Peggy Bundy



Recently I decided I wanted a pair of thick, ponte knit leggings to wear as pants; this revelation was brought about after I wore regular leggings under a thin and exceedingly short white dress and spent the day feeling somewhat exposed. I tracked these down at Westfield Mall, and they're perfect: they have a zipper and button fly, and real pockets. They are completely, 100% opaque. By any definition they're pants. And yet. That's right, I felt somewhat exposed.

Don't get me wrong, I love the way this outfit looked, and I'd certainly wear it again. But the form-fitting stretchy pants combined with sky-high heels made me feel a bit Peggy Bundy for my current comfort level. That's ok; comfort levels can be adjusted. But until I get used to these, I think I'll stick to wearing them with upper layers that are a little longer. In fact, the short white dress will be just the thing.

Speaking of Peggy Bundy, I have a good story about her. A couple of years ago Mark and I were in a shop on Haight Street looking at steampunk/Burning Man-style clothes; I was trying on a gorgeous but pricey vest and another shopper paused to tell me how great it looked on me. The shopper was none other than Katey Sagal, who of course played Peggy Bundy. Obviously, I bought the vest!

Cardigan, top: Anthropologie
Pants: Club Monaco
Shoes: Pour la Victoire
Bag: Michael Kors

In other news, I walked into the Michael Kors store while I was in the mall and fell head over heels for this gorgeous navy blue bag. Along with yet another bag that'll make its appearance in a couple days, that's 3 new ones this year. Normally I'm much more of a shoe gal than a bag gal, because few bags really move me the way shoes do; in fact, I've sometimes gone 2-3 years without buying a new bag. So when I see one that really rocks my world, I snap it up. 

Diesel Sample Sale!

Diesel's having a sample sale! Men's and women's, denim (uh, duh), accessories (I LOVE their accessories -- I almost can't enter the store because I'm that into their sporty extras and neon heels and stuff), Diesel Black Gold, swimwear.

WHEN: Thursday June 2 & Friday, June 3
             12 - 2pm & 4 - 6pm

WHERE: 220 West 19th Street, 2nd floor (New York!)

Huzzah! More ways to spend money!

Forever In Search Of Leopard Print

My affinity for leopard print pants has gone from casual to fully committed.

Not only did I purchase these leopard print harem pants recently:
($24, ShopNastyGal.com)

... And not a second too soon, because I don't know if you heard, but within two seconds it went from "pleasantly spring-esque" to "ancient Egypt-hot" here in New York, so these were the perfect alternative to shorts, which everyone knows suck.


... But I also just bought the leopard print chiffon pants I blogged about and threatened to buy.

Which brings me to the third (and, let's be honest, probably not the final) pair of leopard print pants I recently spotted (harrr -- get it? spotted?) and will probably buy:

I went to the Forever 21 fall editor's preview and got way into this chick's leopard print pants. (WAIT. I didn't mean like I PHYSICALLY got into them. I didn't sexually, nor did I PUT them on, because let's be real -- I couldn't actually fit into that model's pants. That's why they're on her.) They're kinda almost leggings and not quite harem pants. The fact that they're not too tight keep them from looking too "hubba hubba" hookery.

(I'll let you guess which photo was professionally shot and which was taken by me on my BlackBerry, by the way. The suspense is probably killing you right now, isn't it?)

When she was pregnant with me, my mother probably didn't ever pat her belly and think "I'll bet my little unborn daughter will some day be physically unable to restrain herself from buying leopard print pants!" But, things don't always turn out as planned!
May 2011
Suri & Katie enjoy Memorial Day at the beach in Malibu, CA on Monday, 30.

This cute outfit looks like one of Suri's art-projects :)

Thanks to Irene for the link!

source

Copy-Cat:
Gold Heels Sandls  by Becca Michelle Kids
Who Wore GAP Trench Coat Better - Suri or Zahara?

Zahara Jolie-Pitt wore her Ruffle Beige Trench Coat by GAP over a cute stripe blouse, black skinny jeans and pink suede boots by Naturino. This outfit was worn while out with her family in LA on May 22nd 2011.

Suri was seen in this Ruffle Beige Trench Coat by GAP several times, this time i choose Suri's all-pink look consisting of simple cotton dress and pink suede boots by UGG. Suri completed her look by Pink Flower Headband.

Let's VOTE - 2.0!

In the previous poll the majority of you choose Honor over Suri.
This time around i will vote for Suri cause her look is more girlish :) and i love her styled hair :)



Long Weekend


I wore this outfit for the last day of conferencing, because as soon as the conference was over I was going directly to meet Laura in the Tenderloin neighborhood, which is close to the conference venue, for drinks and a show. Since it was the last day of the conference I didn't mind dressing on the casual side, and I needed something that was comfortable enough to wear all day and  into the night. My sequin blazer gave the outfit a touch of glam while still being easy to wear.

The blazer has a shrunken appearance and is cropped short in the back, giving it a tailored look even though the fabric underneath the sequins is a stretchy jersey. My only gripe is that it buttons a little high for my long torso; I think the next time I go to my dry cleaner/tailor I might have them add a lower buttonhole and move the single button down a few inches so that I can button it closer to my natural waist.

The show was terrible, by the way. The band featured local hero Mike Patton, who Laura and I have seen in all of his incarnations every time he plays in town, starting waaaay back in the 90's when he was the front man for Faith No More. This permutation was mostly screaming and atonal banging on the piano, which was frustrating because the man has an incredible singing voice that he simply opted not to use. Maybe 10 years from now I'll get what he was trying to do, but here in 2011 we just left early and called it a night.

Jacket: B. Bella
Top: Max Studio
Jeans: Joe's
Boots: Bronx
Necklace: Manu Lizarralde (Argentina)

It's a long weekend here in the States, so I'll be taking the day off on Monday. To get your weekend started right, let me leave you with a catchy tune from great artist I've recently discovered, from France by way of Japan. Last year some close friends went home to Lyon for the summer and brought me back a mix CD of French hits. My favorite track by far was called Je Veux by gypsy-jazz artist Zaz. Fast forward to last month, when Laura returned from a trip to Osaka bringing me a great CD she had found at the listening station at Tower Records (yes, they still exist in Japan!). You guessed it, Zaz.

I couldn't embed the official video for Je Veux, so 
click the photo of Zaz to go to the YouTube link.

I would never make any comparison to Edith Piaf lightly, but Zaz really earns that distinction. I'd actually describe her voice as a cross between Edith Piaf's plaintive vibrato and Eartha Kitt's sultry purr. She's also no neophyte, having been a singer for many years and just recently finding more widespread success in her 30's. Je Veux was her big hit last summer, but another of my favorite songs from the CD is Prends Garde à Ta Langue; I couldn't find an official video for it, but click below to listen. Happy weekend, everyone!

Court Sample Sale!

One of my favorite l'il boutiques, Court, is having a sample sale! So if you're stay-cayzing up in NYC for Memorial Day weekend, go check out good deals on Pamela Love (LOVE!), 80%20, Sophomore, Samantha Pleet and more.

Friday May 27
12-8pm
178 Mulberry St.

Run and tell dat!

Stop Me Oh Stop Me... Before I Buy These Leopard Print Chiffon Pants

($60, Play Me Jeans, Karmaloop)

Despite the fact that these leopard print pants might make me look like an extra in the live-action version of "Aladdin" that hasn't been made yet, but owncare. They look sooo comfortable. Stop me oh oh oh stop me... before I buy them.

What do you think, Morrissey?
What's that? You don't have the time to advise me re: these pants?...



... Because you have a cat on your head? Well I'll take that as a ringing endorsement.


Cropping Up


Well, I warned you that these cropped pants would be, er, cropping up again soon. A weekend had intervened after the last wearing of them, I was at a different conference, and since aside from me there was virtually no overlap in attendance among my colleagues, I figured no one would be the wiser if I wore them again. This time I paired them with an equestrian styled blazer and leopard print blouse. The open-top shoes with bare feet proved to be the absolute wrong thing to wear for the soggy day it turned out to be, but other than that it was a great semi-professional outfit to wear on the first day of a conference.

I feel like red shoes would've looked better with this outfit, but I was lacking the correct red shoes to do the job, so I stuck with taupe. I did go with red earrings though.

Top: Forever 21
Blazer: Karen Millen
Pants: Cynthia Steffe
Shoes: John Fluevog

Giddy

For day 2 of conferencing I figured I couldn't go wrong with my Helmut Lang blazer. Originally I intended to wear this blazer with the All Saints dress I posted yesterday, but sadly the proportions aren't right; the blazer is just a little too long in front for the dress. Thankfully these cropped pants had just arrived via Gilt, and the sunny weather that day offered the perfect chance to try them out. They're really comfortable, and the pale beige color means they match my skin tone and thus don't shorten my legs. Expect to see a lot more of these pants -- and surprisingly soon, too.

If I look extra happy here, it's for two reasons: Jess was in town, and I was spending my workday in San Francisco. If it isn't already obvious, let me just state for the record that I am giddy with love for the city I live in. It never gets old for me; all the interesting things to do, amazing restaurants to try out, beautiful scenery, and most of all the people. Not a day goes by that I'm not filled with pride and gratitude to be a part of this unique and special place. I love it SO MUCH!!




Ahem. As I was saying... After I got home from the conference, I dressed the outfit down by swapping out my jacket, shoes, and necklace. Georgie was there to supervise.





Black blazer: Helmut Lang
Top: Ann Taylor
Pants: Cynthia Steffe
Sandals: Kors Michael Kors
Military jacket: French Kiss
Flats: Fly London

Downtown (things will be great when you're downtown)

I recently attended two back-to-back scientific conferences in San Francisco, which was such a treat. Conference #1 was on a Thursday and Friday and Conference #2 was the following Monday - Wednesday; 5 straight business days of getting to live my dream of essentially never leaving the city limits except for personal reasons such as travel or visiting friends. Why would I ever want to leave when everything I need is right here? Everything's waiting for me!

The last time I got to live and work in San Francisco was in 1992; I worked at a photo lab downtown, and although my bosses were two of the most horrible people I've ever had the misfortune to meet, I still got a thrill every day out of taking the subway downtown and being in the midst of city life. I always thought it would be cool to be one of those well-dressed professional women, with their blazers and heels and stylish handbags, because obviously, working with chemicals in a photo lab didn't really lend itself to wearing nice clothes. When I attend conferences in town, I feel like I've finally become one of those women.

This All Saints dress was just the perfect thing to wear to a conference, because it has many of the interesting details that are key elements of my style, while still offering a tailored and elegant look.  Conferences are great opportunities for networking, so I generally dress a little more professionally for them than I do for my usual kooky office looks. For what purpose I might wish to network at an industry conference I'll leave it to you to guess. Shhh... just don't tell my boss.


Dress: All Saints
Blazer: Promod (Prague)
Belt: Red Dress Shoppe
Necklace: Wendy Brandes
Tights: Hue
Shoes: Bettye Muller
Bag: Coccinelle

Leopard Print Flatforms Are Happening, And I'm Okay With That

($78, Ego & Greed, Karmaloop)

Flatforms are very much a thing right now. Not for me personally, because I have the world's flattest feet (right over here boys -- ooh, not all at once!), though I do wonder if a flatform and a flat foot cancel each other out in the way that two negatives equal a positive.

Anyway, I'm into these Ego & Greed leopard print flatforms. They're so delightfully '60s. They're like straight out of Goldie Hawn's wardrobe in "Laugh In." And who wouldn't want her wardrobe? She dressed like a walking collage.


 


Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to paint on myself.

Covered in Color



Well it's spring, and right now it's also cold. Clearly this makes dressing in a springy way very challenging, so for this outfit I simply deployed as much color as I could possibly pile on. Electric blue legs, green scarf, orange jacket, yellow bag. When you're this covered up, the best you can do is to cover yourself with color. 


Dress: Desigual....  Scarf: Rhapsodia (Argentina)....  Jacket: Tulle....  Bag: Coccinelle....  
Tights: Foot Traffic....  Shoes: MIA
May 2011
unseen pictures of Suri & Katie arriving to Miami on Sunday, 15.

Suri is wearing Pajama Gown by Esme and Purple Flats by Marc Jacobs.

Thanks to Natalie and Melanie for the pictures!

Gift Horse



Sal sent this Karen Kane dress along to me after deciding it didn't work for her figure. And although I'm convinced it would've looked fab on her, I'm also not one to look a gift horse in the mouth. And let me tell you, I absolutely LOVE this dress. Thick, bouncy, double-layered jersey gives this dress a heft and drape that is luxuriously comfortable and also substantial enough to stand up to the windiest Bay Area weather. I can already tell that this dress with a lightweight jacket, bare legs, and sandals is going to be a staple for summer weekends.

I wore the outfit with the jacket all day at work, but I thought I'd also show the dress by itself so you can get a look at the whole thing. Needless to say, the asymmetrical hemline is a big plus for me.

Dress: Karen Kane
Leggings: Black Market Baby on Etsy
Shoes: Bobbi Blu
Bangles: Amrita Singh
Denim jacket: Tulle (thrifted)

HIT UP THIS SWEET SAMPLE SALE! OR ELSE!



Guys, Kate Moss and her nips IMPLORE YOU to go check out Archetype Showroom's sample sale. I went last year and SHUT. IT. DOWN. Go if just for the LNA alone. Run, don't walk!

Brands:
HOLY TEE
I R O
LNA
QUAIL
THE REFORMATION
SPRING & CLIFTON
WON HUNDRED
YMC

When/where:
Thursday, May 19th & Friday, May 20th
10:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, May 21st
12:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Archetype Showroom & Gallery
676 Broadway, 2nd Floor
New York, New York 10012
(between Great Jones & Bond)


Also, check out the lobby of the building -- it was painted by Keith Haring (a thing like that is hard to miss), and the Keith Haring Foundation is located in that building too. The spirit of that kind of found art being kept alive in New York is inspiring.

Keith Haring with Grace Jones!!

Sandals Week



If only the weather still looked like this; it's gotten cold and rainy since these photos were taken. But as you can see from the last several outfits, I took full advantage of the stretch of warm weather and bared my legs, arms and feet. It was Sandals Week in the Bay Area.

In keeping with my new seasonally-appropriate dressing policy, my plan for this spring and summer is to wear the crap out of all my sandals, even on days where it might be a little on the chilly side. Then when the weather turns colder I'll pack them up in a box and store them out of sight, just as I recently did with all my heavy sweaters, woolen items, and insulated boots. That way I won't have to spend half the year looking wistfully at all those pretty shoes and being sorry I can't wear them.

Dress: Forla Paris
Scarf: Duke et Duchesse
Vest: Forever 21
Harness: Audra Jean
Shoes: Joy Chen

1 of 4 last outfit posts in San Franicsco! :(


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Pictures taken: 15th street and Howard street, San Francisco,
in front of an old tile company building

Photographed by: Pierre Eymard

Outfit: Dress worn open: 1940s ~ From Bohemian Bisoux
Short dress underneath: 1930s tennis dress
Shoes: 1950s
Sunglasses: 1920s flip glasses
Necklace: Pen tips/nibs 1930s pale pink coral celluloid
Purse: 1940s knitting needle bag

P.S. Tomorrow I am moving out :( 
My flight is a week from today ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!
London here I come!