Outfits Of The Yesterdays (It's The Magical, Mystery Kind)

♫: 40 Day Dream - Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros

Just a quick little update today with three outfits from last week. ♥

Contrasting cap-toed flats and shoes have been an emerging trend lately, and I will admit that when I first spied them I wasn't exactly in love. Like these Lanvin flats--freaky birdie beakies, anyone?

But they can be a fun way to work a bit of color into an outfit, like these flats from Ann Taylor. They are really comfy, too--and if you're interested in them for yourself, they run true to size:

Blazer: Nordstrom's, old (similar at Forever 21) (similar at ASOS + take 10% off w/ code "SPECIAL")
Top: Ann Taylor, old (similar at Ann Taylor) (similar here, under $50)
Pants: Madewell, old (similar at Topshop) (similar here) (similar at Forever 21)
Necklace: Topshop, old (similar at Ann Taylor)
Ring: Forever 21, old (similar by Vince Camuto)
Flats: Ann Taylor Elizabeth Flats (buy them here) (similar here for under $100)
Bag: Valentino Aphrodite Satchel (similar here) (similar here) (similar here)

While the Jason Wu craze has mostly died down from last weekend (did you guys grab anything from his Target collection launch?), he has without a doubt been one of my favorite designers to watch for the past handful of years. My favorite season from him so far has been from his Fall RTW 2011 collection, and I took a teensy bit of inspiration in my next outfit from this look right here:

(kapow! via nymag.com)

But you'll have to forgive me, as my fierce fancy lace mask is at the cleaners.  Also--I kind of miss Martin & Osa:

Vest: Kohl's, old (similar here at LOFT) (similar at Bluefly) (similar at GAP, on sale)
Cardigan: Martin + Osa (similar by Three Dots) (similar here for $34.99) (similar at Target)
Lace Top: Zara, old (similar here) (similar at Forever21)
Skirt: ASOS (buy it here) (similar here) (similar by Kate Spade)
Belt: J Crew (similar at Ann Taylor) (similar at ASOS for $11)
Bracelet: Rivka Friedman (buy it here)
Rings: Rivka Friedman (similar here)
Clutch: Proenza Schouler PS1 Pochette in Neon Coral (buy it here) (similar by Reed Krakoff) (similar by Coach) 
Shoes: Christian Louboutin Piou Piou Patent Pumps (buy them here) (similar at ASOS, under $50)

And last but not least--2011 was if anything The Year Of The Blouse, and it looks like 2012 is going to be more of the same. While I love a good silk blouse, I love a funky necklace even more--they can be a great way to give a simple top or dress a little bit of pizazz.

I grabbed this chain harness from Topshop two weeks ago, and while it's currently sold out online, there are a few options over on Etsy if you want something similar for yourself. Love.

Blazer: Nordstrom's, old (similar at Forever 21) (similar at ASOS + take 10% off w/ code "SPECIAL")
Top: J Crew Talitha Blouse (buy it here) (similar here + take 15% off w/ code "UOLOVESU")
Pants: ASOS (similar here) 
Necklace: Topshop, no longer available (similar-ish here) (similar on Etsy)
Shoes: L'Wren Scott Tropical Maryjanes (buy them here) (similar by Marc Jacobs) (similar by Nine West)
Bag: Chloe Paraty in Rosewood (similar here) (similar by Rebecca Minkoff)

Outfits Of The Yesterdays (Winter Whites, Prints, and Pumps)

 ♫: Don't Worry, We'll Be Watching You - Gotye

I left Sioux Falls, South Dakota one really cold, windy day in December of 2002. I still remember following the drifting U-Haul trailer pulled behind my parent's van, swinging in the wind on I-90 and splashing cold ice pellets of snow back at me as it went. I was full of feelings of joy and wonder and excitement and, and, and.   

And fear.  

Fear feels a lot like the stinging, cold bitterness of a South Dakota winter, I discovered on that one-way trip. It has no taste, smell, or even sound really; yet you still somehow know it's there. It freaking hurts your nose all of your body parts nonetheless, it numbs.

I had spent my entire life in Sioux Falls; my entire life in the exact same small house save for a quick stay on a concrete-bench-cleverly-disguised-as-a-cheap-canvas-sofa-from-IKEA in my sister's apartment right before I moved. My parents had sold that house, you see, sold 20 years worth of memories in mere minutes to a neighbor as soon as the FOR SALE sign had hit the lawn on a late summer day. He was a big, tan burly man with a black beard, a quiet voice, a small white maltese, a loud motorcycle, and a yippy-yappy red-headed wife.

"YOU'VE MADE MY LIFE A LIVING HELL!" I had heard him yell at his wife one day, several years prior. This was followed by a violent slam of the door as he stomped outside, holding the maltese. It is hard to look adequately angry when holding a small, fuzzy dog; it was the first time that I had ever heard him speak.

"We've always liked your house." he said softly that day in September of 2002, emphasized with a quick shrug as he pointed to the FOR SALE sign. He was still holding the maltese, had it wedged under his armpit in its usual spot, and I wasn't quite sure if he was speaking for him and his wife or for him and the dog. I will never know; it was both the second and the last time that I had ever heard him speak.

"Well. I guess I can't really charge you much in realtor fees for...this." the realtor said to my parents, followed with a nervous laugh.

So we packed our bags, had a quick wedding for my sister in the garden my parents spent 20 years carefully constructing (which is still there just as we left it, by the way--the pond, the gazebo, and the row of colorful birdhouses my dad built), and that was it. We left.

"Ah, so. Um. Where...are you going to go?" my mom then asked awkwardly, giving me a side-eye. It was a pretty excellent question.

"Colorado." I finally told her a few weeks later. Also awkwardly, but it was a pretty excellent answer.

Which is how I ended up on I-90 in that December of '02, 21-years old and scared out of my mind, trying desperately not to show it. 21-year olds aren't supposed to be scared, after all; they are supposed to be daft and foolhardy and brave. Even in moments of complete discomposure--I had been in enough bars, attended enough college parties, and seen enough MTV's Real World at that point in my life to know it.

But I was driving towards a new city, driving towards (perhaps) a new life. It isn't every day that a young girl does this, you know--makes a move! Does something nervy. Packs her bags, leaves her lifelong friends and family, and moves to a big city!

A city with opportunity!  A city with adventure! A city that is pretty much just like her old one except a bit bigger, and not quite so flat (mountains blah blah blah), has a longer wait to get into the Olive Garden on a Friday night, and, according to Facebook, is also home to just about half of her graduating class.

(Brrrrrrave!)

But while Denver might have a lot of cozy Midwesternisms about it, it has some important differences too: better restaurants, better shopping, better skiing (sorry Great Bear), bona fide state income taxes (ouch!), sterile Targets that boastfully deem themselves 'super', and the most important thing of all: culture. 

Culture that goes beyond corn fields, churches, legalized video lottery, and arguing over which way a naked David statue should face on a busy downtown street. Culture like the DAM (YSL in March!). Culture like Adele Arakawa's never-changing hairdo (I bumped into it her on a flight last year and it's just as amazing in person). Culture like the fun hippies of Boulder, culture like toasty-hot summer shows at Red Rocks, culture like being stuck on I-70 near Georgetown with the rest of the entire state on a snowy Sunday in January, beep-beep-beep-beep-beep.

And culture like BRING IT ON: THE MUSICAL, oh yesss. Fabulous, fabulous culture.

So this is what I wore last Friday, first to a super tasty dinner at The Capital Grille and then while being surrounded by shrieking 10-year old girls at the DCPA--an easy take on winter whites.

(My apologies for these looking a lil' odd - it was cloudy out, so I had to throw on some flash!)

Coat: J Crew Townhouse Trench in Sea Salt (buy it here) (similar here) (style for spring here)

Blouse: Zara (buy it here) (another option at ASOS) (similar here)

Belt: J Crew, old (similar here in "soft pink")

Pants: Madewell, old (similar here) (similar here) (similar here)

Rosegold Bangles: Seasonal Whispers Crystal & Metal Bracelets in Rosegold (buy them here) (similar by Vince Camuto) (similar under $20)

Watch: Michael Kors Oversized Watch in Rosegold (buy it here) (similar for $195) (similar for $115)

Shoes: J Crew Mona Pumps in Pale Peacock (buy them here) (similar here + take 20% off w/ code "NEWYOU")

Bag: Chloe Marcie Crossbody in 'bone', old (similar here) (similar by Fossil) (similar by Michael Kors)

And some fun with prints:

Dress: Forever 21, old (similar here) (similar here) (similar here) (and a more subdued option at ASOS)
Belt: Forever 21, old (similar at Ann Taylor)
Shoes: Manolo Blahnik Uliepe (similar here) (similar for under $25)
Bag: Chloe Paraty in Rosewood (similar here) (similar here) (similar by Miu Miu) 

And I finally added a pair of 'basic' black pumps to my artillery, hoorah:

Coat: Old Navy (similar here) (similar here for under $50)
Sweater: Madewell, old (similar here) (and at F21)
Pants: Urban Outfitters (buy them here) (a non-cord option here)
Belt: The Limited, old (similar at Ann Taylor) (similar at ASOS)
Shoes: Christian Louboutin Piou Piou Patent Pumps (buy them here) (similar at Ann Taylor)
Bag: Reed Krakoff Inside Out Satchel, old (similar here) (similar here) (similar at DSW)

Outfit Of The Yesterdays (It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Something)

Oh, it's been a busy past few weeks around my parts again, and I am just (kind of) going on auto-pilot until Sunday morning rolls around. Sunday morning is caramel-roll-time! And puppy-time. And Vince Guaraldi-time, presents-time, and staying in our jammies ALL DAY TIME YES.

I am playing catch up again with some outfits here, so let's get to it. Colorado finally got a hard blast of winter this week, but before that it was warm enough to be outside sans jacket. Colorado, in fact, is the only place I know where you can often see people shoveling snow while only wearing t-shirts.

(And sitting in their cars for 72 hours up I-70 in December just to go skiing.)

(And, um...willingly electing fuzzy house pets as their serious government officials.)

I digress. One of my favorite parts of the holidays is having friends & family in town, and I picked up the skirt that I am wearing below for $10 at Forever 21 during one of our many Christmas Gift Shopping Expeditions. 

I will admit that when I first saw neon colors popping up on the runways and in magazines I gave them a hearty roll of my eyeballs, but I think when done in carefully measured doses they can actually be...fun?  Maybe not a let's-keep-our-lipglosses-in-our-purses-while-going-through-airport-security-to-see-if-they-find-them-cuz-they-never-do! sort of fun, but more of a let's-go-to-Disney-Land-and-take-pictures-of-us-high-fiving-Chip-and-Dale-because-everyone-always-forgets-about-them sort of fun. Right? Exactly.

So what is the best way to wear eyeball-burningly-bright pieces? Neon pieces, I feel, are best paired with neutral hues. Think camel, grays, taupes, olives, and rusts--they really let brighter colors pop.

I am also tightless in the outfit below mostly because I hate wearing them; I've always been okay with being bare-legged. It must be my hearty south-dakotan-lefse-and-butter-fueled-blood. Delicious.

Ta ta ta:

Coat: Old Navy (buy it here) (similar here) (similar at ASOS, on sale!) (love this at Topshop, too)

Sweater: Madewell (similar here) (similar at Forever 21) (similar at Piperlime for $31.99)

Skirt: Forever 21 (buy it here) (and a longer length version here)

Belt: J Crew Factory (similar here) (similar at Topshop in peach)

Shoes: J crew (similar here) (similar here)

Bag: Marc Jacobs Cooper in nude (buy it here) (similar, under $150) (similar at Topshop)

Watch: Michael Michael Kors Oversized watch in Rosegold (buy it here) (similar for $195) (similar for $115)
 ♫: White Winter Hymnal - Fleet Foxes

I also picked up this little beaded pouch from Urban Outfitters last week, and while I am using it as a pseudo gift bag for a Christmas gift, it's a fantastic little bag for only $50. It also proves that pretty handbags don't always need to cost thousands, right?

When going cheap I stay away from faux leather handbags, as they almost always look slightly fake and plastic-y, but since fabric bags lack that element they can oftentimes look a lot more expensive than they actually are. This little bag even has iridescent sequins that give it a bit of shimmer without being over-the-top sparkly, woo hoo hoo:

Pouch: Kimchi Blue (buy it here + take 10% off with code "seeyousoon")

Are you guys rocking neon colors this winter? Share in the comments!

Outfit Of The Days (Fancier Follies)

Oh, nothing new for this week. I wish I had some exciting updates, but I don't--aside from the fact that I was knocked silly for the past few days, feeling as if someone used my entire lower-body as a punching bag. Crippling, crappy-ling pain, woohoo. 

And I know ya'll are likely wondering--whatcha doing, Chloe? Have you been training for a marathon?  Moonlighting as a roller derby roller girl? Getting in shape to partake in next year's Lumberjack Days? Still trying to teach Petunia how to do the Dougie and the Stanky Leg? (Come on girl! It's useless! Give it up! Everyone knows that chihuahuas lack natural rhythm!)

Oh no; no no. It's just arthritis, and there ain't no party like a watch-Chloe-get-out-of-bed-in-the-morning-and-walk-like-a-drunk-penguin-for-2-hours-straight party. Heyyyy. Ho.

Here are some outfits from the days where my body wasn't giving me the middle finger, thank you.

1

Vest: Ann Taylor (similar here) (similar here) (similar here for under $30)

Fur: H&M (similar here + take 25% off with code "MACYSFF") (similar here) (similar here, on sale)

Blouse: Forever 21 (buy it here + take 10% off on orders of $100+ with code "TENOFF") (similar here)

Pants: The LImited (similar here) (similar here)

Collar Necklace: F21 (similar here for $21) (similar here)

Fringe Bangles: F21 (buy them here)

Gold Braided Bracelet: t+j designs (buy it here)

Watch: Michael Michael Kors Runway Rosegold Watch (buy it here + take 25% off with code "MACYSFF") (similar here for under $150)

Bag: Chloe Paraty in Rosewood (similar here) (similar here by DKNY) (and here, too)

2

I have  been pretty excited over the re-emergence of drop-waist dresses for Spring 2012--it might even be one of my favorite upcoming trends. Isn't it interesting how closely the fashion industry mimics the entertainment industry, though?  We all know that the recent abundance of pleated skirts, mid-length dresses, kitten heels,  and bow blouses were fueled by one Don + Betty Draper; no doubt the flapper dress trend is being pushed by The Great Gatsby (and Mr. Luhrman totally trying his darn hardest to ruin it). This country is foolishly-obsessed with that book, I think (and...I'm probably the most foolishly-obsessed fool of all).

Drop-waist dresses are surprisingly flattering; their looser shapes wear well on almost all body types. And in spite of visually elongating the torso, the illusion doesn't necessarily make the wearer look short and stumpy. It's kind of fascinating how that works, actually.  Magical!

Cardigan: J Crew Perfect Mix-Tape Cardigan in Bronzed Twig (similar here) (similar here in olive)

Dress: Darling Embroidered Drop Waist Dress (buy it here) (similar here) (similar here)

Necklace: Ann Taylor (buy it here) (similar here + take 30% off)

Wrap Bracelet: Old F21 (similar here)

Black + Gold Bracelet: F21 (similar here)

Ring: Banana Republic (similar here) (love this for $24, too)

Earrings: Kendra Scott Darby Earrings in Tigers Eye (buy them here!)

Clutch: The Limited (similar by Sandra Roberts) (similar at ASOS, $35) (similar at Express, 30% off) (similar by ALDO, $40)

Shoes: J Crew Mona Pumps in Wild Berry (buy them here) (similar here) (similar here for $60)

 3

And last but certainly not least--I had never really experimented with lip color prior to this year, but I am now having fun with it. I have never been a fan of my mouth (I find it to be oddly shaped and wide), so I have always believed that slapping a bold color on top would only draw more attention to its weirdness. Maybe it does, but it is also kind of fascinating how different a bright red lip (+ a startled chihuahua) made this outfit look:

Blazer: Old Anthropologie (similar at Forever 21) (and this cardigan would work well, too!)

Top: Old Anthropologie/Weston Wear (similar here in "red topaz") (and at Old Navy)

Skirt: J Crew Felted Wool Mini (buy it here) (similar at WHBM + take 10% off with code "9525")

Belt: J Crew (buy it here)

Clutch: ASOS (buy it here) (and a gorgeous option with a strap)

Shoes: Old Lela Rose for Payless (similar at WHBM) (and by Sam Edelman)

Lipstick: Rouge Dior Lipcolor in Blazing Red (buy it at Sephora)

(Currently listening)