Daily Outfit - Kate - 2/15/11

Guess what? I've actually come up with a GOOD excuse to not do laundry.

I call it - "outfit creativity"!



This shirt almost never gets worn, unless all my other clothes are either dirty and/or damp and hanging on drying racks. And then I pull this from my closet, and think about its lovely little print and how I never wear it and how I really should. And then I wear it.

This happens a few times a year. Which I guess is enough reason for me to keep the shirt around, eh? :-)

Shirt: thrifted, originally GAP
Tank: Old Navy
Skirt: GAP
Boots: LLBean
Tights: Target
Belt: thrifted
Cowl: handknitted by me!
Earrings; necklace: Mumsie

Daily Outfit - Kate - 8/26/10

Today, I am blurry.




For real, and for pictures.

'Tis a shame, because I think this outfit - with corduroy and woven cotton, and comfy summery flats - perfectly embodied A. from Academichic's recent discussion about summer/fall transitional outfits.

I could go into a bunch of detail here but really it just boils down to: I missed my corduroy skirt. I like this top. It's cold so I wear a cardigan.

Practicality FTW!

Top: a billion years old.
Cardigan: Target
Skirt: GAP, fall 2009
Flats: Dillards, circa 2007ish
Necklace: booth at Strange Folk, 2008
Earrings: mumsie

The Spoils: Lots of places

Now that I've got job/financial security for the first time in several months, I've decided to splurge just a bit. Also, it turns out I don't get to go to New York next month as planned (boo!). So last night I made the rounds - Avalon Exchange (resale), Old Navy, and the Gap.

I set out with one goal in mind: BUY INTERESTING STUFF. No more super-basic tanks or solid-colored skirts. I needed a couple new pretty dresses and a cardigan for early fall. Shirts with interesting detailing or prints (like Jen always rocks!). Shoes. BOOTS.

So how did I do?

See for yourself...


This hits right above the knee, and I love the print (it reminds me of silk cocoons). Only $11 at Avalon, but it's from Target originally so is it really branching out *that* much?


$12 at Avalon. I love the cropped length, and the button detailing is SO CUTE!

I think that one warrants a close-up:

Gah. J'adore.

Then, Old Navy:

Simple cotton cardi, but with embellishments! Be proud of me, y'all. I can't wait to wear this with my brown cowboy boots and one of my black pencil skirts. And I'm SOOOOOO glad to see dark colors back in the stores - all those brights were wearing me out!

But that's where my ambitiousness ends. There was a $5 tee sale, and...

Sorry guys, I tried. Grey and white. Crewneck. Fitted. SNORE. (but also needed in my wardrobe)

I went to the mall and poked around in Anthropologie, but nothing on the sale racks were calling me and I'm feeling too poor for even a $40 skirt right now. So I dashed into the Gap before the mall closed, where I tried on lots of stuff that pushed my comfort zone - pleated front jeanskirts, a maxi dress, and an oversized woven shirt. But all I left with was this:

Yes that's a navy-blue zip up. No I don't have one already. No it's not exciting. But it was $13 (cheaper in store than online!) and I really needed it! So there's no guilt associated with this one. :-)

Overall, though...I'm not all that proud of myself. I really like what I got, but I should've pushed my boundaries even further. Maybe I'll stop by my favorite Goodwill soon, but then I'll be saving my money for a trip to Kansas City (and shopping with a girlfriend!) in August. And on that trip I'll do even better. I promise you.

Daily Outfit - Kate - 2/10/10

::sigh:: As usual, disregard the horrible face I'm making. The grimace is thanks to my super-smart decision to choose TODAY to break in those new shoeties. Y'know, when I'm still recovering from this weekend's adventures. Hey, no one said I had common sense :-P



HOWEVER, that doesn't stop me from LOVING this outfit. LOVE! This CK shirt - one of my Filene's finds from last week - is sure to become a wardrobe favorite, and I really enjoyed branching out with the purple tights. I initially tried this on with my A-line tweedy mauve skirt but that was just too much volume, so I kept it simple and changed to the black denim pencil-y one above.

(that trio of bracelets is quickly becoming one of my favorite accessory combinations!)

I love how a good, happy outfit can make your whole day seem nice :-)

Shirt: Calvin Klein, via Filene's Basement
Skirt: GAP, 2008ish
Tights: Filene's basement
Shoeties: Nine West, via Macy's
Earrings: mama mia
Bracelets: thrifted, don't know, and Kohl's

Daily Outfit - Kate - 2/5/10

You can't tell from the way I'm posting (ummm...no Internet postmarks :-P) but I'm blogging from our super-nice room in the Fairfield in downtown Chicago. Jeff is off doing envinronmental lawyery studenty things, and I just came back from breakfast. Just setting the stage for ya.

Here's yesterday's outfit, which was worn in cab --> St. Louis MetroLink --> Amtrack --> CTA bus --> CTA train --> CTA bus --> FIELD MUSEUM --> CTA bus --> dinner. So it got around (and you're catching it at its third-to-final stop, when we were in the Field Museum :-)


That's how I was running around for most of the day. Do I look exhausted and like my feet were killing me and like my shoulder was numb from hauling around a day bag with my Nikon, 300g of sock yarn (3 pairs' worth), my stainless travel mug and other purse necessities? I hope not!

The outfit under that superwarm wool coat (seriously worth every penny. LLBean knows outerwear!!!):

I actually put more thought into this than I do my usual daily outfits. The flat boots were a must, and I actually figured that Friday would be less running around than other days, so I chose the least-comfortable of my flat boots. That corduroy skirt and red scarf are pretty much like a security blanket for me at this point; I knew I wouldn't want to feel like *everything* around me was unfamiliar (which was nice, because we spent a good chunk of the day L-O-S-T LOST.

I look kinda psychotic here, but look! It's Sue!


Coat: LLBean (mine is the older style - not the "new and improved" linked there).
Boots: 704b, via DSW
Skirt: GAP, fall 2009
Scarf: Plowsharing Crafts, summer 2009
tights: Hellmart
tee: Target
flowered shirt: Sears, circa 2001. I wear it rarely but keep it because I LOVE that print!
earrings: mummie

Daily Outfit - Kate - 2-2-10

I decided to celebrate Groundhog Day by...getting up, getting dressed, and going to work. Hey, no one said it was a big celebration :-P

More importantly than Punxatawny Phil seeing his shadow, though - I feel like I've got my outfit groove back!


I've had that sweater for 45 billion years (actually, since - I think - my freshman year of high school, so 10 years) and I can't believe how well it's held up. It used to be a much brighter blue, I'm not gonna lie, but I think it has faded well (nice and evenly) so I am still happy with it :-) I mean, would you know the difference if I hadn't told you? And the rest of the outfit just...came together! I love when that happens! I'm also kind of proud of myself for bringing in a few different textures, visually - the herringbone skirt, the studded boots, the over-the-top necklace. New territory for me.




Sweater: GAP, circa 2000
Skirt: thrifted, originally F21
Tights: Hellmart
Boots: 704b, via DSW
Necklace: F21, Winter 2009/2010

Daily Outfit - Kate - 1/27/10

Guess who I was (very indirectly) inspired by for today's outfit? Hint.

Not even remotely resembling any of Mrs. Parker's actual outfits, but I think it's close in spirit - the straight, simple wrap skirt, the cardigan-over-a-shirt-that-looks-nothing-like-the-cardigan, the rounded collar and vintage print on the pink shirt, the prim shoes.

Look! I even have the bemused expression!

(though admittedly mine is more "ornery", less "befuddled".)

This is one of my favorite detail photos ever, even though you can see I'm covered in cat hair:




All I'm missing is an embroidered hanky up my sweater sleeve.

Cardigan: GAP, winter 2009/2010
Skirt: Thrifted, originally Old Navy 2002
Tee: Forever 21, circa 2004 (ish?)
Tights: Target
Belt: Target
Shoes: Naturalizer, winter 2009/2010
Necklace: Gift from Jeff for our first (?) dating anniversary (?)
Earrings: Mumsie dearest

Daily Outfit - Kate - 1/20/10

(It's sort of fun to say "one-twenty-ten" aloud, isn't it? Try it. I'll wait.)
...
Part of the reason I wanted to distract you was so I'd have time to think up a good excuse for my face in the picture I'm about to show you. Unfortunately I was unable, so here it is - bereft of commentary.

That's the face I'm going to use on my as-yet-imaginary kids when they do something completely bizarre.

Anyway, this is a style blog not a "faces Kate makes" blog (though wouldn't that be a fun one too?) so here's the whole getup:

I thrifted that button-down shirt a few weeks ago - was originally from GAP spring 2008 - and have worn it twice (haven't blogged the other time, yet). I feel like I've just barely scratched the surface of what I can do with it - with the classic shape and beautiful little multicolored print, it's a very versatile piece! Yesterday I was going for the "belted cardigan" look only, um...not with a cardigan. I also - quite proud of myself for this bit - realized when I put it on that it looked a bit sloppy (or, as my grandma says, "loosey goosey"), so I tried rolling up the sleeves to give it a bit more form and definition. I think it worked. And, as a side benefit, I was in a constant state of readiness to knead bread dough or wash the dog. Can't go wrong.

The boots are ones you'll definitely be seeing a lot of in my posts - I love 'em to death and wear them at *least* once a week, especially when it's cold and/or snowy. They're amazingly comfortable and the quality can't be beat. Who doesn't love LLBean?

It may not be the most revolutionary or exciting outfit to look at, but it made me feel good wearing it - and isn't that what counts?



Overshirt: GAP, thrifted
Purple tank: Target
Skirt: Old Navy
Belt: thrifted
Tights: Target
Boots: LLBean
Earrings and necklace: Mom-made, stone and sterling silver
Ring: blue moonstone and sterling silver fair-trade, from Macrosun