One-Dollar Wonders

I wore this out to try on some pants at Anthro, since I have my birthday coupon. The pants did not work out, but I really loved the outfit. Una was right that these Gidigio boots are magical - not only do they fit my ankles and calves and look good with both both skirts and skinnies AND BFs... today I crammed some bootcut camo pants in there for good measure. Who knows how they handle the extra fabric and yet still look so sleek in the ankles, but I love it! If Mary Poppins survived the zombie apocalypse and bought a pair of boots, these would be the boots!

Continued trying out tips and tricks the forum had left on my hair rant post. I cannot sleep with my hair wet or I catch a cold, but I did let my hair air dry most of the way this morning before zapping my roots and spraying. Not as much texture as pincurls, but much easier, and I was happy with how it looked out and about.

Oh, and also? I must have a jacket addiction. I walked by Lululemon on the way to my car and haaad to try on this jacket - the color is much prettier in person (like a cross between cobalt and sapphire), and it was SO comfy. Fleece-lined, removable hood and, lots of range of movement despite the bodycon fit (which I adore in jackets). I did leave it behind, which shows that my restraint is getting better, though I am still sort of hoping for some birthday windfalls.

I only took a short trip out this morning, but I had Natalie's Shadow Persona thread on the mind and wanted to revisit my SGT (Steampunk Girly Tomboy) look.

Today we have my statement steampunk boots, which I'd not worn since quitting my old job, paired with sort of a girlie preppy/schoolboy look. It could be argued that it's more of a schoolGIRL look, but I'm still feeling the tomboy vibe because of the flannel fabrication of the dress and use of a pullover instead of cardigan... I'm not sure why, but pullovers always feel more masculine to me.

This is Day 2 of my pincurled hair - I've not washed or brushed it since the curling. It's really almost back to stick straight, but there's a tiny bit more texture in there that I'm trying to milk for another day.

I also tried a little something different with my photos today. Instead of placing my camera on the roof of my car, I balanced it on the window wiper. I've got to dial in the focus better somehow, but I do like this angle better. You guys might think it looks the same, but IDK, maybe it just looks more like what I see in the mirror.

Target flannel plaid dress - flea market
H&M cabled pullover - gift from Dad
Cabled knee socks - gift from Mom
Timberland "Marge Wood" boots - Ebay
Cat pendant - Madewell
Ted Baker messenger - flea market

Huge hugs to everyone who gave opinions, suggestions, and therapy sessions on my post from last night. I feel like I have a plan for some future experiments, and that goes a long way to helping me calm down.

Since a midnight haircut was not in the cards, I went with some suggestions from my Asian-haired friends and slept with my hair wet and clipped up in bobby pins. I also gave myself a helping of DH's lethal hairspray. My hair rejected most of the wave but kept enough that I was much happier with the texture - high five Diana and Lyn!

Perhaps I felt emboldened by my "wild" 'do, but I had a sudden urge to try a new silhouette as well: baggy britches with tall, fitted boots. A little bit Mountie, a little bit WWI... really, how could I go wrong? It won't be everyone's cuppa, but I will definitely wear this combo again. Soon. :)

Added an afterthought pic of the outfit without the coat.

Charcoal Andrew Marc "Milla" coat - Ebay
Gidigio "Easy Rider" boots - Ebay
Faded black thermal - flea market
Men's belt - flea market
Gap "Sexy Boyfriend" jeans - Gap
Ted Baker leather and pony hair bag - flea market

Having a frustrating day today. It started off when I got stuck in the parking garage because some guy tried to exit without a ticket and then refused to even pull over to the side so others could go around him. He just sat there, punching the "call for assistance" button over and over and over and over and over, even after I asked him reallllly nicely if he'd let me by... He'd still be there if I didn't look up the number to guest services and ask security to come down. But by the time they let us out, I was totally late for DFS. Had to pay $10 for parking because I missed my bus, and now, I'm looking at this picture and... really hating it.

I liked the outfit, and I still think it's okay. But I feel so... ugly in my photos lately. I look so much shorter in my outdoor photos, my face looks fatter despite actually losing weight, my complexion is always washed out even though I'm wearing more makeup than ever, my poses look awkward, and - most tragically - I think the honeymoon period may be over with my haircut. I KNOW!

It's just... I thought shorter hair would be more easily mussed up and bed-headed, since it wouldn't be so weighed down. But nope, the 'do is looking more sleek and irritatingly perfect than ever. It's driving me nuts! I want it to come across as relaxed and natural and mussy, but it comes across like I stand there with a flat iron and spray can and shellack every strand into submission, even when I stand there with three kinds of waxes/texture products and try my darndest to apply some gorram chaos.

Ugh. I don't know why I'm in such a crabby mood today, but I'm ready to go all G.I. Jane up in here. I think I'd really do it, too, if only my face didn't look so oddly square-jawed in these pics. -_-

Some distant part of my brain knows that I need to practice my photos more and find the right angle to stand at, the right way to tilt my head, et al. I know I need to play with more hair products and really get into the groove. It's just hard to hear that part of my brain what with all the whining and complaining I'm doing. :T

Siiiiigh... just one of those days.

As MaryK would say, "/rant."

Worn yesterday to and from work... yes, it's another trench! Sorry for the blur again; I'm useless in the rain. Loved wearing this B44 dress again, and I got a few compliments on it, even with my uniform worn over the top. Behold, the power of B44, lol.

Orange B44 Column dress - Ebay
Norma Kamali for Walmart trench - Ebay
Rockport Anna Motor boots - Shoebacca
Ted Baker pony/leather messenger - flea market

Just a quick outfit shot from earlier today, when I was on my way to work. I think I could happily dress like this most of the year, if weather allowed. Plus, I really think my hair looks best styled with an UWP coat. :)

Scottevest hidden pocket trench - Scottevest
Gauze scarf - The Rack
DL 1961 jeans - YLF Swap Party
Gidigio boots - Ebay
Ted Baker messenger - flea market

A new month is upon us! Time to reflect on the past month... since I haven't been posting new outfits, you may have already forgotten my quest to wear all my jackets, but it was there, and I feel I've learned some muy importante things about my relationship with jackets.

First things first: I'm not really the Chronic Jacket Hoarder I thought I was. As mentioned in a previous post, practical use has taught me that blazers are NOT jackets. They don't provide full chest coverage, they're thinner, and they're not really appropriate for my current job. So far, they've only been practical for DFS once it cooled down (it was far too hot to wear a blazer inside most of the month). Conclusion? My jacket collection is still practical, however I must keep a wary eye on my blazers. If they don't get used, I'll have to purge a few and keep the ones that do double duty as toppers for fancy occasions and interviews.

Just as it turns out jackets are different from blazers, it also turns out that Summer jackets are different from Fall jackets. Sounds like a big "duh," right? I blame it on our difficult-to-discern seasons - who knew we had Fall, let alone Fall jackets?? Although many of my jackets are technically warm enough for Fall, they do not fit my Fall/Winter style persona, which is more militant and less playfully tomboyish.

Finally, one of the big kickers this year has been my work uniform, which precludes indoor jacket-wearing 75% of the time. This has put a huge lifestyle emphasis on outdoor-weight items rather than decorative, indoor items. It just is what it is and, while I may one day get to dress sans uniform, I have the current reality to deal with.

After all this, I do have a few items lingering in jacket purge-atory. Note that these aren't items I'm *planning* to purge. They are jus the items that didn't get wear and, thus, pieces I will keep my big, hairy eyeball on in the future. Some of these surprised even me!

1 - Allsaints leather jacket - yes, I'm clutching my heart, too, just thinking about it. But the banded waist and not-cropped-yet-not-full length is hard to style now that I'm not wearing sheath dresses every day. I'm also suspecting that the color is not the best on me. I was much more drawn to my warm medium brown steampunk jacket and chocolate brown trench. I don't currently have tons of leather-appropriate destinations, either. I'm not rushing into things, but it could be possible I should liquidate this asset...

2 - If the last pic didn't give some YLFers a heart attack, this one will. I LOVE this jacket... but I didn't reach for it once. I need to make a concerted effort to style this in a casual way. At the very least, I'm leaning toward keeping it in hopes of a new work environment - hopefully it won't be woefully dated by then.

3 - I've mentioned this one before, and it really makes me sad just thinking about giving it up. The F21 faux shearling bought at the first annual socal YLF meetup. I still love it! But it *looks* too wintry to wear in our warm Falls, and it doesn't keep *me* warm enough to wear much in Winter, and it doesn't look that good zipped up over a tunic. But it's very sentimental!

4 - Many of you won't like this one, anyway, but I love the pseudo-gear look and triple zippers... and it was a present from DH. I still love everything about it... except for the fact that it doesn't breathe worth a damn. Seriously, I sweat like crazy in this thing. No idea if saving it for travel to cooler climes would help at all, or if it I would just end up in a frozen bubble of sweat instead.

So, dear friends, any advice for an emotionally-addled would-be purger? What would you do?

Felt monochromatic today - or rather, I didn't feel into colored jeans that would distract from my two new Pretties. Sorry for the blur in the photos. Some of it is rain, and some of it is the lack of dry space on which to set down my camera. I think the pictures still show the color and detail of the coat and boots well, though.

Pic three shows the accessories I wore underneath for work. My BFF gave me the lock and key for Christmas a couple years ago. I had trouble deciding what to do with them and had them hung on the wall as art for a long time. Finally got the idea into my head that they could be strung on *separate* chains, and I really love the apocalyptic effect.

In other news, I was SO glad I had my heavy coat on today, but not for the obvious reason. The A/C was malfunctioning in our break room, leaving it much colder than the outside world. Crazy! But I was happy as a clam. :)