Review: Uniqlo Ultra Light Down Jacket

Jacket | Uniqlo Ultra Light Down Jacket
Pants | American Giant
Shoes | Asics Onitsuka Tiger Mexico 66
Purse | Mansur Gavriel

     In preparation for my upcoming trip, I purchased the Uniqlo Ultra Light Down Jacket. I got it in size XS, in the "Wine" color. I wanted something light but warm, that I could layer underneath a coat, or use as a stand alone jacket. I also like that this jacket can be squashed down to easily fit in a purse or suitcase, or used as a pillow on the plane.

I have been wearing it around San Francisco, as well, and have been very pleased. It is very light and practical - it has both outer, and interior pockets - and when I got caught in the rain, it dried out quickly.  In re. to sizing, the XS fits well, but I cannot layer thick sweaters underneath without it becoming difficult to zip. Here, I have it layered over a tank and my Oiselle hoodie (this one, now on sale), and it fits fine. At $69.90, this jacket is much lower priced than the similar looking Patagonia and North Face down jackets. It could be that those jackets are actually three times nicer than this one, but that would really be quite a jacket. 

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Jacket | Veda
Dress | A.L.C.

I originally was wearing a black cardigan with this outfit but I thought it looked a little bland. So, before I headed out the door I reached for this trusted leather jacket, which I think was a more fun and polished choice. 

    This dress is by A.L.C., and before I stumbled across them on the RealReal, I was not really familiar with the brand. Since then, I've come to admire the way they do prints, and now have a few of their pieces, including printed silk pants, which is not an article of clothing I thought I would ever purchase. 
      A.L.C. is the brainchild of stylist-turned-designed Andrea Liberman. I'm sure you are familiar with her styling work because she was the stylist responsible for putting J.Lo in the famous green Versace dress that she wore to the Grammys in 2000. You can read a short "day in the life" piece about Andrea here (I always love reading these and feel like people who do them always get up early). I generally find the sizing to be TTS, although all of their tanks are too big in the bust for me, and so I either have to get the straps shortened, or they show my bra on the side. The pricing is also pretty varied, the dresses (which are usually 100% silk, which is great) retail for several hundred dollars, but I got this one on the RealReal for less than $50, so I think there are certainly deals out there to be had. 

Do you have any brands that, once you found them, have become a wardrobe staple? 

One More Week

Sweater | Lemaire for Uniqlo
Pants | See Thru Soul
Tank | Everlane
Shoes | Stuart Weitzman Rockerchic (review here)

 This week is going to feel so long. After this week I am going on a vacation (woop), so I just need to power through, and keep my eyes on the relaxation prize at the end of the tunnel. Also, there might be a bit of a posting hiatus while I am gone, but hopefully when I get back I will have a lot of exciting travel pictures. Those will probably mostly consist of pretty locations, and me in basically the same outfit over and over, because I am trying to get away with only doing carry-on luggage, haha. I know - when I put it like that, you can't wait, right?

These photos are from this past weekend, and while it was a bit chilly, it was not raining, so I took the opportunity to bust out my trusty OTK suede boots. Of course, it did start raining, so I had to make a mad dash for it, while trying to mindfully avoid puddles. Everything about this outfit is soft (I am so texture focused), from the suede boots, stretchy pants, smooth knits, and the silky tank. These boots, which I first reviewed almost a year ago, continue to look and feel great, and I am so glad that OTK boots are still a thing. I would probably wear them even if they were not, but it doesn't hurt. Overall, a great casual weekend look, even if it isn't very practical in the rain. 

How is your week looking? Thanks for stopping by!

Weekend Reading

Blazer | Theory
Sweater | Inhabit
Pants | Joe's Jeans
Shoes | Rachel Comey Mars

Just a quick look at an outfit, and some weekend reading today. Even though this week was shorter, thanks to the Monday holiday, it felt way too long. This was a casual work look, highlighting my favorite booties, which I've mentioned here before, the Rachel Comey Mars. They are a deep maroon color, and fit in well with this grey, tan and black color palette. I also think that, when paired with black skinny jeans, they make my legs look a mile long.

For your weekend perusal:
1. In the photo above, I'm ready to curl up with the recent edition of Vogue, the one with the controversial Karlie Kloss spread.

2. Did you read this article, of one woman's account of her time at Uber? Uber has since hired Eric Holder to head up the investigation into the sexual harassment claims. (That also made me think, huh, I wonder what Eric Holder has been up to, and the answer is, among other things, working with tech companies, including Uber (he has, however, pledged to maintain independence)). 

3. While fashion week is happening, I always like to save the images from the show for the end of the day, when I'm done with work, and then just binge on pictures from 10 shows, all in a row. From Vogue Runway, a look at the awesome Prada ready-to-wear show - I love all of the voluminous fringed skirts:

Photo: Monica Feudi / Indigital.tv

4. From Racked, I concur that overalls are basically the best clothes.

5. An oddly soothing video, looking at how a Lush Bath Bomb is made (Refinery29).

6. Lastly, from Glossy, a look at fashion website Garmentory - I think their model of pairing with small boutiques is interesting - has anyone ever shopped with them?

Thanks for stopping by, and have a good weekend. 

Splish Splash

Riddle me this: why do trench coats almost never have hoods? It seems like putting a hood on a water resistant garment would be an obvious choice. Apparently, the trench coat first came to prominence during World War I (read more about it, from the Smithsonian) - so maybe a hood just wasn't practical on the battlefield and the classic design stuck?  

With the sweater fully unzipped.

Needless to say, on this particular day, my body stayed dry, but my hair got soaking wet. Next time, I will remember an umbrella. 

Sweater | J. Crew
Dress | Rag & Bone
Shoes | Cole Haan
Trench | Banana Republic
Bag | Cuyana

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Oversized Cardigan: Two Ways

Today, I take a look at how I style an oversized cardigan, for work, and for leisure. This cardigan is 100% cashmere (it is heavenly soft) and by Rag & Bone. I bought it secondhand, and I'm honestly not sure if it was originally supposed to be a men's or women's piece. It is a size S, and I could definitely see it designed to be purposefully oversized on a woman, or just fitted on a man. The color and cut also don't really point one direction or the other, but whatever - it ended up with this woman. 

Cardigan | Rag & Bone
Sweater | J.Crew
Dress | Proenza Schouler
Boots | Coclico

 Even though it has been rainy and a bit chilly here, I decided to brave the cold in a skirt with no tights (it is actually a dress, layered under a sweater, but you get the idea) and then added this topper for added warmth. The neutral color fits in well with the color of the other pieces, and the print on the skirt is the highlight of the outfit anyway. I initially was going to wear black shoes, but liked the height of these boot to make my legs look longer and to make myself feel a little more dressed up. Even though this is a casual piece, I think that it is elevated to work-appropriate status by the silk dress, heels, and rich color palette. 

Unfortunately, I can't really pop the collar.

Cardigan | J. Crew
Sweater | Banana Republic
Jeans | Citizens of Humanity
Shoes | J. Crew New Balance 620

 I think a key part of keeping this cardigan from looking like it is swallowing my frame, is defining my natural waist. If I paired this piece with a longer tunic, it would be a lot of length and volume on top, and might make my legs seem particularly short or spindly. I'm not saying my legs aren't short or spindly, I'm just saying that isn't the theme of this particular outfit. 

     For hanging out on the weekend (and still recovering from a cold), jeans were the obvious choice. I paired this cardigan with my ruffle shoulder Banana Republic sweater, as pairing a thick, chunky knit with cashmere felt like the right move. 

    These sneakers, by the way, are from J. Crew, and are the New Balance 620. They were on sale in the recent J. Crew markdown, and I got them for over half off. They are currently no longer on sale, but I bet they will be again soon. I bought them just to switch up my "walk-to-work" shoes, and so far I like them. They run TTS, and aren't particularly substantial (I wouldn't run in them) but for walking around they are comfy and cute.

I could also see this piece on an old man...

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