J.Crew Camden leather brogues in light ginger, nutmeg and black
I bought these a while back, actually, during one of J.Crew's discount-on-top-of-sale things, and I've worn them several times now—I got the black ones, despite the allure of the other tasty tones, on the notion they would be far more useful. (Don't you often find yourself gravitating towards your black shoes?)
There was advice to go up half a size for these, which I did initially, but it didn't work. 8-1/2 was too long on my foot; the heel slipped off. My regular size 8 fit fine and didn't feel overly narrow on (I have wide feet too).
I can admit these aren't exactly the best quality shoes I own. My Cydwoqs are better made, as are my Cole Haans. But they are undeniably cute, and are decently-enough made. They are a perfect small replica of a man's oxford shoe, but somehow don't look masculine on. Perhaps it's the plethora of perforations and the neat streamlined shape. They're also quite comfortable as you would imagine.
Now, what do you do with them; they seem to look best with textured hose or tights of some sort, although I have worn them with regular stockings. The rest of the outfit could be a work skirt and a button-down shirt, and a cardigan, which is what I've been wearing a lot of, lately.
In summation, I'm not sure these would have been worth the FP. And I would hate to have to buy on Final Sale (I would've been stuck with long shoes). But for sale price, so far these have been rather nifty.
Modaspia notes
posted by Colleen Shirazi
on
Sunday, October 16, 2011
at 10:04 PM (Pacific)
Yes! I finally got hold of a Modaspia item. Mind you, I'd lost out on a couple of Fiji dresses this summer:
Modaspia is a local brand (Placerville, in fact), and the clothes are made there and in Oakland and San Francisco.
I haven't brought the green top out yet; we're experiencing another Indian summer in the Bay Area (didn't this occur last year as well?), so I'm squeezing the final seasonal wears from my warm-weather clothes. But I have tried it on. Mmmmm! The neckline is higher than appears in the photos, which is great (no "must wear camisole"-ness), the green is intense...what I'm really craving for though, is the print. It is now quite easy to find outstanding solid-colored clothing items, but difficult finding beautiful prints.
R.I.P. Steve Jobs
posted by Colleen Shirazi
on
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
at 6:55 PM (Pacific)
There will always be a warm place in my heart for the now late, and great, Steve Jobs.
I don't even care for Apple products, much (ducks), but the thing Jobs accomplished was to make computers and software fun and intuitive. "Fun" and "intuitive" were not buzzwords in application design, particularly, until, well, Jobs sold the concepts.
Now the average user expects software to be incredibly easy, and even a pleasure, to use. It's harder to make it that way, but ultimately it's better. If we were producing nothing but generic software, surely it could be outsourced; it's the customization which is valuable now.
Rest easy, Steve...I'm looking forward to jumping on that iMat.
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Madewell b & m notes
posted by Colleen Shirazi
on
Sunday, September 25, 2011
at 12:02 PM (Pacific)
Steely Dan, "FM (No Static at All)"
Nothing but blues and Elvis, and somebody else's favorite song... This version is described as 2003; the song came out on the radio in 1978. The live versions are sublime.
Madewell opened a shop in Corte Madera about a month past, and I made a pilgrimmage the other day. Perhaps unfairly, I was expecting a J.Crew-alike, but Madewell is quite a bit different. Smaller, for sure; better, in some ways.
Take shoes. My local 'Crews tend to be sparse footwear-wise, but the Madewell shop had an actual section of rather decent shoes and boots. Their plaid shirts are superior to J.Crew's imo, more attention to detail...the section in the back of the store is reminiscent of the men's section of J.Crew (I had to look twice). There is no sale section per se, just some marked-down items integrated with regularly-priced ones, which is okay I suppose. The sizes run larger from what I saw. I'd gravitate toward a size 10 or large in a J.Crew boy shirt, but the Madewell size medium "ex-boyfriend" shirt more than suffices.
Madewell Cloudwriter Top in True Black
This was rather disappointing. I dunno, the tiny cloud thought was nice, but the overall look of it was a tad blah.
Madewell Dune Trail skirt in Dark Camel
This was rather intriguing...they'd weathered the cotton twill in places to make it appear vintage, along with the vintage-y style itself. I looked it over—have been playing with the notion for some time of a female version of, erm, Dockers. This was rather Docker-esque, and indeed they show it with a more formal button-down shirt.
Madewell Driggs Ex-boyfriend shirt in Red Check
This was sprightlier than appears in the photo, with the harmonious red-orange and blue (looked great on both my daughter and me). "Ex-boyfriend"? We live in interesting times.
Our lips are sealed
posted by Colleen Shirazi
on
Saturday, September 17, 2011
at 11:17 AM (Pacific)
The Go-Go's, "Our Lips Are Sealed" (1981)
This is the effervescent version of this song; pensive Fun Boy Three version here:
Fun Boy Three, "Our Lips Are Sealed" (1983)
To this day, I find the two interpretations interesting. The song was written by Jane Wiedlin (Go-Go's) and Terry Hall (Fun Boy Three); versions and videos contrast sunny carefree 1980's with its darker more serious flavor.
Random work thoughts...there are four programmers I've wanted to work with, since I began working at UC Berkeley. That doesn't mean I don't want to work with other programmers; it's not that. It's just you have an immediate sense of the other guy's skill. I've never held with the idea of being a cowboy programmer; the search is to find someone at your skill level—or better—where you feel the work styles are compatible.
I actually work with one of them (the aforementioned Yoda), one of them left Berkeley for UCSF, one of them probably doesn't know I exist, and the fourth, most important one, I have worked with in a limited context. Not that Yoda isn't important (imagine Star Wars without him), but, as I say, you have an immediate sense of the other guy's capabilities, and that is what is attractive, above and beyond the project at hand.
Fall shopping...or not
posted by Colleen Shirazi
on
Monday, September 12, 2011
at 10:35 PM (Pacific)
I actually don't care that much for fall fashion, as much as everyone else seems crazy about it. I mean I like deep red and all that, but summer office attire is a greater challenge (try being comfortable in heat without looking cheesy).
That said, I went gaga over this:
J.Jill Simple 120 button-front skirt in Walnut "Hthr"
Sure, it looks a tad fug in the picture, but, in person, it is a quintessential 1970's skirt. (The "good" 1970's I mean.) It's a bit longer without being long, and you can adjust the slit in front by leaving a button or two undone. Then there is the "hthr" color—heather? I give in? This isn't heathered by any means; it is a 1970's solid dark chocolate brown.
I've been wanting to try the J.Jill Simple 120 line anyway. Wool work pieces you can wash in the machine? I didn't care for the first items issued, but kept an eye on the line itself.
The Simple 120 jacket won't work with the skirt:
J.Jill Simple 120 jacket
It's too big. An oversized jacket might work with a narrow skirt:
J.Jill Simple 120 short trouser skirt
...if it works at all. The 1970's slightly flared, below-knee skirt requires a smaller fitted jacket, if there's going to be a jacket (since I don't work in a suit office, it's not that important to me; just saying).
Here's what I'm really lusting over:
This purports to be machine-washable cashmere; but it's not the cashmere I'm after. It's the color. I've searched for this shade (if the above item is indeed this color), for years. I have a cherry red lambswool cardigan, but it's over twenty years old and the fabric has thinned. Whenever I wash it, I have to mend it...poor wool, you have lasted these many years... This is the closest I've found to a potential replacement. (Boden also carries machine-washable wool and cashmere sweaters, but not in this shade of red.)
Madewell in Corte Madera
posted by Colleen Shirazi
on
Monday, August 29, 2011
at 8:19 PM (Pacific)
Yes, San Francisco Bay Area ladies, Madewell is opening a b & m in Corte Madera...tomorrow, apparently. I'd like to see their stuff in person; it's a bit difficult to fathom from the website images. Take this, for example:
Madewell Cloudwriter Top in Optic White
Fantastic, or craptastic? Impossible to say. It looks nicer modelled:
Madewell Cloudwriter Top in True Black
Done well, this could be handy—it goes with everything, and the lace at the top would add something special. It's cotton/modal, machine washable, shouldn't require ironing...hermmm...
That's a random pick; there are many intriguing items on the site (will post back once I've checked the shop out).
Was talking with the co-worker the other day, I said he was like Blondie...underrated, lots of good ideas, the kind of guy who influences...he looked blank. Blondie? What's that?
Knowledge is cute.*
posted by Colleen Shirazi
on
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
at 9:04 PM (Pacific)
People who count their chickens before they are hatched, act very wisely, because chickens run about so absurdly that it is impossible to count them accurately.
Appearance blinds, whereas words reveal.
--Oscar Wilde
Done some random J.Crew diving, to whit:
J.Crew Jackie Cardigan in Lacquer Yellow
Finally, "Laquer Yellow" showed up at the b & m, and now sporting a "c"! Hm. I'm glad I didn't try buying it online, sight unseen. Had been speculating if this were screamin' yellow, or mellow yellow, but it is totally a bright lemon shade. Could do with something subtler...
J.Crew Jackie Cardigan in African Violet
Likewise: is this knock-down, drag-out purple, or more a blue-purple tone? Inquiring minds discover—it's...purple. Were it bluer, I could've been interested.
J.Crew Jackie Cardigan in Saddle
This was a bit of a disappointment...I'd been looking for a "nude" Jackie shell, but not literally nude...more a tan, like this:
Not this exact look (the tank here is silk) but the idea, a very simple look. I'm not even sure a Jackie shell would work here, but Saddle is not it. It's just too flat; it needs a dash of pale gold, or of rose, or of something.
They did not have "Brilliant Pine" Jackie in the store. Wah!
J.Crew Jackie Cardigan in Deep Peri
And finally...this one, I liked. More vivid than the imo rather drab "Madagascar Peri," yet not, ah, screamin' neon blue. I tried it on, and was a bit fuddled by the fact it seemed a size larger than other Jackies I have tried. Neither the Jackie cardigans nor the shells are sized consistently; I've tended to buy Large in the shells (on the notion they could always be shrunk in the dryer), and X-Large in the cardigans, to get them to button without gaping at the bust. But this one buttoned fine in Large. It seems to depend on the shade; my navy Jackie just fits in X-Large.
Why the Jackie obsession? I've found them amazingly useful, the perfect weight for our "summer"—chilly in the morning, almost hot by the afternoon? You don't feel the need to pile on an extra layer for the A.M. nor strip off clothes later on. I can admit I like it they crank out so many shades of these; if you don't see one you like, it seems to me you could just wait twenty minutes and another will come along.
* Why smart cute guys are cuter than regular cute guys.
