Saturday, July 31, 2010

Gym Class


The moment I put together today's outfit, I thought, "Gym Class" (circa the 1950s, or maybe even earlier).  It's probably the length and bubble shape of the skirt, which make it look like bloomers.  There is also something about the colour (I think that JCrew labelled it "mushroom", but don't quote me on that); it feels very institutional.


I liked the outfit when I put it together, but I was somewhat nervous about wearing it out.  I wanted to wear the outfit out, though, so I swallowed the nerves.  Everything worked out okay.


Yesterday, I went to the Fluevog store.  The Fall/Winter collection has started to trickle into the store in my home city.  Some of the many styles that I had seen and fallen in love with in San Francisco, that I had earmarked for possible purchase, had arrived in "my" store.  Two of these styles are now in my possession.


This morning I had the thought that I should try wearing nothing but Fluevogs.  I definitely have enough to choose from.  But, being "Fluevog monogamous" might not be fair to the other footwear that lives in my closets, waiting for a chance to be worn.  Also, I never seem to operate well when wardrobe constraints are placed on me.


Maybe, for a while, I could try to think of wearing Fluevogs first.


jacket: JCrew, from my closet
blouse: vintage, from Sally Jane Vintage on Etsy
skirt: JCrew
socks: Hue, from Macys
shoes: Fluevog, from my closet

Friday, July 30, 2010

The Blue Bow


I think that I can safely say that I am hooked on wearing bows, in particular, this blue bow.  In addition to wearing it today and on Tuesday, I dress rehearsed an outfit yesterday for late Summer/early Fall and just couldn't help but add the bow to it.



I have at least two designers' collections (I think) to thank for my bow fascination: the Cynthia Rowley Spring/Summer 2010 ready-to-wear collection and the Jason Wu Resort 2011 ready-to-wear collection.



My wearing the bow is a good example of how the collections that I look at influence my styling.  I don't consciously say, "Oh, I think that I will try to copy that Jason Wu look today".  It's more like I put something on and say, "Oh, so and so would look really good with that or worn that way", with "that" or "that way" coming from some collection.



I guess this is why one should always keep one's eyes open and keep examining things, because otherwise you may just miss a source of inspiration!


jacket: JCrew, from my closet
shirt: Gap
tie: fabric belt from an Anthropologie dress
skirt overalls: Gap
socks: ?, from my sock drawer
boots: Fluevog, from my closet

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Writing The Rule Book


So here are some of the things that I have been thinking of as an exception to my future prohibition against buying new things:  First, Fluevogs.  I am considering extending the exception to apply to all footwear, but for the moment, I will keep the exception limited to Fluevogs.


Second, accessories.  This would include hats, scarves, belts, bags and hoisery.


Third, jewellery.  I am not a huge consumer of jewellery as it is.  (Hopefully, the prohibition won't turn me into one!)


Fourth, vintage and/or second-hand clothing.  I rationalize this exception on the basis that I don't shop "in real life" for vintage or second-hand clothing because of allergies.  I only shop for vintage or second-hand clothing online.  My online purchases of clothing are restrained (so far, at least), because the experience of buying clothes online isn't quite as fulfilling as real life shopping.


Fifth, online purchases of new clothing.  I know that this may be pushing it too far and making the prohibition a joke.  Here are two reasons for including this one:  As stated above, my online purchasing is restrained.  Also, we are just about to enter upon one of my favourite shopping seasons: Fall.  If I don't give myself permission to buy some new Fall clothing, I am definitely more likely to fall off the prohibition wagon.  I want the prohibition to succeed, so I am being realistic about my proclivities.


Sixth, purchases at the One of a Kind Show and Sale.  I know that allowing this means that I may go wild at the Show and Sale.  But it does happen only twice a year, so how much trouble could I realistically get myself into?


There is one more exception that I am thinking of, but I will leave it for now.  Summer School Girl did well I think!


jacket: JCrew, from my closet
blouse: vintage (from Sally Jane Vintage on Etsy)
jumper dress: vintage (from Sally Jane Vintage on Etsy)
socks: ?, from my sock drawer
shoes: Fluevog, from my closet

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

You Can't Wear That


How difficult it can be some days!  This morning I was so stuck on wearing an outfit that I had dress rehearsed yesterday.  I knew yesterday that I couldn't wear it today, and I knew this morning that I couldn't wear it today.  (The reason that I couldn't wear the outfit is because some fierce storms were forecast for today and the shoes that I had selected for the outfit could not have withstood any storm and would have been ruined.  I couldn't have that.)  Nonetheless, there I was this morning fixated on that outfit and refusing to think about what I could wear.  It is nothing short of a miracle that I managed to put something on with which I wasn't too displeased!



While desperately trying to figure out what to wear this morning, I went in search of a particular black dress.  After checking where I thought I had put it, I couldn't find it.  This "disturbed" me.  I was pretty sure that I had not gotten rid of this dress.  Had I not had to go to work, I would have scoured my house for the dress.  Where on earth is it though?  Did I consign it to the charity bin and forget it?  Is is buried in my house somewhere?


This little episode of the lost dress shows why I should be prohibited from buying new things.  If I can lose a dress in my house, I definitely have more than enough clothes.



jacket: JCrew
blouse: Gap, from my closet
scarf: ?, from my accessories collection
skirt: Gap
socks: ?, from my sock drawer
shoes: Fluevog, from my closet

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Summer School Girl No. 2


I decided to bring out Summer School Girl for today.  I am really liking her this Summer.



And not that this needs repeating, but I am also really liking this sailor collar jacket.  It never ceases to amaze me how I can have a piece of clothing for years without it being anything particularly special.  Then, all of a sudden, it becomes the "it" piece of clothing for a particular season.  Why does this happen?


It is largely because of my experience with this jacket this Summer (and a similar experience with a coat this past Winter) that I want to give shopping my closet a go.  I am anxious to find what other "it" pieces of clothing are hidden in the depths of my closet.




jacket: JCrew, from my closet
blouse: Gap, from my closet
tie: fabric belt taken from an Anthropologie dress
skirt: Gap
socks: ?, from my sock drawer
shoes: Prophecy

Monday, July 26, 2010

Playing It Safe


I really want to start "shopping my closet".  For those who know me:  I'm serious!  Of course, there will have to be some exceptions to the "shopping for new things prohibition".  (There you go, say you who know me!)  After all these years of shopping, I can't just go cold turkey.  I will have the DTs.  Who would want that!  But I want to be fair to the prohibition, otherwise the "shopping my closet" experience will be a joke.  I will have to think long and hard about these exceptions.



Shoes will definitely be an exception.  For how miserable will I be if I am not able to indulge in a Fluevog fix every once in a while.


And speaking of Fluevogs, can I just say that I just about passed out when I went into the Fluevog store in San Francisco.  Why?  Because the store was full of Fall stock, nowhere else to be found as yet!  While I salivated over the lovely wares, it was explained to me that the store was a recent addition to the Fluevog family of stores and the decision was made to open it with lots of Fall stock.  It was all I could do to resist, but, somehow, I managed!  See!  If I could resist a store full of luscious Fluevogs, I shall be able to stick to shopping my closet (with those exceptions, of course)!



dress: Club Monaco, from my closet
flower pin: H&M, from my accessories collection
socks: ?, from my sock drawer
boots: Fluevog, from my closet
jacket: Gap, from my closet

Sunday, July 25, 2010

Sometimes Planning Doesn't Work


I'm in quite the fog.  Maybe I brought some (fog, that is) back with me ... from San Francisco, where I was this past week.  (Although I only recall two mornings of fog during my visit there -- the first about midway through my visit and the second on the day that I left.  Perhaps that was enough.)



Before I went on my trip, I had made all these plans about what I was going to wear.  In making my plans, I did factor in cooler weather.  And, truth be told, I could have followed through with my plans and worn what I had planned on wearing.  But I didn't.  After wearing one of the outfits that I had planned on wearing (the Sally Jane Vintage green dress) on my first day in San Francisco, I pretty much chucked all my planned outfits (figuratively, not literally -- they all came back with me).  There were a couple of reasons for this.  First, I guess I had forgotten how cold 56 to 62 degrees Fahrenheit actually feels.  And, second, logistics: it was easier to wear what I ended up wearing given the circumstances that I found myself in.  So, here is an example of what I wore for the better part of the week, switching around the sweatpants, tshirt (I had to add to what I took) and scarf:





When I wasn't wearing this uniform, I wore what I bought in San Francisco (yes, amazingly, I went shopping).  This consisted of boyfriend jeans, a long sleeve tshirt, a boyfriend shirt, the grandpa sweater pictured above and my gray and white large gingham scarf.  I "feminized" the outfit with socks and sandals (yes, I am saying this tongue in cheek).  Is is no wonder that I got many looks and that I got asked where I was from?  I must have looked very strange indeed!  But, no matter, I was comfortable and warm!  (Sadly, I have no pictures of this look of mine.  But, today's outfit isn't too far off the mark.)  I did learn one (hopefully enduring) thing from this trip (on top of my earlier trip to NYC -- remember how I wanted to wear skinny jeans and a shrunken white tshirt the moment I landed in NYC):  Whatever else I may take with me on any future trip, I will always bring a pair of jeans (or two).  It seems jeans can always be made to work no matter where you are!


Re today's outfit: Is it wrong to copy JCrew styling?  Isn't copying meant?  I realize buying all the JCrew pieces that make up the entire outfit is meant.  But isn't buying at least some of the pieces good enough JCrew?



hat: JCrew
shirt: JCrew
shorts: Old Navy, mens
belt: Gap, from my accessories collection
socks: Hue
shoes: David Dixon for Town Shoes