LA Outfits And What Packing Can Tell You About What You Need In Your Closet Right Now

My packing for LA was almost a catastrophe. First of all, I always overestimate the weather there at this time of the year. I had vaguely checked the forecasts before leaving and the excitement for "0% chances of precipitations" (when in NY was pouring) made me forget that 70 degrees during the day is not THAT warm, especially if followed by 58 in the night, which is definitely chilly. I also forgot that LA has different microclimates depending on where you are: if you are on the hills it starts cloudy in the morning until around 11 or noon, and then it gets sunny and it warms up. Since we were staying at the Standard, which is on Sunset boulevard in West Hollywood, and that we were around the pool mostly in the early morning and that I didn't have any long-sleeved sweater/sweatshirt except for the one I had travelled in and that I was "saving" for the night (I know, I know) I was basically freezing at the pool (until Memorial Day when it got very hot all of a sudden). So that was the first mistake, I overpacked warm weather clothes and I had zero in cases (luckily I didn't forget my Nolita jacket).
My evening line-up wasn't much better. I packed only one dress (pretty casual) that I knew in advance my husband didn't like (I was hoping that he would change his mind as he sometimes does but it didn't happen this time), so when he categorically asked me not to wear it I was left with the choice between my Zara faux-leather shorts (that would have been cute if it weren't for the fact that they weren't weather appropriate) and my two pairs of jeans. Moreover, I didn't take any heels because that only dress didn't need the hassle of wearing heels to look good, in my opinion. Smart. So I was in glamorous LA, without daughter in tow, ready to take over the city nightlife in jeans and flats. I had to admit that my husband's appalled "with all the money that you spend in clothes you come to LA like this?" wasn't completely out of line, but I had to make the most of it because the only thing I am certain in life is that my husband will never go shopping while on vacation (and I can't drive in the US).

Soooooo, the first night (which was actually the coldest in our stay) we were going to meet friends who live in OC at a restaurant nearby and I was sure that we wouldn't go anywhere after because I was tired and jetlagged, having gotten up at 3.30 am that morning to catch my flight (I can't sleep while I fly). After my husband defended me from wearing the dress that I had planned to wear, I had no choice but wearing the Zara shorts (because the place was dressy and I couldn't show up in jeans) that I paired with the red Carrie cami (as a side note, this cami is the best going out thing that JCrew has ever put out IMO. If you don't mind the cleavage exposure and you can wear that kind of spaghetti strap cami, I highly recommend it). It was okay because we had dinner on the heated patio and I had my Rebecca Taylor vest that goes with everything and was really a lifesaver during this vacation (one of the servers complimented me on my vest in front of my husband and she made my day). As I said I didn't have any heel with me but I had a pair of evening flat sandals by Vince Camuto that I had bought the day before leaving and I can't recommend enough. They are the most comfortable sandals ever and they are showstoppers. If it is of any indication, a drunken lady in her 70s (think old movie star a la Stardust Boulevard) stopped in her tracks and (in a drunken voice) said (pointing at my shoes and sort of barking orders to the man that was lifting her by her underarm) "What are those shoes? I want them!". It was a funny LA moment. By the way, apparently there is no Vince Camuto store in LA, so it a brand that people there do not easily recognize, probably.
The reason why I bought these is that they were having a promo for Memorial Day and all the sandals were 25%, which makes them really inexpensive. They are the Emera gladiator sandals and they are very sparkly IRL. They run AT LEAST one size big, I went down to a 6 and they were perfect and I am never a 6 (however if you plan to wear them during the day and walk a lot in them I would go down only half a size):





The following evening was more challenging. It was the "no plan" evening out with a vague idea of going to a club. Since my husband's best friend (who lives in LA) wasn't in LA that weekend and without him we didn't know how to navigate the LA club scene, we went for a safe choice and decided to have dinner at Pink Taco on Sunset (walking distance from the hotel!) because we had no reservations, then to go to a movie (to kill time until midnight) and then come back to the hotel and go to the Chateau Marmont (walking distance again!) or the club of our hotel or both. So I had to dress for dinner and a movie, followed by a bar/club without possibly getting bounced (it didn't occurred to me that I could have changed mid-evening since we were coming back to the hotel after the movie). So I went casual on bottom (no choice here) and upscale up, so to speak. We didn't take pictures that night but I re-created the exact outfit for you, minus the shoes (the Vince Camuto above):




And with the RT vest:




What worked really well in this outfit was the necklace. It is a necklace that gets you into places, so to speak, as both the bouncer at the Chateau and at the club of the Standard made a comment on it. Usually it is my husband who gets us into clubs (the rare times when we go out) but this time it was me and my necklace!
Pink Taco (a casual Mexican joint on Sunset with a beautiful patio) was just OK, I had read so much about it that I was a bit disappointed, the ambience was a mix between sports bar and prom night and the food was average (maybe because of the holiday weekend). But I wanted to try it and it was the perfect night to do it. Going to a movie right after (The Hangover 3, that was opening that weekend) was also a good idea because it kept us busy/awake until it was time for the clubs. I enjoyed my drink at the bar of the Chateau but the club at the Standard was a throwback to the 80s and while the music and people were fun, I hadn't been to a club where people were freaking SMOKING since the 90s and I couldn't stand it for more than 10 minutes (my husband neither). When we got out, the bouncer was surprised that we were already done, he seemed disappointed and maybe he regretted to let us in!

Sunday night we were celebrating my husband's birthday and since I was in charge of the reservations for the weekend I had chosen a low-key restaurant with a beautiful patio, called Laurel Hardware. When we were driving back from Malibu earlier that day we considered briefly the new Nobu locatio which is right on the Pacific Highway (the new building is astonishing) but we decided to stick to the initial plan because it was still early and it wouldn't be fun for the birthday boy to refrain from drinking, since he was the one driving.
Laurel Hardware is an amazing place. The front of the restaurant looks like a pretty bare-boned coffee shop but behind the high concrete wall there is a restaurant room with an amazing décor/bar and behind that a patio that immediately transports you somewhere in Greece or South of Italy, with two giant olive trees in the middle. The atmosphere in the patio is priceless but the food could be better (it puzzles me that a restaurant with such beautiful premises can't find a better chef). My husband was very happy (for him the vibe of a place is more important that the actual food) and we could drink a bottle of wine because we were very close to the hotel, even if I had no idea before getting there.
By then he had probably gotten used to the idea that my LA wardrobe was very casual (or maybe he had gotten used to the casual vibe in LA) so when I showed up in glorified trackpants (the JCrew silk colorblock pants) he said (to my surprise) "Yes, that's very LA". I didn't want to upset him on his birthday but in reality I was expecting the opposite reaction and my plan was that after seeing me in the trackpants he would find my jeans very dressy (I know, I have to play Machiavelli with him). BTW, in case you are interested in these pants (they are very cool IMO), the key is sizing down so that there is no extra fabric in the crotch area and at the bottom. I had first ordered the green version in a XS and they looked AWEFUL, so when the black went on sale (before Xmas?) I ordered a size down and they fit perfectly. I don't have pics of the exact outfit that I wore in LA (I wore it with the orange Joe Fresh tank that you have seen in the packing post and the Juicy palms clutch) but I had planned a post on them a while ago, so I can share a pic where you can see how they fit (by the way, the side band is not white, nor ivory but a very dark beige that was a bit disappointing at first):



The only kind of outfit that I really got right was my "pool" outfit. I have been at the Standard many times so I kind of know what to expect from the guests, even if this time I found a bit more gay than hipster. I had bought an inexpensive Zara tee that was perfect with my cutoff shorts. On Memorial Day we had champagne brunch just before checking out:



And this is the view on Sunset from our balcony (always ask for a room on the back at the Standard, they are much quieter):



So I survived my pitiful packing (did I mention that I forgot my flip-flops?) but this got me thinking. Even if I had wanted to bring heels and a "going out" dress, I wouldn't have known what to bring, my closet is lacking in these two categories: going out shoes that I can walk in and going out dresses that aren't too casual or too dressy. I tend to buy more of what I already have (I guess this is quite common), in particular tee shirts, jeans and cover-ups. When I splurge I tend to splurge on things that are too occasion-y and that then I don't wear because I lack the occasion.
So I am on a quest for the perfect going-out shoes and the going out equivalent of a LBD, a dress that you can wear to go out in several occasions. I found the shoes and I have a post coming up, stay tuned.

To end this lengthy post (I hope I haven't bored you to death) a little riddle. Can you recognize the guy in the pic below?



OK, so if you have recognized him, you probably count among your guilty pleasures a certain TV show (don't tell me I am the only one who watches this crap). This was taken at the restaurant where we went the first night (hint). He was our server that night and I was mortified when my friend asked him to pose for a pic with me but I kind of deserved it because I had booked the restaurant. It was fun to see all the cast thought and I was surprised at their professionalism (I mean they acted like professional servers, even if the TV show probably pay them much better)!


Have a great weekend!!!

Vacationland

I must compliment writer from space on this one or whoever came up with this name at JCrew, even if there have been prints more vacation-y than this one IMO. Still, it is a name that conjures up fantasies about farniente at the beach, strolling in little villages, sailing or travelling around the globe, depending on your idea of a vacation. I know it is supposed to depict Floridian favorite pastimes but having just come back from a short vacay in LA, I am a bit biased to say that South California perfectly embodies my idea of "Vacationland": it can't get any better than sunny skies punctuated by palm trees. I haven't downloaded all the vacation pictures yet but I think this perfectly sums it up:

This pic was taken at El Matador beach in Malibu. We drove up there on Sunday afternoon (my husband's birthday), after a lunch and stroll in Venice. I love driving to Malibu (or, I should say, being driven to Malibu) but once there we never know what to do or where to go. I am not a day-tripper at heart but since it was already 4 pm we knew we didn't have to kill a lot of time before sunset and we drove up to this beach were we had never been before (it is quite a trek). This is one beautiful beach and the scenery with the big cliffs reminded me a lot of Portugal. In any case we had a little "aperitivo" there (that we had brought) and it was a beautiful moment.
Can you spot the Hawaiian sunset shorts in the pic? I love these shorts and they were perfect for Malibu. The funny thing is that I dug up a picture of my first trip to California in 2002 and I was wearing a sunset print tank by H&M that I have since thrown away (I regretted it this season but it is the reason why I preferred the shorts to the tank, I guess):

Yes, I have been a brunette...



What can I say, I love palm trees...

Anyway, back to "Vacationland", I had promised pictures of the blouse. The ones with the shorts that I had taken in the store fitting room are still stuck in my phone and at this point I think I am going to give up on them. However, I have the blouse at home (wearing it today) so I took pics for you.
I tried both a 00 and a 0 and went with my regular 0 (the 00 fit too but it was considerably shorter and even if this is not a shirt to tuck in I preferred the longer length). The good news is that it doesn't gape at the chest, it fits perfectly (sorry for the wrinkles, I didn't have time to steam it):







A reader (hello Wendy!) asked me if it felt like wearing a pajama and I have to say that before her asking the question the thought didn't even cross my mind. Yes, it is silk charmeuse (but as the description says, it is printed on the matte side, so that she shiny side is actually on the inside of the blouse) and the print could totally be on a pajama but thankfully they didn't ruin it by 1) making the collar rounded and 2) making a contrasting piping. After noticing this, I understood what bothered me in the dress (strangely called "suncation"):



The dress has the pajam-y collar and piping and looks more like a nightshirt IMO. I think that the collar on the shirt is perfect and it has a timeless feeling to it. I have a friend who has a Lanvin blouse in a whimsical print like this one that I always admired and this "Vacationland" shirt comes closer to it. I think the price on this is right too, especially compared to the uber-expensive (and very pajam-y) Bermuda shorts. I also love that it is a everyday short-sleeve shirt (very rare in Crewland). As a side note, I ended up returning the punk floral swoop top because I had many occasions to wear it and each time I decided to wear something else, it was a bit too delicate to wear during the day and not an evening top so I was trying to force myself to wear it but it didn't fit quite in.
The only reserve could be the color, which is a bit salmon-y. I don't think that it's a color that could wash you out but for some of you it could come too close to the color of your skin if you have a pink complexion. It works well for me because my skin complexion is not pink but beige and I am always a bit tan in the spring and summer so it makes a nice and "healthy" contrast with the my coloring.

OK, I will be back with some anecdotes from my LA vacation and some reflection on what packing for a short stay in another city can teach you about what you miss and what works in your closet.

What's your idea of "Vacationland"?

Packing for LA

So as you know I am going to LA this weekend. I was supposed to leave with my husband but he went two days earlier for "work". Had I known I wouldn't have booked a 7 am flight but whatever. I just hope that I am not going to fall asleep at 6 pm on Friday and sleep through my first evening there (it happened before).
We are staying at the Standard Hollywood; honestly I was ready for something more grown-up but my husband thinks he is 25 (especially when he is in LA) and it's his birthday so at the Standard we stay (not to self: remember to pack earplugs to keep out of ear noisy neighbors who ARE 25 and less).
I have been to LA many times but I have my own pre-conceived idea of LA as a place where everybody wears cutoff shorts and a tank. So I am going to take cutoff shorts and a lot of tanks lol. No, really I love LA because of its casual vibe. We have planned this weekend a long time ago so I bought a few things along the way with this trip in mind including the above mentioned cutoff shorts.
One would think that it isn't worth it to spend a lot on shorts, especially cutoffs but I actually never found a pair that fit really well before. These are the Current/Elliott "boyfriend" and the only white shorts that don't make me feel like I have passed the age for cutoff shorts (they fit VERY big, this is a 25 and I could actually wear a 24):





The top is a cheap H&M. And when I say cheap I mean REALLY cheap. I was looking for something fun that wouldn't necessarily stay in my closet forever and when I saw this for $4.95 (no, it isn't a typo) I thought it was perfect (it also fits better than other more expensive things I tried).
I also like the idea of "going out shorts"; in fact I bought the JCrew pleated cotton in black at the beginning of spring to wear them out in the evening but they weren't what I was looking for. JCrew "going out" stuff has always a dressy side that screams "occasion" to me (in this case the fabric). I found what I was looking for at Zara, in a pair of high-waisted, faux-leather black shorts (here with my cheap top):



With the exception of the Hawaiian print shorts, my whole suitcase is going to be black/white/ivory with some pop of color. You might remember my Zoe Karssen tee fiasco; I ended up ordering another tee that is still oversized but I like a lot, also because I am not ashamed of the message, which is the problem with most of the message tees, especially if you have kids around. I can't really buy a tee that says "Girls like boys who don't like girls" or, even worst "Live fast because it won't last" and the likes. Although I was tempted to buy the Wildfox "I'd rather be shopping" sweatshirt to wear to a boring event). This one simply says "Madame" (which is true and I can be proud of) in a "varsity" font and I like the simplicity of the design and the message. It is understated and cool but looooooooooooong (wearing a size S) so that on me it looks better tucked in:





For the pop of color I am bringing this silk top by Joe Fresh. I couldn't resist this color, also because it pairs perfectly with my Juice Couture "palm trees" clutch that has a piping and inside in the exact same color:





I am also taking my Rebecca Taylor orange dress in case not everybody is wearing track pants and cutoff jeans ;-). Plus, stuff to lounge around the pool.

Even if every other movie is shot in LA and has LA and Hollywood as a backdrop (think of "Shortcuts", "Crash", "Pulp Fiction", "Get Shorty" etc.), I watched "Somewhere" by Sophia Coppola yesterday to put myself into the mood (even if I am not staying at the Chateau). But my favorite "LA vibe" movie is probably "Laurel Canyon" with Christian Bale, Kate Backinsale and Francis McDormand (I don't think it is a very well-known movie so I recommend it if you haven't seen it). I am ready!

Have a great Memorial Day weekend, talk to you next week.

JCrew June Rollout: Fitting Room Pics (1)

In the last three days I saw and tried in stores a few of the new arrivals that rolled out today on the website. I don't have much time but I wanted to share a few pics before the long Memorial day weekend. I mostly tried tops because that's what I am interested in these days (I have too many dresses and bottoms and definitely do not need another pair of café capris). I will be quick but if you have any question before tomorrow night let me know and I will try to respond (I don't guarantee though). Also, I saw these before having a chance of browsing the new Style Guide, so I wasn't influenced in my judgment by the styling or beautiful Lyla.

First, the Baja embroidered top. I liked this one a lot. The peri color isn't very flattering on me, so I tried the ivory/black colorway. This top fits beautifully but it isn't a top to tuck in, it is to leave untucked (personally I love the shorter length). It is a bit sheer in the body in the ivory (the embroidery covers the chest area) but it's a summer top so I don't think it is too much exposure. It reminds me a bit of my Marrakesh top from a few years ago.
This is the 0. It was slightly small in the shoulders but the neckline fits so well without exposing too much cleavage that I didn't size up. The peri is even more summery if you can do that color:





Another top that I liked quite a bit is the Collection pom-pom top. This top is linen and more sparkly IRL (because of the mirrored embellishments) than what it looks like on the website. However it seemed a bit high maintenance between the linen fabric and the mirrors, given that it will be a mess after one wear (I could tell by only trying it on) and it is "professional dry-clean only" so I preferred to pass, especially at fp. They only had a 00 and it was slightly pulling at the chest but was fine (actually good) everywhere else. I am afraid that the 0 would be a bit boxy in the body:





It looks like they put out a lot of boho tops in this rollout. the next one is the Chambray dot peasant top. This one fits a bit like the Liberty peasant tops of early spring and as those I didn't like it. Note that the ivory color is very creamy and seems a strange choice for summer. This is the XXS:



Last of the bohemian tops is the Embroidered gauze top. I don't do very well with this kind of tops, they make me look bustier than I am, but it is a pretty top. This is the 0 in the white (I saw all the other colors and the vintage burgundy is really very burgundy, not a springy color):



I liked the Ikat popover when I saw it on the racks, it felt fresh and new. It is a great top, I am just not sure about those colors on me (plus, I do not need at all). The pink is darker IRL than on the website pic. I tried a 2 because there wasn't a 0 on the floor and I would say it fits TTS (aka, I would buy a 0):



I was tempted by the Cluster sequin tee that has been on the website for a while but just hit the stores. The fit in the XS was GREAT and I loved the multicolored sequins but in the end I decided that I don't need more sequins in my life:



I have a few more pics, including my favorite of all the new arrivals, the Vacationland blouse but I am having trouble downloading them. In case I can't post them before leaving the blouse is just gorgeous (the color is a very pretty blush steering towards salmon) and it fits TTS (I tried both the 0 and 00 and went with the 0).

What do you think of these new arrivals?

Mother's Day Outfit and Toothpicks in Thistle Print

Wow, I can't believe that Mother's Day was a week ago already. I am going to post my outfit before it becomes obsolete. We were lucky enough to have gorgeous weather on Mother's Day so my outfit was very sunny and springy (today in comparison feels like November).

As you know the day before was my daughter's birthday so I really didn't think in advance of what to wear on Mother's Day. We were just going to our favorite restaurant with terrace so no need to dress up but I wanted to feel a bit special (like in "Hey, pay respect, I am a mom").
The only thing I knew was that I wanted to wear my beaded rose necklace so I tried to find something to go with it. The weather also called for white pants/jeans and after trying 3 different t-shirts that were actually more ivory than white, I grabbed the factory version of the go-round top, that actually looked great with the necklace:



I left home with my peplum boucle jacket over this outfit, but it was definitely too warm for it so I ended up carrying it around:



This necklace is really a stunner and I received compliments on the necklace from pretty much every other person that day (people stopped me in the street to ask me where it was from). I went into Sephora later in the afternoon and a male SA complimented me on my outfit and actually noticed that my nails were matching the necklace (that was actually by chance, as the mani, that I inflicted myself the day before, was supposed to match my BR dress that I wore at the bday party and not the necklace. The polish is "Big hair, big smile" by OPI, one of my favorite summer colors ever and actually less orange that it looks in the pics):



My husband asked if the necklace was his Mother's day present. I said that it was actually his Valentine's Day present.

Since I won't have much time to post next week, I also wanted to show you quickly pics of the toothpicks in thistle print that I got with the BLOOM code and you can get with the current LOOK20 code.
I love them at first sight and I felt stupid for trying them on one or two days after the end of the 25% off promo. I hold off because with the tax these babies are around $150 but luckily the BLOOM code came along pretty quickly, bringing them down to $108.
I got a 26 which is my regular size. When I tried them on they looked good but felt VERY tight. The SA adviced not to go up because they tend to stretch out. I haven't worn them yet but I followed her advice.
here I am wearing them with my second BR self-tie shirt (I got this one online, paying much more than the navy one that I had previously bought in store, and I was ready to suck it up but it came with a store price tag that had a mark down on it, so I took it to my store saying that it felt like a bad joke and they honored the lowest price):





I can't wait to wear this, it is so summery!

My other pick with the 20% off is the painter tee in indigo engineered stripe. For some reason I am not attracted to the white/gold one that is very popular, but to this one. I love this color! I know, more stripes but I have already worn it and loved it. This is the XS (fits TTS):



That's it. I have a busy week ahead and I am packing for LA, where I am joining my husband at the end of the week for Memorial Day weekend and his birthday (my MIL arrived yesterday from Paris and will take care of my daughter while we are away). I will try to post a few outfits before leaving. Have a great week!

A Night at the Zoo

My best friend invited me and my daughter to the Central Park Zoo "Gala" yesterday night. This is an annual private event that caters to children and families and we had never been before (apparently the tickets are expensive but my friend enjoys this kind of things and she is very generous with her friends).

Anyway, the weather was very gloomy yesterday morning through early afternoon and I joked with my friend that at that rate I was going to wear my snow leopard faux-fur (she said she almost pissed in her pants when she received my text). I didn't expect it to be a dressy occasion since it involved children, feeding the animals, feeding the children who feed the animals, etc. but because my friend always dresses up I asked her what she was going to wear and she said she had a spring dress in mind but would probably wear a coat over it. The last time that she told me that the dress code was "casual spring dresses" she showed up in a quite glamorous lace dress with a open back so I took it as an invitation to dress up.

I immediately thought of my floral Tory Burch skirt that I bought last year on sale and sadly didn't wear (not because I don't like it but because I need high to wear high heels with it, as I never got it hemmed and it is a floor-length skirt and I didn't have any occasion last summer, I was always in casual clothes).
I mentioned before that when I ordered the Carrie cami in red (the color is called bright poppy BTW) I had a purpose for it and the purpose was this skirt. They go perfectly together:





I also immediately decided for these shoes, from quite a few season ago (I think they were called Greer sandals?):



My problem was that this is very springy and the weather was wintery yesterday so I had to have a backup plan. I tried first my cashmere sweater in some mustardy yellow whose name escapes me now, that matches the yellow in the skirt (and the shoes):





But I wasn't thrilled, I was actually a bit bummed because my outfit went from springy to fallish and it kind of depressed me.
Then, influenced by the discussion about the Jenna Lyon's outfit at the Great Gatsby premiere that day on the JCA, I thought of Jenna. What would Jenna wear with this skirt (I still like Jenna, even if I don't like that outfit in particular)? A jeans jacket! So I took out my Nolita jacket and voila:





I liked this quite a bit but it meant that I could open the jacket because the color of the beaded rose necklace and the color of the Carrie cami clash (the cami has no orange in it and actually verges on pink when next to orange). I also prefer to wear the Nolita not completely buttoned up.
So I decided to get rid of the necklace and wear my new collage earrings instead:



I LOOOOOOOVED this outfit, it was very hippie chic and not too dressed up. Now I only had to pray that it wouldn't rain because that skirt is so long that I can't wear it in the rain without ruining it, the hem would drag in every puddle.
We were lucky because the sun actually came out at the end of the day, which made my outfit more appropriate (but I would have worn it anyway). I think I was the most dressed up in the whole zoo (the few ladies that had dressed up had less "noticeable" outfits), but who cares, I loved wearing this (this skirt has the immediate effect of making me feel a socialite).
Actually I know somebody who was more dressed up than me (that's a Crewcuts dress that I got with the 20% off promo that just ended for a school ceremony at the end of the year when they need to wear a white dress. At least she will have worn it twice):



And that's me waiting for my friend to pick us up (my daughter took the picture so it's a bit shaky):



The shoes were incredibly comfortable, not once I wobbled or my feet hurt. Must wear them most often (I wore them a couple of times to a wedding and another ceremony).
It was really fun and you won't believe this but Nina Garcia was there (very dressed down in black jeans and black blazer/tee) and once again we met eyes. Her expression this time seemed to wonder "Why is this woman staring at me?" I think the next time she is going to call the police, I am officially a stalker!

Was anybody there last night?
The next time, I will post the Mother's Day outfit