Purple, Camel, Red and Goals

Quite chilly this morning, so I'm in cashmere (I swear this sweater is purple, not blue), wool and boots, but no tights yet, I can't make myself put them on. I'm plenty shielded from the wind and the magical Skimmies give me a nice smooth line. Magical, I tell you. This outfit is a little bland, eh?

A patterned skirt would have been a better idea.

Delightful chunky Loft bracelet on sale! Love!

Over the weekend, I thought about wardrobe goals. I was reading an article about three women and their clothing budgets for fall (from $400 to $3,000), and what they planned to purchase. My own goals are decidedly blurry, if you don't count "stumbling on things I really like and deciding whether or not I can afford them". I want to thin out my closet, as it feels crowded, and I want to raise the ratio of delight in each piece. I had the unsettling experience of muttering to myself for a week, "Gee, I sure could use a purple scarf, that would jazz up my fall wardrobe no end," and then FINDING a purple scarf in my closet. I don't even know what I own.

So I spent some quality time sitting on the couch, thinking about what I have ardently wanted in the past year, what I stopped wanting, and what I still want in my closet. I decided that most of the things I currently want are ephemeral or too driven by trends - something burgundy for example, when that color has never been that flattering on me. I have lots of purple and dark red in my closet; that'll do, pig. Ditto with a pair of bright blue slim jeans - really? Will I still like those two weeks after I buy them?

Last year I really wanted a pair of beige suede ankle boots. I have beige flannel pants that I wear frequently, and dark shoes look a little jarring. They need to be a bit dressy; last year I wore my leopard boots in this situation and that was generally fine. Leopard is the new beige. Anyhoo, I saw these at the mall over the weekend:

Nine West Bleaker

I didn't try them on, so have no idea if they are comfortable.

I also have wanted a new military-style olive jacket for a long while, and since I couldn't find one (I did but waited for it to go on sale, and thus missed my chance) that sort of morphed into a parka of some kind, with a hood. I have several dressy fall coats (leather, suede), and a true winter coat with a hood, but nothing that would be good for the frequent walks I take in cool weather. I tried on a few at the mall, but they were all too voluminous in the hips. I looked like the Liberty Bell.

This summer, I started yearning for a cognac/tan shoulder bag. I really liked my Kenneth Cole bag (eBay), but as nice as it is, the handles don't stay on my shoulder. I am always fussing with it. A crossbody bag or a single strap hobo might be more stable. I've bought and returned two bags that weren't quite right, and this quest has become about the things I don't like: chain handles, dark interiors, glazed leather, heavy hardware.

The last item I've been thinking about for the last year is short red boots. Hard to find without a high heel, let alone in the "right" red. I showed you the Miz Mooz western option last week. How about these?

Nine West Paperlane

The dilemma is that I think I would also like to wear them with dresses, and the ankle boot might not be the right silhouette. Maybe I would MAINLY like to wear them with dresses, not pants. And if I do wear them with dresses, do I need a similar red belt? You see how difficult it is to set goals? And DEAR LORD, these are such white girl problems.

There you have four reasonable fall goals:

1. Casual, hooded, short-ish, warm coat
2. Brown-ish handbag
3. Beige ankle boots
4. Red short boots

None of these are really absent from my closet (perhaps #4), but rather are improving on what I already own. My faux shearling short jacket doesn't have a hood. It's a tragedy. 

Too Much is Not Quite Enough

I was overwhelmed this past weekend by the number of boot boxes in my storage unit. This pile did NOT include the four pairs of boots I kept in my closet year-round. Ankle, mid-calf, tall and winter boots abound in my collection.

As I mentioned before, I also discovered two MORE pairs of boots in my son's dresser when I was rummaging around finding him cool weather clothes (to ship to the Isle of Rhodes). There was also a purse there (Goodwill-bound). One pair of those boots really didn't fit; I wore them because they were Italian, dammit. The other boots are older and dated and so beautifully made that it saddened me to recognize their destination.

Hi, my name is Roberta, and I have five pairs of black boots, five pairs of brown boots, three pairs of taupe boots, one pair of red boots, one TWO pairs of gray boots and two pairs of serious winter boots.

But aren't these AWESOME?

Talbot's plaid and leather riding boots.

Spring Step embroidered cowboy boots.

What to Wear When Reviewing Policy

Well, you'll be sitting all day, and you might eat one or two pieces of candy with the multiple cups of coffee you'll need, so you better wear stretchy pants. I wish these lovely Talbot's pants came in more colors. My waistline has been feeling pudgy lately, and these are more forgiving than denim or corduroy.

The rest of the ensemble was based on looking at my lone white shirt and thinking I should it wear it at least twice a year (last seen on April 27, 2012, with the same pants).

Good & Plenty

I think this works. I think.

The skinny braided leather belt disappears into the sweater, leaving the chrome buckle visible. This particular dress is a bit longer than my other Kohl's dresses, so there isn't so much skin between hemline and boot top. It's also a really strong pink in real life! I took this picture in a tearing hurry and added a bracelet and a watch after, so I'm not so accessory-deprived.
 

Red and Tan

Here's an appealing outfit that nevertheless contains two items headed for Goodwill. The Talbots button-front shirt was thrifted, and though I love it, it is a little faded and fuzzy in spots (from machine washing, which was one of its virtues). Too bad, a stretchy, patterned shirt in red tones would come in handy once a week. I'll keep an eye out.

Next on the chopping block are the boots, also thrifted from eBay. You can just assume that when I say "thrifted", I mean eBay, as I find thrift stores overwhelming and even a little creepy. These boots are an unknown brand, but a really lovely golden suede with a sturdy rubber sole, but they FALL DOWN and I can't forgive them for that. If I wanted to wear short boots, they would only be 11 inches tall (and I own several pairs). These are 16 inches tall, and should hover right around my bee tattoo.

In this picture they are only crumpled a little, which is fine, but by the time I got to work they were below my calves. I've thought several times about taking them to the shoe guy to put whalebone in them or something, but that would probably cost more than I paid for them.

The real secret to my smile in this picture? I am wearing fantastic underwear. Say no more, Squire!
 

The Return of Corduroy!

My favorite thing about Fall other than Honeycrisp apples, of which I bought half a peck this weekend, is soft, snuggly corduroy pants. Oddly, corduroy jackets tend to be stiffer, at least the tailored kind of jacket that I prefer. I've never been one for "big shirts". Here I am trying to show off my Spring Step gray suede ankle boots without stepping on Riley, who is agitating for dinner.

And here is the shot that makes a little more sense: J. Jill denim jacket (again), Loft scarf, and gray Talbot's cords.

 And here I am admiring my own behind.

Here is a better shot of the boots. The buttons are only decorative; there is an inside zipper. Still available on Amazon if you have smaller feet than I do!

Unforeseen Hiatus

Sorry about that! It was really a packed week at work last week - I was heading in early and coming home beat, so took no pictures. This week I took pictures, but couldn't find time to post them. And maybe, MAYBE, I'm getting a little tired of looking at myself so often.

Just ugh.

Better.

 First, I was entertained to find two pairs of boots in Ben's dresser - boots I thought were long gone to Goodwill or Ebay. The red boots above got a final outing, but they are consigned to the Goodwill bag/pile/semi-sentient lifeform. They are just a very dated style. Second, I love that black fuzzy Loft sweater so much, but it looks perfectly square on me. Kimono arms and short sleeves are not a good combination. Also not a good combination, that dress, those boots and bare legs. Seemed like a lot of skin in September.

Forced smile and significant tum.

I love this Anthropologie top equally, but with better results. It goes with everything and is like wearing . . . air. The top is an acid green Loft tee, with an Eileen Fisher knit skirt and Born boots. I'm wearing the necklace I bought at the Bucktown Art Fest.

I feel you, Nora Ephron.

Old favorites were in heavy rotation this week - fashion comfort food.

My J. Jill crochet skirt and denim jacket, with a purple tee underneath and Miz Mooz boots this time. Although I know they are remarkably similar in hue to the Born boots.

I've definitely put on a few pounds since last winter. The corduroy straightlegs which I am wearing today, which were dreamily comfortable last winter, now feel a little UNcomfortable at the waist, and nothing bugs me more than something pinching my middle. I might have gotten a little complacent about all the walking I do, and had a few too many pieces of cake over the summer. And too few salads. You can see why I am wearing the two skirts with the most forgiving waists in my closet.

I shared a piece of Cannoli cake with Blonde Girl yesterday for her birthday. So worth it, sweetie!