Green ruffle dresses, two ways

[ Marakata dress, $168 at Anthropologie ]



[ Mireya one-shoulder dress, $124 ]

I'm not saying it's a mini-trend...OR AM I?!

Today's Outfit: 7/28

Whaaa? An actual outfit post on Forever Chic? I know, I know...I never do these, even though they're a staple of most fashion blogs.

Anyhoo, here's what I wore on this weirdly gloomy and cool day:

• Black cardigan, Kersh via a smll boutique in Portland, $45
• Top, Anthropologie, $68 (it's a deep grape color that doesn't render well in photos)
• Dark skinny jeans, Paris Blues via Ross, $13
• Studded ballet flats, Nine West via Ross, $12-ish
• Necklace, portobello.etsy.com, $38

Because the top nips in at the waist and flares out at the midsection, my legs looked skinny and I got away with wearing flats rather than heels. I felt very Audrey-Hepburn-gamine, actually.

Also, my Frye sandals came today! They are HEAVEN. By the way, I don't even care if you think they're ugly because they are so damn comfortable and I bought them for carousing in the desert rather than sauntering along Rodeo Drive, ifyaknowwhatimean.


(the band-aid is from a freak tent-pitching accident on Saturday.)

Down with patent leather!

My friend, a young lawyer, throws these fantastic dinner parties that are 50% singles mixers, 50% professional networking events. They are great for meeting people, but I can never help but check out what the other ladies are wearing and carrying. Tonight, what caught my eye were a variety of soft leather satchels and totes - often slung on shoulders. The jury has spoken: stiff patent leather is out and soft, touchable leather is in. Hallelujah.

I didn't have an easy time finding examples that perfectly illustrate the kind of bag I'm talking about, but each of these come close:

The color, shape and softness of this one are perfect, and the humongo studs give it a bit of an edge.

[ Linea Pelle, $180 at Bluefly ]


I love the graphic black-and-white - it keeps the tote from looking schlumpy.

[ Kenneth Cole New York, $158 at Bluefly ]


I have a feeling this bag could double as a pillow. Just watch out for the zipper - it'll leave a wicked line on your face.

[ Linea Pelle, $294 at Bluefly ]

I think I'm in love (with Forever 21, of all things)

A Forever 21 recently opened at Horton Plaza. Except it's an XXI store, rather than a normal Forever 21. No, I don't know the difference, but DAMN did this store impress me. For starters, this was the hat that made me wander into the store:

Wool felt floppy hat, $14.80

Cool hat, huh? Over-the-top and ridiculous, yes, but you can't blame me for being roped in. That color scheme is killer.

The store was HUGE, with not a bit of the claustrophobic feeling most Forever 21 stores tend to evoke. The dressing rooms were also huge, and there was no wait! Hallelujah!

The store also had a whole mini-store devoted to the Heritage 1981 line, which I dug because Heritage 1981 = cotton, cotton, cotton, and none of the polyester sweat factories I vigorously avoid.

In addition to an expansive, clean, stylized feel, the store also had TONS of fantastic accessories. To wit:

Concave floral cuff, $5.80

Faceted poly bracelet, $6.80


Blossom ring, $5.80
(I bought this ring. What can I say...it was love at first sight.)

I also bought this hat.

Cotton linen floppy hat, $10.80

I bought it to wear to Burning Man. It definitely falls into the "so absurd it's cool" category. It's....extraordinarily floppy, but the sun protection can't be beat. It also comes into a pretty poppy color, too, and I'm weirdly tempted to buy that one, too. However, Forever 21 has scads of other cute hats on the website, so...I may have a hat-tastic summer. We shall see.

So here's the Heritage 1981 piece I bought:

Ruffle front knit top, $12.80

Let me note that this shirt could EASILY be sold at a place like Anthropologie, and it would go for something like $60-$70 there.

Lastly...yee-haw!

3Q Western plaid shirt, $19.80

Another item I bought to wear to Burning Man. Since the theme this year is the American Dream, I thought a cowboy-esque shirt was appropriate. Also, I look cute in it.

There were scads of other cute things too, but I don't want to keep you too long.

In sum: XXI stores are like Forever 21 stores, because they are Forever 21 stores. But they're somehow better. Or maybe I just got supremely lucky today. I have no idea.

Queen of the desert

Guess what! I'm going to the Burning Man festival this year. The Burning Man Festival is where affluent white people (and hippies) converge on Nevada's Black Rock Desert to do drugs, get naked, and play around with huge art projects/installations/structures. At the end of a week of desert revelry, a big man made out of wood gets torched.

Sounds fun, right? Little old me will be living in a scorching desert (complete with freezing-cold nights) for a week. Luckily, I have a friends with a massive weather- and sun-resistant Moroccan tent where I will sleep and take shelter when the weather gets dicey.

The festival begins at the end of August, and my biggest task is to figure out my food and clothes situation. I'm an old hand at camp food, so that shouldn't be too hard. Clothes are a different story...I want to be comfortable (and covered-up as possible) while looking somewhat presentable.

Shoes are going to be a particularly important area, since I'll be walking or biking around for many hours each day. I will wear sneakers part of the time (I'll probably change into those as the sun goes down each night), but during the day I will most likely need ultra-comfortable, ultra-durable sandals.

Frye sandals look like they have potential. They look rugged, and the brand has a reputation for high-quality leather and good construction. Here are some contenders:

1. Dani metal beads sandal, $60 (sale)
(EDIT: I ordered these, and I guess I bought the last pair or something because the URL doesn't work anymore.)
2. Mary harness thong sandal, various colors, $142


3. Mary beaded edge thong sandal, black or white, $111 (sale)

If you have recommendations for uber-comfy sandals, please do tell. Or yell at me for having my priorities all wrong.

Nordstrom Anniversary Sale!

This is the time of year when everyone goes nuts at Nordstrom because fall preview merchndise is discounted for a limited time. I can't say Ive made it to the store yet, and probably won't this weekend, but the website has some promising things.

First, a couple tempting sale items:

I'd like these better if they weren't patent, but they're a cute color and the perfect shape. Linea Paolo for the win, as usual.

[ Linea Paolo Zara Patent Leather Mary Jane, $70 ]


Satin shoes are heartbreaks waiting to happen, but the colors on this one are too pretty to pass up. (Also, I love T-straps so much I'm thinking of wearing them exclusively. I think they would be a pretty rad signature item, dontcha think?) This also comes in equally delicious black and brown versions.

[ Linea Paolo Branson Pump, $75 ]

And now some non-sale items I found when I hopped over to the t.b.d. department:

God, this is so perfect. High-waisted, swingy silhouette, WITH pockets, and it comes in black and this delicious shade of indigo? Sign me up!

[ Hinge High Waist Skirt, $78 ]

When I look at this dress, I see infinite possibilities. It has a funky back, too.

[ French Connection Strappy A-line Dress, $178 ]

Ok, I know ombre (the fading effect) is a trend that will become passe, oh, yesterday, but this dress is super eye-catching and the silhouette is right on. I say: wear the dress, and when you tire of the ombre, chop it off to make a shirt or tunic. Or dye the entire dress another color.

[ Kensie Short Sleeve Shirtdress, $108 ]

Ever since I've jumpd on the skinny jean bandwagon, I've started looking for tops with loose silhouettes that don't make the wearer look pregnant. This may fit the bill. Also: holy cow, a print!

[ Free People Salsa Bilando Scoop Neck Tee, $68 ]

In related Nordstrom news, I was tooling around Norstrom Rack last night before seeing The Dark Knight (great film, BTW) and happened upon these Pour La Victoire pumps, heavily discounted at $99:



I know I'm not the only blogger intrigued by these shoes. The weird part is that they were really comfortable - plus it's so fun to zip yourself into your shoes. I would describe them thusly:

• Space-age
• Eye-catching
  
• Slightly unflattering in a funky, "I don't give a crap" kind of way.

I have the luxury of having a closet and lifestyle with room for classic, flattering clothes as well as "just for fun " kinds of things, so I thought about getting them for the "just for fun" category, but the store ws closing and I had to get down to the movie theater anyway. Still, they were an interesting find...should I go back and buy them?

How to stretch $300 at Anthropologie

1. Go to the new Anthro store at UTC mall in La Jolla
2. Raid the sale room.

Yeah, so that's about it.

An Anthro store FINALLY opened near me; I wanted to return the blue purse I ordered online (it was pretty, but way too big for my dainty little self). A field trip was in order. And it.was.AWESOME, as you can tell from this display of my purchases:

The sale room alone was like a mini-Anthro, but with reasonable prices. Usually, Anthro sale rooms feature slightly picked-over duds and crabby shoppers who will scratch your eyes out if you reach for the top they have their eye on, but this sale room was like a serene oasis of excellent deals. Excellent deals organized by color!

I made out like a bandit. Three of the tops above are from the sale room; the remaining top (the deep purple one 2nd from right) and the denim skirt were full-price, but what the hell.

I almost hate to share this secret but seriously, Anthro sale rooms are awesome. At least this Anthro sale room.

(Oh, and here are the sale tops online: one, two, three.)