Looking Ahead, Part 2 - Works in (sort of) Progress

Is it strange to be looking ahead when I have two sweaters in the super-active queue already?

The hot pink sweater came off the needles and went straight to the blocking boards Tuesday night which meant that a navy sweater got cast-on Wednesday evening.

I have vowed to get some WIPs taken care of in the new year. I start way too many sweater and then just abandon them. There's really no rhyme or reason to how this happens: both fingering and aran sweaters, both cardigans and pullovers, both plain and advanced, there's no rhyme or reason as to why one sweater gets started and finished almost without break and others spend years in the WIP pile.

My Fisher Queen WIP is in the lovely madelinetosh erin (which I hoard as a rule) in thoreau

and it is going to look excellent with my J. Crew cream colored wool mini skirt

and it's early to the waist of the body AND on super big needles! I have no excuse not to power through it.

Or how about the ubiquitous (in my social knitting circle) Grace? It's in one of my favorite colors, madelinetosh's brothers grimm (whose discontinuation god himself can't explain), will perfectly match one of my fave summer dresses from Anthropologie

and be amazing with nearly everything else I own (ok so I own several dresses from Anthro that will go well with a cardigan)

AND I solved my problem with the cardigan which is that I didn't like the plain shoulders next to the lace rest of it so mine has lace all over the yoke. It is also finished to around my waist.

There is no reason, I repeat no reason, why I don't have a finished Cocktail(Dress). I am making it in the phenomenally amazing Duck Duck Wool Singleton in metalware and this photograph DOES NOT DO THE YARN JUSTICE

because the yarn legit glows. To prevent attention from being drawn away from this awesomeness, I've used madelinetosh merino light in onyx and dirty panther, aka black and as dark as grey can be without being black, as the contrast colors. It's so friggin' cool. To say nothing of the fact that this is a wheelhouse dress like no other - I own at least 1 million pairs of shoes that would go with this (1 million might be a slight exaggeration, but I do own quite a number of shoes I can wear with this dress). Including, should they go on super duper extra holycrap sale, these eminently covetable (and seriously unaffordable) Gucci booties which, I assure you, look ridonkulous on.


On another tangent, do you ever find that while you love a designer, you haven't actually managed to knit any of her (or his) patterns? This is my monumental problem with Julia Trice (aka mindofwinter). I have stashed for her patterns, swatched for her patterns, and the closest I've come to knitting any of her patterns is the 3/4 of the yoke of Yukiya Pullover that sits in a pile with the other accusatory WIPs. And again, I couldn't be more fond of my yarn choices: I'm using various Buggas in grey, black, and red - so again, just my kinda thing. I think I'll don a cheapo black tank dress from H&M or Forever 21

(this is among the best 7-13 bucks you can spend - I own gobs of these cheap, disposable dresses which are totally camouflaged by a blazer and completely wonderful on the kinds of vacations I take - size up, this stuff is made for tweens - in fact, I took a break from writing this to purchase 5 more), and wear booties or knee-high boots.

I wasn't going to admit to all the WIPs I want to get through in 2015, but I think it will keep me honest, so here goes. I've had Cromarty on the needles since 2012 and despite the fact that I'm making it in a decidedly purple yarn,

no longer have the black pants it would go with (they were from Uniqlo and died a sad, though not wholly unexpected, death-by-hole), and really don't know when I will ever wear it, I feel compelled to finish it. This, realistically, might not get done in 2015.

The same cannot be said for Birchbark which I would happily have worn today with my flippy bcbgeneration skirt

and my riding boots

and which is going to make me so happy in this wonderful Polo & Co. neutral,

so why is it not already mine?!? I would also wear it with the jeans I need to buy from Old Navy

now that I know the secret to Old Navy jeans is to bring 10 pair of the same size into the dressing room and buy the one that actually fits because their quality control is shite.

And finally, 2015 will be a WIP success if Northdale becomes reality. I have a couple of inches knit and it's so much fun, but also tedious, time consuming, and not something I can do mindlessly. I also don't know what I'll wear it with, though guessing a navy skirt isn't the most ridiculous guess one could have.

I'd also like to say that there won't be a Part 3 of this series, but there will be, because we haven't tackled things I want for 2015 that I have managed not to cast on and abandon - and believe me, I have a list for that too.

Compromises

Sweater: Textured Tunic with side buttons by Stephanie Japel; madelinetosh 80/10/10 worsted in hearth; my (very few) notes and modifications on Knittin' With Dian
Skirt: Saks black mini-skirt; similar styles everywhere because it's a staple, but here's one from The Limited that's on sale and one from Loft that will be eventually - remember do NOT buy from Loft full price unless you enjoy setting money on fire
Shoes: Maiden Lane; similar styles by Miu Miu and Gianvito Rossi
Lips: Bobbi Brown Art Stick in Sunset Orange and Dolce and Gabbana passion duo gloss fusion lipstick in Sensual

Notice anything different?!?!? I cannot tell you how much better I feel about myself. Really. I need to remember how good this feels so that I don't permit another 4 months to elapse before my next chop. But a lot of work went into this photo this morning because when I put on the sweater, I realized that since I had made it, both the neck and the keyhole had stretched, and stretched in a way I didn't find attractive. So at 10 minutes to 8 this morning, I grabbed the leftover ball (yay for saving those) and a crochet hook and crocheted myself a little more sweater. So glad I did. Of course, then I noticed a moth hole and didn't have time to fix that, so I tied a hasty knot and tucked the offending bits away. Prior to this year, my sweaters were stored non-optimally, and every once in a while I find a casualty of that. Now everything is stored in big plastic tubs of moth free goodness!

Today I want to talk about two things, both under the heading of compromise. The shoes I'm wearing are new and they're cheap. If you took a look at the similar styles for the lady wanting calf-hair leopard pumps this season, you will notice that the CHEAPER pair costs $800. I didn't (don't) want to spend $800 on shoes, but I really wanted calf-hair leopard pumps. So I've been on the hunt for two months to find something that meets my stringent requirements: leather, good heel, and did I mention leather?, and under $300. Here's the problem, though, and it's one I am loathe to share because it's depressing. Remember when I was bitching about J. Crew charing $200 for $20 merchandise? Yeah, well shoes work the same way. Last year, when I knew my black pumps needed replacing, I attempted to find a cheaper replacement. I tried on a very popular style by Kate Spade which cost in the neighborhood of $250 and you know what? They were cheap as all get out. They looked cheap, they felt cheap, but at $250 they weren't cheap. See also: DVF, Stuart Weitzman, Tibi, and a whole host of other "mid-priced" shoes that aren't demonstrably better than what you'd find at Aldo. And it really really chaps my ass because the price suggests quality. DVF, Kate Spade, and Tibi make reliably good clothing, so one would assume their shoes would be similar. One would be wrong. So I took a $80 chance on Gilt.com's house brand. I say a chance because if the shoes didn't work, I'd only get my refund as a credit for other things on Gilt. The heel looked good, the leopard pattern was also the right color and distribution of spots (you'd be surprised what passes for leopard print), and the shoe was leather. Not the sole (which it is on expensive shoes) but the shoe itself. And I deemed that close enough. Well, the fact that they're on my feet should tell you how I feel about them. Good enough to keep, wear, and blog about. Now, I don't know if I would have liked the plain black leather pump in this style and the reason is that, without leopard to distract, any flaws in the leather or construction would be very apparent, but I would consider buying another pair of these shoes in a patent or even a suede. At $80, it's a relatively small risk, and a far better investment than in a pair of synthetic shoes from one of the mall brands.

The other thing I wanted to talk about is this skirt and the one I didn't wear today. You've heard me talk about vanity sizing before, but I think it's important to illustrate it wherever possible because women, as a generalization, are ridiculously obsessed with the sizes we wear. And I will fully admit to my complicity in this: after I stop laughing at the ridiculous size my skirt from Loft is (or my dress from Anthro), I do a little fist pumping because of a number on a piece of fabric fully knowing that it doesn't correspond to any reality. Strangely, I own fewer black skirts than I feel I ought to. Originally, before discovering the one I'm currently wearing, I thought my only choice for a straight black skirt was one from Brooks Brothers that wasn't quite right because it has two decorative buttons on a grosgrain ribbon waist band, and the buttons show through the sweater making silly lumps at my midsection. The Brooks Brothers skirt is a size 4. The skirt I am wearing in this photograph from Saks's house brand, circa mid-90s is a size 10. "How is that possible?" you ask. I respond that it's due to the fact that sizes are lies. Prior to putting on the Saks skirt, I laid it down on top of the Brooks Brothers skirt. They were (within 1/2cm) the exact same width at the waistband. Well, but which one is "right?" I would answer that neither is right. According to the kids at wikipedia things are worse than you could ever imagine. You're probably so fat you shouldn't even leave the house. Because charts! Which is why compromise is so important. When Karl Lagerfeld pronounces judgment upon me, he will likely judge me a pretty mundane size 6 because when I try on a skirt at Chanel or Fendi, that's generally what it is. He would probably look down his nose at me and hand me a size 8 dress because boobs, but then direct me to a tailor to fix the waist. So I can neither lock myself in the bathroom and cry all day because I'm wearing a, gasp, size 10 skirt (high school me would have killed a man to fit her ampleness into a size 10 anything), nor can I prance around like a mean girl because I could have also worn a size 4. Full disclosure: last week I bought a dress online in a size medium because the company's size charts assured me that was the size that would fit my actual measurements. But, in a panic, because my other letter-sized dresses are smalls (and one or two are EXTRA smalls), I called the 1800 number to get the actual measurements of the dress if possible because moi, a medium? Impossible! Except for every instance in which it is possible. And in every instance in which it is possible my actual body has not changed. Whether you call it a 4 or a 10, the actual measurement around my waist (which is sadly larger than it has been since quitting smoking) remains the same. And so do yours!

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.

Witchy Woman

Sweater: Idlewood by Cecily Glowik MacDonald; madelinetosh 80/10/10 worsted in venetian; my notes and modifications on Idle in St. Marks
Skirt: bcbgeneration "neoprene" pleated skirt (just saw it's on HauteLook today); similar style by Alythea
Shoes: Manolo Blahnik knee-high black boots; some others I've been eyeing include these rather reasonably priced suede ones from Joie which are also available in blue and burgundy (which I adore and want to try on), and these unreasonably priced onces from Gianvito Rossi
Gloves: black leather, elbow length, from a store in Florence; easily found stateside at places like Lord & Taylor
Lips: Korres mango butter lipstick in nude PLUS Bobbi Brown high shimmer lip gloss in Hot

So I don't really do Halloween, but that doesn't mean I can't end up with a totally crazy mashup outfit that's part witch and part ballerina, right? These tights, by the way, were billed as "nude" when I bought them, but when they arrived and were ballerina pink, I decied what the heck, they'll go with everything anyway! I went with black eyeliner and the severe ponytail (newsflash: still no haircut - maybe next weekend), and the black high boots and long gloves. Festive, no?

I have such mixed feelings about this sweater. I absolutely love it. I love the fit, I love the style, I love the color. The yarn...can you tell form the photo that it has not exactly held up as one would hope? I look like a fricking muppet in person because it is so pilly. Now the sweater is knit on huge needles so it would be really easy (ish) to just make another, but the thing is, while the pattern is easy and relatively quick, it is also objectively boring. It is miles and miles and miles of stockinette cowl and I just don't have it in me right now. Also, I don't have a substitute yarn and I definitely do not need to acquire more yarn.

On a housekeeping note: I received a gorgeous skein of yarn as part of a kickstarter reward that I mean to photograph and publicize. Apologies that this has not been done yet. Additionally, in a rare event, I intend to photograph a WIP because I am so darned pleased with the colorwork. Happy Halloween, everyone!

Just A Pop

Sweater: Grey Havens by Maria Olson; madelinetosh dk twist in chapterbook; my notes and modifications on The Precious
Skirt: bcbgeneration black pleated "neoprene"; early identical styles from T by Alexander Wang and Rachel Zoe
Shoes: Gucci alligator peep toes; similar style (and a great deal if you've got a big foot) by Giuseppe Zanotti and for all the feet by Stuart Weitzman whom I ordinarily do not recommend, but at this price the shoes are a good deal
Handbag: Bottega Veneta; similar-ish styles by Donney & Burke and whomever these people are being sold by Century 21, but the bag is leather and $100 is a fair price for a leather bag regardless of who made it
Lips: Make Up For Ever Rouge Artist Natural in Aubergine N50 Nails: OPI for Sephora in Break A Legwarmer (discontinued, but available on ebay - I have a spare bottle for when this one runs out)

It's a beautiful day, I'm in a decent mood, so why such a drab and dark outfit? You know, I feel like grey and black get a bad rap. While I will be the first to admit that this particular outfit would have benefited immeasurably from less opaque tights (a problem that is going to be rectified asap since these were the least opaque pair in my drawer), I never understood why grey and black were automatically docked happy points. This nail polish, it makes me incredibly happy! It's a way to wear a non-traditional color without drawing unprofessional attention to one's self. I love that! Also, look how nice my smudged wine lipstick looks! And, of course, the elephant in the room also gets a bit of a boost: the purple bag. Not my choice, not my purchase, the bag was my mom's, and as I reached for my black bag this morning, a small voice inside me said, "go crazy - grab the purple bag," and I always listen to the voices in my head.

So let's talk about this outfit. The sweater was part of the Rhinebeck 2013 Let's All Wear The Same Sweaters extravaganza and was a slog and a half to get through mostly because it was bottom up and, as you can see, I fail at bottom up sizing. This sweater is too long. Not ridiculously so, but at least 1.5 fewer inches in the body and certainly 2 in the sleeves would have gone a long way. I do like the style and the buttons, I just don't like how it bunches up during the day because it's longer than what I normally wear. Like right now as I sit at my desk, I can grab four+ inches of sweater pooling up at my midsection. Attractive.

So enter the drop-pleated skirt.

I had wanted this skirt for almost two years. Or, rather, I had wanted the Alexander Wang version for two years (by the way, this would be a good time to mention (and solicit opinions on) yoox.com. I have only ordered from them once and what arrived did not enough resemble the photos or the quality I was expecting. This has led me to believe that yoox.com might be the J. Crew Factory of designer clothing - the stuff might be seconds or cheaper versions of what gets sold in stores, so buyer beware). But the Alexander Wang skirt had been over $200 and I did not have $200 to spend on a single skirt (nor do I often unless it is made of leather in which case I could be swayed - I am really lamenting my lack of a black leather pencil skirt this year, but haven't found one at a price I'm willing to pay that I really like). So when I saw this near perfect knockoff on Zappos for, I believe, about $50, I hit the buy button before you could blink. And I was overjoyed with what arrived in the mail. No, it's not actually neoprene, but it fits, it's cute, and it wasn't over $200. My husband also likes it as it gives the illusion of a rounded bottom where my actual bottom could balance a level easily. I am not flattered by pleats that start right at the waist, but I have discovered that pleats that start at or below my hipbones are amazingly awesome. More pleats, please!

Finally, these shoes are among my absolute faves. First of all, they were a sick deal. These shoes are actually made of a no-longer-alive alligator, and while that's sad for the alligator, it is divinely decadent for my tootsies. I found these on ebay in 2000 for approximately 17% of retail. In my size. From a seller with impeccable credentials. You see, back at the dawn of ebay, you could actually get a deal, an amazing deal. A sizable percentage of the fancy shoes I own came from ebay because of this. Things have changed as now there are tons of institutional sellers, but occasionally you can find a whiff of what once was. Anyway, these shoes always make my legs look good, always go with everything, and always look super duper expensive (because at some point in their life, they were). I recently retrieved them from the shoemaker who gave left vamp a bit of a patch: apparently having them solidly in the rotation throughout four seasons during 14 years can take its toll. I'm not 100% thrilled with the work they did and might get a second opinion, but the shoes themselves look pretty darned good for being such old broads. And I bring this up because while what I paid for them was a fraction of retail, it was still a fair amount for someone who had only just moved out of her parents' apartment; but they have paid dividends for 14 years and will continue to do so until they literally fall off my feet. It's why I so vehemently defend the idea of spending on shoes. They will last. And far longer than the pair you pick up at Steve Madden. Yes, I take my shoes in every year to get re-soled, re-heeled, and re-polished (if required - I don't do it for sport), but I would much rather spend the money doing that than buying a pair of plastic shoes that will disintegrate before the end of the season. Thus endeth the lecture.

The Dawn of a New Era

Sweater: Vivienne by Kim Hargreaves; madelinetosh tosh sport in charcoal; my notes and modifications on Place des Vosges
Skirt: Reformation Calico skirt in oxblood; similar styles by McQ Alexander Mcqueen and T by Alexander Wang - both are pricey, but I am very anti-fake leather. I don't have an objection to people who won't wear leather, I object to the hypocrisy of then going out and buying something that looks like you killed an animal to everyone else, but which allows you to feel smug because you know you didn't.
Shoes: Christian Louboutin Apostrophy black pump; there are, obviously, tons of black leather pumps in the universe at all price points, my recommendation for one that is more reasonably priced comes from Schutz, a Brazilian company that makes good quality shoes at a (relatively) affordable price.
Lips: Clinique Different Lipstick in Shy

Drumroll please, for these are the new black pumps. And lest you think I am made of greenbacks, not only did I agonize over buying these (or the runner-up pair), I rationalized for days after purchasing them, and then was rewarded by the universe with an unexpected check that pretty much took care of the cost (and since the Neiman Marcus near me didn't have my size and we had to order them AND there's no NM in my state, I didn't have to pay sales tax!). I do not buy a pair of full-priced shoes lightly. In fact, these are only the second pair of shoes (nice shoes) I have ever purchased full price. But classic black pumps don't really go on sale and I needed them. Badly. The women at the shoemaker's took a look at my old ones and told me, definitively, there was nothing to be done. I know I'm supposed to be talking about the sweater, and I'll get there, but I'll say another couple of things about the shoes. I had not been a fan of the designs of Christian Louboutin. I always thought they looked too Kardashian. A little cheap, a little too showy, a little everyone-mispronounces-the-name (looo-booo-tan (as in suntan), if you please). The red sole was a cute gimmick until everyone and her mother had a pair or a pair of knockoffs and then their ubiquity made them less cute. So how did I end up with a pair? These are ever so slightly different. For one, the heel is a bit shorter, the vamp a little less pronounced, the entire pair of shoes a little less stripper-y. Furthermore there's a really interesting detail where the red sole wraps slightly around onto the heel. I thought it was a really neat touch. I had one of each on my feet (the pair I bought and the Manolo Blahnik Para which I didn't) and asked a random passerby to judge (red sole unseen) and she (and the salesman helping me) both chose these. I think they will be appropriate and useful for the next 14 years I hope to own them. They've already been to the shoemaker who (see previous mention of ubiquity) was able to put a RED rubber sole on them, and today is their maiden voyage. So far, so comfortable.

Before we get to the sweater, I'd also like to take a brief moment to discuss the skirt. Reformation is a company out of California that buys up the mill ends of fabric from fashion houses and turns them into very limited edition clothing. Instead of the fabric getting thrown out, it becomes a limited run. I like the concept a lot. I like everything I've ever seen on the website a lot even as I recognize that their models are EVERYTHING I am not: very tall, very slim hipped, very small-enough busted and young enough to wear a button-down shirt without a bra and/or a backless dress. The clothing is also just a hair's breadth more expensive than I typically enjoy - especially when I have no experience with the brand and no opportunity to try anything on at a local store. However, when they have a final sale clearance where I can buy an oxblood leather skirt for 80 bucks, I figure it's a worthwhile experiment. And I could not be happier with my purchase. The skirt is EXTREMELY well made. It fits exactly as the website said it would (something that is absolutely critical for online-only shopping and something that, sadly, is not universal in either implementation or reliability), and the color is true to life. I'm really, really pleased. One thing to note is that the sizing is NOT vanity and very LA (i.e. if you are a size, say 8, you are about as big as Los Angeles thinks people should be).

Onto the sweater. I made this sweater because I bought the book it was in solely to make this sweater. I'm not even sure I looked at the other patterns in the book before purchasing. I just knew I needed this sweater. In grey. (And the model's hair, cut not color, but that isn't destined to be.) Much later, I was pleased I had purchased the book because it included the pattern for my Winter White and has many other patterns I might get around to one of these days. However it was for this sweater and this sweater alone that the not-inexpensive book was purchased. I thought this sweater was just as classy and sexy as could be and totally in my style wheelhouse. I couldn't be happier that I chose this colorway - it might be my favorite tosh grey - because it goes with so many things and allows the simple elegance of the pattern to take center stage. I do wish I had been ever so slightly less spastic about buttons, but I am not really competent when it comes to things in straight lines. C'est la vie. I do intend to make another at some point because much as I love this, it ain't perfect. The neck is too wide and I have to a) wear a strapless bra; b) push my bra straps to the side; or c) live with visible bra straps. I would also like to change how I did the wrists (and naturally the buttons), but all in all this is one of my favorite sweaters and, if I may digress, makes me really peeved that the Madewell jeans that were on my must-have fall/winter wishlist did not live up to expectations in person and now I am on the hunt for other skinny, high-waisted, deepest black jeans. Cause this sweater would also look awesome with them!

Urban Safari and The End of an Era

Sweater: Moody by Elena Nodel; madelinetosh 80/10/10 worsted MCN in dust bowl; my notes and modifications on Safari Moods
Dress: White House Black Market fit and flare black bandage dress; similar styles at Guess, House of Fraser, and of course if you want the original, Herve Leger
Belt: Madewell leopard belt; similar styles from J. Crew and Ralph Lauren
Shoes: Manolo Blahnik; the pair I almost bought to replace them and a more budget-friendly yet still quality pair by Schutz, you'll have to wait to see the ones I did buy...
Bracelet: Silver bangle from Tiny Sparkle Studio
Lips: Make Up For Ever Rouge Artist Natural in Aubergine N50 that I actually applied with my fingertip like the magazines say you should when you just want it to look like a stain - god, being a woman take a lot of effort

I was pretty positive I needed a leopard belt. The only belts I currently own are the polyurethane ones that accompany dresses I've bought and three of my mom's from the 70s. I haven't owned a belt of my own that was just a belt since high school. Don't ask me why, I don't have a good answer. So as part of The Adulting, I decided to intentionally buy a belt. And I love this belt, but it's been in the house over a month and hadn't been worn yet. Because it actually is a big deal for a gal like me to intentionally wear leopard. Also the belt was too big and didn't do that thing belts should do which is cinch the waist (the belt experienced a post-photography trip to the shoemaker and now fits). So how to style a leopard belt without going overboard? While leopard is a neutral, I firmly believe this, I thought I would start small and pair it with a simple black dress. But then I didn't feel like wearing a black blazer with my black dress, so I opened a tub of sweaters (for all interested parties, yes, I store my sweaters in huge plastic tubs from The Container Store - I've filled five of them; not the sweater boxes, the one called Jumbo Box! Nota bene: the majority of my shoes live in these same boxes, but the shoe sized ones) and decided to see if my Safari Moods sweater would do the trick.

The problem with this sweater is that I both love it AND I find it goes with nothing. It's got the big floppy, occasionally stand-up collar, the buttons that don't go all the way down, the short sleeves that are shorter than other short-sleeved things. It rarely makes it into the rotation even though I really like it (and worked on it when I personally went on safari so it's got good juju). Yet it works with this outfit. It's got a little of the leopard vibe without being over the top and the oversized collar contributes to the devil-may-care attitude of the outfit. And it's safari colored. I am a huge Out Of Africa nerd and go through phases where I want to look like original Banana Republic all the time, despite the fact that I live in a place that sees a distinct lack of impala and a distinct surfeit of ice and snow.



I am happy to give a shout out to Tiny Sparkle Studio on etsy who made the cool bangle and say it is the first, but by no means the last, purchase I make there. The bangle is light, simple, and perfectly my speed. I was really excited that it looked as good on my wrist as it did in the photo and at a really reasonable price. More bangles please!

And now the shoes.

Dear Manolo Blahnik Classic Black Pumps,

When you came into my life during the winter 2000 sale and I was so happy to have you, I never realized we would have so much time together, nor did I know how sad I would feel when it came time to retire you. Yes, I didn't treat you right all the time. I walked in rainstorms, on grass, and without hosiery; while I had you continuously reshod and heeled, I probably ought to have had you polished more than once a year. You went with everything and never objected to walking miles at a time. Though your heel could have been 1/2" higher like the camel pair that preceded you, you were the perfect black pump in a world where perfection is rare. I will admit that I asked the woman at the shoe place could she do anything for you, and I will spend the money to see what can be done, but your replacement has been purchased. At a high cost, both financially and emotionally, and we will no longer be to one another what we once were. You gave me 14 years of life, thereby justifying the idea of an investment shoe, and your successor has (dear god I can't believe I'm about to unironically say this) big shoes to fill. The new pumps are different. They're the naughty girl side of classic and I will likely wonder every time I wear them if that was the right decision, but it was time to move on, and so I shall, albeit much poorer than I was before you needed replacing. Fare thee well, oh shoes of mine, I shall not consign you to the garbage bin, but rather stick you in the top of the closet, a memorial to our collective lost youth.

With warmth and affection,

Yelena

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.

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!

Experiment x2

Sweater: Every Girl Sweater by Laura Zukaite; madelinetosh 80/10/10 fingering in fathom; my notes and modifications on "Jane Russell"
Skirt: Calvin Klein perforated leather skirt, similar or just as much fun styles at ASOS (on sale), Joseph, and just because it's outrageous, Proenza Schouler
Shoes: Giorgio Armani brown leather sandals, similar styles by Cole Haan and Diane von Furstenburg 
Lips: Buxom full-bodied lipstick in two-timer
Fingers: Butter London in Lady Muck (frankly wish it was a little summerier - my own fault for second guessing what would look good with my tan)
Toes: OPI A Roll in the Hague (might not change this color all summer long, I adore it)
Bracelet: Breil stainless steel, not at all like these also fashionable bangles

Story: There are some things I know to be true of other women my age - they style their hair and they wear jewelry. I typically do neither. It's something I aim for.

My husband bought me the earrings I wear for my 23rd birthday and it was really sweet because I spent my 23rd birthday in the hospital having a blissfully simple and majorly life-improving bit of health care. So my then-boyfriend, now-husband, bought me diamond studs. In the many years that have passed, he has asked me on numerous occasions would I enjoy an upgrade - bigger diamond studs - and I have always said no because the earrings were an indulgence for people just starting their adult lives and I value them far more for their meaning than their size (also do I really need big horking diamonds on my ears?). Other than that, I wear my rings: engagement and wedding. I've never been a jewelry person because I am so conscious of it on me. Necklaces itch my neck, bracelets and watches interfere with my arms, I just haven't ever loved being bejeweled. Furthermore, I have such simple taste when it comes to jewelry that it seems rather boring to, like today, add a simple silver bangle. But accessories are important so I can adapt.

The hair thing is a bigger mess. I am a) impatient, b) lazy, and c) the owner of less-than-perfect hair. My hair is thin, prone to unsexy frizziness, and limp on the best of blowout days (see: my wedding). I have been using Rogaine on the front of my head for over 2 years and it's still less robust than I would like it to be. I guess I could learn to tease it. See how I said, "I guess?" Implying I won't really. So I was very excited to try the notion of beachy waves. It's easy! Simply rough towel dry your hair, spritz with salt spray, and tousel. Well, we can be the co-judges of how that turns out. I think my hair just looks messy. True, I have been cutting my own bangs and that has not gone well, but I feel way less Gisele and way more Tina Fey making a joke about falling asleep with her head in a bowl of Cheetos. I will try to find other, low maintenance ways of having hair.




But let's talk about the sweater. I love this sweater. It's got a heavy Megan Draper vibe and looks great with skinny pants when I choose to wear skinny pants. I also love wearing it with my traffic-cone orange skirt as my original photos will prove out. I even like the strange length sleeves. Generally I like long sleeves, bracelet sleeves, or short sleeves, and nothing in between. I think the cutting the arm anywhere from bicep to wrist makes the arm look shorter and, therefore, less elegant, but I don't seem to mind these 3/4 length sleeves. The sweater does have an element of impracticality, namely it's wide neck, but I'd like to try to fix that perception of impracticality.

Yes, I pushed my bra straps to the side for the photos. However, this was done largely because I was appalled by how grimy the bra straps looked when I saw them in the mirror. Clearly I need to do a laundry. I don't, however, subscribe to the theory that bra straps should never ever be seen and you should be terribly embarrassed if they are seen. That is bollocks! I didn't believe it when I was a teenager and the issue started arising, and I certainly don't believe it now. I wear a bra. You know it, I know it, everyone knows it. You should be more concerned if you thought I wasn't wearing one. Strapless bras are never as practical as those with straps and I really shouldn't have to put one on in the day time when I'm not going to a wedding. The bra I selected today has a similar color blue to the sweater in it so that when the straps do show, they're complementary, not hot pink. So the straps don't become the focus of the outfit. The pearl clutching associated with visible brassiere-ness really gets my anger up. It implies that women should be embarrassed by having breasts and needing to put them somewhere. I hear women, awesome women, complain that they can't wear such-and-such a bra because it isn't seamless and someone might see the seam of their bras through their shirts. So. Effing. What? I'm not advocating that you wear sheer blouses with firetruck red bras to the office because that's not appropriate on any level - you wouldn't want your male coworkers wearing sheer shirts and red ties - but I am saying that you are entitled to calm down about the exposure of bra-related things. You wear a bra, we all know it, and the end of the world will not occur if we notice that you are wearing a bra. Please stress less. Stress causes wrinkles.

Or is that only something my grandmother said?