jeanofalltrades

August 26, 2012 · 1:57 pm

DVF and Manolos: My Last Hoorah

So, you might know that I’m on a clothing shopping ban on account of the house purchase I recently made. I knew I’d landed the house when I arrived in Boston, so I decided that would be my last shopping trip for a while.

Luckily, I found Second Time Around, an amazing chain of consignment stores. I wish we had one in Seattle. Boston has three! I went to STA every day while I was in Beantown. First, I bought a pair of Tory Burch pumps (never worn!) for $50. Later, I snagged a pair of Dolce & Gabbana capris for $40 (a $600 value!). Finally, I found this DVF wrap dress ($90) and Manolo Blahniks that fit like a glove ($80).

DVF and Manolos

Dress: Diane von Furstenberg
Tank: wet Seal
Shoes: Manolo Blahnik
Earrings: Sears
Cuff: Lauren Harkness

The shop is high-end, and I’m not used to paying these figures for used, but wow they have great stuff. All in excellent condition, all by designers whose pieces go for much, much more in stores like Saks, Neiman Marcus, and others.

wrap and pumps

I hadn’t even planned to buy the shoes. I just grabbed them so I could try on dresses and get a proper feel for how they’d look with heels. But every dress I tried on looked fantastic with these shoes–they went with everything. It’s true about the elongating effect of a perfect nude heel.

Similarly, the Diane von Furstenberg wrap dress is a wardrobe staple. Work, dinner, date, interviews–this fits any occasion, is classic and comfortable.

DVF dress

I’m discovering the quality and timelessness of these pricier pieces means that I’ll wear them more, throw away less (because they last), and save in the long run. Let’s hope so!

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Tagged as consignment, Diane von Furstenberg, dress, DVF, fashion, manolo blahnik, STA, style, thrifty fashion

August 23, 2012 · 9:54 am

Marbled Satiny Top

Here’s a genius idea: This pattered, synthetic silk, woven shirt has a plain, knitted cotton back, which gives this garment stretch and shape. I love the dressy-on-the-front, comfy-on-the-back workings of this piece.

lime top and jeans

Top: Target
Jeans: Seven for all Mankind
Shoes: BCBGirls via consignment
Cuff: Claire’s

And what else goes with lime green and gray? Hot pink! It says “I didn’t try too hard (but maybe I want to be noticed).”

green and denim

I’d been looking for a pair of bright green pumps when I saw these and thought they were a close second. I probably paid too much for them ($40) but they fit well.

light and dark

These are fun shoes but so far, I’ve worn them only with dark, trouser-cut denim. What else would you wear them with?

details

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Tagged as fashion, jeans, shoes, style, thrifty fashion

August 19, 2012 · 7:24 pm

Global Fashion

Every season, it seems, there’s a new twist on fashion–whether it’s tribal, mad-for-plaid, “ethnic,” or something else. That got me thinking about the clothes I wear and their origins.

Ballet flats, for example, are a 17th Century French invention and jumped from the stage to the streets more recently.

Tartan, or plaid, has its origins in Scotland, but there’s evidence of tartans used all the way east as far as China. tartan tights

a Scottish Kilt

The wide-sleeves of a kimono are unique and distinct and are sometimes seen in modern apparel.

kimono sleeves

Asian-influenced wide sleeves

Fine silk with delicate patterns are at home on a sari, but sari fabric is sometimes repurposed into other items too–and the Indian influence remains.

recycled sari skirt

We often show national pride by donning flags–our own or another nation’s.

union jack

Global items aren’t without controversy. Recently, a retailer I won’t mention got in trouble for naming American Indian-inspired patterns as Navajo–without the tribe’s permission. Are tribal patterns, styles, and materials an homage or do they belittle? Is it insensitive and ignorant or a celebration of global style?

What global trends to you like or wear?

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Tagged as fashion, global fashion, style

August 15, 2012 · 6:12 am

Summer Rain: Shorts and Boots

What do I do when it rains in Summer? Well, a few weeks ago, I ran errands in boots and denim shorts.

shorts and boots

Top: Old Navy
Scarf: Swapped
Shorts: Calvin Klein (from Marshall’s)
Purse: JC Penney
Bracelet: The Fashion truck
Boots: Qupid

I think this outfit works because I layered on a scarf and bought the shorts a couple of sizes bigger than normal. I wanted boho-chic, not Daisy Duke.

multicolored look

I mixed colors in a seemingly haphazard way too. Nothing too contrived. Just a casual day. And I got to show off the orange and brass wrap bracelet I got at the Fashion truck in Boston.

wrap bracelet

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Tagged as boots, fashion, scarf, shorts, style, thrifty fashion

August 13, 2012 · 8:51 am

The Crew at Work

I was on my way to eat with my lunch buddies and I saw a few neat things in their sartorial choices so I snapped a picture of them.

work crew

Tatsuo has on a crisp navy and white plaid shirt, dark-wash denim, and matching Adidas. He swears the shoes are black and white but I say they match the top perfectly. I like the light, airiness of the plaid. It’s a very summery check. Not too dark or heavy and not too complicated with too many colors.

Peter always has a polished, casual look. He has on a short-sleeved, slate-gray shirt and cotton twill pants of the workman variety. That, combined with his sturdy black shoes, gives the look a British vibe. I bet he was listening to The Clash before lunch.

Karianna went bold with a bright, light green asymmetrical top and magenta pants–straight from the Nordstrom semi-annual sale. Her sandals show off her pedicure and keep things seasonal. We work in a casual environment and she’s proof that casual doesn’t have to be boring.

Tom was happy to have worn more shoes than me on this particular week. Three days into the workweek and he was on his third pair of shoes. I, on the other hand, had on the same pair for three days straight. In my defense, it was moving week and the rest of my shoes were in boxes. A Carhartt T and jeans is a perfectly respectable go-to look, but Tom added a pop of color with the purple Nike’s. That kind of unexpected twist on a classic keeps things fresh. Purple is practically a neutral. If you wear navy, gray and brown, you can wear purple. Tom’s proof of that.

Shadow Shot: Factory Ruins

I’ve neglected Shadow Shot Sunday almost as much as the owners of this factory neglected their property. And look what happened to that! It fell apart, but in a beautiful, shadowy way.

shadows

woodpile

I like how I didn’t have to do anything to these shots. The light was great and the subject matter was so monochromatic that some of these shots seem sepia-tone.

fallen fence

decaying cardboard

This time last year, my dad was in Jamestown NY for Lucille Ball’s 100th birthday celebration. He captured excellent shadow shots of an abandoned factory. This was my turn. Nothing as cool as what he found though. Just a Seattle warehouse a few weeks before it was razed.

window

ladder

Check out the other shadow shots that people submitted this week.

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Filed under Art, Photography

Tagged as abandoned building, factory, shadow shot sunday, shadows, style

August 8, 2012 · 11:01 pm

Teal, Stripes and Red Wedges

I’m wearing my teal, high-waisted flares again, but I won’t dare show off the high waist! They’re comfy, but I don’t think it’s an easy look to pull off. Jessica Simpson got in trouble for it, and I would too.

teal flares

T-shirt: Old Navy
Pants: BDG via thrifted
Shoes: Chelsea Crew

So I covered the waist with a striped t-shirt in a complementary, yet unexpected color and added a pop of red.

red shoes

It’s hard to see my red wedges. I’d been looking for a pair of red sandals for a long time when an Ideeli ad showed up in my inbox. These are so comfortable and fun, but sadly they’re not holding up. The cork is bunching and coming loose and the insoles already fell out. I guess they’d be fine for just a summer, but I don’t like to throw things away. Ethically, it’s better to make smart purchases and keep things longer.

shoe detail

To extend the life of these shoes, when the cork is kaput, I’ll peel it off, paint the wedges with glue, and add glitter. When that DIY happens, I’ll be sure to blog about it.

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Tagged as fashion, flares, red sandals, stripes, style, thrifty fashion

August 4, 2012 · 5:42 pm

Visiting the Twin Peaks Diner

Hubby and I recently visited Twede’s Café in North Bend, WA. It’s better known as the fictitious Double R Diner from Twin Peaks. Coincidentally, this weekend is the Twin Peaks Fest, so I thought writing about my experience was timely.

On the way out of Bellevue, the sun shone beautifully. I’d normally be happy about that but the setting wasn’t right. If I was going to Twin Peaks (aka North Bend), I needed moodiness. Luckily, as we ascended into the Cascade foothills, the clouds loomed ominously. Perfect! I turned on the Twin Peaks soundtrack and listened to Angelo Badalamenti’s compositions, Julee Cruise’s haunting vocals, and off we went.

north bend collage

We found the café, where in the TV series, Cooper and Dale often went for a “damn fine cup of coffee.” Of course I ordered coffee, black (which I later remembered I don’t like), and a slice of cherry pie (which I have to admit was pretty fine).

cherry pie

When I think of Twin Peaks, I think of lodges and owls and one-armed men. Clothing-wise, I thought my Bambi skirt from The Frock Shop was a good choice.

Bambi skirt

Top: H&M
Cardi: Old Navy
Skirt: Kimmi Designs
Shoes: Flexx
Purse: Thrifted
Ring: Gifted

Bambi Collage

I was a huge Twin Peaks fan and watched the show religiously. I’ve been a fan of David Lynch and his work ever since I saw Blue Velvet as a teenager. Do you have favorite David Lynch movie?

Black and Gray Maxi Look

I love the look of a maxi in summer–and I love their comfort and ease. I picked this skirt up a few months ago at Target. It’s a great neutral background for colorful tops, and it works well with black or white too.

gray maxi

Top: Gifted
Tank: Old Navy
Skirt: Target
Shoes: Swapped
Earrings: Airport kiosk

Today I wore it with the mesh top my mom bought for me in Florida and a cute pair of wedges I picked up at a clothing exchange. I love how the flower on the toe makes it look like a toe ring.

black and gray

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Tagged as fashion, maxi skirt, skirt, style, thrifty fashion

July 31, 2012 · 10:15 pm

Homeward Bound

new home

I finally got a house!

I’d been looking for a place on and off for over a year–I had a failed offer this past spring–and finally, I got a cool little house. It’s a three bedroom rambler with a double garage, a family room, and a great backyard for Frankie. Mr. Jean of all Trades loves it too. He’s already set up the garage so he can work on his car.

This was a one-owner home, build in 1961–that’s a long time to live in the same place! Now we have it. As my colleague, Kim, said, it’s a great place to go “all Mad-Men crazy in.” You can count on a few mid-century modern interior design posts in the near future.

The acquisition stage of home ownership is proving to be pricy: inspections, appraisals, closing costs, down payment, movers, appliances–the list goes on. So sadly, clothes purchases have been at the bottom of my list.

My offer was accepted just before I went to Boston, so I had my last hurrah there. I’ll post my Boston purchases, and then you’ll see me remix my wardrobe until the house is in order. Don’t worry though–I haven’t even showcased all of my existing clothes on this blog, so things won’t get stale. And I’ll be hosting a clothing exchange when I get settled in. Where there’s a fashion will, there’s a way.