Category Archives: must have monday

must have monday: boot edition #1

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photo credit: http://www.polyvore.com/boots_more/set?id=59029937#stream_box

so many boots, so little time

I love boots. I have brown riding boots, brown wedge boots, camel tall boots with a heel, brown tall boots with this interesting stitching up the back, black ridding boots, black cowboy boots, black tall boots with a heel, a fancy pair of rain boots (Aquatalia red patent leather) and a not fancy pair of rain boots (muddy, well-worn Hunters). I even have a pair of over-the-knee boots, though they are currently in the consignment pile. But what I don’t have are any short boots. I do not own a bootie. Nor I do I own an ankle boot of any heel height.

I feel it is time to remedy this situation.

Here’s the issue: when you are short (like I am) you’ve been conscious your entire life that you shouldn’t wear anything that makes you look shorter (hence my love of heels). After a few of what I now regard as feeble attempts to try a short boot, I gave up. After striking out, I assumed all such boots would cut me off and be unflattering.

But I admire this look on other women who are even shorter than I am (yes, I mean you, Wardrobe Oxygen, DC Style Factory and @travelinjames) thus, I have come to the conclusion that I might be wrong. It’s possible, perhaps, that I jumped to conclusions after trying the wrong pairs. I mean, there’s a classic short boot that shares my name, so how wrong could it be on me?

The bottom line is that I’m ready to try again. What I’m looking for is something that doesn’t go too far up my calves. I don’t want a substantial heel for this pair (sorry, guy readers, baby steps). It has to work with my bootcut jeans as well as with my skinny jeans (tucked in) and (gasp) maybe a dress. I know some of you are having a hard time with that visual, but one of my 43 by 43 goals was to challenge myself when it comes to my style. Pairing short boots with a skirt or dress would do just that.

Have you seen a boot that you think fits my needs? Please share. And if you want to go shopping with me, even better.

must have monday: me time

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The last three days felt like three weeks.

I don’t do well in record-breaking summer temperatures as it is, but I most certainly do not thrive when those conditions are made worse by lack of electricity and water usage restrictions during a weekend when I have the kids.

But now I hear the sound of kids at summer camp. (For those of you who don’t have kids, this means silence.) No one is complaining that they are bored or hot. No one is asking why the pool is closed or if I can just check one more time to make sure the power is really off and not that I just blew a fuse.

(Oh, I blew a fuse.)

I know these are the rants of a spoiled person. Believe me, I’m most grateful for the amenities I have and was relieved to have power restored and water restrictions lifted yesterday. But today, day one of a modified stay-cation, is going to be a day dedicated to me. And the ability to have a day like this is certainly going to be all the more appreciated after what we just experienced.

From dry cleaners to mani-pedi to lunch (by myself if I can’t find a date) to an appointment with my aesthetician to a drop off at the cobbler and plans for an evening workout, today will be about taking care of me.

We all need and deserve a little self-maintenance once in awhile, and the timing of my such day could not be any better.

must have monday: the Treat

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The Treat

I interrupt today’s planned item I can’t live without to bring you another must have that is on special today only with sizes selling out fast.

On the cusp of their annual July Jubilee sale, SimplySoles is offering this one-day special: 30% off five colors of the Treat by Bettye Muller. This shoe will not be included in the upcoming Jubilee, so today is your chance to get this perfect work or event shoe at reduced cost. Are you on your feet all day but need to be clad in a professional shoe? Do you stomp the marble halls of Congress, which we know can do damage not only on feet but on our shoes themselves? Are you wary of four-inch (or higher) heels that leave you limping by the end of an evening event? If you answered yes to any of these questions, do not hesitate to stop reading and start shopping.

Last summer, I bought the Treat in buff (unfortunately this color is only available for my size 11 friends) and then in the fall, her platino sister joined the collection. Today, I ordered the Treat in black and tan (the only of the five colors on sale that is still in my size) and in the fall, I plan to get the navy.

This shoe is not only beautiful, but truly comfortable. (You can hunt me down if you try it and find it not to be so.) This classic silhouette will stand the test of time in this city, regardless of which party controls what branch of government. In other words, while hemlines may rise and fall along with the political times, the Treat is bipartisan.

And since we need more of that spirit in this city, you should buy two pairs.

must have monday: the great white blazer

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I have to admit, while it is a must have, I haven’t found my perfect white blazer yet.

Two years ago, when Rosanna Vollmerhausen, owner of DC Style Factory, came to my house and performed a closet audit on my spring and summer wardrobe, her immediate observation was that one of my gaps was a great white blazer.

I have spent the last two years on an mission to find it.

I know it shouldn’t be this hard, but I’m very particular about my blazers. They cannot be boyfriend style, for one, a cut that is (sadly for me) ubiquitous. Given how unforgiving white is, the material has to be of a certain quality. Cheaper fabrics might be passable in black but white shows all flaws. And speaking of flaws, given what a complete and utter klutz I can be, I really don’t want to spend an arm and a leg on this piece. I’m bound to bump into someone with a glass of red wine or have a kid with a nutella mouth give me a hug when wearing it. In other words, this will not be an investment piece for me like my black Smythe blazer was.

So the hunt continues for an affordable but not cheap looking great white blazer with a good shape. If you have any leads, you know where to find me.

must have monday: summer clothes

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Has it really been an entire week since I last wrote? Apparently, I need a ghost writer or at least to prepare extra posts to share on days I don’t have time to write. Sorry to be MIA. I’m surprised I didn’t get any panicked emails wondering if I was about to slip into cyber-oblivion like I did in February and March.

I have no excuse considering how much time I spent on my computer over the weekend. I created outfits for Kassie’s Closet. I did some work for my day job. But mostly, I scoured the internet for good weekend summer wear.

Today’s “must have” is not focused on an item I cannot live without, but on items that I desperately need: summer clothes.

Frankly, I hate summer. I melt in whatever I’m wearing. While I have a nice selection of professional summer dresses, I’m bereft of casual summer party wear. My clothes either scream Monday-thru-Friday or are too don’t-go-out-in-public-y. I don’t have any middle of the road wear. The deficiency is of my own making. I hate sundresses. I hate shorts. I hate capri pants. I hate bathing suits.

That doesn’t leave a lot of options.

Yesterday, I cruised the web, site after frustrating site, determined to find summery dresses. Why do all the dresses of an appropriate weight and material have an elastic waist, which is just deadly on me? Or spaghetti straps, which require a strapless bra? Why do the dresses in the styles I like only seem to come in either very synthetic (i.e. hot) fabrics or those I’d prefer to leave to office attire?

By way of example, pulling from my standby, J. Crew, this Kimono-sleeve maxidress would be perfect if it were cotton. But it’s rayon. The Villa dress in stripe would look cute with my coral wedge espadrilles but for the elastic waist. And what is with all the strapless options? Raise your hand if you really and truly love strapless dresses. Or do you just wear them because it’s all they make?

The bottom line is that I am still looking. Ideally I want three dresses and a couple of skirts that can take me from little league games to BBQs or out for weekend drinks and/or dinner with friends. Today I want your suggestions.

Don’t make me go to the next social gathering in jeans.

 

must have monday: pretty underpinnings

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This might be my third post on my love for nice underpinnings, but my devotion to matching bra and panty sets is not to be underestimated.

Every great lingerie set begins with the bra. The right bra can make you look enhanced. The right bra should fit comfortably. And of course, even the most functional bra can (and should) be pretty. Over the last year or so, I have carefully weeded my drawer of the bras that are uncomfortable, stretched out and have seams or other finicky details that always show through no matter what you have on. (These styles are not meant to be worn under clothes obviously, but how long do they really stay on in “other” circumstances? Not long enough to deserve space in a drawer.) Straps that slip? Don’t put up with that. Underwire poking out? Girlfriends, get rid of it. Does part of your breast hang out underneath the cup of the bra? Unacceptable. Life is too short to wear uncomfortable (or unflattering) bras.

I have slowly converted most of my bras to the style (Marie Jo plunge) I wrote about last September. The daisy detail on the strap adds a touch of femininity but the cup itself allows this bra to be worn under the tightest of t-shirts. I now own it in cosmic blue, black, ruby red, hot pink and cafe latte. And because I buy multiple panties to match each bra, I can get several wears a week out of the same color, if that is what my heart desires and wardrobe dictates. The versatility also allows for less frequent bra washings, which, let’s be honest, none of us like to do. (Note: I have been assured that washing my bras in a lingerie bag on delicate is fine, but you must air dry it.) I undertake this process less than I like to admit.

I know I have not left much to the imagination of those who might be curious as to what lies beneath, but my desire to convert the disbelievers is strong. Whether you have been married a gazillion years and think it doesn’t matter what your undergarments look like or are young and starting off in your career, get in the habit of at least matching your underpinnings even if they aren’t technically a set. Then begin by investing in a nice set that fits (please get a fitting) but don’t just save it for special occasions. Try wearing it on any old day. Turn the ordinary into the extraordinary.

Then, once you are a true believer, come talk to me about shoes.

must have monday: scarves

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I wear scarves in the winter, of course. But I also wear them in the fall, spring and even summer. No time is a bad time for a good scarf.

Is it your pop of color? An alternative to a necklace? A blanket to wrap around yourself in a cold movie theater or an over air conditioned office? Maybe you wear it Grace Kelly style when your friend with a convertible is driving with the top down. Whatever the reason, I can’t have too many.

On a retail therapy shopping spree in San Francisco last month, I bought three. My friend Amy was astonished.

Amy: More scarves?

But all three called to me and all three are already getting good use. The green one with the black stitching on the trim kept me warm(ish) during Katilan’s late night post-reception frolicking in Annapolis after I exchanged my dress for jeans but didn’t have my jacket because it had been hot and humid at departure time for the wedding. The green scarf’s twin in fuchsia was too pretty to pass up. The ivory and black zebra print has become my new go-to neutral, replacing the much worn and loved ivory Love Quotes scarf that was a 40th birthday present from Kassie. I have already worn all three of these scarves repeatedly. They join a legion of many scarves slung over a hook on the back of my closet door, waiting to be the one I grab as I dash out the door.

You don’t need to invest a lot of money on a scarf. In fact, one of my favorite ones in the rotation right now I snagged at Banana Republic for $7.00. The cost per wear on a scarf over its lifetime will, if you wear them like I do, be negligible. And the best part is, once a scarf has reached a stage where its wear and tear is too evident to be an appropriate wardrobe component any longer, they make great belts for little boys who like to secure toy swords tightly around their waists. Alternatively, they make great restraints for grown-up play.

But frankly, neckties work better for both.

must have monday: nude pumps

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I know this seems like an overstatement of the obvious to anyone who owns a pair (or in my case, multiple pairs) of nude pumps and/or wedges, but I get asked all the time, “what color shoes should I wear with this?”

The answer to that question can always be nude.

I wear nude (or its sister shades of blush, clay, and beige) with any and everything. Are you one of those people who tries to match the navy blue of your suit/dress/skirt to a navy pump? It’s impossible, so give up and get a nude pump or wedge to wear with your navy ensembles (save your navy shoes to wear with green). Do you wear black shoes with red? Unless you are color-blocking or mod, please stop. A nude shoe looks so much more sophisticated with a red dress. I even wear nude with black so as to elongate the leg and not look too funeral-y. They even work with jeans (but no floating hems, please).

Luckily for us, nude shoes have saturated the market, so you really can find one at any price point and in a variety of subtly different hues.

My current favorites are the Mai suede wedge in tan from SimplySoles, but I also have my eye on the Platswoon in adobe. Piperlime has pages worth of results if you plug the right coordinates into their search engine, including the Flax in light natural. When in the dressing room ready to model options for the guest of a wedding style dilemma, the cunning women at Neiman Marcus let me try on dresses with a gorgeous pair of nude patent leather Prada pumps that I have spent way too much time daydreaming about the last 48 hours.

This particular shoe might not fall into the “must have” category but they are squarely on the “will lust after” list.