Category: Black

Say hello (again) to my little friend

12/23/2013

Gray & I have always been friends, but black & I have gone up & down--what about you?

My junior year of high school I hung out with a slightly punk, slightly crazy crowd & wore all black (to the disdain of my parents).

In college, I wore a lot of black sweaters & jeans until I couldn't stand that look anymore.

In the early 2000s, I decided to lighten up & turned completely away from black. I started wearing off-white jeans with colored blouses.
I decided my friends would rather see me in something brighter, & I decided black was too severe.

But now I'm back in black! Few outfits make me feel more powerful than all black. I wear all black about once a week, & now I buy black again too. Suddenly I think it's elegant & classic & classy again. I don't feel dark or severe in it anymore; I feel New York & edgy & put together.

Have you gone through anything similar in your history with the color black? Please tell!

Here are a few of my black-based outfits:

I just bought this dress...

Garnet Hill Belted Shirtdress, $29

J. Crew top & Charley sweater, Talbots skirt

Zara sweater, Victoria's Secret black cords

Anthropologie sweater, Joe Fresh skirt

very old Banana Republic shift dress

very old Victoria's Secret sweater & pants

0 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

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

Boden Sixties Mini, $58

Black dress

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:

GAP Sheath Dress, $59.95 minus 25%

Aerosoles Caricature, $49.99

Black pants, white shirt, black pullover

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.

Victoria's Secret The Kate Flare Pant in Stretch Cotton, $49.50

What's your work "uniform"?

You may also like...

How to wear heels

Inspired by Issa: colorful fall legs

More than just a t-shirt:
embellished tees

4 Comments

The basic black skirt

8/15/2013

3 Comments

One morning recently I woke up saying, "I need a black skirt!"
I'm not necessarily a follower of the 10 Item Wardrobe, but I do believe in buying all-season pieces, especially for work.
If I had to limit myself to 10 pieces, I'd definitely include a black pair of pants and a black skirt since they look hip and go with everything. I'd pick the type of black skirt that suits you best, whether it be mini or knee-length, pencil or A-line.

Two from H&M (now available for online shopping!)

H&M Stretch Pencil Skirt, $24.95

H&M Flared Skirt, $24.95

Two from Forever21

Forever 21 Essential Flounced Skirt, $14.80

I admired this skirt in the store before I realized I needed a black skirt. I plan to return to get it! Hoping it'll still be there, or I'll order it online.

Forever 21 Essential Flap Skirt, $15.80

One from Boden

This Boden skirt is the one I chose since I have a weakness for '60s styles, especially minis. I like that it's made of ponte knit (not wool) because it's all season and can be worn as a casual or a dressy skirt. I got it for 10% off & free shipping & free returns. It's worth it to sign up for Boden's email list to get their discounts.

Boden Sixties Mini, $58

Here I am in it. Love black & white!

You may also want a...

Basic black pant

Basic white shirt

Basic black bag

The Open Mind Mindset

3 Comments

The basic black pant: Christie vs. Kate

5/13/2013

1 Comment

Who doesn't need basic black pants? For as long as I can remember, I've bought mine from Victoria's Secret.

Today the Christie Fit is taking on the Kate Fit in a 3-round fight!

Christie

The Christie Flare Pant, $29.99 & up

VS.

Kate

The Kate Flare Pant, $44 (as shown)

What's changed?
Both Christie and Kate have changed:
The material --They used to be made of cotton, but now they're both made of unshrinkable polyester, viscose, & elastin.
Belt loops --Both now have belt loops.

Round 1: The rise
Christie--the rise on Christie is 8 & 3/4 inches
Kate--the rise on Kate is 8 inches

Round 2: The flare
Christie--the flare on Christie is 21.5 inches wide
Kate--the flare on Kate is 21 inches wide

Round 3: Booty Booty

Christie hits higher on the hip (curvier)

Christie

Kate shoots straight from the hip

Kate

Round 1: goes to Kate for her lower rise!

Round 2: is a draw!

Round 3: Kate knocks out Christie in Round 3!

The CHAMPION: Kate

Victoria's Secret The Kate Fit, 3 inseams, $24.99-$69.50

Ooo, she looks mean.
With her lower rise and straighter fit, Kate has won this fight.

(Straighter-shaped gals seeking more curves might have favored Christie.)

Girls, girls, girls--Kate, Christie, Lexie, Frankie, Sophie, Rosie--which one is your favorite Victoria's Secret fit?

You might also like...

Victoria's Secret
Smocked Blouse, $29.99

H&M vs. Forever 21

Every day in every way
I am getting fatter & fatter:
how to hide a few pounds

1 Comment

3 days: 3 outfits, Day 2

10/9/2012

0 Comments

Basic black to take you from work to date night.

Day 2:
Outfit 2

J. Crew Merino V-neck sweater, $59.99-$79.50

Target Mossimo Women's Ultra Soft V-neck Sweater, $17.99

Boden Stitch Detail Mini, $118, minus 15%, free shipping & returns

An outfit a day that you could wear anywhere--to work, out for coffee, or on a date.

H&M lingerie

0 Comments

In the wake of the Oscars

2/27/2012

0 Comments

J. Crew Evie dress in silk chiffon, $99.99

...we may need to arrange for opera tickets, so we have a reason to dress up.

0 Comments

All black

2/24/2012

0 Comments

H&M dress, $12.95

How often do you wear all black?
I learned its power in high school. By college, I was more likely to wear all white with a smidgen of black (perhaps the shoe)--a touch of malice :-) . Today I wear all black about twice a month. Never fails to make me feel strong and professional.
Still can't purchase H&M online, but at least now you can look more closely online at each item they sell. Dress above comes in four colors, and I think it might also work as a tunic. Will check it out this weekend and let you know.

0 Comments

I'll never let you go

2/1/2012

0 Comments

J. Crew Jackie Pullover, $65

Have you ever had this happen? Yesterday I went through the panic of thinking I'd lost my black sweater. I've lost so many precious sweaters I started working my way through the stages of loss: the calm search, the frantic search, the search in unlikely places, surely-it's-here-somewhere, denial, anger, acceptance, back to denial... thankfully I found the sweater at last in the car! If you've lost a special item, post your story in this thread on Facebook or visit our "Lost Forever" page under the Lost and Found tab to your left to read stories of lost items and post your own.

0 Comments

Say hello (again) to my little friend

Black & white: my work "uniform"

The basic black skirt

The basic black pant: Christie vs. Kate

3 days: 3 outfits, Day 2

In the wake of the Oscars

All black

I'll never let you go

Facebook

Archives

Categories

Twitter