Darlin', Don't You Go and Cut Your Hair...

Back to work today with a brand new 'do, and feeling love for an old skirt.

 

Today I am wearing:

-grey striped tee, Gap

-dragon cardigan, gift from coworker

-black and creme suede skirt, 

-black striped tights

-burgundy slingbacks, Franco Sarto

-green belt, H&M

-black and white necklace, Lohemann's

-fuzzy black hat (not pictured), H&M

 After finishing up the exam yesterday (which went pretty well, but I think I'll be taking over), I stopped in to a salon in the mall next door to the testing center for a trim- an inch at most. I've been growing my hair since I cut it short this summer, and wanted to keep it healthy and layer it up a bit. Well, an hour later and 4 inches shorter, here I am! I like the cut a lot, but lost quite a bit of hair that I had worked hard on growing. I guess you win some and you lose some. 

I looked in my closet today and realized I hadn't yet worn this patterned suede skirt yet this winter. My younger sister gave this to me about 4 years ago, and while I love it, the fit is a little off-- too high for my hips, too low for my waist. I solved this by hiking it up a little and belting it, which gave me a shape I was happy with. 

 

 Looks like tomorrow might be a snow day, since NYC schools are already closed. Fingers crossed, all!

Testy, Testy

 

Comfortable, casual, cozy: definitely the type of clothing you want to wear while taking a standardized test. Just a few hours and I'll hopefully be one step closer to grad school!

Today I am wearing:

-tan sweatshirt, H&M

-black pencil skirt, American Apparel

-maroon tights

-lacey tights, Givenchy

-blue/grey boots, vintage

-scarf, Target

 

Some days, all I want to do is wear an oversized sweatshirt with a big hood. Today was one such day, but I fought the urge with this slightly more stylish sweatshirt from H&M. It isn't the most fabulous thing I own, but I return to it time and again when I just want to be warm without a million complicated layers. Cardigans, tees, belts and camisoles are lovely, but simplicity was key today.

I doubled up on tights today, since I've been dying to debut these amazing lacey ones I found while looking through the dresser in my mother's house. I vaguely remember purchasing them a few years ago, and am glad to be getting some use of them finally!

 

A very sad thing happened right after I took these pictures... I noticed that a large tear has formed at the heel of my boots! I'm not sure if it pays to get it repaired, since the pair is pretty beaten up. I'm currently on Etsy looking for something similar, but if anyone finds something along the same lines in a 7.5 or an 8, I'd love to know!

What are your test-day staples? Is there something you reach for every time you want to feel comfortable?

Harry Hood-ini

Superbowl Sunday and a mighty cold day meant barely any visitors at the museum today, which was all right with me, since the GREs are tomorrow. Spent most of the day trying to map out the analytical section... for a person who spends most of her time writing, it was actually not that intuitive/easy. Wish me luck!

 

Today I am wearing:

-green hoodie, French Connection

-brown chunky sweater, French connection

-camel corduroy skirt, H&M

-brown tights

-argyle flats, Chinese Laundry

-little acorn necklace, UO
 

Slightly uninspired, I know. I hope you'll forgive me. I liked the colors in this outfit, but need to work on making casual less sloppy. Any suggestions (other than ironing the skirt, which is pretty clear)?

 

 

 

A Little Bit of Rock Roll

For some reason, my little sister and I used to sing the final song from The Osmonds all the time. I was always a little bit country, but today I'm channeling the other half.

Today I am wearing:

-black floral dress, H&M

-black jacket, H&M

-grey sweater tights

-black boots, Ann Taylor Loft

-metallic braided belt, Gap

-locket necklace, Ann Taylor Loft

-black wool beret, Target

I seriously love this dress. I've worn it fancy, casual, and today I decided to rough it up a bit with the cropped jacket. In a flirty floral dress, you just need to twirl around (and I did. See above.) I paired it with the same belt I wore yesterday, this time worn around my ribcage. I like the hint of contrasting color underneath the billows of the top of the dress, which breaks up the allover pattern.

Making a Spectacle

 Found my fake glasses necklace while rearranging my closet last night. So glad that my hard work paid off! I am trying to be organized, though it totally goes against my nature to dump whatever I am not wearing on whatever surface is available. Wish me luck!

Today I am wearing:

-tan cashmere sweater, August Silk

-blazer, Theory

-jean skirt, Zara

-grey sweater tights, Anne Klein

-brown boots, Studio Polini

-metallic belt, Gap

-spectacle necklace, H&M

-multicolored scarf, random store in Israel

-black corduroy hat, Gap

 

Today you get Nina in profile; for some reason none of the head-on shots looked normal. Tyra would be disappointed with me as a model (yes, I watch ANTM. No, I am not proud of it. Maybe just a little bit.)

Perusing Google Reader's recommendations last night I chanced on a wonderful blog called Le Quaintrelle and starred her take of Phillip Lim 3.1's runway show (I don't follow fashion at all, so it was nice to see a collection that was pretty translatable to the average wardrobe.) Most of the outfits involved pants, which I don't wear, but I liked the pairing of the jean skirt + blazer + scarf seen here:

 

(her take on left, original on right)

While getting dressed I remembered this outfit, and did a free-form imitation. I'd like my take better with my darker jean pencil skirt, but it needed ironing, and a chunky knit scarf as opposed to the one I'm wearing. I think I have one at my mother's house, will need to investigate next time I'm there.

 

I really like using the cashmere sweater as a tee shirt, layering it under the blazer. It definitely amps up the warmth factor, and I like the softness under the hard lines of the jacket. After my shopping ban is up, I think I'll experiment with some thrift store blazers; this is definitely an element missing from my wardrobe. It snowed last night, so the boots are back. I've worn them so often this winter that they're beginning to wrinkle!
 

  

Busy as a Bee

 

I am sorry I ever doubted you, camera. We can be friends again.

Today I am wearing:

-white ruffle button-down, Ann Taylor Loft (before they were cool and just Loft)

-brown chunky sweater, French Connection

-grey velvet skirt, Elevenses

-brown tights

-plaid flats, Chinese Laundry

-cameo pin, Target

-scarf, gift from hub's grandmother

-earrings, ?

-camel hat, Anne Klein

Busy day today at work, but I managed to take a few minutes to snap some pictures in the beautiful museum building. Built today's outfit around the new shoes, which are grey, brown and neon yellow. I love the oversized bow at the toe. I kept the brown and grey theme up top, mixing textures to create a lush look.

  

Green Shoes

Today I am wearing:

-white thermal hoodie, Gap

-black cashmere cardi, Aeve

-grey skirt, Chace

-silver tights, Me Moi

-green shoes, Siegerson Morrison

-silver earrings, vintage

-grey beret, Anthropologie

I leave you with a litany of detail shots to fill in the gaps left by my less-than-ideal above photos (the camera was not my friend today):