Professor Lobster

Works Cited
lobster dress: anthropologie
black flats: urban outfitters
cardigan: target
belt: jcrew

Getting sick of the lobster dress yet? Thanks to all your amazingly inventive and helpful suggestions about how to remix this tricky piece, you can now call this the Professor Lobster dress (I'm not really a professor, but neither am I a lobster, so...).



Because the print is wild enough itself, I decided to go for simple black accessories to autmnify and professionalize the lobster dress (maybe later I will remix it with some more interesting color combinations). Layered under a staid black cardigan, the dress transforms fairly easily into something I'll wear in the classroom--it's a nice length and the fun print says "I have a sense of humor" (even if my lame jokes negate this).

P.S. Want to hear why I love my readers? Check out another interview with me at Plummy.

Welcome Back to the Fold, Tights

Works Cited
skirt: DIY (pattern at freshly picked)
shirt: target
belt: thrifted
tights: hanes
boots: steve madden
trench: old navy

Today has been an insanely gorgeous fall day, very brisk in the morning and warm and sunny by the early afternoon. I've had some meetings and volunteered at a local middle school, so I wanted to be comfortable and covered. This skirt is a big longer than a lot of the skirts I wore this summer but it's a terrific length for biking and a nice alternative to jeans on these cold and hot days.



Even though I totally have winter panic like Megan, I also love the cooler temperatures and I was excited to put on tights for the first time this morning. They are so much more comfortable than jeans and pants--so even if they make you feel a little more "dressed up," you actually feel like you're wearing pajamas...delightful.

Stumped

Works Cited
pants: gap
shirt: jeremy's
sweater: j crew
flats: urban outfitters
bag: freshly picked

Okay, I've worn these pants quite a few times and not often posted pictures of them because all the pictures I've taken have made me look strangely...stumpy. These pictures are from this past weekend, where I felt cute until I downloaded the photos from my camera and started to wonder if a Hobbit had overtaken my body. Then I discovered this post, "The horror of ankle length pants," which argues that ankle length pants always make women look horrible and never like Audrey Hepburn, which is of course why a girl buys ankle length pants in the first place. Does this mean I can't wear these pants? Are they so stumpifying in real life as they are on film? Must I always wear them with heels? Or could I just roll them up a few times and hope for the best?
Audrey, what's your trick?

Blue Collar Copycat

Works Cited
skirt: target
tee: gap
belt: jcrew
sweater: jcrew
flats: urban outfitters
necklace: forever 21

Last week was an off-week when it came to getting dressed and not surprisingly, I also felt down in the dumps. So this week I am trying extra-hard to dress cheerfully and feel put-together because I think it will help me feel more mentally composed, too.


(oh, shades of gray, be still my heart)

Today I am unabashedly copying Kyla of Blue Collar Catwalk, on whom I have a huge girl-crush. I saw her wearing this awesome lace skirt with a long cardigan. I snapped up a version of the skirt for myself ($8, woohoo) and paired it with other ocean-hued neutrals and a long cardigan. All I'm missing are some sweet glasses and badass confidence.



P.S. If you want to waste some time today, Katy Rose published an interview with me here; if you like, you can vote for my entry in a Talbots contest here (I don't think I stand a chance against Dip-Tea who has about 10 times as many votes as me, but it's worth a shot!).

Pastel It On

Works Cited
dress: delia's
belt: urban outfitters
wedges: clarks

It's still really, really hot here, and I'm getting a little bit tired of all my summer clothes, so I did my best to autumnal-fy (of course it's a word) some of my summer staples, like this lilac dress. I don't usually like blacks with pastels together, but I found it an effective way to make this dress a little less sweet.

P.S. This is how I wore this dress last time. And no, summer is still not over.

How Do I Wear Thee? Let Me Count the Ways...

It's rainy here today and I am grading a big stack of papers while wearing argyle socks and a Hanes tee, so I thought I'd post about my favorite dress, the one I'd wear every day if I could. I've posted about it a bunch, but I've probably worn it just as often off the blog and on the weekends. Here are some ways I've worn it.



With boots, tights, sweaters, and stripes in the fall and winter.



With oranges, neutrals, browns and reds.



With flat shoes, big shoes, button-ups, and pops of color.



And layered unexpectedly, over patterned blouses and under lemon yellow.

P.S. Do you like posts like these? I enjoy putting them together and would be happy to do more once in a while if they aren't dull :)

Speaking of Basics

Works Cited
skirt: anthro
top: anthro (gift--thanks, Rachie!)
belt: j crew
flats: urban outfitters

Speaking of basics, when I was in college, my sartorially-inventive sister went on a mission to make my then all-gray wardrobe more exciting. For birthdays and Christmases, she bought me classic pieces with a little bit of oomph. A striped zip-up sweatshirt, a navy tee shirt with a high neck and big buttons, and this top, which I love. It's a super-versatile white button-up, but it has a sweet row of ruffles and buttons, an interesting cap sleeve, and a great fitted cut.



It's still super warm here this week, so I'm trying to get wear out of a bunch of pieces that won't see the light of day as often in the winter (like the button-up, which I usually forgo for long-sleeved shirts). Though I'm still feeling summery, I tried to add a little dash of fall with the wool flats.



Nevermind the forecast of 90 degree weather, tomorrow is the first official day of autumn! I luurrrve summer, but even I am getting a little overheated after four months of summer, and I'll be ready with scarves and tights when the cooler weather gets here.

Trends and Timelessness

Works Cited
dress: anthro
sweater: j crew
belt: target
wedges: thrifted
earrings: bought on the street

I don't follow trends/runway fashions/seasons very closely, because they seem to change so quickly and I don't know a single person who can afford to update her wardrobe every season. But I was happy to read that a more minimalist aesthetic may be coming into vogue, and to catch wind of lots of clothes in camel, grays, blacks, and navies. These have always been my go-to combinations because they feel timeless.



If I'm going to spend money on a garment, I'd like it to be something I could wear for years and look back on without regret. I want to look back in twenty years and still recognize myself and my sense of style. My family teases me for having a wardrobe without much color and with more gray sweaters than all other colors combined, but there is something very appealing about a simple palette. I think it lets your natural beauty and personality show, and I love that.
What about you? Do you follow high fashion closely? Or are you like me, secretly pleased when you see a trend on the runway that you've been wearing and loving for years?

Achilles Wedges

Works Cited
dress: c/o shabby apple
belt: target
wedges: thrifted

Every time I wear this dress, I get tons of compliments. Even though I don't think turquoise is very flattering on me, I wear it just so I can bask in the glow of all the "great dress" comments I get. I'm such a sucker for compliments, I'd wear a giant lizard costume if I was guaranteed to get compliments on it.



In other news, I thrifted these wedges for $3 the other day! At first, I thought "Woohoo, these are cute! Why would someone give them up?" Then I wore them for eight hours and answered my own question: because the soles are made of concrete. Anyone have suggestions for good insoles? I think I'm in the market...

Rookie Mistakes

Works Cited
dress: gap
belt: thrifted
scarf: gifted
socks: target (maybe old navy?)
boots: steve madden

(P.S. I'm no longer linking back to the last time I wore an item because whew! that was time-consuming. If you'd like to see how I wore something last, you can always go to my flickr page and search by the item to see for yourself.)

I made a rookie mistake putting together this outfit yesterday. When I got up in the morning, it was a brisk 62 degrees--FALL!--so I put on boots (and a jacket). But by midday, it was 83 degrees--SUMMER!--so my jacket was stuffed in my bike basket and my sweaty ankles were regretting the boots. Despite the overheated calves, it was a good day because it was day with my two favorite seasons and a very enjoyable book in my bag.

Spotted and Hearted

Works Cited
skirt: j crew
tee: gap
flats: uo

I wore this on Monday--and what better to brighten up the start of the week than polka dots? I luuuurrrve polka dots (and I'm pretty fond of Spotted and Hearted, too).

That is all.

Friday Night Lights

If you're wondering what to wear to your own housewarming party, there's only one right answer. A lobster dress:

Works Cited
dress: anthro
flats: yellow box

On Friday night, Christopher and I threw a little housewarming party at our new place. We drank whiskey-gingers and played games until way past my bedtime. It was a lot of fun and the lobster dress was a hit (at least with my friend Sarah, whom I adore and not only because she always tells me I look cute).



While there's no denying that this dress is outstanding, it falls victim to the big gripe I have about stuff from anthropologie: it's not always versatile. While you could wear a gray tank dress about a million times and no one would really notice, a lobster dress is not exactly so subtle. Yes, I could throw a black cardigan over this and wear it to teach (and I probably will), but for the price tag, anthro's garments are not always be as wearable as I want.
What's your take? Maybe I just need to be a little more inventive with my eccentric dresses?

Mama & Papa

Works Cited
tee: j crew
necklace: forever 21 (untangled by annie)
jeans: gap
flats: steve madden

As it turns out, my Swedish (or rather, Google's Swedish) isn't as good as I thought. I have remedied the grammatical errors since then (thank you!). Today's outfit pictures are extra-special because they were shot by my dad, who was in town with my mom for the past day. Normally, he is more interested in taking pictures of the outdoors than people (not a joke: family photos usually feature mountains and trees with our heads squeezed in to the lower left corner of the shot). So I was doubly pleased to be the center of his lens' attention. Thank you for the pictures and the pancakes, parentals! xo

vad en nörd för att använda

Works Cited
black pants: gap
embellished top: j crew
sweater: thrifted
mary janes: dankso
bag: liz claiborne

Hej, as they say in Sweden! Today, I kind of wish I could jet off to hang out with this adorable girl I found on Stockholm Street Style, though she might be annoyed that I copied her outfit. I liked the combination of skinny pants, mary-jane-style clogs, and the embellished neutral top she was wearing. So I stole it, wholesale.



Just in case you can't speak Swedish (or don't have the mad skills that I possess with Google translator), the title of this post is what my red-headed friend might call this blog...

P.S. Thank you, my sweet actually-Swedish-speaking-not-Google-translating friends for your revisions. I have corrected the title :)

A Long-Legged Lie

Works Cited
dress: ruche
sweater: j crew
belt: j crew
flats: urban outfitters

Not to sound like a broken record, but I really love the color gray. It goes with everything, always makes me feel chic, and fuses dark and light. What's not to love? Plus these cheerful pops of yellow look extra-good juxtaposed against something neutral.



Also, I need to 'fess up that my legs aren't really as long as they look in these pictures. It's an optical illusion produced by the slight hill that I'm standing on and the belt at my natural waist. Recently my sister said to me "I like your blog but you do know that almost all of your outfits have a belt?" Yes, Rachel, I do. It's because I learned from the best belters around. But I also realize that belts make my silhouette more grown-up, my waist seem smaller, and contribute to the illusion that my legs have some length. So unless you can find me a replacement sartorial magic trick, the belt is here to stay :)

On Inflation

Works Cited
skirt: anthro
belt: j crew
shirt: gap
wedges: fitzwell

I am not the most patient person, but I willed myself to wait till this perfect denim shirt from Gap went on sale before I bought it (for less than $10, thank you sale rack). It was something RIDICULOUS like $60 to begin with. For some reason, I can't wrap my mind (or wallet) around Gap increasing its prices since 1993 when I started shopping there and I'm entirely unwilling to spend more than $12 for a tee shirt there, which is probably what I paid in the fourth grade. I guess it's time to teach my unconscious brain about inflation...

Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me

Works Cited
dress: target
flats: urban outfitters
ring: urban outfitters

While everyone else seems preoccupied with the arrival of fall, I am sad to see summer on its way out. I'll miss easy summer dresses, drinking beer on the porch, and warm evening bicycle rides. Not to mention the flattering comments Jentine leaves about my legs (is it okay if I want to keep you stashed next to my mirror at all times?).



So don't tell me it's fall just yet. I'm still enjoying bare legs, long weekends without makeup, and all things sleeveless. What about you? Are you itching for long sleeves and tights or are you also a little panicky about leaving the warm days behind?

Girl Friday

Works Cited
striped shirt: ll bean
gray tee: american apparel
black pants: gap
flats: steve madden
bag: liz claiborne

I finally upgraded the worn-out pair of black pants I've had since about 1998, with a very similar pair from the exact same store. My 12-year-old pair was an awkward length and the fabric was starting to fray, so it was about time to replace them.



And what better to complement classic black pants than a striped shirt, leather bag, and black flats (and, of course, the blog staple: a brick wall)?