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

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

 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?

 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.

 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

 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

 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

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