Menswear: an exercise in closet curation

 When it comes to identifying my personal style, menswear would not be one of the descriptive words I would use. I own some unisex items; blazers, cardigans and collared shirts, but unless worn together, none really stand out as particularly masculine. I also don’t have a male closet at my disposal.
Thus, putting together an outfit that could be labeled as menswear was a real challenge for me.

Blazer: Tulle │ Goodwill Outlet
Vest: A. Byer │ Goodwill Outlet
Jeans: Banana Republic │ Goodwill │ $1.29
Shoes: Toms │ stolen from sister

I did discover that I have quite a few vests that I never wear. Even when focusing on these individual pieces and building outfits around them, I still had an immensely difficult time creating something that worked.

 In fact, this outfit seems to be made up of pieces that I rarely wear.

The blazer is too big on me, especially in the chest, and I feel like it isn’t flattering buttoned or unbuttoned. The boyfriend length is also not very ideal for shorter ladies such as myself.

The jeans fit well, but I have trouble finding the right footwear for such a wide trouser leg. Additionally, being a pre-hemmed "Petite" length, they are actually a smidgen too short for me, requiring the flattest of shoes.

So, while I can safely say I won’t be following the menswear trend, I was able to identify some closet squatters. As much as I may like an item, if it doesn’t look good on me there’s no point in holding on to it. And this is coming from a clothing hoarder.



Linking up with Work Clothes, I Suppose for Third Thursday Threads!

Puma Wynne Ballet Flats

A few days after I posted about commuter footwear, one of the pairs of shoes I had my eyes on came back in stock in my size. I don't usually buy items brand new, but this type of shoe is not something I will likely come across on the secondhand shelves, and it's a very worthwhile investment. Being on sale, with free shipping and free returns, I had no excuse to pass them up.

When they arrived, I was pleased to find that they looked just like the photo, and not at all like "orthopedic old lady shoes" as one reviewer had described. The sizing felt just right, and wearing them around the office for the rest of the day, they were comfortable. I decided to keep them, and wore them for real the next day. I did notice a couple things about the fit, however, that I unfortunately hadn't been able to gauge when I wore them inside.

- The inner "bunion" area rubs a bit, and I got a blister/torn skin the first day I wore them. I have been wearing them quite a bit, though, and as I break the shoes in, this issue has gone away.
- The soles, though sneaker-like, can be slippery on wet cement.

I also thought the packaging was noteworthy. Rather than a standard shoebox with a lid, the shoes were in a half box (for structure/protection) inside a narrow cloth bag - like the re-useable bags we use for grocery shopping up here in the Pacific Northwest! A little bonus mini tote for a pair of shoes- or a wine bottle, perhaps?
While I'm not sure that these complete resolve my commuter footwear issues, they have been a drastic improvement over my regular Payless flats.

Weekend Excursions

This past Saturday was Free Museum Day for Smithsoneon Affiliates, so the boyfriend and I took the opportunity to visit Seattle's Experience Music Project (EMP). This is the funny looking building that Fran posed in front of here. Inside, its a music muesum that features artifacts from notable Seattle musicians - particularly Nirvana and Jimi Hendrix.

It was his first time there and my second, and the place was absolutely packed. In particular, the room called the Sound Lab, which features hands on instruments and sound mixing, had lines for each station. We only got to try a few of them, and it was here that I felt especially bad for those who had paid full admission that day.

Also connected/included is the Science Fiction museum, which focuses on Star Trek memorabilia and the likes, but also had new sections on horror and fantasy films that I didn't remember from my previous visit 4 or 5 years ago.

I'm an avid public transit rider, and while we don't have an awesome underground system, our bus system in Seattle is decent. I always opt for the bus when going downtown or to busy metro parts of town that don't have ample parking. Since the museum is at Seattle Center, we took the bus, but due to some power failure situation on our way there, traffic was all backed up and the driver decided to do his own thing and take a detour. It didn't really save us much time and the whole ride/endeavor took nearly an hour when it should have been 20 minutes.

Then, as we were leaving and heading the few blocks over to catch the bus back, we got caught in a terrible downpour. This is what Seattle does; it'll be overcast but mild, and then all of a sudden a monsoon will hit. So, there we were, making our way through a rainstorm, with crazy wind that created sideways rain, and in just those few blocks we were completely soaked.

It kind of feels like we've gone from Summer to Winter without must transitional Fall. 

Chambray: Goodwill Outlet
Fleece Leggings: Zenada | Goodwill Outlet
Boots: $12 | Consignment Store
Socks: SeatownLax | Found/Free

Repurposing Unworn Items

I got this top (or short dress?) at the outlet, and I really liked the pattern/fabric, but never wore it because the fit/style was unflattering.

It had funny little short sleeves and a ruched chest area, and fell in that awkward area between being a shirt and being a dress. 

I decided it would be better suited as a skirt, so I removed the sleeves, and stitched up the sides to utilize the elastic ruched top part as a waistband.  

 Now a skirt, I tried to wear it once before but struggled with the fit and styling. The ruched top area was scratchy, too long, and added extra bulk. This also made it impossible to pair with any shirt; I didn’t want that top part visible, but underneath a shirt it was incredibly lumpy.  

Wanting to wear it, I managed to find a shirt and belt that worked okay with the skirt's issues, which are less visible in the photos than in real life.

skirt: was a top, no label | Goodwill outlet

shirt: old navy | Goodwill outlet

belt: no label | Goodwill outlet

shoes: ? | found/free

bag: mercer | swiped from sister's donation pile

After a full day of discomfort and constant adjusting of my layers, I decided the skirt needed further alterations, and chopped off most of the ruched top, leaving just the one narrow elastic band. When my sewing machine starts working again, I'll sew the little bit of extra fabric over the elastic to create a more finished waistband.

Even unfinished, without all that bulk the skirt has immediately become so much more versatile. It's really the perfect length, and I'm looking forward to keeping it in rotation through the fall and winter, with tights and boots!

T-Shirts at the Office

I love this month's Third Thursday Threads theme because it is so appropriate for my casual office! In fact, I really don't even need to "dress up" my t-shirts to make them work wear - tees and jeans are totally normal and acceptable around here.

Its hard to see from my terrible photos, but there's a faint lion and tiger on the shirt. Or a cheetah maybe? They are a pair of some kind of wild cats.

shirt: American Eagle | Goodwill outlet (old)
scarf: fabric cut from a slip
cardigan: Goodwill outlet
skirt: Merona | $2 | Value Village

shoes: Puma | $49 | Zappos.com

Yes, I splurged on those shoes and will have a review up soon. I'm not ecstatic about them, but I didn't send them back either...

Linking up with WCIS for Third Thursday Threads!

Floral for Free

I found this dress at a bus stop a few weeks ago.

The H&M tag caught my eye, and though it was a little damp from the rain, it wasn't gross and sketchy so I took it.

The tag says size 12, and while it is big on me and will require slight alterations for a good fit, the fit isn't like a typical 12 - more like a 6 or 8. I've noticed the sizing of a lot of H&M clothing is like this, but it's also inconsistent. Perhaps this is a European vs American thing?

dress: H&M | Found
belt: Chinese Laundry | Goodwill Outlet
wedges: Nine West | $8 | Value Village

Sea Life

This is what I wore to go out Sat night. When I got dressed, I didn't know where I was going, which turned out to be live music at a warehouse venue. I wasn't exactly dressed for the scene, as this is the kind of outfit I would wear to work. But I think I just nailed down my default style.

The leg ink is from earlier in the day, spent at Bumbershoot, Seattle's Labor Day Weekend music & arts festival. I spent quite a bit of time in the sun with this body paint, and got a noticeable octopus shaped tan.

The dress is about 3 sizes too big, and with a built-in elastic waist definer, it was difficult to position the belt and get it to cooperate with the elastic. I have a post in the works that explores sizing issues such as this.

Dress: Goodwill outlet
Belt: H&M | Goodwill | $2
Cardigan: Rue21 | Goodwill Outlet
Sandals: Madden Girl | Sister's
Earrings: from Israel