Perfect for me

Club Monaco's fall collection has the dress I never knew I always wanted. For the last two summers, I have been on the look out for a whimsical white summer dress. But I never realized how delicate a dress I truly wanted/needed. I now know exactly what I am looking for:

Sadly, I have a feeling this dress will be beyond my price range. And furthermore, most of the classier events that I have in the summers are weddings. As of right now, it is still considered tacky and taboo to show up in white. Can't justify splurging a dress that is limited in functionality. Sigh.

Vanity Sizing My Butt

One Size Fits Nobody: Seeking a Steady 4 or a 10 was recently published by the New York Times. The whole article goes on about the ridiculousness that is female clothing sizes. I always find these articles fascinating. While reading the article I thought back to my sizes over the years.

When I was in middle school and shopping at the Weathervane I started with size 7 bottoms. By the time I hit high school I was capping off at 11s. Classmates were stunned, I admit I was rather gangley looking, but thighs do not lie, and they were not getting into anything in single digits by the time I hit 10th grade.

Now let's flash forward into college and the first year out in the real world. Again, I am looking at pants at 8s, 10s, and dresses at 6s. The dresses could be smaller because the top part of me is rather tiny and as long as it didn't have to hug the hips, I can get away with a dress made for a big tween.

Then came the biggest surprise of my life. I decided to splurge on a pair of jeans and go to Lucky. While looking around I asked for an 8 like always. The girl laughed at me and said I needed a 4. I told her hell no, I have never been that small (and mind you I do weigh more than I did in middle school). Low and behold, there was egg on my face because at 23 I was wearing the smallest size I could ever remember. To this day I stay around a 4-6 in pants, and every time I pick up a pair I am convinced that something is off.

I would be much happier wearing a larger numbered (size would technically be the same) garment. I know I have more mass than my middle school self, and would appreciate this reflecting in my clothing. Additionally, I have been too big for my mother's wedding dress since 9th grade. I know there is no way she was a negative number, so really, these sizes need to be realistic.

In the end, I hate vanity sizing. I would love some standard sizing. And if that made me 14 or 20 so be it. I just don't want to feel like I have a prepubescent body.

New York Fashion Week - Get in my closet

While browsing through pictures of NYFW I found that in addition to runway looks I wish I could have (to be posted soon), there were many outfits in the audience that I would be happy to take off these celebrities hands. I mean they don't wear clothes more than once, so donate to me :)


I really have a thing for white and black dresses. Sadly, I can never find one that works for me in my size. Normally, I stay away from long sleeves (even my sweaters are 3/4) but I really think the sleeves make this dress. Tinsley, want to let me know who this is by? Ok thanks



Polka dots are not my thing. But by adding two rows of larger dots makes it look more like a tasteful pattern/embellishment, rather than fabric that should be the base of a dolldress or table cloth. I am pretty sure the salmon/pink color would flatter my complexion more than my usual taste of hot pink crazy.

Here I like the silhouette more than the actual print. Given my small bust, I find that when I wear looser tops with tighter fit bottoms I appear much more girlish. Tight tops just remind everyone that I am lanky and slightly boyish in the torso. I'll keep my eye out for similar looks.

Ok, clearly this outfit is not for me. But Mr. Hamm just looks so darn cute. I mean who wouldn't want to have him around to hang out with?

More to come about the runway shows/new spring collections, and of course the Grammy's (dropped the ball on the Globes and the SAGs).

My CC is keeping me on budget

Ever since I moved out of my parents' house, money has been my biggest concern. I needed to be sure I was covering all my bills, have some left over to save for a rainy day, and then still even more for retirement. Bills were initially easy, as was saving. It took me until about year out before I really started with any retirement savings.

Then I got a little too ambitious. I decided to live by myself. This quickly cut down my ability to save. Once I returned to school, there were a few additional costs, but class and homework got in the way of part time work. This meant serious budgets!!! I need to reduce spending that does not fall under utilities, rent, gas, and food. After a unexpected trip to the garage, leaving me with a $139 bill, I was bummed that I wouldn't be able to pick up some items from Sephora I had meaning to get, or a new pair of winter pants. Boooo.

Just to be sure that I was up to budget for January, I went to check on my credit card. That is when I noticed I haven't cashed in my points for about a year. I use my credit cards for everything. All those charges allow for me to gain points, and I always use them to order $25, $50 or $100 gift cards. It allows for me to treat myself guilt free. :)

This time I am going with Amazon, J-Crew, and Sephora. This should allow me for a combination of things I need and want to get me through the next semester. Honestly, if I could charge my rent check I would be this much closer to a Banana Republic guilt-free splurge.

Bathing Suit Blues.....and greens and pinks

Bathing suits are already going on sale everywhere. In order for me to get a suit for this summer, I realized I should get a move on because sadly one cannot find anything decent if one waits until June or July, you know when swim suits are actually needed. But there is no need to get into that old tired issue.

Victoria Secret has been bombarding me with emails about their swim sales. I have never purchased a bathing suit from them, and since they don't have the best return policy (and there is shipping costs!), I decided if I was going to go for it, I better know exactly what I wanted. The Mall at Chestnut Hill has one of the stores so I trekked on over. Sadly, they carry no suits, so I was stuck.

As I walked back to my car, I remembered that the Atrium Mall (across the street) had a J-Crew and they were also sending me numerous emails. So off I went. There were a number styles available for me to try on. I loaded up my arms with bottoms and tops, and headed into an oddly lit changing room. If that lighting is suppose to help me look better, I don't ever want to see myself in a bathing suit in normal lighting.

Bathing suit shopping should never be done when

• a) you are still pasty from the winter
• b) just ate ice cream at your office's meet the new coworker's party or
• c) not 100% full of confidence.

I did not fulfill any of these requirements and eventually had to just put the suits away. I like one suit, and I am pretty sure it was flattering, but I just wasn't ready to put down the $57 dollars (that was after the 30% off). Hopefully things will look better when I try again in a week or two.

Oh My Mila!

I am glad to see that Mila followed through with the styling suggestions that Tim gave her. Before this finale, I was never sure if I could see myself in her clothing. Now, there are a few pieces I would love to rock around Boston.

This was the first piece that really caught my eye. Yes, I would get rid of the necklace. It reminds me of those things airplane companies put on small children who fly without adults.

If I remove the accessory in my mind, my body quickly takes the place of this model and I see myself rocking the dress. Where I would go in it is something I will just have to figure out later.

Additionally, LOVE the tights. Nothing gets me more than a patterned tight. The fact that Mila designed her own tights for the show is something I cannot being to wrap my head around.




In the past I found myself hating on the color blocking. It was too mod for my taste and, just like my favorite PR bloggers, found it repetitive. But this is a style I could get behind. Don't think that the garments would be necessarily flattering on me. And if I did go for it, I would nix the gloves.

The tights are interesting, but make me think that the girl is wearing awkward shin guards. I think I would need to see them close up to make a real decision on whether they would be purchased.






I think the picture of the back of this cardigan is way more interesting than the picture of the front of the complete look. Don't get me wrong, this was the first look I knew I would be more than willing to jump the model for and take it all. The look is so style meets comfort and despite what my shoe collection may indicate, that is totally what I try and go for on a regular basis.

Not related to this look, but did anyone else feel like Molly Ringwald made an appearance on the runway?










And of course, how could I not post something about that shiny number? Loved the stripping that is on the inside, adds some extra spunk.

Ok, I'm done. Overall, I think this show should have been a solid second place. Boo judges, boooooo.

40 Pounds Lighter

No, I didn't join the Biggest Loser. But what I did do is bring two HUGE bags of clothing to Goodwill. After my last move, I knew I needed to downsize my wardrobe as I just don't want to continue to transport clothing I no longer wear. I still have a few shirts from college and some pants from high school(!). This, combined with my inability to get rid of clothing and my love of finding new deals, has caused my closet(s) to get a little out of control.

I recently tried to do some weeding out of my closet. Now I can proudly say it is no longer overflowing. I am well aware that come next fall/winter I will have to purchase some pants, but for now, I will simply ignore that need. In general, I tried to follow the rule of if you haven't worn the item in over a year, it is time to let it go.

Of course, with all this extra space, I just want to go shopping...

Spandex on a Budget

If I am going to subject myself to running outside, I might as well have some decent workout clothes that fit. The last time I was an active athlete I was in college and really haven't purchased any gym shorts, spandex, sports bras, etc. since. I was thinking it was high time I got some new gear. Specifically I wanted capri length spandex pants. They look adorable and I feel I would be a bit more comfortable in public in a longer spandex pant. My spandex shorts tend to ride up when I wear them and I wouldn't want anyone to accidentally see a cheek.

After asking the runner who sits across from me at work, I found out that the best line of running pants are from lululemon. I took her word for it and headed to the Pru.

The staff there is amazing! So nice and helpful. Now, normally these running pants can run upside of $80! BUT they always have a killer sales rack. See, every 45 days they change their colors. Any stock that they have left in the previous "season's" line, is now marked down. One of the employees told me that if you see anything on the sales rack, just ask if there are any additional colors in the back.

If you are an active woman, I would suggest going to the store and check it out. If you're lucky one of the employees may make a mistake, which they have to do push-ups for. Seriously. No joke.

I wish I was a little bit shorter.

Just kidding!

I love my height, but sometimes I just really want to be a cute little petite person who can wear anything that the fashion world dreams up. Case in point: Urban Outfitters sent me an email letting me know they have a whole line of them this spring! Of course, I couldn't resist taking a peek and subsequently felt that if I even attempted to try one on I would look like I was wearing clothes made for a toddler. Not sexy and flirty, but awkward, spidery and pathetic. I really love the Pins and Needles Eyelet Piped Romper (see above) but know when it is time to close the web browser and step away.

I'm thinking that I might be able to jump on the jumpsuit bandwagon, a similar trend that seems to be also picking up steam. The extra length in the legs make me believe there is a higher chance these pieces will flatter my body. I have tried a few on in stores here and there. Generally they are not quite proportioned quite right for my long and lean frame - major issues in the crotch area when pulling the top up so as not to be arrested for indecent exposure. But maybe there is hope this year?

As if the fashion deities were looking down on me, as I began this post, I looked to the floor of my living room and saw a Free People catalog. When I flipped it open, I landed right on a page with a great looking jumpsuit (see right). You can't tell by this picture but there are spaghetti straps which I think is a must given the amount of fabric that apart of this look. The last thing I need is my outfit sliding down my torso because my tiny boobs can't create enough of a shelf to hold the look in place!

There was one other article that caught my eye. It is like a new take on overalls. Kind of digging this. Need to find one in a store to try out!

For the love of cotton

It has been awhile since I last posted about clothing or shoes. Well, I just got my weekly coupon for one of the local clothing boutiques, which was for $15 off already marked down sleepwear by Cosabella.

Usually I ignore the coupons from this store as the mark downs are typically on full priced items, and well, the items are usually pretty pricey. Thankfully this sale could be used on an existing sale, so, SCORE!

I was able to pick up a really comfortable cotton nightgown. Not only did the store had a small in stock, but it came in the color I wanted (bitter chocolate). My love for soft cotton nightgown slip-like sleepwear has become exponentially more intense each time I manage to find another piece. Honestly, it is like sleeping in second skin. Ladies, please unite behind my mission of bringing sexy back in the form of cotton/lace nightgowns.

Sock Bucket?

Sometimes I see items on the market, and wonder why I didn't think of it first. The $30 missing sock bucket is a perfect example of such a thing.

For the last few months, I have had a missing sock pile in my living room next the tv. (I thought that was as good of a spot as any) But I would agree that a bucket would make me appear a little more organized. And the graphic is rather cute.

LC, I like your stuff!

I think I saw one episode of Laguna Beach. If I recall correctly, one of the girls was rejected from BYU and extremely upset because that was the only school she applied to. I thought it was a strange school for a girl on the show to apply to based on what I knew about the cast, but that is neither here nor there. Since I never really got into Laguna Beach, I never bothered with The Hills, I thought I wouldn't know what is going on - I do realize that I would have been able to catch on pretty quickly, the cast is not that deep.

The reason I mention this, is because when I heard that Lauren Conrad, one of the cast members, came out with her own line of clothing, I figured I would never go near them. How could they be any good? They were from a fake reality show star. Well, I was wrong.

While home for Easter, I went to Kohl's with my mum and sister. I ended up trying on a pair of her skinny jeans. They were on sale for $29.99 and then we had 20% coupon on top of that, so of course I had to try them on. I am a recent convert to the skinny jean. These jeans fit fantastically! I will say that they aren't true skinny jeans in that they aren't tight around the ankle, but I also wouldn't call them matchstick. Regardless, the purchase was made and I am quite happy about it.

If you need a pair of cheap (but nice) skinny jeans, I would suggest taking a trip to your nearest Kohl's.

Kenneth Cole is Taunting Me

I have been flipping through magazines between study sessions this past week as a way to relax my brain. After all, one can only do so many sentence correction questions in a row. In browsing through pages of beautiful clothes and people, I paused on one of the new Kenneth Cole advertisements and immediately wanted to know more about the dress.


I think the dress would flatter my body shape, and even though my skin tone is no where near the tone of the model, I think the colors would still work for me. Given that the ad campaign refers to the internet and virtual states, I figured I could find out more on their website. For the next 25 minutes I became increasingly frustrated as I could not find the piece anywhere beyond the section showing the campaign. Why feature clothing that cannot be purchased?? It isn't as if this is a couture gown. It looks like something that is intended for the masses. Is it too much to ask for to know the price of dress that is probably out of my budget?

If anyone can find out more information about this dress and is willing, that would be amazing as googling "kenneth cole beige brown teal dress" came up with nothing useful.

Change for a Dollar??

Before I moved out of my parents' house, I didn't mind doing my own laundry. At home, the laundry machines were in the room next to mine so very little was needed to get the clothing from my floor to the washing machine. At school, stairs would often need to be used to get to the laundry room, but at least I just needed my ID card to activate the machines.

Now, not only do I need to go from my second floor apartment to the basement, which involves walking down a narrow set of winding stairs. But, I also need the country's rarest form of currency.

Quarters.

Trying to acquire enough quarters to do all my laundry is damn near impossible (excuse my French). Part of the problem is that I probably do my laundry about once a month. One of the reasons this happens, is that I put off trying to get these magic coins for as long as I can. Here are my problems.

1. The laundry room in my building does not have a quarter machine so I need to find an outside source
2. My current job is not particularly close to my bank, so I cannot get a roll of quarters from them as I work from 9-5 and so do the banks
3. I don't use cash all that frequently, so saving quarters from change that I would take forever to get enough for a wash and dry (12 quarters)
4. Generally, stores are unwilling to part with quarters if you ask for change for a dollar (in line with this, they are definitely not going to give me change for a 5 or 10)

I did realize one solution was to hit up laundromats and use their quarter machines. Of course the one that was on my way home has thought about this and fears giving out quarters to non-customers, so they have created some crazy ticket system... shaky fist!!!!! I was finally able to find a more trusting laundromat and changed about $8 so I could get some laundry done this weekend. If anyone knows another way for me to get some quarters I would be so happy, I really need to figure this out. Either that, or I just need to keep purchasing more clothing so I can last even longer between washings.

A (Hot Pink) Tights Under the Pants Kind of Day

Brrrrr!!! Did Mother Nature forget to pay the heat bill? We just went to high 40s to, well, this

At dinner last night my friends and I watched the crazy white happen from the comfort of our table at Cactus Club and realized that we had been lulled into a false sense that winter was behind us. Unanimously we agreed that getting dress for Friday morning would require the oldest trick in the New England Winter Clothing book. Tights under the pants.

The way I see it is if I have to deal with dreary winter weather, I might as well spice things up by wearing tights with attitude. Knowing my legs were covered in a hot pink material definitely helped to brighten my morning as I walked to the bus stop. In all reality, I do try to wear something brightly colored on a daily basis - more often than not, it is a layered item that no one can really see. Just knowing something is bright and cheerful on my body when the winds are 25 mph and the temperature is in the low 20s makes summer seem that much closer.

Not much better on TV

Two weekends ago my friends and I went shopping. While at J-Crew I saw a super cute tank top on a hanger (see above). I had to try it on. When I got inside the changing room, I could immediately tell that this would look amazing or terrible. How did I know this? It has a side zipper. Any shirt with a side zipper requires extra shimmying. That dedication can reward you greatly or make you feel stupid - stupid because after all the awkward ways you just contorted your body, the item looks more like you wrestled with fabric than put on an article of clothing.

Well, it was unflattering. The tie is just too far down on the silhouette. When cinched, the shirt was not coming in under my chest, which would create a flattering empire waist line. What it did do was pull into the smallest part of my waist, which may sound like it would create a successful sillhouette, but because of the tiered pieces of fabric, it simply gave me a small break in the barrel shape it naturally created. The shirt needs to be tied as the natural flow is not enough either to become flattering. Overall, neither I, nor my friend could figure out how one could successfully wear this piece.

The stylist for How I Met Your Mother was clearly also intrigued by the shirt, as he dressed the character Lily in it. I would like to say that I now understand how it should have looked on me. But instead, I will say that she looked just as bad. The formentioned friend felt the same way, as seen by the text I received from her that stated "a girl on tv was wearing that ugly shirt from jcrew and no, it was not attractive".

Funky Fresh

After holiday and new year sales are my favorite. They are usually better than what you can find on Black Friday and the stores are more relaxed as they last for a good week or so. This year I was able to meet up with girls on January 2nd for recreational shopping.

I feel like it is important to disclose that there are some rules to my shopping habits for this new year. From now until an undetermined date, I am only allowed to purchase professional clothing. No pink, no tutus, no short skirts, and heels can be high only if they are professional! I hope I can keep to this resolution, if you will. There is a small loop hole - if I can get more work with my part-time job, I may be able to give myself gifts here and there, but nothing in the immediate future.

One of the girls met me on the T, so I gave her a run down on my rules and asked her to smack my hand away if I started to stray. Further details were disclosed that there was a big need for new pants and some sweaters/winter tops. Every spring/summer I am sure to purchase new summer dresses, every winter, I wear stuff I bought in college - this needed to be fixed.

After a few hours of wandering through the Prudential and Copley malls I was able to come away with a great new blazer (regular $120, purchased for $65), two sweaters (each regularly $40, combined came to $30), and much needed face wash (sadly no deal). I enjoyed the experience immensely, was a little bummed I couldn't complete the look with some pants. The lack of pants wasn't because they weren't out there, the reason was because of the funk...

Specially, some funky smells in a dressing room. I had seen sales at particularly nice store and went into try on some long pants. As soon as I entered into the changing room and closed the curtain, I wanted out immediately! I just can't understand how a such a small store can let that happen. Part of me wanted to say something, but in the end I felt like I would rather just get some fresh air stat! I understand that the weather was wet and so there were a lot of factors that could have contributed to the wet dog/mold/b.o. smell that drifted in my nose. But this store has been in Boston for a long time. Why not just put one of those air freshener things in a wall outlet or something. The kind that smell like fresh laundry...

All I can say is that the store lost a potential sale simply because I couldn't bring myself to stay long enough to find a pair of pants I really wanted to keep. Oh, well. I'm sure someone else will get my business...

Article of Clothing I have no use for anymore

The Bathrobe:

I have had robes in my closet since I started living in dorms at college. It is the easiest way to stay covered up going up those long hallways to the bathroom.

I used them again living in Boston with roommates. Even with the bathroom next door, didn't want to give the girls, or our guests, a show, so the robe was still a necessity .

Now it is just me and the Basil plant. And well, thanks to lack of watering while I was away and my apartment sitter had someone to get a temporary sitter while she was out of town, it is now just me. ;) It is ok, plants are kind of boring. But back to the robe, well I don't have a need for it. Perhaps some point I will need it if I have visitors, but let's be realistic, my couch really isn't big enough for someone to sleep on, so if I have a night visitor, they will be in my bed. Yep, I just went there.

Bikini Streak is Over.

Summers used to be defined as the time in my life where bikinis were worn more than underwear. (Note: this is not due to a laundry problem, but simply because I was always at the beach/on the boat) Now summers are defined by a time where I have the weekends to try and get some sun and the week days are filled with me trying to figure out how to dress myself where I won't die walking to work and yet won't get told my skirts are too short.

Well this holiday weekend, I got to return to the good old days. My days were spent with me waking up and immediately putting on a suit and only changing into "regular" clothing when it was time for dinner and evening activities.

Bathing suits are just so comfortable. They sit right on your body, don't move or relocate and they fit so well. It is like second skin. There were times during the last month where I just wanted to wear one under my work clothing to boost my mood, but given that the average temp was in the 50s (or so it felt) it just seemed like a silly idea. Actually, now that I think about it. Maybe I should wear a bathing suit tomorrow. I kind of got a little sunburned this weekend - little awkward ones here and there, nothing really of concern - but my suit might be a little more comfortable than underwear was today...

Tempting. Very Tempting

My kickball captain sent me a link to The Uniform Project. She said when she saw it, she thought of me. :) I totally dig that.

The project revolves around the idea of wearing the same basic dress every day for 365 days straight and jazzing it up with accessories and layers. (the girl has seven copies of the dress so it doesn't get gross) She takes a picture each day and allows for viewers to rate her style. I find that viewing the month of outfits really helps you get a sense of the project.

It sounds like it would a really fun idea. The nice thing is that you outfit is partially planned for you. Lately, I have had such a problem trying to get dressed in the morning. Part of this has to do with the weather, part with the fact that I needed to do laundry, then I did laundry but didn't bother to put stuff away right away, and then there is the appropriate for work vs what is comfortable. Once I can get the base of the outfit down, I have a blast adding the extras, but lately I haven't been able to really think about the extras as I have been racing out the door to get to work on time. Yeah, so, this would really help.

But, unfortunately, there is no way I could pull it off. No matter much I love the funky extras, I think I would crave the ability to really just wear something completely different. I have too many favorite pieces and while I don't really care if I match regularly, I do need to feel that I look decent, ya know?

Wellm I raise my glass to this girl. GOOD LUCK!