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Life of Colleen
OOTD; more Leather Honey and Summer Soles notes
posted by Colleen Shirazi
on
Friday, June 10, 2011
at 6:29 PM (Pacific)
Top: J.Crew Lace-stripe tissue tee in Buff
Cardigan: J.Crew Jackie in Dark Charcoal
Sunnies: gifted
Earrings: made by me (grey freshwater pearls with small aquamarines)
Skirt: gifted (denim)
Textured navy blue stockings
Boots: Cydwoq Extreme
Been meaning for a while to take a "fashion blogger sunglasses pic." :)
I've now tried Leather Honey on shoe soles. It works fine on soles which have already been scuffed some, but makes virgin soles a tad slippery. Scuff first.
On the shoes themselves: it loosens up shoes which have already fully stretched out...which can be good (my Cole Haans used to feel a bit tight at day's end).
I've also tossed my first pair of Summer Soles, meaning they lasted over nine months. I do make a point of rotating my shoes to let them dry out, but the 'Soles were getting kinda raggy. They pretty much peeled right out, leaving a slight tackiness in the heel, which disappeared when I cleaned the inside of the shoe. Much impressed...but why don't they make some with anti-microbial properties?
ETA: I did get to tuck the Lace-stripe tee into something, finally: a high-waisted skirt (same one here but in taupe).Labels: cydwoq, jcrew, maintenance, ootd, product reviews, work wardrobe
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Runfree Hosiery Repair notes
posted by Colleen Shirazi
on
Friday, June 3, 2011
at 8:08 PM (Pacific)
 Run Free Hosiery Repair
I got to try this (wouldn't you know it?) pretty much right away, when one of my stockings showed a pull—not yet a run, nor quite a hole, but sure to develop into one or the other.
This product smells strongly of chemicals when wet, but dries quickly. It's easy to use (as easy as clear nail polish would be). The advantages of this over clear nail polish are supposed to be: it won't stick to your skin, and won't dry hard. It did stick a bit to my skin (nothing a brief tug didn't fix). As promised, the product was perfectly flexible when dry.
Interestingly, it didn't quite dry clear. The area where I'd applied it showed a wee bit lighter than the stocking itself. It occurred to me perhaps I'd used too much. It just sort of melds with the stocking fabric, so you'd need only enough to cover the hole and ring of stitches surrounding it.
So far, I'm quite pleased. My next tests would be: a.) see how it fares after laundering the stocking; b.) try it proactively on not-yet-worn-out stocking toes; c.) see if I can use it to "glue" a fancy stocking in which I'd popped a stitch.Labels: maintenance, product reviews, wardrobe
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OOTD; Leather Honey review
posted by Colleen Shirazi
on
Monday, May 30, 2011
at 9:17 PM (Pacific)
T-shirt: gifted
Jacket: C&C California
Skirt: Velvet by Graham and Spencer
Boots: Cydwoq Deck
Hope your Memorial Day went well.
Would I have worn this shirt back home? smirks I was feeling sentimental, thinking about my math tutor today. He was a Vietnam veteran, and one of the nicest people I can remember from Norfolk. Always wondered what happened to him.
I tried the Leather Honey out, on the above boots and on Cydwoq Art, and the soles of my Cydwoq Extreme boots. I didn't do the entire Extreme boot because, ah, they were just polished.
Hm. First of all, it does darken the leather some. It showed more on the Art shoes, which went from a sort of greyish brownish green, to a deep rich greenish brown. I can admit I like the new color better. The Deck boots went slightly deeper...they'd already darkened some the first time I started messing around with some Meltonian shoe cream. Can I confess I like playing around with this stuff? If you've got black shoes, it's fine if they look new, but brown shoes are far more elegant aged.
I poked at the shoes after the requisite two hours had passed, wasn't particularly impressed...the real beauty appeared the following day. By then the Leather Honey had softened the leather. Ah...and if you'd applied gobs of it, supposedly your shoes would ooze Leather Honey, but these poor desiccated babies had drunk it right up. Only a slight bit of residue, to buff off with a cloth.
The Deck boots had always been kind of stiff, to the point I disliked walking in them for any appreciable length of time, but now they feel much more flexible. The Art shoes are softer now as well.
Which is great...and it's supposed to be water-resistant, but not water-proof...my remaining question has to do with extending the wear of leather soles. If this stuff can do that, it will have more than paid for itself.Labels: c and c california, cydwoq, maintenance, ootd, product reviews, velvet by graham and spencer, weekend wardrobe
1 Comment(s)
Maintenance
posted by Colleen Shirazi
on
Thursday, May 26, 2011
at 10:12 PM (Pacific)
It's—cornstarch! I posted ages ago about trying to remove an old oil stain in clothing using this. The cornstarch sucked up some of the stain...after that I tried flour, and that worked better...but only Dawn dishwashing detergent actually obliterated the stain. Yup, plain old Dawn liquid, the kind you use to hand-wash dishes.
Run Free Hosiery Repair
From another old post...I finally got some of this, but haven't tried it yet. Supposedly you can not only use it to stop runs, you can apply it on high-stress areas to prevent holes/runs in the first place.
 Leather Honey
Been meaning to try this for a while...apparently it was developed as a conditioner for leather saddles (and was known as "Harness Honey"), but it's supposed to work on any leather product (except suede). I was particularly intrigued by the idea of using it on leather shoe soles; some guy claimed his soles lasted way longer that way.Labels: maintenance, wardrobe
2 Comment(s)
I feel warmer already :)
posted by Colleen Shirazi
on
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
at 10:02 PM (Pacific)
It's getting chilly these days; I've already brought out my machine washable lambswool sweater:
Yes! I've washed it in the machine. I hate it when people review machine washable wool items before washing them. Isn't that what's really on your mind? Does it shrink? Does it pill?
So far anyway, this thing is killerific. I washed it in a mesh laundry bag (cold water, delicate cycle, Woolite), took it out...I didn't even have to pull it back into shape, just hung it on the line to dry.
Along with, J.Crew Tissue Turtleneck in Nightfall Blue:
...which is a dark teal, this velvet skirt, only in BLACK:
...black tights, boots:
I've had the skirt almost two years, from back when Sundance Catalog marked this type of thing way down. The pic doesn't really show the pockets; it has two honking cargo pockets, side pockets, back pockets...but the virtue doesn't lie in the pockets (particularly since the sweater has them), but rather in the snuggly velvet.
For this I have a necklace I made from two kinds of heavy sterling silver chain. No pic, sorry! The outfit would be too dark otherwise. One of the chains has large hammered oval links; the other, two round links soldered together, connected with textured oval links. You can wear it different ways, because you can clip the oval-link chain anywhere.Labels: cydwoq, indie, jcrew, jewelry, maintenance, music, sundance catalog, videos, wardrobe
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So, ladies, how was your weekend?
posted by Colleen Shirazi
on
Sunday, October 24, 2010
at 9:48 PM (Pacific)
Hope it was stellar.
Mine was actually pretty good, despite endless drizzle. I lived in the Seattle Puget Sound area for a while, and this weather now makes me oddly cheery (it didn't when I lived there). Chill rain, fog and gloom have a way of simplifying your life, and turning everything indoors cozy.
Time for some idle J.Crew perusal...
 J.Crew Cashmere Keyhole Sweater in Bronzed Olive
Isn't this cute? I don't like the color shown (the other three seem prettier), but the back tie is adorable.
I wish J.Crew would offer machine-washable wool items. Can the technology be that difficult? how come Boden has them? If I have to fork over to dryclean something, I factor that into the cost of the item. I'm already considering paying Boden prices—okay, I have a coupon, but they're spendy even with one—if it means I won't have to worry about the darn thing shrinking. Just saying.
 J.Crew Tissue silk drape tee in Dark Charcoal
This looks interesting though I'm not sure I like it. The front panel is silk, but the sleeves and back are tissue-weight cotton. It seems like something you'd wear to work with a cardigan or jacket, so only the silk part shows :D but who's to say? Would it be useful as both a casual and a business-casual shirt?Labels: jcrew, maintenance, wardrobe
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Random wardrobe meanderings part 22
posted by Colleen Shirazi
on
Sunday, September 19, 2010
at 7:27 PM (Pacific)
I'm trying out the "mound of cornstarch on old oil stain in fabric" thing. Supposedly (half wondering if it's an urban myth), you can remove even old oil stains in fabric, by laying the item flat and placing a small mound of cornstarch on the stain (talcum powder may be used instead). Leave it overnight...the cornstarch is supposed to suck out the stain. At most the procedure may need to be repeated.
My ModCloth Last Hurrah Sale items arrived. The two tee shirts, by Korean company POL, are as gorgeous as photographed, but they're both quite big. Usually size Large isn't, well, large. I'm going to try shrinking them in the dryer, even though they appear pre-shrunk?
The lace blouse is even more beautiful than its image...you're supposed to dryclean it though. I don't dryclean anything these days (unless it's something inevitable, like a wool suit), so I'm trying out washing in a mesh bag, cold water, Woolite, delicate cycle.Labels: maintenance, modcloth, wardrobe
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Random wardrobe meanderings part 19
posted by Colleen Shirazi
on
Saturday, September 4, 2010
at 9:28 PM (Pacific)
 Vintage Shoe Company Gentle Woman's Brogue, Sundance Catalog
Like magic, the shoes I was drooling over the other day appear, albeit only in brown, on the Sundance Catalog website (they carry some of the boots as well).
Hm. I don't require more brown shoes, but the notion of being able to try these on appeals (perhaps they'll pick up the black version later). I'll buy clothing online, sight unseen, on the strength of fashion bloggers' descriptions and photos—when I've attempted buying shoes online, it's invariably bombed. There's a dearth of Cydwoq or other alternative shoe blogs (this humble blog qualifies as one, believe it or not); the expense of shoes is unconducive to indie blogging.
Okay, should I consider the trendy brogue as my potential next shoe? Cheaper than the Thierry Rabotin's I've been randomly coveting, yet cost is not the determining factor for shoes, for me. I have shoes; I can wait. A shoe must be comfortable, ruling out many inexpensive dress shoes, and has to last (likewise).
I haven't decided yet.
 Summer Soles fabric sample
Summer Soles Ultra Absorbent Insoles review
After fiddling around with Fragrant Footings, I broke out a pair of regular Summer Soles for my Cydwoq Category shoes, worn here:
Good thing, as the weather turned summery a few times this summer! I'm happy with both versions of insoles so far. Regular 'Soles are a bit cheaper than Fragrant Footings—you could add a dash of scent to regular 'Soles I would suppose—they're both a felted blend of wool and rayon, apparently. Quite adept at keeping feet from turning soggy.Labels: cydwoq, maintenance, shoes, sundance catalog, wardrobe
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Summer Soles Fragrant Footings review
posted by Colleen Shirazi
on
Friday, August 20, 2010
at 12:01 AM (Pacific)
Yes! I tried the Summer Soles, using the particularly brutal "stockings and Cole Haan flats" test.
These were impressively easy to trim and install. I knocked a bit off the outer upper edges, and about half an inch off the bottoms. They are sticky, but not dreadfully so; you can easily lift them out as you're trying to position them.
The Absorbent Fragrant Footings are felted synthetic material, to wick moisture away from your feet and dissipate it. I got Jasmine (there's a Mint, as well). They smell of natural flowers, but I'll guess the effect is more dramatic with sandals. With closed shoes, you don't smell them at all unless you take off your shoes.
Hmmm... Definitely an improvement. I don't get massively sweaty feet, but stockings and closed shoes are not good for your feet. My feet remained quite dry. The Footings are sufficiently thin not to squeeze your feet against the tops of your shoes, but do provide a bit of cushioning.
I also like the idea of extending the life of the shoe. You're supposed to swap these out; how frequently, I've no idea at this point. I almost always rotate my shoes (trying to prolong their lifespan) so I'm hoping to extend the wear of the Footings too.
I got some regular non-scented Summer Soles; the more expensive Fragrant Footings were for the Cole Haans and my waterproof boots. (The regular ones are cheaper bought in bulk.)Labels: maintenance, product reviews, shoes, wardrobe
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Purple and brown
posted by Colleen Shirazi
on
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
at 9:27 PM (Pacific)
I was going to title this post: "Come over here and say that...punk" but, what do you write after that? "You want a piece of me?" lol So I came up with something a bit more practical.
Top: J.Crew Crinkled Chiffon Tunic in Orchid Shadow
Cardigan: J.Crew Jackie in Wild Mushroom
Skirt: gift from husband
Shoes: Cydwoq Recess
The top is my 'Crew Final Sale purchase, where I got a size 10 and shrank it in the dryer. As you can see, I have to wear a camisole under it, but it's not the end of the world. It's amazingly comfortable; feels like nothing.
My Summer Soles arrived today (that was blindingly fast). I'm going to try them out tomorrow.Labels: cydwoq, jcrew, maintenance, ootd, shoes, work wardrobe
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Hey, I want to try these...
posted by Colleen Shirazi
on
Monday, August 16, 2010
at 12:01 AM (Pacific)
summersoles.com
These purport to be insoles which keep your feet from feeling sweaty. There are several kinds...the classic Summer Soles, then 'Soles resembling suede (supposed to be better for high heels). The third type is a scented 'Sole, in either Mint or Jasmine; these also come in several shapes and fabrics.
According to the 'Soles folks, the insoles can be trimmed to fit (there is also a wide-sized 'Sole), and are peel-and-stick (but are not supposed to leave residue, so you can swap them out any time you please).
Classic 'Soles come in basic colors; suede 'Soles feature prints as well.
If these work, they will surely pay for themselves. I found some coupons on retailmenot and also tjoos.Labels: maintenance, shoes, wardrobe
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J.Crew Crinkled Chiffon Tunic Review
posted by Colleen Shirazi
on
Saturday, July 24, 2010
at 2:50 PM (Pacific)
 J.Crew Crinkled Chiffon Tunic in Orchid Shadow
Okay, so I finally went bungee jumping bought something from the J.Crew Final Sale.
After dithering, I got a size 10. I'm perpetually between sizes. Silk shrinks though, even washed in cold water; so, for this, and for natural fibers in general, I tend to size up.
I was expecting either it would fit reasonably well, and I'd breathe a sigh of relief I hadn't gotten an 8, or it would be a total feed-bag of a shirt and I'd have fun shrinking it.
Hmmm...it was a total, well, feed-bag. It's cut straight, not fitted at all; and it's gorgeous, with the fine crinkles and smoky purple color. I promptly put it into a mesh bag and washed it with my other office clothes: cold water, delicate cycle, Woolite. (The shirt is clearly marked "Dry Clean Only.")
Heheh...I removed it from the bag. Eh, doll clothes? It appeared to had shrunken a full three sizes. Upon closer examination though, the crinkled fabric had simply folded up, like those paper fans you made in grade school. Gently pulling the shirt back into shape revealed something wearable, albeit more fitted than my personal style icon would don:
 A stylish nun
I put the shirt on a hanger, and gradually it stretched out to, I believe, a fairly loose-fitting size 8. Yay!
Conclusion: if you intend to dryclean this the way you're supposed to, size down. If you want to wash it at home, size up.Labels: jcrew, maintenance, wardrobe
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Random wardrobe meanderings part 4
posted by Colleen Shirazi
on
Saturday, June 5, 2010
at 8:06 PM (Pacific)
Culled from craigslist:
I wash wool and cashmere clothes all the time < cool-water-NO-agitation > 05/24 19:57:27
Heat and agitation are what cause wool to shrink and "felt". If you don't agitate the wool and use cool water, there is no problem at all. I wash all my wool and cashmere this way; I let them soak in the washer and then go through the rinse and spin cycles as usual. I use Woolite. I do put them in lingerie bags to keep them from pilling and picking up fibers from the other wool and cashmere items. They actually come out much more soft this way than taking them to the cleaners. The cleaners use chemicals that seem to make the cashmere feel less soft.
I re-shape and then hang dry on huggable hangers. Works great for sweaters, skirts and pants. I live in a dry climate so they dry overnight in the laundry room. Also works fine for scarves, mittens, and blankets. Does NOT work for coats or jackets because the shoulders and/or lapels can get out of shape, so I leave those to the dry cleaners.
...
My wardrobe wish-list has been steadily dwindling, to the point it's next to depleted. Still, a girl needs to be surrounded by beautiful and useful objects...sighs...I'm still pining for micronet stockings:
These are the Falke version, and I'm not willing to pay Falke prices; my point is the subtlety of the pattern. If only it were easier to find stuff like that here, or find it anywhere in a range of colors. What's wrong with a simple nude micronet?
Something like this is always handy. The J.Crew "solid stretch shirt" caught my eye because it's made exactly the same as a man's shirt, rather than the usual tepid imitation. Only the dainty sizing gives it away.Labels: culled from craigslist, jcrew, maintenance, wardrobe
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How to unshrink a shrunken wool sweater, part 2
posted by Colleen Shirazi
on
Sunday, January 10, 2010
at 3:36 PM (Pacific)
See How to unshrink a shrunken wool sweater.
I did try the "soak sweater with hair conditioner" method (and have since read to use 1/3 cup of conditioner, more than I'd used before), and had gotten some results...but I've wanted to try the "soak with mild soap, don't rinse" method for some time now.
For this you are to soak the sweater in lukewarm water with a mild soap, then grab it out (no rinsing), blot excess water in the sweater with a towel, stretch the sweater back to its original shape, and dry flat.
I should say I've been avoiding sweaters that shrink in the washer to begin with. Finely-knit lambswool or merino sweaters don't shrink much, as long as you put them in mesh bags--when you take them out, you can gently stretch them back into shape and hang them on the line. It's those loosely-knit, fat-yarn wool sweaters that seem determined to lock up on you, even with the mesh bags.
I don't have much space to dry anything flat, and don't like hand-washing clothes for the same reason I avoid ironing: it's time-consuming.
Okay back to the sweater...I tried it today, using a gob-load of Johnson's Baby Shampoo (enough to make the lukewarm water a tad slippery). It did seem to relax the wool some, so I grabbed it and stretched the bejabbers out of it. Hm. It's a nice day, so I put it on the line to drip to its heart's content. It looks bigger, but I'll post back when it's dry and I attempt to put it on again.
Why so many laundry- and mending-related posts? Maintenance is always a bit more key than acquisition. Acquisition is the flashier, more glamorous topic, but where are you going to put it? How are you going to take care of it? How long is it going to last? These should all factor into the cost of the item.Labels: maintenance, wardrobe
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On washing "dry clean" clothes
posted by Colleen Shirazi
on
Sunday, August 31, 2008
at 11:21 AM (Pacific)
It's been a bit of a bugger. Drycleaning is now prohibitively expensive...I was quoted ten dollars for one dress at a local "green" drycleaners. After a paltry few wears, it would become cheaper to buy a new dress.
Some "dry clean" clothes can be hand-washed, but it's at your own risk. Silk can shrink. Some rayon does too, particularly rayon with a matte texture. Wool sweaters are the biggest bugger, since agitating them at all can produce "locking."
Clothing manufacturers have made more of their products hand-washable, that's for sure. Nine years ago, the majority of my office clothes had to be drycleaned. That worked back when drycleaning dresses cost three dollars. You simply took very good care of the dress, and wore something underneath it to stretch out the times you needed to dryclean.
But now...who has the time or money for so much fussing and drycleaning?
I feel strongly, manufacturers should re-engineer more of their clothes--aside from suits, coats and the like--to be hand-washable. You're not going to put drycleaners out of business any more than they already are out of business. They'll still have enough suits, jackets, formal dresses, et cetera.
It's a matter of design. If you know the silk or rayon is going to shrink the first time it meets water, then engineer the garment accordingly.
Basically--accept there is no longer "a wife" to take care of all of this stuff. It's the wife who needs business clothes now, and the wife doesn't actually have a wife (more's the pity).Labels: maintenance, wardrobe
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How to unshrink a shrunken wool sweater
posted by Colleen Shirazi
on
Saturday, August 23, 2008
at 6:33 PM (Pacific)
This is something I've been meaning to try for a long time. I had a wool sweater, and some bozo washed it in the machine and dried it in the dryer. It wasn't quite "doll clothes," but was too small to wear, so I put it aside until I had time to play with it.
The thing with wool is--heat causes genuine shrinkage, I think, but agitation causes what only appears to be shrinkage. Similar in concept to dreadlocks, where you have fine natural fiber, with a tendency to knit together and "lock." If the thing is doll clothes, then I say go ahead and toss it, but if it's "only just too small," it's worth a shot trying to stretch it out again.
The idea is to take your sweater and soak it in a mixture of cold water and hair conditioner. For this I got out my trusty L'Oreal Feria Deep Conditioner (you can buy it separately at a beauty supply shop like Sallys). It's what I use on my hair after I color it, so it's heavy duty.
The conditioner won't dissolve in the water, but it'll break up into little chunks. Once the sweater has soaked completely, you can rub the little chunks into the wool, gently (you hardly wish to cause more "locking"), and then stretch the sweater out. Depending on how small the sweater got in the first place, you can be fairly aggressive about stretching it.
So far it seems to be working. You won't get the sweater to its original dimensions, but soaking and conditioning the wool to relax it, then pulling it out piece by pieceLabels: maintenance, wardrobe
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