Exhibit B

This is Exhibit B in my "I have too many beautiful clothes I don't wear" show. I actually really like this dress, even though it's not a knit. The pattern is pretty, the colors are subtle (but do exist) and it's very cool and summery. But I don't wear it often because it's see through-ish and the light color makes me hesitate to wear it in public. The see through parts I usually remedy with nude underthings, but the light colors I haven't figure out yet. With dirty subway seats and my messy table manners, I may have to figure out ways to remix this is as a top with other skirts. Maybe this weekend, as per Style Underdog's suggestions?

Thanks for all the great suggestions for yesterday. Sadly, I've been to a tailor already with that dress. I should reiterate that I don't like wearing fitted woven dresses (at least ones fitted below the waist). I looked over some of my sewing books on alterations to make sure it's not just my tailor being lazy. The top right picture (from The Reader's Digest Complete Guide to Sewing) reconfirms that there isn't much one can do about pulling across hips, except let out more fabric.



And back to the shopping ban: I will still allow sewing new clothes for myself during the new year, mostly because I see sewing as a hobby, not as a means for accumulating clothing. Maybe someday it will be, but I like the creative process more than the wearing. I also like how I am learning more about clothes and fit from trying to make stuff for myself than from buying and wearing off the rack. Taking my measurements and comparing them to ready to wear and pattern measurements has been helpful. I know what parts of my body don't fit standard sizes, and therefore I can avoid certain off the rack styles (usually, many fitted bodices are suspect) and figure out how to adjust things.


Finally, totally unnecessary kitten shot. This little freak is 4 months old (estimated) now and he's getting bigger and stronger everyday. Buster does this when we don't let him eat our dinner.

"Please, can't I have some borscht?"*

*Part of not shopping is not looking at clothes online, a favorite procrastination hobby of mine. Instead, I am trying to fill my boredom and desire to step away from the office with less spendy activities, like cooking with my CSA veggies. So many local vegetables!

Dress remixing in heat

I've mentioned before how remixing is hard in heat. I refashioned this "dress" a while ago, but I wasn't thrilled with the length. I guess I like skirts that dress that clearly are just above the knee, and everything else feels frumpy. So borrowing on A-Dub's genius (long torsoed ladies rockin' the wide belt), I used this stretchy number to blouse the top part/shorten the skirt, and now it feels like a whole new dress.


I've a got a few things on my plate, including a little hooky today since I worked nonstop over the weekend. Although perhaps I can file, "Going to see Flickan som lekte med elden* at the Angelica, midday, with a co-worker," as professional development? Social capital in the workplace is key to a good career, right? The midday movie is why I'm packing the denim jacket along.
Have a great Tuesday, everyone.

Jacket: Gap, via Mom
Dress: thrifted long men's tunic, repurposed DIY
Belt: Presence, Chicago
Shoes: BC Footwear

*Girl Who Played with Fire, but the Swedish just looks better

Summer sweater

Summer sweater, originally uploaded by Cohabitating_Closet.

I'm off to Manhattan to get my teeth cleaned, get library books, edit a manuscript (to be sent off my desk like yesterday?) and be uber productive. And avoid heat stroke, as it will be 90 today and likely hotter in midtown. I thrifted this summer weight sweater knit top a while ago, and I decided that it might work in today's weather.

Thank you for your kind words about the dress. I will try styling it a bit tonight when I have a chance some free moments. I flaked out on a few things last night because I've been having housing anxieties. Our landlord is selling her brownstone, and groups of 10-12 people traipse in here every few days, looking our apartment. A few thoughts on this:

1) Someone once accused me of being a hipster gentrifier for moving into a "transitional" neighborhood. I replied that I was merely on object, not a subject or agent of any gentrification process, since I had the choice of very small places in "gentrified" neighborhood, or a more moderately sized apartment in a transitional one, (and for a work from home type, this is a no-brainer). We had a heated discussion at the Tip Top Bar (a dive bar turned white kid joint in Bed-Stuy), which was probably ironic, but I continue to hold my stance. Likely, Blokey and I will get chased out of our building by someone "making investment," falsely advertised that he can make 90K a year in rentals (our landlord does not make this much for 4 units), and end up possibly displacing many of the families on our block. Or this ambitious property owner will find, to his disappointment, and he can only charge what we are currently paying, but it will be too late for us. We'll already be kicked out/have left in a huff of anger.
2) I hate this sense of insecurity, and while I am loathe to join the mortgaged classes, I spent too much time doing so last night.
3) Condos have gone down the NYC boros and surrounding areas. But many are still "douchebag living" steel and glass monstrosities, environmentally unsound, and eyesores (and the result of really crap politics).

Ah, the marginal urban living dilemma. Blokey and I can continue to get outpriced (or out ambitioned) out of various neighborhoods for a while, since we need extra space, but to what end? Will we be forced to become rental pioneers in increasingly further out and marginal neighborhoods?

Thoughts about the urban non-rich living dilemma?

Hope you have a great Monday.

Top: Jcrew, thrifted
Skirt: originally dress, thrifted and turned into a skirt DIY
Belt: Not Just Vintage (Brooklyn)
Shoes: BC Footwear

Heat and Dignity

Today is the third (or fourth?) day in a row that it has been mercilessly hot, around the high 90s. We're talking heat advisories and air quality warnings alerts. I know southern types might find this unimpressive, but certain aspects of the city make heat worse at times (subway stations, crowds, concrete). Blokey's fair skinned and cold loving parents are still here, and yesterday we planned a day around cool places: the Met, a couple cab rides, this adorable Japanese silent film (which was cute but included very stark social criticism), the Staten Island Ferry, and lots of water. It's so hot out that we even ran the A/C (at 84 degrees, of course) last night. (My work's A/C gave up yesterday morning, and they had to cancel classes and move staff around. I'm glad I played hooky). I have A/C guilt (I'm a Stan Cox convert), but as soon as it gets below 90, we'll turn it off.
When the heat goes up, my ability to care about dignity goes down. But I am trying to maintain non-embarrassing, but breezy, dress. I cut these shorts from a pair of summer weight thrifted slacks, and had the good luck of thrifting a seersucker floral shirt as well. The sandals are from my ma, so this is a $5 outfit. Not too bad for freakin' hot.
Hope you all are staying cool!

Shorts: GAP, shortened by me, thrifted
Blouse: thrifted
Sandals: Aerosoles
Kitten: rescue