My last minute costume

Chris and I went as Revenge of the Nerds-themed Greek geeks. These costumes were not much of a stretch for bookish academics. But this semester has been crazy and we have had little free time for costume brainstorming/creation. Going as a Tri-Lamb was Chris's idea entirely. My own laziness led me to co-opt it by going as an Omega Mu. Judy was my inspiration and Chris already resembles Anthony Edwards, the actor who played Gilbert. I realized when I got home that I forgot to finish cutting out the bottom of the Omega symbol. Oh well! Here is Judy:

We went to a Halloween themed punk show where local bands covered full sets of Joy Division, Kiss, the Misfits and more. It was great fun. The fog over Pittsburgh Saturday night was exceptional. It was also pretty creepy! I live very close to the oldest cemetery in the city, which added additional spookiness to our walk home. Chris looks like a zombie here.

 

What was your costume?

Wearing the pants

J Crew matchstick cords

J Crew cocoon merino cardigan

Anthro top

Missoni wool scarf (scored from DSW for $20 years back!)

Reva flats
Misc bracelets and necklaces

Lately as the temperatures have cooled, I've gravitated toward layers and pants. I don't think I wore pants to campus much last year (if at all). That will not hold true for this coming year.

Pumpkin Patch

Last weekend I met with my family for the annual visit to our favorite local farm. We picked pumpkins at Triple B across the river from Monongahela, PA.* It was crowded but we still managed to find pumpkins and apples and more.

After my visit I felt even more impressed by all the style bloggers who wear beautiful outfits to photograph at their local pumpkin patches. My mom thought I was overdressed enough in sequined flats rather than beaten up sneakers, so I applaud the boldness required to wear a dress and pumps for such occasions. Although I clearly lack that level of dedication when it comes to clothes, every October when I comb through my blog reader, I enjoy seeing the beautiful, idyllic fall scenery playing backdrop to the outfit blogging of so many well-dressed ladies.

BTW, I bought a new camera and I was so excited to use it for the first time to take family photos. OF COURSE I accidentally (amateurishly) had it set incorrectly (to accommodate low light rather than bright light), hence the graininess. I meant to double check it beforehand but plum forgot. I will still use my point and shoot in a pinch and for any office/campus photos because I have no desire to lug a tripod, etc. to campus in the name of my own vanity. But I do expect this purchase means that the quality of other off campus photos will improve.

*Since I mention Mon City, I also way to suggest a wonderful history blog for any SWPA folks (and ex-pats), titled Lost Monongahela. It is interesting to think about the ebbing and flowing of industrial and post-industrial development in the corner of the rust belt where I grew up. 

Shop JessPGH's Closet

There are new listings on my shop blog, including a number of rarer Anthro pieces. Check it out!

Anthropologie Reviews: Unconditional Osier Dress and Bookbinder Heels

Unconditional Osier Dress

When I first saw the Unconditional Osier dress, I have to admit that I didn't look twice. But after seeing this dress look so lovely on Carol of Pretty Things, Dea of Dea Diaries, and Roxy of Effortless Anthropologie, (among others) I got the urge to give it a try. I grabbed the medium which was a bit small. A large would have been a much better fit (and it would likely offer more length which is desirable for some). The cotton shell is not fully attached so you might want to put the two pieces on separately. I made the mistake of putting them on together leading the shell to get pretty twisted at first. It also caused the weirdness at the waist visible in the second photo (or maybe that is lunch! lol). I kind of like that the pieces are detached because that adds additional possibilities for layering and changing it up. Overall I think this dress is very pretty but I am going to pass. I think it is kind of overpriced at retail. Frankly, I feel that way about most of the recent Anthropologie pieces. I find myself waiting for second cuts more and more often... or just letting things I thought I wanted sell out with no remorse.

Bookbinder Heels

One item from Anthropologie that I did covet in sustained way was the Bookbinder Heels. And thanks to Sian from The British Anthropologi(e)st I now have a pair. She was kind enough to ship ones that didn't fit her at cost from the UK. There they went on second cut sale so (after the currency conversion) I scored them for a little less than the US sale price. Here in the US my size had long sold out so I would have missed these beauties otherwise. I want to echo the reviewers on the product page that these run a touch big in length, narrow in the footbed, and wider in the heel. Although my usual 7.5s fit well, I will probably need heel grips. The dorsay style is sexy but the heel detail keeps it clever and bookish. The embedded platform makes them heel height quite comfortable. I highly recommend these at the sale price if you are in need of brown leather heels but want something more unique than the usual pump.

Empire State of Outfit

Manoush dress

Spanx tights

MBMJ shoes

various necklaces and bracelets

I wore this old favorite the other day when it was slightly less brisk. The dress is by Manoush and I bought it on sale a few years back. It's hard to justify spending the extra minutes steaming a dress in the morning when you know you are going to get it all wrinkled again on your commute. But I did it anyway because I had the time to spare. Of course by the time I was able to snap some photos I was a wrinkled mess. These blurry photos are so bad. I apologize for them yet again. I need to figure out what is up with the settings on my camera that things are looking so wonky all the time.  It seems to get worse whenever I wear my glasses. Anyway, you can see how I wore this dress in the past by going here.

Wild about animal bracelets

Bracelets at Dillard's
Teen Girls' Clothes by American Eagle

When I was a teen, my mom and I would regularly take advantage of the rich antique and flea markets in Washington County and the greater Southwestern PA area. We would shop tables of estate sale wares whenever we got the chance. And until last week one of my favorite costume jewelry finds from this period was in my regular accessory rotation. It was a silver-toned animal bracelet in the shape of a leopard with black onyx spots. The bracelet closure cleverly doubled as the leopard swallowing its own tail. When I got a little older and came into contact with Kenneth Jay Lane pieces, I would smile because I had my own similar (and much much cheaper) costume piece. Sadly, last week the clasp on my beloved bracelet broke. I don't foresee any way to fix it. So I have been nostalgically (and obsessively) googling animal-themed bracelets to locate a proper replacement. I am in love with all of the above but the prices vary pretty widely. While it is possible that Kenneth Jay Lane is worth the relative splurge, I will probably end up with something a little more budget friendly (like one of the KJL for QVC pieces, which are fun too).

And the winner is...

The Uprinting giveaway of business cards is now closed and we have a winner! Congratulations to Jan Alyssa who I will contact with details on how to retrieve her price. Thank you to all the entrants and to Uprinting!

Closet Limbo Dress Dilemma

Anthro dress and jacket

Spanx tights

Chloé flats

Although dresses aren't a part of Jewish Girl's current round of "Use It or Lose It," I think my participation in the challenge has me reviewing my closet with renewed scrutiny. One of the garments currently in limbo is this Rainforest Morning Shirtdress. When I bought it, I did so because the fabric matched the lining of a jacket (the Two-Paths Trench). I envisioned a chic and 1960s-inspired skirt suit with a quiet lining surprise. And I noticed that since employing that admittedly-silly purchase rationale, I've rarely reached for it. This week I decided that I should wear it, giving myself the chance to decide if it wows me or not. In the past I've styled it with a belt and bare legs or black pieces and black tights. This time I decided to pick up the grey in the print with lighter tights and no belt.

I intended to consider the dress apart from the coat that inspired its purchase. But it seemed that I couldn't help but make the pairing on a brisk morning. I'm still undecided about the dress. What do you think?

By the way, there is still time to enter my business card giveaway! Entry couldn't be easier. You just need to leave a comment. No other strings attached!

Guide to Men's Fashion

Guide to Menswear

I have a new piece up on CBS Pittsburgh / KDKA.com on men's fall fashions. Check it out!

Forested Blazer

Forested Blazer

I really really like this Anthropologie sale piece (called the Forested Blazer) but, (1) it is still too expensive (2) especially if it isn't an additional 40% off and (3) I can't envision how to wear it professionally. Casually, it is versatile. Professionally I struggle to envision how I can wear it. And if I am going to drop cash on a blazer then it should at least be somewhat conference-friendly.

Some fit info: I am wearing a medium which fit like a glove. I wonder if perhaps I should have tried the large too. Part of my likes the snugness but that also contributes to its casual vibe. I thought the quality was there, although not for its full retail amount. The prices of recent Anthropologie pieces have been exorbitant in my opinion (even on sale). If it makes it to second cut land, I might grab one. But I have the To a Tee blazer which is basically a more neutral, easy to wear version of this.

Use it or Lose it!

Better late than never, I am excited to finally post my selections for this round of Jewish Girl's Use it or Lose it Challenge! It is my first time participating and this round focuses on shoes and cardigans. Because I recently did some weeding, I don't have a lot of unused pieces in either category. But I did temporarily rescue three pairs of flats from my blog sale. Temporary reprieves have been granted and if I don't figure out how to wear them, they're back on the chopping block! I also grabbed four cardigans. I'm a little worried that three of my cardigans are too summery to give them a fair shot. But I might reevaluate once the challenge is over, one month from now. 

Here are my "at risk" sweaters:

top row: Drapey striped cardi from Free People

Embellished ivory cardigan by Morgan (bought on vacation so it has sentimental value)

bottom row: cropped bow cardigan from anthro in mint green

boxy mustard see by chloe cardigan

Here are the shoes:

 top row: Juicy Couture red perforated leather flats

mbmj "love marc" bow shoes

bottom row: BCBG embellished rain jellies

Delman Wonder suede striped flats

Les Prairies Des Paris striped flats from Anthro are getting one more chance! Thank you to Jewish Girl for inventing such a fun challenge! I can't wait to see how everyone does.

Army and Navy

Charter Club cardigan

Anthro dress and belt

Wolford diamond heart tights

Chie Miharas

I wore this outfit to campus the other day, with the plan to really only wear army green. But I got dressed in the morning and realized that the army green top layer I needed (for warmth due to last week's cold spell) didn't match. And somehow, simultaneously it was too close in color to contrast with the dress. So I threw on some navy blue and headed out for the day. The good thing about the textured cardigan with the belt was that its textures kept things in place all day. No fussing. No adjustment. No typical belt-related annoyances. I even kept it on for the car ride home.

Business Card Giveaway from Uprinting.com

I am excited to announce that uprinting.com wants to give one of the readers of Consume or Consumed a gift of 250 Die Cut Business/Calling Cards.

When I am traveling or when I just meet someone new in a social context, I find myself wishing I had an informal "calling card." The somewhat stuffy, professional, "official University seal," business card printing that I use for work feels too formal to give in every situation. Having a stylish business card design with your info is a great way to keep contact details handy. In our overly technologized world, I really believe that giving a calling card has the potential to be more memorable than just exchanging info via cell phones. And as old fashioned as it might sound, it's just fun to exchange something material anyway!

I've used online printing sites before and have been happy with the results. I ordered save-the-date postcards for my wedding as well as last year's holiday cards this way.

Eligibility:
You must be a US resident
You must be at least 18 years of age

To enter:
Simply leave a comment with contact info (either evident in your disqus profile, via blog link, etc.) before the end of October 20th, 2011 when the giveaway will be closed.

For extra entries you can leave additional comments (one per option) indicating that you:
Follow Uprinting on twitter
Like Uprinting on facebook
Subscribe to Consume or Consumed (via google reader, friend connect, bloglovin, rss, etc.)
Like Consume or Consumed on Facebook

Buona Sera OOTD

Old Navy leather hoodie

See by Chloe Landscape print dress (similar here)

Spanx tights

Rachel Comey Barbaros

Balenciaga Day

I wore this outfit to the Italian festival in Bloomfield the other week. One of Chris's bands was playing the side stage which was exciting. Afterwards we ate dinner with a bunch of friends and danced to covers of Italian standards, such as Louis Prima's "Buona Sera," which closed the set. I wore the same outfit again this past weekend but realized I never posted it.

I am playing catch up today with some grading work but will be back later to announce a giveaway!