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.

Better start saving up my pennies

3.1 Philip Lim

He's only been out a few seasons on his own (he'd been the designer for Development heretofore), but he's already garnered a reputation for cool, clean, downtown-y looks with a well-made approach.

I'm loving these looks from his F/W 07 collection.

The cropped motorcycle jacket. Retains some of the toughness of a black leather jacket, but with the refinement of a lady's cropped topper.

Or maybe this patent leather number instead.









Simple but rendered in luxe leather. I like the short length of the wide shoulder strap, which is a bit more modern. Although I've seen a couple of iterations of this bulging crescent shape, I like this one best for its unpretentiousness.



The skirt. Structured, but short and sweet.

Less

I have been shopping less lately, I think. Or at least more judiciously. I have a much higher standard of what to keep. Sometimes it pains me to do so, but I'll send half-loved items back with the thought that when I do actually find something I really like, I can get it no matter the guilt or cost. So of the items I listed in the previous post, I only kept the Velvet dress, which had been something I'd been eyeing since it was full price.

The list of things I'm looking for:
. black pants. unlined, cotton. slim fit. nice material but casual enough for everyday.
. small cute handbag. casual, but with good leathers.
. cotton tops for work. with sleeves.

No more

In order for the new quality over quantity equation to work, I actually have to reduce the number of things I buy. I've already upped the quality (and the price). That part is easy.

I turned away so many cute things this weekend. Didn't even try them on. But my willpower fell when I stepped foot into Anthropologie, specifically when I ventured near the sale rack. I had already decided not to get any more Anthropologie brands (the in-store brands that is their bread and butter), but only actual designer brands that get marked down cheap there. Last night, though, I came across a lot of bargains that I usually don't find.

. Joe's jeans ... marked down to $20 from 158
. wool maxi skirt ... marked down to $30 from 218
. Venera Arapu wool vest ... $30 from around 158
. Velvet jersey dress ... on sale (that's all you need to know)

With savings like that, it was practically free.

However. I have a shameful confession to make. The salesgirl recognized me from my place of work because "I always see you wearing Anthropologie clothes." Arghhh! I vowed then and there to start frequenting thrift stores again. That's the problem with chain stores. They're like one night stands.* Cute and cheap, but everyone is wearing them.

* not first-hand knowledge

Gryson

I finally caved and ordered one the other week. This was the handbag that I've been coveting for about 6 months, and I was getting worried that the stock would run out entirely.

Yes, the leather is love. But being a first run, there are some quality issues with it--the leather binding around the handle had become undone, and there were faint smears of glue on the handles themselves.

In addition, the double straps were awkward, and they got in the way when you tried to get in and out of the bag. The zipper didn't work well, either.

Like all things, a handbag should be functional, not just pretty.

Camo

So of the latest wave of online purchases, I'm only keeping a few things:
. Mulberry Bayswater handbag in chocolate. It's a classic bag that I can use for work.
. A.P.C. inverted pleat chino miniskirt
. A.P.C. sheer merino wool sweater

I've really fallen in love with A.P.C. stuff. It's a cultish French label that's known for its under the radar logo, high quality materials, and cool simple designs. It was the pleated top that I got last year that started me in my "investigation" into better quality clothes.

I like to think of it as an investigation, or research, because this past year wasn't just about getting cute things. I think I was also looking into the accoutrements of adulthood, these indicators of your status, experience, and place. Along the way, I made some mistakes in the things I've acquired, but as a whole, I'm satisfied that I've learned a little bit more about how one assembles a visual self to present to the world.

I've long thought of clothing as camouflage. And before I could figure out what to put on, I had to discover the place I was a part of.

Compliments

Perhaps I'm too testy about it. But when women compliment me on my clothing or appearance these days, my hackles go up. My guy friends say that I am overly suspicious, but they haven't been a women for all these many years, and they don't know how competitive women can be with each other.

Maybe if someone well-dressed said something nice to me, with a smile, I would be able to accept the compliment.

But when I hear someone preface their compliment with, "I thought I had good fashion until..." or "you can wear anything and make it look good...", then I think. Oh oh. Insecurity alert.

Or maybe it's just me. Having been not complimented for so many years--geez, so many years--it seems odd and disengenuous to hear it these days.

Refurbishment

color palette:
creams, whites, browns, yellows, and bright blue. a shot of red in small accessories.

to fill out my wardrobe:
long necklace
ankle boots (prob vintage, for the look and price that I want)
structured, well-made short skirts
new handbag. something smaller and v. cute.
unstructured bras

Lucky

When the magazine first came out, they tried to entice me to get a subscription by asking whether "I felt lucky." Uhm, no.

So I didn't get an issue, at least not immediately.

At the time, I was in my late twenties, entering the workforce, and absolutely clueless about how to dress myself. I had never paid attention to these things when most girls did, in middle and high school and college, and I felt far behind the bell curve.

During a phone conversation with an old friend, she advised that I solve my clothing confusion by taking out a subscription to the magazine. So I did.

And X years later, I still have a subscription. I still like flipping through the magazine to get ideas and to see what's out there. One difference now though is that I can actually afford these items. In fact, I've recognized some of my recent acquisitions in some of their spreads.

When a girl's thoughts turn to spring...

After a week of being snowed in, it's finally starting to thaw. The snow is running in streams down the gutters, the moss is peeking out from under rocks, and the temperature is slowly rising.

Spring and summer has always been so much more fun for me to dress for than winter. I drown under my soggy woolens.

But I'm super excited about getting to wear, perhaps soon:
* my red orthopedic sandals from Germany
* my bright blue high-waisted shorts with the u-pockets
* a short cotton gauze dress with yellow butterflies on it
* a brown jersey swing tank with an adjustable string tie
* my collection of slip dresses and mini skirts
* the knee-high boots sans tights

Thrifting again

It's been awhile. Recently, I've been researching higher-end goods and shopping at nicer stores, at least nicer for me. After which, thrift stores started to not look so good. The smell, the film of dirt over everything, the time investment without payoff--they didn't seem worth it. And I got rid of so many things that I had acquired at a thrift store only a short time before. I was determined to break that cycle.

But I've gone back for several reasons. I've decided I need to slow down on the spending (as soon as winter sales stop tempting me, damnit!). I think a few original, quirky pieces will really perk up all these higher-quality items I've been getting. I've noticed that my favorite wardrobe items are all thrift store finds.

Anthropologie cruelty

I hadn't visited in quite a long time, but I stopped by the other day to browse. It was mid-week, and the SAs were putting up new displays. Part of the display, interspersed among the ferns and mushroom prints, were small fishbowls with one or two goldfish in each one.

Maybe I've read too many fishkeeping books (and I've read a lot), but I was rather shocked. Those fishbowls are too small for even one small-sized fish, let alone two mid-size ones with rocks and decor.

Badly played.

Update on Boxing Day sales

I kept the J. Crew cords and oversized link bracelet. Everything else went back.

Kaboodle

A way to bookmark the items that you come across and like. I have two subsections in my page, Shopping and Wishlist. Wishlist are things that I think are pretty but have no intention of ever getting. Shopping includes items that I mostly covet from afar, but may someday get. Some items in my Kaboodle:

Silly plastic shoes in my favorite bright French blue color. I love the d'orsay style (cut out sides).

Ever since the glitter shoes, I have gotten more and more ridiculous with my shoe selections.


Chloe shoes. So high, such a mix of toughness and prettiness. And so overpriced. Even with $500 knocked off the price.








I like the backward slouch of this beanie hat. Stalking the sales...










The color of this silk top is so deep deep blue. The pussy bow makes it louche and cool.









A fairly ordinary bag in this picture, but I've been interested in this label for about a year now. At half price, I'll risk paying return shipping just to check it out.

Friendship

I am wearing pajama bottoms that I bought maybe 8 years ago when visiting in the wintertime a friend who lived in Massachusetts. Coming from Texas, I was woefully unprepared for a drafty turn-of-the-century New England house in the winter, with its temperamental and inadequate pipes.

So when I was wandering around the kind of downtown people call "quaint," I popped into the Gap to find a pair of warmish pj's. The only ones on sale were a salmon-colored set, with cropped pants edged in lace. I got them, and wore them, and was almost warm (but the cold came not from an external source).

I've kept them all these years but had lost track of them under a pile of concert tees and ragged skirts in the Boy's dresser (I appropriated a couple of his drawers). I rediscovered them yesterday after he finally cleared out the space in front of the dresser so that I could actually pull out the drawers.

It feels really good to wear these old, worn-in pj's. I don't have a lot of outside clothes that are that old. I guess something about pj's don't garner your attention, so that the years pass by without you really noticing how the holes have developed, the threads unraveled, or the elastic stretched.

And then, 8 years later, they reappear almost like an old friend.

I've since lost that connection to the friend I visited in MA. In fact, he doesn't even live in the state anymore. He has moved south, to where it's warmer and you probably don't need pj's.

First day

Today was a day of first impressions, and as such I had to make a good one. I put on the clothes of the ruling class, like a good little girl, although I neglected to tuck in. Ha ha ha! My one act of rebellion (besides the striped Doc Marten sneaks). The man does not own me yet!

So it's into the tricky part of dressing, where I have to carefully examine outfits for their appropriateness. I always thought it was so sad to see the women in an office dressed as if they were trolling for dates at work. What a whiff of desperation, never a pleasant odor.

So I try to avoid the office skank style. The tight polyester black pants. (Always black. Have you noticed that? to visually reduce the size of the caboose. Only the interns wear tight grey flannels.) The wrap top that highlights the boobage. The high heels.

For me, though, I have a different list of contraband separates, mostly because my work environment isn't really an office setting. So no:
* Paige or Earl jeans
* short skirts
* boots with bare legs

New Year's Eve

All the pretty girls in their finest silk frocks and high heels, the men in their overcoats out on the streets, going to New Year's Eve parties. Such an optimistic sight.

Men's brogues/oxfords/jazz shoes

Still looking for them. I would wear them with tights and short skirts. And in the summer, with shorts but no socks.

In the search for personal style, I have started to mine the past for the things I used to wear before I had a lot of income at my disposal. These would be the looks I put together from thrift stores, and I mean real thrift stores. Not to be a snob about it, but vintage stores don't count. Someone else has already sifted through the smelly mess (and dry cleaned it, for God's sakes!) and hung it up nice and neat for you. I went into a vintage store once--couldn't even afford a cotton slip in the place. No thank you.

Ahem. What I was saying. Was. In the timeline of my personal style, I went from Converse shoes to oxfords sometime in college. It was a slight transition to less tomboyishness at the same time, as I started to show my legs, too.

Personal landmarks of style (ages approximate):
15....h-u-u-u-u-u-u-g-e Gap pocket t's. (by huge, I mean I wore L or XL and weighed ~82 lbs)
high school....shoes, no socks. shoes always came off in English class
16....black Converse sneaks
17...Birkenstocks
21....brown men's oxfords
21....the return of the skirt
23...tank top (for the first time!)

More recent changes, I'll post some other time. There was the first high heel, silk dress, non-sale item, etc.

Ooops! Almost forgot the reason for my post. The shoes I lost out on on eBay. I still cry.

Shoe love

The current crush. Marc by Marc Jacobs makes the best shoes. Girly, fresh, whimsical, and just plain cute. He was the cobbler of the glitter shoes this past summer.

Two style inspirations

Segolene Royal, the French socialist candidate for the presidency

Why: elegant and refined. girlish without juvenility. the perfect French "no makeup," luminous look. showing how to age gracefully (she's 52).




Sofia Coppola

Why: singlehandedly made flats chicer than heels. epitome of offhand cool. an unconventional beauty. (pictured on the set of Marie Antoinette)

Sales

So in mid-November, the summer things go on sale. Then the day after Christmas, there are some deep discounts for fall and winter.

I want to slow down the purchases and try to work out new outfits with the items that I have. These sales haven't helped too much in that endeavor. But luckily, at least they fell around my birthday and Christmas, so it wasn't too much impact on the pocketbook.

Happy Boxing Day!

Note to self: sales after Christmas.











I'm enamored with the idea of ankle straps. Although I've read that they make legs look stumpy because of how they cut you off at the ankle, I like the slightly retro feel of them.

Plain and oversized, like menswear.









Just a simple ol' mini.











I needed something to round out the order so that I could apply a coupon. So I added this pair. But while I like the idea of corduroys--so warm and collegiate--I always stop wearing them after awhile.





I saw a slim-looking shopgirl the other day in a pair of very well-fitted pants. And it occurred to me that it must be possible to find pants that are tailored in small sizes. Perhaps I had been looking in the wrong shops, at the wrong brands.

Striped mini dress

When I was about in the third grade, mini dresses had a revival. It was the first reapppearance of the 60s (I think we've since had at least one more). I myself had a pink and grey striped mini dress that I loved to death. It was about the prettiest thing I owned, which is why I often didn't wear it. It was too pretty for me.

For one of my research projects, I did a report on Evonne Goolagong, the aboriginal tennis player from Australia. I borrowed my brother's tennis racket and wore that mini dress as my closest approximation of a tennis uniform.

This dress from Velvet reminds me of that dress I had as a kid. It should be arriving in the next week or so.

On skiing

"I say beware of all enterprises that require new clothes..."
---Henry David Thoreau

Looking for

...an oversized warm sweater.

Returns

So many, it's embarrassing. Maybe the postal patrons will think I'm just a really generous person sending off Christmas packages, instead of returning what will be 8 boxes of crappola.

A few sights on the way to work

Red, torn flesh. A tendon connecting two bird feet. And a few steps away, another red ribbon tying together two matted, wet wings.

In the park, remnants of snowballs littered the lawn. A large snow sculpture of a dog faced the sunrise.

And when I came back home, the same sculpture, but with the head knocked off, by now melting as noon climbed higher.

Nothing really to connect these two images, nor to connect them to this blog.

They did seem, though, like a primal part of life, laid naked.

And the bird missing its body, and the dog, made me think of absent things. And how we try to but cannot ever clothe those things.

Waiting

notes to self. please ignore. it's rather shameful.

anthropologie...jeans
creatures of comfort...sandals, shorts
shopbop...pants, jeans
neiman marcus...mini skirt, silk top
nordstrom...boots (2)
la garconne...ballet flats

Record rainfall

The black galoshes should come in handy.

Repetto "Chignon" flats

I think gold can work as a neutral, just like grey and black and white. Especially as accessories, like handbags and belts. They add a little bit of color to an outfit, but still go with everything.

I love the grosgain ribbon that edges this flat. It's sweet but grown-up.

At last

The top that I have been stalking for a few months have finally been marked down to about 1/2 price.

This top reminds me of the silky, satiny material that you can find at oriental shops. I used to have a pair of kid's pajamas in this kind of material, complete with an arc of frogging that buttoned up one side.

More crap, incoming

Worishofer Red Slip Ons

...for summers. I think it would go well with a denim mini and airy white tops. Kind of casual, but still a little more neat and pulled together than Birks.


Levi's Capitol E Boyfriend Jeans

...I wear my oversized jeans more than anything else. I like the androgynous potential of denim.







Karen Walker high-waisted shorts

...my favorite color blue. And I think the little ties on the side add a touch of whimsy. I like Karen Walker, too. She has cool, understated clothes that don't announce designer. This looks like something you could find in a thrift store, if you only had 10 years to find it.





& Theory black wool pants, Seven for All Mankind slouchy jeans, Marc by Marc Jacobs boots

I fully expect (and hope) that I will be sending some back.

3.1 Philip Lim blouse

I covet this men's style button down. Normally I don't like button downs. They just feel too stodgey and ... well, buttoned up. But this is special, and alas, sold out.

I have a craving for men's-style clothing right now. Perhaps the sweatshirt got me kickstarted. But I want a pair of wide-legged trousers. men's oxfords. and this men's shirt.

Men's oxford shoes, II

I know exactly what I'm looking for now.

shapely
black
shiny/patent leather
men's style
dress oxfords

No to orthopedic.
No to German comfort.
No to Doc Marten.

The good and bad

So I think the main difference in how I approach fashion now as opposed to a few years ago would be that I put more thought and analysis behind what I wear and like. I save pictures that I come across and like on my computer, and I clip editorials from magazines that catch my eye. Then every few months or so, I'll open up that file and review some of those images. From that, I've come to figure out my style. To where, when I see cute things on the rack, I can now say to myself, "that's pretty, but not my style." Before, anything that I thought was cute was sufficient criteria to try on and buy, but not necessarily to wear.

In addition, I think I've become a smarter shopper. I analyze potential purchases for how they'll fit into my wardrobe. I imagine occassions and outfits that would justify the purchase. I also try to imagine how that style or material will hold up after repeated wears. And if I find myself imagining myself in that outfit...suprisingly, that means it's a no. If I have to persuade myself into it, it almost invariably doesn't work for me.

So a few random things I've learned:
* J.Crew is not good for accessories like scarves and slippers. These get nappy and piley after just a little bit of wear.
* Splendid, Ella Moss, Velvet and C&C--all those luxury tee companies--are actually worth the money. Kinda. If those things are on sale. The modal, lyocell, and other fabric blends actually make their basics drape well and hold up nicely.
* Buy in a color palette. Save prints for special items, like a pretty vintage blouse or a party frock.

Roll call

Back goes everything that came recently in the mail, except for the J. Crew basics.

Men's oxford shoes

I'm on the prowl for a pair.

I used to wear them in college, as part of an overall aesthetic: tee shirts, short shorts or skirts, and clunky shoes. It was partly coltish, partly androgynous, partly nerdy girl. I have a picture of me on the steps of the Arc de Triomphe, wearing just such an outfit. Perhaps in some way, it conveyed a sense of style. I remember being stopped 3 or 4 times during my visit to Paris by Parissiennes asking for directions.

Then I thought at some point that it was time for me to "grow up." And by grow up, I think I thought I needed to become more feminine. So away went the oxfords with no socks, and in came the ... Birkenstocks. Okay, so not much of a leap, but you have to remember I was a girl who wore overalls on a date.

Anyway, I want a pair again. I was inspired by the appearance of these old artifacts on the fashion runway (Karen Walker, top right, among others), worn in the way I used to. Kind of louche, defiant, and tomboyish.

J Crew Featherweight Layering Tees

I got 2 for $40. In grey and white cotton. And then another one in "sea salt" wool jersey.

Very comfortable and perfect for layering, or not, once I break the seam on the neck. I hate any sort of binding around my neck, except for scarves. Everything else makes me feel like I'm suffocating.

Her wedding

The brides wore a strapless white wedding gown and a burgundy beaded ballgown.

I wore a knee-length silk dress in a watercolor print. And a blue mesh jacket over that.

Bad weather, bad poetry

It's the season for wet, dragging hems.

Sleeping, the sound of rain.
Waiting, wondering whether to dress for rain.
Walking, to school, through puddles.
Home. Damp ankles.

Hello, world

I shaved my legs this morning. The hairs looked like clumps of seaweed in between the razor blades, waving under the stream of water.

Now I feel newborn.

Wedding

The boy likes the jacket!

uh oh! There goes my budget. Well, I still have a few more things coming in this week, and I'll be deciding between them then.

What does one wear to an outdoor wedding in Texas in November? I checked the weather report and it says highs in the mid-60s, and lows in the 40s.

So I'm thinking:
dress...silk or cotton, to the knee...yes
high heels...no (I'll sink into the dirt)
boots...maybe
flats...maybe
some sort of wrap or fancy sweater...yes
or, my long coat, left open...maybe
sheer hose...maybe

Uh oh

I think I actually like the Mint Cropped Felted Wool Jacket. Must canvass for opinions. I was hoping to be sending this one back.

Cotton tights

I'm reminded today of Ramona Quimby, scabby-kneed heroine of my youth, who was fascinated by the continually sagging pantyhose of her schoolteacher. She would watch the hose crumple around her teacher's knees and pool in a nylon puddle at her ankles as the schoolday wore on.

My black cotton tights made their first appearance today, too. They are thick cotton and long, and so they wrinkle a bit. Or rather, they "slouch," in the modern lingo, reminiscent of Prada's highly coveted stockings sent down the runway a season ago. (Of course, Prada would be the design house to give librarian, intellectual frump a sexy edge.)

So I'm rather pleased with the cotton tights. I'm pleased about standing quite literally between two disparate moments in my life, and seeing some continuity.

Roll call

Kate Spade sunglasses, with kelley green holder
black cotton tights
Zooey elbow-length peasant top
Zooey tank with ruched shoulders
Elevenses red corduroy skirt with military buttons

in the mail
Mint cropped felted wool jacket
Belle by Sigerson Morrison knee boots
Karoo cashmere dress
JCrew layering tees, wool jersey tee, and cashmere long johns


I'd like to be warm this winter...

Plainer and plainer

The older I grow, the more I gravitate towards minimalistic clothing with clean lines and muted, monochromatic color.

So no to patterns, ribbons, frippery of any sort in clothing.

Sweatshirts

I've avoided wearing these for most of my life. I've always thought them to be despairing, slobby kind of clothes. The kind you wear when you've given up on life or your looks, when all you want to do is stay inside all weekend eating Haagen Daz and listening to the rain.

Today came close enough. Rainy, wet weekend with the prospect of work and more work in front of me. So I pulled on the boy's grey sweatshirt (I don't own any myself, and his are nice and worn in). Lo and behold. I got compliments on the sweatshirt. Not from strangers, but nearby boys. From various strangers, though, as I later skulked through Nordstrom with all its highly coiffed women, I got scrutiny.

This situation confused me, so I asked the guys who complimented the sweatshirt. One replied that it's cute in the same way that wearing your guy's button down is cute. And the boy remarked that wearing something plain puts everything else in high relief. It's good to know that I could have avoided spending the hundreds of dollars I've spent so far, and just got down to Wal-mart and gotten a few Hanes Her Way.

(Not really. If we set as our standard, male approval, what bottom dwellers we would be.)

Shift

It's close to time to shift from wearing sweaters and a rain jacket to full-blown winter gear: wool coat, gloves, hat. Sheesh, it was cold tonight!

Boots & skinny legs

I've always had skinny legs. In middle school, I developed an extreme self-consciousness about them, and I never wore skirts for that reason. I didn't want anyone looking at my legs. When I worked as a door-to-door canvasser for an environmental group in Texas (babes in bear country), I wore jeans the entire long hot summer cause I wouldn't wear shorts in public. I actually didn't wear a tank top until I was 24. I basically wouldn't wear any clothing that would invite scrutiny of any sort.

Despite the fact that an ex used to call me "chicken legs," I don't care so much about the skinniness anymore. I'll wear skirts and dresses, anyway. But the skinny legs still get in the way of my finding the perfect pair of boots.

Boots are a tricky item of clothing. With the wrong details on a pair, and suddenly you're a cowboy, a butch lesbian, a hooker, or an inter-galactic space traveller. For me, though, the trickiest detail has been the circumference around the calves. They're always cut wide and so gap and flap around my legs. No matter the style of boot, I always end up looking like I'm wearing puddle jumpers.

So imagine my surge in optimism when I clicked on "Narrow Calves" in the boot guide on Nordstrom.com and a few options came up. My greatest hope comes in this form, on its way to me in black and brown and arriving next week.

Northwest

A few things I wear or do that seems to be typical for this area. Most of these things I wore before I moved here, but I guess we seek the environment where we can blend in. It's like camouflage, in a way.

* Birks
* hairy legs (though not in the summer)
* scarves
* rain jacket i/o umbrella
* layers
* natural fiber
* funky shoes
* covered up
* winter hats (Kangol cap, watchman's knit cap, black beret, wool hat)
* cross-body, messenger style bags

Changes to simple

I have 4 shopping bags of clothes that I want to try to sell. That sounds horribly indulgent, even to me, but I console myself with the thoughts of a friend who had 8 garbage bags of stuff for Goodwill that she found on her floor.

A few things that have changed about my style:
* darker colors like grey and navy blue
* plain colors instead of patterns (easier to mix and coordinate. looks more expensive even if it's not. chic.)
* simpler items with less embellishments
* layering
* skirts again
* "luxury" fabrics like cashmere, wool, and jersey cotton

The boy has remarked that these changes lets my body shape come through. I've gotten a few dresses lately that are very very simple. A swath of blue jersey with a belt, falling to the knee; a slip dress with a banded vee bodice. He was referring to these things.

I've been pondering how to dress for the winter without becoming total frump. My body doesn't have the kinds of curves that look good in a thick wool sweater. I tend to get swamped in them. So I suppose it's a simple minimalist style that might work for me.

A tiny bit

I did just a tiny bit today. And picked up two tiny things: a camisole made of blue shirting, and ruched under the bust; and a pair of blue and white plaid pj bottoms with a rainbow grosgrain ribbon tie.

Shopping alone

I went shopping by myself on Friday. It's been maybe more than a year since I've been shopping by myself. Oh, I might make it out alone to the Best Rabbit and Rodent House once in awhile to get hay for the pigs, or perhaps stop by TJ Maxx on the way back, but whenever I have gone on a shopping expedition, the boy has gone with me.

I would thread my way through the racks, he trailing after, to offer opinions and to hold the things I wanted to try on.

The boy, although he favors nerdly clothes for himself, had become quite a fashion consultant. He offered good opinions. Advice like "the proportion seems off," and "it's nice, but not special" would spring from his mouth. He was horrified that he had learned how to appraise clothing.

But on Friday, I went by myself. It felt strange. It was quiet, not having anyone to talk to, and I could hear the conversations going on around me. There was a gaggle of excited girls in Sephora, and a similar group, about 15 years older, in Anthropologie--both cliques were discussing what they were going to do that Friday night. I think the girls had a club to go to, and the women had a dinner party.

In the open shopping mall, I crossed under the awning to get to the Victoria Secret (another free panty coupon). Night time was coming on. The lights were twinkling, and the shop windows glowed.

It felt strange, like being single, alone, again. Like slipping on an old pair of shoes you haven't worn in awhile. Familiar, and almost comfortable. But not quite.

[photo: anthropologie website]

Rain

In the rainy season, which I'm in now for several interminable months, I regret the long hems of my pants. They drag on the streets, fraying, and by the end of the day, they are muddy and forlorn.

When will I be warm again? It feels like I'll never be warm again. My clothes are suited for different climes. One day I'll move and the place and my accoutrements for the place will correspond.

Pajamas

I did not wear pajamas growing up. I think that habit might be a distinctly middle class notion, this idea of wearing something completely different to bed, for the sole purpose of sleeping.

Instead, I wore whatever I changed into after school. Most likely, a pair of shorts and a tee shirt.

A few years ago, I asked for a pair of pajamas for Christmas. Actually...my memory has gotten muddy. It must have been about eight years ago (holy geee!). My sister--who could always be counted on to give slightly better things than what I wished for--got me a plaid flannel pajama set. The pattern was startling, but the fabric was warm, and we settled in nicely together.

So I know it's getting cooler once I start padding around in those pj pants again. The elastic is shot, so mostly I pad around the apartment with the pants hanging low, like a gangster.

Multitudes

Both



credit: first pic, newish model Cecelia
& second pic, a TFS-er

P.S.

BUT! Speaking of bar clothing. I just remembered. The guy to the left of us was wearing grubby blue Carhartt overalls. And, not only that, he was wearing them as actual workwear. Eventually, after talking to him a bit, we pinpointed the smell to have derived from close proximity to mulch.

Oh, which reminds me. I am coveting a pair of Carhartt overalls myself. Will probably mail away for one soon. Nice to be able to become sexless in one neat, fell swoop.

Bar rules

The other day, I ended up at a bar without really intending to. Which is to say I was not dressed for it. I had on, from the outside in and down:

navy blue cashmere hoodie
blue cardi
white sleeveless tee
pink pants
blue and yellow polka dot belt

I felt way too colorful for a bar. You do not wear pink pants to a bar.

I was not conscious of this rule until I saw myself in the foggy, pockmarked mirror in the lady's restroom, aka the seventh level of hell. The stall's doorlock would not latch, the wood construction was sticky (let's not even imagine why...very inconvenient when you have to brace yourself from falling over as you hover, drunk), and a strong malodorous smell lingered in the air.

But at least there was t.p.

When I returned to my seat, my beer glass had been refilled in my absence. "It's a miracle," I said.

Whirligig

I got a nylon messenger that has a huge knot with three fabric spokes going off of it. It makes me think of whirligigs.

How have I acquired such a fondness for silly, or perhaps on a good day, whimsical, clothing? Just in the accessories, though.

Chloe Patent Leather Platform Wedges

I dreamed of these shoes last night.

A little bit Japanese, fetishistic, and punk all at once. I dreamed I had these shoes, and the life to go with them.

Overheard at Loehmann's

Loehmann's is a discount department store stocked mostly with brand-name clothing. It's also well-known for its communal dressing rooms. Usually I bypass that and wait for a private dressing room. One, the four walls of mirrors creep me out. Two, I don't like being looked at. Three, I don't want to inadvertently see a middle-aged woman in a thong, as I did the previous time I went. Nothing wrong with being middle-aged, or wearing a thong for that matter. But I'd never seen a thong in real life on another woman, and the experience was a bit too much reality for me.

So I was trying stuff on in my dressing room, and I overheard the conversation going on in the dressing room next door. It sounded like a British grandmother taking her granddaughter out shopping. The girl emerges from the room and awaits approval. A pause, and then...

"Do you want my honest opinion? It seems to me that you're trying to go from sweatpants casual to a more sophisticated kind of casual. Things that you can wear when your boyfriend takes you to New York for the weekend."

"I don't wear sweatpants," she says defensively, "and we wouldn't go to New York." But at this point we're both listening to grandma because it sounds like she's been around the block.

"That's fine. Perhaps a nice brown turtleneck that you can pair with a knee-length skirt? What do you think?"

It goes on in that fashion. Grandma reminds her that everything she gets will be 20% off (Which reminded me of my own coupon that I'd left at home!).

I liked that interchange. It made me think of the small moments where women pass down knowledge and experience, one to the other.

Photo: Carinne Roitfield, editor of French Vogue, and her daughter