Category:

The animals in my closet

9/3/2014

Animal prints are classic & seem to me to convey a little old Hollywood grace & glamour.

Here are the animals in my closet...

I began in 2010 by ordering just a zebra-print belt from Boden >>

I also bought a couple other leopard-print belts at Forever 21 for next to nothing & an animal-print microfiber purse from Amazon.

Boden still carries a similar belt:

Boden Waldour Waist Belt, $38

J. Crew dress, Boden belt

Last year, I found this leopard-print dress at Land's End for under $30. Very easy to wear.

Land's End dress, GAP maternity cardigan

Land's End Women's Petite Sleeveless Pattern Ponté Welt Pocket Dress, $29.99

My youngest son's very favorite item of mine is this leopard-print cardigan because it's so soft. I got at H&M for $5;
I noticed over the weekend they still carry them in store for $14.95.

F21 fake leather skirt, GAP top, H&M cardigan, Boden boots

Over the summer, I came across this animal-print skirt from Banana Republic that I managed to snag for the "kill price" of $9.50.

Photobombed by my son! :-)

J. Crew Factory crewneck sweater, Banana Republic skirt, Madewell necklace, Denver Museum of Nature & Science cuff, Piperlime sandals

Banana Republic Heritage Animal Print Jacquard Cargo Mini, $39.99. (I called the flagship store in S.F. to get the kill price!)

I'd always wanted animal-print shoes with mid-heels, & I finally got some from Sole Society.

Sole Society Isabelle pumps

Sole Society Isabelle, $69.95

These subtly-printed crops go with everything gray does & helped update my pant selection.

Anthropologie sweater, Boden crops

Boden Bistro Crop Trousers, $26.40

My latest acquisition is this leopard-print sweatshirt from H&M.

H&M sweatshirt, GAP shirt, Urban Outfitters jeans

H&M sweatshirt, $9.95

H&M Sweatshirt, $12.95

So what about you? Do you own many animal-print pieces? Did you buy them recently or in the past?

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A leopard-print vest I'm eyeing for fall...

Uniqlo Women's Ultra Light Down Printed Vest, $39.90

More animal prints...

& yet more animal prints...

2 Comments

New Year's Eve in July

7/13/2014

0 Comments

I spent a lot of time around New Year's Eve looking for a sequin skirt. Who knew we could buy one now for next to nothing, probably to save for the Big Event but possibly to wear for a fun night out?

Banana Republic Sequin Mini, $29.99 minus 50%

J. C. Penney Joe Fresh Sequin Graphic Skirt, $19.99 minus 15%

Forever 21 Ditsy Sequined Skirt, bronze or mint, $11.99

Zara Seqinned Skirt, $19.99

H&M Skirt with Sequined Embroidery, $20

Styling suggestion for now...

Garnet Hill Modern Sequin Knit Skirt, $49

And later...

Sole Society image, accessories, & shoes

0 Comments

Shirts & blouses for spring, $10 & up

1/12/2014

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If you're like me, you're already starting to panic about spring, the hardest season to dress for. Now I know why the stores start promoting the next season so early--so it won't take you by surprise when you wake up one morning, & it's 70 degrees out, & you need something fresh & bright. As soon as we cross the hump of January, it seems we lighten up & turn away from fall & winter browns.

The shirts below are from unlikely places. You may worry that they are teenibopper shirts, but my theory is that the teens are not ordering many of these shirts, which is why they're on sale. I've ordered these basic, grown-up style shirts from these stores, & I'm always amazed that even the sizing is normal, not small. The best part is the low prices.

I'm hoping a few of these will have me well prepared for spring, & I can wear them as a light layer under sweaters in the meantime. I love their tiny collars!

A&F Kenzie Shirt, $27.20 minus 20%, free ship over $50, also in navy & pink

Crisp button-downs

A&F Maya Shirt, $40.60 minus 20%, free ship over $50

A&F Mia Shirt, $26.10 minus 20%, free ship over $50

AE Girlfriend Shirt, $14.99, lavender, free ship

Forever 21 Classic Button Down Shirt, $15.80

Forever 21 has a bunch more basic cotton cotton/linen button-downs in white, navy, stripes, pink--all well under $20. Here are many of them.

AEO Factory Button-down Shirt, $14.99, free ship

Pretty & sheer blouses (you'll need a cami underneath)

A&F Eddy Shirt, $18.72 minus 20%, free ship on $50

A&F Rylie Shine Print Shirt, $23.80 minus 20%, free ship on $50, also in navy

Easy sleeveless underneath a sweater--no bulk in the arms

A&F Angie Embellished Shirt, $16.32 minus 20%, free ship on $50, also in pink

A&F Stacy Sleeveless Shirt, $11.60 minus 20%, free ship on $50, also in navy, pink, & blue

A&F Casey Shirt in embroidered white, $13.92 minus 20%, free ship on $50

Just a nice shirt

A&F Ella Shine Shirt, $23.20 minus 20%, free ship on $50, also in white, green, & pink

Sheer

Aero Sheer Chiffon Woven Top, $14.99 minus 30%

Black but whisper thin

AE Printed Chiffon Button-down Shirt, $39.95, also in pink, free ship

AE Printed Popover, $19.95, free ship

AE Paneled Chiffon Button-down, $14.99, free ship

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Embellished tops, sweaters, sweatshirts, & tees

Flounce skirts

Worldly tees

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Tartan returns!

12/2/2013

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Although the Countess of WEssex says that tartan never left, I think its popularity had waned.

But now it's back in crazy colors as well as traditional red. Please don't ask me the difference between tartan & plaid--seems a heated debate brews about this topic--I just think it's more crissy-crossy than plaid.

Boden Wool Bistro Crop in blue or green tartan (& other colors), $96.60

Talbots Tartan Plaid Wrap, $59.50 minus 30%

Boohoo Charlotte Side Panel Tartan Skinny Trousers, $40

Zara Fitted Checked Dress, $99.90

Many more tartan/plaid/checked things from Zara here.

Macy's Hanky Panky Highland Tartan Triangle Bralette ($48) & Boyshort ($37)

This one might be plaid, not tartan :-)

Forever 21 Plaid Skinny Jeans, $24.80

Fossil Tartan Duffle, $228 minus 30%

Express Textured Tartan Plaid Skirt, $24.94

Zara Mini Skirt with Zips, $79.90

So would you wear it?

0 Comments

Opposites attract

10/30/2013

6 Comments

At first it may go against everything in your nature. But one of the best ways to get more of your wardrobe into circulation is to pair opposites--opposite styles, opposite colors, opposite fabrics.

Opposite Styles: Dressy & Casual or High/Low
You have work/dress clothes, & you have weekend/play clothes--never the two shall meet? But do you have some work/dress clothes that are so dressy they're too much trouble to wear? Or you feel too conservative & dressed up in them? Pull out your t-shirts & jeans. See if you might match some dressier items with them.

"Clothes mean nothing unless someone lives in them."
--Marc Jacobs

Dressy jacket, jeans Suit, camo tee

Outfit from Peruvian Connection: Miramar Baby Alpaca & Wool Jacket + Boyfriend Jeans

We set up artificial boundaries for our clothes--work clothes, play clothes, dress clothes. Allow them to stray back and forth, and you'll find you have twice as many outfits.

Image from J. Crew catalog

Would you consider wearing a crisp white long-sleeve shirt with your leggings?

Image from J. Crew catalog

Dressy skirt & t-shirt Dressy skirt & casual sweater

Carbon Pawprint tee, Forever 21 skirt

Garnet Hill Sequin Pencil Skirt and Cashmere Turtleneck Sweater

Opposite Colors (maybe not opposite but unexpected): Deep Red + Icy Blue; Deep Purple + Green
We're used to pairing black with its polar opposite white. But don't stop there: try other unlikely mates.

Deep red & icy blue:

Boden sweater, H&M cords

Click on the photo above for more examples of cranberries & icy blue paired together.

Deep purple & green

H&M top, New York & Co. pants

Opposite Fabrics: Thick & Thin
You've been struggling for ages to pair the fabrics just right--a silky blouse with a silky jacquard skirt, for example.
This matchmaking is hard work and may result in just one outfit. So why not try a wool sweater with a lace or tulle skirt? A silk blouse with a tweed or corduroy skirt? Who knew they'd get along so well?

Wool sweaters, lace & tulle skirts

GAP sweater, Forever 21 skirt

Image from Garnet Hill

Anthropologie sweater, J. Crew skirt

Velvet skirt, summer blouse Tweed skirt; silky, lacy blouse

Boden top, Garnet Hill skirt

H&M top, Piperlime skirt

What do you think? Do the combos work?
Let's help each other get more of our clothes into action. Please share other styles we might mix, color combinations we should try, fabrics we might pair together.

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More tips
for getting
your wardrobe out & about

Dressing
down
fancy

Black & white

6 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"?

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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!

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Basic black pant

Basic white shirt

Basic black bag

The Open Mind Mindset

3 Comments

Of trends & tie-neck blouses

8/13/2013

2 Comments

Do you follow clothing trends? Instead of jumping on a trend, I watch the trends to find the ones that are most "me"--the ones perhaps I've been waiting for all my life, the styles I would have designed if I had any skill in that area. It's more like hopping on your train home rather than hopping on the first train that comes in no matter where it's going.

Tie-neck blouses in The Lady's Newspaper in the 1880s

Most trends are typically not so new, only "new to thee" (as Prospero says to Miranda). The style has likely appeared somewhere first--on a runway, on a style icon, in an era ages ago.

Here's a case in point: I thought tie-neck blouses were a fairly new trend. I thought they'd come out about two years ago. But I just found someone talking about them in 2008. And I think this type of top actually has its roots in a much more distant past. I could see royalty wearing a version of them or perhaps musketeers! And I can imagine Audrey Hepburn, hip '60s chicks, and schoolteachers on the prairie wearing them.

Still, for some reason, these blouses call to me. I think they just feel like me, whether they're popular now or not. When I bought my first tie-front top two years ago, I thought I was one of the only ones wearing it. Of course, since I bought it at The GAP, probably millions of others women were thinking the same thing :-).

Most trends last through several years. You often think a trend is brand new and fleeting. But truth is, most return the following year and for several thereafter. Sometimes it's just easier to find in stores, sometimes it's subtly changed or amplified, but pretty much it's just the same trend as last year. Like skinny jeans, for example.

I thought I was wearing one of the only tie-neck blouses available when I bought this one at The GAP two years ago. It hasn't been the easiest item to wear. It seems supremely conservative even while it's trendy.

Lots more tie-neck blouses are in stores now...

A bunch of lovely sleeveless tie-neck blouses from Nordstrom...

Nordstrom Sleeveless Tie Neck Knit Shirt, 5 colors, 5 sizes, $49

Nordstrom Halogen Tie Neck Sleeveless Top, 4 colors, 5 sizes, $69

From Anthropologie...

Anthropologie Tilda Tie-Neck Blouse, $148

From Urban Outfitters

Urban Outfitters Coincidence & Chance Tie-Neck Secretary Blouse, 5 colors, 4 sizes, $39.99

From Forever21

Forever 21 Buttoned Tie Neck Bodysuit, $15.80

L.L. Bean Signature Tie-Neck Blouse, Mallard Print, $95

This blouse is from L.L. Bean Signature. The same blouse is pictured to the right.

L.L. Bean Signature Tie-Neck Blouse, Mallard Print, $95

A couple last thoughts on trends...

Sometimes the trend serves a purpose. I've become a new fan of high-low maxi skirts because I like to walk and walk pretty fast. I've sometimes steered away from long tube-like skirts because they restrict your stride: you have to take fairly small steps or lift up one side. High-low skirts, on the other hand, are missing the front panel so you can run to the bus without having to hold your skirt.

Wearing something trendy can take years off. Wearing something trendy (even if it's not as new as you thought) can make you feel young and up-to-date.

So basically there's no hurry. I'm pretty sure the new trend will be around next year and the year after. You have plenty of time to see if it suits you, if it calls to you.
For me, I just keep an eye on the trends, waiting for my train to come in.

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clothing & public transportation

2 Comments

Not 16 and pregnant

3/27/2013

0 Comments

...but often wearing teenibopper and maternity clothing :-)

Forever 21 skirt & GAP maternity kimono sweater

Forever 21 lace skirt, $15.80, available in store

GAP kimono sweater, $17.99-18.99

GAP Zigzag kimono sweater, $17.99-18.99

Mature women typically think clothing from teen stores like Forever 21, dELiA's and Alloy, American Eagle Outfitters, Urban Outfitters, Wet Seal, Abercrombie & Fitch, and Aeropostale will be too young looking or have only small sizes. But surprisingly, those stores often carry a broader range of sizes (from XXS to Plus sizes) than typical women's stores, and they have plenty of age-appropriate clothing, no matter what your age. Plus, everything is less expensive at teen stores.

Who wears maternity clothes when they're not pregnant? I do! I just size down. Maternity clothes are less expensive and often quite flattering since they're a little longer in length and made the highlight a woman's best assets.

More on the subject...

GAP maternity clothes:
not just for the pregnant

Top 10 Fashion Rules

Chambray shirts:
maybe a men's
shirt is the answer to save $?

0 Comments

Not a working stiff: how to look smart & feminine in a blazer

2/19/2013

0 Comments

Dear Fashion Feline:
I want to look more professional, maybe by just adding a suit jacket or blazer to my usual look, but I don't know how to wear them without looking dull and uptight. Any suggestions? --Roxy

Dear Roxy,
I totally know what you're talking about. A finely dressed feline wants the smart, put together look of a blazer without looking like a tom. Blazers are more popular than ever right now. Here are my tips to help you look feminine and fun, not stiff and masculine:

1. Dress it down. Pair the blazer with skinny jeans or pants or with a dress, not with suit pants.

2. Go unstructured. Choose soft fabrics, cropped styles, and soft shoulders.

3. Look for feminine details like piping, ruching, and belts. Or add your own belt.

--FF >^.^<