Shorts Suit

I wore this outfit to the after-work welcome party that my new group took me out for. Which means I waited 3 whole days before hitting them with a shorts suit that shows off my tattooed arms. I'm sure no one cares; our VP, who I worked with at a previous job, only asked, "Are those new?" Biotech is certainly one of the least conservative of the professional fields.

It occurs to me that I might update the look of this jacket by removing the cap sleeves and turning it into a vest. Does anyone have any thoughts on this? On the one hand the cap sleeves give me a little more shoulder width, which is flattering. On the other hand they're sort of puffy and only look good with just the right top. Would removing the sleeves make this piece more versatile, or is it cuter the way it is?

Jacket: BCBG Max Azria
Top: Max Studio
Brooch: Trifari (vintage)
Shorts: White House Black Market
Shoes: Bettye Muller

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

Downtown (things will be great when you're downtown)

I recently attended two back-to-back scientific conferences in San Francisco, which was such a treat. Conference #1 was on a Thursday and Friday and Conference #2 was the following Monday - Wednesday; 5 straight business days of getting to live my dream of essentially never leaving the city limits except for personal reasons such as travel or visiting friends. Why would I ever want to leave when everything I need is right here? Everything's waiting for me!

The last time I got to live and work in San Francisco was in 1992; I worked at a photo lab downtown, and although my bosses were two of the most horrible people I've ever had the misfortune to meet, I still got a thrill every day out of taking the subway downtown and being in the midst of city life. I always thought it would be cool to be one of those well-dressed professional women, with their blazers and heels and stylish handbags, because obviously, working with chemicals in a photo lab didn't really lend itself to wearing nice clothes. When I attend conferences in town, I feel like I've finally become one of those women.

This All Saints dress was just the perfect thing to wear to a conference, because it has many of the interesting details that are key elements of my style, while still offering a tailored and elegant look.  Conferences are great opportunities for networking, so I generally dress a little more professionally for them than I do for my usual kooky office looks. For what purpose I might wish to network at an industry conference I'll leave it to you to guess. Shhh... just don't tell my boss.


Dress: All Saints
Blazer: Promod (Prague)
Belt: Red Dress Shoppe
Necklace: Wendy Brandes
Tights: Hue
Shoes: Bettye Muller
Bag: Coccinelle

Swarming

I've done a bit of gardening recently; this pot of flowers is one of the last projects. Between this and our new hummingbird feeder, our patio is now swarming with hummingbirds, all trying to defend their favorite new feeding spot. I can't wait to see what happens when Georgie gets too close to these flowers. I suspect she'll go skittering inside when she realizes that hummingbirds, despite their diminutive size, will not be intimidated by larger animals.

The color of this top was described as "mink," but to me it looks like more of a soft purple. I love the movement of the ruffles when the breeze picks up.

This skirt (and the other ones I have in different colors) is truly an all-season one; during the cooler months it's an excellent layer beneath another skirt or a dress, and now that it's warming up again I'm looking forward to wearing it more on its own. The dusty purple color also transitions well from one season to another.

Top: Asos
Tank: Forever 21
Skirt: Noa Noa
Shoes: Bettye Muller

Worthy Addition

You guys, check it out -- it got so warm that I went to work with bare legs AND arms! Unbelievable! It only lasted a handful of days, but as you can see I made the most of it, busting out my most festive dress and playing up the nakedness of my legs by wearing nude heels. And no, it's not just the camera flash -- my legs really are that white.

I've been looking for the perfect pair of nude pumps for awhile now, but I'm damn picky when it comes to items like that. I knew I wanted something simple, with nice clean lines and little or no embellishment, but I also wanted to steer well away from the realm of boring or staid. And those qualities combined in a nude pump is a tall order, as I found out.

After sorting through what seemed like an infinitely large number of listings online, I finally found the perfect pair of patent leather, peep toe pumps by Bettye Muller. As luck would have it, they were also marked down 60%. Just look at that fantastic heel, and the graceful lines! To me they're the ideal solution -- they give me a nice long, uninterrupted leg line, while still looking funky and unique. A worthy addition to my collection, to be sure.

Dress: Tracy Reese
Shrug: Noa Noa
Shoes: Bettye Muller