Popping In Briefly

yes, i'm still alive. My timing for taking a break was excellent, as mr. e and i are both under seige from a particularly evil virus. Instead of choosing to attack either the gastrointestinal system or the upper respiratory tract, this bug hits BOTH. Two days of 'mice having a circus in your guts' (mr. e), followed by your basic sino-sorethroat blow-out. Which is gross enough, but mr. e has a techy tummy and i'm prone to sinus infections, causing the whole sordid affair to linger indefinitely.....

I had a lot more fun a couple of weeks ago at a 'Ladies' Movie Night' hosted by ielgirl.  Food, romantic movie, drinks, dessert, and some very smart and realllllly funny ladies. Our hostess requested that we all wear our most romantic hats, so i trimmed up my straw one in pink and black. I really fancy the way it turned out and plan to leave it trimmed like this possibly through summer. If this event sounds fun to you, be aware that ilegirl is hosting a Fancy Pants Reuse Outing in Danville for April 2nd - Bay Area eccentrics, consider yourselves notified!

As you can imagine, having your brain slowly replaced by mucous does little to increase one's intellectual functioning...however, i have managed to do a little of the writing on high strange experiences i wanted to focus on during this break. I also managed to miss the fabulous Sheila's Leopard Week extravaganza - click here to get the scoop at the Leopard Week Wrap Up! Those ladies aren't the only busy bloggers out there - Allie of Wardrobe Oxygen has been posting some really helpful information the past few weeks - how to dress for the weekends, her 'eat your vegetables' philosophy of wardrobe building (a little like cake and frosting). But to top it all, Allie goes where no blogger has gone before and posts a complete list of her entire wardrobe! I find these type of posts really helpful, and really hard to write, so kudos to Allie!

I saw some long, twisted scarves of cotton gauze at J. Crew a while back and finally knew what to do with that cotton gauze in my stash. I checked out the RIT website for ideas on olive drab, and a few hours later i had a new scarf. It's soft and warm and i've3 been reaching for it constantly.I think of it as a 'statement scarf'. Wearing a new color, texture, size of scarf can really change the feel of your outfits, with such a small commitment of money, time, or commitment (you can take it off much more easily than, say, shoes or your blouse, at least in the circles in which most of us move).

Last but not least at all - i can't believe that people have actually decided to follow me while i'm on this hiatus! I so much appreciate all the people who take the time to read this blog and comment and follow. It is so much more fun to put these posts together thinking about the various 'pairs of eyes' that will take in my efforts - not to mention it makes me take it a bit more seriously. So THANK YOU!!!! THANK YOU!!! THANK YOU!!! to all of my readers and commenters and followers, old and new!!!  In the past couple of weeks, i've started to feel that old compulsion to photograph my looks, so i expect you'll be seeing more of me sooner rather than later - in the meantime, take care and have fun!!!  steph

No Repeats W & W: Day Sixteen & Bonus Look

In the 'No Repeats' spirit, i incorporated a neglected coat and pair of boots into this workaday combo. The waffle weave crew neck is Mr. Es' - i've been on the lookout for 2-3 warmer henleys since September, but haven't found any worth buying yet. I just don't have enough warmer long-sleeved tops to make it through, so my husband granted me use of his waffle-weaves as long as i don't 'stretch them out in the bust'.  I also realized that i've neglected my perching poses, and thought the toyon berries in the background would look particularly festive with the red boots.

With the parka, the fluffy over the knee socks (new from Sock Dreams), the petticoat and touch of red this whole look made me feel quite 'holiday in the snow'. At least what i imagine 'holiday in the snow' would feel like - i've never experienced one.

Below you see my look from last Sunday.  I spent quite a while putting together this look. Not that it was difficult or ground-breaking (hello), it was just fun to have all my closet at my disposal, in addition to a bunch of new leg-wear choices.  So i dragged it out for fun.

This is how i looked as we walked the neighborhoods in Berkeley. It was quite the rainy weekend, with plenty of mud moving down the hillsides, but we only ran into a few sprinkles during our hours 'on the streets'.

 Earlier in the day i looked like this. With one exception - i wore my new brown fishnets in the house, then switched them out for brown wool-blend tights when we ventured into the weather.

This seems like my best photo showing the detail on this blouse so far.  I finished it this last fall, and figured i'd be waiting until April or May to get much use of it - the fabric is voile-weight cotton. I'm happy to report i've found it quite wearable in the winter.

My new Sock Dreams lace anklets cuffed over the top of my boots.  Aaaahh..........

No Repeats W & W: Day Thirteen

This week is turning into 'Mr. Eccentric's Greatest Hits'.  He bought me this jacket as well. I wore it Tuesday (day before yesterday) on my walk. It's great - not too warm, big enough to wear a sweater underneath, fun faux fur trim, easily worn with skirts or pants, classic aviator style-feel.  So much for the stereotypical 'men have no taste' meme!

This outfit was when i 'hit the wall' with this workaday capsule. I got bored. I'll stick with it - that's the point of a challenge, right? I did realize that i could live with this small of a wardrobe IF i had a larger, more varied accessory wardrobe. After all, when you're dressing in neutral-colored basics most of the visual interest comes from the accessories.

These thoughts tie in with what Cynthia at Be Fabulous Daily has been writing about recently. She wrote a post on her closet clean up which ended with the question, 'Do i have too many clothes or a normal amount?' (paraphrased). She also did a well-thought out post defining her personal style preferences. To my way of thinking, a person's style strategy will influence what is the optimal amount of clothing for them. Cynthia said it well herself - she relies on a lot of color and pattern combos in her outfits, and thus usually only needs one accessory - scarf, necklace, earrings - to pull the look together.  Right there you can see the contrast between what would be optimal for Cynthia and what would work best for me in terms of clothes to accessories ratio.

I've always felt that the 'perfect number of clothes' will vary from person to person and across a person's life.  There are many factors to take into consideration - budget, tolerance for laundry, how 'hard' you are on clothes (how long they typically last), climate, lifestyle, special interests (workout clothes, clothes for hobbies such as horseback riding or dancing, fencing, etc.), type of social life (clubbing, charity balls), professional requirements, and so on.

I can think of a few question to ask yourself in order to determine how close you are to your optimal wardrobe (# & appropriateness of items).  How often do you find yourself with nothing to wear? Do your laundry duties seem reasonable?  Can you put together outfits appropriate to your daily, weekly, monthly, and annual activities out of your current wardrobe? Can you bundle up and cool off? Do you feel comfortable with the image you project? Are you aware of any 'holes' in your closet, and do you have a plan in place to fill it? Do you feel you are spending the appropriate amount of money and time (shopping, planning) on your wardrobe? Are you bored with your clothes? If you got an unexpected opportunity to do something spectacular that you've always wanted to do (trip to Antartica, ball at the White House, invitation to Carnivale in Venice), would you have a pretty good idea of how to go about clothing yourself for this experience?

Now, everybody go read Cynthia's posts. Then, tell us how do you/would you go about determining how close you are to your optimal wardrobe? (If you've got it figured out, you can start a church!)

Jacket: Victoria's Secret
Hat: gift, trimmed by me
Cardi:  Charter Club by Macy's (turtleneck, cut up the center)
Earrings: gifts
Tee: Target
Lace Cami: Old Navy
Belt: Thrift Town (?)
Skirt: own design
Wool Blend Tights: Hanna Andersson
Shoes: Bass Lacey

Holiday Hankerings

 Yes indeedy, the holidays are rapidly approaching, possibly even already here.  Our neighbors had a neighborhood get-together last night, which was really nice! I had two glasses of eggnog (virgin) and some fudge. I also learned a huge amount of neighborhood history from our hostess, who has lived in the same place since 1972. I've lived here eleven years, a veritable newcomer in comparison, so it was fascinating to hear all the dirt. Things are much quieter now, thank heavens!

 I bugged out on the No Repeats challenge (as per my 'rules') for the evening and added this festive embroidered velvet jacket on top of my other (challenge-approved) pieces. Not much more to say about this look, except that my white crochet socks kept falling down into my boots, so i kept pulling them up. And i wore my white petticoat under my skirt, you can just see it peeking out from under the hem.

In the spirit of our major festival of consumer consumption, here are a few drool-worthy items which i've recently run across, for your delectation.

image from official Doc Marten site

Bella from the Citizen Rosebud was gifted these boots in black - how perfect for our favorite blushing blossom! Kudos to her gift-giver, for excellence in taste and in generosity!

Diamond Rose necklace at Thomas Mann jewelry

I mentioned the jeweler Thomas Mann in the comments to my last post. I've been lucky enough to be gifted and to buy a few of his pieces over the years. The first was a gift from my mom when i was around 20 (?). It was kind of pricey, especially for one (?!?!?) lone earring.....yet i still get compliments every time i wear it!

Bird's Nest necklace at Thomas Mann jewelry

Back then i only knew of one shop that carried any of his work, and for several years i couldn't find any of his pieces anywhere. What a world where you can browse his catalog online....progress has indeed taken place.

Plymouth by Ariat

I've been poking around online and in the real world for 'tall boots' (ones that go to up around the knee somewhere). I've only had one pair, some secondhand Fryes when i was in high school, long gone. The boots above are Plymouth, by Ariat (the same company that made my beloved paddock boots shown below).

my 12 year old Ariat paddock boots.

I am very reluctant to shell out the type of cash needed for ANY decent pair of shoes, much less what they charge for tall boots, without a feel for the quality and 'foot compatibility' of the company's shoes. These boots pass that test, and the basketweave detail is phenomenally classic. An intriguing development. Ariat has a nice line of paddock boots these days, as well.

Enough day dreaming (for now)! As a dear friend used to say, 'We've got places to go and people to scare.' Happy day, everybody!

Jacket: Yak Magic
Grey Sweater: Mossimo at Target
Skirt, Necklace, Petticoat: own design
Boots: Bass Lamont

No Repeats Workdays and Weekends

Hello Everybody! Today is Day one of Cynthia and Anne's first challenge - No Repeats Workdays and Weekends!  In the spirit of a two-sponsor challenge, you can 'play' in one of two ways:

Cynthia Style: do not repeat ANY SINGLE GARMENT during the entire challenge of 30 days. Obviously, i'd be 'pantsless' by the third week if i played this way. So for those of us with the smaller wardrobe, we can play

Anne Style: every outfit of the month must be a re-mix. You can repeat tops, bottoms, third layers, but they must be with a different top, bottom, etc. than they were before. You can wear the same pair of black jeggings every day as long as you pair it with something different on top (sweater, dress, tunic, tee, blouse) everyday.

I wore this outfit for bombing around the house last Thursday - i added the GoreTex jacket and umbrella for my walk. I include the pictures so you can see how i look 'around town', and also for the color! Mr. E worked as a manager of a big retail store in downtown Berkeley years ago, and this wonderful umbrella languished in the lost and found until it came to live with me. I always keep a close eye on this umbrella when i'm out and about - considering it's history... This is my last 'pre-no-repeat' outfit, but i wanted to let you all know that i'm participating and give you a chance to sign up!

In thinking about this challenge i checked back and realized that i've only repeated two outfits in the whole time that i've kept this blog (since June 2010).  And that's in real life - i've worn a number of outfits that didn't make it onto the blog, but of all outfits, both 'blog and non-blog', i've only repeated two of them. For some reason, i'm just a 'natural remixer'. So i signed up for the challenge, but it seems like cheating a little, seeing as it's my natural approach to getting dressed.

the best i could do to show you bracelet & watch

While participating in this challenge, i'm going to try to do a short (er) outfit post every day, featuring the previous days' outfit.  Wish me luck!  How many of you are also participating in the No Repeats Workdays and Weekends challenge? Just how much of a challenge would it be for you, considering how you usually get dressed?

Blouse: own design, inspired by Style Underdog
Skirt: own design
Jacket: Mountain Hardware
Tights: Hanna Andersson
Shoes: Bass Lacey
Belt: Betsey Johnson
Earrings, Bracelet: gifts

The Copycat Effect

attempting Citizen Rosebud's hardcore 'do not mess with moi' look.  unsuccessfully.

 After my recent copycat mission was such a success, i vowed to keep it up. I've just discovered The Citizen Rosebud, a blogger who's also 40+ and a NorCal girl, with a thrifted, eccentric and artsy style that knocks a person's socks off!  This outfit caught my eye - i have the exact same OTK's.  But i don't have denim cut-offs (hers are an old pair of 'mom-jeans' - waaay beyond cool), a dark boxy blazer, a cloche, or dark graphic tee.  

that flippin' ribbing kept on flippin up. i tucked the flaps into the breast pockets for a less fussy line.

So i broke it down in my head - what, to me, are the main 'parts' of this look. Small, defined head. Monochromatic color scheme using varied texture and pattern to provide interest. Casual top derived from men's undergarments. Jacket with menswear echos and sleeves rolled up to reveal longer sleeves underneath.. Long scarf looped once around neck with ends hanging long. Shorter skirt or shorts hitting just above the OTK's. Booties with a lower heel and oxford details. No waist emphasis.

 I loved the way it turned out, and it is definitely a look i'd never have come up with in the natural course of things. And these are all pieces i've had at least a year - totally shopped out of the closet.  These paddock boots are somewhere around ten years old. They really need to be  re-soled before i wear them anymore, which is why you haven't seen them until now. But they were so perfect for this look, i wore 'em anyway.

 Okay - what IS 'The Copycat Effect'? I detailed in yesterday's post how a realtor on the street approached me to take my picture. This while i was wearing today's copycat look (hardly any sex-bomb type look!). What i've yet to reveal on this blog is what happened when i wore my first copycat look a week ago. That evening, Mr. E and i went to Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in SF to see The Negro Problem (fantastic). Afterwards, during the meet and greet, a very nice gentleman proceeded to chat me up - even after i'd introduced him to my husband.  Fairly persistently, in fact. 

Given that Style Underdog and The Citizen Rosebud each has such a distinctive style, and how different their styles are each to the other, i can't see that this 'effect' is due to my channeling a particular blogger's more attractive style. Here's what i'm left with: Do a copycat look, and the men come out of the woodwork. Coincidence or causation? i leave it to you to decide!

Hat, Scarf, Earrings: gifts

Jacket: Royal Robbins (i made some modifications)

Henley: Aeropostale

Skirt: own design

OTK Socks, Bandanna: Target

Paddock Boots: can't remember and the brand's worn off

A Selfish Post

As i'm sure any of you with 'OOTD' blogs of your own have discovered, a style blog is a simply mahvelous wardrobe documentation/development/organization tool.  Very possibly the best there is. Outfits that rocked, outfits that flopped, how you have and have not worn various pieces, the accessories you wore, the flippin' weather on that day (okay, sometimes) - it's all right there for a girl to review, organize, use for brainstorming, obsess over.........especially since i've begun tagging my individual pieces it's just so easy to use.  If i'm thinking of wearing the palm tree jacket? Let's see how i've styled it in the past........conversely, when i'm feeling in a rut, i can see which items i haven't worn much at all, or ones i've neglected recently.  Truthfully, it's a lot more useful and fun for just getting dressed and making new clothes than i ever thought it would be when i started out.

Today i'm going to do a selfish post. I've had a couple of outfits the past month that kinda...started out, and were going somewhere that seemed worthwhile, but never quite ARRIVED. So i'm posting these 'demi-looks' in order to keep them in mind. I'd like to develop them into actual looks.  Definitely possible, but to do that i'll have to remember them......

Yesterday I started a project based on this post.  I duct-taped and drafted a pattern for a wide, pleather belt - i just feel like a 'real belt' would work better on the plaid sundress and tee/silk skirt looks.  Other than that.....i don't have a lot of ideas.  Maybe i just wore these on the wrong day.....you know how that goes!

Do any of you have rules or guidelines for how you tell if a look is 'done'?  In my twenties, after things had gotten a wee bit 'out there' and i was working on dressing in a more pulled together fashion, i had a couple of general rules - always throw on a belt and earrings, that type of thing.  But over the last years, i've been going more by feel. Partly because of the super hot temperatures we get out here, partly because i'm at home most of them time, partly just because my aesthetics have expanded. If any of you have any ideas or philosophies, about your approach to dressing or any of these pics, i'd love to hear about them.  There's nothing i love more than hearing about how people organize their clothing life!

The Details

So much of my style comes down to details. Many aspects of my outfits can only be appreciated (or even seen) from very close up. On my last post reader Sheila left a very sweet comment complimenting me on my attention to the details. Her words encouraged me in my quest to post clearer, more detail-oriented pix of the clothes. That's why i led the post with the pictures i did. The outfit picture is fine. But i have yet to figure out how to capture the level of detail present in this type of outfit (small details, very light colors) while the clothes are on my body, i'm running from the camera to go pose before the timer goes off, figuring out a place to set the camera that will catch what i want to show, etc. Not mention remembering to completely buckle my belt, push up my glasses, stop making weird faces, and so on.

Which doesn't mean i'm going to stop trying to make those kinds of pictures in the future. But it's nice and relaxing to settle down with a lap of clothes and 'the stuff' and start pinning away. None of the things move or get distracted by bugs or even breathe. Although tree sap and various bird emanations can be an issue....

The only thing i'd change about this outfit would be to wear a wider belt or sash around the waist. I just think more waist definition would 'contain' all that fabric nicely, and with my long waist i have room for it. I don't have anything like that right now, but i do have some likely material and i've started on a black with random white polka dot sash today. I also have some other fabric for more choices if this idea works out well.


Blouse: own design, inspired by some girls wander
Skirt: own design
Petticoat: own design, inspired by alisa burke
Belt, Pin, Barette, Necklace: gifts and/or very old
Shoes: Beautifeel

Passing for Normal

I put together this look on a day when i planned to walk down the street and talk to the owner of the local florist shop about temporary holiday work. I went with something very simple because every once in a while that type of look is refreshing to me, after so many baroque outfits. As it happened, the day got away from me and got a lot hotter than the weather-people predicted (pretty early in the day, too). I didn't want to make my first entrance in a pile of sweat. So i went the next day and wore the outfit below.

Both looks worked for me and my purpose because i chose elements that overlapped between my regular style and a standard business casual style - between the style i feel comfortable with and the style i wanted to project. My palette is neutral, which is the classic 'business' look, so i didn't have to make any changes there. I paid attention to grooming (wore makeup and gel in my hair), wore my classic jewelry pieces and traditional style, low heeled shoes. I didn't show too much skin and kept the silhouette neutral. Since this is a production job, working on your feet all day, a suit or office-type wear would have been inappropriate. And the flowing skirt, old-fashioned details on the blouse and hat, neutral palette and natural fibers made the outfit enough' me' that i wasn't distracted by my clothing and could concentrate on the conversation. The owner took my information, we'll see what happens - it's just to help out during busy times. But it would be fun to see behind the scenes in the floral industry.

If you have an occasion coming up where the image you would like to project differs greatly from what you usually wear and you're feeling stuck, try the method i used above. Sketch out a list of adjectives and attributes of the look you'd like to project - colors, shapes, fabrics, type of metals in the accessories, textures, even particular articles of clothing. Then, take this list with you to your closet and pull out any pieces which match any items on the list. See if you can make any outfits from this group. You will then have a much better idea of what outfits are possible using your current wardrobe and if you need to do any shopping. Also, any shopping you do will be much more focused, since you will know what you need in order to complete your look. You will also feel more comfortable basing a look for an unfamiliar situation on pieces which you know reflect your style and flatter your body.

Tee: Target
Skirt: own design
Sandals: Naturalizer
Blouse: own design, based on some girls wander
Capris: Royal Robbins
Flats: old Borns
Belt: vintage Coach
Hat: ?

Success!

First, blog news. My brother is flying in tonite for the Fourth of July festivities, so i'm not planning on posting for the next few days. I do plan on taking pix, and catching up on posting after the weekend. So stay tuned!

Now - Success! My main goal with this blog was to document what i'm wearing, day to day, to get a practical idea of what i have in my closet, what i'm wearing, and how it works out. Then i can use that information to better come up with new pieces, also to create a 'library' of documented looks that work for low energy/low inspiration days. I generally get dressed in a really unconscious/subliminal way. So it's hard for me to duplicate outfits that work, since i wasn't really paying attention when i put them together.

This outfit would never have come about if i wasn't 'diary blogging'. I was tired and had no ideas yesterday, but i knew i would feel like a knucklehead if i didn't make any effort. So i started with this skirt, because i hadn't worn it in a while. Then i thought 'ah, how about some black to toughen it up - plus it's supposed to be cooler today, so black won't make me broil in the sun'. I rolled up the tunic sleeves to free up the movement in the shoulders, the flats were a no-brainer. When i got ready to go out and about, i wanted a statement necklace (to play off the detailing at the top of the tunic), but the strong enough ones were all a little fancy. So i went multiple. I added the link bracelet to balance out the necklaces. And.........Tada! Outfit!

At the last minute i threw on the jacket to deal with a mighty wind outside, and i loved the outfit even more. It's definitely casual, but quirky and comfortable. I can switch out the accessories, hair, shoes and stockings to change up the look. (For example, put my hair up, add dangly earrings and sparkly necklace, wear heels and fishnets with a petticoat under the skirt - fun going out to dinner and a movie, no?)

Plus, the skirt and tunic both billow and swirl in the wind most fetchingly. Really, this is one time i wish i had a photographer following me around! Maybe sometime in future.....And the sad face? I was commiserating with a certain hairy someone who needed something warm and delicious in his tummy. See if you can spot the hairs at the bottom of the photograph.

How nice when you have an idea, follow it through, and get the results you wanted! And frankly, how unusual.

Tunic: Converse One Star at Target
Skirt: own design
Jacket: Royal Robbins (altered)
Belt: vintage Coach
Sox: Target
Jewelry: gifts or own design