Firecracker's Blog

As I mentioned in my comments on Angie's blog post today, I have a pair of cowboy boots that I've wanted to return to wearing lately, but I've found they are no longer comfortable. As in, they actively hurt, specifically my ankles. I recall that being a concern in the past, but I think I got over it by wearing Superfeet inserts. Now, even with the inserts, I cannot wear these boots. I tried again today, when I went . . . shopping for new cowboy boots!

My old boots are 14 or 15 years old. I wore them quite a lot during a few years when I was wearing bootcut jeans and pants. Then I wore them a bit with skinnies. And I haven't worn them for several years.

Today I went to a store where I could try some on in person, and I'm glad I did. Some of the styles I saw online and liked just didn't work for me. I came home with two pairs by Ariat. I can return one (or both), as long as I don't wear them outside.

The first pair in Finds are my old ones. Very pretty, but I did find them a bit limited, with the colors. (Like, I'd want to have some blue or red in my outfit, or at least not clash.)

I brought home the Heritage Round Toe, which has pretty, yet subtle stitching on it, and the Round Up Ryder, which has a black foot and silver shaft. Very different styles.

I haven't yet tried them on with outfits at home, but here are
photos from in the store. I like both, and am interested to hear what
you all think. I would wear them with straight leg jeans like the ones I'm wearing below, or wide-leg jeans, or dresses. Maybe dress pants.

Photos 1-4: Ariat Heritage Round-Toe (with my old boot on the other foot)

Photos 5-8: Ariat Round Up Ryder

Photo 6: closeup of the stitching on the Heritage

What are your thoughts?

Today I got put on my new Everlane Barrel Utility jeans, which had finished line-drying from their initial wash, and I went out shopping.  Inspired by Angie's post and the discussion on Keeping Items that Don't Fit I thought I would look for some new jeans to replace other ill-fitting ones.

The ones I had in mind this time were black. I have dark black and faded black jeans that no longer fit well--3 pairs in all: Banana Republic Ranger Straight (faded black), Levis Wedgie Straight, and Madewell Perfect Vintage Wide-Leg (both dark black).

I looked at Madewell first, because they have a deal right now for $30 off a new pair of jeans if you bring in an old pair (any brand) to recycle. Usually they offer this deal at $20 off. So I carried along an old pair. I considered their Darted Barrel-Leg style in washed black. I wasn't sold on them. I liked the mid-rise fit (once I sized down enough--3 down from my Perfect Vintage Wide-Legs, which I think are about one size too large for me now). But I was unsure about the slight bow-legged effect of the style on me. (No pics.)

Next stop: the Levis store. I had in mind just getting a size down in the Wedgie Straights. I tried on the dark black wash like my old ones, and a gray wash that would be more like my BR Rangers. I tried both the Wedgie style and 501. Oddly enough, the Wedgies a size down felt too small and didn't give the look I was after. The 501s, on the other hand, were just right, and they come in longer lengths, so I could get them full length. Score!

Next stop: back to Everlane to see what they had in black. I tried the Mid-Way Jean, which I tried in dark blue the other day but had passed over for the barrel jeans. I tried a size up, but decided the same size as the barrel jeans was the right choice. I also tried the Way-High version (too high for me) and the Cheeky (a better fit), but the wider leg on the Mid-Way won me over. Another score!

Photos from the day. Apologies for the poor quality, but I think even with the bad lighting and focus, the difference in fit may be discernible. 

1-2: WIW shopping. New Everlane Barrel Utility jeans, with olive cashmere pullover (Madewell); olive suede booties (LaCanadienne); olive rain jacket (Lauren Ralph Lauren); olive cross-body bag (AllSaints).

3-4: old Levis Wedgie jeans.

5-6: new Levis 501s.

7-8: old Madewell wide-legs.

9-10: new Everlane wide-legs.

I'm feeling good to have these well-fitting basics in my jeans wardrobe!
Jeans are such a staple for my style. I will probably hang on to the
old Levis Wedgie jeans for a while longer, in a holding area in my
closet, where they don't interfere with my current wardrobe. It has been
about a year since my size changed from a nutrition and workout
overhaul. The other 2 pairs have enough fit issues it's not worth
keeping them.

I think the 2 new pairs are keepers. Just had to share my excitement, and a look at these styles in case others are considering them.

I mentioned on Angie's blog post today a wardrobe holeI have recently identified: a pair of dark wash, straight-leg, full-length jeans. I have a pair by G-Star Raw that have been workhorses, and lately they have become too loose, in a way that doesn't feel stylish to me now. I wear them, but I don't feel fab in them like I used to. I won't get rid of them, but I would like an alternative that goes with the same things in my wardrobe and feels better.

Shopping with a friend today, I tried on and bought Everlane barrel jeans in a dark wash to fill that hole. They aren't an exact replacement for my G-Star jeans, but I think they could fill the need. I have newer jeans that are cropped dark wide-legs (Paige Anessa) and some that are a much slimmer medium-dark straight leg (Paige Cindy); both are nice, but they don't serve the same purpose as the G-Star jeans.

Pictures below are 

(1-3 ) the G-Star Raw jeans and 

(4-6 ) the Everlane Utility Barrel jeans.

I'm interested to hear your thoughts about the new jeans versus the old ones.

Also, what I am wearing with the jeans and what I wore shopping:

A pullover that I just finished re-making from a tunic that I made years ago. I was tired of the tunic look but still loved the print and sweater fabric. So I shortened it and added a welt to the bottom, long cuffs (to fold back), and a mock turtleneck, out of olive ribbed sweater knit remnants I had. I love my new pullover! Here is the original tunic in action: how I wore it to go to a Portland YLF meetup.

(7-8) Shopping outfit. I wore the remade pullover with my new black fleece knit pants (NY77) from a recent shopping spree at a local boutique; my olive rain coat (Lauren Ralph Lauren); olive cross-body bag (AllSaints); and black moto booties (Blondo).

(9) The lower part of the tunic

Edited to add:

(10-12): size down in Everlane barrel jeans. I think these are better.

Seattle boutique Sandy Lew had a trunk sale this week with designers from NY77 on hand to show their wares. I went today and came home with three pieces.

Here are the dressing room pics and some try-ons I did at home.

Textured, matelassé reversible coat. Reverses from muted jacquard stripes in olive, chartreuse, rust, and mauve to black.

1-3: in dressing room

4-5: with reptile print dress (AllSaints) and olive distressed suede boots (Donald Pliner)

Black knit pants with zippered pocket, elastic waist, ribbing halfway around ankle, and seams down the back legs. These feel like sweat pants but have a polished casual look. I didn't do try-ons at home.

6: dressing room pic

Arty boyfriend blazer. Cotton lightweight canvas fabric, dyed with subtle streaks of brown and gray on the dark charcoal/off-black background, and an abstract wide streak of light gray running vertically from shoulder to hem on the right side. I tried it a lot of ways at home, and it's a little tricker to style than I thought it would be.

7-8: dressing room pics (last two with the black zip-pocket pants)

9: w/ light gray mock turtleneck sweater and medium-dark wash jeans (Paige)

10: w/ ikat-patterned gray, black, white, and taupe tee (made by me) and black wash denim lantern pants (OSKA)

11: w/ medium gray ribbed turtleneck (Banana Republic) and dark wash straight jeans (G-Star)

12: w/ off-white cargo jeans and dark abstract patterned tee (both AllSaints)

13: w/ earthy wavy abstract stripe tee (made by me) and blush wash cropped straight jeans (AllSaints)

14: w/ reptile print dress (AllSaints)

Both the coat and the blazer are statements, and I can see wearing them over relatively simple outfits with less going on than a lot of what I've tried here. I was trying to push the boundaries and see how far I could go with them.

Oh, and what I wore shopping (inspired by Angie's post Outfit Formula: Very Berry and Plum).

15-17: Plummy brown herringbone cotton lantern pants (OSKA); gray, brown, and plum abstract patterned mesh tee (I forget the brand, but it's from Sandy Lew); burgundy wool cardigan (Vince); navy quilted coat (Lauren Ralph Lauren); brown leather lace-up booties (Jo Ghost); black and dark brown leopard print backpack (AllSaints).

UPDATE: I was pretty set on wearing the black floral to the wedding and the snakeprint dress for the tavern gathering the night before. And then I started debating with myself again. I'm not sure why. But I got out a dress I've had for a number of years that could also work. Photos added onto the discussion below.

I went to AllSaints today to look for a dress to wear to my niece's wedding in Seattle in May. Dress code is "cocktail." I was attracted to AllSaints 2-in-1 dresses, which pair a pretty dress with a coordinating cropped pullover. I have a blush pullover from AllSaints that I thought I might use to create that look, if I could find or make the right dress to go with it. And I like a lot of their dress styles in general. My goal was to find something that I could wear with blush pumps and matching bag that I already have.

I was pleasantly surprised with the number of options the store had in stock for me to try. I narrowed the choice to two, which I brought home to consider further.

Photos 1-8: I'm pretty sure I'm going to keep this one, called Jules Tanana, a black floral silk chiffon sleeveless near-maxi with some interesting asymmetric panel detail in solid black. I can layer my blush pullover over it, 2-in-1 style, and remove the pullover if I get warm. I can see being able to wear it year-round, with different shoes, boots, and jackets.

Photos 9-11: I also liked (and brought home) the Nora Waimea in snakeskin print, a body-con midi in mesh knit with diagonal ruching on the lower front. I wouldn't wear the pullover for the wedding with this one, but I brought home an ivory cardigan that the sales staff and I thought could work. I can also see this dress working with different jackets and boots for most of the year.

In some photos of the two dresses above, I'm wearing a necklace and earrings I bought from AllSaints, also: the Darcy beaded two-tone necklace and Eryka crystal huggie hoop earrings. (Finds aren't working for me on the AllSaints site.)

Photo 12: I liked the Hanna Sanibel, a mesh knit black floral mock-neck A-line midi, but not as well as the other two.

Photo 13: And the Tia Colca was gorgeous, but the colors were a little too warm for me, and the fit around the shoulders wasn't as comfortable. I think Angie has this dress in a different colorway.

I thought you might like to see the try-ons, and I'm open to your thoughts.

I ordered this coat online and it arrived today. I wasn't looking for a coat, but saw it in the sale online and thought I would give it a try. It would be fun to have a casual coat that is different from what I have already.

I like the style, the fabric, the fit. I was attracted to the idea of a patterned coat, and I like the stripe. The collar when worn up is too high for short-necked me, but I knew that would be the case, and I would wear it open most often, or not completely closed. 

What I'm wondering is whether the color is flattering on me. At first I thought it was a bit too warm-toned, but then it started to grow on me.

What say you all? Thoughts other than color-related are welcome, too.

P.S. My adorable husband says he thinks it looks big, so it might be a return after all. ;)

I was enamored with the Rag & Bone Shiloh loafers at the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale. I brought them home, had second thoughts, ordered the second size (that I had already tried in the store and rejected), and decided the loafers just aren't comfortable enough for me. Still, I thought I might find a pair of non-black neutral loafers in a chunky style, since chunky loafers seem ubiquitous at the moment. Today at Nordstrom, I saw a pair that I had admired online, and I was able to try them on. They came home with me. I will try them around the house for several days, but I am pretty sure these are going to be the keepers. They are more expensive than I usually like to spend, but I think the comfort, style, and color will be worth it in the long run. I had a bunch of Nordie Notes that I could use to create my own little sale on them, too. This muted silver color is a fave for me; I have a pair of booties in this color, and I wear them a lot.

I got my usual size in these, 7.5. They are comfortable out of the box, with light socks. No pinching, squeezing, or slipping. The leather is thick but soft. The shoes are not light but not super heavy, either. Despite the high heel and thick platform, they feel stable.

Shown here with what I wore shopping: off-white wide-leg jeans (Madewell, Perfect Vintage Wide-Leg), bandana-print silk chiffon tank (made by me).

On my trip to return the sneakers I ordered from Madewell, I found a couple of things that followed me home. At Madewell, I tried on two pairs of jeans and a pair of shorts, and I bought the Perfect Vintage Wide-Legged Jean in tile white. (If anyone can create a Find, I'll add it.)

And I found a pair of sneakers at Nordstrom, the Cole Haan Topspin style in Roccia Pearly Snake. To my eye, the color has a little bit of mauve to it, so these fit the bill for sneakers with a blush pink element to them, for which I have been on the lookout. (I was interested in getting an update to my blush slip-on Mephisto sneakers that are getting kind of worn looking after several seasons.) Curiously I tried on this Cole Haan style in a different color a couple of years ago and the back edge bugged me. But they seem to work fine now. I'll wear them around the house for a while to be sure.

Pics below:

1) What I wore shopping. White Levis Icon jeans, navy and aqua print peplum-back blouse (made by me), gray waffle-weave cotton jacket (made by me), gray leopard print sneakers (Mephisto Yael), and metallic pewter crossbody bag (Kurt Geiger).

2) showing the new jeans and sneakers

3-5) new jeans and sneakers with a boxy asymmetric metallic top (made by me) to show more of the top of the jeans.

6) new sneakers with a mauve sporty A-line dress (Zella) that I bought at the end of the season last year and look forward to wearing this summer.

Any comments and suggestions are welcome!

A favorite pastime on YLF--eyeglass shopping! Or maybe I speak for myself. Anyway, my current ones are a couple of years old, and I love them and will continue to wear them. But I'm also in the mood for something new. I went shopping ahead of an eye exam next week, and these are the contenders.

1-2: current frames, blush rounded rectangle

3-4: option 1, neutral tortoise round

5-6: option 2, gray hexagon

7-8: option 3, pink round/cat

9-10: option 4, teal fade rounded rectangle

11-12: option 5, rectangular teal tortoise

13-14: option 6, art deco blue fade

15-16: option 7, rosy hexagon

I welcome your thoughts!

April's quest for silvery lavender tops was timely for me. I had the color on my mind as one to keep an eye out for. Specifically I wanted it to go with a jacket I made a few years ago, which I have trouble wearing, even though it should go with a lot of my clothes.

I went to Aritzia to see if I could try any of the tops Inge found for April. I came home with this one. It's very oversized. This is a size down from my usual, and it is still big. But I like the look and feel of it. I think it brings a little attitude to the jacket. I also tried it with my new blazer bought at NAS (which has a thin line of purple running through the checks), and with a knit vest that I also like to pair with an oversized blouse.

One thing I'm bummed about: I paid full price, and when I looked it up online to make the Find, I see it's on sale. If I had paid the sale price, though, I wouldn't be able to return it. So if I decide to keep it, I'll see if I can get a price adjustment (or return it to the store and order it online).

photos:

1) The shirt on its own. I buttoned the cuffs two ways. The sleeves are a little long, but when I button the cuffs on the second button, they sit fine, and I don't feel the sleeves look or feel too-too long. I buttoned the other cuff after turning it back, creating a faux cufflink effect, a trick I like to use sometimes.

2) With the jacket that could use a companion.

3) With my new blazer (1.State).

4) With a slate gray and off-white marled knit vest (OSKA).

5) What I wore shopping. Boyfriend jeans (Citizens of Humanity, Emerson); dusty teal t-shirt (Madewell); hemp knit off-white jacket (OSKA); off-white loafers (Open Edit); sage cross-body camera bag (Madewell).

I'm thinking I'll probably keep it, but am open to your thoughts.

P.S. They have the same shirt in cotton and in linen. I got the cotton one; didn't see the linen in store, but I'd prefer the cotton anyway, for year-round wear.