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. 

Ruthful

It's been so warm! I haven't lived someplace warm in the Bay Area for 10 years. Also megadrought be messing with everything. Trying to adapt my style.

I got this taupe corduroy Ruth skirt taken in, and I'm trying to work out a top for it. The 6 buttons in front are a dusty violet. Hopefully it's cute without being too schoolgirl.

 Top: Cop Copine (thrifted)

Skirt: Ruth (thrifted)

Shoes: Rieker Anti-Stress (thrifted)

Hat: Jeanne Simmons (Distractions on Haight)

Bib necklace: Betsey Johnson (TJ Maxx)
Coat: Live a Little (thrifted)

One thing that has expanded my wardrobe options is my sweet new ride. I lost my car in a flash flood last November; I moved my bicycle up here with my stuff in January, then it got stolen within a week.

No more wheels I cannot physically pick up and carry everywhere with me! This little scooter cuts my morning trip to the station in half and more importantly, lets me wear shoes I couldn't walk over a mile in.

People stop and watch me as I go past. Maybe they're wondering at a grown woman scooting by on a child's toy, but they are probably admiring my style. I am quite possibly the most fashionably hatted individual in all Millbrae.

This necklace is so bling. It dances right up to the edge of garish for me, and then stops and demands I love it.

Out for Dinner

Do I look unusually florid here? I'm either tanning during my morning scoots to the train station or I need to learn color balance in PS. Or paint that wall.

wait, I figured it out:

Pro!

 Kimono shirt shell: Forever 21 (thrifted)

Jeans: 7 for all Mankind (gift from brother)

Platforms: Candie's (thrifted)

Necklace: family crest (inherited)

Damascene bracelet: eBay

Stepped out for dinner with a dear friend I hadn't seen since I moved back up. Finally wore the shirt shell I thrifted last year when I was visiting for one of Favourite Joe's shows. There's a lot of yellow and bright teal in it, so I was unable to figure out an underlayer until I bought this goldenrod tank top I posted about last month.

This whole 'color' thing is opening up all sorts of new frontiers!

Good to see this outfit looks nice and not over-the-top "HI DID I MENTION MY ANCESTORS CAME FROM JAPAN"

Professional Steampunk

I think this outfit turned out well!

Folk Hoodie: Prairie Underground (eBay)

Necklace: family crest (family reunion)

Tank top: Theory (thrifted)

Crop blazer: Charlotte Russe (thrifted)

Pinstripe pants: Banana Republic (thrifted)

Shoes: Aravon (zappos)

I've been trying to thrift colors I find too bright or unflattering on their own, so I can mix them. I've internalized that a color that doesn't look good against my face can be balanced and complemented.

My friend asked me to take him thrift shopping for a new color palette "because [I] am the goddess of that" (hee!) and told me about color theory. We found this website and after watching him mix colors for an afternoon, I was raring to give it a go.

I think this fuchsia breathes warmth into the navy blue and grey. I found this Charlotte Russe cropped grey blazer recently, and it has charming tiny buttons all down the front and on the sleeves. I combined it with pinstripes and a brass-colored necklace with rivets for a hint of Steampunk.

Not sure what to call the pattern; it's very fine herringbone, but with black yarn sewn through it in rows so regular little black dots are all over it. Either way, it's a keeper!

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.

Pinky Dinky Do

Happy Friday, everyone. MOAR PINK. Here are Favourite Joe (thanks for the title, Curtise!) and I after the Fillmore Jazz Festival:

Aya: 

Hoodie tank top: Skinny Minnie (defunct online shop)

Skirt: KOMMOTiON NY (eBay)

Blazer: Heart Moon Star (thrifted)

Joe:

Flatcap: Goorin Bros. (sample sale)

Mr. Bump t-shirt: UNIQLO (retail)

Green skinny jeans: UNIQLO (retail)

It was above 80F in Millbrae that day with full sunshine, so when we prepared to go to the jazz festival in San Francisco, I foolishly assumed it would be okay to wear light summer clothing.

Tee hee, I'm dumb. It was windy, overcast, and after a few hours it started raining. I guiltily announced I knew of a nearby thrift store and shuffled in there to buy another jacket. (It's gotten a little out of control. The closet is full, so I have a double jacket rack in my bedroom, now. And I love them aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaallllllll)

I found this lovely pink velour blazer by Heart Moon Star, the same brand that makes my beloved sundress! I really like it. It has a little princess sleeve puffing on the shoulders, it fits beautifully (might move the top button over a quarter inch) and somehow, the sleeves are the correct length.

This brand's fit model is my build. I am definitely keeping an eye out for it, now.

FJ found this t-shirt during a UNIQLO trip to find green jeans. (He live calls soccer games, and the school's colors are green and white.) They only had the shirt in Large, so I finally plugged in my sewing machine and took it in. I was grateful for the impetus! I've also taken to calling him Dr. Bump.

We had a great time at the jazz festival. There were 3 stages set up with various musicians going on all day. They taped sheets of astroturf to the street for picnic style seating. :D

We watched the most awesome elderly frontwoman singing and interacting with the crowd.With a fraction of her confidence and powerful attitude, I feel I could get so far in life. Maybe I can grow up to be like her.

The ethnic breakdown of the attendees interested me. Black folks there looked to be in their 60s-70s, Asian Americans in the 40s and 50s, and white folks of 20s-30s. I wondered if it reflected the changing demographic of the Fillmore neighborhood, because 1) there was a changeover of the Japantown area when the Japanese Americans were interned during WWII, and again when they got out, 2) the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake prompted demolition of a section of freeway that used to divide the Hayes Valley neighborhood from the Van Ness/Civic Center neighborhood, and 3) the large numbers of people moving into the city who are young and in tech. SF is changing so fast.

My brother thinks the attendance reflects the demographics of who listens to jazz music in each age group. Maybe we're both right.

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Thank you for your lovely comments after the last post. I thought this place would be empty after I'd been gone for so long. Instead I got welcoming comments and helpful commentary! (I really do appreciate it, by the way. No worries about being rude; we're all friends here and if you think something doesn't work, I love hearing about it.)

In the Pink

Rusty and dusty! Let's start off with a picture of why I need this blog to see my outfits with a fresh eye.

Sweater tunic: American Rag Cie (thrifted)

Belt: Pelle Melle (thrifted)

Houndstooth Cabbie cap: San Diego Hat Company

Shoes: Naturalizer Defoe (Zappos, still available)

I really liked the pink shade of this sweater and the 3/4 length sleeves, but the shape just looks awful on me. Thought I could fix it with a wide belt, but it still isn't working. Time to let some other lucky young lady enjoy it.

If you can tell me why it doesn't look right on me, please do. Always seeking more information to make informed decisions.

Outfits are decided by constraints, so here are the ones I'm dealing with in my new job in Northern CA:

• I walk 1.25 mi to the train station and back each day to commute, and I have a standing desk. Comfortable shoes are not negotiable.
• Work is a relaxed dress code, but I'm trying not to wear my quirkiest stuff right out the gate.
• Evening winds in Millbrae are 15-25 mph, so my clothing needs to protect me from that.

I will probably show mostly weekend outfits, since the constraints above mean my weekday wear (black flats, slacks, a warm jacket, and a hat) is an endless string of Old Chinese Lady Couture. I'm trying to shop for unique pieces that double as work clothes, because I don't want to give into that just yet.

What I am doing is consciously trying to add more color and some prints into my wardrobe! I even bought something YELLOW. (This is huge, for me.)

I am glad to be back in the part of the state I've always felt like home, and I have a solid job at a really good company and I'm doing well, just tired each day. With the commute, I'm gone 10.5-11 hours a day, so quite often I get home, eat a little, shower, then crawl into bed. I don't know how people work crazy work weeks. I am pushed to my limit just doing 40.

I've missed my blogging friends! I would like to work in a little blog entry here and there. Hope we can catch up. <3