Fickle as Mercury

The weather over the last few weeks is doing quite a number of my immune system, along with the stress of travelling. It's quite a comedy of errors--I brought some colder-weather clothing to Sacramento on the first week, thinking it might be cooler at night like it was in LA. I was gravely mistaken. Hence, I left all the cold weather stuff back home over the weekend and substituted with lighter sweaters...and guess what? It became extremely gusty up north, to the point where my rented Rav4 would sway with the wind on the freeway. When I phoned the office and home, I found out that it was rainy and cold (which also contributed to those miserable flight delays), and in the town next to my home town, it even snowed!?! Given the low elevation, it took me by surprise. Hail is entirely possible, but snow is unheard of.

And now it's back to hot days, cool nights. At least the one good thing about the cooler weather is the opportunity to wear those out-of-season purchases, namely the Mike & Chris sweaters I bought a while ago. I'm an unabashed big fan of the line, since its hoodies are so versatile and sophisticated enough to be comfortable work staples. In years past, I couldn't afford half the beautiful things I wanted, but I managed to get great layering pieces. This time, I went for the investment pieces--nothing too expensive, but solid things that I couldn't afford before.

My favorite piece is the $70 trench coat. If I can wear it all the time, I would. I have always loved the trench sillouette, and when it's fitted and comfortable, it's even better. It's effortless and so classy. Cleaning it is a cinch, too--I've thrown it into the washer a few times, air-dried it (to avoid shrinking...Mike & Chris items tend to run small as it is), and it's good as new.

[Top picture: Mike & Chris coat, A Common Thread top, Paper Denim & Cloth jeans, BCBG pumps w/leopard trim. Bottom picture: Mike & Chris coat, Max Studio dress, Target tights, Gryson for Target bag, Payless shoes]

The other investment piece is an egg-shaped wool coat. I don't know why, but I just have a fascination with rounded forms. Rounded forms carry the danger of making one look rotund, but this one is just right. Since I've been looking for a coat, and I've been wanting something avant-garde (which usually doesn't come cheap), and I didn't want to spend too much money on it, this coat is just the one I've been wanting. At $100, it's warm and even more affordable than the black coat I bought earlier this year.

I also bought some fun and not quite as expensive sweaters. I've always loved the more feminine version of the military look, and this $30 double-breasted sweater with convergent buttons fit the bill. Admittedly, it's a bit difficult to wear--it doesn''t look great when it's unbottoned, but boy does it look sharp when it is. I've worn it with jeans and pumps for going out, and with slacks for a deposition. It's a fun piece that I enjoy.

I also bought a tie-neck top--not quite a bargain for $30 since it doesn't look quite as good when worn as intended, but it looks GREAT when worn as a deconstructed cardigan. I love having the tie ends just hanging loose.

What was a great bargain, however, is this jumper dress. I got it for practically 90% off. I had to pay the tailor $12 to get the zipper fixed, but all in all, $30 (including the said $12 to the tailor) is a really good price for this cute dress. I can't wear it to work, but I definitely can get a lot of wear out of it for fun. Curiously, I saw a picture of this "Johnnie" dress styled as a tube dress by one of the online boutiques. Hmm...

[Top: American Eagle t-shirt, Mike & Chris Johnnie dress, Issac Mizrahi for Target purple pumps. Buttom: Forever 21 eyelet blouse, Mike & Chris Johnnie dress, Coach flats]