Book Print Clothes for Fall (reviews)

Clichés be damned. If you make a fabric printed with a crowded bookshelf, I will want all of the things made with it. Another Anthro Blog posted about this Tommy Hilfiger Book Print Dress and although she didn't love it on herself, I thought it looked fantastic! I tracked one down in my local Macy's and wound up taking it home. Regarding the fit, I needed a large. I didn't want any gaps at the bust or hips that would necessitate pinning and the large fit the bill. I'd say it runs true to size.

The fabric is cotton and has a slight sheen to it, which makes it look a bit dressier. The skirt runs slightly narrow through the hips but the bust had plenty of room. The sleeves are roomy but not blousey. It even has subtle details that feel reminiscent of the Anthropologie of yore. The button placket is lined with a very attractive plaid in coordinating colors. The dress has pockets but they are stitched shut (which I prefer to keep in tact with a slimmer cut skirt). The shirttail hem is very subtle and includes the hemline equivalent of a buttoned epaulet on both sides.  I think it will be perfect for teaching especially once I add opaque tights. The background color is navy blue so it will look nice with brown boots. Be warned that some of the books have the letters "TH" or the words "Tommy Hilfiger." I doubt anyone will notice unless they are looking very closely.

A comment also on Another Anthro Blog discussed a Garnet Hill skirt in a similar book print. I was interested in both pieces because I've not bought much for my own wardrobe lately. I decided to order it since there were no options to see it in person nearby. The skirt has a smocked waist and flexible fit. I bought a medium which worked nicely. Not too poofy. Not too small. I would say it runs large (ala Anthropologie) though I am typically a medium in an a-line shape such as this. The skirt has pockets and is fully lined. Its books are logo-less with black background. They also are larger in scale than the Tommy ones. This skirt would be great for tall ladies because I had to hike it up to my natural waist for it to fall at my knee. But I decided to keep it. I will post an outfit featuring it this week and you can see a close up of the print below.

I love both of them and although I never pay full price, I decided to indulge. I justified this decision in a few ways. First of all, the retail prices are not far off from Anthropologie's sale ones. My mom had a $25 off coupon for Macys so that helped with the dress. I found a 25% off coupon for Garnet Hill via google. And over the last few months I've bought myself very little new clothing. Other than a dress from J. Crew Factory that I loved on Wardrobe Oxygen, these are my first new pieces since May.

Also in breastfeeding-friendly wardrobe news, this is not a book print but I love this Tommy Hilfiger charm bracelet print dress. It's on sale and it suits my on-campus and baby-related needs so I might grab it. I want to wear my Library Dress first and then decide if its worth owning in different patterns.

Asymmetrical Ruffles Abound in Fall 2009

I spent a somewhat embarrassing amount of time stalking this Tibi ruffle coat (blogged yesterday).

(Tibi Fall 2009)

And in the process I came upon some pieces with similar aesthetics that I considered as fantastic substitutes in case the coat I really wanted sold out along the way.

This Loeffler Randall "Cascading Ruffle Coat" is stunning. I wish I could have seen it in person. The futuristic and edgy vibe would have certainly softened any bittersweet sense of compromise.

The structured details of this McQ asymmetrical collar coat (20% off on Zappos right now) and the black color option would also be a fantastic substitute for the Tibi jacket.

This TWG cashmere ruffle cardigan was in the running for obvious reasons.

But my favorite piece of all the asymmetrical ruffled options of 2009 is actually neither ruffled nor from 2009 at all. I've longed for this Chloé Fall 2008 coat for... just over a year now. And I selected the Tibi coat hoping it would stave my desires for what in this case is a far too spendy but in my opinion, glorious and unique topper.

Perhaps it is hard to see a connection between the vibe of this coat with what I ultimately bought. But in my mind the niches they fill are similar. The biggest difference (other than price point, since Chloé is decidedly out of the range of my personal budget) is that I can pair gray with a broader range of neutral basics than black. I know the rules about navy and black no longer apply... but occasionally, at least in my opinion specific blues just won't work with black the way they do charcoal.

So, what do you think of these options and the selection I ultimately made?

Fast Fashion Frenzy: Breaking My Moratorium on F21 for Headbands

A while ago, when I had to make an unexpected move out of my rental home and eventually into the home I own, I was confronted with a mountain of fast fashion regret. I had piles of barely worn clothes from Forever 21, H&M, Delias, and Gabriel Brothers (which regularly gets overstock from Urban Outfitters, American Apparel, etc.) that seemed hardly worth my time, trouble, and soon-to-be very limited closet space. Instead, I sorted out the garbage, the stuff worthy of donating, and the few pieces worth selling to Avalon (the local Buffalo Exchange type store), and made myself vow to avoid the lure of cheap but short-lived fast fashion thrills.

I rationalized that there were many reasons to make this change. The quality is often lacking in the fabrics, the seaming, the longevity of the silhouettes, etc. The labor practices are dubious at best and downright inhumane at worst. And the stores are so ubiquitous that the pieces are usually instantly recognizable to other fast fashion shoppers.

Still, I occasionally allowed myself to indulge. When I had a gift card or when I found something really interesting, but too trendy to be worth a more significant financial commitment I would turn to fast fashion in a pinch. And I have a few pieces that continue to serve me well. A coat from Zara. A few necklaces from Forever 21. A couple of easy dresses from H&M. I am not opposed to these stores, per se. I just needed to cut down on the volume in my life and in my closet. The fastest way was to cut myself off from these places that encourage gluttonous hording through their reasonable price points.

Until this past weekend I was doing well. It had been almost a year since my self-imposed fast fashion ban. It became surprisingly easy to avoid shopping these stores since I rarely go to malls.

That ended at least in terms of accessory shopping, after deciding I needed to up the level of ridiculous in my everyday outfits. I opted to incorporate Blair Waldorf style headbands into my repertoire after admiring them from afar for a while.

For such a silly, trendy item, I needed to get an inexpensive fast fashion fix. Headbands aren't the place to invest in fine, natural fabrics and high quality. I was surprised by the range of choices available in the store and on the Forever 21 website. Head pieces were in stock for those who wished to only moderately adopt an undeniably silly trend, featuring a tiny barrette-sized bow and for the very bold who, naysayers be damned, happily channel Izzy Blow in their day to day life.

The above are two of the boldest of my five new head pieces. So far the two times I've worn the more modest of the crop (as I need to ease my way into such fussily detailed dressing) they've yielded many compliments and only a handful of strange looks. They aren't for nights when I want to be a wallflower, but they kick up the fun for semi-special and special occasions.

The Spoils of Estalking: F/W 2k6 Anna Sui Peter Pan Dress

Two Fridays ago, I confessed that I was in love with a few dresses that got away. Among them was an Anna Sui dress from F/W 2006 that had what I consider to be the ultimate peter pan collar.

Soon after that entry I decided to run an ebay store search and randomly came upon the dress, two sizes below what I typically wear, but for a good price. According to the listed measurements it seemed like it *could* fit. So I contacted the seller to make an offer, rationalizing that if I got an even better price on it, then I could just take a chance.

And they said yes, much to my surprise! So I got the dress on Friday.

Well it basically fits. Except it is SO SHORT! I do not have the gams to pull off such a mini. I am going to try to creatively layer until I come up with a magic dress lengthening strategy. You can see the apprehension in my face. Also pictured are my new Delman flats! And a special guest spot by my extra dusty mirror!

Fussy Details: Consumed by Superfluous Bows

A while ago, when I first made my style diary I was faced with a question about "Style Type." it was so vague and yet so broad that the only thing I could think to include was my love for fussy details. In a way, a superfluous bow is the quintessential fussy detail. And you will find them all over the items I covet, some of which end up in my wardrobe.

When this purple Marc by Marc Jacobs bow watch popped up in the Ruelala sale a few weeks ago, I jumped at the chance to use my account credit to fund it.

When I was faced with the opportunity to buy the Alessandra Pussy Bow dress in an additional colorway, the unique superfluous bow proved to be decisive in my justification.

Here are some items with bows that have consumed me even though they are many seasons old!
Erotokritos and Mayle dresses:

And in my opinion, the PERFECT bow pump for a special occasion:
Christian Louboutin Very Noued

One of my favorite qualities about bows are their timelessness. I remember one of my first adult encounters with the most superfluous, fussy, unnecessary bow, adorning a vintage tie-neck blouse. It was a dollar and it was made of the thickest, most oppressive polyester fabric I've ever encountered but I wore it to death in the dead of that summer because it had short sleeves and a bow. I got a thousand compliments on it and would probably wear it today if I didn't become so fussy about fabrics. I am sure if I could write a book length entry on my fashion love affair with the bows I've worn, but I will spare you.

All of this is to say that bows are fancy without pretense. They are whimsical without automatically being infantalistic. Although some of the bow dresses I posted are girlish, bows adorn with sophistication just as often as they adorn with twee. If you haven't already, why not give bows a chance?

I am equally enamored of ruffles, which are essentially the bow's messier cousin. In an upcoming post I will examine the ways in which ruffles have consumed me. My friend over at Style Tribe already talked about these important subjects. Check it out!