Style Dtour - Master of None (Francesca)

Photo Credit: Netflix

To those of you in the US, I hope you had a lovely Memorial Day. The long weekend gave me the opportunity to unwind a bit, and finally watch Season 2 of Master of None, on Netflix. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and wanted to do a quick recap of the wardrobe of one of the main characters this season: Francesca. For those who haven't seen it, but are planning on it, don't worry, no spoilers or plot points here. All I will say is that Francesca is Italian (played by Italian actress Alessandra Mastronardi), and I really enjoyed her wardrobe and am looking forward to putting my own spin on a few of the themes I saw in her wardrobe. Also, if you'd like to read an interview with the clothing designer for the show, herself, click here. The last thing I'll say before we dive in is that most of these are photos that I took myself, so I apologize for the slightly bootleg quality about them - who knew that Netflix doesn't let you take screen shots? 

Let's break it down with three common themes:
The Coat Game is Strong With This One

Basically, this season made me realize that I need a camel coat, it appears it will go with everything, and I should probably just get one. There is a particular camel coat that Francesca wears throughout the whole season, and she always looks so stylish. This character is always accessorized pretty minimally: just a cute beanie, a well wrapped scarf and gloves, or a single necklace, as seen in the top picture. I appreciate that they mostly had her wear the same coat over and over (as did Aziz Ansari's character), rather than putting her in a different designer piece each time. That being said, there was also this coat, which is pretty great as well. 

Sorry Aziz - no new coat for you.

Casual but Polished

The casual wardrobe for the character is also pretty simple, but polished. For example, I think her jeans in the photos below are ripped above the knee, but the look is still sharp. Part of that, though, might be because she is standing in front of an immaculately clean white kitchen. Also, I generally strongly dislike a mock-neck, or a turtleneck, but this one is pretty cute - I think the cute little piping details are clouding my better judgment =)

Similarly, these pants are great. I love the color and the way they are paired with that white button down. It feels like the more sophisticated older sister of jeans and a white tee shirt, and like this is something I could wear on the weekend this summer.

You can't really see the outfits, but I liked this shot.

Polka Dots

The last piece here is polka dots. When we first meet Francesca, she is wearing a polka dot headband, and that element is incorporated a few times in her later looks as well. Also, when we first meet her, that particular episode is in black and white, and since they can't use color, the print really pops in the scene (as do the striped shoes below). I like that it is a visual theme that they keep coming back to for this character, but that they also switch it up, and don't make her just wear that headband a bunch of times in a row. 

Photo Credit: Netflix

Close up of the headband.

The polka dots are claiming more ground.

The polka dots have taken over!

Photo credit: Netflix

Did you see Master of None? What did you think, of either the show or the clothes? Excuse me while I go make dinner browse the RealReal for camel coats... 

Workworkworkworkworkwork (sung like the Rihanna song)

LEFT:
Sweater | Uniqlo x Lemaire
Dress | Rebecca Taylor (secondhand)
Shoes | Matt Bernson
RIGHT:
Top | Calvin Klein (secondhand)
Cardigan | Halogen (secondhand)
Pants | Marc by Marc Jacobs
Shoes | Donald J. Pliner

I'll give you two guesses as to what I've been up to lately, although I'm sure you only need one....it is obviously pouring over fashion photos from Cannes.  Well, in addition to that, I've been working and so here are two workworkworkworkworkwork outfits.

Both of these outfits feature old stalwart items. First up, an outfit featuring a pair of shoes I have had since 2013, and which have only recently become comfortable. When I was in New York, one of the first sample sales I went to was for Matt Bernson - it was around the corner from my apartment and I stumbled into it on my way home (also, I do miss that about New York, there is no better city in the world for stumbling upon). As much as I wanted to love these shoes (they are so flattering on my legs and go with everything) they were not comfortable and gave me blisters so I shoved them in the back of a closet. I couldn't part with them, however, because that felt like defeat. Flash forward to today, I now wear them to work, and while they are totally fine for wearing in the office all day, they still start to hurt if I try to walk great distances in them. At this point though, I think they are getting close to falling apart and I feel like I did my part on making sure they were put to use. (Also, as I read this, I think the fact that I've kept them so long is slightly nuts, and they should probably go).

Next up, a pair of work pants that have served me well since 2014. I bought these when I started my current job, and they were a Marc Jacobs splurge from Nordstrom Rack (so I just looked them up because I got them around the time I started keeping my clothing spreadsheet, and they were a whopping $72.68 - however, at that point I was used to buying pants, on sale, from the Gap for like $30). I still love them, and if anything, their streamlined, ponte-pant-ness has become only more and more trendy over the years. They also have fun zippers around the ankles. I went nuts with a half-tucked shirt, because it is the only way I know how to wear a shirt, and was feeling good.

Speaking of Nordstrom Rack (honestly, these posts are never sponsored, but I should look in that, haha, I basically buy all my shoes there) I recently found these babies - comfortable right off the shelf. I've seen a lot of Donald J. Pliner shoes there and they always catch my eye because they seem very well made, however nothing has ever been quite the right fit. These will be versatile work shoes for me and, it is hard to see but there is a little rhinestone border at the edge of the sole, which is pretty delightful.

 Thanks for stopping by!

Silk Smock

Top | Marissa Webb
Pants | AG
Shoes | J. Crew

   I've had this sort of pajama/smock/tent top for a while (like over a year) and I am never sure how to style it. I had seen some similar Marissa Webb pieces on Wendy's Lookbook, and when I saw this blouse at a second-hand store, I incorrectly assumed I could work a more flowing, romantic piece into my own wardrobe.  I always picture it with the perfect pair of cigarette style pants, but I have yet to find such a pair of pants. (Also, with Memorial Day sales coming up, maybe this will finally be the year I find those perfect black pants!) Eventually, I decided just to give it a go with jeans.  

The quality of the silk is really nice, and I like the color, but there is just a lot of fabric. Luckily, it has a tie around the waist, so you can wear it billowing in the wind, or tied-up and with a more streamlined silhouette. I added heels because this sort of pink seemed to demand something ladylike. I'm still looking for other ways to wear it, or this might have to go to a consignment store, as it isn't getting a ton of love in my closet. Maybe under a vest or some other sort of architectural jacket, sort of like this:

Amber Fillerup, Marissa Webb

Giving it a little spin.

What do you do to make clothing volume work for you?

Bathrobe Designed by JLo

Recently I was in Austin, and I took a detour - a Style Dtour you could say, haha - to stop at the "Best Kept Secret in Fashion". It was really quite impressive. UAL is a clothing liquidator, so the clothing is new, but heavily discounted. They have a range of clothing from contemporary brands (Rag & Bone, Clover Canyon, Alexander Wang, etc.) but I think the real standout merchandise that they carry looks like it walked off a fashion week runway. There were a few swoon-worthy pieces by Johanna Ortiz, Delpozo, and Rosie Assoulin, and while they weren't suddenly cheap, they were like 80% off. This location also had men's clothing, just FYI.

I ended up buying a few pieces, including this dress that was delightful described by a friend as a bathrobe designed by JLo. I couldn't agree more.

Dress | Thakoon

 This particular piece is Thakoon, and I couldn't wait to wear it... so I did, not even waiting to iron/steam it. I was trying to find it online to get a sense of what the retail was, but could only find this photo:

Photo Credit: Barneys NY

The dress is made in USA, and designed from a pretty thick cotton. It has what can should only be described as a flying buttress skirt. You can either pull up the wings, and they will stay up and exaggerated, or you can smooth them down, making it a little less out-there. I also added a small belt to provide a pop of color, and better define my waist.

Skirt flags flying high.

Skirt flags at rest.

 If you find yourself in one of their four locations, I would definitely suggest checking them out.  
Thanks for stopping by!

Sweet Pleat

Dress | Derek Lam 10 Crosby

I talked previously about my ideal work outfit, and I think that this might be my ideal dress. It was another amazing find at my go-to Nordstrom Rack, which also brought me this dress and these shoes (the Tory Burch ones).  This dress checks all the boxes; it is:

Monotone:

I've started wearing more and more print, but at heart, I am someone who loves a singular color palette.  It is really easy to wear and then I can always add a statement bag or shoe.

Navy:

Black is obviously a classic, but it can be a little harsh, so I usually gravitate towards navy. It matches easily with accessories or jackets of every color, and I like the way it looks with my skin-tone. 

Comfortable:

Obviously, if this was going to be the ideal dress I could wear everyday, if I had to, it has to be comfortable. This one is so soft and easy to move it. The pleats also catch the breeze in a pleasing way.

Unique:

I have enjoyed discovering my personal style over the years, and a small part of what makes up my personal style is a joy in finding pieces that are unusual, and not worn by everyone. That is part of the reason, other than thriftiness, that I like thrift and consignment stores. I love finding something that isn't for everyone, with an unusual detail or element. (Also, Derek Lam is sold all over the world, so I guess take "unique" with a grain of salt, there.) In this case, it is two fold. First, this is actually two pieces, there is a pleated under-dress, and then the sweater part goes on top, but you an also wear them separately. I've worn the top as a tunic w/ leggings, for example. Additionally, I love the pleated bottom - it isn't pleated all the way across, with the uneven hem, allowing little triangles of pleats to pop out at the bottom of the dress. 

What are the necessary elements of your ideal dress?

Trust Me, I'm Wearing a Pencil Skirt

Top | Equipment
Skirt | Theory
Shoes | J. Crew

...and we are back to our regularly scheduled programming. I've been working quite a bit lately and when I come home, I instantly change my clothes and get back to work, so there hasn't been much outfit documentation, or creative energy to showcase my outfit documentation, but hopefully I'll get a chance to recharge a bit this weekend. 

     One day last week I did manage to snap some photos because I went to a work event. My goal for this outfit was to look more polished, so I went with the trusty old pencil skirt (this pencil skirt was actually part of my very first "adult" suit, which I bought from a Theory outlet store back in 2014). However, I did a half-tuck on my menswear-inspired shirt because, number one I love a half-tuck, and number two because I think it feels a little younger. It could be that it just looks a little sloppier, but I paired this with a black leather jacket (which I did not get any photos of) and hoop earrings, and I thought it looked pretty cool...but also trustworthy.

Business, business, business

Then boom!

     Also, since it is the end of the week I thought I'd throw in some random bonus photos that I don't think I can build entire posts around. 

Think of these like the prize in the bottom of a Blog-Cracker-Jack-Box.

In no particular order, we have:

1. A work look featuring the jacket I promised to bore you with by wearing it so often, and a sick bag that I got in Italy. It is a tote bag with a top flap (it drives me nuts when tote bags are open on top) which is wide enough to fit my laptop and a lunch Tupperware, and comes with a cross body strap!

Jacket | Rebecca Taylor
Jeans | DL1961
Shoes | J.Crew 

2. A weekend look featuring a sweater I've had a few years but should probably wear more. It has a cozy fleece lining and the print can frankly best be described as an interior-designer-fever-dream. It is sort of hard to tell from this photo but features alternating house blueprints and doll-house furniture.

Sweater | Clover Canyon
Jeans | Citizens of Humanity

 3. One more look at my new Eileen Fisher dress, but paired with a leather jacket. A leather jacket frankly goes with everything.

Jacket | Veda
Dress | Eileen Fisher

4. And lastly, a pretty casual weekend look, with one of my favorite tops, whereby I am holding, but at least not wearing, the jacket in #1.

Jacket | Rebecca Taylor
Jeans | DL1961
Top | Calvin Klein
Shoes | Paul Green
Bag | Mansur Gavriel 

 Thanks for stopping by!

Pop of Color

Blazer | Theory
Top | Victoria Beckham x Target
Jeans | DL1961
Shoes | Paul Green

       A co-worker today said, "I like your pop of color", and that is exactly what this is. This pink Victoria Beckham x Target top looks so cute with jeans and feels utterly appropriate on a sunny day in the Bay Area. The last three days have been so nice - it feels like summer! The pink is quite florescent, which could look a little twee, but when paired with a blazer appears much more polished. Also, I didn't wear open-toe shoes to work, just FYI.
     Related, isn't it nice when you can talk about fashion with your co-workers? I don't work in fashion, but I spend a lot of time with my co-workers, so for me it helps bridge the gap a little bit between my 'corporate self', and my 'creative-expression-through-fashion self'. For the record, I don't think that those two selves necessarily need to be separate, and I think they can happily co-exist, but I have struggled with it a little bit, because, at least for me, being more junior and in a more traditional field, it feels like my interest in fashion (something seen as traditionally more feminine and non-utilitarian) could undermine my professionalism. I've never totally understood this because, unless your workplace has a nudity policy, every single person has to deal with clothing every single day, and yet caring about it definitely has a certain amount of frivolity attached to it. 

At the end of the day though, I am who I am and I like what I like. 

Separately, the next photo is something I like to call, blow-dry-by-nature. 

Thanks for stopping by!