End of an Era

Over the weekend I attended a baby shower, which depressed me. Baby showers always depress me, because they make me think, "Oh, there goes another couple, crossing over to the other side where I'll rarely see or hear from them, and when I do we'll no longer have anything in common." The baby shower typically ends up being one of the last times that the child-free friends really get to spend time with the woman who's expecting. I'm sure sometimes friendships can thrive between people with children and those without, or at least that's what I've heard, but I've yet to experience it so far in my life. People that have kids seem to get sucked into a dimension where only other parents can enter; the child-free must go their own way and make new, child-free friends to fill the hole left by the ones they lost.

It isn't that I'm not happy for my friends, it's just that there exists a divide between the childed and the child-free that's hard to bridge once the baby comes along. This particular couple is pretty special, so if anyone can buck the trend they can, but nevertheless the bummed out feeling that set in after the shower has stuck with me these last couple days. It's sort of an end-of-an-era feeling.

This was not my baby-shower-attending outfit; that'll actually go up next week. This was just another attempt at looking as summery as I could given the chilly weather we were having.

Dress: Aryeh
Cardigan: S
Belt: Red Dress Shoppe
Boots: All Black
Babgles: Amrita Singh

Swarming

I've done a bit of gardening recently; this pot of flowers is one of the last projects. Between this and our new hummingbird feeder, our patio is now swarming with hummingbirds, all trying to defend their favorite new feeding spot. I can't wait to see what happens when Georgie gets too close to these flowers. I suspect she'll go skittering inside when she realizes that hummingbirds, despite their diminutive size, will not be intimidated by larger animals.

The color of this top was described as "mink," but to me it looks like more of a soft purple. I love the movement of the ruffles when the breeze picks up.

This skirt (and the other ones I have in different colors) is truly an all-season one; during the cooler months it's an excellent layer beneath another skirt or a dress, and now that it's warming up again I'm looking forward to wearing it more on its own. The dusty purple color also transitions well from one season to another.

Top: Asos
Tank: Forever 21
Skirt: Noa Noa
Shoes: Bettye Muller

Formula

This outfit is sort of a repeat, as I've worn this dress/tights/shoes combo a couple times before, but the colors just go so well together that whenever I pull this dress out I'm stumped to come up with a better formula. Sometimes there's just no messing with a good thing.

Since the middle panel of this dress is a see-through lace mesh, I always need to cover the midriff in order to wear it to work. This time I used the blazer to cover most of it, and filled in the rest with the scarf. It was fairly cool that day, so the velvet blazer and tights kept me warm, while the sandals and bright colors made it seasonally appropriate.

The outdoor location is the patio just off our dining room (which really isn't a dining room so much as a hatmaking studio). You've actually seen this location before, but it was with the ugly blue building next door in the background. I much prefer this angle.

Dress: Betsey Johnson
Scarf: vintage
Blazer: Victoria M. Ortiz
Tights: Foot Traffic
Sandals: John Fluevog

Easter Egg

I think I like using the larger picture format for my lead outfit shots; the detail is much easier to see, isn't it? Of course you can always click each photo to enlarge, but it seems like it's easier not to have to go through that extra step. Feedback is appreciated!

I felt like an Easter egg in this outfit, in the best possible way. I'm not usually one to wear lots of pastel colors together, but I really loved how the deeper teal shades gave the outfit some contrast. Note that none of the colors really match, but they all go together: the shoes, for instance, contain shades of teal that are just on either side of the skirt in terms of intensity, and the purple panels across the tops of the shoes tie in the purplish top without being exactly the same hue. This was a fun outfit, both to put together and to wear.

Making the outfit even more fun was how many of the items in it were gifts; note the list below.


Top: a gift from Mom
Cardigan: Anthropologie
Belt: a gift from my sister
Skirt: a gift from Sal
Tights: Hue
Shoes: John Fluevog
Bracelet: Betsey Johnson
Necklace: Ambiance on Haight Street

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

Cocoon

Awhile back I decided I should get myself a sweater dress, having seen Sal look great in them as well as a couple of ladies I've spotted at work. But I also decided I would buy one second hand, because I figured the sort of dress I was looking for would cost more than I was willing to pay. So off I went to the thrift shop, and though I didn't find one there, I thankfully stopped in at Crossroads Trading Company, where I snagged this seemingly never-worn one for just $18.

I had some pretty specific requirements for the dress, too, which makes it even more miraculous that I found it. It had to have a cowl neck, long sleeves, be a thick cable knit and not too clingy, and be soft and of good quality. This one is 100% merino wool, and as you can see it clearly satisfies all the other requirements. It feels like wearing a big cocoon; I couldn't be more thrilled with it.

I added the harness to give the boxy dress a little shape, and tied the scarf cowboy-style up under the cowl in order to bring some vibrant color to the outfit. Adding the purple scarf reminded me that it had been awhile since I'd worn these pretty purple boots, which I thought paired well with the edgy harness.

Dress: Banana Republic
Harness: Audra Jean
Scarf: a long-ago gift
Boots: Eject

Resolution

In the last weeks of the year I decided to get a jump start on my New Year's resolution to drive less, and not knowing exactly how far I'd end up walking or how long I'd be standing and waiting for public transportation (I hadn't yet tried taking public transportation to work from the new house), I decided I should make my outfits as comfortable as possible while I was still getting used to the new system. I'm not the sort of gal who will put on sneakers with a work outfit and change at the office; no way. So if you look at the last few outfits you'll see two of my favorite pairs of walking shoes -- these boots as well as my brown Batas -- and plenty of soft, flowy knit fabrics.

Now that I've done it a few times, I've realized that taking public transportation to work is actually quite easy from the new place. Not only that, but I arrive at work far less crabby than I do if I have to suffer through the traffic on the freeway. This might just be a resolution I can stick to.

Cardigan: BB Dakota
Gray skirt (hiked up and worn as a dress): S
Teal skirt: LA Made
Belt: Red Dress Shoppe
Boots: Modern Vintage

Team Building

This was a casual outfit that I wore to a company event in which we were having a team-building exercise that required a lot of walking around outside. Oh, how I live for corporate team-building exercises (insert sarcasm here). Actually it turned out to be not as mind-numbingly stupid as I'd anticipated it would be, and as an added bonus I got to spend the day in downtown San Francisco rather than having to commute to the office.

The comfy and casual ensemble I picked was made up of my soft, warm argyle sweater, my most comfy pair of jeans, and my beloved and well-worn brown boots. The big scarf not only kept me warm, but it also added some interesting pattern and color to spice up the casual look.

Sweater: All Saints
Jeans: Acne
Boots: Bata
Scarf: a gift from my sister

Building Blocks

This is just a simple casual Friday, jeans-and-t-shirt outfit, but it illustrates the importance of accessories and shoes in elevating an outfit from ordinary to interesting. By itself, the red scarf isn't even really that exciting, but paired with a dark purple shirt it gives the outfit a lot more pop. Adding the multi-colored shoes is a funky finishing touch.

I should also point out that I bought this shirt specifically because it combines eye-catching details with a comfortable, relaxed design. It cost more than I would typically pay for a long-sleeved t-shirt, but it's one of those interesting basics that makes it a snap to put together outfits that are both casual and unique. I also have plenty of basics that are truly basic, but I try to spice up my wardrobe with pieces like this when I come across them (All Saints is one of my go-to retailers for interesting basics), because when I'm pressed for time or don't want to think too hard about my outfit, they make the perfect building blocks.

Shirt: Just Angels
Scarf: H&M
Jeans: Joe's
Shoes: Fly London

Knot Necessary

I thought of Une Femme when I wore this outfit, since it was she who originally clued me in to this type of scarf ring; not to mention the fact that the scarf ring itself has a fleur de lis on it. I found it in a touristy shop in Buenos Aires, of all places; had it not been for one of Une Femme's foulard de la semaine posts, I wouldn't have even known what it was. It worked perfectly to secure this oversized square scarf into a loose, casual shape; I just criss-crossed the ends through the ring and voila! Tying it was, if you'll pardon the pun, knot necessary.

I borrowed this strapless-dress-over-shirt look from Sheila. Actually the dress is not a dress at all but a skirt; everything from the bottom edge of the belt on up is actually the waistband, which is meant to be folded over. But I've never really been able to wear the skirt that way and so I often unfold it and hike the whole thing up. Here I've layered it with another skirt and belted everything to keep the layers in place. These skirts have often appeared together; you can see some other variations on this pairing here, here, here, and layered in the reverse order here.

T-shirt: H&M

Scarf: a gift brought back from China

Gray skirt: S

Teal skirt: LA Made

Belt: Red Dress Shoppe

Shoes: Tsubo

Socks and Sandals

This outfit was inspired by Sal, who wore a similar blend of muted colors a couple weeks ago. This was one of those days when it was colder and windier in my work city than it was in my home city, or else I would've also copied Sal's cute short socks with my similar pair of brown sandals.

Speaking of socks and sandals, I've realized lately that this combination is ideal for me, because my feet suffer a lot when I go barefoot in shoes. Which sucks really, because on a hot day I just love the feel of the open air on my feet, almost as much as I love the feel of a warm breeze across bare shoulders. But the fact is that with the exception of a few rare pairs (usually flip-flops), my feet generally react to being sockless with rubbing, burning, swelling, and finally blisters. In fact as I type this I'm sitting here after having gone sockless in flats today, my feet covered with Band-Aids from the blisters generated by a short lunchtime walk. So I'm officially in the market for a few pairs of thinner ankle socks for days like today, when it's far too warm for tights.

Cardigan, dress: All Saints
Harness: Audra Jean
Skirt: a gift from Mom
Tights: MP, via Sock Dreams
Sandals: John Fluevog

Gratuitous cute dog photo: Georgie achieving new heights of laziness.

Summer Stats

Bare arms -- yes, our summer has finally arrived, after we'd all pretty much given up on it. Over the weekend it was in the 90's in San Francisco, a rarity indeed. It has since cooled down a bit, but there's still no way I'm complaining. In general San Francisco's best weather is in the fall, but usually it would've arrived before now and the months leading up to it wouldn't have been quite so frigid, except maybe over at the beach and up by the wharf, where all the tourists go in their shorts and sandals to freeze. 

It's been a bad year for getting much use out of my sandals, which I'm beginning to realize were fairly foolish purchases. A quick scan of my "summer" outfits shows that I wore sandals only twice (one of those was with tights!), bare legs just 3 times, bare toes 3 times, and bare arms 11 times. On the other hand I sported tights or long socks 29 times, boots 28 times, a sweater or jacket 23 times, and even a pair of leather pants once. My summer stats make it seem like I live in Siberia.

Cardigan: Hale Bob

Shirt: thrifted

Belt: a gift from Mom

Skirt: Fiorini Wichmacki

Boots: Bata

Go The Distance

My mom gave me this adorable top for my birthday. At first glance I couldn't tell if it was more lilac or pale blue, so I decided to create an outfit that mixed the two. First I layered two of my Noa Noa tulle skirts; you can just see the blue one peeking out from under the dusty purple. The blue skirt is just a single layer and is meant to be worn like a slip, so it didn't make the outfit too warm.

For the top half, I decided to punch up the contrast since all the other colors are fairly washed-out. Once again I chose a Noa Noa item; this fuchsia cropped cardigan. I like the blend of soft and bright colors, and how each shade is different but they all work together.

The shoes actually weren't my first choice for this outfit, and I think the dark brown ones I originally chose would've looked better, but on this day I was going straight from work to meeting Fawn for cocktails, so I needed a pair of shoes that could really go the distance. These don't have quite the contrast I was looking for, but they're wearable for a long day and into the evening, including a lot of walking, so they won out.

Cardigan, skirts, tights: Noa Noa
Top: Inspired, a gift from mom (thanks Mom!)
Shoes: John Fluevog

Belly Dancing

This was an outfit that went straight from work to going out; it was Laura's birthday last week and we double-dated at Marrakesh, a Moroccan restaurant complete with belly dancers. Laura and I were even persuaded to go up and join in for one song, and the outfit proved to be plenty comfy for a little belly dancing. Which, by the way, is a lot more difficult than it looks.

Laura's birthday having passed means that my own is just around the corner. But every year I make the most of these few weeks of difference in age to give Laura all kinds of grief about how old she is, in the form of a birthday poem. I've been doing this since Laura turned 22, mind you. And every year it gets more and more difficult, because really there are only so many ways to tell someone they're old.

I've rhymed "superannuated" before, I've discussed how Laura baffles scientists because her bones are too old to carbon date, I've placed her back in ancient times on the banks of the Tigris River, drinking mead from an earthen jar and learning to read in hieroglyphics. I've thrown in references to Depends, a walker, pushing up daisies, false teeth, the

whole nine yards. I've talked about how her lifetime is known to geologists as the "Laurassic Era." And this year I described how, being so old as to predate any modern form of transportation, she arrived in North America on foot via the Bering Strait land bridge. It's getting tough, I tell ya. How I'm going to keep this up for another 40 or so years I really can't tell.

Dress: All Saints
Jacket: thrifted
Necklace: Manu Lizarralde
Belt: thrifted
Skirt: a gift from Mom
Boots: Modern Vintage

Turned Up To 11

Sure, this outfit really screams "autumn" with the saturated jewel tones, but dudes, it is COLD here these days. While Sal reports scorching weather in the 90's in Minneapolis, we've got the foggy 50's out here. What's really hilarious is that I heard on NPR this morning that as a result of the abnormally cool summer, Bay Area electric bills are down. They obviously mean in places like San Jose or Walnut Creek, where it normally gets hot this time of year. In San Francisco nobody has air conditioning anyway, so most likely the energy bills in this town are going UP as people turn their heat on!

I decided to pair this bright blue dress with the purple cardigan because of the flower pattern on the dress, which is outlined in a color that looks faintly purple to me. I thought it would be fun to try the two saturated colors together. Since the color volume was already turned up to 11, I chose black accessories to tone it down a bit.

Dress: eShakti
Cardigan: S
Belt: Red Dress Shoppe
Shoes: Jeffrey Campbell

Dressed Up

Here are Mark and I all dressed up to go out for Mark's birthday, which was last weekend. We met up with our friends Tom and Jen, and headed over to the Mission district for dinner. As it turned out it was also the weekend of the Pride Parade, and we chose a restaurant that was right on the path of one of the events, so we got to watch all the festivities going on outside. Afterwards we walked over to the SoMa district for a cocktail before wandering over to the Hotel Utah to see a fantastic and very entertaining local band called the Super Adventure Club.

On the way home we had the most surreal cab drive ever. We had unwittingly stepped into the Kabaret Kab, with its singing driver Buzz Brooks and Vegas-style lights strung around the interior. Click here to watch Buzz in action!

My outfit:
Dress, cardigan: All Saints
Skirt: Urban Outfitters
Tights: Noa Noa
Boots: Cydwoq

Mark's outfit:
Hat: Goorin Bros.
Shirt: All Saints
Vest: Steam Trunk
Jeans: Heathen
Boots: All Saints

Unfussy

I can't even remember what was going on the day I wore this outfit, but I do recall that I wanted something simple and unfussy, perhaps in contrast to how complex my outfit was the first time I wore this cardigan. Unfussy to me means several things: the outfit should be comfortable so that I'm not always fidgeting in it; it should have very few layers or components so that it doesn't require frequent repositioning; and it should be well suited to any weather, meaning that it should have a warmer layer that's easily removable if it gets too warm. This one fit the bill: the cords have a nice relaxed fit, the shirt is plenty long enough to cover my midsection without having to adjust or tug at it, the shoes are one of the most comfy pairs I own, and the cardigan can be thrown on or off without even having to mess with buttons or a belt. Perfect!

Cardigan: All Saints

Shirt: Just Angels

Pants: Marlowe

Shoes: Fly London

Stevie

Here's some more asymmetrical goodness from All Saints, and an appearance from a very lazy looking Georgie. Just look at that sloppy posture; with all the sunny spots in which to lay around in the new place, Georgie has achieved new heights of laziness. For these shots she couldn't really be bothered to sit up straight and tuck her feet in, and in fact I thought she was going to slump on down to the floor.

The new top is the Bolly top; when I first took it out of the box I had a hell of a time figuring out which way it was supposed to go, so finally I went on the All Saints website to look at how it was configured in the photos. I'm about 80% certain I got it right. It looks gray here but it actually has tinges of acid-washed pink, which blended nicely with the soft shades of the 2 skirts. To give the outfit more of a colorful punch, I added a bright fuschia tank underneath the shirt.

With all these drapey, flowing layers I felt a little Stevie Nicks, which I guess isn't really a bad thing. If I grew my hair out and invested in a really large fan, I could do some fantastic photoshoots...

Top: All Saints
Necklace: Manu Lizarralde
Belt: Oscar de la Renta
Pink skirt: Anthro
Tulle skirt: Noa Noa
Shoes: Born