The Day After (A New Coat For Xmas)

So it is all gone. My daughter summed it up yesterday morning when, after the presents opening frenzy (she received a LOT of Barbies) she said "I can't wait to open my presents next year". Well, me too! I wasn't expecting big surprises from Santa this year because I just signed up for a gym membership (yes, I am having a jump-start on New Years resolutions and I have been going to the gym on a regular basis more or less since Thanksgiving) and it was said that that would be my Xmas present. But I hoped that my husband would take a few hints and put something else under that tree. I had also hinted at the New York Times Weekender subscription (cultural gift!) that we used to have but was cut a few years ago under the absurd pretention that nobody was reading it (what, the Book Review and the Sunday Style section, that I religiously read, don't count?). Anyway, I only received a little surprise and that was a book on Jacques Chirac, former president of France!!! While I am an avid reader, I only read fiction and my husband of fifteen years should know that! I guess it was a gift to himself disguised as a gift for me, which is fine because I also had a gift to myself disguised in gift from him. Husband is excused under account of too much work and business travels this year to even think about buying presents for his wife (I mean the presents that you don't buy on the 24th on a coffee run).

So the gift that I bought myself is a new coat, the Double-cloth greatcoat in navy. If we go by the definition of Xmas presents as something that you absolutely don't need, this one definitively falls in that category. I have all the coats I need and the color isn't even an excuse as I already have a navy coat (my Elements coat from last year). The only excuse I could make up for this is that I don't have a "dress coat" to properly speak (all my coats are pretty casual. The only one that could be described as elegant and dressy is my black Script coat but because of the short length it is more of a sport coat with a nice feminine touch than a dress coat). I just loved this coat at first sight, which is rear because I don't usually fall for coats (I am a summer clothes girl and I don't get excited by outwear, normally). I resisted it with the 30% off because as I said I didn't really need it and it is an expensive coat but it went on sale a few days before Xmas and I had just tried it in store two days before and put it on hold (my technique to resist impulsive purchases). That's a sign, right? It wasn't that simple to get it (when I called the store, the only store in the city that still had this coat, the manager said that they couldn't extend my hold "at this time of the year" and the day after they couldn't find one in my size anymore. In the meanwhile it sold-out in my size on the website too so I was resigned to watch for popbacks but it turns out that some angel SA did extend my hold at the store so when a bulb went off in my head and I called the store again to check if by any chance they had a coat under my name it was still there waiting for me. The best part, besides the fact that the 30% off and no fs was still going on in store, was that I could purchase it over the phone and had it delivered by courrier just in time for Xmas).

I went with my regular coat size 2 but this coat runs small in the shoulders and upper body area IMO. Usually I have room in a 2 (being the 2 the biggest of my JCrew sizes) but not in this one. I took these pictures as soon as I took it out of the bag (where it had been sitting for more than 24 hours) so it looks a bit frumpy on the bottom because of the creases from the bag:

The feature that draws me to this coat is the waist placement, more than the golden buttons. For once high-waisted is a good thing! Personally I don't like the lady-day, it looked very frumpy on me but I think this one looks elegant without being too little-girlish (a flaw of high-waisted coats), probably because of the military-looking buttons (o the ticket it is called double-cloth "officer" coat). A you probably know, the double-cloth fabric isn't crazy warm but I can live with that since it is going to be more of an occasion coat for me than my everyday coat.
I forgot to take pics but it has a nice golden (metallic) piping that runs on the inside.

On a totally different note, I have a movie recommandation for my movie club fan base out there. Yesterday night we watched a very unusal British movie called "Perfect Sense" with Eva Green and Ewan McGregor. It is a beautiful love story disguised as "epidemic" movie (so probably not for husbands, mine fell asleep). The love story is powerfully rendered in a bigger reflection on human kind and what makes us human. Ewan is at his best as a charming chef who falls in love for the character played by Eva Green and as a bonus he is naked in a lot of scenes and while I wouldn't have thought of him as a runner-up for the title of "best abs on screen" he is surprisingly fit(BTW, don't you think he has really aged well since the times of "Transpotting"? And he has this sparkle in his eyes). Highly recommended with a caveat: it is a dark movie with no happy ending (I wonder what would have happened to the subject in the hands of a Hollywood producer, probably Ewan's character, played by Tom Cruise, would have saved the world).

So, what Santa nice to you? Anybody has this coat? Did you watch any good movie during the holidays?

Merry Xmas!

Hello everyone, I can't believe that tonight is Xmas Eve! I am just going to do a very quick post to wish you all a wonderful Xmas.

Yesterday we went to Bryant park to meet friends who live in NJ for brunch. Bryant Park is one of my favorite places in the city and during the holiday season they have a beautiful Xmas tree, a ice rink, a Xmas market and a carrousel. Fun for all the family!

I love this picture of me and my daughter under the Xmas tree, so take it as my Xmas card for you:

I actually wore a very cheerful outfit under that coat with my old bright papaya cashmere cardigan (2008), the new button painter tee in dried papaya (basically the same color than the cardigan), navy velvet toothpicks and square link necklace:

At the restaurant:

We are staying home tonight waiting for Santa and the only thing that I am going to cook today is a rhum cake (italian style, called baba), which has become a tradition in our family (my husband loves it and asks for it every year). I have some JCrew under the Xmas tree that I am going to share after the holidays!
Tomorrow we are celebrating at friends and it is going to be casual.

I wish all of you a wonderful Xmas!

An Emotional Concert And Black With Gold

Yesterday night we went to my daughter's school holiday concert, that was held in a church on Madison Avenue. All the grades were singing at least a song and it was our daughter's first public performance ever. The kindergartners opened the concert with "Angels We Have Heard on High" and it was a very emotional moment, not only because our daughter was one of them but because everybody couldn't help thinking that the kids who were killed in Newtown were the same age. The girls looked so innocent and full of promises that the thought of the Newtown kids, forever deprived of their future, was almost unbearable. OK, I am the one who always weeps at concerts and shows (and at the movies) but I think it was sort of a common emotion. We felt enormously lucky and sad at the same time. We had a minute of silence at the end of the concert to remember those who lost their lives so tragically but their presence was alive and felt all through the performance. It was a very special night and I am grateful that the school organized it and that our daughter got to be part of it.

Moving on to a lighter subject, now that we are approaching the end of the year I have been wearing gold. I mean the color, not the metal. In the last few years, sequins have become the go-to look for holiday parties and festive events, so much so that I find the old look of gold and gold brocade surprisingly refreshing. While I was in Italy this summer, I was struck by the Dolce and Gabbana fall/winter collection in all its baroque opulence of black and gold:

Dolce and Gabbana have become more of an Italian eccentricity than a brand that dictates fashion trends but this collection was simply stunning, one of the best that they have ever made in my opinion. While they are probably not so popular anymore in the USA (the time when Madonna was their "ambassador" in the US are long gone, both for Madonna and the brand), they still have a large fellowship in Europe and Italy in particular, and thankfully that European-based powerhouse which is Zara has churned out its own version of the Dolce and Gabbana baroque. If you go to a Zara store you will see a lot of gold brocade in the style of the D&G collection.
I was at Zara recently and I picked up one piece to wear this holiday season, a mini skirt in a golden print (they call it "jacquard" but it is more of a foil print) that reminds me of the intricate sculptures of a baroque church in Southern Italy. For reference I bought the size S, Zara bottoms fit small.

I wore the skirt yesterday night to the concert with a peplum top that is also Zara but I had bought in Italy in the summer (it is still around though). I usually find peplum tops a bit unflattering on me but this one was an exception and it was fairly cheap so it was a good way to give try the trend. I wore opaque tights and simple black pumps instead of the booties because this look wasn't very appropriate for a church but it was too dark when I went out to take pics of the final outfit (the belt is the Brooks Brothers one that you have seen before. Best belt purchase ever):

Are you attracted to gold? Did you stop at Zara recently? Did you like the D&G Fall/Winter Collection?
I have more gold for you in the next post.

Festive OOTDs (And First BaubleBar Purchase)

I know there are people who hate the crazyness of the holidays but I love this time of the year, I feel all the excitment of a little girl and it is even better now that my daughter is old enough to really enjoy the anticipation of Xmas.

So I was feeling festive yesterday and I wore an outfit that I had planned to wear on Xmas day (we are spending it with friends). As you might remember I really liked the toothpicks in ribbon bow print but I wasn't sure that I would dare wearing them. They are now $69.99 in store and with the 30% off they came down to less than $50, which is an acceptable price for something that I would probably only wear around the holidays. I had previously bought the mini in Dublin tartan to wear at Xmas but I changed my mind after I realized that I didn't wear any single daytime skirt this year. I am more of a toothpick kind of gal and I will surely get more wear out of these (if I don't gain weight) than a mini.
I wore them with my beloved cashmere henley in navy from a few years ago and a new "parure" that I bought the same day:

I don't know what the name of the bracelet and the necklace is (square link something I guess) but they are on sale in store ($39.99 the bracelet and $69.99 the neklace). I love how the necklace sits on the collarbone and the bracelet is a good one for the small-wristed ladies (I am often sized out of JCrew bracelets). Highly recommended!

I went shopping for some last-minute Xmas presents and I stopped at the Collection store to make a few returns. I snapped a pic of my outfit in the fitting room:

I had tons of compliments on the pants (which I wasn't expecting, I thought that people would look strangely at me as the lady with the crazy pants). One of the SA at another JCrew asked me where they were from. Come on, review your catalog (this is the same SA who asked me what kind of color "heather dusk" was)!

I wore another festive outfit with the same henley the other day, even if it looked more festive IRL than in the pics (the henley isn't that dark and the pants are the maraschino cherry ones from last year that has blue undertones so they go very well together):

On another note, I placed my first order with Baublebar last week. I ordered a pair of gold and onyx earrings and I didn't know what to expect. I looked at their site many times and while the prices of their baubles are very affordable I was afraid that they would also look cheap IRL. What decided me this time was they were having a 25% off sitewide and I used my $10 off my first purchase (when you sign up) so they came down to $9 and I felt like it was worth taking the risk. They arrived yesterday and even if they are bigger than expected I like them, they have the Chanel-esque vibe that I was looking for (plus, they were beautifully packaged and they have free returns to boot):

Are you feeling festive? Have you ever shopped at Baublebar?

OOTD: Oh Jules!

As you might remember I bought the paisley Jules almost as soon as it came out. I thought that this one would sell out at full price but the fact that it is so short probably turned a lot of people off so I could have waited for it to go on sale. I don't regret it though because at least I have worn it a couple of time this Fall and now it is a bit too cold for it. Well, actually it has been very warm for the season but I don't like to feel the silk twill on my skin at this time of the year. And the swish-swish noise of the fabric makes me shiver. What about you?
Anyway, here are a couple of evening outfits that I wore. I think that with this dress you have to keep it simple because of the busy print:

I wore the last one to dinner with my husband and a collegue of him who was visiting from another office. My husband surprisingly loves this dress, go figure.
I wore it again to lunch with him and my daughter the Monday after Thanksgiving, when my daughter was still home from school. We had a gift card for one of the best restaurant in the city, Eleven Madison Park, and since we could never get a reservation for dinner we decided to treat ourselves for lunch. When we got there the waiter installed us at our table and after he gave us some water he told us that the lunch would take 3 to 4 hours. What? Can you imagine a 5 years old sitting at a restaurant table for 4 hours? As we found out, they only serve their 16 courses tasting menu (that costs $195), even at lunch. Who has the time to sit for 4 hours at lunch in the city? So in the end we were transferred to the bar where we could order a la carte (that wasn't cheap either but at least took us less than two hours). I wore a mustardy colored tissue turtleneck under the dress (it was a cold day) and to me that's the best color pairing for this dress along with spermint (I forgot to take a pic of the outfit).

Now, I have been watching the black wool one for a while and when it dropped to $89 I ordered it to try. I have to say that this time around the website styling really made me pull the trigger, I love this look from head to toe:

It arrived yesterday and I love it. It is the perfect lenght on me but as you know I am 5'2" so I can get away with it. I have a white tissue turtleneck so I immediately wanted to recreate the look:

The wool version strikes me as a bit more A-line than the silk twill one but maybe it is because it is a solid color. I went with my regular size 0 and I have enough room in the shoulders even with something underneath. I do think that it needs a necklace to brighten it up a bit and I think that the white bubble looks really great (remember how some of you told me when I bought it that I could wear it in the winter too? Well, you were right!):

A tessel one or one with a big pendant are also an option. This one doesn't work wery well with the white turtleneck because it is cream and black colored but the style works with the dress:

I love that stock pic so much that I seriously considered ordering the metallic Martinas but then reason prevailed (how many times am I going to wear golden closed shoes?) However, I couldn't resist the Betsey Jonhson Minzie in gold for $24. They could be unwalkable but for $24 I can wear them around the house (they are returnable but I don't think I am going to bother unless I can't get them in my feet). By the way, 6pm.com is having a crazy sale today in honor of 12/12/12 so check it out (the best deals are on Pour La Victoire shoes, with many pairs at $24. Unfortunately my size is very popular but if you are a big size you might be lucky).

The wool Jules is now $59.99 and really a steal with the 25% off. I am a bit tempted to order the red too, since I don't have any red dresses, but I am trying to stick to the "only one in each style" rule (I have alreay made an exception with the black one but the Italian paisley one is so different that I decided it doesn't count).

Are you a Jules addict? Is the wool Jules tempting you now that is very cheap?

Gala Outfit (and A Tennis Dress)

Thank you for your comments yesterday! I will go back and try to finish replying when I have a moment.

As you know I have a Gala to attend tonight and I had promised to show you the two outfits I have picked out. I run a bit late this morning and I kind of made up my mind already but I am going to show you the pics of both anyway. I am still interested in knowing which you think it is the best outfit!

The first one is a dress that you have already seen before. It is a Milly dress that I bought on sale around this time of the year last year. It is a GORGEOUS dress, it fits me like a glow and really, it has no contenders in my closet. The color was called eggplant but it is a navy with a vague purple undertone (still navy though). I think it was called Emily faux-wrap dress:

Do you like the pearl necklace with it? I am undecided about it, I think it is classy but there is probably too much contrast with the color of the dress? I don't know what other necklace I could wear though (ideally something delicate and not overwhelming. If I could dig out my diamond solitaire necklace I would probably wear it).
The only reason why I was hesitating about wearing this dress is that I wore it last year to my BFF party and I am going with her and the same group of people tonight.
So as another option I had in mind a JCrew dress that I bought on ebay a couple of years ago (after much stalking) and didn't have the occasion to wear yet. It was called midnight something (garden?), it is the one with the silk rosettes applique on the front. It is a beautiful dress and very wintery but for some reasons it reads less formal than the Milly one. Don't you think?

The advantage of this one over the Milly (besides the fact that nobody has seen it yet) is that I can wear a velvet jacket over it (it is freezing cold today and I am still a bit sick). I wouldn't wear these shoes (probably the Bettinas with thigts) but I was lazy to change them:

I have my mind set on the Milly but if you prefer the JCrew let me know!

Speaking of party/occasion dresses, I bought a popback from the summer during the last promo. It's the sequin-trim tennis dress and I always wanted to try it on sale (especially when the price dropped to $69) but I didn't want to risk to be stuck with it during final sale.
It is a beautiful summer tweed (althought it is lined in acetate and I think it can be easily winterized) whose texture has almost a feather-like effect:

But there is always a reason why things go so on such deep discount and in fact this dress is a bit ill-fitting. I ordered a size 0 and it fits perfectly in the bust but it is high-waisted and cut very large in the hips so that it makes me look wide:

However I "think" that if I take it to a tailor it would be easy to take in to make it fit more or less like this:

Since I paid $50 for the dress I can take on the expense of having it tailored but I of course the result is never guaranteed. I do have an occasion to wear it in the Spring (navy and white are my daughter's school colors and I am thinking to wear it at the Spring benefit that has a vague school theme). What do you think? Worth the hassle?

OK, off to pick up my daughter and then I will start to get ready. If you have time leave a comment on your favorite outfit (and the tennis dress)!

New Uniform And Two Festive Outfits

In case some of you were wondering where I have been, I had one of those weeks. For starters I caught a very bad cold and it was the worst week ever to be sick because I was unusually busy with volunteering at my daughter's book fair and various festive events including my best friend's birthday party. But worst, my daughter broke a finger while she was in school last Thursday and obviously this had me worried and running from doctors to hospitals for a couple of days. Thanks God she was not in pain, she only has to keep a slint for three weeks but this mean no more ice-skating for her that she was enjoying so much. Incidentally the day when it happened she was starting piano as an after-scool activity and I just received an enormous keyboard that my husband insisted we buy in a hurry (to have a keyboard at home to practice was a course requirement but I wanted to wait a little bit to see if she would enjoy taking piano). So maybe I am going to play the piano, the thing is just ridiculous sitting in our family room.

So moving on I have a few outfits to show you. As I said the week was full of events and I managed to attend all of them against the adversities.

First, my "uniform" got a bit updated now that we are into winter. I have replaced my leggings with a pair of, well, jeggings and I am wearing a turtleneck on top with a blazer (in the outfit below the turtleneck is the JCrew cashmere one in heather dusk). The jeggings are the Loft super skinny and for the price you cannot find a better pair out there IMO:

This uniform kept me cozy and decent looking during the book fair where I was working at the library donations table. I just switched the cashmere tneck with a navy one.
The big event that I had to attend this past Saturday was my best friend birthday party. The venue this year was fantastic, a greenhouse downtown with an amazing NYC view and decor and a live orchestra. Very NYC! My husband couldn't come as he was travelling so I didn't feel like wearing my strapless dress (it is a bit seeeexy). Instead I wore a Joe Fresh dress that is incredibly pretty and unexpected for the price ($39). It is poly but hey, it looks like silk and it could be much more expensive. It isn't something that I usually wear as it has a pretty full skirt and usually I don't do well with this kind of silhouette but this one works for some reason:

I just threw my Boden cropped cardigan over this and I was ready to go. The day after I took my daughter to a matinee of the Nutcracker at NYC Ballet where we met a few other girls in her class. I LOOOOOOVE the Nutcracker, this is my third consecutive year and my second with my daughter. I always cry when the Xmas tree grows on the scene, it is so magnificent. The whole thing feels so Xmas-y that it deserves some dressing up even if this year I preferred to be on the understated side because I didn't know if the other moms would show up in jeans or what. The day before I stopped at the Loft after my appointment with the hairdresser and I bought a sequined tee for the occasion (I needed a pick me up, after my week). The tee wouldn't pass the thoughest sequins test but the color is TDF and so Xmas-y (it is called emerald green but it reads more like a pine green):

I also liked this coral but it felt a little bit more vacation-y than Xmas-y (however, it would be perfect if you spend Xmas on a beach vacation):

And this is how I wore it to the Nutcracker, with the velvet toothpick and my old bling cardigan in pine green (shoes are TB Revas in navy suede):

I am finding a lot that I like at the Loft this season and in fact I also bought something else that I will show you in a future OOTD. Plus, they are always having some sort of promo, which always helps (in fact they were having 40% off everything when I bought the tee)!
This week went pretty smoothly (fingers crossed) and tomorrow night I have another big occasion, a Gala at the Metropolitan Club. I have to chose between two outfits and I will probably ask for your help, stay tuned!
So, how have you been?