Fashion Obsessions

I don't know about the rest of you, but I tend to go through stages with minor fashion obsessions. I'll spend days or weeks looking for the perfect iteration of a particular item of clothing until either A) I find it or B) I give up and move on to the next thing.


My last fashion obsession was the perfect ankle-length hippie skirt. Long ago...all the way back in high school, ha...I had this great chocolate brown embroidered hippie skirt...it was full and heavy and swirled around my ankles most delightfully. And for some reason, a little while ago, I became obsessed with finding something similar. That one was a success...my husband remembered a local hippie clothing shop a few suburbs over and we headed out on a mission! This time, I went with deep blue instead of chocolate brown, but otherwise, the skirts are almost the same. It's too cold out to wear my skirt much yet, but I've worn it around the house and felt like a goddess as it swirled and clung. Love it.


My current obsession is finding the perfect cape. It has to be long enough, but not TOO long (I don't want a cloak!) It has to be warm wool with a lining so I can wear it into the coldest days of fall and even into early winter with layers underneath. It has to button up the front all...or at least most...of the way up--no single clasps or two-button closures! It has to have arm holes...I want a cape, not a poncho! And preferably, it should be a funky-yet-classic plaid, or, barring that, a nice bright red or blue or other jewel tone. Vintage is preferable, but new will do as long as it's quality!


I'm not too picky, am I?!? ;-)

Comfort AND Style

Okay, so one more post. I was browsing my blogroll just a bit ago and ran across the most recent post by The Sartorialist. I enjoy his blog, even when I don't particularly like the style of the folks he features...which is frequently, to be honest. But it's because of the wide variety of style he features that I keep coming back. There's often some little element of an outfit that I find I can apply to my own closet contents. However, I find it ironic, given the preponderance of "haute couture" and highly polished, sleek looks to be found in most fashion blogs, The Sartorialist included, that the outfit I find myself drawn to is this one...so simple, so comfortable, so much the opposite of "haute couture," and yet so, so stylish as well.



Personally, I would apply this look in tones of navy, rather than brown. A long, soft navy dress or skirt, possibly in jersey, topped with a similarly-toned navy corduroy blazer with grey elbow patches. And since it's a fall look, I'd switch out the sandals for grey suede boots. Perfection. Comfort AND style, all in one simple outfit. Elements both of bohemian ease and scholarly disregard. Love it.

Style Sunday: Newsie Caps

I recently cut all my hair off. I went from "flowing raven locks" (my husband's description) to a cute little pixie cut barely an inch long. I love it, though, don't get me wrong! I'm having a lot of fun accessorizing and dressing for my new hair, ha! But I recently discovered, while pulling out my winter gear to get ready for the cold, that my beloved cloche hats now look...well...ridiculous on me. They cover my whole head and you can't see any of my hair, so it just looks WRONG. So, it's time for a replacement! In my initial perusal of the hat racks at Target last night, it seems that the style most suited to my current crop is the newsboy cap. This boyish style sits just far enough back on my head to reveal the spiky bangs at the front, while not covering the entire sides. I didn't purchase anything last night...I'm picky about hats, and it has to be JUST the right one...but I found a few interesting options browsing Etsy today!

These two are a little more traditional and slightly more masculine in style, which isn't a bad thing! A little gender-ambiguity can be a very sexy thing in style, after all!

M Newsie by jonboy

Mickey Cap by EarthWhirled

These two hats, though, are slightly more feminized in shape, color, and detailing, which offers its own appeal!

Shadow hat by BKMHattitude


Etta Hat in Pink Linen by piperandpaisley

So many choices out there! I'll have a lot of fun browsing the hat sections of stores for a while to come, I'm sure, until I'm able to find the perfect hat for my new hair!

Statement Necklaces

Okay, unless you've been living in a cave for the last several months, you have to have realized that the statement necklace is hot right now. Huge bejeweled bib necklaces, linked pectorals of beads, ruffly explosions of fabric or flowers...who could forget the young lady on the Sartorialist with her simple jeans and tank top paired with a huge red flower necklace and simple perfect red lips? Her statement necklace is what really made that outfit work!

And yet, somehow, those necklaces are just not for me. I mean, there have certainly been some of them I have enjoyed, and I'm pretty well-known in my group for my adoration of big chunky jewelry. But I tend to prefer a less sparkly, less frilly, more classic look to my large jewelry.

This wonderful copper necklace is the kind of statement necklace I like:



Bold, certainly. It would make a statement, definitely. And yet, as the seller says, it really is the kind of thing you could see an Egyptian queen wearing...classic in the truest sense of the word. But couldn't you see pairing it with a simple black tank top and a pair of dark-wash jeans, as well? And it would look wonderful with my favorite pair of copper earrings.

So what do you think of the current statement necklace trend? Yay, or nay?

What I Wore: Falling into Fall

Shirt: Anthropologie
A-line denim skirt: Anthropologie
Crochet tights: Sock Dreams
Green suede books: Aerosoles
Peacock-print bangle: Modcloth
Silver necklace: vintage


Sadly, it has become apparent that fall has arrived. The days are getting chillier, the wind has picked up, and the sun is setting earlier and earlier. I say "sadly" because I'm never ready for summer to be over, and this year especially! We've had a very cold, wet summer and it feels like the warm days were never here at all...just a passing fancy rather than a lasting fact.

Honestly, though, I do love fall...at least I love EARLY fall. The time when the air is just crisp, not yet cold, when the skies are still blue and not that slate-grey so common to November, when the leaves are changing colors but are, for the most part, still on the trees. So I'm trying to embrace the season gracefully. I think today's outfit is a good compromise, ha!

What I Wore: Moody Blues

Cardigan: Express
Embellished tank: Anthropologie
Denim a-line: Anthropologie
Skinny black belt: Kenneth Cole
Flowered headband: Anthropologie
Red heels: Merona, from Target


I'm just bright and sparkling all over today! The tank has this lovely band of beading and raw-edged lacy material at the top, the cardigan is anything but neutral with its row of rhinestone buttons, and the red shoes...well, who doesn't love a pop of red? I realize that the belt buckle looks gold here, but it's actually silver. Reflecting the light strangely, I suppose.

I love this cardigan. It's this perfect shade of grey...when paired with something in blue shades, like the tank, the cardigan looks blue-grey. When paired with just about anything else, it looks more of a deep grey. A wonderfully versatile neutral, and such soft fabric!

I'm sure I'll be wearing this exact outfit well into fall, paired with tights and knee-high boots instead of the bare legs and red heels.

The Uniform Project

Have you heard about The Uniform Project? It's fascinating!

A young woman, Sheena Matheiken, has committed to wearing the same dress for a year, only changing up her accessories to make different outfits. She has seven identical dresses specifically designed for the project...the dress can be worn backwards or forwards or open as a tunic and is made of a durable cotton that will be light enough for summer wear but able to be layered in the colder months. Many or all of the accessories she'll be using to jazz up her uniform dress are vintage and thrifted, or gifts...making this year-long clothing experiment both affordable AND sustainable/green.

Some of her outfits are amazing! Despite the fact that she's wearing a black dress in all of them, this girl has definitely got style. It's so, so nice to see someone who puts such creativity into her clothing without having to resort to the latest-greatest (and therefore most expensive!) trends and designers. Inspiring!!

What I Wore -- A Little Bit Southwest

Fluttery beige skirt: La Redoute
White button-down: Ann Taylor
Turquoise cami: Express
Red peep-toes: Franco Sarto
Bangle bracelets: Vintage, thrifted
Adjustable black belt: Vintage, thrifted
Carved bone sea turtle necklace: a shop in Hawai'i
Silver-toned earrings: World Market


I was aiming at a slight Southwest flavor here, without having to pile on the cliched chunky turquoise and silver jewelry. I think the red and turquoise color palette and the crispness of the sand-colored skirt paired with a simply white button-down, with just a few silver and bone accessories pulled off my intended effect nicely.

I hardly ever wear outfits which involve a shirt being TUCKED IN, though. So all day long, I've been sort of tugging at it, making sure it's still sitting right, ha! And the belt is adjustable in size and tends to slowly get larger as the day passes and the movements of my body stretch it out, so I've had to fix it once or twice, too. Over all, a nice outfit, but high maintenance!

The Most Perfect Dress Ever

Just a quick note to say that this new dress from Anthropologie may just be the most perfect dress (for me) ever.


Let's review, shall we?

1. Bright, rich, jewel-tone color? Check!
2. Flattering wrap-style bodice and ruffled peplum? Check!
3. Easy-breezy jersey fabric? Check!
4. Curve-enhancing straight/pencil skirt? Check!

Oh, Anthropologie, how you tempt and torment me...!! And see, they KNOW it's the perfect dress. They even named it the Plum Perfect dress. *siiiigh*

What I Wore -- Flowery Fields

Given that it's pretty overcast and slightly cooler today, I decided to perk things up with my new vintage bright-colored dress. I threw on a cardigan against the wind and the rain that's supposed to be coming later and paired the whole thing with the simple black strappy wedges I've been wearing with just about everything lately.



Dress and coordinating ribbon belt-- Vintage, from Pretty Little World Vintage
Cream cardigan-- J.Crew, several years back
Black wedge sandals-- Born
White scarf worn in hair-- vintage, thrifted
Bangle bracelets-- vintage, thrifted

Timeless Style: The Little Black Dress

I found a great image over on the blog Sally Jane Vintage the other day. It's a vintage shot of a lady in a classic little black dress, surrounded by all the different sorts of accessories she could use to change the look of the dress. In fact, why don't we look at that image now, hhmm?




It's wonderful inspiration for anyone interested in fashion and shows that the more things change the more they stay the same. I mean, okay, we don't really use gloves as accessories quite that way anymore, but that dress wouldn't look out of place on the streets today. In fact, I found an almost identical version on Modcloth! And certainly the idea of using a classic piece like the LBD and simply adding accessories to change it up is one that most truly fashionable people still subscribe to. Just for fun, I took the dress I found on Modcloth and used Polyvore to make my own modern version of this vintage image.

Clearly, one thing I did differently was to use shoes as an accessory more, and I didn't exactly use dickies and gloves, either. But the basic principle is the same. Long live the LBD!!

What I Wore, May 21, 2009

I've been inspired to do occasional "What I Wore" posts whenever I think my day's outfit is particularly cute or well put-together...in my own personal opinion, of course, and hopefully yours as well! Ha!!

Today's outfit fits the bill, I think!

Back view, showing the cute ruffles on the skirt!

Black pencil skirt from Anthropologie with ruffles on the back and white piping on the pockets and waistband, ruffled blouse from (I think!) La Redoute (back before the US store closed, boo!), cute new black slingback peeptoes by Seychelles, yellow Movement-of-Waves back from Anthro, and two vintage bangle bracelets. I felt very classy and kind of French!

A bit coquettish!

Big thanks to my husband for taking these shots for me! Much easier than setting up a tripod, ha!

Who knew yellow was so versatile?

So, you remember that wonderful yellow purse from Anthropologie that I posted about a little while back?

Well, my wonderful husband went out and bought it for me!! He gave it to me yesterday. (Don't I just have the best husband, gals?!)

And so far this morning, I've been going crazy on Polyvore, putting together various looks with which the purse will be amazing. And a variety it is, indeed!

My favorites:

Simple, glamorous elegance!

Grey is my current favorite neutral!

With the jacket, work ready. Without, dinner date!

Perfect for running around town doing errands.

A Signature Style

Okay, when it comes to fashion and style, I really only have one hard-and-fast rule: If I don't feel confident and sexy when I'm wearing it, I shouldn't be wearing it. (Well, I also have rules about never wearing acid-washed jeans or turtlenecks, but that's a whole different story!) Otherwise, my actual style has been somewhat in a state of flux over the last few years.

Working in a library as I am now, I'm striving to balance the fact that I tend to lean towards punk-rock, tough-girl looks with the necessity of being at least somewhat more professional at work, while at the same time finding a new way to be myself while dressed casually, too. (No more jeans and snarky cartoon-character teeshirts for me!) And, of course, despite a certain fondness for studded bracelets, leather jackets, and motorcycle boots, there is the fact that I also adore both old-fashioned elegance (Victorian lace! Velvet!) and softer, girlier looks with lots of bright colors and flowers.

How does one balance all of those looks at once? Well, of course, the answer to that is that sometimes, one doesn't...at least not all in one outfit! But all in one closet is certainly possible. Victorian lace looks wonderful under black leather, and there's nothing wrong with pairing studs with flowers, in my ever-humble opinion! But I've been trying to fill my wardrobe with pieces that do double or triple duty...shirts that can go to work under a blazer, out to run errands under a casual jacket, or out to a nice dinner when paired with fancy jewelry. That kind of thing.

Recently, I've fallen completely in love with the Glittering Depths blouse from Anthropologie. It's a wee bit on the expensive side, but it's perfect for my dream wardrobe in so many ways! I even dreamed about wearing it last night...I'm that obsessed! I love that it is soft charcoal grey, rather than a harsher black, that the sequins can read as either romantic or totally rock-n-roll, and that the soft silk can be dressed up or down just as easily.

Trying to get it out of my system...or at least to figure out if the blouse would actually work for me, anyway...I decided to play around in Polyvore and put together an outfit around the blouse that would fit in with my sense of style. I paired it with dark-wash straight-legged jeans, a bright-colored slouchy hobo, a pair of aviators (these I already own), some nice simple silver gladiators (again, already part of my wardrobe), and bright-colored, girly accessories. And damn, if it doesn't work. I can totally see myself running around town in this outfit. *SIGH*





If I hadn't already spent so much money this month, buying this shirt would be a no-brainer! As it is...um...honey, if you're reading this, I have a birthday coming up and I wear a medium! HA!