Forgiveness in Blue

Desperation calls. The eternal search for The Perfect Jean.

It's almost as bad as the search for a New Bathing Suit.

If you follow my tweets, you'll know that I'm a devotee of Stitch's and Gap jeans. I have an amazing pair of NYC-bought fancypants jeans, but, well, I bought those on my honeymoon. And in the back of my closet I have my beloved first pair of Designer Jeans, bought well-pre-wedding at Nieman Marcus. They're now worn and perfect, but even now I can't quite make it into them without them threatening to finally wear through in one of those spots.

My Stitch's I bought post-Bean #1 at a DSS. They're incredibly forgiving (despite what you'd think from the website of scrawny mavens in skin tight jeans), if even a bit too stretchy. It's the problem with jeans with a little bit of stretch - they do. I'd have included some in the set below, but their site doesn't "clip" well. So pooh on them.

My other two standby pair are both Gap - one a trouser jean with a nautical flair and the other a 1969 Long & Lean that, well, is. Or rather, makes me appear so. I tend to the trouser jeans right now, as they're a little higher cut, and therefore make me fuss less with ye olde muffin top, but I still adore my L&L pair.

So my recommendations for the vast majority of us, who carry a little bit of extra, um, padding? Pretty straightforward: high(er) waisted (go totally high-waisted for an amazing finished, modern Kate Hepburn look), head straight for those "curvy" labels, and yes, a teensy bit of stretch. Boot cut isn't as reliable as you'd think (some of them can get pretty skinny on you), but trouser jeans are usually a sure bet. A little bit of tailored denim goes a long way in making a girl feel slim.

So yes, the set below is long on the Gap pair, but there are a couple of high-end outliers, with the purveyors of my favorite cords, Ann Taylor LOFT, thrown in for good measure. Those light trouser jeans might cause some trouble in the hips with those pockets, but I just love the look, and think they're worth a try.

Forgiveness in Blue by DCCeline

Style Poll: What Cool Don't You Do?

When 3120Forever and I were on our mamacation last week, she pulled out a belt and said "I really want to wear this belt, but I just don't know how to do it."

It was a great, medium-wide brown braided belt. Ideal for cinching a blousy t, cardigan, or even a sweet little spring-to-summer dress. She put it on over the flowered top she was wearing. Which should have worked.

Nope. Didn't work.

Stacy & Clinton rave all the time about belting "the thinnest part of your body" to accentuate it, blah blah blah. But you know what? It doesn't work on everyone. I have the same problem as 3120Forever: we have fairly broad (not thick) ribcages. So a belt won't help. Eeeeevery once in a while I manage it, but for the most part, I'm relegated to using belts in my belt loops, if at all.

There are plenty of things out there that are supposed to be style principles - or rather, styling principles. And you try them, taking care to do Exactly What the Stylists Say, to no avail.

So what trend (or classic) do you love but just. can't. do? Me? shirtdresses. Love. But i look like a toad in them.

Style Obsession: Denim Skirt

I have a mild obsession with denim skirts. I have this fantasy that they'll answer all my fashion needs: put-together, mildly edgy, a little bit ladylike ('cause it's a skirt and all), and who-cares-if-the-beans-get-snot-all-over-it versatile. So pardon me as I learn this polyvore thing. In the meantime, I'll mash together a demure pencil with a vintage-inspired t and prim pumps and hat. Or how 'bout a lacy tuxedo shirt with faded button-front jean skirt and slouchy suede boots? And then I'll throw my other obsession, nautical stripes, with a tailored, pocketed skirt, fabulous green patent wedges, and my favorite hairpin.

Now. Do I buy one? Or all 3?

3 Ways to Denim by DCCeline featuring beige shoes

Things I Hope Kassie Brings to DSS

Things I Hope Kassie Brings to DSS by DCCeline featuring bettye muller shoes

Bettye muller shoes, $328
Bettye muller shoes, $199
Lillybee summer shoes, $75
Suede shoes, $75
Bruno Magli sling back shoes, $360
Shoes, $238
Tory Burch sandal, $495
Chie mihara shoes, $75
Green Patent Wedges by Butter, $325
Metallic Strappy Sandals by Kelsi Dagger, $88
Suede Coclico Sandals in Red, $338

Please, Miss Kassie, please. You know how much I love me some simply soles.

Style Dilemma: How to do respectful and still rock it

Kate of Perpetually Nesting tweeted me last week, asking for help with what to wear to a conservative wedding in May - she can't show arms, shoulders, or legs. Hmmmph. It's an afternoon wedding, and we're not sure about the reception venue.

Eeek! This. Is. A. Challenge.

My first thoughts take me to a long, formal gown. But no. It's an afternoon wedding. Unless they're bucking convention (and isn't everyone these days?) and going black tie in the middle of the afternoon, formal in the afternoon just won't work.

Second thoughts take me to, unfortunately, an old lady pants suit. No.

Next, I'm leaping to a women's tuxedo, a la Michelle Pfeiffer or any of the Major Leading Ladies who've gone there in the past 15 years. But truth be told, as amazing as that could be, it would be leap for a Normal Person to go there at a Normal Person Event. Never mind that this is potentially a traditional crowd (Armenian Orthodox church), in which case a woman in pants is just not what you do. You'd have to have massive amounts of cojones to pull it off. PerpetuallyKate's got 'em, but I don't think that's what she had in mind.

So I'm back to some sort of long dress. Think. Think. Think. Bear with me. Let's call this post Part I. I'm convinced I can find more choices.

South Moon Under has this interesting jersey "maxi dress." I like to call it a gown. While form fitting, the black jersey could be incredibly forgiving. It is black, which is not everyone's first choice for a wedding, and it does have a scooped back. Given my own Orthodox wedding experience, it's nothing a little shawl won't handle, but still.

SMU has a number of other maxi dress choices, but they can be frumpy or too casual, as well as too open. Again, we can solve the "open" problem with a sweater, shawl, or jacket.

Now. The next look is a little tougher to pull off. It would require some very edited jewelry choices (I'd go for brass or gold, structured, geometric pieces, rather than the softer long chains. Keep it out of beachwear and in the HipCoolMamaWear. H&M (will you H&M marketing people please please please put the US merchandise online thankyouverymuch) has this breezy 70s-inspired frock.

Should we end up with a sleeveless dress of some kind, we need to cover up. If the shawl route just isn't covered enough, there's the jacket route. This won't work with all choices (really only with a solid-colored, fitted (read: not flowy) dress), but I'm in love with this bolero. Normally, "bolero" means "something my mom used to wear and I'd try to convince her otherwise," but this thing? I ran a across it on my Friday jaunt to the Atlantic City outlets (more on that later) and fell in love. Must. Find. Way. To. Wear. Or foist it on someone else, like Kate, for me to live vicariously through her fashion.

Stay tuned...I'm on the hunt...

Memo to Government Workers: Style Counts. Honest.

When I started this blog, way back when, I was wading through the stereotypical sea of Government Worker Style. It was awful. It was part of the reason - part, mind you - I started to write. I knew there was more style here than met the eye, and oila! in the last few years, I've been proven right. The DC Style World is alive and kickin' - kickin' hard

[strains of "We're not gonna take it...no, we're not gonna take it...we're not gonna take it, anymooooooore" play in the background]

I've been more than encouraged.

And then, I go to a Big Government Meeting. And I lose all hope. Well, most of it. Granted, the Meeting was in Aberdeen, Maryland, and it was mostly men, but still. So, Government Workers, here's my memo to you.

To Whom It Should Concern, but Doesn't, so That's Why I'm Writing This Memo:

From: DC Celine, who has lived and worked in your midst for the better part of a decade, and understands, so listen to her

Re: Style Counts

If you don't understand what that means, here's a few pointers. Yes, they're "Don'ts," which are harder to follow than one might think, but please. Don't.

• If you dress up (i.e. put on a suit), wear your one nice coat and a scarf. Do not wear your ski jacket over your suit. If you don't own a nice coat, go buy one. Hang it in your closet next to your Funeral Suit.
• Do. Not. Wear. Stockings. Wear tights.
• Gentlemen? Buy and wear one suit. The jacket + slacks thing works on 1% of grown men. And they're European.
• Hair gel - if you need it, you need a haircut. If you must use product, gentlemen, use pomade.
• Ladies? I'm all for a fun, statement, fashion piece of jewelry, but cheap jewelry looks cheap 75% of the time. Learn Coco's rule, now, and abide by it religiously.
• Tie clips = N. O.
• Have to take notes at your Big Government Meeting? Get a nice one. For heaven's sake, they hand those suckers out at every convention known to man. Swipe one. Or spend the money and buy one for these occasions. A sprial notebook you borrowed from your tween daughter or a stack of papers falling all over the floor? Yeah. Doesn't work.

There are, I'm sure, other guidelines I could give you (like don't go all matchy-matchy on us, or no sneakers and skirts for the commute), but a) you've heard them all before, and b) you haven't listened. So I'm trying these first. Then we'll tackle the Reeboks with your Liz Claiborne knock-off.

Cc: The World. Because they think we don't do style here in DC, and you're helping to prove them right.

Style Reboot: Bring it all out

The stylish Elizabeth at So Much to Smile About posted about her carry-all-clutch obsession. Which I wholeheartedly support. She reminded me that I really need to dig out my vintage alligator clutch - an envelope, really - and carry it (yes, that's me, the lady with the alligator purse; if I start ranting about Miss Suzy and a Baby, it's over). It's big enough to carry whatever I need, really, as long as The Beans aren't with me.

Which, of course, got me thinking about what else I need to bring out, repurpose, or remember I have.

One of the style blog clichés is the springtime-clean-your-closet post. Well, I'm not going there. I promise. Because I won't get anywhere near it myself, so I can't and won't in good conscience encourage the Infintessimal Readership to try. But where I will go is: Dig out old favorites.

I don't care if you burrow through piles of unfolded laundry, dump piles of shoe boxes on your head, or Febreeze that sweater you meant to wash 3 months ago (speaking from experience: H is so frustrated with my pile he's almost taken to washing them himself. Almost). Pull out the lovely things you haven't carried, worn, or donned in ages. Chances are, you can wear it with something "on trend" for this spring - or it already is (can't believe I wrote "on trend." crap. did it again.).

So tell us what you plan on bringing out in all its glory - and then do it - and send pics! I promise to post them for all the supportive blogworld to see!

(On an aside, I know that the blogworld can get pretty nasty and catty, but I have to say "Thank You" to all for being so encouraging and supportive as I make The Big Climb back out of the doldrums. Means the world that strangers, ultimately, will cheer a girl on.)

The Big Climb: What Made It Into My Closet (or in a shopping bag on the chest in my bedroom because I haven't managed to put them away yet)

As promised, here's what I did buy in my 3 hours, 4 stores whirlwind tour of Chevy Chase (read: Friendship Heights. Let's get real, people. The places I shopped are not the Shops.)

Loehmann's: I bit the bullet and annoyed the Fitting Room Lady with too many items. I actually had no interest in trying on anything. At all. But I did. And despite the MICHAEL Michael Kors dresses not fitting, and the German-designed (designer totally escaping me at the moment) blouses being wonderfully

structured - but not for my current body, I didn't lose hope. I only ended up with a dark mocha pencil skirt, but I did walk away with inspiration for The Climb.

J. Crew: As I tweeted day of, I was very disappointed that this shop (and I do still need to research whether it's a company-wide policy) doesn't carry anything above a 12. Seriously. That's why I went there. Because I know I can get well-tailored, good quality, classic clothes in sizes that fit. In my bag going out the door? A great black & cream sailor T with shoulder buttons (to satisfy my apparent obsession with All Things Nautical and 4 (cream, grey, black, white) cami/tanks I can wear underneath things like Big Comfy Sweatshirts.

Banana: Ah. Home. Here, my frustration was that the 12s and 14s were not. At all. I'm certainly willing to concede differences in cut, but really? You know when you start to try something on, get it only so far, then find yourself saying, out loud, "Uh, no"? Yeah, that's what happened with the trousers I tried on. I did, however, walk out with a cute navy ruffle-front T, a pale blue sort of ballet crewneck sweater, and a Wrap Dress That Fits (oddly with no online picture). I have an eternal struggle with any belted dress, the supposedly flattering on everyone but not really wrap dress included. So when I found this graceful cream and navy version in a weighty, elegant jersey, I was thrilled. I haven't worn it yet, but that's just because I can't bring my self to put tights on with it, and, well, sometimes a girl lets things go longer than she should in the winter.

Gap: My two rouched Ts, black knit dress, and poppy dressy T with flowy scarf neck (bought without trying on at the counter) were the only things of interest in the store. Seriously. I find that The Gap ('cause that's it's real name, and I refuse to change it) goes through long periods of Nothing. This is apparently one of them. The store was filled with Bad 80s and Grey. I'm in love with Grey. Love. But this was too much. Entirely too much.

Cafe at Mazza: mango smoothie and spinach and feta croissant to inhale on the way home to take The Beans to the playground

Still to go?

Buy new shoes. I have a Girls' Weekend coming up next weekend here in Jersey. We're planning a trip to the outlets in AC. If I don't find anything there, I'm banking on ginger and simply soles at DSS. All but one of my Go To pairs I scored there at those boutiques.

Get healthy. Getting there. H and I are vegan for Lent. He's Orthodox, and it's the way they do it. So I'm supporting. I'm not strident about it (evidenced by the Break Day today, in which chili and ice cream were both ingested), but I can tell. Even after just a few days, I feel less well having had my Break Day. So back on the bandwagon tomorrow.

Buy a few pieces I love NOW. Started. And still working.

Keep going. Yup. Am still going.

The Style Blogger and The Jersey Shore (Updated)

We spend a lot of time at the beach. The Jersey Shore, to be exact. (The Bean even says it, unprompted, complete with accent.) And while 30 minutes away there are renovated shops and high-end stores in Atlantic City, our little family beach town doesn't exactly ooze style. Or at least the style that I'd normally tout. There are a bunch of little local shops here, but they're full of t-shirts and sweats (and gak! warm up suits), not fashion-forward dresses or accessories. (Though a girl can find an el-cheapo fun purse, headband, or bangle on occasion.) The one boutique that bucked the poly-cotton blend trend? Between the end of last season and this weekend, it started the transition to pizza place. Another one. On trend garb makes way for I-talian fare.

Says a lot.

So much so that I'm seriously debating (and have been for years, quite frankly) what level of style I really want to maintain while here. We're here a lot of weekends, and plan on spending June here (hoo-ray! for telecommuting). If I know H and I are going to get a night out, I throw in a dress or cute T and good jeans. If I don't, well, the situation (yes, I just wrote that) ain't so pretty. Good jeans, yes, but Tshirts, my low-top chucks, and no makeup.

And today I bought a Big Comfy Sweatshirt.

2015 Update: We all have at least one, if not more, lifeguard sweatshirts. They're my absolute favorite, and love being able to throw it on, mostly unironically, and just go. Sometimes, despite what the Fashun Rules say, it just. doesn't. matter.

My boys on our promenade in 2013.

Yup.

No secret that I've been feeling less than fabulous about my physique lately. I've taken to borrowing H's sweaters, and on the one rare occasion when I was freezing at home, a Big Comfy Sweatshirt. I haven't owned a sweatshirt in years. A decade, maybe. The last one I had was emblazoned "MARYLAND," and bowed out of my wardrobe at some point before it became big and comfy. I was at a point where I wasn't even wearing jeans (couldn't find ones I was comfortable in), and banned everything big and blousy from my wardrobe. I figured that, if I wasn't happy with the way I felt, I could at least pretend by dressing it up a couple of notches. As I learned way back when from my Italian "friend," it worked pretty well.

But with the advent of Really Good Jeans as ubiquitous, and Tshirts making their way out of the college closet, aaaaaand the loss of about 30 pounds (pre-wedding), both made it back into my wardrobe. Now, as a mama to two Beans, they're my go-to. And sometimes it works better than others.


So I'm sitting here typing this, happily unshowered, wearing a Big Comfy Lifeguard Sweatshirt, jeans, and tennis socks. My hair is pulled up in a schlumpy bun, as it was all day. My only consignment to style today was a practical one: I wore contacts so I could wear my Big Sunglasses while we were out and about. And I didn't really care.

Well, I cared a little bit. OK, a lot.

As we shopped the Tshirt store, I shuddered at most of what I saw. But I really wanted a sweatshirt. Somehow it's perfect for cozying up on the couch on a winter beach weekend. It'll be ever so useful when the weather gets just a little bit warmer, and H and I can leave my MIL with the sleeping kids while we stroll on the beach.

That brings me to my dilemma: what will I do this summer? Will I continue my rationalization of no makeup, "giving my skin a break" when we take up residence in June? Will I wear the dreaded flip-flops? (For the uninitiated, as soon as the weather breaks in DC, The Great Flip Flop Debate starts. For all sorts of reasons.) Will I buy shorts? And wear them? And will my T shirts be stylish, fitted ones, or will they bear logos from my favorite teams and towns? Just bringing along a dress "just in case" doesn't seem to count.

Beach time is break time, and I seem to want to take a break from it all - even from the way I normally look in DC. I don't think - at least I hope (ok, please shoot me if you ever catch me) - I'll ever wear neon tiger stripes or 80s-style track suits, but I do need to find a breezy way to make it through our beach time without leaving my hard-fought (as it is for any mama, I think) style somewhere in the EZ Pass backup at the Delaware line.

2015 Update: Since I wrote this originally, I've embraced the "schlump" fully for our time down tha shore. Rarely do I not care what I wear at all, but I take our week and weekends there (gone are the days of our month-long jaunts) seriously: the sweatshirt gets loads of wear in the cooler temps, loose maxi dresses keep me cool on the warmer days, and perhaps most importantly, I look forward to Days Without Makeup. I've gotten much better at taking care of my skin, so do the creams + sunscreen thing daily, but that vacation from my 10 minutes of face artistry? Heaven.

Style Debate: Fashion for the Masses

Sitting at dinner last night with H (thank you MissIzzy, for the night out with H), I had a thought.

Now, truth be told, our Guapo's (yes, rockin it Tenley Old Skool) outing was actually intended to be "thought free," and let us relax. Which we did. But somehow, in discussing This, That, and The Other, it came up.

I was thinking about a woman Malena told me about. She has a customer who collects - and started ages ago - a certain 70s jewelry designer. Part of the reason she collects is for her daughter. And apparently she picked well. Granted, she originally picked this designer (name long since forgotten on my part) because she loved the designs. At the time, they weren't Sought After. Now, they are.

While I absolutely factored The Bean into The Bag Decision, I don't have anything else I could say I collect. And I don't know if there is anything else I'd want to. It would be really hard, now, with the proliferation of available Big Names, to select something I both adored and would be unique. It's all available everywhere.

I wholeheartedly support Fashion for the Masses. I think it fabulous that H&M, Target, and the like catapulted the Jaclyn Smith/KMart model into our style conciousness. I think it marvelous that there's less and less distance (for all sorts of modern, webified reasons) between the Runway and the Average Consumer.

But then, it isn't.

Call me a snob, but it isn't so fabulous that I try and go buy something unique and special, and turn around and find someone else carrying the same bag or wearing the same scarf. There is something so elevated about The Houses that is disappearing. There are no more muses. The Grace Kellys are no longer the inspriration (there is, of course, the argument that there are No More Grace Kellys). Natalie and Kate and Reese and ... well, it's just not the same.

So for someone who actively tries to make High Fashion palatable and wearable to The Rest of Us, I suppose it seems odd to be calling out The Houses for "lowering themselves." But if there isn't any aspiration in fashion, where are we supposed to go with it? I still, no matter how practical my own daily closet choices may have to be, want to delight in details that only come with that heightened sense of style that trickles down from haute couture. The drapey flowy collar on my Gap sale T-shirt came from somewhere, and it wasn't KMart.

Wishful Thinking: The Ones that Got Away

I promise more about my actual purchases (tune in to my tweets for their appearances in my wardrobe, though, if you can't wait), but first...the ones that got away.

Until I track them down online, that is.

First off, a bit of a rant. I tweeted Friday that I was seriously disappointed in the Friendship Heights J. Crew. Women, forget it. Nothing over a size 12. Even an XL is a rareity. Seriously. While I hate to admit to myself that I'm not taking care of myself and really need to do all the right things and get healthy, I used to know J. Crew as a standby to get classic, well made stuff in Real Sizes. Nope. At least not that store. Will do a little investigating and follow up with whether it's an in-store trend or just the skinny-jean-and-riding-boots-wearing Chevy Chase skinny minnies that are causing this phenomenon.

In the meantime, I'll shop at Banana and Gap for my staples, thankyouverymuch.

Rant over.

Now. For my wishlist items...

First up, a J. Crew cropped cream motorcycle jacket with zippers edged in bright orange. That's apparently not available online. Later today, I'll track the sucker down via Ye Olde Fashioned Phone. It was AWE.some. (Note: I'm addicted to orange, apparently.)

But I did find this majorette jacket that might replace it, if the Banana one below doesn't work out.

Then, there was the skirt that may or may not make me look like my mother. Let's face it, I am significantly older now than when Mommy had my BabySister (better known here online as PrettyinPink), but only recently has Mommy stepped it up (with much coaching from us) and out of TeacherStyle (yes, she owned an appliquéd denim jumper. With a schoolhouse.). Either way, this pencil skirt, which you can get in the store in a yellow-green they call lime, is marvelously structured and fits my current nautical additiction.

And while I love the vibrant orange on a mini (apparently I haven't been online and in stores in way too long, because apparently J. Crew doesn't believe in replicating their store inventory online any more), it was just too puffy on this girl to get away with right now. Maybe later.

My other addictions? Nautical anything (I think I tried on every striped sweater or top available). Some of those ended up in my closet. And military anything. None of which came home, but will. I'm determined. Either the one up top, or this one (which was juuuust too small - one size bigger should be perfect).

Not that I need any more jackets. But a Mama does have to have something to wear to the playground and to preschool drop off on these chilly days.

Wishful Thinking: Eyes on the Prize

We've all been through this before. This year, everything fits, or doesn't fit anymore because you're in your "skinny mode." Next year? Not so much.

I can't say "I've tried everything," because I don't diet. Ever. (OK, that two days of the lemon juice + cayenne cleanse I tried doesn't count.) I do try to eat better and exercise more - it's what really works for me. Takes forever, sure, but I'm just not into deprivation. I set a goal, and work my way there. One year, I took inspriation from that old Yoplait commercial and hung a bikini in my singlegirl kitchen (itsy-bitsy-teeny-weeny-yellow-polka-dot-bikini). It worked.

This year, though, I'm going to use those amazing M Missoni tanks and dresses I spotted at Loehmann's during my Friendship Heights speed shopping afternoon last Friday (3 hours, 4 stores, 4 bags-o-good-stuff - more on that later). They were GORgeous. And perfect for our Take-Vacation-then-Stay-at-the-Beach-and-Work-from-the-Shore month this summer. I almost bought one, even though too small, as a goal. But then decided that wouldn't be a prudent use of funds, just in case.

I can see me working in these...laptop open on the balcony, waves crashing in front of me, can't you?

Climbing out of the Doldrums - Check, and almost check

My next steps in the Big Climb?

First was a haircut. Check.

Second was shoe shopping. Almost check.

Wednesday, right after I posted, I picked The Bean up from school and took her to lunch. Because she was having such a lovely time playing with one of her little friends, we invited LittleFriend and HerMama to join us at Kafé Leopold. While the girls climbed all over the banquette, almost behaving, our VeryNiceWaiter tolerated us and the Mamas chatted. We felt positively normal. And the girls had a great time. (oh yes, and they did let us in, despite my absolutely schlumpy duds)

Note to self: go more often. It'll keep me from seriously jonesing Austria. At least for now.

After lunch, we swung by my favorite (as if you couldn't tell, since I wear their shoes almost every day) boutique, simplysoles. And while Miss Kassie wasn't there (off getting the new Richmond location ready for it's opening this weekend!), we did a quick browse, and bought two headbands - one for the bean (which she's worn proudly non-stop since), and one for Mama. I set my sights on a couple of pairs of shoes. Now. Do I take the risk and wait for DSS? Or take the sale prices now? Hmmmm...

Then we dashed off (the Bean nodding off "Mama, I love you" in her carseat) to Franz Sebastian to see Miss Jae. Scrubbed and coiffed, I felt 1001% better. Still do, in fact. We got in a bit of style gossip (have you heard about Erwin?), and The Bean got to have her bob trimmed. Such the little lady. Or Diva, as her sitter calls her. When I asked her later who do you like to do your hair (she's been to H's barber, and MIL's hairdresser, too), she answered "the girl with the team shirt." Jae was wearing a fun sports-jersey-esque top. That's my girl.

So...two more items down, a bunch more to go. Up next?

Get healthy - this will be a long road. But maybe I'll have some extra fruit today. Or even some veggies.

Buy a few pieces I love NOW. Not for the future healthy me, but for the Rubenesque, Now Me - starting that this afternoon - a stolen afternoon jaunt to Friendship Heights, to see if I can get a couple of tops or lightweight sweaters I'm happy in. Even if it's one, it's one more than I have now.

Keep going. Even when I'm distracted or have relapses into UnshoweredWorld, I will get. back. on. the. wagon.

Museum Style: Worth the trip to NYC

Something tells me I won't be able to make it north for this, but just in case you make your way to The Big Apple this month, the Museum at FIT (The Fashion Institute of Technology) has was promises to be an amazing exhibit to jumpstart your style inspiration...

Or maybe it's the perfect excuse to take The Bean to New York for the first time...

What: Vivienne Westwood, 1980-89

When: March 8, 2011 - April 2, 2011

Vivienne Westwood, 1980-89 will be the first exhibition to focus exclusively on Westwood’s fashions of the 1980s. The exhibition will highlight the significant shift in Westwood’s design style during this decade. Her work of the early 1980s was prominently featured in edgy magazines such as i-D, and her following was comprised mainly of street-style insiders. By 1985, her more structured, feminine, and historically-inspired styles began to attract the attention of the mainstream press and widened Westwood’s audience.

Vivienne Westwood, 1980-89 will feature over 50 objects—including clothing, photographs, and video. Highlights will include a unisex ensemble from the Pirate collection (1981), a woman’s ensemble from the influential Buffalo collection (1982), and a pair of Westwood’s iconic “Rocking Horse” boots from the Harris Tweed collection (1987). Editorial photographs from a number of prominent magazines, including The Face and British Vogue, will further illuminate Westwood’s impact on 1980s fashion. Runway footage and video interviews with the designer will also be on view.

This exhibition has been organized and curated by FIT graduate students of the Fashion and Textile Studies: History, Theory, Museum Practice program.

Style Inspiration: Design on a (Relative) Dime

Thank, you Daily Candy, for helping me with my climb out of the Doldrums.

I think I might have to buy a new pair of Chucks. Saks pre-order, here I come.

However, while H is absolutely supportive of the things I need to do on the climb (when The Bean and I got home yesterday, he asked "Didn't you buy any shoes?"), I'm not sure he'd be ok with spending 200 bucks on non-workout sneakers for the Missoni version (I have a natural tendency to all things Missoni; something about that glorious, colorful stripey-ness).

On the other hand, I might be able to swing $105 for the Comme des Garcons (I'll spin a tale of them being commemorative of our Manhattan honeymoon and the afternoon we stumbled on the CdG Chelsea outpost). Or at least the delighfully graphic $80 Marimekko option.

I'm dreaming up HipMama Weekend Playground Outfits right now.

The Doldrums

As I sit here at Marvelous Market, alternately reviewing government documents that will continue to make my life hell for the next two months, facebooking, tweeting, and emailing what feel, like long-lost-friends, I'm in the Doldrums. Not the naval phenomenon, and not those Milo runs across in his wacky literary adventures (gold star if you get the reference), but the I-haven't-showered-or-washed-or-cut-my-hair-and-hate-everything-in-my-closet kind.

Part of it, if you've been following my tweets, is that I've been working ridiculous hours. I miss my kids and H, we have no food cooked in the house (popchips and Masala Art takeout are staples right now), and the last thing on my mind is putting together a reasonable outfit, let alone putting on makeup. I know better. I know that, if I've been working all night, haven't slept, and need to keep focusing, that showering, putting on makeup, and at minimum a coordinated outfit without babyfood stains will make me feel better. I learned that a long time ago, from a dear friend whom I will purposefully never see again. You've heard me say all this before, I know.

Part of it is that I've gained weight. A lot. I've matched my highest, pre-wedding (not baby-induced) weight. Which is not a good thing. I'd lost weight after Bean #2, but then gained it back. Eating like a pig and indulging as comfort...well, not helpful. I haven't made it to any kind of workout or yoga class in months. (I ran into my yoga teacher from last semester at Politics & Prose last week. She was, as every yoga instructor I've ever encountered is, kind, patient, and understanding. Which doubled my guilt at not going.) Nothing in my closet fits except for my "fat pants" and two pair of beloved LOFT cordorouy pants that fit like blessed gloves and miraculously don't make me feel like a sausage.

The last part is that I just don't have time. I don't have time to shop. I don't have time to iron. I don't have time to drop and pick up drycleaning on the 3 things I own that make me feel good. So I don't. I feel like crap because I can't be bothered. I haven't even bothered to wear my favorite shoes (lillybees, I'm lookin' at you, kids) because my months-old pedicure is so nasty that I can't even fake it under fishnets in peeptoes. So I wear my grey booties daily. Which is all fine and good in icky weather, but when the sun starts to peek out and buds (or bugs, as The Bean calls them) are flirting with breaking through their barked cocoons, grey ankle booties just won't cut it.

So I'm slowly plotting my return. Slowly, people. I can't take more than that. What's the plan, you ask? Well, it's been underway for a leeetle bit. And I'll keep you posted, but here we go...

1) Go out in public with real clothes and talk to non-work people. Check. I went to last week's launch of Jill Kargman's hilarious (laughed out loud during my bathroom reading) Sometimes I Feel Like a Nut at ginger. I squeezed myself into a girdle (let's face it, it's not a "shaper"), put on tights, lillybees, a dress (crazy, but now I can't even remember which one), and a vintage astrakhan coat from my MIL. I chatted with Jill, the incomparable Babsie D, and a lovely writer I've met before. Just three people, but they were people.

2) Get a haircut. Almost check. I see Jae today at 3pm.

3) Buy new shoes. Since I'm not happy with my body, I can play with my feet fashion. Almost check. Taking The Bean with me to the Georgetown simplysoles outpost today.

4) Get healthy. Ok. That's a much longer term one, but I'll get there. And if you have it in your hearts to help me, reminding me along the way, I'll take whatever support I can get.

5) Buy a few pieces I love NOW. Not for the future healthy me, but for the Rubenesque, Now Me. First stop: March 29 DSS.

6) Keep going. Even when I'm distracted or have relapses into UnshoweredWorld, I will get. back. on. the. wagon.

And I'll kiss the Doldrums goodbye.