nothing new here

So here are a few odds and ends. As usual my closet is a mess this time of year, with lightweight summer dresses fighting for space among winter coats that I have yet to dry clean and store. Most of my sandals are still tucked away which makes it difficult to figure out what I need to buy for the season, if anything. I'm going shopping with my mother and sister tomorrow on Mother's Day and I only have a vague list in my head. The only thing I'm sure of is that I'll be paying close attention to return policies!

I have been taking outfit pictures I just need to find the time to sort through them. I also want to be better at documenting my 'fancier' outfits ('fancy' might be a stretch, most of the time it's just one of my regular outfits with dressier shoes!) It was difficult in the fall/winter because by the time I was ready to head out it was so dark outside, but perhaps now that it's light until late in the day I will do better.

Thanks for sticking around, guys. I have always said that my blog is for myself primarily as a point of reference but I'm still very glad to have a few loyal readers ;-)

third time's a charm

I never thought my calves were particularly big until one day last fall at Bergdorf Goodman when I tried to squeeze into a pair of Louboutin Egoustina boots. They didn't even go past my ankle! I suppose my calves are healthy runner's calves, nothing like the super-slim ones all French Vogue editors seem to have. I think it also has to do with the fact that I'm short, so the thickest part of my calf is a few inches lower on my leg than the average.

I have tried several versions of over-the-knee boots. These Biba ones were the most recent to date. I still love how they look but they are so tight around my calves that when I take them off at the end of the day there are huge dents in my skin from where the zippers dig in.

When the price dropped on these Calvin Klein suede boots from theoutnet.com I decided to give them a try. They are still snug around my calf but not uncomfortable, just enough to keep the boots from sliding down. I can actually stuff a thin pair of jeans or pants in them (unlike the Bibas) and the heel height is perfect. I am pretty confident that these will be the last pair of black over-the-knee boots I will ever buy. Between these and the others I should have all my bases covered.

Rag & Bone shirt (yoox.com) // Vanessa Bruno Athé jacket (theoutnet.com) //
Calvin Klein Collection over-the-knee boots (theoutnet.com) // Prada mini bag (eBay) //
rings by Elizabeth & James and Iossellani

in memoriam III

Alexander McQueen heavy wool skirt with zippers and leather trim.




Alexander McQueen wool skirt with zippers; American Apparel cotton turtleneck; flea market necklace; Design History knit blazer; Biba over-the-knee suede boots; Cecil & Jeanne gold cuff



i will be in ny celebrating my dad's birthday when this posts; hopefully i will have paid a visit to the McQueen boutique (most likely to ogle, not to shop.)

in memoriam I

Alexander McQueen trench. now more than ever, my favorite jacket.









Alexander McQueen trench; American Apparel cotton turtleneck; Comme des Garcons silk tunic; Louis Vuitton x Stephen Sprouse leopard scarf; Lee Angel necklace; Armando d'Alessandro over-the-knee boots; JCrew coat; Prada quilted evening bag; Sermonetta leather gloves

default

this is my current default "night out" outfit. it's one of those outfits that i don't have to think about, i pretty much know it'll work. best of all, the hosiery, belt, and shoes are easily interchangeable.


Joie silk minidress (discounted from Bergdorf Goodman/NYC because the belt was missing); D&G lace leggings (old, from Century21/NYC); Balenciaga belt (from eBay); Biba over-the-knee boots (from eBay)


and this is my current default traveling outfit. with the exception of this past weekend when i got snowed in, i've gone home to nyc for holiday parties and other engagements so i've been on trains frequently this month.


T by Alexander Wang classic l/s tee worn under T by Alexander Wang striped linen blend tee (both from Barneys Co-op/Philly); American Apparel "winter" leggings; Miu Miu motorcycle boots (old, from mytheresa.com); extra-long cashmere scarf (two Portolano scarves from Filene's Basement sewn together)

the american apparel leggings were actually an emergency buy. i wore my leather pants on the train ride from philly to nyc and found them a little uncomfortable, plus they made a funny noise on the vinyl seats. so before heading back to philly i popped into american apparel and bought these winter leggings. if this stripe tee was a little more affordable i would have bought two, it's perfect for travel - comfortable but a little more interesting than the plain oversized tees i usually wear.


i'll be heading home to new york this thursday, but i did schedule some posts via draft.blogger.com so the blog won't be completely inactive while i'm away. enjoy the holidays everyone!!

OTK boots

i did not pack my camera when i went home for thanksgiving, so no pictures from new york. i did have this outfit to post though, from two saturdays ago:


Pringle 1815 sweater dress (old, from net-a-porter.com); Biba over-the-knee boots (from eBay); H&M tights

so more on over-the-knee boots...



those of you who followed me on stylediary know that i already own a few pairs of over-the-knee boots and have worn them frequently over the years, even before this year's trend. i still love the boots pictured above, but i felt that i needed a better black pair. the one i had was cheap, and you could kind of tell. it fell apart after a few wears. with over-the-knee boots increasing in popularity, this year was the right time to search for the perfect pair.

enter these fabulous boots by Biba...



these are pretty darn near perfect. the heel is thick as opposed to stiletto, making these boots more "kate moss," less "julia roberts in pretty woman." the heel is also perfect walking height, so they are pretty much an everyday shoe for me. and when a new yorker says shoes are comfortable, you know they definitely are! unlike ahem - a lot of west coast bloggers who claim 4-inch heels are comfortable, probably because they are hopping in and out of cars most of the time - i can actually walk all day with them, up and down subway steps, from the bronx to soho. they are snug around my leg (unfortunately they do not stretch out much, so i would not recommend them for anyone with large calves; i have healthy calves from running and struggle to get the zipper up.) i actually first saw these boots on yoox and had them in my dreambox for the longest time. i held out from purchasing because they were quite pricey. then one day they vanished from my dreambox, and i had to resort to eBay. i thought i would have to wait several months, but lo and behold, after a couple of days of searching, they appeared in my size, for half the price on yoox! it was definitely meant to be!!


a reader asked how i take care of my boots. for suede boots, i spray them with Garde Rain & Stain Repellent. i do not spray my leather boots, because i kind of like it when they are a little beat up. i keep them in boot shapers from Bed Bath & Beyond, and always keep the dust bags (but throw away those big boxes) for storage in the winter. when they are stored away, i still keep the boot shapers in, i just lay them flat and pile them up behind my closet.

***the links for the stain repellent and boot shapers above are the exact ones that i use, and i believe they are the exact same merchants i purchased from as well. i hope that answers your question!***

things that make me smile **warning: picture heavy**

this weekend i picked up a really cool ysl tee. i don't wear a lot of logo, but something about the upside-down, slightly askew eiffel tower on the "Y" made me smile.















as with all things i buy at retail, i try to make sure that i can come up with at least five outfits that incorporate things i already have in my closet. i know it's just a t-shirt, but it's my way of avoiding impulse purchases. i'm trying to build a wardrobe, not trying to amass tons of clothing. i once forced myself to return a beautiful (and expensive) vivienne westwood anglomania blouse because the things i thought would match it didn't quite work out when i brought it home. i started saying things like "well, i just have to find the right camisole for it, then i should buy a cute high-waisted skirt, and some new chunky heels..." then i just started amassing all these new purchases in my head and knew it wouldn't work out. it would sit in my closet until i found the right things to wear.



here's another thing that made my smile this week, but it might just be because i'm addicted to BloombergTV... (from xkcd.com)

sunday, march 15th '09

here's what i wore last sunday, it was still rather cold out. this is a cute dress i picked up from the most recent Intermix warehouse sale. unfortunately, despite soaking it in oxy-clean for an entire day i could not get rid of the unidentified bluish stains on the shoulder. oh well, beggars can't be choosers. it was only $19 and i can always wear my hair down to hide the stain.



ITEMS (rollover to view detailed picture)
Bella minidress
Dolce Vita black suede over-the-knee boots
flea market necklace
extra long scarf made from two Portolano cashmere scarves
Veronique Branquinho corduroy military blazer (not pictured)



this dress does come with a belt but i think it's more appropriate for evening. i like this outfit, definitely a possibility for the upcoming weekend.