Introducing Libby Smith

I'd like to introduce you to my new friend, Libby Smith. Libby is one of the beautiful new shoe styles from John Fluevog, and she captivated me when I wandered into the Haight Street store a couple of weekends ago. Libby fills the wardrobe gap of "green, low-heeled boots" that I had been trying to fill for ages, and she's got just the sort of Victorian vibe to compliment so many of my current styling tendencies. I was particularly smitten with her navy blue buttons, which compliment the 2-tone olive green leather so beautifully. Libby, you are a most welcome addition to my wardrobe.

I slapped this outfit together in the morning before work, and in retrospect I feel like the tights were a bit much given the busy print of the shirt. But the weather was still chilly, and lacey olive tights were the best I could come up with on short notice. Whatevs; I never worry too much about such things because I never repeat outfits anyway. I had a reason to wear the new shoes, and that was good enough for me. However, I have mentally added non-patterned olive tights to my shopping list for the next time I place an order with Sock Dreams.

Vest: Steam Trunk
Shirt: La Redoute
Skirt: Noa Noa
Tights: Biella
Shoes: John Fluevog

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Introducing Libby Smith

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Separated at Birth

Oh, the perfect harmony that exists between this ruffle-trimmed t-shirt and this tank dress! Behold, the way the straps of the dress neatly disappear beneath the ruffles, as if the two pieces were actually one! Marvel at the way the soft gray of the t-shirt so perfectly frames the beautiful detailing of the cream-colored dress! Yes, these two pieces were meant to go together, ladies and gentlemen. Truly they were twins, separated at birth.

Counteracting the gloriousness of finding the perfect shirt to wear with this dress is the sad, sad fact that this beloved pair of tights is on its last legs (no pun intended). They've got a hole in the foot, they're getting threadbare, and they're starting to pill. Soon they'll have to go in the bin, and I'm loathe to part with them because I haven't found an acceptable replacement yet. I've searched high and low to no avail. I figure I can get maybe one or two more wears out of them tops, and then from here on out I'm just screwed. Perhaps I'll need to run off and join the circus, or at least move to a warm enough climate that I don't need tights at all.

For my friends in Seattle though, I have some good news. This gorgeous upcycled, vintage slip-turned-into-a-skirt is from one of your local designers, the delightful Gunlis. More of her gorgeous creations can be had at several boutiques around town; I found this skirt a few weeks ago at the Fremont Fair during my trip to Seattle, where I was fortunate enough to chat with Gunlis and buy not only this skirt but a couple of pairs of pettipants and a camisole as well. The skirt is trimmed with pleated tulle and accented with a satin flower and black feather. It doesn't replace the failing tights, but certainly it's the perfect flourish to punctuate the shirt/dress combo.

Shirt: H&M
Dress: Lady Language
Tights: Noa Noa
Skirt: Glam Garb by Gunlis
Socks: Sock Dreams
Shoes: John Fluevog

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Separated at Birth

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Carny

This isn't exactly how I wore this outfit to work; I went hatless during the work day and put the hat on later to meet Laura and her father-in-law for a couple of drinks after work. I felt the hat was a little too showy for the office, but it was great fun for an evening out.

I made this hat several months ago and finished trimming it only last weekend. Sometimes hats have to sit around a little while before they're quite ready to be trimmed; each has its own personality that doesn't always reveal itself right away. The idea of a bowler style for women is something I've been playing with since I first started making hats, and I even have a couple in the shop, but this is the first I've done where I added a hat pin. I also made the hat pin myself; this is a new craft I've taken up recently that I'm having a lot of fun with. I like the way the pin and the feathers give an elegant touch to what is otherwise a casual, daytime men's style. The band is made from a vintage necktie.

This is the first time I've worn this vest and skirt combo, though I bought them together with the intention of wearing them this way. The length of the vest is just right for the high-waisted skirt, and the two of them together certainly have the steampunk aesthetic that I've been drawn to lately. The whole outfit with the hat has sort of a carny vibe, most likely inspired by my recent addiction to the now-defunct HBO series Carnivàle. Mark got me hooked on it and we've spent the last few weeks devouring the entire series via Netflix.

Top: H&M
Vest: Heathen
Skirt: Skin Graft
Shoes: John Fluevog

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Carny

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Floral Over Stripes

Last week I paired a floral pattern with plaid; this time I'm showing you how to pair a floral with stripes. In last week's example, the floral was the simpler of the two patterns, whereas here it's the busier one. In both cases the two patterns have some overlap in the color scheme, but not entirely.

With this combination, the only true color match is the black, but the green and brown shades in the top relate well enough to the olive stripes in the bloomers that the two pieces go together without having to match. They have that great formula of 2 different colors plus the combination of both: here I have brown, green, and brownish-green. Another example of this approach to color is shown here.

I selected this short-sleeved jacket as an intentional contrast to the bloomers. The jacket has a structured, business-like look, while of course the bloomers are irreverent and fun. If I replaced this very suit-like jacket with my cropped leather one, I'd have quite a good steampunk look that could transition right into evening.

Jacket: BCBG Max Azria
Top: Mica
Bloomers: Wild Card
Shoes: John Fluevog

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Flouncy

I felt so very girly in this flouncy sheer dress and soft pink tulle skirt. Even the hat has a soft, fuzzy texture that goes so well with the pretty floral print and feminine color palette.

This dress is actually quite tricky to style, but I randomly hit upon this combination with relatively little effort. I've attempted to create outfits around it before, but if something isn't working after 2 or 3 tries, I'll put it back in the closet and wait until I'm inspired to give it another shot; that has been the case the last few times I tried to use this dress. It's great to force yourself to try working with those difficult pieces in your closet, but it's also good not to spend so much time on one outfit that you end up too frustrated to ever use the piece again.

I think what makes this dress troublesome is the shape. The flare of the bottom hem really demands something with some volume underneath, so many of the dresses and skirts I've tried to layer it over don't work. The next time you see this dress it will likely be layered over yet another tulle skirt; thankfully there are 3 more in the closet that I haven't yet paired it with. To see how I styled it previously, click here.

Hat: Monsoon
Dress: vintage
Skirt: Noa Noa
Belt: import store
Shoes: John Fluevog

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Flouncy

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Traveling Scarf!

Kimberly's traveling scarf has arrived in San Francisco! Since it's been worn in so many creative ways already, I figured I'd have to throw in everything but the kitchen sink to try to keep up with all the stylish ladies before me. For this outfit I paired it with sapphire blue, red, gray, teal, and yes, a wee little bit of maroon for good measure.

Red, blue, and teal is a great combination that works really well with the pattern of this scarf. As I was assembling the outfit, it immediately struck me that the bright red of the belt matched perfectly with the scarf. Thus, I added the maroon pettipants as a way to bring a little bit more red tones into the outfit without looking overly matchy. The gray skirt and leggings worked as a neutral backdrop with which to make the brighter colors stand out.

Also included in the package with the scarf was a lovely surprise from the wonderful Katie. Magazines, little samples of beauty goodies, and even a ring pop?! You are too kind, Katie!

As it turned out, this outfit was perfectly suited for the blustery weather. It occurred to me during the day that a lot of people write about dressing for hot weather, or rainy weather, or cold weather, but hardly anyone writes about how to dress for wind, which we have a lot of where I work in South San Francisco. Here is my assessment of why this outfit was the ultimate wind-buster:

1. Since the dress is a wrap-style it has a tendency to fly open in the front, which of course is the worst for wind. But it's also the perfect summery item to wear this time of year, so I simply neutralized the peek-a-boo phenomenon by layering a skirt underneath. I further secured the dress by adding the sturdy elastic belt on top.

2. The skirt is a lightweight jersey material, which also flies around a lot in the wind. Just in case the skirt blew around, I had the pettipants there underneath to keep me covered.

3. The wind tends to be chilly, so I kept my legs warm (and kept the breeze from meandering up my skirt) by adding leggings. These cotton leggings are just perfect for adding a bit of warmth without being too much for the occasional moments when the wind dies down and it warms up.

4. Finally, I kept the scarf from blowing in my face by tying it in a neat bow. Take that, South San Francisco wind tunnel!

Dress: F21
Skirt: S
Pettipants: Glam Garb by Gunlis
Leggings: Noa Noa
Shoes: John Fluevog

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Traveling Scarf!

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Tights vs. Leggings

I consider myself a very lucky blogger in that I rarely if ever get anything even remotely resembling a negative comment. But every once in awhile someone will respectfully chime in with a, "that item of clothing/cut of dress/color/etc. just isn't for me" type of observation, and it's sometimes this type of comment that ends up being the most thought-provoking and productive. Such was the case several days ago when one commenter mentioned that she finds leggings to be really unattractive (though of course saying it in the nicest possible way, as my readers are all awesome people who would never thoughtlessly hurl unkind words at me). And for the next few days I contemplated leggings, because in fact I used to be opposed to them myself and have only recently come around to wearing them the way I'm showing here.

The reason I've recently seen the light has everything to do with the weather here, as I've mentioned before. Leggings are one of the only ways I can achieve a more seasonally-appropriate look while not freezing to death or scaring my coworkers with my golfball-sized goosebumps. But I get why many people don't like them, I really do. On many figures they are leg-truncating and thigh-widening, two features that most women try desperately to avoid. But even for those of you who think it'll be a cold day in hell before you'd ever don a pair of these hideous things, I'm about to explain why you just might have a need for them in your wardrobe after all.

If you hate the chopped legs look of leggings, then forget about them for the warmer months, but consider them as a layering piece for winter wear. On really cold days you can layer a pair of long socks over them when wearing dresses and skirts, which gives you extra warmth while also covering the bottom of the leggings. But if you're just going to cover up the bottom hems, then why not just buy tights, you ask? Because oftentimes that extra layer means that your shoes won't fit comfortably, whereas with leggings you'll only have one layer that goes all the way into the shoes.

The other advantage of leggings is that they tend to be available in a wider variety of colors, patterns, and textures than tights. So although you may be relegated to wearing them only with boots, don't be so hasty to pass up that amazing silver lamé or Spiderman pair simply because they have no feet.

One last thing I'll point out: though leggings are frequently built a lot like pants, and are often thicker than their footed cousins the tights, they are still NOT PANTS.

Shirt: Target
Tunic: Forever 21
Waistcoat: Last Kiss
Pettipants, worn as shorts
Leggings: Kersh

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Blue-Green

Here's a relatively simple approach to mixing colors: select two colors as the primary ones for your outfit, then use the shade that results from mixing the two primary colors together as your accent. Here I've chosen blue and green as my two primary colors, and blue-green, or teal, as my accent. The accent color compliments both of the primaries equally, while providing more interest to the outfit and keeping it from being too matchy. In this case, the teal color also made the look a little more seasonally-appropriate, since it brightened up the otherwise subdued color scheme of the outfit.

Lately I seem to have gotten over my previous aversion to letting the tops of my socks show. I guess I always considered the look to be too school-girlish, but I've found that wearing shorter socks instead of tights or thigh highs is a great way to keep your feet warm while still bearing some leg in the supposedly warmer months (I say supposedly because San Francisco isn't very warm at all in the spring or even summer, and yet we're still expected to dress as if it is). Surprisingly, these mid-calf socks had no trouble staying up all day with no extra tugging or adjustment needed. Since most of my sock collection is comprised of above-the-knees and thigh highs, I think an order to Sock Dreams may be in my near future.

Shirt: Target
Jacket: vintage
Skirt: thrifted
Socks: Sock Dreams
Shoes: John Fluevog

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Blue-Green

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Suddenly Sheer

Here's that old romper I turned into a dress awhile back, making an appearance here as a tunic. And here's that annoying skirt which, after the removal of the underneath layer, is now perfectly cling-free. The only problem with it now is that without the double layers it's downright see-through when I'm in direct light (though you can't tell here), which is why I chose the romper/dress to wear over it. The length of the dress allowed me to go without a slip, which otherwise I'd have needed under the suddenly sheer skirt.

Interestingly, it felt sexier to wear a semi-sheer skirt underneath the dress, even though the amount of coverage was in fact greater. Revealing your shape through a sheer garment adds drama and sex appeal, even when the area of your body that you're revealing is an area you don't really need to cover anyway. Sheer clothing hides imperfections in the skin, all the normal lumps and bumps that us humans possess, and, if you're like me, the complete and utter lack of a tan.

Cardigan: Max Studio
Dress: Express (90's)
Skirt: Sisley
Shoes: John Fluevog

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Suddenly Sheer

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Contrast

Searching back through my archives to find my original Memento Mori post yesterday reminded me that it has been awhile since I've worn this adorable dress. Since we had another day of nice hot weather, it just so happened to be the perfect time to pull it out again, and coincidentally it was also a great way to make use of the new waistcoat I bought last week in an effort to add some more steampunk elements to my wardrobe.

The dress is super soft and comfy, but because it's pretty much see-through it necessitates a layer underneath, in this case a lace-trimmed cami and a black skirt. This proved advantageous for tod`y's outfit, since the black layer added some striking contrast and outlined the top and bottom of the dress, which I thought looked better than the off-white fabric right next to my pale skin. My aversion to tanning really limits my ability to wear white, which is why I often layer my white and off-white pieces with another contrasting layer.

Waistcoat: Heathen
Dress: Lady Language
Skirt: From my sister
Shoes: John Fluevog

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Contrast

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Ruffled

Remember how yesterday I said I was lacking ruffles in my wardrobe? Well, I lack them no more. After I decided to steampunk up my wardrobe a little, I also decided that I needed more ruffles in my life, and that I needed to do something about it pronto. So the other night Mark and I checked out an awesome store in the Mission called Five and Diamond; I wanted to buy pretty much everything in the place, but limited myself to just this skirt and a waistcoat. I also custom ordered a truly phenomenal denim jacket, which hopefully will be here in about a month or so.

Selecting this skirt proved to be quite an ordeal. It also comes in black and gray, neither of which the store had in my size. So the choice was to either custom order one of the other colors and wait for it, or to choose the olive green and have it right away. I did my utmost not to let the option of having the skirt right away influence the selection of color, but I have to admit it was tough to be truly objective. However, just as I was on the verge of ordering the gray because I thought it would go with more things, I reminded myself that: (1) I like my outfits to be colorful, (2) black and gray are 'safe' colors, whereas green is a little more unique, and (3) when have I ever had a tough time making things go together?

Waistcoat: Promod
Shirt: J. Crew (thrifted)
Skirt: Skin Graft
Shoes: John Fluevog

Incidentally, thanks everyone for all the compliments on my new haircut. I got my hair bobbed last time but couldn't quite put my finger on why it didn't look as dramatic as Louise Brooks' style. Then I looked at a few other photos of bobs, and noticed that the really striking ones have 2 things in common: they have very heavy bangs (aka fringe), and they seem to divide the face equally into thirds, from the crown of the head to the bottom of the bangs, from the bottom of the bangs to the bottom of the hair, and from the bottom of the hair to the chin. Hmm, I'm sure there's an equation in there somewhere...

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Ruffled

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Catch Up

I'm playing catch-up today since I was lazy all weekend and never got around to posting Thursday's outfit. As you probably already guessed I had the fabulous McGraws, Sal and Mike, in town over the weekend, and between the shopping, the sightseeing, and the dining out we pretty much wore ourselves out every day and left very little time for anything else.

I'll tell you more about our weekend later; for now I'll just get caught up since it's already almost 10 pm and I still have another post to do.

Orange dress: Skunkfunk
Blue dress: Forever 21
Tights: Not sure; probably Cronert
Shoes: John Fluevog

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Catch Up

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Brief

Since it's now the weekend and I'm no longer in blogging mode, I'll keep this post brief and just skip straight to the details...

Jacket: Forever 21
Dress: J. Crew
Belt: Anne Klein
Tights, socks: Sock Dreams
Shoes: John Fluevog

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Brief

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