Vacation Days

I spent part of this weekend dipping into impossibly cold water, soaking in the sun and swinging in a hammock while writing in my journal. And it was perfection. I've recently been fighting the urge to flit off somewhere. It's monetarily impossible at the moment and I'm not really a risk taker, but whenever the thought crosses my mind these days, my chest fills with excitement and fear. The presentation of the resort collections only compounds these feelings. All I want right now is the freedom of the beach and a boat and all of the beautiful clothes that such a life would entail.

Today, unable to focus on the task at hand, I found myself browsing online for those types of clothes. Easy pieces that one can just throw on. Items meant for lounging. Sweet dresses and cute espadrilles and simple denim. This has been a theme with me recently, as should be obvious if you've read my past few posts. But today I took it a bit further. Instead of a piece here and a piece there, I constructed a whole vacation wardrobe. And yes, sometimes one needs a vacation from the drudgery and frustration and heartache of being unemployed for a long stretch of time.

A fantasy warm weather vacation can't exist without a bit of Pucci. Or a caftan, for that matter. This dress covers both categories.


And of course I'll need a minidress.


And one that grazes the knee.


And a necklace that melds perfectly with all three.


But occasionally I might crave a little nighttime sparkle. Especially when it involves no zippers or buttons.


I wouldn't be able to live on dresses alone. Well I could, but there would be days when hammock napping or quick jaunts to the beach would be called for. And none of those dresses would really do for any of that.

This top, however, is perfect for wearing over my bathing suit.


With these shorts.


And both would easily fit into my beach bag when I finally decided to trade sand for surf.


For quick trips into town to buy supplies, this top has the ease I'm looking for without the boredom.


And these jeans could go everywhere with everything.


I'm having a big Phillip Lim moment currently. I could live in his line and T by Alexander Wang and Current/Elliott and Ella Moss and Loomstate through my whole non-fantasy vacation summer.


Oh, and Thakoon.


I chose simple shoes. Shoes that would go with many different outfits. Shoes good for walking around old cities with cobblestones and winding streets. Shoes that can be carried as you walk by the beach. Nothing with too high a heel. Practicality above all else.

And since we're discussing practicality, we'll begin with the flats...


And the sandals.


Nothing quite says summer like a pair of espadrilles...


Or two.


And after they all arrived from their various stores and online homes, I would throw them in here with other necessities, perfume, that copy of Madame Bovary I have yet to finish and one PowerBook.


And then I would flit.


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What About This? (Special Birthday Encore)

I promised, as part of her birthday celebrations, a new post for the first of my styling guinea pigs. The first time round, she gave me free rein when it came to price range. And when let loose, I pick things like Wolford tights and Jimmy Choo booties. So for this birthday edition, she asked that I try to at least be reasonable. So I gave myself a ceiling. No single item over $100. Thankfully, with everything on sale everywhere from Old Navy to Barneys, this didn't prove as difficult as it might have been in previous years.

In fact, I found so many things that I think organizing them into outfits could cause my brain to implode. But then, how to organize them? Day/Night? Work/Play? By Store?

Instead we're going by type of piece, much like this post that I wrote for myself.

Things for the top half

One


Two


Three


Four



Things for the bottom half

One


Two


Three



Things for the whole

One


Two


Three


Four


Five



Things that keep out the cold (or are supposed to...)

One


Two


Three



Things for the feet

One


Two


Three


Four



Thing[s] to carry

One



Things to ornament

One


Two


Three


Four


Five


Six


And one for the head



So that last one broke the rules. But only by six bucks.

It was a necessary evil.

HAPPY (almost) BIRTHDAY KELLY!


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Come Sail Away

Last summer, I went on the hunt for a dress for a wedding I had to attend. It took forever. Mostly because I was looking for a dress to become The Wedding Dress™. Something I could pull out for the next few years and wear whenever someone was getting hitched. I chose a summery yellow because, let's be honest, most people get married in the late spring, the summer or the early fall. The shape could accommodate weight fluctuations. It fell right above the knee. You could easily throw a cardigan over it for chillier events. It fit all of my criteria.

This, of course, didn't stop me from thinking about what I might want to wear to this wedding if I could have a new dress.


Yes, I know those are sailboats. Yes, I realize that it's basically a sack, and, therefore, I should want none of it. But every time I've gone on one of my luxury department store jaunts recently, I've picked up this dress. And longed for it. Deeply.


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Oceanfront

I could go down the typical female route here and say that I hate shopping for bathing suits, but that would be a lie. I love shopping for anything. Books. DVDs. Baked Goods. Groceries. Pens. (God I love pens. I used to horde my pens in middle school. And each class had a different color pen assigned to it for note taking. And I placed them in the individual pen holders in the front pocket of my L.L. Bean monogrammed backpack. Because I was, and am, a dork. And that is what dorks do.)

During that extremely warm spell we had here in New York a month ago, I pulled out the brown tankini that I bought three summers ago. I hadn't worn it since last summer and decided that I should see how it fits before swimming season begins in earnest. The results were not good. There was a lot of unfortunate sagging, and it was instantly clear that it would have to be replaced.

When it comes to bathing suits, I go for function over style. I try to remember function when shopping for most of my clothes, but I have bought things that border on ridiculous. However, there is room for more freedom in my clothing purchases as I don't have to go swimming in them.

And that's what bathing suits are for above all else. Swimming. Maybe it's that tanning never enters my consciousness because I am brown to begin with, but I can't imagine buying a suit that's only purpose is looking pretty. That's like buying a pair of jeans that can only be worn while standing. I can't fathom such a thing. So I end up with suits like these.

From Urban Outfitters:


From J.Crew:


Functional yet pretty. Versatile enough that I wouldn't have to buy a new suit for a few years. I can, however, become easily seduced by suits like these.

From Anthropologie:


From J.Crew...again:


(Yes, I know that last one involves seersucker. I stopped denying my preppy leanings about four years ago.)

These suits, while perfectly fine for others, would never work for me. Like with my real clothes, I need structure. And these have little. But as with the double-breasted coats, I am tempted.

And then I remind myself that flashing half of the beach while playing in the surf is never, ever a good thing.


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The Tiara

I'm still wavering about what to wear for my birthday. At the moment, nothing in my closet is appealing to me. There is one item, however, that is firmly decided upon.


I bought this tiara last year for my 25th. It was about $3 at the local Party City. I didn't spend long in the birthday-related aisle before making my way to the cashier with this one in tow. I wasn't very excited about the prospect of turning 25. In fact, I dreaded it. Feeling unaccomplished while turning a year older never leaves one ready to party. Especially when that birthday is a milestone. But something about the pink and the purple and the general sparkliness made me giddy. It reminded me of the silver Happy Birthday tiara my mother presented me with on my fourth birthday. I sat in the middle of the living room with my legs crossed opening my presents and feeling particularly special and loved.

I don't remember the gifts I received that year. There were possibly a few Barbie related items and some clothes, but I remember the tiara. I held onto it for years. It might still be hiding somewhere in my mother's house. Hidden along with the now frightening doll that's heart and crown only lit up when you shook her as hard as you could. (Thank goodness I didn't have any younger siblings that my little self could try this trick on.)

To say that I'm feeling anxious about the prospect of this upcoming birthday wouldn't be a stretch by any means. But one thing that does calm me about it is this plastic novelty. Looking utterly ridiculous walking along Brooklyn streets while receiving Happy Birthdays from strangers. Taking many pictures as it sits upon my head.

Blowing out a candle set in my favorite restaurant's bread pudding and making a wish.

Birthday Wishes

Last year I spent the first part of my birthday celebrations in a short gray dress that I wore with black tights. I spent the entire evening pulling at my hem. And though I looked pretty, I wasn't exactly comfortable. Obviously there are times when comfort should be eschewed. A special occasion, like turning 25, is one of those times. But for 26 I've decided all I want is the simplicity of what already sits in my closet.

If this were a different time with different circumstances, I would look outside of my own closet, but the simplicity would remain.

I rarely wear things with high necks. Scoops and Vs are all I own. High necks plus a sizable chest can often lead to unfortunate lumpiness, so I tend to avoid the combination. This top floats in a gentle way. And the flowers add just the right amount of detail.


Now that the weather had turned around, I like to spend my time wandering through different parts of Brooklyn. Usually these wanderings end with me in some boutique or another trying on things I'm not going to purchase. But then I ran into these jeans during a jaunt through Beacon's Closet. There they were. Slim and perfect and $20. Too bad the fact that they were one waist size too small made the act of sitting impossible. And no matter what my best friend says, I can't imagine owning a pair of pants only meant for standing.


I discovered these pumps when doing an assignment for a job I was applying for. And though I'm pretty sure at this point that I'm not getting it, I'm happy that it led me to these.


This is how I want to spend my birthday. Without the tugging and the pulling and the worries.

And maybe with this cake.



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