Bettye

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

Stealth Layering

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)

Assemble a Rainbow

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

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

Peggy Bundy

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. 

Covered in Color

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

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)

Kimono

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

Get Over It

For some reason this skirt always feels very risqué to me, even though the shortest length isn't any shorter than some of the other skirts I wear. I think it's just the differential between the long back and the short front; somehow it feels like it's supposed to be a long skirt, but then there's that big opening in the front.

I figure I just need to get over it, because to me it works better as a bare-legged spring/summer garment than as a layered up winter one. It's more comfortable bare-legged, too, because there's no good way to prevent tights from sticking to this skirt.

This skirt has a very high waist, and it's made of a dense, slightly stretchy cotton blend fabric, which does a great job of smoothing out my figure. It's like a foundation garment only WAY more comfortable. I combined it with my snugly-tailored blazer to continue the slim line through the torso and to give me some volume around the bust and shoulders.

Underneath I wore my lace-trimmed full slip, which just peeked out at the neckline and below the front hem.

In other news, I'm really happy that my beloved San Jose Sharks have made it into the second playoff round, and are leading the series. Laura and I found a fabulous new (well, new to us anyway) venue to go root for our team, and Laura even got us some shark hats to wear. Stay tuned for some serious team spirit -- I'll be posting photos at some point soon. 

Also, have you entered my 3-year anniversary giveaway yet? There's still time -- the contest closes at 8 pm PST this Friday! Make sure you to leave your comment(s) in the original entry. The giveaway is open to international entries, too!

Blazer: All Saints.... Skirt: Skin Graft.... Shoes: Paolo

Let's Get This Party Started

I snagged these beautiful navy blue silk pants on Gilt for $99; they came with the original $790 price tag still affixed, which made me happy. I really wanted them as more of a fall item, having been inspired by LPC's post about party pants. If anyone needs a pair of party pants, surely it's me. I just thought I'd start the party a little early by wearing them now.

The pants need to be hemmed a few inches, but I wanted to sneak in one quick wear before I drop them off at the tailor. Tucking them into boots did the trick. It's never a party when your pant legs are dragging on the ground.

It was tough to capture the sheen and color of the fabric in these photos; it's a deep blue, metallic textured silk. Gorgeous.

Also tough to see here is the metallic sheen of my silver shirt, which created a subtle sparkle underneath the sheer chiffon layer. The fun, bobble-edged scarf added to the festivities. Click the photo to enlarge; you can see the texture better in the larger image.

Chiffon top: Noa Noa
Silver top: no idea
Cardigan: Cynthia Rowley
Scarf: Eileen Fischer
Belt: Noa Noa
Pants: Vera Wang
Boots: All Black
Bangles: Amrita Singh

Georgie tried to join in this photo shoot, but it didn't go quite as well as the last time. First I had to scratch her head to keep her from trying to lick my silk pants...

... and then she just got bored.

Mystery Shoes Revealed!

It was totally worth the wait, am I right?

Making their debut in this outfit are my fabulous new Miu Miu shoes and Wolford tights, and let me tell you, I felt KILLER in these. I don't think my legs have ever looked so good.

Like the Valentino dress, these shoes came after a long period of deliberation. And by long, I mean roughly 15 years, because that's how long I've wanted a pair of Miu Miu shoes.

Now I'm no label whore; I don't want just any pair of Miu Mius simply for the name. But over the years, this is one of a handful of high end brands that has consistently taken my breath away with their gorgeous shoe designs. In fact, I vividly remember the moment I laid eyes on the first pair of Miu Mius I'd ever seen; they were spectator mary janes, and when I saw them in an ad in Vogue, I fell HARD for them. At the time there was no question of being able to own them, but I never forgot that beautiful pair of shoes.

In seeking out the ideal pair of Miu Mius, I looked for something iconic, something that even the most casual observer would know was special. At the same time the shoes had to meet my splurge criteria of having staying power and being versatile, so they couldn't be too far out or trendy. These black satin mary janes really fit the bill: they're a classic style, can be worn day or evening, and as an added bonus they can replace my nylon-chewing Steve Maddens. And that extravagant heel gives them the special quality I was looking for.

I'll be honest with you, these aren't the most comfortable shoes I own. Even with the thick platform, their 5 inch heels put my feet in a nearly vertical position. However, they aren't nearly as ankle-breaking as you might expect either; I won't be running any marathons in them, but they were just fine for a normal work day. Obviously I didn't get much work done though, since I spent much of the day gazing at my own feet.

The Wolford tights get two big thumbs up; yes, they're on the pricey side, but they are beautifully made and they make my legs look fantastic. They aren't tissue-thin and delicate either; I think these will easily stand up to normal wear and tear. I've long maintained that quality hosiery is worth the money, and since I wear skirts and dresses so much more than I wear pants, it's helpful to have at least one really unique pair of tights that has the power to transform an outfit.

For their debut I let the shoes and tights be the star, keeping the rest of the outfit neutral and unadorned. The denim jacket further reinforced the look as a daytime one.



Top: La Redoute
Jacket: Tulle
Navy skirt: All Saints
Tights: Wolford
Shoes: Miu Miu, via eBay

Brick Wall

I finally got to wear this maxi dress with bare legs, and what a difference it made -- this was lightyears more comfortable than having to deal with tights underneath. I'm excited about the possibilities for wearing it through the summer. For this outfit, I added navy blue and orange to give it a nautical touch.

Dress: Forever 21
Top, belt: Red Dress Shoppe
Scarf: Banana Republic
Shoes: BC Footwear

On a completely random and unrelated note, I realized something about myself this morning as I was driving to work: I deeply dislike songs that have choruses of children in them. Get those kids out of my rock song! Moreover, I think it's because I feel like kids should be chaotic, so having a bunch of them them doing something as organized and disciplined as singing in harmony creeps me out in a Village of the Damned sort of way.

A brick wall... I must think of a brick wall!

Close Enough

This vintage jacket actually found me; it was hanging there in the dressing room in St. Vinny's when I went thrift shopping with my mom in Albany, Oregon. I picked it up, noticed the wasp-waisted shaping and double row of Bakelite buttons, put it on, and found that it fit perfectly. $4.49 later it was mine.

I figured this jacket was the perfect vehicle for my evil-looking cat brooch with googly white eyes, which Katie reminded me I needed to wear. I'm not sure it's from exactly the same era as the jacket, but it's close enough for me.

Jacket: vintage
Brooch: vintage Trifari
Pearls: grandma's
Skirt: Eva Franco
Shoes: BCBGirls

Hybrid

This is another runway-inspired outfit, which I got the idea for after seeing Christian Dior's blends of vibrant blue and burgundy, as well as the interesting mixing of long upper layers with shorter lower ones. The end result was sort of a hybrid; below are the two outfits I drew from compared with the final outcome:

As you can see I put my own spin on it by including some pattern mixing, and the vibrant, floral trench coat (as well as the absence of any fur) gave the outfit a springier look. The nude, patterned tights look funny in these photos, but I promise my legs did not look that creepy in real life. I would've actually preferred to go bare-legged, but it just wasn't quite warm enough yet.

I really liked the blue/burgundy mix; I will definitely play around with this pairing again. I also thought the long cardigan and trench over the shorts was cheeky and fun, and I will be looking for other ways to use this type of combo. My goal in creating this outfit was to demonstrate how runway fashions can be adapted to fit what's already in your closet, and how they don't have to be copied verbatim in order to capture the overall impression.

For more couture-inspired outfits, be sure to check out Emma's runway to work day series.

Trench coat: Liquid
Cardigan: Cynthia Rowley
Top: Forever 21
Shorts: made from thrift-bought leather pants
Tights: Hue
Bracelet: Betsey Johnson
Boots: Miz Mooz