How To Work A Shopping Plan

This is part two of a two part series: read part one here.

Before you hit the stores, you need to have some idea of a budget. An overall budget, what you are willing to pay for any particular item, weekly allowance - some kind of structure. I have no advice on how to develop useful parameters for yourself. I do know that without these types of limits you will drive yourself, and your bank account, straight round the bend. Anyone with useful ideas or links to share on this topic, please speak up in the comments!

The online store. Even if you do not plan to buy anything from an online store, i find them a very useful tool for avoiding overwhelm and planning my shopping strategy. Online shops allow you to research what's out there before you go to the physical store, with it's smells and lights and loud music and time limitations. You can browse at your own pace, without the pressure of a sales assistant. And in my own case, my eyes need time to adjust to what's in the stores. Previewing stock online is an easy and convenient way to let that adjustment happen.

For instance, you can bookmark a likely looking piece and revisit it several times over a few days. This allows for time to let ideas on outfits percolate up from your subconscious, as well as for more subtle deal breakers to become apparent. Most importantly, i find, this time allows me to see how the needs and wants i have identified 'mesh' with the items actually out there in the real world. Especially when i'm not finding what i am used to wearing, it takes me a while to see the possibilities in different pieces. If i see the items online, then let the images float around in my mind for a few days, when i come back to them i have a much better feel for how these pieces could work in my own closet and lifestyle. I also find it helpful to read online reviews of an item and/or manufacturer to get a feel for whether or not a piece will work.

You'll also get an idea of which stores are more likely to have what you want in stock. Often, you will find exact pieces that you want to try on. In this case, find out (online or by phone) if the item is in your store in your size range. When you get to the store, go straight to that item (sales assistants can help here). I love shopping this way as it really reduces the amount of looking through inappropriate items. I can get to the try-on phase long before i'm too overwhelmed to make sensible decisions.

In the store. What do you do with your list when you are in the store? Here's the short answer: use it to weed out all items which do not meet your own specifications as quickly as possible. Then, and only then, spend time and attention evaluating individual pieces. 

Here's an example to break it down. Let's say you want to find a light to medium colored, structured feeling blouse in a cut and fiber which you can wear well in the heat.  Thus, in the store, you want to eliminate as efficiently as you can any item which is:

• not a blouse
• darker than a medium tone
• made of a fiber you won't wear in the heat
• not structured
• priced higher than your budget

I like to flip through clothing on hangers, using my fingers to feel the fabric as my eyes scan color and the obvious styling features. I know a lot of people are looking for anything attractive about clothing when they shop. With this method, you are looking for qualities you can use to quickly eliminate pieces that don't fit your specs. If a blouse doesn't fit your color requirement, on to the next one. If the fabric is inappropriate, you're done with it. The same with your personal style and figure flattery priorities - if the garment does not fit, you're done with it. On to the next. If it's over your budget, move on. Done right, this will greatly reduce the amount of clothing you need to evaluate in very short order.

The underlying principle is that clothing needs to fit your own individual, well thought out criteria in order to earn and deserve your attention. Your task is not to figure out some convoluted, baroque method by which that cute designer dress (which doesn't fit, is in a color which bears no relation to anything else in your closet, in a fiber which makes you itch) will 'work'. Clothing is auditioning for the privilege of working for you. You don't have time to waste on the ones that you know will never work out. On to the next!

Only remove an item from the clothes rack for further inspection if it has already passed on every specification you can see. Taking a red top off of the rack will not turn it blue. Holding a wool coat up to the light will not magically transform it into a linen tunic. Do not distract yourself! Save your attention for pieces which meet your criteria. These pieces can come into the dressing room with you to see if they fit and flatter (which is another topic for another day).

When i first experimented with shopping this way, i got scared. I eliminated so many clothes so very very quickly! How in the world could i ever find anything to wear this way? Sure, this way i could find those few pieces i really loved much more swiftly, but......maybe i was missing something great!

The truth was that i've always only found a very few pieces i loved anytime i've gone shopping. I quickly realized that this new approach really freed up my time for doing other wardrobe tasks - sewing and designing, creating new outfits, learning how to cut my own hair, researching trends and style advice online, keeping my closet organized so i knew what i actually had, researching online and brick and mortar stores which stocked items worth my time, blogging.....tasks which upped my style quotient much more and more reliably than time spent shopping. The truth is that i've found no benefit in spending hours and hours shopping just to shop. I wasn't going to find what wasn't there.

For many people, beginning to shop in this manner takes a leap of faith. You need to trust the method and you need to trust yourself.  There's no magic - you just have to try it and see if it works.  You can try 'baby steps' to start if it just seems too radical.  Try this method in a store you don't care for. Or go through a store using this method, then go through again using your usual methods. Afterwards, compare the results and judge if the extra effort of the old way yields better results for you. Another idea is to try this method out wherever you happen to be - just tell yourself you're 'practicing' and if you want to you'll go over the store using your usual methods later.

I rarely experience any qualms when i shop this way. But then, i've been at it for many years now. And i've seen how much easier it is to dress, and how much more i love my clothing, when i approach shopping in this manner. I am able to really make the connection between all the thinking and planning i do and the way it informs the choices i make on the showroom floor, because i've seen it time and time again through working this method.

We've all heard that we shouldn't shop for groceries when tired and hungry - we'll just make impulsive, expensive purchases. Wasted money, wasted time, and you don't get proper nutrition or satisfaction. Shopping for clothing when you don't have a handle on what you need and want will lead to the same regrets. I've found that using these techniques can help battle these influences. True, i don't get so much of the 'high of the buy'. On the other hand, i love most of my clothes, shoes, and bags; they work for my lifestyle so i get to wear them all the time instead of simply staring at how gorgeous they are in the closet; i'm not fussing with returns all the time feeling guilty about spending money on things i never wear.

If you want more of this type of wardrobe experience, i encourage you to give some of these ideas a try. As always, i will be happy to answer any questions you have about this, and i would be thrilled to hear any ideas which have led to shopping breakthroughs for you!  Thank you for reading!

Jacket: CREA, Nevada City CA - borrowed from mr. eccentric!
Top, Skirt, Necklace: own design
Socks: Sock Dreams
Shoes: Fossil Savana
Bag: Isabella Fiore

How To Make A Shopping Plan

(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:

• A Dark neutral
• Classically styled, and
• Versatile (wearable with jeans, pants, and skirts)..."

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?

 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...

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

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

 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

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