Not The Boss Of Me

Sweater: Effervesence Cardigan by Olga Buraya-Kefelian; madelinetosh pasmina in citrus; my notes and modifications on Darling Clementine
Dress: Lilly Pulitzer; not a lot from Lilly this season that's similar save this one, however check out this Jessica Simpson and this A.B.S. for your strapless summer needs
Shoes: Manolo Blahnik; I would seriously buy ALL of the following orange sandals if I could justify it: floral lace heels by Kurt Geiger, espadrille wedges by Charles David, this brand doesn't fit me well but I still think they're great Schutz strappy sandals, trying to find any justification to buying these Charlotte Olympia sky high platforms which are available in my size and my size only, these amazing and bizarre MSGM mixed media-looking things, and these reasonable high and reasonably priced Lauren by Ralph Lauren multi-colored jobs
Lips: Yves Saint-Laurent Volupte Tint-in-Oil in Crush Me Orange
Toes: Essie in Blanc

Only a dreadful spoilsport would advise against matching one's cardigan, shoes, and lip color. And I am not a dreadful spoilsport. I am a woman who is deeply deeply pleased that winter is over, that summer is coming, that this dress still fits me despite a metabolic catastrophe that not even 30 days of consecutive sweatyoga can arrest (and I am not pregnant, this I know), that I actually do look decent in orange lip gunk, that I am about to go on vacation. Everything is pretty much coming up Millhouse.

I still kinda hate cardigans, though. I am nearing the end of the body on my Grace, the cardigan everyone I am friends with already has and which I needed to have to so that I could fit in. I tried knitting it a size bigger (which will also help since I am at least a size bigger myself) and I've determined that anything below high hip for a cardigan I plan to wear with dresses is too long. Still, I have a bunch of fingering weight lying around the house and I have been toying with the idea of turning some of it into a cardigan design. If I try to make myself a cardigan from the ground up and I still hate it, I can just write off cardigans (tailored cardigans at least, there is still plenty of room for gee it's cold in here cardigans) altogether. So I've been looking at stitch dictionaries and trying to assess what I hate about my existing goes-with-dresses cardigans. Here's a short list:

• Neck too high
• Neck too low
• Shoulders all kinds of arsed up
• Fronts too narrow --> button band gaping
• Fronts successfully wide enough, back ridculously oversized
• Too precious
• Non-uniform length all around
• Terrible button band ribbing at complete odds with aesthetic vibe of the rest of the sweater

As I regard this cardigan, I think I might find it the perfect length and am now pretty sad I didn't bring Grace to work because I could know right now, at this very second, if it was long enough to start ribbing. I also worry about a design element that will be pleasing to the eye, interesting enough to knit, but not prohibitive in its application: some stuff is just too cutesy for the boardroom. I know people love allover lace patterns, but in addition to their making the garment less warm, I also feel like allover lace looks "knitterly" for lack of a better word. Unless it's crochet and it's boho, you don't see a lot of allover lace in fashion. I'm pretty sure there's a reason for that.

So I'm in the thinking stage of a cardigan. I have two lovely SQs, one from Western Sky Knits and one from Plucky, both of which would make perfectly nice cardigans. I'll let you know how that progresses. In the meantime, All Hail Orange!

I Am A Lying Liar

Sweater: Audrey in Unst by Gudrun Johnston; madelinetosh dk twist in onyx; my notes and modifications on Indispensable
Dress: Dorothy Perkins; similar styles at H&M, ASOS, and Kohl's
Belt: ASOS; similar styles by Mango and Lafayette 148
Shoes: Christian Louboutin Apostrophy pumps; more wallet-friendly options by bcbgmaxazria and Schutz
Lips: Bobbi Brown high shimmer lip gloss in Hot
Nails: Essie in chinchilly with matte topcoat
Hair: I PROMISE I'M TAKING CARE OF THIS

I was all bluster and promise, wasn't I? Oh, you're going to be totally amazed by my amazing outfit and new sweater and it's going to be totally off the hook and OMGPONIES! Funny thing. I finished the sweater last night - it's awesome, by the way - and then took a look at the designer's email which asked her testers, politely, if they would refrain from posting photos of the sweater until its release. So....no photos for you until the release and no superfantastic matching outfit for me.

I wanted to use this time, instead, to discuss fast fashion since I seem to spend a lot of time discussing why you should forego this month's mortgage payment in favor of a new pair of shoes. I adore fast fashion. And I kind of hate all the people who have taken to bashing it and linking it to our conspicuous consumption culture and rape of the earth. And if you'll allow me to skirt politics for a moment, I'll try to explain in an apolitical way. There's a New York chef who holds a place in my heart for a) being a fellow alum of my high school, b) giving my brother a job at his super fancy restaurant while my brother was still in college, c)serving delicious, farm fresh, free-range, fair trade, blah blah blah blah blah food without making you want to stab him in the face with his own sharpened self-righteousness. Since he was the beneficiary of such a stellar education, you can find him writing about his food and farm and such and you know what stuck out for me most? When he said that the only reason he free range fair trades organicohydroponicoantibioticfreeomegawhatevers is that it TASTES BETTER. Not to put words in his mouth (and I'm not going to identify him just in case I'm grossly misinterpreting him), but he more or less said that he might be all in favor of eating lab-grown four-assed monkey if that happened to taste good. That his food is better for the environment/people's health is icing on a delicious cake. And I kind of feel the same way. If the apple from Stop & Shop tasted as good as the apple from Whole Foods, I'd be buying it at half the price; I shop at, and defend the practice of shopping at, Whole Foods not because it's an important part of my insufferable yuppie identity, but because the shit I buy there is, for the most part, better than the shit I buy elsewhere.

So how does that relate to fast fashion? I think I mentioned it yesterday. Over the past 20 or so years, the shit one buys at Banana Republic or J. Crew is NOT better than the shit one buys at H&M, Forever 21, ASOS, etc. It just happens to be 4-10x the price. To me, shopping at J. Crew full price would be like buying a mealy apple from Whole Foods. If my apple's going to be mealy regardless of where I buy it, I might as well buy the cheap one. This Dorothy Perkins dress is terrible (and would it not have cost me almost as much to return it as it did to purchase it in the first place, I would have done so - word to the wise: DO NOT buy from Dorothy Perkins unless you are positive you want the thing you're buying). See that incredibly flattering shelf on top of what looks to be my boobs? I didn't just grow a second set of boobs over my existing set, nor am I wearing a fantastically crappy bra. No, that's the facing on this dress and I'm seriously considering cutting it out (since I only noticed how terrible it was while looking at the photos - but much like my increasingly erratic hair, I like to paint a picture of myself that approximates accurate and I have hair this terrible for real). The obi belt (more on that in a moment) is obscuring the fact that while, in the online photo, the pattern mostly matched going across the seam that separates bodice from skirt, my particular dress has no such aspirations. Long story short, this is a terrible dress. It was also a $25 dress. Thing is, I look at clothing all the time in stores where things cost more than $25 and these problems still exist (the failure to pattern match is of special offense to me because it basically says that while it would only cost the company a dollar AT MOST (in wasted fabric) to match the pattern, you're not worth that dollar now shut up and eat your shit that you just paid $300 for). So when someone on (and I single out this outfit because I happen to have heard a diatribe about fast fashion here on two separate occasions) NPR tells me that I ought to care about where my clothing comes from and not buy from fast fashion stores, I want to set that person on fire - or take her on a tour of what passes for "quality clothing" in all but the highest end of brands. Now it would be nice if my closet was filled with Dolce & Gabbana dresses, but I will likely never own one unless I find it at a thrift store because I don't have $3500 for a dress. So when the blazer at Zara is just as good as the blazer at J. Crew, I'm always buying the Zara one because it is ALWAYS less than half the price. Sometimes, though, you can get really lucky. This belt, which I still don't know how to style on a waist as short as mine, but which I deeply deeply wanted, is a super find. It was less than $40 and it's made of real leather. I don't know how that happens unless it was a sick or somehow inferior cow. I got it at ASOS and while ASOS is a crapshoot when it comes to what you get vs. what you thought you were getting (do not buy any of their items made from "ponte" which is code for t-shirt material which can be sourced at Forever 21 or H&M for far less), you can often find pretty quality stuff there.

I happen to like the earth and its resources. I happen to care about the welfare of people not in my immediate social circle. I happen to also know that the cat is out of the bag. Much like we're not all going to give up our cars and ride bikes so the choices are - wait the CHOICE is - find an alternative to fossil fuels so we can keep driving, the solution to the problem of finite resources to make clothing and the deplorable conditions many who make that clothing suffer is not NO MORE CLOTHING FOR ANYONE, but advocating for better choices within the existing system - ok so that might be a little political, sorry it's election day, stop reading this and go vote.

Last Minute Substitution

Sweater: Harrogate by Amy Herzong; elsa wool woolen-spun worsted in white; my notes and modifications on Chalybs
Skirt: Alice + Olivia Milo suede skirt; similar styles by Forever 21, bcbgeneration, and Red Valentino
Blazer: Smythe wool blazer; similar colors (the funky shoulder thing makes the style pretty unique) by Calvin Klein and A.L.C. (and this looks like a pretty good deal if you're in the market)
Shoes: Gucci crocodile peep toes; similar styles by Ivanka Trump, Gucci (with logo), and Ted Baker
Lips: Marc Jacobs Lovemarc Lip Gel in Showstopper
Nails: Essie in chinchilly with matte topcoat (thanks, pinterest)

Today's post was going to be amazing. I was going to have a new sweater, a new skirt, and new shoes. I was going to be a newness cavalcade. And everything was going to match amazingly well: the nails match both colors in the sweater and skirt, the lips match a color in the skirt, the new shoes likewise. I was going to look like the kind of adult who has her shit together, even if she can't manage to book a haircut (Saturday, it's happening, for seriouses). This plan was totally in effect until 10:15 last night. It was just me, ESPN's 30 for 30 on the Leonard/Duran matchup, and a mere 3" left to go on the turtleneck part of the test knit I'm doing When I looked down at the turtleneck, however, I noticed something very upsetting: somewhere around 3" into it, I had messed up a total of 6 stitches of broken rib. I knit two more rounds attempting to ignore it. Then I realized that since the mistake was on the front of the sweater, it had to be rectified. So I inserted another needle into those 6 stitches before the mistake an unraveled everything above, assuming I could just use a trusty crochet hook to right the wrong. Which I could, but not without mountains of extra yarn and super loose stitches - a phenomenon I can't quite grok, but one which made the time I took to fix the problem (and it took me several tries because I kept missing a row somewhere) completely and utterly wasted. I had to admit defeat. 4" of turtleneck will have to be ripped out. And while there are some souls who, at 11pm can power through, I am not one of those souls. I need a tremendous amount of beauty sleep to emerge even somewhat human. I will very much attempt to finish today so that tomorrow or Wednesday I can show off.

Which brings us to today's outfit. A great number of my Rhinebeck friends sprinted to, and loaded up on, cormo wool, and who can blame them. The stuff is really really soft, makes great cables, and likely has curative powers (the last one is a joke). I know this because I was fortunate enough to make this sweater from cormo wool earlier in the year and simply adore it. I loved Amy's choice of cables too. What I didn't love, was the idea of knitting this in pieces from the bottom up. So I spent some time with notebook and pen to make this sweater top-down and in the round. A surprisingly simple feat, by the way. It's just a question of being able to read numbers backwards. I also think that I might have decided that in the cable vs. lace wars, I come down on the side of cables. This weekend, I tried to wear one of my sweaters with lace and I just don't love feeling that I ought to wear a camisole underneath. Also, those holes in the fabric make me cold. So this warm, cozy, cabled sweater is something I need more of.

The skirt is one of my infamous buy-the-same-thing-in-more-than-one-color purchases. I also have this skirt in army green. I waited until both went on 75% sale and, as a result feel very good about myself when I wear them. The blazer is another sale-stalked item. Smythe is a Canadian company that saw its desireability skyrocket after Duchess Kate wore one of its blue blazers. I originally saw this blazer in a photo spread in InStyle magazine (2011 I think) and ripped the page out to stare at because it was so so cool. It was also so so $700. It is true that I saw the blazer in person at Saks with my dad during the post-Christmas sale that year, but it was still $350 and I wasn't in a position to spend that kind of money that year (we had sort of just blown all our money on a three-week honeymoon). I did, however, ascertain what size I was (and nota bene to anyone who ever wants to purchase a Smythe blazer - they run INCREDIBLY small. I wear a size up from what I would wear (I know this from dress-up, not from purchases) in couture clothing which is 2 sizes up from what I wear at The Gap). About two weeks later, I was looking at the next round of holiday markdowns when I saw that the previously sold-out blazer was back in stock at Bergdorf's (I love you, returns) and for less than $200. Sign from the shopping gods to be certain. Signed, sealed, delivered, and I haven't regretted it a single day. It is amazingly well made. The fabric is of such terrific quality, the lining is flawless, the cut superb. In other words, Smythe has done enough to make me seriously consider, when and if my finances allow, purchasing their goods at full price. The difference between this blazer I got on sale for about $200 and the blazer I'd pay $200 for full-price at J.Crew is like the difference between the chicken you lovingly roast in your house and a mcnugget. Which is my long way of saying (again) that quality is worth the price in instances where the buyer can reasonably afford it; and that it might be worth having only one blazer you paid $400 for vs. 4 $100 blazers.

Finally, I'd like the thank pinterest for my nails. I saw this pop up on my feed last week, taking the beloved Essie color chinchilly and finishing it with a matte top coat. As both items were already in my house, this seemed a no brainer. I did a kind of crappy job, but I like the idea of this and look to incorporate the matte topcoat more this year.

Video Killed The Radio Star

Sweater: Obsidian by Lisa Mutch; Cephalopod Yarns (very very sadly going out of business) Skinny Bugga in Montauk Monster; my notes and modifications on "The Shadow Knows"
Skirt: J. Crew - my god there are still some left. I bought three. Seriously this skirt is way cheap. I even bought this color in the wrong size because I liked it so much - I figure I can just wear it lower on my hips.
Shoes: Gucci, circa 2001. Miraculously, if you wanna be you wanna be you wanna be like Mike, and you wear a size 8, another size 8, size 7, or size 11, you can own these 13 year old shoes in white (I do!). These are not the original shoes I bought (for full price - the only pair ever) in 2001 at Neiman Marcus in San Francisco, but a replacement pair I bought on ebay two summers ago. I may have treated the first pair slightly roughly (ok, I accidentally hiked in them once), and was overjoyed that I found another pair on ebay so many years later. My mom bought a pair of these shoes, and while hers are smaller than mine, I convince myself I can almost squeeze my gargantuan foot into her pair should the need arise. Conclusion: I love these shoes. A lot.
Nails: Essie in Starter Wife which, because I have a sick sense of humor, is the shade I wore for my wedding.
Toes: Essie in Watermelon, in truth I prefer the orange I've been wearing nearly all summer, but I decided to change it up for 2 weeks.
Lips: Make Up Forever Rouge Artist natural in N31, Soft Fushia (sic)
Bracelet: Ever Together (no longer in business) magnetic bracelet. I looked for other magnetic jewelry, but none had the simplicity of this one. The artist, Terrence Kellerman, had better luck with his wallet business, Dynomighty, which has gone from a tiny studio in Tribeca (where I bought this bracelet also a gazillion years ago) to a worldwide success. I'm now really glad I have a bracelet and necklace. If you wanted to recreate something like this, I'd just buy the magnets from a supply store and get creative!
Bag: Longchamp, another replacement (thanks to very generous parents who combined multiple gift giving opportunities into one super awesome gift) for a bag I got in - god, was that 2001 too?

It's my husband's fault, really. He got The Ramones' I Wanna Be Sedated caught in my head in the shower this morning. Really good and stuck in there. I figured the only way to exorcise that particular earworm was the same way history did: with neon! I don't know how often you've attempted to match things to pale chartreuse, but it is not the most versatile color out there. I had an alternate outfit that involved a knitted tank top with corset styling, but even with a sedate navy blazer, it just didn't feel all that suitable for work. Enter Obsidian. Easy, breezy, goes with everything Obsidian. The why-even-though-I-have-the-yarn-have-I-not-made-a-second Obsidian. I can wear it off the shoulder with jeans and tall black pumps for a night out, with the cowl up as a hood for all the goth dress-up events I attend, or just like this with all manner of skirts for the rest of the time. I simply cannot recommend this sweater, and in a great neutral, enough.

I frequently worry about over-icing the cake. If you have ever eaten a cake I made, you might notice that I go easy on the icing and why I complain at length about the various cupcakeries and their ridiculous mound of sickly sweet frosting. so when you have a giant cowl neck sweater and a neon skirt, what more can you add? The slingbacks are black, so neutral, but with the pink heel for fun. Since my toenails were also that shade of pink, it made even more sense (and kept the color palette to three shades: green, black/grey, and pink), at which point I had to break out the pink lipstick that my husband hates and that I adore because I'm pretty sure it makes me look like Susanna Hoffs (and if you do not know who that is, obviously you are no longer my eternal flame). I am not a neon person, generally speaking, but as I've expanded the list of colors I'd be caught dead wearing, I find that a bit of retro brightness can be both fun and appropriate when styled responsibly (so I would not wear leg warmers with this outfit unless I was going to a costume party). For anyone who has tired of the 80s references peppered within this post, I say you're just not having enough fun with your Tuesday morning!

I'm on vacation starting Thursday so I won't be posting, especially since my outfits are going to consist of sarong, wetsuit, t-shirt with the neck cut out, espadrilles. I might, however, finish my striped sweater and grab some on location shots of it (crosses fingers). See you in a week and a half!

Follow Friday | July 18, 2014

Sweater: Nora by Linda Marveng; Polo & Co Masgot Fine in gres; my notes and modifications on "Distaff"
Skirt: Loft black pencil skirt
Shoes: Manolo Blahnik (similar style in suede, in patent leather and on sale by Cole Haan)
Nails: Butter London Lady Muck



Sweater: Tyrol Jacket by Linda Marveng; madelinetosh LEDK (no longer available) in baltic; my notes and modifications on "Brenner Pass"
Skirt: French Connection black ruffled hem skirt (similar by Tibi (also in orange!!!!) and H&M)
Shoes: Manolo Blahnik black leather knee high boots (ok, so I realize the boots I'm about to link cost more than most people's monthly rents/mortgages - it is legitimately insane. Full disclosure: I bought mine for $575 at the 1/2 off sale in January of 2001 and they are THE BEST SHOES I OWN. If they were whisked off to another dimension, I WOULD spend $1500 to replace them. I would not eat for a year and/or sublet my home and sleep in my car - your mileage may vary; this pair is not exactly what I have and I like mine better, but just so you can see what's out there; I will say that if you are going to buy a staple such as these boots, DO buy them from a respected designer. If you take care of them, they will last forever and will look so much better than the pair you bought at Nine West for $200 which will fall apart in two seasons. Save up, it's worth it.)
Nails: Essie Topless and Barefoot



Sweater: Cablewing Sweater by Linda Marveng; madelinetosh LEDK (no longer available) in astrid grey; my notes and modifications on "Courchevel"
Jeans: The Gap. No joke. I bought my first EVER pair of non-Gap/Old Navy jeans last week
Shoes: Fleuvog (similar styles at very pricey Yves Saint Laurent, great deal Giuseppe Zanotti, and haven't-heard-of-the-brand-but-they-are-real-leather Halogen)
Lips: Dolce and Gabbana passion duo gloss fusion lipstick in Infatuation
Nails: Butter London Lady Muck

Phew, that was a lot of linking! You may notice that in addition to some similarities in nail polish and shoe designers, these three sweaters have something else in common: they are all designed by Linda Marveng, lindamarveng on ravelry and in the blogosphere. I got to know Linda long before I ever knit one of her sweaters because she was always so complimentary when I finished a project and posted it. I was itching to find the right project of hers to cast on because I loved her aesthetic...I just was never sure it was for me. Linda's designs are gorgeous and complex and a delight to knit; but I know some of them are far more beautiful and wardrobe friendly on other women than on me. But when I saw the test call for the Cablewing sweater, I threw caution to the wind. Perhaps it was that the sample was knit in a neutral, perhaps it was that the accompanying cowl was not part of the test, but I could see myself wearing it and loving it. And I have done both. This opened my eyes to the possibility that others of Linda's designs might also find happy homes in my closet, so two additional test knits followed - each of them a sweater I would not have foreseen myself knitting, and each of which has found a place in my wardrobe with ease.

Do I generally wear the sweaters, as styled above, with a simple ensemble? Absolutely. These pieces are standouts, little works of art, that need no more than a staple, be it a pair of dark wash jeans or a classic skirt to accompany them. I really have to thank Linda for expanding my knitting horizons and challenging me to knit with a bit more adventure. Simple pullovers and cardigans are great, but being able to make your own truly unique clothing is such a fun experience.

After discovering that Linda is featuring my Nora sweater on her blog tomorrow, it reminded me that I've been intending to do a blogroll of my own, and that rather than blabbing links all over a sidebar, I'll add slowly, writing a Follow Friday post for each addition to my link list.

New Skirt | Borrowed Friend

Sweater: Raina by Marnie MacLean; The Sanguine Gryphon Bugga in Bomber Worm (similar but currently out of stock); my notes and modifications on "Kashmir"
Skirt: J. Crew on super duper sale right now!!!!
Shoes: Sperry Top-Sider Hayden loafers, similar at GH Bass (also on sale - July is a terrific month)
Fingers: Essie Topless and Barefoot
Lips: Clinique A Different Grape

I own flats! I'll bet you didn't see that coming. I happen to own these shoes in two colors and they are great for activities such as taking my buddy, Chief for a walk. Also good for that activity? A lightweight sweater and a flippy skirt. And the skirt has been on the radar for months. You see, I am a nut for pinterest because I use it to keep tabs on things I might want to own or cook and it allows me to check and see when those former things go on sale. This skirt from J. Crew was originally $98, a price I would never have paid (because it's J. Crew and its quality has gone way down in my lifetime while its prices continue to rise). The skirt is nothing particularly special, nor does it fill a hole in my wardrobe. I own a navy skirt, I own a flippy skirt. However, at $22.50, it is a completely necessary object; I bought two. In truth, I wanted the pale citrus because I certainly don't have a skirt that color, but my size sold out and I contented myself with the peacock green.

I also really love this sweater. It was my first bugga. I love how flattering the shaping is and how deeply scooped the neck is; I love how, at this point in my knitting, I was comfortable enough to change it up a bit to suit my tastes - the original had henley styling. I remember being so nervous when I started to modify patterns that I'd do something wrong and the sweater would look terrible and I'd be miserable. But that never really happened. I'm not saying I don't make mistakes while knitting, but the mistakes are rarely attributable to modifications qua modifications and often the result of my not paying attention. I would urge the more timid knitters to try it out - customizing a sweater, whether in fit or style, to more closely align with your aesthetic opens up so many more knitting doors and frequently creates a unique piece you truly adore.

Summer Lovin'

Sweater: Anais by Kim Hargreaves; madelinetosh tosh sport in chamomile (currently out of stock, but carried by Happy Knits); my notes and modifications on "Tournesol"
Dress: Anthropologie Forget-Me-Not Dress by Moulinette Soeurs, dresses from the same designer this season, this Tracy Reese dress (also at Anthropologie) has a similar vibe and is on my personal wishlist
Shoes: Manolo Blahnik, luxe orange sandals by Versace, far more reasonable ones from Ivanka Trump
Toes: Essie Bouncer, It's Me
Lips: Marc Jacobs Lovemarc Lip Gel in Showstopper

It's full-on summer and I couldn't be happier. Yes, I know when the humidity finally amps up I will complain just as loudly as everyone else, but for the halcyon sunny days before the gross hits, I will be loudly extolling the virtues of hot weather. Hot weather gives you the excuse to paint your toenails blue, wear a yellow cardigan with orange shoes, and pin your hair up in a bun and call it a hairstyle.

If truth be told, this is not my favorite fitting dress from Anthropologie and I am blissfully pleased I got it on super sale last summer. It is, however, a happy summer dress and, for that, I may be inclined to forgive it's somewhat boob-smooshing empire waist. The sweater, though, is a different story. I love this sweater. I love the happy yellow color, I love the pattern, I love the way it fits (though I wish the tops didn't tend to fly open and I've thought of weighting them in an attempt to prevent this. And the shoes. I guess we need to talk about the shoes. They're too big. Which is something I never ever say because my feet are enormous. But these shoes are too big. True, I have yet to see if an insert would fix that, and it might, I'm just bummed that my only orange shoes are not exactly right.

This outfit, overall, is a pretty average representation of how I do sundresses. I wouldn't shrink from wearing this to an office (provided it wasn't a law office or an investment bank) and I'd also wear it on a weekend day when I wasn't going to the beach. Obviously, I give it two thumbs up for vacation evenings!