Lemaire + la pluie

Jacket | BlankNYC Suede Moto
Sweater | Uniqlo Lemaire
Skirt | Caslon
Shoes | Coclico

The rain continues, so I continue to layer. One morning it was only overcast, so I got a little cocky and went bare ankles, which I ended up regretting. I paired this cool, midi-length pencil skirt with a sweater from Uniqlo's collaboration in 2015 with Lemaire. Lemaire is the eponymous label of designer Christophe Lemaire, who left Hermes to open his own line, and then later accepted a job as the artistic director of Uniqlo. Maybe the collab was a trial-run? The internet seems to suggest he is still in that position, although it is a little unclear.
I focused on textures when pairing these pieces (the woven printed skirt, the chunky knit top, and the soft suede jacket), and the cold weather made me gravitate toward richer, deeper and more brooding colors. This sweater is amazingly soft, and I like the swingy silhouette - it makes me feel like I should tie a scarf around my neck and swing my arms around in a dramatic fashion. I do wish the sleeves were either full length, or shorter, but it is possible that on a taller model they were closer to 3/4 sleeves.  The way it is now, my wrists are just a little colder than I'd like them to be. I guess my real take-away from this post is that someone needs to bring back ankle warmers and make wrist warmers a thing as well. Is that too much to ask blogasphere? 

Wrangling the length.

Thanks for stopping by!

Lost & Found

Sweater | Target
Jeans | DL1961
Boots | Coclico Arya
Bracelet | Miansai Screw Cuff in Rose Gold

I'm in the middle of cleaning my apartment as part of a new year organization and cleaning spree, and under the bed I found a bin that I did not remember that we had put there. In it, were several items of clothing that, at one point over the last year and a half I had been like, "whatever happened to my __". Turns out they were all in this bin that was under the middle of the bed and which I had totally forgotten about. Most of the clothes went immediately into the Goodwill pile, since if I hadn't noticed they were gone, it was a good indicator that I didn't really need them. Some of the items, however, were like this black sweater, which was in there and which I missed so much - I'll never lose you again sweater!
It is a pretty basic sweater - from Target, but it is so soft and I love the way it fits. It is also the perfect length to wear tucked into jeans, or, as a mini dress with over-the-knee boots (that one, obviously not worn to work). 

I usually get dressed shoes last (metaphorically - although also literally) as I know some people start with shoes and work upward when planning an outfit. I took a chance that these tan booties would go with this look, and was pleasantly surprised. I also then put on some rose gold jewelry, to help bring other warm pink/yellows into the outfit. The shoes are Coclico, a brand I've talked about a few times (here and here), and were my first purchase from the brand, which I stumbled upon on Amazon back in 2014 (they are currently on sale, in suede, on the Coclico website - I am a size 7 and usually wear their 37, but these, per their website, run a half size small so I sized up).  They are an ankle boot (I neglected to take a photo showing just the shoe) and have a cool cut out look on the shaft. 

Hello shoes.

Do you ever feel like you just cannot find that one piece of clothing that you know is somewhere in your closet?

Instagram + Weekend Reading

Well, I've given in and finally joined Instagram. Initially I wasn't interested, and then I liked being a female in their target demographic who was avoiding their product, and now it just seems like not a big deal either way. We'll see if it lasts, but for now, should you have any inclination, you can follow me at @styledtour, where I have posted such gems such as:

1. The outfit I wore to SF MOMA on Near Year's Day. It felt appropriate to start the year off with art, culture, beauty...and elbow patches. True story - I bought this sweater at a sample sale in NY, and it was so cheap that I assumed the patches were not real leather. I didn't realize until after I ran it through the washing machine that they are, in fact, lambskin. My bad. At least I caught it before I ran it through the dryer. 

Sweater | Elizabeth and James
Shirt | Equipment
Pants | Citizens of Humanity
Bag | Mansur Gavriel 

2. A shirt I found the last time I was home, and I brought back with me as a lounging-around top. I really want to go back to the Grand Canyon (I went when I was in elementary school) and this helps fuel that fire. 

3. Lastly, a close up of my new suede jacket, as well as a great Eileen Fisher sweater. I remember thinking that their clothing was so "mature" looking when I was younger, but recently I have been gravitating toward all of their dresses and sweaters whenever I see them. I wonder if that makes Eileen Fisher like the broccoli of clothing, and all I had to do was grow up to appreciate it a little bit more.

Jacket | BlankNYC Suede Moto
Sweater | Eileen Fisher
Tank | Lanston
Sunglasses | Ray-Ban

And now, for your weekend perusal:

1. For anyone who hasn't been following the drama between Oscar de la Renta and Carolina Herrera, let the NYT lay it down for you.

2. Amazon is going to start making their own in-house line of athletic wear - I guess they are banking on us not having reached peak athleasure (Recode) 

3. NYE might be over, but Fashionista has a helpful look at how to clean feathers, sequins and fur; and finally

4. A look back at the Golden Globes fashion of 2007 - some of these have aged well, and some, not so much (GoFugYourself).

Happy weekend!

The Onion

Jacket | J. Crew
Dress | Tibi
Collared Shirt | J. Crew

 Ogres (and bloggers sometimes) are like onions: they have layers. Never more so than when winter weather rears its head. It is going to be dark and rainy all week, so I might as well hunker down and get ready for some layering. 

 My outer layer is this great J. Crew coat that I bought at a Crossroads Trading Co. for $25, back when I lived in New York. I had been wearing the same uninspired sleeping-bag coat with a fake fur hood for months and months in the rain, the wind, and the snow and I finally snapped. I walked to Crossroads and bought two new jackets, both of which I brought with me to a warmer climate and which still serve me well.  

 Peel back the coat, and I have my oft-featured cardigan - which ended up being a necessary layer, along with the tights. Take that away, and I started with a crisp button down, layered under my dress to make it more corporate. In looking at these photos, I could use a colorful silk scarf, or some statement earrings to break up the otherwise black and white look. 

How do you layer when it gets cold?

2016 Superlatives...

...and now, I present some of my favorite and least favorite purchases from 2016. For the past 3 years, throughout the year, I keep an excel chart of all of the items that I purchase, and include data such as retail price, how much I paid for it, where I got it, online vs in-store, and general thoughts (could include if I had to get it tailored before wearing, if it is Made in America, etc.), and then at the end of the year I go through and review/analyze what I bought. This might sound clinical, or crazy, but I like shopping and my system helps me identify trends from my own shopping data. 
     For example, last year I noticed that most of the items that I purchased and never really wore/lost interest in quickly were items I ordered online from J. Crew and Banana Republic. That helped me curb mindless online sale shopping at both of those places, and remind me that if I am going to shop at either store, I need to do it in person.
       This year, just to give you a flavoring, 31% of the clothes I bought were dresses, 42% of the items I bought were used or second-hand, and I saved, on average, 79% off of the retail price of all of the clothing I bought. That last number is heavily weighted by the secondhand shopping, and some key Nordstrom Rack and RealReal.com clearance item finds. 
1. Best Sport: Rag & Bone Varsity Jacket

Jacket  Rag & Bone
Pants | Joe's Jeans

This first piece is a great example of my commitment to bargain hunting. I really wanted a varsity jacket, and had seen a few Rag & Bone ones, but did not want to, and could not, pay $500 or more (retail here, although mine, to be fair, is probably last year's model) for one. I waited and waited and eventually the one I am wearing above popped up on the RealReal for less than $80. Boom. It was one size larger than I would have ordered normally, but the slouchy look totally works on this piece and everything else about it was exactly what I wanted, so I purchased. 
I really adore it and wear it all the time, even though sometimes I think it makes me look like a local high school student. Go Bulldogs? 

2. Most Unflattering: Caslon Pants

The back of these pants is pretty unflattering - even more so in person. I ordered online, drawn in by a $15 price tag, and then missed the return window, so here they sit in my closet. I will probably force myself to wear them to work one time, and then donate them. Mental note to stop adding things to cart just because they are cheap, or because I am like $8 away from free shipping.

3. Best Assist
These pants, on the other hand, feel like they were made for me. Both the top and bottom here were actually random second-hand finds that I did not initially intend to try on. In both instances, I was in the dressing room and needed a top/a bottom, because I was wearing a dress that day and trying on a top/a bottom, so I randomly grabbed these from the rack to assist me in the dressing room. I'm so glad I did because I now wear this top once a week (who knew a metallic could be so versatile....probably Stacey London actually...), and I have worn these jeans multiple times a week, to be frank. 

Long live the skinny jean! 

Top | Calvin Klein
Pants | Citizens of Humanity

Back in Black

It's been cold and overcast, and I've retreated to a sleek, black look. I'm excited for this year to be over, and I'm looking forward to putting together a look at my best (and, more interesting) my worst purchases from 2016. 
Something that definitely will not be on the worst list (aside from the fact that I got it in 2014), is this jacket. I bought it as a gift for myself at the start of a big life achievement, and then was too scared to wear it for another 6 months because I didn't want anything to happen to it and I can be overly precious with my clothes sometimes. Clearly I got over that fear, which is good, because I needed this jacket to add some edge to an otherwise very feminine wrap dress (last seen when I was channeling Lorelai Gilmore). I added a beanie, gloves, and my walking-to-work shoes, and I was ready for the gloom.  

Jacket | Veda Max Classic in P
Dress | BCBGeneration
Shoes | Asics Onitsuka Tiger Mexico 66
Bag | Cuyana

Seen here with my commuting shoes.

It looks good unzipped or with the collar popped.