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.

Review of the new goods

OK, I'm back. Again.

(I should probably rename my blog. What do you think of The Prodigal Blogger?)

Anyway, I thought I'd update with my reaction to the stuff in my last post.

Since my daily uniform runs to jeans/tees or jeans/sweaters, worn with flat shoes of some type, I've mostly worn the casual stuff.

Jimmy Choo "Youth" motorcycle boots *****

I love these!

If you follow me on Pinterest, you might have noticed that I pinned these a couple of months ago. And kept thinking about them. Neiman Marcus tipped the scales by offering a gift card if I bought two full-priced items. (Intelligent shoppers don't fall for that sort of nonsense, but I am what I am.)

I ordered them in a 39, my usual size, but they were a little tight across the ball of the foot, so I sent them back and got the 39.5. Now they're perfectly comfortable and I can wear them with thick socks when it's cold. The leather is gorgeous and buttery. The lining is deliciously smooth, and the round toes look authentic and give extra toe room. They're both tough and ladylike. "Elegant motorcycle boots" might sound like an oxymoron, but I swear it's not. When I'm not wearing them I leave them out on the rug and just admire them. True story.

Lafayette 148 Markel white sleeveless ruffled blouse ****

This was the other full-priced item from Neiman Marcus. I felt justified paying full price because for whatever reason, Lafayette 148 tops fit and flatter me better than anything else in the world. They fit over my balcony, but nip in at the waist just the right amount to keep me looking as large and rectangular as the box your refrigerator came in.

Ordinarily I try to stay away from ruffles, but these are fairly crisp and small. They extend down the front of the blouse a little too far to fit perfectly under my cardigans. Also, the arm holes are a little big on me--but I'm not planning on wearing this blouse on its own, anyway.

BTW, this blouse is currently 30 percent off!

Tory Burch tumbled leather Reva flats ***--

I got these to wear with khaki pants and jeans to dress them up a bit. I love the texture and the color and the fact that the logo is done in a matte leather instead of shiny gold or silver. But I've given these two or three tries, and unfortunately, they're a miss. I read the reviews on Bloomindales.com and decided to size up a little, for a little extra width. I got these in a 9.5. I have wide feet and that trick sometimes makes all the difference. Unfortunately, in this case, it didn't work. The shoes are still tight across the ball of the foot, and on top of that, they're too long. There's about half an inch of extra shoe at the heel.

Brooks Brothers double-breasted short lambskin trench coat *****
I headed to the Brooks Brothers website because I got an email announcing a 25 percent off Friends and Family sale. I was amazed at how much stuff they had that I liked!

I love, love, love this jacket. Seriously, it's perfect. The leather is extremely soft and buttery. I ordered a size 14 because of the balcony, and the fit in the shoulders is perfect, as is the sleeve length. (This was great news because God knows I didn't want to have to have a leather jacket tailored.) It's the perfect short coat for me because the leather is a little fashion forward, but the trench coat styling is classic. And the length works perfectly over pants and skirts.

Yes, Paola, I remembered the sugar, or, the $#*! I bought yesterday.

In my report about yesterday's shopping trip to Neiman Marcus, I should really focus on what I didn't buy. Or what I bought that I didn't expect to buy.

I love shopping on line, but a trip to a brick-and-mortar store reminds me that you really have to try things on. Even if you know the designer really well.

Have you ever watched How Do I Look? It's a reality show on the Style network. A woman badly in need of a makeover tries on three sets of clothes picked out by a professional stylist as well as two of her friends. It's cheesey and formulaic, but it can be educational. Watch a few episodes and you'll start believing that you should only try on clothes you hate. The women on the show always seem to fall in love with stuff they despised when they saw it on the hanger.

That's because you can't tell whether a garment will flatter you by looking at a picture. Or by looking at it on a hanger.

Case in point--yesterday I headed straight to the Lafayette 148 section, because I love the line. The clothes are made from gorgeous fabric. They're beautifully made. And best of all, they come in a range of sizes.

I tried on two jackets, and they looked completely different on me.  The one I bought

is slimming. The one I didn't buy (which I liked better, but can't find on line) was cobalt blue. I adored the color. It's fashionable again for the first time since 1986. It's all over the place this fall. But the jacket buttoned so high on the chest that it gave me the dreaded Bolster Bosom. I looked like I was trying to smuggle a dachshund through customs.

I picked out this black pencil skirt, too, in the newly-fashionable just-below-the-knee length. Not exciting, but useful. And slimming. And the fabric feels great. (Let's hope that it doesn't make me look like my mother.)

Then I lost my St. John virginity. I've always summarily dismissed St. John. Not only is it crazy expensive, it's way too Old Lady for the youthful likes of me, yo. But the sales associate dragged me over to the St John sales rack and grabbed this black knit jacket with grommet trim, and it looks fantastic on. The picture doesn't do it justice. Really.

(Obviously it's time to make the down payment on my retirement community condo.)

OK, shoes! Zappos has made on-line shoe shopping so easy ... but sometimes, you really need to see and touch the merchandise.

I tried on two pairs of boots. First I tried on a pair of Chanel ankle boots. I didn't really like them. I only tried them on because they were the last pair in the store, the sales associate was pushy, and what the hell, you know? How often do you get to try on a pair of Chanel boots?

I can't find a picture of them anywhere so I can't show them. They were black with a low, chunky heel and some quilting. All that was to the good. But they had one of those Chanelesque capped toes covered in black velvet. It looked ... well, I don't want to harsh on the Chanel capped toe, but velvet? On a boot? Is stupid.

Then I fell madly in love with these Elie Tahari black suede beauties.

And fell down dead when I checked the price and discovered that for boots at NM, they're actually not that expensive.

There's not a website anywhere that does these boots justice. They are far more luxurious and far less ho-bag than you'd think. The suede is so soft. They're actually comfortable (for a pair of stilts.) The snakeskin trim is subtle, and the other side of the shaft features tiny laser cutouts.

I know. Super high heel, perishable suede--with holes in it! Perfect for winter in Chicago.

If I'd bought these boots, I'd have worn them on maybe half a dozen occasions. When Chicago promised neither to rain nor snow, and the rest of my outfit was worthy.

Impractical? No occasion to wear them? I didn't care. I was going to buy them.

But then I tried them on and discovered that I couldn't get them zipped over my calves. But I'm consoling myself that at least I didn't buy them on line, only to have to ship them back.

Whew! The only thing more tiring than trying on clothes is blogging about the process. But let me, your invisible internet friend, beg you not to desert brick and mortar stores. Let's hear it for brick and mortar! And pushy saleswomen who trap you in a dressing room and bring in stuff you wouldn't ordinarily try on, i.e., every single thing I bought yesterday.

Packing, packing, packing.

People, I know. I start blogging again with a bang, then ... radio silence.

The thing is, between the house being painted, the basement being flooded, and my entire family heading to England on Thursday, it's been busybusybusy around here.

See, we're not just going to England to visit the Tower of London to drool over the Royal Jewels. Although that's definitely in the itinerary.

Will you get a load of this? And this is the stuff that isn't locked up for tourists to gawk at.

We're also going to be spending the week in Canterbury, being a visiting choir at the cathedral. And the preparations are dizzying.

First of all, we had to watch Becket.

Richard Burton is OK, but Peter O'Toole leaves him sitting in the road.

Because it would be remiss to visit Canterbury and not understand why the characters in the  Tales were journeying to the cathedral in the first place.

Also, I'm very busy trying to plump up my family's flat American vowels so the tourists who hear us sing won't realize we're from Chicago.

Not that we won't sound good, but if I were a tourist at Canterbury Cathedral, I'd be a bit disappointed that the extremely professional-sounding choir (complete with angelic, soaring trebles) was actually American. I feel it only polite to disguise my Colonial origins. At least, while I'm singing.

The other thing keeping me busy is making sure we're all stocked with sufficient choir clothes. It is not, unfortunately, enough that we'll be wearing floor-length choir robes topped with knee-length surplices. We also have a dress code to adhere to as cathedral musicians: black skirts or pants topped with white blouses or shirts. Closed-toe black shoes. Neutral, white, or black hose. Or--thankfully--no hose.

Having done this before, I've managed to accumulate a significant stock of black pants (God bless Eileen Fisher)




















sensible black closed-toe shoes,

Chanel Cambon ballerina flats--way too logo-y, but INCREDIBLY comfortable

Haute Footure wedges by the very clever Taryn Rose

and a nice collection of blouses.

Lafayette 148 is a favorite for these.

Dear Fashion Gods: Enough with the ruffles. Those of us with a lot on our balconies would appreciate it. Thanks! Love, Poppy

The gem of my blouse collection is one by Samuel Dong that I swear is made of the earth's supply of petroleum by-products. If I spill spaghetti sauce on it,  I could probably clean it off with Windex. Which makes it perfect for travel.

Let us not forget a stylish pair of wellies, should the weather prove inclement.

Getting the children properly kitted out has been A Mad Scramble, let me tell you.  Young Master Buxom is 16, and in the two years since we last went to England (and tried to trick American tourists into believing we were an English choir) he's gone from wearing a boy's size 20 shirt to a 15/33. Which makes for a lot of shopping.

And of course, there's the girl. Who is wont to declare that everything she once liked is now Woefully Out Of Style.

So while I get ready, do me a favor and come up with suggestions of fun, frivolous things to shop for in London. I plan to visit Boots and Top Shop. What about Mango? And are there any fabulous products for aging English complexions that I need to buy and bring back to the States? Any products that are imported to the U.K. but don't make it to the States?

For want of a nail

Right around the time we start thinking about wearing sandals in Chicago, I managed to drop a toolbox on my left foot, and gave myself an owie on my big toe.

The results were just as unattractive as you'd think. I had quite a bit of bruising, and I broke my big toenail. It looked ghastly. It's better now, but I'm off pedicures and sandals and all that wonderful summer stuff until it's  grown out. Toenails grow really slowly, and I'm expecting to make it all the way through the summer without wearing sandals. At least, when I'm trying to look good.

It hardly seems fair. Here I am, not even half way through my fifties, and I've discovered another body part that, out of consideration for my fellow man, really should be covered up.

I mean, it's not like I was looking for work as a foot model, but my feet were OK. People didn't point and stare. But now my toes have joined my upper arms, thighs, buttocks, etc., etc., as body parts that must remain hidden, if only out of politeness.

And I've discovered something. What they always say is true; your shoes really do determine your outfit.

I went through my summer shoes and discovered that they're pretty much all open-toed. I have some pumps and slingbacks that would work for summer, but I didn't have anything that would work with casual pants.

I started shopping. I looked for ballerina slippers, because that was the one closed-toe shoe I could think of that wouldn't be hot or heavy looking. I got some subtle, non-logo-centric Tory Burch ones

and some loud, logo-rific Chanel ones

and these Prada driving shoes, but in beige.

But when I got my new loot home, I realized I didn't have anything to wear with them. My new flats looked completely stupid with every single pair of  pants I own (except--maybe--the bronze woven Tory Burch ones with my cargo pants rolled up.) The rest were all too long and too wide for flat shoes.

So I bought some skinny jeans. I know. Skinny jeans and Poppy shouldn't appear in the same sentence. But you can't wear ballerina flats with bootcuts. Your pants can be cropped, straight, or skinny, but not flared.

I also bought a pair of J. Crew Minnie cropped pants. They're OK. (Actually, they're J. Crew's most popular style. But on me, they're just OK.)

So here I am, with three pairs of shoes, two pairs of pants, and nothing to wear.

Stupid toenail! Grow! So I can wear my sandals.