Sunday, November 18, 2012

Lady Heartbreaker

Lady Heartbreaker


J.Crew printed shirt / J.Crew military jacket / J.Crew knit top / J.Crew j crew / AK Anne Klein penny loafer shoes / J.Crew leather handbag / Catherine Weitzman

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Preppy - Lady Jacket in Berry Pink


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Timeless - Lady Jacket in Berry Pink

Timeless - Lady Jacket in Berry Pink


J.Crew tie shirt / J.Crew j crew / J.Crew long pencil skirt / L.K.Bennett patent leather pumps, $175 / L.K.Bennett cross body shoulder bag, $550 / Ippolita clear jewelry

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Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Spots, Squares & Sparkles


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Tuesday, November 13, 2012

What's (Really) Old is New Again

What's (Really) Old is New Again



Madewell / J.Crew super skinny jeans / Konstantino jewelry / Ray-Ban ray ban / Belt / Fossil Maddox Crossbody / Madewell MADEWELL Silk Boyshirt In Checker / Sebago Plaza Sebago

Bit the bullet and ordered this sweater jacket from Madewell late last night, after much internal waffling but even more reminiscing. I am -- shall we say -- a tomboy of a certain age, and I actually HAD a letter jacket when I was in high school, courtesy of my hunky varsity soccer player boyfriend. (I had his silver ID bracelet too -- a treasure that will mean something only if you're my age. :-)) The jacket was enormous on me -- he was nearly a foot taller and easily 75 or 80 lbs heavier -- but hey, that was the way it was supposed to look.

Madewell Online Chat Customer Service Girl says that this sweater jacket runs slightly on the small side of TTS (although the measurements don't bear that statement out -- 38 chest for a small), and that the "look" is intended to be as it appears on their website's model:


Well, to my sentimental eye the model's looks skimpy. I sized up for a nostalgic (and TRUE, if you ask me) fit.

I have a very similar shirt to what's shown here and plan to try this combo, but the sweater jacket SCREAMS for a classic white shirt.

I love, and have owned, many pairs of loafers like these. I prefer the fit and instant comfort on the Sebago Plaza (shown here), but of course there are your Bass Weejuns die-hards out there. Nothin' but love for ya, girls, it's just that Bass Weejuns hurt my feet.

And yes, I do own and use and love a men's belt almost exactly like this one!

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Sunday, November 4, 2012

Talbots: Red Rose Audrey Sweater + "Riding Red" Flannel Ankle Pants


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Sunday, October 28, 2012

An Excursion to Costco


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Georgia vs. Florida: Woof!


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Simplicity

Simplicity


J.Crew tailored shirt / J.Crew skinny capri pants / J.Crew j crew / Kate Spade red crystal necklace / Giles & Brother , $85

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Laura Petrie, Meet J. Crew Houndstooth


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Saturday, October 27, 2012

Coach & Horses

Coach & Horses



J.Crew polka dot shirt / J.Crew knit sweater / Long pencil skirt / J.Crew opaque stocking / Salvatore Ferragamo leather flat shoes / Coach genuine leather handbag / Tory Burch chain jewelry / Tory Burch jewelry / Bobbi Brown Cosmetics matte lipstick

 
After having a string of very disappointing quality issues with J. Crew, I took a self-imposed break from shopping there for a while -- naturally at the exact moment to miss  the best of the best sales.  But after inventorying my closet recently, I found a legit need for a few versatile autumn-y skirts that I could dress down with boots or flats & tights and could also dress up more "office-y" with pumps and a blazer.  And I must admit, there really is no place like J. Crew for reliably-fitting, good-looking skirts.  So I took advantage of the current promotions at J. Crew and J. Crew Factory, and one item I'm really looking forward to is this pretty Factory Frayed Tweed Pencil Skirt.  I'll report in when it comes next week.

But what I REALLY wanted to show y'all today is these boots, as pictured in this Polyvore set.   Yeah yeah yeah, I know there are nice riding boots everywhere this fall, but hands down, these are the most luscious ones I've seen.  Butter-soft leather, cushioned footbed, sleek, simple, just drop-dead gorgeous and in a color that, gee, I don't have.  (And I do own me some boots.)  

Of course, they're also ridiculously expensive.  Like, good-sized mortgage payment expensive. 

So here's my plan for acquisition.  I think it might work, whatcha think?
 

A Letter to Mr. S. Claus, in c/o Mr. TarHeelMom a/k/a HeelMoney

Dear Santa,

You sure are lookin' good these days, 
have I mentioned that lately? 
 
Keepin' the list super simple this year, handsome. 
See photo of ladies' boots, enclosed. 
 
Hoping to find one pair, size 7.5, under the tree.  
 
If I do, you are gonna have a verrrrry Merry Christmas night. We're talking M-E-R-R-Y here, buddy.  
With serious lingerie and possibly the boots. 
Just sayin'.
 
Love,
Been A Good Girl All Year a/k/a Mrs. Claus




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Sunday, October 7, 2012

Look #!: Anthro Embroidered Lace Pencil Skirt


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Thursday, August 23, 2012

Planning Ahead for a Lovely Talbot's Sale Find!


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Cats & French Hens, Part Deux


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Where Cats & Hens Co-exist Peacefully


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Friday, August 17, 2012

Alert!!! XS J. Crew Campo De Fiori Dress on eBay!


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Tuesday, August 14, 2012

OOTD 8-15-12: Safari Cat Capris, Trouser-Style

OOTD 8-15-12: Safari Cat Capris, Trouser-Style



J.Crew cuffed pants / J crew / J.Crew blue flat / Silver clutch / J.Crew resin necklace / J.Crew set of bangle / R.J. Graziano tear drop earrings / J Crew belt / Bobbi Brown Cosmetics lip makeup / Bobbi Brown Cosmetics lip makeup

Forever thanks to my PS at the local B&M for the best idea for wearing J. Crew's Safari Cat linen café capris.

These pants are heavy linen, which makes them bulky (and hot on a warm day. whew), and they're cuffed.   Perfect, in other words, for wearing NOT as a capri but instead as a cuffed narrow-legged trouser.  To wear them this way, my PS suggested that I order them in the Tall, which has a 30" inseam.  What a fantastic suggestion!  The front of the cuff breaks gently right on the top of my foot.  


For reference, I'm 5'4", so this nifty idea won't do much for you tall cool drink o' water gals, sorry. :-)  If you're shorter, follow the link above and you'll find these still widely available at a great sale price in the Tall version. 

For tomorrow's women's group board meeting (translation: business-y casual) and a busy day of errands afterwards, this is going to be my OOTD. IRL, these trusty old flats look soooooo good with this spring's Keeper Chambray Shirt!

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Cutie Pie Tie: Borrowing from the Boys

Cutie Pie Tie: Borrowing from the Boys



J.Crew tailored shirt / J.Crew high waisted skinny jeans / Cole Haan arch support shoes / Ebel white watch, $5,485 / David Yurman gold earrings / Antique gold jewelry / Nautical jewelry / Boys' neon sailboat chambray tie


I spotted this Crewcuts tie for next to $0 on FS -- nice chambray linen with neon sailboats. Adorable!

Wearing today with a white shirt (mine's a summerweight J. Crew Perfect Shirt) and the new Midrise Toothpick Jeans in Carbon (LOVE them, fit is TTS to slightly small for your J. Crew toothpick size).

Also wearing (socklessly preppy of course) my Cole Haan Air Penny suede driver loafers in 'India Ink', quite possibly the most comfortable shoe I have ever put on my foot.  This is a color from 2011, but if you see it somewhere on clearance grab it.  The color isn't navy; it's more like a cross between navy and cobalt and it's fantastic!

My young-adult son tells me that going sockless with loafers or driving mocs is a hot new craze for Fall 2012 for guys his age, and that this is called the "mankles" fad.  Too funny!

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Sunday, August 12, 2012

Age-Appropriate Dressing for the London Olympics Closing Ceremonies! (Daisy Duck version)

London Olympics Closing Ceremonies! (Daisy Duck version)

London Olympics Closing Ceremonies! (Daisy Duck version) by tarheelmom featuring wedge shoes 

J.Crew knit top / Old Navy graphic tee / AG Adriano Goldschmied skinny jeans / J.Crew wedge shoes / Converse shoes / Converse shoes / Leaf ring 

Wearing for tonight's night's broadcast of the London Olympics closing ceremonies -- a casual dinner with friends on an unseasonably cool evening will give me the opportunity to unveil my Tippi and my AG Polka-Dot Stevies.  I posted this set on Polyvore last night, but edited it this morning to add the ballet flats as a backup shoe -- just in case the Chuck Taylors and skinny jeans (on my skinny calves) combine to make me look like Daisy Duck.  Laying out the clothes this morning, I saw this as a distinct possibility.  Yikes.

Props to Slastena (wearing them gorgeously here) for nudging me to buy the Stevies -- they are ridiculously comfortable and flattering.  On her advice I ordered these in the size I take in J. Crew's toothpicks (usually 28) and also one size smaller, since she said they do stretch a lot as you wear them.  I wore each pair around the house for several hours (tags still on, me freshly showered).  Slastena was exactly right in her advice.  But I ended up keeping the 28s after a lot of debate with myself in front of a full-length mirror for one reason:  my age.  

This might surprise y'all, because many of you have seen me comment around the JCA Community about my "take" on dressing age-appropriately, and you know that my general philosophy is that, regardless of the fact that you're past 40 -- or even, as in my case, past 50 -- you can and should wear most anything you like if you're fit, healthy, pay attention to what flatters your body type and size yourself correctly.

For me, the key words that apply to these AG Stevies are "most anything you like" and "size yourself correctly."  I do believe that wearing skinny jeans at their absolute tightest and skinniest is a prerogative of younger women (like Slastena, who's 20 years younger than me).  Skinny jeans or pants are fine for us vintage gals, I think, so long as (here's the CAUTION FLAG!) they suit our body type and so long as we wear them gently, with a bit of strategic fabric 'ease' here and there.  We're not talking saggy and baggy, we're just talking a little graceful air space, know what I mean?

The 28s in the Stevies allow that graceful air space for me, but are still slim and look nice.  IRL pix coming soon.

What's your take on this issue, ladies?  Do you agree with my "skinny jeans rules" or not?  I'd love to hear from you!





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Saturday, August 11, 2012

The Feather Paisley Skirt Meets My Closet, Part 3

The Feather Paisley Skirt Meets My Closet, Part 3



J Crew top / J.Crew feather skirt / J.Crew flat shoes, $155 / J.Crew ankle strap shoes / Coach crossbody handbag / J.Crew vintage earrings / J.Crew resin jewelry

All items are mine except for the Coach bag. Which, Santa Claus or the Labor Day Fairy willing, will soon be. :-)  The back side of the bag is the color of the tassel, a very rich dark orange that will work well with many items in my fall/winter wardrobe.  So cute!

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