Fine Feathers

To enjoy a ballet performance, I wanted to dress with a theme but nothing in my wardrobe included a feathery item. Why, oh why?! So I had to go with the usual dresses up nicely option!

Can you guess which ballet it was?

Shades of navy

Before the weather warms up I need to get a few wear out of some of my heavier items. Also I’ve been relaying on jeans too much recently. So this outfit was born and the pieces came together on their own!

What to wear to your graduation?

I’m trying to post a few of 2013 posts before January ends!

I had seen everything from formal gowns to shorts and flip flops worn. But for my PhD graduation I wanted something special and ladylike. I guess here is when the color of your gown plays an important role, you can either match it or contrast it for a pulled together and effective look. Ours was black and I had several options. Planning my outfit a week beforehand, I tried a high contrast look with a white dress and didn’t like it. I’m more a matching kinda of gal, I could go with black or gray. Trying the dresses and gown together showed me that my best option is a dark gray (black on black was too much!). My dress was form fitting and I left the gown open.

Gown: I hemmed it a bit to the best length for me, just below the knees.

Bag: a compact clutch with a thin strap fitted well under my gown and I was able to carry my lipstick, compact mirror (handy before photos) and cellphone!

Shoes: high heel pumps. Uncomfortable specially for standing up for three hours. But a sacrifice well worth it. They were essential to the whole look!

Jewelry: I added a gold school pin to my gown for some visual interest and a chunky sparkly necklace to improve the look of the outfit with my hood on. Without the necklace it would look like the hood was suffocating me!

Hair: I took my cap to the hair salon and discuss my options with my stylist. We decided to add some layers around my face so the cap won’t add too much length to my face.

Makeup: clean and minimal for me.

Overall rating: very happy with the whole outfit. It was formal and professional and a bit festive.

Edited: here are what I wore to my qualifying exam and to my Defense session.

Varsity jacket

This is another first for me: a varsity jacket. In keeping with my habit of going for the least expensive version when trying a super trendy item, I bought this one on sale in Forever 21. What would I do without that store?!

I though a drive around the neighborhood and ending up in (where else?) local coffee shop is the best occasion to test drive this jacket. The gorgeous weather didn’t hurt either!

Converted!

I never even had tried on a pair of Converse All Stars until last week! I never liked the canvas body or that white cap toe or the big white sole. The whole look was too crude and chunky for my taste. Remember the first pair of shoes I chose myself was a pair of cream patent leather Mary Janes! So the cult of Converse never appealed to my refined (Haah!) sensibilities. Last week however I tried a pair of high tops for the first time in my life (my sister is to blame! Hereby I hold her responsible for all the consequences!) and afterward ….hmmm…. errr… well… I kept thinking about them. The darn things were comfortable! And kinda cute and … comfortable and …. would go great with jeans and with these trendy track pants and …. Well, even Nina Garcia has them in her “The One Hundred”… and all those colors to choose from, surely that would come in handy… so…. Let’s try another pair for fit…

Yup! The rest is history. And I am to announce the earth shattering news today: I now own my first ever pair of Converse All Stars. 

Since it’s me, I went with the polka dots. The pattern distracts the eye from the big white cap toe! Also this pair is from the junior line. The women line was too plain!

Tickled pink

I scored big when I found this pink pea coat. But the weather is warming up rapidly here in Phoenix and I need to get as much wear out of it as possible before I store it for next year.

You’ll be seeing this coat again soon!

Tan overload

There is something about Mondays, however you try you are always behind schedule. On Mondays it doesn’t matter how much I get done, I still have tones of stuff to do.

I admit that a great bargain or a couple of hours of shopping in the evening will improve the day considerably!

Sunday chill

This weather is a fickle thing. One minute you are enjoying a nice warm afternoon, the next second there is a chilly wind. Better be prepared!

Saturday outing

For our visit to the Phoenix Zoo, I went with a bit of sporty vibe. Gotta give this sportif trend its due before the weather warms up too much!

Interesting species I saw for the first time: Maned Wolf, Crowned Pigeon.

Then home to change for dinner. I wore the leopard pumps in honor of the jaguar I saw in the zoo! 

Cloudy with a chance of long walks

Yeah, that basically sums up today for me. Spending hours on my feet and keeping an eye on the sky, praying it won’t rain! 

A blush and black look for the day:

A comfy look  with boyfriend cardigan and jeans for the evening:

Skinny vs. Wide leg jeans

I love my high waisted wide leg jeans. They look amazing with a shrunken blazer.

But I don’t wear them often. I feel they are too formal (for jeans!). When I want to be comfortable I go for skinnies. There goes my somehow warped logic, since in real life wide legs are much more comfortable!

Purple and black

I finally managed to wear this tunic which I bought last year. Also got to pair the leather leggings with the pointy pumps. Two accomplishments in one night? Not so fast! It was so cold that I was cursing my outfit choice the whole night!

Pseudo uniform

The colors of this outfit conjured a uniform feel which I only noticed after I left home! For the rest of the day, I depended on my statement necklace and orange lipstick to keep me from getting confused with an off duty private!

It’s all black and white and ain’t real clear *

What I love is end of the season clearance sales and that’s why I spent six hours in the mall. By the end of the day, my feet were killing me but it was so worth it! I think the high point of this outfit was the necklace. Merci bien!

*From the song “In color” by Jamey Johnson

Reluctant hiker

Spending the afternoon in downtown Tempe and walking along the Tempe Lake was the goal. But somehow we ended up climbing the mountain trail on Leonard Monti Summit Trail. And no, this outfit wasn’t suitable but the shoes were more than adequate.

Fountain Hills

We went to see the famous fountain that has given the neighboring city its name and took a long walk along the lake. Comfortable shoes were essential.

 

Day trip

For a day trip to LA which meant a 12 hours drive, I needed something comfortable that worked with different temperatures. Here is my solution:

Leopard mania

I wanted to wear these faux leather leggings with leopard pumps. My cramped leg muscles however had other plans. So I kept digging into my shoe boxes for something comfortable to wear and found these leopard flats. I’d forgotten I have them, let’s blame AZ’s hot weather.

For today, these shoes brought total bliss to my busy day!

Caped crusader

Despite my love of capes, I don’t get to wear them often. The weather, the rest of the outfit, the plans of the day, all play a part in when and where I get to wear my capes. I own two, one in black and one in navy. My navy cape is informal and great for daily wear when the weather is crispy cool and springy.

Wow Worthy:

There are some shopping triumphs you want to brag about to almost everybody.

Here is my most recent one, this lovely scarf:

Uptown Girl

This is a neutral outfit but I like the overall look. To me it’s the perfect mix of nonchalant and elegant. The gorgeous textures make all the difference, I guess, the softness of the coat, the luxury feel of the cashmere sweater, the easy fit of boyfriend jeans, the lushness of calf hair shoes, the sleekness of buttery leather. Despite its simpleness, for me this outfit was full of tactile pleasures.

What to wear to your PhD defense?

I’m trying to post a few of 2013 posts before January ends!

I had my dissertation defense back in June 2013 and deciding what to wear was an important decision. Attending my friends and colleagues defense sessions, I knew it is a pretty formal event. I had my qualifying exam experience to draw from, so I knew I will go with a jacket look. But what color? Should I go with a skirt suit or a dress or pant suits? Decisions decisions!

I had seen others go for total business formal and had worn their black interview suits, I had also seen friends go for a business casual look, shirt and slacks look; in a neutral color scheme. I had also attended defenses where the candidate had worn a blazer and button down shirt with jeans.

I decided to err on the side of formal, so I went with a black top and black slacks but since I had my reputation (as a dressed up and stylish type of grad student, OK, it was more along the lines of being a clothes horse, but why split hairs!) to maintain, I added an eye catching jacket in my favorite cobalt blue. High heels give me confidence, so they were a necessity and my tote bag had to hold my laptop and notes. I added a tiny lapis pendant which is also a favorite of mine and was small enough that didn’t distract from my presentation. 

Even now, remembering that outfit, I feel pretty happy about it. This outfit was comfortable and gave me a little confidence boost without being too outlandish or distracting for my audience or far from what I usually wear. I think I found a winner!

 Yup, that's the real me! An honorary appearance to celebrate getting my PhD! Yoohoo!

Edited: here are what I wore for my Qualifying exam and to my graduation ceremony.

As red as tomatoes

I’m trying to incorporate more color into my wardrobe as well as into my meals. Apparently it wards off winter blues. Wearing tomato red today, I made a salad with red and golden beets, carrots, and spring mix greens. It was colorful but tasting so-so!

Outfit Inspiration:

Here are some looks I like and will be copying pretty soon. My plan is simple: as long as weather is chilly, I will stick to skinny jeans and jeggings with coats and high heels. Then I will switch to lighter blazers and tuxedo jackets. When it warms up slightly I will go for loose fit pants and tuxedo jackets and high heels. Pretty straight forward until temperature hits 80s when I will go for dresses and dresses alone.

It’s good to feel like you've figured out all the life's mysteries and can relax. I feel so in control of my life right now!!!

Arctic blast

Well, the rest of US are at least getting some snow. What we got here is the freezing air without any humidity to mellow it out (like back in California) or any precipitation like the rest of the country. Can I at least pretend I’m living somewhere in Alaska? can’t I?!

What I liked this week:

-Red jeans. A saturated pure and bright red, a true red. I have to have one. So many outfits I can put together with red jeans… should I tell you the inspiration came from my friends’ toddler.  What? That little girl has excellent taste!

-D’Orsay pumps. Real ones, with no side panels, not even a tiny one! Preferably in red, hot pink and snake skin, but I take all the other colors and finishes too!

-Mimosas. There is something inherently relaxed and Sunday-y in them, you know?! Just order one at brunch and you are transformed to a vacation setting, with beach umbrellas and blue ocean right in front of you. Maybe because I used to order them at my favorite brunch spot overlooking the ocean back in Dana Point, CA! 

Hot chocolate evening

My favorite past time on a weekend evening is reading a good book and sipping hot chocolate in my local coffee shop. Add to it a triple chocolate chunk cookie and I’m in heaven. I even devised a special outfit for these relaxed evenings: a full on chocolaty outfit made of worn out and comfy pieces.

Here is another variation!

Lady in Red

Red is my favorite color hands down but I didn’t wear it much this winter. Why? Blame it on my increasing affection for orange. So I might have been feeling guilty and went kinda over board when I put together this outfit!

The cozy factor

Nothing beats warm and fluffy outfits on cold and gray evenings. So what if your outfit is basically gray? The important thing is how cozy it is.

I’ve had that faux fur vest for many years and every time I wear it I feel happy.