In the age of dinosaurs

Probably the thing I love best about my job is that we don't have any kind of official dress code. With some casual inquiries and slowly testing the waters, I'm happy to report that so far my quirkier clothes haven't raised any eyebrows -- in fact, my boss' wife called these my "dinosaur tights".

Having no dress code is good and bad. Most of the time, it makes me pretty lazy and indulge in yoga pants and tees. Despite those days, I genuinely like getting dressed up and try to make an effort at least 2-3x per week to ditch the house clothes and instead wear something I wouldn't be embarrassed to run into a frenemy in.

Today's outfit consisted of my favorite new tights, a sale find at Marshall's. When I first saw them I thought "huh. What's with the ruffle?" but the more I looked at them (and the price! they were cheap!) the more I loved them and couldn't wait to wear them.

Wearing something more ostentatious like these requires a bit more of a subdued outfit. I paired the tights (Trasparenze "Melbourne") with an American Apparel wrap dress, Express tank top, and t-strap maryjanes from Kimchi and Blue.

Trasparenze "Melbourne" Tights

The tights are a size 4, which I typically need in Trasparenze (aka "large"), and they are very cozy. They are nicely opaque but not too thick. The ruffle in the back is a chiffon that sways when I move.

I took these pictures while out and about during my lunch break, where I stopped at a thrift not far from work. I found a great pair of flat patent boots there, and for $6 I couldn't say no. They are fun and even better -- insulated! Perfect for the upcoming snow.


Not much else going on in the shoe front here! The snow is kind of getting me down about pretty shoes, but Spring will be here before I know it.

The replacements

Confession: I used to own five pair of Fryes. I now own one, and they aren't boots. Every other pair has been sold due to horrible stabbing pain from wearing, and the saddest betrayal was the Veronica.

They were so pretty, so perfect... so darn painful! I wore them on my last trip to New York and ended up selling them shortly after due to the blisters I received. (I actually wore heels instead for most of my walking which *didn't* cause me nearly the kind of pain those boots did)

Since they've been gone, I haven't found a great replacement. I have those Kmart Doc/Chloe Knockoffs but I really wanted something sleeker for dresses. I happened upon these Mossimo Kena boots while looking for shoes for kiddo at Target and they are fantastic.

Perfect flat boot that looks way more expensive than the $10 I paid for them on clearance. The non-leatherness is a bit off-putting, but for the comfort and style I'm a-okay with it.




Fit on these is true-to-size if you like thick socks with boots. These are the 6.5 and they are wonderful with thinner socks, a little tight if I were to wear thicker socks. I didn't measure the calf-circumference, but it is really forgiving. There are three snaps to change the size of the opening at the calf, and I imagine they would accommodate at least 16". They appear to be out of stock online, but it's definitely worth a trip to your local Target to find them because they are on sale in-store!

Happy New Year!

Good morning, sunshine!

Nothing like sale shoes to kick start my day. I only wish the selection at Saks had been better. I arrived bright and early around 7:45 am to be greeted by a crowd of maybe 50 people, most of them seemingly set on the shoe department as we raced in when the doors opened.

My first thought was "where are the shoes??" Then I noticed the racks that looked like this:

(size 7-7.5 rack of shoes)

And of course, the sad selection of boots.

I actually really love the Prada maryjane "fakeout" boots, but they were not my size (and really, I wouldn't spend that much on tacky no matter how much I love it).

Prada Bi-Color Suede Boots in Red-Nude FW 2011

I only ended up trying on one pair, a Suede Fringed bootie from Gucci. It wasn't love. I ended up going home with nothing but some much needed thrill from getting to (window-)shop.

These were the 36.5, slightly larger than what I usually take in boots (I find Gucci to run large in general, except for the calf-width of boots). I found the pitch to be a little uncomfortable, even with the platform. Suede is almost never practical in Pittsburgh anyhow. Very cute for a night out, though.

The only shoe that *really* stood out for me was the Jimmy Choo "Begonia". Very classic and understated, and of course, not on sale. I think these will be a sleeper hit for spring. Lower-heeled, but the netting makes them a sexier version of a classic pump. Didn't get a chance to try them on as this was the last pair in store!

Jimmy Choo Mesh and Patent Leather "Begonia" Pump

I've been wearing non-stop a pair of boots I actually got from Target. They were a $10 bargain buy I bought to replace my long-gone Frye Veronicas (which stabbed my feet to no end). They are fabulous and I will chronicle them later this week.

Happy Holidays!

Yeah, I know. It's been awhile. I keep apologizing for that, don't I? Well I haven't done much in the way of shoe shopping (though I do have some goodies to share later I suppose).

For a holiday party, I couldn't decide which shoes to wear, and actually I wanted to wear my Miu Miu "Ice Cream Pumps" because I thought they were more festive... but I couldn't find them in my mess. In the end, I settled on these bright and happy Ferragamos (as chronicled here).

The dress was a find back in the day when I felt Anthropologie actually had awesome sales (once in awhile there's still a good deal, but I miss when they did those extra % off sales), and this gorgeous dress was $10. It seemed perfect for the occasion and I paired it with black tights to keep me warm and matching shoes.

Salvatore Ferragamo Cera Lacca in Red Patent

I hope you are having a warm winter and fabulous time! I will try to be more regular in the New Year!

A Night at the Opera

I have to say, for the size that Pittsburgh is, we are lucky to have some incredible talent about. Last night I got to witness said talent with a friend at the Pittsburgh Opera's performance of "La Traviata". It was amazing, of course, and I'm always excited to have an excuse to dress up.

I bought this vintage dress years ago and had intended on hemming the length. I obviously didn't get around to it yet, but thought it was perfect for my night out. The back is my favorite part of the dress, but I love it for it's ostentatious elegance.

The shoes were an eBay find that I was actually kind of disappointed in when they arrived. I couldn't decide if the toe was too pointy, and while they kind of are, they grew on me.

Finishing up the look is my favorite hold-ups, the "Lerici" style from Trasparenze.

Christian Louboutin Wherever Strass in Black Velvet

Fit on the shoes is actually large-to-size. These are a 37, and I need both heel grips and padding in them to keep them on my feet. Comfort is great for the height!

Think pink

I've been trying to be better about more regular haircuts, and having finally found a hairstylist I really find amazing for the first time in a good many years, I actually decided to stick with it (Shane at Ross Park Philip Pelusi). While I was there, I talked about how excited I am to be working at a job that doesn't care if I have pink or blue hair, and he mentioned that they were doing pink extensions for breast cancer awareness/fundraising. I decided to get one. I think it looks awesome.

While at the mall, I tried on a few pair of fall shoes and really liked these.

Joan and David Jora pump in Violet Suede

Fit was true-to-size to slightly large. These are the 6.5, but a 6 would have fit with some stretching. The length was okay, but I did have a bit of heel slippage. Comfort was "okay". The pitch is a bit more severe even though the height is only 4", but they would be okay for a couple hours on my feet. They are also available in black, orange and red at Nordstrom.

Also really into the brightly hued versions of these patent leather and suede pumps from Enzo Angiolini.

Enzo Angiolini Castalia in Dark Blue Suede

Fit on these is slightly large to size. I tried on the 6 and they crunched my toes slightly, but with some stretching would have been great.

P(f)urrrfect

Fur seems to be so on-point for fall, and then there's my love of all things Rene Caovilla (and ostentation), which leads me to this latest eBay find.

The taupe satin meshed with the pop of fur at the toe with little jewels embedded make them spectacular. I still like the Gianvito Rossi pair I posted before, but I think these are pretty wonderful, and more practical for my life.

I'm thinking of making them a bit more showy and either glittering the satin or putting crystals on it, but for now I think I'll leave them as they are and let them shine in their simplicity.

Vintage Rene Caovilla Gold Laminato Leather and fur shoes

Fit on these is small-to-size. These are a 37, and while the heel strap is a bit stretched from the previous owner, the length is just right. I'll add a pair of strappy strips to these shoes to make them fit better and then they'll be perfect!