Flashy New Year

I’m not going to be subtle in the new year if my recent aquisitions are any indication.

It’s all metallic and shiny and iridescent and FUN!

I saw this metallic cable knit sweater at Gap when walking in downtown Chicago and promptly ordered it and the stripe-y skirt it was paired with.

I was also smitten with over-the-top gold sweaters and this cable-knit version from Michael Kors is perfectly excessive.

I’ve been eyeing up this faux leather cutout dress from Betsey Johnson and when prices dropped, I nabbed it!

A while ago I saw a gorgeous shot on Pinterest of a woman wearing a gold foil skirt paired with a white button down shirt.  I knew I needed to get one.  This one from Zara’s is perfect.

Plus this dark green coated denim skirt was calling to me too.  Also Zara.

Spring will be here soon.  The Sugarberry dress from Anthropologie is perfect for day or night.  I love the unusual color especially since it is covered in pailettes.  Plus 50% off and then another 25%, made it actually pretty reasonable for such a fancy dress.

But the best are the shoes I’ve been stalking went on sale!  Sophia Webster’s iridescent peep-toe crown heels – aka Gigi – are finally mine!!!

So yeah.  Nothing subtle here!

Maybe I need a metallic silver sweater too…. hmmm….

Ensemble Du Jour: 2-23-11

Even though the days are still cool, the bright skies feel like Spring.  It doesn’t feel right to wear dark tones.  It’s time for color!

I started with the shoes and worked from there.  I paired a tomato red Gap sweater, with a khaki pencil skirt and grey and white Nautica scarf.

I love this butterfly pin.  It was my grandmother’s and is very intricate with movable wings.  I thought wearing it as a pin would be a nice tie back to my shoe details.

I just got these gorgeous crochet tights from Sock Dreams.  They’re so beautiful.  I plan on wearing them with an airy white dress and oxfords this summer.

But, yep, it was all about the shoes!  I just received three (!!!) pairs of custom Hetty Rose shoes and these are the first to be unveiled.  I’m going to do some more romance shots but I couldn’t wait to share!

I’m smitten by so many of her fabrics. It’s hard to choose just one.  I love the butterflies, outlined in metallic ink with large embroidered butterflies in silver thread.

This design is the Amalie, which is my favorite shape.  A perfect round-toe pump paired with glorious fabrics.  How can you resist?

Ensemble du Jour: 11-16-10

Hey look!  I’m feeling better so I actually took a picture with my face it in.  Oh, yeah.  hello new hair!

I just used my camera phone so I didn’t get a shot of the full outfit, but basically I’ve been wearing my new Gap black pants like every other day, so whatevs.
The cardigan is a Merona one with a black cami underneath.  The pants, as I mentioned were Gap and the necklaces are both from JCrew. For shoes, I wore my YSL Tribute peep-toes.

But the scarf was the focal point.  I received this pretty thing in the mail yesterday and wanted to wear it right away.   Admittedly I was a bit nervous about it when I first opened the package and felt it.  The maker is Fraas and they had called this new “Cashmink” link.  I typically would not promote cashmere or fur of any kind but then I read further to see that this was made of a new exclusive acrylic that is 20% finer than cashmere.  This scarf is amazingly soft and warm. And the color is very vibrant.

I am a big scarf fan. I think have at least 15 – 20 in various colors and levels of casual to fancy.  I have a bunch of solids that I wear when traveling.  I have the ones I keep in my coat to match my coat.  I have fun knitted ones that are super long.  I love this purple plaid but after being seduced by it’s snuggly-softness I think I want more.  Fraas has lots of solid colors (maybe the light pink and the ivory) but I love the other plaids and patterns too. 

There less than $30, so you’ll probably be seeing me wearing more of these around.

Looking for Love

Sometimes, new hair means you need new clothes right?

Not that I “need” a lot of stuff but I did have a vision.  I wanted/needed three specific things that felt were missing in my closet.  I wanted 1. a black velvet blazer, 2. a black knit blazer and 3. black straight leg pants.

So I had a mission and I figured that between my local stores, I’d find something.  But isn’t it totally frustrating when you can’t find what you want?  I went to JCrew, Talbots, Ann Taylor, Black Market, and even into Brooks Brothers.  Nothing.

I decided to wander around Anthropologie just to see what they might have and after looking for a while and trying a bunch of stuff on, I didn’t find anything.  But just as I was walking out, I spied a black jacket on the back of a rack. It wasn’t plush as velvet but is more like a fine-wale cord.  But it does have neat top-stitching and bonus: patch pockets! Daughters of the Liberation Tulip Curtsy Blazer – $118

I wanted a black knit jacket too.  Something that had some structure but was really soft and comfortable.  I could still look nice but not be boxed in.  I had given up on this as well, as I found it after I tried on some other thing but the Gap didn’t fail me.  When I saw that this was knit but with satin Tuxedo lapels, I knew it was perfect.  Gap Tuxedo Blazer – $69.50

But what I had really gone to Gap for was black pants.   I’m not a huge wearer of pants and jeans but I usually do okay getting them there.   Gap has a whole range of styles out including these straight leg ones.   What is great, at least for me, is that they have the three lengths as well.  The ankle length is usually what I get (yes, I’m that short) as they fit me with a bit of length for heels. I may go back for the cropped style too. Gap True Straight Pants – $49.50

As frustrating as not finding what you want, it’s that great when you find exactly what you want!  Any successful shopping excursions for you lately?

Taking Stock

I usually need to get a few cardigans and sweaters each Fall.  I end am able to hold them over for a few years but I wear them a lot and they tend to get worn out.  I usually go to Target for some basics in solid colors and then JCrew for nicer v-necks. 

But this year, I’m not shopping at Target.

I stopped spending my money there when they stopped supporting people’s rights by funding anti-LGBT rights politicians.   Now I don’t support them.

So I’ve spent my money elsewhere.   I am looking for more more independent sources but also bought a few items at Gap. 

I’m finally getting to wear my olive green items (outfit post to follow).  I found a great olive sequined top that I wore under my jacket from YOOX and this cardigan is going to be the lighter version of that.  Plus, it’s a great green to pair up with all sorts of colors.

V-neck sweaters are what I wear all winter long.  I got this in charcoal, purple, navy and tomato red.

Cowlneck is my second favorite neckline.  I’m sticking pretty close to my palette of greys and blacks but I like the fun stripe too.

I was smitten by these stripes, especially the black and white one.  Usually I buy argyle but I think I OD’d on argyle so I’m backing away this year.   These are especially comfy as I’m wearing the navy/red one right now with a denim skirt, navy tights and lace-up mid-calf boots.

I searched out a good promo code online so I got all of these for a pretty big discount.

How do you stock up for Fall? 

Ensemble du Jour – 2-19-10

I came home from New York with a terrible cold that I’m still trying to get over. But, I still have to go to work, you know? I just want to be snuggly and comfortable but not resort to the typical black.

I wore:
– JCrew cable knit sweater in forest
– Gap denim skirt
– We Love Colors orange tights
– Aerosoles Sixty Chic buckle heels
– Felt rose from Etsy

Say Hi to the pups!

Back to the business of getting well.

*cough, cough!*

Elements of Sunday

When I don’t have the hubby around to take decent shots, I get stuck with my own efforts at self portraiture which doesn’t work when you can’t remember how to use the timer on the good camera.

So this is all I’ve got.

On Sunday, the dogs were still in boarding so we got up, took care of the other pets and went out for a late breakfast.

I wore my JCrew v-neck sweater with the sparkly Scottie dog, Gap jeans cuffed with sequin Chucks and my mini-retro case.

Then I came home and took a nap. Did you have a good weekend?

Raising Eyebrows?

Not sure if I’m getting predictable or if the people I’m around are becoming desinsitized to me but I wore some slightly “out there” outfits (comparatively, for NC) and no one batted an eye.

Is this a good thing or what? I’m not sure.

The outfit I wore with my glitter heels and TokyoMade Chapter ring what otherwise kind of basic:

5-7-09
5-7-09 by Princess Poochie on Polyvore.com

Then on Friday I wore a stripey jacket, my derby and saddle shoes (wish I could have worn my Viktor & Rolf paperclip eyelashes too).

5-8-09
5-8-09 by Princess Poochie on Polyvore.com

Today I went out for lunch (and vintage shopping… more on that later…) and wore a shiny silver skirt, sequin Chucks, my boater, a green top with my parasol and a vintage straw purse.

5-10-09
5-10-09 by Princess Poochie featuring Old Navy t shirts

Okay, so maybe these aren’t too out there but they were fun.

I’ve tried to stick to a palette but I just can’t do it. I love too many colors! And glitter! And sequins! And vintage! I know there are some things I don’t wear and pieces and colors I wear more than others but I’m just trying to enjoy what I buy. Hopefully it will last and hopefully I won’t get bored by it. That’s becoming more of a goal for me. I’m sort of all over the place but that’s okay…. Right?

Week In Review Once More

This has been another crazy week at work. I feel like I’ve barely had time to breathe or sleep. So I’m just now getting to writing up the week’s outfits! It hasn’t been too cold this week but it has been blustery and rainy.

Monday I wore this black swing jacket (over a black cami) from Target with my denim skirt. I took this pendant from Etsy off of its chain and used it as a brooch on my collar. The military style of the pin, as well as it’s colors of gold and enameled red and white, went well with the shoes.


11-10-08 by Princess Poochie

The focal point was all about the shoes. I know I had been debating whether I would keep these or not because the shoes from this brand tend to be a bit stiff. But in the end, I did. I just love the mix of colors and materials from the metallic edges, black sequins and red suede heel.

One this that did help is that I wore them with black opaque tights. I wore the tights to help keep warm and dress up the denim but they sort of toned down the shoes so the sparkle was more subtle. Wearing the shoes with the tights made me forget that I had found them less than comfortable.

On Tuesday, I was looking for an excuse to wear the JCrew acorn bracelet that had just arrived from eBay. I had really really wanted this when I first saw it in the catalog and the store but held out and then it sold out. Luckily I found it on eBay and for even cheaper than the store! Score!

The dress is the black v-neck Target dress I’ve worn a million times now and, since it’s colder, instead of a cropped cardigan I added a long boyfriend cardigan (also from Target) and cinched it with a wide brown belt. I also have this necklace with a large chunk of agate as the pendant that I wore as well. I think I need to somehow alter this dress. It’s a little loose now and the neckline is getting a bit low. I need to figure out if a few hidden stitches will take care of that.


11-11-08 by Princess Poochie

The focal point was the bracelet and I supported the brown of that with the belt and these shoes. I have these Manolos for a few years now and they are one of my favorite shoes. They are the perfect shape and height and such a neat pattern. I could walk all over town in these and be comfortable.

Okay, this is going to be such a let down, especially since I made such a big deal about teasing you with them… but I finally wore the Chanel two-tone tights and mary janes! Talk about burying the lead. I can’t believe it has been since August that I’ve had these and haven’t had an opportunity (or made an opportunity) to wear them. That’s just crazy!

I was going to do a whole big reveal of unwrapping the tights and the shoes. I did put a whole set on Flickr, so they are there if you want to see more shots and bigger.

One of the things that held me back was what would be the inaugural outfit to pair them with. In the end I took inspiration from one of the runway outfits.


11-12-08 by Princess Poochie

I loved a number of the styles from the show but this one seemed very accessible, so I started there. I wore the tights and mary janes and then pulled out a denim skirt and my JCrew charcoal wool v-neck sweater. Very simple and straight forward.

Here are a few of the shots, but definitely check out the Flickr stream, there are just so many more there.

These tights are very cool in person. The illusion element of the two-tone is very strong. What’s hard to tell from the runway pictures and even mine are that the front part of the tights is more of a flesh tone rather than a taupe. And they are not sheer at all. So the tights are very thick and soft. It wasn’t quite what I was expecting but still neat. And when you move from the side or turn around the transition is quite unexpected.

I haven’t seen a competitive pair in exactly the same way yet, although I’m sure they will come up sooner or later. Someone did share with me that there are a pair at Urban Outfitters that come close. The pair there are opaque black on the back and then a sheer black on the front. I don’t think the effect would be as strong but could be good if you were looking for another option.

Oh yeah! And the shoes! They are very interesting. Graphic. Unique more than stunning. There is a lot of craftsmanship in these shoes. I did find a contender for the black pair (which I’ve worn a lot) that mimics the style but if you were to hold both pairs up together you do see the difference in the work. And that is not always something I find to be true, especially as luxury companies attempt to boost their profits by skimping on quality.

Thursday I figured I might as well keep the crazy legwear thing going and maybe even push it even more. So I decided to wear my knee-pad over-the-knee socks from Hansel from Basel which I just love. I mean, I love these some much I got them in 3 colors. I had skirts all planned out just to wear with them.


11-13-08 by Princess Poochie

Yes, the focal point was the socks, which I wore with a flippy black Old Navy skirt and my Facade patent mary janes, but I have to show you this top.

I bought this at least 4 or 5 years ago at Anthropologie and, because it is a knit, it may be reaching the end. But it’s just so cute. Sort of, saucy librarian-esque.

The inset panel is a sheer polka-dot fabric with a ribbon tie of the same and the buttons are tiny porcelain with flowers. The top is actually more red than it appears here so it has that red/white/black graphic element to it.

Finally Friday arrived! Thank goodness! I did have a client meeting so I toned it down just a bit. I had bought the sweater and the skirt in the picture but the sweater was an angora mix and finally pilled up so horribly and was so fluffy it had to go. But I still love the skirt. It’s a purple tweed pencil skirt with great button detail and kicky pleats in the front and the back.


11-14-08 by Princess Poochie

The skirt was from Victoria’s Secret from its “not-totally-trashy” collection. I was going to wear a slim v-neck knit top but for some reason I couldn’t find it and ended up wear the Target Behnaz Sarafpour lace front cardigan again. I’m trying to reserve this so it too doesn’t die an early death from over-wearing.

The skirt and slim cardigan have a retro feel to them so I thought I would wear a wiggly peep-toe stiletto with them. I have the Louboutin Yo-Yo Zeppas in black suede which I felt was a good texture to go with the lace and tweed elements in the clothes.

Whew! What a week. I’m exhausted. I have a party to go to tonight so now I have to think of what I’m going to wear to that.

Some folks asked if I have links to where I have bought some of my clothes. If I have a product image in the outfit collage, you can click on that and Polyvore stores the link. But if I just have a photo or you can’t find something, let me know and I’ll give you the info. I do tend to keep things, especially shoes, for a long time so eBay may be your best bet. Either way, let me know. I’m happy to help!

Week In Review Again

Over the weekend we went to Asheville and it was an amazingly lovely day. Because it was a bit chilly but still warm and sunny, I only needed a light jacket. My favorite is a light blue corduroy one from American Eagle that I’ve worn for years. I love the sky blue color and I paired it with my favorite color with it – lavender. The color combo was sky blue, lavender and off white with touches of black

I had a lavender Gap tee, Gap Classic jeans, vintage off white leather gloves, my pink/lavender cameo from Etsy, a lavender pashmina wrap as a scarf and my Paraphernalia “Story” pin. I also had a silly little dog in a doggie sling wrapped around me because he was cold and doesn’t like to walk!


10-13-08 Asheville by Princess Poochie

I was trying to remember what I wore this week because I was all over the board. While the henna tattoo on my hand finally raised some interest in folks my other crazy accessories didn’t. I think I’ve exceeded the shock value limits here.

We had a Dio de los Muertos-themed lunch at the office so I wore my skull tattoo necklace and Sourpuss skull striped socks from SockDreams. I paired that up with a blue JCrew sweater (since there is blue in the necklace) over a base of a black cami and skirt.

The next day I was a bit more professional in my cute black jacket and pencil skirt from Target with my bright blue Manolo Butterflo heels.


Week of 10-13-08 by Princess Poochie

Isn’t this cool?

Stripey!

Yesterday I wore a dark grey deep v-neck from Gap over a khaki pencil skirt. But it needed a bit of shine so I paired it with these brocade Estrella slingbacks from Manolo Blahnik. They are soooo gorgeous.

I love wearing a fancy shoe in a more toned down way. If I waited for an event for these they’d never see the light of day.

Today I wasn’t even supposed to go into to work but we had a huge project so I did. In spite of feeling crummy. In spite of being cold. In spite of it raining all day. I’m a trooper!

Anyway, I didn’t even blow-dry my hair – just put it up into to buns on the side of my head. I wore a simple black jersey top, my polka-dot Old Navy flippy skirt and grey canvas flats. Pretty comfy and basic. Now I’m going home to loaf and read one of the fifteen books I’ve got going!

Happy Weekend!