back in black

Picture-taking today started outside but I started melting pretty much right away so we moved the operation into my study room where I stood in front of the vent and mainlined iced tea.  I'd probably have done better to bathe in the stuff for how long it took me to cool off.  Actually all I had to do was go and change clothes, which I did, but first I wanted to document what I wore to go and politely ask the bank to reverse some recent overdraft charges to my account.  I wanted something simple and conservative but also that I really loved and felt comfortable and confident wearing.  P voted against this dress when I bought it, arguing that it just looked like a t-shirt, which he doesn't seem to realize is entirely the point.  Whatever.  My orange study-buddy gets it.  He's all about fashion.  And scholarship ~ here he's flipping through William Manchester's The Glory and the Dream.  He suggests you buy it used, or borrow it from your local library.  

(Joie silk dress, Frank Gehry for Tiffany ring and earrings, Movado watch, Marc by Marc Jacobs flats)

modern love

All apologies for the absence of posts ~ in the past two weeks we've packed up our studio and moved from London back to San Antonio, whereupon I immediately skipped over to Albuquerque to attend the wedding of one of my dearest high school friends, leaving P behind to clean and tidy. Suffice it to say, outfits and photos haven't been all too much of a priority for either of us, at least until now, but a wedding is obviously something special and naturally should be treated as such. 

  The outfits in this post are actually out of order, as I wore this one to the Day-After-The-Wedding Brunch, but I was able to get more pictures of it so it goes first.  I threw this on in the fifteen minutes between waking up and leaving my parents' house to have a pre-brunch coffee with one of the bridesmaids ~ a timeline that included feeding my mother's dogs (that's Monty gazing adoringly at me) and cleaning up one of their overnight accidents.  It's the kind of outfit that I felt very glad to have pieces in place that I could just grab and go (two of which I acquired the day before the wedding after being stood up by said bridesmaid ~ thanks Amy!).

 Which two, you ask?  Why, the shoes above and the shirt below, of course!  (The key pieces, naturally.)  I cannot adequately communicate to you the limitations of shopping in Albuquerque, so I was more than a little nervous when I set out to find a top to go with one of the skirts I brought to potentially wear to the wedding.  I did find a top (though I ended up going with a different outfit) but I also found quite a bit more, largely due to the spectacular sale going on at Ann Taylor Loft (40% off regular priced merchandise and 50% off sale items ~ INSANE).  To be honest I haven't been inside an Ann Taylor in over ten years, and this was my first trip to Loft, but I ended up taking about a million things into the dressing room and having to rationally talk myself down on the number of things to purchase.  I've had my eye out for a summery wedge to help ease me back into the world of heels, and these shoes fit the bill perfectly (in more ways than one).  They're also a shoe that would never have made it out of the box if P had been there (partly because he doesn't like gladiator-styles and mostly because he hates gold) but his absence allowed me to indulge myself, which paid off in compliments from my friends at brunch.

 Between the beautiful print and folded neckline this top was a no-brainer.  The material is cotton and silk, and while I normally avoid the latter during summer for reasons of being a sweaty mess, the mix here is lightweight, slightly slinky and very breathable, plus the elasticized bubble hem keeps it breezy and comfortable for the high desert.  I'm a little less optimistic about wearing it in Texas' super-humid heat, but we'll see ~ I may have found my new summer fabric.

Now the accessories (please forgive my self-indulgent tableau ~ I have a lot of time on my hands here).  The sunglasses I wear pretty much all the time, and the bag I grabbed on sale in Heathrow because I had two suitcases as carry-ons for the flight home and wanted something to stash my book and lip balm in at my seat.  I'm liking it far more than I planned to, which doesn't bode well for future purchases.

Finally, a quick snap of what I wore to the wedding, taken in the bathroom at the reception.  Not ideal, I know, but I was kind of in a rush on the way out.  I had no idea ahead of time what I would end up wearing so I brought five pairs of shoes, two skirts, two dresses and a couple tops, then went out shopping for more when I landed, but this was actually the outfit I had in mind all along and I'm really glad I went with it.  Pretty and comfortable and great for a few hours of intense dancing with some of my favorite friends.  The wedding was amazing, the bride was beautiful (the norm for her) and so much palpable love you couldn't cut it with a knife.  Also the requisite wedding-party hook-up to make us all proud.  I'm not usually a wedding person, but this was far and away the best I've ever been to.  And I am so excited for the lovely couple (who should be off to Cancun any minute now).

(Outfit #1-Brunch: vintage Sunglasses, Loft tank, Seven stretch straight-leg jeans, Loft wedges, Longchamp bag, heirloom jewelry; Outfit #2-the Wedding: old Tahari top, Diane Von Furstenberg skirt, old Marc by Marc Jacobs flats, Hobo International clutch, pashmina from Istanbul, Frank Gehry for Tiffany Torque ring and earrings, James Avery bangle and Pianegonda ring)

blustery sunday

So, this outfit is pretty much the furthest thing ever from my typical Sunday morning coffee-run fare.  Or any day, any time, any outing, for that matter.  I am not a regular dress-upper nor am I a frequent high heel wearer, mostly out of sheer laziness but also because in London I walk quite a lot and don't want to destroy my shoes (whereas in Texas I have no good excuse).  That hasn't stopped me loving and buying tall shoes, though, and so now I'm working on wearing them more frequently (and out of the house).  I'm starting out with this slightly-less-high-though-deceptively-not-so-low-as-they-look-pair that I scored at the Selfridge's sale last week.  I should probably mention that since it's been years since I wore heels on a regular basis I'm a bit out of practice with them, and am having to reacquaint myself with the world from on high.  The learning curve is significantly more steep than I remembered.

(Paul Smith jacket, Target shirt, old Ferragamo belt, J. Crew skirt, Miu Miu shoes, Frank Gehry for Tiffany necklace and earrings, Movado watch and Navajo bracelet)

know when to fold 'em

I don't usually go with P to do the laundry.  Partly because the whole point is that he does it so I don't have to and can focus on my studies, and partly because I'm kind of insane about the clothes-washing-process and can't really handle seeing it done with anything less than my bizarre standards of precision, which our current laundry room simply cannot accommodate.  Basically it pains me to be there, so I stay away and keep my mouth shut except to lavish him with praise for taking care of things.  Believe me ~ I know how lucky I am ~ he also does all the cooking and cleaning (I strive to eschew traditional gender roles whenever possible).

I haven't very much to say about this outfit, other than I really loved it and it didn't photograph as well as I would have liked (notice how I passed the buck to the outfit, and not the photographer ~ aka myself).  The dress is more comfortable than every nightgown I've ever known, and I would probably still be wearing it right now (three days later) if P weren't here to stop me.  The socks were a particularly nice addition since I could pull them up above my knees for added warmth.   

(Uniqlo x Costello Tagliapietra dress, J.Crew socks, Cole Haan flats, Frank Gehry/Tiffany necklace and earrings, Pianegonda ring, James Avery bangle, Movado watch, Navajo bracelet) 

on the ph scale

Yesterday we dropped by the British Museum to meet a friend for coffee and took some quick pictures whilst waiting for her.  I was in quite a mood before we left, feeling sort of dumpy and blah and ill-equipped for the radical change in the gorgeous sunny weather.  The limitations of my London wardrobe are becoming more and more apparent now that I'm trying to compose regular outfits.  I took most of my clothes back to the States when we visited in April to avoid having extra baggage on the next go-round and it appears that pretty much all I left myself here are a couple pairs of jeans and many different colors of my favorite Target t-shirt (seen above).  While on the one hand this forces me to get creative about wearing the same things over and over, there comes a point when all my outfits start to look alike, and not in a good way.  I'm also not allowed shopping at present, so no new pieces to break up the monotony.  

So we'll see.  Hopefully my creative juices will start to flow and the next 26 days will fly by fashion-wise.  Hopefully.  Otherwise expect to see a whole lot more this skirt and t-shirt.

(Vince cardigan, Target tee, J.Crew skirt, Coach purse, Frank Gehry for Tiffany Torque earrings, Movado watch, Navajo cuff & James Avery hammered bangle)