Black and white and dogs all over!

When Pat saw me take this sweater out of my latest ModCloth box, he said, “I can’t believe you bought that!” But how could he believe I wouldn’t buy it?! I mean, it’s covered in Boston Terriers!

And Rocky completely supported my decision.

(Of course, as long as it means he’s getting attention, Rocky supports any decision.) (Photo by Krystal St. Julien)

As I’m wont to do, I paired the sweater with one of my go-to skirts and my red Calderon belt. Black fishnets layered over red tights completed the ensemble. Perfect for a day at the ModCloth office, with Rocky by my side!

Rocky and I strike a pose (Photo by a helpful passerby!)

What I wore:
Sweater: Champion the Paws Sweater, Moon Collection via ModCloth
Skirt: Essential Elegance Skirt, Moon Collection via ModCloth
Belt: Calderon, thrifted
Tights: Nordstrom Rack
Shoes: DKNY

Style Challenge: Borrowed from the Boys

This week, Meghan of Voilà! posted a style challenge that I found particularly intimidating: “Borrowed from the Boys”.

I’m pretty much the exact opposite of a tomboy. Sure, as a kid I loved climbing trees and pretending I was a great explorer or detective… but I also adored pink and purple and wanted to be a princess. And my fashion choices have always reflected those more feminine leanings.

Anyway, while I really like seeing other people successfully incorporate masculine touches into their outfits (Santina of Style by Santina, one of this week’s challenge participants, is particularly awesome at mixing masculine & feminine elements in her outfits), I’m generally not comfortable doing it myself.

And then I remembered that I’d be going to a Giants game on Thursday, and quite literally borrowed part of my outfit from my boy. Kind of a cop out, I know – but maybe I’ll try again some other time, when I’ve got more time to plan – and more importantly, buy – for my outfit. :)

So here I am, in one of my rare moments wearing pants, rocking a replica of Will Clark’s 1989 grey road jersey from the Bay Bridge World Series.

Photo by Pat Zimmerman.

… but as you can see, I still wore kitten heels: sparkly silver ones that mirrored the silver grey of the jersey.

Of course, I had to have my photos taken at AT&T Park, in front of Willie Mays’s statue.

Posing with Willie Mays at AT&T Park. Photo by Pat Zimmerman.

Jersey: Replica of Will Clark’s 1989 grey road jersey from the Bay Bridge World Series
Shirt: Banana Republic
Earrings: vintage
Jeans: Levi’s Curve ID Supreme Curve Skinny Jeans
Shoes: A Knight to Remember Heel in Silver, BC Shoes via ModCloth

[All photos by Pat Zimmerman]

Check out the rest of the style challenge crew this week, and join us or follow along on Twitter: #stylechallenge :)
Meghan of Voilà!
Santina of Style by Santina
Angie of The Hotness Your Momma Warned You About
Adiel of It’s Because I Think Too Much
Jade of Peachy Keen
Kristian of Never Fully Dressed (Without a Style)
Nic of Manners and Moxie

Style Challenge: Ladylike

Every so often, Meghan of Voilà! posts a style challenge. This Friday, the challenge was “ladylike”. Clearly a stretch for me, since I never wear ladylike clothes! ;)

I’ve been itching to wear this Bettie Page dress ever since it arrived in the mail last week, and decided it would work for today’s challenge.

Photo by Pat Zimmerman.

The dress might look a little familiar, because it’s the same pattern as another Bettie Page dress I previously posted about. I just loved the silhouette so much that I couldn’t resist buying the new colorway!

Anyway, to play up the ladylike theme, I paired it with black pearls and a pashmina (layers are pretty much always necessary in San Francisco).

Photo by Pat Zimmerman.

And I added black patent leather heels… then posed in front of a mural. Nothing says “ladylike” like street art! Don’t you think?

Photo by Pat Zimmerman.

Dress: Sense of Tasteful Dress by Bettie Page, via ModCloth
Shawl: pashmina via Nordstrom
Necklace: black pearls (a gift from my husband)
Bracelet: vintage art deco silver bracelet (a gift from my husband)
Purse: Cole Haan Valise Archer leather satchel via Rue La La
Shoes: Giuseppe Zanotti via The Outnet

[All photos by Pat Zimmerman]

Check out the rest of the style challenge crew this week, and join us or follow along on Twitter: #stylechallenge :)
Meghan of Voilà!
Kellen of And So It Goes
Angie of The Hotness Your Momma Warned You About

Twinsies!

The thing about working at ModCloth is that you’re surrounded by a bunch of people who share a similar aesthetic. And everyone has an employee discount. And so, invariably, one day you come into work and you’ve got a twin!

Hannah, Rocky, and me. Photo by Santina of Style by Santina.

This was totally unplanned, but funnily enough it was about a week after we had a “Seeing Double” day, where Hannah and I purposefully wore the same outfit as each other (but a different one from this).

My outfit:
Skirt: Sunday Diving Skirt, Eva Franco via ModCloth
Shirt: Learn the Basics Top in Navy via ModCloth
Shoes: Vintage 1950s Pamela Heel by Joseph La Rose via ModCloth

Hannah’s outfit:
Skirt: Sunday Diving Skirt, Eva Franco via ModCloth
Shirt: Thrifted
Shoes: 10 Things I Love about Shoe by BC Shoes, via ModCloth. (For the record, I also have those shoes and previously wore them in this post.)

Photo by Santina of Style by Santina.

The LBD Gets a Colorful Spin!

San Francisco weather is all over the place. This weekend it’s been drizzly and chilly. But not too long ago it was sunny and warm . . . and I took out one of my LBDs for a spin.

Photo by Santina of Style by Santina.

This is one of my go-to dresses when I want to wear something easy. It’s made of a polyester jersey knit (of the late 70s/early 80s variety), so it never wrinkles. (It happens to be a great traveling dress for that reason — and because it’s super easy to accessorize!) I picked it up several years ago in a Chicago vintage store for about $20 – a steal considering how often I’ve worn it since!

This dress can be worn for work (with a camisole to keep the neckline more conservative) or for a night out dancing — it’s got great twirlability! (That’s totally a word. Or it should be, anyhow.)

And I ADORE color, so I paired the dress with a fantastic scarf/shawl from ModCloth and a vintage gold Anne Klein belt that I recently scored on Etsy. I also added one of my favorite pieces of jewelry — a Victorian mourning bracelet that used to be my aunt’s. She wore it all the time, and I think of her every time I wear it.

Photo by Santina of Style by Santina.

The color didn’t stop there. In fact, this outfit was actually built around my shoes: rainbow-hued wedges by Poetic License.

Rainbow Road Wedges. Photo by Santina of Style by Santina.

When I saw these shoes a year or two ago, I knew I had to have them! They remind me of Rainbow Brite, one of my favorite childhood cartoon characters.

And check this out:

Walking on rainbows!

Sunlight shines through the heel, casting a mini rainbow on the ground!

So when I wear these shoes, I’m always somewhere over the rainbow. Literally.

The whole ensemble. Photo by Santina of Style by Santina.

Dress: vintage (late 1970s/early 1980s)
Scarf: Neon Summer Shawl,Twist and Tango via ModCloth
Belt: vintage Anne Klein belt, via Etsy
Shoes: Rainbow Road Wedge, Poetic License via ModCloth
Bracelet: Victorian mourning bracelet

California Dreams

We had another sunny, spring-like day! So I chose my outfit accordingly: a cornflower blue skirt, yellow tee, and colorful accessories.

Dressed for California spring! Photo by Santina of Style by Santina.

The color combos reminded me of how I used to think of California, especially given that my perception of California was heavily influenced by shows like Saved by the Bell. Lots of bright, sunny colors and all that!

Rocky’s leash and collar, in particular, have that whole mid-90s southern California vibe, with their neon colors and bold pattern.

Rocky is a total Californian stud. Photo by Santina of Style by Santina.

Rocky enjoys a neck scratching. Photo by Santina of Style by Santina.

Colorful accessories on both Rocky & me. Photo by Santina of Style by Santina.

And I had to add in one more photo of just Rocky, because he really is the star of the show & it’s been too long since his last appearance!

Isn't Rocky swoon-worthy?

Shirt: Collateral Damage by Andy Gonsalves, via Threadless
Skirt: Americana Graffiti Skirt, Tulle via ModCloth
Cardigan: Button-Up Basics Cardigan in Brown via ModCloth
Shoes: Bow Tiny Wedge via ModCloth
Sunglasses: Day of Driving Sunglasses via ModCloth
Earrings: vintage
Bracelets: vintage (gold bangles & orange flower bracelet) and from a clothing exchange (painted bracelet)
Ring: Who Sent Flowers? Ring via ModCloth
Purse: Aerosoles

On Rocky:
Right Bark ‘Atcha Collar and Leash, Jonathan Adler via ModCloth

Seen Style: Is It Spring Yet?

Spring is my favorite season. I grew up in the Northeast, and I was always eager to leave winter behind — and loved seeing the spring bulbs and blossoms pop up. By my reckoning (and as evidenced by photos like this on my Flickr stream), this is right about the time of year that we’d be getting a hint of spring.

Of course, in San Francisco, it’s pretty much spring or fall all year ’round. But at least there are spring fashions to look forward to. And cheery colors. Like the ones displayed in Jenn & Santina’s outfits:

Santina & Jenn

Santina & Jenn. They only LOOK sweet. ;)

(Btw, for more detailed shots of Santina’s outfit, check out her blog post!)

And a solo shot of Jenn. I love how she combined the lemon yellow 1960s chiffon dress with a crisp chambray shirt and rich colors of her Proenza Schouler bag.

Jenn looking chic, with chiffon, chambray, and Proenza Schouler

On Santina (of Style by Santina; see her blog post for more details!):
Dress: Jason Wu for Target
Shoes: Chelsea Crew
Necklace: H&M
Bag: Marc by Marc Jacobs

On Jenn:
Dress: vintage 1960s chiffon dress
Necklace: Give Me a Beak Necklace, Monserat de Lucca via ModCloth
Bag: Proenza Schouler

How ModCloth Celebrates

During the holidays, all of ModCloth is super busy. So we’ve always had a post-holiday party, which is actually brilliant: everyone’s more relaxed, we don’t have a gazillion other events and parties and family get-togethers to attend, and we can let loose and have a good time.

Scene at the ModCloth Post-Holiday Party

So I put together the necessary ingredients: cat-eye liner, red lipstick, and sequins . . .

Decked out for the ModCloth Post-Holiday Party

. . . and joined my friends at the party!

Hannah et moi

Analytics & B.I., featuring Jenn, Kate, Frances, Evan, and Santina

There was karaoke:

Ashley & Susan rock out

and more karaoke:

Pat & Kate. Photo by Svetlana Saitsky Photography.

and some fab photobooth action:

The Analytics team crowds into a photobooth.

Hamming it up with Pat.

. . . and more karaoke!

The ModCloth crew belt out Ghost Busters. Photo by Svetlana Saitsky Photography.

Not to mention all the marvelous dresses, of course. :)

What I wore:
Dress: Sparkle and Span Dress, Max and Cleo via ModCloth
Earrings: gifted
Belt: Calderon, thrifted
Bracelet: Victorian mourning bracelet

How To: Snap a Great Jump Shot

I totally have a thing for photos of people jumping. Maybe you’ve noticed that, what with the photo on my “About Me” page and the picture I took of Hannah in a “Seen Style” post a few weeks ago. And here’s further proof:

Might as well JUMP!

Being captured mid-jump is kinda tricky. There are several ways a photo of someone jumping can go wrong:

1. The photo is super blurry
2. The jumper is partially out of the frame
3. The jumper’s legs aren’t off the ground (or they are, but just barely)
4. The jumper has an awful facial expression

Luckily, there are ways to help ensure you get at least one good photo. I’ve divided this up into things the photographer can do and things the model/jumper can do.

What the photographer can do to snap a good jump shot:

• Use a fast shutter speed. This will prevent problem #1. If you’ve got a point & shoot, just make sure you take the photos in an area with lots of bright, natural light – the camera should default to a fast shutter speed.
• Take some test shots with the person jumping, to get a sense of how much vertical and horizontal space you need. This helps prevent problem #2.
• Take tons of photos, preferably in quick succession. This is a lot easier if you’ve got a rapid-fire/high-speed burst setting on your camera, but it can be done with even more basic cameras (the photo session might just take a little longer). This helps prevent problems #3 & 4. If you take a bunch of photos, there’s a decent chance that at least one of them will work out!

What the jumper can do:

• Bend your knees! You don’t actually have to jump very high to make it LOOK like you’re jumping high. Just jump a little, but kick up your heels – it’ll make it look like you’ve jumped a lot higher than you actually have. This helps prevent problem #3.
• Jump up and and down a number of times in a row (while the photographer continues to snap photos). This improves your chances of getting a good shot (one that doesn’t include problems #3 & 4). I’ve actually found that I relax a bit after jumping around, so it becomes easier to smile or ham it up, rather than grimacing!

Look! I'm levitating!

Btw, I wouldn’t recommend trying jumps in high heels! Good thing I was wearing a pair of low wedges. :)

Peep toe wedges, Marc by Marc Jacobs

Oh, and for me, I’ve gotta be in the right mood. A sunny day & bright colors can go a long way toward making thing happen! The colors in this outfit kinda made me feel like celebrating.

Taking a breather to show off my outfit :)

The details, with fuchsia, gold, and cobalt

That’s about it. I’d love to see your shots! And hear other tips if you’ve got ’em. :)

Skirt: Jeu de Paume Skirt, Tropical Wear via ModCloth
Top: Banana Republic
Cardigan: Banana Republic
Scarf: street vendor
Necklace: vintage
Belt: Zara
Tights: Hue
Shoes: Marc by Marc Jacobs
Bracelet: Victorian mourning bracelet

Photos by Santina of Style by Santina

Scarlet and Sky

One of my favorite color combos is vivid red and light blue. So in celebration of a gorgeous, warm San Francisco day, I threw together a fun outfit featuring that combo — but to be honest, I wasn’t planning on taking outfit photos.

Until I ended up with this fantastic hairpiece that just happened to match.

Outfit and hairpiece.

I won it at the ModCloth Post Holiday Party, in a silent auction benefitting the Milo Foundation. The hairpiece was made by Mini, the Design Manager at ModCloth and also the mastermind behind Design by Mini. I didn’t realize I’d be getting it the day I wore this outfit, but I guess some things are just meant to be. :)

Close-up of Mini’s hairpiece.

And then when Santina and I went out to take photos, we happened across an old-school, sky-blue Mercedes-Benz.

I need to start buying cars to match my outfit. ;)

Kinda awesome, isn’t it? (If it had a convertible roof, it’d be perfect!)

(Rocky, however, is less impressed.)

And blue seemed to be the color of the day, because we also found a cool aqua-hued bike chained to a bench.

Alas, bikes to match my outfits are *somewhat* more in my price-range.

So, it wasn’t my original plan to take outfit photos (since the main components of this outfit have been featured in other posts), but I was pretty happy that the fascinator convinced me otherwise. :)

Hairpiece: Handcrafted by Mini of Design by Mini
Shirt: TARDamask by Rosemary Travale, via Threadless
Skirt: Essential Elegance Skirt, Moon Collection via www.modcloth.com
Belt: Calderon, thrifted
Shoes: Hot for Hemlock Heel in Crimson, Chelsea Crew via www.modcloth.com
Necklace: Big Wheels Necklace, Monserat de Lucca via www.modcloth.com
Bracelet: Chain Mail Bangle via www.modcloth.com
Purse: Cole Haan Valise Archer leather satchel via www.ruelala.com

Photos by Santina of Style by Santina