Two outfits from early this week:
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Diane von Furstenberg Jilda wrap dress in Why Green, J.Crew Perfect fit in Spearmint, J.Crew Summerweight Cashmere sweater, Chanel ballet flats
So, somewhat ironically, I was trying to dress bright and cheerful these two days, but I accidentally set my camera on “pinhole” mode without realizing it, which made my pictures old-timey and faded. So much for brightness. My somewhat incompetent bumbling with photo editing software was not enough to reverse the effect without making the pictures super grainy, but oh well. I did take pictures with my cell phone in a dusty mirror for about a year, so I can’t’ complain too much :)
This outfit is me going wild with layering different shades in the same color family. I really love dressing entirely in blue or in green a lot, but using a bunch of different greens/blues in the outfit, so as not to be so overwhelming. The DvF dress was my starting point, I added the J.Crew cardigan in a similar color (which by the way at the end of the day finally pilled its way out of my closet, the quality is seriously shameful), and, because I can’t wear DvF wraps shirtless without looking like a total hussy, a minty tank underneath. I could have worn green heels or flats but it felt sort of overkill, so I just stuck to basic black.
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Forever 21 dress, J.Crew Primrose and Merino Ruffle cardigans, J.Crew Satin Silk Fiore clutch, Cole Haan Carma Mid Air pumps
This dress was an amazing bargain from Forever 21 — a mere $6.80. It’s such an awesome, happy, ’60s number, I love it. I originally had the orange cardigan in the right picture paired with it, but it felt a little too matchy so I switched it out with a yellow one to pick up the yellow highlights on the dress’s flowers and of course match the clutch. Looking back at the photos I almost feel like I should have stuck to orange, but I’m sure I’ll pull this dress out later and be able to work that look some other time too.
Here’s my latest round of Anthropologie in-real-life likes and dislikes! I, by the way, am terrible at posting any reviews in a timely fashion (some of these pictures are more than a month old, shameful), but if you don’t already visit the wonderful Roxy of Effortless Anthropologie, you should, because she posts multiple reviews almost *every single day*, and, she’s holding a contest right now where you have the chance to win a $100 Anthropologie gift certificate. If anything, you have to visit the contest entry just to see some of the hilarious haikus readers have submitted!
Now, on to the reviews!
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Rosettes-And-Ruffles Dress – $188
Oh dress, I have a crush on you. I really had a hard time separating myself from this piece in the store. The color is just amazing — a lovely, deep, jewel-toned purple, and the signature Yoanna Baraschi embellished neckline is beautiful. Annoying flaws it has however: a weird belt that’s sort of stiff and refuses to drape, a bizarre zip that only goes mid-way up the back, a frown-inducing price, the fact that I need Spanx to wear it (this last one may be entirely the fault of all the Cheez-its I’ve been consuming lately).
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Flight -Of-Swans Dress – $298
This dress is really pretty, though I’m still not sure if it’s for me. The materials and cut are very high quality and really beautiful just to look at and feel. The subtle swans-afloat-on-lake print is very pretty, and I like the little bit of pleated material that peeks out from the neckline. Plus, it has my beloved pockets. We all know formal dresses with pockets are a total win. The first dress I saw on the rack was a 10, and remembering how heinously small Twinkle by Wenlan usually runs (well, at least according to my experience with the Budding Romance skirt this summer), I just grabbed it and went to the dressing room because I was too lazy to look any further and it seemed like it might work. Well, it zipped up perfectly, so I guess the dress does run about 1-2 sizes small. However, although it fits up top, I think the waist is cut a little big, and for some reason just makes me feel…wider…than I normally am. I might wear it with an embellished belt or something if I do ever end up getting it down the line (contingent on it surviving about two sale markdowns though :) ).
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Lolland Sweater Dress - $188
Speaking of things that make me look even wider than usual, we have this dress. It’s pretty adorable on the rack, like something a Scandanavian ice princess might wear, and it is very very comfortable. Plus it has not one, but *two* sets of pockets. Be still my heart. However, the way it is cut kind of makes me look like the side of a house. It is narrow on top and then just expands continuously as you go further down, making it no friend at all to the hippy. You can’t really tell just how unflattering it is in pictures — I was reading Roxy’s review the other day, and I thought, “What is she talking about, she looks great!,” but in person, I understood what hers and all the other complaining reviews online have been about. If one was super slender and willowy, I imagine the front might fall better, like in the product shot. It miiiight be acceptable with a belt at the waist…I attempted to test this with the Tall Tales Belt below, which didn’t exactly coordinate, but was nearby in my pile of things to try. Maybe it could go better with the Snakebite belt in brown? Either way, it’s not something I would buy at the moment at its full price of almost $200 however.
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Fall Folliage Sweater Dress – $148
A sweater dress that I wholly loved though was the Fall Folliage dress. Unlike the Lolland, I actually think it looks much better in real life than it does in my picture! (Seriously this shot is awful, and also, hi frizz — most of these pictures are at the end of the day when my hair is just out of control, sorry. I’m not sure how to deal with it since I stopped straightening it lately.) It cinches nicely at the waist, the cut on top minimizes and slims the bustline while still looking pretty sexy, and I love its perfect Thanksgivingish hue — so lovely for Fall.
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C’est Bon Dress - $118
No pictures on this one, because when I tried it on I was in a bit of a rush — my boyfriend and I were walking to dinner, and I managed to sneakily divert our path into the store we were passing and cajol him into letting me try on some things. I figured I should not push things by taking the time to stop and take pictures of everything :) Anyway, it’s for the best, as I really hated this dress and thought it looked sort of horrible on me. I really wanted to like it because of the lovely teal color, but it was bad news all around. For one thing, the material is incredibly wrinkly…every dress on the rack looked thoroughly rumpled. And even though the fabric feels kind of cool (sort of suedey), it is extremely thin and not really suited towards cold weather. And then, on, I don’t know, I felt like it just kind of…sat there? Perhaps I should have sized down (I was already in a S), but I felt the waist wasn’t cinched enough and it just looked like a potato sack or something. Very blah. Weirdly enough the boyfriend said he liked it though. And not the cute flattering Fall Folliage dress! Hrmph. Men. I do not understand.
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Efflorescent Dress – $188
I found this dress to be pretty overrated and overpriced. I was excited to see it because of how pretty it had looked online — I really liked the beautiful bursts of color at the neckline and hem. But the material is a bit thin (this seems more like a spring/summer dress), and the embroidery looked…a bit amateur. I (sort of, begrudingly) understand the $200 pricetag of the Lolland sweater dress above, which has lovely worksmanship, but not this. The dress also hits just a little bit below knee, which makes it a little more matronly-feeling than I would have expected.
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Collected Corolla Tee – $78
This seems like a pretty popular item as I have checked the product page a couple of times in the last day or two as I have been laaazily writing this post and sizes keep disappearing at a rapid pace, and I think it now has completely sold out. My local store seemed to have plenty earlier this week though. At any rate, this top is very pretty, though the rosettes are not nearly as well defined as in the product image and in general the whole neckline seemed smushed and wrinkled to heck. However, one of the SAs was wearing this and looked pretty gorgeous, so I think might look better with a good steaming to ease out all the wrinkles and make all the petals stand up properly.
Now we move onto a sea of red reviews :)
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Rise-and-Shine Blouse - $88
When I first saw this in store, I didn’t know the name, but I immediately called it the “Bursting with Cuteness” blouse because it is just that freaking adorable. The red is so bright and cheery, and the swiss dots (one of my favorite textures for clothing) amp up the sweetness even more. I am usually between a 6 and an 8 in blouses, and the 8 was what I needed to fit my bust, though the waist was a teensy bit too big then. Not enough to warrant a tailoring I don’t think, but just a warning that it’s not super fitted.
By the way, if you are interested in this blouse but don’t like the color or price, Urban Outfitters has an almost identical one here that comes in cream, purple and black for only $48.
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Birling Ruffle Coat – $288
Ahhh, the adorableness. Can I possibly justify my sixth red coat? It has black in it, so, it wouldn’t count, would it? (Let’s not get into how many black coats I have though…) Anyway, I was afraid this coat would look too Lumberjack’s Sweet Sixteen what with the unexpected combo buffalo plaid and the ruffles, but it is so so very cute. And so warm! I tried on the small, but it was a bit too snug in the arms and across the chest when buttoned, and I was afraid it wouldn’t work for me if I was bundled up with sweaters and turtlenecks and the like underneath. The medium worked perfectly (as expected, since I usually go up one size in anything Tracy Reese). My only problem with the coat is that it tends to look a wee bit boxy from the side — even the small had this problem. I wish the waist was cinched a bit. Many reviewers online mentioned that they were thinking of wearing it as a coat-dress, but I really do think it is too loose around the waist for this to look good on my figure. However, it does look pretty fabulous from the front still, so I still want want want it. (Also, many reviewers talked about pockets in the reviews — if I hadn’t read about them, I seriously would not know they were there — they are VERY well sewn shut and concealed, you have to hunt for them at first.)
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Fall’s Pinacle Jacket, Juxtaposed Sweater Jacket – $98 each
Both of these are such cute smart fall jackets. The Fall’s Pinacle is lined with fleece, so it runs a bit small (I had to wear a medium to be comfy), but is very warm and toasty. The Juxtaposed Sweater Jacket also runs a bit small, typical of Anthro’s yearly boiled wool offerings (see previously the Tick-
Tock Cardigan and the Carved Cove Sweater). It really is the perfect Little Red Riding Hood jacket! (Although as with most hoodies/sweaters, I found the top of the hood to be a bit pointy and not too useful as actually masquerading as Little Red — am I the only one with this problem? Most hoods make me look like an alien/elf.)
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Carmen Tieback - $148
This blouse is so so pretty. The floral/ruffled neckline is something that Yoanna Baraschi does really well, and this is no exception. My only disappointments are the color (which is a more muted pinkish orangish red, rather than the sassy bright Carmen-esque red of the product photos), and the price, which is absurd for the materials. The fit doesn’t look that great on me because I am wearing it over a structured dress with a protruding belt, but it runs true to size.
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Cloud Cover Cardi - $68
I didn’t have super high expectations for this cardigan because of the low price point (…surely something must be wrong with it?), but it actually is super cute. Yes, it’s on the thin side, and despite the fact that the label tells me it apparently has wool in it, it’s not going to be super warm. But it’s certainly a gorgeous open-front cardigan (which I guess you don’t expect to keep you that warm anyway) with a nice drape to it. In store, I saw that it also comes in a pretty peach/nude, though its not shown on the website at the moment.
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And lastly, my two favorites from Anthropologie’s new arrivals in the last week:
Snowscape Tank – $148, Freshly Fallen Coat - $268
These two pieces are so amazingly winter wonderland that I can’t even stand it. I *know* white coats are dangerous because of their dirt-displaying properties, but I can’t help it, it’s so pretty. Do you see those rosettes and ruffles on the neckline? I’m slain. And the Snowscape tank is mocking me with it’s perfectly adorned neckline as well. (It really reminds me of a lot of pieces by Claire La Faye on etsy though, so if you like it but would be more into supporting a small independent designer, please click that link!)
Have you guys tried any of the above pieces or love any others that have been in stores lately? Any standouts that I’m missing? :)
J.Crew Mint Tweed Griffith Coat – $395
If I hadn’t you know, JUST posted about a green coat I have that I love, I might be tempted to get this beauty from the rollout of new arrivals on J.Crew today. What a stunning color.
Other than that, I didn’t see anything too exciting amidst the new arrivals. Anything catch your guys’ eyes?
Filed under: ootd | Tags: coats, h&m, kate spade, rebecca minkoff, sock dreams
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I was wearing various shades of green today and was trying to decide on a coat that would coordinate acceptably with them before I dashed out the door, when I remembered I had this beautiful coat from H&M stashed away at the back of my closet. This piece is from 2004/5, a relic of my days studying abroad in Oxford. I remember I bought it during a random weekend trip in Barcelona (I miss cheap easy travel via shady airlines like EasyJet and RyanAir), and it was my first buy at H&M (these were the Europe-only days), and the first time I really fell hard for a green piece of clothing (!). The coat is nice, weighty and sturdy, fully lined in silky fabric and made and cut beautifully. The color and details remind me of some sort of vintage car coat. I really don’t see pieces of similar quality at my local H&M at all these days, and I’m not sure if the export pieces are just less well made or if things have gone downhill in general or something.
A story demonstrating how illogical I can be about clothing: a couple of years ago, I was visiting my friend Jessica in San Francisco and parked my car somewhere in the Lower Sunset near her apartment. Not the *best* of neighborhoods, but it looked semi-respectable. I came back to my car in the morning to find my passenger window smashed in. I somehow had had the foresight to take my iPod in my purse with me the night before, and the thief apparently didn’t find anything else to his taste, so nothing was actually missing…I was just left with the hassle of cleaning up thousands of pieces of smashed glass and replacing the window. I was really shaken in general by the whole incident (it’s a scary feeling when someone violates your property), but somehow amidst the feelings of fear and anger, I distinctly remember feeling grateful and happy that the vandal had spared my beautiful, precious coat lying in plain sight on my back seat. Yup, my priorities, they are totally straight.
Here I am flouncing about a bit in said coat:
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I reached into my pocket midway through the day and found this little scrap of paper nestled inside, a single Paris metro ticket. It overwhelmed me with memories from the time I decided to impulsively hop on the Eurostar from London to Paris and make a day-trip of it. I literally did not know *any* French except for the phrase c’est la vie and I ended up hopelessly lost and confused wandering around the Gare du Nord station, because no one wanted to help the crazy American figure out how to buy a subway ticket or even find the subway entrance. Then I remembered a word my roommate in Oxford had mentioned when describing her Paris trip to me — carnet, a book of ten metro tickets. I just repeated it over and over again until someone took pity and helped me, and pretty much rode out the rest of my trip on that word with no further problems!
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Now, onto what’s underneath. My Sock Dreams order with their awesome Lace Topped Over the Knee socks came earlier this week (two days after I ordered!), and they are super warm and cozy, but, as with all knee-ish length socks, I am so uncertain how to wear them without actually looking too juvenile, or, alternately, too skanky (or…both). I decided to try pairing them with heels and a somewhat muted color palette, and I think the result was okay. I still wouldn’t wear an outfit like this to work (even with the total lack of a dress code), but it seemed acceptable for at home and walking about downtown this weekend. How do you guys generally wear knee or over-the-knee socks? I could use suggestions!
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Wet Seal Dress (not a store I normally frequent, but I saw it in a window last year, and it was a mere $12), J.Crew Spearmint tank, Sock Dreams Lace Topped Over the Knee socks, Rebecca Minkoff Lovers Clutch in Gunmetal, Kate Spade Kelly shoes
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The clutch, a Rebecca Minkoff piece, is a recent-ish acquisition…I saw this promo picture for it in gold snake at the beginning of September, but they must have made only about 5 of those, since it was completely sold out already (and I think her Fall collection had barely been released at that time). Anyway, I was kind of debating buying it in a less-exciting colorway, when this shimmery gunmetal version of it sold out too, and I started to panic, since now my only option was basic black. Fortunately I finally snagged the gunmetal on eBay, and it’s still awesome, even if it’s not the one that originally captivated my heart.
Lastly, a close-up of my lovely Kate Spades…they are the perfect shade of bottle green :)
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1. Cynthia Rowley Dot Tights — A subtler version of my studded Bebaroque tights from last year.
2. Forever 21 Floral Panel Tights — I actually bought a pair last year (unaware of any Chanel associations), and ended up adoring them. Since I live in fear of snagging them, I think I need about 3 backups, they are perfect.
3. Modcloth Reverberation Tights — Very Rodarte.
4. Banana Republic Patterned Tights — This and the equally awesome Spanx “Trinket” tights may just be as close to the elusive diamond-pattern Leifsdottir tights I’m going to get.
5. Anthropologie Art Deco Tights — Warm, with a great pattern and lovely teal color, what more could I ask for? Sort of similar to last year’s awesome Jumbled Crochet tights.
6. Post Butterfly Tattoo Tights — These butterfly ones are my favorites, but the two artists behind this etsy shop make tattoo-resembling tights in all sorts of awesome patterns, and some are truly impressive. I was very tempted to get these bat ones for Halloween.
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Anthropologie Berry Bush Tights
Tragically, these babies are already sold out online, sob. I’m pretty sure it has to do with this amazing product shot pairing them with the incredible (backordered until December!) Always-A-Lady Skirt. I want both of ‘em so bad it hurts.
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I saw this beautiful image on Garance Doré the other month and fell head over heels for the glorious velvet heart tights pictured. These are already long sold out, but I still crave any and all heart tights now.
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Louis Vuitton Logo Tights
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Plümo Lace Tights – £89.00
Be still my heart. I think my wallet might have a coronary if I order these, but they are simply breathtaking.
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And finally, a little Sock Dreams order I placed…S.D really is the mecca for beautiful, interesting, affordable tights, season after season. And I love that shipping is always free and they sent me my order less than 2 hours after I had placed it.
Top Row: Kalana Wool Crochet Tights , Lace Topped Over the Knee, Foot Traffic Bamboo Tights.
Bottom Row: Fern Lace Stay-Up Thigh Highs in Flannel and Black (the Flannel already sold out before I had a chance actually, boo) and the Vertically Inclined Stockings.
Have you guys spotted any cool or interesting tights lately? What are your favorites to wear during fall or winter? I’m kind of boring in that I mostly gravitate towards greys and blacks (albeit in various patterns and textures), but I’m willing to experiment with a little color or trend embellishments this season I think.
I’m loving the gorgeously detailed necklines on so many of Anthropologie’s recent arrivals. Some of my favorites:
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Carmen Tieback – $148
Some people are probably long sick of the ruffles trend. Not me, pile ‘em on. And feel free to make them morph into rosettes (another trend I persist in loving) midway through the neckline.
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Midnight Wanderer Dress – $288
Check out the gorgeous pleating down the bodice of this dress, and the lovely pressed pleats on the back. And of course, the beautiful gemmed harness-like straps are just amazing.
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Pond Lily Scarf - $68
I can’t decide if this scarf is too cutesy for me to actually wear in public, but I’m not sure I particularly care at this point. It looks so cozy and so cute, and I love the colors used.
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Rosettes-And-Ruffles Dress – $168
This little number is sitting at the verrrry top of my wishlist. Yoanna Baraschi pretty much releases the same type of rosette neckline once a season (see: the Northern Crown Blouse, the Trimmings Dress, the Profiterole Blouse), but wow, she does it so so well, so why not? The rich purple hue of this dress in particular is to die for and perfect for all sorts of fall and winter soirees.
And not really neckline related, but I would be remiss not to mention these two gorgeous pieces from yesterday’s rollout that I am pretty much beside myself for:
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Cloud Cover Cardi – $68
I am confused how something as lovely as this could go for a mere $68,when the very similar Potter’s Wheel Cardigan is priced at $238, but hey, I’m not complaining. This chiffon-edged looks so comfy and chic. I’m hoping it will fare better in person on me than the rather ill-fitting Potter’s Wheel.
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Captured Gems Bracelet - $168
I adore this bracelet. It reminds me of my Nicole Miller Juxtaposed Bracelet from Anthro’s offerings last winter, but much better and more wearable. I love how rhinestones are so in at the moment…they make my tacky, bling-loving heart so happy.
I haven’t seen any of these items in store yet, but I hope to stop by this weekend and check them out. Has any one else seen them though and have any opinions or advice? Any other pieces you are liking from the rest of Anthropologie’s recent arrivals?
Oh, I am so behind with everything. Sorry for not posting in forever and being slow slow slow to respond to emails, and not commenting on anyone else’s blog either — I am about 3000 posts behind on Google Reader….among other things. I was overloaded with work the last week and kind of otherwise avoided my computer if I could help it at all. Proof: I missed my one year Blog-aversary Thursday. I kept thinking, “I probably should at least write a *token* post today, right?” but then I never got around to it. (Constant theme of my blog — how lame is it that in a YEAR I still haven’t gotten around to doing basic things I meant to do on about Day 2, like construct a blog roll and have an about me page and oh, ever check my grammar before hitting “Post”? Very. Soon!), and here’s an outfit from *last* Monday that I haven’t gotten around to posting until today!
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Anthropologie Courting skirt, J.Crew Tartine cardigan, J.Crew shell, Cole Haan Air Carma pumps, Forever 21 cuff, The Glamourai for Shrimpton Couture necklace
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Possibly I avoided posting this for so long because the only semi-decent picture I took sort of made me look like an amputee, but it’s too late to do anything about that now… Anyway, the story behind this outfit: ironically, I woke up Monday morning and was in such a grumpy mood that I felt the uncharacteristic urge to put on jeans and schlubby tee. So I did. Until I remembered I have a Tango class Monday night, so it’s the one day I’m *mandated* to wear a dress or skirt (my otherwise daily uniform that usually wear with enthusiasm). So I begrudgingly pulled out the first skirt I saw out of my closet, which happened to be this ruffley, frilly number. And then I maybe overcompensated in my accessories to match it’s level of fanciness. Fortunately everyone at work has long become indifferent to my extreme overdressing habit ;)
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(Catalog image courtesy twin_dolphin eBay auction)
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The skirt is an old old piece by Anthropologie, called, if I remember correctly, The Courting Skirt. I love its cascading layers of various laces, ruffles and other luxe materials. It’s by the now-retired house label Snak, which always made the loveliest, most romantic and sweet vintage-inspired pieces, and which I was so sad to see go from Anthropologie’s line. If anyone from Anthro corporate stumbles across my blog one day, please know that the label is greatly missed, and not only by me, judging from the prices I see on Snak items go for on eBay. My very favorite piece I own from Anthro (since half my wardrobe comes from there, this title is nothing to sniff at) is another Snak creation, a long skirt made entirely of varigated cream-to-brown tiered layers of delicate lace. Really pretty. I will have to trot it out here someday and show it to all of you.
Some closer shots, so you can see the skirt and my sparkly accessories of the day better:
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This necklace is a piece that is just as dear to me as any of my Snak skirts — it’s a lovely reworked-vintage rhinestone and ribbon concoction called “The Marie Antoinette,” made by that gorgeous wonderwoman, The Glamourai, for Shrimpton Couture. I saw Cherie post a preview image of it on the (rather addictive) Shrimpton Couture Blog, and I was a goner. I emailed Cherie immediately and asked to pre-order it, and apparently only just beat out hoardes of other fans all asking the same thing. She graciously sent it my way, and I couldn’t be happier.
And you see why, right? I love this necklace so much; it’s the perfect combination of glamour and sweetness. I particularly admire how the ribbon edges are trimmed with rhinestones, it’s the nicest touch. And it’s a huge conversation piece — multiple people have stopped me on the street to ask about it every time I’ve worn it. Basically, Kelly’s creations are amazing, and the level of creativity and work she puts into her pieces is very impressive.
Anyway, given my lack of willpower…. this is actually not the only The Glamourai for Shrimpton Couture piece I own, but pictures of that will come later when I get my act together ;) Hope all of you had wonderful weekends!
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Reading about GingerSnap’s Cardi Party idea, I was thinking to myself that I too love me a good cardigan. But perhaps too much?
This sweater collection of course does not include the 11 cardigans floating about in my car/under my bed/in my office/out for dry cleaning/on my closet floor, nor the Evening Primrose cardi I bought last week, nor the one I’m just about to bid on on eBay. Nor the backups I keep of my beloved J.Crew Merino ruffle cardigans. Help.
On the other hand, my second thought is that I need some purple to complete this rainbow. And that I could use my potential therapy money to pick up some Huggable Hangers and treat these babies right. I wonder which impulse is going to win.
I bought the All Trades Dress from Anthropologie last week — such a cute, fun day dress. The circular neckline/strap arrangement is very flattering, and I love the two front pockets that gives a sort of jumper-like feel. I adore the kinds of dresses that are easy and require no effort to wear, with no snaps, ties, zips, buttons or fussing required, and this is definitely one of those, a dress you can throw it on in the morning without even thinking. Of course its days this year are limited now that its getting colder, but it was still sunny enough this weekend that I could wear it alone with sandals running errands during the day, then tossed with a cardigan and some heels in the afternoon, and finally with a coat before I went out to dinner.
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Anthropologie All Trades Dress, Anthropologie Shadowland Cardigan, BCBG Earrings, Cole Haan Carma Air Heels
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Being silly posing with my red Milly coat. I’m so excited to finally get to wear it…if you recall, I got it for a steal, but it only arrived at the very end of the cold season, so I only got to wear it once. But now I shall prance about like Blair Waldorf all winter.
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My accessories, which I completely forgot to take photos of at the time, but which completed the gold, black, and red theme. A pair of BCBG lattice-work earrings and a Jimmy Choo Ring bag.
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Oh, and it’s time to announce the recipient of the J.Crew giveaway! I randomly selected a comment number earlier today, and the earrings are now going to the lovely Jessica of the awesome blog Style Obsession (which you all really should read if you do not already!). Thanks to everyone’s very sweet words and comments on the post — I was overwhelmed with the response and honestly wish I had something to send all of you!
I was so caught up in my cold-weather-complaining-this, tights-are-the-greatest-that yammering that I failed to actually check the weather report before I headed outside yesterday and automatically dressed in my favorite fall uniform: a skirt + tights + a cardigan. And because I’m so anti-chill, that skirt was a sweater skirt no less. Turns out, I totally jumped the gun; the weather was a sunny 74 degrees today, and I ended up feeling like I was going to melt. Fortunately, my office’s air conditioning is set to best imitate an arctic tundra (that’s the first and last time I’ll attach “fortunately” to that phrase by the way), so things ended fine in the end, but I was definitely uncomfy for a bit. Now, I’ve learned my lesson: Weather.com is my friend.
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Anthropologie Fulmar Sweater Skirt, Anthropologie Long Volley Blouse, J.Crew Tartine Cardigan, Cole Haan Carma Mid Air Pumps
Still, I liked the look of the outfit, which I shamelessly recreated (somewhat poorly, it was by memory at the time) from Anthropologie’s catalog shot of the skirt. I wasn’t sure if exposing the bow from the drawstring waist of blouse was the best idea, but the skirt is sort of loose for me and I didn’t have too much of a choice. I decided I liked it by the end of the day, but I may have just convinced myself that out of necessity ;)
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By the way, this taking pictures with an actual camera business is hard! In the past, I’ve always watched Tyra Banks’ critiques on America’s Next Top Model with a superior sense of agreement. “Oh yeah, there is *way* too much tension in the face!” “Why can’t any of them learn to smile with their eyes smize already after like 12 seasons cycles?!” “She needs to learn to cheat her face out when her body is posed like that…” ”Stop sticking out the butt already, it’s sexy but not modelesque!” ”Ack! No neck!”, etc. But oh man, there is such a difference between casually vainly posing in the mirror and actually having to look good to a camera perched at an unexpected angle. Every time I try to smile I find my shoulders instinctually hunch over and I lose my neck and my eyes get all squinty. EVERY time readers! Uh, believe me, I never knew I had that problem until I took a series of photos where I kind of looked like a dazed linebacker or a stumpy no-necked monster. I still left you my midgety no-neck photo below though :) We’ll see if I can improve as time goes on.
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