Hooked

I should've put on some lipstick before I took these photos. Usually I do, mainly because the camera flash makes me look so washed out. This was one of those crazy mornings where I was really pressed for time though, so it's a wonder I managed to take pictures at all.

I have another business trip to France coming up in April, and for this one I've decided to tack on a few vacation days and head down to Lisbon. I told you I was hooked on fado! Now I get to go hear it in person at one of the authentic fado restaurants in the very city where it was created. My only problem is that now I'll have to learn a few words and phrases in that maddening language, and between that and trying to brush up on my French it might be more than I can handle.

Shirt: Promod
Vest: A. Byer
Pants: Rag & Bone
Boots: Ecco
Bracelet: Metal Pointu

Foiled Again

Well, I tried to wear this outfit, but I was foiled again by our unseasonably warm weather. No sooner had I taken the photos than I was starting to sweat, so the vest had to go. Sigh. Buying this vest seemed like such a great idea when I snagged it on sale last year. In New York. In February. After a snow storm. A California wardrobe staple this is not, but it makes for a good picture.

Vest: Adrienne Landau
Tunic: All Saints
Pants: Club Monaco
Shoes: MIA
Necklace: Wendy Brandes

Quick Conversion

One thing I've noticed since I've been walking to work is that I'm wearing pants a lot more often, I think because they feel less fussy -- there's no slip to deal with, or a skirt that's clinging to my tights, or blowing in the wind, or whatever. There have been a couple of times where I've changed my entire outfit once I got to work, but that involves a lot more hauling of stuff than I'm willing to do most days (especially since I often also walk home and thus have to haul everything for 6 miles). So my goal is generally to build an outfit where I can wear it mostly in its finished state, and change or add one or two things once I get to the office. Don't worry, I'm still looking for ways to make my skirt and dress-based outfits easy to wear for the walks, and I'll happily share any new tricks I hit upon.

This is an example of just the sort of quick-conversion outfit I'm after. I wore my Bastien short boots for the walk, and carried the tall boots as well as the white cardigan in my backpack. Then when I got to work it was quick and easy to convert the outfit for the work day.

Next week I'll be traveling to Germany and France on business (I know, I know -- what a sacrifice, right?), so I'm definitely going to be putting some of these new tactics to work for my travel outfits. In fact I think a couple of the pieces in this outfit will be making the trip with me. I'm going first to Dusseldorf and Strasbourg, and then spending the weekend in Paris before coming home. Dusseldorf and Strasbourg are for work, but the Paris weekend is all mine. Good thing I haven't started my Christmas shopping yet!

Tunic: All Saints
Knit pants: Club Monaco
Cardigan: 12th Street Cynthia Vincent
Boots: Modern Vintage
Necklace: Wendy Brandes

Happy Feet

Here's an outfit that I put together specifically for comfort while walking to work. For the walk I wore my Bastien short boots, and packed the ones you see here (which are comfortable, but not 3 miles' worth of comfortable) in my backpack for swapping once I got to work.

The Bastiens have been getting a lot of wear lately, so much so that I recently went scouring both the internets and the stores in search of some additional walking shoes, because even the best pair can't be worn every day for 3 (or more likely 6, because I often walk home too) miles of walking.

I ended up with a pair of Ecco boots, which have the bonus of being waterproof, and a pair of Romika short boots, which pretty much feel like slippers, only with really good arch support. Both meet my criteria of being cute enough to wear with most outfits during the walk, or even for the whole day if I don't feel like carrying extra shoes. My feet are happy.

Dress: Red Dress Shoppe
Cardigan: H&M
Tights: Sock Dreams
Boots: All Black

Spirit

I wore this to work on Halloween, so as to be in the Halloween spirit and still not have to deal with a costume. It was a good call, because pretty much no one downtown wore a costume, and also because this was way more comfortable. And yes, Halloween was almost a month ago and I'm just getting around to posting this now. It has just been that busy lately.

If you're in the US, I hope you enjoyed your Thanksgiving weekend. I certainly did; we spent a lot of time relaxing for a change, and for Thanksgiving dinner Mark and I went to Harris's for some delicious steak. OK it wasn't exactly a traditional meal, but I've made up for it by spending the last couple of weeks warming up for International Pie For Breakfast Month with plenty of pumpkin pie. It's always Thanksgiving when there's pumpkin pie.


Dress: Skunkfunk
Tights: Sock Dreams
Boots: Modern Vintage
Necklace: Untamed Menagerie

Disheveled

That is not a sly grin of happiness you see on my face; it's a smirk of extreme displeasure. This was the day I had to drag my ass into work at 8 a.m. for a FIVE HOUR MEETING. A five hour meeting with no breaks, mind you. What kind of sadistic bastard would schedule such a meeting, you ask? Well, the sadistic bastards I work with, apparently. Needless to say it was not a happy day for me. Meetings that start at 9 a.m. are bad enough, but 8 a.m. shouldn't even exist as far as I'm concerned. Mornings were meant for sleeping, not sitting in a chair trying to stay awake.

I found this vintage skinny tie on Haight Street a couple months ago, but this is the first I've worn it. It has very thin, diagonal black and white stripes and a sheen that gives it a silvery appearance from a distance. It's not easy to tie, and getting the two ends to hang one in front of the other is nearly impossible, so I opted to let it look a little sloppy and disheveled, which I think works well for menswear-inspired outfits.


Adding some grass green and teal helped give this outfit a more seasonal look. My legs and feet would've been in danger of being chilly, but I knew I wasn't going to be outdoors much, since obviously I was spending most of the day in the same damn conference room. I always check my calendar in the mornings before I decide which outfit to wear, making sure that if I'm going to be out and walking around campus a lot, I'm dressed for the weather and am wearing reasonably comfortable shoes. And if I'm stuck inside all day wasting my time in marathon meetings, I make sure to wear my most appropriate accessory -- an angry scowl.

Shirt: J. Crew
Vest: A. Byer
Tie: vintage
Belt: Lazaro (Argentina)
Harem Pants: Vera Wang
Shoes: Gabriella Rocha

Evolution

This dress is so adorable, and yet so hard to wear. It occurred to me the other day that the full, bubble-hem skirt is most likely the reason, so I'm thinking of modifying it to give it a standard hem; I've previously done this with a bubble skirt and was very happy with the results. I think the dress will also be lengthened by an inch or two in the process, which should make it easier to wear with heels; right now it's just a smidge short for my comfort.

There's no denying that our weather lately has sucked; we've had wind, rain, clouds, and cold temperatures (OK, 50's and 60's, but still -- it's June, dammit!). Dressing in a non-wintry way has therefore been somewhat of a challenge. I'm glad this springy yellow cardigan made it into my wardrobe, because it's brightened up more than one layered-up, warm ensemble.

There was really no way around wearing tights with this outfit, it was just that cold and wet. I tried lighter colored tights, but somehow they didn't work, so I resorted to my  dark and somewhat gloomy argyles. And since the dress is short and exposes a lot of leg, the boots were really the only way to temper all that pattern. If the dress were a little longer I feel like I could've worn this outfit with pumps or flats. Hopefully the next stage of this dress's evolution will allow me to wear it in a more summery way.

Dress: All Saints
Cardigan: Anthropologie
Belt: Red Dress Shoppe
Necklace: from a vendor in Prague
Tights: Sock Dreams
Boots: All Black
Bag: Michael Kors
Bangles: Amrita Singh

Dressing for the Season

I figured I'd better sneak in one more wear of this fabulous furry vest before we get too much further into spring. Despite it still being pretty chilly here, I've decided to make a concerted effort this year to dress for the season, which means shelving much of my warmer stuff like this vest, and avoiding wintry combos such as tights and boots. I'm still planning on wearing some of my boots during the summer, I'm just going to try to do it sans heavy tights. This look most certainly says winter, but it was really cold and rainy that day so I felt it was necessary.

One of the problems with living in a climate that doesn't have temperature extremes is that my approach to dressing varies as little as the seasons do, which means I can get tired of seeing the same things hanging in my closet day after day. I figure if I try designating certain items for a particular season only, then I'll have a renewed interest in them when that season rolls around again. Thus, this furry vest goes in the Winter pile for the time being, as do many of the other garments in this outfit. The leather pants might prove to be a multi-seasonal item, but for the next several months they'll most likely be appearing with sandals instead of boots.





How does your wardrobe change with the different seasons? Do you physically pack up items and put them aside for the season, or do they co-mingle in your closet all year round? Does this contribute to how long your items have interest and appeal for you?

Vest: Adrienne Landau
Scarf: Duke et Duchesse
Sweater: All Saints
Pants: Firetrap
Boots: Bos and Co.

A Moment of Panic

These boots were purchased in a moment of panic just before I left for New York, when I was convinced I was going to be mucking through three feet of snow the entire time I was there. I actually ordered a different pair first, some white snow boots which were utterly adorable but which ran a size too small and had to go back. Fortunately I found these, which are waterproof and shearling lined, but have the added bonus of being wearable back home. I hadn't heard of Bos and Co. before, but they're owned by the same folks who make Fly London shoes, so I took a chance and ordered them at the very last minute. Normally I would never advocate taking brand new shoes on a trip, but I did just that and lucked out; they're wonderfully comfortable and a great heel height for walking all day. And I've gotten multiple compliments every time I've worn them.

I bought the vest in New York while I was out shopping with Sal, Sara, and K. Line. It was marked down 50% and it was just so deliciously soft and furry that I couldn't resist. I've worn this vest several times now and each time I do, someone asks if they can touch it. Hey, at least so far they're asking first.

Vest: Adrienne Landau
Tunic: All Saints
Leather pants: Firetrap
Boots: Bos and Co.

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

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 Reyjav�k 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

Skirting the Issue

Sal gave me this beautiful skirt when Mark and I were out there visiting last month. Upon bringing it home I promptly tried it out and found it surprisingly difficult to work with, so I put it back in the closet and thought about it some more. Finally it dawned on me that the length wasn't quite right; you see the skirt originally had a third tier of ruffles, which made it hit me mid-calf. It wasn't even so much the length that was the issue, but the fact that there was such an expanse of the bright teal blue that it was difficult to balance it out with the top half of the outfit.

Altering the skirt was easy; I simply snipped off the bottom ruffle (which I saved for future use) and hemmed the lining underneath, which kept the sheer second layer lined. My handiwork didn't even have to be perfect since the hem is hidden beneath the ruffle above it. The finished product was MUCH easier to work with, and I threw together this combination with almost no effort.

See how the uppermost seam and the ruffles of the skirt are curved up in the middle and down towards the sides? This emphasizes the curve of the hips, which is just perfect for my columnar figure. Note however that I made sure to wear a top that widens my narrow shoulders, or else the skirt might have thrown me out of proportion. Because of the skirt's ruffles and eye-catching color, the eye is naturally going to be drawn to the hips and thighs in an outfit like this one, so I also created balance by wearing a top that had some of that same bright color in it.

Top: Max Studio

Vest: A. Byer

Belt: thrifted

Skirt: Banana Republic

Boots: Bronx

Premonition

Well, this was just that kind of day, a day where I ended up pissed off and frustrated and really glad that I at least had the foresight to rock my leather pants at work. It's possible that it was a premonition, but so many of my workdays suck lately that a crummy day is really not very difficult to predict. At any rate, wearing a sassy outfit is always a nice way to combat a bad day, and this was no exception.

When I first got these pants I thought they were a little too tight to wear at the office, but the super-soft leather stretched to a very comfortable fit after just a couple of wears, and now I feel quite confident that they're work-appropriate. The continued rain was also a great reason to waterproof my legs.

Tunic: All Saints
Hoodie: local import store
Belt: thrifted
Pants: Firetrap
Boots: Modern Vintage

In other news, the Etsy shop has been filling up with new items in preparation for our ad in the June/July issue of Bust Magazine, which should be hitting the newsstands now. I'm really excited to be advertising in Bust, for one thing because it's great exposure for the shop, and for another because I think it's an awesome magazine and I'm happy to be a part of it. Bust is really supportive of small businesses like ours, and their very reasonable advertising rates reflect that.

On a related note, be sure to check out the gorgeous photos of our Bolero Harness, modeled and shot by the beautiful Morgana of Iberian Black Arts Photography. Click on Morgana to see the rest of her photo shoot!

Black Market Baby

This gorgeous sheer, leather-trimmed tank and striped leggings came to me by way of a trade with fellow Etsy seller Audrey Cantwell of Black Market Baby. I had already marked her shop as a favorite ages ago, so when she suggested a trade I jumped at the opportunity. These pieces both have that unique, special quality I always look for, and they're both really well made. For an evening out, I might wear this tank over something sleeveless and black, but for work I chose this long-sleeved argyle sweater dress for a more modest look. The leggings have a waistband that's light as air, so the whole outfit was amazingly comfortable and constriction-free. I love how the sheerness of the tank allows the form-fitting sweater dress shape to show through, but still gives the outfit a draped, relaxed look that doesn't come off as too revealing, especially for work. I'm looking forward to finding more ways to use these wonderful pieces.

I kept the accessories fairly simple so as to let the tank and leggings be the stars of the outfit, but I did opt for a mixed-metals pile of long necklaces to break up the dark colors.

Tank, leggings: Black Market Baby
Dress: All Saints
Boots: All Black

Versatility

This outfit was all soft layers of drapey comfort and was an absolute dream to wear. The vest gave me shaping, but because the stark contrast between the black vest and the orange dress moved my waist down lower than I wanted, I put the dress's self belt on top of the vest to move it back up again. The gray skirt further elongated my lower half to bring everything into proportion.

I just love the versatility of this orange dress; it functions equally well in a heavily layered winter outfit, a bare-legged summer outfit, or in transitional outfits such as the one shown here, and this one. And then it has so many of the special details I always look for: the 3/4 length sleeves with small ruched cuffs, the cute embroidered pattern towards the bottom hem, and then that flattering cowl neck. I have to credit Jess with this one; it was she who spotted it at Retail Therapy in Seattle and made me try it on.




Dress: Skunkfunk
Vest: A. Byer
Skirt: S
Boots: All Black