Shopping for the City of Sin

It's been awhile but with starting a new job and going to Vegas this past weekend, I haven't had much time for blogging. Unfortunately, I didn't win big in Vegas so there will be no celebratory shopping spree. I did, however, get some shopping in before making the 8.5 hour drive to Sin City.

I hate shopping in a hurry. I like to take my time and debate things. I put things back, think twice and pick it up again. Yes, it can be annoying to shop with me but I like to know when I walk out a store that I am completely happy with my purchases. I don't buy things that I think are 'alright.' I want to love my clothes or I'll never wear them. I'm fine with going home empty handed if I don't find anything I love. However, I did not have the luxury of time during this trip. I needed comfortable black work flats and something to wear in Vegas in two and a half hours or I would be naked in Vegas (probably not as bad there compared to any other city but still something I'd like to avoid).

I first stopped by Nordstroms. I had seen a pair of Me Too flats that, while they were a bit square in the toe, looked extremely comfortable. I thought I'd be in and out in 15 minutes but the flats didn't work out. I have wide feet and my left foot was pinched. It might have stretched out but when I need to run around for 6 hours, I don't want shoes that might be comfortable. The sales man was extremely nice and pulled out every black, closed-toe flat he had in my size. I must have tried on a dozen or more pairs. I finally left with the Jeffrey Campbell 'Barcelona.' It's a simple, smooth black leather flat. It's flexible enough to accommodate my wide feet and I really do love their versatility.

After Nordstroms, I scurried across the street to the huge Forever21 in SF. It is three stories tall and always packed with a thousand teenage wannabe fashionistas. I rarely have patience for the crowds and the digging but I didn't want to spend a bunch of money on clothes for Vegas. Luckily you can find nice things in F21 if you look with a discerning eye and inspect each item for obvious flaws that will make it look cheap. I went from floor to floor filling my bag with possible items, waited in the long line for the dressing room and then spent a good 20 minutes trying on my goods. Most things either looked trashy on or did not fit but I lucked out with a dressy black halter with ruffles down the front and a dark lavender dress with a metallic sheen.

I ended up wearing the black halter with white shorts when we went to Tao. I think shorts might be my new go to wear for going out. They can still look dressy if in the right material and they're cooler than jeans and easier to maneuver in than a dress or skirt. I'm holding on to the lavender dress because despite it's origin it is very pretty and I'm sure I'll find a use for it.

Gimme some of that kale...

As any self-respecting fashionista knows, the 5th season of Project Runway premiered tonight. I have to say that overall it was a bit of a let down. They re-did the grocery store challenge from the first season and it's as if none of them had ever watch an episode. Tablecloths and trash bags? Seriously? I can't think of anything less creative or more likely to disappoint the judges. I don't understand how they couldn't have seen that coming. On the other hand, Korto's yellow kimono dress with the kale and tomato collar was beautiful. She knows how to put a look together and while the material for the dress wasn't innovative, I give her snaps for using fresh produce. Plus, if that was actually made out of cloth, women would buy it. I also liked the winning dress by Kelli, the skirt part especially. She was truly creative when it came to putting her dress together. It was quirky with the coffee filters and gold push pins but in a Marc Jacobs kind of way, not a bad way. She put a lot of effort and thought into her dress and it showed, especially in contrast with the designs of the lazier contestants.As for everyone else, I hope they step it up next time. Most of the other dresses were decent if not memorable. I was a little surprised that Jerry didn't perform better. I don't like all of his FORM line but the man has the ability to do some gorgeous work. If only he had done something that looked a little less like serial killer meets hazmat suit. I think if they had kept him around, he would have improved. The better person to auf weidersehen would have been Blayne's licious ass. I don't understand how a person can manage to be that annoying or create something so hideous and have the cojones to walk it down the runway.

There's not much casual about business casual

I have a summer job! Finally! I am going to be a hostess at a restaurant. This means I will finally be making some money. This also means I have a new reason to buy clothes because I have casual, lots and lots of casual but not much business. The official dress code is black bottoms and some form of nice top that covers the shoulders, preferably button down. Supposedly, it really isn't that strict and as long as you look put together and fairly professional, you can get away with most colors and such. However, considering that I'm just starting I want to at least give the impression that I care about following the rules. At least, until I know just how much I can bend them.

I have one outfit that got me through all of my interviews this summer and that was a pair of navy pants and a white wrap top from Banana Republic. Obviously that just won't cut it. Thus, I headed over to Bay Street, home of all the basic chain stores. I hit up Old Navy, H&M, Gap, Ann Taylor Loft, Banana Republic, and Express. None of the stores are known for extremely trendy or hip clothing but when you need business casual basics fast, they will do. Unsurprisingly I spent a lot of money. I grabbed a black pencil skirt and a navy knit top from Ann Taylor, a navy and beige striped cardigan from Old Navy, a white top from H&M, a button down short sleeved shirt from Express, a beautiful beige cardigan and a white wrap dress from Banana Republic, and finally black pants, a black leather belt and a loose black cotton dress from Gap. It's a lot in one day but with the addition of a couple more tops I'll be able to mix and match to my hearts content.

The perfect cinch

I have a terrible habit of knowing exactly what I want. In the world of fashion this can be bad when what I want is exactly not what I am finding. Case in point, I am currently in the hunt for a pair of thin, graduated width, gold hoop earrings with a hammered texture to them. I've seen them sold in the past and I recently saw a girl wearing a pair but I can't find them anywhere. I've asked several jewelers who have gone through several catalogs and they've all told me that I'd have to have them custom made because nobody is currently making what I want. Catch is those custom earrings will put me out a good $300. Yea, maybe I'll just wait until they come back into style. That or until I make good friends with a gold smith who's willing to do it for cheap.

Luckily, there are times when I find exactly what I'm looking for. The wedding is tomorrow and as of Wednesday I still did not have a belt, so it was off to the city for me. My first stop was H&M where I bought a simple 2 inch wide brown belt. Not fabulous but if that was all I could find, it would do. I then hit up Macy's where I purchased a 3 buckle waist belt that was better than the H&M belt but still not quite what I wanted. From there I stopped by Nordstroms where I found adorable Jeffrey Campbell shoes (that I didn't buy) but no belt. After Nordstroms I wandered into Club Monaco, Express, Anne Klein and various other smaller stores but to no avail. It was getting late and my feet hurt. I was about to admit defeat but I decided to try one more store. Thus at close to 9 pm as the stores readied to close, I found myself speed walking through Bloomingdales in search of the accessories department. At first my tired, blurry eyes did not see it amongst the boring Michael Kors simple leather belts, but there it was, the perfect leather waist belt. It is brown leather with one buckle. It was the last one left and on sale. I don't really believe in fate but this was meant to be. It was such a relief to find it. I know it's a wedding and on that day it's about love, commitment and a number of other mushy things but not having the right belt would have bothered me. Now I'll be able to fully bask in the glory that is true love (yea, I just gagged a bit).

Finding the one...

Keep the faith, girls. It can happen. I was getting anxious about finding a dress for the wedding. I ordered the Nieves Lavi dress from ShopBop because it was further discounted but I was still on the hunt for a cheaper dress and in case, said dress didn't fit when it arrived. The pickings were looking pretty slim until I decided to check out a little boutique in Walnut Creek called My Roommate's Closet. If you've never heard of this store, the concept is that they sell unsold clothing from Bay area boutiques. However, they handpick their items so these are not your average five seasons old, lipstick stained, ripped zipper castoffs. Instead you have some truly nice items all attractively displayed. The store is small and when I did a once around I didn't see anything but I was determined. Then I saw it, a pretty little purple number by Sunner. I tried it on and with the aid of a waist belt, it was love at first wear. Revolve Clothing has it in red but the purple is so much prettier. It's a vibrant, deep purple and I've always wanted a dress this color. It was a little bit more than I would have liked and the sales associate got my hopes up by mistaking it for another dress and accidentally telling me it was around $70 but I bought it anyway because you don't turn away a good love. It needs a belt in order to unveil its true potential but this way I can create new looks by simply changing the belt.

Now my task is to find a belt. The ideal would be a wide tan leather belt with a couple of buckles or straps for detail. It also can't be too tight or it will cause the dress to pucker oddly on the side. I tried a stretchy belt at Urban Outiftters and I suddenly had angles on my hips where I would want curves. Lastly, I'd prefer for it not to cost as much as the dress. I think I'm headed for the city again tomorrow for a day of belt hunting.

Luckily, I already have shoes covered. I picked up these Dolce Vita wedges in the city today at DSW. They've been completely sold out online in the brown so I had to snap them up when I saw them. I also have these, the Bombay by Max Studio, coming in the mail. I fell in love with them a couple of months ago inside a Nordstroms but they didn't have the size and color that I wanted. I went to the Max Studio online store the other week and there they were. When they arrive, I'll compare the two shoes side by side with the dress and then decide which to return.

I love when an outfit seems to just fall together perfectly. If only it happened more often.