Trends That Need To Die Already

The weather has been beautiful in SF lately, so I've taken the opportunity to wear several of my dresses with bare legs or fishnets. Here I wore nude fishnets, which I realize are a little tough to see in the photos. Since it's difficult to do a whole lot of styling with a dress, I mixed it up a bit by combining different metal finishes (the silver bag and brass necklace), and adding a blazer.

One of the best things about trends these days is that they hang around for a long time, allowing you to get maximum mileage out of clothing purchases. One of the worst things about trends nowadays is that they hang around for a long time, allowing them to annoy the shit out of you before they finally go away. For me there are currently two trends whose continued presence irritates me to the point of irrational rage. Without further ado, I present to you my top two Trends That Need To Die Already:

1. Topknots

The makeup is pretty awful too, come to think of it. Then again look who it is.

OK, I'll admit I thought these were sort of cute at first, though not something I'd wear myself even if I had long hair. But holy crap ladies, if you've got gorgeous long locks, why on earth would you want to wad it up and make it look like you're balancing a bagel on your head? There are tons of flattering updo's and pulled-back styles out there; this isn't one of them.  STOP IT.


2. Giant Wedge and Platform Heels

Jeffrey Campbell, I blame you for the fact that these are still around. Yep, I owned several pairs of Frankenstein shoes. They're now gone from my closet, and I wish they were gone from everyone else's too. Let's not make this a longer goodbye than necessary.



What trends are you ready to see the last of?


Dress: Adrianna Papell
Blazer: La Redoute
Boots: Born
Handbag: Botkier

Sandwiched

At last, I got to wear my fabulous new dress! The folded neckline is what really sold me on this one, and the shape and pattern are classic enough that I'll be able to wear it for years to come.

I tend to have a difficult time with springtime fashions, mainly because soft pastels don't look so great against my skin tone. This dress solves the problem by putting the deep midnight blue up near the face and right at the hem, and keeping the softer shades sandwiched in the middle. Once it warms up a little I think this dress is going to look great with bare legs or nude fishnets.

The cute teal clutch doesn't get a ton of use, so I was glad to realize after buying the dress that it would be just the thing. I love how it plays off the lighter shades in the floral pattern and keeps the outfit bright.

Dress: Karen Millen
Clutch: Tracy Reese
Pumps: Paolo

{Style} Bundled...

When a scarf simply won't do, sometimes you need something a little more akin to a blanket wrapped around those shoulders... Enter my Urban Outfitters plaid cape. I bought it last fall, and on particularly cold days, it gets to come out of closet hibernation and resume its rightful place � Strewn around my neck in jumbo scarf form. Oooh yeah. xx

Outfit details: sweater- Talula (Aritzia); skinnies- Forever 21; plaid cape (worn as scarf)- Urban Outfitters (old; similar here); booties- Aldo; ring- Forever 21

{Style} Pared Down...

Outfit details: top & jeans- Forever 21; leather clutch- vintage; leopard pumps- Aldo; necklace- Forever 21; bracelet- The Bay; watch- Michael Kors; ring- vintage

{Style} Oversized...

Sometimes less is more, or at least that's what I like tell myself when I can't be bothered to do more than throw on a slouchy sweater over some skinnies... Hey, we're all friends here right? It's truth circle time. Notice the studded pumps and rhinestone necklace? That's how I cunningly convince the world that I care about my appearance when deep down all I want to do is curl up on the couch with my pajamas and a carton of ice cream. Well, at least the ice cream part is socially acceptable, right?

Outfit details: oversized sweater- thrifted; teal skinnies- Forever 21; spiked pumps- Shoe Mint; necklace & ring- Forever 21; watch- Michael Kors

Revolver

I bought this dress on my trip to Minneapolis, and I was really excited to style it in a work outfit. I'm sure it could be worn as a cocktail dress, but I like it better as part of a more casual look. It's another example of an item whose details are best appreciated in daylight hours, because a lot of that great shaping wouldn't be noticeable at night.

To make the dress look more casual I went with bare legs and boots, a look I love to play around with especially in the fall. The cognac color of the boots and bag gave it a slightly western vibe, to which I added the cute revolver necklace, another of my Minnesota purchases. The solid brass pendant has a nice heft to it, and the barrel even spins around for an extra realistic effect. I wish the trigger moved, although it's not like I'd be able to get my finger in there to move it anyway.






I bought the necklace the morning I was flying out, and Sal commented that I'd better put it in my checked baggage or else TSA might try to confiscate it. To my amusement when I got home, I noticed that my checked bag had actually been opened and searched, I guess because of the pendant, since everything else in there was just clothes. I guess this necklace doesn't make for a very good travel accessory.

Dress: Adrianna Papell
Necklace: Defy
Bag: Lucky Brand
Boots: from Scoop in Copenhagen
Bracelet: Leslie Danzis

Memory Lapse

This was a weekend outfit, and to be honest I've been so busy lately that I can't for the life of me remember what I was even doing that day. I'm hoping I can chalk this memory lapse up to stress and not Alzheimer's. If you happened to be hanging out with me when I wore this, a reminder of the day's activities would be most appreciated.

Top: Max Studio
Cardigan: Survival
Skirt: thrifted and shortened
Shoes: Born

Sharks Colors

For this outfit I wanted to bring in a little more of the teal color, but it was too chilly for just the fishnet tights alone, so I layered them over some sheer black pantyhose. I like the effect because it still looks semi-transparent, but the black underneath gave a little more depth to the teal tights and also made them more comfortable to wear. I don't really like the way fishnet tights feel under my feet, and these don't have the solid foot pads that prevent the feeling of having a pattern pressed into your skin.

I wore this outfit for a Girls' Night Out because Laura and I were going to a bar to watch the Sharks game, and teal and black are the Sharks' colors. They won that night, and I'd like to think my awesome tights layering had something to do with it. If they don't make the playoffs this year, it isn't for lack of fan support.

Dress: Escada Sport
Cardigan: Anthropologie
Boots: Brako

Taxing

This top was a gift from Sal, and it wasn't until after she left that I realized how perfectly it matches my favorite, most comfy pair of pants. I wore this outfit to go to an appointment with my tax guy, during which I discovered that the tax laws are even more confusing and nonsensical than I had previously thought. I guess that's why I don't do my taxes myself.

I took these pictures outside so that you can see the pretty teal color of the pants, which ordinarily doesn't show up very well with flash lighting indoors.

Top: Barbara Lesser
Pants: Anthropologie
Shoes: Born

Excursion

Spencer is becoming quite the handsome dog, is he not? He's also more than twice the size he was when we brought him home. At about 8 months, he now weighs 65 pounds and is a couple inches taller than Georgie. Since his knee injury is still a problem and we can't yet have surgery performed on it (and would rather avoid it entirely if we can), he's now having regular sessions of therapeutic swimming in a heated pool. Seriously, if I had wanted children, they would've turned out to be the most spoiled assholes the world has ever known. It's a good thing for everyone that my nurturing impulses are focused on dogs.

A couple of weekends ago I went on a shopping excursion with a friend of mine who's also Mark's ex-girlfriend (yeah, you read that right). We ostensibly went shopping specifically to find her an outfit for her birthday party, but along the way I made a few purchases of my own. You know how it is.

This coral cardigan and teal pants were two of the spoils from our excursion. My friend and I spotted the pants right away, but in bright orange. When we got over to the rack however, I found that the teal pair was a lot prettier. They're a micro-corduroy fabric with a good amount of stretch, and are crazy comfortable. I've already worn them a few times and they've proven to fit in really well with my quick-conversion, walking to work dressing strategy.

Cardigan, pants: Anthropologie
Top: Express, a gift
Shoes: Fly London

Adjusting

I'm still adjusting to dressing for my new gig; not so much for the workplace itself, but for the outdoor climate and the amount of walking I now do. In general I'm dressing in a more relaxed way than I was at my previous job, in part because working downtown gives me loads of options for lunchtime, and if I'm going to walk to them I want to be comfortable. But the other thing I've discovered is that I can easily walk to work, which takes just 10 minutes longer than riding the bus (my nearby bus routes aren't the speediest, and driving isn't really an option). My trip is 3 miles each way, so I get some welcome exercise, but consequently I have to create outfits with breathable fabric (to avoid sweating with my backpack on) and shoes that are either easily swapped once I get to work, or are comfortable enough for miles of walking. This is a challenge, because I'm not the sort of gal who will throw on sneakers with anything and swap them once I get to work -- the walking shoes have to look reasonable too.

This was not a 'walk to work' outfit, though it maybe could have been with some minor modifications. It was definitely before I got my latest haircut though, and you can really see my color growing out, as well as how long the back was getting (hence the recent post about Janet). Thankfully I've gotten it cut since then.

I've got a post in the works that will show you some of what I see on my walks to and from work. Believe me, it's a walk that I'm very grateful to be able to make! Working in the city is truly a dream come true.

Top: Forever 21
Skirt: LA Made
Shoes: Born

Dubious

I hope all my friends here in the States had a fun Labor Day weekend. It was a little bittersweet knowing that the man was burning and we weren't there, but I had a great weekend nonetheless. I spent the last few days up in rural Oregon with my family, where we were joined by Jess as well as her mom. The weather was gorgeous, and we had a lot of laughs and drank a lot of wine. A few days in the country is definitely a lot more relaxing than Burning Man, that's for sure.

This outfit was my first attempt at wearing these flats with tights. Not being a flats sort of gal, I wasn't even sure if they could be worn this way. I think the outfit turned out alright overall, but I'm still a bit dubious about the tights/flats combo. It felt a little strange somehow, I think because I'm not used to seeing so much of the tights pattern stretched out horizontally; with heels, the tights make a longer, straighter line when I look down at my feet.

What do you think? Do you wear flats with hosiery?

Shirt: Target
Capelet: Forever 21
Belt: Red Dress Shoppe
Skirt: Anthropologie
Tights: Sock Dreams
Shoes: Born

Reworked

As I mentioned in my last outfit post, boots are in heavier rotation this summer than normal. This pair in particular has been hauled out quite a bit, mainly because they're mid-calf height and therefore don't have quite as wintry a look as some of my taller pairs. Because of the hardware, they also add quite a bit of visual interest to an outfit without too much effort on my part, a quality I'm especially appreciative of at the moment.

This outfit was reworked from an older one. I really liked the military jacket with the teal skirt, but in looking back at the original outfit I thought the addition of the gray skirt underneath was unnecessary. I therefore decided to try a simpler version, eliminating both the layered skirt and the hardware-heavy belt.

This gorgeous necklace by Wendy Brandes is also getting a ton of use lately. On the days when I'm feeling less creative, I can throw on some jeans, flats and a t-shirt and tell myself that I'm simply letting the necklace be the star of the outfit. I always feel put together when I have it on.

Do you have any special items in your wardrobe that you deploy when you don't have the energy to build an entire outfit creatively?





Jacket: Thrifted
Necklace: Wendy Brandes
Skirt: LA Made
Boots: All Black
Leggings: Audrey Cantwell

Writer's Block

For this outfit, I simply swapped out the bottom half of this outfit and tied the scarf in a shorter configuration. I just love how this cropped shirt makes even a casual outfit like this one look interesting. This is the last of my outfits from before I took a week off to spend with family and friends.

I'll be honest with you; since being back from my time off I haven't been terribly inspired by my wardrobe. For one thing I've been sick, which has left me feeling lethargic and decidedly unimaginative in the mornings. I've also been exceedingly stressed out at work, which hasn't helped. I've photographed only half of the work outfits I've worn since my break, because the rest were just too boring. I think I have the sartorial equivalent of writer's block.

Tank: layering tank
Cropped shirt: Asos
Scarf: Express
Jeans: Joe's
Bracelet: Nicole Miller
Bag: Michael Kors
Shoes: Born

Juana

This was the outfit I wore when Mark and I went out to dinner for his birthday a couple weeks ago. It's notable mainly because of the necklace; it's the Juana skull necklace by Wendy Brandes. I had wanted it for ages and finally got off my duff and bought it when Wendy announced that her prices were about to go up because of the skyrocketing price of silver and gold. I'm so glad I did! The craftsmanship is wonderful, and those big sparkly sapphire eyes make the pendant really eye-catching. I wore it sans earrings so that the pendant would be the focal point.

Mark's birthday dinner was at Espetus Churrascaria Brazilian Steakhouse, and was incredible. Though I had lived right down the street from Espetus for years, I hadn't ever been until the other night. We gorged ourselves on delicious cuts of steak and other barbecued meats as well as an awesome array of salads and sides. It reminded me very much of the dinners, or rather feasts, that Jess and I had when we visited Buenos Aires. I was especially glad I wore stretchy, non-constricting clothes that night, because Juana certainly wasn't helping me clean my plate.

Top: Max Studio
Cardigan: Anthropologie
Ponte knit pants: Club Monaco
Boots: All Black
Necklace: Wendy Brandes

As Good as it Gets

I've never been too crazy about flats, but I've realized that there's a time and place for them, such as a day you know you're going to be criss-crossing the campus all day (yes, my workplace is so large that we call it a campus) and your feet just need a break. So recently I went digging around on 6pm.com in search of a black or gray pair (because despite recognizing the need for flats I still wasn't willing to spend much money on them), and I turned up these. They're reasonably cute, they were deeply discounted, and they feel like walking on little pillows. They don't knock my socks off (no pun intended) aesthetically, but then again very few pairs of flats do, so I feel like this is about as good as it gets for me and flats. I like them, or rather, I like the feel of wearing them enough that I can put up with the ho-hum look of them.

Dress: Desigual
Necklace: can't remember
Shoes: Born

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

Artsy Cousin

While Jess was in town we made a trip to Anthropologie. I pretty much only shop there on the rare occasions I make it downtown (which is about once a year), because I feel like many of their clothes are often WAY overpriced for what they are. They unquestionably have some gorgeous things, but if I'm going to spend Anthro prices for fairly basic pieces, I want to make sure I try them on and that I really love them. This skirt, along with the top and cardigan I posted yesterday were the 3 items I brought home from there, and I love them all.

I felt like I was headed out for a picnic at The Hamptons in this outfit. In fact I wondered if I could pass as LPC's Artsy Cousin. What do you think LPC, can I be your Artsy Cousin? I promise I'll bring plenty of champagne for family picnics at the beach.





Black top: Asos
Tank: not sure, just a basic layering tank
Scarf: Express
Jacket: Tulle
Skirt: Anthropologie
Shoes: BC Footwear
Bracelet: Nicole Miller Jewelry