Sunday, December 30, 2012

OOTDs: Casual and Recent.

Hi, all!  Happy Sunday!

I am going to be back to publishing my festive outfits soon (have the Christmas Day one coming up), but I wanted to get these recent casual outfits published soon so I wouldn't forget that they existed in my albums.  I do that frequently.  In fact, soon I will get around to publishing a series on outfits I wore to travel into the city with my kids.  I take field trips with them around once a month, and we always travel by metro and do a ton of walking, so I have to wear something super comfortable (but still attempting my brand of SAHM style).

Okay, so here goes!

My brother and I were headed out to go somewhere (this was from a few weeks ago, so I blanking on where) with the kids, so I wore this stretchy Boden tunic from last spring over leggings.  (The tunic is long enough that once it gets warmer I can wear it as a dress.)

CW insisted I wear the Alpine boots from J. Crew (from last winter).  You'll see why in a few photos.

I am not playing with my ear, but the camera's timer was super fast and caught me mid-hair straightening.

The necklace is a piece from J. Crew from a few years back.

There is *just* enough pink in the tunic to wear the double cloth slim trench with it (review of it here, for those of you who might want to grab it on sale).

There's my reason for the Alpine boots.  Even though CW's circo brand boots are just about to die their last faux shearling death, she keeps wearing them and insisting I wear my matching boots.  (I did get her a nice new pair from Totes--JC Penney on sale--for Christmas, but she still pulls out these monstrosities.  Sigh.)

You can tell my bro took this photo.  He isn't really all that tall,  but the angle on this makes it look like he is taking the shot from a ladder.

I wore this to a little gym class.  I think I need stronger makeup when I wear this shade near my face.  I don't know.  It could also be the lighting in the room that day.  Anyhow, if any of you know what I can do to make my skin look more "fresh" when wearing burgundy, I would appreciate it.

I also struggle with belts worn at my hips.  Although I think these cords would have looked better with a belt, almost all belts worn at my hips ride up, even with the belt loops in place.  Agh!  Anyhow, if you have a fix for that, I am all ears!

The top is all sold out over at Lands' End Canvas, but this was one of the very few preppy offerings from them this last fall.  Egyptomaniac published a post PLEADING with Canvas to bring back the more traditional preppy stylings that made them such a standout a few years back.  I tend to agree.  I like a lot of what they offer, but can I see the items on me?  Not really.  I prefer classic with a fitted look and a twist, and LEC used to be that, 100%.  Now maybe 25% of their clothing is that way, with the other 75% looking like it wants to compete with Abercrombie.

Speaking of classic, those pearls were a gift from my dad when I was a teenager.  I think that's a "thing," to buy your daughter a real pearl necklace when they are teenagers.  I guess I will have to have Mr. Dina do the same for CW when she gets older.  (Or I might just give her mine.)

The bag was a present to myself.  I saved and saved and saved for months to buy the Pashli satchel (3.1 Phillip Lim).  I almost bought one from Net-a-Porter, but then saw this aubergine version for sale on ebay (the seller had purchased it from La Garconne) for about $200 less as a buy it now.  I made sure to have the seller e-mail me photos (so I could verify it was "real") and I grabbed it as soon as I opened the message from her.  (It is definitely real!)

Obviously the bag suits this outfit as it is an exact match for the top and shoes, but the color is a great neutral, so I think I will be using this as my bag exclusively in January and February (like my Andie bag was for December).

Okay, this was from a day when I was running around doing errands (that seems to be every. darn. day.--I live the exotic life here, people).

I love this coat by Elevenses.  I have had it for six or seven years now, and I cannot bring myself to sell it.  It is in great shape, has a beautiful interesting print, and fits well.  I suppose that means I should keep it, but I sometimes wonder if I am deluding myself, that this coat is so hopelessly out of style that people are snickering behind my back when I wear it.  (Well, no, that wouldn't happen here, especially since I usually wear it to Harris Teeter during "eldery people getting half-off groceries" day.  I don't think Edith and Chuck would really be all catty about my outerwear.)  ;)

Oh, these jeans.  I have put them in the giveaway pile.  I never imagined it was possible, but these jeans are somehow loose and uncomfortable at the same time.  I would have been better off wearing one of my bootcut pairs from J. Crew or 7FAM.

The ubiquitous Bubble necklace!  In white!  From Belk (Modern. Southern. Style. LOL.)!  For $25!

Hope you all have a great Sunday!  Talk with all of you soon!