Tag Archives: booties

The Cool Chic

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You’re hot then you’re cold.

I’m talking about the finicky weather lately. A heatwave one week, and a chance of rain the next week. Or, it can happen all in the same day: mild in the daytime, but winds pick up soon after sunset. Lightweight layering pieces are key to surviving these fast-changing temperatures.

For this weather driven style challenge, I reached for my leather jacket. I finally got my hands on one for a price that I can live with – $15 at Goodwill! A simple leather jacket is classic and timeless – you won’t have to worry about it going out of style. It’s the perfect mid-weight item for that in between weather, when it’s neither frosty nor too hot.

It’s black and it’s white. Still high off my previous outfit post, black and white seemed most appropriate for this leather jacket. Not one to be very edgy, I softened up the ensemble with feminine details: a polka dot bow, a strand of pearls, a sheer blouse, and a vintage beaded cardigan.

Between the jacket, the killer heels, and the graffiti in the background, I couldn’t help but feel too cool for school (while staying warm) in this outfit. I tried my best to give a mean mug, but to no avail. Instead of looking bad ass, I just look cool chic.

This cool chic chick needs a cigarette, a tatted up boy toy, and a motorcycle. Who da baddest chic?


thrifted Banana Republic jacket (similar pleather jacket) / vintage cardigan (similar cardigan) / Old Navy blouse (similar blouse and blouse) / Levi’s jeans (similar jeans) / Dollhouse booties (similar booties) / vintage Coach Willis handbag / thrifted headscarf (similar scarf)

Day of the Dead

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Halloween may be over, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get a little undead. Time to replace the duck face with a skull face for Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos).

With origins in Mexico, this holiday occurs the day after Halloween and is meant to commemorate the lives of the deceased with food, drink, and lots of lively celebrations. Although I have never participated in this, I am still astounded by the vibrant colors, morbid face paint, and psychedelic skeleton artwork that characterize Day of the Dead.

I’ve had this black dress for years and have never worn it, but the colorful Mexican inspired embroidery seems perfect for this holiday. The look wouldn’t be complete without a head full of flowers. My solution: I pinned a couple of oversized flowers to a pillbox hat, and voila, instant floral arrangement! I love how they match the embroidery in my dress perfectly. This black dress needed some umph, and a vintage petticoat was just the answer. I’ve always wanted a petticoat, and I’ve been so lucky to inherit this one from my aunt. Yes, the scratchy tulle makes things a little itchy down there, but at least it’s not caused by a transmittable disease. Huzzah!

Unfortunately, I am not very good at putting on makeup, and would be deathly incompetent in painting a skull on my face. Alas, my Day of the Dead inspired outfit falls short of looking sinister.

Without the skull face paint, I look pretty alive. Can someone throw me a bone?

Nov: Day of the Dead

Anna Sui dress (similar and here) / Forever21 pillbox (similar) / herringbone fishnets (similar) / Dollhouse booties (similar)

What’chu talkin’ ‘bout, Willis?

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Itemize deductions? Report investments? Self-employed? Tax season can be quite taxing. Luckily I have my own CPA to take care of the nitty gritty for me. This year I actually got a refund from the IRS. Which means its time for some IRS -Impulsive Refund Shopping.

I’ve been on the hunt for a vintage Coach handbag for some time now, in particular, the Willis style handbag. My weapon of choice: Ebay, the world’s largest thrift store. To be an Ebay bidder, one must have incredible patience, be willing to ask questions, cross-examine photos, and be able stay calm in the event you are outbid. But how much am I willing fork over? With my refund directly deposited in my bank account, I sought out many sellers, lost some bids, but finally my patience paid off. When my baby Willis arrived in the mail I actually jumped for joy and immediately transferred all the contents from my old purse into my new old purse. It’s the perfect size, and the handle + long cross-body strap is so functional.

Still afraid of shopping on Ebay? Don’t worry; Coach has got your back. Called the Legacy Collection, Coach has brought back these old styles – but you will have to pay a pretty penny of course. My favorite style is the Willis because of that little handle at top and its “just right” size, but I love all their other designs as well.

olive green jacket (similar here) / oversized cardigan (similar here and here) / graphic tee (similar here and here)

I recently went on a shopping trip with some gal pals in San Francisco’s Mission district. In usual San Francisco fashion, the weather was slightly overcast and windy with a chance of rain. The key to dressing for this is to think like an onion: dress in layers. Start with a casual tee, then a chunky middle layer (I chose an oversized cardigan), and finish with an outer shell. Since it wasn’t too cold, but I needed to be concerned about the possibility of rain, this olive windbreaker was just the right fit. Still riding on the high of my urban turban, I pulled a leopard version of it to disguise my unruly hair. Finish with the perfect Willis handbag.

That’s a good one coach! Now go do your taxes, you procrastinator you.

Rainy Day

Connect the Dots

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When I was a kid, connect the dots was my favorite amongst all the games and puzzles in my Highlights magazines. There was something magical about transforming what looked to be a bunch of haphazard dots into a recognizable image with just the trace of my pencil. Although I have outgrown those puzzles, I still have an affinity for dots.

The dot design has been around since medieval times. It gained popularity in the mid 1800s when polka music was trendy. During this music and dance craze, everything and everyone and their mom was decked out in dots, and the name “polka dots” was coined. Anything with polka dots instantly conjures up a retro vibe, and reminds me of the 1950s, when it gained widespread popularity again.

I don’t think my outfit lives up to the polka, but rather should be more aptly called wallflower dots. It lacks the boldness of the polka dot and isn’t quite equally sized and spaced, but has a charm and daintiness about them none-the-less. Because of the relatively neutral nature of my patterns, I was able to mix and match them, and layered in different fabric textures as well. The dot theme is constant, but you will have to look closely to see. I threw in a cheetah print scarf to add an organic element to the otherwise structured graphic dots. The studded booties also make for an interesting 3-D take on the dot and are an edgy contrast to the overall feminine look, topped off with a retro cloche.

I promise to feature more polka dots in future posts, but don’t connect my dots please.

Goodwill Hunting: When Wooly Met Poly

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Harry and Sally. Sonny and Cher. Wool coat, meet polyester blouse: one a natural fiber, the other a synthetic.

I have a nasty habit of donating to Goodwill, only to turn around and purchase something from their retail store. On a recent trip there, I ambled up and down the aisles until I found this wonderful bright blue polyester blouse in a petite size (such a rarity!). I should have stopped there, but, feeling a bit empty handed, I proceeded on to the coat racks. It must have been serendipity, for I discovered this wooly coat in excellent condition, minus the mystery wadded up tissue in the pocket.

Being a petite girl, I am not usually a fan of oversized shapes, as they overwhelm my figure. However, the cocoon-like silhouette of this jacket was an exception. The roomy shape actually allows me to pile on a chunky wool sweater underneath. No need to worry about weird bunching of layers, which often occurs when you try to cram too much under a fitted jacket with a defined waistline.

The speckles of charcoal, blue, brown, and red in the coat inspired the color palette for this outfit. The rough wooliness of the coat and the smooth sheen of the blouse combine to create a texture rich ensemble.

Talk about Goodwill hunting.

Wooly and Poly