Vintage on a Sunday afternoon

I checked out Collecther today. As expected, the owner told me that they had been cleaned out by folks since the Times article, but there were still plenty of finds.

The goal of the trip was a cool, earth toned vintage tie for blokey. He actually smiled when he saw it: success!
Vintage acetate tie: $12 (Sunday sale)

I tried on a number of beautiful dresses, but ended up buying a coat instead.

I feel like femme Inspector Gadget

Vintage handmade coat: Collecther, $42 (with discount)
Grey sweater tights: Street Vendor, $5
Plum pashmina (it's real, not the kind I buy for 5 bucks on the street): $12
Booties: DSW, $45

During the swap, I coveted a camel colored coat, but it was pretty thin and it fit my friend better. But I saw this beautiful, thick wool camel dress coat on the coat rack. It was hand made (I could tell by flipping up the lining and seeing unfinished seams on the body), and lacked a brand/shop label. It had a material label on the side, which suggested that someone may have made in it a tailoring/seamstress shop.
The only problem was that my gangly arms were like 1.5" too long for the sleeves. I decided that hemming sleeves could be a doable hand sewing project. This took me about 75 minutes. Mostly because this weird rose powder came out of the lining (which I had to clean up many times) and I had a conversation with my mother while stitching (women are possibly better at multitasking because of our denser cerebral corpus callosum, says peer reviewed research). I'm still coughing all that rosey Grandma-like essence out of my system.

First, I turned the sleeve inside out. I pulled out the seams by the lining (using a handy seam ripper), and then I pinned a new hem, and pressed it with an iron high.

Next, I did this neat trick of using the stitch as a hem, by creating small stitches around the edge of the wool, that made a small stitch mostly invisible on the other side, the sew it in place (I'll eventually use a machine to reinforce it when I can get one working). Here I am almost done with one sleeve. The lining is sewed in place a few spots lower on the sleeve, so I was not so concerned.

Yep, I sew on my computer table. Hey, our apartments are small in NY

Next, I used the iron to smooth it out again. It's not perfect at all (you can kind of see that the edge got dirty on the old seam), but I'm pretty pleased. I can wear it now reasonably well.

I'd like to take this to the tailor that is currently fixing Fella's suit, and ask him to take it in an inch or so (I think it kind of overwhelms me right now) in the side seams, and then hack off about 4 inches. It currently ends at the thickest part of my calf, and I know that I am a reasonably attractive person, but there's no reason to wear a beautiful coat that makes me look short.
Also, those buttons have to go. Ick. Luckily, I already know to go to Vardhman, where the beautiful buttons all go to hang out.

Jewelry Shopping Trip

I've made absolutely no secret about how much I love accessories.  They're fun, always fit no matter how tight your pants might feel after that giant burger and cheese fries you just had for lunch, and such a fast and easy way to totally change up an outfit.  I probably get my love of accessories from my dear Aunt Tone, and I'm actually reminded of a good accessory story.  My mom and my aunts went to Ireland about 10 years back.  I guess Aunt Tone packed all the wrong season of clothes (too hot or too cold - knowing Ireland, probably too cold) so she ended up with only one outfit that she could actually wear for the entire trip.  Fortunately she had enough accessories with her that she could actually pull off wearing the same thing everyday.  The moral of the story is that accessories are great for stretching one piece to create several different looks.

Today while walking home from my lunch date with a girlfriend (and aforementioned giant burger and cheese fries, mmm) I decided to stop at my neighborhood accessory shop.  Embellish is literally right around the corner from my apartment.  It moved into the neighborhood at the same time that my fella and I did, and I'm pretty sure I love the store and its super-cool owner more and more every time I go in there.  Sadly it's not too often since I can't afford things like $40 earrings or $90 necklaces too often.  So whenever I do go to Embellish, it's for something special.  Although I do window shop there just about everyday while walking my dog, and when they're actually open (as opposed to during our 6am walks), Jude loves stopping there for a treat.

I stopped in today to get some ideas for how to accessorize a certain black, satiny dress hanging on my closet door.  I didn't really intend to buy anything, but I'm clearly incapable of leaving that store empty-handed.  After spending about a half an hour looking at every piece in the store and trying on at least 5 pairs of earrings, here's what I came home with.

These recycled aluminum earrings made by New York-based Jillery.  At $52, they're probably the most expensive pair of earrings I've ever bought myself, but Embellish's lovely owner gave me a 20% discount and they're so pretty that I guess I don't mind having spent the money.  I mean they're recycled - that's something, right?  And they're super-versatile.  They look great with my dress, but being both silver and gold, I can pair them with just about anything.  Exciting.

In the vein of jewelry from Embellish that's made in New York (although she does carry a lot of great Chicago artists like K-Amato, Roulette 18 and Stylish Girl), I thought Rad_in_Brooklyn might be especially interested in another piece I have.  Here is a necklace that I got for a gift this Christmas.

Today the store owner told me the story of these necklaces.  They're made by a Brooklyn-based designer named Bora (who I had a really hard time tracking down with Google... I hope this is the right Bora).  He has two cousins in Turkey who hand-paint the ceramics and then send them to Bora.  Bora then does the metalwork.  He doesn't have a store or much of a formal website, and Embellish prefers to buy pieces from him in person while in New York.  So needless to say, they usually fly out of the store.  I first had my eye on one last May and finally got it for Christmas, and it was well worth the wait.

Swap fun

The New York Times just did a profile on my neighborhood, Bedford Stuyvesant. It included a review of a local, just down the street (not a stone's throw but a leisurely walk) vintage store called Collecther. I plan to visit tomorrow, as they have Sunday recession specials (all dresses $25!) I'm sure it will be very busy just after the Times' profile, but I am in the market for a cute vintage dress for a special event.
But the big update is my participation in clothing swap, with some lovely ladies I met through a coworker yesterday in Brooklyn. They were mostly journalists and they had some great clothes. Even though we had different body types, heights, etc., it was amazing how certain things translated so well. As one woman said, "I'm so happy to see how my clothes are supposed to look." I brought a few pieces that I had bought in the wrong size, some dresses meant for a shorter torso, pieces that I was not comfortable wearing, etc. It was great to meet lovely ladies and have pie from Little Pie Company. I also made out like a thief. It's like social thrifting, while building social capital. Win-win.
This is all swapped clothes, except the undershirt and the shoes. The dress worn as a skirt was donated to me from a good friend back in 2002 (remember when jersey tank dresses were all the rage in the late 90s?). I love the scarf (from the coworker). I think of it as baby steps into wide world of accesorizing.




scarf: swap
brown cardigan: Banana Republic, swap
purple underwear shirt: Uniqlo, $10
dress: NY&CO, friend donation
long underwear leggings: Target, $10
boots: ebay, $95 (Born)

During the snow yesterday, I forced cohabitator to come to Manhattan and give me his opinion on glasses, as I broke mine that morning and wanted a new pair. These are "Take me seriously" glasses. Herbert the Hippo just wanted to say hello.
Blokey and I are off to the tailor. He has a vintage suit that needs tailoring. I will post pictures soon.

shitkickers and puddlejumpers

This is not the outfit I wore today (to work). It's the outfit I wish I wore.

I did wear most of this outfit to work today. But rather than my vintage cowboy boots, I wisely wore my black wellington-type boots (you know, the ones that every woman in NYC seems to have), as it was snowing this thick, heavy, soppy, wet snow. It would immediately turn into wetness and there were large unfortunate puddles of ick all over Manhattan sidewalks. I never thought of myself as a galoshes kinda gal, but it was liberating to run through puddles, with only the cold, not the water, seeping in.
When I thought of this outfit, I mentally paired it with these boots, which I love but my cohabitator merely tolerate. They were my birthday thrift find and I wore them all the time last summer. I pretended I was an urban cowgirl while stomping around, and folks from all different walks of city life have given my compliments. I've also used them to kill 2 really aggressive waterbugs (also know as NYC summer cockroaches).

I didn't wear the hat. I just found it in the the box by my desk where I stick everything when I'm too lazy to put it away. I don't know how my fella puts up with my clutter sometimes.

Dress: Urban Outfitters: $29 (sale)
Tights: Uniqlo, $5
Socks: Gap, $7.50
Jacket: Levis.com, $29
Boots: Durango, thrifted (Beacon's closet), $24

Dream sweatpants?

It seems that basic things that a blogger should do (like when bringing a camera to work to take photos, make sure that the batteries are working) are slipping from my snow drenched mind. I will have an outfit post up soon, but first I'd like to ask readers, all four of you (whom I adore). My desire for a dressy sweatpant is no mystery, and I think I may have found an affordable option from ASOS. It would also give an excuse to throw a dress or two in the shipment (flat rate shipping from the UK). Observe the
Villa Self Tie jersey trouser:

I know that I don't have the long leggy proprotions of the model (I'm 5' 7 1/2", but it's almost all neck and a long lower back), but if I kept the tops close to the body, and got cute platforms, I might actually be wearing this all spring. I'm just not sure what kind of tops other than the tank?

Thanks for the input!

Sewing machine and second hand drama

One of the reason I started up this blog was not just to be creative with the clothes I had, but because I was inspired by the awesome DIY ethics of so many style bloggers, like No Signposts in the Sea and E from Academichic. I ebayed a sewing machine back in January (while struggling with a paper) and decided that my reward for writing two papers for that conference in New Orleans was re-learning how to sew. I'd start out small, like hemming a skirt and making curtains, and then move on to simple skirts and skills. Blokey's aunt has offered me sewing books, and the ebay machine was fully functioning and in good order.

I even went to Steinlaufs in the Garment district, the Pratt Store, and Target to get supplied.

Alas, my vintage sewing dreams were dashed when my newbie self realized that the Singer 2112 did not have a presser foot. I wrote to the ebay seller, and s/he was unresponsive. I followed the directions at sew4less.com and ordered a zigzag, zipper, and straight foot for this model. Or so I thought. They arrived yesterday, and I tried to snap them on. No luck.

curse you, deficient cool old sewing machine!

To add insult to injury, Ebay informed me that since so much time had passed since the purchase, my period to file a claim with them was one day past.

I was sleepy and fell asleep with my entire outfit on over my covers at 9:45 to deal with my frustration. This morning, I decided that drop the money on a new or reconditioned one (I deserve my hobby). Any thoughts for a good budget (but quite functional) sewing machine?

Since I was up before the sun (rare), I worked on mending my new vintage blouse.
This gossamar thin lovely reminds me of Karen Carpenter or Stevie Nicks. I would prefer to dress like Joni Mitchell or Carole King, but baby steps:

(She was only $5 including shipping from Etsy seller In Search Of)


mending supplies from Steinlauf and Stollers

The offending tear in the front of the blouse (which I treated with anti-fray liquid the night before)

Place the patch thing, shiny/slick side down, on the "inside" of the blouse. I used an ironing press cloth (muslin?) between the iron and the blouse

After placing the iron (on "wool" setting) for 15 seconds


I next mended a small collar hole


After: vintage repair win!

The sleeves are very short and it is quite transparent, so I need a sleeve strategy and a nude cami (or a slip). I'll be in business soon.

In Defense of Online Shopping

Yesterday our Brooklyn cohabitator mentioned that she has to defend online shopping to some of her skeptical friends.  Being skeptical of online shopping seems so hard for me to believe.  I mean sure, maybe 10 years ago (which is about when my online shopping habit started up), but these days you can find everything online!  If you use it for more mainstream stores, it's helpful if you can't find your size in stores.  I have that problem a lot, especially when buying pants, since it seems like most stores think that a size 14 gal like me would only need her pants in ankle or regular length.  At 5'9", that doesn't do it for me, so I often have to order my "tall" pants online.  A lot of retailers also have a lot more on their websites than they carry in their stores. For example, Old Navy has a whole Plus Size line that they've completely stopped carrying in their stores (at least in Chicago), and I see phrases like "online exclusive" on a lot of other store websites.  Another reason I love shopping online is the wealth of coupons that are out there at sites like Retailmenot, Coupon Cabin and iGive.  In fact, iGive will also donate a portion of your purchase to one of their registered local charities (my iGive is set to donate to Ravenswood Community Services, which helps members of my own community).  In addition to those few websites, a simple google search will give you tons of results for coupon codes.  I don't shop without them.

I admit that, unlike a lot of fashionable folks, I don't go to thrift stores.  In fact, the only time I've ever been to one here in Chicago was on a shopping trip in my Lincoln Square neighborhood last spring when a certain co-contributor was visiting.  I know there's some cute stuff in thrift stores if you take the time, but I just don't have the patience to take that time while out shopping.  I feel the same way about stores like Filene's and Nordstrom Rack.  Sure, there's bargains, but you have to work for them.  In that vein, I also haven't gotten into buying things in online auctions (although perhaps I should).  So when I say I shop online, I mean I shop for new stuff online.  Maybe I'll get into looking at vintage pieces (rather than "vintage-inspired") one of these days.

Anyway, yesterday I realized that my entire outfit was purchased online, so, although fairly simple, I'm presenting it to defend online shopping.

The only part of this outfit that I probably shouldn't wear right out of the box (woops) is the pants.  They could use a little hemming (another problem with being tall - "regular" inseam pants are too short, and "tall" inseam pants are usually about an inch too long).  But aside from that, I think it's a pretty good, put-together work look.

I can't say enough about how much I absolutely love buying shoes online.  Between Zappos, Amazon and even the pricier Piper Lime (which I just use to find ideas, and then look for cheaper versions elsewhere), I can always find great shoes.

My boyfriend bought me this necklace - also online.  And when I say he bought it for me, I mean I emailed him a link to it on Etsy a week before Christmas, compulsively checked the link to see if the one and only remaining necklace had been purchased, and saw it while bringing the mail in a few days later.  

I have plenty other great online finds which I'll be sharing eventually.  Today, I'm working at home on my couch, wearing my favorite black sweats, my much loved New Belgium Skinny Dip t-shirt and my most stylish blanket.

Pants: NYandcompany.com - $20 (during a buy one, get one free pants event)
Blouse: loftonline.com - $39.50 (with a 20% off  coupon)
Cardigan: loftonline.com - $39.50 (with a 20% off coupon)
Necklace: Etsy.com - $20
Shoes: Amazon.com - $20

An Introduction

Hello Cohabitating Closet readers!  I'm Susan's friend and (finally) co-contributor, Anne.  Before I get to the fashion blogging, I wanted to introduce myself.  Where to start, where to start. I'm a cohabitator in Chicago, but I'm very lucky to not have to share my closet.  It's not that I wouldn't, but my boyfriend's old apartment didn't have a closet, so he bought himself a fancy IKEA wardrobe.  The wardrobe moved in with us, leaving me with my very own closet.

I guess I dress nice most of the time, but I wouldn't consider myself all that fashionable or trendy. Until I started reading the Cohabitating Closet, I had never even heard of such a thing as a fashion blog.  Anything I might know about fashion comes from watching things like What Not to Wear flipping through the occasional fashion magazine (I really like Marie Claire's recent addition of Big Girl in the Skinny World) and lots and lots of people-watching here in Chicago.  Rather than budget constraints, my biggest fashion challenge is finding ways to translate fashions into something that looks good on my somewhat plus-size frame.  I'm attempting to lose it, but that's slow-going the older I get, and I've realized that I need to really embrace the way I look and dress how I want now, rather than totally giving up until I get to be my ideal size.  I know a lot of women in my position tend to cover up and even think they can't be fashionable unless they drop like 20 pounds, but we can.  I think this is a lot of why I started really getting into clothes and shopping.  I mean sure, style is a way to express myself, but, if done right, it's also a way to camouflage the things I don't like about my body while accentuating the things that I do like.

this is probably my most stylish

I've been wanting to post for a little while now, but it feels silly to draw attention to what I'm wearing, much less dissect and discuss it, so I'm getting used to that idea.  Also, I only work in my office a few days a week, so the rest of the time I'm in sweats or pajamas.  My office has a pretty lax dress code - it's "casual," so most people wear jeans all the time.  Personally, I still like to dress up for work.  I've got a work wardrobe down, but I'm not so good with casual stuff.  So maybe this is a good opportunity for me to figure that out.

Clothes aside, I love accessories!  I guess because they always fit, but they're also just so much fun! :)

I'm loving long necklaces, even though I got on board with them a few years too late

It's important to match your surroundings (okay, not really, I just love this scarf)

I love some big earrings

Lunch break blogging

I've mentioned before how vintage and used clothing on Etsy and Ebay is like crack for me. It distracts me from my work and sucks up my wages (albeit, less so than newer clothes). I try to justify it by thinking that it takes up less opportunity costs than thrifting in person, which requires a lot more patience and time during day time hours, but because there's always the risk that stuff won't fit, and the fact that ebay can suck me until the wee hours (whereas Salvation Army will kick me out at closing time), this is probably not true.

I get on Ebay/Etsy "kicks." Since the fall, I've had the following obsessions: prairie dress (unsuccessful so far, but there are contenders on my Etsy favorites list), granny boots, mod dress (also unsuccessful) and most recently pearl button shirts. Mostly for my fella, but I decided that I need them too. I got a package from Smith and Pooter Vintage yesterday. They worked well for both of us in the shoulders and girth, but the sleeves, oh the sleeves (I should have measured. My bad).

However, I hate to admit defeat, especially as I defend online shopping to my skeptical friends. All little hacking is all that is needed. This shirt is a boys' size 16, I believe. Sleeve problem solved by slight rolling up (which is probably more flattering). It fits a little snug over the chest but I left the top two buttons open, and paired it with a bubble skirt.
This is my dismal, windowless office. I tell myself everyday that I am warmer and unbothered by harsh midday sun light. And it's huge. They would charge $2000/month for a room this size in Chelsea.

I seem to match my broken luggage

The industrial latch on the door that I can not lock is my favorite touch

Pearl button western boy's shirt: $13 (including shipping)
short sleeved fancy thermal shirt: Uniqlo, $10
ponte de roma bubble skirt: Uniqlo, $30
grey pleather belt: free (came with suit purchase on Ebay)
sweater tights: Smartwool (better than pants when paired with tights in winter), some online tights retailer, $35
boots: Mia, $85

Post Script:

My coworkers still give me crap about not decorating my office so I bought a bunch of left wing posters when Northland Posert Collective in Minneapolis was going out of the business. I miss the quirky progressive politics of my former adopted home state. Like:

The Farmer-Labor Party:

source

The Miners in North Country:

source

Awesome first Muslim Congressman ever (he got arrested protesting the war):

Source

Want: tailored sweatpants

I don't consider myself a trend follower, and unlike many New Yorkers, I am no label chaser. My (temporary) midwest roots make me loathe spending unnecessarily on clothes, but lately I've been drooling over this trend, which evidently has been big on the runways since fall 2009: the tailored designer sweatpants. Observe:

source

source

I must give credit to the sources of this new desire. I saw AsianCajun's ode to the work sweatpant back in winter, and I also saw this piece in the NYTimes about the high end sweats-shorts last summer.
I am not going to drop a cool hundred on tailored double knit pants, but I wonder if there is someway to DIY this look? I keenly aware that I am no Legs McGee, and part of the reason why this look works is because the slender models are pairing the chillaxed bottoms with strong-shouldered structured tops and architectural shoes (both notably absent from my closet). And dropped crotches are probably a mistake for my longer torso. But hey, they said skinny jeans were the exclusive domain of the hip-less willowy wonder, but they've become democratized too. Maybe this is gross American of me, but I can't wait someone in the DIY sewing blogosphere figures this one out. Or I could just pop over to the fabric store in the garment district and dedicate my spring break to this project? Options.

Shoutout to Portland, OR

Because of how much I liked the first vintage suit I bought on ebay, I thought I'd try again. It can be a gamble, even if you are quite confident about your measurements, but I generally find that skirts are more forgiving than pants. I won a Pendleton suit for $10, plus shipping (about $16 total). This was did not fit like a glove. It was about a size or two too big. But it has potential. When I get the sewing machine up and running (still waiting on a presser foot), I can see myself making it work as a suit.
But it in the meantime, it came with this great grey pleather belt. I was suspicious of belts before, because I like the billowy loose fits of recent trends. But thanks to a number of style bloggers (see right), I've been slowly embracing them again. I tried on the blazer with the belt at my natural waist and decided that the late 1970s/early 80s black/grey/camel combo might look awesome with jeans. My only jeans not in the hamper were all stretched out, so I tried it with what has otherwise been a problematic denim skirt (it bunches funny on top, and the waist gaps.) The end result works great, because the blazer has enough structure to hide any denim awkwardness. One of my dearest friends in the whole world recently moved just outside of Portland, Oregon this past year. She was a big influence on my evolving (aka non-existent) style during graduate school, and I think she would approve of this outfit. (Also, the hilariously right-on Winona of Daddy Likey lives there. You that Portland is a seriously stylish place).
Today is 43 degrees and sunny in Brooklyn. Since my clothes (and tights, and hair) are badly in need of washing, I decided to do what was unthinkable two weeks ago: debut bare legs.

If you click through, you can see that the bottoms are leather covered. There are false pockets on the front of the jacket. I figured that out after the 5th time trying to cram my hands in there.

Yeay for nascent spring.

Blazer (and belt): Pendleton, about $8 as half of a suit, including shipping), ebay seller Maggie's Farm Treasures
Skirt: H&M (2 or 3 years ago), $20
T-straps, Naturalizer, $45

Ethics, ads, and curling

I am finally back in New York, and I look like someone who has spent the past week eating deep friend Cajun food and staying out too late with reconnected friends. Maybe an outfit post later, but I wanted to chime in on some of the debates going on in the fashion blogosphere (to which I am a real newbie).

One of the cool things about NYC fashion week was the new emphasis on bloggers. The wonderful folks at 39th and Broadway have a great piece on the role of bloggers at fashion week. One of the recent controversies in the (non-blog) press concerns whether or not (certain) bloggers are just mouthpieces for certain brands. Wendy Barnes has a brilliant post about how bloggers should disclose their activities, sponsorship, and swag fully, and the conversation that ensued was really insightful. I understand that everyone blogs for a different reason, but I agree with Wendy Barnes, that if a blogger have certain obligations to certain sponsors, than he or she should be very forthright. The blogger/reader relationship (and often it's not a huge distinction, and many readers are also bloggers) is a delicate one, and people can get turned off and offended easily (both side). I suppose that for this is not a problem for me as I only have a handful of readers and I have no aspirations to make this into anything but a hobby. I am no one's mouthpiece but my own. I have my own weird style, and my own weird preferences, and I hope that a few folks read this, find it amusing/entertaining/practical (I first starting reading style/fashion blogs as a form of procrastination, but it became something else).

That said, I would like to disclose why I've started this style blog, by citing the comments by Sal from Already Pretty in response to Academichic's discussion about the "politics of style." I engage in this both as a way to encourage my own style development, but also because part of me believes it's important for non-normatively attractive woman to engage in creating style. Like Sal, I want to challenge the hegemonic notions about beauty and style.

I have recently discovered Jessie.anne.o's blog. She lives in Brooklyn too, she's adorable and stylish, but also incredibly insightful and socially aware. She had a logo (now visible to my left) of the "Ad-Free Blog." I loved the whole ideology behind the Ad-Free Blog, and so I want to commit myself to some idea of social responsibility, sustainability, and progressive politics whilst engaging in something that is generally considered trivial and vain. I'm certainly not the poster child for any of these things (although we live very green compared to the rest of the United States in NYC, without a car, with barely any heat, and eating a mostly vegetarian diet).

Enough heavy politicking, as I tend to do. How cute are the ladies on the U.S. Olympic curling team? I was once a dedicated member of the St. Paul Curling Club (biggest in North America). My curling broom now hangs on my broom rack in the kitchen. One day, I will have more time and money and I will start curling again (it's hard to do this in town. You gotta be Canadian or travel to Bridgeport, CT; Ardsley, NY; or somewhere in NJ (all expensive to get to on commuter lines).

Source: The U.S. Curling Association

N'arl'ns, part deux

I've been having a great time catching up with nerdy friends here in New Orleans. Sad to leave my friends tomorrow, but looking forward to going back to the fella and kitty (and my city). Although I must say that I'm quite in love with New Orleans. The sun shines, the people are friendly, and the city is just adorable. Exhibit A:


But what's most interesting about New Orleans is talking to the locals about Hurricane Katrina. We never brought it up but folks here are really friendly and share about their lives, in ways that the guarded big city folks tend not to do (not that I don't love you, dense urban areas and your mass transit). A women who sold us pralines in the Riverwalk market told us about how she and her loved ones went 3 days without water and how National Guardsmen were driving tanks down Canal St. (a major street in the central business district), in a way that was not necessarily productive. I don't know much about details of Katrina, but I hope that we don't allow for such an unnecessary tragedy to happen again. (J also told me, as he's been to New Orleans twice prior, that everythinig was much more lively back in the day).
My friend J (from Canada) and I were lucky to run into this memorial public art project in commemoration of Katrina.

Maybe I shouldn't have been smiling, but the city does put me in a good mood.

, close up of the "touristy" outfit (photos by J)

Plaque by the memorial

What the French Quarter will do to relatively new boots

Dress: Brooklyn Industries, $39
Boots: Mia, $85 (on sale at a midtown shoe store)
Tights: Target ($5)
Sweatercoat: Brooklyn Industries, $50

Dressing like Mom

This post is dedicated to my mom. She and I have our differences, but I admire her greatly. She came to the States by herself at the ripe old age of 21, and has always been a working women, raising three kids and creating a new career for herself after age 45. She is super involved in her community, runs a successful business, and looks great. She is one of the working women who ended up having it all* (and remains a slim size 2, even in her late 50s).
I wore a vintage 1970s tweedy "mauve" skirt suit today. It reminds me of the sepia toned photographs of my mom when she was my age. I wish I had a cool silk shirt too, but maybe that would be too costumey. I always get loads of compliments, including one from younger folks in hip hop styles. It's not a Mad Men outfit. It's my homage to my mom. (Plus, I love the 1970s fashions. There was a lot of ugliness, and polyester, but there was also a whole lot of cool).

(Ah, hotel decor)

The lining is just nuts too:

The skit is just a wee bit tight. Or maybe I'm just not used to wearing skirts on my natural waist? The skirt even has pockets. I adore this suit and I don't think it needs accessory but if you have an idea on how to make it more brilliant, I'd love to hear it!

*no offense to Liz Lemon

Larry Levine skirt suit (1970s?), $20 on ebay
tights: Target, $5
shoes: $45, Naturalizer
white button up: Loft, $25 (summer sale).