Fashion Math

Clearly I have a formula for getting dressed in the morning.  Blouse + skirt + cardigan.  Repeat forever.  I wonder how many combinations of outfits I could make out of my whole closet?  Maybe if I paid attention in college math I would know that.  I'm sure it has something to do with factorials or something.  If the examples used in the class had been about clothes and not balls and urns I probably would have learned a lot more.

Cardigan - JCrew Tippi
Skirt - JCrew Number 2
Shirt - Banana Republic
Belt - JCrew

Blue on Blue

Smiling through my hunger pangs

Matchy matchy belt time!  I can't believe I took so long to get on the belt bandwagon.  Look how the smallest thing jazzes up an outfit in no time.  It also helps the skirt fit a little better, which I accidentally bought in a size too big.  Clearly I need better glasses.

Cardigan - Lauren Ralph Lauren
Skirt - Banana Republic
Shirt - Banana Republic
Belt - JCrew

A taste of spring

Hi there, fun belt

Hey, spring?  Do you think you could make your way to New York soon?  Because it has been cold for way too long.  I can't help but start incorporating springy colors into my outfits.  I have a robin's egg blue sweater that may have to come out soon!

Sweater - JCrew Tippi sweater in navy
Blouse - Banana Republic
Scarf - Saachi via Haute Look
Pants - The Limited
Belt - JCrew round buckle belt in fuchsia
Shoes - Born

Jooooooooel McHale!

Source: http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/bw%20gif

Before I begin, I'm going to pose a question to the world.  Why doesn't The Soup come on every night of the week?  I mean, really.  I look forward to every episode, and most weeks I come close to choking on my dinner while watching because I am laughing too hard.   Alas, I guess a daily episode would ruin the magic.  My husband doesn't find the show nearly as hilarious as I do...

I didn't love this outfit on as much as I thought I would.  I thought the purple and yellow would work better together being complementary colors and all, but meh.  I like it, but I don't love it.  Also, from certain angles I think this dress makes me look pregnant.  Bummer.

Dress - Ellen Tracy via Haute Look
Scarf - Saachi via Haute Look
Boots - Born

(WHAT!  NO JCREW!?!?)

Belts!

JCrew, I hate you.  You and your stupid 30% off sales.  Why you gotta go and make me drop $200 on clothes?  Once I'm at $100 I can't just stop there because your stupid free shipping limit is insane.

I got a lot of stuff, but I guess I shouldn't feel bad for buying stuff I know I will wear and that I know will fit.  I'm slowly doing a closet purge so new stuff helps me ID old stuff for recycling.

This is my first belting experience.  The belt was about $10 at JCrew, which is cheaper than I can buy a belt at my local secondhand store.  I wear a lot of blue and a lot of purple-ish colors, so I got one in each of those colors.  [This belt is blue, in case the picture isn't clear.]  I'm not sure how to belt a cardigan without it getting a little bunched up, or having a fabric muffin top.  More experimentation necessary, I guess.  This look is good though.  Yay experimenting!

As a side note, I find JCrew sweaters to run really large.  I struck out initially with the Tippi sweater in medium but finally tried again with a small.  The one in the picture is a size small.

Cardigan - JCrew Tippi in heather silver
Blouse - Tahari via Filene's (RIP Filene's)
Skirt - JCrew Number 2 in double-serge wool
Belt - JCrew Round Buckle Belt in Bluebird
Shoes - Born

Fat Tuesday

This is half of the outfit that inspired the name of this blog.  A blazer from Banana Republic...in size 8 Petite.


I think this is the only JCrew pencil skirt I haven't worn yet for the blog.  If you're counting, this is #4.  Is there a group for people like me?  I took a couple of pictures and initially realized that I looked like I had a broken neck because my scarf was tied too tight and too high on my neck.  Loosening it up helped A LOT.

Blazer - Banana Republic
Skirt - JCrew Number 2
Shirt - JCrew Perfect Tee
Scarf - Saachi via HauteLook

The Big Thaw

Shirt - JCrew Perfect Tee
Blouse - Banana Republic Outlet
Skirt - JCrew Number 2
Boots - Born

We made it through with only a foot of snow!  The weather was warm enough today that it made a decent dent in the snowpiles.  Too bad everything turns into a slushy mess...

Wearing this skirt makes me SO happy. Mostly because of the color.  It is such a welcome break in this dreary season!  Only a month or two left until the weather starts to turn...

Snow Day

Sometime yesterday afternoon, the cell phones of everyone in my office suddenly started going nuts.  SEVERE ALERT.  BLIZZARD WARNING THIS AREA TIL 1:00PM EST SAT.  PREPARE,  AVOID TRAVEL, CHECK MEDIA.  Wow, really?  The only other time I have gotten one of these VERY SERIOUS ALERTS on my phone was the day before Hurricane Sandy made landfall, regarding the mandatory evacuation of NYC Zone A.  Somehow, I have a hard time believing this storm will be on the same scale as Sandy (at least in NYC) - but I could be wrong.  [I talked to a neighborhood store owner last night who is STILL displaced from her home after it filled with god knows how much water after the hurricane! The high point of her day was that their new bathtub arrived.]

Today's outfit is a balance of three things: 1) I had a meeting with an associate dean 2) it's Friday and 3) when I leave work it will be very windy and snowing heavily. Looking professional and blizzard-ready is...difficult.  Unfortunately, I did have to change out of my snow shoes once I got to the office.

Scarf - Saachi via HauteLook
Skirt - JCrew Number 2 in double serge wool
Shirt - JCrew Perfect V Neck
Boots - Bare Traps

The day before the blizzard, or the dusting. Nobody can decide.

I have a meeting today that will involve some campus VIPs so I figure I had better look like I know what I'm talking about.  This purple blazer...I got it in high school, probably in 2002 or 2003.  At Gap Outlet.  And it's not a piece of crap.  There is nothing (nothing!) you can buy at Gap Outlet today that isn't a piece of crap.  I kept this jacket even through my Fat Phase and I'm so glad I did, even though it didn't fit for a few years. This purchase was likely the start of my Purple Obsession.  If it comes in purple. I will buy it.  I could make several unique outfits - right down to the skivvies - completely out of purple garments.  Also note my purple shoes.  I love purple...sigh.  (My glasses are purple too.)

(P.S. I LOVE THIS SKIRT!)

Blazer - Gap Outlet circa 2003
Blouse - Classiques Entier via Nordstrom Rack
Skirt - JCrew Number 2 in Super 120s
Shoes - Cole Haan

Soup, Salad, and Bread sticks

Since I started this blog. I've made an effort to put together things in my closet that I never put together before.  It's helping me think differently about clothes and reconsider what items I think I "need".  That said, not every combination I put together is a hit. I don't love this outfit.  It's average from the waist up, but from the waist down I look like a server at Olive Garden.  Unlimited salad and bread sticks for everyone! A pair of pumps or something would help, but it is icy today.

I really don't like black pants.  I'm really not a fan of black at all, really.  But black pants...ugh.  So boring and lifeless.  I much prefer charcoal or gray.  And black pants with black shoes?  UGH.  Why did I do this to myself?

I debated even making this outfit its own post but I want to be able to look back and see both hits and misses.  This also reaffirms my hatred of black pants.

Cardigan - Lauren Ralph Lauren
Blouse - Classiques Entier via Nordstrom Rack
Cami - Hanky Panky
Pants - The Limited
Boots - La Canadienne

Iced Lilac

Yesterday at work, while I was filling my water bottle, I am pretty sure I was mistaken for a student.  A worker in the registrar's office came up and introduced himself.  I did likewise, and quickly stated what department I worked in.  He seemed surprised.  Looks I need to try harder to look like a Grown Up.

Have a sweater that is a little too big?  Layer it!  I got this sweater at the JCrew After Christmas sale and I should have gotten a size smaller.  It makes me look dumpy, even with a cami underneath.  Today I tried to see if it would look as baggy with a button down, and I like the way it turned out.  Normally I have a hard time doing the button-down layering thing, because inevitably the two layers never sit right and the arm is twisted the wrong way and one of the sleeves is bunched up to my elbow and oh god make it stop!  This sweater has a little more room to maneuver when layering.  I like it, and I even attempted to roll up the sleeves and pop the collar a little.  It looked too stuffy otherwise.  Long story short, in the future I will buy this sweater in a smaller size but will keep this one around for its layering potential.

Sweater - JCrew Merino V-Neck in Iced Lilac
Button-down - Ann Taylor
Pants - The Limited
Shoes - Indigo by Clarks

Black and Brown

Growing up, I knew never to mix black and brown.  I'm not sure where I got that advice.  My mom?  Girl Scouts?  Church ladies?  I have no idea.  Either way, I guess I saw it as the cardinal sin of getting dressed in the morning.  It has taken a long time to get out of that mindset - and I'll admit that it is still hard for me to do.  I managed to do it today because 1) I have a top with both black and brown and 2) I had a strong desire to wear comfortable shoes this morning.  These are perhaps the most comfortable shoes in my closet.

Blouse - Classiques Entier via Nordstrom Rack

Cardigan - Lauren Ralph Lauren

Skirt - JCrew Number 2 in double serge wool

Boots - Born

Casual Friday

My office doesn't really do casual Fridays.  But I can't stand to see my husband walk out the door in jeans without following suit.  Nobody has said anything...yet.

This blouse, which I stupidly obscured with a scarf, is one of my favorite tops.  It's Diane von Furstenburg and my guess is that it retails for at least $250 (for a blouse!).  But, lucky me, I used to work next to a fabulous store called Secondi.  Located on Connecticut Avenue in DC, it is a consignment shop that sells gently used women's clothing.  I am pretty sure they only take certain brands - no Old Navy here.  I bought a few things there when I lived in DC, but this is by far my favorite.  It was, if I remember correctly, $40.  My guess is that it sat on the rack for a while because the tag says it's a size 4 - clearly vanity sized.  One day I'll wear an outfit that shows it off a little better... (By the way, let's talk about why some woman out there got rid of a $250+ blouse!  Secondi is chock full of stuff that I wouldn't dream of getting rid of.  Who spends so much on clothes and then gets bored with them?)

I just calculated that the jacket + jeans + top retails for $675.  I paid $153 - just 23% of the original price.  Shopping win!

Jacket - JCrew Hacking Jacket
Scarf - Emu Australia via 6pm.com
Jeans - Joe's Cigarette via Neiman Marcus Last Call
Booties - Born
Blouse - Diane von Furstenburg via Secondi