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 Here's a better look at my fresh-off-the-machine bootcut jeans. Just so you know, i am leaning heavily toward taking in the hip and thigh area a bit. You can see that they are kinda baggy in these pix, and i did not go to the extreme of tightness when i made them (it's easier to take in a little without creating a mark than when letting seams out). But - well, i wore these jeans last Friday. I hung them up to air all Saturday, then wore them during a long and active Sunday (dog-sitting two poochies). I hung them up to air overnite, then donned them once more Monday morning to take these pictures. A certain degree of bagginess ( :a lot) is unavoidable at that point! Really, a little vanity would not be out of order on this blog.

Winter is cold and clear thus far in the San Francisco Bay Area. Two factors are affecting me regarding this weather. One, it means many consecutive spare the air days, and me trying to avoid any asthma flare ups. So far, so good. Two, i had an excellent plan for beefing up my cold weather wardrobe from early last summer. Sadly, it was not put into effect. I definitely have enough to avoid the cold, but it's not all that varied and some of it is just plain frumptastic!

Not all of it, though. I am so glad i got on the jeans project as they are comfy, look good, and keep my legs warm. And i am happy that i splurged about fifteen years ago on this great L.L.Bean bomber jacket. It's toasty, comfy, and is awesome even thrown into the corner of a room or the backseat of a car. Do you hair, toss on some maquillage, cool heels and yowza! It also contains many pockets, even a zippered one.

I do need to come up with a better solution than this scarf.  Cold breezes used to creep all the way up to my armpits before i tightened the fit with this scarf one day in desperation. It works so well i've left it there for years.......and i never see myself from the back. Out of sight, out of mind. Sad but true. Having a tailor take in some of the excess would seem the rational, sensible course of action. Seeing as it costs from fifty to seventy five bucks just to get it cleaned, i can't imagine the cost involved. As it happens, the leather itself is not very thick and is quite soft and supple. And leather needles exist. I'm sure you see what i'm plotting.

We'll see if i manage the guts to try it. The success i've had with these jeans is only goading me on. I really liked how the topstitching turned out (i used the leftover medium taupe topstitching thread from my olive fly front skirt). While examining my Levi's for details i couldn't help but notice the red nametag sewed into the back pocket. Sewing a 'decoy tag' into my own jeans tickled my fancy. I raided my ribbon stash and found some leftovers from the ribbon i used when making this pin i gave to Sheila (who has worn it beautifully!!! - scroll down) I like the way the black and white stripes show up on the black denim, and the Sheila association of course makes me feel much more fabulous than i deserve! I'd love to use a ribbon with lime and tangerine stripes on a medium blue denim, or a ribbon with a woven floral design. The possibilities are endless!

I never want to wear a logo on my hiney, but a dadaist joke suits me fine! How are all of you handling your winter wardrobes? Any brilliant ideas for staying warm while looking stylish?

Jacket: vintage L.L.Bean
Blouse Bobeau
Jeans: from Palmer & Pletsch The Perfect Jeans McCall's 5894
Shoes: Maine Woods