J.Crew's Fall Lookbook

When the August J. Crew catalogue arrived in my mailbox the other day, I almost tossed it out.  Did I really need to thumb through page after page of oddly clashing prints or neon mono-chromatic?  Did I really need to feel bad about the fact that I don't have effortlessly wavy hair or the perfect coral lipstick?  But, I felt virtuous because I'd listened to the Economist  that day and decided that at the very least, I could enjoy a good laugh at the fact J.Crew was selling $500 skirts.   Imagine my surprise, then, when I opened the pages and saw this:

What!?!? looks from J.Crew that were actually accessible again?!?!? The end of the world must be near.  I mean, not a fan of that weird shapeless dress  in the center, and the leather shorts, but overall, these looks were all things that I'd love to wear.  I love the mix of tomboyish and feminine that you see throughout.   And, can we talk about all of the gorgeous jewel tones and the restrained prints? The last row might be my favorite.  How adorable is that skirt?  And the sweater with the peter pan collar? To. Die For.   I even briefly considered trying to pull off a baseball cap, until I remembered that it would give me terrible hat hair.   

I had to get 3/4 of the way through the catalogue before I came across something like this:

This is more like the J.Crew I've come to know and hate.  I'm so confused . . . is this their  take on "what to wear on laundry day" look?  'Cause that's the only way to justify that skirt and that shirt together.  Did they just run out of fabric? Why is she carrying her ginormous purse like a clutch? And would someone really spend $178 on that shirt?!?!?  To my surprise, when I tried to find that shirt on J.Crew's website, it's listed as longer available.  I'm hoping it's because they realized their mistake and pulled it from the shelves rather than because it's sold out . . . 

Let's go back to a happy place before our retinas are permanently damaged.

Ahhhh, sigh of relief . . . 

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On that note, the blog Capital Hill Style linked to this Forbes article a few weeks ago.  Apparently, the author's wife sent a pretty thorough email complaint of J.Crew's style to the company and . . . the CEO Mickey Drexler called her to discuss her concerns . . . Kind of cool and kind of crazy. 

*all images from J.Crew's August Lookbook

Closet Diaries: The Move

You'd think that after starting this project and gong through another move just a few months ago that my closet would already be pretty lean and stripped down. Yeah . . .  that's what I thought too.  But somewhere in between packing my kitchen aid mixer the night before our move and staring at the wall of clothes in my walk-in closet, I suddenly realized that a) I have a lot more clothes than I realized and b) my new york place didn't have any closets.  I mean, I kinda remembered seeing some free-standing ikea-like wardrobes, but there was no closet space to speak of.  Major Panic Sequence/Meltdown Initiated.

After a bottle of some wine to calm my nerves, I faced the cold hard truth.  Despite all the talk about only buying/keeping clothes that I feel great in, I had somehow managed to talk myself into keeping a lot of items that I really didn't wear or need.  I mean, did that denim pencil skirt that I only wore on casual fridays really deserve a "4" on my rating scale?  Or, did I maybe bump it up from a "3" to a "4" because I wasn't ready to part with it yet?  And that dress that seemed so cute on the hanger but was a major stain magnet, was I really ever going to wear it again?  No. So why had I held onto it?

Short answer? Call it frugality or stubbornness (or addiction) but it's hard (for me) to toss out clothes. These are some of the most common ways that I rationalize keeping something.

Guilt--"I spent good money on this and it's barely worn." Isn't it wasteful to donate it? You can see my Calvinist upbringing in some of this. 

The "Just-in-Case" or "I'll need that someday" syndrome--"I should save this ratty pair of jeans in case I ever decide to paint a house one day"  This usually follows my feelings of guilt.  As I've mentioned in the past, it's easy to pretend that you'll find a use for something, someday . . . but if it's been more than a year and that someday hasn't come? Most likely it's time for that item to go.

Selective Memory--Ummm, I'm kind of forgetful sometimes and I don't remember why I stopped wearing those jean short shorts (hint: I'm 28 and it's no longer appropriate) or why I never wear that top (hint: it's polyester and I sweat "glow" when I wear it).  Sometimes you don't wear clothes because they fall to the back of your closet and sometimes it's because they really aren't that great in real life.

Nostalgia--Second to guilt, this is the worst and let me give you a hint, this is how it goes: "I can't get rid of that dress, it's the one I wore on my first day of college (seven years ago)"  I'm sorry sister, no one wants to see you in something from 2003.

* * *

Please tell me I'm not the only one making these types of excuses? So, what's a girl to do?  Admittedly, deciding to go through your clothes in the midst of an extremely stressful move while uprooting your life and quitting your job, is probably not the best idea.  It went kind of like this:

Stage 1: Furious purging--analytics, shamalytics--there was no time to think through my decisions and I just had to go with my gut.*

Stage 2:  Second guessing self--maybe I really do need that denim pencil skirt.  Initiate internal back and forth.  Take 4 items out of the purging pile.  Put 3 back.  (Hint: The denim pencil skirt didn't make it to NY)

Stage 3: Exhaustion. And the realization that I still hadn't gone through a quarter of my closet.  At this point Mr. C intervened and pointed out that I should a) probably get some sleep and b) I could always do this once I was settled in NY.

Stage 4: Realize Mr. C is right (as usual) and cram the rest of my items into some suitcases and hope for the best

Stage 5: Upon getting to New York, realize that in my packing frenzy I only packed one of my pointy-toed black flats and forgot my colander.  On the plus side all my clothes fit in my closet.

*Going with my gut in this situation was actually pretty effective because it forced me to make snap decisions.  On the downside, I didn't really have time to donate or consign these items so they're still sitting in our DC apartment. 

Moving to New York (in pictures)

On Saturday, this happened (Mr C and I both loaded the entire u-haul and our marriage survived):

and this

and some of this:

Then we got to our apartment and thanks to some awesome u-haul movers got all of our stuff up 5 flights of stairs in record time (I say that like they actually let me help move boxes.  They took one look at my tiny guns and let me watch the truck).  Right now, our place kind of still looks like this: 

But I'm hoping within the week, it will look more like this.

(West Elm)

who am I kidding? In three weeks, my decor is probably going to consist of strewn about clothes, school books, and Chinese takeout . . . 

Sayonara D.C.

On Saturday at 9:20 AM (about an hour behind schedule), I officially got on the parkway and drove out of the city that's been my home for the past 7 years.  It was a little more emotional than I was expecting (but I always assume I have a heart of stone and am surprised to discover I have feelings) so please indulge me in some nostalgia.

D.C. I'm going to miss you.  I'm not going to miss your summer swamp-like heat or the B.O. of the sweaty tourists riding the metro or ridiculous yuppiness of the Logan Whole Foods.  But I am going to miss running along the mall and seeing the Washington Monument on foggy mornings.  I'm going to miss bottomless brunch at El Centro and last call at Bar Pilar.  When I moved here in June 2006, I never expected the love-hate relationship I would develop with this place or that it would be such a big part of my life.  

It's the city where I made some of the closest friends one could ask for, learned to drink (responsibly of course), realized that late night Chinese food from Yum's on 14th street is never a good idea but it's better than trying to cook for yourself at 3 in the morning and that jumbo slice is never good sober.  It's the city where I went through some of the hardest, darkest times in my life and some of the happiest, where I fell in love, learned who I am (and how much I don't know about myself), and met people who became like family (with the plus side that you don't have to love them, but you do).  

I'd go through and list all the people and who've been a part of my time in DC, but you know who you are and I feel like I've blubbered through too many goodbyes over the past few weeks already.

New York, you have a lot to live up to but I feel like you're going to be up for the job ;) 

Goodbye D.C.!

Review: A Tale of Two Booties

This is my final review of the items I ordered from the Nordstrom Preview sale (If you're interested you can check out my other two reviews: here and here)

After my break-up with the Tory Burch Riding Boots last week, I was in serious need of a shopping pick me up.  You know what I mean, something to remind me why I like to get up and dressed in the morning.   But after so many failed purchases, I didn't want to get my hopes up about the last two items that I ordered--the Joe's 'Saki' bootie and the Clark's 'Rosepoint Dew' bootie (in black).  At the last minute, I decided that the 3rd Bootie I'd been considering, the Sam Edelman 'Pippen', looked a little too much like a man's shoe for my tastes.   

Booties have been on my shopping wish list for a while.  Unlike riding boots, in theory they should be a little friendlier for those of us with shorter calves. Some would disagree saying that they cut off your leg line, but I feel that you could say that for almost any style shoe.  And, I love how they can be used to toughen up a girly outfit (at least, if I'm to believe what Pinterest tells me). I felt that they would be a really versatile piece that I could use across several seasons.

The first booties I ordered, the Joe's Saki booties seemed like exactly what I needed to fulfill all my Pinterest dreams.  They had that nice worn-in look so I could pretend like I'd just come back from a wilderness trek (even though they were delivered to my door steop without me having to move an inch).  And they had a slightly western feel that was really fun.  It was all hugs and kisses until I tried them on:

Remember when I mentioned that booties were petite friendly? Not these.  Or at least, not if you have bird-like ankles.  No matter what angle I looked at them from, it looked like the shoe was eating my foot.  And, while the shoe itself seemed to be a really nice quality, the top part of the bootie (that flacid leather part) came up a lot higher than I was expecting, which really did cut off my leg.  P.S. I don't actually have a club foot, the picture just turned out weird.

After yet another failure, I didn't have a lot of hope for the second pair.  Especially given Mr. C's less than enthusiastic response when I showed him the picture--he muttereed something about "schoolmarmish" and "clunky".  When they arrived, I actually made sure to try them on when he wasn't around just so he couldn't gloat when they didn't work out . . . except . . . I loved them.

Clark's Rosepoint Dew Bootie

These are some of the most comfortable shoes I have ever put on.  I feel like I could walk in them for miles (and come September I will be testing that theory while I sprint to and from classes).  The leather is incredibly soft and I'm hoping that with some suede protecting spray, that they will last.   They look super tall in the picture, but the wedge is only 2 and a half inches high and they offer a lot of support inside (I had been having trouble finding wedge booties under 4 inches . . . I've tried wearing heels that high all day and it just doesn't work for someone who's kind of a klutz.  I mean, I run into walls and trip over waste baskets just wearing flats at work.  Along those lines if you see a fashionable helmut, I probably need to start wearing one)  The one criticism I have is that the laces look a little cheap and are a little long.  I think I might just buy some replacements.

I tried them on with a pair of skinny black pants and a blazer and they even won Mr. C's grudging approval.  I'm envisioning wearing them with a black tweed skirt and tights in the winter and, using them to dress down some of my sundresses for fall. A win at last!!!!

As an aside: These a lot like the J.Crew MacAllister Wedge, which I'd been considering but couldn't quite pull the trigger on. There was something about crepe style wedge that didn't win me over). But the Clark's had a leather wrapped heel, which I felt was sleeker. 

Monday Funday: NYC Countdown Begins

             

(Chiliqueles and Enchilades at El Centro, Summertime=Sperrys, Sumertime also = wine and patios, More El Centro Brunch: Bottomless Carnitas Tacos)

Is it just me or did Monday come waaaay too soon?  Maybe it's because I knew this was my last weekend in DC for a while and, as excited as I am for New York, it's a little bittersweet.  Aside from a raging migraine on Saturday night, I had the ideal DC weekend . . . a last plate of Swachos at American Ice Company and catching up with old friends, my favorite brunch at El Centro, and ending it by lazily drinking wine on a friend's patio.  I couldn't have asked for a better way to say farewell to the District. With moving and all that jazz, posting might be a little sparse over the next couple of weeks, but check back on Wednesday for my final review from the Nordstrom sale!

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And, in case you missed my posts from last week, you can check out:

• Review of the Tory Burch Riding Boots:  Judging from the feedback on Facebook, I'm not alone in finding petite-friendly riding boots.
• Switching it up with "Eat This. Read This".  An amazingly easy farro recipe and some of my favorite reads from around the web. 
• And, last week's weekend wrap-up!

Eat This. Read This

Some days you need a stiff cocktail and some days you need your carbs.  For those nights you just want to curl up in your PJ's with a giant bowl of pasta, try this recipe instead.  It is AMAZING and sooo easy.  Plus you're eating farro so you feel slightly healthier.

All you do is throw all the ingredients in a pot, set the timer for 30 minutes, and . . . voila, dinner!  I mean, there's a little bit of chopping and stirring and tasting in there too, but who counts that?  Honestly, it was so easy that I felt like I'd waved a magic wand and a little genie had made me dinner. And it's a really versatile dish.  I added some shredded chicken one night and some sausage the next.  Plus, the leftovers reheat really well.  One tip, watch the red pepper flakes.  I was  a little aggressive with them and it was a bit too spicy for Mr. C's tastes.

* * *

Ideally, you'd be eating this and watching a chick flick (or Predator if you're Mr. C).  But while that lifetime movie is on commercial (ummm, totally not judging. I spent 11 hours watching the West Wing on Sunday) . . . here are some interesting reads for the week.

• Neiman Marcus settles a suit with a woman who tried to return $1.4 million in goods that her husband bought her.  In the woman's defense, her husband was having an affair with the Neiman Marcus salesperson who sold him the stuff.  Honestly, I think she was being classy in returning them.  I would have burned that sh*t and sent him the ashes and a bill. 
• 11 high fashion names you're pronouncing wrong.  Ummm, not going to lie. I really needed this article.  I'm going to blame my pronunciation of Boglioli on the fact that my mom taught me to read using phonics. 
• Analytics is invading hollywood. The guy in this article, Vinny Bruzzese, evaluates scripts to see what they need to be successful.  He compares them to the plots of similar movies that have already been released, focus group results from past movies, and surveys.  For example, his company will tell you what type of demons play best in the box office and what types of superheroes people like.  

I thought this article was really interesting for a number of reasons. As you might have guessed, I'm a big believer that more information is better.  If you can learn something from comparing a horror movie to The Ring, by all means go ahead.  I don't think data necessarily squashes artistic license.  As long as you understand your data's limitations. But, (and maybe this is just the article), it seems like the data he is focusing on is really narrow. Is the real question what type of superheroes people like the most or whether or not audiences are over-saturated with those types of films right now and don't need another one?  

Interestingly, Slate had an article this week on how movie scripts have become too formulaic and are too similar to each other.  I wonder what Mr. Bruzzese would say to that?

P.S. The article notes that his company evaluated the script for "Abraham Lincoln Vampire Slayer" but the production companies didn't take all his advice and the movie flopped.  Mr. C watched this movie late one night and I can vouch that it is one of the worst movies I've ever seen. Was the problem that they didn't tweak the script in certain parts or that the entire premise for the movie was completely stupid and it should never have been made in the first place?  In case you're not familiar with it, the entire civil war was not about slavery or states rights or any other viable historical theory.  Instead, it was a war between vampires (the south) and non-vampires.  There, I just saved you several hours of your life.