Snow Angels and Santa Gifts

How to Make A Snow Angel

1) Wake up to a gorgeous snowfall on Christmas Day

2) Get tempted by the fresh snow and decide it looks soft enough to lay down in

3) Realize your tights are neither lined nor water proof and that snow is COLD

4) Quickly admire your handiwork before running inside for some hot chocolate

Belated Merry Christmas to everyone! Whether you celebrate the holiday or not, I hope your day was filled with good friends, family, and lots of cheer. Mr C and I are in MN braving the cold (you know it's tough when you start to believe 20 degrees is "warm"). We're spending time catching up with family, playing in the snow, and eating waaay too much food.

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Thanks to some very exciting gifts from Santa and some well-timed holiday sales, I also added some much needed items to my closet:

One-Down Coat to Brave the Cold

Two-Wool Sweaters from Madewell (this one and this one)

One-Silk Blouse (Santa brought me this one from Everlane)

One-Pleated Skirt that will be perfect for spring, summer, and even fall

And, most exciting of all . . .

THREE-new pairs of shoes, including, (drumroll please) a pair of riding boots.

I'll post more on these later, but for now, I hope you're enjoying the last of 2013 wherever you are!

Jeans: A Cost-Per-Wear Analysis

Do you ever do a "cost-per-wear" estimate before buying an item? It's where you take the the value of your item and divide it by how many times you think you'll wear it to see if it's "worth it". There's even a calculator to help you with it if you don't feel like doing math.

As a quick way to judge whether or not a purchase is "worth it", it isn't bad. However, it has some definite short-comings. First, it can distort the idea of cost, After all, even if your jeans only cost you $5 per wear, you still spent  $100 on them. Secondly, in the heat of the moment you can definitely rationalize that you will wear something more often than you really do. (This is why I own the world's most uncomfortable pair of sparkly heels). Also, if you wear something to death, the cost-per-wear becomes so negligible that it's hard to put into context with the rest of your wardrobe. For example, it's hard to compare the cost-per-wear on a winter coat with your favorite shirt.

All that said, cost-per-wear can be useful in understanding value--which i'm defining as the benefit you get out of owning/wearing item versus it's price. In light of my most recent jeans purchase, I wanted to take a look at a select sample of jeans from my closet and see if I could develop a metric for understanding whether or not they were worth the price.  A little bit on my methodology:

• I took 4 jeans of varying price points (two inexpensive and two high-end) as well as different styles (two are more everyday jeans, one is super casual, and one is dressy). I did not include the Ayr jeans I just purchased because this is an historical look at value.
• I chose to first look at how much I wore the jeans in the first 6 months--I often find that I wear a new item a lot in the first few weeks of purchase, but over time, the frequency of wear decreases if it's not an item I really love. Six months is kind of a good gage for me and it also gets you through at least two seasons.
• I then estimated what the jeans were worth today--this is obviously a rough estimate, but it's based on how much wear and tear they've experienced and what I'd pay for them today (in their current state)
• I then estimated how much longer I could continue to wear them before they fell apart and how often I thought I would wear them (per month).

Disclaimer: Obviously the accounting terms are a little tongue-in-cheek. But, I couldn't help myself.

Obviously, from a pure cost perspective the AG jeans and the Gap jeans got the most wear. There are a couple of reasons for this. First, the AG jeans got more wear simply because they are a skinny style that I can wear to school or on casual fridays at work (I do wear these jeans at 2-3 times a week). The Gap jeans, on the other hand, are a light wash bootcut that I use for running errands, moving, anything involving outdoors and hiking etc. I definitely don't wear them every week, but they're a good style to have. The BR jeans didn't get nearly as much wear as I expected because I realized that I just didn't love the straight fit or fabric.

The Paige jeans . . . OUCH . . . $63 per wear. . . that number kind of hurts. These jeans are actually a lesson in why you shouldn't let sales clerks talk you into things. I let the clerk persuaded me to leave them long because she claimed they would shrink over time and that I would always wear them with 4 inch heels. Neither of these things has proved to be true. And, I'm sad to report I've been too lazy to get them properly hemmed.

The next step was to look at where I think the jeans are today:

Note: Remember all of these values, especially depreciation and current value are pretty subjective. 

The BR jeans, at this point, are a waste of space and I'm donating them to Goodwill (excuse the nerdy accounting jokes).  Considering how little I wore them, in terms of value, they were clearly not a good purchase. The AG jeans, which I've loved to death, sadly didn't last as long as I would have expected for the price. Because of that, I only anticipate them lasting another 8 months.  I'm not sure if the faster wear is due to overuse or if the jeans aren't as durable (they're really soft but also a bit thinner than other jeans). That said, I think I certainly got my moneys worth out of them. I'm curious to see how the Ayr jeans wear over time in comparison.

Lessons Learned

1) Fit and tailoring matter. If I want to get more value out of my Paige jeans, I really need to get them hemmed. Who knows, maybe they'll become my go-to going out jeans and I can give my beloved skinnies a rest.

2) Spending more on an item makes more sense (from a cost perspective) when it's something that you're going to wear a ton. On the other hand, it's not clear that spending a ton on more special occasion items (like going out jeans) is best from a purely cost-per-wear perspective.

3) Using Cost-Per-Wear is an interesting metric, but if you want to get a better idea of an items potential value, think about how much you'll wear it in the first 6 months. If it's only a couple of times, then it might not be the best purchase. However, if it's an item you'll wear all the time, it might be worth a splurge. 

Please note, that I don't think you have to spend a ton on jeans to feel great. You can definitely find great jeans at places like Gap or BR . . . it's all about finding the right fit and style for you regardless of what price point you're shopping in. But, buying a "cheaper" pair of jeans that you don't love and won't wear is less cost-effective than an expensive pair you'll get a ton of use out of. 

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What do you think? Do you think about cost-per-wear when you buy an item? Would you rather splurge on something you wear everyday or a special occasion item?

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P.S. want more cubicle catwalk? Follow me on twitter @cubicle_catwalk, on Pinterest (I also contribute to the Corporate Fashionasta style board", or on Instagram @MrsVonC.  

Home Sweet Home (and new jeans)

It's amazing how quickly we forget things. Despite the fact that I spent 7 years living in DC. I still somehow got lost on the metro on Wednesday after arriving from New York. Definitely missed my transfer stop. It didn't really matter though 'cause I was so happy to be on break and to see Mr. C.  (If you saw a girl wandering the metro with a huge smile on her face, that was me.) On another note, to the girl tweezing her eyebrows while riding the train. That seems like a really bad idea. Also, if you're worried about personal grooming, I would take care of the grown-out highlights first. Just a thought. 

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Speaking of how quickly we forget things. I have a small confession. Despite the fact that I've talked over and over again about how I own too much denim, I may have added a new pair of jeans to my collection. But, wait!!! It's not just any pair of jeans. On Monday, attended an event hosted by our Luxury Retail club to give us a sneak preview of Ayr, the new women's line Bonobos is launching with two female designers, Maggie Winter and Jac Cameron. (On a side note, if you've never been to the Bonobos Headquarters, definitely make an appointment and check them out. If you're a man, it seems like it would be a really cool shopping experience.) I was the first person to show up and so I got to spend a lot of time talking to the designers and the Ayr whole team, which was really cool. 

The concept behind Ayr is to create simple, timeless pieces that women can wear year-round. As someone who is focusing on adding strong, foundation pieces to her wardrobe, this definitely resonated with me. It reminded me a lot of the philosophy behind Everlane.  Jac Cameron talked to me about all the work they did to create premium jeans, that would hold their stretch (aka you don't ever have to throw them into the dryer to shrink them), and would be so comfortable that "you could do yoga in them". 

If you don't already know from reading this blog, all those things basically combine to form my own personal cryptonite. And, I knew that I had to try them on. (I mean how often do you get to model jeans in front of the designer?) However, as a jeans hoarder connoisseur, I was slightly skeptical about the emphasis on stretch. Typically really stretchy jeans or pants aren't flattering on me. If you have muscular legs AND small calves, you know that a lot of pants can pool at your knees or give your quads an odd amount of definition. 

The Ayr jeans defied all of that. They currently have two styles: the "skinny" (exactly what it sounds like) and the "ciggy", which is a cropped style that has a very slight flare. I ended up trying on both. First, and I don't know how else to say this. These might be the most comfortable things I've ever put on my body. Normally, when I come home I change into PJs or sweatpants to lounge around in. But, I wore these all day yesterday and even took a nap with them on. It was only the strange looks from Mr. C that made me decide to take them off before I went to bed

Secondly, check all of your/mine prejudices against stretchy jeans at the door. These are not at all like jeggings. I don't know how they do this, but somehow they're both structured and stretchy. It's like magic. As much as I love my AG jeans, I have found that they've stretched out a lot and haven't held their shape (possibly because I wear them too much). The Ayr jeans definitely conform to your figure and don't seem to stretch out, even after wearing them all day.  I'm really curious to see how they wear in the long-run.

I ended up falling in love with the ciggy (though I am strongly considering the "skinny" when my beloved AG jeans bite the dust). First, it has a little bit more of the structured feel that personally I really like.  Plus it also comes in the most amazing indigo color that you don't see a lot. One thing that really sold me on these jeans was the material. Even my lightest jeans don't get a lot of wear in the summer. But these felt really breathable and I'm excited to test them out over the summer months. On the downside, I'm also slightly concerned about them being warm enough for NY winters, but I'll have to test that after break.

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If you want to check the Ayr collection out for yourself, you can take a look at the on-line denim pop-up shop or you can shop the full line in February. This is definitely a company that I'm going to be watching over the next year.  I'm excited to see what they come up with next.

P.S. Thanks to Ayr, Bonobos and the Luxury Retail club for hosting this event!

Gift Guide: For the Stressed Out Grad Student in Your Life

I love gift guides. Inevitably, I find something that I never even knew existed. And, it's great for drumming up unique ideas for hard-to-shop for friends and family (ahem, I'm looking at you Mr. C).  Some of my favorites are from A Cup of Joe. I never knew I needed a bayleaf wreath until I saw one on her blog.  (I mean seriously, once it drys you can use the leaves for cooking. HOW AWESOME IS THAT?!?!?!?) 

So, in honor of the holiday season, here is the first official Cubicle Catwalk Gift Guide . . . for that special, stressed-out, neurotic grad student in your life:

GiftGuide1 by kpcullen featuring Jonathan Adler

1. A Crockpot,because she/he never has time to cook anymore and can't afford constant takeout. It's even better when it has an awesome design

2. An Everlane Backpack, because if you have to carry a backpack so that you don't permanently injure yourself, it might as well be one as adorably simple as this one.  

3. A Fun Charging Dock. She'll be less tempted to throw her phone across the room when her alarm goes off if it's sitting in something like this. (I know, because I have this one already and it's the only thing that protects my iphone from my early morning wrath) 

4. Urban Decay, Naked 3 Palette. You can't go wrong with the season's most coveted eye shadow palette. 

5. Coasters. Because even cheap wine can stain an ikea coffee table. 

6 and 7. Fun notebooks and pens. Ok, maybe I'm a little strange on this front, but I care alot about my paper and pens. Probably too much. My favorite notebooks are from Russel + Hazel and, don't mock till you try it, but it's really different writing on nice paper. It takes some of the pain out of doing accounting homework.

8. Beverage holders. Because staying hydrated and caffeinated are essential to surviving the day.  This one from Kate Spade is adorable (and only $18) and I love the CamelBak water bottles because the straw keeps you liquids from spilling out even if you knock it over. 

9. A quirky throw pillow. Just because their salary has taken a serious dive and they've downsized into an apartment the size of a postage stamp doesn't mean your grad student doesn't want their place to feel like home. Something like this will help brighten even the dingiest of NY rooms. On the plus side, it gives them something to hug in terror in case they sight one of the asian super roaches that are supposedly appearing in NYC. 

Of course . . . if none of these stand out to you, wine is always a good choice too.

Drink This Read This + A new logo!

Happy friday everyone! This is a particularly exciting day for the blog. Thanks to my awesome friend, Kevin Borders Cubicle Catwalk officially has a logo!!!! (You should check out Kevin's company, www.collage.com for last minute holiday gifts and cards.)

   

When, Kevin approached me a few months ago and offered to design something for the blog, I jumped on the opportunity. But had no idea how awesome the results would be. I can't give his process away, but it made it even better that there was some data analytics that went into the logo design. 

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Now on to business. Winter has officially come to NY, which means that it's officially time for some winter cocktails. As I've mentioned, Negronis are my go-to drink year round, but I'm thinking of trying to branch out a little bit.

The New York Times has a list of DIY Cocktails that sound guaranteed to bring you holiday cheer. I'm know I'm definitely going to try the Red Rooster and also the Campari with Orange Juice, which sounds like a nice twist on a mimosa. 

I was also inspired by A Beautiful Mess's recipe for a Winter Whiskey Smash. Brown sugar simple syrup? Yes, please! 

Of course, there's always homemade irish coffees. Even though they're insanely easy, somehow making your own whipped cream astonishes people and gives you instant host/hostess points. Plus, that same whipped cream is really good on top of hot chocolate if you don't feel like making it boozy.

And, while you're sipping on one of these drinks, you might want to check out some of the things that have been on my reading list, lately.

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I recently discovered the Brightest Bulb In the Box. Not only does she have great make-up tips, but she's also heavily analytical. My favorite post so far has been an analysis of two beauty box subscriptions. She even used a  Chi-Square test to compare their value. It's definitely given me some inspiration for my own closet project.

It's really exciting to see some of the stuff that's going on in the retail space right now and the New York Times had a great article a few weeks ago how retailers are re-thinking their social media strategies. It made me think, can you remember a time before Pinterest? I have trouble remembering how I survived without that site. It's amazing how quickly it's become a part of our social fabric. This was a particularly interesting statistic from the article: "And while shoppers referred from Pinterest to retailers spent more . . . those referred from Facebook were buying more frequently."

Finally, the season would not be complete without at least one viewing of "Love Actually" and Mashable is helping us all out by compiling a list of 11 Holiday Survival Tips from the film. My favorite is number 11 "Say it's carol singers. No matter what the situation is. Carol singers."

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P.S. want more cubicle catwalk? Follow me on twitter @cubicle_catwalk, on Pinterest (I also contribute to the Corporate Fashionasta style board", or on Instagram @MrsVonC.  

Four finals down!

It's official, guys. in 5 days, my first semester of grad school will be done. As you might have guessed from my sporadic posting . . . it's been a crazy semester last few weeks. Thankfully, I turned in my 4th final last night and have a little bit of a break before the last one. I have a lot of fun posts planned for my winter break so keep tuned . . . I want to talk about:

• The state of my closet, 
• How to dress for that MBA interview (or any interview)
• Understanding value when you're shopping/Navigating those sales
• And, easy tips for analyzing your own closet  (don't worry, I don't think everyone should create a database of their wardrobe)

I also have an exciting new logo that I'll be posting in the next couple of weeks. In between, I'll be catching up on my favorite shows, eating waaaaay too many holiday cookies, and probably playing in the snow. Before I get a jump-start on all of that, I wanted to talk about some of the non-school-related things that I've learned over the last few months.

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1. Booties, Booties, Booties, Booties, Rockin everywhere

My best/most worn purchases of the last two months were two pairs of booties--one black, one brown. First, they give this 5'3" quarter asian a little bit of much needed height. Secondly, they're insanely comfortable. And, finally, they're soooo versatile. I literally where them with everything. In fact, I'm pretty sure I went to sleep in them one night. (booties go with pink polka dot PJs right? Right) Seriously, if you look at value on a per-wear basis, these are the cheapest thing I own. It's especially helped me deal with the fact that I can't find any riding or winter boots that I like and navigate the awkward period where the weather couldn't decide if was September or January.

2. Simple is Better

In my pre-MBA days, I had a lot of time to think about what I was going to wear each day (that was also when I got 9 hours of sleep a night, worked out regularly, and vegetables were still a word in my vocabulary). The reality is, when life gets busy, you have to streamline. This may offend some sleepless parents out there, but I imagine it's somewhat analogous to adjusting to life with a baby. (ok, maybe you're not taking care of another human, but you get no sleep, your hair is in a bun constantly, you're on your feet all day . . . ). Out of sheer necessity, I've come up with a bit of an MBA uniform: 

Some sort of skinny pant + A Sweater or Loose Silk Blouse + Necklace or Scarf + Booties = Successful Outfit

(Well throw showering and brushing your teeth in there too. It's the little things, guys). This is what works for me, but I've definitely seen a lot of variations on this from my classmates. It runs the gamut from skinny jeans and blazers to a lot of loose dresses, boots, and tights combinations.

3. Back to Basics

I've referred to the fact that my shopping style has really changed since I started this project. The biggest switch is that I'm much more focused on finding really good, quality basics that are versatile and multi-season. When you don't have a lot of time to think about what you're wearing or on a grad school budget, having good foundation pieces is the difference between showing up effortlessly put together and dashing into class at the last minute like a crazy woman. Plus, it makes it easier to do that whole mysterious "day to night" transition that magazines and fashion blogs are always talking about.

4. Skinny Ponte Pants Are Your Best Friends

One of my last purchases before I left DC was an impulse buy (I know, I know it goes against everything I stand for) at T.J. Maxx. I found these really inexpensive skinny black pants with some cute moto detail and bought them on a whim. I had no idea how much I would end up wearing them. Did I say booties were  the best-per-wear item in my closet? I lied. It's these pants, which I picked up for $25 and have worn at least once a week for the last 3 months ($25/(3 months x 4 weeks) = $2.08 and I still have another 4 months where I can where them before it starts to get warm. Diminishing marginal returns, I scoff at you). I have no idea where to find the ones I have, but these Madewell ones are pretty similar. Though as a heads up, if you have a more muscular lower body, they might not work on you. They were too stretchy for me. 

The key to the right skinny pants is obviously fit. You don't want something so tight or stretchy that it looks like you're wearing leggings or, even worse, gives you camel toe (don't snort, I have seen it and shuddered). I found that pants that actually have less spandex/stretch in them and a little more structure work best for me. I'm actually hoping to pick up some more of these in different sytles

Why skinny pants over just jeans? For one thing, it instantly looks like you put a little more effort into your outfit. And, it's infinitely easy to dress up or down. As much as I love my favorite jeans, they're not always appropriate for some school functions. I keep a blazer in my locker at school and an extra pair of heels so that if something pops up last minute, I can change out of my beloved booties and look perfectly appropriate. I've also been dressing them down with some loafers and rolling up the cuffs for a fun menswear inspired look.

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There you have it. The key to me dressed in the morning.  What do you think? Do you have a uniform (if so, please share it. I feel like I need to start mixing it up a little bit)

Happy Thanksgiving!

Part of me thinks its a cruel trick of retailers to put one of the biggest shopping weekends of the year, a day after a holiday where you've just spent hours feasting.  Who wants to think about wearing, much less buying skinny jeans. Truth be told, I've never been much of a black friday shopper.  Hordes of people scare me on a good day.  And, hordes of people stampeding towards disheveled racks of clothing? I might as well be facing an army of zombies.

No, surfing the web while debating whether or not I've waited a socially acceptable amount of time before diving into the leftovers is more my speed.  On the off chance you're equally attached to your couch right now, here's some fun reads from around the web:

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• The Wall Street Journal reports that Black Friday sales may not be as "real" you think.  Isn't anything just on sale anymore?

• This is a couple of weeks old, but the Huffington Post's article on eight brands with religious affiliations has a few surprises in it. Forever 21? Really? I have no problem with printing bible verses on your shopping bags, but maybe treating your workers fairly or trying to improve labor conditions in Bangladesh would be a better way to express your faith. 

• Mashable put together some tips to avoiding scams on Cyber Monday.  Most of it seems like stuff you should be doing anyway, but it doesn't hurt to be extra careful this week.

• And, finally, now that Thanksgiving is behind us, it's time for holiday movies!  Thanks to Buzzfeed, I now know even more (well 18 things more) about my favorite holiday movie, Elf. 

Holiday Travel

Are you going home for Thanksgiving?  Thanks to a grad school schedule, I actually get a whole week off and Mr. C and I are flying out to Tucson to spend a few days with family.  This is actually the first thanksgiving that Mr. C and I will not be in DC in nearly 6 years.  I'm slightly sad to not be continuing our holiday traditions with our DC "family", but I'm pretty excited about hanging out with my mom and little brother in Tucson.  (I hear it might actually be warm there . . . but I'm trying not to get my hopes up too much). 

As much as I love the holidays and being with family, I'm not the worlds biggest fan of flying.  It's a combination of a fear of heights, some rather unfortunate flying experiences, and that I get really, really bored sitting still for that long.  (I'm that person holding on to the person next to me whenever it gets even slightly turbulent.  It's better for everyone involved when that's Mr. C) To cope, I try to figure out ways to make flying as pleasant as possible. First up? Vodka.  Being comfortable.  For me, that means wearing something as close to pajamas as possible. 

The key to wearing leggings without looking either like you've given up on life or you're on your way to yoga is choosing a top that provides the appropriate amount of coverage.  I like long cozy sweaters like this one from Madewell, but you if you tend to get hot on planes, you could just as easily throw on a simple white T and a long chambray shirt.  Just make sure to bring a pashmina in case it gets chilly and to add a pop of color.  

I like to wear cute sneakers when I travel.  First because they're easy to slip on and off when you're going through security.  Unlike with flats, you can wear socks with them so you're not standing barefoot in the TSA line (I've done that and I try not to think about everyone else's feet). Plus, it's easy to dash through the airport if you're making a tight connection.  

And of course you need a great travel bag (I like this one from Kate Spade Saturday).  After the airlines lost my luggage on three trips in a row, I try to make sure I have a few of the essentials in my carry-on, so I need a bag that's roomy enough for all that and can fit everything I need to remain entertained for a whole flight. 

What are those essentials?  

1. a memory foam neck pillow (don't hate until you've tried it, you'll never go back)

2. Ipad mini (need I say more?).  For this trip, my ipad is full of episodes of Arrow

3. One of my classmates introduced me to Maybelline's Baby Lips and it's perfect for combatting that airplane dehydration. 

4. Hand sanitizer: I always travel with hand sanitizer.  The last thing you want is to pick up something nasty that will ruin your thanksgiving plans.  

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So that's how I cope with traveling.  What are your tips?

J.Crew Sale Alert!

J.Crew sales seem to be a dime a dozen these days.  Chances are that if you're patient and willing to wait 6 weeks, that the item you like will end up being 30 or 40 percent off.   The problem is that most of these items end up as final sale.  And, let's be honest with J.Crew's sizing these days, buying something on final sale carries a certain amount of risk. But, a J.Crew sale where the items are not final sale and offering free shipping? This is like finding a well-dressed unicorn with a pot of gold.  Yet somehow, this weekend, whether it was from a computer glitch, the J.Crew gods feeling like bestowing a little retail therapy on all of us, or some strategic retail decision . . . the stars all aligned to make this happen.

So what did I get? I actually didn't go too crazy.  What with my student budget and the fact I haven't finished analyzing my fall/winter wardrobe, I didn't want to go crazy.  First up, a statement necklace.  I don't buy a ton of jewelry for myself.  Mr. C usually picks me up some fun pieces whenever he travels and I like having something that's a little more unique.  But, J.Crew has been winning in the jewelry department lately.  Plus, jewelry is an easy way to breath some life into your wardrobe.  Side note: There is a slight possibility that because I've been limiting my clothing purchases that I might be turning to alternatives like jewelry, shoes, happy hour, and bags.  But let's not think too hard about that right now.

Jeweled Pyramid Necklace

The other item I picked up was this tweed-sleeved t-shirt.  I really, really love the colors and feel it will be a great piece for spring and summer.  Bonus, based on the color analysis I did of my summer clothes, it will fit in perfectly.  It also comes in a cream and black combo, which might have made it into my shopping basket.  I am envisioning wearing that one now with a blazer and jeans or tucked into a pencil skirt.

Tweed-Sleeve Top

There you have it.  I'm actually pretty proud of myself for my self-restraint.  And, might reward myself by picking up another blouse (this leather sleeve one keeps calling to me or some of their PJs.  That's ok, right?

Did you pick up any items from the sale?  If you're in need of a winter coat, this is a good chance to get one of the J.Crew lady day coats.  The Blythe silk blouses that I love are also available in limited sizes.

The sale goes through midnight tonight, so there's still some time for some impulse purchases!

Yes, another bag review

I've never been much of a bag person.  It always seemed like waaay too much work to have multiple bags.  Inevitably, if I tried to switch purses, I'd forget something important like my lip gloss or wallet or work ID or umbrella . . . you get the picture.  Basically, shattering any impression that I'm a put together person.

To be honest, shoes (and jeans) were always my own personal cup of cryptonite.  But, somewhere in my quest for the perfect school bag, all of that changed.  That and discovering the wonder of bags within bags.  Are you aware of these amazing things?

Container Store: Mesh Pouches

Some kind hearted soul thought to give me a bunch of these before I left for grad school and now, instead of having to transfer a hundred zillion 15 items from one purse to the next, I can just move three little bags (3 is much, much better than 15).  Plus, it keeps everything super organized so that I'm not constantly digging through the bottom of my purse trying to find that illusive tube of chapstick.

Now that this whole new world of owning multiple purses/bags has opened up my wallet, I have been on the hunt for a 2nd school bag.  As much as I adore my current bag, I needed something for more casual days.  It came to a head on the day I had to resort to carrying a free backpack I got during orientation that has the NYU logo plastered all over it.  Basically, it was fashion suicide and I knew things had to change, fast.  So, when I spotted the gray felt inside-out bag in the Kate Space Saturday store in the West Village, I knew it was perfect (it also comes in purple felt and a full leather version).

One of the best things about this bag (aside from the fact that I can show off my le pen markers on the outside, to the eternal joy of my inner organizational geek), is that it fits so well with my personal style. A little preppy? Check.  Whimsical and fun? Check. Do I feel like a slight bad*ss? Check.  (though that doesn't take much.  I'm pretty sure I feel like a bad*ss whenever I jay walk).

It's important to note, that the dimensions of the bag are a bit smaller than my other school bag.  It generally fits my water bottle, laptop, wallet, moleskin notebook, and some organizational pouches with  my chargers and daily essentials (chocolate is a daily essential, right?).  If I'm being super creative I can usually fit in a 3-ring binder.  Because it's slightly smaller, I tend to use this bag on days, when I know I won't need to carry my entire life around with me.  It's probably also slightly better for my back--I was not built for manual labor.

So there you go, another new bag, and still no new boots or sweaters.  I may freeze to death this winter but at least I'll have a cute bag to tote around.

On a side note, one thing that has facilitated being able to carry a smaller bag is figuring out how to open my school locker.  Turns out working a locker is not a skill you get from being homeschooled.

(P.S. have you checked out Kate Spade Saturday? If not, you should.  Their stuff somehow manages to be adorable, modern, and functional all at the same time. Plus, the price point is pretty affordable)

A Day in the Life (aka an MBA1's stream of consciousness)

If anyone had told me that grad school would be the busiest time of my life, I probably would have laughed.  Where are all the fun parties all my law school friends talked about? Yet, here I am, 3 months in, working harder than I ever have and occasionally questioning my life decisions.  Remember when I had a job? Time to hang out with friends? Time to blog and shop for clothes? So, for all the family and relatives and random strangers who might wonder if I've dropped off the face of the earth.  Here's a glimpse at a typical day in my life.

* * * 

7:30 AM--Why is my alarm is going off? Also, are the women doing Tai Chi across the street listening to the same song, again? How do they not get tired of it?  Can you tell I'm cranky in the morning?

7:40 AM--It's time for the daily experiment with New York water pressure. On good days it comes out scalding hot and others it decides to come out in spurts along with a disconcerting rattling sound. Kind of like a janky jacuzzi spout. I'm waiting for the day that it disappears to a trickle and I have to go to school with shampoo in my hair.

7:50 AM--First cup of many, many, many cups of coffee for the day.  Try to catch up on emails for my clubs and consulting projects.  Usually at this point I realize that I have a meeting I forgot about and I need to dress up. This completely throws off the outfit I'd planned for the day. I proceed to tear through my closet frantically.

8:30 AM--Decide that I just have to wear what I have on. People can deal. Throw everything in my bag and then dash out of the door with a granola bar.  Get to the bottom of my fifth floor walkup and realize I forgot something (a charger, a snack, "did I turn off my straightener?").  Commence internal debate of whether or not it's worth it to go back up stairs. Nine times out of ten I decide it's something I can live without (seriously those stairs are giving me buns of steel but they're going to kill me). Waive at the Tai Chi ladies and make a mental note to donate some music to them.

8:55 AM--Get into my first class of the day and curse the scheduling person who gave Block One, 9 AM classes every day of the week.  Some small part of me hopes that they have a small infant who cries through the night. Karma's a b*tch.

* * * 

This is usually the point in the day where all sense of normalcy 

goes off the rails and the day becomes a blur.  

* * * 

There's class.  Meetings. More class.  Snarky texts with my classmates. Possibly some complaining about homework. Many cups of cafeteria coffee. Running up and down the stairs to my 4th floor locker (seriously. buns. of. steel.) More meetings.  Where can I find coffee? Do I have time to work on my resume or cover letter.  More stairs and meetings. Occasionally time to eat . . . Is it 6 already? Holy sh*t it's 8. Where did the day go? Why am I still at school? Is accounting really that important? Maybe I should go home before everyone else realizes how nutty I am.

9 PM--Good thing I thought ahead and made dinner for the week on Sunday else it would be too tempting to order in from the Congee house down the street.  Also, White Cheddar Cheetos go with red wine, right?

10 PM--Decide accounting actually is important. Buckle down for a few hours of homework and researching companies I'd like to reach out to.

12 PM--Maybe it's not that important. It's time for bed or an episode of Scandal . . . life's all about tradeoff's, right?

Top-less No More

Just as I was about to resign myself to wearing the same 12 blouses all the time (or giving up and just wearing dresses the rest of the year, the shopping gods smiled on me and I was finally made a dent in my top deficit (let's not talk about the corresponding dent in my wallet).  Since it seems like I'm not the only girl struggling with this issue.  I thought I'd pass on the good karma and share  some of my recent (and a few not so recent) finds.  A couple of things to note: 1) you might notice I'm partial to solid colors and simple shapes, (I'm pretty sure that's a good tip-off for me in understanding my personal style). 2) I might have a slight silk blouse obsession. 

1.  The Everlane Silk Blouse (Mandarin Collar)

I have this shirt in the light grey and I LOVE it.  Seriously, I'm planning on buying more in multiple colors, especially that navy and maybe the pine (did I mention slight obsession).  If you're not familiar with Everlane, you should definitely check them out. Mr. C and I both love them and I'm kind of hoping Santa brings me one of their cashmere sweaters).  Two things to note with this shirt, versus the J.Crew shirt below 1) it's a thicker silk, which makes it slightly less versatile for warmer months, and also less sheer. 2) their sizing can run a bit big and they don't carry anything smaller than an XS.  For reference, I'm a 0/2P in J Crew's blouses and an XS in Everlane.  It's fine for me, but if you're any smaller you might have issues or find it's a bit long.

2. J.Crew Silk Blouse

I picked this shirt up for $25 during one of J.Crew's sales this summer and it quickly became one of the most worn items in my wardrobe.  I also have it in a bright neon red and am eying that maroon color. It's the perfect balance of slightly sheer but perfectly work appropriate (well in more conservative offices you might want to wear a cami, but it's up to you).  It's definitely an item that goes on sale frequently, so I wouldn't recommend buying it at full price. Update: As of this morning, I discovered that my dry cleaner shrunk this shirt :( please excuse me while I go throw a silk shirt funeral and go buy a new one.

3. J.Crew Ponte Peplum Shirt

Proof I can like things that aren't silk! This one I don't own (yet), but I tried it on in the store and really loved it.  I'm planning on picking it up on my next J.Crew trip. If you have a longer torso like I do, peplum can be a bit tricky, but this one was just right and the fabric is a really nice weight. It did run big though so you might have to size down.

4. French Connection Basics Collection

Classic Plains Poly

Classic Plains T

During my French Connection shopping extravaganza, I was pleasantly surprised by the selection of blouses in their Basics collection.  I wasn't expecting much since they broke my no-synthetic fabrics rule, but was surprised at how comfortable and breathable they both are. The t-shirt on the right has a silky front which makes it professional enough for work and it drapes really nicely.  Maybe I should reconsider polyester?

Finally, not everyone can pull off wearing a giant bow around their neck (I certainly can't) but my friend tried on this top in the cream and it looked AH-mazing on her. If bows are your thing, definitely                                    check it out.

Retail Therapy courtesy of the French Connection

A couple of weeks ago, when one of my friends and classmates asked me if I wanted to split a Gilt deal for a shopping spree at French Connection with her, I jumped at the chance.  Basically a 30% discount on clothes plus wine, cheese, and a personal shopper picking clothes out for you? Yes please!!!

It was soooooo much fun.  Other than shopping for my wedding dress, I've never had someone listening to what I needed and personally pulling clothes for me.  It also forced me to consider items that are a little outside of my normal comfort zone.  I had a really fun experience, got some amazing new clothes (including some fun tops!) and got to take a much-needed break from school.  (Retail therapy is cheaper than real therapy, right?)

On the downside, it totally spoiled me . . . shopping for myself without libations and snacks and without someone personally pulling items from the rack for me seems so pedestrian now . . . le sigh. It's back to 2 buck chuck and browsing Rue La La for me.  Maybe if I cut up some cheese and put out some crackers, I can recreate the experience.

 * * *

So, what did I get?  3 blouses, which I'll post about later and, drrrruuuumrrolll please!

A New Suit !!!

Le Suit

I know what you might be thinking:

• Who cares
• Does she need a suit?
• wait . . . I thought she already has too many pants
• It's awesome!!!

I know . . . I know. I wasn't technically in the market for a new suit, but I have been wanting something a little more interesting to wear to interviews than my plain black suit and I have been keeping an eye out for some interesting blazers. This suit accomplishes all those things at once and it fits like a glove.

This deserves its own post, but one thing my closet analytics project has taught me is what cuts/styles are best for me (they're the ones I tend to rate the highest and wear the most).  And, I've realized that slim cropped are definitely fall in to that category.

Style Diaries: Part 1

So (I'm sure you're all wondering this) what is my personal style?  Ok, maybe you're not as vested interested in the answer to that question as I am, but how does someone figure out what their personal style is (especially if you spent the first 20some years of your life without one . . . don't judge, I was homeschooled).

If you'd asked me what my personal style was from the ages of 8-19, I'd probably have answered "whatever my little sister wears." In college, I probably would have expanded that to "whatever my sorority sisters wear." Then, as I entered the workforce, it became "whatever J.Crew or Banana Republic are selling." You can see a theme here.

Even though I liked clothes, they were a lot more about function than style and I kind of just adapted to whatever environment I was in--in early 2007 in DC, that was J.Crew and BR suits and separates. I'd like to say there was a light bulb that went off one day, but it was really a more gradual process.  For one thing, I realized that government employees didn't exactly set the bar in terms of fashion or style . . .  and I also started to figure out what I didn't like to wear (hint: suits and collared button ups).  Today, my style isn't complete, but it's definitely moved beyond just copying one store's catalogue.*  I would say that today my style is a bit of a hodgepodge of several things:

(also these are my definitions of these terms, so if that's not your idea of preppy, don't hate).

There you have it.  The four elements that most influence my personal style. Obviously it's not perfect and, in some ways it's a bit aspirational (as you might realize when you see me go to the grocery store in sweatpants). But it's a starting point.  The next step is to see how these styles translate into my everyday wardrobe and how they should serve as a "model" for what I should be buying.  Yes, I happen to like Rachel Bilson's style . . . ever since I got addicted to Hart of Dixie the OC. 

*  *  *

• What's your personal style and how did you figure it out?
• Do you have just one style inspiration or several, like me? 

*for those who don't get sarcasm, please know that I don't really take myself that seriously.

Monday Funday: The weekend where nothing happened

A lot of things started at las week school, including starting to get involved in the Graduate Marketing Association Board, networking events, group projects, and prepping for a consulting project I'm going to be working on this semester.  Basically, sh*t got real.  Which all added up to one extremely exhausted MBA student.  So what did I do Saturday?

Absolutely Nothing.  And it was GLORIOUS ;)

Well, not exactly nothing.  I finally worked out for the first time since moving to NY (well, unless you count walking up 5 flights of stairs every day).  Got my nails done.  Watched a chick flick.  And, had amazing Hu Mei noodles from Spicy Village.  There were a less pleasant hours devoted to homework, but we're glossing over those. Some weekends are for dance parties at the Bowery Electric and some are for being a homebody.

Happy Monday!

P.S. Happy Birthday to my big brother TJ!!!

Falling Forward

Fall is, hands-down, my favorite season.  Don't get me wrong, summer is a close second (I am from California after all), but I've realized that summer-time on the east coast, where you're far from the beach and have to deal with things like walking to work in the humidity, is not always so awesome.  But, Fall . . . is perfect.  You can wear things like sweaters and puffer vests, but it's not so cold that you have to bundle up all the time.  You get crisp mornings without the slush that people out here call snow.  And, you instantly feel more scholastic.  Just the change in weather makes me more excited about my accounting homework (#saidnooneever)

I love it all--the cozy cable knit sweaters, riding boots, the move to more subdued colors, the crisp mornings, the fact that you can curl up in front of the yule log video with a cup of soup . . . like I said, My. Favorite. Season.

The one dangerous thing about a change in seasons, especially to a season that I love, is that I become more susceptible to seasonal amnesia disorder (SAD).  Have you suffered from this? It's that feeling that the weather's changing and all of a sudden YOU HAVE NO CLOTHES.  Which means that you NEED ALL THE THINGS!!!  It usually takes me a week of drooling over all the emails I get from retailers to remember that, wait, I have a closet full of fall clothes that I bought last year.

This year, I'm determined to combat SAD, by being a more savvy, analytical shopper.  So, I decided to take a look at what's in my closet right now--filtering out items that are only for spring or summer. (oh yeah, going old school with the excel spreadsheet)

Not going to lie, it really doesn't feel like I have 83 items in my closet to wear.  I'm going to remind my "monday-morning" self of that number the next time I feel like I have nothing to wear. Also, I did a double take when I saw the number of t-shirts and had to go back and recount them to make sure that was correct and that I wasn't including things like my "Willie's Weenie Wagon" shirt.  Sadly, the number was right, but I am realizing I probably don't wear t-shirts often enough to justify owning that many.  Interestingly, in total, I have 29 bottoms and only 22 blouses and sweaters, which supports my feeling that I don't have nearly enough tops . . . I know what you're thinking, 22 seems like a lot, but not all of those are school/professional appropriate.  Also, it's still not cool enough to wear sweaters everyday, which means I really only have 12 blouses.  (I'm not counting the t-shirts for now, since I have found that I really wear my blouses and sweaters during the week)

* * * 

What does all this mean? 

1. I have more clothes than I realized (though I am also going to go back and make sure I didn't include any of the items I "purged" when I left D.C.)  
2. Some categories skew heavily in the "work" category--particularly dresses (over 50%), pants, and skirts.  This means I have less that's appropriate for school.
3. I need to check out this whole "t-shirt" situation.  I might be like my jeans collection.
4. Finally, is there a magic number for how many clothes someone should own?  Is 83 too many? I think I might have to go back and dig into those numbers a little bit and see how many of those items I wear because there seems to be a pretty big disconnect between perception and reality in my mind.

(Data) Models-Revisited

Way back when in February (you know, when I lived in another city and had a job), I tried to come up with a model for what my ideal closet would look like.  The whole premise was that, similar to when you're creating something like a database, you need an idea of what your "perfect"system would look like.  Basically, it serves as a guide to use in determining what criteria your system needs to meet, what features it should include etc. It also keeps you on track to make sure you accomplish your actual goal.  I wanted to do something similar for my closet--come up with a blueprint of what my ideal closet would look like and then see how well my real-life wardrobe measured up.

At that point, I didn't really have a good idea of what my model closet would look like so I decided to focus on function.

• How well did my closet meet my needs as a busy professional? 
• Did I have enough clothes to wear through all four seasons? 
• And, did I have a good balance of items to make sure that I got the most value (i.e. enough tops to go with all my pants and skirts)?  

It wasn't the worst model to start with, but it certainly wasn't the best either.  Let me rephrase that . . . it wasn't complete.  Sure, a wardrobe needs to be functional.  But it's got to be more, right? Else, my ideal wardrobe would be the same as every other student's at NYU and then where would be the fun in that?
These are the kind of deep issues you think about on your flight back from Cincinnati when you're tired of doing homework.  And, this is your sleep-deprived brain comes up with:

Yes, my ideal closet still has to be functional (else I'd still be wearing beach cover-ups and board shorts, pretending I still lived in California).  Secondly, as I've learned so very publicly . . . you have to like what you own (whether you have a 5 point rating system to figure that out or not).  And, finally, it should reflect your personal style, whatever that might be.

You might ask if "personal style" and "zazziness" (sorry for the Big Bang references, I can't help myself) are the same thing.  But, I would argue that they're related but different.  As I've talked about before, I really believe you should love/feel awesome in everything you own.  And, you're probably more likely to feel that way about items that fit within your personal style.  But, you can certainly buy things that you feel great in that don't fit perfectly with your style and visa versa.

I feel pretty comfortable with knowing what that means in terms of function and "zazziness"so I'm going to spend some time over the next couple of weeks taking a look at what my personal style is,

* * *

So, there you have it! And updated model!!!! What do you think? Are there other criteria you would include? Anything I've missed?  This is a work in progress so I'm open to tweaking it!

Monda Funday: New York to Cincinnati

Getting caught in a massive downpour, A drink with cracked pepper in it,
A cool bar in the LES, Recovering from the weekend with Chipotle

How was your weekend?  It was a busy one for the Mr. and Mrs C household.  On friday I flew to Cincinnati for a wedding.  It was only my second time going to Cincinnati.  The first was for a fraternity formal . . . needless to say this was quite a different experience of the city (the first one involved some folks breaking into our room at 3 in the morning, a 4 hour impromptu lecture on american history from my date, and I think there was a wrestling match in the hallway).  

Mr. C was a groomsman so most of our time there was spent attending the different wedding festivities, but we did manage to sample brunch at Nada.  If you ever find yourself in Cincinnati, I highly recommend checking it out.  Eggs Benedict with crab, avocado, and pico de gallo.  Need I say more?  Also, I'm realizing that I have a slight obsession with eggs benedict and am contemplating learning to make it myself, but hollandaise sauce kind of scares me.  

Mr. C also sampled Cincinnati's famous Skyline Chili (apparently it comes served over noodles).  I'm not a huge chili fan, so I passed and from the reviews I got, it sounds like I made the right decision.  Mr. C has a stomach of steel and even he felt queasy afterwards. 

Week 3 of school is starting and I'm sorta finding my groove.  Though still not used to this whole "homework thing" ;)  Check back later in the week for some updates on my closet "model" and some of the items I'm craving for fall!

Data Confessions

I'd originally planned on updating you all on what was actually left in my closet after the "great moving purge of 2013" but as I found my mind wandering in class Monday (don't judge, it was accounting), I realized that before I delve back into analyzing my closet, I needed to take a step back and talk about some of the things I've been doing wrong.

Mistake Number 1: Conflating my rating system
Remember the five point rating scale that I came up with at the beginning of this project? Well, it turns out, that I mighta-kinda-sorta made a mistake in coming up with those categories (that's what I get for trying to be all fancy).

It took me a while to realize that numbers 1, 2, 3, and 5 were all based on an emotion--how I feel about my clothes.  But number 4 "Wardrobe Staple" was a description of an item's function.  What did this mean for my project?  Well . . . other than making me feeling slightly stupid, it made "4" a meaningless rating.  It quickly became a catch-all for any item that I felt was slightly higher than a "3" but not quite amazing enough to warrant a "5".  BUT (and this is where it started causing more problems), I was also using it to it to categorize things that were legitimate wardrobe staples--like my favorite white t-shirts.

You can see the issue . .  . not only did the category not fit within my scale, but it was also being used as a measure for two different things.  Rookie Data Mistake 101

So, what's the solution?  honestly, I'm not sure yet.  I'm thinking about just getting rid of the "4" category all together.  I'm not sure it really adds anything and it's kind of become a way for me to be indecisive about my clothes, which leads to my next point.

Mistake Number 2: Not being completely honest with myself about what I do and do not wear

As I realized when I started packing my clothes up in D.C., there were a lot of items in my wardrobe that I hadn't really been honest with myself about when I initially rated them.  I think a lot of conversations in my head went like this: "If I rate these pants as a 4, then I don't really have to think about getting rid of them . . . 4, it is!"

As I've mentioned in the past, I get waaaay to emotionally attached to my stuff and I need to be a little more brutal.  Either I look good in something or I don't. Either I wear it or I hide it in my closet pretending I'll use it someday.

Mistake Number 3: Not spending enough time refining my "model" closet

I haven't really spent much time refining the original model that I came up with back in February. Probably because it's the hardest part of my project (or, in my opinion any data project) and I have a tendency to put off difficult things. (Note, I also do this with other things I find unpleasant/difficult, like going to the dentist or calling Ikea)

One reason it's been difficult is that my entire lifestyle has changed over the last few months.  But, the other, bigger reason is that it really means defining what an ideal closet/wardrobe looks like for me.  And, it requires determining not just what I need in terms of my lifestyle, but also my personal style (which, being me, somehow also involves some soul searching).

But, figuring out what this model is (or at least the next iteration of it) is really critical.  Data analytics 101: without a good model, you have no idea what you're measuring.

So look for some posts on this over the next few weeks (and give me a hard time about it if I don't live up to that!)

* * *

Thank you for sticking with me through my data analytics naval-gazing soul searching.  Hopefully, I can use this to develop some better metrics for figuring out what I need in time for some fall/winter shopping . . .