The Summer Shoe, Part 2

Perhaps an espadrille is just not your style.  Would you like something a little barer, with more of a sandal feel yet just as comfortable?

Look no further than the avarcas.  A traditional Spanish sandal originally made for workers, it can be worn by men, women and children and has a handmade look and rustic appeal that make it great for casual summer wear.  They are natural leather, still made in Spain and updated with more colors and spiffy options like recycled tire soles.

Doesn't this say summer to you?  Tanned legs and pretty sandals.

They come in almost every color you can imagine.  They're available in a wedge style for those who want a bit more height. They also come in an ankle strap version which might appeal to you if you aren't crazy about a sling back.

The original or traditional version came stateside a few years ago and are now widely available. In addition, there are many "inspired by" offerings.  Jeffrey Campbell can always be counted on to knock off a popular style and give it a twist, like this floral iteration.

The best source is www.arvacasusa.com.  They have the widest variety of colors and styles.  I've also found them on Amazon.  Naturally, they've ended up on eBay and Etsy as well.  There is a price point for everyone, though the originals come in at under $80 for women's styles. 

For the non-traditionalist, they're now being turned out with sequins, leopard print and metallic, like the orange pictured above. 

I am fairly certain a white pair will be making it's way to my doorstep soon. 

The Summer Shoe

My BFF and I were in Saks and she tried on Chanel leather espadrilles.  Drool.  That combo of sophisticated leather with the casual jute sole really appeals to me.  If that doesn't say summer to you in an elegant way, what would?  They're heaven and will hit your credit card to the tune of $600.  Ouch.

 

 

Last summer you could not swing a dead cat without hitting a blogger wearing Chanel espadrilles, in either in the linen version or the leather version.

How about these classic leather espadrilles from the website with the catchy name?  They come in different leathers and tons of colors. A traditional style with ultra soft tops, they would be like wearing bedroom slippers.

 

 

 

Craving a bit more style?  These Kurt Geiger snake embossed espadrilles kick the basic up a notch.

 

 



 

 



My personal favorite and voted most likely to end up in my closet are these two tone numbers from Madison.  The online boutique has a variety of espadrilles in canvas, mesh and leather. Prices for all are a reasonable $135. Take 25%  off with MADISONPSW25 until February 7. 

 

 

 

 

Don't see your perfect pair here?  Check out shopstyle.com and search leather espadrilles. You will find them at every price point.  





2014 Color of the Year . . . Hmmmmm

I don't know how long the Pantone company has been choosing the color of the year.  I don't know why they do it or how they pick it.  All I know is that some years I'm happy with their choice and other years not so much. Their winner for 2014 falls in the not so much category.

From the Pantone press release:

“Radiant Orchid reaches across the color wheel to intrigue the eye and spark the imagination,” said Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute®. “An invitation to innovation, Radiant Orchid encourages expanded creativity and originality, which is increasingly valued in today’s society.”

“An enchanting harmony of fuchsia, purple and pink undertones, Radiant Orchid inspires confidence and emanates great joy, love and health. It is a captivating purple, one that draws you in with its beguiling charm.”

(Source)

 



Okay, now I see the problem.  An enchanting harmony of fuschia, purple and pink??  No wonder I get chicken skin every time I see it.  Pink, along with its variants, are non-starters for me. The perfect garment or pair of shoes could appear at my doorstep by magic and if they were pink I'd toss them in the donate bin.  Even as a little girl I eschewed pink.  As an adult, I truly believe I'd break out in hives if I put it on.  I'm certain that I'm not feminine enough to wear it. It's a girly-girl color and I'm not a girly-girl.

Mind you, on others I can find it quite fetching. 

(Image from Instagram)

I know I'm going to see this color everywhere this year.  From makeup to shoes to dresses, it's applied to anything you can imagine.

(Source)

Apparently it will show up at lots of weddings.

(Source)

As a confirmed pink-phobe, I'll be avoiding it.  What's your take on Pantone's color of the year? 

Dry Clean Only? Really? Are you sure?

We've covered the topic of care tags here.  Some of them are clear and easy to follow. Others, not so much.  One area that seems to create confusion is dry cleaning.  Prevailing wisdom is that "dry clean" on a tag means you can wash it or dry clean it, whereas "dry clean only" means you must dry clean.

I have some clothes that I send to the dry cleaner.  This is mostly because I know I can't press them properly or make them look decent after cleaning.  Things like suit jackets.  I regularly wash and iron silk shirts with no ill effect.  I wash cashmere, I wash merino wool, I wash linen. 

Still, I'm a little hesistant when I have a garment whose fabric content isn't quite as familiar as 100% silk or 100% wool.  Who knows how blends or fabrics like modal will respond to be tossed about in the washing machine?  I've normally followed that prevailing wisdom and sent anything with the dry clean only tag to the cleaners.  Being the rebel that I am, I decided to try home laundering just to see the result.  The experiment involved this dress:

 

I've had this Tibi dress for about a year and a half. I love it.  It's a viscose/poly/spandex blend with a care tag that clearly states DRY CLEAN ONLY.  Yes, it's in capital letters.  Scary.  Let's face it, it's a white dress and even though I take care when I wear it and don't spill my lunch in my lap, I can only wear it a few times before it needs to be cleaned. 

 

Throwing caution to the wind, I tossed it into my washer on the delicate cycle in cold, crossed my fingers and hoped for the best.  The machine stopped. I opened the door and peered into the darkness.  Perhaps my beautiful white dress was ruined. Maybe it was 1/2 the size or maybe it was discolored.  Surely there was some reason for the frightening care tag.  Ah, no. It was fine.  It looked perfectly normal.  No ill effect whatsoever.  I laid it flat to dry and it didn't even need to be pressed. 

 

Obviously this success has gone straight to my head and I'll soon be stuffing everything I own into the washing machine.  

 

Acrylic - fiber of the future or sent from Hades?

Way back in the 1940's, DuPont created the first acrylic fibers for use in fabrics.  They marketed it under the name Orlon.  It was considered a great step forward in fabric technology being practically indestructible. Once you dyed it, it remained colorfast. It was crease resistant and lightweight.  It was intended to mimic wool and early on was used in a variety of household applications like upholstery and carpeting.

It was inexpensive to manufacture and became a common part of the blend of textiles that went into making clothing.  It can be used to make tweed skirts, it gives them the nubby look.  Likewise it is often used in sweaters to get that lofty wool feel.  When spun and woven differently, it can be thinner and finer, seeming more like cotton or silk.  It's no longer manufactured in the US, though still widely available from suppliers in Mexico, India, and other countries. 

Sample of acrylic fabric

A Nina Ricci skirt, list price $1,200 - 20% acrylic

Tibi Anson skirt, $295 - 50% acrylic

Traditionally known as a cheap alternative to various natural fibers, it's been around in lower end garments for decades. I had plenty of garments made from acrylic as a kid, from sweaters to mittens to boot liners and socks.  Now even high end designers have been sneaking it in as part of a fabric blend. What's not to love, you ask?  Why am I even writing about it? 

As fake fibers go, it is among the worst, in my opinion.  It is prone to pilling, it has very little to no give, it has a rough texture that gets worse with laundering or dry cleaning, and it tends to lose its shape over time. The latter problem being rather odd given that acrylic is often used to help a garment achieve a certain shape. 

Acrylic yarn is cheap, as in inexpensive, yet many knitters and crocheters prefer not to work with it because it lacks softness and can be painful to work with given the lack of stretch.  It can irritate the skin of people with sensitivity or conditions such as excema.

It's awful. Period. Even if initially pleasing in a garment, after washing and wear it becomes very much like wearing a Brillo pad. 

In general I prefer clothing made from natural fibers - cotton, wool, silk, linen.  Some viscose, which is made from wood cellulose can be comfortable, such as modal.  I stay away from polyester, though it can be acceptable as part of a blend.  The relatively recent resurgence of acrylic in clothing seems to be a cost cutting measure that allows for greater profit. I steadfastly refuse to buy anything with acrylic in it. 

Off my soapbox.  Are there any no-buys in the world of fabrics for you? 

Style Resolutions for 2014 - part three

The last part of the process, after determining what you want to do with your wardrobe and purging what doesn't work, is deciding what you need.  There may be holes that need filling, basics that have worn out or extras and accessories that will add personality. 

I've decided on a few things, some of which will get wear mainly in the spring and summer, and some that will span seasons.

First, a pair of cognac sandals. I have black sandals in a mid heel and a flat, as well as a dressy light grey sandal. These Via Spiga Fola2 sandals come in black and natural, the latter being the color I'm interested in.  They have gladiator details, a walkable heel and will work well with skirts, shorts and cropped pants.

Next on my list is a white pencil skirt.  The caveat is that it must be washable.  The perfect one is this Jonathan Simkhai knit pencil skirt, which unfortunately has sold out on Shopbop. I keep stalking hoping for a pop back. 

 

It's actually a cream and white blend, as you can see in the close up below.  Washable!  I must have it.

 

 

My wardrobe has a lot of black, grey, white, camel and navy.  Both the above items would work very well with what I already have.  Which is the whole point of building a wardrobe, no?

 

I've been thinking about a patterened jacket. Something to slip over all those neutrals that would work in the office and on weekends. I haven't quite found what I'm looking for yet.  Maybe something like this.

 

 

 

Last on my list (at least for now until I come up with something else to want!!) is a red handbag. I have a camel bag I use for day, a black bag that works well for weekend and errands, and a few good travel handbags that can tolerate being shoved under the airplane seat.  Red would punctuate all the neutrals I wear.  It also happens to be my favorite color, although I wear it very little.

 

What style?  A bucket bag?  A satchel?  I'm open at the moment.  Maybe something like this amazing vintage bag will find it's way to my closet.

 

 

 

What is on your list to add to your wardrobe in 2014?



Style Resolutions for 2014 part two

This is the resolution that might be hardest for more of us to implement - purge what doesn't work in our wardrobes, no matter how much we paid for it and how wonderful it is or was when we bought it.  I decided on a few simple criteria that each and every item has to meet in order for it to continue to live in my closet.

1.  Is it a neutral or does it play well with neutrals?
2.  Can it be worn for different occasions and in different ways?
3.  Is it in perfect condition and does it fit me perfectly?
4.  Do I love it?

Applying these rules made it fairly easy for me to part with a great many things.  For example, this beautiful silk Madewell blouse.  It meets criteria 1, 2 and 4, but alas the fit is off.  I've tried denying that for several years and worn it anyway.  I realize that it doesn't flatter me. 

 

Several J. Crew wool skirts were cut.  The ivory double serge wool pencil skirt, and the sapphire tweed wool pencil skirt are both in the consign bag.  Again, fit is the issue.  I've worn both skirts numerous times and finally came to the realization that all I do is fuss with them when I have them on. I'm never comfortable, and both have been tailored in attempt to obtain better fit.  Other J. Crew skirts survived, such as the mixed media, the interoffice and the pony skirt.

 

 

 

Price paid was not a factor in this decision making process.  A number of Diane Von Furstenberg dresses are out, including the red cotton Meeson dress and the black Phyllis suiting dress.  Once again, these are garments that I do not feel entirely comfortable in.  I am pulling on them or adjusting them all day long.

 

Shoes are harder for me to cull since I long ago got rid of anything that pinches, rubs or hurts in any way.  Every pair I own now fits, and each meet criteria 1, 2 and 3.  A few pairs that did not inspire love have found the bottom of the donate bag.  An example is the Via Spiga pumps pictured below. There is nothing wrong with them, they fit well, they're comfortable and they coordinate with many items in my wardrobe.  I simply do not reach for them. I don't love them.

 

 

 

After a long afternoon, the final tally of items purged is:

 

     5 dresses

     5 skirts

     4 pairs of pants

     3 jackets

     8 tops/shirts

     17 belts

     6 pairs of shoes

     9 piece of assorted jewelry

 

There may be more. 

 

Are you purging too?

 

 

 







Style Resolutions for 2014 part one

First resolution:  dress like a French woman. One wonders if they're all put together perfection when they step out their doors. The ones who get photographed certainly are.  What is the magic? Why do they always look exactly right?

To help us decode the method, let's take a look at a few of the oft-mentioned French style icons.

Ines de la Fressange is a former Chanel muse. She is rarely seen wearing dresses or skirts, is almost always in flats, and her outfits typically contain a mix of neutrals.

The darling of Paris street style, Garance Dore, doesn't stray too far from this formula. While occasionally pictured in skirts or heels, she stays true to neutrals and relaxed silhouettes.

 

 

My personal favorite Carine Roitfeld, might seem at first glance to be a very different animal.  She's quite a bit more fashion forward and is the most "dressed up" of the bunch. Look a bit more closely though, you'll see the same devotion to neutrals, the same attention to details.  While she is almost always in skirts and heels, as opposed to trousers and flats, she has that nonchalance that makes it seem she threw something on and went about her day.

 

 

Last but not least, the woman who might be considered the queen bee of French style, Emmanuelle Alt. She is the editor of French Vogue after all.  She has developed a uniform that seldom differs even from season to season.  She favors pants, skinny ones, heels that vary from kitten to sky high, unfussy tees and shirts, and jackets to finish the look.

 

 



What else do you notice about all these women?  Minimal make up, unfussy hair and few well chosen accessories. 

Is this a style we can emulate?  We're not fashion editors, after all.  Pick out the parts that appeal to you and apply them to your wardrobe. In my case that means sticking with lots of neutral basics that can be punctuated with color if I like, and a focus on accessories such as belts and scarves.  How much easier is it to get dressed in the morning when everything in your closet goes with everything else?  Perhaps French women have discovered that they can spend their time on other things when deciding what to wear for the day is a snap.

Style resolutions part two will be editing the closet. We can't dress like French women until we get the wardrobe monster under control! 

Random Goodness

There are some things you come across that you use and fall in love with.  Here are a few of my recent finds.

On the recommendation of Dani, I tried the Diptyque Feu de Bois candle.  She was right. It smells exactly like you are burning a fire in your fireplace.  It fills the house with scent shortly after you light it.  I have no fireplace, and miss having one.  The candle is so convincing that visitors to my house thought I did.  I can't wait to try some of their other scents.

I came across this sweater on the Forever 21 website and was reminded of Vince, Helmut Lang and Theory.  It's definitely inspired by all those designers.  Unlike many garments from Forever 21, there's no polyester and no acrylic.  It has a very thin and soft hand and drapes beautifully.  For a desert dweller who has chilly days but no real cold, it's the ideal weight. 

 

 

The reviews on this speak for themselves, there's nothing much I can add other than my recommendation.  My skin looks better than it ever has.

 

 



I am mad in love with these Proenza Schouler pumps.  I resisted the sales very well, despite the deluge of emails and catalogues.  I had a list of things I was hoping to find on sale and most of them didn't get marked down, or weren't marked down enough for my budget.  These ended up at 70% off after a second mark down and thankfully were still available in my size.  These may well be the most comfortable pumps I've ever put on my feet.  The matte leather is unique, as is the shape of the heel. Speaking of the heel, it's low enough to actually walk in while having enough height to make your legs look terrific, which is the job of a pump after all. 

Last but not least, an item that came to me after literally years of looking.  Two years to be exact.  I first spotted the J. Crew pony skirt on their site in 2011. It was too rich for my blood and once it hit sale it sold out almost immediately.  I had a personal shopper look for it, I stalked eBay, to no avail. Not imagining that I would have any luck, I posted in the Looking To Find weekly post of the J. Crew Aficionada blog. My prayers were answered by the lovely Tiffany.  After all the searching I worried that I might receive it and it wouldn't be as fabulous as I had built it up in my mind. Thankfully, it was.  Two panels of soft shiny pony bisect the wool knit body of the skirt. It pulls on, flatters the hip and narrows at the bottom.  The panels can be worn front/back, or on the sides, giving the skirt different looks.   

 Any random goodness to report?

Did you forget to send Christmas cards?

I don't know if it's because Thanksgiving was so late this year or I'm just looking for an excuse for my neglect. Whatever the reason, I did not send Christmas cards.  I'm not sure how I feel about this.  It is a tradition, something I've been doing for years. Not because I'm a big Christmas person but because for many of my old friends - and even some family - it's the one time a year that I contact them. 

I suppose it's not too late.  I could run out to the drugstore and get a few boxes. If I posted them next week, most would arrive before Christmas.  Do I need that kind of pressure?  Spending a whole weekend rushing through signing cards and writing messages in each?  Certainly not. I've got to devote that time to eating the baked goods that are abundant this time of year.

But seriously, I do want to send the annual missive that reminds people I'm still among the living and thinking of them.  Then it occurred to me, why not new year's cards?  Long after the Christmas cards have all been delivered and spent their time on the mantel, my new year's card will arrive in the mail boxes of my loved ones as a welcome surprise. 

Having convinced myself that this is an excellent plan, one that will allow me to procrastinate for at least 2 more weeks, I set out to find the cards.  I googled, and found that although there are some commercially prepared cards on the market, the biggest selection was the handmade cards on Etsy.

I love the clean aesthetic of these:

You can personalize these cards with your name, and different colors are available if pink isn't your thing.  Pink is not my thing.

How about these beautiful reproductions of a hand drawn design?

 

 

I'm not sure yet which of these I'll be sending.  I only hope that I make a decision soon and don't end up sending Easter cards instead.



 

 

Distinguishing a want from a need

I suppose strictly speaking I don't need anything.  I have more than enough clothing to satisfy my basic needs. My wardrobe extends beyond that, I have enough for special occasions, vacations, hiking trips, you name it.  I need nothing, plain and simple. 

I could stretch the meaning of need to the point it nearly snaps and tell you that I need black booties.  They are the thing this fall, everyone is wearing black booties.  With cropped trousers, with denim, with midi skirts, with dresses, you name it.  The ankle bootie seems to be the LBD of footwear, appropriate in every situation.

Having determined that I don't need anything, see above, I should not have been looking for black ankle booties.  And yet I found them.

I stumbled across the perfect pair, Jimmy Choo Amore.  I may be drawn to them because of the sensible heel, the perfect calf leather and the just above the ankle height.  Or I may be drawn to them because I have the knee high version, the Alma.

 

The bad news is the price.  Although I think I'd wear these for years and get my money's worth out of them, I will either have to wait for sale or bid these adieu. 

 

Perhaps a fitting substitute is this much more reasonably priced pair, the Loeffler Randall Reese. 

 

 

Same toe shape, same sensible heel, similar silhouette.  The differences are interesting suede details, and a shorter shaft that goes not quite as far up the ankle.  Still, all in all, in pretty good option.  At a more reasonable price and offered by so many retailers that finding them on sale will not be difficult, they are the more likely candidate for my closet.

 

No needs here, just a few wants.  Okay, more than a few, but that's a post for another day.



Here's what I didn't buy . . . and why.

It's a tough time of year to be a reformed binge shopper.  The stores are filled to the brim with new fall goods. Every retailer and their neighbor is having some version of a friends and family sale. Each and every morning my inbox is full of 20% off this and new in that. 

I have a fair amount of self discipline and most of the emails and catalogues end up in their respective trash bins.  Still, the temptations abound and I can't say I haven't thought about making some purchases.  Here's a sampling of what I put in my virtual cart and ultimately decided against.

First up, J. Crew.  Their October roll out actually held my interest, which hasn't happened for quite a while with them.  I was ruffled and sequined out a long time ago.  Their "style guide" catalogue arrived in the mail and I immediately spotted three things to pique my interest.

The wrap skirt, available in red, black, and Bristol blue - a dark teal.  Similar enough to the Tibi wrap skirt I lost out on, and with colors that would coordinate well with my collection of tops and sweaters. 

The great price of $148.00 combined with a 25% off code almost had me.  Checking out the details I noticed polyester with polyester lining.  It wouldn't feel good and it wouldn't sound good.  Pass.

It doesn't get much more office appropriate than a grey dress, and naturally the pocket dress in stretch wool caught my eye. 

 



It's a gorgeous dress, stylish and fitted.  Yet I passed yet again.  I already have 2 grey dresses. 

On to the shoes and the siren call of red suede in a pointy toe stiletto.  What's not to like?

I must admit, these babies almost had me.  I don't have red shoes.  My love of the pointy toe single sole pump is well known.  I adore the color and the texture.  Check out that ankle strap though.  Long enough to go around the ankle a few times, and not removable thanks to those adorable tassels. Would I actually wear them with that thin piece wrapped around my leg?  Not likely.  Another pass.

So there you have it.  A little window shopping that could have hit the credit card to the tune of $650.00 and I hit the delete button.  I think it's safe to say the Crewlade has lost it's hold on me.

There's an app for that

I love scarves. I have a big plastic container full of them.  I try hard to wear them and I manage to pull one out two or three times a month.  I hate to think of them languishing in the closet, as beautiful as many of them are. I have an excuse for the neglect. I am woefully inept when it comes to using them creatively.  I think I know one method of tying.  One.  Scarves can be outfit makers, tame unruly hair and even be worn as garments.  That is, if you know what to do with them. 

Google "scarf tying" and you'll find oodles of You Tube videos instructing you on every kind of tying for any size scarf you could possibly have.  Many of them are professional level and look like they had the backing of a full film crew.  Others are grainy and wobbly, and not in the charming 8mm way.  Sometimes a girl wants some one-stop shopping, without having to search.  Enter the iPad and iPhone version of the Hermes how-to app, Silk Knots. 

 

A collection of pictures and videos demonstrating various methods for using all those scarves gathering dust in your bureau drawer, not just those from the venerable house of Hermes.

 

 

The app is free in the App Store.  

 





My entire fall wardrobe in one place - terrific Tibi

Let's start off with a disclaimer. I'm not supposed to be shopping. I'm not supposed to be surfing the web.  I shouldn't look at the many retailer emails that hit my in box.  I don't need clothes and God knows I don't need shoes.  I had a list for fall and winter, sadly a short pair of seasons in the desert, and I ticked all the boxes on the list.  And then some.  Shopping, done. 

Initially it wasn't that hard to resist when the unappealing email from Tibi landed in my inbox. A bunch of clothes, laid flat against a white background. You'd have to have the imagination of Leonardo da Vinci to see potential.  The mistake I made was clicking through to the website where the clothes are pictured from all angles on actual models.  I don't think my fall and winter wardrobe will be complete without all of these. 

The amazing tropical wool split front pant is high on the wish list.  Slim pants, nicely fitted and gorgeous worn with a heel thanks to that front slit. 

 

Next on the list of kicked up basics, the Anson asymmetrical skirt.  Sure, I have black pencil skirts but none with such an interesting detail as the front panel on this skirt.  It is the perfect combination of ladylike and edgy. 

 

 

 

The last thing in my pretend shopping cart is the silk 3/4 sleeve V-neck top.  It comes in black in addition to the perfect ivory below.  This top, with the two classic with a twist bottoms, would coordinate with a bunch of jackets, shoes and accessories in my wardrobe. 

 

 

 

A grand total of $820.00 for three items, even three as versatile as these, is not in the budget at the moment.  The sale watch begins. 

 

How is your fall shopping going?  Are you finished like me or still on the hunt for things?