Comments (16)

By kilax, August 29, 2009 8:40 am

I’ve been craving a new wardrobe lately. I think this is a fall thing. Yeah, it’s not “fall,” but we’re definitely having fall weather here. Plus, I am going to Washington D.C. soon for a work trip. I’ll be in a conference all week, and my logic is – “I NEED A NEW OUTFIT FOR EACH DAY!” Uh… these are people I have never met*. How would they know if my outfit was new or not?

The bummer is, I am on a total spending freeze and have been for a few months. I’m only spending money when it’s in gift card form.

But, that doesn’t mean I can’t look! Here are some of the tops that have caught my eye lately. They all seem to have a fun detail to them – which probably means they will be dated in a few years. Oh, and they all seem to be somewhat similar to clothes I have NOW – another reason I don’t need them!

From New York & Company:

Looks like the mustard color is still in style!

From Ann Taylor:

From Banana Republic:
(actually have a large gift card to here, but need to lose weight – their clothes are too expensive to buy in a bigger size – I’ve gotten burned that way before)

Actual Gift Card Buys:

And here are my actual gift card buys. The first one is from JCPenney. I got that top in that design (but in purple, not blue) and in black. The second two tops are from Kohl’s. I bought those with a pair of pants. I didn’t like the top at first, but then saw that the mannequin had it on with the flyaway cardigan, and it looks really cute together.

What are you lusting after these days?

*Except for the one coworker I am going with.

Comments (23)

By kilax, June 25, 2009 6:05 am

I hate how I can feel my inner thighs rubbing together* when I wear a skirt. But… I love how breezy it is on hot summer days. Comfort (temperature) wins!

Yesterday was my second quarterly panel report, so I wore a skirt/suit outfit. Then there was a discussion within my team about the merits of wearing a skirt. Some people actually have very strong opinions about wearing or not wearing a skirt. I was kind of surprised. But kind of not. Because some people just like to present their opinions in that strong manner.

Anyway, I have a big box in my closet full of skirts. I got it down this morning and pulled out one of my favorites – this brown/black/orange/white floral print from H&M.

I’ve had this skirt a couple of years, but I just can’t find the right top to wear with it.

With the heat we’ve been having, I’ll probably be wearing skirts more often this summer than I normally would. I just hope I don’t get too much flak about it. Because people generally don’t like to be teased about what they are wearing. Or really, even have it noticed, unless it’s to give a compliment.

*Will they ever NOT rub together…?

Comments (23)

By kilax, April 4, 2009 6:38 am

Update 4/10: Photos are available on the Glamour website now.

I was flipping through the May issue of Glamour last night and I came across a page with a gorgeous, curvy model wearing a bikini.

She looks AMAZING!!!

“Oh my gosh!” I thought, “They are actually showing a realistic looking model that has a body that looks like mine!”

I was excited. Then, I realized the entire photo shoot was that one, gorgeous, curvy model. And then I was ecstatic. Giddy. Excited. All by a swimsuit photo shoot!

I love this suit. I could see myself wearing it.

The article is called “Now That’s A Sexy Swimsuit!” and features model Crystal Renn in 5 different swimsuits. I tried to find it on the Glamour website to share with you, but couldn’t (so I scanned these two photos to share).

Props to Glamour for actually showing a realistic looking model in some attractive swimsuits. I am going to have to write them a letter telling them how inspiring it was to see someone I can actually relate to… and that it actually made me look forward to buying a swimsuit this year!

This photo shoot, and a few other blogs I’ve been reading have got me thinking about swimsuits. I have a pretty good swimsuit story, that I actually feel represents a good era of my life, when I wasn’t preoccupied with my body image or food all the time.

My father and I visited Spain in the summer of 2002 with my classmates and Spanish teacher (one of those trips). My mom helped me shop for the trip. I picked out a couple of swimsuits, one being a bikini that she ABSOLUTELY was opposed to me wearing. She called it my “Eye Patch and Dental Floss Swimsuit.” If you look at the photo below, you’ll see why.

Of course, I had to wear it while I was there, just to spite her! Muah ha ha.

I talked to her last night on the phone, telling her I was going to post about it. “You know,” she said, “it was not that I thought you looked bad in the bikini, it was just that I thought you were showing too much skin.”

She’s probably being sincere. But now I realize I DID LOOK BAD, but am happy to report at that time in my life I DID NOT CARE. Without going into too much detail, let’s just say… I became very indifferent to what others thought of me in high school. That’s not to say I had a 100% healthy self esteem, but that I had a very healthy outlook on my appearance. I didn’t worry about how I looked, what others thought of me, or what I ate. As you can see in the photo, maybe I didn’t look that great – but I didn’t care.

Ignorance was bliss, in that case.

It’s not until I got to college that I started to think about food, weight, exercise and apperance. So every once in awhile, especially around swimsuit season, I think of this silly photo, and the time in my life it represents.

Comments (19)

By kilax, April 2, 2009 6:32 am

It’s happening again. When I walk past Ann Taylor** on my way to work, when I read InStyle, when I run an errand at Sears during lunch… I am noticing dresses and find myself wanting to try them on!

I finally did go to White House | Black Market in November to check out that dress I had been eying. I was with my mom and grandma, and we were at Water Tower Place in Chicago. We went in to the store and I feel in love with every dress, but tried nothing on. I didn’t need one. I just wanted one!

Of course, my mom didn’t understand this, so for the rest of the shopping trip, she kept pointing out dresses to me, then bought me a very pretty one for Christmas. Love my mom.

So, now it’s happening again. I see dresses I want to try on. I usually resist the urge for two reasons – I have no need for a new dress, and I have very muscular legs… that don’t always look so great in a dress. Plus, I do have some cute dresses at home already (example one and two)! They may be too big for me now, but I should at least try them on before I go shopping.

Or maybe I should just say “what the hell” and try some new dresses on anyway. It can’t hurt. And there’s that wedding we’re going to in July…

Here’s a small sample of some of the dresses catching my eye now:

Hey, does that one in the middle remind you of Miranda’s dress from the Sex in the City movie?

I really love black dresses and also ones with big floral prints!

*Day dreaming only. My actual dreams last night were about a client. I won’t go into details, but if I am up and can’t sleep because I am dreaming about a client… that’s not a good sign.
**Someone, please explain the difference between Ann Taylor and Ann Taylor LOFT. Diane…?

Comments (19)

By kilax, March 28, 2009 8:34 pm

Has anyone else noticed that all of the women’s exercise clothes this season seem to be pink or green?

Good thing I like pink and green!

I was at Kohl’s on Friday, and decided to buy some of their Nike workout clothes to try during my practice runs, in hopes I can wear them at the half marathon. I showed them to Steven tonight, and he had two comments – “White? You’re very brave,” and “That looks like a soccer uniform.”

Ha. I am not surprised about the last comment – that is what attracted me to the white and green tops in the first place – they reminded me of shopping for soccer jerseys. I played soccer for a few years in high school, and my friends (okay, FRIEND) and I were really into it. We loved to go to Scheels, our local sporting goods store, and look at all the cool soccer gear.

Maybe someday I’ll get back into soccer. Maybe there’s still hope that I could actually become good at it!

Comments (21)

By kilax, March 11, 2009 5:02 am

This article in the paper got me thinking – basically, it says retailers are more likely to listen to customer’s requests for clothing design now, because of the declining economy. Retailers are working hard NOT to turn off any potential customer. And apparently, those customers are requesting… more coverage?

People are asking for “…a decent supply of sleeved shirts or prom dresses that show more fabric than skin.”

“People want to be more comfortable and more covered.”

vs.  

Hmm, I guess I’ll buy that. I don’t want to see my coworkers walking around in a Britney Spears-esque outfit flashing their reproductive organs, and I HAVE seen my fair share of slutty prom dresses! But I can appreciate some muscular legs, a nice neckline or bare arms (apparently, a lot of people are appreciating Michelle Obama’s!) when displayed appropriately.

What would you ask for if the retailers would listen?

I would ask for pants that are the right size at my hips, but not too tight in the butt. And button-down tops that don’t gap because of my (once, *sniff sniff*) mammoth sized breasts. Oh yeah, and how about some longer tops? Thankfully, they’ve picked up on that last one, but the others…?

Comments (16)

By kilax, February 28, 2009 8:21 am

I love Target for inexpensive “I’m in between sizes” clothing. A lot of my work pants are too big now (and the one pair that fits has a hole that needs to be fixed) and some tops are as well. I would love to go drop the cash at Banana Republic and buy the pants I really want (hello, Martin fit), but what is the point when I am losing weight?

I noticed something funny yesterday when I was trying on tops – everything I tried on was either teal or a ruby shade! I guess jewel tones are in!

Has anyone else noticed this? An abundance of emerald green, amethyst purple, ruby red, topaz yellow, sapphire blue, turquoise blue, and tourmaline green (color descriptions taken from here)? It seems that I read about these shades in one of my magazines… of course now, I don’t recall which.

These photos don’t do the tops justice – trust me, they’re cute. And what is the deal with the Target models? Are they not allowed a full head?

Is anyone else trying out the jewel tones?

I sure am! I just hope I can still wear my plum and mustard clothing. I invested quite a bit in plum, and have even been rockin’ a mustard top (although a timid one) lately.

Click here to read about another blogger who loves jewel tones! Oh, and after watching Star Trek: The Next Generation with Steven last night, I realized their uniforms are jewel-toned as well. Ha ha.

Comments (20)

By kilax, February 6, 2009 6:42 am

What is your opinion on wearing a uniform to work or school? Would you be upset if you had to wear one, or happy?

Last week, I was discussing work attire with two coworkers, and one of them asked me what the dress code was at Steven’s office. I told them that Steven wears a long-sleeved button-down shirt with the company logo and his name on it almost everyday, every week.

They were very excited about this.

“Wow, that sounds great! I would love to wear a company shirt and a pair of khakis each day!”

“It would be so much easier!”

I thought about it, and although it would be easier and save time, I think I might miss wearing “my own” clothes after awhile. I don’t have great style or anything, but it might get old to see everyone wearing the same thing, day after day.

Now that I think about it, this question should be asked directly to my dad, who is a mechanic, and wears those blue Dickies almost 365 days a year, and has as long as I can remember.

Comments (17)

By kilax, February 1, 2009 9:35 pm

Blog friends, I need some fashion advice.

Remember when I mentioned my sore neck and shoulder a couple of weeks ago? Well, I decided to stop using my super heavy shoulder bag for awhile, and use a messenger bag instead. The problem is, the only messenger bag I have at home is this awful one from college – please see the photos below.

This messenger bag seems to be in a TON of my photos from living in Italy.

It worked well for me then! But it’s time for something new – uh, and a bit more professional.

(Apparently, even Steven used it!)

The bag seems to be working well – my neck and shoulder do not hurt as much. But, as you can tell from the photos, it has a very “college” look to it. I feel like a doofus carrying in on the train and into the office.

Can anyone recommend a more professional-looking messenger bag? I only prefer that:

• It be big enough to carry a newspaper, small lunch bag, wallet and little toiletry case
• Not be made of leather (or other animals products)
• Close with a zipper

Any ideas/suggestions? Thanks!

Comments (15)

By kilax, November 3, 2008 5:19 am

A few months ago, I decided it was time to quit chewing my nails for good. I’ve gone through many phases of not chewing my nails – it never lasts very long though. I end up get stressed out at work, usually on a Monday afternoon, and chew every single one off. Sometimes, I would just go into the bathroom, take the clippers out, and cut all my fingernails there so my coworkers won’t be annoyed by that biting noise (because it really, really annoys me!).

What was different this last time? Really, it’s a mix between an appearance and work-related thing. I don’t like the look of short, stubby, bleeding fingernails (duh), but I also do a lot of pointing and explaining at work. I print out a plan, section, elevation, whatever, and say – “This is where such and such will be” or “This is how I imagine this will work.” If someone was presenting something to me, and had those nasty fingernails like I used to, I would be distracted!

This time, to get myself to stop, I just painted my nails in one of my standby OPI shades – No Bees Please, from the GardenParty collection. I only put on two coats, and it turns into a nice, natural, sheer pink. Every time I looked down at my nails, and saw that pretty shade, I thought about how nice it looked, and how much nicer it would look if I would quit chewing them.

A friend introduced me to the OPI nail polish brand quite a few years ago, and I have been hooked ever since. Their polish is the highest quality I have ever used. It seems to always go on smooth, and does not chip for a long time (sometimes 5 days or more!).

I usually do stick to sheer shades, but have been branching out more lately to try some darker ones – see Crêpes Suzi-ette and Eiffel For This Color, above (along with two other sheers I like).

I always paint my nails at home though. I got a manicure ONCE. On a whim. At one of those “college-salons” where people go to learn how to cut hair and poor college students go to get their hair cut. The girl who did my nails did SUCH AN AWFUL JOB, that I picked the nail polish off as soon as I got away from her, and stopped at a store on the way home to buy those travel nail-polish remover pads. (She didn’t let the base dry and put it on WAY too thick. Duh.)

That turned me off manicures. Of course, I realize that was just her, and not all are that bad. But if I can do a decent job at home, I just do it there.

It’s easy with sheer colors, but the dark ones are different. Mistakes are more noticeable! You really have to devote the time and patience to putting on the dark colors at home. Below are a few tips I read in the November InStyle about wearing dark polish:

• Keep Them Short: Trimming the nails to 1/4″ past the fingertip keeps them looking more modern. You’ll be able to tell if it looks a little… vamp! Time to trim!
• Be Well Rounded: Have you heard of the “squoval”? That is the shape salons recommend for nails – a rounded off square (hence, squoval). Straight hard edges look a little – straight and hard and uptight!’
• Take Your Time: Set aside an hour – dark shades dry slowly. I like to read blogs or type while mine dry!
• Stay Smooth: Moisturize and take care of those cuticles!

And my advice? This is only from experience of mistakes I’ve made.

• Use a Base Coat: Dark polishes STAIN your nails. Use a base coat so it won’t be as difficult to remove the polish, and you won’t have funny colored nude nails!
• Try One Coat: After the base, apply one coat. It may be enough! These dark colors put a lot in on one coat, unlike a sheer, where you have to apply a few shades.
• Add a Clear Top Coat: If you do go with one coat, think about adding a clear top coat for a bit of shine and to protect your nails.

And two general tips:

• Buff Your Nails: Use a 4-way buffer stick. They work wonders and smooth our your nails beautifully. AND add shine!
• Know the Return Policy: If you are spending $8.50 on a bottle of OPI nail polish, make sure you can return it. Ideally, you can use those little fake nails thing in the store to see if the color will work on you, but they might not have them. I really thought Tickle My France-y was going to look great on me, but it didn’t. I gave it to a friend who thought it would look nice on her, and it didn’t (who does this polish look nice on?!). A friend told me I could return it at Ulta. Phew. They’re not all meant to be!

Any advice/favorite brands to share with me? What polish are you wearing these days, if any?