Manors

Top | Vintage
Pants | Rag & Bone (secondhand)
Shoes | Paul Green
Bag | Mansur Gavriel

     The backdrop here is the Legion of Honor, which is a museum in San Francisco. I never realized, until I looked it up to write this, but the building (per Wikipedia) is a full-scale replica of the French Pavilion at the 1915 Panama-Pacific Exposition, which was itself a smaller-scale version of the French Palais de la Legion d'Honneur. It was a gift to the city constructed in the 1920's and given by Alma de Bretteville Spreckels (great name), who was a philanthropist and also the wife of a sugar magnate (how sweet).

Sun's Out

     We have had an uncharacteristically warm week here in the Bay Area, and I've had a little time off, so I decided to capitalize and break out my warm weather-can't wear to work-but really like them, pieces. 

Top | JOA
Pants | Rag & Bone
Shoes | Asics Onitsuka Tiger Mexico 66

     First up is this JOA One Shoulder Stripe Top, which I thought I'd featured on the blog before, but a quick search shows I have not. This was a total impulse purchase last summer, at what felt like the height of the deconstructed off-the-shoulder top trend and I pictured myself wearing it on my then upcoming trip to Hawaii. I totally love this top, even though it is a bit impractical, and is a liar (although I think that last part is why it was marked down so much - for example, still available here in pink, for ~$15 (affiliate link)). It was billed as a one-shoulder top, and also shown that way in the stock photo (below). The part around the arm should be able to be worn down (the way I have it) or up on your shoulder. 

Rose

Top | Nordstrom Collection
Jeans | Citizens of Humanity
Shoes | Paul Green
Bag | Baggu Basic Tote

     It is taking all of my restraint not to make a "on Wednesdays, we wear pink" joke (not the least of which because it is Monday). I've had a bit of a posting hiatus, but hopefully will be getting back into a rhythm soon (I mean not like the sartorial world has just ground to a halt without my astute observations, but whatever, blogging makes me happy). I think about my outfits, take the photos, and write the posts in order to capture the creativity that my clothes allow me to convey. Also, I love talking about clothes and outfits more than most people I know want to hear me do so, so I write those thoughts down here, instead. 

Eureka

Tunic | Tory Burch
Dress | Derek Lam 10 Crosby
Shoes | Paul Green

     I am in the middle of a few months of almost back to back wedding weekends, which has been amazing and lovely as I am so excited to celebrate all of these unions, but it is also secretly great because I get to dress up more than I usually do. I plan to do a comprehensive post of all of the outfits and how I game-planned them once I attend the last wedding in October. 
     For a recent wedding, I was really struggling with what to wear. It was outdoors, would most likely be quite warm, and it was important to me that I was colorfully and joyfully dressed. That was of particular importance because this absolutely resplendent lady was the bride:

     She wanted something bright and joyful to wear on her wedding day, and I think she nailed it. It fits her perfectly, and the color really popped against the wooded backdrop. I actually helped find the dress, and I was so happy I could help her achieve her vision. When she asked for my input, I took the job very seriously, haha - it is one thing to dress yourself, but quite another to help dress another person, especially for such an important event.  The actual shopping was pretty painless though, and it only took us one mall, two and a half hours and one Wetzel's Pretzel to find it, although I did do hours of heavy scouring of the interwebs before then.  
     In regards to my own outfit - bright and early, in the middle of a stressful work morning, it hit me. I have this insane Tory Burch embellished linen tunic that I purchased at a heavy discount late last year, and have been very much wanting to wear, but that I was unsure of how/when to wear it. It is a more casual fabric (linen) but heavily beaded, and also it isn't quite a top but also isn't a dress by any means. I always pictured it paired with black cigarette pants, and high stiletto heels, but up until now, I have been unable to find the ideal pants. Also, for this wedding, as you can see from the photos, I couldn't really wear stilettos, unless I was trying to aerate the grounds.  

     What finally dawned on me, that morning, was to layer the tunic over a dress! I wanted a dress that had a little more volume in the skirt, but that was otherwise pretty simple, since this top has a lot happening. After trying it on with a few different dresses, I remembered the one I ended up wearing, which is actually the slip of this dress. I loved the color pairing and thought the pleats fit in well. Not only that, but since the slip had a low v-neck, I ended up flipping the tunic front to back, and wearing it backward! You can see what was supposed to be the front, in one of the images below. I also had to remove the tag, as it otherwise kept sticking out and gave away my secret. I was pretty pleased with myself, and am glad my subconscious was working on this issue while my conscious was hard at work. I also received some valuable input at the wedding on how else I can wear this top.

     If you are curious as to what the embellishment looks like up close - be curious no more:

This is the front. 

Have you had a recent eureka fashion moment? Where or to whom do you turn to help you sort out fashion questions?

Ice Cold

I just got a haircut - can you spot any differences?
Top | Rebecca Taylor
Shorts | Anine Bing
Shoes | Paul Green

     This type of top is known as a cold-shoulder top - it tries to have its cake and eat it too, by evoking the cut of an off-the-shoulder top, while still allowing you to move your arms freely and wear a regular bra. These have been popping up all over stores and apparently, are a bit divisive (at least they are among my friend group, although thankfully not divisive enough that it stopped my friend Jess from stepping in as my photographer). 

     I also don't like many of them (in particular, when it is a cold-shoulder sweater, as that seems to defeat the purpose of a sweater), but I do love this one =). It is Rebecca Taylor, and was found at Saks Off Fifth. I like that there is a little tie on the sleeve (noticeable in the photo below) so you can cinch it all the way up, or let it fall, like I currently have it, and I like the little window detailing on the flutter sleeve. 

As I was venturing to a warmer climate, I paired them with a new pair of silk shorts, and tucked in the top, creating a faux romper effect. I spent quite a while looking for the perfect adult summer shorts. It is a bit hard because I wanted something that (i) wasn't denim, (ii) wasn't too long and not too short, (iii) didn't have an elastic waist, and (iv) had pockets. This pair is Anine Bing (a brand I had never heard of) and, per Google, looks like it is the eponymous line of a fashion blogger. They are a nice soft silk, and while I wouldn't pay full price for them (and didn't, thanks to the magic of Nordstrom Rack) I have high hopes for them, and this top, this summer. 

I'm still working on my "sitting" poses.

What say you on the cold-shoulder debate?

Fashion Week(end)

Dress| Johanna Ortiz Bluebell Silk Embellished Maxi Dress
Shoes | Paul Green
Jacket | Veda

     I recently attended the amazing wedding of some friends, for which I was lucky enough to borrow an outfit for one of the nights of their celebration. After seeing what I would be wearing that night, I decided to double down and just make it a fashion weekend. I love clothes (obviously) and I think that style and fashion should be fun, and sometimes, dramatic. 

     This is what I got to wear the first night:

I was only borrowing this shalwar kameez (and if you ever happen to read this blog, thank you S!) and thought it was amazing. It is three pieces, the heavily embroidered dress, a pair of pants (which in this case were a loose, palazzo pant), and a scarf. The dress is designed for maximum twirl-ability and the whole look is insanely comfortable. I loved wearing it, and as almost all of the other guests at the event were similarly dressed, it was a great way for clothing to help me feel even more connected to the festivities. 

The henna also helped as well, although as I am sometimes lacking in grace, I got it all over my other hand, and was narrowly stopped from getting it on my face, as well. 

 Knowing I was wearing that first outfit for night one, I decided to break out a Johanna Ortiz dress that I bought this year from UAL (I did a brief write-up on them here), in all of it's peplum-glory. As an FYI, I am wearing an XS, and while it zipped, I could have easily sized up. This dress is totally special, and I felt great while wearing it. I love the print, the little embellishment beads in the middle of some of the flowers, adding a fun 3D effect, and obviously the peplum. 

A peplum, for anyone who doesn't know is a "short, flared, gathered or pleated strip of fabric attached at the waist of a women's jacket, dress or blouse to create a hanging frill or flounce" (and per Dictionary.com). I found out at this wedding that very few men know what a peplum is, so I took upon myself all night to get the word out (and if you don't know, now you know).

I felt like a very fashionable statue all night (I think due to the draping) which is good, because the open back (sadly no photos of this) and the tight waist basically demanded very good posture. I am thinking of having a tailor transform this into a separate peplum top and skirt, so that I can wear get more wear out of it. There is also an itty bitty pocket in the peplum (photo below), but it isn't really large enough for more than some dollar bills and a hair tie. When I found myself alone in the bathroom, some selfies were obviously a necessity:

What is your favorite wedding outfit? 

Thanks for stopping by!

Ya Ken?

Top | The Kooples
Dress | Madewell
Shoes | Paul Green
Bag | Baggu

     I recently finished reading Outlander, and just started watching Season One of the show. The book is so good, btw, and I would recommend it - perfect summer reading material. In addition to inspiring the title of this post, all the ruffly-sleeved tops that the Scottish men wear were the inspiration for this look, as well as the decision that it should be photographed in front of some foliage. Unfortunately, I have no plaid.    

Lace

Top | J. Crew Factory
Skirt | Banana Republic
Bag | J. Crew (on sale)
Shoes | Paul Green

     This weekend was pleasantly sort-of warm, but rather windy, which meant that only pleats would do. Ruffles would actually also have been appropriate - anything to catch the wind and result in a little style drama. I often have to make a conscious choice to venture outside of jeans + tee shirt on the weekend, but it is almost always worth it. Otherwise, there is a chunk of my wardrobe that goes unworn and it is fun to play dress up on the weekend and not have to worry about the freezing cold office, or if a top shows my stomach when I raise my arms, etc.

I initially was going to go with a solid black top, but switched it up for this printed one, which actually went together pretty well, with the print on the top mirroring the lace on the skirt in a very subtle way. This top is from J. Crew Factory and I bought it back in 2014 at an outlet mall in upstate NY. The quality is great, as after years of washes, it hasn't deteriorated in color or texture. 

So tell me, how do you dress on the weekend? Is it business as usual, or yoga-pants, yoga-pants, yoga-pants?

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!

Matched

Cardigan | Target
Top | ALC Floral Silk Top
Pants | ALC Floral Silk Pants
Shoes | Paul Green

     I absolutely love this jumpsuit, except it is not a jumpsuit, it is pants and a top. This might make me love it more, because it is still cool, slouchy and comfortable, but you don't have to unzip yourself with yogic elbows or sit in a public restroom with no top on, on the days you wear it. It also has freaking pockets!

     Regardless of the practicality, since I was already wearing open-toed shoes, and, you know, a silken printed jumpsuit on a Friday, I decided to tone it down a little bit with a cardigan, while I was at work. After work I went out for drinks and boom, the shoulders came out. 

Business casual, maybe?

I got both of these pieces on the Real Real, about 3 months apart. Both are still available (in varying sizes) on the Real Real's site, although I bought mine for about half the price, so it might be worth waiting for their next big sale. I thought I found the pants first, but a look at my old clothing spreadsheet (yea, I keep a clothing spreadsheet) reveals I actually bought the top first. It makes sense - I probably would have been unwilling to go for the crazy pants, right out of the gate. As I generally strongly prefer solids, it is sort of a bold print for me, but I love the color and the geometric floral vibe. The top and bottom are both 100% silk, and are very soft and breathable. I'll be doing some traveling to hotter climates in the coming weeks, and this will probably be coming with me.

Do you have something you wear that just makes you feel ultimately cool? How often do you wear it?