What I wore today: 11/10/2013 (Roaring)

Last Sunday, we had our all-store holiday meeting. The theme was The Great Gatsby, and we were encouraged to dress up as little or as much as we wanted to suit the theme.

I usually jump at the opportunity to create a costume, but my enthusiasm for putting on fishnets and a fringy dress wavers greatly when it gets cold outside. So, instead of a full-blown flapper costume, I decided to put together a fall outfit that incorporated a 1920s silhouette with the general coziness of tights and boots. I think the ties on this dress are meant to be tide tighter to create a waist, but I like wearing it baggier for more casual 1920s-esque silhouette.

Aren't these boots the greatest? Frye made a limited-edition run back in '09, and I eBay stalked them for three years to no avail. Then the same style just showed up, out of the blue, at Urban Outfitters (where I happen to get a 40% discount!) It was a great moment in the life of a shopper.

I hadn't allowed myself to buy any brown-leather knee-high boots even though my faux-leather ones were absolutely falling apart. No, I wanted the Frye ones and I was going to hold out until I found them. I was going to drop several hundred dollars on them, wear them for the rest of my life, replace their soles when needed, and never buy another pair of brown-leather knee-high boots again. That was the plan. The plan took years of discipline, but the payoff was great.

Listen to me, "years of discipline." I make shopping sound like Kill Bill.

Green tie-waiste dress - Maeve, Anthropologie (old)

Brown tights - Pure and Good, Anthropologie

Lace-up Melissa riding boots - Frye, Urban Outfitters

Burgundy wool cloche hat - Urban Outfitters (old)

Leopard brocade swing coat - Forever 21 (old) last seen here

What I wore today: 01/27/2013 (Heavy Rotation)

For a novelty sweater, this "La Parisienne" intarsia number from J.Crew has been seeing a lot of action since I purchased it in November. I think a lot of that has to do with the fact that it's super warm. I've learned in recent years that cotton sweaters are total bullshit and a complete waste of time. Wool or cashmere fo' life!

This polka-dot blouse is in heavy rotation too. It's so versatile because it's black and brown and can be easily layered under things or over things. 

As for the boots, I've been looking or something like them since I saw these Freebird by Steven ones on Shopbop and Free People. I've kept an eye out for a while for a good pair of leather ankle boots that I could insert pieces of a Mexican blanket into. But, before those turned up, these Target ones did. I've got to say, Target has been so good creating designer inspired shoes lately. Case and point: sneaker wedges.

"La Parisienne" intarsia sweater - J.Crew (still available on eBay)

Skinny jeans - Pilcro and the Letterpress

Sheer polka-dot button down blouse - Forever 21

Blanket ankle cowboy boots - Target

"Winslow satchel" bag - Lauren by Ralph Lauren

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What I wore today: 11/21/2012 (In the details)

This outfit features two of the best Forever 21 purchases I've ever made, a scarf-print shirtdress and a motorcycle jacket. Each was about $30 but looks more expensive. The dress is new, but I've had the jacket forever. (Last seen here and here). The jacket is pleather, of course. But, if you'd like, we can use the brilliant new marketing term "vegan leather." Have you noticed that lately? Whatever advertising exec realized that clothing stores could make pleather look better than leather, like a choice you'd made because you were vegan and not because it was cheaper, deserves some kind of award. Do they get awards? Like that one Don Draper got for the floor-wax ad? I digress.

My favorite way to make a simple outfit more interesting is to add little details and points of interest, like a half-tucked-in shirt or a well-knotted scarf. Here, I've rolled up the sleeves of my "vegan leather" jacket and layered a necklace over a buttoned-all-the-way-up collar. Ryan reminded me that the necklace-over-the-collar thing was totally a trend in the '80s. All too often I find myself accidentally using Paula Poundstone as a fashion icon. Oh well, I guess I'm okay with that. 

Scarf-print shirtdress - Forever 21

Black tights - Spanx

Quilted leather boots - Corso Como

Studded-bottom bag - eBay

Necklace - J.Crew Factory

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What I wore today: 11/17/2011 (Grunge Punch)

Straight-leg jeans - Gap (seen most recently here, here, and here)

Flannel shirt - Forever 21

Aran Fishermen's sweater - Anthropologie (also seen here)

Hand-me-down kicks - From Ryan's mom

It's cold today, so I was in the mood for cozy layers, and I just had to wear a cable-knit sweater over a flannel shirt after being inspired by this scene of absolute grunge perfection.

Source: fromme-toyou.tumblr.com via Célèste on Pinterest

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What I wore today 09/20/2011 (Fall Monochrome-a-Go-Go!)

I don't usually wear monochrome tan outfits, but prefer to pair the neutral with bright colors. However, in a fit of early-fall madness, I decided to go monochrome-a-go-go today. It was especially fun because I'd been recently inspired by some of my favorite fellow fashion bloggers posting fall outfits in shades of pumpkin and brown.

[Photo credit: bloomingleopold.blogspot.com]

[Photo credit: xrebelangelx.blogspot.com]

[Photo credit: abeautifulmess.typepad.com]

So, I slicked on some orange lipstick and piled on the orangey-brown.

By the way, here's a tip. If you want to wear flesh tones without washing yourself out (though, to be perfectly honest I sometimes think washed out looks pretty - call me crazy, but I do) then you should go a few shades darker or lighter than your natural color. For example, the dress I'm wearing, which is still in the flesh tones family, but isn't so close to my natural skin color.

P.S. I usually don't get all matchy-matchy, but sometimes I can't help it, (explanation here), and when I do dress matchy-matchy, I go all out. This means that, yes, my underthings are also leopard print today. It just makes me feel ultra pulled-together and a bit retro.

Skater dress: Asos

Leopard-print cardigan with variety of buttons - DELiA*S (forever ago)

Crisscross shoes - Forever 21

Kelly

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