No Indian Summer Here

In most of the U.S. my friends are still wearing their summer clothing, some even complaining how they can't wear sweaters yet. Well, Chicago has been in brisk autumn mode since, literally, Labor Day. I've already done the closet swap out and I've been stock piling long sleeve tees, tights, and sweaters whenever I go shopping.

I can't even do what most fashion magazines and websites suggest, wear your summer dresses into fall. It's just too cold here and I'm also colder than most. I can't spare the closet space for my sleeveless dresses that theoretically I could layer up...I have wool things that need to be hung up! I've always wished I could, though, there are some adorable summer dresses going for really cheap right now that I would justify spending money on if they wouldn't be tucked right into storage. I can still look, though, right? If you are one of the lucky people who still have a taste of summer where you live maybe snatch one of these cuties up so I can live vicariously through you? And stop complaining, I have the heat on already!



All dresses above are from Dorothy Perkins.

And don't forget to enter the giveaway from BailyBelle Creations!

ASOS Sale

A webshop I find myself frequently checking is ASOS. This UK based retailer will ship all over the world, for free! And free returns, too. They have sales fairly often, as well. In fact, all of the dresses below are 20% off right now. They have a lot of classy, vintage-inspired pieces in their own brands, and they carry a lot of other boutique labels such as Motel and Sugarhill Boutique. Take a gander at what I picked (all under $65!) and let me know what else catches your eye...

Shop My Closet Part 2

Here is the second installment of "shop my closet." Between moving and switching my summer to winter wardrobe I have a lot of pieces that I MUST part with. Many of these pieces have never been worn with tags still on them. I apologize for the wrinkles; some of these have been in a suitcase since the end of July.

Here's how this will work; there's a buy it now button under each listing and the price includes shipping. If you buy multiple items I will refund you any shipping overages. I will have these up on my blog for a week; whatever doesn't sell here will go on eBay. Whatever does not sell THERE after a week will be donated to goodwill. Click on any of the images for an enlarged view and feel free to contact me if you need more images or measurements.



ASOS Cheesecloth Maxi Dress with Halter Neck

US Size 8. New with tags. here is the link to the ASOS page.

$20.00 including shipping

Morris B Sachs Vintage Coat

Totally Betty Draper midcentury boucle coat. Satin lining, portrait collar, bracelet sleeves. Would best fit a M-L. Excellent vintage condition.

$40.00 including shipping

White Strapless Dress with Black Floral Print

New, never worn white cotton dress with cute black floral vine print on the skirt. Two very small marks on the inside of the bodice, not visible when worn. Approximatly 34-35" bust and 27-28" waist.

$20.00 including shipping

Guess Jeans Denim Circle Skirt

High waist. Approx 27" waist. One really small hole hidden in the folds, can't see anything through it.

$15.00 including shipping

40s Green Satin Party Dress

Green satin party dress with lining and tulle in the skirt to make it pouf out. Guessing to be from the 40s or early 50s. Metal zipper up the back. Tea length. Approximate size is 34-35" bust and 28" waist. Some surface staining, not too noticible and a vintage seller could likely get these out easily, or possibly with a dry cleaning. Some underarm staining, not too visible when worn.

$35 including shipping

Navy Blue Corduroy Jumper

Handmade corduroy jumper by designer niceface. Overall suspenders, pockets, high waist, skirt zips up. Would best fit a medium, 29" waist. Very light wear. See how I wore it here. Very gently worn.

$20 including shipping

Midcentury Bell Sleeve Lace Wedding Dress

Vintage wedding dress, I'm guessing to be from the 50s. Metal zipper up the back, bell sleeves, boat neck. Allover lace and seed pearl detailing. Rosette applique over the small of the back; snaps over the zipper. Approximate measurements are 34" bust and 25-26" waist. Some light staining but I'm sure an expert vintage seller could remove them easily, or possibly with a dry cleaning.

$30 including shipping

Shop My Closet Part 1

Between moving and switching my summer to winter wardrobe I have a lot of pieces that I MUST part with. Many of these pieces have never been worn with tags still on them. I apologize for the wrinkles; some of these have been in a suitcase since the end of July.

Here's how this will work; there's a buy it now button under each listing and the price includes shipping. If you buy multiple items I will refund you any shipping overages. I will have these up on my blog for a week; whatever doesn't sell here will go on eBay. Whatever does not sell THERE after a week will be donated to goodwill. Click on any of the images for an enlarged view and feel free to contact me if you need more images or measurements.



Kimchi and Blue Marilyn Dress Size S

I bought this new (and on sale) from Urban Outfitters last summer and never wore it. I also got it in black, which you can see me wear here. Here is the info from the Urban Outfitters site. Cotton and spandex blend, never been worn.

$20.00 including shipping.

Erin Fetherston for Target Bunny Dress, 9

Brand new with tags, this dress was part of Target's Go International line. It retailed for $40 new. Size 9 with tags still attached. Really cute bunny print allover.

$35.00 including shipping

80s Khaki Button-Front Skirt

Great basic vintage skirt. Comfortable khaki cotton, 19" long and waist is 27" unstretched. Great basic piece for all seasons. Very gently used.

$15.00 including shipping

Paisley Silk Blouse

Measurements:
Shoulder to shoulder: 15 inches
Bust: 18 inches
Waist: 17 1/2 inches
Length: 23 inches

Vintage silk blouse with paisley print allover. Used to have shoulder pads but I removed them.

$15.00 including shipping

Tulle Soft Acrylic Sweater Dress Size M

Black short sleeve sweater dress with small breast pocket and peter pan collar. Really soft material. New with tags. Slightly stretchy.

$20 with shipping

Ruffle Blouse With Car Novelty Print

Measurements:
18" from armpit to armpit
17" at waist
26" long

Vintage fuchsia blouse with allover print of old-timey automobiles. Really cute. In excellent condition.

$15.00 including shipping

Cowboy Boots...Can't Make Up My Mind!

Okay readers...help me. I can't decide between these two pairs of cowboy boots. I'd get both and return one but this shop has no free shipping/returns.



or



The first pair is more expensive, but not by too much. It's a brand I've worn before whereas the second I have not. Both aren't real leather. First is shorter which would be good under jeans but the second pair might look more flattering on me with skirts/dresses.

What do you think?

Missoni For Target

As many of you are surely aware of by now, Tuesday Missoni launched their collection for Target and it received the biggest opening of any of their designer lines. Apparently worse than Black Friday, many stores were cleaned out by noon. I usually am aware of the designer lines for Target, and I'd heard some dribs and drabs of Missoni's line, but as I'm not necessarily a Missoni fan it failed to stick. Some time yesterday I tried to log on to target.com and an error page came up. I thought it was having a bug, possibly due to their recent (and still somewhat under construction) redesign. Facebook contacts informed me that that was not the case, but early in the morning on Tuesday the fervor caused their site to crash.

I can't believe the response! Yesterday evening I ended up going to Target (not for the line, but for groceries) and as I was returning something I noticed that the employees were told to put any Missoni merchandise immediately back on the floor and not to go through their normal returns process. I heard there was a table in jewelry with the Missoni items still available for sale...I saw maybe 4 pillows.

Their site is back up and I'm not sure what all the fuss was about. I could see wanting to snatch up some of these pieces but this rapid sell out? Though the 300+ pages of ebay tell me otherwise...Target should really monitor customers buying 30 pairs of the same style of shoes.

Nevertheless there are a few cute pieces, in accessories and housewares mostly, that I might have eventually purchased if they were still for sale:

Go Tribal

My new obsession is tribal prints. It's my favorite summer trend that's seamlessly blending into autumn wardrobes. In black and white or bright colors; in small lines on your accessories to a full printed dress, from geometric to totally ethnic this style goes with pretty much anything. I love a slouchy ikat print tee with jeans or chevron beaded jewelry over a simple sheath dress. Here are some pieces I love that would go nice with your fall outfits:



Clockwise from top left: X T-Shirt, Crimson from MaryInk, cropped tribal print blazer from GoJane, Geometric Leaf Drop earrings by betsy & iya AERIAL leggings in tribal print from Bird Apparel, Lulu Tribal Print Infinity Scarf from Nordstrom, vintage 1960s dress tribal print from Vintage Condition Style

Pretty. Good.

Bird of the Earth Dress

Gorgeous. And oraganic and fair-trade! Going on my Christmas list...if I don't cave and buy it before then.

Longest Jacket Review Ever

I love a good leather jacket. I've been able to appreciate the style since I was 13. I was with my mom at Marshall Fields and it had been a few months after she had been diagnosed with cancer. She found a leather jacket she liked that fit her well and was flattering. She bought it, saying she was treating herself. I think it ended up being her last treat to herself but she wore it until she couldn't leave the house anymore.

After she died I wore the coat for a few years, including a few very memorable events, but have stopped wearing it since it was a bit long for me since I favor cropped styles. My dad gave the coat to his girlfriend last year and she wears it now. I like how my mom's last treat has been worn by two women close to her after she passed.

But I digress. Since I was looking for a cropped style I was fortunate enough to come upon a cropped vintage leather jacket while thrifting...for a mere $3! There were some flaws that I never repaired (because if you're going to wear something beat up it should be a leather jacket, right?). In the past couple years though it's been showing its age in a less favorable way and I figured it was time to look once more for an outwear staple.



I was hesitant about getting a faux-leather jacket but once I tried this one on in the store I was sold. It's from Old Navy, believe it or not (though I like solid pieces and more and more of my wardrobe seems to be coming from there). If you're vegan or not sure you want to invest a couple hundred in a leather jacket (though I would if it fit me as nicely as this one without tailoring) this is a good buy. I like the stretchy waist, and trust me, after wearing a few different kinds of leather jackets this one feels pretty nice for faux leather (not garbage bag-ish like some jackets). The only thing I wish it had, because I live in Chicago and want this for all of my coats, is a zip-out liner. However, this has kept me dry in the rain and warm in the wind and that's good enough for me.

There's something about wearing a leather jacket...it's luxe but still adds a touch of "badass," kind of like wearing some killer boots. I like it with jeans and tall shoes; makes me feel like I own the world. I like a leather jacket with a dress, it tones down my usually over-feminine ensembles.

I'm also just kind of obsessed with outwear. Being warm is important for me, and I'm little but busty so finding a good jacket can be really hard. Needless to say I am also ogling another of Old Navy's new coats, as a toggle coat is missing from my collection...

Project Runway Want

I'm pretty pleased with the feedback this dress got on the latest episode of Project Runway; I don't think there has been as many garments from the show I've wanted to own so badly.