Pinup

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

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: 

• Reader Request: Stylish Interview Garb
• Invisible Ink 

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: 

• Poll Results: Professional Women and Tattoos 
• Poll: Are visible tattoos ever appropriate for professional women? 

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?

Evolution

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

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

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

Patience

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

Dressing for the Season

I figured I'd better sneak in one more wear of this fabulous furry vest before we get too much further into spring. Despite it still being pretty chilly here, I've decided to make a concerted effort this year to dress for the season, which means shelving much of my warmer stuff like this vest, and avoiding wintry combos such as tights and boots. I'm still planning on wearing some of my boots during the summer, I'm just going to try to do it sans heavy tights. This look most certainly says winter, but it was really cold and rainy that day so I felt it was necessary.

One of the problems with living in a climate that doesn't have temperature extremes is that my approach to dressing varies as little as the seasons do, which means I can get tired of seeing the same things hanging in my closet day after day. I figure if I try designating certain items for a particular season only, then I'll have a renewed interest in them when that season rolls around again. Thus, this furry vest goes in the Winter pile for the time being, as do many of the other garments in this outfit. The leather pants might prove to be a multi-seasonal item, but for the next several months they'll most likely be appearing with sandals instead of boots.





How does your wardrobe change with the different seasons? Do you physically pack up items and put them aside for the season, or do they co-mingle in your closet all year round? Does this contribute to how long your items have interest and appeal for you?

Vest: Adrienne Landau
Scarf: Duke et Duchesse
Sweater: All Saints
Pants: Firetrap
Boots: Bos and Co.

Not for the Faint of heart

Here's that pretty silk chiffon dress again, as promised. This time I gave it a more relaxed look by leaving the ties loosely hanging rather than tying them up in a bow. Since the dress is sheer and needs something underneath, I chose my burgundy suede shorts; they brought in a little color and were an unexpected twist.

My initial thought was to grab one of my pairs of tall, chunky boots, such as my Jeffrey Campbell Clinics or X-Rays. But in the end I decided that they would've been a rather obvious choice to pair with shorts, so I opted for these well-worn cowboy boots instead. The giant wedge boots are so ubiquitous these days that I feel the need to deploy them sparingly, and then only when it's least expected.

This outfit also features the new bag that I brought home from Century 21 in New York; the store is home to some amazing deals on designer goods but is not for the faint of heart. Getting trampled in the mad frenzy, or at the very least jostled and shoved,  is a very real possibility. I narrowly escaped with my life! -- and this infinitely versatile bag. I've decided that soft gray is the perfect shade for a bag; it can go with browns, it can go with black, it can go with color. And I might have been exaggerating just a little when I implied that I risked my life to buy it.


Dress: Fremont
Shrug: All Saints
Necklace: Wendy Brandes
Bag: L.A.M.B.
Shorts: thrifted and shortened (from pants)
Boots: vintage Morgan

Ombre

It's been cold here lately, so I layered up this sundress so that I could get away with wearing it now instead of having to wait for summer. I've also worn it a few times now over jeans and boots, which is another great way to make the dress more wearable when it's cold out.

The dress is an ombre print that blends from yellow to gray as it goes from top to bottom, so putting a cardigan over it gives it the appearance of being two separate pieces (although this particular cardigan is somewhat sheer, so you can see the continuous print through it of you look carefully). I pulled the dress's self belt off and put it over the cardigan to better integrate the two pieces.

Dress: Aryeh
Cardigan: All Saints
Tights: Noa Noa
Boots: All Black

The Last Straw

Here are Jess and I, all dolled up at our friend Lisa's wedding in Seattle. In the interest of wearing all the new stuff I bought in New York as quickly and as much as possible, I swapped the dress I brought with me to wear for this one, from the All Saints store in Chelsea. Jess looked fabulous in her 50's style wiggle dress, and I'm crazy about that burgundy Coach bag of hers. It's an evening bag, but it actually has room to hold stuff, unlike those pointless, tiny clutches that can barely hold your lipstick and some cash, let alone a camera. I ended up bringing a regular full sized bag, I got so frustrated trying to jam all my crap into my evening bag.

This was the night that I realized that these shoes have really got to go. I've had them for ages, and in many ways they're great, but no matter what modifications I try they destroy every pair of nylons or tights I wear with them. Just as usual, when I checked midway through the evening I had a run starting at one of the toes, even though I had chopped my toenails back as far as I reasonably could without drawing blood. I've bitched about these shoes before, but this time it was finally the last straw.

I also wore my new Helmut Lang jacket, since it was cold that evening. Looking at it now I feel like I could easily make this dress/blazer combo into a daytime outfit if I combined it with nude legs and something more casual than satin shoes.

Dress: All Saints
Blazer: Helmut Lang
Shoes: Steve Madden

A Moment of Panic

These boots were purchased in a moment of panic just before I left for New York, when I was convinced I was going to be mucking through three feet of snow the entire time I was there. I actually ordered a different pair first, some white snow boots which were utterly adorable but which ran a size too small and had to go back. Fortunately I found these, which are waterproof and shearling lined, but have the added bonus of being wearable back home. I hadn't heard of Bos and Co. before, but they're owned by the same folks who make Fly London shoes, so I took a chance and ordered them at the very last minute. Normally I would never advocate taking brand new shoes on a trip, but I did just that and lucked out; they're wonderfully comfortable and a great heel height for walking all day. And I've gotten multiple compliments every time I've worn them.

I bought the vest in New York while I was out shopping with Sal, Sara, and K. Line. It was marked down 50% and it was just so deliciously soft and furry that I couldn't resist. I've worn this vest several times now and each time I do, someone asks if they can touch it. Hey, at least so far they're asking first.

Vest: Adrienne Landau
Tunic: All Saints
Leather pants: Firetrap
Boots: Bos and Co.

Going to the Vet

This was my "taking Georgie to the vet" outfit; it needed to be comfortable and not easily wrinkled as I loaded Georgie in and out of the car and knelt down to hold her for the vet to examine (she's fine, by the way -- she had a back spasm that was causing her some pain when she jumped up).

I tucked the jeans into the short boots by tucking them first into a long, thick pair of gray socks. This kept the hem of the jeans firmly in place even when bending or sitting down. For a little sparkle I added this pretty hammered gold necklace I bought awhile back (I liked it so much I got one for my mom for Christmas too). I love the organic shapes of the circles and the way the necklace fills out the entire neckline.

Vest: Forever 21
Tunic: All Saints
Necklace: from Ambiance in SF
Jeans: Joe's
Boots: Bastien

Home at Last

Well I'm back, and boy is it good to be home. Despite the fact that I now feel like I've got a cold coming on, I had a great trip; I met many wonderful bloggers in New York and spent lots of time with my dear Sal, I saw both my friend Lisa and my sister Jessie get married, and I visited with family and friends. I also spent a great deal of time being cold and having dry skin. Again, being back in San Francisco feels great.

I'll try to put together a recap of my trip later this week or next, but first I need to get caught up on some of my pre-vacation outfits, of which this is one. In the meantime, check out these posts, which detail some of what I was up to:

• Sal's New York recap

• Sal's Eileen Fisher fall preview

• K-Line's New York recaps here and here (you should also check out the beautiful cape she bought while we were all shopping at Barney's together)
• A variation of what Sara wore for our shopping extravaganza
• Wendy B's Fashion Week recap -- including a great shot of several of us doing the Wendy B signature pose
• Cameron's recap of our blogger meet-up at the Empire Hotel (in which she mercifully does not mention how drunk I got)
• Rad's description of our Brooklyn meet-up (in which she mercifully does not mention how hungover I was)

I think that about covers them all. Also, be sure to stop by at Inside Out Style and take a look at the Stylish Thoughts guest post I did. Thanks to Imogen for including me!

Hat, sweater, socks: Noa Noa
Shirt: H&M
Dress: All Saints
Belt: Red Dress Shoppe
Tights: Foot Traffic
Boots: Bastien

Pistol

After the film noir festival the other week I was feeling very femme fatale, so I put together this outfit using a couple of new items I got recently from All Saints. This is the Heta Hunting jacket and matching skirt, which together make a beautiful suit that to me has a very 1940's vibe. I added my own classically-styled fedora (with a proper brim, mind you; none of this stingy-brimmed hipster nonsense) to give it more of a vintage feel. All I need is a tiny pistol in my garter and I'll be all set.

As with all of All Saints' clothing, this suit has loads of beautiful details. The high-backed collar, the origami folded lapels, the asymmetrical draping on the skirt and the deep blue fabric woven throughout with faint gray lines all give these pieces a timeless quality. Since the neckline on the jacket is so dramatic I opted not to add a necklace, instead just letting my lace-trimmed cami peek out a tiny bit. The olive green cami, with its tiny red bow detail, tied in the rest of my olive and red elements.

This was my first order from the US All Saints site, so I'll share my observations. First, the sizes on the US site are indeed listed in the UK equivalents, so for instance if you order a size 10 you're getting a US 6. Shipping from the US was inexplicably slow; in fact, I've ordered things from the UK site and had them show up more quickly. And finally, the dress I ordered along with this suit still had the security tag on it, so now I have to haul it down to the store on Geary Street where hopefully they can remove it for me. All in all I've had much better experiences shopping on the UK site, but I'm hoping that this was just a fluke. Either way when shopping online with All Saints it's a good idea to check both sites; not only is the stock different but sometimes the prices vary greatly too.

Jacket, skirt: All Saints
Camisole: Glam Garb by Gunlis
Tights: Hue
Shoes: Faryl Robin
Hat: Audra Jean

Just For Kicks

I have Fawn to thank for this dress; it was she who alerted me to the fact that All Saints was having a big sale (and still is, by the way). I'd had my eye on this dress for quite some time, but in fact it was out of stock in my size when I first discovered it. When Fawn told me about the sale, I decided just for kicks to see if it had been restocked, and lo and behold it had. Not only that but it was marked down 30%, so clearly it was meant to be.

What really made me fall in love with this dress was that it has a slate blue stripe pattern. If I have one complaint about All Saints it's that most of their clothes are solid black or gray; now to be fair, that's probably the one thing that keeps me from unloading the majority of my income there, so in a larger sense it's probably a good thing. But nevertheless, coming across All Saints items with color is something of a rarity, so color AND pattern together made this dress a must-have for me. Even though the fabric of the dress still comes across as a neutral, I could easily pair it with brighter colors and make the blue stripes stand out.

The dress has all the interesting detailing and amazing quality I've come to expect from All Saints. The shape is great for my figure because it adds volume up top and at the hips, while at the same time showing plenty of leg. It looks warm and cozy all layered up here, but it's a light enough cotton that I can also imagine wearing it with bare legs and arms (the dress is sleeveless) for a summer look. As an added bonus, that pile of fabric at the back of the neck unbuttons into a hood; I'm not sure I'd actually wear it that way, but I love that the possibility is there.

Dress: All Saints
Cardigan: thrifted
Belt: Urban outfitters
Tights: Noa Noa
Boots: Bronx

Spectacle

Yesterday Mark and I walked down to the big parade and celebration for the Giants, and what an amazing spectacle that was. It's estimated to have been the largest attendance for any San Francisco event, ever. I originally intended just to go for the morning and then head off to work, but I ended up taking the whole day off because the city was so jammed up with traffic there was no way I was going to get out. It was an ideal day for such a celebration; our weather has been glorious the last several days, and yesterday it was sunny and in the low 80's.

This denim jacket was a thrift store find, and I was mighty excited to find it. A denim jacket is something I've been seeking for well over a year now, and for some reason I got it into my head that I wanted to find one second hand. It's one of those items that I just can't bring myself to pay retail price for. The jacket is by Tulle, one of my favorite brands, and has all the elements I wanted; lots of shaping, cute pocket details, dark wash, and short but not cropped length. At $7 this was a fantastic find.

The ankle boots are new, purchased a couple of weeks ago during some sale that Endless was having (damn you Endless, for tempting me with all your sales!). I purchased them along with another pair of soon-to-be-revealed boots, and since these bumped my total purchase price into a bigger discount level, I essentially got these for free. They received mixed reviews on comfort, but I took a chance because I've had good luck with the brand, and it turns out that my finicky feet really love them. The common complaint in the reviews is that they are a very high heel, but since high heels tend to be more comfortable for me than flats, these feel great. I'll be getting a lot of use out of them, I'm sure.

The outfit was inspired by Sheila's casual Friday looks, in which she usually incorporates a graphic tee with other dressier items such as skirts and heels. Underneath the graphic tee I layered a chiffon-trimmed tank to echo the color and texture of the skirt. I chose leggings that matched the boots in order to give my legs a long, interrupted line and keep the focus on the top half of the outfit.

Jacket: Tulle
Tank: Anthropologie
Graphic tee: All Saints
Skirt: Anthropologie
Leggings: Noa Noa
Boots: MIA