Put some pants on!

Guess cardigan from Labels, Old Navy top from Labels, Gap Kids shorts, Aldo shoes

Man, I feel cold just looking at these photos. They're from last month, when I could still go outside in shorts some days. You can't see me right now, but I'm wearing jeans and a sweater, on the couch under a blanket with a warm kitty on my lap and the heat on. I spend most of my time at home cozied up to a book, and have welcomed hot tea back into my daily routine. I feel ready for Christmas lights to start popping up on neighborhood houses, and tights and boots have replaced bare legs and sandals on the days I wear dresses or skirts. A few weeks ago Joe and I signaled the true beginning of cold weather by putting the heated mattress pad on our bed, and there's not much better on a chilly night than turning it on while I'm getting ready and slipping into cozy, pre-warmed sheets. 

Moshi Moshi

Gap sweater from Labels consignment, Buffalo Exchange jeans bleached by me, Goodwill scarf, H&M shoes

I'm writing this post from my living room couch with a big snuggly kitty in my lap. In fact, most of what I do at home these days (read, watch Netflix, surf the internet, sleep) is done in the company of said kitty. His name is Moshi, and we took him in from someone in town that couldn't take care of him anymore. He's been here for about a month now, and becomes more of a lap kitty every day, which suits Joe and I just fine, since we love kitty snuggles. As you can see, he's a bit of a chubby guy, so we've been trying to watch his food and make sure he gets exercise. I know not everyone loves cats, but honestly I don't understand why...Moshi is easygoing, chill, loves everybody, and keeps my lap warm. What's not to love?

I'm still working on how to style these jeans I bleached, especially since the stretchiness of the material is not as strong in the very bottom of the leg, and they are a bit loose around the ankle, which bothers me. Rolling them works with certain shoes, and they go nicely with these yellow high tops I got on my honeymoon two years ago and have only worn a handful of times. The bleached look gives me some of the same hesitation of the bleached jacket I also recently acquired. Is the light color meant for spring and summer only? Can I wear it in the fall/winter without looking completely seasonally inappropriate? Good thing I care only a little about such questions, because sometimes and over-examined wardrobe can be worse than an under-examined one. Style should be fun, not work, and while I might take clothing a bit too seriously now and then, I'm always happier when I go with my instinct instead of playing by the "rules."

To wear bleached denim or not to wear bleached denim?

American Rag jacket from Labels consignment, UO dress from Buffalo Exchange, Modsock socks. Bass Perry boots

I think we can all agree that denim jackets are always and forever in style, thought the permutations are many and varied. Years ago I had a dark denim one, which I eventually gave away and went to a medium wash that has gone through majors phases of disuse and overuse. The past couple of years it's done heavy rotation paired with dresses or colored/printed jeans (never blue jeans, I'm no Texas tuxedo girl) once I discovered that rolling the sleeves up gave it an updated, modern look. Then I came across this little piece on a trip to the best consignment store ever, where I've probably gotten almost half my wardrobe that past few years. I was hesitant, skeptical of the cap sleeve and bleached-out color. Was it too eighties, too dowdy, too off? I tried it on and stared in the mirror, unsure but feeling a gut impulse to get it. The general slouchiness of the cut seems to best compliment a slim silhouette, like this strapless dress or my skinny leopard-print jeans. And the playfulness of the jacket works well with the whimsy in my horse-printed socks (which are actually made of tights material).

Also, sorry about the hair, it's never dry before I have to leave for work.

Fuzzy

Zumiez hoodie, Labels consignment dress, Bass Perry boots

Ah yes, nothing better than inside photos with questionable lighting that render the image quality to a laughable state. This is one of my gig outfits, and the first time wearing my new red lipstick out in public. I picked up a tube (not sure the name of the color, too lazy to find out right now) of the Kate Moss line by Rimmel on the recommendation of an article on xojane, and man was it spot on. It's got intense pigment, feels moisturizing, stays pretty well, and has a good balance between matte and shiny. Besides some minor experimentation in middle school and high school, I've never been into lipstick that much, but now that I'm thirty I feel like I should have a few shades handy, so I'm trying to build up my repertoire.

emerald city

Vintage top from Labels consignment, UO skirt, Bass Perry boots

I have to admit, these pictures are pretty lame. Which bums me out, because this top is one of the most amazing recent additions to my wardrobe, and I didn't capture it very well. It's a lovely, lovingly handmade vintage piece that is basically impossible to wear, a fact I was willing to overlook because of how ga-ga I went over it in the store. It's pretty cropped, a detail that means I am severely limited on options pants/skirts-wise. I'm not about to toss it on with some jeans and let the midriff hang loose, cause let's face it, I'm too old for that, and while I'm generally a tiny person I don't exactly have a six-pack under there. So option one is my faithful high-waisted pleather mini, which balances out the slight wideness of the top and contrasts nicely with the preciousness of the buttons and tiny little bow at the collar. I might try my mid-rise black jeans next time, or throwing it on top of a minidress.

Gig-worthy

Labels Consignment top, Gap Outlet jeans, Nine West wedges from Ross

One side effect of being in a band is that every item of clothing I buy now get scrutinized as either gig-worthy or normal. Anything I deem "gig clothing" inevitably feels cool and gets worn just as much as more classically feminine or casual stuff, which means I feel extra-awesome in my daily life. But then when I'm picking out an outfit for a show, I don't have anything really special to wear. I mean, I could save my pleather miniskirt or this perfect flowy top strictly for band appearances, but what's the fun in that?

Ode to a flip-flop

What do I do when I'm wearing a pretty vintage dress and a nice hairstyle on a hot day and none of my regular sandals look right with it? Throw on some turquoise Old Navy flip flops, apparently. The flippy-floppy sound they made all day was very nostalgia-inducing, considering I used to live in these and a burgandyish dark pink pair all summer for years. And a couple other colors I don't remember. I actually used to work at Old Navy, so the classic five dollar price tag was even lower for me. I still have fond memories of when I was on the logistics team (people who went in at 6:00 am to put out new stuff), rolling giant bins the size of small dumpsters filled with flip-flops out to the sales floor and tackling the set up of the flip-flip wall for the year. And now that's officially too many times saying flip-flip.

They're back

Value Village sweater, Pacsun jeans, those sandals again

Earlier in the year, I read a book called Ready Player One by Ernest Cline, and loved it. I won't get into the plot too much, but it was basically about a future world where everyone spends most of their time in a virtual reality computer game-based world. It's mostly action-adventure, and though that's not always my first choice genre, I would wholly recommend it. So when I spied You by Lev Grossman, another video-game themed book, I hoped to be just as enthralled. I enjoyed most of it, but only in a mildly interested way, and found that the last section dragged quite a bit. It was basically a coming of age story in that way that coming of age seems to happen in our late twenties instead of teen years these days. And the the end was dragged down by too much technical babble and very little of the personality that had kept it somewhat afloat until then. The cover art is awesome, though. So here I am holding it.

These sandals again. You haven't seen the last of them.

Goodwill jacket, cool shop in Chester, NJ shirt, UO skirt, Steve Madden sandals from Nordstrom Rack

Elephants are the best. The store where I work currently has elephant-print scarves and I sometimes wear one while I'm working while trying to decide whether or not I should buy it. But really, I should buy it because I need more elephants in my life.

Grounded

Old Navy jacket, Old Navy top from Labels consignment, Pacsun jeans, vintage Ferragamo shoes from Buffalo Exchange

There is so much color in this outfit, I might have to wear all black for a week to recover. Somehow the neutrality of the denim jacket made me feel better about the whole thing, even though it was too hot to wear it at work and went most of the day without it.

Wishful dressing

UO t-shirt and skirt, vintage belt, Steve Madden boots

Here is my attempt at willing fall weather to come faster by wearing boots. It did not work. 

Two for one

secondhand AE cardigan, Buffalo Exchange dress, Bass sandals

Gap sweater from Labels consignment, self-cutoff AE shorts, LL Bean boat shoes from Value Village

So summer is ending and I can maybe wear pants again sometime soon without getting heat stroke at work. Meanwhile, here are a couple of tips on making the transition into fall a bit smoother. 

1. Get a Slurpee while you can. They are available year-round, but let's be honest, they're never better than in warm weather. Make sure you layer at least 3 flavors, beginning and ending always with Coke.

2. SWEATERS. Put them over shorts, flowy skirts, minidresses, and very soon skinny jeans with a great pair of boots. Find at least one really comfy, versatile sweater to add to your wardrobe and make it your signature piece. I got lucky with the one in the second photo, it's a lovely fit and sooooo soft it makes me want to pet myself.

Punky in Pink

Gap sweater from Lables, UO skirt, Steve Madden from Nordstrom Rack sandals

Want people to be happy when they see you? Wear a pink sweater. It's a compliment magnet. People love pink, okay? It's not usually my thing, but I admit it felt cute and fun. I tried it on at my favorite consignment shop thinking it would be a bit much (I mean, so PINK), but it fit perfectly and the price was right (5 bucks). But wait, there's more. The girl at the register rang up my stuff and then informed me she only charged half price since it had been in the store since April. Fashion was clearly rewarding me for stepping out of my style box. Then I overcompensated for the girliness of the sweater but adding a pleather miniskirt with a sheer underlay and metal-accented sandals. 

Giving a new meaning to shirtdress

J Crew sweater, H&M dress, Gap Kids shorts, Aldo shoes

So we moved into a new place, and it's got this thing called a yard, with grass, and sunshine, and (unfortunately) spiders that like to come inside and chill in our bathtub. 

And if you notice in the caption that I identify this yellow button up as a dress, that is not a typo. It was probably 6-9 inches longer AT LEAST when I bought it. Washed a couple of times in cold water on the delicate cycle, hung to dry, shrunk to high heaven. Can't even button the thing across my chest anymore. This is one reason I like buying clothes secondhand...they are usually already shrunk as much as they ever will. 

Strawberry summer

Macy's cardigan, UO dress, vintage sandals

Nothing says summer like a cotton strawberry-print dress and espadrilles. Also, everyone should have a shrunken red cardi like this, I wear it all the time, all year round, and it goes with so much stuff. Don't fear red accents, they are fun and cute and make people happy. 

I can live in this

UO t-shirt, Macy's necklace, UO via Buffalo Exchange skirt, Nine West via Ross wedges

Somebody send me a giant box of flowy, floral-print skirts, soft, loose-but-not-baggy plain scoop-neck t-shirts and strappy sandals next summer. That will be my uniform.

Gig day

Labels/Old Navy tank, Buffalo Exchange/Flying Tomato jacket, Buffalo Exchange/Celebrity Pink jeans, Bass Perry boots, Goodwill necklace, Roxy watch

Now that my band is actually playing the occasional gig, I find I'm having a lot of fun picking out show outfits. I've had a very dress/cardigan based style going for quite awhile, but over the past couple of years I've started to incorporate edgier and more masculine-inspired pieces into my looks. Since our music isn't exactly acoustic or shoe-gaze, I want to portray a powerful, strong look without going too cliche with black and leather. Tonight I put together some contradictory pieces that ended up looking amazing. I've got nods to classic rock style with my black ankle boots, snug pleather jacket and bleached jeans (which I did myself with this tutorial). I threw on the bright floral tank because I just bought it today and wanted to see how it would look, and ended up loving the contrast. So fun, light and summery, and yet it fits right in! 

Color on Color

Value Village top, Old Navy camisole, Gap Kids shorts, Ralph Lauren shades, vintage some secondhand shop in New Jersey espadrilles, Village Books book

You know what goes great with obnoxious, summery, in-your-face color? More color. No, I don't mean some wimpy pseudo-neutral. Think MORE COLOR in ALL CAPS. Putting a bright blue vintage top covered in gorgeous stitching with plain old jeans would be a crime. And pairing sea green shorts with white or gray is a cop-out. I tend to fall into a dark/boring color palette in the winter, so when I'm feeling good on a nice sunny day I push myself with daring color or pattern combos, like this look. And of course, nothing makes a better accessory than a book, especially one that adds a bold punch extra color!

The best sandals you will buy this summer...plus one minor caveat

PacSun cardigan, Romy dress, Bass sandals

As warm weather approached this spring, it became clear to me that I was in desperate need of a new pair of sandals. I'd worn out every pair I owned, except for a boring pair of Teva flip-flops and my vintage espadrilles, which were out of commission (the soles kept separating and needed re-gluing). I had several requirements for an appropriate pair. First, they must be comfortable. I'm no stickler for arch support, and tend to wear flats all day every day even when working on my feet in retail. I've never had  issues with my feet, so I don't have to be particularly careful in my footwear choices. However, considering that I had literally no proper sandals in my entire wardrobe, I needed something that could function as a bit of a workhorse. 

My mind started to wander to a pair of sandals I'd owned and worn to death in middle school. Curious, I pulled up the Bass website to see if they still made the same style. Turns out, they do! The style is called the Margie, and while they look and sound a bit dowdy on the website, they've got amazing potential. They even come in silver, gold and rose metallic for those of you on board with this year's apparent trend of metal on any and every shoe ever. I went with the gorgeous cinnamon version (much browner and richer in person than they appear online), since they seemed the most versatile.  I love the black as well. They're pretty pricey if you go through the Bass website ($45 is a freakin fortune for someone who makes as little money as I do), but there are other options. The always reliable Zappos has them for about $35. If, like me, you happen to live near a Bass Outlet store, run don't walk your butt to that store, they often have INCREDIBLE discounts on shoes. I got my Margie's for $22.99, or rather my mom did since were on a birthday shopping trip for me. 

The great thing about the Margie is that it's very comfy, and perfect for lots of walking. In fact, this article popped up a couple of weeks after I got mine, making me feel awesomely fashion-forward and confirming my assertion  They look great with my dark skinny jeans and will be a staple for the long evening walks Joe and I like to take this time of year. Plus, they have a slightly hippie vibe that works well for me as a resident of the Pacific Northwest. I'm much more into a sort of masculine-inspired/girly dress-and-cardigan dichotomy than some of my more naturalistic peers, and it's rare to see me in anything that could be described as earthy. But I love these lovlies, and they get my wholehearted seal of approval, both in the categories of practicality and style.

One last thing...remember that caveat thing I mentioned in the title? Yeah, well there is one, though it's really minor and nitpicky, not serious enough to put me off. These sandals have great, comfy, squishy soles. But because of this construction, the way the sole sort of deflates and inflates as you walk, they make a slight whoosing sound every time you take a step. At first, it was only one, but now both of my sandals do this. No one else seems to notice unless I point it out, and though I can hear it clearly, that's only because I am hyper-aware of it. Maybe this is a dealbreaker for some of you, I don't know. I find it somewhat amusing, to be honest.