WIW 10.17.13 - My Son Likes It.

I nearly fainted this morning when my 12 year old told me that I look nice. He's a very nice boy, but he hardly ever notices such things. He made my day :)

Chambray shirt: Banana Republic
Sweater: Free People
Skirt: Banana Repulic (It's navy, not gray like it looks in the picture)
Boots: nicole from DSW

29 comments

WIW 10.16.13 - Running Late

I would have made some changes to this outfit if I had had more time this morning, but I was running late. It's not a complete fail, but I don't feel fab in it. (The white top has a lot of loose threads, the booties are too bright, and I just don't like a sharp contrast in color from my top to my bottom)

Jacket: White House Black Market
Top: H&M
Pants: Lafayette 148
Boots: Report

18 comments

WIW 10.15.13 - Inspired by MaryK & DayVies

Thanks MaryK & Day Vies for the inspiration! I borrowed Mary's color palette and Day Vies' style of wearing a button down under a cardi to put together this comfortable work day outfit. I'm pretty happy with it.

And hey, it's almost an orange and blue outfit a la Angie's blog post today :) Is gold considered orange or yellow? Or both?

Sweater - Cable & Gauge
Blouse & Necklace - Made by me
Pants - BR Martins
Shoes - Clarks

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23 comments

WIW - Saturday & Monday

Saturday

My husband took me out for a casual dinner on Saturday. I tried to faux tuck my grey top and bookend the top with my shoes. I'm just not sure about tucking on me at all. It does two things: draws attention to my short waist and wide hips. Oh well! I was comfortable and had fun!

Cowl neck top made by me
American Eagle jeans
Crown Vintage  shoes
Miss 60 trench

I also tried a new face powder made by Mattify. It doesn't contain the harmful ingredients that are in a lot of mineral makeup and which cause me to break out with cystic acne. This powder does a nice job of evening out my skin tone. I didn't have time to apply it today, so you can see the difference between 1 & 3.

Monday

I went to Target yesterday with the intention of buying a skirt I had seen on some fashion blogs (Philip Lim's animal print skirt), but was so disappointed in the quality that I left it on the rack. However, I did spot this houndstooth jacket which fits me just right (I can even button it up!) and is made better than you would expect for a $30 jacket.

Merona Houndstooth jacket
Halogen skirt and tee-shirt
Zig Zag tights also from target
katie & kelly booties

Please disregard my messy hair. I was in a rush to get out the door. I fixed it in the office bathroom :)

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16 comments

WIW - 10.11.13 - Casual Friday

Sweater: made by me
Turtleneck: Banana Republic...sized up for fluid fit
Jeans: Gap
Booties: Vince Camuto
Necklace: Forever 21???

So I lied about giving up on jeans and pants. These Gap jeans came in the mail yesterday, and while the fit isn't perfect and the rise is probably too high for a short-waisted person like myself to tuck tops into, they have several advantages:

(a) my backside doesn't hang out when I sit down
(b) they're comfortable
(c) They are sufficiently streamlined so I don't look too frumpy
(d) I can wear tall boots with them
(d) They're relatively inexpensive

PPP is a wonderful rule. It's prevented me from making some very serious ($$$) mistakes. If over zealously applied, it can lead to awkward holes in your wardrobe, like not having anything to cover up your lower half. Perhaps It's just me? When I had time enough to sew all of my own clothes, I could make sure they fit EXACTLY as I wished them to. I ended up with unrealistic expectations when it came to clothes off the rack.

Alterations are useful up to a point. I'm going to try sewing a couple of darts in the back waistband to cinch in the waist a bit. My belt is not keeping them quite where I want them. I'm not sure this will work with denim, because it may be too thick. I don't really want to take the waistband off and do more extensive alterations. I tried that once and found that the manufacturer had left hardly any fabric in the seams for me to work with. It didn't go well. Hats off to tailors who know what they're doing!

15 comments

WIW - 10.10.13 - Tweed & Plaid

The one outfit I didn't feel all that good in this week was when I wore trousers. To increase my happiness factor today, I decided it was necessary to don a dress.

Dress: self-made (I'm proud of my plaid matching)
Black Turtleneck
Tweed Jacket: Lafayette 148
Booties: Kelly & Katie

Since our weather is in transition, I'll probably wear all three combinations at some point today. I hope it works!

Thanks, as always, for you feedback.

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23 comments

WIW 10.9.13 - Here Kitty Kitty

I'm forcing myself to post daily outfit pics even on days when things don't work out quite as I had hoped. I've set a new goal to replace some items this year that I like in theory, but don't necessarily work out as well as I'd like in practice.

I love the Gap kitty shirt because I like kitties. It's saved from being too twee because they are silhouettes. The drawback to the shirt? It's a tad bit tight over the hips, which makes tucking it as I have done a little tricky.

I like a white jacket...but is this too short to wear with pants? Perhaps I should look for another one?

Thanks for your feedback!

16 comments

WIW 10/8/13 - Zigging and Zagging

This outfit feels a little unfinished to me because It's not layered, but I didn't like any of my jackets or sweaters with it, so I'm keeping it simple.

Funny story: DH just got back from NY city and so his head is full of all the things he saw there. He looked at my outfit and exclaimed, "I didn't know you had boots like those. All the ladies in NY wear boots like those!"

I've had the boots for 2 years and have worn them so much I've had to have them repaired by a cobbler twice. It's a good thing I dress to please myself! hahaha

Top: Vince Camuto Zig-zag top
Skirt: Halogen Seamed Pencil skirt
Zig-Zag Tights: from Target
Boots: Kelly & Katie (probably due to be replaced)

P.S. I think I'm giving up on trousers/jeans for the time being. I can't find any that look right on me. Grrr.

31 comments

WIW 10.7.13 - Rowr!

Express top
Home-sewn skirt
Via Spiga Shoes
Halogen jacket
vintage bracelet

I bought the Express blouse this weekend and a bright blue one just like it. I'm tempted to buy more. They have a nice drapey fit and there is minimal gaping over my bust line...plus, they're relatively inexpensive.

P.S. My apologies re: the funky camera angle. I had to move everything into a new room and use a different lens and didn't have enough time this a.m. to adjust things appropriately.

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34 comments

WIW 10.4.13 - Floral Blazer

Casual Friday! Yay!

Blazer: Asos
T-shirt: Halogen
Necklace: Target
Jeans: NYDJ (frumpy?)

NEW SHOES!!! Another pair of Crown Vintage shoes that I just love...laceless pointy-toed oxfords in grey. Note the bookending :) I'll have to post a close up of them later.

A note on color issues: there is actually quite a bit of the bright purple in the jacket that echos the t-shirt. I do not understand why it's not showing up in the photo...perhaps the camera flash washed that out?

26 comments