Fashion For Nerds

Mod

2012-01-26T15:50:00.000-08:00

Yep, I'm totally in love with this little mod dress. There aren't many vastly different variations I can create with it because I think with a dress like this it's better to let it be the star of the outfit. I really like the look of it over solid legwear, which plays up the contrast in the blocks of color. Here, I let the cardigan's straight lines mirror those in the dress and avoided adding any other pattern to the mix. In warmer weather I can see this dress looking great with bare legs and sandals.

This week has had all sorts of excitement, with the Edwardian Ball on Saturday and a couple of Noir City shows during the week, including tonight. Next week I'll share some of the outfits from these events.

Dress: Promod
Cardigan: Max Studio
Pants: Club Monaco
Boots: Ecco

I'll leave you with this pretty photo I shot from our patio a couple weeks ago. We've had a gloriously warm and sunny winter (though sadly, that means we're probably in for a horrible drought this summer), and this was one of those gorgeous, clear nights with a big bright moon.

Gratuitous

2012-01-24T13:39:00.000-08:00

No outfit photos for you today, just some gratuitous pictures of adorable canines.

In case you were wondering, Spencer is now up to 70 pounds and stands several inches taller than Georgie. And yes, he still thinks he's small enough to sit in your lap.

A Whole New Look

2012-01-23T16:21:00.000-08:00

It was really only a matter of time before I started digging up older outfits, swapping in a couple of items such as these fab new boots and jewelry, and calling it a whole new look. I've actually done this quite a bit lately, partly because I'm at a new job and nobody has seen any of my past outfits anyway, so why not recycle the best ones? And partly because as crazy as it sounds, I actually want to get to work in the mornings and therefore don't linger as long over what I'm going to wear. One of the real benefits of maintaining a daily wear blog for so long is that I can search the archives if I'm pressed for time and come up with an outfit in a snap.

And hey, if you haven't already done so, please consider becoming a backer for fabulous designer Stacy Lomman's fall line. After successfully funding her last Kickstarter campaign, Stacy put on a great runway show for her spring "Biohazard" line, and has since been named a finalist in the 2012 Rising Star Awards. Not one to let the grass grow under her feet, Stacy immediately set to work creating her next collection, called Modern World. Being a huge fan of mod myself, I simply cannot wait to see the new line. The project is more than halfway funded, and every little bit will help Stacy to reach the finish line.

Dress: Aryeh
Jacket: B. Bella
Boots: Brako
Jewelry: Metal Pointu

8 Feet Tall

2012-01-13T16:34:00.000-08:00

These shoes make me approximately 8 feet tall. OK, that might be a bit of an exaggeration, but I do tower over Mark while wearing them, and that makes me feel like I'm 8 feet tall. I sort of accidentally bought these shoes one day when I went running some errands and stopped into Nordstrom Rack. I say it was accidental because I went in there looking for a duvet cover, but I figured it couldn't hurt to take a look at the shoes, and the next thing you know I find these in my size and I'm trying them on and they look great and they're surprisingly comfortable and they're less than half the original price and... You know how it goes.

They're suede. They're green. They make me 8 feet tall and they feel pretty darn good doing it. There was really no way I was getting out of there without them.

Jacket: thrifted
Tunic: Asos
Pants: Club Monaco
Shoes: Sam Edelman

Restraint

2012-01-11T16:46:00.000-08:00

This dress is the last of my Paris purchases, and it has a fun memory to go with it. I'd been out shopping all day and wound up over near the Centre Pompidou, where I stopped at a nearby creperie for a galette and a very large carafe of wine. Feeling warm and merry, I set out towards my hotel and along the way spotted a Promod store that was still open. Tipsy shopping ensued, and I ended up popping into a couple more stores and finding some great gifts in addition to this adorable dress for myself. Surprisingly, while at Promod I limited myself to just this dress and a few basic layering shirts including the one shown here. I tell you this showed remarkable restraint, given how fond I am of Promod and how many other cute, mod style dresses they had on the racks.

A few people commented on these boots when I posted them the other day. They're made by Brako, a Spanish company whose beautiful shoes are designed both for comfort and style. In fact I've made the 3-mile trek to work several times in these already and they're perfect for walking. I found them at a wonderful shoe store here in SF near Union Square, called Nobel Shoes. Brakos seem to be difficult to find this side of the Atlantic even online, so I'm happy to have stumbled upon them in a brick and mortar shop; a shop which incidentally I pass very often on my way to and from work. I expect there may be more Brako shoes in my future.

Dress, shirt: Promod
Boots: Brako
Bracelet, ring: Metal Pointu

Prediction

2012-01-09T16:07:00.000-08:00

This was a festive outfit I put together for the last day at work before the holiday break. I loved the way the burgundy cardigan brought out all the rich reds and browns in the floral pattern of the dress. As you may recall, I predicted that this dress would work well with several different color schemes, and so far my prediction is holding; it worked with mustard yellow, and here I've taken it in a more wintry direction with the burgundy and olive green (the tights are olive green, though it's difficult to tell from the photos).

One of my favorite times of the year is almost upon us; it's only a couple of weeks until both the Noir City film festival and the Edwardian Ball. Soon it'll be time to get costumed up and hit the town. You can bet that my fabulous 50's dress will be making an appearance at one of the Noir City shows this year, but as of yet I haven't decided on any of the others.

Cardigan: American Eagle Outfitters
Belt: a gift from mom
Dress: eShakti
Tights: Foot Traffic
Boots: Bata

Scenes from Strasbourg and Paris

2012-01-06T16:42:00.000-08:00

Today I thought I'd share the highlights from my trip to France. I'll keep the text sparse and mostly let the photos speak for themselves.

Strasbourg calls itself the Capitol of Christmas, and boy do they mean it.

These people take Christmas fucking seriously.

The awesome cathedral in Strasbourg.

This picture is a little blurry, but it gives you some idea to what extent the streets in Strasbourg are decorated for Christmas.

If you think the exterior decorations are elaborate, try going inside some of these places.

One of the canals in Strasbourg.

Once I got to Paris, I spent my first evening and night just wandering around looking at the Christmas lights and window displays along the Rue Saint-Honoré and the Champs-Elysées.

My hotel was just one block from the Place Vendôme, which made a great starting point for my walk.

Each different area seemed to have its own unique Christmas decorations.

The window displays at John Galliano were absolutely magical.

Christmas lighting along the Champs-Elysées.

I can't remember which store this was displayed in, but I thought that the shearling jacket, sequin dress

and suede fedora was such a great combination. I can totally see myself wearing this outfit.

Clearly this was after my first shopping day, and as you can see I didn't waste any time wearing the new leather vest. This outfit was perfect for the cold weather but wasn't too bulky to go shopping in. I added a scarf and gloves when I was outdoors, and brought along a hat, which I put on after the sun went down. Rather than wearing tights I wore my thick ponte knit pants under the dress.

I just had to take a look at all the beautiful designer clothes at Au Primtemps.

Item that broke my heart by being out of my budget: a gorgeous little bag from Zadig et Voltaire.

A beautiful day up at Monmartre.

A guy was playing Pachelbel's Canon on the harp outside the Sacré Cœur.

One of those magical Parisian moments.

Sunset at the Place de la Concorde.

A view from the Tuileries Gardens.

The perfect end to my last evening: a nighttime stroll around Notre-Dame.

Making it Count

2012-01-04T15:34:00.000-08:00

I didn't do a TON of shopping while I was in Paris, but I made the shopping I did do really count. This gorgeous leather vest was an instant must-have; I first spotted it in a shop window the first night I got into town, and although the store was closed at the time, I knew I'd eventually make my way over there when it was open. As it turned out, I came across a second store location early into my first shopping day, and I didn't waste any time making this beauty mine.

One of the things I love about shopping in Paris is the attentiveness of the salespeople. When I tried this vest on I zipped it all the way up and tied the belt in the center, but the lady who was helping me showed me how to leave the zipper down partway and adjust the alignment of the belt just so. Thank you for increasing my chic factor, Parisian sales lady!

The ring and bracelet are also from my weekend in Paris, and I've already worn both of them several times. It's a good thing there will be more trips to France in my near future, because I'm regretting not bringing back more items from the wonderful shop where I found them (they have some items available online, but it's not nearly as fun as bringing something home from a shop in Paris, right?). Before work sends me back to France I'll be saving my pennies for one of their amazing chunky necklaces.

Dress: Desigual
Vest: Cotélac
Skirt, tights: Noa Noa
Boots: All Black
Jewelry: Metal Pointu's

Urban Active

2012-01-02T15:33:00.000-08:00

Here's that other purple dress I was telling you about in my last post. It's from Athleta, a store I probably wouldn't have checked out if it weren't for the fact that Sal has put together so many cute outfits with their stuff. With a name like Athleta I'd have thought they carried strictly athletic clothes, but it turns out they make all sorts of clothes I would categorize as urban active, which is exactly what I need to accommodate my long walks to and from work.

The dress is comfortable and breathable, machine washable, and the quality is great. I took this dress with me on my recent international trip, and it was just perfect for travel.

Shown here are two different outfits with the dress; the second photo has a lot of glare from the sun but I included it to show you what the upper wrap portion looks like.

Dress: Athleta
Jacket: Shawna Hoffman
Belt: thrifted
Boots: Brako

Merry Christmas

2011-12-25T13:15:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas everyone! I'm back from my trip to Germany and France and have finally recovered fully from the jetlag. I spent a delightful weekend in Paris that was cold but mostly sunny, and filled with great food and even better shopping (photographic evidence to come!). Now that I have a little time off I'm hoping to get caught up with my blogging and post some photos from my trip.

In the meantime here's a recent outfit featuring this cute new dress that I found at a shop in on Fillmore Street; it turned out to be the second of two long-sleeved purple dresses I bought that day. Ordinarily I would've avoided buying similar items, but this one is a much lighter weight dress whereas the other is more of a winter weight, and this was so deeply discounted that I couldn't pass it up. You'll be seeing the other purple dress in an upcoming post.

Wishing you a happy holiday season!

Dress: Kew
Necklace: Manu Lizarralde
Boots: All Black

Fun Filled

2011-12-12T12:29:00.000-08:00

Here's a skirt-based outfit that made the grade for the walk to work. The skirt is dense and holds its shape well; thus there's no need for a slip, either for opacity or to prevent the skirt from clinging to my legs. To me that makes a world of difference, because half slips make an outfit feel like they're in need of constant adjustment. You've got multiple waistbands to deal with, and then you have to make sure the slip isn't hanging out at the bottom of your skirt hem or twisting around in some awkward way. I want to start experimenting with full slips under a skirt and top, because I think that might be a better option. There are so many things you never notice about outfits until you have to walk a long way in them.

I've had a fun-filled couple of days. On Thursday night Mark and I attended the annual holiday party at Anchor Brewing Company, where we ate delicious food, sampled the new Christmas Ale, and even got some VIP access into the distillery and the rooftop bar (thanks to my fabulous inside connection). Reporters from the Celebrator and 7x7 Magazine were in attendance, so who knows, Mark and I might even end up in their pages.

On Friday I had the pleasure of finally meeting Lisa, aka LPC, in person for lunch downtown. She is vibrant and intelligent and a delight to talk to; I felt like I'd known her for years. For all her talk of being a Sturdy Gal, I suspect she has a big streak of Arty Cousin lurking just below the surface, so I'm looking forward to going shopping together and seeing how much of that comes out.

On Saturday Mark and I attended my company holiday party at Foreign Cinema here in the city. I wore my Valentino dress with Wolford tights and Miu Miu shoes, a combination I've been wanting to put together for quite awhile. And yes, I was too lazy to take photos.

I'm headed off on my trip to Germany and France today; see you next week!

Jacket: thrifted
Skirt: Marc by Marc Jacobs
Boots: Ecco
Necklace: Wendy Brandes

Excursion

2011-12-06T15:54:00.000-08:00

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

Quick Conversion

2011-12-05T15:08:00.000-08:00

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

2011-11-30T15:55:00.000-08:00

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

2011-11-28T15:34:00.000-08:00

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

Walking to Work

2011-11-22T21:36:00.000-08:00

I thought today I'd share some of the sights I take in on my walks to work. Depending on the route I take, I can see all sorts of beautiful things, which makes the trip go by quickly for as long as it is.

A view of Japantown (known as J-town by locals)

St. Mary's Cathedral, aka the giant washing machine agitator and the site of the

famous (or perhaps infamous) "two o'clock titty"

Colorful paper lanterns in Chinatown. Normally I try to avoid Chinatown,

but it's wonderfully peaceful in the morning before the tourists come out.

The art deco-styled Pacific Stock Exchange downtown

The awesome Transamerica building, which looms over

much of the area around where I work

The best views, not surprisingly, tend to come along with a fair amount of hill climbing, so if I'm in a hurry or am lacking energy (read: hungover) I can go through the considerably less scenic (though not without their charms) Little Saigon and Tenderloin neighborhoods. I can also cut through a "new" neighborhood (which is really just the realtors' way of repackaging an old neighborhood to make it sound more appealing) called the TenderNob, but I refuse to acknowledge that this neighborhood actually exists. I mean think about it. As if the name Tenderloin wasn't bad enough already.

A pretty park I often cut through where I can watch dogs playing

and people doing their morning exercise. That's City Hall in the distance.

An urban garden tucked in between some buildings in the Western Addition area.

A "parklet" on Powell Street near Union Square.

Who needs parking spaces, anyway?

Coit Tower atop Telegraph Hill.

This is also visible from the windows of my office.

Lotta's Fountain on Market Street. This was the meeting place

for survivors after the 1909 earthquake.

The Ferry Building isn't on my commute route, but it's where my coworkers and I often go for lunch.

That's one of the "F" line streetcars out front. Not to be confused with cable cars,

these are classic streetcars from all over the world that have been restored

and which go up and down Market Street from the Castro to the Embarcadero.

And take a really fucking long time doing it.

Not a good transportation option if you're pressed for time.

The view from the Ferry Building isn't half bad, eh?

This is easily my favorite lunch spot when the weather is good.

If I'm in the mood for some steep hill climbing (and by "steep" I mean some of the streets have

staircases instead of sidewalks) I can check out beautiful Grace Cathedral at the top of Nob Hill

on my walk to or from work. If I'm lucky I might also spot the Brown Twins while I'm

in the neighborhood; I've seen them twice already on my walks.

The views from Nob Hill aren't too shabby either

Looking into downtown from Nob Hill. Note the cable car; the tracks that they run on

make a lot of noise because the cables run on a continuous loop underneath them.

It's a little disconcerting if you don't know what it is.

A different view into downtown from the north side of Nob Hill,

with the Bay Bridge off in the distance.

I've actually taken to carrying my camera with me at all times because I see so many great things in my travels. I'll undoubtedly have more to share with you another time, but I hope you've enjoyed this mini-tour of San Francisco, or at least a 3-mile slice of it. I'll leave you with one more great view:

They look like angels when they're sleeping, don't they?

A Dress for Any Season

2011-11-15T16:59:00.000-08:00

I've done shockingly little (for me, anyway) shopping in recent months, mainly because of the consecutive large expenses of throwing a big wedding party and then buying a house. Moreover, because I'm much busier at work I have a lot less time to poke around on the internet and inevitably find pretty things to buy. This is undoubtedly a good thing; at my previous job I often felt that I shopped mainly out of boredom, and waiting for a package to arrive was pretty much the only thing I looked forward to there.

This dress is one of the only items of clothing I've purchased since May or June. The pattern in particular really appealed to me, because it can work for any season depending on what I pair it with. Pinks and soft greens would make it great for spring and summer, while jewel tones or burgundy will work for fall and winter. For this outfit I added the mustard yellow cardigan and burgundy socks to give it a fall look, but left my legs bare because the weather is still pretty warm.

Dress: eShakti
Cardigan: Anthropologie
Belt: a gift from Mom
Boots: Bata
Bracelet: Leslie Danzis

Duster

2011-11-09T17:07:00.000-08:00

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

Adjusting

2011-11-07T16:22:00.000-08:00

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

Shorts Suit

2011-10-21T16:41:00.000-07:00

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

Mixed Up

2011-10-19T16:24:00.000-07:00

This was my "last day of work" outfit, which tells you just how old this picture is. I feel it's going to be a long time before I'm truly back in the swing of blogging and can post at my former pace. For now I'm just happy to be posting a couple times a week.

The last week at the old job brought glorious weather, which lasted all through my brief time off and the first weeks at the new job. The seasons are all mixed up here; after a cold, foggy summer we get most of our hot sunny days just before winter starts to set in. So just when I started to think I wouldn't be able to wear my sandals again until next year, the temperature spiked to the 80's and 90's and has mostly stayed that way except for a few days of some crazy rain. This is a great time of year to be a plant.

Dress: Desigual
Cardigan: Solemio
Shoes: Steve Madden
Bracelet: a gift from my sis

Janet

2011-10-17T16:43:00.000-07:00

Recently I had the honor of being featured by the fabulous Sarah Von on her blog Yes and Yes. If you haven't done so already, go check it out!

Looking at these photos, which are now several weeks old, makes me realize how badly I need a haircut. Usually when I get my hair done I make my next appointment then and there, so as not to forget and let too much time slip by before the next cut and color. But for some reason the last time I forgot, and the other morning I realized that my hair has begun to look like Janet from Three's Company. Which was cute... in 1982.

Not exactly the look I'm going for in 2011, though.

Of course making the appointment has been on my to-do list for the last week and a half, but somehow I just haven't managed to remember to call during business hours. I'm hopeful that this is the week I'll actually make it happen.

My aunt gave me this cute top, which has a panel of sequins that show subtly through a layer of sheer chiffon. I like how the soft neutral color looks contrasted against the black shrug.

Top: Express
Shrug: Cenit
Necklace: from a glass shop in Venice
Skirt: Noa Noa
Leggings: Black Market Baby
Boots: All Black

Statement-Making

2011-10-13T17:34:00.000-07:00

How's this for a well accessorized outfit? Or rather it was until I had to go to work and leave these two charming canines at home. I can't say I'd get a whole lot of work done if I could take them with me, cute as they are.

A few months ago something rare happened; I fell hard for a pair of designer sunglasses, and decided to take the risk and buy them, even though I do tend to be hard on my sunnies. I'd seen several other bloggers wearing the Prada 'Baroque' round style and thought they were fabulous, but round glasses don't really work for my face and I gave no thought to buying any until I saw the related cat eye style.

I don't typically put a whole lot of thought into the sunglasses I buy, but something that Peter said when Sal and I met up with him in New York has stuck with me. I was trying on sunglasses and found a pair that was... fine. They would have worked. But Peter looked at them and said something to the effect of, "They aren't really bold enough for your style." And that comment just about knocked me over, because it was so right on the money -- here I put all this effort into creating statement-making outfits, and the accessory that's right there on my face is typically ho-hum and boring.

When I saw this pair, I knew they were the kind of sunglasses that can turn even a jeans and t-shirt outfit into something statement-making. And yes I have to be extra vigilant with them, but they make me feel so glamorous that they're well worth the effort. Thanks to Peter's chance comment, I now feel like I have a pair of sunglasses that can stand up the the boldest of my outfits.

Dress: eShakti
Cardigan: American Eagle Outfitters
Leggings: Black Market Baby
Boots: All Black
Sunglasses: Prada

Amazon

2011-10-11T17:11:00.000-07:00

I felt like an Amazon in this outfit, what with the sky-high heels and the long, floor-skimming skirt. I actually want to hem this skirt to ankle length but I just haven't gotten around to it yet. If I were several inches taller, like the Asos model, it would look like this:

And isn't that cute? The shoes are fully visible even when she's standing relatively straight; i.e., she isn't thrusting one leg out to show off her shoes, like I had to do. Lopping off about 3 inches ought to do the trick; that way if I ever want to wear it with flats it won't be dragging on the ground. I also won't step on it when I climb a flight of stairs. Did I ever mention that falling down a flight of stairs and knocking my teeth out is a huge phobia of mine? Don't think I didn't have visions of that phobia being realized when I wore this outfit.

This was one of my last outfits at the old job, and I got lots of compliments on it. Other than the shoe-hiding and the stair trampling, oh and the rolling over the bottom of the hem with my office chair every time I moved around, and the wind picking up the skirt like a huge sail when I was outside, I really loved the outfit. Yeah. Time to look into that hemming.

Top: Michael Stars
Cardigan: Express (a gift from my aunt)
Necklace: Wendy Brandes
Skirt: Asos
Shoes: Pour la Victoire

Calm

2011-10-08T11:27:00.000-07:00

Whew. You would not believe the swirl of activity, the disasters narrowly averted, and the incredible marathon of manual labor that the last week has been. Last Friday we closed the sale on our house and promptly left town for a wedding at the mysterious and sublimely beautiful Bohemian Grove (the wedding was fabulous, by the way, and I made the hats for the entire wedding party -- in all the spare time I've had lately). We came home early Sunday morning and set to work painting, cleaning, and assembling furniture in the new place, not quitting until late into the evening. For the next 3 days, Mark would spend all day working on the place, and as soon as I got home from work I'd change into my grubby clothes and we'd continue working until close to midnight.

All this effort was because we had already booked our first renter for Thursday, so we had a definite deadline for completing all the work. It was an immense effort but we pulled it off, and despite a couple of near misses with our furniture deliveries, everything worked out in the end and the place looks great.

Last night we finally allowed ourselves to relax a little, cracking open the bottle of champagne that our realtor had given us at closing (which I'm finishing now by way of a mimosa -- ok, my third mimosa). In the meantime the new job has been great so far, and I'm starting to settle in and get a feel for my new responsibilities. I'm looking forward to next week, when I won't be burning the candle at both ends.

Oh, and it's Fleet Week here in San Francisco, which is one of my favorite times of the year. On Thursday my new coworkers and I watched the arrival of the Blue Angels from our office building which sits perched above downtown on the 16th floor, a perfect vantage point that looks out over Telegraph Hill and the bay. This weekend Mark and I will be able to watch them from the window of our living room, or while enjoying the pretty fall weather out on the front deck.

Things are calm again. I'm taking a deep breath and spending a moment enjoying the city again. I spent the morning cuddling the dogs, and now I'm drinking mimosas. Life is good.

Jacket: La Redoute
Top: Ann Taylor
Pants: Cynthia Steffe
Necklace: Rhapsodia
Earrings: Leslie Danzis
Shoes: Bettye Muller
Bag: Foley + Corinna

Sporadic

2011-09-27T21:12:00.000-07:00

Wow, that was an unexpectedly lengthy absence. Sorry about that everyone; life just seems to be getting in the way of my entire blogging experience right now. I haven't been keeping up with my reading, with my commenting, and clearly not with my own blogging. I'm afraid the sporadic posting will continue for some time to come, because although I've finally wrapped everything up at my old job I'm now busy getting settled in at the new one, and Mark and I are furiously working away getting everything ready for our new rental apartment. But things are progressing nicely, and it sure does feel great to be in a job that I'm excited and hopeful about. It doesn't hurt that we're into our most glorious weather here in SF right now, so I'm enjoying days of bare limbs and sandals at last.

This outfit is a few weeks old now, but I'm happy to finally post it because it was an instant favorite. The knotted cardigan over the A-line dress has a classic 50's shape, but the bold black and red, bandage-style tights and studded boots give it a modern edge. This outfit was inspired by Prabal Gurung's fall RTW line, but it feels much more casual and easy to wear. I liked this outfit so much that I wore it that evening for girls' night out. I liked how the shiny silver necklace just peeks out at the edges of the cardigan, so as not to distract too much from the contrasty red and black.

Thanks for hanging in there as I get my life settled down again!

Dress: J. Crew
Cardigan: Express
Tights: Wolford
Boots: All Black
Necklace, earrings: Ambiance on Haight Street
Bangles: Amrita Singh

Excitement

2011-09-12T17:01:00.000-07:00

This outfit is pretty much a repeat of a previous one, but with ponte knit pants replacing the original leggings, the red bag to add a little color, and a few accessories to jazz it up. The first time around I was going for a strict minimalist look, whereas this time I wanted to throw in a few more finishing touches. Since it's a repeat there's not too much else to say about this outfit, which is fine because today I have other things to talk about.

In the comments to Friday's post, many of you correctly guessed that my birthday wish was a new job. I'm surprised that no one pinpointed the specifics though: the outfits I posted were the ones I wore to my interviews. And yes, there were 5 separate rounds of interviews, mainly because people that I needed to interview with were either traveling or out of the office on different days, so the interviews were broken up. Good thing I have a wardrobe large enough to put together 5 interview-appropriate outfits.

Finding the perfect job has been my quest these last several years. I haven't been overly thrilled with my current job from the start, to be quite honest; it's a very large company and is mired in convoluted processes and absurd politics. But for all that, I respect what the company does and its commitment to finding treatments for serious diseases, and so I've stuck it out and made the most of it while I held out for just the right opportunity.

I knew it was really time to leave this job when I started blaming "the company" for irrational things such as the lousy South San Francisco weather. Admittedly, at times it really does feel like our campus was designed specifically for maximum discomfort and walking hazards, from the building layout that funnels in the icy afternoon wind, to the high-heel-destabilizing textured floor of the parking garage, to the multiple loading docks with their procession of large trucks that have to be crossed to reach the front door of the building I work in. Eventually I had become so ready to leave that every little inconvenience just soured me more and more.

I remember vividly getting off the bus one morning and seeing people smiling and greeting each other, and thinking, "These people seem to be happy here; what the hell is wrong with me?" But rationally I knew that it wasn't me, and it wasn't the company; it was like that relationship where although you care for the person and wish them well, you know that you can't continue as a couple because you bring out the worst in each other. It was simply time to move on. Luckily, that perfect opportunity I'd been hoping to find materialized at precisely the right time.

You guys, I could not be more excited about this new job. It's a very small start-up biotech company that's working on an exciting new technology for cancer indications. My job will take me in lots of different directions and although it'll be a lot of work, there's a real chance to make a substantial difference. Additionally I know several people there, including a very dear and trusted colleague who is also one of my best friends. But here's the kicker: the company is located in the heart of downtown San Francisco. My dream is realized!

So now you know one of the things I've been so preoccupied with these last couple of months. It has been hard to be patient, but finally I was able to give my notice and settle on a start date at the new place. Next Tuesday is my last day, and I'll start at the new job the following week. Not only that, but Mark and I are in the process of buying another house. In fact, we close escrow the same week that I start my new job. How's that for excitement?

Tunic, cropped top: Asos
Pants: Club Monaco
Shoes: BC Footwear
Bag: Foley + Corinna

Birthday Wish

2011-09-09T14:32:00.000-07:00

Today is my birthday, and since I've decided to start counting in dog years, that means I'm 6. In fact, Georgie and I are the same age today (I made her birthday the same as mine since I don't know exactly when it is). Happy birthday to little Georgie; I wish Mark and I could take her out to dinner with us tonight, but apparently it violates some sort of health code in San Francisco.

Mark is taking me to Incanto, one of the best restaurants in town, to celebrate my big day. As exciting as that is, I've actually already gotten the thing I wished for the most, something I've wanted for a very long time, in fact.

There's even a style connection (isn't there always?), because the thing I've recently gotten has something to do with all of the outfits pictured here.

Can you guess what my wish was, and how these outfits relate to that wish?

This last one is an older outfit that was re-worn; the last time was with different hosiery and shoes,

but I didn't photograph it again.

Outfit 1: Lucky bag, vintage jacket, H&M t-shirt, Moon Collection skirt, Sofft shoes.
Outfit 2: Helmut Lang blazer, Noa Noa top, Wendy Brandes necklace, Sunhee Moon skirt, BcBGirls shoes.
Outfit 3: All Saints skirt and blazer, Michael Stars shirt, Wendy Brandes necklace, Faryl Robin shoes, Foley + Corinna bag.
Outfit 4: Helmut Lang blazer and dress, Alexander McQueen scarf, Born shoes.
Outfit 5: All Saints dress, Promod blazer, Red Dress Shoppe belt, Wendy Brandes necklace, Coccinelle bag. Shown here with Bettye Muller shoes; worn the second time with the BCBGirls shoes shown in outfit 2.

Fluttery

2011-09-08T15:29:00.000-07:00

This outfit felt very elegant to me, and it was the first time I've worn this skirt with the top tucked in. I wasn't sure about wearing it this way because the top part of the skirt is so clingy, but the striped pattern as well as the angled panel at the waistline is in fact very figure-flattering. Adding the fluttery top and elastic belt also helped to give my waist definition. My legs felt a mile long with my waist being moved so far up my torso.

Top: Asos
Necklace: from a glass shop in Venice
Belt: Red Dress Shoppe
Bangles: Amrita Singh
Ring: Manu Lizzaralde
Skirt: Anthropologie
Shoes: Fly London

Dubious

2011-09-06T15:10:00.000-07:00

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

Resilient

2011-09-01T15:09:00.000-07:00

Here's another black and yellow combo, this time with brown as the intervening color. The belt serves as the transition piece that makes the brown and black work together; note how the antique brass hardware on the belt is in essence a repetition of the brown. I often deploy brass accessories in place of a true brown.

The cords are still hanging in there, and have proven to be more resilient than I imagined. I'm still feeling pretty lazy with regard to putting together really creative outfits, so I've been defaulting to pants quite often. Having a casual, non-denim pair in my wardrobe allows me to add a little variety.

Black top: Asos
Scarf: Forever 21
Belt: Chico's, thrifted
Bracelet: Leslie Danzis
Cords: Marlowe
Shoes: Fly London

Light of Day

2011-08-30T15:33:00.000-07:00

This dress hasn't seen the light of day in awhile. It's a bit difficult to style because it's really more of a tunic length, so usually when I wear it I layer a skirt underneath. These ponte knit pants are a great alternative, not to mention they're superbly comfy. I'm getting a lot of use out of them lately because they're as easy to style as jeans but have a somewhat dressier look. This was a great day-to-evening outfit; for evening I simply swapped out the denim jacket for my cropped black leather one.

Dress: All Saints
Jacket: Tulle
Belt: Red Dress Shoppe
Necklace: Wendy Brandes
Pants: Club Monaco
Boots: All Black

Bumble Bee

2011-08-24T15:57:00.000-07:00

Just look at that sweet little puppy face, will you? Spencer decided to give me a good pose this time. He's doing really well; he's starting to settle into the household and learn the daily routine. He's still a handful when he gets in his rowdy moods, running all over the place and randomly grabbing all sorts of stuff he's not supposed to have, but once he settles down he sure is sweet and snuggly. Once his injured leg is healed up and we no longer have to carry him up and down 2 flights of stairs every time we need to take him out, he'll be a lot less work. In the meantime I'm seeing a noticeable improvement in muscle tone in my legs, so I guess it's not all bad. Carrying 40 pounds of puppy up and down stairs is a great workout.

I've decided that I love black and yellow together, even though it's sort of a taboo combination due to the association with bumble bees. But it occurred to me awhile back that there really isn't anything wrong with looking like a bee; in fact, bumble bees are pretty darned cute. As Katie pointed out, most bees aren't even yellow anyway. Nevertheless, the easiest way to avoid bee comparisons, should you wish to do so, is to add an intervening color to break up the black and yellow. Here, I've added the long white tunic to separate the yellow cardigan and black pants, and then splashed in a little purple and green with the scarf. Brown can also make a great intervening color, as the cords did in this outfit.

Note that in this outfit, where I have large solid expanses of black and yellow, I separated the two main pieces with the intervening color (though I threw the black belt in to integrate the two halves of the outfit). In general the larger the blocks of color, the more you'll want to separate them if you're working with a difficult combo. Unless, of course, you think it's perfectly fine to look like a bee.

For more on difficult color combinations, check out this post from Sal.

Tunic: Asos
Ponte knit pants: Club Monaco
Cardigan: Anthropologie
Scarf: vintage
Belt: Red Dress Shoppe
Shoes: BC Footwear
Bangles: Amrita Singh

Burgundy and Blue

2011-08-22T15:39:00.000-07:00

Burgundy and blue has become one of my favorite color combos this year; for other ways I've combined these shades, check out this post, and this one.

In other news, Spencer is quickly picking up habits from his big sister Georgie. This is his first foray into posing for pictures with me. Here you can see that he started out sitting like a little gentleman...

...before he quickly got bored and started being a goofball.

I love how it looks like he's making a gagging face. Clearly the dog has no appreciation for a good pair of shoes.

Dress: Red Dress Shoppe
Cardigan: American Eagle Outfitters
Shoes: John Fluevog
Bracelet: a gift from Mom

Black and Brown

2011-08-18T17:12:00.000-07:00

Wow, a few days slipped by since my last post and I hardly noticed. My life is a whirlwind of activity right now, let me tell you. But I've got some exciting things cooking, which hopefully I can share with you soon.

I thought this outfit was a virtual repeat of an older one, but when I looked back at the original I saw that it actually has several differences; in fact the only commonalities are the tunic and cardigan, everything else was swapped out. The overall look is still the same though, with the fitted pants and boots under the longer layers. I think this version works a bit better than the original one.

This is such an easy look to wear; the long layers provide more than enough waistband overlap so I don't end up tugging and readjusting my shirt, the boots are rugged and comfortable, and everything is stretchy and non-constrictive. The boots really bring everything together, since they have panels of both black and brown.

Tunic: Anthropologie
Tank: Forever 21
Cardigan: Anthropologie
Belt: Red Dress Shoppe
Necklace: Wendy Brandes
Bracelet: a gift from Mom
Ponte knit pants: Club Monaco
Boots: Timberland Boot Co.

Reworked

2011-08-15T15:46:00.000-07:00

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

Support Stacy Lomman's Spring 2012 Fashion Show

2011-08-13T20:10:00.000-07:00

If you haven't done so already, please consider supporting fellow blogger and fashion designer Stacy Lomman in her Kickstarter campaign to raise funding for her Spring '12 fashion show. Her "Biohazard" collection is a wonderfully creative concept and the show will be a huge step towards getting the big break she needs. By pitching in a little or a lot, you can support American design and you can get some cool stuff while you're at it -- bracelets, sunglasses cases, t-shirts, and all kinds of good stuff is available at different pledge levels. Every little bit makes a difference, and as soon as Stacy reaches her goal, the show is ON! Help make it happen!

Click the widget below to become a sponsor.

For more info, read Stacy's post about the project, and Wendy B's post for an overview of Stacy's past shows. Go Stacy!!

Arachnophobia

2011-08-11T15:05:00.000-07:00

Thanks so much for all your words of encouragement and understanding. Taking a few days' break was exactly what I needed, and blogging will probably continue to be less frequent for awhile until things settle down. I haven't been photographing my outfits every day, mainly because many outfits lately have either been repeats or just truly aren't that exciting. It's been nice freeing myself from what was beginning to feel like an obligation; setting up the camera and taking photos takes time in the morning, and lately I haven't had much of an urge to deal with it, especially for outfits that I wasn't too excited about.

It doesn't help that we're having an absurdly cold summer, which is ironic when nearly everyone else in the northern hemisphere is melting in the heat. Cold, foggy mornings aren't very inspiring for summertime style; sandals are left languishing in the closet, and jackets and boots are getting way more rotation than they ought to be. And because I work in shitty South San Francisco, I miss the few hours of sun and low wind that we get in the city after the fog burns off in the afternoon and before it rolls in again in the evening. On my work campus a freezing, awful wind just blasts through all day long, making it miserable to go outside even when it looks sunny and beautiful.

There's one upside to a cold summer, though. At this time of year we typically start to see big, creepy spiders in areas that have a lot of landscaping. And because the area around our house has a lot of plants and trees, we tend to see many of those big garden spiders, some of which will occasionally make it into the house and terrify both me and the equally arachnophobic Mark. Not this summer though; I've only seen a few spiders this year and the ones I've seen have been pretty small. So Mark is getting off easy this year, because at one point I put my foot down and declared that as the man of the house, it is his responsibility to put the spiders outside, like it or not. Was that a strike against feminism? Well, I don't care; what's important is that the spiders go back in the garden where they belong.

Shirt: Target
Scarf: Banan Republic
Pants: Cynthia Steffe
Shoes: Born

We Interrupt This Program

2011-08-04T15:41:00.000-07:00

Things are a little crazy around here right now, so I need to take a few days off. Our little guy Spencer has a torn ligament in his back leg (an injury he got at the shelter before he came to us, but which was just diagnosed), so we're dealing not only with vet visits and medication and all that, but also the herculean effort it takes to keep a rambunctious puppy from running around and doing further damage.

Those eyes! Don't they just slay you?

On top of that, I'm swamped and stressed out at work right now and have a bunch of other side projects going on at home. Oh and our refrigerator broke, because obviously things were just too calm around here. All of which means something's gotta give, and right now it's blogging. Pardon the disruption in service; I'll be back next week.

Office Girl

2011-08-02T15:47:00.000-07:00

I was happy to pull out these under-worn shoes and give them a spin; they have sort of an early 60's office girl vibe that I thought played well with the vintage-styled dress. In order to add a little color and contrast to the outfit, I used the colorful patterned scarf as a belt.

I'm hoping to finish the second installment of my San Francisco Travel Guide very soon, but as you might imagine my time and energy has been limited lately. It's coming soon though, I promise!

Dress: Red Dress Shoppe
Cardigan: Max Studio
Scarf (worn as belt): vintage
Tights: Hue
Shoes: Tsubo (a gift from Sal)

50's Style for a Wedding

2011-08-01T15:43:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned a few posts ago, Mark and I attended a wedding last weekend atop Mt. Tamalpais (known around these parts as Mt. Tam), which is just a few miles north of the Golden Gate Bridge. It presented the perfect opportunity for me to wear this beautiful vintage dress I bought a few months ago. I don't often go for 50's style dresses because I feel like they aren't ideal for my figure, but this one caught my eye because of the lovely fabric, the cute collar and neckline bow detail, and the best part, the row of giant buttons down the back:

I found this dress at Decades of Fashion on Haight Street, which is an amazing (albeit pricey) vintage store. It fit me so perfectly that I knew I had to have it, and what a perfect outfit it made for a wedding, no? To me there's something reverent about wearing vintage to a wedding; weddings have such a strong cultural significance that it makes sense to wear clothes that hearken back to eras with a greater sense of decorum.

Astoundingly, of all the dozens of hats I have lying around at the house, none exactly captured the vibe I wanted, so I made one special for the occasion. It's made of a thick, braided straw material, which has a nice shine to it that matches the black buttons of the dress. I made a matching bow out of scrap straw and edged the bow with a pale blue silk to match the striped fabric on the dress's back panel and neckline bow detail.

I got loads of compliments on this dress, and I felt utterly fabulous. Perhaps I need to rethink 50's dresses; they seem to suit my figure just fine.

Puppy update: Our puppy finally has a name! After struggling with it all through the weekend, we finally narrowed it down to the last 3 choices, wrote them on slips of paper, folded them up and threw them on the floor in front of the puppy for him to choose from. He sniffed the first two and then enthusiastically grabbed the third, thus selecting Spencer as his new name. And yes, he's only a few months old and he's almost as big as Georgie. Perhaps Goliath would've been more accurate...

Cuteness Overload

2011-07-29T15:31:00.000-07:00

Wow, new puppies are a HANDFUL. Our little guy is curious about everything, and we have to be ever vigilant to make sure he's not chewing on random items or jumping up and knocking things over. But he is one sweet, gentle boy alright, and very eager to learn and to please. We found out that San Francisco Animal Control was about to put him down, because they deemed him too "mouthy." Uh hello, ALL puppies are mouthy until they get some training. It just goes to show that the bias against pitties is staggering, even here in San Francisco where they're a very prevalent breed and we have so many great breed ambassadors. Hats off to Grateful Dogs Rescue, who stepped in just in time to save our pup!

The outfit is from last week. I'd been wanting to wear this top/cardigan combo again, but had struggled with how to make the outfit look different from the first time I paired them. The maxi skirt offered the perfect solution, though to be honest I think I still prefer the original outfit, and would probably wear it again verbatim. Hard to believe the original outfit is nearly 2 years old.

Cardigan: H&M
Top: Red Dress Shoppe
Skirt: Anthropologie
Shoes: Born
Bracelets: Cost Plus World Market

Mark and I are suffering from cuteness overload these days.

The Puppy Has Landed

2011-07-28T16:53:00.000-07:00

Well, it's official: we have a puppy! Puppy doesn't yet have a name, but that shouldn't stop you from admiring his cuteness. The shelter was calling him Chumley, but we figure he's going to end up being quite large and regal-looking, so we're trying to think of a name that will suit him when he gets older.

Right now we're fostering him to make sure it works out with Georgie, and in a month or so we'll finalize the adoption. He's a very sweet boy; a handful to be sure, but a quick learner and a big goofball. We think he's pit mixed with boxer, or maybe lab.

Since last night was his first night with us and we therefore didn't sleep much, that's about all I've got for you today. Regular programming will resume tomorrow....

Suitably Fun

2011-07-27T16:11:00.000-07:00

I wore this outfit on a day that I was going directly from work to meet a friend for drinks. Thus it needed to be comfortable enough to wear all day, and warm enough for the chilly evening without requiring me to haul around an additional jacket; it also needed to be suitably fun for an evening out. I thought the pirate flair of this outfit accomplished the fun element, while the stretchy layers and flat boots gave me the warmth and comfort I needed.

These ponte knit pants are incredibly comfortable, and have in fact become a staple for evenings out. They have the sleek, fitted look of leggings, but are thick and opaque enough to wear as pants. Plus, the stretchy waistband is comfortable after several hours of sitting down -- and even after several beers.

Jacket: Forever 21 (original buttons replaced with vintage ones)
Tunic: Asos
Scarf: Alexander McQueen
Pants: Club Monaco
Bracelet: Leslie Danzis

Ho-Hum

2011-07-26T15:56:00.000-07:00

This was one of my ho-hum outfits from when I was still sick (I'm feeling better now). I've noticed that when I'm sick I tend to wear pants more often, probably because it's less work than dealing with tights and slips and all that. If we lived somewhere hot I'm sure it would be just the opposite; throw on a sundress and some sandals, and you're good to go. Out here it's almost never warm enough for that, so pants are the easier option because there are no additional leg coverings that need to be selected.

At any rate it provided the impetus to wear these cords again, which as you may recall are down to their last few wears. A careful examination of the nap proved them to be still wearable for probably a few more times yet. Next time I hope it's actual inspiration, and not illness, that brings them out again.

Top: Max Studio
Cardigan: Anthropologie
Necklace: Foxy
Cords: Marlowe
Shoes: Art Shoes

Approximation

2011-07-25T16:45:00.000-07:00

Inspired by my flapper-esque Bastille Day outfit, I put together this outfit, which has 20's daywear proportions. When I think of daywear in the flapper era, I always think of drop waist dresses with pleats, a look that can be approximated by wearing a fitted tunic-length top over a knee-length A-line skirt. This approximation also tends to be more flattering than an actual drop-waist dress for some reason. What I was going for was just a hint of a 20's vibe, not an actual reproduction of the style.

Over the weekend Mark and I attended our friends' wedding up on Mt. Tamalpais. When we met up with our dog sitter to drop Georgie off, she had brought along an adorable pit mix puppy that she's fostering, and of course I instantly fell in love and have been obsessing about him ever since (I think the dog sitter brought him along expressly for this purpose). We've been discussing the pros and cons of getting another dog for awhile now; obviously it would be a lot more work and more expense and hassle when we go out of town, but it would also be fun for Georgie as well as a chance to rescue another dog who's in need of a home. Plus, twice the snuggling potential! Perhaps there's another dog in our future...

Top: H&M
Belt: Red Dress Shoppe
Scarf: Asos
Skirt: Noa Noa
Bracelet: Betsey Johnson
Tights: Hue
Shoes: John Fluevog

Jazz Age

2011-07-22T16:00:00.000-07:00

Here's my Bastille Day outfit; this was right before I got sick (going out that night might have dealt me the fatal blow, in fact). My friends and I attended a Jazz Age Paris-themed literary event featuring local authors reading excerpts from 1920's books, an absinthe bar, accordion music, and a couple of really talented belly dancers who choreographed their numbers to 1920's songs. Upstairs was a tiny cinema where they were showing "blue" films from 1920's France. Whoa. Those were the days before waxing, for sure.

I put together the most 20's looking outfit I could assemble, using this old standby of a cocktail dress that I've had for years. It has a sheer, beaded black layer over a rich red lining. I even created the "bee stung" 1920's lips, but you can't really tell when I'm smiling, or smirking, or whatever I'm doing here. In all the photos where I attempted a serious, femme fatale face, I ended up looking like I was about to throw up, so I didn't post any of those.

Yesterday my mystery illness (Is it a cold or a flu? It has elements of both.) reached a climax, so I stayed home sick. That turned out to be a good call because I actually feel a lot better today after spending the day relaxing. Being home during the day is always interesting: yesterday I heard and saw San Francisco's famous parrots (their flight path seems to go right over our house); I observed first hand the staggering number of hours that Georgie sleeps during the day (16 hours is my ballpark estimate); I watched numerous hummingbirds jockeying for position at the hummingbird feeder; I also realized just how preposterously incorrect our weather forecasts are. At around 11 am I checked two different weather apps on my phone; both said it was currently 60 degrees, with a high of 66 expected. At the time our outdoor thermometer was reading 82 degrees. Do not ever believe weather forecasts for San Francisco. They can err wildly in either direction, but they're rarely ever correct.

Dress: Sue Wong
Necklace: from Nordstrom ages ago (it was actually a multi-strand necklace that I took apart and reassembled into one long strand)
Shoes: John Fluevog

Writer's Block

2011-07-20T16:12:00.000-07:00

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

Latest News from the Audra Jean Etsy Shop

2011-07-19T15:44:00.000-07:00

A number of people have asked me recently if I'm still making hats for the Etsy shop. The answer is more complicated than a simple yes or no, so I figured now would be a good time to give an update on the shop and highlight a few of the things that we've been working on.

Photos: Blioux photography, www.blioux.com

Mark and I have felt for awhile now that my hats and his leather accessories didn't mesh very well in the shop. The problem however, is that once you have an Etsy shop you cannot simply change the shop's name (one of the many idiotic things about Etsy that drives me nuts). As Mark's leather wares have grown in popularity, we were hesitant to move his stuff to a new shop and potentially lose our established customer base. And since the vast majority of the shop customers are there for the leather goods, we decided to make the existing shop exclusively his, even though it's still called Audra Jean. I do generate designs from time to time, but my biggest contributions to the shop these days are the photographs of the pieces on the dress form, and ones where I'm modeling the stuff (although I'd like to think I'm also Mark's muse). As my hat listings have expired, I simply haven't renewed them as we continue to think about the best option for migrating them somewhere else.

Modeled by Nikki Dubose, Stylist: Francy Freixas

For the time being I do still take hat orders via the Audra Jean Etsy shop when they crop up. Sometimes people will dig up a past hat I've made via an expired or sold listing, and sometimes I get requests for custom work. Lately I've been doing lots of custom work for friends, neighbors, etc. which is always fun. Hats are a tough item to sell online; many people these days are not used to wearing hats and are uncomfortable buying one without seeing how it looks on them. It is likely that if/when I launch a new online shop it will focus mainly on fascinators and mini hats, which are one size fits all. In the meantime I'll be looking for brick and mortar shops in San Francisco (I do still sell a few things at Dark Garden) where I can sell my other designs.

Photography by Nick Mitchell
Hair by Angela Mitchell at Alter Ego Hair Design
Model Morgana www.threnodyinvelvet.com

In the meantime, Mark has steadily been building his portion of the shop into quite a business. He's worked with a number of professional stylists and photographers, from which we've gotten some beautiful images of his work modeled by the gorgeous ladies you see here. His work has appeared in Auxiliary Magazine, on Stylecaster, and most recently in Factice Magazine. Several of his pieces were also used in a theatrical performance called Secret Show, featuring Cirque du Soleil dancers. Click here to watch the amazing trailer for this performance; a couple of promo photos are below.

Photos: Anna Sweet

Mark has also caught the eye of a number of bloggers with vastly different personal styles. If you read Megan Mae you'll have seen her recently sporting a fabulous military + feminine look incorporating Mark's Genevieve bronze underbust harness. Darling MJ over at Dreaming Spires and Old Car Tyres has both the Jane Doe and Zoe harnesses, which she incorporates into her daily wear. Joy at Just Like Sushi sports the pretty Jane Light caramel-colored harness, our own beloved Sal wears the black Selena harness, and the lovely ladies at Singapore-based Monoxious have impeccably styled the Raven cross-strap harness, the Jane Doe, and the Annabelle double belt harness. The image below, featuring a custom piece Mark made, appeared in the street style section of the Dutch newspaper het Parool. This is just to name a few. It's amazing to see how many ways people style these pieces.

photography: marc van der zouw (Thanks, Suz!)

Finally, Mark has created a Facebook page, where you can stay up to date on what's happening at the shop, see customer appreciation photos, and so on. We actually need to migrate it to a different account so that the page has more functionality, but for now you can find us here. Don't ask me about Twitter; as talented as Mark is at working with leather, he's terrible at self-promotion, so it's taken us until now just to get the Facebook page going. I'm certainly not holding my breath for any tweets.

Stop by the shop and check out Mark's latest items, and be sure to "Like" us on Facebook. Stay tuned for further shop developments!

Bare Legs Weather

2011-07-18T15:22:00.000-07:00

This outfit came together perfectly in terms of colors and patterns, but wearing tights with this skirt was an utter failure. Sure, it looks good, but the skirt fabric sticks so readily to the tights that even with a slip underneath it was a huge pain to keep the skirt from riding up my legs when I walked. I adore this skirt, but it is definitely only suitable for bare legs weather. And bare legs weather is NOT what we are experiencing in SF right now.

This cardigan has proven to be one of those "how did I ever live without it?" kind of items. This outfit is the fourth time it's made an appearance on the blog, but since I bought it in May I've worn it many more times for casual weekend or after-work outfits.

Cardigan: Anthropologie
Top: Sisley
Skirt: Sisley
Necklace: Dana LeBlanc Designs
Bag: Coccinelle
Shoes: BCBGirls

Crazy Long Shirt

2011-07-15T16:57:00.000-07:00

I saw this long, striped shirtdress on Asos and instantly fell in love. The fabric is very sheer and light, and I knew it would be great layered up for interesting office looks as well as more costumey outfits. As a dress, it really doesn't have a whole lot of shape, but worn open as a crazy long shirt I feel like it works really well. When I saw the picture on the Asos site, this is exactly how I knew I'd be wearing it.

For this outfit, I created shaping at the waist using my wide elastic belt. Without it the dress is very straight and boxy. You can tell from the back view that I actually had to scrunch a lot of the fabric together in the back to make it hang the way I wanted; elastic is really the best sort of belt for this application because once the fabric is in place it will stay there.

The dress nearly skims the floor on the long side; in fact, without heels I think it would be too long. But I'm pretty sure I'll be wearing heels whenever I wear this, so I quickly vetoed my initial idea to shorten it.

Shirtdress: Asos
Top: Max Studio
Ponte knit pants: Club Monaco
Belt: Red Dress Shoppe
Boots: All Black
Bracelet: Betsey Johnson
Earrings: Leslie Danzis

Happy Bastille Day

2011-07-14T16:28:00.000-07:00

Whoops, I completely forgot to write a blog post today. Here's an outfit from before my time off. And that's pretty much all I have to say about it, because I'm off to celebrate Bastille Day. As we do in San Francisco. Vive la France!

Shirt: Promod
Skirt: Asos
Shoes: Michael Kors

Juana

2011-07-13T15:40:00.000-07:00

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

What Was I Thinking?

2011-07-12T15:40:00.000-07:00

I loved how this outfit looked, but holy crap was it uncomfortable! I hadn't worn these jeans in quite some time, and after a couple hours of wearing them I remembered why: they're way too tight. They were way too tight when I bought them, but I foolishly listened to the sales girl who told me they're supposed to fit this way. So sad; the jeans are adorable but they have to go. What was I thinking, buying pants that are a good 2 sizes too small?

Top: Mica
Cardigan: Anthropologie
Jeans: Dittos
Necklace: glass shop in Venice
Shoes: Bettye Muller

Getting Caught Up

2011-07-11T15:37:00.000-07:00

I'm still getting caught up after my busy weekend, but I thought I'd better get some of these older outfits posted. For this one I reused the blue/burgundy color combo that caught my eye in the Christian Dior Fall line.

This necklace is tough to wear, because it requires a very wide open neckline, much wider than I typically wear. But I liked the way it looked with the blue color and the crane pattern, so I decided not to care that it overlapped the top in sort of a funky way.

Dress: Max Studio
Top: French Connection
Necklace: Rapsodia (Argentina)
Tights: Wolford
Bag: Foley + Corinna
Bracelet: Leslie Danzis
Shoes: Tsubo

Time Off

2011-07-04T12:28:00.000-07:00

It's the 4th of July, which I'm not really celebrating in any specific way, but which qualifies as a holiday in my book for one important reason: I have the day off work. I guess that right there is reason enough to celebrate, right? But more importantly, I'm taking the entire WEEK off because Mark's and my family and friends are coming to town a few days from now to help us belatedly celebrate our marriage. And since preparing for all these visitors is going to require quite a bit of my time, I'm taking rest of the week off from blogging (and most likely reading and commenting) as well.

For my friends in the US, have a wonderful holiday and here's hoping you've got the day off too. I'll be back next week with more outfits!

San Francisco Travel Guide, Part 1: Shopping

2011-07-01T15:12:00.000-07:00

As should be obvious by now, I ADORE my home city of San Francisco. I feel incredibly lucky to live here, as a result of both my own observations and experiences here, as well as comments I've heard from others while traveling abroad. Whenever I tell someone where I'm from, I inevitably get one of two responses: "San Francisco is the best place I've ever been!" or, "I've always dreamed of going to San Francisco!" And comments like that really help a person not to take their city for granted. I've been to a lot of wonderful places, but in the end none of them really feels like home the way San Francisco does for me.

So, having gotten a few requests from readers for a post about what to see and do while visiting San Francisco, I present to you this mini travel guide to my own beloved home town. This will be a series in several parts, spread out over a couple of weeks. For the first installment I figured I'd focus on the topic foremost in many of our minds: shopping. I won't claim that this will be a comprehensive guide; it's just a collection of some of my favorite spots in town.

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Haight Street

Before I even get started talking about Haight Street, let me just make one thing clear: while the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood was once the mecca of hippies, and while a handful of stores in that area are still trying to capitalize on that history, San Francisco is NOT a hippie far-out peace-and-love granola-eating town where everyone is high all the time and there are vegan restaurants on every corner. I HATE that fucking image! Why can no one do a show about San Francisco and not mention hippies and tie dye and bongs? THE SIXTIES ARE OVER. I wish everyone could just let them go.

That said, if you really want to see the dregs of what's left of hippie culture, I suppose the Upper Haight is the place to do it. Sigh. Despite that though, there really is some fantastic shopping in that area; I'd recommend going during the week if possible or before noon on the weekends of you want to avoid the crowds. If you want to get the full spectrum of Haight Street shopping in one day, start in the Upper Haight, and when the streets start to fill up with tourists and hipsters (or are those homeless people? It can be hard to tell.), make your way to Lower Haight to finish there (for more descriptions of Upper and Lower Haight, see this post).

Some of my favorite shops in the Upper Haight: Ambiance (huge variety of designers and price points), Held Over (vintage clothing), Shoe Biz, John Fluevog, Goodwill, Decades of Fashion (high end vintage), Ruby (carries many local designers), Ceiba Records (steampunk/Burning Man styles), and Skunkfunk. As you go from Upper to Lower Haight, take a short detour down Divisadero Street to Swankety Swank (local designers), Prairie Collective, and Backspace. In Lower Haight proper there's a great import store called P-Kok, Lower Haters (locally-made art, clothing, and accessories), and new shops that seem to keep cropping up all the time.

The Mission District

The Mission District, once a largely Latino neighborhood, has morphed into Hipster Central in recent years. That doesn't mean it isn't worth checking out though; the hipsters rightfully love it because it's got cool bars, the best weather in the city (you'd be amazed how the weather can vary neighborhood to neighborhood in a city of only 7x7 miles), a wide variety of high quality restaurants, and you guessed it: great shopping. It also has one of the prettiest parks in town (Dolores Park), the old mission (which was one of the locations in Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo), and lots of beautiful murals that adorn the walls around the neighborhood. I'll cover eating, drinking, and sights in other posts, but for now let's talk shopping.

Along the Valencia corridor between 15th and 17th Streets is the heart of the Mission's shopping area. Between Guererro and Valencia on 16th Street you'll find two of my favorites, Sunhee Moon and Candystore Collective; round the corner onto Valencia Street and you'll find Five and Diamond, which has the best variety of steampunk clothing in the city. Further along are MultiKulti, Weston Wear, and Therapy. In the other direction down Valencia (towards 15th) is a clothing-by-the-pound store, and ADS Hats. If you wander outside the 15th to 17th Street center, you'll find additional shops in the 21st to 24th Street area.

image source

Hayes Valley

Tiny Patricia's Green park, which interrupts Octavia Street where it meets Fell Street, is at the center of the Hayes Valley shopping district. Once a neglected corner of the city that decayed beneath a freeway off-ramp, the neighborhood had new life breathed into it when the ramp was damaged in the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake and the city opted to tear the structure down rather than rebuild. Since then, Hayes Valley has undergone a complete transformation, and is now one of the most sought-after neighborhoods in town. Here you'll find high end shops mixed with neighborhood drinking establishments, excellent restaurants, some of the city's finest coffee served out of an old auto shop, and an innovative ice cream shop created from a ship's cargo container. Patricia's Green also features temporary art installations that made their debuts at Burning Man; the installation above is called "Ecstasy."

Along Hayes Street between Laguna and Gough are a bunch of great shops: Bulo (shoes), Lava 9, Duke et Duchesse, and several others. Just around the corner on Octavia Street, local designers Lemon Twist have a charming little shop. A few blocks away on Gough (pronounced "Goff") Street, you'll find the best place to buy a San Francisco souvenir: Gangs of San Francisco. Forget about those dumb sweatshirts they sell down at Fisherman's Wharf; GOSF creates clothing that memorializes forgotten institutions of San Francisco's past, such as the Sutro Speedsters speed skating team, and the Bear Flag Rebels. Along the edge of the Patricia's Green is a tiny alley called Linden, where you can shop for the finest custom corsets in town at Dark Garden, and perhaps see some of my own hat creations as well.

Read more about the SF phenomenon known as the parklet here.

Noe Valley

Among locals, Noe Valley is known for its suburban feel; it's a little further away from the bustle of the city center, and it feels cleaner and quieter than other parts of town. People who can afford to stay in San Francisco after they have kids generally end up either here or in the Marina District. As much as I like to poke fun at people who live there, it really is a charming part of town, and one that's pretty well off the tourist path. It also boasts one of the finest restaurants in town; like I said I'll cover food in another post, but it bears repeating that Incanto is not to be missed. Make a reservation far in advance, spend an afternoon shopping in Noe Valley, and end the day enjoying one of the most phenomenal dinners you'll ever eat.

Along 24th Street between Castro and Church Streets is where you'll find most of Noe Valley's shops. There's another Ambiance store there, a number of other small clothing boutiques, as well as some cute antique shops, used book stores, and interesting handmade jewelry at Qoio.

Thrift Shopping in San Francisco

Some great thrift shopping can be done in San Francisco, but in general, expect to pay more than you're used to elsewhere. My favorites are the Goodwill flagship store on Mission Street, Clothes Contact (the aforementioned clothing-by-the-pound store), the Goodwill on Haight Street, and Out of the Closet at Church and Duboce. There's also Thrift Town on 16th and Mission Streets, but in my experience it takes a little more patience to find any real treasures there. The first two, as well as Thrift Town, can be wrapped into a Mission District shopping day (though the flagship store is a few blocks' walk away from all the rest); the Haight Street Goodwill is in the Upper Haight and Out of the Closet is a couple blocks away from the Lower Haight.

Another option would be one of several local flea markets. Every Sunday there's the Alemany Flea Market, which is free. On the third Sunday of each month is the massive Candlestick Park Antiques and Collectibles Faire, which is well worth the trip if your visit happens to coincide. There's a $5-10 admission to get in, but the selection is amazing and the prices are surprisingly good. Many vendors sell vintage clothing as well as other antiques. Finally, across the bay on the first Sunday of each month is the Alameda Point Antiques Faire, which is one of the largest flea markets around.

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Well, I think that ought to keep you busy; if you need more after all that, you're a far more dedicated shopper than I am. One final thought: I didn't cover the obvious shopping mecca that is Union Square, where you'll find all the big department stores, chains such as All Saints, Desigual, Urban Outfitters, and H&M, and high end designers such as Prada and Louis Vuitton. But my feeling is that you can get that same shopping experience in any big city; if you don't have those stores back home then it's worth a visit, but if it's a uniquely San Francisco experience you're after, you need to get away from downtown and head into the neighborhoods.

As Good as it Gets

2011-06-30T15:41:00.000-07:00

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

Getting Matchy

2011-06-29T15:27:00.000-07:00

This vest is the one I was trying on when Katy Sagal told me how great it looked on me. I think she was right; it fits me like a glove and is perfect for my style. It doesn't get a ton of use, but I always really enjoy wearing it. Pairing it with these cropped pants and espadrilles turned out to be a perfect combination. Another Sheriff of Matchy-Matchytown-approved ensemble. What is it about these shoes that makes me get all matchy?

Vest: Steam Trunk
Top: Anthropologie
Pants: Cynthia Steffe
Shoes: DSW brand
Bracelet: Leslie Danzis

Bettye

2011-06-28T15:44:00.000-07:00

I fell in love with these shoes several months ago when I saw them on Endless, but I steadfastly refused to buy them until they went down in price. I didn't think they were overpriced necessarily, but the original price was more than I wanted to pay for another pair of espadrilles at the moment. I waited and stalked them and finally they went down by about 20%, and I figured that was good enough, especially since by then there were only a couple pairs left in my size.

Anyhow, I absolutely LOVE the shoes. Like the other pair of Bettyes I posted yesterday, they have cute vintage styling and are really well made. I like how most of the wedge heel is covered in leather rather than the jute rope; this gives them a distinctly different look from my canvas espadrilles. The extra wide straps across the top of the foot make them comfortable and also hold them securely to the foot. I'm glad I waited for a lower price, but I'd have been really bummed if I'd waited too long and missed out. That's always a risk you take when you hold out for a bargain.

Dress: eShakti
Necklace/Bracelets: Cost Plus
Jacket: Tulle
Shoes: Bettye Muller

Pinup

2011-06-27T15:46:00.000-07:00

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

Tattoos and Interviews

2011-06-24T12:53:00.000-07:00

Top: Anthropologie.... Vest: All Saints.... Skirt: Sunhee Moon....

Bracelet: Leslie Danzis.... Sandals: Camper

Yesterday Sal and I got a great reader question, and the answer I put together seemed like good material to develop into a post. Here's the question:

I have an ankle tattoo and really like dresses and skirts, but am starting the interview process again and am feeling wary of my tattoo showing in my interview outfits. (I feel like my pants outfits are so boring, and I don't have an actual suit for interviews)

I'm interviewing for admin type of jobs. I go back and forth with this, I feel that my tattoos are part of me and people shouldn't be concerned with them, but then I remember that there are a lot of very conservative people out there. I also don't know the dress code rules at the jobs I'm applying for and if they have a "No visible tattoos" policy, I would offend them right off the bat. (although, I probably wouldn't want to work for a company like that)

As you're all well aware, I have some pretty dramatic body art that I display without reserve at work. Of course, I work in a technical job for a company that is well-known for its laid back culture, in a very tolerant and diverse region of the country. But interviews are always a little trickier than the job itself, regardless of the job you're applying for, so it's important to consider a few different factors when determining whether it's acceptable or desirable to show one's ink during the interview process.

Geographical Region

Obviously in the super laid back San Francisco Bay Area it generally wouldn't be a problem to show a tattoo for any but the most conservative of industries, such as law and finance. Which brings us to...

The Industry You're Applying To
Again, law and finance are two where visible ink or piercings are likely to be a big no-no. Academia is probably a gray area, and may vary department to department. Tech (and biotech) companies, tend to be more relaxed and in general I'd say that showing a tattoo wouldn't be any big deal, but that also depends on what department you're applying into. The technical departments are more tolerant, while marketing, legal and sales are more conservative.

Company Size and Age
Just like many people, companies tend to get more conservative the older they get. My theory is that a small, young company needs people who operate outside the norm; they're looking for innovators who may carry over their innovative spirit into their personal appearance. As a company ages and achieves success, it wants to maintain the status quo and won't be as drawn to the rebellious entrepreneur types anymore. In general the larger a company is, the more conservative it tends to be as well, for the same sort of reasons. In biotech for instance, I'd dress more creatively and probably intentionally show my tattoos if I were interviewing for a start-up company, whereas I'd go with more traditional dress and possibly cover at least most of my tattoos for a big company like Johnson & Johnson or Merck.

How Strongly You Feel About Your Ink
Personally, I'd never want to work for a company that would have an issue with my tattoos, but take this point with a HUGE grain of salt, because I've also never been unemployed for any great length of time and thus have been able to stick to my guns. Under extreme circumstances I might throw my values to the wind and cover up for the sake of getting a job. Ideally though, I prefer to let people see what they're getting, ink and all, so I make sure to show at least one of my tattoos when I interview. Another point to consider is whether you'll be required to go in for several interviews; in that case you might want to start out covering all of your tattoos, and if you get called back you can ease off little by little and allow some ink to show. That way you don't hurt your chances right off the bat, but you can still remain true to yourself too.

Size, Image, and Placement of Your Tattoos
A small tattoo placed in an inconspicuous area is going to be a lot easier to get away with than a larger tattoo in a spot that people aren't traditionally used to seeing one. For instance, I'm well aware that the tattoos on my upper arms are probably too much for most interviews. Not only are they in a spot that's not often seen on women, they also depict Drinky Crow swilling booze while sailing and subsequently sinking his boat. Not exactly corporate material. Those I would cover up for an interview; the others, most likely not.

Sal has also written about interviews as well:

Corporette has a decidedly different take on ink at the office, which is not surprising given their focus on the conservative corporate environment. But it's worth taking a look at these:

Finally, let's hear from you! I'd like to get a sense of how tattoos are handled in different types of industries. Whether you have a tattoo or not, please tell us: what region, industry, and job type you're in; a little about the size, age, culture of your employer; whether you or others you work with show tattoos at work; and finally, if you do have tattoos, did you show them during your interview?

Goodbye Norma Jean

2011-06-23T15:18:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend I made a major decision: it was time to do away with my Monroe piercing (although apparently mine was technically a Madonna piercing, but whatever). The reason is that I'd started to notice a wrinkle that the piercing was causing; the tug of the post when I talked and smiled was creating a vertical line from the piercing to the upper margin of my lip, which doesn't follow the natural creases that talking and smiling produce on their own. I knew that in another year or so the crease would start to look odd and unnatural among my other lines, so I figured if I took the piercing out now I could stop, and maybe even reverse, the damage. I'd had the piercing for almost 6 years.

Getting your face pierced is an odd thing, because unlike the ears or nose, there's a lot of active tissue there that has to reconcile itself with a foreign object being placed in its midst. As it turns out, the face doesn't really appreciate having a metal rod rammed through it. It reacts initially with fairly exaggerated swelling, so much so that an extra long post has to be put in at first to accommodate the bulging tissue. When things finally settle down, the real healing can begin.

A pierced face heals begrudgingly, slowly admitting defeat and shrinking back to its normal dimensions, though it remains ready at the attack for several months, always prepared to spring forth into violent rebellion at the slightest disruption. Finally after about 6 months it seems to become resigned to its fate, and almost never protests after that. The back of the piercing settles into the soft tissue in the back of the lip, and it's nearly a part of you. Nearly.

Once the offending object is removed however, the face seems to regain its confidence, as well as a renewed sense of diplomacy. It nary makes a fuss, preferring to write the whole thing off as a minor misunderstanding. It's as if it's saying, "Well, thank heavens you've come to your senses. Let's put that little episode behind us." Not 24 hours after I removed the metal post, I could no longer squirt water out of the hole it left behind (a talent I'm somewhat sad to lose); 2 days in I could barely feel the depression that the back of the post left on the inside of my lip; after 4 days even the hole on the outside is starting to close in on itself. Soon it will resemble what it was meant to mimic in the first place: a beauty mark, albeit a very small one.

I loved the look of the piercing but I knew from the start that its time was limited. I have a few more outfit photos to post from before I took it out, but you may have a tough time discerning the first photos where it's gone. Unless you see me up close, it has always been a fairly subtle accessory.

There's one person I know will celebrate the departure of my Monroe piercing: my mom. Moms never seem to love any modification of their offspring's physical being, I find. I suppose they feel that when they made their sons and daughters, they were already perfect.

Top: Asos
Belt: Oscar de la Renta
Bangles: Amrita Singh
Skirt: Anthropologie
Tights: Hue
Shoes: BCBGirls

Tweaks

2011-06-22T16:00:00.000-07:00

This was one of those cases where having a daily wardrobe blog can be so helpful; I simply went back through my recent posts and found a comfortable outfit that I really liked, and quickly tweaked it into a new outfit by changing to a different colored tank and swapping the scarf and jewelry to match. This was my baby shower attending outfit. I wanted something relaxed and casual that still looked put together, and the weather was warm and breezy, but likely to get chillier as the day progressed. The light layers were warm but not overly so, and the scarf could be removed and replaced as needed. The stretchy garments made it easy to load up on all sorts of yummy food; this was carefully planned, since I knew that the baby shower's host is a caterer. She made all sorts of children's book-themed food, such as tobiko-topped braised pork belly for Green Eggs and Ham, and wild mushroom ragout for Where the Wild Things Are.

The only thing this outfit couldn't do is save me from all the horrific pregnancy and childbirth talk. I really, really didn't need to know those things. I dearly wish I could un-know them.

Top: Asos
Skirt: Anthropologie
Scarf: Rapsodia (Argentina)
Shoes: Fly London

Sky Ferreira Wears Audra Jean on Stylecaster!

2011-06-22T11:00:00.000-07:00

Stylecaster has a feature on teen electropop artist Sky Ferreira today, and they've styled her up in Valentino, Alberta Ferretti, Jean Paul Gaultier.... and Audra Jean!

In the editorial the leather accessories are fairly difficult to see, but in the behind-the-scenes shots you can get a better idea of which items she's wearing.

The photos are just beautiful, and gorgeous Sky wears the leather items so well. I like how the stylist actually turned some of the pieces backwards or upside down, showing that these harnesses and belts can be worn in different ways. The images are much larger on Stylecaster, so go check it out!

Getting Back on the Horse

2011-06-21T15:47:00.000-07:00

I decided to give this pants/shoes combo another try, despite the fact that it felt a little risqué for my comfort level the last time around. You've got to get back up on that horse, right? It turns out that putting a long layer over the pants, even though it was a very sheer layer, did the trick. And in a moment of inspiration, I chose not just a plain tank to put under the sheer tunic, but this beautiful lace-back top, which I've had a terrible time figuring out how to style appropriately while still showing off the back:

The nearly backless halter-neck top doesn't really allow for wearing a bra, making it something I'd normally relegate to say, a night out dining and dancing on the beach in Mexico. But since I'm not in Mexico very often, it's good to have found another way to wear it; the sheer layer provided plenty of coverage, while still giving a hint of the sexy top that's underneath. It only took me about 4 years to figure this out; luckily I didn't give up on the top before then.

When I put all the clothing and shoes together I knew the outfit still needed a little something, but this tunic can't really be belted very easily. Instead, I tucked a long, layered necklace under the tunic's bow to bring in some shine without disrupting the long, sheer line.

Also, going *almost* braless at work felt awesomely rebellious, not to mention amazingly comfortable.

Tunic: Fremont
Pants: Club Monaco
Top: Sisley
Shoes: Pour la Victoire

Intuitive

2011-06-20T15:34:00.000-07:00

I resisted the urge to throw on my McQueen skull scarf with this outfit, mainly because I feel like I've repeated that particular item a lot lately (I also just wore it with this exact same blazer). But come fall, won't this dress/blazer combo be spectacular with the scarf, plus my Hero tights and Miu Miu pumps? That's an outfit that's been floating around in my head for several months. For now though, I've gone with a scaled down, slightly more summery version by leaving my neck and legs bare.

This is a great example of how clothes that truly fit your style can magically end up looking like they were made to go together. I was drawn to both the dress and the blazer because of the asymmetric draping, and it's that very detail that marries the two so perfectly. The folds of the blazer draw the eye smoothly down to the corresponding folds of the dress. I also tend to like tops or dresses that have interesting details at the neckline such as the ruching on this dress, so the fact that the blazer is cut low enough to reveal those details makes it a great fit for my wardrobe.

I actually didn't have to try on this outfit in advance to know that the dress and blazer would work perfectly together. This one was completely intuitive.

Dress: Valentino
Blazer: Helmut Lang
Necklace: Ambiance on Haight Street
Ring: Wendy Mink
Sandals: Michael Kors

Stealth Layering

2011-06-17T15:32:00.000-07:00

Here's an outfit that looks deceptively summery; hidden underneath the dress are a pair of long cotton pettipants and a slip to keep my thighs warm, and under the boots are long socks to insulate my feet and calves. Had it been colder I could've even added a long-sleeved tee under the dress and kept it hidden with the lightweight denim jacket. I'm becoming quite adept at stealth layering during this remarkably chilly season.

Jacket: Tulle
Dress: Noa Noa
Scarf: Banana Republic
Harness: Audra Jean
Boots: Scoop (Copenhagen)

Fallacies

2011-06-16T15:35:00.000-07:00

I don't want to talk about Anthony Weiner. The man has gotten more than his fair share of press already, and the reports of his tasteless social media interactions make me queasy. However, I do want to talk about his wife, and what some of the comments I've seen floating around in the interwebs about her say about our society's feelings towards women.

This discussion isn't just about Huma Abedin. Inevitably when any high profile man gets caught in some sort of bad behavior that humiliates his spouse*, the talk eventually turns to how beautiful the betrayed wife is or isn't (Tiger Woods is another recent example). Huma Abedin is gorgeous, leading the online community to cry out, "How could he do this to her? She's hot!!" And this is the sort of talk that gets under my skin.

Why is so much emphasis placed on the wife's looks? If she were ugly would his behavior have been more acceptable? If she were merely ordinary-looking would it have made her somehow more deserving of being humiliated and betrayed? Her worth as a human being and her value as a wife are not dependent upon her looks, any more than a misbehaving man's looks are tied to some sort of sliding scale that determines how outraged people ought to be about his behavior.

Whether you feel that Weiner's actions were completely reprehensible or that they merely demonstrated a lack of judgment and incredibly poor taste is beside the point of this discussion. The part of the story that disturbs me is when people focus on the wife's looks as if they're something that needs to be accounted for in the body of evidence.

The other fallacy I've noticed in the online discourse is more subtle: the underlying expectation that beautiful women are supposed to be immune to the hardships of life, that they don't get manipulated and lied to and have their hearts broken just like everybody else. That if you're hot and your husband sexted someone else, then you must be a nagging, overbearing shrew because beautiful women don't get cheated on unless there's something really, really wrong with them. Being beautiful does not endow women with a superhuman ability to detect cheaters; it does not prevent them from falling in love with the wrong person or making bad choices; it does not mean that their spouses will love them more or treat them better.

Beautiful women get betrayed for exactly the same reason that other women do: they get involved with men who are liars and cheats. And that sort of man will lie to and cheat on whoever he's with, no matter what she looks like. A man is either a good man, or he's not; what ultimately saves women from the bad ones is discernment, strength, a belief in one's self, maybe even a little bit of luck. Often these things have to be acquired the hard way, too; beauty may bring other advantages in life, but it won't help in this arena.

Huma Abedin is beautiful. But bringing her beauty into the discussion of her husband's behavior is disrespectful to her as a wife and a woman. Beauty will not help her handle this situation; only her character will.

I'd love to hear your comments. And hey look, I wore clothes today too!

Top: Forever 21
Jeans: Level 99
Bracelet: Nicole Miller
Boots: Jo Ghost

*ETA: I didn't mean to make this a hetero-exclusive discussion; obviously people get hurt in same-sex relationships also, just as wives can sometimes treat husbands badly. But when we're talking about a powerful, high profile person doing something shitty to their spouse, 9 times out of 10 it's a straight man doing it to his wife.

Assemble a Rainbow

2011-06-15T16:13:00.000-07:00

Indiscriminately mixing coral, navy and red? Why the hell not? I've mixed this particular coral t-shirt with teal, bright yellow, pink, lime green -- you name it. Usually in the same outfit. Since this was a work outfit I kept it to just the three shades, but had this been a weekend look I probably would've gone with a teal scarf, and perhaps I'd even have chosen a yellow bag. There's just something about coral that makes me want to assemble a rainbow of colors and throw them into the same outfit.

Striped shirt: Target
Coral shirt: Michael Stars
Jacket: Banana Republic (via eBay)
Scarf: vintage
Jeans: Acne
Shoes: Faryl Robin
Bag: Michael Kors

End of an Era

2011-06-14T16:11:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend I attended a baby shower, which depressed me. Baby showers always depress me, because they make me think, "Oh, there goes another couple, crossing over to the other side where I'll rarely see or hear from them, and when I do we'll no longer have anything in common." The baby shower typically ends up being one of the last times that the child-free friends really get to spend time with the woman who's expecting. I'm sure sometimes friendships can thrive between people with children and those without, or at least that's what I've heard, but I've yet to experience it so far in my life. People that have kids seem to get sucked into a dimension where only other parents can enter; the child-free must go their own way and make new, child-free friends to fill the hole left by the ones they lost.

It isn't that I'm not happy for my friends, it's just that there exists a divide between the childed and the child-free that's hard to bridge once the baby comes along. This particular couple is pretty special, so if anyone can buck the trend they can, but nevertheless the bummed out feeling that set in after the shower has stuck with me these last couple days. It's sort of an end-of-an-era feeling.

This was not my baby-shower-attending outfit; that'll actually go up next week. This was just another attempt at looking as summery as I could given the chilly weather we were having.

Dress: Aryeh
Cardigan: S
Belt: Red Dress Shoppe
Boots: All Black
Babgles: Amrita Singh

Classified

2011-06-13T15:54:00.000-07:00

Yep, I wore the same scarf two days in a row. But when I put together this outfit I knew it needed some extra oomph, and the scarf just seemed to give it the perfect, polished-yet-funky touch. And anyway, that day I was on a TOP SECRET MISSION and needed all the polish I could get. Hopefully I'll soon be able to reveal exactly what my mission was that day, but for now it's classified. In this outfit, I felt like someone who'd have top secret clearance. Or maybe just a pistol in my handbag.

Here's a close-up of my new pixie cut, which I absolutely love. It's been awhile since I've had my hair this short, and I forgot how great it is for windy summers by the bay. There is seriously no messing up this style, no matter how strong the gusts get. Between the new haircut, my awesome Helmut Lang blazer (which is possibly the best purchase EVER), and the killer scarf, I felt totally invincible in this.

Blazer, dress: Helmut Lang
Scarf: Alexander McQueen
Bag: Foley + Corinna
Tights: Hue
Shoes: Born
Earrings: Swarovski

Sneaky

2011-06-10T15:36:00.000-07:00

I'm completely in love with this skirt, especially with the weather being as shitty as it's been lately. The swirl and movement of the skirt gives it a breezy look, especially when combined with this gauzy, cape-like cardigan, but its length sneakily hid a couple of extra warmth-providing layers. First there was a pair of cotton leggings which served to keep my legs warm, and over those was a full length slip to keep the leggings from sticking to the skirt, and also to add extra insulation. It doesn't really come through in these photos, but the outfit really did have a lightweight and summery feel even though it kept me toasty.

I'm also clearly smitten with the scarf, and love the way it adds an edgy touch to even a soft, floaty outfit like this one.

Thankfully this was the last day before I got my hair cut; my hairdresser had been away on vacation and I simply couldn't bring myself to go to anyone else for a touch-up. In the meantime my gray-streaked roots had grown out to a shameful degree, and my hair had gotten to an unruly length that required a great deal of wrangling in the morning. For some reason I don't mind putting a lot of time into my makeup, but I hate spending a lot of time on my hair. The new 'do will make its debut next week!

Top: Ann Taylor
Skirt: Anthropologie
Scarf: Alexander McQueen
Cardigan: Twelfth Street Cynthia Vincent
Shoes: Fly London

Tomato Red

2011-06-09T15:19:00.000-07:00

For awhile I considered dyeing this tunic, and I'm really glad I didn't. While it's not the most flattering shade for my skin tone, I don't think it's really as bad as I initially thought, and paired with the bright white and yellow I think the outfit worked really well. The white and yellow softened the impact of the tomato red so that I didn't end up looking washed out.

The jacket is one I recently tracked down on eBay, and I just love how great it looks with my navy blue bag. A cropped, white denim jacket had been on my thrift shopping list for awhile, but after several trips to Goodwill yielded no results, I thought to try online. This one set me back just $15 and is new as far as I can tell.

Jacket: Banana Republic
Scarf: vintage
Tunic: Manuela Roth (Argentina)
Jeans: Joe's
Shoes: BC Footwear
Bag: Michael Kors

Disheveled

2011-06-08T15:35:00.000-07:00

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

Columnar

2011-06-07T16:10:00.000-07:00

Here's an outfit that accents my actual figure; by which I mean that it doesn't seek to manufacture curves I don't possess, but rather accentuates the straight, columnar shape I actually have. And I think this is a good thing to develop comfort with, because many of us devote so much time to making our busts look larger, our waists look smaller, and so on, that we overlook the simplicity of working with the shape we already have. Sal is obviously the queen of positive body image writing, so I'll point you to her blog for the more philosophical discussions of embracing your figure; I thought what I'd do here is discuss the mechanics of how this particular outfit plays to my natural shape.

Since I don't have very exaggerated curves, it's easy for me to wear more androgynous shapes; shapes whose lines aren't disrupted by a big bust or round hips. For this outfit, I resisted the urge to add a belt, and instead let the long, vertical lines rule the day. I let the straight-sided cardigan hang open and gathered the scarf into a single line down the middle. I also didn't clutter up the outfit with too many accessories, and let the vibrant red bag be the single point of color.

The sheer black top fits loosely and hangs straight down, and likewise the skirt is a simple column shape. The leggings brought in some visual interest with the horizontal lines, while still keeping the look clean and simple. This was a comfortable outfit to wear, because nothing was pinching or squeezing or slipping anywhere, and I think in large part it had to do with the way the proportions of the garments fit my body's natural proportions.

Over to you. Do you ever try accentuating your natural shape, rather than going for the standard hourglass? What types of clothing play up your real figure, and how do you feel about wearing them?

Top and leggings: Black Market Baby (Etsy)
Skirt: Asos
Scarf ring: from a shop in Buenos Aires
Shoes: Bobbi Blu
Bangles: Amrita Singh
Bag: Foley + Corinna
Cardigan: Anthropologie

Evolution

2011-06-06T15:47:00.000-07:00

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

A Match Made in Heaven

2011-06-03T15:07:00.000-07:00

Here's the third of the new bags purchased this year; the first was the taupe-gray L.A.M.B. bag I got in New York, and the second was the Michael Kors bag I showed you a couple days ago. I snapped up this beauty via Gilt after seeing Sal's review of it and admiring how its capacious tote form coverts to a compact cross-body style. This is a great bag for San Francisco, as it is large enough to carry the compulsory sweater or light jacket that is a necessity even on the most seemingly summery of days. The bag itself is also light enough that filling it up doesn't push it into the realm of unmanageable -- unless you fill it with bricks, I suppose. It could actually hold quite a few, should the need arise.

I didn't even realize until I started writing this post that Sal also inspired the purchase of this scarf. While we were in New York in February we stopped at Saks for Sal to pick out her McQueen skull scarf, and while we were looking at all the options I tried on a red and black one. I've thought about it ever since, so I finally tracked one down on eBay, and boy am I glad I did. My $20 knock-off version doesn't hold a candle to the real thing; the difference in the quality and feel of the fabric is immediately apparent, and the skull pattern is perfectly crisp and clear on this one, whereas it's smeary and irregular on the knockoff.

And finally, here are the opaque-but-skintight ponte knit pants paired with the nearly-butt-baring dress; as I suspected, a match made in heaven!

Dress: Asos
Harness: Audra Jean
Pants: Club Monaco
Bag: Foley + Corinna
Jacket: Skin Graft
Scarf: Alexander McQueen
Shoes: BCBGirls

Sheriff

2011-06-02T15:45:00.000-07:00

I found these adorable espadrilles on sale at DSW; they fulfilled my quest for a pair of espadrilles and also for a pair of olive green shoes. Two wardrobe holes filled with a single item! And yes, I paired them with my obi belt, with its perfectly matched olive fabric AND brown leather. And of course I mixed all that with the perfectly matched olive and brown necklace, and the perfectly matched olive dress and brown blazer. Because although Sal is still the undisputed mayor of Matchy-Matchytown, I've declared myself the sheriff. Let me know if you wish to be deputized.

Dress: Red Dress Shoppe
Necklace: Foxy
Blazer: La Redoute
Belt: Audra Jean
Espadrilles: DSW brand

Artsy Cousin

2011-06-01T15:36:00.000-07:00

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

Peggy Bundy

2011-05-31T15:01:00.000-07:00

Recently I decided I wanted a pair of thick, ponte knit leggings to wear as pants; this revelation was brought about after I wore regular leggings under a thin and exceedingly short white dress and spent the day feeling somewhat exposed. I tracked these down at Westfield Mall, and they're perfect: they have a zipper and button fly, and real pockets. They are completely, 100% opaque. By any definition they're pants. And yet. That's right, I felt somewhat exposed.

Don't get me wrong, I love the way this outfit looked, and I'd certainly wear it again. But the form-fitting stretchy pants combined with sky-high heels made me feel a bit Peggy Bundy for my current comfort level. That's ok; comfort levels can be adjusted. But until I get used to these, I think I'll stick to wearing them with upper layers that are a little longer. In fact, the short white dress will be just the thing.

Speaking of Peggy Bundy, I have a good story about her. A couple of years ago Mark and I were in a shop on Haight Street looking at steampunk/Burning Man-style clothes; I was trying on a gorgeous but pricey vest and another shopper paused to tell me how great it looked on me. The shopper was none other than Katey Sagal, who of course played Peggy Bundy. Obviously, I bought the vest!

Cardigan, top: Anthropologie
Pants: Club Monaco
Shoes: Pour la Victoire
Bag: Michael Kors

In other news, I walked into the Michael Kors store while I was in the mall and fell head over heels for this gorgeous navy blue bag. Along with yet another bag that'll make its appearance in a couple days, that's 3 new ones this year. Normally I'm much more of a shoe gal than a bag gal, because few bags really move me the way shoes do; in fact, I've sometimes gone 2-3 years without buying a new bag. So when I see one that really rocks my world, I snap it up.

Long Weekend

2011-05-27T14:15:00.000-07:00

I wore this outfit for the last day of conferencing, because as soon as the conference was over I was going directly to meet Laura in the Tenderloin neighborhood, which is close to the conference venue, for drinks and a show. Since it was the last day of the conference I didn't mind dressing on the casual side, and I needed something that was comfortable enough to wear all day and into the night. My sequin blazer gave the outfit a touch of glam while still being easy to wear.

The blazer has a shrunken appearance and is cropped short in the back, giving it a tailored look even though the fabric underneath the sequins is a stretchy jersey. My only gripe is that it buttons a little high for my long torso; I think the next time I go to my dry cleaner/tailor I might have them add a lower buttonhole and move the single button down a few inches so that I can button it closer to my natural waist.

The show was terrible, by the way. The band featured local hero Mike Patton, who Laura and I have seen in all of his incarnations every time he plays in town, starting waaaay back in the 90's when he was the front man for Faith No More. This permutation was mostly screaming and atonal banging on the piano, which was frustrating because the man has an incredible singing voice that he simply opted not to use. Maybe 10 years from now I'll get what he was trying to do, but here in 2011 we just left early and called it a night.

Jacket: B. Bella
Top: Max Studio
Jeans: Joe's
Boots: Bronx
Necklace: Manu Lizarralde (Argentina)

It's a long weekend here in the States, so I'll be taking the day off on Monday. To get your weekend started right, let me leave you with a catchy tune from great artist I've recently discovered, from France by way of Japan. Last year some close friends went home to Lyon for the summer and brought me back a mix CD of French hits. My favorite track by far was called Je Veux by gypsy-jazz artist Zaz. Fast forward to last month, when Laura returned from a trip to Osaka bringing me a great CD she had found at the listening station at Tower Records (yes, they still exist in Japan!). You guessed it, Zaz.

I couldn't embed the official video for Je Veux, so

click the photo of Zaz to go to the YouTube link.

I would never make any comparison to Edith Piaf lightly, but Zaz really earns that distinction. I'd actually describe her voice as a cross between Edith Piaf's plaintive vibrato and Eartha Kitt's sultry purr. She's also no neophyte, having been a singer for many years and just recently finding more widespread success in her 30's. Je Veux was her big hit last summer, but another of my favorite songs from the CD is Prends Garde à Ta Langue; I couldn't find an official video for it, but click below to listen. Happy weekend, everyone!

Cropping Up

2011-05-26T16:04:00.000-07:00

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

Giddy

2011-05-25T16:01:00.000-07:00

For day 2 of conferencing I figured I couldn't go wrong with my Helmut Lang blazer. Originally I intended to wear this blazer with the All Saints dress I posted yesterday, but sadly the proportions aren't right; the blazer is just a little too long in front for the dress. Thankfully these cropped pants had just arrived via Gilt, and the sunny weather that day offered the perfect chance to try them out. They're really comfortable, and the pale beige color means they match my skin tone and thus don't shorten my legs. Expect to see a lot more of these pants -- and surprisingly soon, too.

If I look extra happy here, it's for two reasons: Jess was in town, and I was spending my workday in San Francisco. If it isn't already obvious, let me just state for the record that I am giddy with love for the city I live in. It never gets old for me; all the interesting things to do, amazing restaurants to try out, beautiful scenery, and most of all the people. Not a day goes by that I'm not filled with pride and gratitude to be a part of this unique and special place. I love it SO MUCH!!

Ahem. As I was saying... After I got home from the conference, I dressed the outfit down by swapping out my jacket, shoes, and necklace. Georgie was there to supervise.

Black blazer: Helmut Lang
Top: Ann Taylor
Pants: Cynthia Steffe
Sandals: Kors Michael Kors
Military jacket: French Kiss
Flats: Fly London

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

2011-05-24T15:12:00.000-07:00

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

Covered in Color

2011-05-23T15:30:00.000-07:00

Well it's spring, and right now it's also cold. Clearly this makes dressing in a springy way very challenging, so for this outfit I simply deployed as much color as I could possibly pile on. Electric blue legs, green scarf, orange jacket, yellow bag. When you're this covered up, the best you can do is to cover yourself with color.

Dress: Desigual.... Scarf: Rhapsodia (Argentina).... Jacket: Tulle.... Bag: Coccinelle....

Tights: Foot Traffic.... Shoes: MIA

Gift Horse

2011-05-20T15:29:00.000-07:00

Sal sent this Karen Kane dress along to me after deciding it didn't work for her figure. And although I'm convinced it would've looked fab on her, I'm also not one to look a gift horse in the mouth. And let me tell you, I absolutely LOVE this dress. Thick, bouncy, double-layered jersey gives this dress a heft and drape that is luxuriously comfortable and also substantial enough to stand up to the windiest Bay Area weather. I can already tell that this dress with a lightweight jacket, bare legs, and sandals is going to be a staple for summer weekends.

I wore the outfit with the jacket all day at work, but I thought I'd also show the dress by itself so you can get a look at the whole thing. Needless to say, the asymmetrical hemline is a big plus for me.

Dress: Karen Kane
Leggings: Black Market Baby on Etsy
Shoes: Bobbi Blu
Bangles: Amrita Singh
Denim jacket: Tulle (thrifted)

Sandals Week

2011-05-18T16:16:00.000-07:00

If only the weather still looked like this; it's gotten cold and rainy since these photos were taken. But as you can see from the last several outfits, I took full advantage of the stretch of warm weather and bared my legs, arms and feet. It was Sandals Week in the Bay Area.

In keeping with my new seasonally-appropriate dressing policy, my plan for this spring and summer is to wear the crap out of all my sandals, even on days where it might be a little on the chilly side. Then when the weather turns colder I'll pack them up in a box and store them out of sight, just as I recently did with all my heavy sweaters, woolen items, and insulated boots. That way I won't have to spend half the year looking wistfully at all those pretty shoes and being sorry I can't wear them.

Dress: Forla Paris
Scarf: Duke et Duchesse
Vest: Forever 21
Harness: Audra Jean
Shoes: Joy Chen

Patience

2011-05-17T15:54:00.000-07:00

I bought this dress from the All Saints website months ago, but when it arrived it still had the security tag on it. And since the brick-and-mortar All Saints store is down by Union Square, and since I HATE going to Union Square, it took awhile before I summoned up the motivation to go down there and have them remove the tag for me. But here's the dress at last; it's the same Layla dress style I've been eying since 2009, which I guess explains why I didn't mind waiting a couple more months to wear it. I initially fell for this dress in the blue color, but in the end I decided I liked it even better in oyster, which to me makes it more wearable as a day dress. I also liked it a LOT better on sale for $159, versus the $305 it was when I first found it. Patience finally paid off.

The little cardigan/shrug is also from All Saints. The sequins are actually all made of solid metal, which gives this piece a nice weight and drape.

Dress: All Saints
Shrug: All Saints
Bangles: Amrita Singh
Shoes: Rock and Republic

Convergence

2011-05-16T15:37:00.000-07:00

I just loved the way the soft cream, yellow and black of these platform sandals matched so perfectly with the pattern of this skirt. It was another one of those serendipitous wardrobe convergences; I didn't buy the shoes to go specifically with the skirt, but it happily worked out that way.

Blogger had some issues last week and seems to have eaten a bunch of comments, so I apologize if yours was deleted.

Top: F21
Skirt: unknown
Jewelry: Betsy Johnson
Shoes: Pour la Victoire

Swarming

2011-05-13T15:43:00.000-07:00

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

Progress

2011-05-12T15:30:00.000-07:00

This is the sort of outfit I envisioned when I bought this big cocoon-cardigan, because even the warmest days in SF are rarely warm enough for a dress like this all on its own. The cardigan is a tissue-thin slub knit fabric, which is great for adding just a tiny amount of warmth without being too heavy. On a breezy day it also flies out behind me like a cape; perfect for those times when I need to pretend I'm a superhero. What would my super power be, you might ask? I would be the Translator, able to speak any language fluently so that I could show up to help hapless travelers who are trying to find their way or just get to a bathroom. That's way more useful than having x-ray vision any day.

I also thought I'd include a wider angle shot of this corner of the house, because I finally got this window ledge looking the way I want it to, after many unsuccessful attempts at decorating it. Not only that, but I finally got Mark to move the half-assembled fountain that's been sitting in the corner for nearly a year -- which is now sitting, half assembled, where the vase used to be. It's slow progress, but at least it's progress.

Dress: Tracy Reese
Cardigan: 12th Street by Cynthia Vincent
Shoes: Camper

Formula

2011-05-11T15:04:00.000-07:00

This outfit is sort of a repeat, as I've worn this dress/tights/shoes combo a couple times before, but the colors just go so well together that whenever I pull this dress out I'm stumped to come up with a better formula. Sometimes there's just no messing with a good thing.

Since the middle panel of this dress is a see-through lace mesh, I always need to cover the midriff in order to wear it to work. This time I used the blazer to cover most of it, and filled in the rest with the scarf. It was fairly cool that day, so the velvet blazer and tights kept me warm, while the sandals and bright colors made it seasonally appropriate.

The outdoor location is the patio just off our dining room (which really isn't a dining room so much as a hatmaking studio). You've actually seen this location before, but it was with the ugly blue building next door in the background. I much prefer this angle.

Dress: Betsey Johnson
Scarf: vintage
Blazer: Victoria M. Ortiz
Tights: Foot Traffic
Sandals: John Fluevog

Sunnies

2011-05-10T15:44:00.000-07:00

Kimberly inspired me to put together this outfit after her post about red blazers a couple of weeks ago. I figured since the outfit looked so summery, I'd also show you the sunglasses I picked up for a mere 10 bucks at Century 21 while Sal and I were in New York. I love high quality, stylish sunnies, but I tend to be hard on them, so finding a great deal is important for me. For $10 I won't be heartbroken if these get scratched or I accidentally sit on them.

Blazer, dress: thrifted
Cropped pants: La Redoute
Shoes: Michael Kors
Sunnies: Cole Haan

Cabaret

2011-05-09T15:29:00.000-07:00

I spotted this sequined blazer in the window of a local boutique while I was riding the bus, and knew it needed to be mine. I've looked at many a black sequined blazer over the last year or so, but they've all been a bit too cabaret for my comfort level; somehow the dark silver sequins work better for me as part of a daytime ensemble.

For this outfit I left the blazer open for a more casual look. It fastens at the center with a single button, which makes the front tails drape down softly to a single point in the middle. I think the relaxed structure of the blazer, which drapes rather than having any structured or boxy tailoring, also adds to its casual vibe.

Blazer: B. Bella
Dress: Aryeh
Leggings: Foot Traffic
Shoes: Pour la Victoire

Red Dress Shoppe Belt Giveaway Winner

2011-05-09T11:38:00.000-07:00

Thanks everyone for all your lovely comments on my 3-year anniversary. I've drawn a winner for the Red Dress Shoppe belt giveaway using a random number generator, and the winner is:

Comment #25: ismay!

Congratulations! I'll be in touch shortly.

Kimono

2011-05-06T15:43:00.000-07:00

This blue kimono-style top is another recent purchase from the Asos sale. As soon as I saw it I thought of 1940's style sailor-inspired outfits with wide-legged trousers and wrap tops. So for its first outing I duplicated the look using these wide-legged pants, which are ordinarily more of a winter item but which I thought worked beautifully here. It was one of those cool, rainy spring days with a cloudy sky, which meant that my perfectly coordinated umbrella really came in handy. And no, I didn't buy the top to match the umbrella, but sometimes things just seem to work out that way for me.

Top: French Connection
Pants: Anthropologie
Necklace: Ambiance on Haight Street
Bangles: Amrita Singh
Umbrella: Dav
Shoes: Tsubo

Style Over Modesty

2011-05-05T15:39:00.000-07:00

If you'd seen the listing for this black top on the Asos website, you might have taken one look at the cropped length and bare midriff shown in the photos and immediately passed it by. And ordinarily, so would I. But as it turned out I had also just added this white dress to my cart, and this top immediately struck me as something I could wear with it.

As much as I love the clean look of optic white, it doesn't look great near my face. So I bought the dress knowing that I'd need to wear it with something else, because at the sale price it was a good enough deal to live with the limitation. And since in San Francisco layering is a necessity for much of the year anyway, it wasn't really that big a sacrifice.

The black top, which is made of t-shirt jersey in the front and sheer chiffon in the back, was perfect. With its funky dolman sleeves and asymmetrical hem, it provided an interesting, modern look and a nice sharp contrast against the white.

If you look closely at the dress, you'll see that the opaque lining layer is scandalously short. For that reason I was initially dubious about wearing the dress over nothing but leggings, because it essentially amounts to wearing leggings as pants. In the end I decided I didn't care, because anything I tried to layer under the dress took away from the clean, simple lines of the outfit. And looking at it now, I feel like I was plenty covered up. Score a victory for style over modesty.

Dress, top: Asos.... Leggings: Foot Traffic.... Bag: L.A.M.B..... Shoes: BC Footwear