Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Orange is the New Black Widow

  First up, dear readers: if you're interested in entering the Couturgatory giveaway, leave a comment in this post with a valid e-mail address. I need an e-mail address to contact you if you win! If you forgot to put one, just leave another comment, and of course if you're not interested in entering but just want to say hi, you can leave it out. :D

  You can enter until Saturday, November 9th 11:59pm Pacific time. Then I'll draw the winner!
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 We've had some November sun breaking through the cloud layer the last few days, and I am loving it.
Shirt: Rennes (cheap junior store)
Vest: Last Kiss (same junior store)
Trousers: Cop Copine (thrifted)
Bracelet: Foreign Exchange (old)
Boots: ALDO (thrifted)

  I got the shirt and vest at the same cheap junior store in Colma that was going closing up shop. I never thought of wearing them together until now. I think the shirt looks a little like a shop apron in front, and I really like how the backs layered over one another:
  I feel like a black widow spider, except of course I don't kill and eat my lovers, haha. (:

  I merely lay my eggs in their bodies so that when they hatch, my larvae consume the organs and eat their way out of the thoracic cavity. Technically, my hands are clean.

  Last Kiss is kind of a macabre brand name. Last kiss of what? Of death? Of fate? Of the dragon? (Go with that last one. I had a professor with a huge crush on Jet Li. I approve and she's an amazing teacher, to boot.)
  I mentioned making a Facebook life event before to commemorate hemming some complicated pants. These Cop Copine ones are the second pair I was referring to. They look simple, but the cuffs are sewn in place with an invisible stitch, and I was worried when I cut the fabric that I wouldn't leave enough to fold under, hem, then fold back up and invisible hem. You can still see the line where I pulled the cuffs back to do the stitching.
  I've been wearing these ALDO platform boots a lot, and I never have a good, close shot of them. Reader Sue mentioned having wide forefeet, and when she mentioned squished toes, man oh man did I relate. I found these at the thrift shop and although they are only M width, the squared high toe boxes fit great. They're my go-to boots now for when I need to be on my feet for a few hours.

  Sometimes "wide shoe" labels can be misleading, because our feet have so many dimensions. People can have collapsed or high arches, high insteps or flat ones, edema or bony feet, wide forefeet and/or midfeet, or anything in between. I've learned through trial and error at 6pm.com that Naya width C is the exact width as Fitzwell EE, for example. (I have multiple pairs from both companies, and placed sole to sole, they line up perfectly.) They both run a little narrow for me, but because they are all leather they stretch out over time. Or around a big rock, which is what I use when I get impatient/uncomfortable.

  And since my feet are very wide at the toes (think bear claws) but bony at the heels and skinny on top, David Tate WW shoes are comical on me. It's like someone blew up a balloon around my foot and I have a fascinating empty space all around between me and the shoe. I'm assuming those fit feet that are wide in the up-and-down sense as well as the side-to-side. They *were* one of the only sandals that ever let all of my toes roam free, though. Sigh. Maybe I could buy them again and inject them with foam that would harden around my feet and make the perfect fitting, if really ugly shoe.

  My friend Ally has mentioned difficulties finding size 12, and I have the opposite problem where many companies carry 6-10, and I'm 5.5. What are your shoe fit problems?

9 comments:

  1. " I feel like a black widow spider, except of course I don't kill and eat my lovers, haha. (:

    I merely lay my eggs in their bodies so that when they hatch, my larvae consume the organs and eat their way out of the thoracic cavity. Technically, my hands are clean." -I love your humor! :-) I think I've missed out in my Halloween-preparation madness...

    Fun vests are just the best and the outfit looks great, as ever!

    Lovely hem job on those pants!

    Sympathy on the feet. Finally realized I can't wear pull-on boots, since I have to get a size up for my toe box width to fit, and then my scrawny ankles and bony feet slide around so much when I walk/commute my ankles get torn up extremely badly. I caved and got some keen boots that are nice and supportive and lace up, so they can be tight around my scrawny ankle. Sigh. Pull on boots are so cute... but epic fail for my picky/weird shaped feet. Those are such cute boots!

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    1. Yay! I'm glad you're back. :D I have to pop over and comment on your Hallowe'en costumes, still.

      When I photographed the boots, I left out the zipper on the side, which is key. I haven't tried straight pull-on boots, but I think I might get the same problem. I also put heel pads and gel pads into mine to pad out the areas where my foot is skinny and add some more support, if that helps!

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  2. This is a spectacular vest, i didn't expect how the back would look like, very unusual!
    I have a thing lately with platform boots and shoes, i found a couple of pair and i find them very comfortable - My feet need comfort at all time!

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  3. HOT DAMN that vest looks incredible layered over that shirt. Also cute trousers! I've been admiring cop copine on ebay for awhile, but haven't pulled the plug on ordering/bidding.

    As for shoes - I actually picked up a pair of Rieker's based on your posts, though mine are a different style entirely. I wear a size 6, but have very slim heels and normal-to-wideish toes. I don't like my toes being squished AT ALL. I also can't wear high heeled shoes. So it's a huge toss up finding the right fit and comfort.

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    1. Ooh, I hope they work out well! I saw the post you featured them in and they look great.

      I'm learning the heels business, but I think my limit is 2-2.5 inches, and I'm not interested in ever going higher than that. Physics! The shorter your foot is, the more extreme an angle you are racheted up to on the same heel height.

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  4. I love that at least technically your hands are clean. If I could remember all the medical jargon I'd love to trot that story out at my next cocktail party. That is of course…I had cocktail parties. One thing at a time.

    My feet are the super divas of the foot world. Nothing is ever good enough for them and they whine and scream all the time telling me to stop putting them on a pedestal and start giving them some real support. I'd fire them if I could.

    The back of your outfit looks very sexy space age.

    bisous
    Suzanne

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    1. I too cannot take any discomfort in the foot region! Curse the shoes, not your feet. :D Our feet give us balance and run and walk and jump. Women's shoes should pamper them more!

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  5. I have size 10 feet and it's always a problem finding shoes. Second hand or new.

    I just popped over to say I <3 your outfit, you look wonderful and I LOVE that sexy vest.

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    1. Thanks Meghan! I keep my eye out in junior stores if I can ever find more in other sizes, since people seem to really like this one!

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