One-Dollar Wonders

I'm pretty late to the whole Dr. Who? phenomenon, but it turns out I'm a Sci-Fi-Fantasy fangirl to the core, because now I'm hooked! Been watching marathon runs of the new series on Netflix every night. :D

But back to the fashion. 

When time traveling to the year 200,100 a character called Captain Jack gets drafted into a morbid makeover TV show. While there, the Fashion Stylist Robot Show Hosts tell him: Never wear black with colour. It makes the colour look cheap and the black look boring.

!

I had never been able to articulate it, but this totally sums up how I feel  in bright colors with black. I always get terrible 80s Lisa Frank trapper-keeper unicorn flashbacks. 

Clearly all colors are not created equal - we at YLF have already come to terms with the fact that many colors function as neutrals (navy, olive, dark purple, leopard...). And I'm finding that I love mixing all those with black. But I feel increasingly uncomfortable pairing black with bright, saturated colors. Especially now that I have navy bottoms to substitute in. 

Strangely, this feeling doesn't necessarily translate to other people. Plenty of people look perfectly fab in this kind of combo. Lots of different factors at play, I guess - coloring, personality, personal style. And plenty of fashion spreads and bloggers show black with brights. But that makes it even stranger that this fashion "rule" is apparently floating around in the world. 

What's behind this black-bright relationship? Does anyone else (apart from the writers at Dr. Who?) feel this way? What causes this feeling?

I guess I just got lucky with this one, because I never thought about skirt cling potential until I read Una's thread from today. Bullet: dodged.

Styled around this navy Tocca sweater vest I thrifted ages ago and can't purge because it makes my waist look tiny. Which is kinda rare in these times of flowy tops and waist surrender. Mostly classics here but for the draped mini and cat print.

Thanksgiving pre-party with DH and my mom, since we will be visiting good friends from out of town on the day-of and family work schedules are all kerfluffled. 

Built this outfit around a pair of $20 boots I scored at the flea market during the summer. I really adored how scuffed and whitened they were on the toes and had intended to have them as Serious Cold Weather Gear to wear when visiting my dad. However, I was feeling the chill more acutely today, so I popped them on smack in the middle of a sunny SoCal day. Loose layers required for eating copious amounts of crab and crawfish. 

Halogen high-low zip-back sweater - NHY sale
Allsaints Tsarina tee - Allsaints Archive (back when there was an Allsaints Archive)
Gap denim leggings - Ebay
Black boots - $20 at flea market
Brahmin satchel - Nordies
Spy sunglasses - Ebay
Madewell cat necklace - Madewell

Plastic bib - The Boiling Crab

ETA: promo photo of the boots

Not traditionally the best outfit photos, but we didn't think about it while out relaxing yesterday. However, it tickles me to see myself in my cashmere, Burberry, Ugg Collection (investment) boots, and ladylike bag while out... squatting in the mud, feeding fish. 

Ok, so the koi pond was in a very nice, clean, stylized Japanese Garden, but still: there was a time when wearing my precious items on a "regular" day out would be unheard of - let alone getting them near water and dirt. Thankfully, Angie has taught us that things can be precious to me without being too precious for daily life.

PS: those Koi are sooooo much fun - they eat right out of your hands. Sometimes I don't know how humans thrived as they have - what other breed of monkey becomes giddy feeding smaller animals? We're so weird! 

Pim & Larkin cashmere pullover - Piperlime
Burberry trench - Ebay
Gap denim leggings - Ebay
Ugg Cortona convertible boots - Ugg
Brahmin satchel - Nordies

Ok, so this round of the Google Images Game was a little harder to make sense of. It seems like the draping in my jacket drew a lot of floral references, while the golden snake skirt probably drew fire... but the people talking into microphones? Maybe it's something about the shape of the boots. o_0 But whatever, I'll take it since I spend plenty of my day speaking in public.

This look was inspired by FlorenceFearne with her gray OTK boots. I wasn't planning to keep these once I got my Uggs, but they're just so cheap/cozy/in-style, that they never got sold. I didn't even get around to sewing up the backs, but I liked wearing them today. They will probably stick around this season. 

Lululemon Urbanite Blazer - Lulu
Snake dress - Rack
Black leggings - $1 at flea market
Gentle Souls OTK boots - Ebay
Brahmin wristlet - Ebay

Even though Sheer Tee Weather has finally fled Los Angeles, I had to wear the awesome blouse that Janet sent over through the style exchange! I felt like it added a pretty, romantic element to the borderline-mannish leather-and-trouser, black and brown combo. Got lots of nice comments on the jacket when worn zipped up as a top like this, too. Yay for indoor leather jackets!

I am also still having fun with my Google Images experiment (which in turn is inspiring some fun outfit descriptors!)... even though I might be the only one so highly entertained by the exercise.

DH was all like, "Erm, don't you know that Image Search just shows you random, unrelated stuff?" 

And of course I said, "Yes, that's why it's so interesting!"

Maybe it's like a Rorschach test, revealing more about my self-perceptions than anything else, but come on... I get a bunch of old-timey paintings, the cover to an opera magazine, a view from a motorcycle, and some poor dude hospitalized in a neck brace... how is that not perfectly apt?

It's freaky, I tell you. Freaky. 

1. How I felt at work today.
2. How I hope I looked to others. But didn't. My manager asked me repeatedly if I needed to go home, but I was silly and stuck it out. 
3. My new game: laying out my outfits and uploading the pic to Google Images, checking out what pops up as Visually Similar
4. - 8. Results! Construction, a Polish-Jewish hero, headquarters to a Japanese advertising company, "German Castle" in the Bahamas (? from my Googling, I think that's what that is: an abandoned home nicknamed the German Castle), aaaand... smokey destruction of some kind. 

And that's all the brainpower I have left for tonight - as you can see, I'm a little bit loopy from the sinus pressure. o_0 Glad to have another scheduled day off tomorrow. 

Shannon, Suz, MaryK, and everyone else reviewing their seasonal spending inspired me to do the same and take a serious look at the damage I have done this season. Some of you know it was a hard year for me in more ways than one - I went through a traumatic event, changed jobs drastically, and changed many of my wardrobe needs in the process. My shoe collection especially needed an entire revamp. Note that many items I bought for S/S are still getting lots of wear because of our weather here.

So, looking back at my receipts to make sure I didn't miss anything, I've kept these clothing items:

1. Dark turquoise leather moto (won out over rose gold Muubaa and galaxy moto - both returned or resold)
2. Blood red Guess moto (lucky find bought for wear-red days at work, replacing blush Muubaa as it is less $$ and a more needed color)
3. Vince Camuto citron silk shirt (replacing old poly Ann Taylor shirt)
4. Tahari leather jacket (Zap copycat, replacing United Face outdoor jacket. Price offset by reselling)
5. Vince Camuto green draped blouse (replacing the silk one that fell apart)
6. Theory lanai Blazer off Ebay (replacing AllSaints denim jacket)
7. Theory taupe blazer from Marshall's (replacing taupe cutaway blazer)
8. Lululemon Urbanite blazer (replacing cutaway Gibson blazer)
9. Madewell blue colorblock dress
10. Theory new recovery navy pants (replacing cobalt Sloans)
11. Halogen cashmere blend hi-low sweater

*Also sold and purged much more that were irrelevant to new activity levels to further offset spending. But it seemed to make more sense to only list the direct replacements.

And these footwear items:

1. Ash green leather wedge sneaks (partially funded by reselling worn 80%20 calf hair wedges. fits nicely into work footwear capsule)
2. Vaneli cat flats (replacing Crocs flats)
3. Paul Green Optimist boots (funded by replacing tan lace-up Fryes, cognac platform Timberlands, and tan Vic Matie boots, all resold)
4. Ugg Cortona convertible boots (funded by replacing chocolate brown Frye boots, chocolate Apepazzas, and black Gidigio buckle boots)
5. Oh! Shoes black platform dress booties
6. Earthies burgundy pointed toe pumps (replacing gold glitter pumps that no longer fit and were too high for work)

Honorable mention:

1. My olive Burberry trench (which doesn't really count since it was from windfall money and also my milestone birthday gift to myself, which I have not yet "received" since my bday is in December!)
2. Purple Zella coated jacket, which was bought for warmer weather but has seen lots and lots more use in Fall. 
3. Anthro brocade pants, which were bought with a gift card but are still part of the F/W acquisitions.

On one hand, this kind of gave me the heebie-jeebies and made me feel like a glutton to type up, because I spent much more than in the past. On the other hand, it's refreshing, because I've actually accumulated less stuff than in the past - and for possibly the first time, I've actively replaced an item that has worn out, rather than getting sick of it first and donating. On the other hand, if we're going by Mo's theory that we don't need any more than 6 items in one category, I've almost bought an entire season's wardrobe here! But on the other hand, well, it makes sense to buy a new wardrobe for a completely new lifestyle (from 99% sedentary to 100% active). 

So, to heck with it, I'm going to call it a wash on the wardrobe morality scale (it almost was a wash monetarily... almost... almost... I still have a few more things I might sell). It actually doesn't look so bad when it's put in terms of a wardrobe overhaul, right? And I've been using the heck out most of these items already. 

I am very curious to see how this wardrobe holds up over time - this is by far the happiest I have ever been with mix-ability, re-wear-ability, and comfort. I feel like these pieces should get me far and allow me to purchase less next year, provided that I don't have anymore career upheavals. But since I've never done this before, it's all simply hypothesis. 

Do any of you have greater perspective on this? Has your wardrobe been a well-oiled machine one year and completely broken down the next (because of changes in fashion or personal taste)? Or is it true that, once you get in a good tune-up, you can get by with proper maintenance? 

Feeling marginally better today (after staying home sick yesterday and sleeping about 24 hours straight), so DH brought me to get Chinese soup and egg rolls.

Was not into anything remotely uncomfortable (even a stretchy jacket felt binding), so I chose a longtime favorite striped Splendid thermal, pattern-mixed with my "Burberry" plaid scarf, and threw on comfy BF jeans and Ash sneaks. Going with the philosophy that true grunge revels in mismatchery. o_0 Or that sick people don't have to care.

DH clearly got the get-up-and-go meant for the both of us today. ;)

Splendid thermal - $1 at flea market
"Burberry" scarf - $1 at flea market
True Religion cameron jeans - Amazon
Ash sneakers - Lord & Taylor
Brahmin wristlet - Ebay
Elizabeth & James sunnies - NAS

I thought this duster was so cool when I saw it at the flea market ($4!). But then I hesisiated on it for... Wow, it has to be a few months now. Rather unheard of for Team Wear. I was afraid it might look like a crazy cat lady bathrobe at work.

But I gave it a go today, and I really, really loved it. Felt very cool swishing around my legs and billowing out when I walked fast.

Welcome home from the holding zone, cardigan!

Free People cardigan - flea market
Theory new recovery pants - Marshall's
Pleione racerback - Nordies (gratis)
Oh! Shoes booties - Amazon
Chainmail watch - gift
Brahmin satchel - Nordies