For reasons I find difficult to articulate, I have recently become enamored with this blog. She posts her outfit! Every day! With a picture! I think partially it is the voyeur in me who likes the read it, but I also dig the clothes. So I started thinking about what would happen if I did what Allie is doing. Mostly, I think you would all be very bored and possibly appalled by my clothes. Still, I'll try it today:

What you see here is a black cotton New York & Company minidress (thrifted) over a black long sleeved t-shirt from Target and a pair of New York & Company boot cut jeans. The boots are from Clarks. The silk scarf was a gift from Mark last Christmas and is from Banana Republic. The watch was a gift the same Christmas from my parents and is from Fossil.

Hmm...it's not as much fun when I do it...

I'm sure I'll get sick of this eventually. Until then, I will continue to regale you with my high-fashion ways (snort).

What you see here is a sweater dress from Liz Lange Maternity for Target, worn over dark rinse jeans from Nine West. The striped socks are from Rampage and the Mary Janes are Ulu. The camisole is Old Navy. I can't quite remember where the necklace is from, possibly a street vendor. Watch, as always, is Fossil.

But alas, I am obsessed.

It's cold here today.

The outfit you see in this horrifically frumpy picture consists of black, brown, and cream plaid trousers by Ann Taylor Loft, a brown cotton sweater by Polo Jeans by Ralph Lauren over a black cotton turtleneck with what I now see is unfortunate side rouching by New York & Company, and my trusty black and brown Clarks boots. You can't see them in this picture, but I was also wearing lovely amber earrings I bought on my first trip to Ann Arbor.

OK. I'm addicted to doing this now. I'm adding a category for it.

What you see here are tan pants by Banana Republic (but I got them at the Goodwill), a long fitted black button-down shirt from New York & Company over a black cotton camisole from Target, my Clarks boots, and a painted shell necklace I got on one of my recent trips home (made by a local Oregon artist). Not my most inventive ensemble, I'll admit. I'm feeling very depressed about my shoe options recently.

I'm sure you've noticed that one of the things I'm trying to lately is replicate some of the blogs I love. This isn't to rip off their ideas so much as it is to push myself in new directions and see what new blogging styles might work for me. With that being said, I'm taking a page out of The Windowshoppist book and pointing you, gentle reader, towards a few cute things that are on sale at Sierra Trading Post.

Do you happen to wear a size 6 or 6.5? If so, these amazing teal Frye boots are only $79.95 (regular price $190).

So it turns out I don't dress much differently on weekends, but I do, apparently, have jazz hands.

What you see here are my favorite weekend jeans (too worn out to wear to work) by Seven7. They are worn with a dark blue on light gray graphic print tee-shirt from Old Navy, which is over a tissue weight dark gray long-sleeved tee-shirt from Target. The long-sleeved tee is thrifted, the jeans are from Ross. The ensemble is completed by purple low-top Converse All-Stars.

First, the outfit I changed into before going to our friends' house for dinner last night. My standard dark-wash New York & Company jeans, red three-quarter sleeved scoop neck tee-shirt from Old Navy, Polo Jeans gray cotton sweater (yep, I have one in gray and one in brown, and looking at the pictures I now know neither one of them is attractive), black Dr. Scholls clogs (fit me better than Danskos, if you can believe that), and my red shell necklace. I also have on awesome red and white striped socks, but you can't see them.

Now that I have explained that I am going to be doing this for awhile and why, I am going to dispense with the formalities at the beginning of the posts and just tell you what I'm wearing.

Dispensing begins now.

What you see here is my amazing and fantabulous Libby Dibby skirt (received as a very generous gift for my last birthday), worn with a half-sleeved scoop neck brown tee from Old Navy (bought at the retail store). The shoes are these from Redwing (bought online). The necklace is a very old one from Nine West, purchased at Ross, I think.

Why the store info? My next post will make it clear...

Anybody who has been reading this blog for any time at all knows that I am a voracious thrift shopper (in fact, I have a whole blog archive of thrift-related posts). However, something I may have been less-than-forthcoming with here recently is that I haven't, for the last few years, thrifted much in the way of clothing for myself.

Why? Well, there is a simple reason and it's one I'm not proud of: It just got too hard. Not only did finding clothes in my size in thrift stores take forever once I passed size 14, but sifting through rack after rack of clothes too small for me made me feel bad about myself. And though there was no moment at which I decided to stop trying to find clothes for myself at thrift stores, I slowly did stop trying. I still thrift shopped as much as ever, I just bought other things.

All of this would have been fine, of course, except that it didn't translate into me not buying clothes. It translated, instead, into me buying new clothes. For the last couple of years, most of my clothes (and they are significant) have come from Ross, Target, and New York & Company. I've even ventured to Old Navy and the Gap more often than I'd like to admit.

I have kind of a moral problem with that. I've been buying clothes that were made under bad labor conditions of chemically treated fabrics, then sold for less than they would be worth under a real wage system. And I've been doing it, basically, out of laziness and inability to deal with my own body.

It needs to stop.

Do you think Clinton and Stacy have those days when getting dressed is just a hassle?

Today I'm wearing trouser jeans from New York & Company (bought at their store), a ribbed purple v-neck sweater from Old Navy (again purchased at the store), my Dr. Scholls clogs (bought online, I think from shoebuy.com), and a lovely beaded necklace made by my friend Turtle.

Today's dress is made by Candy Apple, in the U.S.A., as per the tag. However, I thrifted it and can't find a brand called Candy Apple on the web anywhere. Anyway, it's poly, but so cute and fits well, I think. I like the capped sleeves. It is worn over black tights from Target (bought at the store) and a black camisole from Old Navy (also from the store). I also have on red Clarks Mary Janes from Zappos. You can't see them in the picture, but I am also wearing some garnet drop earrings I bought online at some point. And I covered the whole ensemble when I left the house, with a tan trench from London Fog (bought at Ross), because it's not all that warm here today.

I am not feeling well. I think I am coming down with a sore-throat-fever-cough type of virus. Sometimes, wearing red makes me feel better. Not so much today.

I am wearing the new (to me) Seven7 jeans I thrifted last weekend, a red three-quarter sleeved scoop-neck tee-shirt from Old Navy (yes, I have three of these in different colors, does it look familiar from Monday?), and putty-colored new style Converse All-Stars (much more supportive and cushy than the older ones) from Ross. The ensemble is accessorized with my usual Fossil watch (gift), as well as red and white striped knee socks (Target) and a lovely red and black millefleur necklace, made for Valentine's Day last year by LilySea Designs (see all the pretties she made?). I love this necklace, wear it all the time, and get tons of compliments on it. If you are reading this, o proprietor of LilySea, consider making these again this year? I'd love another color...

First, today's togs:

Dark wash boot-cut jeans from New York & Company, bought at the retail store. Cream colored cowl-neck cotton sweater from Old Navy, bought at the retail store. Earth shoes from online, blue flowered socks by Chinese Laundry, purchased at Ross. Amber necklace made by taking apart a thrift store necklace and putting the amber on a chain from some other old necklace.

Now, the reason these photos are headless:

I am not an unattractive person. However, I am a massively non-photogenic person. In order to get a picture of me wherein my face doesn't look very very bad, and very different from the way it normally looks, you have to both be a decent photographer and have a world of patience. The pictures I am putting up here of my clothes are quick snaps taken every morning a moment before leaving the house by Mark, who is a terrible photographer. Therefore, my choices are either to share a picture of myself in which my face looks horrific every day, or not distract myself or anyone else with my face and just cut my head off and concentrate on the clothes. I choose the latter. Sorry if people are finding it creepy.

Today you see my Saturday going-to-Costco finest. Thrifted Seven7 jeans (same ones from Thursday), a thrifted screen-printed long-sleeved black tee-shirt (anybody have any idea what the design on it is?), and purple Chucks bought online.

In exciting news, our first potential kitten adopter is coming by today!

Today's agenda includes a bunch of chores (ug), meeting with a prospective cat adopter (yay!) and seeing an afternoon movie with Mark (yay!). My outfit for the day consists of the same thrifted Seven7 jeans I wore yesterday (and a couple of days ago...) and my cool Burning River Roller Girls tee-shirt, which was re-fitted to suit my shape and gifted to me by my bosom-buddy from way back and BRRG's 2007 Best Jammer Eva Lucien. My coolest tee-shirt is worn over a teal SML Sport cotton camisole, which was also a gift, and with my Fossil watch, also a gift. I am barefoot right now, but by the time we go to the movies I'll probably put on some Converse.

I gotta say, it's hard being this fashion-forward.

It's warm here today!

I am wearing a Linden Hill patterned skirt in brown, teal, and white (from Target) with a white faux-wrap short-sleeved sweater from New York & Company. Underneath I have a white cotton camisole from Old Navy. All of these things were purchased at the retail store. On my feet are my brown Earth shoes, bought online.

The special part of this outfit is the jewelry--my Superhero necklace and matching earrings (in chlorine). They were a gift from Mark a couple of years ago.

Today is a fine example of how this project is helping me and teaching me. Now that I have seen this picture, I know not to wear this combination again, lest I look like a black-out bar on a censored document. The way I do today.

The black with white embroidery tunic top is by Venezia (Lane Bryant) and was thrifted. The cropped black pants are Liz Claiborne's Audra style and came from Ross. My red Mary Janes are Clarks from Zappos. The jade necklace I'm wearing was a gift to myself from Ebay, and my Fossil watch was a gift from my parents (from Macy's, I suspect).

It turned cold here again today, so that means tights. Which I'm down with.

Today I am wearing a mid-calf length black skirt with embroidered trim, brand unknown (the tag came out long ago), from Ross. It's paired with a red silk three-quarter sleeve v-neck sweater by Eric Stewart, also from Ross. The black tights are from Target and the black Ulu Mary Janes are from Sierra Trading Post. My necklace is a silver and rhinestone locket that my aunt gave to me for my 8th grade graduation--it's my oldest piece of jewelry and I still wear it quite often. My Fossil watch, as always, was a gift.

This isn't the best picture, but I actually feel pretty good about this outfit. It's stylish enough without being trendy, I feel covered but not frumpy, everything fits well and is comfortable, and it's just a wee bit different than what other people are wearing. I like it.

For the second day in a row, I'm comfortable and feel reasonably attractive. Maybe doing this is teaching me something?

Today I'm wearing a long patched denim skirt by Venezia, purchased at Lane Bryant, with a dark gray cotton turtleneck sweater by Calvin Klein Jeans, purchased at Ross. Under the sweater is a gray cotton Mossimo camisole from Target. My socks are Ross-purchased Nine West trouser socks, and my shoes are my Clarks red Mary Janes from Zappos. I am also wearing a purple glass bead necklace I bought from a street vendor, who made it.

With some help from some of my online friends, I've been putting together a list of resources for buying clothes that are organic and/or fair trade. Thought now might be a good time to share them.

American Apparel: Probably the best known U.S. "sweatshop free" clothing manufacturer. They also have a pretty good sized line of organic cotton clothing. Unfortunately, they are also a horrifically sexist organization (as well as being union-busting?) and not one I am much into supporting.

Bamboosa: Made in America bamboo clothing and baby products. Selection is not huge, and it's really basic, but the stuff isn't terribly expensive. I like the super lightweight long-sleeved v-necks. They are available in a variety of colors, xs-xl, for $26 (regular price).

So I think I need different jeans. All my jeans give me ice cream cone legs--I need something that actually goes straight down from the hips. Anybody have a suggestion?

Today I'm wearing Nine West dark wash jeans from Ross and a green men's turtleneck sweater from The Gap (thrifted). No jewelry, Simple sneakers from Zappos. Ah, Friday.

Batton down the hatches, y'all, it is going to be a heavy posting day.

First thing first: it has come to my attention that there are folks, elsewhere (and no, I am most certainly not going to link) who are using my daily clothing posts for their own amusement. Specifically, they are reposting the pictures in order to make fun of my poor fashion sense. I think that this is understandable. It is even, maybe, part of what I had in mind when I starting posting pictures of my clothes every day. What bums me out is that they are doing it elsewhere, sneakily, and not here in the open. See, I am aware that my clothes are not all that. I want that to change. And by setting myself up for the public humiliation of sharing my outfits with the wide internets every day, I am, in part, hoping to get some advice re: that change. So be a helper and not a hater, and all that. If you've got something to say about my clothes, I'm here and I'm listening.

First, the basics:

Gaiam organic cotton black yoga pants (gift from my not-ILs for Christmas), Mossimo army green cotton tank top (Target), Old Navy brown and black flowered camisole (thrifted). No accessories, no shoes. Glasses from Lenscrafters, I think. Mark's mom is coming to visit this week and we're doing house-cleaning today. This is the type of thing I wear to do housecleaning.

Now.

On today's agenda: brunch at friends' house (just got home), watching a soccer match with Mark (Liverpool v. Chelsea), more chores that didn't get done yesterday. So, I'm wearing my thrifted Seven7 jeans (new favorites for sure), a black scoop-neck t-shirt from the Gap (sadly purchased at the retail store, but at least from the clearance rack), and my putty-colored new-style Chucks (from Ross). My hematite necklace came from an online swap.

Also, I am thinking that my posture might have something to do with how bad my jeans look in some of the other pictures, because the very same jeans don't look nearly so terrible in this one. Which is uplifting.

OK, feel free to make fun of me now.

Happy Monday, all. Sometimes, when it is Monday, it is good to dress up a bit, I think. Makes the weekend-to-week transition a bit more pronounced. Or something.

Anyway, I am wearing a thrifted black and purple geometric Venezia (Lane Bryant) skirt. I like this skirt, and in fact have another thrifted skirt much like it, but I have a complaint about these types of skirts, with the translucent tops and attached underskirts. The underskirts get bunched up. Pisses me right off. With it, I'm wearing a silk and cotton blend short-sleeved faux wrap black sweater from New York & Company, purchased at the retail store (and yes, it's the same as this sweater--if I really like something, I am so not above buying it in two colors). Under that is a purple cotton camisole from Old Navy. My shoes are Ulu Mary Janes from Sierra Trading post. My necklace was handmade by my friend Turtle.

Also, I have to show you my new purse, which I am carrying today even though it matches nothing I have on. Love.

Today we've got a teal Mossimo tunic shirt, which was thrifted on my big trip the other weekend, over my Nine West Bleeker jeans. I'm also wearing my butt-ugly Dr. Scholls clogs, my usual watch, some cool stripy socks you can't see, and a blow glass bead on a cord around my neck, which I bought from a street vendor, who made it.

I like this shirt, but it isn't quite long enough between the shoulder and the bust, so I kind of feel like it's bisecting my boobs. Which is unfortunate. I don't think I'm ever going to like these jeans.

Oh, another note about these clothing posts: one thing they are bringing to my attention is how incredibly bad my posture is. Wow. I had no idea. So I gotta work on that. I think there is some natural bad-posture that comes with being so tall so early, but it has to be somewhat correctable.

Mark got sneaky this morning and took my photo while I was making my coffee and not paying attention. Still, I think it works just fine. Probably an improvement over my usual stiff pose, actually.

Today I am wearing my Libby Dibby skirt, on the flipside of how I wore it on January 28. With it I have a chocolate brown silk sweater with v-neck and half-sleeves from Eric Stewart, purchased at Ross. It's actually exactly like the much-maligned sweater I wore on February 6, just a different color. My brown tights are by Mossimo, but I actually thrifted them last week (new in the package). My Red Wing shoes you've seen before. My necklace, which you can't really see in this picture, is a green stone (peridot, or fake peridot) and copper Y necklace, and it's thrifted.

Dear Clinton and Stacy,

I am writing this open letter because I would like to nominate myself for your program. However, you do not allow self-nomination, so I am hoping some wise soul will see this, take pity on me, and nominate me. According to your website, you are currently looking for candidates for show from my city, so now is the time.

For nearly a month, I have been cataloging my wardrobe in daily photographs, which you can see here. As you can see, I definitely have some challenges. While I recognize these challenges, however, I am dead-set against some things you always suggest (like high heels and jackets), so even though I'm asking for help and it's not being thrust at me, I'd be spitfire enough to make for a good show. And I'd present some challenges for you as well, as I am outside the normal size range which 90% or more of your participants fit into. Are you up for it?

I'll be on the lookout for hidden video cameras and people pretending to be market researchers.

Hope to see you soon.

Grace

You'll have to forgive the odd and unflattering angle of today's picture. I had to wake Mark up to take it (my camera doesn't work for taking a picture of myself) and he wouldn't get out of bed, so it's a bit weird.

I'm wearing both trousers and sweater from New York & Company today. The gray trousers were purchased at a retail store a couple of years ago, the pink cowl neck sweater was purchased at a retail store last weekend. The most interesting thing I have on is something you can't really see--a pink cotton camisole under the sweater which I bought at Lindex on my trip to Norway. How world-traveler of me! I'm also wearing black socks and my black Ulu Mary Janes (from Sierra Trading Post). You can't see them, but I also have on very cool rose quartz earrings.

Dressing gave me trouble today...and this is another from-bed picture.

I'm wearing my New York & Company West Side jeans, which I am really beginning to hate (the whiskering pisses me off). I have on a scoop neck Gap tee-shirt in red (same as this black one--I actually have three), also from the retail store, and a New York & Company gray one-button cardigan (something else I have in two colors...), also from the retail store. I have on my LilySea necklace, but you can't see it, and my Clarks boots.

I think my photographer is unhappy with his role in this project. I am noticing a distinct lack of care about things like focus in his recent shots...

Anyway, it is Saturday and I have no real plans. I am wearing my Seven7 weekend jeans, from Ross way back when, and a black Gap short-sleeved Henley type shirt over a gray Old Navy camisole, both from the retail stores. My Fossil watch. Blessed bare feet.

Seven7 jeans (same as yesterday, from Ross), brown Mossimo Henley from Target over bright striped camisole with no brand, which I think was thrifted. Green seed bead necklace my cousin made for me for Christmas, pewter All-Stars (Ross), and Fossil watch (gift).

Headed to the zoo today.

Unlike luckier souls, I had to work today.

I'm wearing a Courtney dress, which is a green, white, black, and cream pattern, over black tights. On my feet are my trusty Ulu black Mary Janes and around my neck is a cool green stone necklace that I can't for the life of me recall the origins of.

And the kitten? That is Yuel, our sole remaining baby cat. He's growing on us...we'd better find an adopter for him soon.

I realized today that I am duplicating my efforts, keeping track of what I am wearing both here and on Flickr, and it really makes very little sense. So no more outfits here. If you want to keep track of what I'm wearing and/or advise me along my journey, feel free to check out my Flickr album, What I'm Wearing Today. There is also a link to it in the sidebar.

Now back to actual blogging.

So even though I've stopped taking and posting pictures of my clothes every day, I am still thinking a lot about style, about dressing in a more put-together way, and about reducing my wardrobe to fewer pieces that I feel better about. I'm still reading Allie every day, and taking her advice. One of the best posts she's written, to my mind, was not on her daily style diary, but on Wardrobe Oxygen, where she wrote a couple of years ago about staples for every woman's wardrobe. After reading the post, along with her updates "Wardrobe hints for warmer climates" and "Updating your wardrobe for spring 2008," I made a list (word of the month!) of things I wanted in my wardrobe, especially with spring/summer approaching.

I love a good bargain. This if, of couse, one of the reasons why I thrift shop (though at this point it's not the most important one). Coupons thrill me. I love clearance racks.

And I love, love, love Ross. More recently, my Ross love has expanded to include Marshall's, as well. I still don't quite get T.J. Maxx.

Anyway, I've been cleaning up at Ross and Marshall's lately, so I thought I'd share with you a few of the discoveries I've made therein.

Abba Pure Basic Shampoo and Conditioner
I bought an 8 oz bottle each of Abba Pure Basic Shampoo and Conditioner at Marshall's a while back for I think $6.99 each. The drugstore.com price on it is $14/bottle for the shampoo and $15 for the conditioner. And I LOVE this stuff. It leaves my hair soft and clean and it smells herbal and nice. Once I'd used it enough to know I loved it, I was delighed to see the same stuff in big liter bottles at Ross for $12.99 (they are regularly about $30). So I've stocked up. Which is good, since apparently Abba is discontinuing this formula.

Seven7 Jeans
My quest for perfect jeans is nearly endless, but I've lately found a pair that is pretty damn close. They are the Seven7 brand dark wash flare jeans. Retail on them is about $60, mine were $19.99 at Marshall's.

EO French Lavender products
The French Lavender line from EO is one of my favorite commercially available body products. I love the subtle scent, and the quality is very good. I've recently bought a anti-stress room spray for $3.99 at Marshall's (regular price $8 or so) and one of these cute "Spa Box" sets for $4.99 at Ross (regular price $19.99). I used the massage candle to figure out how to make my own, and have very much enjoyed the shower gel and bath salts as well.

Ann Taylor lotion
My most exciting recent bath and body care was Ann Taylor body lotions for $3.99 each at Marshall's. It looks as if these have also been discontinued, at least in the two scents I got--Peach Honey Sheer Musk and Orange Nectar Honeysuckle--but when they were being sold I believe they were about $16 each.

Simple Carousel Plaid Slip-on
One of my favorite things about Ross is that they sometimes carry shoes in my size. They carried these plaid Simple slip-ons in my size, and I love them for that. The shoes are from Simple's Eco line, made with recycled bottles and tired and organic cotton, and they are super cute. My Ross version were $12.99. Amazon has them for $49.99.

Now if I could just find a bag I like...

So back to pre-BlogHer posting.

I have a confession to make: the idea of packing for BlogHer fills me with fear. Much as I'd like to be, I am not the world's most fashionable person, and some of the attendees really, really are. Yesterday, Suebob tweeted a link to her red stapler pictures from the Chicago conference in 2007, for a glimpse at what people were wearing. Looking back at them, I remembered how put together and stylish I thought the women at BlogHer looked (particular nods Pioneer Woman Ree and BlogHer's own Lisa Stone). My Heroine Content co-blogger and general blog-guru Skye showed me up too, rocking cute skirts and cardigans while I schlepped in jeans and a layer of sweat.

I doubt I am the only one with these apprehensions. But there is advice out there!No Pasa Nada's HeatherB posted on BlogHer a couple of weeks ago about what she's packing (dresses, cardigans, and sandals, BTW). Miss Disgrace Grace is also planning on (really cute) dresses. Mobile Mommy Laurie is packing from her super organized list, and bought a new bag for the occasion. So that's a place to start.

HeatherB's main piece of advice is to wear what you would normally wear--i.e. be yourself. Good advice in most situations. I think, though, that for those of us who so rarely get to do anything like BlogHer (meetings and parties and lots of new people), there is a definite need to be ourselves only better. I don't just want to wear the clothes I wear to work every week, or the ones I wear around my house on the weekends. I want to do more than that. And so I've been doing a little shopping, both retail and in my own closet, and have come up with a few "me only better" things to pack. New jeans. Fun shirts that aren't work appropriate. And, like Laurie, a specially purchased Etsy bag. I want to be comfortable, and no, I am not there to be a fashionplate, but it's nerve wracking to know you're going to be meeting hundreds of women whose only real life impression of you will be formed over these few days. Everybody wants to put her best foot forward.

Now, if I can only find time to fit in a pedicure...

I made a discovery this week that I have been dying to share with you. TallGirl. TallGirl is a clothing company specifically for tall women. From their about page:

The Tall Girl Shop Ltd ® is North America's largest chain of stores catering exclusively to taller women and to women with longer feet.
Tall Girl® provides tall, long-legged and long-waisted women with clothing that FITS!
The hallmark of our success has been our unwavering commitment to provide QUALITY and FIT for taller women in sizes 6-22.

I found them quite by accident--I was looking on Amazon for some long-length leggings (because they'd be handy in my new climate), and I happened upon an inexpensive pair from TallGirl. I ordered them, they came, and they RULE. They are long enough! The rise is in the right length! It's as if I am not a circus freak, just a woman with a taller body than most!

And they've got more. Much more. I've been browsing their site. They are having an end of season sale! Even on sale, their stuff isn't exactly cheap, but how excited am I about the idea of PJ pants with a 38" inseam? Or 37" inseam cargo pants? I'd have to roll those up! A pencil skirt that would fall perfectly just below the knee?

Possibly my favorite thing on the site, though, is the t-shirt that reads "No. I Don't Play Basketball." I don't get the question much these days, but I spent about 10 years answering it it at least once a week.

Sadly, some of the best stuff on the site is available in-store only. I'm thrilled at the idea of one piece bathing suits with torsos that are actually the right length--I love this graphic one. There store closest to me is in Dallas, which is a bummer, because I would go and check them out if they were closer. Soon, though, they will be--there is a store about 20 miles from our future home in Virginia. So give me a month or so--I'll go and report back.

With the exception of my high school proms (yes, I went to more than one prom--four, actually), I've never been to a black tie event. So, when I heard that Mark's brother's wedding, coming up the first week in September, was going to be formal, I was almost as excited as I was annoyed. Mark will have to wear a tux and I can wear something fancy! Fun! Visions floated through my mind of a simple, sexy, incredibly sophisticated dress (cut on the bias, of course) and a fun throwback hair fascinator. There could possibly be pin-curls or finger waves. In my mind, I saw myself as a 1930s starlet--Myrna Loy, maybe, or Grace Kelly.

You know where this is going already, don't you?

Friends, I am not built like Myrna Loy or Grace Kelly. On a really, really good day and with a very padded bra, maybe Mae West. The simple, sleek dresses I was envisioning were never going to work on someone with a wide ass, powerful thighs, blacksmith arms, and a tummy role. So, I widened my search.

Since the main problem is my ample bottom, I thought, maybe a wider skirted dress is what I need. With that in mind, I ordered a princess pink Vera Wang dress from Bluefly, thinking maybe I could do a Gwyneth Paltrow at the 1999 Oscars kind of thing. I knew it wasn't going to work the minute I took it out of the (huge) box. Your humble narrator is not so much the pink princess type. The skirt on that thing could have double as a two-person tent. And the color...I looked not so much like a pig, which is what I was afraid of with the pink dress, as like a champagne fountain made with Tequila Rose. Or a Pepto-Bismol explosion. It was truly, frighteningly, horrible.

So it went back. And I thought some more. Maybe Gwyneth Paltrow, whom I don't even like, is not a good style role model. What about someone a bit curvier? Liv Tyler may not be my exact shape, but she's a lot closer than Gwyneth, and she rocks an empire-waisted dress like nobody's business. Empire waists are also a go-to for the pregnant and famous crowd, and while I am not pregnant, I am beginning to have a belly that could be mistaken for it. Maybe when I was thinking 1930s, I wasn't going back far enough. I needed to go back to when plump women were the norm in the classes who dressed up. I needed an Edwardian dress.

So, I made my second order. From Nordstrom, I ordered a gorgeous navy beaded Adrianna Papell gown. I'd look busy and floaty and Renaissancesque, I told myself.

When it came, I liked the look of it. Not a huge skirt, but a multi-layered and loose-fitting one. Pretty beading. And not boring--it didn't look just like what I imagined everyone else would be wearing. Plus, there was enough going on that I wasn't going to have to worry too much about a lot of jewelry. I imagined myself, fleetingly, as a Cate Blanchett figure, an absolutely classic beauty, resplendent in an empire waist when pregnant or playing Queen Elizabeth.

And then the damn thing wouldn't zip. It was, of all things, too small in the bust. I need to be pre-menstrual to fill a C cup, and the dress wouldn't zip past my lower rib cage. Who, I ask, is it supposed to fit? And of course, the too-small bust size was the largest size the dress came in.

So back to square one I went. With less than three weeks before I needed to wear it, no dress. I decided to hope that the bust issue was a brand thing and not a problem I was going to have with all dresses of that style, and gave it another go. I ordered a royal blue OC by Oleg Cassini beaded silk chiffon dress, again from Nordstrom (because they have a good return policy). I'd looked at this dress before, then rejected it because the blue seems too bright, and the only other color it seems to be available in is white (an obvious no-no). But at this point, I'm desperate. It has the empire waist I've decided is pure fat girl gold, and I like the exposed back, as my back is one of my better body parts. I'm not totally sure it's not going to come and make me look like Gigantor Smurf, but it's worth a shot. If it does work out, I can tone it down some with neutral shoes and a bag, and skip the hair fascinator I was set on and go with a French twist or something. With a bit of a cleavage boost, I think I'll still have the capacity to look ethereally Edwardian. At least I hope so.

So the issue here? Same as with most clothes. I am not built the way I'd need to be to wear the styles that appeal to most to my aesthetics. It's not rocket science--sleek styles are not good for a non-sleek body. When it comes to my day-to-day wear, I've mostly learned to adapt to that already. I don't try to wear skinny jeans, for example. Doesn't matter how much the style appeals to me if I am just not built for it. But, since formal wear is something new to me, it's taking a few tries to translate what I already know about my body plus clothing into that realm. And, as usual, the manufacturers don't help. At my current size, I am sometimes able to get into the largest available size of "regular sized" dresses. Any bigger, and I'd need plus sized wear. That would make things exponentially worse. A search of formal dresses available in size 16 and up gives me very little hope about what I am going to do if the blue dress doesn't fit. This navy silk Tadishi dress comes in size 16, so it might work. There are a few strapless styles I could try, but I'd almost definitely have to have them altered. Mostly, though, you go above size 14 and you start getting two-pieced ensembles and dresses with sleeves. Not stuff I'm going to feel comfortable in when I am, in fact, not the mother of the bride. Almost all of the plus-sized styles have lacy stuff or embellishment or gauzy stuff on them. Nothing sleek.

In the grand scheme, this is not a major catastrophe. I can find something to wear, and it's not my wedding anyway, so what I wear is, ultimately, unimportant. However, it just serves as one more example of why women my size and larger get so frustrated about clothes. I have the money to buy a nice dress, I'm willing to spend it, and the dress just doesn't exist. Given the U.S. weight statistics, and all the scare-mongering about how horribly fat we all are, there have to be quite a few women in my demographic on this one. Shouldn't someone be catering to us? And not with second-rate, style-free, dowdy clothes, but with stuff that's actually stylish and becoming and well-made? Doesn't a fat girl's cash spend as well as a skinny one's?

Am I the last person on Earth to learn about Polyvore? Just in case I'm not, I have to tell you about it. It's the best online toy I have found in forever. It is all loaded up with items of clothing, accessories, and beauty products, and you pick them and put them into sets. What you end up with is something that reminds me of the style board things on How Do I Look? (my favorite makeover show, though I prefered it when Anna Devane from General Hospital was the hostess).

The items are everything from high-end designer stuff to Old Navy and Wet Seal, and mixing and matching those is fun. You can filter things by type and color and cost, and the combinations you can put together are endless. Maybe this is to femme for most of my readers, but I have to say, it's like online paper dolls. I love it.

And of course I've been putting together looks for myself.

Think I could pull this one off?

It also helps to explain things. You know that sleek vintage look I was hoping to be able to wear to the wedding? In my mind, it would be something along these lines:

Is that what you were picturing?

You can also explore the collages made by other people, which is good fun. There is a forum, and there is a way to add items to the choices, although I haven't quite gotten that far yet. Since I really do think I'm a late adopter on this one, I won't bore you with any more details, but just in case you didn't already know about, now you do. Enjoy!

(Cross-posted from my review blog.)

Given my new capacity as work-from-homer, I have been expanding my wardrobe of comfortable, not business casual clothing. I could just wear pajamas all day, but, at least to begin with, I figured I'd pretend I'm making an effort. I want comfortable, casual combos that I can pull right on in the morning. Briefly, I considered track suits. Then I realized just how stupid that would look, and revised. What I really need to complete my suburban mommy look (i.e. fit in with the neighbors), I realized, was a selection of yoga pants.

I have loved yoga pants since they first came on to the scene. I understand that wearing them in public and not in a yoga class is a major fashion faux paus, but I just don't care. I not only love how they feel, I like how they look. They seem streamlined to me, plus they make my ass look amazing. The trouble is, they are very rarely long enough for me, and they look dead stupid when they're the wrong length. So, in my quest to invest in some new "office" wear, I started looking for some long-length yoga pants.

Google, of course, was my first step. This helpful article led me to check out Extreme Heights, Tall Women's Clothes, Fit Couture, Long Legs, and Sivana Spirit. All of these stores had pants that would likely be long enough, but I balked at the prices--$50 and up for yoga pants? I'm just not that committed to my work wardrobe. Maybe if I were actually really into yoga and I needed the pants to be functional, I'd consider paying that much, but since the whole idea here is simply for me not to wear pajamas, it seemed excessive.

Another Googled article seemed more promising, since the word "affordable" was in the title. It mentioned Victoria's Secret yoga pants, which come in long lengths and fun colors. I'd consider that, but as a last resort--I really kinda hate Victoria's Secret. The other suggest was the C9 by Champion pants at Target, which are only $20. Those are right up my alley, but my local store didn't have long lengths, so I had to bookmark them to come back to if and when I decided to go with online ordering.

Next, I checked Amazon. Searching for long or tall yoga pants, I found a few interesting options. Alternative Apparel makes a long wide-legged yoga pant that I like the looks of, and some of them are on sale for less than $20. No inseam length listed on Amazon, though, so I checked their website. On the website, I couldn't find any long length pants listed, but I did find out that the regular pants have a 33.25" inseam on a large and a 34.25" on an extra large. That's probably long enough, so I put these on the possibilities list.

The next interesting possibility that came up were long length pants from Land's End. The Amazon price was too steep for me, but I thought I'd take a look at Land's End's site to make sure they didn't have something less expensive there. They did--the Colorblock Performance Pants were on sale for $25. Without even checking to see what constitutes a tall inseam for Land's End, I ordered a pair.

They came yesterday, and I have to tell you all, I love them. They are made of thicker, more shape-keeping fabric than most yoga pants, and they look fantastic. I got the ones with the orange and coral waist, and they fit great. The thing is, Land's End's idea of a tall inseam in an XL is 32.75". They aren't really quite long enough. I'm keeping them anyway, but it only goes to show that you really have to look at merchant's individual sizing charts--they don't always speak the same language. Not understanding what tall really mean seems to be an ongoing issue with Land's End in particular--I ordered a long torso tank swimsuit from them (this one) at the same time, and it doesn't cover my nipples. That one is going back.

Another discovery I made while searching for yoga pants was We Love Colors. No yoga pants there, but colored leggings with long inseams! I have a ton of shorter dressed I'd love to wear leggings under in the winter, but I've only go the one pair of black ones (from Tall Girl). We Love Colors, however, has a 35" inseam in their XL leggings. They're $26 a pair, too, which seems reasonable. And they are available in (count them!) 50 colors. I ordered three pair (Maroon, Rubine, and Hunter Green). If I like them, I'll probably order more. What a find.

So, I still don't have long length yoga pants. I'll probably order some of the Alternative Apparel ones, and report back, or maybe get some of the C9 ones from Target. I actually have a really old pair from Target's Mossimo line that are long enough and don't say tall anywhere on them, so that might be an option as well. In the meantime, I'm going to hang out in my too-short but super comfortable Land's End pants. Not like anybody sees me anyway, right?

A while back, I posted my daily outfits for a bit. One of the major reasons I did it was because there are a few blogs I really love that do it: What I Wore Today; My Wardrobe Today; Already Pretty; Work With What You've Got; etc. I was also, at that time, really interested in re-defining my style and dressing in a way that felt more authentic.

Well, I'm thinking of picking the habit back up. Clearly, I won't do it every day--I work from home now, and frankly, most days I don't get dressed. However, working from home and not getting dressed most days has made me all the more interested in looking and feeling ood on the days I do go somewhere. So, on those days, I'm going to try to share.

Tonight, Mark and I had a date night. We went out to a nice, but casual, dinner. I wore a knit, empire-waisted black, gray, white, and red patterned top I picked up a year or so ago at Ross (can't remember the brand and I cut the tag out because it itched); black overdyed trouser jeans from Ann Taylor Loft; black suede pointed-toe boots with sequins up the sides from Annie; and a red abalone necklace I picked up somewhere in Austin. I like this outfit a lot--it's stylish and a bit sophisticated (at least the trouser jeans and pointy boots feel that way), but still very comfortable. I felt good in it.

I went fairly neutral with makeup, too. What you see here is Smashbox primer; Korres concealer; a very small amount of Laura Mercier Illuminating tinted moisturizer mixed with my regular moisturizer; Clinique Almost Makeup powder; Cargo blush in Polynesia; Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in 1999; shimmery champagne shadow from this palette by The Body Shop; Lancome Definicils mascara in black; and Bare Escentuals Buxom Lips gloss in Brandi.

There's nothing really spectacular about this outfit or the makeup, but it felt good to me, like a really nice, pretty, natural night out combination. I'll probably wear it again.

I realized, while cleaning out my always overly full Google reader, that I've started to read a lot of fashion blogs. Those who know me may find that odd. I've always been interested in style, in how people express themselves through their looks, but fashion, with rules and money and stuck-up skinny people telling you what to wear, hasn't ever really been my bag.

It started with reading My Wardrobe Today. I'm not sure who turned me on to it, but I liked Allie's blog from the beginning. There is something fun, for some reason, in seeing what someone else chooses to wear each day. Allie's style was (and remains, though she doesn't post as often as she used to) more conservative than my ideal, but still very nice. She hasn't ever worn anything I don't like, I don't think. And Allie is insistently positive about her body, other women's bodies, and how to best dress what you have. (Allie's other blog, Wardrobe Oxygen, focuses more on fashion in general and product reviews than on her own wardrobe, and it's also a good read.)

As much as I like Allie's blog, I've never found her outfits particularly inspiring. She always looks very nice, and her basic advice is spot-on, but she's conservative. Looking for something a bit less conservative, one day I found What I Wore Today. Kasmira is far more adventurous in her clothing. Like Allie, she posts her outfit every day, along with information about where each piece came from. She also talks about stylistic influences, including other bloggers and fashion magazines. Honestly, about half of what Kasmira wears I can't stand. She's much more in love with color and with mixing colors than I am. She wears a lot of clothes from Forever 21 and similar stores, which I couldn't fit into even if I wanted to wear them. That being said, the other half of what Kasmira wears is genius. She is inspiring. I look at things she wears and realize that there are things I could be putting together I never would have thought of. She encourages me to take risks.

Right around the time I started reading Kasmira's blog, I also started reading Work With What You've Got. Erin, too, takes pictures of her daily apparel. Her style is more in line with Kasmira's than with Allie's, but her angle is that she's attempting to remain stylish on what she calls a "blue collar budget." There are things I wouldn't have believed could be so cute that Erin pulls off beautifully--jeggings (jean leggings), thigh high socks over tights or leggings, moto jackets...the list goes on. Most of what she wears I can't actually imagine working for me, but I love seeing what she comes up with.

Recently, I've added two new favorites to the style blog section of my reader. The first is Already Pretty. I think Sal is a great mix of Allie's grown-up, professional style and Kasmira and Erin's more eclectic mix. Plus, she thrifts a huge number of her clothes, which makes it more interesting to me. She's part daily outfit blogger and part fashion advice blogger, too, which is great. (I'm hoping her tips will help me figure out how to wear a belt.)

Finally, I have to give a shout to my friend Bellisimama at Bonfire of My Vanity. Like the others, she posts her outfits daily, but what I really love is that she also posts pictures of the inspiration for a given day's outfit. And her style inspirations are very wide-ranging, from mimes to the 1970s to a certain set of Marilyn Monroe photographs. From her blog, I can see how outfits can be inspired by things without just copying them, which is great.

One final blog I have to mention, though it's not quite the same project as the previous five, is The Sew Weekly. On The Sew Weekly, Mena documents her project of each week sewing a dress from a vintage pattern (using a lot of vintage notions and fabrics, and even more thrifted supplies) and wearing it. Her eventual goal is to have all self-made clothes, which I think is amazing. I know myself well enough to know I'm never going to learn to sew well enough to create clothing, but it's still fun to read.

So, do you read style blogs? Which ones do you like? Feed my reader!

I got this from Unmitigated, who got it from Spring Wardrobe Therapy at The Sky is Bigger There. I'm enthused about the project. The ground rules are here. Given my inability to stick with anything lately, I have no idea if I'm in for the long run, but I thought I'd at least give the opening questions a try.

Thinking primarily (but not necessarily exclusively) about looks, who's your favorite performer of your own gender and species? Why?

I don't tend to pay a whole lot of attention to celebrity fashion or anything like that, so when I think "performer," what really comes to mind is character. So I'm going to go with that and say Joan, Christina Hendricks' character on Mad Men. She is so pulled together, and her body is her biggest and best accessory. She oozes confidence. I love her look.

If you could live in any historic era with a really good clothing budget (as well as soap, toothpaste, and delicing as needed), when would you choose?

Definitely the 40s and early 50s. I love the structured look of the dresses, the curvy shapes, and the attention to small details.

What's your favorite painting or other form of visual art? Why?

There is no way I can pick just one. I love collage and multi-media art. I love graphic abstract painting. I love Surrealists. I love Frida Kahlo.

What is your first memory in which clothes are important?

I don't remember a time in which clothes weren't important, but my first memory of being really concerned about clothes is as a small kid, maybe 4(?). I insisted on dresses and sunbonnets because I wanted to look like I would be at home on Little House on the Prairie.

What is your favorite garment ever? Why?

Once upon a time, I had perfect jeans. I don't even remember details about then, I just remember thinking they were perfect, and wearing them to shreds.

What is your favorite garment in your wardrobe right now?

I recently got brown Franco Sarto Moto boots that I can't stop wearing. Love them.

What is the worst clothing purchase you can remember making?

I made bad clothing purchases all the time. The worst is when I try to follow trends or styles that just don't work for me, though. Every time I try to dress conservatively it ends up being a pretty huge disaster.

What's your most embarrassing clothing-related memory other than a bad purchase?

I walked at least a mile through a city one day with the back of my dress tucked into my underwear.

What body part (no more than three!) are you proud of and expect compliments on?

I don't know that I expect compliments, but I have a nice back, a nice collarbone/upper chest area, and long legs.

What body part (again, no more than three!) seems to require management, if not coaxing, cajoling, and sometimes outright begging if it's to please you?

My big feet, large arms, and height.

If you could dress however you wanted all the time, what might you include?

Lots more dresses and tights or leggings. Jeans that fit just right. Boots, boots, boots.

If you could shop at any store (or from any designer), which would you choose?

I'd shop 100% vintage and handmade stuff, if time/money/size allowed.

Where do you ordinarily shop now?

I mostly thrift, but I end up with a lot of Ann Taylor.

What clothing, accessory, or prettifying need (if any) do you enjoy shopping for?

Pretty much all of it.

Which one do you most loathe shopping for?

Bra shopping bugs me. Shoe shopping, if I can't do it online, is frustrating.

Do you consider yourself low-, medium-, or high-maintenance?

Medium.

What are the two most frequent occasions that you dress for and how would you describe them?

If I don't include being at home, which I don't really dress for, I mostly dress to go out casually (movies, dinner, etc.) and to do errands.

What was your favorite Hallowe'en costume ever?

Wonder Woman.

What do you see as the current problem(s) with your wardrobe and/or look?

Boredom. Having clothes that I have no reason to wear.

At the end of WT, what lovely compliments do you want onlookers to give you?

I'd basically just like to be comfortable in my wardrobe, and feel like it's original and well-executed.

Recently, a blogger I love gave her readers a peek inside her closet. I was so enamored. Looking into someone's closet is so private and almost risque.

Since I just moved out of our shared closet and set up my own in my office, I had to share mine, too.

Do you feel like you know me better now?

So, I'm late on this. I had every intention of taking part in acdemichic's Dress Your Best Week while it was actually happening (through yesterday). But I got distracted by my housecleaning and never really dressed to go out anywhere or took any pictures of my outfits. So, I'm doing it now. A day late and a dollar short and all that.

The rules for this exercise were pretty simple:

So often, our focus when getting dressed in the morning is how to minimize or downplay aspects of our bodies that we're just not crazy about. Does this skirt smooth my hips? Does this top hide my tummy? Do these pants make my thighs look slimmer? But what would happen if you inverted that thought process? What if, instead of dressing to mitigate your so-so, you dressed to highlight the parts of your body that you love most? What if, for a whole week, you committed to self-consciously dressing your best bits?

The ladies over at academichic instructed us to write a list of at least five body parts we love, then dress to accentuate those parts. Easy peasy, right?

Not so much, really. I had a hard time coming up with five body parts I love. Which seemed weird to me, since I'm pretty body positive these days. Eventually, I decided on:

1. ample and well-shaped ass


2. perky and well-shaped boobs


3. long legs


4. athletic figure overall


5. strong arms and excellent upper arm tat

So, as I stood in front of my closet this morning, I kept these body parts in mind. Then I hit the next problem--my flattering clothes, the ones that accentuate these favorite parts? Mostly work or going out wear. I have very few casual clothes that really flatter me. This was a revelation, and a stupid one, since 99% of my life is spent in casual clothes. I work from home and I don't go out anywhere fancy very often. Why am I focusing my wardrobe energy and dollars on clothes I never have a place to wear?

After doing some picking through and trying on, I decided on a very simple casual outfit, suitable for the day I plan of errands and Farmer's Market, but still flattering. This is what I came up with:

I like this outfit for a few reasons. I think longer length capri pants like these make the most of my long leg line, making me look leggy without making me look like a tarantula. I like the semi-fitted cut of these, too--they have a sort of mid-century vintage feel to them that I have a real thing for, and they do good things for my butt. I especially like them with these wedges, or another pair of wedged sandals I have, which give me a bit of a lift and make them a little bit more interesting looking than I think they would be with flat sandals. The tank top really flatters the other parts of my body I mentioned--my smaller but nicely shaped breasts (this sort of spaghetti strap and really thin material wouldn't work if I had the bigger boobs I think would go with the rest of my body), my shoulders and upper back and upper arms. It's sleeveless, obviously, as are a lot of my clothes. I do this for practical reasons--I have very large arms and sleeves fitting is an issue--but I love being able to show off my tattoo as well, and I get a ton of compliments on it. I also think the bright pink color, which took me a long time to embrace, is nice with my fair skin.

This is a very simple outfit, obviously. I think I do best in these sorts of simple clothes. I am a lot of person, and part of embracing that is letting my actual looks speak for themselves, without competition from complicated clothes. I'm learning to keep my jewelry more simple as well--all I am wearing today is my watch and a stained glass pendant, and the pendant's color reflects the shirt, rather than rivaling it.

Black capris: Banana Republic, thrifted
Pink tank: Banana Republic
Black tank: Aerie, thrifted
Bronze wedges: Me Too, from Nordstrom Rack
Stained glass pendant: Ling Glass

My recent trip to Pittsburgh had many, many highlights (see my previous post with the cotton candy, for example). One of them, though, had to be the last afternoon I was there, when my friend Nonny and I headed to the Shadyside area of the city to do some vintage shopping. First, we stopped for a great lunch of crepes (hadn't had crepes in years, still love them, particularly with Nutella). Then, we hit a couple of great vintage stores. Pittsburgh vintage stores impressed me not just for their selection, which was excellent, but for their prices--vintage stuff I could actually afford!

The best place, by far, was a shop called Eons Fashion Antique. Among other treasures, there I found a long rack of 50s and 60s house dresses, in waist sized up to 36. Yes, that's right, 36. I never find real vintage stuff in my size (which, it turns out, is generally 18 or 20 in pre-vanity sizing)! And the dresses mostly had their original tags still on them! Amazing.

I bought three. Excessive, probably, but I couldn't help myself. They were between $22-$30 each! Less than $80 for all three, if I am remembering correctly. And last night, when Mark and I went out to The Wine Kitchen (excellent as always, though they were sadly sold out of the sea salt and caramel torta palla), I debuted one of them.

I don't think there is any question that this is the style for me--it works with all my assets and does a pretty good job of hiding my flaws. The question is, can I really dress like this every day?

I buy the great majority of my shoes online. A lot of people do, I know, but for me, it's kinda the only option. At a size 12 (13 in some styles/brands!) it's pretty much Nordstrom Rack (which I love and frequent) or online. Which, in this day and age, with what Zappos has done to the online shoe market, is fine.

So I found myself in need of some new sandals. Coming into this summer, I had two pairs of sandals, both purchased at the beginning of last summer:
Orange Clarks Spa flip flops and black Merrell Agave sandals. Both pairs are still functional, but neither thrill me. The Clarks are really bad for my feet (shoes with no support and flexible soles are plantar faciitis nightmares) and the Merrells are just kinda ugly. So, at the beginning of this summer, I hit Nordstrom Rack to look for some new sandals.

I came home with a pair of very cute 3.5 inch wedge heeled sandals in black leather from Sofft. They're great--very girly, unlike my other options, really versatile, and not too uncomfortable. Unfortunately, they also make me around 6'4". And though I'm sometimes fine with that, it's not a height I want to carry in my daily life. So I tried again.

This time, I found a coupon and searched around the online world. I ordered each of the following shoes:

Aerosoles Sun Mate, from Shoes.com, $55.20

Annie Sienna, from Zappos, $49.90

Columbia Sun Goddess, from Zappos, $34.95

Dansko Sissy, from Zappos, $110

Indigo by Clarks Abruzzo, from Zappos, $80

Indigo by Clarks Bordeaux, from Zappos, $88

I kept one pair, the Aerosoles Sun Mate. They're cute, and they were cheap. Nothing else fit, or was comfortable enough or cute enough to be worth the price. So I've been wearing the Sun Mates.

They're just as bad for my feet as the Clarks flip flops. No arch support, flexible soles. So, as summer is already winding down, I set out last night to make yet another attempt to find some reasonable sandals. This time, though, I felt less desperate, and decided to focus on cost savings, rather than just finding something that looked cute at Zappos and pushing the "Buy" button.

So I started at Zappos, because they have the best selection, descriptions, and feedback on styles. After going through many pages, I picked out the following styles:

Annie Shaw, $44.90

Chaco Switch Eco Tread, $62.10

Softwalk Torri, $94.95

The thing about Zappos is that their selection and customer service and feedback is great, but their prices sometimes aren't. So after I picked out what I wanted, I looked around for the same styles elsewhere. My first stop was 6pm.com, which is basically Zappos' clearance rack. They didn't have the Annie sandals or the Chaco flip flops, but they did have the Softwalk Torri sandals, for $66.50, and in my size! Except they only had them in white, which is not the color I wanted. So I kept looking.

Next I checked Shoes.com and Onlineshoes.com. Shoes.com had the Chacos in my size, in another color, but they were $65. Even with the 10% off coupon I found, that was only a bit cheaper than the Zappos price, and when it's that close, I'd rather go with the known quantity of Zappos customer service. Neither of the other styles were available. Onlineshoes.com had the Softwalks for the same price as Zappos, the Chacos for $64.95, and no Annie's. With another 10% off coupon, this order would have ended up a bit cheaper than Zappos, but again, when it's close, I'd rather pay for Zappos.

My last stop in comparison shopping was at Amazon.com. And that's where I hit the jackpot. The Softwalks were on sale for $47.71--half off! The Chacos were $64.99, so no savings there, but the Annie's were only $22.34--another half off! And shipping for an order over $25 was free. Now, if they don't work, I'll have to pay some return shipping, but I'll still come out ahead.

Since a lot of sandals seemed to be on sale, I kept looking around Amazon.com after I put the three pairs I'd selected in my cart. I'm glad I did, because I found another pair I loved--the gladiator sandals I'd been looking for all summer. The Indigo by Clarks Lyon, on sale for $39.76! Just to be sure, before I purchased I went back and looked for the style at Zappos, 6pm, and Shoes.com--$80; $48 and not available in my size; and not available.

The moral of the story, of course, is look around to make sure you're getting the best price--not exactly a new maxim. Also (and again, not exactly news), if you trust your taste for next year, buy sandals towards the end of the summer. Those Aerosoles I paid $55.20 for on sale in April? $50+10% off now. And clearly, if you're on the lookout for end-of-summer sandal sales, try Amazon.

I've been reading quite a few blog posts recently about packing. Partially, it's a search for decent tips, since I've been traveling so much, and partially it's a side effect of reading a lot of clothing/fashion blogs. I'm fascinated by how fashionable people pack. My favorite posts, I think, have been from Maggie Mason, who has a series called "Packing Light" that I've really enjoyed. Maggie and I have pretty different styles, but I freaking love the way she puts things together.

So, since I've been enjoying looking in on other people's packing (and, of course, reading the blog posts popping up every day about what to wear at BlogHer), I decided to have a go at telling you all my current packing routine. If I can swing it, I'll take pictures of my outfits while I'm gone and show you what I actually wore out of what I packed.

The trip is thusly: BlogHer, in New York, from Thursday-Sunday, plus a two-day pre-BlogHer detour to New Haven to visit a VERY stylish friend. Weather is supposed to be warm bordering on extremely damn hot, with the caveat that the conference is in a big hotel and those are always overly air-conditioned. I'm traveling by MegaBus, so I can only bring one suitcase, but don't have any airline-type regulations. So, I need to get everything I need into a regular carry-on type roller bag, plus my laptop/shoulder bag.

My first step is list-making. I know some people are list people and some aren't. I am a list person. Even if you aren't a list person, though, I don't see how you can pack for a trip of any length without list. Things just get left behind. So I always make a list. For this trip, the list was as follows:

Carry-on bag

• Wednesday casual outfit


• Thursday casual outfit


• Thursday night party outfit


• Friday casual outfit


• Friday night party outfit


• Saturday casual outfit


• Saturday night party outfit


• Sunday casual outfit


• PJs


• Underwear/bras


• Swimsuit


• Evening bag


• Toiletries


• Makeup


• Accessories/jewelry


• Brush

Laptop bag

• Laptop & cord


• Camera & cord


• iPhone & cord


• Business cards & case


• Sunglasses


• Medications

Looking at the list, I decided I needed four day outfits, two party outfits, and a couple of extra tops. Between those and what I wear to travel, I should easily be able to make up three party outfits and five day outfits. First, I went through my closet and took out all the pieces I knew I wanted to bring, either because they have worked well in similar situations (lightweight black wrap cardigan, denim skirt, purple maxi dress) or because I am really into them right now (black geometric tank, white off-shoulder Moroccan top, black Swiss dot shirt). I piled those up on the bed:

Starting with those things, I began to make outfits. The maxi dress is good for one day outfit, the denim skirt and black and white geometric tank are another, the white off-shoulder shirt can be paired with my skinny jeans (add those to the pile) for a third. For a fourth, I went downstairs to the laundry room and grabbed my new lime green eShakti skirt--I'm loving wearing that in hot weather, and paired it with a fitted black tank. Easy!

Party clothes were a bit harder. I have a lot of dresses I'd love to wear, but they tend to be of the crisp cotton variety these days (I'm loving a shirt dress), and those do NOT pack well. I decided I'd wear one of those on the bus tomorrow (bus wrinkling being probably a bit better than suitcase wrinkling) and picked out two of my non-cotton, packable dresses that will work for parties. Neither are my favorite, but both are fine, and an unwrinkled non-favorite is a better bet than a super-wrinkled favorite.

Looking at the outfits I'd amassed, I checked to make sure they'd all work with my black wrap cardigan. The dresses wouldn't, so I added my shorter black embroidered cardigan for those. Then I added two or three extra plain tank tops, which can be used to layer or worn alone with any of the bottom I'd packed.

Next came underwear, bras, and pajamas. I added those to the pile on the bed. Then shoes. I decided that everything I was bringing would work with either my black wedge heeled sandals and or my flat silver sandals. Since I know I'll be walking a lot tomorrow, I decided to wear those and give up a bit of suitcase space to pack the wedges.

Looking back at the list, I saw that I was missing my swimsuit and an evening bag, so I tossed my suit and my favorite little black and white wristlet on the bed.

Finally, I picked out jewelry to go with the outfits I'd chosen and packed it into my little divided box. Worked out perfectly!

OK, moment of truth time. I rolled it all up and put it in my suitcase. And...it fits! With plenty of room left for my toiletries and makeup and hairbrush, which I'll add after I get ready in the morning!

How'd I do?

I don't generally post my outfits much anymore, but I was so pleased with my birthday dinner ensemble, and have lately been so into reading style blogs, I thought I'd show y'all what I wore.

Dress: vintage, thrifted
Belt: Betsey Johnson via Ross
Shoes: Sofft via 6pm.com
Purse: Chinese Laundry, thrifted
Earrings: Wild Rose Jewels on Etsy