Shoe Haiku

Why, oh why must new shoes always be so uncomfortable? I don't remember these pumps being quite so torturous the first time I wore them, but today, the second time, they absolutely killed. They rubbed the tops of my toes, they rubbed the backs of my heels, they rubbed the sides of my feet. But hey, after awhile they also made my feet go numb, so I couldn't feel how much skin was being rubbed off! Way to go, Modern Vintage!

Sigh. I will of course wear these again, and again, and suffer through the painful breaking-in process because (a) the shoes are exquisitely beautiful and (b) I paid a small fortune for them. I also wrote them a haiku today:

Modern Vintage pumps

Oh the exquisite torture!

Won't you break in soon?

Ahem. On to the rest of the outfit. This is another that I had to throw together in the morning, not having had the time this week for my usual wardrobe planning. This is an example of spending an inordinate amount of time on an outfit I ended up not being entirely happy with, and not just because of the shoe discomfort. For some reason I just wasn't getting the look I wanted, though I do like the color combination. I was really hoping to pull together a more Jackie O.-inspired creation by building upon this little teal skirt from Anthropologie, but I never quite got there. Maybe next time.

The purple top is a cast-off from my sister, and the cardigan is unknown, because I cut the uncomfortable label out of it. The scarf is by Anne Klein and the tights are some I bought at Monsoon in Copenhagen a couple years ago. This delicious little teal clutch and yellow lacquer brooch are two more of my great finds from Minneapolis last weekend. The clutch is by Tracy Reese and is made of super-soft patent leather. I found it at Saks Off 5th on Nicollette Mall, where they happened to be offering an additional 20% off all purchases that day. It was a great deal but still a little pricey, which led me to ponder the fact that a lot of items in my wardrobe could best be described by Dustin Hoffman's character in Rain Man: "About a hundred dollars."

Off Kilter

This week I'm a bit off kilter, since I didn't have my normal Sunday night wardrobe planning session. Today's outfit was thrown together this morning, so I used this little sundress as my starting point, since dresses are easier to design around. Since a dress already has the top and bottom built in, there are fewer possible combinations and therefore less time is spent agonizing about the different possibilities, or at least for me that's the case.

This dress is by Crystal Candy and is one I got for a steal on sale at Lady Language. Since the top is really cut for a bustier frame, I added a tank underneath and this cardigan by Kersh. The leggings are also by Kersh and the t-strap pumps are by Gabriella Rocha. The belt came with a top I got at Forever 21.

Katherine Hepburn

I'm back from a fun weekend in Minneapolis, though still feeling the effects of a late flight and lack of sleep. Today's outfit was thrown together on the fly, but was aided by the fact that these fabulous new trousers require little else to make a great look. They're from Anthropologie and were among my finds over the weekend.

I typically shop for clothes whenever I'm in Minneapolis, for a variety of reasons: summer clothes, which are wearable year-round in California with the addition of a long-sleeved shirt or a pair of tights, are practically worthless by September in Minnesota and are deeply discounted towards the end of the season; they have different styles that aren't always available out here; and not only are the prices better than in San Francisco, but there is also no sales tax on clothing, which saves me an additional 8.5%, or whatever the going rate for highway robbery is these days.

Purple tank: Thrifted
Orange cardigan:e-klah
Shoes: Camper
Brooch: Alemany flea market
Green jewelry: Cost Plus
Gold necklace: ?

I love the way the high-waisted, wide-legged trousers paired with the cropped cardigan plays with my proportions. Pants like this always remind me of Katherine Hepburn and the androgynous yet sexy outfits she used to wear. I especially like the lace-up detailing on the back of the waistline. I should note that these pants are among the new fall line from Anthropologie and were full price; my friend Belinda's assertion that they were a "must-have" was enough to make me ignore the hefty price tag. Belinda would never steer me wrong about something like that.

Not surprisingly, my weekend purchases did not stop with these trousers; there will be plenty more new things in the days to come.