Pix-Elated

Just got them back! So far, so good for comfort. 

Today I was already dressed in a version of today's blog formula. The day has included errands, a haircut, downtown walking. 

And because I promised Glory, I'm adding the kimono when I join a friend on a patio for a glass of wine. 

Many times last summer I bewailed my lack of summer style. Gaylene was kind enough to share a secret. When it's too hot for toppers (my usual kick-it-up solution) try colour blocking with brights. This has been a revelation for me this summer. Simple, easy, and low fuss. So far, I've been doing it mostly with cobalt and various combinations -- black, white, cream. But I've also used navy and taupe and navy and white or cream, and white plus bright pink. Next year I think I will branch out and try a few more bright bags to give myself more options. 

Thank you, Gaylene, for sharing your wisdom. 

Skirt: Vince Camuto tube skirt
Top: Club Monaco shell
Shoes: Reiker (Angie pic)
Bracelet: from trip to England
Bag: RL
Kimono: Zara

In light of Nadya's recent question, here is my recent NY trip capsule. Trip was for 3.5 days and 4 nights. 

First, the bag. It is 21" by 11.5". Too big to carry on some flights but not others. (It was within guidelines when we bought it, but guidelines change.) In fact, I checked this bag, but if I were flying overseas I might have brought it on board. 

Inside, I had: 

#2: 3 dresses
#3  3 toppers
#4  2 shorts, 1 trouser, 2 skirts
#5  7 (!!!) tops
#6  5 pairs of shoes (one worn on plane)  2 bags. Also jewellery, not pictured. 
#7  3 Ts 

Not pictured: PJs, underwear (3 bras, about 8 bottoms), Toiletries bag (large) plus small makeup bag, large belt, and Trench coat. Also, cobalt bag, brought on plane, and small computer tote bag. 

I wore everything except the 3 ts, one of the toppers, 1 dress, 2 of the tops, the sneakers, and the pants. I had brought some of these items not knowing exactly what the weather would be or whether we might go for a bike ride or something very casual. I actually bought the pink top on the trip. 

My bag was full...but not bursting. 

WIW: 

#8: for plane ride and lunch on first day. 
BR shell, VC tube skirt, Reiker sandals, RL bag. 

#9: For dinner first night and last night. 
Cleo petites dress, SE sandals, Danier clutch.  On the last night I wore my gold slingbacks for a change. 

#10: For shopping, sightseeing wtih hubby. This is the one the streetstyle photographer snapped. 

CM shorts, AT silk shell, Reiker sandals, RL bag. 

#11/ 12: For theatre and dinner with hubs. 

VC tube skirt, Loft peplum top, Reiker sandals, RL bag, Biba vintage kimono. It was raining hard off and on so there was also a Marimekko umbrella involved. And I needed the topper in the AC. 

#13: For brunch and shopping with Mochi and Zap, and then dinner with Mr. Suz. 

BR Armani neckline dress, Danier clutch, SE sandals. I actually wore the black sandals during the day, but took a break with these at night. (For me, a change is as good as a rest!) 

#14: For hot day shopping/ lunch. 

BR silk top (pink, but not coral OR see through, as you might guess from this photo, oy!); Mexx shorts, Reiker sandals, RL bag. 

#15: Trip home. 

BR silk top, VC tube skirt, Mexx ink cardi, Reiker sandals, RL bag. 

Apologies for the long-windedness. I post mainly because quite a few people mentioned they really like trip capsules in Dana's thread. So...for those of you who love them, here it is. 

I'd like to get a new bag for fall, perhaps at the NAS. 

Right now, for winter, all I really have is a big computer tote from Danier in a sort of charcoal with an embossed snake look. (I.e. it is not snake print or variegated in any way -- just has the raised "scales" of snake in a charcoal colour.) It's a great bag, and extremely useful to me, but a bit on the dull side. 

My coats are a red wool knee length funnel neck, a navy/ black colourblock military style peacoat, and a silver grey puffer coat. 

Speaking theoretically, what colour might work best with this combination? Or with two of the above coats, perhaps? (I.e. it doesn't have to work with ALL, but should work well with more than one.) 

Thank you! 

Hot day in New York and here I am on the subway platform with my reverse twin!! Sorry the photo quality is not great, but isn't this a funny juxtaposition? 

Janet, you see I am dressing like you. 

Sveta, this is the BR top you recommended earlier in the season. I picked it up for $20 with Zap and Mochi. Perfect for the heat. A bit salmony a pink for me but it will do. 

Back from NY, where I had a lovely time. What a great city! And what a treat to meet Zap and Mochi in person. As we said about a thousand times, YLF is truly an amazing place. 

At the last minute, for reasons I can't fully explain, I went ahead and bought those specs I showed the other day. Even though the shape is quite similar to the ones I already have. 

Why? Well.... I just felt that mysterious pull, you know? I hadn't gone in looking for specs, I didn't think I wanted specs, yet the minute I tried these on, something clicked. And then I just kept going back and back to them. For one thing, the fit felt unusually good -- I have such trouble with that. But they also made me smile. 

Anyway, in my experience, it's usually a good idea to listen to these urges. I felt pretty sure that I would be sorry if I came away without them. I could get them in Canada but the cost is far higher here. So with the thought that I would at minimum be buying myself a bit of time, I brought them home. 

I CAN return them for full refund, and I have two weeks to do that. I could also exchange them for something different. 

There was another pair there that I also liked a lot. These ones are a bit smaller than my current ones and a more obviously different shape, and they were available in a blue.   They are not available in the fuchsia lined colour. They do come in purple, which I tried, but it did not look as good as this version. And they also come in a few other potentially good colours. 

I would love your thoughts on this. 

Pic 1/2: Specs I brought home with me. 

Pics 3/4: Specs I could potentially exchange these for. 

Pics 5/6: Specs I already own. (Sorry, pic quality is not great). 

Pic 7: Fun Paul Smith pair I tried. 

Pic 8: Same specs as #1, closer pic. 

Note: the lenses in the store ones are all highly reflective and they also seemed lightly tinted, which would not be true with my own lenses. 

Note again: It might be possible to have the current specs made into sunnies, another option. 

Final note: both potential new specs are in "titan" and have adjustable nose pads; my current specs are acetate. 

Thanks in advance for any thoughts! 

Tried these on quickly yesterday...fuchsia insides! (Actually, more like neon pink inside, dark red outside.) 

I can get more pics.  I see the angle is a bit funny (Mr. Suz is much taller than me) so they appear to be sitting a bit lower on my face than they are, in fact. 

Seriously. I was walking down Spring Street on my way to meet Mr. Suz at the optical shop when a woman with a DSLR camera stopped me and asked me if she could take my photograph for some magazine or blog. I thought she was joking. But no. She said she loved the colourblocking. And then she asked me to pose for her while she snapped some pics. 

In my astonishment, I didn't fully take in the name of the publication. So I have no idea whether the picture will show up anywhere, or when. 

So I took a photo myself in the specs store. 

Note: Every item I'm wearing except my earrings and bracelet has some YLF connection. 

Bag: RL (bright bags being an early YLF revelation)
Shorts: Club Monaco (just like Angie's) 
Sandals: Reiker (Angie pick)
Top: AT silk shell, kindly purchased by a YLF good-fairy and sent to me as a backup top for my gala evening -- not worn then but now getting some play. 

Styling note: this is how I have been wearing silk tops tucked with these shorts...so they blouse over the waistband and look a bit boxy. I don't know if it works, but it feels really nice on a hot, hot day. 

Clearly, I need to figure out how to make collages. Please do not feel obliged to examine these outfits in minute detail (or even at all!)

These are not the only outfits I have worn this season (obviously) but they are quite representative. Some you have seen before, mostly as "practice" outfits (when I was running a K/R thread or asking for help to choose between a couple of outfits for an occasion). Mostly, I just wanted to put them out there as record of what I've actually worn this spring and early summer, to see if I can glean any lessons from this. 

A few notes: 

• Very glad I did not dye my white jeans in the fall. They have been a blessing in this cooler spring. 
• Blue and white! Always a favourite summer combination of mine, but I seem to be favouring these more than ever. 
• The gold metallic Clarks sandals which I do not love and which do not fit perfectly have nonetheless been a workhorse and CPW is almost nil, so if I find the white replacement that I really want, I guess I can feel justified in passing them along. 
• Angie's and Inge's picks have been fabulous for me. I am wearing them in photos 1,2, 3, 4, 5,  7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19, 20, 21!! Items include: VC tube skirts, Kut white skinnies, BR textured shell, J. Crew linen boy shirt, True Religion Cameron jeans, Gap mesh sleeve sweater, CM cobalt shorts, and Leith pants. I also wore the J. Crew tux shirt a lot but for some reason I don't have a photo of it. 
• Thanks to Gaylene for suggesting a J. Crew tee. :-) I have been enjoying the quality of many of their items this year. I also really like the Club Monaco pieces I ended up keeping -- which were the shorts and the top in 8 and 24.  The top seemed expensive at the time, but is going to earn its CPW without question. I don't have a lot of pictures of it but I have already worn it a lot. 
• Thanks also to Rae for putting me onto the Equipment kitty print shirt, to Sveta and Shannon for encouraging my Danier addiction, to Sveta and MNSara and Claudia for helping with specific purchases, to Angie for suggesting wide belts (and print belts), to K for modelling how to wear a peplum top with jeans, and to Angie and the forum for helping me style my kimono!