Law school is a stressful place. I guess that goes without saying, but I thought I'd be able to handle it with no problems. After all, I've survived many an all-nighter during my undergrad years. Unfortunately, it became clear that my days of running on 2-5 hours sleep on a regular basis must come to an end. This last semester was the toughest I've ever had in my life; my grades for once reflected the amount work I put in, and they came at a very high cost. I went through the last 5 weeks of school feeling miserable, and things have only gotten worse since. Last week I found out that stress, in conjunction with other factors, made me sicker than I thought was possible. Now, it's very difficult just to get through the day, much less concentrate on getting my school work done. As a result, I'm falling behind really quickly, and it's only the 4th week of the semester!
As you can see, stress may incur enormous economic costs, both in terms of medical care and lost productivity. Hence, investing a little in a good preventative care program now will result in big returns in the long run. I decided to do a 3-part series during my study breaks in the coming weeks. Part I will cover food, part II will focus on gyms, and the series will wrap up with health insurance concerns. Please bear with the snail's pace of updates (not that I was ever good about posting frequently), as I'm sick, tired because I can't have coffee, and have assignments out the wazoo in February.
In the meantime, good health to you all!
1.30.2006
The New Luella Bartley Line at Target: Things to Pick Up When They Get Marked Down
Just thought I'd comment on the new Luella Bartley line at Target. I've always been lukewarm about the Issac Mizrahi products--love the shoes, but the clothes are just not for me. The Fiorucci stuff were just not my thing either. Hence, even with the existence of rave reviews and rapt anticipation of the Luella Bartley collection by various web outlets, I was a bit skeptical about the hype. After seeing part of the collection in person today, I have to say that I'm quite impressed!
I'm a sucker for puffed-sleeve tops, so it's no wonder I fell in love with this t-shirt. The zipper has a little heart, and the fabric felt pretty good. I'm not quite willing to pay $14.99 for it, but the price is certainly very affordable.
I was also very impressed by this blazer. Tres chic! I found that everything Issac Mizrahi seems to run big, at least for me, so it was refreshing to see a blazer that comes in a true XS. The edges of the button are red, orange (I think), and green, respectively counting from top to bottom. The fabric felt pretty luxurious, as opposed to the stiffness and wrinkly-ness of some IM blazers. At $40, it's much too steep for me, so I'll be lying in wait. I won't be able to make another trip to Target for another month, but hopefully there'll be something left for me then. Navy blue is nice and classic, but for the more adventurous fashionista, a bolder version is available. I would never be able to pull that off, but it looked great on the store-poster models.
I really loved the yellow hobo...lots of room inside, very bright and bold, but not too challenging to pair with outfits. At $35, it's waaaaay too pricey for me (remember that I'm the type of person who waits till bags are in single-digit territory). The $30 apple canvas sling is much less utilitarian (looks like dual purpose laundry/punching bag to me) but no less adorable; it's probably more suitable for someone who is more adventurous with street style.
The Target I went to doesn't have a whole lot of stuff; maybe it's still early and not all the products are introduced in stores. In the meantime, you can look at the website and ogle at all the wonderful accessories that may land in the brick-and-mortar near you very soon (I particularly like the cuffs). However, remember to control yourself: you probably don't need the stuff NOW, so wait until it's 30% off before indulging. If things run out quickly at your local store, try another one in (I hate to say this) a more low-income area. Please don't misconstrue this as snobbery, as I grew up in a low-income household (and I'm damn proud of my community). There are a couple of reasons why low income areas may still have popular items: 1) Target prices are still high for most of us, even when things are on "sale," and 2) generally speaking, people are not as concerned about designer fashion as those in more affluent locales. This is simply based on my observations of the Target I usually go to and the ones in neighboring middle-class towns. Unfortunately, these facts speak to greater social problems that I'm not going to get into (particularly bullying in high school, where many unpopular kids are made fun of because they're poor and/or don't wear "cool" clothes). This blog isn't about social commentary (I've got my friends and another blog for that), but I hope that as much fun as you have with "obsessing" over fashion, take some time to reflect on more important things.
I'm a sucker for puffed-sleeve tops, so it's no wonder I fell in love with this t-shirt. The zipper has a little heart, and the fabric felt pretty good. I'm not quite willing to pay $14.99 for it, but the price is certainly very affordable.
I was also very impressed by this blazer. Tres chic! I found that everything Issac Mizrahi seems to run big, at least for me, so it was refreshing to see a blazer that comes in a true XS. The edges of the button are red, orange (I think), and green, respectively counting from top to bottom. The fabric felt pretty luxurious, as opposed to the stiffness and wrinkly-ness of some IM blazers. At $40, it's much too steep for me, so I'll be lying in wait. I won't be able to make another trip to Target for another month, but hopefully there'll be something left for me then. Navy blue is nice and classic, but for the more adventurous fashionista, a bolder version is available. I would never be able to pull that off, but it looked great on the store-poster models.
I really loved the yellow hobo...lots of room inside, very bright and bold, but not too challenging to pair with outfits. At $35, it's waaaaay too pricey for me (remember that I'm the type of person who waits till bags are in single-digit territory). The $30 apple canvas sling is much less utilitarian (looks like dual purpose laundry/punching bag to me) but no less adorable; it's probably more suitable for someone who is more adventurous with street style.
The Target I went to doesn't have a whole lot of stuff; maybe it's still early and not all the products are introduced in stores. In the meantime, you can look at the website and ogle at all the wonderful accessories that may land in the brick-and-mortar near you very soon (I particularly like the cuffs). However, remember to control yourself: you probably don't need the stuff NOW, so wait until it's 30% off before indulging. If things run out quickly at your local store, try another one in (I hate to say this) a more low-income area. Please don't misconstrue this as snobbery, as I grew up in a low-income household (and I'm damn proud of my community). There are a couple of reasons why low income areas may still have popular items: 1) Target prices are still high for most of us, even when things are on "sale," and 2) generally speaking, people are not as concerned about designer fashion as those in more affluent locales. This is simply based on my observations of the Target I usually go to and the ones in neighboring middle-class towns. Unfortunately, these facts speak to greater social problems that I'm not going to get into (particularly bullying in high school, where many unpopular kids are made fun of because they're poor and/or don't wear "cool" clothes). This blog isn't about social commentary (I've got my friends and another blog for that), but I hope that as much fun as you have with "obsessing" over fashion, take some time to reflect on more important things.
1.29.2006
It Pays to Wait: Target
What a difference a week makes!
I went to Target last week, hoping to score some shoes. While commiserating over how the shoe aisles were picked clean, I came across a lovely metallic green satchel that was exactly what I have been looking for: cute and spacious enough for a sweater but not too bulky. Alas, it was still somewhere in the $10-15 range; with recent unexpected expenses (and an expensive ski trip coming up), I decided it wasn't worth it at the time. I don't go to Target often enough to get a feel for their price-reduction schedule, but since there was a relatively large quantity of the bags, I decided it was safe to wait at least another week.
It paid off in a big way.
I didn't expect prices to plummet in a week, but that's exactly what happened. The bag ended up being $6.24, leaving me with enough cash to buy a few other things that I needed. The few dollars I saved really went a long way. I was also amazed by some home goods that went to 75% off...I've seen such big reductions at Target before, but they are never this prominently advertised. Some stylish Michael Graves lamps dropped to $6-20, depending on the style. I saw other lamps for $4--better than Ikea lamps of equivalent price. There were other great deals too, but I just can't remember right now.
Here's the bottom line: if your coveted item is in sufficient quantities that it won't be likely to run out within a week, AND you have enough time to make another trip, just wait another week. You'll get a lot more for those few dollars saved. However, if there's only a few left, you really want it, and you're willing to pay that price, just take it. Yes, it'll probably get marked down further, but the odds of you being the one to score is slim.
I went to Target last week, hoping to score some shoes. While commiserating over how the shoe aisles were picked clean, I came across a lovely metallic green satchel that was exactly what I have been looking for: cute and spacious enough for a sweater but not too bulky. Alas, it was still somewhere in the $10-15 range; with recent unexpected expenses (and an expensive ski trip coming up), I decided it wasn't worth it at the time. I don't go to Target often enough to get a feel for their price-reduction schedule, but since there was a relatively large quantity of the bags, I decided it was safe to wait at least another week.
It paid off in a big way.
I didn't expect prices to plummet in a week, but that's exactly what happened. The bag ended up being $6.24, leaving me with enough cash to buy a few other things that I needed. The few dollars I saved really went a long way. I was also amazed by some home goods that went to 75% off...I've seen such big reductions at Target before, but they are never this prominently advertised. Some stylish Michael Graves lamps dropped to $6-20, depending on the style. I saw other lamps for $4--better than Ikea lamps of equivalent price. There were other great deals too, but I just can't remember right now.
Here's the bottom line: if your coveted item is in sufficient quantities that it won't be likely to run out within a week, AND you have enough time to make another trip, just wait another week. You'll get a lot more for those few dollars saved. However, if there's only a few left, you really want it, and you're willing to pay that price, just take it. Yes, it'll probably get marked down further, but the odds of you being the one to score is slim.
1.27.2006
Shopping From Your Closet
Buying into the vintage craze? Well, there are ways you can join the craze without the buying part. Start by looking in your own closet. That's right, Ms. (or Mr.) I-Have-Nothing-To-Wear: you may have cool-again old clothes buried somewhere in your closet, in a suit case, in storage, or many cases, at your parents' house. Another source of vintage is your parents' closet. As hard as it may be to believe, your parents were young and hip once. They followed trends, some of which have been revived. However, in my opinion, trends come and go for a reason--some trends vanish more quickly than others because they were bad ideas in the first place. Hence, you may need some creativity to rework old pieces to give them a modern twist. You can see how these two principles operate in the following anecdote:
My roommate recently started wearing some cool clothes that I haven't seen her wear before; as it turns out, they used to be her mom's. That inspired me to dig for my old clothes at my parents' house. I wasn't at all fashionable back in the day, but there were a few key pieces that got lots of compliments on; those were the pieces I was looking for. I didn't have time to dig very deep, but I found a long black vest I haven't worn since high school. Vests are back nowadays, so I decided to take advantage of the situation. I was never into vests that much--just wore them because my mom said they looked good on me--and after I buttoned up the vest in the present day, I came to realize that I still don't like them. However, I found a way to rework it into a fitted long tunic using a brooch. Now, that's an outfit I approve of.
When you dig through your closet, you should perform a concomitant function: permanent purging. If you've rediscovered something you love right away, run with it--wash it, create new outfits with it, put it on a hanger for easy access. However, while some old clothes can be saved, others should go gently into the night. How do you tell when to give that old pair of pants the ax? Think about why you kept the piece hidden in the first place. Is it because you never liked it in the first place? Take a look at it now--if you still don't like it, chances are you never will. That should go into the donation bin. If things are really tattered, don't throw it into the trash just yet. If it's cotton (e.g., socks and shirts), save it--it's always good to have a bag of rags hanging around, especially for routine cleaning and plumbing disasters. Old t-shirts and pants are also great as prototypes for DIY projects (such as stenciling; I'll write about it sometime in the future). If there are interesting prints or appliques on clothes that are declared unwearable, you might also want to cut those out prior to disposal; they may be good for simple DIY projects in the future. If you're lukewarm about it, put it aside but in a visible place; if you put it back in the location from whence they came, they'll continue to be ignored and, worse yet, take up valuable space. Think about ways you can update the piece with layering and accessories, like the way I handled my vest, or maybe even a trip to your tailor. If you can rework an old piece to your liking, great; if not, it's time to let it go.
If you need help reworking old pieces, get some ideas from fashion magazines/websites/blogs. One of my favorites is StyleDiary. The editorial articles are great, but my favorite feature is the massive collection of personal fashion diaries posted by ordinary people, demonstrating how they wear their clothes to go about their everyday business. I'm always amazed by different styles from around the world. So many people got their clothes from thrift/vintage stores (or their moms, sisters, and friends) and whipped up incredibly stylish outfits. I even get inspired by outfits that I personally would never wear. Once you take a look, you'll understand why looking fashionable doesn't necessitate spending.
My roommate recently started wearing some cool clothes that I haven't seen her wear before; as it turns out, they used to be her mom's. That inspired me to dig for my old clothes at my parents' house. I wasn't at all fashionable back in the day, but there were a few key pieces that got lots of compliments on; those were the pieces I was looking for. I didn't have time to dig very deep, but I found a long black vest I haven't worn since high school. Vests are back nowadays, so I decided to take advantage of the situation. I was never into vests that much--just wore them because my mom said they looked good on me--and after I buttoned up the vest in the present day, I came to realize that I still don't like them. However, I found a way to rework it into a fitted long tunic using a brooch. Now, that's an outfit I approve of.When you dig through your closet, you should perform a concomitant function: permanent purging. If you've rediscovered something you love right away, run with it--wash it, create new outfits with it, put it on a hanger for easy access. However, while some old clothes can be saved, others should go gently into the night. How do you tell when to give that old pair of pants the ax? Think about why you kept the piece hidden in the first place. Is it because you never liked it in the first place? Take a look at it now--if you still don't like it, chances are you never will. That should go into the donation bin. If things are really tattered, don't throw it into the trash just yet. If it's cotton (e.g., socks and shirts), save it--it's always good to have a bag of rags hanging around, especially for routine cleaning and plumbing disasters. Old t-shirts and pants are also great as prototypes for DIY projects (such as stenciling; I'll write about it sometime in the future). If there are interesting prints or appliques on clothes that are declared unwearable, you might also want to cut those out prior to disposal; they may be good for simple DIY projects in the future. If you're lukewarm about it, put it aside but in a visible place; if you put it back in the location from whence they came, they'll continue to be ignored and, worse yet, take up valuable space. Think about ways you can update the piece with layering and accessories, like the way I handled my vest, or maybe even a trip to your tailor. If you can rework an old piece to your liking, great; if not, it's time to let it go.
If you need help reworking old pieces, get some ideas from fashion magazines/websites/blogs. One of my favorites is StyleDiary. The editorial articles are great, but my favorite feature is the massive collection of personal fashion diaries posted by ordinary people, demonstrating how they wear their clothes to go about their everyday business. I'm always amazed by different styles from around the world. So many people got their clothes from thrift/vintage stores (or their moms, sisters, and friends) and whipped up incredibly stylish outfits. I even get inspired by outfits that I personally would never wear. Once you take a look, you'll understand why looking fashionable doesn't necessitate spending.
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