Steampunk

This is as close as I'll ever get to a steampunk anything. I really liked all the nifty stuff people were creating when the trend first broke, but after seeing a steampunk mouse, steampunk wedding cake topper, steampunk laptop, steampunk vibrator... ok, maybe I made that last one up. But you get the idea. I was quickly burnt out on it and even the cool outfits people were sporting just didn't ring my bell anymore. However I found this cute and only-slightly-steampunk vest (from a company called Steam Trunk, no less) a few weeks ago when Mark and I were window shopping in the Haight.

The quality of the vest is excellent, and it looks equally good buttoned up or worn open like this. Today I paired it with a button-down, sheer top from Anne Taylor to give it a more business-appropriate look, and added a polka-dot camisole underneath to add a little more depth. The cords are by Marlow, and the belt is thrifted. The belt was originally too big, but my clever boy Mark shortened it for me, which actually involved cutting out a couple inches of leather and stitching it back together. How awesome is a guy that can sew?

On to the shoes. These shoes mark the beginning of a self-imposed moratorium on shoe buying for the rest of the year. In fact, I'm placing a moratorium on all clothes shopping for the rest of the year, with a couple of important caveats: thrifted items are fine if I find something really great, and during my upcoming (in October) trip to Europe, all bets are off. Clothes purchased while traveling count as souvenirs. Plus, I'm going to be in Paris for part of the trip -- how can I not shop while I'm in Paris??

The shoes are by Jo Ghost and were originally $481, which is a little too rich for my blood. However, I found them on Amazon for $105, and since there was only one pair left in my size, and since with the cute little metallic skulls and brass rivets these shoes appeared to have been specially designed just for me, and... well of course I just had to have them. The end.