Cuffs and Conversation

Draft:

Earlier Drafts:

I have worn these jeans with boots for comfort and to show off the length of my legs.
I debuted these wedges last week during the black-out and wore them again with an easy cotton jersey outfit.

Composition:
pewter disc earrings (Charlotte Russe)
blue "boyfriend" cardigan (Gap)
white cami (Old Navy)
dark wash skinnies (American Eagle)
white canvas wedges (Mia)

Usage:
I submitted my final paper of the Spring semester almost exactly a month ago, but I'm still trying to get used to this elusive thing we call "free time."  I promised myself and my professors that I'd give myself a little bit of a mental break this summer, so though I've been doing some reading at a leisurely pace, I haven't been devoting a whole lot of attention to my academic pursuits.  I'm still working at my office job through the end of July, but I only work there 20 hours a week, so I'm home from work on Mondays and Wednesdays.  It's great, and I feel fully rested, but to be completely honest, I hardly know what to do with myself.  I'm used to being the queen of the to-do list.

As part of my ongoing project to learn how to relax, Anne-Marie and I finally arranged to meet up for lunch at a popular neighborhood in the city.  It wasn't the closest spot between our two houses.  It wasn't beautiful weather.  We didn't have a specific time by which we had to leave.  We didn't have a plan for a restaurant at which to meet.  It was perfectly impractical!  Our friendship has largely been defined by carving out time to talk amidst looming deadlines, so it was fun to get together to eat, chat, and wander outside those constraints.  We even found, in one shop, a "not to-do list" on which to write all the things one is not going to accomplish that day!  (Should have bought it.)

I also used this outing as part of my ongoing project to learn how to put together casually chic ensembles.  Since it was cooler, I was excited to pull my skinnies and this thin knit "boyfriend" sweater back out of the closet.  When I purchased the sweater early in the spring, I wore it fairly frequently because I love the color.  But the mild weather gave me a genius idea: I could cuff up the sleeves and wear it elbow length!  I would have photographed the sweater with the sleeves down to show you how much better it looks cuffed, but it takes a lot of work to make cuffs look effortlessly folded!  Believe me when I tell you, though, that the slouchy fit, the pockets, and the length of this sweater look way better with cuffed sleeves than with long sleeves.  Though it would have made my legs look longer to leave the jeans uncuffed, I decided to cuff them as well.  I like how the cuff on the jeans "goes" with the cuffed sleeves, and I also like how the jean cuff introduces a third shade of blue to the look.

I'm used to dressing up to perform professionalism, and I definitely noticed that the easy, relaxed perfection I felt in this look really helped set the tone for my easy, relaxed outing with Anne-Marie.  I hope I continue to find success in my attempts to use clothing to help me separate this summer break from my regularly scheduled program.  I hope you're all enjoying an easy, relaxed weekend!

Prompts:

• If you had a whole day off from your regular responsibilities, what would you do with it?
• Academics, what are some strategies you've found useful in making the transition from in-semester rigor to out-of-semester relaxation?  (Yes, I realize I'm asking you to help me strategize my relaxation.  You can't take the academic out of the girl entirely, I guess.)
• Any suggestions for my next attempt at casual dressing?

Road Trippin' Wear

Draft:

Previous Drafts:
These are my new favorite shoes.  I wore them here and here.  And a few days in between.

Composition:
plaid button-down (Target)
khaki shorts (Lulu's)
wedge heels (RJ Girl via Piperlime)
aviator sunglasses (Fells Point Surf Co.)

Usage:
This weekend I'm taking my first ever couples road trip with a girlfriend and her husband.  Have you ever vacationed with other couples?  I'm excited to travel together, and I'm especially thrilled to traipse around our quaint New England destinations (details to come!).

For our first day on the road, I'm keeping my outfit simple: shorts, button-down, and wedge heels.  Typically I'm not a short-shorts kind of girl, but I've committed to a more intense running regimen this summer, so I'm feeling bold.

I'm also happy to revive this plaid top, which I haven't worn in years.  The cap sleeves are newly adorable to me, as is the cinched waist.  They add interest and make this shirt a little special, I think.

Happy weekending!

Prompts:

• Are you road trippin' this summer?  Tell me about your outfit (and traveling) plans!
• If you wear shorts, which lengths and cuts do you prefer? 
• If you don't wear shorts, why not?  Maybe we can commiserate?  Therapy-ize each other?

Wedding Fashion: Rehearsal Dinner

Draft:

Composition:
yellow and pink beaded dress (Catherine Malandrino)
black belt (Macy's)
black sandals (DSW)

Usage:
(Note: I'm traveling between June 16 and June 28, so I won't be commenting or responding to anything until I return.)

This past weekend my oldest friend, who I've known for 20 years, got married in an absolutely gorgeous wedding at which I was honored to serve as a bridesmaid.  The ceremony was beautiful and so touching, and the reception was a blast - one of the best times I've had all year.  But I'm getting ahead of myself.  Before the wedding, there's the rehearsal, to avoid confusion and panic (especially for me, the wedding illiterate bridesmaid) on the big day, and the rehearsal dinner.  For these events, I wore this dress. 

I adore Catherine Malandrino - her clothes are feminine, classy, and always have little flirty, sassy touches that set them apart.  I drool over her fashion but rarely get to experience it firsthand.  I'm lucky enough to own two of her pieces: this skirt, which I received as a Christmas gift, and this dress.  I got it awhile ago at a Nordstrom's, marked down from $500 to $150.  I haven't had an event to wear it to until now.

I very rarely wear yellow, but I like this festive, bright yellow and pink color combination.  The beading of the dress at the neckline gives it built-in bling.  Truth be told, I'm not completely thrilled with the way I styled this dress.  With all the color, I thought a black belt would look good, bringing out the black hints in the dress, and paired with the understated black sandals, the dress could really sing.  I think it looks ok but not great.  I wanted a pink belt, but I didn't have one/couldn't find one that looked good with the dress.  Next time, I'd like to try it with pink heels and a pink belt to really embrace the color.  Or would that be overkill?

Prompts:

• What suggestions do you have for styling this dress in the future?
• What do you wear to rehearsal dinners or other wedding related parties?

Jean Scene

Draft:

Earlier Drafts:
I wore this linen cropped jacket during my last graduate school exam.
These wedges sustained me through my first week of job-hunting.
I carried this bag with a classic jean jacket.

Composition:
linen cropped jacket (Gap via my sister's closet)
brown jersey-knit tee (no tag, likely thrifted)
boyfriend jeans (Gap)
wedge heels (RJ Girl via Piperlime)
bag (Marshalls)

Usage:
Lately I'm obsessed with jean everything.  Something about the near-90 degree weather makes me want to wrap myself in a stiff pair of Levis.  You should see me in the morning.  I'm like Gollom chanting "My preciousss" before my closet, throwing on nearly every jeaned item I own, coat-rack style.  Yesterday, after espying my veritable three piece suit - I kid you not: pants, vest, jacket of acid-washed medley - my husband gently coaxed me into "paring down the ensemble."  I kept the pants.  Why did I keep the pants?  My legs were producing more moisture per minute than our backyard sprinkler.  I can't figure out why I've timed my fascination so irrationally.  In these climbing temperatures, I should crave skirts, sundresses, and breathable fabrics.  And iced beverages.  I'm almost positive I'm the only one still ordering hot coffee at Dunkin Donuts.  The cashier asked me twice to verify that I, in fact, did not want an iced latte.

"No sir, I missed my jog this morning, so I'd like to get my sweat on in an alternative manner."

Maybe the rain has helped along my fixation.  Last week, on a dreary day, I wrote about my favorite and loyal and reliable and devoted jacket.  Today I'm all about the boyfriend jeans.  Slouchy, roomy, and not nearly as perspiration-inducing as their cousin of the skinny variety, these babies have lately carried me through an overcast evening of outdoor dining in Annapolis.

That said, maybe my context has prompted my compulsion.  Annapolis is a relaxed city, a mecca of boat shoes and windbreakers.  Here it's not uncommon to transition from boat deck to candle-light dinner in a single evening without a major wardrobe upgrade.  So when my girlfriend and I decided to meet our husbands for dinner in the town's quaint harbor, my heart thumped out a rhythmic boyfriend jean! beat.  Ah, relaxation for relaxation.

I'm hoping my linen jacket tempers the pants' unseasonable appearance.  That, and their light wash.  Next time, I probably won't pair them - they with the saggy waist line - with this top - it with the banded and cinched hem.  The combination gives the illusion of a heftier midsection.  And I might cuff the jeans higher to expose a bit more of my pale summer skin.  How would you convince these pants they they belong in warmer months?  Or, first thing's first, do they?

Prompts: 

• Do you favor jeans in summer, or do you definitively ban them after the weather reaches certain temperatures?
• What's your favorite way to wear jean-ed anything, pants especially?  I'm running out of ideas! (Does that mean I should stop wearing them?)
• How much weight do you give context in your dressing decisions?

Formal Fabric(ation)

Draft:

Earlier Draft:
I wore this skirt while considering the relationship between feminism and high heels.

Composition:
white tee (American Eagle)
silver-tone chain necklace (H&M)
gray jersey printed skirt (H&M)
white wedges (Mia)

Usage:
Since there are very few classes running during the summer session and most of the professors are rarely on campus, our office is more casual during these warmest months.  This change in formality has led me to start wondering why my clothing so frequently registers with others as "dressed up" when I simply think of myself as "dressed."

One thing I've noticed is that cotton jersey seems to read as more casual than synthetic jersey materials.  For example, when I wear a dress like this synthetic one, people respond to me as if I'm more "dressed up" than if I'm in a cotton jersey dress like this one, even though the cut and drape of those two dresses are nearly identical.

Today, I tried to embrace the casual feel of cotton jersey by pairing this cotton jersey skirt with a simple cotton tee instead of dressing it up with a crisp cotton button-down or a synthetic, airy top.  In my opinion, the necklace and heels made the outfit feel polished and office appropriate, but the look overall still expressed the summertime ease I enjoy while on a break from rigorous study.

Prompts:

• Do you find that cotton jersey generally registers as less formal than synthetic jersey?  What other fabrics seem "informal" to you?
• Why do you think these fabrics seem less formal than others?
• What color top might I try pairing this skirt with in the future?  I've tried yellow, but I only felt lukewarm about that combination.

Summer Black-Out Challenge

Drafts:

Composition:
Tuesday:                                                                  
purple satin-ish dress and belt (sister's closet)           
pink button-down (NY&Co)                                     
brown wedges (Old Navy)                                       
Wednesday:                                                                                  
antiqued gold earrings (Charlotte Russe)
green striped and yellow tanks (sister's closet)   
khakis (Old Navy)                                          
antiqued gold bangle (Ann Taylor Outlet)
white wedges (Mia via Sears.com)
 Thursday:                                                                
turquoise beaded necklace (Kohl's)                           
white button-down (NY&Co)                                   
stone belt (NY&Co)                                                  
cropped stone trousers (NY&Co)                              
rose gold flowered sandals (Old Navy)                    
Friday:
red jacket (sister's closet)
white cami (Old Navy)
brown belt (Kohl's)
cropped jeans (Gap)
red flats (gift from my mom)


Usage:
The alternative title for this post should be "Shopping My Sister's Closet."  My sister is storing her "nice" clothes at my house while she works at a summer camp for the next few months, which of course means I'm wearing them!  Best idea ever!  As I mentioned in my last post, I accepted Sal at Already Pretty's black-out challenge!  At first, I thought this would be easy, especially since I had access to so many extra items of clothing.  Over the course of the week, though, I realized I'm much more dependent on black apparel, accessories, and shoes than I had realized.

On Tuesday, I wanted to embrace bright colors to get away from Monday's neutral experiment.  This purple dress has the same cut as this one I love, and I originally tried wearing the button-down underneath the dress, like a jumper.  It didn't look right, though, so I put the button-down over the top and liked how the wide belt created a color blocking look.  In this outfit I felt bright and cheerful, and I noticed that being in a colored skirt gave me a little more pep in my step than my usual black pencil skirt does.

On Wednesday, I thought I'd try this almost-breton-stripe tank top I discovered in my sister's drawer.  (I love this look, which Anne-Marie styles here, but I haven't been able to find a breton tank top I like.)  I was feeling a little adventurous for my shopping excursion, I didn't have to go to work, and I was excited about my new white wedges, so I thought I'd try this cuffed khaki look I have liked on other women.  Verdict?  I still like this look on other women.  On me, I think it looks stupid.  Plus, I couldn't help feeling like the early 90s childhood version of myself who lived in pegged-legged jeans.  I had intended to use the yellow tank underneath to give the outfit a little more color, and the gold accessories to make it look more polished, but I still think the outfit looks too blah.  (If I cut out the jeans from Friday's look, and place them over the khakis paper-doll style, I think I'd have a MUCH better outfit!)

On Thursday, I thought about how one of my cold weather fall-backs is a combination of black and gray with a pop of color.  I decided that the summer alternative to this ensemble would be a combination of light khaki/stone items and white, and I added my turquoise necklace to serve as the pop of color.  I'm not sure that worked (it's mostly obscured by my hair), but I still liked this opposite take on my winter neutrals.  I felt refreshed and crisp in this ensemble.  Katie and I also agreed that the belt brought out the safari-like look of the button down, which has two chest pockets.  I can definitely see myself trying out different iterations of this color(less) scheme this summer.

On Friday, I was beside myself!  I couldn't think of anything to wear that wasn't black!  I wondered why I had ever accepted this challenge!  I wanted to get back in bed!  So I went back to my sister's closet and discovered this great red jacket/top.  It has some fantastic structural details that I'm not sure this picture really captures.  I know how I would have styled this any other time: with a black belt and black cami.  (I love red and black together.)  I was surprised how much more "summery" this outfit felt when I put on a white cami and brown belt instead.  I'm afraid the shoes might be taking me into matchy-matchy territory, but since they don't match the belt, I still felt safe in coordinated but not over-coordinated territory.

Thanks for this challenge, Sally!  It helped me realize that part of my problem with styling "summer appropriate" looks is that black is my default neutral.  Staying away from black helped me realize that I can use the clothes I already have to put together looks that feel right for warmer weather, whereas before I would have said that I have very few clothes that I like to wear during the summer.  I thought I would run out of steam when it came to avoiding black, but the looks from Thursday and Friday are actually my favorites, which suggests I was learning to think about my clothes even more creatively as the week went on.

Prompts:

• Has writing or reading "style" blogs helped you to identify blind spots in your styling tendencies?  Which ones?
• Have you ever tried "trendy" styling techniques like the cuffed khakis?  Can you execute them or do you fail miserably, like I did?
• Did anyone notice that I'm not wearing any prints? (Unless you count stripes, which I don't.) What's up with that?  Looks like I might have my next styling challenge.

Ol' Faithful

Draft:

Composition:
jean jacket (Ann Taylor Loft)
white tee (H&M)
skirt (Lulu's)
sandals (Target)
bag (Marshalls)

Usage:
I really want to dislike this jacket.  I really want to dislike most jean jackets, in fact.  They go awry so often, in so many ways.  The cut can be too boxy, or the sleeves/armpit area too baggy, or the collar too large, or the fabric too thin.  It's rare to find a winner in the jean outerwear department, I think.

But this number?  Ah, te amo, chaqueta!  I bought it for the Mao collar and the unoffensive wash, but I continue wearing it for the softness and the go-with-everything versatility.  On average, I've worn it every week since my senior year of high school.  That's not hyperbole, unfortunately.  (It smells like roses, don't fret.  Basically, I launder it as often as I shower.)  As the jacket ages like a fine wine and earns the "vintage" label, my affection for it multiplies.

Today I'm pairing my prized outergarment with a simple white tee, a bold-printed skirt, and some flats I scored for nearly nothing on sale at Target.  It's an easy early summer look, made comfier by my lived-in jeanlove.

Prompts:

• What are your wardrobe faithfuls?
• Has the bond you've formed with any of your favorite pieces surprised you?  Did you buy the garment with a tinge of skepticism, only to fall in love upon first wear?
• I've owned this jean jacket since high school.  How long have you owned - and worn - any one article of clothing?