Cozy on a Cold Friday

Today began with my dog's breakfast exploding in my microwave. Needless to say, it was not a great start and took some time to clean up so I didn't really want to spend a ton of time picking out an outfit. Lucky for me, I bought something yesterday so I didn't have to!

I got this cowl neck paneled sweater at the boutique near my work, Yamak. They always have interesting stuff - cool patterns and fabrics and stuff you won't find everywhere. This top is so soft and cozy and the panels add some interest and a bit of a utilitarian look which is kind of in right now a la Helmut Lang.

Paneled sweater (Annie C, $68)
Dark wash skinny jeans (BR, $89)
Black flat boots with buckle detail (Charles David, $250)

So at only $68 this top was a steal in my opinion with the amount of detail involved. That means I still have $632 left to spend this month! I may stop by Kate Spade tomorrow after Pilates. There should be some stuff on sale from Fall/Winter.

Yay Suede Boots!

The weather forecast predicts sunny skies so the suede boots get their first wear today. These are the Nine West pair I was contemplating last month. I am SO glad I bought them. They are remarkably comfy, have a nice western-y look with out going cowboy overboard, and they were only $50!

I'm liking my outfit today, if I do say so myself!
Seven Skinny Jeans ($198).
Nine West Boots (Piperlime, $50).
Lux Tunic (Urban Outfitters, $58).
Tweed blazer (Urban Outfitters $80).
Brooch was my grandmother's (priceless).

With the boot purchase, I've only used up a tiny bit of my monthly budget so I still have $700 to spend. Thinking tops are what I need. Suggestions always welcome!!

This is a Plaid DO!

Love love love this totally different take on the plaid trend. It's by Pollini and is (most unfortunately) $625 at Neiman Marcus. That's more than I want to pay for a top, but I will be watching it to see if it goes on sale.

The nice thing about this plaid is the versatility. It can dress up or down, and throw a cardigan on and it's seasonless.

Thanks For Snowing On My Parade.

Last night I had a whole new outfit planned…then I woke up to snow. Why doesn’t Mother Nature want me to wear suede boots? It’s kind of bitchy of her, if you ask me. So, had to come up with something else and quick. The obvious choice for me would have involved some skinny jeans and a pair of boots, but I just cannot put those on again. I wore that combo for at least half of January.

Here’s where I ended up:

Joe’s Jeans, Muse fit ($158)
Black/grey sweater from The Limited ($60)
Black pashmina ($50)
Brooch I bought in 1993 ($ no idea)
Macy's Alfani Striped Wedges ($120)

These jeans are great – I love the fit, but they require 3-inch heels so they mostly come out in night. I’m okay with this outfit, but it’s still not totally doing it for me. Feels a little ho-hum. Or maybe I’m just being overly critical now that I have to analyze my outfit everyday.

I’m jonesing for some cool tops with patterns and color. All my tops are so basic. Must shop soon!

If you see any cute tops – post on my FB page. I need suggestions!

Cute...or Cutesy?

This hat is on sale at katespade.com for $67. May be a bit too whimsical for me. Thoughts?

My version of the Texas Tuxedo

Had the hardest time picking an outfit this morning, and this is where I ended up. It's as close to the head-to-toe denim look as this cowgirl is going to get. I'm still trying to put together new clothing combos from my existing wardrobe and, while I'm not sure I've ever worn this before, I know it's not that adventurous.

BCBG navy silk sleeved sweater ($138)
Old Navy Denim Skirt ($24)
Bronx Boots ($150)
Gold layered necklaces from ecookie ($200)
Coach Enamel Bracelet ($78)

I'm a little bored with this. I think it's time to go shopping!!

Mad for Plaid? I dunno about this one.

I hope you like plaid people...it's EVERYWHERE these days.
Free People, Vince and Theory shown above.

January's Junk

As promised January 1, the end of each month will see 5 items leave my overcrowded closet.

This month was kind of easy, since I've learned so much. I am moving away from the classic/preppy looks so those 2 sweater vests were a no brainer. The skirt is a brown silk, cut on the bias and looks terrible on me so out it went. The brown plaidish thing that defies identification? It's some sort of wrap top that I wore over a brown turtleneck. A shapeless thing that brings Sherlock Holmes to mind...gone. And the black tie neck halter was cheaply made and never fit quite right.

All gone, none of it will be missed! But it was too easy...maybe I needed to get rid of more???

Today's Outfit: Blackalicious!

Normally, I would feel bad about wearing so much black, but here in the Big Apple it's totally acceptable - especially in the winter. As long as I don't turn into those guys at Jeffery's, Ithink I'm ok.

Here's my kit: black Boyfriend V-neck (Victoria's Secret, $49); Faux-Lace tulip skirt (Banana Republic, $95); Black patent Bacara ballet flats (Cole Haan, $138).

It's not a spectacular outfit, but it's cute and comfortable. I think I look nice...for a Monday.

Challenge #4: Edit, Edit, Edit

As we all discovered early on in this blog, I have way too much shit in my closet. Since the weather's been cold, I've noticed that I still rarely wear pullover sweaters. And yet, I have 20 of them. That means I could wear one every work day for a month and never repeat. Which would be cool, if I liked sweaters that much. But I don't and I honestly wear them about 2-3 times a month.

So the bottom line is, I don't need 20 sweaters. So I challenged my self to edit my collection down to 10. Cut it in half and donate 10 sweaters. It's cold outside; someone in New York could use those sweaters.

I thought it would be easy, but it wasn't. I kept pulling sweaters out of the donate file thinking..."what if I want to wear this with X outfit?" or "But this would be so cute with Y outfit!". Still some of these sweaters haven't been worn in a year. Why is it so hard to let go of clothes I'm not even using? It took me an hour to do this. Kinda ridiculous, no?

So I'm down to the 10 sweaters I think I'll wear the most (pile on the left) and put the rest in the donate pile (on the right). As soon as they went into the IKEA bag I'm schlepping to the Salvation Army this weekend I didn't miss them at all. It's like they were never there. To be honest, I'd be hard pressed to describe the 10 I gave away, and I just did this challenge last night.

So what is it about letting go to stuff I don't need, and sometimes don't even like? I know I'm not alone in this dilemma or The Container Store would not do such a robust business.

What would be hard for you to give up? Heaven knows I dread going through my shoe collection!