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?

Adventures in vintage, part 3

It's hot as hell today, but that didn't keep me from going thrifting as planned. Here's what I ended up with:

A raisin-colored shirt (not vintage, obviously), a fantastic beaded clamshell evening bag, and some shell beads and leather cording from Amonite (the bead store). Clearly, I had shells on the brain.

The clamshell bag was from Flashbacks, and they had a great selection of vintage clutches in the style I love. Vintage vinyl bags don't do much for me, but I adore the beaded ones that were most commonly made in Japan (this one was made in China, but it's the same idea). It's entirely possible I will keep going back to Flashbacks and buy out all their beaded bags one by one, because I can't get enough of them.

Here's another shot of the clamshell:

It's going to be great for evenings out when I like to travel light, as well as cocktail parties, weddings and the like. Ooh! So excited!

And, for the sake of historical accuracy, here's a vintage top I tried on in a store called Rags. The asymmetrical style grabbed me. Once I had it on, I realized the style reminded me a bit of the marching band uniforms we wore in high school.

I kinda dug the style but I think we can all agree that the bright peachy color is wrong on me, yes?

Here's another garment I tried on. I couldn't stop laughing/crying long enough to take a picture while wearing it...it's from the 80s and has that triangular shape. The sort of shape that gave me linebacker shoulders. It also hit at the strangest spot on my midsection. Sorry, but I think 80s silhouettes are beyond ridiculous.

Anyway, for the clamshell bag alone, I call today's shopping trip a rousing success.

Are skinny jeans evil?

So...confession time. I just can't get too excited about jeans. I love my legs, but pants are just those things that fill up the space between a fun top and some knockout high heels.

Meanwhile, I've clung mightily to the notion that bootcut jeans are the most flattering. Women have hips, I reasoned, and some width at the ankle helps balance out those hips.

Consequently, up til now my jeans collection has consisted of bootcut jeans hemmed to accommodate flats, and bootcut jeans hemmed to accommodate heels. Yawn.

Enter the skinny jean. At first I thought they were just a passing fad, but they've now been in style for, what? Three seasons now? I thought they were ugly at first, and resisted even trying them on.

However, while in the sartorial rat race that is my workplace, I started realizing that all the women are wearing skinny jeans...and they look pretty awesome. You must understand that all the women at my company basically dress to impress each other. I work with the world's cutest, most well-dressed short curvy girl, a tall redhead ripped from the pages of Anthropologie, and various other fashionistas/Glamazons. I could do a whole lot worse than taking style cues from them. All wear skinny jeans.

I went to Ghetto Ross -- for research purposes of course. In between racks and racks of bootcut jeans, a few lone skinnies were hiding. I tried on two pairs of the skinnies and holy shit, both looked good. They make my hips and ass look, um, incredibly juicy, but what the hell? That's sorta cool, right? And I really like how they showcase tall shoes. Sure, having a stiletto peek out under a bootcut jeans is sexy, but why not show off the entire shoe if you're going to teeter around on heels all day?

Also, skinny jeans (or leggings, but this isn't about leggings) balance out tunics and voluminous tops, and this is a good thing.

Morals of the story:

• I am incredibly slow to embrace new denim styles.
• Skinny jeans are not evil, even if you have thighs and a butt and all the trappings of womanhood.

Ghetto Ross delivers

There's this Ross store near my work (i.e. in the heart of downtown), and it's very sketchy and grubby and I like to make fun of it and refer to it as Ghetto Ross. Except lately, I've actually been shopping there, and they have seriously good stuff.

Like this: a beautiful blue rayon scarf and an incredibly comfy pair of Nine West flats, each for around $10? Uh, yes please.

(Do you love the studs on the flats as much as I do? Also, do you agree that elasticized flats look absolutely retarded when they're not on someone's feet? Seriously, it looks like they're trying to eat themselves.)

Haunting the virtual sales racks

Today, while winding down from the excitement of visiting the farmer's market, I decided to check out the virtual sales racks at a few of my favorite online retailers. Obviously, I've still got dresses on the brain; unfortunately, shapeless and/or babydoll styles are still in style, and to that I say SCREW THAT, because shapeless dresses only look good on tall, skinny models. I cannot wait for more body-conscious dresses to come back in style - dresses that acknowledge that women have breasts, waists and hips. Anyhoo, here's the best of what I saw:

Graham & Spencer print dress, $261 [sale]
I like the contrasting colors and the fun, funky print.

Christopher Deane silk dress, $157 [sale]
My favorite colors (aqua and teal) in silk? Uh, yes please. Also, if the waist tie is detachable, I'd wear it with a variety of other things, and maybe even as a headband.

IISLI Summer Dress, $149 [sale]
Sure, it's simple, but that's the beauty of it. Easily punched up with accessories, if you must.

And now for something completely different...this leather jacket caught my eye mostly because of its unusual color. Sure, leather jackets aren't the most environmentally friendly, but if you're going to invest in ONE fabulous leather jacket, wear it for decades and then pass it onto a secondhand store or a relative or friend, what's the harm?

Diesel Kelfin leather jacket, $330 [sale]
Ooh! I pine!

It's...dress and skirt season!

Spring comes early to San Diego, so it's time to bust out the skirts and dresses. I couldn't be happier - the jeans + top + cardigan formula is getting mighty old.

I took stock of my closet and here's what I turned up with:

From L to R: Nordstrom, Loehmann's, Nordstrom, Forever 21. By far, my favorite is the white one. It fits like a glove and has a really flattering A-line shape. When I wear it with a half-slip, it's not see-through at all, and looks gauzy and effortless.

From L to R: Urban Outfitters, Bluefly.com. The purple one I wear all the time; it's your basic T-shirt dress with a wide neckline and ruching at the sides to give it some shape. The navy one I tend to ignore, but now that I have a really good cardigan collection I'll start wearing it to work quite a bit (topped with a cardigan). I need to check whether it might benefit from being shortened a few inches (because I'm tarty like that).

So my wardrobe of skirts and dresses is small but serviceable. I could probably stand to add some work-appropriate fun printed dresses. I love dresses, but I'm super-picky about prints and materials, so we'll see how that goes.

And here's one from the shopping hall of shame. I bought this top at Anthropologie ages ago. It's silk and was on sale for $40. Cute, right? Well, I haven't worn it, and the tag is still attached. I suck! But I'm definitely going to start wearing it this spring.

By the way, if I were to buy just one new skirt and dress this spring, it would probably be these. Of course, my favorites change weekly (daily? hourly?).

Twill Tulip Skirt, $78 at Anthropologie
This skirt looks MUCH darker in the catalog photo...I must investigate it in person!

Mai Ogi Minidress, $158

Pretty color, neat print, flattering shape. Me like.

Are you a Serena or a Blair?

I just discovered Gossip Girl. It's an immensely popular show but seeing as I don't have a TV, it took me a little while to get motivated enough to Google around and find episodes online. Now that I've found them, though, I'm hooked.

The show is about the scandalous lives of some upper-crust Manhattan teenagers, and the conceit of the series is that some mystery "gossip girl" somehow learns all the gossip and puts it online, so the rumor mill is on constant overdrive.

People are going bonkers over the show in part because all the characters are ridiculously pretty and fashionable. The two main characters, Serena and Blair, have differing styles of dress. Serena's style is sort of hippie/Anthropologie - despite being a dyed-in-the-wool New Yorker, her style seems influenced by California surfer chic (something I can definitely relate to). Blair, in contrast, is ultra-preppy and buttoned up at all times - she's all about tailored silk dresses, plaid, houndstooth and headbands.

Copying the fashions of a TV show is sort of lame, but inspiration can come from anywhere, right? America's teenagers would do well to trade their UGG boots for a high-heeled suede version (a la Serena), or ratty sweatshirts and t-shirts for crisp white Oxford shirts topped by cardigans (a la Blair).

In one episode, I was grabbed by a cropped houndstooth cardigan that Blair was wearing. I'm normally afraid of houndsooth because it can be so loud, but it worked on her. I couldn't find any good houndstooth examples, but I found lots of other prints. My favorite is the New York & Co zebra print.

Hmmm....

I've been eyeing this jacket for awhile, and now it's on sale for $35. So tempting...but is it too weird? The sleeves in particular are a bit odd. Opinions?

[ Gentle Fawn jacket, $35 at Karmaloop ]

Black + gray

This dress

and these shoes

would make a pretty killer outfit, no?

[Dress, $100 (sale) at shopbop; shoes, $139 at Nordstrom]

Shopbop sale alert + biased picks

Shopbop.com may be full of loud prints, unforgiving fabrics and daring cuts that only look good on models, but they have some bangin' sales and right now is no exception. I found lots of goodies mixed in with not-so-goodies.

Diane von Furstenberg Hendrix dress, $182
Recommended for ladies with slim shoulders and a nice ass. (If this was a fashion magazine the phrase would be "curvy derrière" or other such nonsense, but let's call a spade a spade.)

AKA New York dress, teal or gray, $125
Silk in pretty colors? Yes, please! I would cinch the belt a lot more, though, or replace it with a patent leather belt of some sort.

T-Bags bell sleeve dress, teal or black, $63
You might recognize this dress from my stylebook. I still like it. It looks soft.

Seaton henley tee, various colors, $29
I am obsessed with Henleys. I like how Henleys look sporty and relaxed, even when they're worn by uppity bitches like me.

T-Bags off the shoulder dress, blue and black, $62
I don't need to tell you that I'd rock the hell out of this dress. Also, it pains me that the leggings rend still has legs (heh). I thought that trend was old in, like, 2003.

Rachel Pally seamed sheath dress, various colors, $99
More leggings! Anyway, this dress is cute if you're teeny-tiny.

Foley + Corinna printed kimono top, $115
Finally, a print I actually like! I would suggest that you pair this flowy top with skinny jeans, but then I'd have to kill myself.

Windows Shopping at Nordie's

Here is the fruit of some preliminary Windows Shopping before I head down to Nordie's on my lunch break to spend my $100 gift card (thanks, Grandma!). Based on these picks, you could reasonably conclude that I primarily wear coral, blue and white. You'd pretty much be right. Ok, I wear black too.

Envelope Shoulder Tee in Majesty, $32

Show off those collarbones, girl! I definitely plan to buy this, unless it looks like crap in real life.
(Update: Tried it, liked it, bought it. Definitely a winner!)

Free People fleece hoodie, $128
Out of my price range, but still cute.

BCBG Max Azria Boatneck top in white, $68
I like the black version of this top too, but can I just rant a little about how 95% of cute blouse styles are only available in black and maybe white? What about those of us who love color? You have no idea how many blouses I've passed over because they were only available in black.

Free People ribbed tee in Melon Ball, $38

I dunno, I just like this. Melon/coral is universally flattering, and I adore scoopnecks.

BCBG Max Azria Stripe Ruffled Silk Blouse, $158
Again, out of my price range, but showcased here simply because it's kyuuute.

Honorable Mention / Newest Shoe Crush:

BCBG Max Azria 'Daja' Pump, $210
I vowed to buy no shoes this year, and plan to stick to my promise. Still, I would love these in black and maybe the nude pink. If anyone out there has been looking for a pair of classic pumps, go check these out. Extra points if you paint the soles red and pretend they're Louboutins.

Everything reviewed

Today, for some unknown reason, I remembered the fabulous website Everything Reviewed. It hasn't been updated in ages, which is a damned shame, but the most recent review is terribly appropriate. Here's an excerpt from the review, which is a review of shopping.

I was in a shop in Holborn the other day, considering a pair of shoes, and a woman was saying to her friend, "See, you could wear them with jeans OR with a dress. They're a bargain", as if wearing jeans or wearing a dress is pretty much the sum of all human experience, or the scale, and wearing jeans and a dress at the same time some kind of harmonious middle point where you feel your own oneness with the universe. I left empty-handed, feeling quietly superior, then went to Topshop and bought a pair of shoes that don't actually fit me at all in any way, though I keep on trying them on hopefully, in case my feet have shrunk in the night.

Read the full review here. I couldn't capture its full brilliance in a short excerpt.

Makeup boner!

Today I dragged myself to the mall (evil vortex it is) to see if Sephora would take this eyeshadow palette off my hands.
I'd had it for months, and made me angry every time I used it. The gray was too dark for me and didn't blend, the vanilla was a sickly chalky white, and the middle color an ugly mushroom tone that did nothing for me. It's definitely one of those "cute in theory, terrible in practice" palettes. I'm sure it looks fine on other people, but not on me.

Of course, I didn't have the receipt, and I was nervous about whether they'd take it back. Luckily, Sephora is all kinds of awesome, and I exchanged it for this:

The brown is totally matte and looks like cocoa powder, the light color is as described (shimmering vanilla) and the green is hot stuff. It's a fairly bright green, which I've been looking for. I have a very subtle, sheer army green that I wear all the time, but I wanted something with more impact. By the way, I don't wear bright eyeshadow colors like a douchebag - I blend them into the crease. It's flattering and subtle, really.

Anyway, smiles all around. What did I do before Sephora?

[ Makeup palettes, $28 at Sephora ]

Edit: I reviewed Sephora on Yelp because I love it so fucking much.

Rules of thumb

Dooce blogged about a site called Rules of Thumb. Here are my favorites from the "Clothing" category:

Wait one year before throwing out a piece of clothing. If you haven't worn it in a year, you will never miss it.

When in doubt, overdress. It is easier to dress down than up.

If a person is poorly dressed, you notice the clothes. If impeccably dressed, you notice the person.

If you have to convince yourself that you want a particular article of clothing, don't buy it - you'll be adding another dust collector to your closet.

This last tip is my favorite. It's another way of saying, "If you love it, buy it. If you don't love it, don't buy it."

I would go even further and say that my personal clothes-shopping motto is, "Only buy something you want to wear out tonight." It's never failed me. I've quickly arranged dinners out so I can wear a new dress, skirt, top or pair of shoes that I bought earlier that day.

Edit: Here's another fantastic rule of thumb from the site - "Never go cheap on your bed or your shoes. You will be in one or the other your entire life."

Places I checked out in Portland

I'm including the hits as well as the misses for the sake of fairness.

First, the food:

Leonardo's - Delicious Italian food in a romantic atmosphere (too bad I was there with my cousin!). Leonardo was there, and he's a very funny guy. The waiter was funny too and teased us about licking the dessert plate clean (we didn't). I ate more at this meal than I usually eat in an entire day. Yummm. At left is the lasagna (foreground) and spaghetti (actually fettuccine because they didn't have spaghetti) with marinara that my cousin ordered.

Pho Green Papaya - One Friday night were trying to get into a comedy show at a nearby theatre, which seemed to be in a pretty crappy, desolate neighborhood. We put our names on the waiting list at the theatre, then went in search of food. Appearing at the opposite side of a desolate, rainy parking lot sat this little pho restaurant. It was just the ticket to restore warmth and happiness to what turned out to be a disappointing evening, as we didn't get into the comedy show and had to return the next night.

The cafe at Powells - I was so relieved to see that Powell's served lunch. Their tomato and cheddar grilled sandwich was excellent, and went down wonderfully with a searing hot chai latte. Also, I think this cafe would be a great place to pick up hot intellectual dudes.

Kornblatt's New York style bagel shop - During my shopping day in the Alphabet District, I was not having any shopping success and suddenly realized I was starving. Kornblatt's is the sort of place that you just know is famous from looking at it. It's all packed with excited people being served by cooler-than-thou New Yorkers. Anyway, I ordered a bagel with smoked Nova salmon, which was all right. I regret not ordering something hot because, well, it was a chilly winter day.

Two Thai restaurants whose names I can't remember - One we happened on by accident on Christmas Eve; the other was a very well-priced place my cousin frequents. Anyway, both were really good.

A breakfast/lunch/bar in the Pearl district - Had delicious French toast here with bananas and local hazelnuts. Searing hot coffee kept coming. Wonderful breakfast. Need to ask my cousin the name of this place.

Coffee and dessert:

Urban Grind - This place is located in my cousin's building, which is awesome. It has an arty, indie coffeehouse feel, really friendly baristas, and delicious, searing-hot coffee. Just the thing to fortify me before a long day shlepping around in the rain. They also serve cinnamon rolls the size of your head.

Pix Patisserie - Rich desserts (we ordered the Amelie), as well as fun and innovative drinks that I regret not sampling. Friendly employees who were happy to let me take as many pictures as I wanted, as well as a clientele that was a mix of hipsters and white-collar types.

Shopping:

Sloan boutique - Definitely the best boutique I found on my trip. Bought the same impeccably cut $49 cardigan in ivory, brown and black, because a girl can't have enough cardigans. Also tried on some other stuff I really liked, including a teal jersey dress and a black and white 60s-style coat with an oversize funnel collar. Loses points for employing a bleach-blonde girl who wears UGG boots, but at least she was friendly.

The Powder Room - Another great boutique with a very enthusiastic, helpful owner who called me "dear." Had lots and lots of great outerwear. I was amused that they carried hats from the San Diego Hat Company. Bought a wonderful black cotton trench there for around $50.

Lush - A place that makes and sells their own soaps and cosmetics. I wandered into this place because it looked intriguing, and I sort of regretted it. It stunk and gave me a headache. If strong scents and unidentified jiggly soap stuff is your thing, then you'll love this place. If not, avoid.

Blake - Awesome, painfully hip boutique. They carry clothes by Gentle Fawn, one of my all-time favorite brands, as well as stuff by other cool brands like Triple Five Soul. Didn't buy anything here, but definitely thought about it.

Gilt - I saw an ad for this place in the Portland Mercury (the hipster indie paper) and just had to check it out. They specialize in estate/vintage jewelry, which is totally my thing. I was sort of disappointed when I went there, though. Perhaps the inventory was picked over because it was right after Christmas, but very few things that caught my eye. I wasn't tempted to open my wallet in the least, and it was the sort of place where I felt uncomfortable for some reason. Sometimes I think that any store that specializes in engagement rings is automatically poisoned for single gals like me.

Three Monkeys - Impressive window displays, but inside I just found a lot of cheap crap made in China. They also have a room devoted to vintage-style doodads, which was cool but I'll take real vintage over fake vintage every day. Definitely didn't have the local Portland flavor I was hoping for. I hightailed it out of there pretty quickly.

Anthropologie - Right across the street from Powell's. My cousin told me I had to visit this store and was shocked when I told him it's a chain. Anyway, stuff seemed pretty picked over and the place was packed. I was only slightly tempted to buy a burgundy top and some earrings.

If the boot fits...

There exist certain unassailable truths.

Burritos taste best when you're drunk at 2 am.

Traffic in LA is always worse than you could ever imagine or expect.

As boring, stupid or low-paying your job is, there are lots of people doing much worse.

Right when you least expect it, Nordstrom will hit you with an amazing deal.

So, I was in Nordstrom today to get a gift card for someone as a Christmas present. I browsed the shoe section real quick, just for kicks, and I couldn't help but wander over to a sad little corner of where there were sale boots. Most of the boots were hideous cast-offs, but then...hello! I spotted some supple leather and tugged at a tall black boot.

Anyway, long story short, these boots are amazing, they fit and look great, and I got them for $138 (50% off). Oh and they're Michael Kors. Hooooooooly shit.

I can only conclude that I have superior shopping karma.