A Reformation Sally Blouse in the Land of Eternal Sunshine
I've all but forgotten what it's actually like to live in San Francisco. This place is a neverland it its own right, but the past three years have been a veritable sun-dappled paradise. Never mind that pesky drought... gather ye rosebuds while ye may, eh? (JUST KIDDING. Stoked about the recent mandatory water restrictions. Seriously.)
Anyway, about that blouse. I've been following the sustainable clothing line Reformation for a while now, but I finally got around to ordering this super-rad crepe wrap top. I love wrap styles to begin with – it's so much easier to achieve a good fit – but the Sally top's bishop sleeves, chunky cuffs, and structured collar really take the cake. And the company's sustainable practices and status as a B Corp? Well, that's the all-important icing. Happy spring!
Outfit Details: Scarlett skirt, Amour Vert (Made in the USA, sustainable materials) / Sally top, black, Reformation (Made in the USA, sustainable materials) / Punched leather purse, thrifted / Black suede t-strap flats, thrifted
Among the Palms and Cherry Blossoms
Outfit details:
Black chunky knit raglan / Everlane
Pink skinny jeans (old) / Adriano Goldschmied (made in USA)
Imogen Tote / Steven Allen*
* Note: while this bag is imported, Steven Allen has a great track record when it comes to using sustainable materials and American manufacturing. They're definitely I brand I can get behind -- and this Imogene tote might be the most beautifully constructed thing I own. Seriously, I saved up for this sucker, and it brings me more joy than I like to admit.
St. Augustine
These shots are from our trip to St. Augustine, Florida, the country's oldest city – and probably the only place in the U.S. that was a balmy 80 degrees on December 29th. At first I was a little hesitant to post these pictures because I'm showing my midriff (gasp!) and I look a little hungover (no further comment there).
I think they're worth sharing though, if only because they feature a handmade necklace I found at a night market in New Orleans a few days before. Crafted from black onyx and other reclaimed materials by Shell and Bone, I call it my Black Heart of the Ocean necklace. And it works for me... on dark and sunny days alike.
Christmas in New Orleans: a Trashy Diva Dress and Food, Food, Food
On a bit of a whim, Jon and I decided to pop into New Orleans on our way to visit family in in Florida. It's actually pretty quiet this time of year (quiet for New Orleans anyway), and the empty streets of the French Quarter on Christmas day made it an ideal time for cocktail drinkin' and photo snappin'. I know, we're heathens.
I found this 1940's dress at Trashy Diva, a New Orleans-based purveyor of vintage style clothing that fits like a glove. I've been following the company online for a while, but never had the chance to try anything on until this trip. I must say, the quality and fit do not disappoint. And I love that the green polka dot print on this dress offers a nice alternative to the red, white, navy and black that usually dominate the retro palette. Paired here with some made-in-Oakland earrings I found at Therapy.
And now for the food. Good God, the food. We took full advantage of New Orleans' culinary traditions, trying out Green Goddess, Jacques-Imo's, Cafe Carmo, and some late-night grub at Daisy Duke's and Mimi's in the Marginy. But the most memorable meal award goes to Cane and Table for their insanely tasty crispy rum ribs and the only $21 Sazerac that's ever been worth it (Nola is the cocktail's birthplace, after all).
Fat and happy, we'll be ringing in the new year in Miami. Happy Holidays all, and see you in 2015!
Sugar and Spice
Before making the long drive to southern California (thank you, Serial), we snapped a few shots in San Francisco... where my Everlane Spice cashmere sweater, scarf, and tights were all reasonable choices. In the Inland Empire, however, Thanksgiving topped out at 89 degrees. So sundress it was.
The outfit was a nice thought, though. And even nicer is that fact that today, Everlane started a new tradition called the Black Friday Fund that channels 100% of the day's profits towards improving working conditions for their factory workers. A very cool initiative from an ever-impressive company.
Anyhoo, tomorrow Jon and I are off to spend the day Disneyland before making our way home. I haven't been since I was eighteen (that's pre-college, and pre-Baudrillard), and I have no idea what to expect. It will probably be crowded, and expensive, and full of screaming children, but I'm still unreasonably excited. Because, you know, it's Disney...
You'll Need No Castles in Spain
Today I had the best hair day in the history of my hair, and I felt that it needed to be documented.
Plus... this weather! Oh, Autumn. Oh, home.
Plus... this weather! Oh, Autumn. Oh, home.
Outfit details:
Plaid cashmere scarf / Borrowed from husband
Camel wool peacoat / BCBG, last year
Jeans / AG (old), Made in USA
Banks sunglasses / Warby Parker
Silk Gina top (similar here) / Amour Vert, Made in San Francisco
A Good Day for Vintage, a Good Day for Plaid
Sometimes I get self-conscious about wearing actual vintage clothing. I worry that it looks too theatrical, too campy, too much – and in our minimalist moment that's just such a no-no isn't it?
But on this grey, finally-Fall weekend I decided to break out a vintage plaid Pendleton jacket that my mom found at the Salvation Army over a decade ago. I'm not sure how vintage it is; although it looks like it's from the late 50's or early 60's, it's often hard to tell with random thrift store finds. The tag says made in Portland, so it must be from before Pendleton started manufacturing overseas (around the 1970's).
At any rate, I have a hard time styling this piece without looking like I'm on my way to a Mad Men casting call. But pairing it with more contemporary pieces like skinny jeans and booties helps balance out the dainty collar, oversized buttons, and cropped waist. Throw in some chunky gold jewelry, and you've got yourself an outfit fit for the zeitgeist.
No seriously, let's go to Zeitgeist.
Outfit details:
The Billie Boot / Madewell
Black skinny jeans / Madewell (old; similar here)
Birdie watch / Shinola (made in Detroit)
Black and gold enamel bracelet / American Apparel
#1 Crush: A Colette Mabel for the 90's Teen in You
So 1995 called and it was like, "hey girl, what you need is a crushed velvet mini skirt."
I've been trying to get back in the sewing groove lately, and Colette's Mabel skirt promised to be a quick weekend project. No closures, no pressing, no sweat. Plus this pretty, wintery velvet (from Fabric Outlet in the Mission) was calling my name. I did have some trouble keeping the pieces lined up as I assembled them (maybe I'm just lazy, but I rarely pin before I stitch), so I used hem tape to hold this slippery fabric in place. It worked amazingly well, and I may start using this technique for all of my projects.
Now excuse me while I turn on the Romeo + Juliet soundtrack and dream about forming an all-girl alt rock band...
Outfit details:
Red crushed velvet skirt / Made by me, with the help of Colette's Mabel
The Billie Boot / Madewell
Jean jacket / Madewell (similar here)
Black stretch tee / BCBG (old)
Groovin' on a Sunday afternoon
I'm keeping it simple this weekend with Everlane's Seed Stitch Raglan sweater, which arrived at my doorstep in under an hour through the company's 1-hour San Francisco delivery service. That, Grooves Vinyl, and these sunny Autumn days are just a few reasons to love our little city.
Outfit details:
Fall Seed Stitch Raglan / Everlane
Khaki shorts / Thrifted (originally Vince)
The Loren Sandal / Madewell
Panama hat / J. Crew (made in Ecuador)
Sunglasses / Stella McCartney
Perfect Summer Skirt: Amour Vert's Scarlett
This post has been sitting in my drafts folder for the past three weeks because I didn't feel like I had anything insightful to say about it. Instead, here is my review: I love this skirt! It's pretty! It's 100% silk and still doesn't wrinkle (i.e., it's magic)! It's made in San Francisco! And it's by one of my favorite lines, Amour Vert. So... yay!