A Pop of Neutral: the rare, dressed-for-dinner edition

Went out for a spontaneous dinner with an age-old friend. Afterward, he asked me to take a pic of the outfit he wore with his new scarf (it's totally contagious). Of course I obliged - and then naturally had to take an outfit pic of my own! Exposure provided by some very brightly-lit street advertisements. 

I know the warm, brown booties with the cool-toned outfit are going to make some teeth itch out there. However, I really like the look and feel it is the equivalent of a pop of color (without having to wear color). 

PS: I need a hair trim so bad it hurts! How do you fellow short-tressed ladies keep up? I feel like my cut goes from great to meh to argggg! in just a couple weeks. 

Dark teal moto - Ebay

F21 navy turtleneck - $1 at flea market

Gap jeggings - Gap

Timberland booties - Sierra Trading Post

Brahmin satchel - Nordies

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When it rains, it pours...

Yes, that is a blue leather moto... I think I just had the idea a few days ago, and look what found me. It's a very dark turquoise. The pic is from the morning, and it has eased up quite a bit in fit after a full work day - the first time I've experienced a leather jacket molding to me... and I was just saying on another thread that I'd never had leather stretch much. Oops! 

So wow, I love the jacket, but I am not really feeling this outfit. I think my Tahari jacket is better for bootcuts, and I should use the moto cut for skinnies and dresses. I guess I have to learn how to style a moto now that I have embraced them. Team Slow to Adopt Trends all the way. 

The work wardrobe is finally starting to feel like it is falling into place. I don't have a ton of stuff anymore, almost everything gets worn frequently, and I feel I have a good variety. A good feeling! All I need is something red, since we have to wear b/w/red for most sales, and I hate hate hate my only red indoor item right now (a chunky leather belt). It will be nice to stop shopping for a while and simply luxuriate in clothes and shoes that don't hurt/stick/itch/sweat/bind/pinch/suffocate.

In other news, it did sort-of-kind-of rain this morning - a spotty drizzle! Yay! 

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White (Hot) Christmas in LA. In November. Before Thanksgiving.

I had a day off, so DH and I went out to lunch in Koreatown... man, it felt just like summer! And then we stopped by a shopping center, and all the Christmas decorations were already up - complete with giant tree and life-size reindeer fleet wired up above. Sometimes it's like we just make everything up on a whim out here - weather "changes," holiday "seasons." Whatever. I just want to wear my fall clothes, darn it!

At least we found this wall. And I didn't have to work. :)

J. Crew linen blend tee - $1 at flea market
Allsaints camo pants - Allsaints
Ash wedge sneakers - Lord & Taylor
Brahmin Vineyard satchel - Nordies
Elizabeth & James sunnies - NAS

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Shameless Zap Copycat, and what it taught me about my other jackets

I shamelessly copied Zap's leather jacket after seeing her rock it so hard during Shoptoberfest. It's not shown in its best light with this outfit, what with the low heels and two hip-widening tops... but for today I went for a relaxed, comfortable attitude over long legs and a small waist...

The point of my story is that I didn't really know what was missing with other leather jackets until I tried on Lina's. It is way lighter in weight than anything I had tried on in stores before, including blazers. And unlike my Bebe jacket, the rib knit trim is 100% cotton. The matte "sand" color is somewhere between my old caramel trench and the cutaway blazer I wore into oblivion this year, brighter than black but still low-key. The sleeves are slim but loose enough that air flows in, so I have worn this to work with no problem. 

Suddenly I see a mass jacket exodus coming. 

2 - the rose gold Muubaa is sold. I LOVE it, but it is more outgoing than I am.

3-4 - the galaxy moto is sadly being returned. I just. can't. unsee. the moon-butt in the back, no matter how much I want to delude myself and keep the pretty jacket. I even ordered the two S sizes from Amazon, but no dice. Quite sad about this, but I will hug my galaxy shoes and dress extra tight tonight.

5 - I think I can finally let go of the beautiful, unbreathable, un-wear-to-work-able Bebe. Mo, should I send it to you?? Or did you end up getting the white DP moto?

6 - I am probably going to resell this jersey moto, too. The fabric is right, and it's flattering, and I love the idea, but it feels very casual when I wear it to the store. Not enough structure and yet not enough drape to add that touch of dressiness I need for most of my stretchy, no-nonsense, stair-running work bottoms (especially jeans or leggings masquerading as dress pants). 

I still love the idea of a dark, non-black, classic-ish moto jacket, though. I am not allowed to buy any more draped collars! Moto is next in line. Maybe a Muubaa that fits like the rose gold but is a color more like 3 and 6. 

I guess I was still going through a style experimentation phase and didn't even know it! I kind of wish the experimenting had been done on the cheap, but one thing I knew was that I had to go for better quality materials. Thank heaven for Ebay is all I can say... 

Do any of you do this? As in, keep buying what you *think* you need, in different variations, until you finally find The One?

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An Outfit in Parts and Impressions

So this has been the most challenging week in my professional career. Like ever. So not much time for morning outfit photos. :(

I tried to combat the sepia-tone-ness of my indoor pics, but they still aren't great. I am wearing my purple Zella moto with an orchid purple sweater half-tucked into a mini-ish skirt. Was still too warm part of the day, even with bare legs, but okay most of the time. 

Zella moto - Nordies
Cat necklace - Madewell, Shoptoberfest II
Free People scrunch skirt - Nordies
Vaneli sweater - $2 at flea market
Rockport boots - Ebay
"Cartier" watch (not pictured) - $1 at flea market

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Refugee from The Donate Pile

These pants were in the donate pile, but now they have set up a little cot in The Holding Zone while I mull them over. High waisted BR Harrison bootcuts...at least they are high waisted on me. I used to love them for The Bank, then I hated them, now I'm kind of liking the long-legged properties of a high waist with a half tuck.

Worn with my one NHY item: this zip back hi-low cashmere sweater. And Ash wedge sneaks. Because I can. Lol

Should I grant these refugee pants entry into the new world of a stylist's closet?

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Cat-atonic

I can't help but laugh at the second pic - fashion gods be smilin' down on me this morning! Ping! ;)

I tried a couple different gold necklaces with this outfit but, in the end, I stuck with only a watch. One of my customers gave me repeated compliments on my "subtle" outfit, so that gave me confidence that I made the right choice.

This sweater actually has full sleeves, but they don't stay scrunched... had to roll. Do they look too bulky? Maybe I should chop them off and sew them into a permanent 3/4 roll?

Kitty flats are 2 for 2 days of comfort!

Black cashmere sweater - $1 at flea market
BR Sloans - Banana Republic
Vaneli cat flats - Zappos
Brahmin Vineyard satchel - Nordstrom
"Cartier" watch - $1 at flea market

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Galaxy Moto is here - now with DAY lighting

So to be honest I wasn't expecting to like this when I ordered it. So many times I'll order and it will be easily eliminated. 

But this jacket is really well made. Similarly to the neoprene Zara I tried on at Shoptoberfest, I like how crisp it is. The lining is also more of a mesh; not that sticky polyester garbage bag feeling.

Styled simply as if for work... what do you think, honestly? Do I come across as too silly or out there? I would probably also style it with navy and charcoal gray. 

There are two prints: one with more citron, one with more pink. DH likes them but doesn't like the pink as much. For reference for anyone else mulling it over, I got the size M. I probably could also wear a small, but the M gives more ventilation. 

ETA: I'm open to returning both if it looks too teenybopperish for me.

EATA: Here are some pics with an actual, well-powered light source. The jacket colors are much more true to life here. I have eliminated the other pattern because my gut tells me hot pinks and blues are way less me than the oranges and yellows in this one. 

Please excuse the mirror spots that seem to appear in one pic and (see, cameras reveal all where the naked eye FAILS!)

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Cosmic Print Moto - for Una? Me? ...?

Came across this crazy galaxy moto. Not sure what my intentions are for it, but I had to share it! 

http://www.shopblacksalt.com/c.....oto-jacket

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Hello Cat Flats, Fond Farewell to Airport Greeting Cardi

I loved this cardigan from Modcloth, but it pilled so quickly and so fully! I have been shaving the pills off, but I finally shaved straight through the fabric in a spot on the arm and made a hole in it... Darn scrunching brought the pills out in droves! I am mad that my money bought me so little time, but trying out the style at least nudged me to jump on my very similar Lulu jacket.

In other mews, my new cat flats are solid all-day shoes for me! Not even a blister on the heels, baby. I think they will be workhorses for sure.

Vaneli cat flats - Zappos
Gray cardi - Modcloth
Gap jeggings - Ebay
BR top - flea market
BP necklace - Nordies
Brahmin bag - Nordies
Long overdue laundry piles - all over my living room floor

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