The Outfit Journal: What StylePhyle is Wearing
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29 December 2010
Hard to believe the end of the year is so near, and how rapidly it's gone. It seems like we just had Thanksgiving, and now we're back to work after Christmas, with New Year's coming fast, then back to work after the long weekend and off and running on another year. We're all so busy and committed; it seems to make time go so much faster and sometimes I feel like I'm just missing it.
It's important to take time for yourself, even if it's just a few minutes here and there in the course of the day. I've had a long and busy day as I suspect most of you have, and now I'm decompressing, sitting at my computer in my quiet office with the lights low and a glass of wine, spending a few minutes writing and thinking about what I want to do with my evening.
Another project I'm working on that I love is taking all the family photo slides my grandmother took--an estimated 8,000 of them--and converting them to digital, courtesy of the awesome handheld slide scanner my wonderful husband gave me for Christmas. I've done one case so far and plan to do another one tonight. I'll also be making discs for the family. When I was about 12, I asked Nana if I could be the guardian of the slides someday, and now I guess I know why. The photo, above left, is evidence of how long I've had a love of fashion--this is me at 5, posing in my mother's dress on our back lawn. I don't remember ever having seen this photo before, and I love it. What an awesome gift!
I've written about everything BUT style today (unless you count my musings about my five-year-old self), so here's today's outfit. I wore a short, swingy leopard print dress (INC, from Macy's), with floaty cuffs and a keyhole neckline. Because that was a whole lotta leopard for a workday, I topped it with a black cashmere wrap sweater, and added black tights, black high-heeled boots (Kenneth Cole) and swingy black jet earrings, also Kenneth Cole. I cannot tell you how many compliments I got on this outfit today. It's going in my inspiration book and on my go-to list (everything that doesn't eventually make the go-to list goes OUT, btw). Hey, maybe I'll post the go-to list.
Time to go upstairs and change out of this fabulous outfit, start some pizza dough (for "make your own pizza night") and chat with Handsome Hubby (HH) while I scan some slides and he watches some gory cop show on TV. Have a great evening, everyone!
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14 December 2010I'm doing a training session for a client today, and it's ice cold freezing out. I'm wearing a sort of bluish-purple lightweight merino wool turtleneck with my skinny cargo pants from INC and a black wool military style jacket from Banana Republic (pictured here). I really like this jacket because it's short and fitted, and the way it's cut it actually is very slimming despite the high button; when I first saw it, I expected it to pull across the bust, but it doesn't at all. I also thought the way the lapel with the tab on it tends to stand up would drive me crazy, but it lends the jacket a bit of an edge and I'm very happy with it. I found it on sale at Banana Republic and I'm surprised by how much I've worn it already, as well as by how many complments I've gotten on it. Sometimes you just can't tell until you try a piece on. So go ahead, next time you shop, and try on something you think you'd never wear. As long as you like the looks of it, of course. (If you don't love it, you're never going to wear it!) Back to the rest of today's outfit:. Kenneth Cole ankle boots complete the ensemble. I'm wearing a different sort of necklace, also; it's a sort of cascading band of thin chains. I've had it in the drawer for a few months and hadn't quite found what to wear it with, but I think it's a great complement to the military jacket, which I love and am wearing to death. I got a pedicure this weekend, even though it's so cold no one sees my toes--it just makes me feel more pulled together. |
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8 December 2010No point blogging about my outfit yesterday since I was sick and spent the day in my pajamas, huddled up with a heaty bag and a blanket and some hot tea. Today I built my entire outfit around the fabulous cascade earrings I got from White House, Black Market earlier this week for a whopping $3 (yes, you read that right. Score!) I added a long necklace of multiple strands of pearls mixed with black metal chains, wrapped a couple of times and tied in a knot, and the pearl stretch ring (the one I keep taking off every time I wash my hands because it feels weird when it's wet). I added all this to a pink satin v-neck blouse with a tie (WHBM, shown here); I love how the blouse actually fits my shape, without either pulling or gaping or hanging on me like a tent.Genius tailoring! I left the tie untied and dangling, and it came to about the same length as the hem of the sweater. Since it's about 12 degrees today, I'm also wearing a long black wrap sweater and a swingy, knee length black skirt with black opaque tights and knee-high boots. The whole outfit is warm and makes me feel fabulous. I'm noting it for future reference and all of these pieces are staying in my closet. Speaking of which, as you change out of your outfit at the end of each day, think about the pieces you wore. What did you like? What didn't work for you? Were you constantly tugging or pulling at something all day, or worrying about it? Did anything pinch or bind or hurt? If it didn't fit right, hang right, or make you feel amazing, get rid of it. Your wardrobe should be all about you, and making you look and feel your best. |
6 December 2010Before I get into today's post, I want to make clear that I write about the retailers I do because I like them--not for any promotional consideration, payment, or anything they give me (not that I would mind if they wanted to send me stuff to try). :) Cincinnati is in the middle of a big cold snap, and I dropped a tempered glass pot lid on my big toe this weekend, so no heels for me for a few days. That meant I started with my black cowboy boots. I paired them with black bootcut pants, a lightweight cranberry turtleneck, and the gorgeous swingy cream coverup sweater from White House Black Market (pictured right). I absolutely love this sweater; it's very cozy and at the same time very elegant; and it's cut so that I don't look like I'm wearing a tent. I'm not sure how they pulled that off, but they did and consequently this is one of my favorite pieces. I also have it in black, and like most of the things I get from WHBM, I'll wear them for years. I'm still wearing the side-zip pants I got from WHBM in 2003 in La Jolla; both black and cream. They're incredibly slimming and made of this amazing fabric that's heavy enough to look very polished, and lightweight enough to wear year-round. Plus, they never, ever wrinkle no matter what I do to them. I haven't seen them in the stores for awhile, but I'm hoping they'll bring them back; they should be a wardrobe staple for just about everyone! Did I mention they're incredibly slimming? But I digress. Back to today's outfit. I'm wearing a black leather watch with an oversized face, oversized crystal and pearl drop earrings (also from WHBM), and a pearl explosion stretch ring (found at SteinMart). I had to return a couple of items from WHBM that didn't work into my wardrobe, and got to use a $25 gift card they'd sent me to buy a $28 dollar pair of earrings. It wasn't an $X off a purchase of $X, it was just a flat-out git card. So cool. Sephora just did the same thing; this is a trend I'm liking. It definitely gets me in the stores or on the website! (We're lucky enough to have a Sephora store in Cincinnati, but I'm not setting foot in Kenwood Towne Center until the Christmas rush is over--it's all online from here for me, baby. |
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3 December 2010
Just took our 12 Days of What?! promotion live; so excited to see how it goes today and for the next 2 weeks!
I'm wishing for my jeans today, but I'm wearing skinny black pants, a big red INC cowl neck tunic I found on a recent foray into Macy's, and a black, red, and silver bead necklace along with some Kenneth Cole chandelier earrings and Kenneth Cole ankle boots. It's a comfortable and cute outfit. I haven't decided if I'll wear it tonight to see "A Christmas Carol" at Playhouse in the Park, or if I'll change into dark rinse jeans with a simple Tshirt and black blazer. We'll see how I feel this afternoon when it's time to go!
2 December 2010
I'm just feeling the cargo pants vibe this week; I'm wearing my camel Cargo pants, brown cowboy boots I've had for ages, and a chocolate brown wool turtleneck with a big chain necklace I got at Macy's last year; it's a simple, comfortable outfit for focusing and getting things done. I have yoga tonight and I'm really ready for it; Mary is teaching and I'm still feeling the positive effects of the great class she taught Monday night, when she worked out the kinks in our hips with some fantastic pigeon pose variations. Thanks, Mary--my paraformis was so tight I couldn't even see straight until that class!
1 December 2010Today we did a video shoot for our holiday promotion, "The 12 Days of What?" and I got to put my broadcasting degree to good use, shooting the instructional video. I wore a Santa hat, so I needed to wear something that worked with red, and also didn't make me look like I'd been recently embalmed. I chose an olive green wool turtleneck and my khaki pencil skirt from Banana Republic, along with chocolate opaque tights and bronze 9West platform stilettos, and sparkly earrings for the holiday spirit. It had been a long time since I'd been on camera, and it was kind of fun to be back...despite the fact I had to sing a line from "the 12 Days of Christmas," rewritten a little...differently. Sanger & Eby is giving away an Apple iPad as part of the promotion, so it's pretty exciting! 19 November 2010Ah, Friday of a crazy long week. Today I wore skinny jean-cut khakis; they're sort of a greenish grey and work for this season's military trend. I got them this summer on vacation and just hadn't worn them yet, but today they were just right. I topped them with a black cashmere turtleneck that's fitted enough to look polished but loose enough to feel very cosy. I love boots with skinny pants, so another pair of Kenneth Cole ankle boots with a 3 inch heel felt right. I kept the jewelry simple with a couple of rings and the long, dangly pair of earrings I bought last weekend shopping with my 11-year-old niece at Claire's. I was surprised to find something there for my mid-40s self, but hey. You take style where you find it. |
Tonight I took two 9-year-old boys to a Cincinnati Cyclones game by myself (favorite oldest child had to work and HH is traveling). I absolutely love hockey, and our team is terrific; 2010 Kelly Cup champions again. Go Cyclones!!!!!
Oops. Style. Right. We now return you to our regularly scheduled blog post.
I wore the same black cashmere turtleneck and ankle boots with a hip-length black leather jacket and my favorite Banana Republic busted jeans. Instead of my giant leather tote, I switched out for a small Perlina purse my sister gave me years ago; it's great for sporting events because it's chic and durable, and also it can handle the inevitable dirt and grime of a sporting event.
We had such a fun time. We had front-row seats near the goal, and even though we sat next to sub-morons who insisted on pounding on the glass so much that security had to warn them multiple times and finally threaten to eject them from the game, we had a fabulous time. Ford had made a "Go Cyclones" sign with oversized paper and magic markers, and he waved it the whole game. During the break, Twister came over and very carefully flipped a T-shirt right to him. The child was over the moon. Twister is awesome. Thank you, Twister! And of course our fabulous boys won again!
16 November 2010
Today's agenda includes a professional conference with a client in the morning, a few hours in the office, an hour with my nine-year-old son (if I'm lucky) and then getting ready to enter that peculiar police state we commonly refer to as "the airport." How do you dress for that? Easy. Change clothes.
I'll change clothes before I travel and be as efficient as possible in packing for this overnight trip. I'll be with a client conducting focus groups and have no time to change between the end of the groups (they're in midtown Manhattan and end at 5PM) and my flight (7:30 PM, out of Newark. I know. Wish me luck.
So, on to the outfits. This morning I wore a red fitted turtleneck under my black Banana Republic fitted, long merino cardigan, my never-fail black INC above the knee pencil skirt, red booties with a deep vamp and a 4 inch heel, black opaque tights, and my Jessica Simpson jewelry from Macy's.
Speaking of Macy's, I stopeed on the way home last night to return something, and happened across a fantastic jewelry clearance sale: $4.99 for each piece, and great stuff: Jessica Simpson, Monet, Guess, and of course some private label stuff. I bought a ton of stuff for gifts; I spent $80 and saved $577 according to my receipt and my sales associate, who was lovely and helpful. I love Macy's. But I digress.
Tonight for traveling I'm wearing black, bootcut heavy knit pants (INC), my super comfy Kenneth Cole low-heeled ankle boots with the back zippers, a fitted ivory turtleneck, and my long shawl sweater I can wrap up in like it's a blanket. I'll wear the same outfit to conduct the groups, just with a different turtleneck (how about red?) I'll keep the jewelry to a minimum as it's one less thing to remove to go through security. I swear, you have to half undress and half unpack and then pull yourself back together once you get through. I hate flying. I really, really, really hate it. You would think they would find a way to make us both safe AND comfortable, but OH no.
12 November 2010
I was really in the mood for jeans today, but that doesn't work for my workplace, so I settled for cargo pants. I found these great skinny INC cargo pants at Macy's, and they look great with platform heels and a little black T-shirt, so that's what I wore. The t-shirt is a fitted 3/4 sleeve boatneck I found at Ann Taylor last year; I also have it in white and I've worn them both to death. The white one almost literally; actually you should throw out all your white t-shirts at the end of the season. Nothing looks dingy faster or better defines disposable fashion. It's unfortunate, but it's true.
Anyway. It was chilly this morning so I topped off the outfit with a fitted black cardigan, also from Ann Taylor. My jewery is a long pendant necklace by Jessica Simpson, with matching earrings. I also wore a stretchy metal bracelet; no watch today although as many meetings as I had and as much as I had to run around from place to place, a watch would have been smart.
I have two watches that need to go to the jeweler; one for a new battery and one to have a link taken out of it so it will quit spinning around on my wrist. Maybe I'll get that done tomorrow.
So let's talk about the shoes. I found these gorgeous 5 inch platform stilettos at Off Broadway Shoes in Nashville. They have a little zipper on the inside of the heel and wide straps across the toes. They're visually sturdy enough that they'll look great with tights this fall; today I wore them on their own since the weather was warm. I'm getting a pedicure tomorrow and my toes don't look their best at the moment, so after I put the shoes on, I put a fresh coat of polish on the toes that were showing. It's a cheat, but it saves time and looks a lot more polished (ahem) than a chipped pedicure. Just a little fast fashion fix for you there.
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10 November 2010First time this week to wear a skirt; I love them but just haven't been in the mood until today. So I made up for it in style. I wore my rose-print black lace-trimmed cami from White House, Black Market (sorry, there's not a picture of it on the website anymore--but it's really cute) with my fitted, non-itchy black cardigan from Banana Republic and my black pencil skirt, also from Banana Republic--their Mad Men collection. Yeah yeah yeah. I need to watch that show. Whatever. I wore it over black tights; since the skirt is unlined, I wore my Spanx fitted halfslip. Have I mentioned how I love that thing? I'm experimenting with tights and open-toed shoes, so I wore my 5-inch red platform Jessica Simpson stilettos that perfectly match the red in the cami. I also got those at Macy's, but I can't find them on the website. I finished the look with a pile of jewelry from Macy's--truly they have the cutest jewelry. I wore Kenneth Cole cascading grey pearl earrings,a coordinating long necklace looped three times around my neck, and a double-strand floating necklace of red, black, and grey glass beads. |
9 November 2010
Banana Republic is one of my favorite stores. However. They don't alway get it right. I went in to pick up another basic black merino wool turtleneck, as it's terrifically fitted and doesn't itch, and also found it in purple--or so I thought. There's also a pointelle turtleneck--a completely different style and one that does not work with my figure, but they had merchandised them in intermixed piles. Fortunately, I noticed the difference, but the sales associate insisted they were the same. Being short of time, I took her word for it.
I had a 30% off coupon, but it wasn't good until later in the month and the associate at the checkout suggested I might miss my size or color if I waited. With misgivings, I proceeded with the purchase.
10 minutes later, while checking out with a birthday gift in another store, I was perusing my e-mail and noticed a 30% off coupon for Banana Republic--valid November 11-14. 2 days away. I marched back to Banana Republic and informed them of the coupon and my decision to return the items. They offered to give me a pre-sale, where I could pay now and come back during the sale to retrieve the items. I'm sorry, but I don't have that kind of time. Items returned (note one was the wrong fit anyway) and I bought a really cute turtleneck at White House, Black Market instead. Banana Republic: Fail.
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8 November 2010I couldn't decide what to wear this morning and ended up changing after I already had an outfit put together. I started out in a rose-printed wrap top with a lace cami underneath (why must all wrap tops require an additional layer to be decent in public?) and a brown satin Michael Kors skirt cut on the bias, brown tights, and red suede peep toe heels. I love the skirt; I found it at Macy's a few years ago and it's become a wardrobe staple as I can dress it up or down. I found the elastic has given a bit too much and needs to be replaced, and I wasn't really in the mood to wear a skirt anyway. My final outfit is a rasberry cashmere half-sleeved sweater, skinny brown cords from Banana Republic, low-heeled knee-high brown boots, and the pink bauble earrings (shown left)I just got at White House, Black Market. SInce they're pretty dramatic, I left the rest of the jewelry alone except for my watch and a couple of rings. I love these earrings! I started out with the boots tucked into the pants, but ended up taking them out about halfway through the day as they were driving me crazy. |
5 November 2010This is the first really cold day we've had; I'm off today because our family is here and we're going to the Breeder's Cup tomorrow (that's a whole additional fashion dilemma, because it'll be relatively cold then as well). We're sitting downstairs on the lower deck watching birds, and I just came in to change clothes. I'm wearing my Banana Republic Heritage distressed jeans with a little stretch, my snow boots (my feet get cold), a lightweight turtleneck underneath my favorite old cashmere turtleneck--charcoal grey and oversized. I wore it when I was pregnant quite a bit (at least until I got to be about 7 months, by which point it had fortunately warmed up). I'm also wearing my long hot pink cashmere wrap, which I love. It's a little battered now but I keep sewing it up and wearing it anyway. Tonight we're going to dinner at our beloved ZZ's Pizza on Gilbert Avenue; I'll probably still wear the jeans, but change tops to something a little less casual. I'll also wear black heeled boots, similar to the Kenneth Cole boots I love but with lower heels. |
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3 August 2010
So. First day back at work after a wonderful family vacation, and I'm wearing some of my new acquisitions from the trip (God bless my ever-patient HH).
I'm wearing a little black cap-sleeve sweater with a deep V-neck and a higher V-neck in the back; it has a little woven pattern (cable-like) down the front. Next time I'll wear a black cami underneath it for my own piece of mind; I think the cable gapped a bit here and there throughout the day. That's over a deep grey herringbone above-the-knee pencil skirt--a new find from Banana Republic and their new "Mad Men" collection. I don't watch the show but I LOVE the clothes.
People tell me I should watch that show. I know. I know.
I finished off the pencil skirt look with new 5-inch platform peeptoe heels in black leather; I found these at Off Broadway Shoes in Nashville, and while I love them, my feet were KILLING me by the time I got home. They're more like wearing 4 inch heels because of the little platform, but I will still need to break them in a little before I wear them again.
Jewelry is simple--a grey crystal and mock-pearl necklace, triple-wrapped to fill the V-neck, the silver ring BB gave me for my birthday a few years ago, another silver ring on my right hand, and a simple tank watch with a black face.
And now I'm ready to change into shorts and get some more work done. Maybe HH will want to go for a walk after dinner tonight...despite the 90 degree heat. Or maybe I'll just go swimming.
