Hedging my edge, or, What I Wore Today

Sometimes I feel like a fashion blogger. Well, except for my inability to take a decent picture of myself, and the fact that I don't have six closets bulging with size 00 crappe from Forever XXI and J. Crew. But bear with me, for I feel all fashionbloggertastic today.

For church, and coffee afterwards with friends.

I'm wearing a two-year-old white cotton Lafayette 148 shirt (similar); a Tory Burch Simone merino cardigan; a new leather and ponte patchwork skirt by Worth; Donna Karan tights; so-ancient-they're-vintage Ferragamo black suede Mary Janes.

Here's another shot of the skirt from the Worth website:

Their copy says the addition of fabric to the leather softens the skirts and stops it from being to edgy and confrontational. I agree with the sentiment, because patchwork is so very preppy, whereas black leather is not. (It's not, right? Please don't tell me it is, because here I am thinking I'm being so cool.) However, at those prices, you'd think they could hire better copywriters.

You see, I mock, but I don't disagree. I do like to think that the patchwork hedges my edginess.

Here's a close-up of the shoes:

These are probably 20 years old. They're black suede with thin strips of patent trim. The heel is suede, too, and is chunky without being overly clunky. They're Ferragamo, and prove that there's more to the brand than low-heeled tuxedo pumps (not that there's anything wrong with low-heeled tuxedo pumps, she added hastily.) But these are the Ferragamo that occasionally does something interesting. Not regurgitating endless renditions of the same style, but not being in the fashion vanguard, either. These shoes weren't in style when they came out, and 20 years later, they still haven't been. I just like their semi-retro vibe. they're got kind of a 1920s look, but the heel is too high. Anyway, I've always liked them, and I enjoy taking them out of their box every now and then. And let's face it; even if I only wear them twice a year, they've got to be fantastic quality to have held up so well for all these years.

To go out, I added my short black leather Brooks Brothers trench and the inevitable Pop of Color.

I've explained how ill-at-ease I am with a single Pop of Color. Today I added an Hermes bangle (eBay) with a touch of purple in it. And heaved a sigh of relief that my Dior nail polish (Poison) is a very deep purple, thus achieving my all-important Rule of Three.

In the afternoon I changed out of the skirt and heels because I was going to be touring the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee with my son. We also toured the city, and posed for pictures with Pounce, the UWM mascot.

Tory Burch Rosemary black knit pants over Jimmy Choo Youth motorcycle boots.

When I got home from Milwaukee, I realized that I'd been so busy, all I had eaten was two lattes and a pear!

Needless to say, I rectified that situation immediately with some chicken cacciatore, crusty bread, and red wine.