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Tunics: what to wear in the heat

6/18/2014

0 Comments

 
There's a reason why people in the hottest climates around the world--particularly those in India & Africa--wear tunics: they're easy & cool. 

Here in the States, tunics have come in & out of favor. A sweeping craze for them about eight summers ago faded; they're just beginning to come back, & I've pulled out all my old ones. You'll find new ones now sometimes listed as "swim cover-ups," & they're often surprisingly affordable. 

You might also try visiting an Indian store to find one; many tunics are made in India anyway. A tunic may also be called a kurta or kaftan.
 Most traditional Indian tunics are longer, more colorful, & more intricately embroidered than the American styles. 

Tunics can have a boho feel to them or look more conservative--I like both styles. Wear them fitted, not tent-like :-). I think they're cutest with mid-thigh shorts. I believe tunics are perfectly work-appropriate with white pants or crops. I'm partial to tunics made of cotton with long or 3/4-length sleeves.


Picture
Street musician in India By Hmundol (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
I've been hunting for tunics to wear to work & for fun with shorts this summer. Here are some of my favorites...



From Calypso St. Barth
Many more tunics from Calypso St. Barth at all prices & styled with white skinnies & shorts here.
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Glinda Embroidered Linen Tunic, $29
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Calypso St. Barth Cherylin Stripe Hem Tunic, $19


From J. Crew Factory

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J. Crew Factory Printed Crinkle Tunic, $29.99 minus 30% (I ordered this one)
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J. Crew Factory Tipped V-neck Tunic, $36.99 minus 30%


From Athleta

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Athleta Kimssa Tunic, 4 colors, $89


From Piperlime. Many more Piperlime kurtas here.

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Piperlime Roberta Roller Rabbit Classic Kurta w/ Border, $39.97
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Piperlime Roberta Roller Rabbit Classic Kurta w/ Border, $49.97


From Ebay

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Ebay J Crew Liberty of London Amy Hurrel Floral Tunic, Size Medium, $19.99
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Ebay J. Crew Crinkle Tunic, no longer available except in xxs, $22 (I bought the other one :-)
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Ebay Jcrew 100% silk sandbar boho tunic top coverup paisley small, $49.99
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J. Crew Linen Tunic, $28.99 starting bid; buy outright for $37.99


From Old Navy
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Old Navy Women's Tunic Cover-Up, $20 minus 20%. If you visit an Old Navy store, you'll see an amazing image on the wall of a girl in this tunic--it's prettier than it looks here.


From Boden

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Boden Printed Beach Throw On, 6 colors, $66
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Boden Stitch Detail Tunic, $43.50. I'm having a hard time not buying this one. I love the red!


From Tea Collection

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Tea Collection Neutral Long Sleeve Dress, $59.95 minus 30% with the code MORE30




If you want to look put together when you're melting down, a tunic might be the answer. Do you agree?



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What have you bought for me lately?

4/1/2014

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Do you sometimes recount exactly what you've bought lately to see how much you've spent? 
Here are the 8 items I've bought in the past few weeks to help me make the transition to spring. The total cost I paid is around $200 after discounts I took advantage of. (P.S. I bought a lot of other stuff I returned.) 



Picture
10 Ways I Save $ for Clothes

Gotta Stretch that Dollar Bill

How Much Should You Pay for Shipping?


0 Comments

One skirt for a trip to Africa

2/28/2014

4 Comments

 
Dear Fashion Feline:
We're terribly excited! We're going to Africa over Spring Break! The packing list is very short & particular. We are required to travel very light for the safari, & we'll have to wash our clothes in the sink at times during this trip. I need a knee-length skirt that packs light, washes easily, & doesn't wrinkle--will you help me? --Samantha 

Dear Samantha,
How amazing to go to Africa! Here are 4 travel skirts that are both stylish & versatile.
Wish I could come along to see all those big kitties there :-).  
--FF >^.^<



1. The Eddie Bauer Aster TRAVEX Skirt
Eddie Bauer carries a line of travel gear called Travex. Below is the ad for it from their catalog & the link to the skirt if you click on the photo. It comes in 3 colors & can be converted into a dress. I think the length might be nice if you won't be able to shower & shave your legs as much as you might like on this trip. 

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Eddie Bauer Aster Convertible Skirt TRAVEX, $45
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Eddie Bauer Aster Convertible Skirt TRAVEX, $45




2. The Athleta Strata Skirt
I own this skirt in two colors, & I'm crazy for this patterned version. It can be worn year round, it doesn't wrinkle, it's the right length, & the price is right if you buy one of the solid colors. 

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Athleta Cassava Strata Skirt, $54
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Athleta Strata Skirt, $24.99
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Athleta Strata Skirt, $24.99



3. The Patagonia Vitaliti Skirt
I own this skirt too, in blue. It's a lightweight, high-tech material that washes without wrinkling. It has a flattering shape. 

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Backcountry,com Patagonia Vitaliti Skirt, $59
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Backcountry,com Patagonia Vitaliti Skirt, $59
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Backcountry,com Patagonia Vitaliti Skirt, $59




4. The Horny Toad Chaka Skirt
I love this color below ("night shade"). It seems to me not so dark & drab as black, multi-seasonal, & versatile.

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6pm.com Horny Toad Chaka Skirt, $41.99 as shown. Some colors $19.99. Available in 9 colors.










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Fashion Feline
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Zand convertible skirts

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Spring shirts, $10 & up



4 Comments

Black & white: my work "uniform"

9/16/2013

4 Comments

 
It's no news that black & white makes it easy to get dressed in the morning. Even when the pieces aren't so new, black & white together almost always looks crisp & conveys the impression "I got this." 

Black skirt, white blouse
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Boden from head to toe. New skirt, old blouse. I typically balance a conservative shirt with a short skirt.



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Boden Sixties Mini, $58



Black dress
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I don't wear this dress very often, but I've owned it for years, & it's never let me down.




Age-old Banana Republic sheath, Target tights, Aerosoles Caricature Many Janes (below)
Almost identical:
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GAP Sheath Dress, $59.95 minus 25%
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Aerosoles Caricature, $49.99
Black pants, white shirt, black pullover

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This is the outfit I'll be wearing today. I usually wear a sleeveless white shirt under a sweater to keep away bulk.
The v-neck as well as the black cotton pants are VS. The sleevelesss shirt is GAP.


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Victoria's Secret The Kate Flare Pant in Stretch Cotton, $49.50
What's your work "uniform"?










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4 Comments

Side-by-side: Jeggings

9/11/2013

0 Comments

 
Husband: "Is there really something called a 'jegging'?"

When I get home at the end of the day, all I want to do is put on my pj's & climb into bed. Unfortunately, people expect me to function for about another 5 hours. Enter my new best friend: the Jegging. 

The jegging is one of those trends I've been waiting for for years, a dressier version of sweats, the more structured version of leggings with belt loops & pockets in back & faux pockets in front. Ideal for the grocery store, sports events, or lying around the house. 

I'm terribly cheap--especially when it comes to loungewear--so I was glad to find Calvin Klein ponte knit jeggings for $16.99 at
Costco that seem somewhat similar to the Athleta ones I was eyeing.... They're also the exact same ones on the Calvin Klein site for $69.50.

Calvin Klein Ponte Knit Jeggings from Costco, $16.99
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Calvin Klein 5-pocket ponte leggings, $69.50 minus $25%
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I love the computer voice in the self-check at Costco: "Thank you for shopping at Cost-co" :-)
Rockwell Ponte Knit Jegging from Athleta, $89
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Athleta Rockwell jegging from the back


More Side-by-Side:
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Side-by-side: leather-like & leather leggings

0 Comments

Inspired by ISSA: colorful fall legs

8/22/2013

0 Comments

 

What caught me about the new Issa collection at Banana Republic are the tights they pair with the lovely printed dresses.

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The brightly-colored tights are not available yet at Banana Republic, but I did find some wine-colored tights at Swell.com. 
I'll be looking for tights in other exciting colors for fall. 


I plan to try wearing wine and navy tights with my $29 Athleta dress/tunic, available in every size:

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Athleta Printed Hot When You're Not Dress, $29.99
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Chadwicks Control-Top Opaque Tights, $6.99/2 for $6.25/3 for $6
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Swell.com Mandie Opaque Tights, $16.50
0 Comments

3 summer work outfits under $50

7/18/2013

1 Comment

 
Raise your hand if you think summer is the hardest season to dress for--especially for the office. I probably spend more money on summer clothes than any other season just because I'm trying to get it right--find comfortable, professional outfits that won't make me look sloppy or wrinkled and will help me stay cool. Here are three outfits that I've worn again and again to work this summer--all inexpensive and non-wrinkly and super comfortable.

Outfit 1:
I stole this look from J. Crew but found the skirt for $20 from Loft here. The skirt fits me like a glove and is made of a cotton/stretch blend that doesn't wrinkle. Black & white goes with everything. The skirt is available in more sizes in stores. 
The top I got from J. Crew for $18.55. 

Picture





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J. Crew vintage cotton boatneck tee & black & white striped pencil skirt



Outfit 2:

I stole the concept for Outfit 2 from J. Crew too--a crochet skirt and crisp white oxford.

I paid $29 for the skirt from Athleta. Never wrinkles, goes everywhere. Similar here. 
The shirt I've had forever, but I recently bought a new one from
J. Crew Factory for about $33 including shipping.  

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Picture
J. Crew Factory outfit



Outfit 3:

I think dresses are often the least expensive and the least trouble, especially in the summer when you don't have to wear tights. I got this dress at H&M for $19.95. It would have been really short in my usual size, so I sized up until the length felt sassy but appropriate for work. I added my own belt and a lovely purse that a friend brought back for me as a gift from Italy.
They still carry the dress in the store. Never wrinkles. 

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H&M dress, $19.95

What are your go-to outfits for work this summer? How are you keeping cool and unwrinkled?




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1 Comment

Baby, it's cold outside

6/25/2013

0 Comments

 
Do you remember back in December when you were admiring everyone's beautiful coats? Did you have your eye on a particular one? Maybe you should look it up now. I was longing for this prAna Sylvie coat, but it was too expensive. But not now! Although it's not so fun to have to wait to wear something, the best time to buy a coat is in the heat of summer. Be sure to check Sierratradingpost.com, Campmor.com, Altrec.com, REI.com, Backcountry.com, WinterWomen.com, Departmentofgoods.com, Moosejaw.com, Campsaver.com and Buckmans.com for the lowest prices on name brands.
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Backcountry.com prAna Sylvie Jacket, $52.77 (was $88)
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Moosejaw prAna Women's Tori Jacket, $58.99 (was $84.95)
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Athleta Down Blazer by Nau, $99 (was $225)
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Department of Goods prAna Devan Down Jacket, $107.53 (was $238.95)
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Campsaver Isis Nimble Jacket, $47.24 (was $188.95)
0 Comments

How deep is your snow?

2/24/2013

0 Comments

 
We got about a foot of snow where we are in Denver. How much did you get?

I hear the coats that everyone's wearing in NY are Canada Goose. They run $500 and up, but they are NICE!
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Canada Goose Montelbello Parka, around $650
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Canada Goose Outdoor Performance Gear
I love a white puffer. This white Duster Down Coat from Athleta is plenty good for me. 
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Athleta Duster Down Jacket, 6 sizes, 3 colors, $149.99


More cold-weather clothes...

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Rosy puffy vests 
$14.99 and up

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Puffy skirts from
Northface, Horny Toad,
Athleta, and Skhoop

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Three cold-weather items that have finally been marked down (the boots are now $59)

0 Comments

Puffed up

1/19/2013

0 Comments

 
Some of you made fun of me (but only in the nicest of ways) in the fall when I said I was craving an insulated skirt, even saying it looked like a floatation device! :-) . 
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Altrec The North Face Runaway Insulated Skirt, $52.49


I did buy this skirt when the price went down a bit, and I've LOVED it this winter. One benefit is that it never wrinkles or shows any wear so I can wear it again and again. It also does keep me very warm. 


Here's Athleta's version of it, available in regular or tall in 3 colors.
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Athleta Snow Stomper Skirt, $39.99
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Athleta Snow Stomper Skirt, $39.99



I was at the zoo on a cold night around New Year's and noticed a woman wearing an ankle-length version of my skirt. She looked GREAT. You would think that a puffy skirt would look bulky, but actually she looked athletic and shapely. 
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Horny Toad Cloudcover Skirt, $70.80
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Horny Toad outfit


Skhoop of Scandinavia has a strong appreciation for puffy for those in cold climates. They carry insulated skirts in all sizes and lengths, but they are fairly expensive. 

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Photo from Skhoop of Scandinavia
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Skhoop Down Long Skirt, $199


What a great apres-ski item! Are you starting to crave one yet?



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I'm going where
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0 Comments
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