OOTDs: Marled Colorblock Loveliness and Some Truly Awful Pants.

Hey, all.  I have been meaning to get to posting my ootd posts more frequently but I have been a bit busy with the usual, you know, constant needs of children, and the unusual, the complete drafting of my first pants block/pattern.  Last Saturday I spent four hours at G Street Fabrics working with an instructor who had us take very specific measurements of the lower half of our bodies (there are seven of us in the class) and then carefully draw precise lines and shapes from the measurements on pattern drafting paper.

This week we are meant to take the pattern and make a muslin of it with two inch seam allowances, and I don't about you sewers out there, but I am struggling to get those two inch seam allowances on there, even though I have a curved ruler and a very large clear straight ruler.  It's probably my inexperience, but I also bet a few people who have more experience than me might hate adding seam allowances to patterns, too.  ;-)

But--for all of the hard work I have to do to get the pants block ready--I so want this pattern to be done and asap, since I am at the point where I absolutely LOATHE 90% of my regular pants.  Leggings, fine.  Ponte trousers, great.  Actual physical pants with a waistband, pockets, and a zip/button closure, ugh.  I now weigh less than I did a year ago, but I guess since my sewing journey has started, I realize just how horribly pants fit most people.  It's like a tic...no matter what, I look for how pants fit people when looking at a photo of someone's outfit.  I even noticed that freaking J. Crew models have poorly fitting pants, all saggy and wrinkly and crotch-whiskered, too (at least nine offensive pairs of pants in the February 2014 issue, fwiw).  My *brother* has fitting issues, his crotch had massive amounts of wrinkles in the fabric in the pair he wore tonight.  So what to do?  Well--sew your own freaking pairs and sell the rest.  I think by the time I am done, I will have in my closet exactly three pairs of non-handmade pants that is how vile I think all of my purchased pairs are. 

Or it could just be that I am tired of pants because it has been too cold to wear anything but pants.  Darn you Arctic Blast.

So below are three outfits with pants in them.  Fortunately for the pants, they were at least topped by sweaters or tees that I just love, including the Marled Colorblock Sweater, which I recently acquired in one of the 40% off sales (although I think I may have bought this one at 50% off if I am remembering correctly).

I am going to not bother with any of the extra details tonight, but if I can link to a product page, I will.  :-)  I will add a few words about the pretty Marled Colorblock Sweater, too.

Okay, these pants are okay.  Bit short, but it wasn't too cold that day.  Plus it has a ridiculous amount of stretch in them, so they really don't count as "real" pants anyhow.  ;-)

You can find the Arrowstack necklace at Madewell.  The Embellished Ballet Flats are in clearance over at Boden.  

I made the sweater using the Crewneck Sweater pattern in Burda Magazines August 2013 issue.  Again with the tracing and adding seam allowances.  Worth the effort, though, I am a huge fan of this unusual shape and the fabric since I have NOTHING like it in my wardrobe.

You can read more about the process here at Pattern Review.  I won't be turning this project into a "made by me file" post here at the blog.

Close up of the fabric and the stretch lace trim I used on the sweater.

These stupid jeans.  They are too baggy at the waist so I had to keep hitching them up all day but oddly too tight in my upper thigh.  Sigh.  They look way cuter in the photo than they felt like in real life.

You can find the Metallic Snowflake Tee here at J. Crew Factory.

Close up the tee and the darling bow cardigan.  The tee fits well, I sized up to a small and like it a bit bigger and longer.  Works well with the silhouette I chose yesterday.

Does anyone recall the name of this coat?  It is from 2006 and it is so warm (probably made from stadium cloth fabric).  Anyhow, I pull it out when it is bitter a$$ cold out and that is what it was yesterday.  Bitter A$$ cold.

Sorry about the color, the shot was taken a bit underexposed and in attempting to get the lighting brighter, it turned the whole photo a bit green/cool. 

Those pants are the worst offenders in my closet.  I only wore them out because I literally put them on four seconds before leaving and because I knew that I would be wearing that grey coat (in the last photo) over it.  I think the pants being made from a horribly wrinkly cotton sateen make these pants extra wrinkly and saggy looking.  They are just so bad.  I shouldn't even give them up, I should just turn them into work pants and be done with it.  They fit, that's what makes the whole situation even worse.  They feel so comfortable on...what a pity that they look like UTTER crap on me.  LOL.

Color is a bit better here, but still a touch cool.

The Marled Colorblock Sweater is still available, and I have seen this color pop back a ton in both shades in all sizes.  I sized to an extra small based on Gigi's review, and I think I chose well since it feels comfortable without being too baggy or loose.  This would look really cute with a pencil skirt, if only it warmed up enough for me to want to wear a skirt.

The necklace is a stunner, and I am so glad I bought it way back in 2009.  I only wear it a handful of times a year but it never fails to make me smile.  It suits the coloring of the knit, especially the light purple shade of the yarn.

I personally love the tiny specks of neon threading but if that is not your thing stay away.  :-)

Okay that's all for now.

If you are a Boden fan, the "Spring Trim" of the day ends tonight and tomorrow starts another two day "trim."  You can read more about the current trim here.

Valid 1/26 - 1/31. 6-Day Promotion: 20% Off Selected Items; 10% Off Everything Else + Free Shipping & Returns!

Boden Weekly Review Roundup: Nude Penny Loafers and Not So Nude Clothing.

Before I begin this long overdue BWRR, I wanted to remind you all of a couple of things in the Boden world. 

First, yesterday started another big discount over at Boden, with 20% off everything (barring clearance items) until tomorrow (Thursday, May 30, 2013).  I have the link in the sidebar and the bottom of this post.  On Friday the discount reverts to the "usual" 15% off, at which point I will just place the normal coupon back in its place in the sidebar.

Second, the lovely Lou (What Lou Wore 365) sent me the Boden Autumn/Winter Preview Lookbook a few days ago and I had a chance to photograph all of the women's line photos and a few from the Johnnie b., mini Boden, and baby Boden lines.  You can see that post here.

Okay, let's get started!

Regular Boden:

Penny Loafers.  These are a size 40, which is supposed to be a size 9 US.  I should be wearing a 41, which I do from time to time, but I find that Boden will run so wide that my narrow foot needs the smaller size to stay on my foot.  If I had gone with a size 41, these would definitely have been too wide and they would probably have flown off my foot every step I took.  The length is fine, and since it is leather, will stretch enough over the years to mold to my exact length.

I was going to be out running around with the family that day, so I wanted something that would work with the navy and green combo and not distract from it, and that is what these shoes did.  They are "nuder" than I wanted them to be, since the color matches my legs precisely, but I have worn them enough to see that they look better than I thought they did at first. 

Nude heels make sense to me, but nude flats seemed weird.  (I don't know why, it probably only bothers me, like flippy sequins do, oh how I hate flippy sequins.) 

Anyhow, I am definitely keeping them, and if I had unlimited funds and a HUGE closet, I would buy these in the orange or aqua shade.

Close up.  I think these look really nice when you can make out the penny loafer detailing, which gets lost in the outfit photos.

All leather construction (as per usual with Boden) and careful craftsmanship.  The upper part of the patent leather has wrinkled a bit because walking bends your foot which bends the leather, but I like it better a bit worn looking since the shoes are almost too perfect looking with no creases.  (Again, this may just be me and my particular personality.  Others may prefer it be brand spanking new forever!)

Okay, so this collar necklace is not from Boden, but it is so pretty I have to show it off.  (It is from a British company, so it counts, sort of, right?)  This necklace is all sold out from Accessorize, but here is the info from polyvore so you can stalk it if you want it.  I bought it on my trip to Ireland, and was so stoked because I loved Accessorize when I lived in England in 1995.  So last weekend I am at Pentagon City mall and guess what is just down the mall floor from J. Crew?  Accessorize.  I must be living under a rock, not realizing that the shop had made its way across the Atlantic.  :)


Penny Loafers.  Many sizes are fully stocked, but there are the odd outliers which are completely sold out.  If you wear comfortable shoes a lot, then these may be worth the investment as they are a bit pricey.

I also wore these shoes with the LouLou dress to church, since it was raining.  More on that outfit here at this post.

Off Duty Shorts.  Size 10 Long.  Please go to my initial review so you can see why I chose the size 10 Long.  :)

Please forgive the clash of stripes and florals.  My hubby absolutely loved this outfit, but I was *this* close to changing into a different pair of shorts for the day.  (I ended up wearing black pants to church, so I got my way later on...)  I think the outfit looks okay, but I feel like I look a bit like a crazy toddler here.  LOL.  I have no idea why Mr. Dina liked it so much.  Men.

Anyhow, weird styling aside, I love the shorts so much better in the larger size.  They do gape a bit at the waist, but nothing terrible.  It is so nice to have shorts that are a touch too big everywhere so that I can feel relaxed wearing them and not like I need spanx just to make it through the day.

And if I end up losing weight, enough that I would have to size down, I can just alter them on my sewing machine and be done.

Still a crazy toddler!  For those of you who are curious, the Tippi sweater in multistripe is still available (runs a bit long and wide, but I like how easy the small felt, so I don't know that I would size down to my usual extra-small, the Tippi sweaters fit differently in each style, so I never know what size to buy).  The Sperry Top-Siders for J. Crew were a huge sale score at the store, since they are still higher priced on-line.  I paid $30 after all the discounts.  They call these shoes "deep violet," but look a lot like a bright cobalt blue to me.


Off Duty Shorts.  These are definitely selling well.  The green print is selling slowest, so you might be able to wait for a better discount if you don't anticipate wearing them soon.


Lace Dress.  I wore the yellow version on Mother's Day.  :)


Lightweight V-Neck T-Shirt.  Lou is head to toe Boden.  :)  And of course it looks wonderful on her, especially the pear drop shade of the tee. 


Authentic Casual Shirt.  Lou looks lovely in yellow, yes she does.  Worn as the shirt suggests, that is casually, but with the most amazing blue pumps, she fits right in with "casual Fridays" everywhere.

The Shirt.  Speaking of shirts, Joanna looks perfectly put together in her ensemble, from her dotty button-up right down to her darling wedge sandals.  :)  (Use the link in the name, the affiliate program does not have this item in its catalog.)


Ruffle Bikini Set.  Joanna has bravely (and I do mean the word bravely since I know how much courage it takes) shown off this adorable swimwear set for us.  :)  I love it on her, ruffles and stripes alike.  And to show her I am with her in spirit, I will link back to the last time I showed off all my thigh lumps and bumps in a swimsuit.  (And will do so again when the Johnnie b. swimsuit I bought finally comes off the slow boat from England.)

Johnnie b.:

Leather Clogs.  I wore them here (and did a review).  So all of these are currently sold out.  As of two weeks ago, there was a full run of the leather clogs.  Hmm.  I don't think my review alone caused them to sell out, but it is a bit surprising to see them all gone.  Use the link in the name to access the page, since my affiliate program no longer has the photo link (which is why I used the photo from the blog post instead).


Floaty Top.  I had seen this one in the pretty seagull print and considered it (here is the seagull print in a pair of pants), and now that I see how darling the top looks on Egyptomaniac (wearing the concert ticket print), I definitely will stalk it for a good price for CW in the size 8 so we can have a mommy/me outfit day when she is 7 (she can wear one size up).  ;)

Clearance Boden:

Embellished Spot Cardigan.  This is a spring item, and until this year, this item would still be in "regular" Boden.  This year Boden has decided to tinker with the usual and has placed many spring items in the clearance section many months earlier than the typical July clearance start date.

Don't let the "clearance" moniker fool you, though, since the price they are offering it at right now is the same price I purchased mine for back in January.

Anyhow, I think the cardigan is delicious, well made, and just blingy and detailed enough to justify the cost, especially since it is ivory colored, which means it will work with nearly all of my wardrobe.  I can't see selling this one anytime soon, and since I often will grab a cardigan for the possibility of a chill, this gets worn often.

Here is my advice if you like this one...buy the ivory version if you love it, since that one is more likely to sell out.  The dark grey version looks like it will stick around for the long haul (except in the larger sizes, since those are gone), which means that it will make it a deeper discount the next time they have cuts on clearance prices.  (The ivory might, too, but not all sizes will get there.) 

Detail Shot. This cardigan is in the size 6, which is what I typically buy in Boden knitwear.  When I do up all the buttons, it doesn't gap, but I don't do that ever, except to see if it fits that way.  :)  The knit fabric is so soft and lightweight, exactly the right feel for spring and summer (well not our summers, except in the freezer aisle of the grocery store).  The little embellished dots are made from a poly or rayon fabric and have not frayed, which makes me think they were treated with an anti-fray solution before placed on the cardigan.  The beading is very secure, only one small seed bead has fallen off, and that one is near the side seam which gets a lot of abuse from my "flingy" arms. 


Embellished Spot Cardigan.  I would love to see what the dark grey looks like on someone, since the detailing is so much more obvious on that colorway.


Adelaide Dress.  Lou is wearing the navy version again, despite the rain.  (Lou is also very fortunate to have received that umbrella for free, I had wanted the folks at Boden to sell that one!)

She also speaks to the fact that this dress is in clearance so quickly after just being introduced this spring.  :)

Okay, all, that's it for today.  Be back later, I am sure.  Thanks again to all my blog friends for sharing their reviews with us!

Below is the link to the 20% off sale going on right now.

OOTDs: Sally Wrong Socks.

Day: Monday, April 1, 2013.

Where: Bowling/Packing for Ireland.

Ease of Wear: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)   So easy to wear, especially the Lands' End Knit Pants (link takes you to a similar pair). 

The here and there fox tee from Anthro is so adorable, and is made from the softest cotton.  I felt very lucky that I found it over the Christmas season at a sale price and with an additional % off.  I think this tee sold fast and then was completely out of stock.

Cool Factor: (3 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.)  If I had bothered to wear socks that didn't look redonk against the red lulu bow flats, I could totally have upped this outfit to a 3.5, but "Sally Wrong Socks" didn't realize how stupid the socks looked until she got home and uploaded the photos on the computer.  Never. Again.

Anecdote from the day:  I had to pre-bowl because I was going to miss the bowling that week, but I kept putting it off so I had to bowl the morning of the day our family was going to be flying off to Ireland.  I guess the pressure worked since I bowled pretty darn well.  (Yay!)

The packing was no biggie, since I started packing a whole month early.  I always do that, I pack like a organizational fool.  I wish I could say unpacking was as fun for me, but I *HATE* unpacking.  Mr. Dina is constantly making fun of me because of my allergy to unpacking.

Day: Sunday, March 31, 2013.

Where: Easter Sunday.

Ease of Wear: (2.5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  I love the perfect pencil skirt and think it gives a nice, sleek line, but oh, man, it is fitted.  I find that I can only wear them for a few hours before I am all, "get this thing off of me."  Ugh.  I still have those darn extra two inches on my high hip (won't lose them until Angus weans completely) and all of my fitted pants and skirts feel off.  The fit, just not the way I want them too.  (Or they could fit exactly as they used to but because I am getting older, I have way less tolerance for the idiocy of my clothes not feeling good on my body.)

The rest of the outfit felt wonderful, especially the darling wedge heels from Boden (last summer's version; similar here).

Cool Factor: (2.5 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.) The day before "Sally Wrong Socks" wore black socks with red shoes, "Tania Sad Tights" wore a pair of grey tights that exactly matched her grey shoes.  In my defense, it was really cold that day, and even though it was Easter and I was desperate to wear bare legs, I just couldn't.  Plus the control top of the tights helped suck that baby fat right in.  LOL.

Even if I had worn bare legs, the outfit would have been a 3, tops.  The tresco floral Liberty print is awesome, but it is a whole lot of look, especially paired with the purple skirt.

CW was definitely the coolest girl around, though.  ;)  (I wrote about sewing her dress here at this post.)

Anecdote from the day:  We decided not to cook Easter lunch, so we did what any hungry family of eight (my dad, bro, and step-mom came to) would do on Easter Sunday, go out for Ethiopian food.  Mmm, injera!  :)

Okay, that's it for tonight.  I hope everyone is having a fabulous night (or morning if you are seeing this on Thursday morning)!

P.S. Do any of you watch Style Network's Resale Royalty?  I have it on in the background while typing up this post and it is freaking me out how many times they have said the name "Dena."  One of their employees is named Dena and it seems every other sentence mentions her name.  Thank goodness I don't have a drinking game where every time I hear my name I have to take a drink.  I wouldn't just be drunk after watching this show, I would have to go to the hospital.  (Note--I don't actually play drinking games, but Mr. Dina and I really like making up drinking games.)

Boden Weekly Review Roundup: Swishy Skirts and Sales.

Hi, all!  It's time for a swishy skirt sale kind of review roundup.  ;)

Have you been enjoying seeing what is left in the end of season sale at Boden this past week?  I am surprised by how little is left.  Clearly the Boden marketing team is doing the best job they can because there is very little left overall.  I see a few sizes here and there in most items being available, but in general a lot of sizes in a lot of colors have completely sold out.

HAVING said that, if you want a tip, I have one for you.  The past few nights I have made it my nightly pleasure to check on my shopping bag (I have two items left on my wishlist but must wait for the budget to allow purchase) and at around 8 pm eastern (that would be 1 am UK time), the stocks get replenished across the board.  All of a sudden there is a size 8 favourite jersey maxi where there hadn't been one an hour earlier.  I highly recommend that if you want to get one that "got away," watch for the popbacks starting around 8 pm eastern time.  Good luck!

I am glad that Boden is doing well, especially since it means that those of us that have a penchant for the unusual prints and conservative cuts will have more company (love company!), but it does have the unfortunate effect of reducing stocks in season so we can't have at it for cheap at the end of season.  Sigh.  LOL.  Popularity, Johnnie.  So hard.  ;)

Now here is a cautionary tale for Johnnie, though.  J. Crew got insanely popular, got really big for its britches, and in prior seasons overbought their items which meant that there were still 2010 items for sale in the clearance area of jcrew.com in 2012.  That's not likely to be good, right?  So keep the ego in check.  Humility is a hard lesson to be dealt.  (I should know.  I was 15 once.  Gawd.  What a horrible little girl I was, clearly out of my mind.  My dad just laughs.)

Speaking of sales and the lack of good prices and/or stocks, Poppy's Style wrote a great little article on why the moaning and complaining about it over at Boden's facebook page got on her nerves.  I tend to agree.  I understand the complaints, but really, Boden is aware of what is selling and what is not and is not going to massively discount an item (like the swishy jersey maxi skirt I am wearing below) if it is a best seller.  They aren't in the business of losing money, right?  However, if you want the Roma trousers, those are nicely discounted, they aren't selling well (likely because it was really warm this past six months, at least here in the States).  (A whole host of other items are also deeply discounted, you just have to search them out.)

There is no free shipping right now, so definitely only buy one item if you really wanted it and it came as a popback.  Otherwise, get all your items together in one basket so the $10 shipping charge is easier to swallow.  OR wait till the autumn 2012 line drops (July 20th, supposedly) and buy some sale items with the promo/free ship codes that are likely to also happen at the same time (I always seem to get one at the beginning of each season through the affiliate program).

Swishy Maxi Skirt.  Size US 6 Long.  (UK 10 Long.)  Love!  It came in the mail and I was immediately smitten.

I have recently drunk the maxi juice and now fully get the love of the maxi skirt and maxi dress, especially in summer.  Oddly enough the extra length and swishy fabric help keep me cooler than if I was wearing shorts or capris or shorter skirts.

I paired it with a halter top (from Inc., a Macy's brand) that I have had for years, my Target sunglasses, and a pair of embellished flip-flops from J. Crew.  I am also bringing it on an upcoming trip where I will pair it with a peasant top, so full on top and full on bottom.  It seems to work in an over-exaggerated boho style.  You can also roll the waistband (hello, Catholic school uniform, ah, memories!) to make it into a midi length skirt, too, if you so desire.

I sized down from my usual skirt size of US 8 Long because I knew the jersey fabric has more give.  I definitely think, though, if you have a larger waistline relative to your hip size, that you should size up or stay with your normal Boden skirt size (the waist is teeny, at 28 inches, this one fits nicely, but one inch down and it would be constricting).

This skirt sits RIGHT at my higher waist and ends just at the floor.  It is definitely long.  So if you have longer legs or are pretty tall, order the long.  If you have shorter legs but still tall, you may want to buy the regular.

There are also petite lengths, which I imagine is necessary, so I am glad to see that Boden didn't forget the smaller ladies.

I measure 42 inches from my natural (belly button) waist to the floor, so use that as your own guide.  This skirt is pretty close to 42 inches long.

From the back.  The swishy name comes from the almost fishtail effect on the bottom where the designers added extra fabric for a dramatic hemline.  I quite like it but had they added anymore and made it anymore of a fishtail, I would have to return it as it would make my hips look oversized.


Swishy Maxi Skirt.  The only color not on good sale is the navy (of course).  That actually costs more on sale compared to what I bought it for...it is now $70 instead of $66 (I think I got a 25% off, and the navy is now only 20% off).  The other colors are $58.10, which is a great price for a beautiful, very feminine skirt.  I cannot tell you if the navy will sell out at that price, but since it is only a four dollar difference, I will let you all make that call if that color is the one you have been eyeing.

Swishy Cotton Skirt.  Size US 6 Long.  (UK 10 Long.)  I have mixed feelings about this skirt.  I adore the print and I adore how the skirt fits me, but I am having the hardest time making this skirt work in my wardrobe, which I figure all of you should read about because you may face the same issues.

This skirt is high waisted (like the swishy maxi skirt, btw) and sits exactly at my navel.  Which is fine...BUT, unlike the swishy maxi skirt, this one is shorter so the balance of the proportions are off.  It also doesn't help that I have a relatively short torso compared to my lower half.  When I tucked the blouse above in, I looked like I had been given the wrong upper body as the skirt's pattern and larger skirt looked overwhelming compared to the tee. 

When I untucked the tee, the outfit looked better, but the tee needed something to balance it, so I added a thin belt, which I do like with the outfit, but the color is just a bit too obvious (too matchy with the skirt?).  The shoes help lengthen the leg, which is great, but the color is too much with the rest of the outfit, so I just said "sigh," and went on with my day.  My hubby really liked this ensemble, so there's that, but a part of me is left scratching my head wondering why this outfit?  Whatever.   Men are weird.

So I did this in picasa.  I do actually like the outfit more in monochrome, but I believe I will try a shorter scoopneck blouse with a pair of more neutral sandals next time.  I bet this skirt would look pretty nice with a tucked in turtleneck, a pair of knit tights and booties in the winter.  Hmm.  ;)

The pattern is quite lovely and quite retro.  The skirt is made well and fits nicely.  It has a narrow waist, this one measures around 29 or 30 inches, while the hips are nice and free (more than enough to fit my 40.5 inch hips).

The length is great, I like having skirts that fit at or below the knee, they are surprisingly hard to find when you are my height, so companies like Boden having longs in skirts is fabulous.

From the back.  The hemline is a contrast color and is put on nicely, and does not look "crafty," like so many Boden pieces (especially in the past) have looked.


Swishy Cotton Skirt.  The only color really left in any abundance is the color I am modeling.  I don't get it, but then again, I love the yellow/green everyday summer dress and that one is still available while the other colors have sold out.


Fab Jersey Tunic.  Once again, Egyptomaniac looks so GOOD in Boden.  She is such an enabler, I tell you.  ;)

Holiday Maxi Dress.  ShOpeRach looks divine in this in the blue print.  The link to this item is missing in the affiliate program, so click on the name of the item to go directly to the item page.  :)

Printed Cotton Skirt. Leslie looks beautiful in this skirt, paired with the navy it is perfection, but I do love her idea of wearing a top in one of the colors in the skirt. :)  (Like above with the holiday maxi dress, my link is missing in the affiliate program, so click on the name of the skirt to go directly to the item page.)

Okay all that's it for tonight.  :)  Have fun (sale) shopping!