Back in Mostly Black

We had a burst of weather that was surprisingly San Francisco-y, but I was determined to wear a short skirt:

Why live in Southern CA if I can't wear the things I couldn't wear in all my years in SF? :D Well, I guess the much better Japanese food is a good argument, too. (the ramen in SF sucks)

Japanese print skirt: ecoté (Urban Outfitters) size 6 on eBay

Over the knee boots: Ros Hommerson (6pm.com, gift from Dad)
Cardigan: Candie's (thrifted)
Fan necklace: Joan Rivers (thrifted)

I love this Japanese-style print skirt. I bought it several years ago for on super sale, and I still haven't figured out what to wear it with besides all black or a plain teal shirt. Any and all suggestions are welcome.

Wide shoe review (review and link not sponsored)

The over the knee Topic boots are WW width from Ros Hommerson, but they come in regular width and wide calf as well. I often have problems with my feet floating in extra wide shoes, because while mine are wide along the x axis at the toes, they're not on the y axis (up and down). Add small ankles and bony heels, and you get shoes that fit at the sides of the feet but that are too roomy everywhere else.

These aren't too bad. They're too big at the instep and ankle, but up at the toes they are fitted enough that my foot isn't floating free.  A set of heel gel inserts to boost my heels a little made the fit much better.

And of course, they are massively marked down and they can fold down or go over the knee. Love.

Personal stuff:

Homework for the Holidays

  I spent the 4th and 5th from morning to night working on problem sets for my classes, so by Friday I was feeling burnt something fierce. I made a deal with myself that if I finished all of my homework on time, I could go thrifting for an hour or two.

  It was coming down to the wire, but I finished! It was too late to go to my favorite shop, so I nipped out to the one near my apartment, and took along some bags of things to donate.  Here's the outfit I chose for thrifting:

  It's important to have a skirt that is easy to try things on over or under, and a tight-fitting tank top. The cardigan is open in front so I can pull it on or off quickly, and the shoes are slip-on.

  Every time I wear the Fitzwell Laura sandals, I'm taken aback at how much longer my legs look. If you're in the market for elongated calves, I definitely recommend them. The easy fix I implemented to stop them pinching back in May worked great. 

  I enjoy the strings that can draw the back of the cardigan up, depending on the waist of skirt/jeans I am wearing. What are these things called? They remind me of the classic curtains in theatres.

  Forgot to take a close-up of the material, so here is a zoomed photo of the gorgeous pattern on the skirt. I love it. I sometimes take it out of my closet and just look at it. >.>

  One of those cheap "Your name on a grain of rice!" capsules (I was 17) and a charm to protect one at a crossroads from Okinawa. My brother had our family name inscribed on the back. A gal that worked in a very nice boutique in Newport Beach once asked me if the necklace combination was Chan Luu. I had to look her up because I am bad at brands, but it made me feel very fashionable. (:

  I ended up finding a few awesome pieces at the local thrift shop that I will post soon, time permitting. Then I went for a run for the first time in weeks and it was the best run ever. It was 30 minutes of not being stressed out and I wanted to go on and on forever.

Skirt: ecoté (Urban Outfitters, old)

Cardigan: Candie's (thrifted)

Bustier tank: (cheap juniors store)

 Laura Sandals: Fitzwell (6pm.com)

Necklaces: grain of rice (very old), omamori (gift, Okinawa)