Busy Busy Days...

As a very dear and long gone friend of mine used to day, 'Good NIGHT!' I found out late Tuesday afternoon that i would have to run around like crazy on Wednesday morning, and i spent Tuesday night trying to prepare. I don't 'get going' easily in the mornings, so the more i can plan and pack up in advance the better my chances of having what i need and getting out the door in time.

When i returned home mid-morning, family matters required my immediate attention. My e-mail program, central to the whole operation, kept crashing. Matters resolved themselves, and all is well. But shortly thereafter i had to drive to pick up Mr. E at work (driving makes my leg very unhappy). On top of it all, we've been having the coldest two November weeks in the history of the San Fransisco Bay Area.  Temps have been dropping to the low 30's (F) at night and then rising into the 40's - low 50's during the day. Which isn't outrageous, except if you live in Walnut Creek and you have about 2.5 outfits suitable for those conditions....

Today's outfit was worn about 3 weeks ago, during a happy, milder time. Beautiful light shining through the trees, no need to bundle up like the Homme Michelin. A cotton skirt and lacy stocking provide the only 'protection from the elements' required. It's all just decoration!

I think i'll tie myself up with a ribbon like a little present!  And look, this picture shows my delicate little romantic birdie earrings. I love the birdies singing in the trees.  Tra la la......

aw heck, who do i think i am kidding. The outfit in this post started out like this:

Hope all of us have smoother days today!  Happy Thursday!

Jean Jacket: Royal Robbins
Blouse: own design, inspired by some girls wander
Skirt: own design
Stockings: Betsey Johnson (but the neon pink dye of the waistband runs & stains)
Shoes: Bass Lacey Oxfords
Scarf, Earrings: gifts
Hoodie: Aeropostale

When Fantasy Becomes Reality

New shoes! ah, the bliss of it all......when down in Pacific Grove, i spent some time in the myriad 'outlet stores' trying on shoes. I had no hope of finding any shoes to buy (and i didn't). But i thought i might be able to find some brands and sizes that my feet could tolerate. And then i could focus my online shopping on these brands.

As it turned out, my feet were quite enamored with some shoes in the Bass outlet store. I didn't care for the style, but when i saw these Bass Lacey Oxfords online i fell instantly in love.   Mr. E went to work and managed to find them for about $25 off retail, and so my oxfords began the trek across the country to their new home.

Firm support, sturdy lug soles, 2" heel, yet lightweight......my fantasy shoe! The top hits at an unflattering place for many legs, but my tiny ankles make it possible for me to pull these off with skirts as well as trousers. To most minds, 'comfort' in a shoe means cushy squishiness. For me it means a very stable, supportive shoe that holds my foot in one place and lets my nerves get a good feel for the surface on which i stand.  Unfortunately, that's much harder to find, though not impossible. The Clark's Indigo and Artisan lines are really beautifully made. The Bass line is great and even more affordable than the Clark's. I've only purchased one pair of sandals, but Naturalizer shoes seem to be made along these lines.

this pic shows neck area detail - but see below

Imagine my delight to find these Bass Lamont tailored lace up boots built on the same sole and heel as my wonderful Lacey oxfords!  Mr. E again performed his shopping wizardry and these lovely lace-ups are wending their way towards the Pacific.....and not a minute too soon! My lovely Maine Woods shoe-boots, with the best stacked heel in existence, have developed 2" long cracks in the leather. Aw, fiddle.  I love to re-sole, but once cracks develop in the upper leather even i have to admit it's 'that time'.

 the 'vee-neck' way i wore the blouse

So, dear readers, with our major capitalist holiday a mere month away, what is your fantasy shoe? Have you been lucky enough to possess a pair, or is that happy event still in your future? Does comfort factor into it, or is it all about the aesthetics?

Crochet Sweater: April Cornell
Blouse: own design, inspired by some girls wander
Skirt: own design, inspired by The Hidden Seed
Shoes: Bass Lacey Oxfords

p.s. today's outfit is just this previous one with a cardigan thrown on top and the shoe/sock story switched out.  This time of year you may be able to 'recycle' any number of summer outfits in this manner.

p. p.s. now that my fantasy shoes are reality, new fantasies include Clark Lyme Grass Boot and Clarks Lyme Regis ankle boot.  Yow Mma!  And to think there have been whole years in which i had the money to buy shoes, but none i cared to buy......

How I Got The Hat Habit

Anyone reading this blog for any length of time should have tumbled to my reliance on the hat. Hats shield you from sun, protect from wind, keep you warm.......give your face a great frame on even the worst of bad hair days, add color, design detail, an antique or vintage flavor to your outfit......and, given the waning popularity of hat-wearing over the past decades, donning a chapeau is the easiest way to stand out in a crowd.

Hats have become one of my style 'trademarks'. People i don't even know, who i just see regularly on my walks, know me as 'the hat lady'. But for my formative years, all through elementary, junior high, and high school i never really wore hats. The truth is, not many hats are that flattering to me - i have to try on dozens to find 'the one' that works. Of course, if you only wear 'the one', people will think you automatically look great in hats (or high heels, belts, dresses, etc.). And truth to tell, many are uncomfortable or scratchy. And we all have heard of the dreaded 'hat hair'. So, given all these drawbacks, what drew my attention to hats and eventually turned hats into an integral part of my personal style?


Well, i got in a car accident at age twenty one or two* (stoner kid turned in front of my VW bug) and split open my forehead. The ER called a plastic surgeon in to stitch me up (he stopped counting at 150 stitches). In order to get the least-noticeable scar, i had to keep the sun off of my forehead for a year. That meant sunscreen (in the early days of sunscreen, with SPF 15 and a mucous-like consistency) and wide-brimmed hats every day. My family felt bad for me, and i was able to shop for some great hats. Two extra-nice ones were a dove-grey felt fedora style, and a dark teal felt 'boater-shaped' hat with black grosgrain ribbon.

I've always been fair and had sensitive skin. The first thing i noticed on the 'sunscreeen and hat' regime was that my skin calmed down a lot when shielded from the sun, and sunblock and sun protection in general became my best friend. I also found that great hats that fit me and expressed my style WERE out there, and that i loved wearing them. Other people liked them on me, too - i got a lot of compliments and smiles. A habit i'd been forced into by unlucky circumstance turned out to be something i really loved and have stuck with for decades since.

So many 'fashion/style advice' resources focus on how you can achieve the most flattering or up-to-date look, or how to make 'the' style (that's all the rage) work on you (even though it's a color you hate and the cut is designed for someone twenty pounds lighter in a completely different climate and life circumstance). There's a lot of advice on how you can fit in and look decent in the styles and colors that 'everyone fashionable' is wearing, how you can look like everybody else, in a lot of cases......and i suppose it sells magazines and clothes.

But what about YOU? What about YOUR body, hair, face, skin, likes and dislikes, history, interests, lifestyle, hobbies, background? What if lime green is the 'IT' color this season and you can't stand that color to begin with, and that bitchy high school popular girl had a lime green key chain and you just fume inside thinking about it? Being in fashion is fine. But if you want to develop your own personal style, it's going to be as much about what you DON'T do as what you DO do. What you don't like, what you can't stand, your fallen arches or mohair allergy or dowager's hump or.......these limitations are crucial to editing and developing your own personal style.

My love of neutrals? 95% of mass produced 'colors' are completely unflattering on me and i don't like to look at them either. My love of vintage/old-fashioned clothes? I could afford the (then) cheap vintage clothes during college and as a result found that those styles actually fit and flattered much more than up-to-date clothing. My dependence on natural fibers? Polyester and nylon make me sweat and itch. Plus i'm one of those 'electric' girls who gives everyone shocks - plastic clothes make it even worse. All those wonderful skirts and dresses i wear? It's because of incurable nerve damage to my legs that makes most pants painful or worse. Why do i design/make so many of my own clothes? I can spend days shopping and never find anything that flatters or fits properly. Hats? see above.

Personal style is defined as much by what you don't choose to wear as what you do. Think of any two people known for their strong sense of style and try switching their wardrobes on them to see what i mean. Katherine Hepburn dressed as Coco Chanel, with turban and cigarette holder? Or Audrey Hepburn in casual Kate Moss style (flip flops no less)? Or Kate Moss pulling off Princess Diana's diamond tiara and beaded white bolero? This is a fun game to play, and there are people who would come across believable and relaxed in someone else's style - usually because of an overlap or similarity of said style. But i hope you get my gist.

So next time you come across some limitation in what you can or want to wear, look in the opposite direction. Over there, can you see it? It's the refined essence of your personal style, trying to catch your attention..........


* yep, i'm also REALLY BAD at remembering dates.

p.s. and yet no hat in this outfit! i just liked my hair that day, and it was cool enough to go without. i'm glad i did - we were in Berkeley and i saw about twenty college-age kids rockin' the hat thing. don't want to blend in with the crowd and all that! : )

Jacket: Donna Karan for Vogue Patterns #2862, made by me
Capris: Royal Robbins
Blouse: own design, inspired by some girls wander
Shoes: Clark's Passion
Scarf, Ribbon Flower: own design
Necklace, Earrings: Tail of the Yak, Berkeley, CA

The More Things Change...

This was such a fun outfit to wear! It's simple but not boring, and the lines are sleek enough to feel frisky. I've talked before about my rule of thumb on value in an outfit - a lite outfit needs a dash of dark and a dark outfit can use a beam of light. So i grabbed this black bandanna to add the black here, but i don't recall how i hit on making a floppy base of the neck bow....maybe i was jut tired of wearing it around my head and my waist? But i got a kick out of how it reminds me of the fashion in the 1910's for big bows at the back and front of the neck.

But the title of the post refers to how similar this look is to one i wore in high school. I had a pull-on tunic with a collar band neckline that opened about as far as this one does - it was also ivory, but with stripes instead of ruffles. The hem was a wee bit shorter, but similar shape, and the sleeves were the same length. The pants would've been denim or olive drab 'utility' type......and the clogs a lite caramel.

I had an inkling these pieces were a bit familiar, but it only really struck me looking at these pictures. I don't know what to think about this, i'll have to let it sink in.....do any of you find yourself in similar outfits/styles/colors to ones you wore decades ago?

And here's some close-ups of my blouses and accessories from the past three days. As usual with me, it's all about the details!


I made the blue camellia before the early August camping trip - i thought it would be a hoot to have a Chanel-style flower, but in beat-up denim and calico because it's 'casual'. I'd like to make more in other colors/fabrics.


I used three different types of buttons on this blouse - they used to be the ones that are now on the windy flapper blouse below. I think the pearl domed ones look better closer together than previously - they have more impact. And i think the grey overdye on the gibson girl blouse helps 'anchor' the darker buttons.



I went back to get more of this rose lace and it was SOLD OUT!!! ah, the nerve!! well, there was plenty in a daintier, zig zag edged lace of the same cotton-rayon blend and a similar 'feel' or 'weave', so i got that and i'm making a long, slender scarf of cotton swiss dot with the lace as a trim down both sides. I've dyed a scrap as a test and it's a nice dusky mid-blue. I'm adding more color, though at an excruciatingly slow pace.....!

Ruffle Tunic: Converse at Target
Cargo Pant: own design, inspired by style underdog
Clogs: Dansko Marcelle
Gibson Girl Blouse: Folkwear # 205
Windy Flapper Blouse: own design, inspired by some girls wander

The Alders

I love alders in any case, but this group just knocked my socks off. Talk about elegance and presence. These driftwood logs have formed a little dam and made a pond behind them. This is a perfect 'migrant trap' - a spot providing water, food and shelter which attracts birds and insects on the move. These trees are so cool they even have their own groupies!

My third outfit, featuring my new cargo pants. I ripped apart the old pair to use as a pattern, modifying the waist/hi hip to conform more to these capris. I also trimmed down the legs to give a skinnier vibe, inspired by the one and only style underdog. My thighs/aka appetite aren't getting with the 'skinny cargoes' program so much.....but que sera, sera, i suppose. There's just too much 'yum' out there.

For whatever reason, i was just really into the 'gibson girl blouse knotted right under the bust' this trip, so i did it until i got it out of my system! (okay, almost out of my system...) But the three tops i wore could be worn a number of ways and would make a nice capsule for a trip where you'd be going different places and not necessarily seeing the same people. Two button-down-the-front blouses and a long sleeved sweater or tee. Let's see:

Each item can be worn alone.
Each blouse can be worn over the tee with a couple buttons undone.
Each blouse can be worn over the tee or over the other blouse
open and belted (belt or scarf).
Each blouse can be worn over the tee or over the other blouse open and knotted.

That's thirteen different looks right there, without even considering accessories (using different belts, scarves as belts, tying/belting scarves so as to cover much of what's underneath.....). If you choose a thin cardi instead of a tee/sweater, your choices only increase. Thinner pieces will layer better and dry reliably overnite. And if you only wear two pieces each day, the other piece can be drying/in the wash.

You could choose two oxford style shirts and a cashmere crewneck; a dot patterned blouse, a striped blouse and a solid tee; a floral blouse and a lace-trimmed blouse with a waffle long-sleeved tee..... you could have all pieces in the same color; or choose three colors that go together (coral, sap green and navy); or go with three versions of one color (light coral, canteloupe and tangerine). My pieces here are all very similar in color and style, so they are easy to mix but there isn't much variety in the resulting looks. If you want more variety, then choose pieces with different colors or different patterns, or take a lot of accessories. Just make sure that each piece will 'work' with both the others. I stumbled on this formula by accident, but it's a great way to travel super-light.

Here's a couple of pictures to give you a feel for why anyone would want to live at Sea Ranch. It's also possible to rent a house at Sea Ranch. It's really affordable if you go as a group, and a lot more fun than staying at a hotel. (Full disclosure: i can't recommend any of the rental agencies i linked to , i just wanted to give you a feel for how many there are. Only about 10% of the homes are lived in year round by the owners. Also, i don't care for the 'Sea Ranch' style of architecture, though it could be worse.)

Click on the pictures to get a larger view.




And here's a sunset view from Gualala Point park - that gorgeous misty seaside air....

Driftwood Huts

So, we happened upon another driftwood 'hut' on this trip, but on a different part of the coast - at Schooner Gulch. This one has pretty easy, obvious access to the building location and materials.

This is the beach end of Salal Trail, one of the public access trails which Sea Ranch was forced to develop and maintain due to litigation. According to California law, a certain amount of all coastline (everything below high tide) is open to the public. Private entities may own coastal property, but the beach proper is open to the hoi polloi. Most small owners aren't required to develop trails, etc. to allow access through their property (people can and do access these parts of the coastline by boat). But Sea Ranch proposed to develop such a large part of the coast that they were successfully sued to provide access trails. The whole hoopla led to the development of the California Coastal Commission, which oversees the public interest on issues impacting our incredible coastline.


I like how the builders used seaweed for 'netting' as well as to tie joints together. The 'roof' is canvas. The tire seems to be placed there on purpose - it reminded me of a beanbag chair for some reason...

hmmm.....that's the same Gibson Girl blouse, the same jeggings, the same hoodie.....the top two photos are from two different days, i confess. I did change my shoes and socks, though! The blouse closer to my skin is the spruced-up Windy Flapper blouse. I'd intended to add lace trim to this blouse all along (to match the inspiration) but only ran across lace i liked for the purpose a couple of weeks ago. So i stitched it on the day before we left. It's a pretty rose pattern of rayon/cotton fiber. I'm planning on picking up some more to make into a scarf, and dyeing it a mid-blue color. The natural fiber should take the dye well.

Jean Jacket: Royal Robbins
Blouse: own design, inspired by some girls wander
Necklace, Grey Floral Scarf: gifts
All Else: see yesterday's post

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: ?

Your Amateur Photographer

Whoops! no post yesterday. Frankly, i didn't have anything to say, so i didn't say it. Today i'm back to my regular, blabby self, so here we go. These weeks of blogging have got me thinking about the subjective nature of photography. Basically, while photography is seen as an objective or documentary medium, the photographer is always making choices. Where to place the camera, what time to take the pic, lighter vs. darker exposure, cropping, - then there's all the goodies in photoshop or other photo-editing programs. And i've never seen an exhibit, real or online, where a photographer shows every photo they took. You select the ones which further your intended effect. Vogue will choose different photos to publish as opposed to the ones National Enquirer would select of the same celeb on the same day. As members of a media-savvy culture, we all 'know' this, but making those choices myself every day has made me much more conscious of the choices behind what i see out there on TV, in magazines and on the web.

These two photos point up some of the issues. The basic purpose of an outfit diary is to show how particular clothes and accessories look on a person's body. But vanity comes into it, and the difference between how things look in real life vs. how the camera sees them. A slight change of angle in a pose can add 5-10 pounds, making a big difference in how the outfit looks. Some bloggers take on the task of creating a magazine editorial feel, shooting in dramatic settings at exotic angles, using props and photographic effects to create an artistic mood. It's all about choices, your own desires and what you see as the purpose of your blog.

I want to document my outfits to become more organized and creative with my wardrobe. The camera doesn't love me*, and i don't want to look so gawky or awkward that i give an unrealistic view of how the outfit comes across in real life (which is, after all, where i live). And i'm very visual, and i get ideas for pictures, so it's fun to try something new instead of shooting in the same spot and pose every day. (Though with my experience here, i've seen the wisdom of that popular approach. I am keeping track of 'successful' set-ups for less creative or busier days.) Plus, i have a smaller wardrobe (which is how i like it) so varying poses and backgrounds can add to the visual interest when the clothes don't change. I'm also considering selling clothes on etsy at some time, and appealing, accurate pictures are vital to that purpose.

So. The second photo shows the clothes and details much more clearly than the first. But the first (taken just 5 minutes before the second) is a much more appealing picture. The light is golden and dappled and it highlights the figure while tying it into the environment through the similar highlighting of the small trees. But it also washes out all the clothing details. The pose is relaxed and happy, but it hides the shoes.

You can clearly see all the clothing and accessories details in the second photo - because that gorgeous light is gone. And the pose is kind of awkward, though it does show the shoes, and our relationship to the brachiating primates. You can see the clothes better, but which picture would you rather be a part of?

So i show them both to you. I prefer the first but include the second to honor the ostensible purpose of this blog.

* Video's a different story. I look great on surveillance screens.

Top: own design, inspired by some girls wander
Skirt: own design, inspired by The Hidden Seed
Belt: vintage Coach
Shoes: Dansko Marcelle
All else: gifts

The Question of Appropriate Attyre.

Grigori has appropriate attire going on. Dark colors don't show the dirt. Long, flowing robes drape over a body at the end of a period of monastic fasting as well as they do after a long weekend of debauchery. Sturdy shoes cope well with endless tramping through the countryside - and even hold a shine for royal audiences. Sun protection galore. Low-maintenance hair and beard style. And the dark colors of clothes, shoes, beard, and hair force the attention towards those mesmerizing eyeballs.......

Mrs. E is a different story. Stark black and white, lustrous and embroidered silk skirt, gathers and flounces on the filmy cotton blouse, fishnets and heels bring to mind attendance at an afternoon classical recital rather than stalking the aisles of a used popular music store (selling punk and metal, no less).

but i woke up in the morning and wanted to wear this blouse . it's loose and breezy. the split sleeves offer full freedom of movement. a black skirt sounded nice, except right now both black skirts i have are 'dressy' types. but the stiff material on this one stays away from my tender legs, and the waistband has plenty of room. during a day of baking and cleaning, this outfit only touched me lightly on my shoulder and waist (i was barefoot as usual). an apron kept any flour off the blackness. when we went out in the evening, i threw on some stockings and shoes. i have a little secret that makes stockings more comfy when skirts are long:

just cut them off at the top of the legs and roll 'em down. no pantyhose strangulation at the crotch or fussing with a garter belt. though i don't know if it's strong enough to hold up a flask of hootch, flapper-style.

so what's more important in 'appropriate attyre' - looks or feel?

Blouse: own design, inspired by some girls wander
(i plan to add some lace at the hem)
Skirt: splurgy gift from mom
Earrings: liliswan
(i did switch out the original pearls for some grey 'potato' ones)
Stockings: ?
Belt: ancient Coach
Shoes: ancient Beautifeels