WTHAYW Thursday

What the Hell are you WEARING?

Sweater
It's Bristow from a few years ago. Until recently, I didn't know what to wear it with, so it didn't see much time out of the drawer. The shoulders are a little roomy, and my own shoulders are a little wide for my height, so the silhouette was wrong with jeans or straight trousers. I had the same problem with straight skirts. It made me look top-heavy. It needed a skirt with enough body to balance it out.

The sleeves have always been too long, and I've debated for years about cutting them and moving the seed stitch border up, but now I've grown used to rolling them.

Skirt
Calvin Klein from several years ago. It's 97% wool, which I'd never paid attention to before. You can't see much from these shots, but it's pleated all around from low hip down to the hem. The pleats stay crisp all day, while the rest of the skirt remains wrinkle free. I don't know how this is accomplished with wool, but it's wonderful. The skirt is weighty without being too heavy, and feels like a quality piece. Even though it's a few years old, it doesn't look dated. Either it's a classic, or it went out of style and back in while it was sharing a hanger with three other skirts. I bought it at Macy's on sale, a great sale if I remember correctly. I never buy anything from there that isn't on the half-off rack. It was a little big, but I'd planned to take it in. It then went into my closet and was promptly forgotten. I pulled it out a couple of months ago as part of my "dress fancy" campaign and discovered, to both my delight and dismay, that it fit, almost too closely. It's a size 8.


Shoes
Sudini suede boots with leather crisscross detail, bought about four years ago on sale from Sierra Trading Post. I have a thing for Sudini boots. They fit my feet, they fit my calves, and they last forever. I was disappointed when Nordstrom stopped carrying them in favor of Munroe. They're not the same. Their brand motto: "Sudini - the shoes that make love to your feet." Totally worth the risk of buying online.


Jewelry
I still haven't replaced my beloved sterling hoops. I've now decided to try to solder the pin back to the body. Failing that, I'm going to find a metalsmith who can recreate them. Accountant Boy tried to cheer me up by sending me links to earrings on Amazon.com, but none of them looked right. There are a couple of potential candidates at a jewelry store downtown, but I don't know. I liked my cheap earrings.

In their absence, I'm trying out other pairs in my jewelry cabinet. This pair came from an employee sale at Accountant Boy's office. The gift shops from about a dozen wineries cleared the odds and ends out of their back rooms and sent it back to the corporate office, where it went onto long tables at 90% off. I paid four dollars for them, I think. This tells us two things, dear readers. First, that there's a lot of money to be saved by buying some basic tools and making your own jewelry, and second, that you shouldn't EVER buy anything other than postcards at a winery gift shop. They'll rob you blind then steal your glasses.

They're cute and feminine, and I like them, but they started to itch by the end of the day. I still miss my hoops.


The Verdict
I've worn the sweater and skirt combination a couple of times so far, but this is the first time with the boots. This pairing is better than the tights and shoes. Other than my knees, I felt warm and comfortable all day. I'd probably put it together once every couple of weeks, just to avoid the "if it's Thursday then it must be pleats and cardigan" syndrome.

I was going to dye my hair tonight, but now that I've seen it in this light, I'm thinking about giving it a few more weeks. On the other hand, that lighting is really kind to the roots. It's been more than two months, and they're starting to show when I blow it dry in the morning. We'll see what color it is by tomorrow at this time.

Lessons Learned
1. The lighting over my dinette set is fantastic. Start taking more pictures there.
2. Self-portraits are way easier with a tripod. Stop trying to balance the camera on boxes of cookies.
3. Quality pieces are timeless.
4. Bangs are still too short to be swept to the side without looking stringy. Commit to them straight across for a few more weeks.