Style Inspiration: On My Mind and on My Boards

Little crazy here, folks, so a quick look (in case you aren't following me on Pinterest already) into what's on my mind and on my boards lately - and why.

Glittery, soft sparkle from Queen of Dresses DVF; How I'm Going to Style My KISS and Motley Crue T-shirts for the Office (thank you, Refinery 29. or not. see this old post about H thwarting my Rocker Chic(k) efforts ); the Gap pants that made it into my closet this weekend and are already lined up for constant rotation (more colors, please!); Catherine Malandrino, a longtime fashion and style idol (despite the fact that I now wear flats), whose dresses I now fit in; a Chloé coat this Winter Girl is craving; a peek into an upcoming post on black maxi skirts for a musician friend (and the rest of us).

And...breathe

...at least for a little while.

One deadline down, 34 to go.

But in the meantime, a gal's got to dress herself. Or at least attempt to, which is what I think I'm doing. I haven't successfully dressed myself, really, since I wore my ATL outfit. Shoes are a big factor - or rather, my lack of a basic shoe (no matter how much I say I'll wear my new shoes, and I do, sometimes I just need comfort comfort comfort, and out come the smelly flats) - in the non-style. As is my absolute inability to pair patterns and colors successfully on three hours of sleep. Today, all I could manage was blue on blue, and even that was really really iffy.

Presentable, but much more likely to end up on someone's "Don'ts" page than not.

I may attempt to shave my legs tonight when I shower - Big Deal. Not sure handling a razor on said sleep deprivation is a good idea, though. If I get through that, I think I'll pull out the wrap dress tomorrow. One piece is hard to screw up.

We'll see if I get that right.

Reuse, Recycle, and Rejoice!

We all have those items in our closet that, for whatever reason, just sit there.

And then we pull them out.

And get compliments up the wazoo.

My orange Nine West Gian flats, bought at the end of last winter, when I was starting to not be able to wear heels as much, normally sit in my closet. Members of the Infintessimal Readership know I'm a proponent of Shots of Color as Neutral, but the flats just haven't been as practical as I'd have liked. A leeeetle bit of something about the fit, too.

This morning I threw them on with my Friday trouser jeans and brown merino/silk shell (with preppy grosgrain ribbon belt for a bit of cheer).

In the office elevator, "Great shoes," says the woman next to me, and coming out of a regular Friday meeting, "Love your shoes," says a colleague. "I was looking at them under the table the whole meeting."

They're coming out more often, methinks. This girl's way of saving the planet.

Style Dilemma: Burch or London?

Vivien writes:

I've been trying to find Sue London's "London Slipper" forever, and I can't seem to find any boutiques or department stores that carry them in D.C. Would you know of any places that do carry them?

Also, do you think they're worth buying? I'm trying to decide between Tory Burch's Reva Flats, or a pair of Sue London's London Slippers...any suggestions would be great!

Vivien:

First, Sue London's "London Slipper" (above right, in my favorite Malay) can be found at Martin + Osa in Tyson's. It's a great store with tailored casual clothes inspired by a traveling couple from Kansas. (They left Kansas in 1917 to photograph Africa and the Pacific.)

Secondly, if you've read any of my missives on flats, you'll know I feel for you. Choices between flats are always tough. My answer: it depends on what you're looking for. Both options you name are great higher end flats. But here are the factors I'd consider.

1) Fit. Plain old try them all on (and pray you can remember how they fit between stores). One may come across as the clear winner.

2) What are you really looking for? A comfortable flat or a style piece, or both? There may be other options out there, like Nine West's Tuti, which may fit better.

3) Price. Tory's (right middle, in equestrian orange) are just a leeeetle bit more expensive, at nearly $200 to Sue's $130. Then you can jump down to $70 for the Tuti.

4) Color. Once you have the right fit & price, there are color choices with each option, though the London Slipper tends to neutrals. Are you the sort of gal who just has to match her metals? If so, then Tory's are gold logo only, so that would rule out silver jewelry (but only if you must keep them matching; not matching doesn't bother me in the least - in fact, I relish it!).

Good luck in your search, and let us know what you decide!

DC Celine's Recurring Style Dilemma

Woo Hoo! Success!

Finally, I found a(nother) pair of flats that work! My apologies to those of you who've heard this rant before. But I really needed to replace my nasty ol' but originally adorable black patent leather flats. H is ready to throw them out and have me go barefoot, they're so nasty.

I was walking down Wisconsin Avenue Thursday, and crossed the street, just in case there was something at Nine West. I'd been in a few weeks before, and each pair I tried on had something irritating about the fit. Cute, very cute, but just didn't fit right.

So on Thursday I walked past the window on Wisconsin, then did a double take. Brilliant green flats! What more could a girl ask for to pull her out of a Fashion Rut? The Winter Blues cured in one quick shot.

Then I spotted the orange version on the shelf above. This warrants a spin through the store. Noisy rolling briefcase in tow, I purused the store. There were definitely some options, but I didn't feel like trying on anything, so I put it in my head to come back this weekend.

Mickey couldn't make it today (her poor little one was puking), so Greek Goddess came to my rescue as Wing Woman. We dashed in to Georgetown, made a beeline for the Nine West store, and oila! there I was, trying on shoes.

I tried the black version of Lavetta first. I fell in love with the red version, but it's suede, and just not as practical. They were soft, soft leather, and very comfy, except for the teeny part right at the corner that rubbed. I'm a strong proponent of "if it's at all uncomfortable in the store, that will multiply 1000-fold when you get them home," so off came the incredibly cute driving loafers. (Both GG and I did the "oooh, they're so cute" as soon as they went on.)

Then I tried the orange version of Gain. Because while the green version caught my eye in the window, orange acts as a more versatile "neutral." In my hand, the leather wasn't as soft as Lavetta, but on, they were perfect. Comfy, great color, and as a bonus, the perfect counterpoint to the indigo top I had on today.

Out came the check card (no deficit spending for this fashionista), and in the bag they went.

That was easy.

And that success of course means I deserve a kleiner Brauner at Kafé Leopold.

Shopping for a Cause - It's True

So it's shopping disguised as a charity benefit. I donated! And I promise, M & H, that I'm not going to blow the bank on anything extravagant. I'm just going to replace my goopy Laura Mercier mascara (it gets those clumps up at the rim that ooze over when I screw it closed - a mess, and too much to deal with, despite how much I like the mascara itself) and replensih my Kiehl's eye cream (works wonders), and maybe, just maybe, if they carry my signature Paloma (which I don't think they do), I'll replace it (I'm completely empty! I've been scentless for weeks now!). But that's it. I promise. Sort of.

But more importantly, The Tory Pants Fit (and who says you can't loose weight overnight)! How very exciting. It's really way too warm to wear them, but they fit perfectly, and are sailor-tailored. I paired with my Chie Mihara pumps and one of my Romanian iie. I was buzzing around this morning trying to figure out what to wear. I was trying to figure out what to wear without repeating my favorite brown blazer, and I mumbled out loud about my go-to iie being a possibility.

"I don't think that's going to work," interjected H.

So I tried to explain that the tailored sailor could juxtapose nicely with the boho of the blouse. As good as he usually is at this, he didn't get it. Until I put it on.

"That works," he approved.

And so my shoes are off under my desk, trying to save my poor, injured back from my style decision to wear these pants and no flats (they're just too long, flats aren't possible). I have no idea how I hurt my back, but I'm back in The Land of the Flats. I only hope the photographer catches me tonight, and not my physical therapist.