Shopkeeping

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Modern Elizabethan

Transition dressing can be challenging. When the weather starts off somewhere in the low 60s and heads up to 85 by day's end, layering is key. My favorite transition pieces all figured into this outfit: scarves, blazers, and holey tights. Bring it on, fall.

The list:

-blush tee, H&M

-black blazer, Theory

-white skirt, Gap

-greyish greenish fishnets, Givenchy

-metallic oxfords, Boutique 9

-oatmeal scarf, Filene's

-flowered beanie, UO

The mix here is a bit scattered, but I loved the way the pale blush, oatmeal and white mixed with the hard black of the blazer and hat. Though the outfit would have been even more lovely with some dove grey instead of black (ideas for next time?) It must have been my rebelliousness that made me whip out the white skirt, which I hadn't worn in months, after labor day. I just love breaking the rules (ask my husband. He'll agree.) With the ruffled scarf  wound around my neck, I felt like a contemporary take on Queen Elizabeth. Not sure if she owned metallic oxfords, though.

How have you been transitioning into fall?

Mad (Wo)Men

Hello, civilization. Nothing like a 3-day holiday to make your Google Reader count climb to dizzying numbers. This is the last in this mini-series on Sabbath/holiday wear. Hope you've enjoyed this sneak peek into my formal wear!

The list:

-black patterned dress, vintage

-black suede peeptoes, Seychelles

-shell belt, H&M

-black felt hat, Ophelie Hats

For those of you who, like me, struggle to find clothing that can be worn without constant layering, I wholeheartedly suggest you comb your local thrift stores, vintage stores or visit ebay or etsy. Clothing worn by women in generations past certainly covered a great deal more of the body, and I've had some great success finding longer lengths (both sleeves and hemlines) by looking to the past. This dress is one of my favorite examples-- how often do you find a 3/4 sleeve, knee-length dress for an affordable price in stores today?

To amp of the vintage vibe, I paired the dress with my favorite black peeptoes, also an ebay purchase, and this black pillbox hat. As I mentioned, I tend to favor vintage hats for size and inexpensiveness, but I pretty much adore everything made by Ophelie Hats. Their styles are vintage with a contemporary twist, and their prices won't break the bank. If you're looking to invest in a quality dress hat, I highly recommend this brand.

Thanks to those of you who noticed the blog makeover- I had lots of fun making the header and blog buttons from vintage pattern book sketches (thanks, Google Images.) While I don't consider myself a dogmatic vintage devotee, I certainly look to styles of the last century for inspiration, particularly as a skirt (and now loose trouser) wearer. Women of the '30s, '40s and '50s made modest style look effortless and classy, and I aspire to do the same.

To the Ballet

If you're a twitter follower, you may remember my tweet back in August about my first post-ban purchase: this black tutu skirt. Slightly frivolous? Sure. Inappropriate for a semi-adult to wear? Perhaps. Do I love it? You bet. This is an outfit that I wore over Rosh Hashana, with a swap for a different hat (I wore this with the feathered concoction from last post.)

The list:

-white button down, Banana Republic

-black cropped cardigan, Spring + Mercer

-black tutu

-nude unicorn peeptoes, Jeffrey Campbell

-mustard velvet turban hat, vintage

One of my favorite combinations is the slightly fussy skirt and a man-tailored white button down shirt. Something about the mix of frivolity and seriousness is just so right to me. The only downside? This skirt is wide! Wearing it a few weeks ago to a little party at my apartment, I had to hold down the sides to keep from knocking things over.

Long before Aretha's bow took over the spotlight, this little beaut' made its way into my closet and heart via ebay. Since my head is small, vintage hats often fit me better than contemporary ones do. Thankfully, most sellers list or will measure for you the inner circumference of the hat, so you have a good sense of fit before purchasing. I especially love this hat for its crushability. which makes it a snap for packing.

Do you wear items generally reserved for dress-up out in the real world?

I ended up staying at work until 9:30 last night, derailing both studying and break. I did however start reading Pillars of the Earth on the train ride home, and (as I expected) am totally loving the trashy history/romance/monastic politicy-ness of it. As I packed for Sukkot, the holiday that begins tomorrow night, I managed to pull together a few looks that I've worn over the past few weeks or will wear over the next set of holidays. Just one more week and we have a holiday break until Hannukah! Since the holiday is celebrated by eating in a hut outside, I threw on a few more pieces to make this oufit transition from indoor to outdoor in a snap.

The list:

-white tunic, Lux

-pinky-gold gossamer skirt, Pink Tartan

-black striped tights

-black patent peeptoes, Lulu Guiness

-black blazer, Theory

-bone scarf, Filene's (forgot brand since I cut out the tag!)

-feather and net hat, vintage

As promised, here is a selection from my dress hat collection. When I first got married, I received a few formal hats as presents, and thank God for that- they are expensive! Since then, I scour ebay for deadstock vintage hats for my fancy fixes. This hat, covered in feathers and black netting, is a definite favorite, though it may be time for a visit to a milliner to get the netting back in shape. 

(hey there, freckle nose.)

This skirt was a recent find at Century 21, where they had a few Pink Tartan samples marked all the way down-- this skirt, originally over $300, sold for $40. While it is certainly a spring-summer skirt, you should all know by now how I love adding sweaters/tights/blazers to make things work throughout the year. Why should I wait until next summer to wear something so deliciously poofy?

For the hat wearers among you-- Do you have any favorite sources for formal hats?

I Dream of Jean-ie

 

Ok, these pants may just be the most comfortable item of clothing to ever grace my wardrobe. I'm wearing them again today. Don't judge.

 -flowered tee, Bulldog

-jean jacket, Calvin Klein

-grey jersey trousers, F21

-black sandals, Lucky Brand

-DIY'd Roman glass necklace

-black slouchy beanie, ?

Since harem trousers have the tendency of adding bulk where none exists in reality, I decided to pair them with heels for added length. I was happy to get some use of of these sandals, purchased sometime in the summer but worn infrequently, as summer is high walking tour season for me at work. They happen to be pretty comfortable between teh thick heel (my fave) and the padded footbed, so I only swapped out to my flats for my commute.

Lest you think I've been wearing my 3 new pairs of pants every.single.day, I think I may take a break from studying for my GRE retake tonight and take some shots of my holiday wear. I've been meaning to show off some of my favorite fall fancy hats, so this seems like the perfect study break (well, not exactly. That would involve copious amounts of Rainbow Sherbert.)

Audrey 2010

Not sure why, but this outfit felt like something Audrey Hepburn might wear if she was a 24-year-old modest dresser going to her job at a museum. For some reason, my favorite outfits often make me think of slightly random but pretty apt comparisons-- like my turn as an off-duty ballerina.

The list:

-yellow and black polka dotted shell, vintage, gift from coworker

-purple ruffle sweater, Cynthia Rowley

-black cropped harems, F21

-black and white flats, Payless

-black leather belt, UO

-black and white beaded necklace, Loehmann's

-black cotton beret, Parkhurst

Things that make me happy: pattern mixing, belts, yellow + purple, ruffles. All of which are encompassed in this outfit without (hopefully) being too busy. As much as I try to use other colors as neutrals, black will forever be my basic for keeping an outfit from getting too crazy.

The pants-wearing has been going pretty well so far, though one of my favorite docents at the museum did ask me today if I was channeling M.C. Hammer. And sang "Can't Touch This" every time I passed. Since he is a 70-something year old man, I was way more impressed than offended. Plus, I can't be mad at Henry, who shares my love/disdain for the cast members of Jersey Shore. He even sends me updates on Snooki's runs-in with the law.

 Thanks for all of the positive feedback on the headscarf video. I'm looking forward to recording a few more, taking your suggestions into account. Keep your requests coming! And for those of you who will be observing Yom Kippur, I wish you an easy fast and a meaningful day.

Vlog: How to Tie A Headwrap

Here is a quick and easy headwrap from a plain square scarf. Hope you enjoy!
Note: I am not sure why the image that shows up before you hit play is so odd looking. Damn you, blogger.

Stop. Hammer Time

Can harem jeans be work appropriate? On my second foray with these pants, a friend stopped by the museum and asked if I was trying to bring back the '80s. To which I responded "Heck yeah." Or something like that. I do believe that most items of clothing can be made into work/dress/casual/play with clever mixing and a bit of wizardry, but sometimes wonder whether what I wear crosses the line at work. The museum world is a creative one, and dress tends to be artsy/relaxed... but does that mean that anything goes?

The list:

-black tank, Target

-black blazer, Theory

-harem jeans, Zara

-polka dotted socks, DKNY

-metallic oxfords, Boutique 9

-black belt, H&M

-diamond drop necklace, gift from Dad

-black slouchy hat, ?

I have to say, re-learning how to wear pants is a fun challenge. I know a good many of you feel pretty anti-harem, but I love the casual drapiness of these and the other pants I have purchased (which you'll see soon, no worries.) This outfit felt very mullet-like: business on top, party on the bottom. I love a good metallic shoe, and these oxfords are creeping up in my want-to-wear-every-day list. Rather than going barefoot as I am wont to do, I fished out these trouser socks that I purchased last year, intending to wear with heels and skirts. I still hope to do so, but thought they added a cute punch when the hem lifted while walking.

And hello, first manicure in months. You may be chipped already but I love ushering in fall with a change of colors. Though my toes are painted neon yellow.. I guess I am just seasonally confused.

For those harem/boyfriend/loose pants wearers out there: Any go-to combinations? Helpful hints? Help a girl out!

Before Summer Turned to Fall

... I wore this. I realized at some point last week that my days wearing the fedora were limited, so I rocked it pretty much every.single.day (and for once, I am not ashamed to admit it.) Thanks to Kristin for reminding me of my first description of this and other fantastic hats, like the one she recently purchased-- "fedorable." That might just sum up my sartorial summer.

The list:

-green dress, H&M

-argyle flats, CL by Chinese Laundry

-braided metallic belt, Gap

-doorknocker earrings, UO

-parrot fedora, Eugenia Kim for Target

Thank you all for your holiday wishes. Though I was without my beloved internet for 3 whole days, Trivial Pursuit kept me plenty entertained. I'm still nursing a few cases of the Moops, sadly.

I don't wear these doorknocker earrings too often, but I always feel fun and a bit quirky when I do. Something about the loud bling of huge hoop earrings paired with a relatively tame outfit is magical to me.  Sure, they're tacky... but sometimes, that is just part of the game.

Everybody's Working On the Weekend

Susie homemaker meets Waldo in this outfit, which I wore this past Sunday to work. Tee shirts are about the only thing I can bear to wear when working on the weekend.

The list:

-striped tee, Stephanie B

-cardigan, Lux

-black skirt, American Apparel.

-sneaks, OTBT

-turquoise flower earrings, F21

-scarf, vintage

Instead of participating in fashion week (check out this NYTimes piece about the time conflict) , I'll be bringing my style to the synagogue. Tonight is the first night of Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year. There will be lots of singing, dipping of apples in honey for a sweet New Year, and family bonding-- I can't wait! 

Wishing you all a happy, healthy and joyous year.