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.