WIW: Butterfly in the Grass

I finally got to debut my grass-print dress! I got it half off at Anthropologie, a while back, but it was too nice to drench in sweat at the swap meet. Wore it today out with hubs to take advantage of some free museums in the area, and I'll wear it out to dinner with a long-lost high school friend and his GF later tonight.

For now, it's off to the pool, because WOW, it is still way too hot to function in the apartment... I can't believe the city pool will not be operating after this Monday. How else can I work out without sweating?? I guess we will have to drive to the next town over and use their year-round indoor pool... :)

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WIW: Brush With Death

So, this is the face one makes in a photograph after some shaved-headed psychopath tries to force you off the side of the road, follows you for four blocks, and then gets out at a red light to bang on your car, demand that you open the window, and threaten you until traffic allows you to escape. Seriously, I thought he was going to walk up and shoot us both in the face. All I could think to do was take his picture with my cellphone, hoping that he wouldn't hurt us if we had his identity on camera.

Near as we can tell what set him off? He was trying to exit his driveway and could not see us coming because of parked cars. We were going max speed limit and had the right of way, but he went insane accusing us of driving recklessly and speeding. There was nothing even close to a collision! He was just. flippin'. crazy.

We did call the police afterward, but they said that they couldn't do anything unless the altercation was still in progress, and they told us it was pointless to file a report. I am still sending his pic and licence plate # to friends in case DH and I disappear (this happened close to our home, so we're slightly afraid he will find us one day) - Still, I am kicking myself for not calling 911 right when he first started trying to hit us with his car. If this ever happens to you, don't think, just call the cops ASAP!

:(

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Desk Job Denoument

I have been sitting on this post since leaving the Office Job, so I figured I'd just up and post it before the day gets away from me again(who knew being unemployed actually would give me *less* downtime?) - so here we go! Working in an office actually taught me a great many things about my personal style.

Growing up, I swore I would never work a desk job. I hated hose, pumps, and all the trappings of corporate officewear. So what did I do after graduating college? I fell into the most hose-enforcing, pump-mandating, corporate office I could find. In Beverly Hills, no less. But I soon found that I enjoyed the challenge of riffing within a very restrictive dress code and, as I look back, I am grateful for my corporate jobs and all the things they taught me along the way.

Classics Are Malleable
After wearing horrible public school uniforms, button front shirts made my teeth itch. But after a while I saw how versatile and changeable they can be. A great white shirt can go from Prim Banker to Rakish Schoolboy with a bit of scrunch and pop and tuck. Cool!

Subversion Can Be Simple
My former boss rocks some subtle flair. His tie and cufflinks always coordinate, and always by theme - boats, racecars, bulls & bears. Personality comes through in less pieces than I'd thought. Because of my dress codes, sometimes the only "twist" in my outfit was a cougar skull necklace, but it was enough for me to feel like "me." The small suggestion of edge and weirdness also felt more natural and effortless than a pile of zippers and studs. Rather than shouting, "Look how Artsy I am!" I was pleased to find that my outfits could smirk quietly in the corner... as I am sometimes known to do myself.

Conservatism Can Be Cool
In a city full of beautiful people who know how beautiful they are, you tend to see a lot of leg, cleavage, and hair. Button your shirt all the way up, or wear a calf-length skirt, and you start to stand out a bit.

People Do Notice
I never would have thought I'd ever hear so much discussion on the state of collars! A male coworker without collar stays may as well be wearing a cutoff tee and flip flops for how much grief he gets. People point it out if your pinstripes clash with your belt or suspenders. And they also notice if you're having fun with fashion. I used to assume no one cared about my outfits - and some may not! - but they do notice.

I Am Not as Edgy as I Think I Am
Finally, after leaving the office and having free reign to wear whatever I want, I find myself still pulling out collared shirts and boat shoes. I sometimes conflate "edgy" and "masculine," which is a mistake. And, thanks to Le Bank Job, I now feel very comfortable tempering masculine UWP type pieces with laid-back classics.

So I may have taken a slight detour in working a traditional job for 5 years but, in the end, I feel like I gained a lot from it. Besides the awesome friendships and contacts I've made, I also was forced to pay a good amount of attention to my style, and I was challenged to inject personality into a conservative dress code. All in all, I'm grateful to have done it - and I may even miss dressing in a formal, buttoned-up way. From time to time. :)

Pics start from 2010 (around when I first started recording outfits) and go through my last day at The Bank.

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WIW: DIY, Dudette, Dinner, and Dancing

Woah, so backed up on WIWs and it's only been a couple days... that's what happens when you start doing multiple wardrobe changes in a day!

1 - Another $1 rayon maxi chopped off to knee-length. It's technically too big, but I need that breezy quality. Worn to the flea market.

2 - Pre-chop!

3 - Worn to an outdoor concert and movie. Lots of sitting on grass and eating while trying to ignore the really loud tweens talking over the Pixar shorts.

4 - Tom Petty outfit mentioned in yesterday's post. Worn to morning flea market run and lunch for 1st anniversary - yes, DH and I are hard core swappers...

5 - Anthro Given then Gathered dress. Worn out to Italian dinner for anniversary night. I actually did wear shoes (and no belt), but I did not retake the picture - sorry!

6 - ASOS Midnight Scene "tunic" worn out dancing to cap of anniversary. I actually wore my Report booties but, again, was too lazy to retake the picture... o_0

Rabbit Rabbit dress - flea market
Yellow Cristina handbag - gift from Mom from TJ Maxx
Navy LL Bean shawl collar sweat jacket - LL Bean
Gap Sexy BF jeans - Gap
Worishofer sandals - ...?
Rogan for Target vest - Goodwill
Ezra Fitch shorts - flea market
Men's belt - flea market
Anthro Dress - Anthro
ASPOS Dress - ASOS

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WIW: Overcast Americana

Oh, jackets, how I've missed you!

We finally had some overcast mornings here to cool down a bit. This outfit is nothing new, really, and I'm sure I wore the exact same thing many times last summer. However, it still feels like me and is mainly classic/preppy tomboy in style, so I don't mind at all.

Wore this out to yet another swap meet where I found some cool things to put up on Ebay, including a Burgundy leather trench, and Armani sundress, and a BB Dakota purple utility jacket.

In other Beyond the Office news, I had my first brush with true SYC pain when I was waiting for a friend. He was running late, so I pulled over into a mall and browed Anthropologie... of course I found a jacket I love that fits me nicely. But I honestly have no more wiggle room, so I left it behind. I'm considering giving myself an Ebay sales quota to meet - as in once I make my numbers, I can spend $X. Sort of a budget and a mental incentive ploy at the same time. What do you think? Too much girl math for the real world?

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WIW: Sporty Sport Tee

I am still a day behind on what I wore posts, so here is my outfit from yesterday. Still digging the preppy tomboy vibe with my vintage Dodgers tank, army green khaki shorts, and belt with little alligators on it (thrifted on vacation in Hilton Head, South Carolina). This outfit went with me to the swap meet and chiropractor, because I live nothing if not a glamorous life. ;)

Dodgers Tee - flea market
Hilton Head gator belt - Goodwill
Lucky Brand shorts - cutoffs, flea market
Dogtag style necklace - flea market
Sperry Topsider boat shoes - flea market
Cristina handbag - gift from Mom bought at TJ Maxx

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WIW: Boat Shoes, Hi-Low, and El Ombre

I can wear shorts again! For a time. There is a minor and temporary break from the heat, so I was able to wear something other than a sundress for two whole days and counting.

#1 was worn to the grocery store and chiropractor. At the grocery, a little old man tried to flirt with me and get my number - he was kind of adorable with his jaunty red neckerchief!

Teal/aqua plaid shirt - flea market
Ezra Fitch shorts - flea market
Men's belt - flea market
Tignanello crossbody - flea market
Sperry Topsider boat shoes - flea market

#2 was worn to lunch with a friend in Redondo Beach. I ended up unrolling the shorts one roll... I don't know what it is, but I'm not liking my shorts as short these days.

Hi-Low top - little junior's store around the corner
Destroyed shorts - flea market
Destroyed belt - flea market
Tignanello crossbody - flea market
Sperry Topsider boat shoes - flea market
Marc Jacobs ombre bag - flea market, DIY

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Meet El Ombre!

#1-3 Remember this bag? It is a $25 Marc Jacobs I picked up at the flea market. It had really been used and abused! I think there was even gum stuck to the bottom, and no amount of cleaning would even make a dent in the stains. I first posted about it here, where you all voted to turn it citron...

... which I did. Sort of. Inspiration struck, and now it is lime/citron ombre! The colors are more like pic 1, but it is not that shiny. The shine is more like 5-7. I'm beyond happy with it, and even DH likes it a LOT. I can always nitpick at my work, and there are some spots where the fade is not seamless if you look close, but I keep hearing an old teacher's voice saying that half of art is knowing when to stop before you ruin it... lol.

For any of you Tarrago Dye users out there wondering about how they mix: they mix beautifully. I did not have to add anything to combine the dyes - just put 'em both in a bottle and shook it up. They do separate after a time, but re-shaking combines them again and gives a perfectly even color - no streaks.

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WIW: Skimpy Neon Pandas

Sorry if my posts have been a bit scarce and irregular lately - I am in vacation and catch-up mode, doing all the things I'd had no energy for while working. One of those things includes turning this formerly-cream-but-stained-from-crossbody-bag-color-transfer panda dress into a citron panda dress! Worn out to a scorching day at a baseball game because all my go-to hot-weather dresses need washing... again. This dress is a little bit skimpy, for me, but I couldn't muster up any modesty in this heat!

One of the other things I've been doing a lot is swimming (yes, still keeping up the healthy habits hopes, though I've been super lax about posting about it)... you might be able to tell by the crazy tan - which I'm not too crazy about, since it's really throwing off my coloring. Going to campaign for using the indoor public pool more often...

J. Crew panda dress - Goodwill clearance center during a pre-YLF Seattle trip!
Tignanello crossbody - flea market
Polar bear necklace - flea market
Softspots sandals - Ebay? Amazon? I don't remember, but those are the likely suspects

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WIW: Another Floaty Flea Market Frock

This isn't the most flattering dress, but it sure is light and airy in the heat. Since I've been having to wash a dress a day to keep up with all the gross sweat, I had to pick this baby up on my last swap meet trip. The fabric is "bemberg" -- apparently a type of rayon that imitates silk. Never heard of it before, but I like it! Came as a full-length dress and got hacked off at home. I wish I could find more things in this fabrication!

Rust dress - flea market
Diesel jacket - flea market
Bullet pendant - gift :)
bag - flea market
rope sandals - flea market

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