Window shopping

I'm dealing with a load of guilt lately, so I didn't buy anything although I went shopping/browsing today.

My current want list:

mini skirt in a thick material (wool or thick cotton)
teal tights
light purple tights
french sole sloop flats in metallic gold, brown, red, or blue

American Apparel

casual, sporty, functional...in a retro brown color


the tri-blend is supposedly super soft and the holiest of holies, the perfect tee


i tried it on in the store several weeks ago, and still want it. it must be love.


short and skimpy

Magpie

Well, I packed up another box of clothes to try to sell at the secondhand shop before they make their way to Goodwill.

I have adjusted my goals, though. there is no way that I'll ever just buy 4 or 5 pieces in one season (the so-called "French" method of dressing). I love shopping and acquiring too much. I'll be charitable and say it's the magpie in me.

But I still want to pare down my wardrobe to its most edited, functional form. And I still like the challenge of constant revision, if for no other reason than it makes me pull things out from the back of the closet.

Disaster

My demise.

Feeling blue + free shipping = credit card disaster

Tights

Could not find the burgundy or teal tights at Nordstrom today. The only colors hanging from the spinney racks were various iterations of grey or black. Well, there was a dark blue fishnet, but that was too Hot Topic for me.

List

buy:
burgundy tights
teal tights
knee high socks

to do:
returns
bring leather goods to cobbler
sell clothes to secondhand shops
bring leftovers to Goodwill

Favorite eBay seller

Her thrift finds are on-trend, but not really all that remarkable. But her styling is superb, though. I visit her store just to see how she puts together the look, almost like an editorial.

Her favorite props:
knee high boots or
pixie boots
vintage or indie jewelry
fishnet stockings
gold-colored accessories

Midnight Special

Loneliness late at night can be relieved by only a few things. Breakfast at Tiffany's, a light on at the end of the hallway, a midnight call to a really close friend, and internet shopping.

It's a sad fact.

And so. I have two C&C California extra long sleeve tees coming my way.

I love the extra long sleeves because I can pull them over my thumbs. I feel a little more invulnerable with my wrists covered.

The theme this winter? Warmth. Both physical and psychological.

Warmth

I'm obsessed with warmth.

Before style, comfort or function, I want to know, "is it warm?"

First official winter piece

I'm holding the purse strings close, but I adore this sweater. Shipping was free, and the coupon was expiring, so I ordered it.

I love the thick-knit, smooshy wool. The quirky, outsize details. The childlike frills and furbelows.

I want to feel like I'm wrapped in a big and warm blanket all winter.

Recent purchases

smock top (I love the high school art teacher look)
indian-print housedress
cap-sleeve keyhole top


I am trying my darnedest to be more focused and relevant in my purchases. So while I am drawn to and habitually buy dresses and flats and things like that, I hardly ever wear those things. So instead, I'm really trying to fill in the gaps in my wardrobe. That means warm sweaters, cotton tees, and other layer-able tops.

Thift stores

Today I went on a thrifting expedition. My notes on the experience

Salvation Army (SODO)
- clothes: disorganized
+ housewares: varied, extensive
+ prices: cheapie
the tall black man gives discounts and freebies (I got a free CD)

Goodwill (Burien)
didn't look too long, but nothing much

St. Vincent de Paul (Burien)
+/- clothing: good for some vintage, not so good contemporary
+ books: usually good
+ housewares: varied
+ knicknacks
- prices: on the high side for a charity shop

Goodwill (main location)
- clothing: bad
+ books: really great
+ prices: good, especially compared to others
extensive selection, but dirty

Constantly revising wishlist

1. black pants. 3-season weight. no lining. cotton. $$$
2. oversized, slouchy sweater. $$
3. layering tees. (j.crew.) $
4. winter shoes. ankle boots or oxfords. leather. lace-up. $$
5. medium-size handbag. leather. shoulder worn. cute. simple. $$$
6. blouses. simple. layer-able. cotton/silk/wool ... natural material. $
7. scarf. windable. $
8. maybe high-waisted denim

must resist dresses, sleeveless tops, more jeans.

So following my new spending calculus, less for tops, more for leather goods and bottoms.

Rain

I've become taken with the idea of rain hats. It came about a few weeks ago as I was dashing out the door when it was drizzling out, thinking how nice it would be to have a cute little bucket hat to cover my head. This idle thought reached a fever pitch the other day when I was caught in a heavier rain whilst walking around outside for a good 20 minutes. By the time I got indoors, my hair was a frizzball.


At first, I thought a little Coach hat might do the trick. Yes, it's logo-ish, but when the weather is adverse, I think people forgive questionable fashion.


But if I wanted to really take advantage of that fashion rule, this Noreaster hat makes the absurdity of 30 days of rain (like last year) a little more fun.


I briefly considered a 3.1 Phillip Lim rain slicker as a high-fashion alternative. But I think it's a little too much and I would get tired of it by day 27.

So I ended up with a Land's End kid's hat in yellow, not blue as pictured here. I think it's functional, cute, and cheap. Can't beat that. (Psst. I might still get the Noreaster hat. It's just too fun.)

Likes and dislikes

Finding your personal style is such a vague, amorphous, fluctuating enterprise, but it begins simply enough with just figuring out what you like and dislike. I try to keep tabs on my likes and dislikes every few months so that I can adjust my shopping accordingly.

Likes:
necklaces, scarves, neckties
layered tops
subdued colors (but trying to push at this a little bit)
bare legs
quirky but comfy shoes
cardigans

Dislikes:
changing earrings
dangling earrings
textured shirts
button downs
flip flops

What I think I like but don’t:
dresses
complicated outfits
handbags
tee shirts
corduroys
flats
knee socks
spaghetti strap tank tops

What I think I don’t like but do:
cowl neck sweaters
high heels
jewelry, as long as they’re semi-permanent

What I think I might like and will try out this season:
brooches
rain hats
oversized sweaters

Spending calculus

More on pants, outerwear, accessories like shoes and handbags
Less on tops, tees, dresses, prints

because

It's harder to make well-fitting pants than it is to make tops and dress.
Prints look dated quickly.
Cheap leather shows in quality and comfort.

Style folder

I organized my digital style inspiration folder today. By the end of all the pointing, clicking, and moving, my fingers were sore.


But now I have an organized file of the images that move me in some way. I have them organized in several subfolders labelled thusly:

Hair
Editorials/Models/Runway
Muses & demi-muses
Beautiful things
Candid photography from various blogs
The Fashion Spot


These are a few random images from each of the subfolders.

Fall wardrobe needs

The clothes that get the most use in my closet are the ones that I bought after having identified a gap in my wardrobe. That is, when I would get dressed in the mornings, I would be thinking to myself how nice it would be to have "X" to pull together my outfit. I think for this winter, these are the "X" factors.

I really need another pair of winter shoes. I wear the same old tired Doc Marten sneakers day in and day out. That's because they're comfortable and keep my feet warm and dry, but surely there must be others that might fit the bill? I have beenthinking about ankle boots or simply another pair of oxfords. I really like the versatility of the Clarks desert boots, but they don't import the women's version to the States.

I also would like to get one or two thick, cuddly sweaters. I'd like them to be oversized and slouchy, perhaps even falling off one shoulder. I'd like to also find a vest cardigan and a cardigan in neutral colors that I can layer.





Besides that, I think I need at least two more tops that I can wear to work. Cotton will ensure that they get worn. While I love the idea of silk (it seems like the most romantic of fabrics), I never actually wear silk tops. Too fussy for me in real life. This tie-neck swing top from Phillip Lim is just the kind of beautiful, simple top that I actually would wear and love wearing.



My layering tees from J. Crew get constant rotation, so I plan to get a few more to replace the ones that have gotten stained and holey.

And I would love to get a leather jacket. But I don't know if I'll find the perfect one, and I'm only willing to drop the dough on a perfect one.

The operative word this winter is WARM!

Waiting for the mid-season sale

The Fall/Winter collection at A.P.C. this year looks fairly redundant. Partly, it's their schtick to offer basic, well-made pieces, but this year looks so much like last year, you have to wonder why you even need anything new. Conclusion: I don't. Except for these three things that I'll wait for the sales to acquire.



The cable knit hat, except in grey, on the girl at the far left. I like the idea of skull caps, but they look funny on my skull. I think this version looks more wearable, warm, and effortless.

And the reptile-print wedges on the girl second to left. Reptile prints go with everything. Perfect.



The black smocked dress, which I adored the minute I saw it. I love the severity of it, for those days when you want to skulk around in the rain. Reminds me of Jane Eyre.

Vintage, you are no friend of mine

I preferred the days when vintage was simply "thrift" or "secondhand" clothes. When my sisters would cry "ewwwwww!" at the thought of wearing somebody's castoffs. When I could riffle through the racks on a Saturday afternoon with only a few Mexicans (it was Texas, ya'll) and frazzled moms as company.

Because this meant that you could find things for cheap. Nowadays, you have every impoverished trendwhore and hipster wannabee in the shops with you, beating you to the good stuff. Damn them.

And you find that the belt you bought for $3 at Goodwill is being sold online for $75 because it's been labelled "vintage."

Wishlist

Rebecca Minkoff date clutch
I want a large, daytime clutch that I can tuck under my arm when I go on my errands. I like the idea of a beautiful, simple piece of leatherwork as a handbag. Will wait until it goes on sale somewhere.

A.P.C. black smocked dress, Fall/Winter collection
The collection this Fall season is rather watered-down and disappointing. Too much like past seasons in some ways (the things that I don’t need), and too little like them in others (in the things I do, like crepe-soled boots or a fantastic winter coat). Of all the things, though, I am enamored with this little black number, with its moody inkblot color and monastic lines. Will wait for the Winter clearance sale in mid-December. Still a lot of winter remaining then!

I’ve changed my budget to reflect a birds-eye view of my sartorial acquisitions. So now my budget spans several months (two seasons in Seattle: rainy, and summer) instead of one month, and that allows me to buy more strategically. Perhaps I’ll spend more than one month’s budget on one item, but I’ll get less items overall, and I’ll be sure that it’s something that can work for me the entire season at least.

The contraction of my budget has forced me to dive deeper into my existing wardrobe. I come across items that I don’t really love anymore, and I find that the next time I go shopping, I have a better idea of what will hold up in my affections. But I’m also moving through my wardrobe more as well, and I wear things that I had tired of. I do like the idea of wearing my clothes until they grow tatters.

Evolution

I've become a major online (window) shopping addict. It hasn't always been this way. I was an 80s mall rat like the rest of my generation, cruising the air-conditioned stores with my high school friends. But as I see it, several key events came together to turn me away from the stores and on to the little square screen. Catalogs were the first step.

In graduate school, catalogs were the only passive entertainment available to me. And between reading two books and grading 50 papers every week, I needed some passive entertainment. Television was not around, my internet was rudimentary (dial-up for God's sake!), and even my movies were foreign and required me to read.

I particularly loved the Oilily catalogs. They seemed magical to me, with little rosy-cheeked Dutch tots in a perfect world of colorful textiles and old-fashioned playthings.

What I like

It's good to take an inventory now and then of what you like and don't like, what works for you and doesn't. Now that my budget has changed, my purchases have slowed down A LOT, and I find myself picking things much more carefully. While the price tag of individual items hasn't gone down by much, the number of things has.

What works for me:
Marc by Marc Jacobs shoes -- I have a pair of glittery platform sandals from last summer that I still love. It feels like the arrival of spring when I pull them out from their box.

A.P.C. -- I like the simple, quiet, and versatile aesthetic that permeates the collection. And I can use this brand to expand my wardrobe with foundational pieces, especially since most of their items go on 50% sale about midway through the season. (But you have to act quickly. The summer sale occurred about a month ago, and the choicest items sold out within hours online, but I did snag a few new items.)

necklaces -- Of all the accessories that I own, I switch out necklaces the most often.

What doesn't work for me:
Earrings, bracelets -- I wear the same Tiffany diamond posts and jade bracelet every day.

handbags -- Nothing ever really grabs me and holds on. Yes, I get feverish crushes now and again, but they all end up fizzling out almost immediately upon procurement.

dresses -- I think they're the prettiest little things, but I never wear them. I think they feel heavy on me, and drag me down.

And here's a new test of what I know I won't end up liking...If I find that I have to persuade myself into an acquisition, especially if I picture myself in some sort of glamorous setting, then it's a no.

I'll add more observations as they come to me.

The mailman

...has started saying, "I'll see you tomorrow!" when he hands me yet another package.

Oh the shame.

Oxford shoes

I wear oxford shoes all the time in the winter and often at all other times because 1) I like comfortable shoes 2) I don't hem my pants. Flats look terrible when your frayed hems are dragging along the ground.

But I get tired of them sometimes. So masculine, so clunky. Sometimes I want an in-between alternative.

Like these, which I hope will work. They are modeled after 1920s tennis shoes. Cute, huh?

Summer girls

They reappear this time of year like little woodland nymphs reemerging after a long winter season.

This picture of Brigitte Bardot summarizes to me what they try to capture when they put on their pretty things: ephemeral beauty. That dangerous nymphette charm that Nabokov wrote about.

But why try to capture something that is ephemeral? It's a losing proposition, after all.

I might quote a friend and say, it's because of the whiteness of the whale. The railing against certainty and death--the certainty of death, yes, but also just certainty itself.

Perhaps both men and women hunt for an elusive thing. Though these things might seem so different--to kill one thing, to hold another--the reasons are one and the same. And both, fairly impossible.

Cupid

Kind of like the grey kitten that I wished for as a child and expected just to appear one day at the end of the sidewalk, I had some idea that somebody would wander on to the Saks Web site, find this necklace, and realize that it was just right for me.

But I ordered it myself yesterday on sale. Almost as good.

Good things come to those that wait

What is it about fashion that encourages obsession? A few months ago, perhaps back in early fall, I fell in love with a handbag. I've fallen in love with handbags before, but not to this degree. I saw the bag, I loved it from afar, I collected images off of purse forums, and I waited. During a first markdown online, someone had beat me to it and I lost my chance on getting this handbag on a deal.

Through some fortuitous Internet sleuthing, I found out who had bought the handbag. She was a member of an Internet forum I visit sometimes. She planned to return the handbag. From the online reps, I found out how long it took for a returned item to be reposted. I bookmarked the product page and waited. I checked daily for months. But alas, the bag never reappeared.

Many months later, the only change I ever saw on the product page was a second markdown. It was moot, though, since there was no item to buy. I came close to deleting that bookmark, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. I had grown to enjoy checking up on my bag, like a little Internet pet. I suppose it's just one of the strange attachments that the Internet breeds.

So anyway. I idly opened all my bookmarks a few days ago, and lo and behold, the item had reappeared under the summer clearance! I hopped on that junebug!

So it's on its way to me now, at last.

Actually, I fully expect NOT to love the bag once it arrives, but what is it that they say? It's the journey, not the thing in itself. In this case, it was the waiting and the pining that was the most excruciatingly, exquisitely enjoyable.

What to pack for hot weather

1 sheer long sleeve shirt in white, for layering
2 casual skirts
1 dress (at most)
1 pair sandals
1 pair flip flops
1 pair dressier shoes
1 pair jeans for airport
3 pairs shorts
2 loose tanks
3 tee shirts
1 dressier blouse
1 floppy, collapsible sunhat

and, for comfort...
tin of black, green, and chamomile tea
journal
pens

buy books and magazines on the road

Plane outfit

overalls
white tee
grey cardigan
oxfords

Now I'm in a clime 30 degrees hotter. So, still the white tee but with shorty shorts and sandals.

When she saw the Birkenstocks, my sister was like, "you still wear those things?"

I said, "yes, they're my thing."

Hausfrau shoes

Ironically, my orthopaedic shoes from Germany are giving me blisters. Or actually, two raw, exposed circles with a flap of skin hanging off.

I am wearing them for the first time today since buying them last year just before winter (sale. 'Nuff said). I love them. They're bright red with a tiny cork wedge.

I like the idea of being in the shoes of a German housewife. I picture her, sturdy and stout, standing in the frameway of a door, wearing a housedress with a calico print and holding a wooden spoon. So far removed from the actual use of these shoes in my life, as they take me through broken-up sidewalks, past graffiti-covered walls, and to my school with the high security alert set for tomorrow.

Fashion gives me license to dream.

Givenchy Nightingale

It's the bag of my dreams. Quite literally. I dreamed last night that I was shopping at a discount luxury store of some sort (Off Fifth? Last Call?), when I came across it. It was on sale at about 75% retail, but in a shocking pink color. In my dream, I tried it on but decided against it because of the color.

Here's the color that I love, the blue patent.

On the TFS thread, a member described it as a handbag having "moxi" because of the long, thick strap with a zipper running along its length. Apparently, it resembles a bondage mask. Sometimes it's even called the "bondage bag" instead of its actual name, the Nightingale.

This bag sings to me.

Silver cart

When I first came to Seattle, I worked at a pushcart in a downtownish market, selling silver jewelry. There were three main girls who rotated shifts at the cart: me, a punkish blonde, and a ditzy brunette. The other two girls were about 19, and I was many years removed from 19. Still, they were nice enough colleagues to pass the time with--gossipy and vaguely sweet in that 19-year old way.

I saw the formerly punkish blonde last night at the mall. She works for the same people, but now she's stationed at a cart located in a suburban mall, the market having been remodelled into a grocery store. Last I heard, the owners had made her an assistant manager. I doubt she finished the pastry cooking school (pastry, because she was vegetarian) she had enrolled in just before I quit. These days, instead of wearing all black clothing and heavy eyeliner, she sports a poodle perm and cotton dresses from Macy's.

Eyelet

I don't even like eyelet, but I find myself the owner of two expensive eyelet blouses. This situation goes against everything that I stand for in shopping.

1. I spent a lot of money on summer clothing. (Typically, summer clothes are bright, trendy, disposable, and cheap.)
2. I acquired something that I don't love.

Perhaps it dates back to an image imprinted into memory from my college days. I remember standing at the bus stop next to a girl in a thin, almost sheer blouse. The sunlight shone on her, and she seemed so girlish in an unassuming, fragile way, there in her summery cotton frock. I've always loved that image.

Scooter jacket

Now, this one is perfect, except that it's for men. Even the smallest size will likely be too big for me.

But I love the tight, tough fit.

That's how I want to seem on my motoscooter. Tough.

Grrrr.

Scooter vocabulary

I got a scooter last weekend, and so now I'm looking for gear to go with it.

In the world of motorcycling and its various iterations, moto-specific clothing is called "gear," not clothing. And when you add things on to your bike, it's "modifications," not accessories.

Men.

Tops

I don't have a lot of tops in my closet. Rather, I have mostly jeans and skirts and other bottoms. It stems from a pattern of buying acquired in my teenage years.

It used to be that I got depressed about my looks every time I looked in the upward vicinity of my body, and so when I tried on tops, I usually just gave up and put the item back on the rack. And it had always been so difficult in finding proper jeans that fit when I was younger, that I'm still conditioned to purchase pants whenever I find something "close enough."

So now I have to make a conscious effort to balance out my acquisitions. More tops than bottoms. It's slow going, but currrently I'm enamored with the idea of pussy bow tops like this one. I like the irony, the slight tinge of 1950s working girl. And I think it's cute.

Consuming fashion

I went into the Gap looking for high fashion. Three hot young designers were commissioned to create riffs on the iconic white shirt, and I was in pursuit of Rodarte's petal blossom tank and trapeze top. The SA whom I called urged me to "come in as soon as possible" because he couldn't guarantee how long they would last.

So I took the bus into downtown today. Found them, tried them on, and put them back on the rack. Then I wandered down to Anthropologie and didn't even try on a single thing (excepting shoes. of course, shoes...).

An odd moment for me. While everything looked nice, nothing grabbed me in the had-to-have-it kind of way. Nothing sparkled. Nothing caught my fancy.

I think it's the fact that I haven't been browsing lately. Perhaps the whole "consuming fashion" business relies on induced desires bred by imagery and aspiration. It's a partly hypnotic state, because otherwise, it seems completely foolish to spend a few hundred dollars on a few squares of fabric.

Texas

I look forward to summer immoderately. Not because of where I am now, in the eternal grey blanket of the Northwest, but because of where I have been, the land of sun and ten-gallon hats.

So despite all cues missing, I am stocking up for warm days and light breezes. I seek out dresses with flippy hems, sleeveless tanks, and flat sandals.

It's the only bit of summer I can have so far.

I dreamed of two

Tsunami
To see a tsunami in your dream, represents that you are being overwhelmed by some repressed feelings or unconscious material that is rising up to the surface. You are experiencing some unhappiness and emotional instability in some waking situation.

From the Daddy Likey blog

How to Wear a Scarf Without Looking Like an English Teacher

I know an English teacher who favors scarves. She often looks like that representative picture on the posting.

Now that I'm poor

I shop by eBay. Where you can find a cornucopia of random, off-season NWT items to your heart's content.

I'm super cheap and I want a mondo-bargain, so I have missed many good things. I don't mind so much because I hate the idea of not being able to return. And as anyone knows, a good shopper is a good returner.

Moving

The clothes were one of the first things to be unpacked, but the last things to be accessible.

Need

. almost to the knee black skirt in semi a-line
. white and black v neck tees in 3/4 sleeve
. black pants

eBay

A parade of items lost lately:






















And one item won:

Mulberry Bayswater

I love this handbag more and more, as it breaks in and grows smooshier. It's like a teddy bear for grown-up girls. I can sit it on my lap and hug it.

I love it despite the fact that it is causing me great physical pain to carry on my shoulder.

Yoox

A few items.

. The men's style oxfords I've been looking for. I hope the bi-color leather will be whimsical, rather than clownish.










. A thin wool sweater in black. I tried this item on months ago, but passed at that price. Now that the price is a third what it was then, I'll try agan.









. A wool v-neck sweater vest in cream. I find myself layering with vests this winter just to keep warm.

Vroom

If cars are indeed extensions of the body, my body has recently gotten lighter, faster, and cleaner. Gone are the bags of clothes meant to be taken to Goodwill, but instead left inside the leaky trunk to moulder and mildew. Gone too are the broken-down radiator, can of paint (though the ring of rust stayed), Tupperware with half-eaten potato chips rattling inside, assortment of forks and spoons, cassette tapes, and gallon jugs of water. I vacuumed the inside clean of spilled dirt, shredded leaves, and sand, so now every seat can be occupied. As a sign of better days to come, I have a pocket trashcan designed for cars on the passenger side, and a new visor organizer to cover up the gaping hole in my old visor, where the mirror used to be. Into the visor I've tucked a spare pair of sunglasses, three CDs, a stick of honey lipbalm, and an emergency granola bar.

Boutique

Went into one the other day, dragged in by the gal friend. I only meant to window shop, but then she wanted to look inside, and then I spied the sale rack.

I walked away with a Three Dots grecian-inspired jersey dress with vertical pleats. It's maroon colored and drapey. I got it in the large size so that it would be loose and slouchey, as opposed to the small size that I tried on, which was more summer date-type dress.

I realized that Anthropologie is modelled to be like a boutique, in the quaint details and boudoir setting. Recently, the store has widened their aisles to let the SUV strollers through. Drat! Like the store needed more bored housewives flipping through the racks.

I avoided going in last night because I am horrified that the SAs recognize me. *hangs head in shame* I realized that the major major problem with shopping in these mall stores is that you always see yourself coming and going.

So I might be visiting the small boutiques more often, especially as I think I'm succeeding in the buying-less-but-better endeavor.

Proenza Schouler payoff

I came home after school yesterday, logged into The Fashion Spot, and found out that a hidden link existed whereby the holy grail of the Go International Collection, the iconic silk bustiers, was available for sale.

I was on it like duck on a junebug.

In short order, I had dispatched an order for both the Grape and the Boy Blue bustiers in sizes XS and S, and for kicks, I had also added a few other items that I don't intend to keep.

And it's a good thing I did. Within a few hours, word had spread on the Internet, and all the small sizes were sold out. Amazing, considering that these items had never even officially appeared on the Target website.

I am a master hunter and gatherer. Huzzah!

Prouenza Schouler for Target

After much delay, the collection was finally put out on the racks. I called this morning just to make sure (I’d already made two fruitless trips), and by the time I arrived around 12, a few sizes had already sold out in the most popular styles.

A different Target customer was hovering around the area. Silent, serious-eyed, and aloof. Generally older, and better dressed. There was one very pretty woman wearing an expensive silk dress and high heels. She had gorgeous curly salon hair. Never seen the likes of her in Target before.