walked outside, for fear it was going to blow wide open. Wrap dresses. Why can't they be functional as well as stylish? Next time I'm going to wear pettipants under this dress and just not worry about whether people can see them when I'm outside in a breeze.

The dress is darn flattering though, with its voluminous bust draping, hip-hugging skirt, and strategic diagonal pleats across the front. The muted animal print and 1950's cut make me feel like a pinup girl.

Dress: All Saints
Cardigan: Anthropologie
Necklace: Dana LeBlanc Designs
Belt: Red Dress Shoppe
Shoes: Bettye Muller
Bag: Cocchinelle

Cropping Up

Well, I warned you that these cropped pants would be, er, cropping up again soon. A weekend had intervened after the last wearing of them, I was at a different conference, and since aside from me there was virtually no overlap in attendance among my colleagues, I figured no one would be the wiser if I wore them again. This time I paired them with an equestrian styled blazer and leopard print blouse. The open-top shoes with bare feet proved to be the absolute wrong thing to wear for the soggy day it turned out to be, but other than that it was a great semi-professional outfit to wear on the first day of a conference.

I feel like red shoes would've looked better with this outfit, but I was lacking the correct red shoes to do the job, so I stuck with taupe. I did go with red earrings though.

Top: Forever 21
Blazer: Karen Millen
Pants: Cynthia Steffe
Shoes: John Fluevog

Mixing Metals

I figured out what it is that bugs me about this dress -- the straps are just a little too far apart for my narrow shoulders, so they keep falling down all damn day. The problem is totally fixable, so before I wear it next I'm going to make the necessary alterations. Less of an issue, but something I still notice, is the fact that the buckles and eyelets on the straps are silver finish, while the buttons are brass. Normally I don't mind mixing metals in the least, but on the same piece it looks a little off. Luckily I know someone who has lots of metal hardware at his disposal, so I suspect this can also be fixed without too much trouble.

Dress: Fanplusfriend Garden
Shirt: Forever 21
Boots: from Scoop in Copenhagen
Bag: Coccinelle
Bracelet: Wendy Mink

Mystery Shoes Revealed!

It was totally worth the wait, am I right?

Making their debut in this outfit are my fabulous new Miu Miu shoes and Wolford tights, and let me tell you, I felt KILLER in these. I don't think my legs have ever looked so good.

Like the Valentino dress, these shoes came after a long period of deliberation. And by long, I mean roughly 15 years, because that's how long I've wanted a pair of Miu Miu shoes.

Now I'm no label whore; I don't want just any pair of Miu Mius simply for the name. But over the years, this is one of a handful of high end brands that has consistently taken my breath away with their gorgeous shoe designs. In fact, I vividly remember the moment I laid eyes on the first pair of Miu Mius I'd ever seen; they were spectator mary janes, and when I saw them in an ad in Vogue, I fell HARD for them. At the time there was no question of being able to own them, but I never forgot that beautiful pair of shoes.

In seeking out the ideal pair of Miu Mius, I looked for something iconic, something that even the most casual observer would know was special. At the same time the shoes had to meet my splurge criteria of having staying power and being versatile, so they couldn't be too far out or trendy. These black satin mary janes really fit the bill: they're a classic style, can be worn day or evening, and as an added bonus they can replace my nylon-chewing Steve Maddens. And that extravagant heel gives them the special quality I was looking for.

I'll be honest with you, these aren't the most comfortable shoes I own. Even with the thick platform, their 5 inch heels put my feet in a nearly vertical position. However, they aren't nearly as ankle-breaking as you might expect either; I won't be running any marathons in them, but they were just fine for a normal work day. Obviously I didn't get much work done though, since I spent much of the day gazing at my own feet.

The Wolford tights get two big thumbs up; yes, they're on the pricey side, but they are beautifully made and they make my legs look fantastic. They aren't tissue-thin and delicate either; I think these will easily stand up to normal wear and tear. I've long maintained that quality hosiery is worth the money, and since I wear skirts and dresses so much more than I wear pants, it's helpful to have at least one really unique pair of tights that has the power to transform an outfit.

For their debut I let the shoes and tights be the star, keeping the rest of the outfit neutral and unadorned. The denim jacket further reinforced the look as a daytime one.



Top: La Redoute
Jacket: Tulle
Navy skirt: All Saints
Tights: Wolford
Shoes: Miu Miu, via eBay

Hybrid

This is another runway-inspired outfit, which I got the idea for after seeing Christian Dior's blends of vibrant blue and burgundy, as well as the interesting mixing of long upper layers with shorter lower ones. The end result was sort of a hybrid; below are the two outfits I drew from compared with the final outcome:

As you can see I put my own spin on it by including some pattern mixing, and the vibrant, floral trench coat (as well as the absence of any fur) gave the outfit a springier look. The nude, patterned tights look funny in these photos, but I promise my legs did not look that creepy in real life. I would've actually preferred to go bare-legged, but it just wasn't quite warm enough yet.

I really liked the blue/burgundy mix; I will definitely play around with this pairing again. I also thought the long cardigan and trench over the shorts was cheeky and fun, and I will be looking for other ways to use this type of combo. My goal in creating this outfit was to demonstrate how runway fashions can be adapted to fit what's already in your closet, and how they don't have to be copied verbatim in order to capture the overall impression.

For more couture-inspired outfits, be sure to check out Emma's runway to work day series.

Trench coat: Liquid
Cardigan: Cynthia Rowley
Top: Forever 21
Shorts: made from thrift-bought leather pants
Tights: Hue
Bracelet: Betsey Johnson
Boots: Miz Mooz

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

The Last Straw

Here are Jess and I, all dolled up at our friend Lisa's wedding in Seattle. In the interest of wearing all the new stuff I bought in New York as quickly and as much as possible, I swapped the dress I brought with me to wear for this one, from the All Saints store in Chelsea. Jess looked fabulous in her 50's style wiggle dress, and I'm crazy about that burgundy Coach bag of hers. It's an evening bag, but it actually has room to hold stuff, unlike those pointless, tiny clutches that can barely hold your lipstick and some cash, let alone a camera. I ended up bringing a regular full sized bag, I got so frustrated trying to jam all my crap into my evening bag.

This was the night that I realized that these shoes have really got to go. I've had them for ages, and in many ways they're great, but no matter what modifications I try they destroy every pair of nylons or tights I wear with them. Just as usual, when I checked midway through the evening I had a run starting at one of the toes, even though I had chopped my toenails back as far as I reasonably could without drawing blood. I've bitched about these shoes before, but this time it was finally the last straw.

I also wore my new Helmut Lang jacket, since it was cold that evening. Looking at it now I feel like I could easily make this dress/blazer combo into a daytime outfit if I combined it with nude legs and something more casual than satin shoes.

Dress: All Saints
Blazer: Helmut Lang
Shoes: Steve Madden

A Good Foundation

This was my take on the classic 'sexy secretary' look, but with a modern twist. I started with the basic shape of a pencil skirt and blouse, selecting my leopard print top for the full retro effect. But then I changed up several elements: instead of nylons and pumps, I swapped in colorful tights and boots; instead of a cardigan I wore the fitted tank top as a vest; instead of a solid skirt I opted to throw in a pattern mix with the plaid.

I think in the final analysis though, it's really the mix of neutrals that is the most modern element of this outfit. Classic style rules say that you can't mix brown and black, but clearly that's an idea that has been overthrown in more recent years. To me the pairing looks very chic, and moreover it's a lot more flattering to many skin tones than wearing head-to-toe black. It also allows you a wider range of possibilities for using your leather goods, such as belts and shoes.

Speaking of outdated style rules, I'll share a little secret about this outfit: the smoothness and fit of the skirt is largely owing to a foundation garment. The stretchy fabric of the skirt, combined with the snug fit and geometric pattern, tends to make my thighs look a little bulgy. Adding some tummy and thigh control made the skirt hang straighter and gave me a lot more confidence in pairing it with a shorter top. This allowed the skirt to do what it does best, which is to show my butt to its best advantage. With a form-fitting garment like this one, a good foundation garment can help minimize distractions so that your best features get the focus they deserve.

How do you feel about foundation/control garments -- lifesaving innovations, or outdated and oppressive? Personally I wouldn't want to wear them all the time, but for specific garments they can really polish up the look.


Leopard top: Forever 21
Tank top: thrifted
Belt: Lazaro
Bangles: Amrita Singh, via Gilt
Tights: Foot Traffic, via Sock Dreams
Boots: purchased at Scoop in Copenhagen

Quick Draw

Apparently Mark made me this harness several months ago, and though I kept seeing it hanging there in the closet, I just assumed it was intended for the shop. The other day I was going to "borrow" it (which generally entails me just keeping the item), until Mark told me it was mine to begin with. I just love this piece; it has a rugged, gun holster feel to it that I really like. Of course the only thing I can "draw" is my work security badge on its retractable cord, but hey, I can draw it with lightening speed!

This harness is made of a very high quality, thick Italian leather. It's also dyed all the way through, which means the core of the leather is dark, with the contrasting color visible around the cut edges. If you click on the detail shot you can see what a beautiful 3-D shadow effect this gives to the straps and even the buckle holes. If you've examined the Etsy shop closely and were wondering about the pricing, this is what accounts for the difference in price between this particular harness and its black counterpart; the leather for this one is much more expensive and is harder to come by.

I've also requested a steel gray version of this harness, which will make its debut at Burning Man; I already have several outfits mapped out for it.

Cardigan: All Saints

Brown t-shirt: H&M

Dress: thrifted

Harness: Audra Jean

Leggings: Kersh

Boots: Bata