Waist Not, Want Not?

Trying a layered look with this altered crop top and Diesel tunic to see if they can work before I send 'em to the donation bin:

Blue crop top: Treasure Rock (formerly tank top)

Grey tunic: Diesel (thrifted)

Skirt: Express (thrifted)

Boots: ALDO (thrifted)

Some background: both tops are on the chopping block as I persevere in my Sisyphean task of pruning my closet.

The blue crop top was originally a Treasure Rock tank top. I wore it one of my early blog posts:

I wasn't feeling it any more, but I really liked the embroidery, so I tried cutting the bottom off and using the fabric for sleeves. The sleeves worked great, but I cut off too much. I would have liked it if I'd kept the sleeves t-shirt length and left a few more inches on the shirt:

The Diesel tunic, thrifted because it has a sweet asymmetrical collar and these cute fabric buttons running down one strap, defies any attempts at comfortable wear. Its straps sit at different spots on the shoulders, meaning one bra strap is always showing. I have to pin it in place, seen here:

The other problem is the cut, as with so many Diesel things, is for a mutant people who have no chest span, so it garrotes me under the arms. It fits at the waist, but the chest is so badly draped that it makes me look blocky, flat chested, and wide waisted:

It doesn't help that I thought tunic meant skinny jeans, creating the look Underwear Over Sausages

Strategy: cover the problem Diesel neckline/underarm issue with the crop top and add a third block with the black skirt to anchor a long grey waist with blue above and black below. I think the crop top doesn't look too short this time.

Thoughts on the triple layer? Should I keep 'em or donate? Also I just noticed I'm wearing the same black skirt with the blue Treasure Rock shirt two years ago. Man, I gotta up my game. 

Workish

Another of my attempts to look workish:

Shirt shell: CAN CAN (thrifted)

Belt: evenement (thrifted in Japan)

Jeans: Mother jeans (retail)

Boots: ALDO (thrifted)

Favourite Joe has to work on holding the camera at me level.

The lower half of these jeans have traditional Japanese patterns on them! There are cherry blossoms, waves, pine, and fields. I don't know why this is, but I thought it was about the coolest thing I'd ever seen. Acquired on super sale at a little stand in Southern CA.

Thought I'd let them shine with a plain grey shirt and black boots, but the cut of the top is too distinct, I think. I wear all statement pieces and no basics. :D

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The more I look at photos of what I wear to work, the more I realize I fall outside the norm even when I'm dressing conservatively. It's not a bad thing, but the stakes have changed.

In school, I had no respect for the administration and the unofficial uniform of the campus was cheap black leggings-as-pants, a shapeless underwear-grey sweatshirt, and camel UGG boots. Gawd it was awful, watching crowds of girls shuffle by in that. Dressing up helped prepare me for daily stress and frustration and I told myself that I was lending a little color to the scenery.

Now I work for a company I respect, with people I like. There's no official dress code, and people are laid back, but I would like to dress tastefully and perhaps look like someone who knows what she is doing.

In short, I'm aiming for 'original style' and not 'colorblind bohemian street urchin' because I now give a shit. That means less wild experimentation Monday-Friday.

In work doings, I have opened a tea salon in my work cube so I can give away all of the tea I don't drink:

That's my coworker's action figure of Rodin's The Thinker holding a jelly bean. The robot is holding an origami box with more jelly beans.

...just in case I dressed so well I was in danger of looking like a serious person who deserves a career.

Shades of Gravender

I backed the camera up in an attempt to avoid the lens flare and backlighting. MISSION FAIL.

I made this outfit for Spygirl's 52 Pick-Me-Up challenge: layers. Also because it is freezing in my room. Man, I look so proportional when sleeves are the correct length. Japanese clothing all the way.

All the dangly pointy bits of cloth made me feel like curtsying.
I hope I did patron saint of masterful layering Shawna proud.

Where to begin?

Purple heattech undershirt: UNIQLO (gift from Mom, Japan)

Grey bamboo dress: Natural Life (Purre at The CAMP)

Double layer vest: MOUTH valley (thrifted, Japan)

Outermost long vest: LUX (clothing swap)

Wide belt: pellemelle (thrifted)

Jodhpurs as leggings: Ariat (thrifted)

Boots: ALDO (thrifted)

Cloisonne necklace and enamel earrings: unknown (thrifted)

If you haven't seen these before, that's right, jodhpurs! (Thanks, Excelsior Goodwill!) They are by the company Ariat and so comfortable and warm. They also have deep front pockets. Rich people really know how to live!

The wide leather belt is one I thrifted a few weeks ago in SF, by pellemelle. The end has a tendency to start slipping out of the buckle, but otherwise I am really happy with it. It's comfortable, the right size, and the soft leather has enough stretch that I don't garrote myself in the midsection when I sit down.

The outfit was so neutral that I tried to add a little color with the cloisonne jewelry, but overall I think it's still pretty "Look, ma! I'm greyscale!" That isn't to say I don't like it; purple and grey is one of my favorite combinations*! I'm just obsessed with trying to up my color game recently and I don't want to feel like I was backsliding.

* In fact, know what I'm gonna call it? Gravender. Shut up. Clever! ᕦ(ಠ_ಠ)ᕤ

A weekend of San Franthriftco

I recently visited the Bay Area for the weekend. Thrifting was involved, so I'll report back on what I did there. :D

Here is my first successful capsule wardrobe:

Citizens of Humanity sweatshirt (thrifted)

7 for all Mankind jeans (gift from brother)

ANAC mesh top (eBay)

OCCO Paris teal top (free)

Nancy Giallombardo denim skirt (thrifted)

Fitzwell Laura sandals (6pm.com)

I also had my trusty New Balance sneakers. Everything went with everything else! First time I've been able to do that. (My usual method of outfit selection is 'waaaaaaaaaaaaaaagh I wanna wear thisandthisandthisandthis') I also figured since I'd be thrifting during my time up there, that I could add stuff if I wanted.

I actually went up to visit my favorite Joe (srsly. I have met no other Joes I like better.) for his band's show and EP launch. The band is called The Hangover Brigade, they have a folk rock sound, and they are immensely talented and fantastic. (Which is good, because it'd be really awkward if I thought they sounded terrible.)

You can listen to the entire EP on CDbaby (they are also sold on iTunes, Amazon, and other large vendors) and you really should. I had the first track stuck in my head for 48 hours after the show, and that's an endorsement.

The Hangover Brigade's last show!

Here's their cover of No Diggity, that they played as an encore:


Before the show, we drove into the city and walked up and down Haight St. looking for gig-type clothes and accessories for Joe. The only thing more fun than thrift shopping for me is thrift shopping for someone else. Even competing with the pre-Halloween crowd, we had great luck!

Here's what we found:

Exhibit A: grey 5 button vest from Goodwill

Exhibit B: Fuzzy black J's Awake shoes from Wasteland. The soles are red!

Exhibit C: Marshall Collins flatcap from Goorin Bros. Not thrifted, just awesome. I'm pretty sure flatcaps were put on this earth for men with van dyke beards.

We also found these low grey Alfani boots and the following day Joe found the sweet Olympique Marseille track jacket at one of my favorite thrift shops. Soccer's his favorite sport, so extra win. It was in great condition, with a plastic tag loop still inside. I think it was new! I found another picture of it online:

Happily, Joe dug my style suggestions, and the things I thought he could rock he totally rocked. I thought he looked great, he thought he looked great, happy shopping vibes all around.

The items are all multipurpose and can be used for music gigs, work, or everyday. There was a coat with tails briefly tried on at a Steampunk shop because when it comes down to it, I think everybody should wear Regency style clothes, but maybe for another time.

And because I had a few hours to kill during soundcheck before the show started, I tootled back to the Goodwill down the street and went shopping for myself this time. >.>

Whee! My haul from two thrift shops that weekend:

I've been looking for mustard skinny jeans or jeggings for a long time to wear with sweater dresses & boots in the winter. I'm slowly taking steps into the world of color. Thanks to style blogs, I know colors I'd never wear near my face because of my complexion can be worn on my lower half.

These jeans are by Margaret M, and still had the tag attached. I found out it's a Canadian brand that makes their products domestically. Any northerners heard of the brand?

The wide leather belt is by Pellemelle, and thanks to alert readers, I know 'pelle' is Italian for leather. :D Italian leather, it says on the inside, and made in the US.

The grey and black checked vest is from TRF, which I think is a collection within Zara. It's size L, but it has criss-crossing straps in the back that let me cinch it in to the correct width.

The Forever 21 Japanese print shirt shell was a go back behind the counter that I pointed to excitedly as we were checking out. Instant sell! I'm not sure how I feel about the red lace, but the print and the long square fire hazard sleeves absolutely do it for me.

Check out the luster on these fake pearls! I don't often have luck thrifting jewelry, but I thought I hit it big with these. I want to wear the blue pearls with the lace-feather-ribbons flower pin with my dark blue OzzOn dress.

Lastly, these Candie's green and brown platform boots fill another hole in my wardrobe- casual sturdy boots in the brown color palette. My thrifted Doc Martens chafe my Achilles tendon something fierce, so onto eBay they go.

I put so many holes through my October budget that it's curled up in a corner somewhere licking its wounds, but I regret nothing. Sometimes I've thrifted things and gone 'aww crap, that wasn't a good idea' but this time, all items feel like practical fits within my existing wardrobe. Vest, wide belt, shirt shell, boots, jeans... this is basically Couturgatory right here in one thrifted heap. What's your latest treasure or your latest 'aww crap' purchase?

Dusty Autumn Rose

♫ Boooooooots weatherrrrrrrr ♪ I love the color dusty rose. I'm finally in a climate that this Pure + Good hoodie can be worn as outerwear:

Morning mist hoodie: Pure + Good (Anthropologie)

Unveiled tank: Deletta (thrifted)

Fold-down riding boots: Ros Hommerson (6pm.com)

La Guardia cloche: Goorin Bros. (sample sale)

Locket: Express

Either the outfit all works together minus the top, or the top/jeans/boots work but I need to lose the hoodie & hat. I thought since the hoodie and tank top originally came from the same place, they might play nicely together, but oh well.

The decoration on the Deletta tank top reminds me of Victorian theatre curtains:

... though I guess that means it's a show starring my boobs, which is kind of disturbing, so let's forget that for now.

In random life news, I have a Kogepan mug now! This is my favorite character of all time.

I've had a saved search on eBay for years, and finally got one shipped my way from Italy. Now Kogepan can peer into the reflective waters of whatever I am drinking and ponder the futility of existence with me.

They see me rollin', they bustiertin'

It's cool enough to wear pants again! (Trousers for our UK reader. Hi, Curtise!)

 I feel this outfit could use a brown bowler hat. It feels subtly everyday Steampunk to me.

Denim bustier: Guess (thrifted)

Buttondown: Salsa Jeans, 1st Level collection (thrifted)

Trousers: Citizens of Humanity (thrifted)

Bracelet-as-choker: Foxy Originals

Boots: Two Lips (thrifted)

The layering is because the denim bustier is short and leaves a good inch of midriff bare. The laces are also let out all the way in the back, so by itself this is more skin than I'd like to show, even in sun-worshipping Southern CA.

The material is stretchy, the detailing is fun, and it's quite comfortable though, so I'm glad I figured out a way to wear denim on top. :D

This outfit's actually a twofer: I also dig the trousers but don't know what to wear with green pants, so I stapled the two elements together with the brown shirt as a connecting piece.

Love the contrasting stitching and the leather side cinchers and buttons on this shirt! It has a Western/Steampunk feel to me, though the brand, Salsa jeans, is Portuguese. :D It's another one of those brands I'm sure I'd never have come across if not for thrift shops.

The decorative buttons on the side of my green trousers. Hooray useless buttons and zippers!

I think I like lots of decorative elements on my clothes to have something to fiddle with or stare at. It started because I was a terminally bored child in school, and even though those days are long behind me, having jewelry to touch or interesting shiny bits on my clothes brings me comfort.

What elements draw you to your favorite clothes? Texture, details, visual appearance?

Sweating Bullets with Butterfly Wings

Know what they call lace-up boots with a skirt in Orange County?

... a rookie mistake.

I tried to change up the shorts-tank-sandals routine a little and feel more dressed-up. Result: profuse calf sweat. NO ES BUENO.

Tank top: Diesel (Las Vegas outlet)

Pleated denim skirt: London Jean (thrifted)

Lace-up boots: Report (thrifted)

The Diesel tank top is thick material and double-layered too, so it was also not an ideal garment in the heat. Even my summer clothes are summer-in-San-Francisco clothes. I last wore this tank top with denim too, looking back on it!

I love the purple flowers & butterfly or feathers design on this shirt. I got a close-up of the silver speckles that cover it, but it wasn't easy. All clothes on the floor now exist for lounging. Ahem:

AHEM:

Your blog is now about me.
Australian terrier mutts are a greater market share blah blah shareholder value maximization.
... what, you didn't get the memo?

My transformation into one of those people that anthropomorphizes and shares endlessly about their pets is complete. How did this happen? I remember being cool-headed and reasonable about this in the beginning.

I used to wear boots with skirts and dresses all the time without thinking about it. Well, I wear boots with everything. Something about a good solid pair of chunky boots fills me with comfort and outfit confidence.

It wasn't until moving away for several months and visiting the SF Bay Area that I realized it's totally A Thing there. Every gal does it! Sometimes we need to get some distance from ourselves in order to see more clearly. (:

Down here, not so much of a thing. And now, as I swab out the shafts of my Report boots, I know why.

Fedora Blues

Fedora: Stacy Adams (available online)

Top: Edme Esyllte (eBay)

Locket: Express (v. old)

Boots: ALDO (thrifted)

I still don't know how to style this fedora, but I've had it for several years now, so I'm trying it with anything, so long as it doesn't clash. I originally bought it because my boss at the time had one from this brand and I thought it looked snazzy.

I think some of the difficulty is that the fedora is a warm saturated navy, while most of my clothes are cool and low brightness/saturation.

Tried this purple Edme Esyllte top, since it also doesn't go with anything. I thought it looked kind of military/Steampunky, so I purchased it, only to have it languish in my closet because I can't find something to wear on the bottom. (Skirts don't work because of the empire waist.)

When in doubt, put a bunch of random crap you like together and show Southern OC that there are other things than workout clothes to wear! As my friend says, "You know that feeling you're having? It's called dissonance. It means learning is taking place!"

It's been 95F/35C all summer, and while there's nothing wrong with a tank top and shorts, they don't feel very dressy to me, and I haven't put together anything creative. Most of my clothes are still in storage, and blocked off by a literal ton of 80s television equipment. Sigh. Lately I've been turning on the AC for the dog and escaping to a quiet café to work during the day.

I miss my wardrobe, but I've invested a little money thrifting some things to wear in my new desert climate, to be featured soon. And while my life has been in a slump sartorially, other things are fine to dandy. :D Here's a picture of me at the 626 Night Market with the world's largest cup of boba:

Suddenly my own drink did not seem to measure up

Fresh lavender lemonade

Two really nice ladies sporting outfits from Japan