Ensemble du Jour

The Outfit

I've been trying to be good about planning out my outfits the night before for the next day. I have a tendency to just throw something on because I'm always rushing in the morning. I'd end up wearing the same thing all the time and not wear any of my fun cool stuff.

I wanted to wear this new JCrew jacket, which I just love. It's green metallic bouclé and I like that it has a classic shape but some interesting details to it... and it was on sale! Whoo! Of course this jacket would be great with jeans (and I'm sure I'll wear it with jeans soon) but I had a client meeting so, while I could wear jeans, I didn't really want to.

So that meant a skirt. I have this dressy denim pencil skirt that is less casual but still has some texture to the dark navy fabric. Once I decided on the skirt, I was debating shoes. Oh yeah, and the fact that it was darn cold out. So I needed some tights. I had been thinking I would wear these Claudio Merazzi heels, but thought with so much green I'd be getting into leprechaun territory. And what tights would I wear?



10-28-08 by Princess Poochie

The Focal Point

I ended up deciding on navy tights and my Lela Rose navy and tan polka-dot heels. The navy tights, heel fabric and skirt give a streamlined look and the blue is equal in tone to the green of the jacket. I had a tan camisole on under the jacket which tied back to the dots in the shoes. I also wore a brooch with pearl on it. They mirrored the polka-dots. I also liked the contrast in the two patterns, especially since the jacket's is more textural and tonal.



I really like these navy tights from Target. I bought them to wear with a grey outfit (yet to be worn) but I'm happy with them here too.



I need to put an insole or heel gripper in these. They're a bit slippery, especially with having the tights on.

Week In Review

Since I've been slack in the outfit recapping department lately, I thought I would put a few of the latest ones in one big post.

The other day I wore a really comfortable green wrap dress from Target. Mine was a bit lighter green than this one but it conveys the idea. I wore a white camisole under mine just to be safe.



I wore my green jade bracelet and for shoes I wore my Sinamon sandals from Nicole Brundage.








My favorite part of these shoes are the pinked edges to the straps.







They're also very interesting due to how the straps wrap around. They are attached to the heel, go over the instep and twice around the ankle.



Yesterday I was very casual in my denim pencil skirt, a lavender tee from the Gap and my Jessica Simpson silk madras wedges.





Yes, I know. Jessica Simpson shoes. But, hey, I like the colors and think they are cute. I've come to grips with the shame.




On Wednesday I wore one of my favorite outfits. A simple 3/4 sleeve white knit top with the Mizrahi huge peony print skirt. I just love love love the giant floral print on this. So big and bright and pink.



For jewelry I wore this dainty littke necklace made of crystals and pink topaz briolettes.



For shoes I wore these little fabric mules from Kate Spade. These are back when I thought Kate Spade was doing some really fresh, unique and pretty designs. I have this same shoe in two other fabrics - a tan & black zebra and a muted mulit-stripe. But this is my favorite of the three.

And these shoes are a testament to how I treat my nice shoes with care. They are a very light color fabric shoe. You'd think they'd get dirty very very easily. And they could. But I've had these shoes for at least 9 years. And while they may be due for some new heel taps, they are almost pristine.





Kate Spade - make more pretty things like these again!











I also like how they fit right on the front of your foot. They're almost retro slipper-y in shape and, I think, ultra-girly. Another version of flower feet.

Lower East Slide

I know with all the SATC product placement giddiness everyone is gushing about the Patricia Fields kick-off party that happened in NYC. But looking at that stuff on-line, it really does nothing for me. Maybe it's supposed to be part of the aesthetic but it all looks crummy to me.

I haven't looked around the site much lately but these are one of the few things that caught my eye. I don't need more little pink sandals, but if you're in the market, they seem pretty cute and, hey, they're only 10 bucks.


They also come in green, and slightly less cute, black.

UPDATE: I've gotten some feedback that the Patricia Field's pumps are much cuter in person. If I see them myself or get some pics, I'll be sure to share. Thanks all!

Ensemble du Jour

The Outfit
A while back I stated how adorable I thought these Suley heels were from Manolo Blahnik. In person they are even more sweet.

I wore this on Tuesday and I kept it pretty neutral on the outfit. A khaki linen circle skirt and a v-neck 3/4 sleeve white top, both from Tar-get.



For jewelry I wore this two-tone vintage bangle in pink and green and a shiny pink diamond ring. It's starting to get very warm around here but in my office it's freezing. I actually had to put on the jacket that I keep in the office. Brrr!



The Focal Point
The shoesies, of course! The color combo is delicious but I love all the interesting details - the scalloping, the buckles and straps on the front and back, the pink stitching and edging. Here are tons of pictures for ya!

















Isn't it kind of funky how they look when viewed from the top?

All images enlarge huge!

Ensemble du Jour

This outfit is one of the (many) that I brought with me to New York and didn't end up wearing.

The Outfit
A v-neck grey tee with buttons bought on sale at the Gap with a green cardigan from Target. I'm wearing my cropped jeans and for jewelry I'm wearing my jade bracelet and necklace again. I'm just loving the pale translucent greens of the two pieces.



The Focal Point
But what inspired the color choices were my camo Manolo Blahnik Sedarabys. Yes, these are the same style worn in SATC ("the" silver heels in episode 83) but I think I prefer the fabric over the silver leather.









I especially like the dyed green stacked heel.



Sooo cute, right?



I know I've recently purchased a few new items. But I need to hold off on getting more new stuff and focus more on what I have. I'm going to hold off on the buying for a while (ohhh but the Pre-Fall stuff is coming. Must. Re-sist.) and see how I can mix up my current stuff in new ways.

Can we make it to the end of the year??? We'll see!

Ensemble du Jour

The Outfit
Finally, I get to wear some of my new shoes for this season. Plus a new shirt. For some reason I can't find my shirt on Old Navy's site or on Polyvore, so this will have to approximate. The color is the same but my shirt is a collarless polo with short sleeves. It was so comfy. I went neutral with a khaki skirt and brought a cropped denim jacket in case it was cold in the office.




The Focal Point
I've been waiting for a sunny day to wear these Bettye Muller slingbacks. The fabric is a pique, I think with a great botanical print. I like how the fabric is in the toe area too, although I don't want to get it messed up. It's too pretty.



I don't think I had a pair from this designer before but I really like them. They feel very solid and well made. I got them from Simply Soles. The colors are warm and a bit muted so they will go with kind of preppy-ish items as well as safari looks too.

Designer Focus - Daniel Green

I was sifting through the vintage shoes on eBay the other day and saw these amazingly decadent boudoir slippers that rivaled anything coming from Agent Provocateur or Victoria's Secret. The shape was a retro heeled slipper and they were the perfect accompaniment for the vintage slips that I am loving.



I love the almost cupcake swirly-ness of this rosette.



The Daniel Green brand has a history that goes back to 1881, when he saw factory workers wearing shoes made of leftover scraps of piano felt to keep their feet warm on the cold floors. From those humble beginnings, the company grew. It started with Daniel and his brother creating shoes in a room over their kitchen to selling over 75,000 in their 3rd year of business. Pretty impressive!

In my opinion though, the company must have been in their heyday with the styles from the 40's - 60's, which are most of the ones you see here. The colors were rich and I'm just in love with the ruffles. They almost look like shoes from the French court of Louis the XVI.



Here's a peek at some of the gorgeous pairs I found on eBay. Can't you see someone like Lana Turner or Marilyn Monroe swanning around in these and a negligee?











I got a pair of red ones like the ones just above - with the tulle and button - and a pair with the stain ruffle rosette.

You can even see the decadence in these more house slipper styles. The shape is more conservative but still with sumptuous details and fabric.







The sad thing is that the styles of the Daniel Green shoes have seemed to age as their early clientele has. The company is still around but they are much less sexy than they used to be. Maybe in the 1960's and 1970's it wasn't cool to wear feminine boudoir slippers so they had to adapt to keep going.




But now is the time to reclaim them. And eBay has some great pairs, many of which are pristine. And the cost is cheap. Usually around $15 or so. Maybe if they become big sellers again we'll see a return to the glamorous styles. If anything, you can have a lovely satiny girl-y slipper to pair with your seduction ensemble.