Tag Archives: fashion

December 3, 2012 · 11:14 am

My eShakti Custom Top

I’m so glad to have had the chance to product test an item from eShakti. All of the eShakti line is customizable and cut when ordered, which means this top was made just for me.

top and shawl

Top: c/o eShakti
Pants: Just USA
Shoes: Seychelles
Scarf: NYC street vendor
Cuff: Greenbelts
Earrings: Cost Plus World Market

Their line of women’s clothing includes tops and dresses, skirts, jackets and coats–and the variety is huge! It was hard to choose, but I like stripes and I need more tops to balance out all the pants and skirts I have, so the choice quickly became clear.

striped top and skinnies

Even among one type of garment, for example dresses, you’ll find lots of styles: retro, glitzy, wrap–and a whole section devoted to the LBD! Sizes range from 0 to 36 and are reasonable priced. eShakti would be a great option for a bridal party. Luckily, there’s a whole section of their website devoted to wedding wear.

For over seven years, eShakti has focused exclusively on customizable women’s wear. They saw the Internet as a great tool and an opportunity to let women customize and personalize their clothes. That means you can choose your sleeve type, neckline and length. Here’s one dress, cut three ways:

eshakti examples

Photo courtesy of eShakti.com

Customizing your order is really reasonable (about $7.50–seriously). Amazingly, custom items are returnable (but I bet you’ll want to keep yours).

I love the idea of customizing clothing. We’re all unique and we all have different fashion needs: work wear, weekend wear, meeting the parents. Even though I didn’t customize my top, it was still made for me. I included my size on the order form, but I also gave my height. I’ve never done that before when placing an order! The result is a top that sits right and is well proportioned.

green and purple

My top arrived in just a few days. I’m glad a chose this one. I don’t often wear embellished items but the beautiful beading on the shoulder makes a simple top so unique. The gathers and ruching make this more special than an ordinary T.

details of top

Sign up with eShakti and get $25 OFF your first order!

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December 1, 2012 · 8:10 pm

Gray Maxi Skirt with Stripes and Pink

I almost forgot to write this post. Today is the monthly theme post at Sophistique Noir. There are still a few hours left in the day, so I’m technically not late. This month’s theme: the maxi skirt.

I have a few maxi skirts but the one I like most is this Ivan Grundahl. It’s not the longest skirt I own, but it might be if it weren’t for the ruching and pleating. I like the asymmetrical shape created by all the gathers.

Maxi skirt with Wine accessory

Top: Thrifted
Skirt: Ivan Grundahl
Socks: Sock it to Me
Boots: G by Guess
Cuff: Greenbelts
Earrings: DIY

I’ve worn this skirt a couple of times on this blog. Once with pointy heels, and another time with these same flat boots. I like the dressed up/down effect that the casual boots create.

striped socks

Check out how all the others styled their maxi skirts.

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November 28, 2012 · 11:16 pm

Glazed Denim and Velvet

I’ve been digging the glazed denim that’s hit the stores recently. And when I saw these at Zara in Vancouver, I snagged them. Glazed denim looks almost leather and is a great vegan alternative. It’s more affordable than leather too. Plus it stretches and is machine washable. And an added bonus: chocolate wipes off it in a snap (don’t ask).

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Blazer: Doki-Geki
Shirt: Loving Eco
Glazed jeans: Zara
Shoes: Old Navy
Purse: Crystalyn Kae
Rubber bangles: eBay

Coincidentally, my purse is made of glazed fabric too. It has a leathery sheen, but it isn’t (making this 100% vegan outfit!).

I wore my new glazed denim skinnies with an old velvet blazer and an asymmetrical striped shirt I bought last winter. Have you heard of glazed denim? Do you have/want some?

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November 26, 2012 · 11:33 am

Pink and Purple Paisley

This post is part of Patti at Not Dead Yet’s Visible Monday and Sarah Hulbert’s link party. Check out what everyone else wore today!

It’s true that I have a growing closet, but I wear what I own. Case in point: this paisley skirt. I bought it about 15 years ago, and while I wear it only once or twice a year, I like it and hope to have it for many more years. It’s a classic pattern and flattering cut.

paisley skirt

Tanks: Wet Seal
Cardigan: Swapped
Skirt: Le Chateau
Shoes: Aerosoles
Bag: Victoria’s Secret

Despite a large wardrobe, I am good about moving things out of it if they don’t fit, are tattered and worn out, or outdated. When things have outlived their use, they go to Goodwill, a clothing swap, or get upcycled.

pink and purple paisley

Do you regularly clean out your closet? What do you do with your castaways?

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November 23, 2012 · 7:27 pm

Thanksgiving Feast Part One

I’m attending two exciting Thanksgiving dinners this year. The first was last night, on Thanksgiving. The second is tomorrow. Yesterday, I dressed in the colors of my meal: Cranberry jacket, pumpkin top, Field Roast necklace, chocolate pants, and whiskey shoes.

harvest colors

Jacket: Lulu’s
Tank: Target
Pants: Swapped
Necklace: Florida market
Shoes: Urban Outfitters

I brought a vegan pumpkin pie to the festivities. An easy recipe with a delicious outcome. When I got to the host’s place (my friend Lynn), I was astonished by the full bar–that’s the benefit of having a bartender for a friend. Lynn made drinks. I had a rye and ginger with my meal and a hot toddy with dessert.

Lynn's bar

Besides the pie I brought, we dined on spicy bean casserole, phyllo-wrapped field roast “turkey,” mashed potatoes, stuffing, and cranberry sauce. Lynn put the turkey adoption certificate from Farm Sanctuary on the table, where a turkey might otherwise be.

my meal and the turkey certificate

On the way out the door, after hours of great conversation, I noticed the unique switchplate cover. Wild Turkey. The theme continues.

Wild Turkey cover

Besides being a mother, bartender, birder, and clogger, Lynn is also a crafter and makes unique, booze-inspired creations from upcycled bar industry leftovers. From bottle cap soy candles to beer case journals, Lynn’s shop on Etsy is a great place for holiday gifts.

How was your Thanksgiving?

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November 19, 2012 · 10:31 pm

The Dressing Room

I moved into my house this past summer, and even though none of my decorating is 100% done, I might as well start showing you what I’ve been up to. The biggest luxury is my dressing room (aka the shoe room). We have a modest, three-bedroom ranch with smallish closets so I took the smallest of the bedrooms and turned it into my walk-in closet. How decadent!

my closet

This is where I blog, and on days when I work at home, it’s where my writing gets done. The best part: The bookshelves full of shoes! See, I bought a Kindle a couple of years ago and I sold most of my books. The few I have for reference (cookbooks and such), I keep in a closet.

shoe shelves

Having my shoes on display does make me seem a little like Imelda, but I find I wear them all more because I know what I have. And no, I don’t need to buy shoes for a while!

Bracelets, rings, and studs

dangly earrings and necklaces

Putting my costume jewelry on display makes it easy to grab a bracelet, necklace or pair of earrings in a hurry. The necklaces are hanging on simple nails, but I plan to upgrade to small, funky knobs soon. The screened-in vintage picture frame is from the Fremont Sunday Market but it would be a fun and easy DIY project.

I even found a neat way to display my sunglasses. I saw this idea in the Ikea catalog. I tied a ribbon from perfume packaging to the top of the hanger to finish it off.

sunglasses on display

I removed the closet doors and replaced them with purple curtains so I can open it wide and see everything at once. The soft fabric absorbs sound better than wood doors so the room isn’t as echo-y. Also because the cat box is in there–gotta be practical!

drapey closet doors

To balance all the dark wood ladder shelves (even my desk is a ladder style), I bought a lucite chair from Ikea. It’s fresh and modern and doesn’t impede light or sight lines.

lucite chair

The ideas in this project translate to lots of spaces. The book-turned-shoe shelves would look nice in a bedroom and would fit in an actual walk-in closet. No matter what your space, I highly recommend displaying jewelry (in my last place, I hung necklaces on my bathroom wall). You’ll wear what you own more often if you can see it.

All I have to do now is paint the walls. What color would you choose?

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November 14, 2012 · 10:35 am

Stripes and Neutrals

Here’s a head to toe thrifty look:

neutrals

Jacket: The Gap via swapped
Top: Swapped
Pants: Calvin Klein via Swapped
Earrings: Premier Designs
Cuff: Lauren Harkness
Shoes: Flexx

I got the jacket, pants, and top at a clothing exchange recently. What a deal–free clothes! My shoes were on sale at Endless.com and were closer to $40 than their original $140 price tag.

earthy srtipes

After I wore this outfit all day and took off the jacket, I realized that it was a maternity jacket! Oh well, it’s still cute and I thought the boxy shape was a nod to 1950s-styled cropped coats.

sleeveless sweater

First I wore a belly band to make too-small pants fit and now I’m wearing a maternity top. Oh my! Despite what it looks like, I’m not having a kid! I just borrow ideas and styles from ladies with baby bumps.

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November 11, 2012 · 7:24 pm

Light Pink and Dark Blue

Here’s a color combo I don’t wear a lot: Ballet pink and navy blue.

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Cardi: Old Navy
Top: H&M
Pants: Eileen Fisher via Goodwill
Shoes: Jimmy Choo
Sunglasses: Florida Street Fair

I like the softness of the pink paired with the blue. I ruched these pants myself so they’d change from tapered ankle, out-of-date trousers to “the latest thing.” I’ve seen harem styled pants and wide, flowy cropped pants in magazines and thought I’d copy that style. I’ve worn these a few times. I even tried this last year with socks and sandals. Might as well break some rules now and then.

The pants look best with heels, but flats are more practical sometimes. The subtle gold sparkle on my cardigan ties in the gold toes on my shoes.

Do you alter clothes to make them your own?

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November 7, 2012 · 10:19 am

Leopard and Denim

I’ve joined WIWW at The Pleated Poppy. Check out what all the others are wearing on a Wednesday!

Look what I found in the vaults: A couple of photos that never made it into my blog. You can tell this isn’t current because a) the rhododendrons are blooming and b) my hair is a bit shorter. That means that my hair is actually growing! I’m trying to grow it but it’s a slow process.

leopard and denim

Shirt: Old Navy
Tank: Target
Jeans: Earnest Sewn
Boots: Urban Outfitters
Bag: SNAP Design
Earrings: Amy Bengston

I wore this sheer leopard shirt over a tank and paired it with skinny jeans and booties. I wanted casual, not sexy. And a sheer, animal print top can easily veer into sexy if you’re not careful. Not that there’s anything wrong with sexy. But if memory serves me correctly, I wore this on a Saturday for running errands. I was going for casual and fun.

yellow and red with leopard

Even though this picture is a few months old, it’s a current look. I wore it in spring, and I’ll wear this shirt in fall too. In fact, I keep most of my clothes for a long time and they make appearances season after season.

Does your wardrobe have a high turnover or do you keep pieces year after year?

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November 3, 2012 · 6:38 am

Neon with Black and White

I picked up this neat top in Vancouver this past spring but it hadn’t made it onto my blog until now. I like the mesh and color blocking and the 80s vibe I get from it. I also like that it’s from a store we don’t have in the USA so the chances of someone else wearing the same top is slim to nil.

It’s a great piece for Visible Monday–check out all the other posts at Not Dead Yet!

neon pants

Top: Bedo
Pants: The Gap
Cuff: Consignment
Bag: Sue Huston
Shoes: Kelly & Katie

Since it has an 80s feel, I paired the top with my neon yellow boyfriend jeans. But that wasn’t enough. I added a bright pink purse too. I love pops of color and even though black is classic and elegant, it’s hard for me to leave the house without a bit of bright.

black and white and neon

This works best with a strapless bra because of the sheer shoulders. However, I think a colorful, intentionally visible bra strap might work. I’m still of the mindset that bras shouldn’t show. That’s why I have strapless, racerback, and other types of bras to choose from. However, the bra as fashion statement is popular. I’m okay with that unless it looks sloppy. I like a clean-looking tank top, for example, without straps hanging out. Is that old-fashioned?

 

Speaking of bras, I’ve heard that up to 80% of women are wearing the wrong size. I recently went to Nordstrom for a professional fitting, expecting to be one of the 20%. In fact, I was convinced the clerk would congratulate me on my ability to correctly fit myself. Boy was I wrong! I was not wearing the right size bra. She helped me get into one that fit. And of course, I bought six. They feel great and wearing the right size really makes a difference in terms of comfort, posture, and the way my clothes look.

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