I tend to go through phases when it comes to neutrals. Five or six years ago, I had almost exclusively black or charcoal grey bags, shoes and coats. Then I switched to browns and creams, and bought almost nothing else. This year, I am finding myself drawn to navy blue and lighter greys. And it all started with this bag:

Penelope Leather Large Shopper in cobalt, from Coach

Since I rarely wear an outfit with large swathes of black, this goes with nearly everything I own. The pebbled leather nearly matches the patent trim in person, so it’s much more navy than it appears. It’s also just about the only bag I can stand from Coach right now – have you seen this?

How are these even coming from the same place? Not a fan.

The navy dominance began with the bag, and has seriously impacted the rest of my wardrobe. My favorite of the recent additions is from Martin + Osa, my J. Crew replacement (sad, but true… I was a J. Crew web shopper till last summer. I still get little boy’s shoes when I click on “dresses”.)

Pleated rayon t-shirt in echo navy, Martin + Osa

I wear this with brown tweed trousers, brown patent peep toes and gold earrings for teaching, or with jeans, grey heels and my Valentine’s Day present for dinner with friends. Prepare yourselves for lots more navy in my future.

Writing about myself is far less time-consuming than writing about stuff. I’ll still update here occasionally (maybe even monthly!), and if you’re interested, you can now find my personal blog at http://thisisforgood.wordpress.com

But almost. I’m averaging 5 hours of sleep per night. It’s 6:33 Pacific time, and I’m debating whether to eat dinner first or just go straight to bed. First year of teaching? Is HARD. Because, you know, these kids show up. Every day. And they expect you to have stuff for them to DO. Like EVERY DAY. And maybe, at the end of the year, they should remember some things about integers and fractions and like terms and the distributive property. But mostly, they’ll remember that you gave out Jolly Ranchers if they caught you making a mistake on the board, and that the first day of school you told them the only gum they were allowed to chew was the gum they found already stuck under their desks.

But, I do wear clothes. Every day. And I’ve found some really cute ones recently. Like exactly the white shirt I’ve been looking for – the sleeve length is perfect, especially layered with this, which I own in 3 colors (the kelly green is a favorite). And like this, in both black and grey. I wore the grey one with a light blue button down shirt tucked into the waist, which prompted all my students to ask me why I was so dressed up.

One day, I also wore my hair au naturale (read “CURLY”) which prompted one of my students to ask “What happened to your hair?”

Ah, 8th graders.

Photos of the things I mentioned are below. I’m off to bed, grateful that tomorrow is polo-and-jeans day, because I think all of my other teacher clothes have to be either washed or ironed, and that is simply not happening on a morning when I get up at 2:30 to grade papers. (Yes, for reals.)

Merona Pinstripe Skirt, from Target

Essential short sleeve button front shirt, Calvin Klein

Essential cotton short sleeved cardigan, J.Crew

I (sometimes) buy cheap shoes. I know, they won’t last beyond this season. But Payless? Rocks my socks. I think they do a fantastic job following current trends, which (let’s face it), often change so fast that those expensive shoes end up in the back of your closet anyway. AND it’s BOGO time. How could I resist?

American Eagle Captain Boat Moc in Navy, Payless Shoes
These also come in red and a terrific kelly green. I bought them as teacher work week shoes – more appropriate (and OSHA compliant!) than flip flops, but not as dressy as my other teacher shoes. I have a terrible time with in-between clothes. Either I’m in jeans, flip flops and a t-shirt, or I’m in something that’s probably dry-clean only. What to wear to school when there are no kids there and I’ll be standing on ladders hanging stuff on my walls?? Anyway, the shoes are a nice addition to that in-between wardrobe.

Linen Kastle Tassel Sling, Payless Shoes
I’m going to wear Payless shoes with the poplin BCBG dress. I think in some circles that might just be a fashion crime, but they’re exactly what I was looking for. Quit judging me!

I went to the Americana yesterday with a mission – to find a dress to wear to a rehearsal dinner this Friday. Really, everything had been looking a little blah online, I’m fed up with J. Crew’s redesign (still!), and with less than a week to find the right dress… it was time to hit the streets.

I’m an overachiever. I found two. And bought both. They were on sale, plus an additional 20% off in store, AND I wear dresses to church almost weekly. Totally worth it.

I would never have ordered either of these dresses after seeing the pictures online – they look kind of boring. But on a real person? Adorable. This is why I love real-shopping. If I can’t touch it, turn it around and try it on, I have no idea if I’ll like it. Weird lighting and grumpy models can totally ruin the online-shopping experience. And the salesperson at the store was incredibly helpful, which is more than I can say for most online “customer service.”

It was tempting to just leave this post until later, when I could take pictures of myself IN the dresses – but I don’t have time to do that today, and I could really use the internet’s advice. So without further blathering on…

Matte jersey dress in frost combo, from BCBGMaxAzria
An empire waist dress that shows off your waist and doesn’t make you look pregnant. I promise. CM said it looked like a “princess dress”, which I translated as male for “lovely blue color with a pretty neckline.” This fabric is amazing and absolutely refused to wrinkle when I wore it to church this morning, which makes this a great piece for travel. It’s cool and comfy and I think I could wear it every day. Oh, and a twiggy little girl working at Gilly Hicks complimented me on it today. (Seriously, I could have put her in my pocket. She was tiny.)

Cotton poplin dress with colorblocked cummerbund, from BCBGMaxAzria
Crisp and pretty, and the waist is low enough that it actually accentuates your waist, instead of making it appear that your ribcage is your narrowest part like some dresses I’ve tried (ahem). The cummerbund is super flattering; that dark color really narrows the waist. I felt like I had dropped 5 pounds just by putting it on. And the pleated skirt makes me feel like a girly-girl.

So? Opinions? I need to have a verdict by Friday! Which do you think I should wear for the rehearsal?

Coach is the first designer I really fell in love with. Yes, I’m sick of the signature Cs too, in all their various incarnations – “scribble” and “patchwork”, I’m looking at you. Especially in LA, fakes abound (here’s a hint: if the purse you’re thinking of buying says “GO”, it’s telling you to run the other direction). But… I’m loyal, and Coach holds lovely memories for me. CM splurged and surprised me with my first designer bag, a signature demi in khaki/brown the first summer we were dating, which just goes to show you how long we’ve been together – this was well before everyone was carrying bags large enough to double as a tent for a family of four.

Each season they have some hits and some misses, but I’m excited for autumn because the tattersall is my favorite thing they’ve done in a long time. I’m so glad they’ve brought it back for another year, in a greater variety of bags this time. Last year I was thisclose to buying what I’m pretty certain was a diaper bag, due to the limited tattersall selection. This is a problem no more.

 

Heritage Stripe Tattersall Tote, from Coach
This, of course, is the bag I was looking for last year. I could do without the giant horse and carriage, but the print is so worth it. The stripe on the hangtag is adorable too. Love.

 

Women’s Tattersall Walking Coat, from Coach
Want to really commit to the tattersall look? This is the coat. Notice that the coat by itself is a commitment. Together, the coat and the bag (and the umbrella I bought last year) would just be overkill. One at a time, girls, one at a time.

For those of you who are scared of commitment:

Bleecker Tattersall Ponytail Scarf, from Coach
“Ponytail scarf” doesn’t even begin to cover it. Maybe “ponytail-headband-belt-handbag-accessoring scarf” would be better. What I’m saying is, it’s versatile. And cheap(ish)! A darling way to bring this print into your everyday wardrobe.

Madison Leather Foldover Clutch, from Coach
No tattersall on the outside of this one – instead, it’s a lovely little gift for your eyes only on the inside. Really, they don’t even show the lining on the website, so I’m taking their word for it that there is tattersall in there somewhere. It’s such a great clutch that I just might not care…

Heart Locket Keyfob, from Coach
Aaaand this one has no tattersall at all. For fall. But I’ve had a different pink Coach heart locket as my keychain for years (this one, only lighter) and I’ve dropped my keys so many times, the magnet closure no longer works. I think it’s time for a replacement. [On a side note, am I the only one who drops her keys on the ground daily? I also run into things... a lot. I'm sort of wondering if the key-dropping is a side effect of my general clumsiness. Hmmm...]

Oh. My. Word.

Such pretty stationary. I would like one of everything, posthaste. Seriously. Take a look at their extensive selection and you’ll be right there with me, wondering what the credit limit is on your Visa so you can wallpaper your home with their notecards. (If Mir were reading this, she would fall down dead. Shhh, don’t tell her.) P.S. This kind of temptation is why I don’t want an Amex.

Of course, I’m going to share my favorites with you.

 

Ann Tile notes in bright pink, from Boatman Geller

Dot blue with brown notes, from Boatman Geller

Criss Cross address labels in light blue and brown, from Boatman Geller

All these are lovely, of course, but now it really gets interesting. I really love the square stickers below, and want to do some “from the library of” for my books. How in the world do I choose between these?

Madras Patch sticker in pink, from Boatman Geller

Polka dot brown sticker, from Boatman Geller

Rugby stripe sticker in blue and brown, from Boatman Geller
This one has a slight edge, because I could include CM’s name and not make the labels exclusively girly. Most of the books I loan out are mine and not his anyway. But even if I did only include my name, I still kind of love this label. They carry a notepad in this same theme that would be perfect for my teacher desk – the palette matches, and the design is unisex enough that I could use it to write notes to any my 8th grade students.

Still… the madras! The dots! You understand my dilemma.

And last but not least:

Seahorse/Madison mocha coasters, from Boatman Geller

*sigh*. Hide my wallet, would you?

No, they aren’t as preppy as J. Crew… but their website isn’t driving me batty either.

Martin + Osa has a store just a hop skip and a jump down the road from my beloved J. Crew at the Americana at Brand. It first caught my attention because their mannequins are beautifully styled – impeccably polished, and eye-catching (obv) even though the clothes are so simple. Their staff is always attentive without being pushy, and the fitting rooms are a dream: they remind me of the interior of a sauna at some posh spa somewhere (minus the sweating and hair-ruining humidity, of course).

At the moment, I’m not thrilled with the new collection they have online, BUT! Their online sale section is fantastic, and has probably twice the merchandise. Here’s what’s in my bag:

Summer sleeve scoopneck tee in marine blue, Martin + Osa
They’ve taken a basic tee and made it stand out by taking care with the details. The rolled sleeves are what ensured that this landed in my shopping bag, and the gorgeous blue doesn’t hurt either (though it is available in other colors).

Silk scoopneck blouse in ebony black, from Martin + Osa
Beautiful and versatile. I tried it on in “passion pink” in the store, and it just wasn’t the color for me, but the fit was lovely. In black, I’m pretty sure this will become a bi-weekly wear, and will stay in rotation well into the fall (it is southern California after all).

Weekend washed shirt in studio cream, from Martin + Osa
I would wear this shirt just like this… well, probably with the sleeves cuffed. I love it when retailers show you an item like it’s meant to be worn.

Cashmere + silk tee in shore blue, from Martin + Osa
Mmm, saving my favorite for last. Tangent: Sadly, this is a replacement for a J. Crew outlet purchase in a similar color that didn’t stand up well to a season of washing and wearing. I love the style of their outlet clothes, but suspect that the quality is not quite the same as you’d find in their traditional stores. I expect this lovely piece will wear better, and I can only imagine how soft it is. Beautiful.

More to love about Martin + Osa: free shipping, free returns, shop by outfit and layer your own look. You’re welcome. Here’s hoping they expand those last two features as they grow!

Deep down inside, I know that pretty much everyone in fashion makes liberal use of photoshop. But it’s still disappointing when it comes from one of your faves.

J Crew: Does This Make My Cutout Look Fat? from Photoshop Disasters.

This dress, from Ann Taylor?

Trellis Print Dress, from Ann Taylor

Seem familiar? Hm…

Parker Dress in Paint the Town Plaid, from Lilly Pulitzer 2007

Not an exact replica, obviously, but close enough to notice. It’s a shame I like the Lilly one so much better – the Ann Taylor is on sale.