Weekday/Weekend: Freedom of Movement

While I like flowy tops and outerwear, loose dresses usually do not suit my body type very well. It creates the illusion of a huge midsection. Somehow, Stella McCartney's signature loose look works for me. I feel like can move around freely, and even throw in a silly twirl or two. This is pretty important on busy workdays--after all, all work and no play turns Jane into one dull lass.

A casual dress with a pretty print makes dressing up literally effortless. The dress doesn't need accessories, though I usually throw in a simple necklace or two. A jacket instantly sharpens the sillouette for the weekdays. After putting on a pair of shoes, everything else is optional on the weekends.

[The feature: Stella McCartney silk tank dress from Barney's Warehouse Sale. Weekday: Development blazer, Modern Vintage pumps. Weekend: Sigerson Morrison sandals, F21 fleece bomber (for air conditioned interiors), secondhand bag from the last clothing swap, $1 3-rhinestone necklace from Robinson's May a long time ago.]

Dressed to the Nines (from Nine to Nine)

It is hard to work to really, really long hours. It is even harder to motivate oneself to dress up for it. However, I do believe that making a little bit of effort to look good does somewhat translate to feeling a little better and adopting a more serious demeanor to face the challenges of the day.

My workwear this past week consisted of a mix of loose, flowing dresses to fitted but stretchy pants, things that are sharp but decidedly comfortable. Most of the outfits could have swung to weekend mode, but a pair of pumps instantly makes them look office-ready. It's amazing what a difference a pair of shoes make.

Monday: I tried to start off the week by setting the right tone--a comfortable silk racerback tank dress with a fitted blazer. After much hemming and hawing as I was about to leave the Barney's Warehouse Sale last week, I'm really glad I stuck with the decision to buy this dress. The pretty bird and sailboat print and the silk fabric make the dress elegant, but racerback style and loose fit leave a decidedly casual mark. It certainly deserves its own Weeday/Weekend feature.

[Development blazer, necklace I received as a gift, Stella McCartney tank dress, Modern Vintage gray suede pumps.]



Tuesday: After wearing dresses for almost a whole week before, I decided to go back to wearing pants. The weather was sweltering, and the wildfires blazing in the surrounding mountains only add to the suffocating nature of the heat. Non-clingy cropped sleeves and cropped pants were in order.

[BCBG seersucker top, Calvin Klein silk anorak, Fashion Q cropped pants (really old, really cheap, and still alive and loved), Abaete for Payless pumps.]



Wednesday: Since I got home too late the night before to pick up my newly shortened pair of pants from the tailor shop, I decided to go get it first thing in the morning and promptly put it on. I took advantage of the Barney's Warehouse Sale to stock up on some high-quality dress pants, and I am happy I was able to find something. These Balenciaga cigarette leg dress pants are seriously the most comfortable pair of dress pants I own, beating out even wide-legged pants (which present tripping hazards). It was previously impossible to find something high-waisted and slim-legged without accentuating the hips too much or making my legs look like stuffed sausages, but these pants did the impossible. Best of all, I look really tall in them! It is definitely an article of clothing that I will reach for repeatedly to counterbalance loose blouses. The trims and other details are pretty awesome. Because these pants are so versatile, a future spotlight feature is warranted later on when I have the time for it.



[Calvin Klein printed blouse (with exposed zipper in the back), Thakoon for Target cardigan (one of my favorites at the moment), Balenciaga pants, Dolce & Gabbana mary janes, ring from Etsy.]

Thursday: In order to start my day efficiently, I headed to the office even before the crack of dawn. Dressing for the day in California has always been difficult, since it can be cold in the early morning, hot by mid-morning/afternoon, and chilly after the sun sets. Too lazy to think, I wound up doing a mashup of 2 outfits that I wore recently involving the same dressy t-shirt. Light and breathable layers of cashmere and wool kept me comfortable all day long.

[Ann Taylor Loft t-shirt with chiffon flowers, F21 cashmere-blend cardigan, Rick Owens wool pants (fooled people into thinking it was made of linen), Givenchy wooden sandals.]


Friday: I love living on the West Coast, but the downside is that I'm 3 hours behind East Coast time, hence another early start to my morning. Too lazy to come up with new outfit ideas, I went with the same chain necklace and faux pearls combo from the past weekend, albeit with a darker shirt this time. I could have just given up and wore jeans, but I decided to make an effort with the clothes and go a little crazy with the shoes instead. My strategy seemed to work--I had an efficient and productive day. The pic is a little different, since I was too lazy to stand in front of the camera when I got home, but I thought it would be a good opportunity to experiment with a photoshoot concept.

[Friday: Target dress shirt, Ben Amun chain necklace, faux pearl necklace made from beads on F21 tank top, Mike & Chris blazer, Vince pants, Pierre Hardy sandals.]

Classic Metal

When I was a student, I believed that I needed to start building a wardrobe of dress shirts for my impending entry into the professional world, even though I never liked wearing them. However, I overestimated the true need for these shirts, and most of them have been banished to the very corner of the closet. I've come to realize that I've been behaving somewhat like a kid who does not want to eat her veggies--the closet staples are good for me, and I should learn to embrace them instead of being wasteful and banishing them to a corner.

Part of my prejudice against dress shirts is the perception that it is too corporate, too preppy, too "classic," too stiff and uncomfortable. I'm trying to challenge myself to convert these shirts into outfits that I am comfortable with and fitting with my style. I started doing that on a very hot Sunday with a loose-fitting and light white shirt that I picked out from a Robinsons-May clearance rack for $7 a good number of years ago (I think 6-7 years ago), when I was still not completely versed in the art of finding a shirt that fits properly. I haven't worn this dress shirt in ages because it is too loose, but the looseness is perfect for a relaxed outfit on the weekend. Also, a conservative shirt allows me to wear less-than-classic pieces--shorts and my new sky-high Pierre Hardy sandals--without looking like a streetwalker. As a fan of color gradients and geometric forms, I just love the straps of the sandals--very edgy, but also ageless. A "modern classic," if you will. The back closes with a Velcro strap, which is an unexpected touch.

Pearls (real or faux) have a conservative bent, but I've always enjoyed designing jewelry by combining pearls and other materials to create sleek contemporary baubles. I don't have any time to design jewelry these days (though I hope to start making things again once an upcoming trial is over), but I do have time to wear them. Wearing pearls with a white shirt is a bit too classic for me, but juxtaposing pearls with a contemporary metallic piece results in a look I want to achieve--timeless, but seemingly ahead of time. A cauldron of contradictions.

[Valerie Stevens shirt, Ben Amun necklace, faux pearls that I took off of an F21 tank and converted into a long necklace, various rings from Etsy, Gap shorts, Pierre Hardy sandals.]

Rocking After Midnight

Last night/this early morning was boisterously fun, a kind of fun that I haven't had in a long time. My friends and I hopped from one party to another, but it's not the kind of party-hopping that would have happened in the earlier years. We're all grown up now, have complex and demanding jobs, and some starting families, so it's a lot different these days. Still, we put away our Blackberries (well, or at least I tried) for a few hours to enjoy good food, good company, and being loud and rowdy without repercussions (in the karaoke booth, that is).

It was hard to dress for two different events--one was a dinner/baby shower for a couple of friends at a family-friendly restaurant, the other was a birthday party at a karaoke club. Something more casual would have worked for the first event, but as one of my friends said, it was better to be overdressed than underdressed, particularly for the second event.

A blue knee-length skirt is unquestionably suitable for the family-friendly fest; a blue knee-length skirt made of leather is completely appropriate for late-night partying. Sandals covering the front of the foot with lots of leather and grommets are just perfect for any occasion. It took a while to find "the" jacket to complete the outfit, but black denim is just right--a little casual, a little tough. Bright silver jewelry polishes up the look.

My throat is still sore from belting out a little Patsy Cline here, a little Nirvana there. I don't have as much energy to stay out late these days, but last night was the first time in a while when midnight felt like 8 p.m.

[Max Edition mesh camisole (gift), Argento Vivo silver twist necklace, Joie denim moto jacket (from the Joie warehouse sale a good few years ago for a few bucks), thrifted leather skirt, Forever 21 dome ring (which I've been wearing rather frequently), Giuseppe Zanotti sandals (from the Barney's Warehouse Sale yesterday).]