Fashion Lab: Gap Jeans
Ah yes, I am still buried in crinolines and calico (working non-stop on Little Women costumes), thus quality blogging is on the back burner for the time being.
But still, I like these new boot cut jeans from Gap. I was curious which I would think looked better, the boot cuts or the skinnies. Too bad I can’t get them side by side. Victory is mine!
I think I like both.
Update: dcrmom wondered what was different about the new bootcut. So do I. Even before Gap came out with their curvy cut (Women: Curvy boot cut jeans - medium tint), it was obvious that some of their fits worked with - shall we call them “athletic”? - thighs and others didn’t. Below left is the classic bootcut and right is long and lean. If my suspicions are correct, between the two of these, Trinnys wear the classic and Susannahs wear the long and lean. Not certain about the above. Thoughts?
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Smart Flats
Finally! A pair of flats which I can actually wear, without getting blisters!
- On the left, my new leather flats, a crazy muted coral which blends with nearly everything I own. Thrifting for the costumes has its benefits. $5!
- On the right, dd’s new flats: $10 at Rave. Rave is a super cheap junior store at the mall, are they in your area?
One thing I noticed which may account for these shoes being so much more comfortable than my other ones: the leather on these is thin and soft enough that the sides sort of flop over when my foot is not in them.
What tips do you have for finding comfortable flats? My best tip? Good shoes are worth the investment!
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Three Steps to Selecting Skinnies
Which is more flattering: to balance the hips with the flare of the bootcut or to lengthen the leg with the tapered line of the skinny? Clearly there are multiple figure variables which factor in, but I have my suspicions. Consider this second question: which silhouette generally gets help from a heel? If a pant silhouette is typically shown with a flat, and it looks good, that indicates a look that is more accessible to most, IMO.
Tips for shopping for skinny jeans:
- Go up a size.
- Choose a lower rise and a contemporary color.
- Watch your pockets.
For me, room just above the knee is the trickiest thing. Before I go out shopping next, I plan to measure pants that fit well in that area. Hopefully I can avoid a few trips to the fitting room that way.
One final tip: if you want jeans that are very narrow, I have seen some that zip on the inside of the ankle. Very clever!
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Teen Style Tuesday: Retail Job
The recently-turned-18-year-old has been interviewing for retail jobs. 
This is what she wore for a second interview at Macy’s, which resulted in a good offer. But what surprised me was what she learned about Macy’s new dress code:
- If you work on the floor, you are required to wear black. Not necessarily entirely black, but the segments of your outfit which may be other than black are strictly defined.
- For Recovery, which job she will probably accept, “no-wear” jeans are allowed. Shirts must be collared OR black, and closed toe shoes are required.
Since she, maybe even more than her mother, prefers color to black, she is happy to have the greater flexibility of the Recovery job. If what you must wear to work is what you already wear, your investment in work clothes is naturally less.
BTW, for those who may not know, Recovery is the team of people who bring the merchandise from the stockroom to the floor, fold things, and keep the sales floor presentable.
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The Answer to the (Trick) Question
If I were going to a first play date, I’d choose this outfit:
- The silhouette. I’m really ready to be back in narrow pants.
- I have more than one gray turtleneck. (In fact, I’m wearing one now.)
- The simplicity of the combination.
- Honestly, until Bonnie mentioned it, I hadn’t even noticed that the shoes were leopard. You might expect that to turn me off, but it didn’t. The fact that the entire outfit was subtly and yet perfectly coordinated … now that is exciting to me!
My second choice was number 4.
Back to a more normal posting schedule soon. 
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Just Linking: October 5th
I remember when I was a kid, although I don’t remember exactly what age, kinda liking the riding boot look (brown leather, flat soles, very long). Back then, an item like that was far too expensive and too mature for me to consider actually buying, though. Then it slipped from my radar. However, with my birthday coming up soon, I’m wondering if perhaps now is the time to seriously consider investing in a pair. Kinda like these Naturalizer - Women’s Denzel.
This just in: Good news from Shoes.com! Customers can take of 20% off on Sale and Clearance items starting today until 10/12/07.
Coupon Code: EXTRASALE
Start Date: 10/05/07
End Date: 10/12/07
Discount: 20% off shoes on sale at Shoes.com!
Something new: I am going to attempt to keep an updated list of sales on my affiliate shopping page.
Speaking of new things, Carrie is giving away a free personlized children’s book this week at her blog.
Fashion Fit Formula from Mary Beth (aka Miss Kelly), who picked it up from the Boston Globe, saying it reminded her of my Golden Mean Ratio. Does anyone have any experience with this?
Kori at the Fashion-y Blog has a fun idea for a group project. Anybody interested?
One last thing: since I’ve been thinking about costumes, sewing, and so forth, I have been reading Elegant Musings, at Oxanna’s recommendation, I believe. I love the blue walls in her studio! And just the idea of having a studio. Hmmm … I have a room, it just didn’t have a name that stuck. Description: two walls full of hanging space, large desk in the center used for projects, cupboards full of paper and fabrics, etc. Sounds like a studio, doesn’t it?
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How to Dress for a First Play Date
This post inspired by damselfly.
September is an incredibly busy time. It’s the capital letter at the beginning of the school/ministry year, the kick-off for just about everything, and a time for breaking in new schedules. Add to that, this year, I am doing costumes for the show and you will not begrudge me this little break in blogging routine to do something fun. I need fun!
Go crackers this winter with 10% off plus FREE delivery and returns at BodenUSA
Which of these outfits would you choose for a first play date? And why?
Oh, hey, and this will be fun, which would you choose for me? (There is one that somehow is more my idiom than the rest. Can you guess?)
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Internal Vs External Motivation
Do you ever wonder what Christians are talking about when they say “Christianity is not a religion, it’s a relationship”?
Recently, when I was contemplating my frustration with the need for workplace dress codes, I had an epiphany. Or an analogy. Something like that.
You see, I don’t really think it should be necessary to have detailed dress codes. No, I believe that people should be internally motivated to dress in a way that benefits both their employer and their own career. So how does that relate to religion, you ask? Well, when Christians say that Christianity is not a religion what they mean is that, according to their belief system, they are not required to live up to any certain code of behavior. That is unlike other religions.
The reason their behavior often (not always, unfortunately) looks like what you would expect a religion to require is because they are internally motivated. Internally motivated by a relationship.
As all analogies are, this one is imperfect. But is it helpful?
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Investment Dressing for Teens
How old were you when you stopped growing? I still have stuff from when I was about 13; and yes, I can still fit into it. Whether it still fits my idiom is another question altogether.
In our household, we have the concept of what’s known as “the permanent wardrobe”, things we expect to keep to be prepared for opportunities and contingencies. Also included are items we only expect to buy once.
Wardrobe items it makes sense to select with care as soon as you are fully grown:
- Letterman jacket. Both my girls have one, and since we homeschooled they chose whatever color they wanted. he hee. The store doesn’t care what the color of your school was as long as you have the right color money.
- Black skirt, black slacks, white blouse. Sooner or later, someone is going to require you to wear them.
- Dress sandals.
- Knee high boots.
- Snow gear.
- Good sweaters.
- Basic leather belts. My skinny brown one I bought in High School.
- More coats: puffy down parka or vest, trenches and pea coats, any wool coats. And leathers (thanks Monica!).
Moreover, some items that could be fun to hold onto are:
- dresses. Oh, how my daughters wish I had more Gunne Sax for them to wear!
- Converse
But don’t get carried away. Most items will be useless after being stored for 20 years.
What items would you add to the list?
