Clothing Stores I've Loved and Lost

I used to love shopping at real, live brick-and-mortar stores for clothes. Because I used to find things of interest there, unusual garments, quirky fun clothes, fashions I could work into a wacky wonderful wardrobe of my own style somehow. Even without thrift-shopping, there was a time when "going shopping" was a fun hobby in its own right.

I was part of the first-generation of mall rats in the U.S., in the heart of suburban California, I was essentially a Valley Girl -- ok, Silicon Valley, but still, like, totally, omg, gag me with a spoon, it was the '80s, and shopping malls were our native habitat. Most weekends, my girlfriends and I roamed the malls in search of good times and cool clothes.

This continued, off and on, for me through college and the early '90s, as mall culture wore down, stores changed, and the Internet started to take off. My needs changed, but I still wanted new clothes, and for many years, catalogs were a bigger supplement to malls than the Internet itself. Until finally, even that faded away, and now all my favorite brands are gone.

Today, I'm left with just the hodgepodge of big retailers. Sure, they're reliable for sales, their websites are searchable, and I can generally find something. But they don't specialize, they don't cater to my needs the way these long-lost faves did... ah, back when once upon a time there was...

Judy's -- This California-based chain had about 70 women's clothing stores in Western U.S. states at its peak in the mid-'80s. This was the first store that I really clicked with. It sold cutting-edge clothes and accessories, very hip styles, things like you'd see in new wave music videos. The prices were just at the edge of my allowance, I always saved up for a month before buying anything there. The chain had an annual blow-out sale, early on a Sunday morning, at a large, regional mall that my best friend and I went to (begging whoever's mom could stand taking us), and we'd buy a HUGE bag of really crazy stuff.

Contempo Casuals -- The last 200-some-odd stores were acquired by Wet Seal in 1995, but before that, this mall store was the supplier of A LOT of my wardrobe from 1984 to 1992. Every pair of leggings I wore (in every color!), all the big button-down shirts, a ton of broomstick skirts, scads of brocade and lace New Romantic stuff, piles of accessories, you name it. The brand gets some anti-nostalgic flack for being the home of neon, baggy '80s weirdness, but damn, those sale racks was where I built a fabulous RomantiGoth wardrobe on a reasonable budget! You can still find some of the labels turning up on eBay, but the really good stuff seems lost to history.

Newport News -- This was my one, great, mail-order love. I bought from Newport News using actual paper catalogs long before it ever had a website (snail-mail, how novel!). The brand has been subsumed into Spiegel's catalog, and all the unique clothes are gone. Back in the day, us goth girls online would alert each other to the latest Newport News offerings. Did you see the velvet duster coat? It comes in black *or* burgundy! And the faux riding jacket, I wonder if the buttons are functional? Yay, more silk poet blouses -- and there's a sale, stock up. We joked that it's a good thing we didn't all live in the same city, or we'd have to worry about showing up wearing the same Newport News dress or coat. Sadly, I only have a few items left from those days that are still in good condition and that fit. I have an eBay search saved for this brand and occasionally find classics. But alas, no retailer has really filled the void for this or any of the others.

What I'm wearing: Black & white stripe knit jacket, Marshalls | Black T-shirt, Target | Black jeans, Eddie Bauer | Red heeled ankle boots, Aerosoles | Black bat necklace, Walgreens | Pewter key earrings, made by me

Monday MemeDay: A-Z of Fashion

A) What accessories do you wear everyday?
My wedding band (white & yellow gold with diamond flecks), my engagement ring (sterling silver with amethyst cabochon), & a black leather studded bracelet on my left wrist. Those are on every day if I'm leaving the house.

B) What is your beauty routine?
Morning: Rinse face with water, moisturize, apply makeup, do hair. After work: Wipe off makeup with a baby wipe. Before bed: Wash face with gentle cleanser, shower, maybe do a face mask once a week if I remember, use anti-acne/anti-wrinkle night cream.

C) What was the last item of clothing (for yourself) that you purchased?
A pair of flat, black leather ankle boots by Aerosoles.

D) Do you use a dresser, closet, or both?
I use everything I can! My clothes occupy 3/4ths of a walk-in closet & all of  two tall dressers, plus half a hall closet for jackets & coats. There's a whole separate walk-in closet for my costumes.

E) What type of earrings are in your ears right now?
Gunmetal hoops, black rhinestone studs, & one garnet stud.

F) What type of figure do you have?
Somewhere between hourglass & pear-shaped.

G) Do you wear glasses?
Yes, always. Contacts don't work on my astigmatic eyeballs, unfortunately

H) What type of handbag do you carry?
Currently, I'm using a large, black leather, unstructured shoulder bag that carries scads of crap I need for commuting. It's not quite right for my new job, also, it's 4 years old & starting to wear out.

I) What is your ideal style?
I'd love more of a grown-up version of Stevie Nicks goth, but I end up with a pretty standard CorpGoth thing

J) What is your favorite brand of jeans?
The ones that currently fit my ass are by Calvin Klein, & I only found one pair in dark grey.

K) Do you wear knee-high stockings?
Not really. I only wear them with costumes because it's reasonably close to historically accurate.

L) Do you have to wear matching lingerie?
I would love to wear matching panties & bras, but I've rarely found matching sets that I like or can afford or that both pieces flatter me or are in the right sizes. Thus, the closest I get to matching is 'they're both black.'

M) Do you wear makeup?
Yes, tho' I'm a lot less adamant about it than I used to be. I used to never leave the house without lipstick, & now I'll go to the grocery store with a totally naked face. I blame old age & laziness! For everyday, I wear some kind of dark lipstick & black eyeliner. For special occasions (or if I have a breakout), I add foundation, eyeshadow, & touch up my brows (actually, when my brows have been freshly shaped, I tend to paint them daily). I don't wear mascara very often because it rubs off on my glasses (my eyelashes are naturally that long; yes, you can be jealous :).

N) Do you wear nightgowns?
Not anymore. I used to have quite a fetish for long, flowy, white cotton nightgowns, the kind you'd run about the moors crying "Heathcliff!" in. But I trashed them all, & sadly not in moor-related accidents. Finding replacements has been troublesome, & it's not important enough to me to sew my own. So I wear big baggy T-shirts & fleece PJ pants, which are just not as conducive to gothic romance.

O) What outerwear do you put on when going out on a typical winter's day?
Winter? It 'tis to laugh. In what passes for said season in Northern California, I might wear a lightweight black trench coat, suitable for the occasional droplets of moisture that fall from the sky sporadically at the end/start of the year.

P) What is your favorite perfume?
I go through phases where I wear scent every day & then don't wear it for months. I'm currently *not* wearing perfume. But past faves include Black Phoenix Alchemy Labs "Crossroads," the original Anna Sui, & rose essential oil.

Q) Is your motto "quality over quantity" when it comes to clothing and accessories?
My motto is more like "oooh, shiny!" followed by "can I afford it?" I will buy quality if I love it.

R) Do you wear rain boots?
What is this 'rain' you speak of? I'm living in a drought currently.

S) Do you wear socks or slippers when your feet get cold?
Yes. Both.

T) Do you travel with a lot of luggage?
Depends on the trip. If costumes are involved, omg, yes, I bring tons of stuff.  I have the Giant Suitcase of D00m that mostly goes to Costume College & on the Costumers' Trips to Europe. Plus I'll bring hat boxes & backpacks & stuff. But for "normal" travel, I have one just-bigger-than-carryon bag that I can fill with enough clothes for 3 to 4 weeks of travel, & this bag is light enough for me to carry up flights of narrow stairs in little European B&Bs.

U) What is your daily uniform?
Dark corporate stuff with at least half of it in knits.

V) If you are married, did you wear a veil with your wedding dress? If not, how did you do your hair?
I made a small black lace veil that hung down the back over my ringlet hairpiece.

W) Do you wear a watch?
Not for years, since I got an iPhone. But I used to love them & had a little wardrobe of fashion watches to go with my outfits (I still have them, but the batteries are all dead).

X) What item of clothing always makes you feel beautiful?
This changes a lot, because my wardrobe & my body change. I would say that, in general, a nicely heeled shoe, preferably with an ankle strap, paired with a skirt that hits right at the knee (preferably bias cut or flippy) always feels beautiful because it requires my hips to move just so, & the whole curved movement from ankle to hip is so ultimately feminine that I can't help but feel rockin'.

Y) What is your favorite type of yarn?
Huh? I don't really care about yarn.

Z) Do you prefer zippers or buttons?
Both have their uses. In general, zippers are handy on the lower half of the body, buttons on the upper.

Feel free to copy these meme questions & answer them in your blog!

What I'm wearing: Dark brown pinstripe dress, made by Donna | Black cardigan, Macy's | Black tights, Calvin Klein | Black ribbon-tie pumps, Clark's | Black bat necklace, Walgreen's | Gunmetal hoop earrings, random accessory store | Makeup For Ever Aqua Rouge lipstick in Dark Raspberry

Weekend Pirate

A little weekend pirate couture. With a touch of gold. I used to be strictly silver-only, as many goths are. But I've gotten lax in my old age. Maybe it's the influence of my historical costuming, particularly the 16th-century styles I love. Back then, gold was more popular because it's the most valuable & expensive metal. Your clothing showed your wealth, so if you could afford gold, you wore it. I make a point of wearing gold jewelry & trimming my gowns with gold, when possible, to fit my persona of a wealthy, high-ranking 16th-century noblewoman.

Of course, it's not just historical accuracy. My wedding band is a mix of yellow & white gold (tho' my engagement ring is sterling silver). These type of bands are just what my husband & I liked best some 14 years ago. So maybe I wasn't always so adamant about silver-only...

What I'm wearing:
"Pirate Couture" T-shirt, DisneyLand | Black jeans, Levi's | Black socks, unknown brand | Black walking shoes, Naturalizer | Black newsboy hat, random accessory store | Silver filigree earrings, Target

Last Gasp of Summer

This week, we experienced a bit of a heatwave -- weather in the high-90s day after day, harkening back to August, not exactly early fall. So I'm dressing pretty casual in sandals & tank tops, just throwing on a cardigan for indoor AC. Luckily, the temps are supposed to drop soon & maybe I can wear boots, tights, & velvet...

What I'm wearing:
Pink print cardigan, Chadwicks | Black embellished tank top, Old Navy | Black jeans, Calvin Klein | Black jeweled flip-flops, unknown brand | Silver skull choker, random accessory store | Silver hoop earrings, random accessory store | Pink flower hair pin, random accessory store

Keeping It Casual

True enough, I was exhausted from my weekend yesterday & wore a plain black knit dress to work. I'm still pretty beat, so I just wore jeans today, but jazzed it up a bit with accessories.

What I'm wearing:
Red knit top, NY & Company | Black jeans, Levis | Black buckled wedge sandals, Kohl's | Black beaded waterfall necklace, Torrid | Jet hoop earrings, gift from a friend | Red flower pin in hair, random accessory store

A CorpGoth's Passage to India

I knew I'd love this month's homework from Le Professeur Gothique: "India -- Your assignment this month, dear readers, is to come up with an outfit, art work, or anything else inspired by that fabulous country and its gorgeous people. Perhaps you're a great cook and want to feature an Indian meal. Or maybe you've been to India or are Indian -- show us your visit or home. Or, if you're anything like me, you have bits and pieces of Indian clothing and jewelry to feature. Or maybe your inspiration will come from Indian art forms and colors? Think beautifully deep and delicious red and sandalwood yellow. Whatever you feature it must be inspired by India! Good luck!!!"

Me, my husband, & elephant handler in Jaipur

See, I've been fascinated with India since I was a kid, in ways sacred & profane. Maybe it started with George Harrison, & it was definitely enhanced by a variety of '70s progressive art rockers with sitar riffs & proto-New-Agey lyrics. I had a National Geographic map of India on my bedroom wall & loved curries & thought the sound of Hare Krishnas chanting near the campus of my first-choice college, UC Berkeley, was dreamy. And finally, in 2001, my husband & I visited India, which was a huge culture shock & a fantastic life-changing experience.

There's a common joke these days about "first-world problems." But you don't truly understand how first-world-y your problems are until you visit the so-called third world. No matter how much you prepare yourself, the culture shock is intense for American & western European travelers to India. I'd read up on squat toilets & begging rings & lepers & rickshaws & baksheesh & the hard sell & everything-wallas & Delhi belly & all that. But looking it in the face is totally different, stunning, & humbling.

Me looking out over the River Ganges

Ironically, I had lost my job a month before the trip -- it was the first big dot-com bust, & the music start-up I worked for went out of business. But we had paid for much of the trip in advance, & it was non-refundable, so we decided to go ahead. I couldn't be more glad that I did because it gave me an amazing sense of perspective. Even without a job or prospects of one when I got home, I immediately knew, upon arriving in India, that I was wealthier than most of the people I saw. The cost of my plane ticket was more than an average annual wage in India.

Yet, despite poverty, I saw so much beauty everywhere. Women picked dusty fields while wearing brilliantly colored saris. Huge trucks belched smoke but were decked in ropes of saffron-colored flowers & painted with swirls & dots. Monkeys, camels, & elephants roamed the streets, even in the cities. Ancient temples stood, not as relics of times past, but as vibrant parts of the everyday community, continually in use.

Of course, we visited the obvious places -- the "golden triangle" of Delhi (the capital, old & new), Jaipur (the "pink city" where Indian couples go on their honeymoons), & Agra (home of the Taj Mahal) -- but also added Khajuraho for the erotic Krishna temples & Varanasi for the holy river Ganges ghats. We had local guides take us around big places & from city to city, & then wandered around markets & such by ourselves. It was a fascinating, exhausting, rich, challenging, & fulfilling experience.

Air pollution in Delhi

Random story: The inside of the Taj Mahal smells like feet! Everyone has to remove their shoes before stepping up to the huge marble platform where the domed tomb portion of the Taj resides. This is for both reasons of respect (you remove your shoes before entering any temple, mosque, & similar place) & practicality (the white marble wouldn't look so pristine after nearly 400 years if tons of shoes tromped all over it). Imagine going inside that mostly windowless space with a hundred bare- or stocking-foot people -- eww! It reeked.

Of course, the pollution all over India was terrible, not from smells, but from car exhaust & wood-burning fires on sidewalks in the city & fields in the country. I'm not usually sensitive to such things, but I was a sniffly wreak halfway through the trip. Ah well. At least I escaped from worse health problems :-)

Varanasi ghats

My husband & I did bring back some beautiful Indian crafts to decorate our home, as we are both very fond of the designs & meaning behind them. We have a hand-carved wood Ganesh on a shelf near the doorway to our home, because he is the remover of obstacles & good luck at entrances. Next to him is Saraswati, goddess of music, carved from sandstone. This was a personal choice of my husband, as he's a musician, but we both love various forms of Indian music, so this was appropriate to our house.

Indian hand-crafts

Pieced-quilt canopy

Perhaps my favorite piece is the purple & gold quilt that we bought & hung over our bed as a canopy. I even took colors from it to paint our bedroom walls with. The quilt/canopy is incredibly difficult to photograph, but nothing pleases me more than waking up to see it each morning & falling asleep under it each night. The materials are rich & divine, & it blocks light out to make our bed dark & cozy (& perfect for this migraineur).

Today, I didn't feel up to wearing a lot of Indian garb, so my travel & home dec photos will have to suffice. The cotton salwar kameezes I bought back in 2001 don't fit the way I'd like, plus I'm coming down with a cold today, so I just threw on this top & gathered up my favorite jewelry bought in India.

What I'm wearing:
Black embroidered tunic, thrifted but made in India | Black camisole, NY & Company | Black jeans, Levis | Black buckle ankle boots, Aldo | Black bead & silver skull bead necklace, DisneyLand | Onyx & silver earrings, bought in Delhi | Onyx & silver bracelet, bought in Jaipur | Garnet & silver ring, bought in Jaipur

 

Casual Friday

I usually work from home on Fridays, so I dress *very* casually. We're talking PJs or yoga pants & T-shirts. Also, my office is *very* casual, so I could wear jeans every single day of the week & be right in line with what most people wear. But I don't, because, well, you know, that's not my style.

I did have to go into the office today because a senior VP was coming up from the SoCal office to have lunch with everyone in our office. It wasn't a formal meeting, just a lunch, & again, it's on Friday & this is a casual office. So I didn't dress up.

What I'm wearing:
Black & white striped silk blouse, Spiegel | Black jeans, Levis | Red ankle boots with low heels, Aerosoles | Silver filigree earrings, Target | Red flower hair pin, random accessory store

Do you have "casual Fridays" at work? Or is your office casual every day?

Another Short Week

January is weird. It usually starts out with a short week, due to a New Year's Day holiday, not to mention a 12th Night celebration that makes me all distracted from work. Then, nary two weeks later, we have a holiday for Martin Luther King Jr. I'm not complaining, just pointing out how odd it is & how the confluence of holidays makes for a difficult readjustment after all the "big" holidays of December.

Add to that my continued head cold *and* the fact that my department moved to a different building today, & I'm all sorts of discombobulated. So the rather blah outfits continue. Sorry...

What I'm wearing:
Purple ribbed turtleneck top, unknown brand
Black jeans, Levi's
Black crochet duster, Coldwater Creek
Purple & gunmetal tiered necklace, NY & Company
Gunmetal hoop earrings, random accessory store
Black buckle ankle boots, Aldo

Also, I'm taking on LPG's latest BatFit challenge: Give up one bad habit & replace it with one good habit. This is specifically inspired by my office move, because the new cubicle is on the fourth floor of the building, whereas the last few cubes have been on the second floors.

My bad habit is that I'm extremely sedentary. I despise exercise! I'm a supreme couch potato, & I pretty much hate all forms of movement other than walking to actually go somewhere (aimless "walking around the block" bores me silly).

Some years ago, I did Weight Watchers & forced myself to take up running. I did stuck with it for a while, even ran a local 10k race a few times in a row. But I never enjoyed it & always resented the time it took away from things I'd prefer to be doing, which is, oh, anything else. I've tried dance-as-exercise classes of various types, I've tried yoga & tai chi, I've tried Wii Fit, & I cannot stick with any of them.

However, I can walk up the stairs. Not all the time. But at least once a day. Four flights of stairs. Just once a day means I don't have to force myself to do it when I'm carrying my coffee (the espresso bar is on the first floor), & it won't be a huge travail on days when I wear high heels (because I love my fancy shoes & I'm not going to switch shoes just for this). I already walked up the stairs once today!

Sick

I've got a bad, post-event cold. Or maybe it's just a winter cold that finally caught up with me. Dunno which, but it's kicking my butt. I was out of the office for two days & barely felt better enough to go in today (at least I kept to myself in my cubicle so my coughing & sniffling didn't spread to anyone else). Thus, not much of an outfit today.

What I'm wearing:
Burgundy peplum sweater, Anthropologie, gift from Sarah | Black ruffle-front sleeveless knit top, Macy's | Dark grey jeans, Calvin Klein | Black wedges, Dockers | Black socks, unknown brand | Silver filigree earrings, Target

A Few Non-Work Outfits

Tho, to be fair, I could wear these to work if I wanted. My office is really casual, & nobody cares what I wear. *I* care, of course, & while I don't consider these unworthy, they're not my "A game" CorpGoth outfits either. These are just cool stuff I like to wear, not necessarily professional enough to me.

Outfit #1 - Worn to Meet an Out-of-Town Friend:
Purple velvet jacket, gift from Lisa | Black T-shirt, Old Navy
Black knit skirt, Target | Burgundy & black stripe tights, We Love Colors | Silver medallion necklace, eBay | Silver cameo earrings, vintage | Black T-strap flats, Aldo

Is it weird to pair purple & burgundy? Maybe it looks stranger in the photos than in real life. I don't know. That's one of the things that makes this combo a little too out-there for work. Fine & funky fun for hanging out & socializing.

Outfit #2 - Worn to Go Shopping:
Black knit military-style jacket, Macy's | Black & white stripe T-shirt, Express | Black jeans, Levis | Black buckle boots, Aldo | Black & silver skull choker, DisneyLand | Silver filigree earrings, Target | Grey flower in hair, random accessory store

Super-casual outfit! Great for running around from store to store. I had originally planned to just go to Target with my husband to pick up some replacement stuff (our space heater in the computer studio died). But ... I ended up breaking my clothing diet. More about that in another post.

This is kind of my go-to errand-running outfit. Dressed-up jeans & a T-shirt. I'm getting a little bit better at making this not look like a teenager :-)

Hidden Bat Week - Work From Home T-Shirt

I rarely (never?) post what I'm wearing when I work from home, & this outfit isn't exactly representative. I'd usually wear PJ bottoms or yoga pants instead of jeans, but I had a doctor's appointment this afternoon so I swapped the comfy gear out. Plus, I brushed off all the cat hair!

What I'm wearing:
Grey bat T-shirt, Target | Black long-sleeve top, Old Navy | Black jeans, Levis | Black hoodie, Old Navy | Black buckled boots, Aldo | Silver Indian hoops, bought at a con | Music note choker, gift from a choir member on Spain trip | Black & white fingerless gloves, Hot Topic

It's been rather chilly recently, thus the gloves. I wear them in the studio where my computer is so I can keep my hands warm while typing. They're pretty ratty tho, so no closeups ;-)

Casual Redux With Cameos

I'm on the road, so I'm auto-scheduling some outfits I'd photographed a while back but never posted. Casual stuff that I didn't wear to work (tho' in my office, I could). My version of snappy weekend wear.

What I'm wearing:
Burgundy corduroy blazer, buttons swapped out for vintage jet by me, Kohl's | White long-sleeve top with cameo print, Newport News | Dark grey jeans, Calvin Klein | Pointy black boots with kitten heels, Bakers | Black beaded necklace with cameo, random accessory store | Silver cameo earrings, vintage | Black roses cocktail ring, Icing | Black & white flower hair pin, Random accessory store

Bad Hair Day

Sometimes, my hair won't cooperate. Especially right now, when it's gotten to the "long as it will get" stage and thus is time for a bit of a trim. I hate getting my hair cut (remnants of my hippie upbringing) and only do it when it bugs the crap out of me, like now! I live in mortal fear of short hair because anything less than shoulder-length looks awful on me.

I also despise flat hair on me. Which is what my hair is doing right now. When it gets this long (bra-strap length, & no, it will not grow any longer), all the curl is pulled out of it. My hair starts to look flat and lanky and lifeless. I can brush it smooth, but (a) it won't stay that way very long because it will frizz up in about 3 minutes and, more importantly, (b) I can't stand the way I look with smooth, flat hair. I think I look like a pinhead. Frankly, this bun doesn't look any better -- it's pinhead-goes-to-work! -- but at least it's not pinhead-with-flyaways.

I tried a lot of things this morning. I was really aiming for that lovely, long, smooth look that Victorian Kitty has with her hair, even trying some of her hairstyles. Alas, I'm terrible at braiding, but I tried a side ponytail, thinking that might get the same affect. No dice. I tried various different buns & chignons too, which just resulted in cursing in the bathroom (good thing my husband had to get up early this morning!). With time running short and my hair becoming limper by the minute, I went with this plain ol' ballerina bun and got on with the day.

Hopefully, I can schedule a haircut to trim off 2" to 4" in the next week!

What I'm wearing:
White & black pinstripe twill jacket, Macy's
Black T-shirt, Old Navy
Black jeans, Levis
Black & white stripe scarf, H&M
Black & gold disk earrings, Forever 21
Black & white flowers on bobby pins, random accessory store
Black ankle boots, Aldo

Casual Boho Day

I fully admit that my wardrobe is a bit schizophrenic. One day, I go for a dress & heels, the next, I feel like wearing jeans.

Since my workplace is incredibly casual & so many of my meetings are conference calls, there's no particular guidelines or strictures about what I wear. It really is up to my moods or whims. And I'm pretty darn whimsical ;-)

What I'm wearing:
Black crochet duster, Coldwater Creek | Burgundy knit cowl-neck top, Forever 21 | Black jeans, Levis | Black embellished mules, secondhand | Black & gold disk earrings, Forever 21 | Burgundy & black flower pins in hair, random accessory store

The Old T-Shirt & Jeans Grow Up (Goth Style)

I don't do casual that well. Corporate, sure, as the name of this blog implies, I can do just fine, with my obligatory goth twist. But weekend wear, out-of-the office clothes are getting difficult, especially as I get older. Throwing on a T-shirt & jeans isn't the most stylish of options in your 20s, but it's not unexpected either.

However, in your 30s & particularly your 40s, um, that outfit can look a little sad. If you're not extremely careful, you may look like you're trying too hard to relive your youth, or you look like you're a sloppy loser who hasn't grown up. Sure, every now & then, if you're dashing off to the grocery store, it doesn't matter, but there's so many occasions that not looking like a big teenager or a slob has benefits.

Here's one of my attempts (photographed several months ago) at a subtle upgrade...

What I'm wearing:
Black knit top with ruched corsage detail, NY & Co.
Black jeans, Calvin Klein
Stripey socks, unknown brand
Black flats, Aldo
Black & skull bead necklace, DisneyLand
Gunmetal & rhinestone hoop earrings, NY & Co.
Burgundy flower hair pin, random accessory store

Dressed-up jeans day

Jeans at my office aren't a "casual Friday" thing, it's an any-day thing. But for me, it tends to be an "I took the bus today" thing. Which I did today, of course. So I tried to dress these jeans up a little bit with a jacket. Of course, I'll never look as dressed up in jeans as Alternations Needed's Kelly in her jeans & jackets, but then, my style is not that preppy.

What I'm wearing today:
Black jacket with piped seams, Speigel
Black & white stripey T-shirt, Express
Black jeans, Levis
Black & white stripey socks, unknown brand
Black wedge shoes, Dockers
Silver chunky bead choker, Target
Black & white stripey bead earrings, Kohl's
Grey flower hair pin, random accessory story
Bright red lipstick, MAC

Do you wear jeans to work? Do you try to dress them up?

Quickie Red & Black Outfit

Slept horrrrrrrribly last night & woke up late, so I just grabbed a quick outfit & made some time to snap pix before rushing off to work. So here's just a touch of red in the black.

What I'm wearing:
Black knit military-style jacket, INC Concepts
Black T-shirt, Old Navy
Dark grey jeans, Calvin Klein
Red ankle boots, Aerosoles
Red & black Venetian glass heart pendant on black glass beads necklace, made by me (closeups here)
Square pewter dangle earrings, local artisan
Silver & garnet ring, bought in Jaipur, India
Red-brown lipstick, Lorac

I do like that this outfit combines things I've bought on my travels around the world. I got to see the artist making the glass heart pendant in a tiny shop in Venice, & I picked out the garnet ring from the artist who made it too. They're very special to me.

The Most Expensive Sweater

But isn't it FABULOUS?!?!?! Yeah, I splurged. This black & white cardigan cost twice what I've ever paid for a sweater, which probably means I'm a cheapskate, but whatevs. I simply could not resist (also, I was indulging in a bit of retail therapy as I've been feeling a little down about life recently -- hey, sometimes it works ;-).

Unless it falls apart, I can easily imagine myself wearing this for years tho' & getting a good return on investment. It goes with most anything in my wardrobe, from casual, like today, to dressy.

What I'm wearing:
Black & white cardigan, White House Black Market
Black jeans, Levis
Black pointy kitten-heel boots, Bakers
Giant silver filigree earrings, Forever 21
Black & white beaded cuff bracelet, bought in Kauai
Chanel Vamp lipstick

What's the biggest clothing splurge you've made? Was it worth it?

Another Casual Wednesday

It's becoming my Casual Friday (especially since I work from home on Fridays & wear PJs or yoga pants then ;-). I don't have meetings on most Wednesdays, & there's something about that midweek slump...

What I'm wearing:
White long-sleeve top with cameo print, Newport News
Black boyfriend cardigan, Chadwicks
Black jeans, Levi's
Pointy black boots with silver bat buckles, second-hand from a friend
Pale pink & gunmetal beaded tiered necklace, NY & Co.
Onyx dangle earrings, bought in India

What's your most casual day of the work week? What's the most dressy?

Gothy Jeans in the Office

Ok, I caved. From a case of the Mondays to a tired humpday, this week is just killing me, & my fashion choices are suffering. So today, I wore jeans & a T-shirt to work. Don't kill me! I even broke all the very savvy rules that the New Professional laid down about wearing jeans at the office, well, except I did wear dark jeans. But no heels, no dressy top, not much in the way of accessories. Also, lazy hair & minimal makeup. Blame it on flare-ups of residual health problems.

I will say tho' that wearing this simple of an outfit takes a lot less time in the morning. No wrangling with tights or fussing with hair clips or layering on eyemakup. I even had time to check email before my carpool arrived! Nice.

What I'm wearing:
Black cardigan, Chadwicks
Black & grey striped knit tunic, Macy's
Dark grey jeans, Calvin Klein
Black flat buckle boots, Aldo
Silver book-shaped locket necklace, Forever 21
Large pink filigree earrings, Blackbird Jewels on Etsy, won in a giveaway from Miss Vinyl Ahoy
Pink crystal pyramid cocktail ring, Icing

Basically, this is something I'd wear on the weekends to hang out with friends. But then again, so many people at work wear stuff this casual, I blended into the crowd today. Odd.