Found While Looking For Something Else

Sweater: Folded by Veera Välimäki; madelinetosh tosh merino light in stovepipe; my notes and modifications on Devil and Deep Blue
Skirt: Calvin Klein; similar styles from topshop, Versace, and Jones New York
Shoes: Tabitha Simmons; similar styles from Calvin Klein, L.A.M.B, and Manolo Blahnik
Lips: Dolce and Gabbana passion duo gloss fusion lipstick in Sensual

You know, I kind of like this sweater. I can't remember the last time I wore it, but it's kind of a shame since it's cute. Not the cutest I've made, but certainly cute enough. And in the tml, thin enough to tuck in. Something I've seen in the lady magazines I read. And I'm scowling not because I'm upset, but because the sun was really really bright. This was the least scowly squinty shot of the bunch. But more about the sweater: despite the fact that it's a raglan, the super wide neck ameliorates that somehow. I'd have to re-look at the pattern to determine if anything seriously special is going on, but I don't have that raglan-aversion thing when I see this pic.

The skirt is another closet find. It was my mom's and it is something I would never have bought for myself, but when I was looking at it determining whether to keep it or not, I told myself there was nothing either objectionable or awful about the skirt and that it might come in handy. Well this is the first time I've worn it, but I'd like to wear it again. It's a bit big in the waist which makes it hang funny, but this doesn't seem like something insoluble given a decent tailor. Note to self: find decent tailor.

As for the shoes, I cannot thank myself enough for this impulse buy. I love them. Despite a bit of pinky toe pinching. I cannot wait for warmer weather since they will go with nearly everything I own for summer. They are totally better than my other navy shoes which are sitting in the mailing box awaiting my getting in gear to send stuff off for consignment. Which segues nicely into a brief plug. I have been experiencing excellent success in buying gently used The Real Real, an online consignment shop. So when Emily asked me about it, I realized I had not plugged it at all, which I will start doing because I have been nothing but ecstatic with my purchases, including a needs-the-weather-to-be-a-little-warmer pair of brogue-inspired open-toed pumps that are adorable!

Not Quite Menswear Inspired

Sweater: Ease by Alicia Plummer; madelinetosh dk twist in duchess; my very few notes and modifications on In The Red
Skirt: J. Crew; similar styles by Joie, Brooks Brothers, and a different version from J. Crew
Shoes: Marc by Marc Jacobs; same boot with a smaller heel and other options from Leon Max and Proenza Schouler
Lips: Yves Saint Laurent Volupte tint-in-oil in Cherry My Cherie

Why yes, it is time for another haircut. That will be happening next Friday. In the meantime, it is taking all of my self-control not to absolutely destroy my shoe collection by wearing it in this winter. I've been relying on my casual boots for far too long, which is why despite a forecast that may briefly catch me out in these boots, I had to wear something prettier today. This is also the first day in quite a long time that I felt like doing my hair, so obviously that required memorializing.

There is a little bit of thought that goes into photo days. Do I have enough brain power to coordinate an outfit? I mean I am invariably running behind in the morning and throwing a dress over my head is the easy way out. Does this sweater match these shoes? This is an important one. It was enough of a mental hurdle to pair navy tights with the black and oxblood booties, but ad I worn the original sweater I had wanted, my West End Girl, it would have definitely been a bridge to far. And while my Carrie would have been perfect and perfectly uncomplicated with the rest of this outfit, I did just wear it. I might actually be boring in real life, but on the internet I can totally pretend I'm interesting. Thanks for enabling that.

So what I like about this outfit: I adore pinstripes. I wish I had a closet full of pinstriped things. I like pinstripes so much that I once bought palazzo pants in pinstripe. Ask me how many times I wore those? The answer is once. Remember Madonna's Jean Paul Gautier menswear moment? I kind of want that all the time in my closet (and just for the day, some straighter hips so that pants look amazing on me). So when I saw this pinstriped skirt on sale for about 30 bucks, I jumped on it. Since navy is a total neutral it looks great with all my sweaters, even the aforementioned hot pink one. As for booties, I feel as though the 2014-2015 winter has been all about booties for me. I never gave them much thought before, but I aquired two pair this year and have trotted out my old dark brown pair far more often than in previous years; I am on the lookout for a gently used pair of Celine booties from two seasons ago to round out the category.

And you know how I said I was cutting my hair? I still am, but for reasons passing understanding my hair has looked pretty good all day long. Which is a rarity. I have this one really good pic of my hair shorter from a couple of years ago and I am definitely bringing it to my hairdresser,

but I'm also strangely happy with its current length (the bangs obviously need trimming and by someone who isn't me - though in fairness they turned out way less terribly than I had feared). The only issue is the massive dry, gross split ends that make me think I should just shave my head and start from scratch #woecake.

50 Shade of I Can't Even

Sweater: Carrie by Josee Paquin; Quince & Co. Lark in Iceland; my notes and modifications on Thule
Skirt: Alice + Olivia Pharl leather skirt; similar styles from Vince, Halston Heritage, and if you're gonna go faux, go all the way faux with this PU patent from ASOS
Tights: I never talk tights because all tights are tights, but I love these ombre tights from BZR shop and own them in several shades - they're tons of fun
Shoes: Gucci Ursula horsebit booties; similar (and by similar, I mean black bootie) styles by Dune London, Sam Edelman, and Giuseppe Zanotti
Lips: Yves Saint Laurent Volupte tint-in-oil in Pink About Me

It has been really really cold and I have been really really disinclined to stand outside wrangling a tripod to take photos. Fortunately, my husband and I both had a spare couple of minutes this morning and took some photos. Which makes me happy because I've a) missed blogging and b) have tons of things to tell you about since I made a number of "essential" end-of-season sale purchases. Like this skirt. Which I had wanted all season long, had lusted over in person and on line, and absolutely was never going to pay anywhere near full price for. 70% off you say? Yes, thank you. I will take a fairly staple dark grey leather skirt for my closet. Thanks for keeping my size in stock all season long!

Jess asked me if I wear my Carrie a lot as she's considering making one, so naturally I had to photograph how I style it. This sweater, despite its raglans (which I am more and more becoming less and less a fan of), gets a lot of wear because it is a) really warm, b) the most perfect turtleneck I've ever made, c) really versatile, and d) surprisingly soft. It's one of my favorite winter sweaters and I'm wondering if the rather wide raglan seams make it slightly less raglan-y on me. Once I decided on grey skirt with grey sweater, it seemed only appropriate to round it out with my grey ombre tights and...

BRAND NEW BOOTS OF EXCELLENT AWESOMENESS MUCH WONDERFUL HOORAY!

aka the boots I simply had to have for values of "simply had to have" that did not include "paying $1200." I wouldn't have looked twice at these shoes ordinarily as on paper, or more accurately in photo, they didn't do much for me. But the nice man at Neiman Marcus, after assuring himself the commission from the sale of my Christian Louboutin pumps, was in a good "let's try on all the things" mood and forced these on my feet. Where I fell in love. Because on my feet they are amazing. Super duper, top 10 kind of amazing. They were super duper top 10 amazing right until the moment I looked at the box and saw the price tag. From that moment on, these shoes were my on sale mission. I would find them on sale. WOULD! Except that while Gucci put the oxblood version on sale (and I was tempted), as you can see, the black ones remain undiscounted. Neiman Marcus did put theirs on sale (not as much sale as I would like, but I was getting desperate), but not in any size I could remotely pretend was mine. I mean, I'll suffer for fashion, but in order for my tugboats to fit in an 8.5, I'd need to chop off my toes, and I kind of like my toes. So that was that. I wasn't getting the boots. Many tears were shed. Until the magic happened: ebay. One day, on a lark, I took a look for the boots on ebay and there was a pair, barely worn, in my size, for about 1/4 the retail price. The time it took me to hit "buy it now" can't be clocked by ordinary timepieces because it was, as the scienticians would say, instant.

And I couldn't be happier with them. They were barely worn. They were practically new. And they were mine.

Finally, I want to talk up the stuff on my lips. I'm pretty picky when it comes to lip stuff. I want creamy, emollient, and easy application. Which generally has me shy away from lip gloss because it's always grosser and stickier than they claim. I completely impulse bought this stuff even though it comes in what looks like a lip gloss tube. But it's a tinted oil. The applicator is tapered like a lipstick so you don't end up with crap all over your face, and it is incredibly moisturizing while imparting a decent enough amount of color. I am completely obsessed with it and am going to be getting at least one additional color this weekend. Highly recommended!

Pumpkin Smuggler

Sweater: Greenwood by Ann-Marie Jackson; Aran Tweed by Donegal in blood red; my notes and modifications on The Dolman Experiment
Skirt: J. Crew felted wool mini; I'm kind of obsessed with this Joa skirt but bought the dress instead, and if I think this MSGM skirt is pretty boss as well
Boots: Manolo Blahnik; so this is the time of year to buy your expensive black boots because everything is on sale. My argument for buying a pair is below, along with my list of pics
Lips: Clinique A Different Grape

If you're looking to make an investment in a pair of shoes that, treated right, will last a very very long time (the boots in this photo were bought in January, 2001), January is THE month to do it. Below are just a sampling of really nice boots that are really much cheaper than they're worth. If you have the funds and you have the desire, buy yourself a pair of black boots. If this isn't the year when it's in the cards for you, please remember that the latter half of January is when you'll find the best deals of the year. For those of us who do not need another pair of black boots, enjoy the eye candy:

Edgy - Emmanuel Ungaro
Classic chunky-heeled Jimmy Choo
Equestrian-style Tod's
Stretch suede with a relatively modest stiletto from Giuseppe Zanotti
Excellent value from Loeffler Randall
Square-toe from Acne

Now for sweater talk: I feel that this sweater requires a certain amount of confidence to wear because it is anything but figure flattering. In fact, it's figure obliterating. So if you're not feeling pretty excellent on the inside, do not put this sweater on. I chose to wear it today because it's frickin' freezing outside and because I feel decently enough excellent. Also the mini skirt is a good counter balance to remind people I am not smuggling prize pumpkins in my sweater. Having said all that, I really like this sweater. I loved knitting it side to side because you don't often do that; I love the yarn; I love the finished shape on me as a counterpoint to so many of my other sweaters. I named it "The Dolman Experiment" because I had no idea if I ought to get within a mile of this type of sweater, but I now wonder if I might now eventually make a lighter-weight one for warmer weather. It's very easy, breezy, and it's definitely style-defining.

Emergency Preparedness

Sweater: Telluride Aran by Amy Herzog; Black Trillium Fibre Studio Pebble Worsted in Moon Shadow; my notes and modifications on Last Run
Jeans: DL1961 Florence coated jean in Barcelona; similar styles by Topshop, Calvin Klein, and Treasure & Bond
Blazer: Forever 21 asymmetrical coat; another Forever 21 option, this from Urban Outfitters which I might buy at $40, and if you like the color, but not the length, Forever 21 has you covered too
Shoes: Mossimo for Target but I got mine on sale and you should wait for a sale too; then, of course, there's always the original Frye model
Lips: Korres mango butter lipstick in nude PLUS Bobbi Brown high shimmer lip gloss in Hot

So I hear we'll be getting some weather! My original plan was to head into the office early, work there a half day, grab my computer, and head home before the worst. Since I was also mindful of the possibility of perhaps being stranded in my car or needing to be in the elements, I scrapped pencil skirts and stilettos in favor of -gasp- pants. I don't generally wear pants to the office, not out of any abhorrence of pants, but because I don't think I look as professional in pants as I do in a skirt, primarily due to body shape. Trust me, I would be over the moon if I could rock a pantsuit, but I can't because I'm hippy. So I chose the coated jeans as being "dressier" than regular jeans, went with a monochromatic top (also a raveler recently asked me a question about this sweater and I realized I hadn't worn it in a while despite loving it), and then still wanted something that would cover up the fashionable tightness of the pants across my rear. This Forever 21 blazer was featured on some fashion blog, or I saw it on pinterest, or something, and I impulse bought it (which is pretty easy to do at Forever 21 since everything is cheap). When it arrived, I wasn't crazy about it, but that was because I was trying to wear it closed (where it looks ridiculous). Open, however, is a different story and I actually like that it's a bit different both from my general palette and from my very tailored fit. It works equally well over a dress. I also barely did my hair (but as you can see this magic hair stuff makes it possible for me to not blow dry AND not look homeless - it's amazing), put on a minimum of makeup (pressed powder, bronzer, blush, lips (I just curled my lashes but didn't mascara them)), and decided to brave the roads.

And at first they weren't bad at all and I felt silly for my trepidation. Then, however, at about the halfway mark, I noticed that the problem for the moment wasn't snow, it was wind. The wind was already picking up enough to both blow the weekend's snow around, but it was also approaching the strength where it jiggles the car. I decided that I would chicken out at that moment: go to the office, pick up my laptop, and return home. There was no virtue, to my mind, in waiting around for several hours and possibly getting stuck indefinitely because my lovely front-wheel drive sedan is not cut out for blizzard driving.

So now I'm back at home with a cup of peppermint tea, a working and charging laptop, and for the time being electricity. Who knows how long that will last, but I thought a "business casual" post would be fun. To everyone affected by this round of winter nonsense: stay warm, stay safe, and let's all catch up on some knitting!

Same Same But Different

Sweater: Josefin by Elin Berglund; madelinetosh sport in moorland; my notes and modifications on Wood Nymph
Skirt: Alice + Olivia olive suede pleated skirt; similar styles and/or colors by Halston Heritage, Belstaff which I am deeply coveting, Torn by Ronny Kobo on final sale, and Rebecca Minkoff
Blazer: Jack Wills Austerberry blazer (very on sale!); similar styles at Ralph Lauren and Loft
Shoes: Maiden Lane leopard calf hair pumps; similar styles by Charles Jourdan, Oscar de la Renta, and Dune London
Lips: Marc Jacobs Lovemarc Lip Gel in Showstopper

Perhaps it's that I fell asleep reading my new copy of Knitsonik Stranded Colorwork Sourcebook, but I woke up with a desire to wear many similar, yet different things to see how they worked together. I've also been meaning to wear this sweater for several weeks now - I really like it and it really doesn't get worn a lot. In light of my massive sweater clean out, I figure I should wear the sweaters I love! Sorry, raglans, many of you are going to go live with other people (it's funny, though, because I have a design idea that is really going to work better with a raglan sleeve and I have to come to terms with the fact I might not be the eventual model - I smell something for a certain Vanessa...). I love love love this Alice + Olivia skirt - so much that I own it in another color. Sadly, there is something faulty with the zipper which I am pretty certain my shoemaker didn't actually fix when I brought it to him leading me to believe it is time -sigh- to find another shoemaker. Eff you, suburbs, you are absolutely the worst for finding remotely decent dry cleaning, tailoring, and shoe repair; three things I find only second in importance to grocery stores which I will grudgingly admit Greenwich spoils me for choice (though the new Citarella could open already, I am tired of waiting).

It's been a post-holiday season of shopping and returning and not-shopping. One thing I have not shopped for, but urge you to shop for, is this blazer. I own it in four colors. That is not a joke. Perhaps this was a mistake, but I love them and I find them stylized without being over the top. I have also not shopped for an upgrade to these shoes. A couple pair of the high-end leopard shoes went on sale and sold out and I didn't consider them. These cheap shoes are totally not bad. I'm glad I didn't spend over $100 for them, but they're absolutely fine. And I would certainly consider another pair from Gilt at a similarly not over $100 price. Especially for something a little silly like leopard pumps.

Finally, something weird has happened to my skin, in that when I bought this lipstick, I liked it for half a minute and then hated it. Now I love it. I don't know if I'm applying it with a lighter hand, or if the color of my skin is different, but I don't feel like a juggalo when wearing it and that is ALWAYS a good thing.

Oh, and while I did go to VKLive this weekend, obviously I took no pictures because I am terrible and because I seem to have terrible handshake with the cameraphone that just makes me feel old (also I really, truly thought that handshake would go away when smoking went away - add that to the list of things quitting smoking was supposed to accomplish but didn't - thank goodness I love all this extra weight to keep me warm).

Other Things I'm Not Good At

Sweater: owls by Kate Davies; malabrigo chunky in polvoriento; my notes and modifications onf Tee-hee Hooters
Dress: Brooks Brothers blackwatch plaid shirtdress (still available in sizes 8 and 12); similar styles at The Gap, Forever 21, and Ralph Lauren (and boy do I love it styled with that leather jacket)
Shoes: Prada green leather loafers (seriously these are an amazing deal for the lady with the size 8.5 foot); similar styles by Chie Mihara (love that heel), Tory Burch, and Sonia Rykiel
Lips: Marc Jacobs Lovemarc Lip Gel in Showstopper (I've been really into this color this winter)

I was already late getting out of the house this morning. It's cold and I knew the shirtdress alone wasn't going to cut it. I know, I said, I'll do that adorable thing where you put the sweater over the dress with the collar sticking out. You know, this. Here are the sweaters I attempted to make work: Harrogate, the above referenced Chuck, Happy, Josefin, and then I went to cardigans, Aidez, Darling Emma, Moody, before deciding that my Owls sweater was the least crappy. I do not know why this look does not work on me. The problems are manifold: the collar never stays in place and the dress or shirt underneath constantly rides up with basic movement; often the back of the collar gets swallowed by the back of the sweater; the shoulders never fit right and there's either too much or too little room in the armpits; the length is never right and it looks as though I just didn't care enough to get dressed like a grownup. This is really really sad for me because I would love to rock this look. Layering is cool as well as really smart for crappy weather, but any time I have ever tried any from of layering, I just feel as though I would have looked better had I not tried so hard.

On the other hand, I've really embraced the shirtdress this year. I think I've purchased 5 in the past 18 months having not had one at all since the 8th grade. Some of them are, as my husband will tell you, too short to be worn, but he's kind of conservative and it's why god invented opaque tights. This one from Brooks Brothers was an especial coup as it had been so popular they had to do a second run and I still waited for it to go on sale (please don't ask me why I thought $98 was too much for this rather well made dress, but I did, and I persevered). Blackwatch is likely my favorite of the plaids and while there was an AMAZING Ralph Lauren silk chiffon blackwatch plaid dress with a peter pan collar that I was very smitten with, it was much more expensive and it sold out before I had a chance to nab a sale one. I like the shirtdress because it is the very definition of a double duty piece (do you ever notice a trend with me?). I originally had this dress on with my Frye boots in brown when, of all people, my husband said it would be better with either Mary Janes or loafers. So, I kid you not, I tried on two colors of Mary Janes (both not quite right according to the mister) and then these loafers, before considering the outfit done.

I'm wondering now if I'm one of those people they make the afterthought collar necklaces for: all the fun of a visible collar, none of the constant readjusting.

Take Your Breton To Work Day

Sweater: Better Breton by me; wollmeise dk in natur and admiral
Skirt: J. Crew; similar styles at ASOSs, H&M, and bcbg
Shoes: Tabitha Simmons Lou leather pumps and there are a couple sizes left in this amazing sale; similar styles by Kate Spade and Sam Edelman
Lips: Marc Jacobs Lovemarc Lip Gel in Showstopper

In light of my full-on sadface vis a vis the Grandpa Cardigan, I wanted to use a counter example to show why my sweaters need to perform double duty. Monday through Firday I work in an office. It's not overly formal, in fact I think I am dressed far more formally than many of my coworkers, but chalk it up to a conservative upbringing when it comes to comportment (on all other things, I am pretty sure my upbringing was pretty standard commie, pinko, UES, ACLU, NYT, ADL); Saturday and Sunday I am either not leaving my house except for groceries, or out seeing friends, maybe going out to dinner. And if I'm sitting in my house with no one but my husband to see me, I don't really need a wardrobe for that. Which is why my wardrobe is predominantly business casual. I have recently been adding to my jeans collection (thank you, sales), but when I think about knitting a sweater, I always think about how it will look at work and on line at the Whole Foods - because I am very vain and need to make sure the other insufferable yuppies aren't judging me on my clothing choices while I judge them on their carts full of frozen organic meals.

But where does a Breton-style sweater fit into that? It is a decidedly casual piece and is evocative of people not at work: people at cafes in France on vacation, drinking strong coffee and smoking strong cigarettes, and definitely unconcerned with formal dress. Yet it's also a navy and white sweater and navy and white are perfectly lovely, boring work colors. Ask me how I know.

I originally paired the sweater with a highly patriotic red skirt and while I wasn't turned off by the Happy 4th of July-ness of it all, the skirt is too big by a fair bit and looks sloppy when it hangs on my hips instead of on my waist, and it also made it a bit too long on my legs. So out comes the old faithful J Crew chartreuse mini, the navy tights, and the brand spanking new navy pumps. This last choice was probably a poor one as the amount of salt dumped in my office parking lot is dangerous to all but the most LL Bean-ish of footwear. I almost went with a navy blazer as well, but I thought that might be a) overkill and b) ill-fitting - this sweater is a bit too ease-y to happily live beneath a tailored blazer.

Red lips were an easy choice.

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.

Looking Ahead, Part 1

Here's why it's been quiet:
1. Thanksgiving vacation - it could have been better though I am tan
2. SICK AS A DOG
3. Sweater outfit photographed (on only day last week I didn't look full on ebola-ridden), but designer hasn't released it yet so no looksies

However, with the year about to end, I can start ruminating on next year and the outfits that will be.

I will be finishing my neon cabled sweater design today, barring something unexpected. For those who don't know it will be this color pink

with an allover cable pattern. In a perfect world, this weekend will have a day where photos can be taken because I have plans for shots with my super flared distressed Alice + Olivia jeans

and with a mini skirt and these soon-to-be-arriving second-hand Manolo Blahnik

silver boots.

When that has been dealt with, I will immediately cast on Linda Marving's Cable Round Sweater

which I hope to bang out before the January 2 deadline. I'll be using some Plucky Trusty in In The Navy. On that topic, I'd like to inform people that Paypal has recently extended their dispute window to 180 days. Since the shipping times for orders from The Plucky Knitter traditionally skirted the 45-day window for disputes, I was extremely wary, on principle, of purchasing from the pre-order updates; now I can feel a little better about participating, which I did, on Friday, by grabbing 2 SQs and a single skein for a hat. I haven't decided how I will initially style the sweater yet, though I do have a vintage skirt that might do nicely.

Then, remember this woman?

Well my interpretation of this sweater is also OTN as we speak in the ridiculous Astral Bath Spectra DK (which I adore and am so ecstatic I have a custom SQ on order). This sweater will, eventually, go with everything I own, but I am particularly eager to wear it with my Reformation Calico skirt

and possibly booties. I'm crazy like that.

That should more than round out 2014. We'll talk about 2015 later.

It's Frickin Freezing, Mr. Bigglesworth

Sweater: Orchard Pullover by Nicole Montgomery; Bartlettyarns Glen Tweed in granite; my notes and modifications on Pink Lady
Skirt: bcbgeneration; similar styles at Club Monaco and by Joa
Socks: Delicious Knee Socks by Laura Chau, expertly knit by AJ aka glacierflame
Shoes: Manolo Blahnik boots; still kinda bummed by this year's classic black stiletto boot selection, however, if these go on more sale (say total price in the $300 neighborhood), I would feel good recommending them
Gloves: Cashmere-lined leather from a shop in Florence; buy a pair; heck, buy three Lips: Korres mango butter lipstick in nude PLUS Bobbi Brown high shimmer lip gloss in Hot

I was feeling pretty good on the drive to work. I had finally figured out that iTunes is so effing stupid that even though I definitely own the music and it's on my external hard drive (and has been synced to iTunes previously), iTunes doesn't believe I still own it once the external hard drive is turned off, so in order to get to that music, on goes the drive, transfer goes the iTunes, music goes to me. This allowed me to be cruising down the highway with Joe Cocker playing. Loudly. This was making me really happy until I saw the life I really wanted in the lane next to me. There was a simply gorgeous vintage Mercedes SL red convertible (top up, obviously) cruising along having a grand old time, and I realized that what I really wanted was to be listening to Joe Cocker in that car. I hope to all the gods in all the worlds that the man driving the car that should be mine wasn't listening to Miley Cyrus.

While I shouldn't be complaining about the cold as I will, personally, be temporarily unaffected by it starting Sunday when we travel to warmer climes to celebrate a traditional Thanksgiving of walking on the beach, sipping daiquiris, and taunting the residents of underwaterland, I still hate the cold and BEG of the world's lovely warm locales to get something approximating a non-tourism economy and a Whole Foods so that I can move to you. The strange thing about this winter when compared with all the previous ones, is that I will actually spend very little of it outside. My garage is attached, I drive to and from work, and the only mandatory daily outside is the 50 yard walk from my car to the front door of my office. So I feel as though I will experience winter a bit differently this year. Which doesn't make me hate it less. Especially as no matter what, my toes always get cold. I don't know if you can really see the socks in the photo (it's dark out there), but they are delightful and come well over my knees and I am wearing them over socks and under boots and have been in my office now for 45 minutes...and my toes are still cold.

This yarn comes from Rhinebeck 2013 and while it is a touch itchy and I am unusually wearing a t-shirt under the sweater, it is definitely warm. Which is why I definitely bought more yarn from this company Rhinebeck 2014 (though I got their sportweight this year). While I think the cabled cuffs are pretty cool on the sweater, they are also a touch impractical because they make the arm opening amply large enough for cold air to blow in; however, the turtleneck permits no such incursions. Which owns. I don't know why more people haven't made this sweater as the cables are really nice and it's really really winter appropriate. With a couple of tweaks, this is a pretty perfect winter sweater. Go forth and knit!

If You Have To Dry The Dishes...

Sweater: Nora Sweater by Linda Marveng; Polo & Co Masgot Fine in gres; my notes and modifications on "Distaff"
Skirt: J. Crew; similar styles by Line and Dot, Joseph, and if you're one of the sizes left, on supersale at ASOS
Shoes: Manolo Blahnik Carolyne; similar styles by bcbgmaxazria and Brooks Brothers
Lips: Marc Jacobs Lovemarc Lip Gel in Showstopper

"If you have to dry the dishes
(Such an awful boring chore)
If you have to dry the dishes
('Stead of going to the store)
If you have to dry the dishes
And you drop one on the floor
Maybe they won't let you
Dry the dishes anymore"

This is what happens when it's 8:10 in the morning and I ask my husband to shoot a couple of photos. Now some would say that it's love: the man adores me even when I give him the double finger and stick my tongue out, but in reviewing the 20 or so completely unusable shots, I think it's more a case of dropping dishes on the floor.

Over on the Yarniacs board on ravelry, there has recently been some discussion of how many sweaters people have knit and if there is a limit to how many one can reasonably keep track of in one's wardrobe. I have a frightening number of sweaters, but every so often I reevaluate their utility in my wardrobe. Maybe my taste has changed, maybe something that didn't bother me at first, now bothers me, maybe I've decided I can't really wear a certain color, or maybe I just look at a sweater, realize it doesn't get enough wear as it ought to, and consign it to the outgoing pile. This morning I was all set to wear a different sweater. I tried it on, it went well with the skirt, but something about the neck wasn't right and I knew it was going to bother me. My helpful husband said it looked like I was wearing it backwards (I wasn't) but I tried it on backwards just to see. Nope, something about me and the sweater no longer clicked. I generally throw them up on ravelry for sale for the cost of the yarn, because clearing out my closets in that way assuages potential guilt over new yarn purchases. It also allows me to look at sweaters like the one I ended up wearing and identifying what it is I like about them.

I like this sweater because it is both really busy and yet really refined. The combination of the light fingering yarn and the neutral color make the complex design work in my wardrobe. If I had knit this in red, a color I adore, it wouldn't have been the same. For a piece like this to end up in my rotation, it had to be a neutral, and I really love it. As you can see, I did very little other styling - everything else is simple so that the sweater can steal the show. I wore a similar outfit yesterday with a navy skirt, nude shoes, and a pink cabled sweater with a peplum - I'll wear it again before sweater season is over and get a photo for you.

The eagle-eyed among you will notice something unusual about the outfit in the footwear department: these shoes seem rather sedate for me. You're not wrong. This style, the Carolyne, has been around for years and I would never have considered buying a pair (I thought them a little dowdy); however, when one finds a pair on ebay for 1/10 the retail price and in one's size, well, it seems somehow wrong not to at least give them a try. And you know what? They're ok. They're not my favorites, but they are such a staple and as soon as the shoemaker fixes the tension on the slingback (when you have a foot as large as mine, shoe manufacturers also seem to believe you have barrels for ankles and make the straps WAY WAY WAY too big), they will get tons more wear. And one day, I might want to rock the dowdy look...

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!

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.

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!

Hair Emergency

Sweater: Cora by Andrea Black; wollmeise dk in Vamp; my notes and modifications (very few) on Jessica Rabbit
Skirt: Hilfiger suede skirt; similar styles by Ralph Lauren and (totally worth a visit to the store at this price) H&M
Shoes: Manolo Blahnik camel pumps; similar styles in suede by Gucci, in leather by Kate Spade, and in d'Orsay by Marciano
Lips: Dolce and Gabbana passion duo gloss fusion lipstick in Sensual

I no longer work in Manhattan. My hairdresser is a) in Manhattan and b) an Orthodox Jew who doesn't work on Saturdays. While both my office and my home are accessible by commuter train, it's not the same commuter train. To stop boring you as quickly as possible, what this means is that I can't get my haircut on a weekday without taking at least a half day off of work. As a result, this is what my hair looks like (coincidentally, as I was looking at my project page, I had similar hair problems then and also solved them with a flat iron). I promise I am really going to try to see him this Sunday even though I feel really strange about asking my hairdresser to work on a day he ordinarily doesn't work. Perhaps paying in cash will assuage all my guilt feelings. Now I know that many of you are looking at me like this is yet another high maintenance thing because it's not as though there's only one hairdresser in the history of the world, and you are just a tiny bit correct. But only a tiny bit. Laurent has cut my hair since my first haircut. In the intervening years, only one person other than Laurent has cut my hair. It was freshman year of high school and I went to Dramatics and I never went again. Laurent is kind of like family. In that he is like family and has shared in our triumphs and tragedies since my father first started seeing him in 1974. Oh, sorry, Laurent cuts the rest of my family's hair as well. So while I know how dreadful and severe my hair looks right now, flat ironing it today means I can forget about styling it for the rest of the week (those at-home keratin-esque treatments actually work quite well) while I find a way to ask a favor of a friend. Knowing my luck there's either a) some obscure Jewish holiday on Sunday that not even my comprehensive upbringing included, or b) he has a hot date on Sunday.

I go back and forth on this sweater. In the pro column is the amazing color. Also in the pro column is the beautiful cable design. In the con column are the raglan sleeves and slightly high, flat neck. The more I look at myself in raglan sweaters, the less I like them. I already have a formidable shoulder profile and I find raglans accentuate that. Not in a dear-god-madam-what-are-you-wearing way, but in a way that reminds me how much better I think I look in set-in sleeves. Since I'm coming off a week of not feeling well which, for me, goes hand in hand with a bizarre combination of self- pities and flagellations, I would like to also mention that my front green area looks homeless, the hair on the top of my head looks especially thin and balding, my nails aren't painted, this photograph is terribly dark, and dear god my yardish area looks homeless. What kind of person doesn't clean up her tomato stakes FROM SUMMER 2013?!? On the plus side, I can guarantee that those stockings are clean as I finally (again, I am kind of a colossal failure at being an adult) got the magicians at Amazon to bring me lingerie bags so I could launder all my hosiery in the handwash cycle of my washing machine.

Reading over this, it's possible I have a case of the Mondays.

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.

Help Wanted

Sweater: Girl on Fire by Mary Annarella; Astral Bath Yarns Spectra DK in Rum, Sodomy, and the Lash; my notes and modifications on Scuttlebutt
Skirt: Boden wool a-line skirt, same style in cotton, similar style from The Gap, and wool pencil skirts abound at pretty much every store I looked at
Shoes: Manolo Blahnik; similar styles range from the pricey Jimmy Choo, to the moderate Pour La Victoire, to the very much on sale AK Anne Klein
Lips: Marc Jacobs Lovemarc Lip Gel in Showstopper

So first can we all just agree to ignore how blurry this photo is? Mary's lovely design barely shows up, but exactly 0% of the photos I shot this morning weren't blurry and I needed to get out the door - something I will have to take a look at since I have recently switched to my prime lens so that I can get crisper shots.

I'm sure you can agree that there's something missing from this outfit. It's kind of dull. Part of that is the fault of the wearer who, rather uncreatively matched her shoes to her sweater, but part of it is also the less fleeting problem which is that the wearer can't accessorize worth poop. I know that this outfit needs a something, I just don't know what that something is. And I'll explain my thought process so that you can help me better:

The neckline is a bit unique and lovely, therefore I feel like a necklace would detract.
Ditto a scarf.
The sleeves are long which, in my mind, makes the idea of a bracelet kind of silly.
Ditto a watch, were I to a) own a watch other than this one (ok, that's crazypants. I just went to go find my watch which I admittedly received as an 18th birthday present/graduation present from my best friend, but which I was sure was timeless enough to still be in the Tiffany & Co. collection. Nope. In fact there isn't a watch within nearly $2000 of what this watch cost available at Tiffany's anymore. If you want a Tiffany watch (which I assure you, you do not, the ones on the website are kind of uniformly hideous), you are going to be out $2350 - it's a small gold rimmed circular face with a black leather band) and b) have batteries in that watch
I really don't wear earrings other than my studs.
A hat?
A boa?
A fascinator?

This is what runs through my head as I am lamenting my crappy hair and inability to evenly color within the lines of my own lips in the morning. I always feared being ungapatchka.

What's that, you say, you don't know what ungaptachka means? Let's start with pronunciation, or at least what passes for such in the telephone-like atmosphere of Jews 94 generations removed from anyone who actually spoke Yiddish: ooong-gah-potch-ka. Kind of like ooogachaka from Hooked on a Feeling. Same number of syllables too. Try getting that out of your head. Whatever ungapatchka once meant, it was transmitted to me as the condition before Coco Chanel takes off the last thing before leaving the house multiplied by 10. It's being too busy, style-wise. Like, for example, your Miami Beach grandmother who jingles when she walks because she has enough coral bangles to sink a small fishing vessel dangling off her desiccated (from tanning) arm. Ah, memories.

Now that you know a new Yiddish word, I can explain to you that I went in the entirely opposite direction when it came to accessorizing. If less was more, than none was best. Obviously this isn't actually true. But then I go and do a google image search of Angelina Jolie, whose style I both admire and covet (also her hair), and she almost never wears jewelry either, save some earrings with a slight dangle (and believe you me now I'm going to be searching for those and perhaps not wearing my studs every day). So I'll take suggestions, links, commiseration. Because I feel like I look really boring today.

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!

Lalalalalala I Can't Hear You

Sweater: Chuck by Andi Satterlund; Western Sky Knits willow worsted in Quarry; my notes and modifications on All-Star
Dress: Lilly Pulitzer Blossom dress in yellow seersucker; similar styles available at Zappos and at this person's ebay store (I own the blossom dress in pink and yellow seersucker as well as in the blue silk organza - I love this dress)
Shoes: Giorgio Armani brown leather sandals, similar styles by Givenchy and Jeffrey Campbell
Lips: Dolce and Gabbana passion duo gloss fusion lipstick in Sensual
Toes: OPI A Roll in the Hague

It's not cold out. No. It's, um, cold in my office (it is, actually, really cold in my office).

In honor of the temperatures being uncooperative, I have decided to flout all convention and good taste and wear a decidedly summer seersucker (strapless) dress with a wool worsted weight cropped cable pullover AND strappy sandals. Take that, summer (and the calendar tells me it is still summer)! The dress is amazing. I bought it for my fake wedding (that would be the just-the-two-of-us moment at the place we had planned to elope before we discovered no one wanted to come elope with us) and it was perfect for that and perfect for so many other things. So perfect, in fact, that as referenced above, I have purchased it two additional times. It fits great, flatters tremendously, and is fun (something my wardrobe used to be sadly lacking). You know what else is fun? This cropped sweater. Do I wear cropped sweaters a lot? No. Should I wear cropped sweaters a lot? No. I am neither teenager nor twenty-something and the only work I do on my abs is rewarding them with cake. But I love this sweater and need to find more ways to make it acceptable clothing. So: this silly experiment. Much as I love to knit, I'm rather anti-cold weather. And by rather, I mean extremely. I love the wardrobe: fur hats, chunky cables, leather, boots, etc. but I do not like being cold. I don't like the dry air, the frigid toes and fingers, the muted sun - it all sucks. Which is why when the air was chilly this morning, I needed to rebel in the most you-can't-wear-that-after-labor-day way I could.

But I'd also like to talk about this yarn. Kim of Western Sky Knits makes beautiful yarn that I have been fortunate enough to knit with on several occasions (and plan to knit with on many more). While she has some very loyal customers who use brightly colored rainbow yarn for...something...she also dyes colors like this one, Quarry, and Barnwood which I made my Cheyenne out of. I also made and then frogged a cardigan out of her Winter Wheat and am trying to find the perfect pattern to reuse the yarn for. In short, she has a way with what I can only call nature colors. And I love them. I also love her excellent customer service and that she's a really lovely woman. Seriously: try this yarn!

And while I think I've said as much as can be said about this slightly ridiculous getup, I will renew my enthusiasm for the orange toe. I had been in navy for a couple of weeks, which I also loved, but knowing that this would likely be the last pedicure with a summer color I'd get until the next tropical vacation (which might come up sooner than anticipated), I happily painted them orange again. Summer I feel I barely knew you (and may have overcompensated by buying ALL the clamshells of greengage plums at Whole Foods yesterday), but you gave me these orange toes, and for that I thank you.