The Dashing Eccentric

How To Make A Shopping Plan

2012-03-06T11:56:00.000-08:00

(All pictures taken at Castle In The Air, a shop we visited on the Fancy Pants Tour)

Yesterday was another of ilegirl's fabulous Fancy Pants Tours. It was great fun, and i loved spending a day with wonderful women. To top it all off, after around three weeks of grey, foggy, rain we were graced with clear blue skies, gentle breezes, luminous sunlight on the cherry and plum blossoms everywhere. I just wanted to lay down and soak it all up!

Towards the end of the tour, ilegirl was telling me about how overwhelming it is for her to shop the thrift shops. It turns out that she inspects every article thoroughly - which explains the many outrageous finds she has in her closet! But on the down side, it is taxing physically, intellectually, and emotionally. And it carries a rotten sense of neverendingness which i abhor. I asked ilegirl if she had a plan....she struggled a bit, then laughed good-naturedly, "Well, obviously not a good one since i find shopping so overwhelming!"

Boy, can i relate. I spent many years taking the same approach to clothes shopping, driven by the sense that since i had little money i had to go full-bore in terms of time and attention to compensate. Decades later, i've found that to dress well you do have to put in plenty of time and attention. But scrutinizing every garment in every shop is not the wisest place to put that energy. Through trial and error, and experimenting with advice from various authors, i've developed a scheme which works pretty well for me. My scheme follows - i hope you find it helpful! As the saying goes, take what looks fun or useful and leave the rest.

I like to develop a plan at the change of the seasons, generally 2-4 times a year. First, i take a look at the calendar. What's coming up? What kind of weather can i expect, what type of activities, any special events? Right now we're heading into warmer weather, which means more hiking and barbeque type gatherings, possibly camping here at chez eccentrique. My grandmother's one hundredth birthday is coming up in September - just at the end of summer here, but given my difficulty in finding clothing i'll want to start looking/planning now in order to have time to sew something if i decide to. Will you be traveling for business or pleasure, and where? If so, do some research about the weather conditions, and also about the accepted norms of dress if you're unsure (especially for a business gathering or important social event like meeting your intended's parents). Note if you have any seasonal leisure activities, like backpacking or boating, which require special gear.

Using your notes, you can make a list of the type of outfits you'll be needing, based on your list of special activities plus weekly work/casual/loungewear needs. My list for summer looks something like:

10-14 casual/smart casual outfits
6-10 out to dinner outfits
2-4 walking in the heat outfits
2-4 first doctor visit outfits
2-3 50th birthday outfits
2-4 lounging/sleeping in the heat outfits
1 outfit for Grandma's one hundredth birthday
3-5 road trip outfits

Be precise where you can (the hundredth birthday, walking in the heat), and just give it your best guess for areas where plans aren't firmed up or weather is unpredictable. The Mr. and i generally take a few day trips and/or a couple of overnite trips during the summer months. But i have no real idea where we may end up. Cold, foggy, windswept Mendocino or sunny Santa Cruz? Who knows. I do know that i want some pieces that are comfortable to wear in the car, layer well, are easy to hike in, and look great. Do your best - it's a plan, not a legal contract.

To the closet! You are going to shop your closet to create the outfits on your list. Be sure to include accessories, foundation garments, socks, pocketbook, etc. Taking pictures of completed or partial outfits is helpful for creating your list as well as for times you're lacking in inspiration. Model them yourself or do 'polyvore on the floor'. You can also capture your outfits in writing.

As you go through this process of outfit creation, pay attention to any 'missing elements'. You may notice that you lack layering tees, or a strapless bra, or a denim pencil skirt, scarves, whatever. You may find that one particular item shows up in almost every outfit - this is a clue that another item which can play the same role will give you many new outfit options. Look out for 'partial outfits' - pieces that look great together but need the right tee, jacket, shoes, etc. to create a completed outfit. You may feel that you want more colorful outfits, or more neutral looks. You might think things are looking a wee bit dated and find you're open to more modern pieces. This is also a good time to inspect pieces for signs of wear that indicate the item is nearing the end of it's useful life or needs repairs. Make notes of all of the 'missing pieces' and 'elderly items' on a piece of paper (or in excel if that's your style).

I use my blog WIW pictures for this purpose, and keep a running tab of 'missing items'. Every week or so i straighten my closet, which involves handling all my different clothing items and keeps what i do have uppermost in my mind. If you have a handle on your style and colors, aren't facing any major clothing-related changes such as a new job, and your closet is organized enough that you know what you have you can get away without actually spending a couple of hours making outfits from your closet. But doing this task in real life is so worthwhile, and it's indispensable if you don't really have a handle on what's in your closet and your own personal style.

You will now use these notes to compile your list. To begin, it helps to group all of your missing items by type: tops, bottoms, outerlayers, accessories, and so on. Then, in order to help to focus your shopping, you want to get behind the individual piece descriptions ('blue navy tee', 'khaki button front knee high skirt') to the role you need your new items to play in your wardrobe.

This part is a little slippery to describe and tricky to do. You want to be precise, so that you don't have to scour every inch of every store in the land. But you don't want to be so precise that you won't be able to find anything suitable. The author of The Vivienne Files addresses this issue beautifully in her "Customizing The Classics" posts. In her post on the classic black turtleneck, Vivienne address the issue this way:

"On every list of clothing that you must own, you'll find a black cashmere turtleneck....But for a lot of people, black is bad, and for a lot of people a turtleneck is bad! But you DO need a sweater that's:

Here Vivienne lists, with pictures, a number of variations on 'the black cashmere turtleneck', suiting many different climates, style personas, and figures. She then sums up:

"The bottom line is that there are no hard and fast wardrobe rules. Try to determine the intent of the advice, and make choices which suit your specific and very unique needs and preferences."

I cannot say it any better! Vivienne has created a number of these posts, click here to see her archives of these posts. The more you use her concept in creating your list and in shopping, the more likely you will find pieces which suit you and are useful. You will also really decrease the time you spend shopping.

Here's one way it could work. Instead of listing "a white Brooks Brothers no-iron, tailored fit blouse with french cuffs in ivory", you would write something like, "structured, tailored blouse in light color and easy to care for fiber which i can wear comfortably in the heat". Now, if you have been wearing BB shirts for years and pat yourself on the back for your brilliance every time you take one out of your closet - by all means, go for the exact thing you love! But if you don't have a repeatable item like that, the second definition will serve you better. It will keep you focused on the important characteristics that will make sure the piece will do what it needs to do in your closet, while at the same time not putting undo limitations on your search. You need a new blouse and you want to find one you love, even if nothing in the store duplicates your preconceived notions.

I like to prioritize items on the list as well. Anything that will allow me to create multiple new outfits or replaces an aging wardrobe workhorse will go near the top of my list. Items that can't be fudged, like a warm coat or hiking shoes, also go to the top. But your list is your own list and your own priorities may be different.

At this point i'd like to discuss knowing your own personal style and what colors you want to work with in your wardrobe. Obviously, the more of a handle you have on your style and your colors, the more you can streamline your list and your shopping. That's one of the many benefits of doing the work involved in defining your style. But what if you're at the beginning of a style revamp, or in a new situation re: work, climate, etc.? People who are unsure about what comprises their style can't just go around naked!

I have a couple of suggestions. First, take a look at classic pieces and pieces in neutral colors. Classics and neutrals are the 'a la mode' of the closet. You can wear classic items easily with pieces from any style persona, and neutrals similarly mix well with a wide range of colors. No matter where you end up in your style journey, classics and neutrals can play an important role in outfit creation without defining your style.

The same can't be said for pieces channeling other style personas, like exotic dramatic or bombshell. At the same time, trying out items from style types you are curious about is one of the best ways to find out about your own style. So you may want to purchase a few pieces in styles or colors you want to try out. But to lessen possible negative impact, do this with less costly pieces and with pieces you won't have to wear every day (like a warm winter coat).

Next Up: In The Store

Do These Glasses Make My Butt Look Big?

2012-03-02T19:49:00.000-08:00

Yes, dear readers, the day hath come when i ask you to weigh in on the flat-out hotness quantitude of a certain item of clothing or accessory. Nothing to do with comfort, practicality, fashion, suitability - just, "are we rocking this look or ain't we". Thumbs up or thumbs down - based on sheer eye appeal.

Usually i try not to approach my wardrobe from such a shallow perspective. Actually, i'm not now, either. No, it's Mr. Eccentric who requested the honest opinion of the Dashing Eccentric readership. The first shot shows him in his natural element - in nature, wearing fabulously unique accessories, stylishly coiffed, and with a cat. (Really, he's as popular with cats as Angie is with wee poochies!)

You will notice he's also sans spectacles in that first pic. He has only worn glasses in the last year or two, and only requires them for driving. Thus the question of style - why wear them around and about unless they truly add to the total look.

So we went out back and took a few pictures for comparison. You get the front view, and a classic profile.

Mr. E's only request is that you voice your brutally frank and completely honest opinion. He cannot yet see his future. He only knows that it lies in your hands.

I thank all of you for taking the time to read and to comment. I must say that i will be relieved when Mr. E receives your considered opinion and can rest his mind about the status of his optical attractiveness. The whole household will be happy when he once again may focus on that which he was born to do.

Cater to the needs and wants of small, furry animals. Thank you and happy weekend!

I Thought It Would All Be Figured Out By Now...

2012-03-01T07:57:00.000-08:00

This outfit happened by accident. I wore the jeggings for comfort. I love the orange of this new tank and i'm a 'wear it now' type of gal, so on it went. I'd been wondering how the orange would look with this blouse since the moment i decided to get an orange tank. Finally, when i unexpectedly needed to leave the house these boots were the most obvious choice, as they cover more of the jeggings.

While i was wearing this look, I really liked it. My natural inclination is to clothe myself towards the dressier end of the spectrum, so coming up with a casual outfit that i really liked was a great surprise. I'm also becoming more and more taken with the idea of dressing in accord with circumstances, which for me means casually. When i was younger i'd dress however i liked and happily sported vintage cocktail dresses in burrito shops. But as the years passed, i felt that i'd 'done that' and became intrigued by the challenge of expanding my style spectrum. These days faboo casual looks attract my eye even more than dressy ones do.

However, something clicked when i was wearing this look. It's been over two weeks since this happened and i still have a lot of unanswered questions about it. I don't know if the 'click' was due to this particular outfit or if it was just time for that idea to wend it's way into the old forebrain. One way or another, it hit me - i really am capable of having the wardrobe i truly want, in every single area of life - from 'going to the opera', to hanging around the house, to sleepwear - all of it. Now, as many of you know, this has been my expressly stated goal and purpose ever since i started this blog (and before!). In fact, until this realization hit me i didn't even know that i didn't believe it all through my bones.

Like the post title says, when i began this wardrobe project a year and a half ago, i figured by this point i'd have things pretty well wrapped up. I'd have my go-to sewing patterns (altered to fit perfectly), my reliable shopping outlets, i would have settled on a sensible yet fun wardrobe size and be on a 'one in, one out' regime. But this last realization has me feeling a bit 'back at zero'. I know i'm not, yet i also know that i have farther to go than i have already traveled. While this seems like it should be discouraging, it actually feels exhilarating! I see now that i will be able to take my personal style to places i hadn't even considered, to have a much wider range than i thought, to feel totally myself in areas i thought were just not even worth thinking about.

This blog post is pretty unusual for me. I generally have something very definite to say about style and the particular outfit i'm showing. This time, all i can do is let you know that i had some ill-defined insights which were somehow connected (or maybe not) with the clothes onscreen, and which seem to indicate that after eighteen months of considered study of the subject i realize i've barely scratched the surface.

All i can say is that i sincerely hope that the same thing happens to you someday. And if you have already been thus blessed, we want to hear about it!

How To Buy a Pair of Fluevogs

2012-02-26T11:19:00.001-08:00

Oy, i felt like a walking stereotype a couple of Sundays ago! Mr. E and i went to San Francisco, where we spent almost an hour in the Union Square Fluevog store (San Francisco is one of two cities with a double helping of Fluevog stores - worldwide!). My dashing husband had spotted a divine pair of shoes on sale and thought they might make a nice Valentine's Day present.

They did.

After my purchase, stylish bag in hand, we walked the streets looking for a bite to eat. (If any SF residents can give us a recommendation for a reasonable, decent cafe in the Union Square/Financial district which is open weekends, we would be much obliged!) On our way to a sub-par dining experience i spotted a likely spot for a gritty urban portrait. Mr. E obliged and snapped a couple of pics. By this time, i couldn't feel more predictable. "Style blogger on the rampage for shoes made by 'it' designer John Fluevog, illl-clad for the weather, was photographed by her husband in some type of edgy, public setting yesterday........" Good grief! Well, you can't be eccentric all the time, though we try.

I hope you don't lose any respect for me, but i'll understand if you do ; ) On to the advice! I've read innumerable blog posts gushing over the incomparable divinity of Fluevog souls. Now that i've got my hands on a pair, having tried on 20+ different styles in the process, i'd like to share some what i have learned with you. A lot of this information applies to shoe buying generally, but much is specific to Fluevogs.

Edited to add: Patti's put up her Visible Monday post - ooh lala! That woman wears a leather skirt! Go check out Patti and all the VM ladies! If taking self-portraits in my carport next to the washer and dryer doesn't make you feel visible, i don' t know what would. Back to Fluevog:

Do a lot of online research before you go to the store! I cannot emphasize this enough. The Fluevog company puts out a lot of very unique styles. This has practical ramifications. When we went to the store, there were around 80-100 different styles of shoe on display (i didn't count, just estimating) There were shoes on every flat space, including the floor and benches. But i didn't see these Cascades anywhere, though they were listed on the website. I had even called a couple of days earlier to see if the store had any in stock, and had been assured that they had several of each color in my range of sizes. I approached a sales associate to inquire. She went in the back and brought out six boxes. If Mr. E hadn't found them online and i hadn't called ahead and i hadn't asked the associate about them when we were in the store, i would have left empty-handed. Research online beforehand, make notes/print out pertinent pages/bookmark shoes on your phone, call ahead, and ask for what you want in the store.

This is especially important if you want to get shoes on sale. It only makes sense that the staff will feature the newest stock if space is limited. Pricing of new Fluevogs can be intimidating. But their sale prices are excellent, and there is always a lot of stock on sale. You just have to know what you are looking for when you go to the store in order to take advantage of this pricing. on edit: Mr. E informs me that Fluevog has sales every January and July.

Try on many different sizes of any shoe in which you are interested. Again, Fluevogs are unique. Different shoes are made on very different lasts (the 'mold' around which the shoe is created). Many of these lasts are handmade, and some are even vintage. As a result, the sizing of the line is not standardized, as it is in and even between many popular brands. These Cascades fit me perfectly in a 9. But I tried on a number of boots a few weeks before this recent trip and found one pair that fit like a dream in size 10.5. I overheard staff saying 'The sizes are all over the place' about once every 10 minutes the whole time i was in the store. Not only is the sizing non-standard, but the way different shoes fit and support your foot varies wildly.

I was pretty determined to get these Cascades as soon as i saw them in the mirror. But, with a 3 1/2" slender heel, i predicted they would be your basic 'sit in a chair and look amazing' shoes. I normally take a size 9.5 in US women's shoes. I have not been able to get my foot into a size 9, much less walk around in any, since i was in junior high school (possibly not even them! Correct me if i'm wrong, mom). I was leaning towards going with the 9.5s when i decided, "we're here, who knows, just try the size 9 for the hell of it". The difference in comfort level was phenomenal - like wearing an entirely different shoe. The sales associate said, "Look! You're prancing!" She exaggerated, but still. Make certain to try one or two sizes up and down from whatever size you think is the best fit. Because of the uniqueness of the various styles, you can't really take a lot of information from one shoe to another. Better to over-investigate.

Try on many different styles of shoe. Fluevog creates shoes which not only look very different from other shoes on the market. Individual Fluevog shoes are shaped very differently from other shoes in the Fluevog line. Because of this, they also fit very differently. When i first visited the Fleuvog store, i tried on about 6 pair of boots. Some fit my feet terribly (i couldn't even get into a size 10.5 in one style), others were okay but not great. Then i tried on these Amazing boots and they were beyond comfortable and supportive. It really surprised me! However, i have nothing to wear with them so i passed. These leads to my last point:

Do not give up! If you really want to acquire a totally unique, beautifully made, flat out awesome pair of shoes Fluevog is a fabulous resource. But chances are excellent that you will have to be patient, do a lot of online research, call stores, and try on a lot of shoes. I look at it this way. Anyone can go to a high-end department store and buy the 'it shoe' of the moment. They only have to have the cash. On the other hand, acquiring shoes that seem made on a cloud by harp-strumming angels solely with you in mind, shoes that blow your mind (rather than your wallet) -

it's only fair that you put in some effort. I hope this information helps you start living with the shoes of your dreams.

Blouse and Skirt: own design
Belt: Betsey Johnson
Shoes: Miracle Cascades by John Fluevog
Watch: Fossil

"That" Look

2012-02-14T11:16:00.000-08:00

I wore this outfit to tromp about the neighborhoods of Berkeley with Mr. E last Sunday. As much as people love to catch liberal northern Californians in various hypocrisies, in my experience it is in truth quite a tolerant place. Frankly, most people seem to have plenty to think about without needing to be scandalized by the neighbors.

However, i did receive a few down the nose, disapproving looks towards my feet during the day. They all came from ladies looking to be in their late fifties - early sixties, with varying amounts of interest in comfort vs. style (to judge by their outfits and grooming). As i had plenty to think about without needing to be scandalized by the neighbors, i didn't engage any of the 'look-givers' in a conversation to determine if i read them right and if so what their problem was.

Was i 'too old' to be wearing such high heels (even if they're uber-chunkay)? They didn't care for cropped cargos in winter? Too many strings hanging around? Really, sometimes it's difficult to figure what will get up people's collective nostril. Not that i care, which doesn't help.

I made this jacket out of cotton/poly sweatshirt material. It's a copy of this Free People hoodie, with longer sleeves and hem. It's very warm but boring to wear. I do like it better in pictures, though, and it's coming in mighty handy when it's cold and i don't want to look like i'm free of all stylish considerations.

To make up for a lack of sartorial, sociological, or even common-sensical insight in this post, and to highlight the major ankle action of this look (another candidate for the intemittent disapproval), i took a couple of videos of the look in movement. Speaking of looking stylish, you may want to avoid extended gawking at your own feet. When my ranch-grown grandfather would go to town , his mother would admonish her sons "Stop looking at your feet! You look like a bunch of hicks, watching out for snakes!" And they were, since they didn't have shoes most of the time.

We do have snakes here, but they tend to be little racers, gophers, and the incredible California King Snake - so named for it's immunity to rattlesnake poison, allowing it to kill rattlers and eat them. King snakes were always a welcome sight around grandpa's ranch, and they are around here as well. But the snakes around here have more to fear from my stomp-a-delic heels than i do from them!

I do love taking these videos - it is delightfully easy for me to imagine all of you reading this blog and my getting a chance to say 'hi!'. I really enjoy thinking of all of you there in the camera - heaven knows why. At least it's only a minute or two of wasted life if you decide to watch!

Any of you get these judgmental looks from other people? Have you come up with any insight about possible motivations, or discerned some rhyme or reason as to who or when? If so i'm curious to hear your thoughts!

Bombing Around

2012-02-11T10:15:00.000-08:00

Hi! Well, a generous neighbor has given us WiFi access and a generous parent (I love you Dad!) has lent us a WiFi network adapter. Result? We're back online. DH is researching various internet access options and i'm starting to feel vaguely caught-up with 'the world wide web'. Of course real life is pretty hectic, but what can you do. I do have to say that being forced to use our new phone as my only online access for a couple of weeks made me learn a lot more about it than i ever would have otherwise.

On Edit: i actually planned on linking this to Visible Monday, hosted by the gracious and gorgeous Patti at Not Dead Yet Style. But i'm out of practice posting and forgot to mention it! Go on over there and take a look at all the other participants to give your week a stylish start. I hope the connection between a bombshell look (especially at 'my age'!) and visibility is obvious.

There was a big controversy a week or so ago over at YouLookFab about bombshell style - is it a personal style, a style of dress, how is it defined? *** I personally love to 'bomb out' on occasion, and realized i hadn't in awhile. So i whipped up this look.

Yes, the shoes are new. A while back i saw a YLF Forum member drooling over these Fossil Savanas, and realized that my thirty-year-long quest to acquire my own pair of heeled oxfords had a distinct possibility of coming to fruition. I had Christmas money, they were available in my size, "someone" had internet access at work so they could be ordered online (too fussy to do over the smartfone even for "someone" - who found them for 27% off).......oh yeah, baby - come to momma!

Ay carumba, this heel is as high as i can ever go. But do i love these shoes! And wearing them makes clothing designers' love of sky-high heels ridiculously obvious. Add an extra half foot to any reasonably built person and proportions become a snap. You have a lot bigger margin for error, and precision dressing is a thing of the past. In other words, you can be lazy and not worry about detailed restrictions imposed by an individual body; you're much more free to pursue flights of fancy. My two cents.

DH has also been rabidly shopping for a new pair of spectacles. He's found a gorgeous pair and they are on order. In the meantime, while dragging along to all these opto stores i found a beautiful pair of sunglasses - while wearing this very outfit. As it happens, with our current coverage and my anal obsessive care of my day to day specs (resulting in scratch free lenses at date of publish) i will end up with my first-ever pair of Rx sunnies! I am beyond thrilled, and since i already have cataracts sun protection has more than one attraction.

In other developments, after almost a year of expensive and unsatisfactory haircuts at salons, Mr. E has agreed to give me a whack at cutting his hair. As he puts it, he has plenty of hats and if it's too completely horrible he used to shave his head. I like to think that, complaints to the contrary, my own tonsorial efforts have been noted. Wish me luck!

So - what's been going on with you? What's happening around here anyway? Any tips or links you can point me to so i don't seem hopelessly out of it? Thank you for your input - it is nice to feel not completely cut off from the larger world.

*** To read the bombshell conversations in order:
"Is this a 'bombshell' pencil skirt combination?"
"In defense of bombshell"
"More style musings...."

Jacket: YMI lets UBU
Blouse: Bobeau
Skirt: own design: get Hot Patterns Slouchy Fly Front Skirt to make your own
Over The Knees: Sock Dreams
Shoes: Fossil Savana

Back To Nature

2012-01-27T13:59:00.000-08:00

Ah, my faithful readers. Sometimes we humans find ourselves swept up in events which take place on a scale beyond the mere personal and individual. A huge solar storm sends pulses of unimaginable radiation surging through cosmic space, playing with our usually reliable technologies. Magma heaves and wrests itself free from the mantle of the earth, creating a new sliver of paradise. Arctic fronts slam into the living body of a continent, destroying fortunes and rending families.

Or sometimes your husband decides his considered plan for moving the household towards better communication technology at lower long term cost involves no DSL for a month. Keeping up with blogs and so on is doable, if a pain, with the smart phone. But input is pure aggravation.

Please excuse any lack of response or new posts on my part during this brief hiatus. In case of emergency, send me an e-mail and i'll give you my phone # - we have unlimited minutes!

This post made possible by the generosity of my parents. Thank you!

True Confessions

2012-01-22T09:36:00.000-08:00

I wore this jacket for this first time in months a few days ago. It's made of coat-weight wool, so very warm. We're having a colder and drier than usual winter here in the SF Bay Area, and i fear i still haven't adjusted to dressing as nattily as i might. This tends to involve wearing wool tights, layered knit tops, etc. I have to think out the mechanics of what i'm going to put on before i start, or it's a true hassle to start over. And it's more likely to bother my leg.

Which means that wearing a sweatshirt and super stretchy jeans is easy and comfortable. But i cannot argue that it will set the style world on fire! At least i got a couple of new sweatshirts in bright colors (hot pink and lime citron) to wear instead of my standby heather grey. But really! It's kind of boring, and what's more as a style blogger it's mortifying.

i try to make a triangle - kind of like these ladies

Yesterday i spent a few minutes creating a folder of knock-out looks i've worn the last few months. I was pleasantly surprised! I'm contemplating doing a little 'shop your closet' sketch of some outfits as well, if i can set aside the time. I can't recall ever doing this before, so it will be fun to try something new and will be good experience generally. One way or another i need to put a little more effort into dressing or i'll be askeert to leave the house!

I enjoyed this outfit a lot. I love the boxiness of this blouse because it's counteracted by the flowing drape of the fabric. I decided to play off the boxy shape and my straight shoulders by creating a line from the shoulders straight down to my feet. What was even more fun was the presto-chango way i created a whole new silhouette just by tossing on this jacket! I so enjoy playing with shape and this outfit just tickled my fancy no end.

I'm also wearing my new watch. My trusty old Fossil is eating batteries in just a few months, which i fear is signaling the end. I wondered why i was so antsy for a new watch - when i sat down and thought it out, i've been wearing my old one about twenty years! I really liked Fossil's 'Stella' watches, but how happy was i when i found this one - my favorite low contrast beige and about one third the cost.

Are any of you still thrashing around with the seasonal transition - more than half way through January? New, fun things are happening here wardrobe-wise, but i'm scattered about it, nowhere near focused in taking advantage of these new energies and things. I feel kind of embarrassed about this, but what can we do but admit where we are. Any advice gratefully accepted!

Printed Wide Leg Pants and Hope For The Non-Photogenic

2012-01-13T11:03:00.000-08:00

Whew! I am happy to say that my recent rhinovirus didn't irritate my asthma. However, i've had to take a lot more rest than usual & i'm thus a little behind. I started a thread over at the You Look Fab forum and thought you might get a little inspiration and a nice chuckle from it. Quoting myself:

The response to Angie's post on printed wide leg pants today seems to point to this fad dying a short, painful death. I, like a few others on the forum, wore this style in the 1990's. I enjoyed the comfort and the feminine feel - a similar vibe to a skirt. I only had 2 pair, as the cut, print, and drape varied so much and it was hard to find ones i liked.

In the first pic i'm wearing rayon floral pants with a denim shirt tied at hi-hip and a 1940's navy wool crepe jacket. Yes, that is a fuschia alligator clip in my hair - in my defense, i was not going out! The year was around 1995 and i wore dark brown booties with this outfit. Pic two gives you a look at the straw boater with navy grosgrain ribbon that i loved to wear with these pants, as well as the interior of my 1974 Dodge Dart. It was actually a pretty cute outfit, but the pic does not reflect that at all.

In short, what made printed wide leg pants work for me was adding structure (jacket, hat) and a little toughness (denim shirt). I believe this formula would still work today (provided i could find a pair i liked ;)
As to topic two, pic one is about how i look in your average snapshot. I'm over 15 years younger in that pic and even looking at my youthful form i can't say that pic is all that flattering. But i have since learned how to pose, where to place the camera, a couple of makeup tricks and now i can come across as less disheveled and goofy, at least!

To illustrate, Pic 3 is me in the same jacket in a 'going out' outfit (original post here). Pic 4 is without the jacket. I'm older but i have learned to take better pictures. Folks who know me say that generally i don't look as ridiculous in real life as i can come across in snapshots. I think my blog photos look a little *better* than i do in real life, or maybe me on a good day.

Which may not be brutally objective - but what can i say, i come from a long line of very vain women!

Anyways, i know some of you think you are also not very photogenic and i wanted to let you know that you can learn how to take pictures of yourself that you feel better about. I understand not wanting to go hog-wild with 'improving' every little thing. At the same time, you don't want to be so bothered by how you look that you avoid the camera and it's benefits.

I hope this gives you some encouragement if you could use it! Happy Friday!

Rhinovirii....

2012-01-09T10:48:00.000-08:00

......are living in my rhino! Thankfully they seem to be on the wane, but i've been a sleeping vegetable the last 44 hours. The main blogging-related thoughts i've had during this time have been, "Why does my hair have to look so cute when i'm too much of a slug to take any pictures?" Deep thinking? Not so much :)

But i did do some mindless web surfing, so i'll point you to a couple of interesting links. First, re: this outfit - a hat always makes you more visible. I tossed this one on since my hair was filthy, as mom likes to say,"The bugs were jumping off of it!" It actually makes the look, showing that bad behaviour is sometimes rewarded. I'm also starting to really get the hang of wearing this jacket, something i'm very happy about. I had even considered giving it away a week before this look. I've often found that deep frustration and dissatisfaction comes right before a creative breakthrough - does this happen to you?

On to some links. The morning before i took to the bed i read this awesome 'Quality Checklist' by Amy of Quixotic Pixels. I got so inspired i went straight to Mr. E's closet, grabbed an offending tee, and started taking pictures so i could add to the list! Add any items we missed in the comments and i'll edit this post to include them.

I need to replace some panties. I have about six nylon lace Victoria's Secret pair which have performed yeoman's service for around eight years and shown no wear whatsoever until now. I bought some Target house brand pair a couple of years ago - the cotton boyshorts with lace trim have held up brilliantly (discontinued), but the lace on a few bikinis is just getting ratty and accumulating all type of strange linty-pills. ewww.

I've been drawn towards briefs or 'granny chic' undies for a while. They show less under a lot of outfits, and i like the cut better just alone - the lower leg looks good and a waist just under the navel minimizes my tummy. The Skimp Skamp brief apparently has a massive, loyal following (including MEN), and i've decided to buy a pair or two and try them out. I've found that nylon/spandex is very comfy to wear, lasts like iron given proper care, and is most flattering under clothing. Cotton undies kind of stick and pull under cotton pants or skirts, which can get uncomfortable as well as look weird. The Skimp Skamps fit these criteria, and with so many great reviews it's a natural to start there.

I also like to have a few lacy, colorful pair in my lingerie drawer. J.C.Penney's house line 'Ambrielle' has a lot of really fun, wild panties at reasonable prices. Check out these in 'Leopard Shadow'! The reviews are good, so i'll check these out as well. Do you have any "Holy Grail" knickers you'd like to share with us?

With all this panty-surfing, i happened upon the blog of HerRoom founder Tomima Edmark. What a fount of wisdom! If you have any burning questions regarding 'small clothes', do a search on her blog. How to shop for a bra that keeps your nipples from 'pointing east and west', proper laundering of lingerie, are you pulling your panties up too high.....this lady blew my socks off!!! Let's face it, the internet makes it incredibly easy for any old blowhard to set themselves up as some fantastic 'expert'. But it also makes it possible for people who are the real deal to get valuable information out to us regular slobs. This lady is the real deal!!!

Phew, i'm ready for a nap! Hope you enjoy your day, and don't forget to visit Visible Monday!!

Legs Legs Legs

2012-01-05T11:02:00.000-08:00

Well, i wore my "Olive Cocktail" dress for our traditional New Year's Eve outing to Cesar's. You have seen that dress plenty of times, and it got me thinking about a fun or different way to photograph the outfit. Since i spent most of the time seated, i took the logical route.

Looking at the pictures i couldn't help but notice how twisty my legs look! And after the first couple of shots i found it so distracting that i quite consciously attempted to 'straighten' them out while posing. No luck. I do see models with similar very curvy legs now and then, though on the whole the industry seems to prefer straighter, more angular gams. After taking and scrutinizing so many pictures of myself it's a kick to see something new!

Cesar was founded by Alice Waters' ex-husband and is located right next door to the legendary Chez Panisse (at one point i saw Mr. Cesar retrieving, then later returning, an extra chair from chez next door). The hostess seated us right next to the front window where we could see all the happenings on the street - the limos pulling up to pick up people after their haute cuisine repast, the disappointed would-be Chez Panisse patrons who neglected to make a reservation, the panhandlers, the neighborhood denizens giving poochie his evening constitutional. Combined with the view behind the bar, we enjoyed entertainment galore!

I'm chuffed that these pictures finally convey some of the charm of this Peruvian Connection sweater. Most of the time it just comes across as a black crew neck cardi (yawn.....). But in reality it's composed of several wonderful stitches witih plenty of openwork in various designs. And can you beat the zig - zag edging on the hems!

Mr. Cesar likes to make the lovely co-eds of UC Berkeley feel very welcome at his establishment, and they return the favor with sequined miniskirts, metallic bustiers, lurexed spandex. I have to say i felt a wee bit dowdy and out of place there off and on, with my cotton stockings, button up cardigan, and leg-enveloping skirt. As i was fanning myself our host stopped by to top off our drinks, remarking, "I love your fan - it seems so southern!"

I didn't have the heart to tell him it was menopause. The odd thing about my vague discomfort is that most of the people frequenting this establishment are my age or older, mostly locals with intellectual/artistic/cultural interests. In other words, not all that different from me. Do you ever feel out of place at places where you can't really see any 'rational reason' for that feeling? I don't think my feeling had that much to do with style or dress, but i'm curious what you think anyway!

Little Old Lady Cardi: Peruvian
Belt : Betsey Johnson
Dress: Nine West From Krasa in Berkeley
Socks: Sock Dreams
Shoes: Clark's
Necklace: gift (thank you mom!)
Location: Cesar on Shattuck in Berkeley's Gourmet Ghetto (no longer affiliated with barcesar on Piedmont in Oakland)

eShakti: A Unique Design Vision

2012-01-03T10:26:00.000-08:00

As we begin a new year, i am happy to unveil a Dashing Eccentric first - product review! The beautiful, perfectly fitting Singing In The Rain dress swanned into my armoire courtesy of eShakti's made to measure service. When their rep contacted me about doing a review i was very excited about the prospect. As my first product review, it involved plenty of work, pushed my photography skills to the max, and even entailed a bit of soul-searching. At the end of the process, what is the bottom line? eShakti deserves a prominent place in the resource directory of any woman who wants perfect fit, a small and flexible wardrobe, utterly unique pieces, and who sees the wisdom of putting time and thought into creating her wardrobe. That sounds a lot like The Dashing Eccentric readers to me.

eShakti embodies the opposite of 'fast fashion'. eShakti is well known for the wide range of customization services they offer at low prices. You can start with a sleeveless, mid-knee length dress and alter it to include elbow length sleeves and below the knee hem for the grand total of an additional $7.50. According to Kendall Farr, in The Pocket Stylist, simply hemming a typical skirt averages $15.00 and up. Of course, this doesn't take into consideration the impossibility of lengthening hems or sleeves in ready to wear or vintage items, or the additional options eShakti makes available to its customers.

eShakti also offers made to measure clothing. This means the pattern for the garment is altered to your particular measurements before the fabric is cut. I reviewed this option with the Singing In The Rain dress, and let me tell you i was floored. New readers may not be aware that i have sewn clothing for myself and others on a regular basis for about 35 years. Part of what has kept me sewing all these years is the aggravating impossibility of finding decently fitting clothing off the rack. I hope that anything you see me wear on this blog fits well. Which is why all of it has either been altered or sewn from scratch by me - with the single exception of this eShakti dress. I followed the clear instructions on where and how to take my measurements), and clicked the 'send' button. About ten days later, i popped the dress over my head and boggled at my reflection. All of that great, flattering fit! And none of the usual work.

As Kendall Farr puts it,

"The universal truth about women with great personal style is that their clothes really fit; fit to create the longest, smoothest, optimum unbroken line. This is the key........You really don't need a lot to create a great wardrobe. But everything that hangs in your closet should fit, or it is money wasted."

I cannot think of anything more to say. Hemming and taking in the waist a bit can do a lot for a garment, but more extensive alterations are very difficult to pull off without destroying the line of the garment. Creating a garment made to fit you from the start will give the very best results, and eShakti offers you this opportunity at great convenience and phenomenal cost.

A company offering this level of customization for, say, a dozen classic pieces would be quite a find. But eShakti takes things even farther, in a direction especially intriguing to ladies with small wardrobes. The fewer items of clothing you have, the more you'll wear each individual piece. In this situation, ideally each piece will have maximum styling flexibility. You fantasize about a very special type of garment, one that can play the 'heroine' of an outfit one day, and harmoniously sing in the chorus the next. Pieces that can play a very convincing diva, then win an Oscar for their performance as 'the best friend' a few days later. I have no clue why this type of garment has no catchy name (maybe "Team Player Diva"?), because they are a godsend to small wardrobe connisseurs.

The eShakti design team excels in creating just these type of garments. Wear the Singing In The Rain dress with a few girly accessories: instant bombshell. Toss on a denim jacket and boots, and it's a completely convincing casual day dress. Throw on the floral embroidered tunic with denim and a beret and it's a flattering casual top. But with a silk skirt it packs plenty of drama to create a stunning evening look. As you shop the eShakti website, keep the concept of styling flexibility in mind. It's one thing to be able to create three casual looks with one piece, quite another when that piece plays a crucial role in casual and dressy ensembles. Click through to examine the subtle details which don't come through in the thumbnail pictures. It's often these details which you can bring out through styling to add drama and excitement to bring to life a special occasion outfit.

In short, eShakti's design vision rocks my world! On to customer service. The website is easy to navigate, presenting accurate and helpful information about the clothing and the various available customizations in an easy to understand format. The instructions for taking measurements are the best around, bar none. The one problem i ran into was very respectfully and generously resolved. Upon receipt i discovered that the hem of my dress was faulty.* I notified my rep within a day of receipt, and she quite reasonably requested 24 hours to find out what was up. I let her know that was fine - and didn't hear anything for almost a week. Needless to say, this made me very nervous. But at that point i received an e-mail from my rep, politely inquiring if i had had enough time to consider their offer re: the dress. It turns out her earlier e-mail was lost in the web, and when she re-sent it i was delighted to see their offer of a new item of my choice. This allowed me to choose the black floral embroidered tunic and review their off the rack wares as well as their custom product (and not worry about the hassle of a return).

If i had purchased the dress from eShakti i would have contacted them in a day or so of the 24 hour window to inquire. But since this was a review, i felt an obligation to be very cautious about pushing anything along - i wanted to keep my loyalties strictly with my readers. I include this incident in the spirit of full disclosure, and welcome any thoughts you have about how i handled this. The only other less-than-spectacular aspect of my interaction with eShakti involved the package containing the black floral embroidered tunic. I noticed a strong chemical odor when i opened it. I soaked the tunic (in baking soda and unscented detergent), ran it through the gentle cycle, and all traces of any scent were gone. I've worn this tunic several times since, even while working up a 'glow', and the tunic has remained entirely odor-free. Again, in the end it was a non-issue. But i have friends and family with very sensitive noses, and i know they would appreciate this information.

The upshot of these two quibbles? First, when you are ordering custom, made to measure clothing it may take more time and effort than, say, picking up a pair of sweats down at the mall's latest fast fashion emporium. Two, your mother was right -wash any new clothing before you wear it! Both of which ideas which should be obvious on their face, really. And finally, my concern for maintaining honesty and transparency with my readers borders on the obsessive. I know that different people have very different concerns, i prefer to give you as much information as i can.

In closing, i encourage each and every one of you to take a serious look at eShakti's offerings. You may not be looking for any of their offerings right this second, but having an overview of their products and services will come in handy in future - when you can't find a well-fitting pair of black dress pants for work, when there's not. one. single. dress. with sleeves in the entire mall, when you want to dip a toe into a current trend without coming across like a fashion victim. If you are committed to acquiring beautiful, quality garments with exquisite fit that flatter your body and pique your creativity; if you find that off the rack fashion never quite fits; if you have a small wardrobe and every piece needs to play more than one role convincingly; if you can wear standard sizes but are looking for special and unique pieces at great prices; if you want to look on-trend without being trendy - ladies with any, some, or all of these goals will find their time exceptionally well-spent at eShakti.

Links:
eShakti website
eShakti Facebook page
eShakti on Twitter

Singing In the Rain Dress

Black Floral Embroidered Tunic

Many thanks to eShakti for making this post possible by providing both featured items as compensation for this review.

Thank you to the "S" family for letting me commandeer their lovely tree for a location shot - Happy Holidays!

* i have yet to alter the hem, i simply posed to hide the flaw.

There Is Hope!

2011-12-31T08:35:00.000-08:00

Well, i thought i'd try for an 'uplifting' post to finish the year. I know that many of you, like i am, are somewhere along a journey of re-thinking your style and re-populating your closet. Over at the You Look Fab forum, in the last couple of weeks there have been a few 'When does it get better?' threads. People who have spent many hours on their style project and are wondering when it all starts to get easier.

Which is why i am showing you these two outfits in particular. Neither is the most stylish, the most flattering, or the most outrageous i've ever put together. But those last two words contain the beauty of these two looks -neither was 'put together'. In fact, both were just pulled out of the closet in desperation with very little consideration besides 'I've got to get out the door!'. Yet, later in the day i realized that i was physically comfortable, felt authentic (thank you Patti!) and appropriate and i liked the way i looked!

All of your work and toil does pay off! A year and a half ago if i'd reached into my closet for something likely and rushed out the door - well, i did try that then and it's not worth revisiting. But i've reached the point where my closet is largely stocked with well thought out pieces that suit my figure, my tastes, my lifestyle, and each other. In short, i've stacked the deck in my own favor.

I'm not trying to toot my own horn here (well, maybe a little.....) so much as let anyone who is feeling frustrated know that you can do it too! All you need is a plan, the ability to learn from mistakes, and the determination to stick with it for the long haul. Everything else can be worked with or around. True, i can sew and i have had training in the visual arts (both of which most people can learn as well). But my budget is pretty limited, and it's very difficult physically for me to do much shopping. Every one of you has strengths and weaknesses too - storm your noggin and figure out how to work 'em! Research your questions in blogs, join a forum and participate, start your own blog and ask your readers what they think. Stick with it long enough, try enough crazy things and you'll get there! I promise.

How are you all coming along with your own style goals? Can you grab a decent outfit out of your closet in two minutes flat or are you having trouble getting started? What's the most brilliant idea you have come across regarding style and getting dressed this last year?

Happy New Year!!!

How To Make A Tee And Jeans Work For You

2011-12-28T10:32:00.000-08:00

As a fan of the dressier, the structured and tailored, the eccentric and avant-garde, nothing strikes me as more snooze-inducing or off putting than 'a tee and jeans'. I avoided wearing this classic American Casual pairing for decades. That's why i knew i wanted to share this look with you! This outfit isn't all that exciting, but it demonstrates how you can make a style statement you love in even the most mundane of circumstances. It's a sign of just how far down my style journey i've traveled that i can now don this outfit and feel utterly myself. What's the key?

I've narrowed it down to two key concepts. Key One: you've got to have the basics nailed. You need great fit and great aesthetic flattery. As a physically low contrast woman i chose a low contrast clothing pairing. A high contrast woman could wear a white tee with a dark wash denim for her jeans. I look better with some pattern and texture going on, thus a heather grey hoody and slightly distressed or broken in jeans highlight my looks without overpowering. The bootcut lengthens my legline while balancing my hips and saddlebags. And so on.

Especially in this day and age, the variety of basics out there is truly stunning. What's more, the variety of looks tolerated as 'in style' is huge compared to any other time in history! So figure out what makes you look great, get it, and wear it!

At this stage you'll have a flattering base, but chances are it won't feel like a finished 'look'. Time to implement Key Concept Two: think out your accessories strategy. If you're like a lot of gals, pinning a rhinestone brooch onto your Hanes tee will feel a wee bit twee. While some ladies pull this off beautifully, it's not for everyone. It also overlooks the importance of 'functional accessories' such as purses, belts, shoes, glasses, watches and earrings. You know, the kind of pieces that you wear everyday without thinking about them much. A popular school of thought on these vital wardrobe items is to buy something very basic, in a "go with everything" color so that the piece won't 'clash' no matter what you wear with it.

This strategy does work. The trouble is that while such 'classics' don't detract from your overall look, they don't add anything to it either. And when you're wearing a pared-down casual look like this one, every item has to carry it's weight if you want your personal style to come across. Now i've come around to a different viewpoint on everyday basic accessories. When i was younger and didn't have much money, i would try to get the most low-key, stay-in-the-background purse i could find. I had to use it with every outfit i wore and i didn't want it to strike a sour note. My bag never ruined an outfit, but talk about boring! Frankly, i can't even remember what any of them looked like! Nowadays i have a few different purses, each of which is pretty distinctive. Compare my pictures here which include the Isabella Fiore bag to the ones without. The bag texture, hardware, and those leather covered pyramid studs add a much-appreciated dose of excitement.

Wearing coordinating accessories in groups will also increase their style quotient. Choose pieces with prominent aesthetic qualities in common to wear together. These qualities will reinforce each other and draw the viewer's eye towards your purpose. The belt, bag, and shoes in this look don't match, but they are all dark brown distressed leather with three dimensional details (perforations, pyramid studs) and two have lots of metal. It is in fact possible to put together a few of these basic accessory groups, perhaps building on pieces you already have. One group could be a dark neutral, one a light neutral, one a bright or rich color. You can of course use these pieces with other accessories as well, but it is nice to have some planned out strategies for hectic or uninspired mornings.

What strategies, guidelines, or tips and tricks have you found useful in wearing a tee and jeans or other ultra-casual looks? Has this American Classic outfit always been a natural for you, or have you had to struggle with it as much as i have? I await your wisdom with bated breath!

Hoodie: Free People (thrifted)
Tee: Merona Ultimate Tee by Target
Jeans: Levi's curvy fit (discontinued)
Parka: L.L. Bean

Belt: DKNY (thrifted)
Shoes: vintage Ariat
Bag: Isabella Fiore (via T.J.Maxx - a great spot for deep discounts on Italian designer bags)

Happy Holidays!

2011-12-24T16:38:00.000-08:00

I just want to thank every one of you for taking the time to read and to comment and to suggest my posts for weekly links and even honor me with the odd award! Over a year and a half of blogging, i've realized that i love writing, style, and photography so much that i'd continue on with no audience whatsoever.

I have also realized that creating for an audience is the best motivator imaginable. You constantly encourage me to think things through, to come up with the better way of expressing concepts, to take a few more shots even though it's freezing and the sun is in my eyes (how does that happen?), to sharpen my photo editing skills, to search for unique content that will be useful to you. Just knowing that you are here keeps me on my toes, and your feedback is utterly priceless.

I am continually struck by the presence you all have in every action i take regarding this blog. You have encouraged me to address issues i never thought would find readers - lo and behold, ideas that helped me interest others as well! Thank you! Know that i value your ideas and input, & please feel free to comment or send me an e-mail at any time. Let me know if you'd like to see me address a particular issue, something about the technical part of my blog bugs you, or what you think of how i've approached a topic (good or bad).

(yes, that is a new-to-the-blog dress, yes the fit is perfect, no i didn't make it myself and yes you will have to wait until next year to get the scoop on it!)

Happy Holidays to you and yours! Hallelujah, the days are getting longer!

Inaugural Repeat

2011-12-18T12:09:00.000-08:00

Recently I've been writing about my evolving style epiphany: that repeating some outfits i just love would be a habit worthy of cultivation. For decades now i've been on 'No Repeats Ever' autopilot, but now i've decided that this habit no longer seems sensible or even aesthetically compelling. Throughout my teens i would repeat especially flattering or fun looks and i quite enjoyed it. And it did nothing to destroy my stylish rep ;)

Now, it has begun. For a recent memorial service i wore a slightly modified repeat of this look. I wore a simple black satin belt and sheer black stockings instead of the fashion forward stud and grommet belt and grey lacey stockings. I felt very appropriate, was physically comfortable, and even received compliments. Success! This encouraged me to continue on with my new style resolution.

Monday is wedding anniversary number 12 for me and Mr. Eccentric, as part of the festivities we went to see Tori Amos Friday night at the spectacular Paramount Theatre in Oakland. Anyone with interest in Art Deco architecture will already know of this exquisitely restored gem, i can only say it glows even more brightly in person. On the theory that one most dress for her surroundings, i came up with the outfit based on my new green dress. Decidedly festive, i especially liked the fit and flare look achieved by layering my new blouse over the sleeveless dress - you never know if these idea will work until you try it!

Work it did, and i had another hour until we expected to depart. At this point you may well wonder why i brought up the whole 'repeating outfits' idea at the start of this post. Well......the last month or two my legs have been unhappy. Painful, limpy, maybe not the paragon of grace. As flat on my back rest helps calm things down, i'd taken to my bed at around 5pm the two nights before our outing so as to have more reliable legs for our night out. The rest had made a noticeable difference - as did time in those stockings. A difference for the worse. The pressure started bothering me after just a few minutes, after twenty or twenty five i knew that an alternative outfit was needed in the worst way. Outfit MayDay!

You ever have times when you thank your past self for coming up with a pure genius idea? Last Friday around 4:45pm was that time for me - instead of trying to come up with a new going out look in 5-7 minutes flat, i only had to cast back to amazing outfits past! My new bootcut jeans were freshly washed, comfy and warm and made an excellent base piece for the outfit i swiftly donned for the concert. I simply switched out the jeans on this look, kept the string of pearls, and was on my way.

For years i felt visible, in a very awkward kind of fashion, whenever my outfit wasn't sufficiently "different" from looks i had worn before. But in this look i felt i looked great, and happily i flat out felt great too! Be sure to check out the rest of the posts in Patti's Visible Monday! Many thanks to Patti for being such a gracious hostess to so many wonderfully varied blogs.

Dress: Nine West from Krasa
Blouse: Kay Unger (thrifted)
Shoes: Clark's
Coat: Tahari
Jeans: from Palmer & Pletsch The Perfect Jeans McCall's 5894
Pearls: gift

Black Skirts and Shoelaces

2011-12-16T09:58:00.000-08:00

I'm a 'Wear It Now!' gal all the way, so my jeans have been in obsessive rotation as soon as they were finished. With my smaller wardrobe any new item exponentionally increases my outfit options and i love hopping in and trying them out! But around a week ago i figured i should start to mix it up a little, lest i wear out my jeans tout suite and find i'd forgotten how to wear anything else.

My 'Fairy Godmother' seems telepathically linked to me recently. First, she handed me this gorgeous Kay Unger blouse just when i had been on the lookout for a white button-down worthy of duplication. Then, while trying to create an outfit for a memorial service i realized the big black hole of my wardrobe - a classic wool black skirt. Lo and behold, i find a beautiful a-line wool blend black midi skirt on top of my dryer within the week. Spooky!

I've been seriously reading style advice books, articles, etc. since i was in high school. One constant refrain is the crucial role that a three-season classically cut wool suit, ideally with pants and skirt, will play in your closet. The idea is that you have a suit for business/professional/formal events and you can break up the suit for a variety of uses from dressy all the way through casual. I have seen quite credible illustrations of, let's say, black wool trousers worn with high heeled boots, washed silk blouse, leather belt and sunglasses creating a stunning yet casual outfit. And on and on. I got it in theory, but whenever i confronted an actual black wool skirt or lined trousers i froze.

The instant my eyes fell on my new black skirt I drooled like a conditioned pooch. If i couldn't make a decent, convincing casual look with this skirt i knew the cause was lost. Maybe i have more experience with style now, maybe all the pictures i've stared at on style blogs have soaked in, maybe i'm just older - well, obviously i'm older! At any rate, i finally did the deed. This look even has a bit of a retro-funky feel, and what's more it worked with out the jacket as well. Mission complete.

Look number two is a standard kind of fall-back outfit for me. The strange thing is that what made it work in my mind was the shoelaces. Yep, the shoelaces. The original laces which came with the shoes (you know you're getting quality when your shoes come with laces at no extra fee) were a faded brown, echoing the distressed leather of the uppers. They were fine, but ho-hum, and the lack of contrast caused the lacing detail to fade into the shoe as a whole.

Another pair of shoes needed better laces a while back, so i bogarted the Bass oxford's laces. The paddock boots i laced with the Bass laces are a very dark brown and i fancied the look of a lighter lace - it really showed off the detail. The next time i wanted to wear my Bass oxfords, instead of using the originals i took a pair of black suede laces out of a pair evening shoes - and wow! It adds a bit of punch that those shoes could frankly use, and the black laces help tie the shoes in with the black skirt. Sweet relief.......

I have to say i'm astounded at times by how affected i am by the smallest details. It is kinda nutty, but once i 'give in' and take the time to fix what is bothering i so much more enjoy myself. Over the years i've reconciled myself to just going with it and no longer tolerate small annoyances. Do you ever find that an excruciatingly tiny and mundane aspect of an outfit can play a make or break role in your eyes?

Khaki Jacket: Royal Robbins
Grey Henley: Aeropostale
Black A-Line Skirt: Armani Exchange (thrifted)
Belt: ?
Scarf: own design
Oxfords: Bass Lacey
Nice & Warm Wool Blend Tights: Hanna Andersson

Denim Jacket: YMI lets UBU
Tee: Merona Ultimate Tee by Target
Full Black Skirt: own design
Belt: DKNY (thrifted)

ATCGATTGAGCTCTAGCG TAGCTAACTCGAGATCGC

2011-12-14T10:16:00.000-08:00

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

Dark Wash Jeans Advised for Older Women and the Role Of Contrast

2011-12-08T08:46:00.001-08:00

On Edit: If you're in a rush, start first with the comments! Many readers chimed in with smart, fantastic points - and they're not long winded like me. Thank you to all who took the time to comment! First, apologies for the rather uninspiring photography. But this post is constructed more as an experiment, less as an aesthetic excursion. The photo on the left was taken simply to remember the outfit, as i enjoyed wearing it and liked the subtle play of color and the monochromatic feel. I felt it lent a pulled-together effect to the look and created, as Kendall Farr puts it, "the Almighty Unbroken Line".

Ms. Farr's description encapsulates one species of advice often given to women hoping to 'dress better'. The idea is to create a long, lean, smooth silhouette in your clothing. No lumps and bumps, no super tight areas or swaths of uncontrollable fabric. Also, no high contrast 'breaks' in unflattering areas - for example, do not wear a white blouse with a black skirt with the 'edge' between the two at your natural waist, since this will cut your figure in half, creating a blocky feel. One obvious way to implement this advice is to wear monochromatic looks. The whole of your outfit flows easily from tip to toe, creating the longest line possible.

Another very popular piece of advice, especially regarding those leaving childbearing years behind, is to only wear very dark wash jeans. The darkness hides lumps and bumps and it recedes as well, so your bum, thighs, and whatnot will tend to fade away and look smaller, possibly more discreet. Now, i've recently been wondering about what would be the consequences if a woman were to follow both of these pieces of advice simultaneously. I think I've been reading so much of this type of thing recently that my brain made an executive decision: 'time to synthesize!'.

At any rate, a few days later i was getting close to finishing the darker jeans. They are iteration number two of the Palmer and Pletsch Perfect Jeans pattern, this time in bootcut silhouette. I suddenly realized that i could 'isolate the variable' in the monochromatic outfit - change out a light wash denim for the dark wash denim that is strongly recommended as the only wash worth wearing for ladies over forty and observe the result! I was hoping to get a feel for which 'piece of advice' was more worth following strictly. (And frankly i was hoping to show that following any piece of advice to the letter all the time is folly.)***

So, i ended up taking the dark wash jean pictures in the same place as the original 'notebook' photos. I did my best to adopt similar poses and camera position. Looking at the two outfits, i'm more drawn to the monochromatic look - even though the lighter wash jeans don't 'hide' as much of what's going on as the dark wash do. On me the high contrast line cutting right through my hips seems too stark, and ends up emphasizing the width there. I do wonder how much this has to do with my overall low-contrast coloring, however. On a woman with high contrast coloring this look may well appear more harmonious.

Which brings me to the last point this experiment brought to mind. If i like the way a monochromatic look creates a nice line, and i only wear dark wash jeans, it will be very hard to avoid wearing a lot of dark colors right next to my face. And generally i prefer to wear lighter colors next to my face - because i find they are more flattering! Which i thought was the driving motivation behind all this fuss. Good grief, all these 'rules' can drive a person nuts!!!! That's the one rule by which i am sure to stand.

I don't often discuss non-clothing related topics on this blog (although my definition of 'clothing-related' is quite expansive). But i've recently run across a couple of videos which may interest some readers. First, if any of you are interested in the more rigorously collected evidence for life after death/communication with spirits, i cannot recommend this video enough. It outlines the Scole Experiements, a five year long project in Scole, UK which involved four people meeting twice a week to attempt communication with the dead. Well done. (As a style-aside, at 38 minutes in observe how different the 'red rose' mother looks in video versus a still photo. Different media capture our likenesses in different ways.)

Secondly, for decades now my family and friends have wearily endured my exuberant soliloquies on the genius of Jacques Vallee. Being the basis for Lacombe, the French UFO investigator in Speilberg's Close Encounters of the Third Kind (played by Francois Truffaut) was only so impressive. Not that i cared about that - his identification of Marshall Applewhite as a dangerous cult leader years before the Heaven's Gate tragedy, his vast knowledge of ancient and historical encounters with otherworldy beings, his ability to wring every last drop of physical evidence out of the most unpromising circumstances, his masterful 'Contact' trilogy......

I could go on - and for many years, i have. Now that TED has tapped Dr. Vallee for a talk on The Theory of Everything (else), i 've been having a wonderful time saying, "I told you so........"

*** In other words, yep, this experiment was rigged!

Jacket: made by me of a vintage Anne Klein for Vogue Patterns
Henley: Aeropostale
Belt: Betsey Johnson
Pocketbook: vintage Coach, gift
Light Wash Jeans: Levi's Curvy Fit (no longer available)
Dark Wash Jeans: made by me of McCall's 5894 Palmer & Pletsch The Perfect Jeans
Booties: Maine Woods

A Little Bit Of Little Edie

2011-12-06T08:49:00.001-08:00

Here you see my first go at 'winterizing' this cotton seersucker dress. I made it using Hot Pattern's Deco Vibe Diamond Life pattern. This dress performs perfectly as it was designed....slip it on in the hottest and muggiest of conditions to remain cool, calm, and collected. This iteration is sensu stricto a wearable muslin, made for around ten bucks. The more i wear it, the more i want to make it in nicer fabrics - especially in a black version for a lovely Little Black Dress (a major hole in my wardrobe).

The key to winterization here is the tights - they are a wool blend and very very warm. I find that in my particular climate i only have to have about half of my body covered in a super warming garment. If i wear wool tights on the bottom half and a wool sweater on the top half, in an hour or two i am hot flashing for real! It just doesn't get that cold around here that often. To cope with milder fluctuations i tossed on this little hoody, which actually worked better than i expected from the aesthetic angle.

One of the magnificent illusions created in the drafting of this pattern is the look of some booty. I'm just built to have a flat butt. Exercise makes a bit of a difference, but you can't argue with the basic structure of the universe. When i have flare-ups of my nerve trouble, the only way to calm it down is rest. As in don't exercise. And my flat butt starts taking on the shape of the 'anti-ass', as Mr. E puts it. Deco Vibe Diamond Life to the rescue! Ah, the pleasure of fantasy.

Well, getting to this post's title.....i don't really know why this look put me in mind of Little Edie of Grey Gardens fame. I didn't feel the Little Edie vibe until i tossed this coat on to go out in the evening. Maybe it's the way the dress and coat hems interacted. Maybe it's the little flaw in the tights. Maybe it's that my beautiful booties are beginning to show their age, cracked leather and all (which i actually like). I've yet to figure it out, let me know if you have a clue to it!

Yes, your blogger is a staunch fan of Little Edie and The Maysles. I'm sure this comes as no surprise at all, considering The Edie's position as twentieth century USA's preeminent eccentrics. What a pleasure to watch Little Edie on film while choosing a link or two for this post! I was struck by her utter naturalness in her own skin, such a rarity in our day among filmed women of any age. I'm sure it's a big factor in her compelling screen presence. Just look at her, flirting outrageously with the cameraman as she highlights the features which make this the best costume for the day. Even the luminous Drew Barrymore suffers in comparison, notwithstanding all of her advantages of youth, costume, makeup, lighting, money.........regarding individual style, the true and the unique will always triumph.

Double Denim Visibility

2011-12-04T09:33:00.001-08:00

Well. I believe i have figured out how to participate in Patti's wonderful Visible Monday posts. Click here to check out the other twenty-and-counting participants this morning! Honestly, i feel that most of the time my feeling 'visible' has more to do with my mood than with what i'm wearing. But in the case of double denim, i do feel a wee bit awkward.

It just seems a little young, a little overly super duper casual, kind of tunnel vision: "I love denim so durn much, it's so practical that i decided i'm going to stock my closet with every single thing in denim! My life solution is here!!!!" I also profoundly dislike any number of 'fancy denim' ornate pantsuits i've seen on middle aged ladies. They seem particularly popular amongst middle westerners visiting the wine country. The outfits tend to be of a light wash and consist of a pair of jeans and a traditional jean jacket. The whole thing is ornamented with light colored embroidery, re-embroidery, applique, beading, and rhinestones with concentration on the pockets.

Needless to say this type of dressing is fine and fun on other people, but the thought of wearing it myself gives me a serious case of the heebie jeebies! Taking an objective look at my outfit here the differences are more prominent than the similarities. I especially like the way that the dark wash blends with the darker grey of the knits, and the way the knits add in different textures. It has the 'pulling together' and slimming effect of a monochromatic look, while the denim and mix of colors and textures keep it casual and more individual. I think i've pulled it off - i definitely feel more comfortable with the look now than even a month ago.

The wonderful part about the simple shape of this coat is that it feels like having a luxurious faux fur blanket. I often wear it like a coat, but i also like to drape it around me in various ways. So snuggly!

I'm posting this on Sunday, but i will link to Patti's current visible Monday post as soon as she has it up and i can get to a computer. In the meantime, feast your eyes on Visible Mondays past.

Unexpected Hospitalization

2011-11-30T10:32:00.001-08:00

...of my sewing machine! I've been working on "jeans number two", a pair of boot cuts in black stretch denim with contrast topstitching in medium taupe. Now, when sewing for yourself you go along aways, stopping now and then to pin baste the remaining seams and try on your article for fit. All of you who sew will be familiar with this process. There are so many variables affecting the final fit of a garment, and as home sewers we are usually making unique pieces so we can't rely overmuch on past experience. It makes sense, and avoids much heartache, to have fitting sessions at a few points along the way. Couture houses and custom tailors use the same process in making garments for their customers.

Often the process of adjusting fit continues after the garment is 'finished'. The jeans you see in this post are the first pair i made. I completed them and wore them two or three times when i decided to pin up some excess along the inseam and see how they looked. I ended up taking off about 2 inches out of the circumference of each leg for a sleeker fit. This collage shows the original fit of the jeans, the outdoor pics show them after 'slimming'.

Getting back to 'jeans number two'. I finished the front pockets and fly, the back pockets and yoke, then pin basted the legs and took a look in the mirror. Hey now! There's a look! I spent a few minutes turning this way and that, admiring those long, lean-looin' legs - oh yeah. (It's true, this behaviour is not strictly limited to the teenage set.) I scampered right back to the sewing area, highly motivated to flame on through the rest of the process, when my machine froze. Fortunately i didn't have to create a huge hole right in the crotch to remove the needle from my jeans, but further progress came to a standstill.

Fortunately The Cotton Patch is just down the road in Lafayette. They're a Bernina dealer, can do a service on my machine in 2 1/2 weeks - and they provide a loaner in the meantime! I had reconciled myself to a machine-less period of weeks at least (and no new jeans). You can imagine how thrilled i was to find the offer of a replacement while my old faithful was at the spa!!

The loaner is settled nicely in my sewing spot, and my faithful friend awaits her cleaning, oiling, and lubricating at the shop. Really, after a quarter century of consistent performance it'd be awfully cold-hearted to begrudge her a vacation. Meanwhile, i'm off to the service for Aunt's companion. After a week of scarily dense fog the day has dawned brilliant and beautiful in their honor. I hope your days go beautifully as well!

Yummy

2011-11-26T08:27:00.001-08:00

I just loved this outfit and got a real kick out of wearing it! This is the first time i've worn this top tucked in. I was worried that it wouldn't come off, but it worked okay. And there wasn't so much extra fabric from the peplum that i had to pull off some weird clothing-judo in order to cope.

I love re-mixing, as you well know. Nothing thrills me more than busting up an outfit, though to be honest i don't buy clothing as outfits, don't make items with an eye to creating outfits, and have not repeated an outfit since sometime in 1983. Really! I don't know how i got into this habit of NEVER repeating the same configuration of clothing. Maybe it was an attempt to make my tiny wardrobe seem more varied. Maybe it had something to do with reading this Ellen Wallace piece on French style secrets, published in Cosmopolitan in 1982. (Kudos to the brilliant Dead Fleurette for digging it up and making it available on the internet!)

But recently i've been feeling drawn towards repeating once more. I definitely had my favorite 'outfits' when i was a girl and in college - i can remember many of them to this day. I loved feeling that what i wore was flattering, stylish, comfortable, 'just right'. These 'just right' outfits often grew from 'just right' articles of clothing. As i've managed to get my hands on some 'just right' pieces once again, i suppose it's not surprising that i'm feeling the lure of repeating 'just right' outfits again as well.

This longing, of course, goes straight against the grain of the style blogging world. I have to admit, the more time i spend style blogging the less i'm attracted to some of the blogging world's main tenants. I want to repeat outfits that make me look great and that i love. I don't want to wear a belt as a necklace. I don't want to wear dresses as skirts and hold it all together with a belt. I want my clothing to fit as well as it can, with no fussing. I don't want to 'stretch my style boundaries' just to stretch them - i want to look as great as i can as much of the time as i can. In my view, experimentation is only called for when i have no idea what i can wear that will look great.

One incident brings this home to me. A little over a year ago, a certain style blogger decided that she wanted to wear a particular item of clothing. This piece represented many things to her - edginess, rocker-style, out-there-ness, extravagance, boldness. It was also very trendy at that time. Let's say it was a purple ostrich skin moto jacket. It took time to find just 'the one', to develop an outfit that she felt was 'her' around the jacket, money was spent in abundance, etc. This blogger wore the item proudly on her blog, talking about how edgy she felt in it and how much it was completely outside of her 'style boundaries'. The blogger looked fine in the piece - not great, or outlandish. Just fine. The blogger may have felt edgy and outrageous, but it didn't seem to come across in the photos. And i've never seen that item again.

I am aware that an argument can be made that this was a learning experience, well worth the time and effort, that has affected this person's style in many ways. And it can be considered rude to make these types of observations about what another person chooses to wear.

But i wonder. What if the same energy had been put towards finding a great, edgy, rocker look for that particular person? If the focus had been in finding what items, colors, shapes, details, proportions worked to give this person an edgy, outrageous look instead of focusing on a certain trendy item of clothing? If the focus was on this person instead of on a certain piece of clothing? The ironic thing, to me, is that this style blogger had previously shown herself in some outfits that looked very edgy and very her.

But they weren't trendy or outrageous, and relied very heavily on certain elements that she had decided she wanted to avoid. I am in no way knocking this person. Like many style bloggers, this person has fairly recently become interested in clothes and fashion - making up for lost time is completely understandable! And wearing a wide variety of colors, shapes, styles, can give you a feeling of really participating in their own unique style, and is a tried and true way to hone in on what you really love. Yet, the more i blog the more i finding i'd rather wear the same clothes and look and feel great!

The fashion chameleon, with boxes of clothes in the attic whose contents she has memorized, is a true style type. But so is "The French Girl". It's interesting to me that through participating in style blogging, a world ruled by the chameleon, i've come back to my roots, in love with the small, gorgeous, flattering closet.

Do any of you find yourselves at odds with some of the main "Holy Commandments" of style blogging? Which are they? How much does it get in the way of your enjoyment of reading or writing a blog? Any great 'French Girl" blogs you can turn us on to?

Kismet! Or Is It?

2011-11-22T11:29:00.001-08:00

My favorite is when you're rushing around in the morning, your entire goal to just not be naked. You've no style or fashion concerns on your mind whatever. Without your knowledge, the outfit fairy twanks her magic twanger BOOM You look down and you're wearing a great new look! Of course, i've spent enough time and effort obsessing about style in general, and my own wardrobe in particular, to realize it's nothing to do with kismet. It is everything to do with planning planning planning.

But it sure feels magical when it happens! How paradoxical is it that achieving effortlessness does indeed require a commitment to a significant amount of effort? This ensemble goes to another topic that's been on my mind quite a bit recently, especially since I won two books by Kendall Farr in a You Look Fab contest. The package arrived about 3-4 weeks ago and i have been reading both books every single day since. Ms. Farr is full of incredibly useful ideas and inspiration, and her writing style and wit make taking it all in a breeze. From my ego's standpoint, it doesn't hurt that she espouses many ideas which i've also found to be integral to personal style.

One of these concepts is the importance of dressing to flatter your individual physical person. Staying true to this principle has a many positive effects. For one, you'll always look great! More to the point to this look, you will severely limit the colors and shapes in your wardrobe. I'll admit that many many fashionable people will be aghast at my last sentence - we want options, variety, up to date, new new new! But there are those among us who feel overwhelmed by the vast variety of offerings available, and who will be happy to have an easy way to cut through the fluff and get straight to the good stuff. Even better, choosing only items that flatter your person naturally creates an individual color and shape palette wherein the great bulk of clothing works together effortlessly. How does this come about?

Let's take color as an example. Three characteristics determine whether or not colors 'go' or can combine pleasingly to the eye. These are temperature (warm vs. cool), saturation, and similarity of tint-shade-tone.*** Warm colors 'go' with warm and cool with cool. Colors with a similar degree of saturation (strong or weak colors) 'go' together. And colors with a similar degree of tint, tone, OR shade go together. In the jacket and blouse i'm wearing here, all of the colors are warm, they are all fairly saturated, and they are all tones (overwashed with grey). True pastels all go together because they are all cool to neutral, are very lightly saturated or 'weak', and are all tints (the base color is heavily diluted with white). Follow the embedded links for definitions and examples of these terms, or search the web for more information. If you take the time to train your eye to recognize these color characteristics, finding and combining your colors will suddenly make complete sense.

As it happens, temperature, saturation, and tint-tone-shade also determine which colors look most flattering on you. Therefore, sticking to your best colors will result in a closet which mixes very well. The same principle goes for shapes. Adhering slavishly to these principles allowed me to toss on two items bought six years apart, from different stores and different designers, and look put together and even current.

It's easy to take a look at this approach to wardrobe building and wonder, "Where's the room for ME?!?!?" It sounds terrifically restrictive - but it's not. Subtle variations of shape and silhouette, details, pattern, echoes of various times and places all offer tremendous opportunity for expression as well as contributing so much to your personal style. It took me about five minutes to find these variations on a theme. Each of these coats has a defined waist and shoulder, a collar, and is a strong, neutral-to-cool red.

Even with these narrow guidelines i could find coats ranging from simple and clean-lined, through military-style, to ruffles and bows, and one straight-out bombshell trench. I hope this demonstrates that even within some pretty strict guidelines a vast amount of individual expression is possible.

Eight Red Coats by mrseccentric featuring a leopard print coat

Do any of you have strict, 'do or die' guidelines you follow when choosing new items for your wardrobe? Or do you take a more inclusive, spontaneous approach to filling your closet?

*** temperature: warm colors tend to have yellow or red undertones, cool colors tend to have blue or green undertones. At the same time there are cool yellows and warm blues (turquoise is a warm blue)

saturation: the amount or strength of the 'color' or hue in a color. the red coats are all very saturated, there is a ton of 'red' in the color. My sandals are at the 'weak' end of the saturation spectrum - are they oyster, or bone, or cream, or......? The 'color' is just not saturated enough to really tell!

tints, tones, shades: these are all 'pure' hues or colors with something added. tints are color with white added, shades are pure hues with black added, tones are color with grey added. This illustration is very helpful.

Buckle That Swash!

2011-11-16T07:42:00.001-08:00

Love this look, love my fairy godmother who picked out this blouse, love this coat, love my amazing husband who found this coat for me.........love that i have a blog and readers with whom i can share the love!

Love my mom who taught me proper grammar, love me dad who schooled me in the art of the pun.......sadly, mr. eccentric's aunty lost her own love just a few days ago. They were together thirty years, and lived life more fully than anyone i have ever known. It's a blessing to have no regrets, and one blessing that we can give to ourselves. But i don't know that it lessens the shock or the pain.

I also don't know how much i'll be 'on the blog' this coming week. Until i'm back, show a little wisdom and do what you can to follow aunty's example.

I'll be doing my best to follow her example too. Now let's all get out there and spread the love!

Jeans and White Blouses......

2011-11-14T10:28:00.001-08:00

to the tune of "Knights In White Satin"

Your blogger is on a jeans kick, no holds barred. Jeans are so so so very easy to wear in the Gal On The Go lifestyle led by so many of us; denim mixes with all colors and textures; denim plays well with clothing high and low, casual and dressy; and in winter they keep your legs warm and battle the wind. Of course, all of this is a mute point if you can't find jeans that fit, or a pair that looks sleek and un-adorned. Which made jeans a mute point for this blogger until i knuckled down and got into the 'Durn It! I'm Making My Own Jeans!" project.

When a whole new ocean of looks opens up for me, i like to jump in and splash around for a while. (Translation: expect a lot of jeans-related posts in the near future.) Turning to this look in particular, for some reason it made me feel quite 'polished' when i put it on. Looking at the pictures i can't say i see it, but the feeling was strong at the time. As you know, i am and have been a Rough Around The Edges gal since i was a wee tomboy. I've spent untold time, money, mental and emotional energy in my quest for the perfect RATE effect.

Thus, feeling polished and liking it was a new experience. It was almost startling, as this was not anything i'd been planning for or trying to achieve. What fun to have my version of 'polished' pop up so unexpectedly and feel so right!

What i AM constantly trying to do is spread my wings, both personally and stylistically. It just goes to show that if you set your mind to something and stick with it, eventually you'll get results. They may not be exactly what you expected, but come they will.

Have any of you had any of these type of unexpected abilities show up on your style journey? Or has your journey unfolded more as you expected?

Jeans: McCalls' 5894 Palmer & Pletsch 'The Perfect Jean'
Blouse: Converse One Star at Target
Scarf: gift, from KPFA Crafts Fair
Pearls: own design
Belt: DKNY, thrifted
Jacket: Ralph Lauren (i think it's just getting old enough to be vintage this month!)
Boots: Dansko

Perfection

2011-11-10T09:55:00.001-08:00

It's not often that you run across something, anything, perfect. As you realize, i am in no ways a perfectionist and happen to appreciate the rugged edges, the unexpected, the unfinished in our world. Life is neither perfect nor fair, which accounts for both sadness and beauty in life. In style and clothing (ostensibly this blog's focus) i adore the unexpected, the worn, the "not quite right but somehow it works". In fact, 'perfection' in style often turns me off - it can so easily become too precious, overly fussy, expected, matchy-matchy.

But oh the incredible moments when perfection is done right. When it actually IS perfect. I innocently walked into perfection at BiBa on Halloween. The boutique participated in Pacific Grove's Friday Night Art Walk by showcasing pieces from Anatomica. Anatomica is a collections of women's clothing as wearable art. Artist and printmanker Tobin Keller collaborates with artist/clothing designer Barbara Bartels in the production of these objects - each one made to order and custom designed and created for a specific woman. Every dress is created as the result of a commission and is intended for wear by one unique woman. The pattern is created for her particular measurements and 'considered as an artistic expression of the wearer - individuality will persist.' (quote taken from Anatomica publicity material kindly supplied by Mona Kelly).

While there is a definite cohersion of line, graphic quality, and materials in these garments, the range of color and value contrast is stunning. All of the garments i saw consisted of a silk charmeuse or crepe 'core' with overlays of chiffon. Additionally, the dyes are overlaid one upon another, as well as the various screen prints. The jubilant, exuberant use of overlapping prints (all done by hand) is especially joyous in the piece above. The marvelous thing is that this layer upon layering of images is just as 'deep' in the more subtle pieces - they draw you in to try to spy the shadows of pods, leaves, cross sections hidden in the folds of fabric.

I neglected to get certain pictures ( i was so overwhelmed!) and for that i apologize. Each of these dresses had a feature i'll try to convey to you now. On the 'core' pieces of the dress is printed, in shadow grey with fuzzy edges, a head and shoulders silhouette of the artist himself. You can only 'find' it by holding the layers against one another and holding the whole garment up against the light. It's difficult to imagine anything more delightful than a dress which leads you on a treasure hunt to find it's subtle charms; and how very different from the many 'over the top', put-it-all-out-there creations of today. Mr. Keller and Ms. Bartels truly grasp the mystery of dressing and seduction.

The overall silhouette of these designs is fairly simple, flowing and unfussy, allowing the whims of the fabric drape, the color, and the design to shine. The detail and quality of this printing is exquisite. The screen printed patterns on these garments really draw you in - the colors and shapes are so intriguing and striking from a distance, but you can't quite make out what they are depicting. Upon closer inspection you discern that some of these patterns are taken from botanical illustrations, though many retain their mystery no matter how close you get.

This luxury carries over into the construction. Anatomica garments are sewn by a high end lingerie company, in order to make sure that no sloppy edge finishes or zipper insertions take away from the color, drape, line. I haven't had the pleasure of owning any designer clothing. But i can tell you the particular zipper applications on these dresses i've only seen on clothing in the Chanel boutique on Maiden Lane.

Tobin Keller is the Director of the Cabrillo Gallery at Cabrillo College in Aptos, CA. Mr. Keller has been screen printing for decades, always maintaining an interest in overlaying a variety of images. Barbara Bartels has recently shifted her focus from her decades-long career in clothing design and fashion illustration to drawing and painting. While Anatomica is only about a year old, as it turns out Tobin Keller has had a long term 'fun' passion with costume making. Who knows what spark leapt between the two various parts of his creative mind and set the 'wearable art' fire ablaze. Who can tell what kismet led Barbara Bartels to say yes to this project. I can only be thrilled that it did! And that BiBa decided to display these gorgeous pieces in the morning sun.

Anatomica pieces were featured at BiBa boutique for one week in late October, 2011. This post made possible by BiBa boutique (permission to photograph) and Manager/Buyer Mona Kelly (background materials). Thank you!

Tobin Keller website: www.tobinwkeller.com

Barbara Bartels website: www.barbartels.com

BiBa

Clean & Contemporary European-style Fashions and Accessories
831-655-BiBa
211 Forest Avenue
Pacific Grove, CA 93950
bibawest@sbcglobal.net

Viva BiBa!

2011-11-09T13:04:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago, Mr. E decided we should take advantage of 'the last nice weather before winter' with a long weekend on the Monterey Peninsula. So we spent a couple of nights at The Gosby House along the main drag of historic Pacific Grove. On our last morning there i got up, got it together, got mobilized, and headed out to check out the small boutique Nest - just a couple of blocks away from our lodgings.

Well, for one reason or another Nest didn't open at the posted time. Not one to waste a beautiful morning, i walked around the block. A friendly open door flanked by two huge plate glass windows drew me into BiBa. I immediately was drawn to the space, the art, the clothing and asked the lady working there if she minded if i took some pictures. She asked why, i said 'I have a blog......', and one thing led to another. I departed almost an hour later with marvelous pictures, a lot of new, fascinating information about the women's clothing business, and the story of a powerful friendship.

Paging Audi, Audi to BiBa STAT! Can't you just see our girl in this adorably funky look?

As a blogger, i really appreciate the opportunity to share thoughts, events, places, with my readers. Blogging is a great way to do this, to keep in touch with like minds all over the world. And 99% of the time, i am fine with blogging as a way to do this. But the time i spent in BiBa was different - i can't tell you how much i missed all of you when i was there, how often i felt frustrated that at least a few of you couldn't be there with me - to see the space and the clothing, sure, but even more to be able to speak with Mona Kelly, a manager and buyer for BiBa. I hope this post, and the one to follow, gives you at least a taste of what my visit was like.

All of us have read and heard about the 'small, highly edited, flexible wardrobe' composed of 'Clean & Contemporary European-style Fashions and Accessories'. Well, that last line is printed on BiBa's business cards and concisely describes their philosophy. They stock up to date, functional, every day wear for the professional woman on the go. Nothing fussy, nothing musty, and most importantly pieces that will physically last and carry over style-wise from year to year. This is that fantasy boutique you dream about - you come back anytime, for basics or a focal piece, and they have what you envisioned only better. It's on trend but not at all "trendy", and blends seamlessly with your existing wardrobe. Even nicer, you won't see yourself coming and going.

Here's an example. Look at how this table is laid out - each piece has something special about it, but is in no way over the top. Choose any top and any bottom from this table for a great look with no drama. Choose any one piece for a slick update to your current wardrobe. Take those Not Your Daughter's Jeans made up in a subtle tone on tone leopard. Pair them with anything you'd wear with regular jeans for a witty take on today's animal print craze. At the same time, it's subtly enough done that you can sport them in future with no worries about embarrassing 'fall 2011' associations. BiBa hits a perfect balance in their individual pieces, and display them in a way that makes shopping make sense.

Check out the top stitching on the jacket shoulder - subtle details that take a piece from basic to style standouts

This piece is my personal favorite - a silk leopard print scarf with a beautiful cerulean blue accent. The fabric, hem, and print are all high quality. The blue is brilliant - adding color to an animal print makes it very personal as well as flattering (that blue will make brown and blue eyes sing). Animal prints with color are also very current. It's a brilliant way to wear a trend while making a unique personal statement. And buying from BiBa gives you another way to remain unique - they only buy five of each piece. They also feature brands from the UK and Canada not generally found here in the USA. In fact, i often thought of Smoking Lily and Sheila of Ephemera during my visit.

Buyer Mona Kelly looking effortlessly chic in a four year old frock from Donna, a Canadian company

How did this magical space come about? I spent at least half an hour speaking with the very generous Mona Kelly, who told me the story of BiBa. BiBa today reflects the style of one woman, and also a friendship. Mona's friend Elise Paton started BiBa about a decade ago to bring Elise's Swedish style sensibility to the Monterey coast. Very clean, modern, unique, well thought out design and good, lasting quality were the touchstones of Elise's vision. Meanwhile, Mona had sold her restaurant and was looking for what next to do with her days. As these things unfold, Mona began working a few shifts at BiBa, part time.

As time went on Elise Paton began to mentor Mona Kelly. Slowly but surely, Elise tutored Mona on style and the clothing business. First, Mona learned how to put together an outfit - for display and for particular clients. (As an aside, today Mona exudes effortless chic. She is the last person you would think had to learn one thing about personal style. I like to think this means there is hope for anyone!) Then Elise brought Mona along on buying trips. Mona also learned about quality and how to tell which garments will last - she remembers Elise turning pieces inside out, examining the fabric and construction, tugging on the seams.

Beautiful, spacious dressing area. Who wouldn't feel gorgeous in these artistic surroundings?

Over the years, Mona and Elise grew closer as friends as well as professionally, Mona learning more and more from her mentor Elise. A little over three years ago, Elise became very sick pretty quickly. This November is the third anniversary of her death. Now, as Mona buys for BiBa she strives to keep it true to Elise's vision. She is proud to say that her clients let her know she is succeeding in respecting Elise's vision. It was really moving to hear Mona recalling her friend Elise, Elise's vision, style, her focus on the practicalities and how Elise expressed all in BiBa. Mona's love and respect of Elise and her accomplishments shone through. I felt so fortunate that Mona shared this part of her life with me.

BiBa's superb curation

it's hard to create an awkward outfit when the selection you choose from is this well thought out

As it happens, my timing in visiting BiBa was excellent (thank you Mr. Eccentric!). BiBa honors Elise Paton's vision and continues it in a way that makes sense today. True style evolves, so BiBa continues to change as well. A couple of weeks ago, sparked by Pacific Grove's Friday Night Art Walk, BiBa clients approached Mona with worried faces, concerned that this treasure trove of reliable closet upgrades was - gasp! - changing direction. If true, customers had some serious research to do!

Well, it's not true. BiBa will continue to be the place for clean, contemporary, European-style fashion and accessories. But you will be able to find something a little more - luxurious, unique, colorful, artistic.....something that explains why in the world i kept thinking of Sheila, of all bloggers, as i took photo after photo.....here's a hint:

Coming up, a special 'Featured Artist' exhibit at BiBa!

BiBa

Clean & Contemporary European-style Fashions and Accessories
831-655-BiBa
211 Forest Avenue
Pacific Grove, CA 93950
bibawest@sbcglobal.net

Fall Is Here!

2011-11-08T12:37:00.000-08:00

Fall is here with a vengeance! Temps in the forties, brisk winds, frost warnings....in keeping with my 'Frosting vs. Cake' epiphany, i'm doing my best to remember how to stay warm without using tons of visible layers. Undershirts, wool socks, long sleeved knits, wool tights are all coming into play - but not making an appearance!

Jeans are also uppermost in my mind. They are warm, with enough spandex they do not bother my legs, and they are a great foundation for a smart casual look. The trouble lies in finding ones that fit, that flatter, which are not completely encrusted with beads, embroidery, metallic gewgaws more fitting an aged yet flirtatious hermit crab than a stylish woman of a certain age.

For the last few months i have been plotting constructing my own jeans. I found a pattern (McCall's The Perfect Jean #5894 by Palmer & Pletsch), found fabric, did my pattern fittings and plunged on in. As i type, i am sporting the finished product!

You'll have to wait a bit for pictures of the jeans all sewed up and in an outfit. But i wanted to show you a bit of what is involved in custom fitting garments to your figure. I took these photos after i had partially constructed the jeans and had pinned the inner and outer leg seams. In both pictures the right side is the one i have altered from the original fit. My aim was to decrease the bagging and tugging on the back of the thigh. The difference is fairly distinct - in both cases the leg on your right has a smoother fit. In the end i sewed a closer fit than that shown here. The next time i make this pattern i will make an alteration in this area before i cut into the fabric, which should result in an even smoother line.

Here you can see the alterations i made to the inner and outer seams of the back pattern piece. In each case i've taken in less than half an inch width, but the difference in fit is quite noticeable. I've been reading stylist Kendall Farr recently and in her experience and opinion fit is the foundation of personal style. Yet we rarely read about fit in style blogs and fashion magazines. You don't hear about the thrill of having pieces personally fitted at the tailor's.

I agree with Ms. Farr about fit, and this state of affairs is a shame as far as i'm concerned. It takes time and fuss to really nail fit in your garments. But it is possible to do so and it makes a world of difference in how your clothes look, and more importantly, feel on your body. Wearing clothing that fits your own individual shape is a completely different experience than the pinching, pulling, and wiggling associated with today's standard off the rack fare.

It can seem way too daunting to jump right into custom-made clothing. That's just for the very rich, the privileged, the fashionistas, the anyone-but-me. Frankly, you don't need to have every garment designed for you from scratch. But i do challenge you to start small......move the buttons on your shirt cuffs to just the right spot. Hem that wrap dress to your most flattering length, even if it's a difference of only one inch. Stretch out those shoes that are just a wee bit too tight. Pick one or two little projects, just a few dollars or half an inch. Try it out, then see if you can honestly say to me that you can't tell the difference.

Jacket: Peruvian Connection
Scarves: own design
Jeans: Levi's Curvy fit (discontinued)
Boots: Dansko
Handbag: Isabella Fiore
Hoodie: Free People
Jeans (in process): McCalls' 5894 Palmer & Pletsch 'The Perfect Jean'

Template Experiments

2011-11-08T10:41:00.000-08:00

hi! Just trying out some templates that allow for larger/wider/more detailed photos. I've become progressively more frustrated with the way my previous template disallowed any picture format save portrait-style. Whatever template i choose will allow more freedom in terms of photograph format.

Input welcome!

Using Brights As Subtle Flavor Instead Of A "Pop"

2011-11-04T10:26:00.000-07:00

Here's two outfits featuring the same citron colored Fila layering top, worn on the same day. The one on the left i wore for my morning constitutional. Upon returning home i thought it would be fun to use the same piece to create a more color oriented look. I was also in the mood to wear the coral blouse as a vest - the way i first saw it worn by Bev, The Style Underdog.

I was very struck by the way the citron really pops when placed next to it's color wheel opposite (coral) but the very same color is so toned down when worn next to a cool neutral. In the first outfit the citron livens up the grey look without the color 'popping'. If i wore this same citron in a warm, khaki outfit the citron would become much more lively because the warmth of the khaki would give it a 'boost'.

The general color guideline is to wear all warms or all cools in any outfit and i find this is an excellent idea. But i really like the way that the colors work in the first look. The citron warms up the palette and adds interest to the look without screaming "Bright Color Here!!!" This approach increases the flexibility of 'brights'. You can take the traditional route and pair them with other colors in the same temperature for ultimate impact. Or, mix them with colors of the opposite temperature to create a little life in a neutral palette. By the way, these pictures were taken less than an hour apart - the color changes of the citron top have to do with the way the surrounding colors affected it's influence on the camera sensor and our eyes.

Secret message to Bev: i miss you and i think about you and your family every day.

Life has been very busy around here! Winter is here big-time, witness the Halloween storm on the east coast. Mr. E decided to take advantage of 'the last sunny weekend' and a super bargain bed and breakfast rate and we spent a couple of nights on the Monterey Peninsula. Oh it was gorgeous! But a wee bit last-minute!

Happily, part of the hecticness has been The Dashing Eccentric related. I had a fascinating conversation with a boutique owner touching on friendship, mentoring, creativity, and business. I was fortunate enough to photograph the fruit of a local artist's collaboration with a clothing designer and a lingerie manufacturer. Rumors circulate about a possible guest post. A product review in progress has the potential to point readers towards a custom-fit clothing at a great price. I've even been doing writing on the Emily Cho material.

So what am i doing typing this instead of getting crackin' and whipping out those fascinating future posts? Beats me! I'll sign out now, and you all have a great weekend!

Citron top: Fila
Grey Hoodie: Free People (gift)
Grey Jeggings: Target Mossino
Scarf, Skirt, Coral Top: own design
Trainers: Merrell
Boots: Bass Lamont
Belt: Hobo

Dear Mrs. Eccentric: Can I be your Case Study?

2011-10-29T08:50:00.000-07:00

Susan Olding models a perfect casual look

I've been active on the You Look Fab Forum for a while now, as many of you are - Gracey, it was a treat to see your thousand watt smile as a little avatar there yesterday! A while back forum member and professional writer Suz asked for my help in pinpointing/refining her style. This case was unusual for me and a first - Suz had no photo, just a verbal description of her memories of a couple of favorite outfits from years past:

"Outfit One: perfect fitting jeans (a true rarity, back then!), short houndstooth jacket (rather large houndstooth, not tiny), low heeled black ankle boots, black turtleneck, statement earrings. (Note: I had short hair.)
Outfit Two: A heavy silk two piece dress. Sleeveless (or maybe cap sleeve?) boat neck tunic on top, with a lightly gathered but slim midi skirt, in a soft blue grey.
Associations to Outfit One: clean, classic, mod (the boots, the turtleneck), androgynous, simple, (touch of) bold (jacket, earrings), textured (jacket), structure (jacket).
It’s a “dressy casual” formula look as per Angie; you would think it would be easy to duplicate it again and again. (Yet I have struggled over the years to do so).
Associations to Outfit Two: clean, elegant, simple, soft, understated, classic, drape.
WHY did I love outfit one? I felt free, as if I could move around easily and fit effortlessly into almost any environment. Despite being dressed very classically, it somehow felt as if it had a bit of an edge—perhaps because some of those pieces were quite current at the time.
WHY did I love outfit 2? Primarily drape of fabric, texture, simplicity, and colour.
Additional note: I believe my short hair added a tiny bit of "edge" to the dressy look of the silk outfit, despite its otherwise completely classic style."

Needless to say i was thrilled to be asked. It took me a while to come up with some insight as to what Suz seemed to be saying with these looks and how she could use them to go forward. But the penny did eventually drop - you can read my analysis below.

I've included a few pictures of Suz and some of her recent WIWs. Partly of course you're curious as to what she looks like - completely adorable! As all these looks pre-date my analysis, you can see she didn't really need to hear what i had to say. Student outstrips teacher as she explodes the 'recipe' to wear a jacket as a 'classic base' piece and wear a sweater, scarf, or skirt as her 'artistic statement' focus. Suz is starting from ground zero here, as well - she recently lost a great deal of weight, enough to require a complete wardrobe overhaul. She's had no interest in style or fashion for the last decade or so, either. Suz shows how much you can do in a little time with smarts and determination!

My analysis follows. I hope you find it interesting!!!!

Susan Olding at Writer's Fest

It's not that exciting of a name, but 'artistic professional' is a great start as a style statement. Evaluating your two favorite looks it seems that the bulk or base of the look is made up of classic/professional type pieces of elements, with 'artistic' elements on top, as the 'frosting on the cake'. This is a great approach for you to take regarding your professional life, as the professional elements reassure your audience that you are reliable, stable, competent, etc., while the artistic flair reflects your role as a writer and the more fluid nature of your professional duties.

In these two looks i see the classic/professional elements as: emphasis on perfect fit and proportions, quality fabrications, attention to grooming (great, well-maintained hair), neutral & subdued colors, simplicity of color palette/texture/pattern/details. The artistic elements would be the statement earrings, 'edgy' hairstyle, heeled ankle boots (the love of my life), and the bold jacket (larger graphic pattern).

Both outfits provide the 'pulled together' effect of a suit without actually being a suit. This, again, fits perfectly with your style statement - professional yet artistic. You acknowledge the usefulness and appropriateness of a suit, but prefer to 'create' your own rather than wear another's creation. But for quite a while i was a bit flummoxed as to how this provided any key to generating further outfits or new directions for your personal style. The obvious places to go would be two-piece dresses and wearing turtlenecks and jeans with jackets and ankle boots. But that's boring and overly formulaic.

Susan Olding models straight-up artistic style

Then I remembered a concept I ran across in Jennifer Robin's book Growing More Beautiful: An Artful Approach to Personal Style. She recommends adding a 'third layer' to outfits in order to create a more finished 'look'. So, to a tee and jeans, add a cardigan or jacket or a scarf or even statement necklace or earrings. This third item can either tie the two pieces together (a print scarf which contains the two colors present in the tee and jeans) or provide the focal point for the look (your houndstooth jacket). Aha! The lightbulb turned on!

The underlying pattern or 'formula' you could work with goes like this. You are looking to create 'made up suits' (that's what i've called them for years, don't know why!) with this recipe: take two classic basics in quality fabric with perfect fit. And add an artistic 'third layer'. Season to taste with wonderful, edgy, artistic shoes, jewelry, and scarves.

What does this look like? Using your turtleneck and jeans from outfit one, you could add: a lighter colored faux fur vest, studded leather belt worn in the jean belt loops or over the vest, camel ankle boots and bold gold hoop earrings. Or, using the same 'base', go with a cropped silver jacket like Angie's with black patent higher spike heel booties and a chunky, multi-strand pearl necklace.

To vary your base, you could swap out the jeans for a knee-length, denim straight skirt while keeping the black turtleneck. Jumble a big silk scarf in autumn colors around your neck and pull on a pair of cognac tall boots. For a change to this look, simply swap the turtleneck for a white button down skirt for a brighter look.

If you wanted to pursue this type of dressing, here's some guidelines on pieces to look for. First, 'base pieces': for tops, try tees, button down shirts, turtlenecks, simple blouses, shells, cardigans. For bottoms: jeans, trouser jeans, trousers, denim skirts, straight and a-line skirts should all work well. For your 'base' pieces the important points will be to really pay attention to fit, proportion, quality fabric and construction. Pieces that overwhelm your frame or come across as shoddy will undermine the 'professional' aspect of your style.

Then, you will want pieces that can 'carry a look'. These articles will convey the 'artistic' part of your style message. Jackets, vests, scarves, cardigans.....in this category you again need to pay attention to fit and proportion so that you are not overshadowed by your clothing. A helpful technique is to compare the scale of pattern and detail elements to part of your body. When looking at a paisley blouse, for example, any patterns where the 'paisley's are bigger than the palm of your hand will likely overwhelm. If you're considering a polka dot scarf, one where the dots are about as big as your eyes will bring them out - larger and the scale could look too big for your body. If you're interested in this concept, and it could be very useful to you as a person of smaller frame, it is covered in depth in The Triumph of Individual Style by Carla Mason Mathis and Helen Villa Connor. Again, quality fabric and construction are always worthwhile, though in this category i feel you can have a little fun as long as your base pieces are great. People expect artists to get a little creative, after all ; )

photo, stylist, model: Susan Olding

In order to get some focus to this part of your wardrobe, creating an inspiration file of some kind will be very helpful. You want to hone in on the color palette you prefer and which flatters you, as well as the type of silhouettes, textures, patterns, and design details that you love. It's especially wonderful (and time-saving) when you can find designers or stores that provide pieces that work for you (basic and artistic), so keep an eye out for them. And as fun as collecting inspiration can be, do not neglect getting out there and trying things on - a BUNCH of things! It's very trixie to envision how clothing will look on us before we try it on, even more so when we're out of practice.

It is also important to keep in mind the 'background' which your base pieces will be providing when choosing your statement pieces. Angie's great silver jacket is the star when paired with a black turtle and jeans. But tossed over this concoction of complete sequin bombardment, it would quickly pale. If you are providing a quiet background, quieter pieces will shine. This also allows you to create looks which rely on a great accessory to provide the focus. I welcome this approach on casual occasions or when it's very hot. A great fitting white tee and denim skirt can spark when paired with a silver alligator belt, big gunmetal pearl studs, and pewter metallic gladiator sandals. In a look like this, the accessories provide the 'third layer'.

As a rule, when you allow accessories alone to provide the third layer the outfit will come across as very casual. On the other end of the casual/formal spectrum are structured jackets. Jackets also have professional, authoritarian connotations. So when you use them as the third layer the outfit becomes more professional and formal. A cardigan is less structured, and so less formal. By playing with the casual-formal balance created by your third layer, you can go show up at the great majority of your life without worrying about varying your 'base' all that much (unless you want to!) Having and using a 'recipe' like this for your dress also helps create your own unique personal style.

Others are much better at coming up with catchy, descriptive 'style statements'. But i hope this is clear and helps you with your style journey!

The Siren Song Of The Bob

2011-10-26T08:47:00.000-07:00

Well, between my last post and this writing i trimmed my hair back to a much more flattering look. Whew, that's better! Today i'm posting a couple of looks that show how i was looking while experimenting with growing a short bob. This compulsion to attempt an above-shoulder bob knocks me sideways periodically. In theory it sounds so wonderful - and a great change, as i've never worn it before. Whenever i 'try on' a bob, be it a wig or a sketch on a photo, it looks fresh, flattering, breezy.......

But the sad truth is that any bob sculpted of the hair actually growing out of my head is less successful. This first look gives you a feel for it (this was a 'good' hair day). Kinda fun, kinda zany, kinda like every other middle aged lady in Berkeley with kooky glasses and statement earrings.

But there are plenty of days when this hair.....just wants to do it's own thing. Over the decades i've found it's best to honor this head of hair's wishes, as trust me it will have it's way. Days when it looks like it does in these pattern mixing pictures. The hair itself looks fine, i suppose, but the overall 'do ain't doing much for my looks. And forget about this hair adding any style. At best, i feel this iteration of my hair doesn't detract too much from the look. At worst, it is ...... messy and unflattering.

Which is not what i want from a hairdo! When i cut my hair short a few months ago, i loved it. But the shape was very similar to the way i'd worn my hair through my twenties, which felt a little weird. And i have been very experimental, hair-wise, through the years. I started thinking it would be fun to have 'more' hair, the bob is a classic, the mock-up bobs look so great....so i let my hair grow out some, and it started to take on a bobbish shape.

Now i will demonstrate to you the brilliance of taking a bunch of narcissistic outfit pictures. This post didn't happen until a month after i'd taken the pictures, and i couldn't help but notice how great my hair looked compared to what i was seeing in the mirror. Then, i decided on a whim to take a little video. In order to upload it, i had to look up my YouTube account - man, my hair looked awesome in the Outfit Checklist video! It even has a wee whiff of 1950's movie star about it. What the he77 was i thinking?

I am a woman of action. Snippety snip, i cropped my hair short again. Taking photos of yourself day after day, for months, nay years on end, may well be narcissistic. But if it keeps me having fabulous hair, bring on the personality disorder!

re: the outfits. I got a couple of unsolicited compliments on the pattern mix of the second look. They were especially nice to hear as they were from people who like clothes but aren't really 'into fashion'. I continue to notice how a wardrobe just 'falls into place' when you focus on pieces that flatter your own physical aesthetic and which express your own personal style. The Liz Claiborne dress is getting close to ten years old, while the Pleione blouse is fresh off the racks. Different designers, different eras - but both 'go' with my coloring, build, lines, scale. Thus, they 'go' with each other. It's a situation straight out of the theories found in The Triumph of Individual Style. Don't let the steep price of a newer book put you off - older copies are much more affordable and the information is just as good. And there's always the library!

Jacket: CAbi, thrifted
Blouse: Europa Blouse by LaFred, made by me
Skirt: own design, inspired by Hot Patterns Slouchy Fly Front Skirt
Shoes: Clark's

Dress: Liz Claiborne
Blouse: Pleione
Belt: DKNY, thrifted
Sandals: Aerosoles
Jewelry: own design

Style Blogger Confidential!

2011-10-24T12:45:00.000-07:00

I've noticed over my time as a reader and author of style blogs that there's a nice little controversy over 'how to get the most truthful picture' of an outfit. Should you 'pose' or not, what about camera angles, showing your face, etc. Most people who hold very strong opinions in this discussion seem to feel this way because of two ideas. The first is that they want accurate 'feedback' (from other's eyes or their own) on how the outfits looks. Does it flatter their physical form? In order to accurately judge you need to have an accurate image to work with. They feel that exaggerated poses, cropping part of the body, etc. will distort the image. The second idea seems to be that it is possible to get an 'accurate' image of how all outfits look on all bodies via still photos. This second idea appears to be related to a belief that it's important to be 'honest' when presenting your physical image in a photo.

Some of these beliefs are moral or philosophical positions (that you should present an honest image of yourself in photos) and some are practically provable (the camera never lies). Cameras 'see' objects in their own particular way. They record some things and not others and thus are constantly editing. We've all had the experience of certain colors looking very very different in a photograph than in real life. As it turns out, cameras are performing similar but more subtle distortions on all the objects in our world.

This does not mean that photos can't be wonderful tools for evaluating aspects of our appearance. I think they are a god send! But my personal belief is that it's important to keep in mind that cameras and photos are one tool among many - mirrors, friends, video. Seeing as we can't view each other in real life to judge our various 'OOTD' pix against the outfits in real life, i thought i'd post a video for you to compare to some stills of the same look.

To help you understand what i'm talking about, i'll tell you what i did. I used my regular little camera to take a few run of the mill still photos. Then, i took two video clips using the same camera in the same position. Finally i switched back to still photo and took some detail pix. This camera isn't a video-alone cam, so the sound is weird (i've no clue why the sound of the radio goes up and down) and the re-focus as i move toward and away from the camere isn't lickety-split. I did not download the biggest file possible to YouTube, so a bit of clarity is lost. But not enough to influence what i'll point out to you next.

Compared to the still camera pix, the video downplays the pearl necklace and plays up the waist. Looking at the still photos I'd be tempted to call this a 'waist-surrendering' look. But when i'm on the move, the top moves as well and showcases the waist. The earrings and chain belt move a lot in real life and the video catches this (of course the still camera cannot - unless i really slowed down the shutter so these items blurred). Also, the video captures the glasses sliding down my nose, me pushing them up, me making faces, radio continually on in the background.

Is one of the media 'more accurate' than the other? I can't say. Probably both together give a better feel of how this outfit looks on me. I will also note that other types of clothing (very floaty fabrics for example) will 'look' much more different in still photos than they do in real life. I hope this post gives you a little more insight as to how you can use different techniques to evaluate your own looks. Also, maybe it gives you a feel for all the information you might be missing when you only have a single still picture by which to evaluate an outfit.

re: my hair. i've been growing it out a bit, thinking about trying an a-line bob.....but after seeing pix and video from my earlier, shorter look i'm cancelling the bob (which has never worked in the past) and going straight back to my earlier, much more glam look STAT!!!

Top: Cubism
Belt: Betsey Johnson
Skirt, necklace, earrings: own design
Sandals: Aerosoles

What A Difference A Day Makes......

2011-10-22T07:00:00.000-07:00

Or, "Why I Stink At This Style Blogging Thing".

Of a Saturday Mr. E and i ended up in the Elmwood neighborhood of Berkeley, as is so often the case. We'd been bopping around town a wee bit when Mr. E realized that he needed to get to the pharmacy - back home in Pleasant Hill - before it closed in an hour. However, we had not completed our Berkeley hanging out.....i suggested he run back home, transact his business, and meet me back at the cafe at 6:30pm for more knocking about.

Pookies like people-watching, too.

Let's see, an hour and a half to myself in a darling little neighborhood commercial zone. What to do, what to do.......I know! I'll go clothes shopping! First i stopped by Jeremy's, a Bay Area institution reknowned for it's designer bargains. They seem to achieve these incredible deals through buying a lot of samples which are dreadfully abused and misused in photo shoots, runway shows, satanic sacrifices maybe. Fabric tears (not seams, fabric), makeup and lipstick stains smack in the center of a bodice - this on items selling for $70-150 or more. Many ladies swear by the bargains they find there. Sadly, all i run across is frustration. Jeremy's requires bigger shopping cajones than this girl possesses.

Sheila will be pleased to know that Jeremy's featured a saggy boob bag!

I then strolled into Krasa. Krasa's motto is 'Get DRESSed' or, as the charming owner Elena expresses it, "Everybody in dresses!" Krasa carries every type of dress a modern woman might need - sundresses, office dresses, cocktail dresses, bridal shower dresses, clubbing dresses - all at excellent price points (generally $35-200). Krasa also carries a vast selection of unique leg wear, perfect for the starving student wanting to spark up the Saturday night outfit for a smaller cash outlay.

I fell for the gorgeous olive floral-burst Nine West dress right off the bat. Be still my heart! I tried it on and Elena graciously took my picture. Elena next suggested a coral and magenta dress (picture below), which looked smashing as well. Well, the clock was ticking and my pumpkin was approaching. I left to go meet up with Mr. E. I handed over the camera as we snacked at a sidewalk cafe. He took one glance and said, "Let's go get this green one as soon as we finish eating."

We then spent a lovely half hour as my stylish swain picked out a few more items for consideration. In the end, i only (only!) bought the 'olive cocktail' dress. But i plan to pop into Krasa on a regular basis from now on, and i urge anyone in the area to do so as well. Elena is passionate in her desire to revive dress wearing - in Berkeley, the belly of the Birkenstock-wearing beast. If anyone can pull it off, she can! Beautiful, practical, well-made, flattering and lifestyle appropriate dresses at very attractive price points. That's my definition of a smart business that deserves our patronage.

This dress is very happy in it's new home.

So, how does this post demonstrate my blogging failings? "of a Saturday" was a month ago! Everyone knows that internet readers want new content, they want it fast, and they want it now!!! What blogger in her right mind lets this type of material sit around on the hard drive that long??!?! Take a real hard look at your monitor, dear reader, squint a bit and you may be able to see allllll the way down that fidgety internet connection to discern - me.

Dresses: Nine West from Krasa
Sandals: Aerosoles
Black velvet shoes: vintage Filippo Raphael

Finally Grasping The Obvious

2011-10-20T08:00:00.000-07:00

I love everything about this tunic - cut, color, pattern, details - except where the ties hit. It's almost up to where an empire waist would lie, not quite, and it does nothing for the lines of the garment itself or my figure (kind of a weird matronly young girl feel). For years now i've worn this top while finding the silhouette distasteful.

The other day it occurred to me - just tie the ties loosely at the back, then belt the thing wherever you like. Bingo! Why this insight took several years to settle through the gelatinous synapses of my noggin, i cannot say. But i hope my confession will save some of you a little grief.

I think this is an example of a look that's not traditionally 'figure flattering', but where i love the way the lines of the tunic drape over the figure. It brings the curves into full relief, highlighting them in a unique way. Maybe not for every one, but i like it. It reminds me of the drapery folds in ancient Grecian wear.

In another flash of the obvious, i had a realization about capsules. The concept is a little hard to explain and grasp (until you get it, obviously). A while back i received a copy of Land's End's catalog and noticed the new 'Starfish Collection'. This is targeted towards middle aged ladies with casual wear needs. Every piece in the collection can be worn with every other piece - they all are made from a strictly crafted color palette, of similar fabrics, with continuity in silhouettes and design details. You could pick any 8-12 pieces from this collection of twenty items and create a perfectly functioning clothing capsule. Land's End Canvas, while offering a much bigger selection (a couple hundred pieces), could also be seen as a huge capsule. You'd be hard put to pick any 12 pieces from this line and find any pieces that would not work with the others.

Many catalog companies design and present their offerings in this way - you could pick out any several items from the catalog and they would all work well together. This is especially true for Land's End and L.L. Bean, which makes sense as part of their appeal is 'ease in dressing'. But companies such as Banana Republic and J. Crew operate on much the same principle, in these latter cases i suspect it is more as a result of attempting to maintain a coherent brand image. At the same time, i am sure that busy young business people with time at a premium can see the appeal to 'ease in dressing' as well as the khaki and polo crowd.

What do you think - do you agree with my take on this? Does this make the concept of 'clothing capsules' any more clear?

Tunic: thrifted April Cornel dress, shortened
Skirt, bracelet: own design
Belt: Betsey Johnson
Shoes: Aerosole
Earrings: Meg's Ragged Edge

What IS It That Bloggers Gaze At?

2011-10-16T09:51:00.000-07:00

As promised, another look or two featuring my new love. These outfits are more casual, taking advantage of the versatility of this piece. The styling in this post is pretty self-explanatory - you've seen all these pieces before.

But you may have wondered now and then about so many outfit of the day pictures you see on style blogs - what is that lady looking at? As it happens, there are many reasons for a style blogger/model to look someplace other than the camera lens.

Modeling takes a degree of nerve, and some bloggers frankly feel uncomfortable looking straight at the lens. Others are not 'out' as bloggers in their private or business life, and not showing their face mystifies their identity.

There are additional possible factors. Even if you post a modest three times a week, the sheer quantity of photos adds up quickly. Most bloggers strive to add a degree of variety to the look of their photos - but on a long term basis running around to photogenic locales for scintillating backdrops is not practical more than occasionally. The outfits provide a degree of difference, but is it enough?

Fortunately one of the most cost and time effective solutions is for the model to vary her poses. This provides visual variety, as well as affecting the emotional tone of the photograph.

And, to be blunt, the point of style blog photographs is to show off the clothing, accessories, hairstyle, and other style choices of the blogger in the most attractive possible light. Certain poses and gestures are more flattering to certain styles of clothing, or may emphasize a particular feature of the outfit which the blogger/stylist would like to showcase.

But the reason i was looking off to the side during the 'black cargo pant' shoot had nothing to do with any of that. It had everything to do with why i love living in California, and right here in particular.

Blouse: Bobeau
Jacket, cargo pants: thrifted
Jeans: Levi's discountinued
Belt: Betsey Johnson
Mid-calf boots: Bass Lamont

yeah, I Fell. I Fell HARD.

2011-10-14T15:09:00.000-07:00

You've seen this blouse here recently. What you don't know is that since i bought it, on September 25, 2011, I've worn it about six times. hmmm, sounds like someone was truly pining for a ladylike pussybow blouse! And in newtrals, no less.....

This outfit was a pretty obvious one. In fact i plotted it on BART as we made our way home from the city, Nordstrom bag in hand. My favorite aspect of this look is the complete contradictoriness it embodies. It's a very reto-sixties lady like 'dress', straight out of Belle de Jour, while at the same time it is a blatant example of outrageous pattern mixing. Nothing more fun than inhabiting two opposites quite comfortably at once.

These Betsy Johnson tights weren't my first choice - i came to them through a process of elimination. But in the end i like the way they pick up the geometry of the skirt and the mid-grey tones in the roses. The waistband on these tights is the most brilliantly hothothot pink i've seen since 1967!!! It has Betsy Johnson's logo name woven in the fabric - very fun, but it does bleed in the wash. They have to bathe alone in the sink, like cats.

Another reason i've been reaching for this blouse every other morning is the way it mixes with denim. Just like they were made for each other. It's hard to imagine a better piece to work into Angie's 'Smart Casual' formula. Another Bobeau blouse look to come this weekend - and a round of applause for Mr. Eccentric, our most excellent in-house personal stylist.

Blouse: Bobeau at Nordstrom's
Skirt: own design (suggested by Mr. E)
Belt: DKNY (thrifted)
Tights: Betsey Johnson
Jacket: YMI lets UBU (thrifted)
Shoes: Clark's

Looking Like a Jackson Pollack Painting; And a Conundrum

2011-10-12T08:56:00.000-07:00

I received the high compliment of our post's title while wearing this look for day of shopping and tromping through San Francisco. Oddly enough, it didn't feel like i had a lot going on......but looking back on it i can see where a person might get that impression.

The close fitting aspects of the Sheila skirt and the Rococo swirly cotton jacket seemed to 'hold things together', thus i enjoyed the free floating scarves, ties, and peplum. When i'm wearing a look completely composed of floaty, drapey, dangling ponchos, capes, and various doo-dads i feel spacey, even mentally askew. I like the grounding effect of fitted, structured pieces, giving a contrasting background to a few free-range embellishments.

The following ensemble, which i wore the very next day, has a similar vibe - structured, close fitting jacket and sleek leggings provide grounding in this case. Both outfits reflect a bit of a turning point which i've reached along my 'style journey'. A couple of years ago, i decided to concentrate on achieving my 'dream wardrobe'. I've always loved clothes and had a flair for putting them on. As a wee child in hand me downs, i dreamed of the wardrobe i'd have when i grew up. But, you know how life goes....in my case, chronic illness prevented me from experiencing many of the things i'd wanted to: career, hobbies, travel, children....heehee, and of course the clothes!

It struck me that i wasn't that far off from my wardrobe dreams. Between my love of the small wardrobe, compulsion to remix, casual lifestyle, and sewing abilities i saw that pulling off the closet of my fantasies was a realistic goal. Since i had spent a few years neglecting my wardrobe, i began my quest by experimenting with new looks in the most economically parsimonious way possible. That's also when i began this blog. I made skirts from draping out an old sheet, buying cheap material on deep discount, then using buttons i'd gleaned from the husband's old shirts. I won't lie - i'm cheap by nature, but i also didn't want to spend money on ideas i wasn't sure i'd be that enthralled with in a few months. I had no experience dressing who i am now - older, married, more experienced, living in a different body, climate, daily routine.

By this past spring i felt it - i'd arrived at the next stage, the stage where i had a good handle on my likes and dislikes, my needs and wants and what i actually end up wearing. I had the confidence to commit money, time, and effort to some new duds. As it happens, my aspirational style (there's a useful term for ya!) is more minimalist, and more luxe, than the boho-tatterdemalion style with which i started this blog. These two looks reflect that. From Emily Cho's perspective, you could say that i'm going for a look that is more mature, authoritative, 'settled'. Notice i said 'more', not 'completely'! Maybe 'more grown up'? But not 'old'.

Anyways, this bring me to my conundrum. I've been working on the next of the Emily Cho posts, on the Arty Offbeat and Exotic Dramatic personas. These two interrelate much as Sporty Casual and Classic Elegant do - Exotic Dramatic is seen as more managerial, 'the boss', authoritative, mature, in charge, in a leadership position, more experienced, more educated, more organized and so on while Arty Offbeat comes across as more of a student, more of a 'worker bee', less experienced, follows their own drummer, non-hierarchical, spontaneous, and so on. Both are seen as very creative in their work and social lives. Exotic Dramatic could be thought of as Arty Offbeat all grown up, and in the last few months i've been traveling down the road from Arty Offbeat, getting closer to Exotic Dramatic.

i wore feet, too!

I have asked Judith of The Style Crone to be my icon of the pure Exotic Dramatic image type. (Although she has yet to answer my e-mail, so i'm using this as a naughty pressure tactic!) Clean lines, every outfit meticulously put together regarding line, color, detail, accessories.....describing her style as 'curated' would not be far fetched, and Exotic Dramatic is the default image type when visualizing a gallery owner, museum director, etc.

However. I am stuck when it comes to examples for Arty Offbeat. My problem is an embarrassment of riches!! I would say 98% of all style bloggers fall into the Arty Offbeat image type. Those who aren't pure AO show suspiciously strong tendencies in that direction. Pattern mixing, playing with proportions, thrifting, re-purposing clothing pieces (ie.,dress as skirt), heavy attraction to outlandish footwear - all these are classic AO traits and they run rampant in the style blogging world.

So i throw myself upon your mercy, dear readers! Can you nominate bloggers or particular outfits that you feel embody Arty Offbeat for me to use as examples? It's just too much for me! The only lady i put off limits is Sheila of Ephemera. While a proud Arty Offbeat, Sheila is that rare bird who can take any image type and make it her own. She is a proud graduate of the Emily Cho Persona Academy, and i'm saving her for the finale.

Nominate in the comments, or send me an e-mail if you prefer. Either way, help an old lady out!

Double Denim

2011-10-08T10:38:00.000-07:00

I just love the way it feels to say that: 'Double Denim'. Makes your mouth move in ways it definitely ain't used to doing!

So weekend before this one (or, 'last weekend') i had a day of errands, stomping around town, and so on. I was doing a bit of house/plant sitting and had brought along some clothes.......as usual, i was unable to put together 'an outfit' ahead of time. A mental block, no doubt. I knew i couldn't wait to wear this new Bobeau blouse (selected for moi by none other than the inimitable Mr. Eccentric his own bad self). My black denim stretch skirt is comfy and sleek, and i wanted to get a few more wears out of my Aerosoles sandals while the weather permitted. Sounded like a look, and i threw it on.

Without thinking about it, i took along a jacket for warmth. Sometime during the day i realized i was sporting none other than the Canadian tuxedo, the dreaded 'Double D'. It really wasn't so bad, and when i mentioned it to Mr. E he seemed nonplussed (unusual when it comes to matters of the wardrobe). ah, well.

Nothing feels more ladylike, to me, thank wearing a jacket tossed onto my shoulders. Combined with a fitted skirt, pussybow blouse in a drapey floral print, strappy heels, i was a veritable rama-de-femme!

Here you can see the great shaped hem on this blouse. It's polyester - wow, has this fibre changed since the 1970's gross-fest i recall! Soft, silky, nice little sheen.......you wouldn't confuse it with silk, but at the same time it is much more durable and less prone to snags. I finally have to admit that polyester has come into it's own as a quality clothing fibre. I could not be more shocked!

What has shocked all of you about changes in clothing over the decades - for good or ill, we want to know!!

Jacket: YMI lets UBU (thrifted)
Blouse: Bobeau from Nordstrom
Skirt, pearls: own design
Belt: Betsy Johnson
Sandals: Aerosoles

Age Inappropriate Dressing

2011-10-06T07:52:00.000-07:00

I wore this for dashing around town on what looks to be one of our last 'summer' days. My husband has been ranting about my style tendencies recently. Apparently i'm giving Mr. Chaz Bono a run for his title of Premier Bull D7ke of the Western Territories. Far be it from me to nudge a cultural icon out of the spotlight - in a swing to the distaff side, i've been sporting these little Ann Ferriday tops.

Most of the day was spent with the scarf worn as above. The ultra femme qualities of this little shell should be obvious. I have three Ann Ferriday tops, which we bought on sale at a boutique three or four years ago. The colors and textures Ms. Ferriday combines in her tops are complex and just wonderful - as it happens, many of these lovely tops are for sale on e-bay at very reasonable prices. As she only makes one size, shopping for a loved one could not be easier!

This outrageous scarf was a present from Mr. Eccentric a couple of winters ago. The colors, patterns, and textures (wine velvet!!! swoon.....) are perfection itself. But somehow i never hit on a really good way of wearing this scarf. Incredible frustration! Happily, while wearing this outfit i tied it in a way i learned from Paula's blog, and bob's your uncle! Long line, stays in place, warms the neck, shows off the scarf........i am ecstatically thrilled that this scarf will be getting worn to rags this winter!

The bag is also a gift from Anonymous. It's a lovely glazed chestnut color, with perforated strips outlining the major seams. It adds such a rich, colorful sheen to a look while also being ultra-practical. Mrs. You Know Who You Are, thank you again and have a fabulous day out there!!!!

Hat: Berkeley Hat Company
Scarves, Handbag, Jewelry: gifts
Jacket: YMI lets UBU (thrifted)
Skirt: own design
Fishnets: Sock Dreams
Shoes: Clark's

Dashing Eccentric Designs Spotted At New York Fashion Week!

2011-09-29T19:38:00.000-07:00

By coincidence Mr. E traveled back to 'the old country' to visit family during New York's recent Fashion Week extravaganza. His outrageously gorgeous sister took his picture at the universe's style omphalos - the Mercedes Benz Fashion Week sponsorship banner. And most delightfully, Mr. E sports a shirt of his own design, constructed by myself. I had no idea we would be so spectacularly represented at this pinnacle of world fashion events!

Mr. E, as you can see, did not neglect visiting the major cultural monuments, of which there are so many along the eastern seaboard. I tended towards housefau-type duties while the man of the house pursued more intellectually inclined activities. Here you see a typical outfit from that week, whilst i attempt to look pulled together as temperatures climb ever higher.

Another of the slouch fly front skirts, in a very nicely stretchy black denim, another Butterick 4985 iteration, my trusty Aerosoles, slacking on the patio sweeping apparently, and ......... could this be? Whu - let us look a wee bit closer......

Yes, that would indeed be a vintage Coach bag. In a case of truly jaw-dropping generosity, i received two beautiful new pocketbooks from a wonderful blog reader during Mr. E's vacation (say the word and you will be outed, you who knows who you are!). This is one. I have enjoyed Coach items (generally from afar!) over the decades, but have never had one of their purses. Mom did for years, a classic unlined leather one. My vintage leather belt has done yeoman's service in my wardrobe. Coach scarves are beautiful, the workmanship in each piece impeccable. However, the overly logo-ed fabric bags, while gorgeous, never spoke to me, and the 'classic leather' purses were a wee bit Puritan for my tastes. My favorite Coach bags were, and remain, from the brief period when Coach started to branch out into more stylish bags, and before they started using a lot of the logo fabric.

The precise period, in fact, from which a * certain someone * chose a bag to send my way. I have to tell you it still leaves me a little flummoxed how this happened, but very delighted and thankful! It is one of those incidents which make you feel that there is much more to life behind the scenes than we generally let on. And that particular individuals have a gift for opening the door of the mundane to let you take a peek beyond.

Fashion Week was a memorable one in many many ways here at Eccentric HQ. Here's hoping that you all make many wonderful memories this fall as well!!

Turn My Back On Blogging?

2011-09-27T08:41:00.000-07:00

Never!! You know me, i'm always just trying to come up with a snazzy/controversial post title. Life continues quite busy, here you see some of the fruits of my efforts.

The jacket i made from a vintage Anne Klein for Vogue Pattern of a cotton/spandex sateen. It has a very soft hand and is nicely stretchy-comfy! The highlight of the design is the wonderful seaming on the back, so i decided to use topstitching thread for the first time to show off this feature. I should have gone with a darker thread so it would be more visible, but after all this work i'm not going to rip out and re do!

I like how the front makes a little hourglass shape against the darker tee. On this jacket I challenged myself to finish off the inside cleanly - it came out quite nicely! I also added pockets under the front peplums, closing them with a thin strip of velcro. I feel this jacket could still use a little pop of something - i may add trim over some of the seams, or studs, and of course the button situation is still up in the air.

I love the way this outfit feels very me and has a certain utilitarian feel even though the individual pieces are quite clean and spare. I drafted the skirt inspired by Hot Patterns Slouchy Fly Front Skirt. It's made of a fantastic olive drab slubby stretch woven (which would make a divine moto or 'jean style' jacket). Plus it's only $9 a yard! I've also made up this pattern (with the slit in back and the hem straightened) in a black stretch denim. I like the curvy shape and relaxed feel.

Here's a better look at the detail on the back. I have a whole bushel of outfit photos to share with you - i better get cracking! Hope you are all having a fun fall, and not overly horrendously hectic!!

Jacket, skirt: self made
Tee: Target Merona Ultimate Tee (two years old and still in primo shape!)
Sandals: Aerosoles
Belt: Betsey Johnson
Bracelet: Justina Leigh on etsy

Why I Love Angie's Jeans

2011-09-14T09:07:00.000-07:00

This is my grandfather, mom's dad to be precise. He's finishing an uphill motorcycle race sometime in the 1930's. My Grandpa Boliver didn't just participate in this sport, back then when they raced against the clock, he was US National Champion. For decades this picture has been something of a family crest for us. Of course i love the rugged look of his gear - by now the genesis of my style choices should be ridiculously obvious.

But i don't honor my ancestors just because of a 'cool' look. All of my ancestors had to struggle against terrific odds - poverty, no parents, lack of education, casual and governmental discrimination. But they made it through so i could be here and have the many benefits i enjoy today. They also pursued their own dreams - Grandpa Boliver became a national champion, worked in the pits in the Indianapolis 500 races, and became a stellar auto mechanic. He, as well as all of my grandparents, spent a lot of time in the California wild, camping for weeks out in the Sierra mountains. Growing up, my parents took us kids out camping at least four or five times a year every year, from the mountains to the foothills to the coast.

My father's father was also a renowned auto mechanic with a love of natural California and a daring streak (in his sixties he scared a bear off grilling steaks with a rolled up newspaper, clad only in his boxers) . His wife, my grandma, is still going strong and living in her own place at the age of 99. Both she and my mom's mom sewed clothes for the family - i come by that very naturally! My father's mom would ask him which shirts looked good to him down at the local department store (which was too rich for their blood). She'd then go down and check out said shirt, stop by the fabric store for supplies, go home and whip it up. Mom's mom loved to make vibrant, extravagant costumes for mom, who is not such an exciting dresser. Grandmas' huge sombrero, decorated with the major exports of all the South American countries, turned out amazing but i think mom felt uncomfortable with all that attention in grade school.....

I come from a long line of people who love this land, who may not have had tremendous material resources but still put their own unique stamp on the world. Angie's jeans remind me of my grandparents because of the jodphur cut - but even more because the cut of those pants, the person wearing them no matter what others may say, tell us something about the true individual inside.

It Turns Out It's All True!

2011-09-12T07:53:00.000-07:00

What they say about accessories, that is. I tossed on this dress and jacket a week ago to cope with a fairly hot day. The dress is a sundress, with just straps at the shoulders, and the jacket fabric is quite thin, providing sun protection without additional heat. For my morning walk i wore my flat riding booties (great for walking as well!) and a little hat. I ended up with a 'Depression-era country farm girl makes a little extra cash by moonlighting as a private detective in town' look - a vintage feel with a dash of kookiness.

When i got home i washed my hair, kicked off my shoes and jacket. When it was time to go grocery shopping, i decided on my nude sandals, along with the same jacket. This second look is much more up to date, almost 'Smart Casual' to use Angie's term.

The idea of using one rather 'clean', solid color dress (usually black) as a background to express various fashion personalities through prudent deployment of accessories is a hoary old canard. Many suspect it's not even true. But i was very struck by the difference a hat and different shoes made in this outfit. Especially as this look is hardly equivalent to a 'little black dress' (plaid, big buttons, turn back cuffs and a studded belt, for goodness sake!).

I have to say that after this experience, concerning the power of accessories i'm convinced! (time to go shoe-shopping.....)

Classic Elegant and Sporty Casual

2011-09-08T10:41:00.000-07:00

Photo courtesy of Wardrobe Oxygen

Allie's Classic Elegant take on blue and yellow uses sophisticated shades of those colors, shiny and matte textures, and clean-lined 'dressy' accessories.

In trying to organize my thoughts about this post,one thought kept popping into my head: "I just hope i can get these ideas across somehow....." With that encouraging beginning, let's jump in, shall we?

After reading the comments to my last post, i want to point out that i never found out 'which style type i am' by reading Emily Cho. I'd take the mutiple choice tests and end up with scores all over the place. Fortunately, 'finding your style personality' isn't the only thing for which Emily Cho's image types are useful.

I used to find my self constantly battling two situations. In one i would dress as expected for the situation, which would make me feel like i was wearing a costume. I'd feel awkward and distracted, like i was undermining myself by being so fake. So next i'd try 'the opposite approach' and dress strictly according to my own aesthetic lights, in which case i'd stick out like a sore thumb and other people would be distracted from me by my appearance. Which would also make me feel like i was undermining myself.

Photo courtesy of RAGS Against The MACHINE

Terri's Sporty Casual take on blue and yellow uses bright and clear shades of those colors, matte textures, knit fabrics, looser fit and casual accessories.

By understanding Emily Cho's image types i had a better grasp of what other people expected to see in various situations. I was able to choose the characteristics i loved from the various image types - colors, silhouettes, cuts, details, items of clothing - and combine them in outfits that i loved wearing, that felt like me, and that didn't alarm the populace at large. I gave up trying to 'find my type' and instead found out what i loved in each type, what that said about me, and what i wanted to say with those elements. As a bonus, i really increased my range of style expression.

So, may i suggest that you set aside 'finding out what you are' as read the rest of this series, and think about what you want to say with your look.

Emily Cho's six essential image types fall into three pairs - Romantic Feminine and Sexy Alluring, Exotic Dramatic and Arty Offbeat, and Classic Elegant and Sporty Casual. The two types within each pair have certain relationships to each other, and these relationships help you to expand your range once you know which type(s) you naturally feel most comfortable in wearing. Today we'll tackle Classic Elegant and Sporty Casual in order to demonstrate how you can use the pairs to expand your style range.

Photo courtesy of Wardrobe Oxygen

Allie shows how to do stripes Classic Elegant style. Perfect fit, shiny, tailored accessories, and a silky fire engine red skirt demonstrate that classic is far from boring!

Allie of Wardrobe Oxygen has graciously agreed to let me use her work day outfit photos to illustrate Classic Elegant style, while Terri of RAGS Against The MACHINE is providing our Sporty Casual examples. The first thing to notice is that Allie wears many fabulous Sporty Casual looks, while Terri creates lovely Classic Elegant ensembles. Ms. Cho's types may be viewed as a person's 'style', but they also (and more so) describe a particular archetypal image - a pure idea of a certain woman, how she dresses, what she is doing, her personality, education, profession, etc. It is completely possible to 'put on' and 'take off' these 'personas' with a change of outfit, hair, and makeup. Both Allie and Terri do a great job of wearing Classic Elegant when it suits their activities (as a professional, as a college teacher) and 'dressing down' to Sporty Casual when on vacation, out at a club, etc.

This reflects the similarities between Classic Elegant and Sporty Casual. Classic Elegant and Sporty Casual styles both favor clean lines, classic pieces (pencil skirts, button down shirts, khakis, penny loafers, pumps, trench coats), solid colors, simple silhouettes, neutrals and primary colors, simple accessories in traditional cuts and materials. Both types favor classic, simple hair in a natural color and texture, as well as minimal, flattering makeup. No green hair or purple glitter eyeshadow for these types!

They also differ in certain respects. Classic Elegant favors sumptuous fabrics like wools, silks, linens. Pure Classic Elegant is also a stickler for perfect fit and quality construction, and will gladly pay more to get that quality. Classic Elegant is not afraid of the 'Dry Clean Only' label, whereas you'll be hard put to find one of these in the pure Sporty Casual wardrobe ('it's not practical'). Classic Elegant is Ann Taylor, Sporty Casual is Land's End.

Photo courtesy of RAGS Against The MACHINE

Terri's Sporty Casual take on stripes shows how casual looks can have tons of style and flattery power..Relaxed fit, knit fabric, and matte texture brown leather accessories keep the look pulled together without being fussy.

From the social aspect or how each type is perceived by people around them, Classic Elegant is seen as 'the boss', as wealthier, educated, formal, authoritative, someone who you should listen to, 'in charge' of themselves and others, capable of mental work, appropriate for business settings, someone who commands respect and honors social norms. Sporty Casual is seen as (obviously!) more casual, more practical and down to earth, approachable, a 'hands on worker', friendly, easy to talk to, appropriate for family and social settings, 'good with children'.

Again, i'd like to emphasize that these are stereotypes, that may or may not have anything to do with the person inside the clothes. At the same time, people do make judgements based on how a person presents themselves, and if you feel like people misjudge you, that you are wearing a costume when you're dressed up or dressed down, or can't figure out how to dress for your life roles and still feel like you, thinking through some of these concepts can be helpful in resolving these conundrums.

For example, many Sporty Casual ladies aspire to promotion at work. Or need to make a presentation to the city council. Or want to walk their daughter down the aisle at her wedding. The first two situations call for a more authoritative, formal, 'alpha female' who commands respect. The third calls for a formal persona, who also commands respect and honors societal norms and familial bonds. These qualities are projected by the Classic Elegant image type.

Photo courtesy of Wardrobe Oxygen

Classic lesson in how to dress up a basic black dress. Allie adds black patent heeled sandals and a glitzy bracelet to 'dress things up' for a professional vibe while the leather-raffia belt shows off her waist and lends an unexpected 'summery' vibe. Subtle makeup and great hair add polish to this look.

Conversely, a Classic Elegant lady may want to make a good start with the other parents in her son's play group. Or she has volunteered to cook weenies for her daughter's soccer team fundraiser. Or she finally has some vacation time and actually wants to relax. These situations call for an approachable, down to earth, friendly, and practical (hello weenie splatter!) approach to dressing - the essence of Sporty Casual.

The 'ickiness' of these mis-matches between your image and the situation comes in two flavors - you either dress like you 'should' and feel awkward and distracted by your costume, or you dress like yourself and feel like everyone's staring at you because you stick out like a sore thumb. Neither approach is satisfactory.

Now, as it happens, the Arty Offbeat image type is also seen as friendly, approachable, and practical....but it shares far fewer aesthetic and practical qualities with Classic Elegant than Sporty Casual does. A Classic Elegant woman can ease into a Sporty Casual look by determining the key elements that her style has in common with the Sporty Casual type and building her casual look from there.

Photo courtesy of RAGS Against The MACHINE

Here Terri shows how Sporty Casual can start to merge into Classic Elegant. The matte knit fabric, clean face and natural hair and white tee are all Sporty Casual basics. But the breezy scarf and red leather accessories (more often found in Casual Elegant's bag of tricks) add polish to the look and kick up fashion quotient.

Let's say the Classic Elegant lady feels comfortable in her work uniform of woolen straight skirt, silk crepe shell, cashmere cardigan, pumps and pearls (strand and studs), all in dove greys and camels. She could trade the wool skirt for the same shape in khaki colored cotton, replace the silk shell with a nice quality white cotton tee (classic piece in classic color, so she can make the leap), and a cotton blend cardigan in the same silhouette as her beloved cashmere. To emphasize the 'friendly and approachable' vibe she could pick a cardi in a nice bright yellow or blue. Loafers or driving mocs are casual but 'classic' enough that a person used to always looking perfectly polished won't experience the mortification of wearing running shoes while not actually running. Pearl studs are great for casual looks, nice neat and out of the way - if they're kind of big, just say they're costume ;)

Ideally, by comparing and contrasting her Classic Elegant look with known Sporty Casual interpretations, the Classic Elegant trending type can dress more appropriately for casual occasions while still feeling 'herself'. This can involve using the same pieces but in different ways (as with the pearl studs) or it can be done by carrying through certain style characteristics such as color, silhouette, or outfit formulas (skirt + short sleeve knit + cardigan) while changing up details, pattern/color or fabric. The Sporty Casual type can 'dress up' without feeling like an impostor by using the same method and raiding the Classic Elegant's closet for inspiration and ideas. Again, the mere thought of going from Sporty Casual to Exotic Dramatic (think Frida Kahlo) would give the Sporty Casuals i know an aneurysm! With Classic Elegant, the silhouettes, the way you put looks together, the accessories and color are much more understandable.

Photo courtesy of RAGS Against The MACHINE

A more classic Sporty Casual take on dress-dressing. Take off the cap and flip flops and add the scarf, belt and pumps from the outfit above and Terri will find herself in Sexy Alluring territory - it's the power of red! DH will be pleased.

Choosing elements from varying image types and blending them into a total look also allows you to present many different sides of yourself at once. I especially enjoy looking at dressing myself from this perspective - i feel it clues people in to who they're dealing with. I also feel that i'm coming across as more of a 'whole person' when i dress with these ideas in mind. Sheila of Ephemera is the past mistress of this pursuit.

I'd also like to point out that Allie and Terri show that even though both Classic Elegant and Sporty Casual are typically thought of as safe, boring, predictable, and unflattering - that isn't so at all! These two image types are the most popular in the US and it's possible to see truly uninspiring interpretations of them all over the country. These two ladies blow those ideas out of the water, not only that but they show you don't have to be sixteen years old, six feet tall and size zero with a fat wallet to do it, either. Check 'em out!!

It's You! Looking, Working, Feeling Terrific 24 Hours a Day!

2011-09-04T09:47:00.000-07:00

Sporty jacket and denim skirt fabric....romantic embroidery and lace on the cami-top.....classic, sexy strappy sandals......clean and dramatic silhouette, all put together in an offbeat manner. Emily Cho's ideas helped me learn to express all of these sides of myself in ways that are true to who i am, where i live, and what i do.

Today's post title is a mash-up of a couple of Emily Cho's book titles. Loyal readers will already have a grasp of why i love Ms. Cho's philosophy - she very much emphasizes the importance and opportunity of fully expressing your personal style through all aspects of your life. I only had one book of Ms. Cho's, It's You! Looking Terrific Whatever Your Type, published in the 1980's. The plentiful, very well done illustrations became dated over the years, but the insight into building a wardrobe and especially understanding and developing your own style never went out of date.

There's a ton of style advice out there on the web. I find that the vast bulk of it falls into a few categories: how to find/express your aesthetic tastes, how to flatter your face and figure, how to make current trends work for you, how to put together stylish outfits, how to use accessories, and shopping tips. Much less popular but still available is advice on how to build a wardrobe suited to your particular needs, dressing for your professional life, and dressing from certain practical angles (Angie's Mom On The Go looks, for example).

Emily Cho approaches style and clothing from these angles, but her focus lies elsewhere. She discusses style and clothing from the perspective of society, your 'audience', social occasions, and the community at large. In other words, you don't just get dressed to shield yourself from the elements or strictly to express your aesthetic creativity. You dress in order to tell the world, and particular people in your life, who you are.

This may well sound stereotypical, and it is. This type of categorizing and pre-judging happens in our society, for good or ill. Emily Cho's system provides one way to become conscious of this stereotyping so that you can make a decision about how you want to participate in it. For me, working with Ms. Cho's ideas helped me to make my peace with all of this and dress in a way that feels honest to me while not undermining my own goals or creating needless strife with family, co-workers, etc.

At your workplace your dress tells your boss if you are hard working, dependable, and ripe for promotion. At your sister's first baby shower your dress tells her how you feel about her and if you're willing to put your rivalry aside to support her at this time. How you dress to meet your boyfriend's parents for the first time lets them know if you're 'the one' or if you're too flighty, slutty, or bohemian to be 'wife material'.

equestrian boots add a touch of the dramatic for my am walk

I'm sure all of you have vivid mental pictures of 'Do' and 'Don't' looks for each of the above situations. The trouble comes when your goal is to impress the boss, but your free spirit feels like you're wearing a straight jacket in 'corpodress'. Or when your tomboy self feels like a clumsy impostor in a managerial-grade suit (even though the fabric and cut are so lovely......). The beauty of Emily Cho is that she shows you an honest way to wade through all this mess and contradictory signals. You start by recognizing in which 'essential image type' your heart lies. Then you experiment with how to expand your range through the casual, formal, pure, and creative expressions of this type. Part of this involves understanding the relations between the image types. Finally, you expand your range through all the types to see how you, individually, can express your own truth about every image type. At this point you have developed the flexibility to dress for all the occasions and situations in your life, and have confidence that your audience feels respected and generally 'gets' you.

I'll close out today's post by naming the six type: Classic Elegant, Sporty Casual, Romantic Feminine, Sexy Alluring, Exotic Dramatic, and Arty Offbeat. Chances are excellent those of you who've never heard of Emily Cho before already have a good idea about who and what make up these types.....next up, discussion of these types and how they relate to one another.

Some Links About Emily Cho:

Great take on Ms. Cho and 'Seventies Adult Style' in Peculiar Beauty

Short blurb on image consultants in 1986 L.A.Times

TIME Magazine on Looking Good in 1985

Emily Cho's books on Amazon

Deco Vibe Diamond Life Dress

2011-08-31T08:55:00.000-07:00

I finished my first iteration of Hot Pattern's Deco Vibe Diamond Life Dress. Trudy says that the idea behind the dress was to provide something stylish, a little edgy, but professionally appropriate that would be easy to throw on and wear in hellishly hot and muggy conditions.

This dress hits it outta the park on all counts. I can't wait to whip up a couple more in solid linens or a Japanese woven cotton design. It works as a dress on it's own, and it's easy to combine with a little denim jacket in chillier conditions.

This plaid, seersucker version is actually a 'wearable muslin'. Turns out the concept is Highly Controversial on the web......happily this one turned out. The fabric was on sale for $2.79, so i figured it was worth it to nail the fit, and if it was wearable afterward that's gravy! As it turns out i love the dress and it's wonderful to feel and look so pulled together when you're wilting from the heat.

The front bodice has a fairly wide overlap. I liked the feel of no buttons, and there's enough going on with the plaid. I ended up applying 6 1" velcro squares with topstitched "X-boxes". It works just fine as a closure and i'm digging the (very subtle) utilitarian feel.

To be brutally honest with y'all, i may have been a wee bit over exuberant on the footwear in this outfit. Crochet lace socks and flying bat patterned extra long laces? But i did get a lot of smiling faces looking at my feet. I figure a fashion faux pas is a small price to pay to bring a little happiness in this world.......

on edit: About the location: it's Moe's Books on Telegraph Avenue in Berkeley, CA. i shot the photo myself using a timer while posing in front of the Fashion section (of course!)

From Moe's website:
"Since its inception back in the heyday of the Beatnik era, Moe's Books has managed to become more than just a great bookstore--it has achieved the rarified status of a beloved landmark institution as well. Situated just four blocks from the University of California campus, Moe's has managed to mirror the often turbulent and triumphant times that have come to epitomize all that is exciting and unique about Berkeley.

Founded in 1959 by Moe Moskowitz and his wife Barbara, the original site of the store was a small shop on Shattuck just north of University Avenue. He moved the store up to Telegraph Avenue in the 1960's, right in the middle of the Free Speech Movement and the famous anti-war demonstrations that put Berkeley on the political map."

read more here: http://www.moesbooks.com/

Dress: Hot Patterns Deco Vibe Diamond Life, made by me
Jacket, Belt: thrifted
Hat: Berkeley Hat Company
Socks: Sock Dreams
Boots: Bass Lamont
Bracelet: Justina Leigh on etsy

Tips On Style Exploration

2011-08-26T10:38:00.000-07:00

I assure you i have a point to this post - but i can't promise i'll be able to state it clearly and cleanly. I hope that i'll circle around it closely enough that you'll hone in on it yourselves.

Chances are, you're like me - you got into reading style blogs, and style blogging yourself, because you were interested in discovering your own personal style. This can range from wanting a subtle spruce-up to hardcore starting from ground zero: "I feel like i'm walking around in a costume, nothing fits, i hate everything in my closet, etc.". You go online and you are bombarded with images of cozens of fashionable, incredibly stylish and gorgeous women wearing impeccably styled, and endlessly varied, outfits. You discover new ways to tie a scarf, incredible places to shop at amazing prices, the thrills of thrifting, arm parties, and more. The answer to your style dilemma starts to form, automatically, in your fevered noggin.....push it to the limit. More is truly More. Never wear the same outfit, don't rely on black, vintage is queen, there's a way for every woman to wear every trend and color and silhouette......

Ravina mixes her newts to rave reviews - photographer, model, stylist: Ravina Sniper

Allie of Wardrobe Oxygen touched on this topic in her article "Getting Literal". She begins with an Oscar Wilde quote: "Be yourself. Everyone else is taken." Allie starts off: "The other day a woman walked into my office building as I was walking out. As soon as I saw her I knew...

...that woman reads fashion blogs."

Allie continues:

"One cannot be stylish if she copies another. Style comes from knowing yourself and expressing it through fashion. When you literally replicate a style of another you become a fashion victim.Fashion blogs are a wonderful resource, a way to see relatable trends, relatable pricepoints, and brands that are easily accessible. Women with real bodies – petite, tall, pear-shaped, plus size, athletic, and everything in between. However, these fashion bloggers are individuals – and you are too.Knowing your personal style takes time."

I encourage you to take a look at Allie's article and the pretty lively discussion in the comments. What i took away from Allie's post is that the personal style journey is a long one, and it takes place in your own personal life. Especially with the easy access to hundreds of style blogs on the net, inspiration is rampant and even overwhelming. What's a lot scarcer is good, practical advice on how to use this inspiration to come up with a wardrobe that expresses your own personal style and works with your practical and lifestyle parameters. Frankly, that takes a lot more serious thinking on the part of the reader as well as the writer - it's hard getting across new, abstract concepts. And there are so many different parameters and variations to deal with in even one woman's wardrobe. Ideas that bring everything together for one woman will be useless for another.

The idea i'd like to get across in this post goes something like this - try to keep your style explorations wide and open, especially in the beginning. For me, and for many others, the temptation and obvious idea is to focus on 'your pure style essence', nail that down, and try to force it full strength on every aspect of your life. I wore dressy, multi-layered looks for years. I lived in an area where 'everything went', so i didn't have to dress up or down for different occasions. Then i moved to a very hot climate, became a stay at home spouse, and hit 'the big M'. And nothing worked. Even my good old standby lipstick did nothing for me. I had to start completely from scratch.

Partly this was bad luck and a lot of big changes at once. But it was also my own durn fault. I hadn't had a lot of reasons to focus on expressing my personal style in the different aspects of my life, and on the different ends of my style spectrum. So i didn't. Most people i knew would've said i had a great style. But when circumstances forced me to change, i had no practice in 'flexing' my style. Trust me, it was painful.

Fortunately, flexing your style is easy and cheap to do. You just have to remember to do it :) If you tend to be dressy, make outfits out of your 'workaday', more casual clothing. I ended up doing a month-long 'workaday challenge' at the instigation of Cynthia of Be Fabulous Daily last year and learned a LOT. Read all the posts here. To get 'the drift', here's the intro post, and here's the wrap up.

Ravina goes retro business casual - & is model, stylist, and photographer

Ravina took the plunge and dressed out of the newtral side of her closet a weekend ago. The outfits she came up with show the more classic, grown up side of her personal style - good to have experience with when you are invited to a professional function, for example. Neither of our experiments required any new purchases - we just used neglected parts of our wardrobes, or combined pieces in non-usual ways.

Setting yourself these type of challenges is a staple of the style blogger world. But you can also look for the areas of your life that could use more style expression/exploration - running errands, the gym, sleepwear, etc. How can you dress as yourself in these areas? Again, most of these areas can be explored very inexpensively at Target, H & M, and so on.

However you choose to explore and expand the limits of your personal style, i can't encourage you enough to do so. It's valuable in so many ways, one of which i've yet to mention. You may very well find that what you thought you knew about yourself isn't so. A year ago i would never have described my style as anything approaching minimalist - but it turns out it is (even Angie says so!). I had to find my own way to do minimalist, and stretching my wings in unexpected areas was what helped me to do exactly that.

Blouse: Butterick 4985
Skirt: own design
Jacket: thrifted
Sandals: Aerosoles

More On Neutrals In Your Wardrobe

2011-08-24T11:37:00.000-07:00

Ravina packs a powerful punch of color into this newtral-dominated look

Photographer, stylist, model - Ravina Sniper

Eccentric HQ received many interesting comments making new and useful points regarding newts in the wardrobe from our scintillatingly intelligent readership. On to a round-up!

ilegirl made some valuable points on neutrals in the comments to my last post:

"You do neutrals so well, and by wearing ivories close to your face you bring out that healthful natural glow in your complexion.

Sounds like a compliment, right? And it is, of course, as you always look so lovely. But it's also an observation that you've discovered what works for your skin tone - the best neutral for you. I think this is key, because (for example) a charcoal gray top would have me looking as pale as a cadaver while on Ravina it would likely be smashing.

I still struggle with this too. It's easy to be seduced by the cute piece in a store and forget that it needs to be incorporated into an outfit. And while a loud plaid and a bright floral print can theoretically pair nicely, the reality is that some good neutrals create a foundation from which our creativity builds."

another largely newtral outfit with a lot of color interest

ilegirl's coloring is beautiful and rare - on the pale side with true golden and beige tones, her eyes are a bewitching greenish hazel. Her emphasis on warm greens in her wardrobe really brings out the ethereal aspect of her coloring. But where to look when adding newts? Trial and error always helps. Go to a store with lots of colors (fabric, decorating, paint, clothing, party supplies), hold a bunch of colors up to your face and see how you look (you may want to take a mirror and a friend who's visual taste you trust). Try to notice details or patterns that will help you narrow down your color search : do you like warm or cool colors? do you like really saturated colors or lighter, more washed out ones? do you like clear colors or muddier, more complex ones? what 'colors' do you like?

Let's say you're loving the way yellows look on you. You want to choose newts that have a lot of yellow. This will tend towards camels, tans, creams......what you are looking for is a newt that contains a lot of the 'color' that flatters you. Navy has a lot of blue. Many greys have a lot of violet or blue undertones. Other greys have a lot of brown in there. If you find you look better in colors that aren't too dark (concentrated) or light (washed out) than choose newts that aren't too dark or light. And so on. This can help direct your search, hopefully, and then you can try out your ideas in the clothing store.

Another strategy to try is expanding your concept of a newt. In the past several years, the offerings of colors in the sage-olive drab-army green-dun green-khaki olive range have been plentiful indeed. Many of these colors are quite 'muddied' or drabbed down to the point that they read as more newtral than green - but the green is still there to do it's complexion flattering magic. Denim is also widely available, from light to dark and in stretch, tissue weight, various washes and finishes. The great majority of denims tend to be newtral as well on the warm-cool scale, making them an excellent chose for a wardrobe newtral.

I received another great tip via e-mail from ma: "You could mention that if your skin tone won't allow beige without making you look like a total bath towel (or other awful thing, thinking of me in beige - urk), a scarf in a color may allow it. It only took about 60 years for me to realize that." This tip works with any newt and any item that will be worn away from your face - skirts, trousers, shoes, socks and tights, etc. It's especially good to keep in mind when facing limited offerings in a critical wardrobe item. Ravina works this one quite well in her outfit at the top of this post - it matters not how her grey boots look next to her complexion. The cobalt blues really make her coloring come alive, and the greys play a wonderful supporting role. This gets back to ilegirl's second point - that newts can play an important role in creating outfits. I hope these collaborative posts have given you some insight and tools on how to get newts to work for you!

Blouse, Skirt, Vest: own design
Shoes: Bass Lacey Oxfords

How To Get Unstuck

2011-08-20T10:22:00.000-07:00

Ravina Sniper hits a wall that all of us are familiar with in this post. Your wardrobe is kind of there, but not really. You don't have the time, energy, money, style icons, creativity, aesthetic resources, skill, fill-in-the-blank to move towards the wardrobe goals that have become even more important to you. banananutmuffin started a very interesting thread on the You Look Fab forum recently stating another common reason for style-stuckness. She titled the thread "What to do wear when your style is incongruent with your lifestyle?" banananutmuffin is a stay at home mom with an infant and toddler plus chickens to much out every morning - with a bombshell/minimalist style profile. You end up getting a job that will allow you to afford those gorgeous designer duds you crave - but the job involves solvents, adhesives, and grubbing around on your hands and knees. Your checkbook is finally flush and J. Peterman goes bankrupt. ***

I've been there more often than i like to think about, certainly! But happily i have learned from these times. So i'm embarking on a series of posts to set forth what i've learned - tips and tricks, strategies, what/how to research, helpful philosphies. If you have any questions about this general area, send me an e-mail or leave a comment and i'll answer as best i can.

Today - monochrome looks and the power of newtrals. For whatever reason, monochrome looks and newtrals read as higher quality, classic, and chic. Monochrome looks are straightforward to put together, the color scheme automatically gives the look a cohesiveness and that 'pulled together' vibe. As in the pictures for this post, there's no need to do the 'matchy matchy' thing - mix up a range of camel-ivory, dove grey through to charcoal, navy blue through dark wash denim. The first outfit was dirt cheap - no piece cost me more than $10. But the overall feel is much richer and more chic.

Now i'm a notorious newt-lover. Take this into account while reading the following. I'm not suggesting everyone compose a newt-only wardrobe. But including a nice proportion of newtrals that flatter you and work well with your favorite colors can really grease the wheels of your wardrobe. It can be really hard to find enough acid-green pieces to coordinate into a great, chic look. It's much easier (especially with limited resources) to find one great acid green showcase item to blend with some tan, camel, and khaki items to make a great look. Newts are flexible and play well with many, many colors - a wardrobe with 1/3 newtrals will offer many more mixing options than one with 100% 'color colors'.

Neutrals also come in many shades and colors. Black and white are standard. But don't forget denim blue, navy, charcoal, dove grey, olive drab, army green, khaki, camel, ivory, tan, taupe.......i'm all about tan, taupe, beige, khaki.....but Ravina's wonderful purples and burgundies would blend beautifully with medium to dark greys and inky navy blues. And individual newtral colors come in many many variations. Denim blue ranges from inky dark blue all through to faded sky blue. If you choose one newtral to bring into your wardrobe, don't neglect the options you can make for yourself by bringing in a range of that newtral.

This part is a wee bit technical, but i hope i'll get the point across. The fibres used to make fabric are dyed with chemicals. These chemicals all have various properties - some are cheaper, some more expensive, some 'take' better than others on various fibres, some fade very quickly and others last forever. All of these qualities have impacts on your garment - price, life length, etc. For whatever reason, most neutrals seem to come form less expensive, better quality dye chemicals. So a nice black or khaki will be cheaper, look richer, and last longer than, say, your average medium pink or mustard yellow. This is just a general rule gathered from long years of experience (hanging onto clothes for much too long!) But i have found that many cheaper 'colors' just look - cheap. And they don't last that long. If you look around and find yourself persuaded of this idea, you may wish to take it into consideration in your own wardrobe planning.

*** not that this still bothers me. a dozen long, excruciating years later.........

Get The Most From Your Sewing Pattern Dollar: Part Two

2011-08-18T08:34:00.000-07:00

Now - the shopping part! We've had one great tip submitted already by The Wilted Magnolia. The main pattern publishers (McCall's, Vogue, Simplicity, etc.) offer sales on their entire stock multiple times a year. It seems that Vogue has a "$4.99 for all patterns" online sale about every 2-3 months. This is a great reduction from $30.00 or even $17.99, though you do have to add shipping (around five bucks in the USA).

However, here in the USA we have a very large crafts and sewing chain called Joann's. They have pattern sales on 'the big boys' pretty much constantly. Simplicity patterns often go for $1.99 each (maybe for 2 weeks every couple of months), then maybe twice a year there will be a two week sale of this brand for .99 each. They have Vogue patterns on sale for $4.99 every three months or so, which is nice because you don't have to pay shipping. However, just last month they had all Vogue patterns on sale for $3.99, which is the cheapest i've ever seen! So it makes sense to scope out your local stores and read their circulars and advertisements to get a feel for their 'sales cycle'. Then you'll know when to swoop in for the best deals.

Sometimes i'll be in the mood to pay full (or close to) price for a pattern, specifically for patterns made and published by smaller houses. These include Hot Patterns, La Fred, Colette Patterns, The Sewing Workshop, and so on. These are harder to get for a dirt-cheap price, but i don't mind. These are smaller businesses that don't get the economies of scale of a Butterick or Simplicity. Additionally, the designs they publish are much more distinctive, and if you find yourself really loving a particular designer's line, it is worthwhile to support them so they'll keep on with it! Also, i've read in many instances of seamstresses contacting small pattern publishers for help and getting it - amazing and wonderful!

So, how to go about buying a more expensive pattern? One trick i like is to use holiday present money - i'll let family know that 'cash always fits', then spend that money on a nice pattern. This IS purely psychological, but the budgeting is easy. Again, do your due diligence when shopping. I bought two Hot Patterns patterns (?) and found the prices were 20% less on www.fabric.com. Additionally, orders of $35.00+ receive free shipping on www.fabric.com - so i added a big spool of discount Gutermann thread to my order and came out almost $10.00 less than buying the same two patterns direct from www.hotpatterns.com. As it happens, these particular patterns are printed with sizes 6-26 all in one envelope. This makes it easier to customize your own fit, and is perfect for 2-3 gals of varying sizes to share (thus changing the cost per use).

Many sewing patterns, especially vintage and out of print, are sold on e-bay. It's a great resource!! Again, buyer beware, check the descriptions and seller history very carefully, and don't bid against your own mother. You can also search for "Completed Listings" in the Advanced Search option. This will show you auctions that have already ended with details on price, etc., so you can get an idea of the going rate for your pattern. For newbies, here's a dictionary of e-bay acronyms and shorthands, so you can translate the listings.

Many thrift shops also sell old-timey patterns for a quarter of fifty cents a piece. It's definitely hit or miss, but if you're there anyways give it a whirl. On the plus side you can thoroughly examine the item before purchase. Be careful that all the pieces that you need are present (neck facings or cuffs are easily drafted), and that it's a size that will work for you.

Bear in mind that the more thought, time, and effort you put into research you put into your purchase the better deal you will find. Mr. E consistently finds outrageous deal son shoes, clothing, etc. It's because he'll spend a few hours on the web over several days, going all the way to page 20 of search engine listings. He also makes sure to search for coupons. Just enter "name of your item + the word 'coupon'" into a search engine and start slogging through the results.

While house sitting in Albany recently i tried out some cooler weather looks. Albany is right across the San Francisco Bay from the Golden Gate and catches huge gobs of fog, so it's rarely toasty there. I've seen this type of approach from Ralph Lauren and on vacationing celebrities - a sleek and chic outfit topped with a cozy parka. It's fun and practical and i'm looking forward to cooler days!

Over to you - cheap patterns and fall fashions on the discussion board today!

Blouse, Skirt: own design
Denim Jacket: thrifted
Parka: vintage L.L. Bean
Boots: Bass Lamonts

Get The Most From Your Sewing Pattern Dollar: Part One

2011-07-29T09:07:00.000-07:00

Recently reader Vildy left a comment that got me thinking, "What a great idea for a post!" Her thoughts: "... I haven't sewn anything from scratch for ages. Long ago enough to have eyes widen at pattern costs nowadays." Indeed! Sewing pattern prices have gone through the stratosphere! I remember Vogue Designer patterns as being pricey, but worth it at $12.50 a pop when i was in high school...nowadays they run $28.50 to $30.00. JUST the pattern. For * a * dress - no variations! This is the type of thing that takes home sewing from practical pasttime to showoff mega-consumption strategy. However, there are many ways to get more out of the patterns you do choose to buy as well as ways to get the same patterns on the cheap. Read on to find out, and be sure to fill us in on your own angles in the comments!

A major strategy for getting more for your pattern dollar is to buy patterns that you'll use over and over again. How to accomplish this? Do your research before you buy!!!! To begin with, in order to pick a good multi-use pattern you need to identify your own wardrobe workhorses. Do a spreadsheet, turn your hangers around, keep a list of all your outfits for a month, take a picture of yourself everyday for a year- whatever works. It doesn't matter if the pattern shows a baker's dozen different variations on the package if they are all sundresses and you're a corporate lawyer in Chicago. I made the first blouse pictured from the same Butterick 4985 pattern as the striped linen one just above. I already have material for two to three more versions of this blouse waiting in my stash. I've known for a few months that small, cap-type sleeved, button down blouses are a wardrobe workhorse for me (especially in summer). But i had the devil of the time finding an appropriate pattern until -

Butterick 4985 in pink linen with lace trim and off-pattern sleeve variation

Photography, garment design & construction: Carolyn Smith

i saw Carolyn's buffet of blouses, all made from Butterick 4985, on her blog Handmade By Carolyn. The web is an excellent research tool for pattern research. But to get the most out of if you need to go beyond the pattern companies' online catalogs. Look at seamstesses' sewing blogs as well as pattern review sites to get a feel for the range of ways the pattern makes up, how it tends to look, how it flatters different figures (or not), the success of different style variations and fabric choices, and so on. PatternReview.com is a great site and i so appreciate the people who write the reviews! I find it's really hard to navigate and search this site, but if i stick with it i its worth it. Don't forget to search for the pattern company and number with your favorite search engine - i've found some great blog reviews that way.

Butterick 4985 in blue swiss dot with embroidery - Carolyn added the adorable lace-trimmed pockets

(which i haven't copied - yet )

Photography, garment construction and design: Carolyn Smith

Finding a pattern that has a number of 'views' or contains a 'wardrobe' is the classic approach to getting the most out of a pattern. Again: sewer, know thyself! I know that the chances i will make up Butterick 4985 view D (a puffy, banded sleeve with purchased trim right on the puffiest part of the already puffy sleeve) are remote to none. However, i will make the plain band collar, the classic collar on the band, the band with applied trim collar, the long tie collar.....I've already made the blouse in black cotton jersey and a lightweight linen. I can see it in cotton swiss dot, cotton or rayon jersey solid or print, cotton lawn or voile (solid or print), nylon or cotton lace........i've made it with a split set in sleeve and sleeveless. I'm contemplating a set-in cap sleeve and gathered cap sleeve with and without band hem.

the seaming and piecing of this blouse make bust, waist, and torso length adjustments a snap

The point is to do so much research and brainstorming that you are confident in your ability to generate enough variations that will suit your wardrobe and your taste for variety. This will * ahem * 'vary' from person to person. Read the information on the pattern provided by the manufacturer to see if they recommend a wide range of fabrics or if it's only appropriate for specific materials (two way stretch, etc.). Evaluate what fabrics other sewists have used to make this or similar designs. Be honest with yourself about how much variety you want and enjoy in your clothing items. I enjoy having a bunch of versions of one basic item (cap-sleeved button down blouse). For me, keeping the bodice pretty standard but being able to make substantial changes in the collar and sleeves provides enough difference for me to want to purchase this pattern (while avoiding the hassle of making constant fit adjustments in the torso and bust). Other people would find this way too boring, and want more differences between their clothing items - they want a tank, a cap sleeve tee, a tunic, etc. For these people, finding a good 'wardrobe' pattern may be more their speed.

Butterick 4985 in patterned fabric with black crochet collar

photography and garment construction by Carolyn Smith

Regarding 'wardrobe' patterns, i've never purchased one. These patterns contain a selection of pieces designed to be worn together (some examples here). They tend to be career-wear focused, though i've seen the occasional 'resort wear', more casual wardrobe pattern. These type of patterns seem to pop up a lot in SWAP (Sew With A Plan) competitions. Again, evaluating your own wardrobe needs and researching other sewists's experiences will help you make a good decision . Making sketches, story boards or croquis with swatches can help you envision what a particular pattern can do for your wardrobe.

Another consideration is how much of your own creativity you will bring to the pattern in question. For the black version of this blouse i added a couple of more buttons than indicated in the directions and placed them closer together to highlight the booty i scavenged off another blouse. The standard sleeve opening on this blouse allows any number of different sleeves to be created or stolen wholesale from another pattern and applied to the bodice. Carolyn added adorable lace-trimmed pockets to one of her versions of this blouse. As a rule, patterns with a lot of complicated seaming and details or unusual silhouettes will be more difficult to make up in different version or 'graft' onto other patterns. Again - think it through before you buy and don't be afraid to sketch, swatch, etc.

After you've chosen a pattern that will be a wardrobe workhorse and you have a billion ideas for different ways to make it up, the next step is to get the best deal, money-wise, on your pattern. That's the topic of my next post. But in the meantime, here's a couple of videos from Trudy and Jeremy of Hot Patterns with a look at a few different ways you can make up their Sonia Rykiel-inspired Weekender Cabana T-Shirts. Trudy's patterns aren't outrageously priced, but they are not cheap, so she puts a lot of thought into her patterns so that you can get the most out of them in the ways i've outlined in this post. These videos are an example of that thoughtfulness and give you a feel for the type of thinking that will pay off in figuring out how to get more out of your sewing patterns. Enjoy, and comment with any of your own secrets!!!

Blouse: Butterick 4985
Skirt: own design
Sandals: Aerosoles

@#*$#&%ing Paparazzi

2011-07-26T14:24:00.000-07:00

Further Explanation

2011-07-22T12:28:00.000-07:00

Whoops! Looks like a few of my delightful readers treated me with more gravitas than i merit and took my last post in all seriousness......which only makes me love you more! But i'd recommend that you read what i write with Morton's at the ready. I'll do anything for a laugh, especially when it's at myself. As i said to Gracey: "uh oh. frankly, this outfit didn't bother me at all - but when i thought about "this look + this blog" it occurred to me that i could play it for laughs...especially if any of my readers have seen "Eating Raoul". altho i do have to accept that there are certain looks which i am too poor to wear ;) ". (and "OT" as they say - i can't imagine what Gracey is "too" "too" to wear - thoughtful? considerate? creative? but i can imagine plenty of precious metals being outshone by that 24 carat smile!)

The 'mutton dressed as lamb' style no-no doesn't cross my mind overmuch, possibly because i got all those crazy looks out of my system when i was younger. (woo hoo! i should dig up some pictures!) But i do harbor a strong aversion towards dressing in an infantile manner. I didn't appreciate how i was treated when i was a child (the same as all children are in our culture) and wasn't about to encourage this treatment by dressing the part. I've continued to exhibit this tendency ever since. Cutesy prints of cuddly kittens on shapeless fuzzy sweatshirts, flannel 'pajama pants', footie onesie pajamas on 48 year old people, sweaters with sparkly little elves embroidered on them for Christmas, any garment in fuzzy shapeless pastel colors - it all drives me utterly out of my mind!!!!! Something about adults wanting to dissolve boundaries and crawl back up in the womb - ??? - i don't know but i'm sure it's too 'psychologically deep' for a style blog.

i'll take some pictures which better capture the details

But it seriously creeps me out. Which argues in favor of my comfort with and attraction to these type of looks - more grown up. As part of an ongoing rush (rash?) of inspiration from Carolyn, i acquired Butterick 4985 and went to work (scroll down, down, down - Carolyn's made about a dozen fabulous, unique versions of this blouse!). In this here iteration i was aiming for a modern, sleek blouse with a Gibson Girl vibe. I like the way it turned out - you get the feel of feminine frills and decadent ornamentation but the overall shape makes it completely wearable in a modern wardrobe. I used the 'window bleached' area of the same drapes i used to make the Rebecca Taylor dress (also inspired by you know who!).

Another similar outfit - grown up clothing items which emphasize the 'adult female' aspects of my figure - bust, waist hips - and not the lean, coltish long legged silhouette of an adolescent who has just come through a growth spurt. I also like the shot of caramel orange of the purse.

Is this 'anti-infantile-dressing' fixarion a purely personal pet peeve (or neurosis)? Or does it resonate with any of you? So much for 'light Friday fare' - ah well!

Ivory Blouse: Butterick 4985
"Geisha" Blouse: La Fred Europa Blouse Pattern
Skirts: own design
Top Sandals: Naturalizer
Bottom Sandals: Aerosoles

Rhetorical Question ***

2011-07-20T10:40:00.000-07:00

Is this an outfit that a grown woman should wear?

The hoary old admonition to wear decent underwear lest you shock the tender sensibilities of your local emergency workers came up recently on the You Look Fab forum. A real, live Emergency Room Worker chimed in to say that tattered knickers were generally attributed to whatever chain of events landed the person in the ER. However, a woman who arrived sans any 'small clothes' whatsoever did cause more than a small amount of gossip.

What would these grizzled individuals have to say about a middle aged woman dressed like Minnie Mouse?

*** "... employed for rhetorical effect; especially : asked merely for effect with no answer expected: a rhetorical question" definition courtesy Merriam Webster Dictionary

Nudity

2011-07-19T09:24:00.000-07:00

I wore this look on one of the first really hot days this summer (mid 90's F). My landlord complimented me on it, and asked what i was planning that day to get so dressed up. I let him know nothing special was on the calendar, i just like to look more put together on hot days to counteract how frazzled the weather makes me feel. He got a laugh out of it, but acknowledged the wisdom of it.

I've been a big fan of adding a touch of high contrast to outfits for decades. A monotone beige/ivory look gets a dark brown belt, an all black ensemble cries out for a strand of white pearls. But since Mr. E spotted these nude patent leather sandals for me, i've been spotted in low contrast nude on nude get ups frequently. I suspect it's especially fun as my body's aesthetic is low contrast to begin with, so the clothing seems to be just playing along. And it's reassuring to do something different, and see some evidence that i'm not completely in a rut.

I finally got a pair of sunglasses. But they aren't prescription, so i do the old lady thing and wear them over my correction spex. The sunglasses are big enough that it's not flamingly obvious right away. Or so i like to tell myself.

I made this little skirt out of the material left over from these cargo pants. On first glance there was plenty of material to make a knee length, straight skirt. In the real world - i made like Piet and pieced like crazy! i'm very glad i stuck with it and eked it out. This skirt is comfy and especially great to wear on hot days, as it's cool feeling, doesn't bother my legs, and lends a 'pulled together' vibe to many tops. I can see it working well in my wardrobe in olive drab, dove to charcoal gray, black...this Hot Patterns design offers an opportunity to make something similar but with a cool slouchiness to it. I love it when all my plotting and scheming actually pays off!

But At Least I've Been Sewing

2011-07-13T07:54:00.000-07:00

I wouldn't have noticed this pattern at all, except for i saw how the lovely Carolyn made it up in two very different, equally useful iterations. Taking my own advice, i stole her idea and ran with it.

This is the Scarlett O'Hara version (or 'wearable muslin'). The ever-thoughtful D. lets me take a look at the items donated to a local opportunity shop but considered not up to their standards. D. helps the ladies of the shop, and one of her duties is to take these rejects to the Goodwill - with, first, a stop next door to us. I found some great linen fabric and brought it home (all of ten feet!). This fabric had apparently spent a number of years in someone's window, as curtains, and had a couple of bleached-out, window-shaped areas to prove it.

Luckily, the unbleached areas were big enough to lay out this dress. I went to the RIT Dye website and chose an apple-green-y drab color and dyed the unbleached areas. For the trim/accent i used the remnants from this skirt (featured 19 times so far on this blog - i like to think this is some type of style-blogging record). The bleached areas were big enough to make a little blouse, so i bleached them even more and am almost finished with a new top.

I wore this dress for its first outing on the Fourth. We spent several hours wandering around San Francisco, mostly along the Embarcadero and in North Beach. The weather was perfect, sunny and mild....very rare in SF! How limpid to walk around the city in a little dress. But, as is its way, the wind started whipping up and blowing strongly, so after a long nap in the City Lights basement we returned to the East Bay.

Vogue designer patterns do a great job of staying true to the designer's vision, in this case including a rapidly plunging neckline. Rather than change the designer's vision, i filled in the neckline with a scarf pinned to my bra. I love the shirttail hemline as well - i've been thinking of using different shirt hems for future versions. One would be the classic straight hem/straight slit, another would be the convex to the concave version of the convex shirt tail shown above (if that makes any sense....)

Enough geometry for one day!

Dress: Rebecca Taylor for Vogue Patterns 1152
Boots: Bass

What Can I Say

2011-07-09T09:07:00.000-07:00

Real life got really lively....

Got a case of the heeby-jeebies about the 'avatar', 'is it real of Memorex?' issue.......

Didn't have anything style-related to say......

After about one and a half years of knuckling down on my wardrobe and my style, getting dressed became - just super easy. No thought, just grabbed 'the obvious' from the closet, threw it on and loved it. I'd reached a tipping point where all that thinkin' and plottin' paid off. 'The goal' is reached, resulting in not much to say!

But recently.........my mom left a pitiful sounding comment, pining for the 'glory days' when i'd post OOTD looks several times weekly. Vildy has been putting some amazing thought into her wardrobe by using my outfit checklist (and referring it to web-friends as well!) I had a blogger meet-up with Ravina Sniper, an incredibly sincere and sweet lady who looks even more like a glam Sarah Jessica Parker in person.....

and then our Styling Fairy Godmother plunked her magic twanger in my direction (read to the end). I figured i better show up here soon, after all what can a quarter hour of blogging hurt, every now and then?

Only one way to find out!

Public Service Announcement

2011-05-27T08:41:00.000-07:00

"Windows Vista Restore" is an evil, sneaky virus/malware program. It gets onto your computer via a Trojan horse, so it turns out that my clicking on the 'Fix Errors' button was stupid but not the ultimate cause of the infection. Once you see that button, your computer is already infected. In my defense, i quote the infobox from the video above, "The only indication that Windows Restore is a scam application is when it begins to force users into paying for the registered version before any fix can be run on the system." And, once they asked for my credit card number the penny dropped immediately. Even my stupidity has limits.

Happily, 'puter is feeling fit and frisky once more, up to visiting on the web and such. I advise that you watch the first minute or so of the video to get a feel for what this virus looks like so you don't do anything ill-advised such as clicking on the buttons (like i did). In short, your desktop fades to black, you lose all your program icons, and a scary, official-Windows-looking window pops up telling you that you're experiencing critical hard drive errors, you are losing data which may not be recoverable, and so on. You may look in your files and folders for your photos and find that the folders are empty, while "critical hard drive error" windows pop on top of each other every minute or so. Nice.

The day before all this hoopla hit the fan i had noticed that when i went to my website (The Dashing E), i had no blogger toolbar across the top, so i had no way to log in. When i scrolled down to the comments, the 'POST A COMMENT' option was greyed out, so i couldn't log in that way either. I ended up logging in through other blogger sites. I believe this was the first sign of the infection, so if you have this happen to you i'd follow the above video or contact 'technical services' to see if you have contracted this infection and how to get rid of it.

The video at the top of this post does a great job of talking you through the de-infection process - 650038haig also teaches you how to make your photos and other documents accessible again (yep, that was exciting - all those pix i'd downloaded to the hard drive, nowhere to be found). Unfortunately, by the time i called my dad (familial super geek) the virus prevented me from even accessing the 'Start' button - in that case, you may need to access the higher-ups of the digital priesthood. It's worth it - our little machine was useless there for a day or so. Mr. Eccentric is a superstar. He spent hours running scans through ESET Nod32 (our regular anti-evil application), researching the Windows Vista Restore virus, de-hiding files, and installing MalwareBytes Anti-Malware. Let me tell you, in this kind of situation an obsessive-compulsive Virgo is your dream life mate!

All the usual cautions apply - install a reputable anti-virus application (maybe two!) and update it regularly. Don't go to porn sites (obviously - this one activity keeps my father in green fees), and never never EVER give anyone your credit card info, e-mail address, passwords, social security number, etc. unless you are in the process of purchasing something from them on a reputable site. Additionally, your e-mail provider does not need you to update your information to 'weed out unused e-mail accounts', and the first cousin of the Botswanian Secretary of State does not need your help to launder money (even though she is a devout but penniless widow).

Back to regular programming now in progress......

The Dashing Eccentric

How To Make A Shopping Plan

Do These Glasses Make My Butt Look Big?

I Thought It Would All Be Figured Out By Now...

How To Buy a Pair of Fluevogs

"That" Look

Bombing Around

Back To Nature

True Confessions

Printed Wide Leg Pants and Hope For The Non-Photogenic

Rhinovirii....

Legs Legs Legs

eShakti: A Unique Design Vision

There Is Hope!

How To Make A Tee And Jeans Work For You

Happy Holidays!

Inaugural Repeat

Black Skirts and Shoelaces

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Dark Wash Jeans Advised for Older Women and the Role Of Contrast

A Little Bit Of Little Edie

Double Denim Visibility

Unexpected Hospitalization

Yummy

Kismet! Or Is It?

Buckle That Swash!

Jeans and White Blouses......

Perfection

Viva BiBa!

Fall Is Here!

Template Experiments

Using Brights As Subtle Flavor Instead Of A "Pop"

Dear Mrs. Eccentric: Can I be your Case Study?

The Siren Song Of The Bob

Style Blogger Confidential!

What A Difference A Day Makes......

Finally Grasping The Obvious

What IS It That Bloggers Gaze At?

yeah, I Fell. I Fell HARD.

Looking Like a Jackson Pollack Painting; And a Conundrum

Double Denim

Age Inappropriate Dressing

Dashing Eccentric Designs Spotted At New York Fashion Week!

Turn My Back On Blogging?

Why I Love Angie's Jeans

It Turns Out It's All True!

Classic Elegant and Sporty Casual

It's You! Looking, Working, Feeling Terrific 24 Hours a Day!

Deco Vibe Diamond Life Dress

Tips On Style Exploration

More On Neutrals In Your Wardrobe

How To Get Unstuck

Get The Most From Your Sewing Pattern Dollar: Part Two

Get The Most From Your Sewing Pattern Dollar: Part One

@#*$#&%ing Paparazzi

Further Explanation

Rhetorical Question ***

Nudity

But At Least I've Been Sewing

What Can I Say

Public Service Announcement

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