When Stripes Met Floral

The best way to describe today's outfit would be business on top and a party on the bottom, much like a mullet, but way classier. The blue stripes from my Thomas Mason for J. Crew shirt are the business part of the equation. (My husband informed me that this type of stripe is known as "Bengal stripe" in the world of menswear.) The party clearly refers to the festive floral pattern on my J. Crew Factory pencil skirt. I feel like the two disparate worlds come together in just the right amount of fun, yet sophistication needed for a workweek ensemble.

On a side note, for those of you contemplating splurging for the Thomas Mason shirts from J. Crew, I definitely have mixed reviews. On the one hand it is a great shirt and well made, however for the price it really isn't anything special. The shirt I am wearing today retails for $150.00 (I paid a fraction of that) which is quite steep given the fact that I don't see any discernible differences between it and the material of  J. Crew's regular dress shirts. I will have to say that the tailoring and fit does seem a little better, though. I guess they figure piggy backing off of the name of "Thomas Mason" makes it appear to have an air of British sophistication, so that justifies doubling the price. Well, that's just my two cents.

Little Black Belt

Every girl needs a little black belt, right? Recently I've been coveting a black leather belt featuring a dainty bow to add to my "box of belts" which I keep in my closet. I had my eye on one such belt from Kate Spade which comes not only in black, but an array of other colors. I was about to purchase the Kate Spade version for the price of $68 plus a coupon for $10 off, when I came across a similar belt from Forever 21. The Forever 21 belt was $4.95, plus an additional 21% off. Yes, it's is PVC instead of leather, but for the price difference I had to pop for the cheaper version. Maybe if the Kate Spade one goes on sale I'll buy it in a different color.

My little black bow belt is adorning one of my favorite skirts from Corey Lynn Calter for Anthropologie. I like the Ikat pattern in red on this skirt. Usually I don't wear it with a belt, but I thought I would try something a bit different for today. The red was the perfect color to wear to the dentist (whom I visited today for a biannual appointment) since it matched my bleeding gums at the end of a vigorous teeth cleaning!

Nick and Nora

Nick and Nora are a crime solving married couple featured in Dashiell Hammett's 1934 novel, The Thin Man and subsequent movie, TV and radio spin offs which were inspired by the book. The glamorous Nick and Nora solve crimes, drink, exchange witty banter, and have a tremendous love for each other and their dog, named Asta.

Last night my husband and I were a little bit like Nick and Nora, sans the crime solving (although that would have been fun too). We went to a literary salon in celebration of Dashiell Hammett which featured lectures and discussion with his biographer and granddaughter intermixed with martinis and a fine mid century buffet of prime rib and other fixings, all of which would have suited Hammett's pallet nicely.

For this event I wanted to look like a noir femme fatale from one of Hammett's stories, such as the Maltese Falcon. As I don't really own too much which is representative of the 30s and 40s era of fashion, I decided to go with this Kate Spade fit and flare Carolyn dress. To class it up a bit, I wore my new pearl necklace which is from the J. Crew factory. The total effect of the ensemble might not be noir, but I thought it was "glamorous" none the less which would have been fitting of Nora who was a Nob Hill heiress in the novel. 

Even if you haven't read the Thin Man, you've probably heard of some of the other work by Hammett, much of which was adapted into movies, such as the Maltese Falcon.  I am in the process of reading these books right now (when I have time) and rediscovering some of the classic movies based on his work. They just released the sequel to the Thin Man novel, Return of the Thin Man which I am hoping to get to soon.

Hummingbirds Aplenty

The sun is out and the hummingbirds are fluttering about on my skirt. I bought this skirt, by British designer Charlotte Taylor, last year from Anthropologie. Since then it has proved to be a great addition to my wardrobe and extensive quirky print collection. I wish I had more of Charlotte Taylor's designs in my closet, as her prints creatively draw from various inspirations, most notably traditional Japanese art and nature. There is always something slightly unexpected about her prints and many are a tad off kilter. For example, from afar this skirt looks like it features an abstract pattern, but closer inspection reveals the silhouette of hummingbirds sipping nectar from trumpet flowers.

To compliment my skirt I paired it with a striped blue boat neck tee from H&M. This shirt was on sale for a mere $7 a few weeks ago, which isn't too shabby. I was on a stripe tee mission a little while back and this proved to be a frugal acquisition which can be paired with many items. In this particular pairing, I love the way the cobalt blue and yellow compliment one another. After a long stressful week and a lot of cold overcast weather, it's the perfect cheery outfit to help usher in the sunny weekend. 

Outfit: Skirt: Anthropologie, Shirt: H&M, Necklace: J. Crew, Shoes: J. Crew Valencia 

Mini Me

I usually don't gravitate towards wearing mini skirts, but I had to get my hands on something with this Liberty art print from J. Crew. The precise name of the print featured on this "postage stamp mini" is Tresco Floral and it too has a story lurking behind its creation. Apparently the floral print is inspired by the "diverse tropical plant life" found on a privately owned island (Tresco) off the coast of the UK. On an overcast day like today, it did succeed in taking me to a more exotic, tropical local.

Despite the fact this skirt is a mini, it's not too short.  I guess J. Crew "tweaked" it to be more modest. Normally I size up in mini skirts with the intention that they will fall lower on my hips and add length. In this case, the store only had a 0 and 4 left. The 4 was swimming on me and the 0 was just right. It seemed to run a little looser than previous "postage stamp" mini skirts offered by J. Crew.

My English teacher in 7th grade had some rather bawdy advice that he gave to students about writing essays. When asked, "how long should my essay be?" he would respond by explaining that a good essay should be like a woman's skirt: long enough to cover the subject, but short enough to make it interesting. While this might not have been the most appropriate instructional advice for "youngsters" learning the craft of essay writing, it certainly stuck with me, so in that respect, I guess it was effective.

I paired my floral mini with my new shoe bargain from Madewell. These "sidewalk" skimmers were about $26 after all discounts. This was my first Madewell purchase and I am very please with the comfort level of these shoes. They might end up being my go-to flats, replacing my beloved J. Crew ballerinas.

 Outfit:  Sweater: J. Crew Cashmere Mini-Cable in Lemon Pulp (here), Skirt: J. Crew Postage Stamp Mini, Shoes: Madewell Sidewalk Skimmer (here), Necklace: Kate Spade

The Bangles

Another day, another pencil skirt. Today I wore one of my favorite skirts, the J. Crew no. 2 pencil skirt in garden floral. The skirt was a great deal and it goes with everything, so it gets a fair amount of rotation throughout the year. To "jazz" up what has now become a routine look for me I added these bangle bracelets that have been sitting in my "statement jewelry" stash for some time now.

While I like the way these bracelets look, the fact that they are always jingling or jangling with every movement renders them very impractical. Sure, they look sort of cute in pictures, but you don't have to hear the racket they make!

Outfit: Chambray Shirt: Old Navy, Pencil Skirt: J. Crew, Gold and Bangle Bracelets: J. Crew ( gold bangles here) Shoes: J. Crew ballet flats

Sequins and Sizing

Apparently size doesn't matter in the eyes of most retailers. What I mean is (and this has been a major gripe of mine for years) women's sizing is all over the map. I have everything from a size 00 to 8 hanging in my closet. What's up with that? I know that nothing is perfect, and certainly some variation is only to be expected, but the huge range of inconsistency gets rather annoying, especially in an age when more and more people are online shopping and hence not trying clothing on before buying.

The reason I bring this issue up is the skirt I am wearing today, which is from H&M, is a size 8. This is twice my normal size. I think most women who frequent certain stores get a feel after a little while about how things usually run. H&M I know always runs small, so I size up usually to a 6. J. Crew on the other hand always runs large, so I am usually size down to a 0 or 2. In reality my true size is somewhere in between, size 4. These days it seems like I am buying fewer and fewer items in this size. It's not due to me either loosing or gaining weight, it's due to crazy sizing.

What really bugs me are stores which have size variation on the same item. For example I have tried on two pairs of the same pants, differing only in color, in identical sizes at Old Navy only to have both pairs fit differently. Now, that's just a matter of poor quality standards.

Well, that's my rant for today. I really do love this skirt with all its sequins and it fits, so who cares about the size? I guess size really doesn't matter, but it sure can be a pain in the you know what.

 Outfit: Shirt: J. Crew Perfect Shirt in Suckered Gingham (here), Sequin and Floral Skirt: H&M, Shoes: Nine West

Best in Show

It's no secret that I love dogs. The adorably named Fetch and Frolic dress from Anthropologie is the perfect dress for anyone who adores man's best friend. The dress features realistic sketches of a vast array of dog breeds. My only complaint is that the artist designing the sketches and fabric left out the English Springer Spaniel, which as everyone knows is the best looking of all of the breeds.

William, my English Springer Spaniel, is actually the grandson of a dog who won best in show at Westminster. I wanted to feature William in this post due to its subject matter, but unfortunately he is going through sort of an "awkward phase" at the moment. You see, last week he had his first stay in a kennel and received some much needed grooming. He had some matted fur on his ears and the only solution to this problem was to shave all of the wavy fur off his otherwise very cute little springer ears. To be quite honest he looks a little ridiculous with shaved ears, but regardless he is still best in show in my book.

Putting It All Together

Nothing in this post is really new, except for the way I put everything together.  Actually, now that I think about it, everything shown here is pretty new, just not "brand" new (i.e. fresh out of the box).  The only exception would be my white (technically called "neutral") pencil skirt which is an acquisition inspired by the purchase of my J. Crew strawberry and mint boy shirt a few weeks ago and last seen not too long ago on my blog here.

After purchasing this spring appropriate plaid shirt, I wanted to find a way to make it a tad more dressy and work appropriate. A white pencil skirt was my answer to this dilemma. I normally don't wear white, but I thought it might be time to start. Since white looks so crisp and clean it is the perfect way to add a little bit of sophistication of any outfit, even plaid.

My shoes, last shown and reviewed here brought all of the pastel and mint goodness together. These shoes are a bit high, all in all they are pretty comfy to walk in. Walking in high heels is sort of a learned art in my opinion. It takes practice, but it is worth the effort.

So this post is not exactly Deja Vu. It's just an instance of trying out a new combination and putting it all together for a more polished effect.

Outfit: Shirt: J. Crew Boyshirt in Mint and Plaid, Skirt: J. Crew Factory Pencil Skirt, Belt: Target, Shoes: J. Crew Contessa Snakeskin Bow

This Old House: Part Two

If you've read my blog before, you know that I like to explore hidden, off the beaten path aspects of L.A. and I also like old, historic homes. On Sunday I visited one such home, The Neff Estate, which is relatively unknown and tucked away in the city of La Mirada. Built in 1894, the Neff Estate is named as such because it was the birthplace and childhood home of notable Southern Californian architect, Wallace Neff.

It's always been a dream of mine (well, at least for the last five years since I transplanted myself out here) to own one of Wallace Neff's Spanish/Mediterranean style creations. Unfortunately, I don't have a spare $13.5 million lying around to shell out for such a home right now. (In case you are wondering where this seemingly arbitrary number came from, it was what Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston paid for one of his homes a while back before ol' Angelina and the kids came into the picture.) Maybe if I stop buying J. Crew I can come up with the extra dough needed for a similar home one of these days.

Financial aspirations aside, the home we visited last weekend, where Neff grew up, was designed by Frederick Roehrig. The house is often described as Mission revival style, although it seems to me to be an amalgamation of other styles too. You can decide for yourself on the influences. That's one of the things I love about Californian architecture, it's often a "mash-up" of different styles which suits my eclectic tastes.

Below you will find me exploring the grounds of the Neff Estate wearing a sweater and boots because the weather here has regressed back to winter. Intermixed are a few shots of this picturesque, historic landmark.

 

 

 Here I am (in my official "trekking around boots") gazing upward at a tree which is as old as the house itself. The roots on this specimen are quite impressive!

The Play's the Thing

It's funny how some weekends can be spent doing nothing but sitting around in your pajamas and watching Lifetime movies and other weekends are full of culture and adventure. (Lifetime movies, the cheesier the better, are one of my biggest guilty pleasures.) Last night we took in a play at the Geffen Playhouse, which is located across the street from UCLA in Westwood.

I decided to go with a little houndstooth, which my husband called Rorschach houndstooth, for this evening's play. The Kate Spade Lola dress was a pretty good Ebay find. I love shopping Ebay for past season's Kate Spade and this silk dress, new with tags, ended up being a bargain. I paired it with some colorful accessories including the Kate Spade Loop de Loops necklace and yellow J. Crew Jackie cardigan.

I'm always a tad jealous of those bloggers who are able to take pictures with just the right background to aesthetically compliment their outfits. Usually I'm just next to one of the orange trees in the backyard, as opposed to some exotic local. I thought yesterday before the play was the perfect opportunity to find a complimentary background for this post. We found some beautiful stairs done with Spanish tile right next to the restaurant we ate at last night. My husband and I decided to put in our name at the restaurant and then take a picture or two by the stairs. When we came back out of the restaurant a homeless man had set up camp on the stairs and took to yelling at himself and at passersby. I wasn't going to ask him to move because I needed to take pictures for a blog, so we found an alternative place.

 

Below is a picture of the picturesque Geffen Theater. The play we saw was American Buffalo, written by David Mamet. All in all it was quite a lovely evening. The play's the thing you know!