Teflon-coated.

I had to take my own photos today with the awful camera. It was dark and wet, and thus blurry, outside. The camera crapped out before I could get close-ups of the clothing, but get this: these pants are made of Teflon. Or coated in it, I can't tell. The tag declares it so. They are...an interesting texture; not exactly uncomfortable, but oddly stippled. Teflon pants? To what purpose? And why? And the most important question: will wearing them often give me cancer? Because they fit like a dream!

I also attached my fur ruff to this coat, so mayhap I'll like it more. I go through periods of vigorously hating this Gap-made monstrosity, possibly because I've had it since grad school, more possibly because I know it came from the Coralville, Iowa mall, a place I both loathed and loved, as it was the only shopping haus in, seriously, a 200-mile radius. Speaking of the heartland, I just found out one my most fashionable (and brilliantly funny) friends from Iowa reads this blog sometimes, and it made me so happy! Hi, Madeline!

If you could see this properly, you might see that this shirt is a waterfall of shine. But I mostly covered that with a lumberjack-thick cable vest.

Wearing a Gap coat with faux fur ruff, thrifted shiny blouse, teflon pants, and long sweater vest, and Forever XXI heels.

He was a bold man that first eat an Oyster*

I'm dosing up on black before we leave for Florida on Tuesday. By happy coincidence, both K's extended family and my own are from the St. Augustine area. This is what I wore to brunch with our pathology resident friends. I had oysters. I always get oysters. In Florida I will probably have more oysters.




I got this sweater at the same time as the French Connection skirt. It's a tad big, but to be honest, I like it that way, as the sleeves are almost dolman in shape. Paired with a short fluffy skirt, I think it's got a dash of stately grande dame about it. With my unbrushed and unstyled hair, maybe it looks a bit crazy? Here's hoping. I could've gone more mad-cap with the jewelry, but our friends are doctors, after all, and they are generally a conservative bunch. Oh, and if I look ever so slightly pregnant, that's the oysters.

A silly pose:



I wear a thrifted dress, and a vintage sweater and booties, and a self-made necklace.

PS: We got drawn in the Alien marathon last night on AMC. Please, forgive me, I won't go on, but Aliens? Rockin'. Alien Resurrection? Double rockin'. I knew it before, of course, but I was utterly delighted at the felicitous storytelling contained therein. If I were a filmmaker, I would naturally only make monster movies.

Thank you, K, for the many photographs you're taking during these, your few months off. I am, as always, more than appreciative, and you've got some awesome skills.

*Jonathan Swift

Land of the Rising Sun

E mentioned she was headed to New Mexico, so of course I had to go rummaging for my favorite Zuni necklace. I've heretofore called this my "cosmic" necklace and my "alien-spotting" necklace, and I've often hoped I'd be wearing it the day I see my first flying saucer. But today I love it because it goes beautifully with this awesome French Connection skirt I scored yesterday for $2.98.


I don't generally like prints, so I've said, but I think I should just stop talking, because I always break my own rules. There is a contrarian streak through me as deep as the Mariana Trench. I love everything, some way, somehow, eventually, and I love this because it's so Land of the Rising Sun--it seems like a Japanese fan and those rays of light are elegantly stylized and yet something about them feels tribal and primitive.

This outfit would've been better with some Fashiontoast-esque D&G wedges. I want a more extreme bootie. I love a bootie (god knows, anyone who knows me knows how I LOVE a bootie) but I'm lately finding myself unthrilled by the selection on offer. These, for instance, are nice because I can walk all day in them, but extreme they are not. With shoes, I tend to be of the go-big-or-go-home school, though this has often gotten me in trouble. Example: I have a lot of shoes. Like, a lot. But I ha(d) only three pairs of flats. My sister recently moved to NYC, and found herself without comfortable shoes. So I was all, No worries, I'll just send you some. So I did, and here I am, with not a flat pair of shoes in my closet except some velvetine ones from Old Navy (the horror) I bought over five years ago. Which I will not wear. Ever. Again.


I apologize for the grainier than usual photos: I could figure out the right ISO. Tomorrow will be better, I promise.

I wear a French Connection skirt, Steven Madden booties, a Kensie coat and a necklace from New Mexico. Thrifted doctor's bag.

PS: Like many of you, I'm saddened by the death Daul Kim. I often read her blog. A beautiful girl, forever.

I think I'll change my tag to "winter" after Thanksgiving, regardless of the weather. This is more a winter outfit, anyway--I'm feeling myself pulled toward the blacks even though I just said--just said!--I want to wear color this winter. I did in fact have a deep purple ruffle dress picked out for today, but I decided I'd wear it tonight when we go out in celebration of my man taking down his final board exam with a truly breathtaking score. I'm just saying, Harvard better watch out for him.



I hope the safety of the black is broken by the patterns and the shoes. Looking restrained--but not boring--is always my goal. I do wish it were cold enough to wear a more intense shoe. In fact, this outfit would be perfect with a Rachel Zoe-style fur vest made from a snow-white Himalayan lamb, but I don't have one. Wait, Did I just use the Zoe in the same paragraph as I typed the word "restrained?" My bad. I love you, Rachel! I would so be your intern.



I wear a sweater dress (or maybe it's just a sweater?) and ring from Forever XXI, tights from ?, Aldo heels, and a scarf from Prague.

I realized I forgot to report back on Kevin Gillespie's Woodfire Grill in Atlanta, where we had a most satisfactory dinner. It was actually pretty amazing! Still, I must say I'm favoring Michael to win, because the competition seems to be reducing itself (as it usually does) to the "simple" versus "gastronomic" schools of food preparation, and the gastronomic candidates don't really have a good track record with the judges at the finale. Witness: Marcel versus the completely douchey Ilan, the adorable Richard Blais versus the ho-hum Stephanie, etc. So I'm betting Kevin wins, even though Michael takes more risks and seems to have an effortlessly creative way with a plate. Our tasting menu at Woodfire featured scallops the size of hamburgers, tiny quails with apples three ways, and bacon banana cake. Sounds simple enough, and it was, but it was also really delicious. And interesting, as well, to see the quality of food being presented to the judges in the competition.

Sometimes I wish I lived in an Airstream...

I love green and red in a non-Christmas setting. It has a magical, wintery sensibility. This particular silhouette feels more comfortable than the last time I tried the color combination, perhaps because I generally feel better when I'm dressed up. The coat is the same, the rest of the outfit is different. Last winter I dressed almost entirely in black, and this winter I'd really like to bring out some more saturated and colorful pieces, so I don't, you know, look like some goth Twihard (did you see this? This is what they're calling the Twilight fanatics).






I love the slight rise in the waistband of this skirt. I made this necklace a couple of years ago after seeing Nicole Richie wearing a similar one. I KNOW. But I've always privately thought she was adorable, even though every time I see her on television, her attitude embarrasses me, the way maybe it would if I were her parent and she were my ungrateful teenage daughter. But maybe having her own tiny Madden children has changed her, who knows? Anyway, once she cleaned up her act, and especially during those few months when her hair was brown, I thought she was so pretty. And I do admit to liking much of the House of Harlow jewelry that I've seen.

I wear a Calvin Klein top, a vintage skirt from Paris, vintage belt, and Isabella Fiore wedges. Bag by H&M, coat Forever XXI, and a self-made necklace.

Call me crazy, but I'm lately enamored of Miranda Lambert, whom I only just heard of a couple of months ago. Oh god, she's tough, she sings about guns, gravel and guts, and I just LOVE a woman with the stones to torch stuff when it pisses her off. Yes I do. This is probably because secretly I'm a redneck just waiting for the apocalypse.

Dancing reflections gone wild...

I found this zipper ruffle shirt and couldn't say no. Why? It is a) cut like a hospital gown, b) grey, and c) a perfect replacement for a very similar shirt upon which I spilled oil. Right before a job interview. As in, right before. Sigh. I ruined a shirt and didn't get a job.





Thrifted everything.

*The reason I rarely buy clothing from retail stores is this: I cannot afford nice things, and while Forever XXI and H&M have trendy items, I've found I can find them for $5 or less if I look hard enough at the hipster thrift stores. I will spend money, when I have it, on nicely made clothing, but as it stands, I just can't conscience $48 for a plaid shirt from Gap. No. So I thrift and I buy things on eBay. But, I just received some Margiela wedges I can't wait to show you!


PS: You guys like Laura Veirs, right? Her music is so smart and celestial and geological. The color of this shirt reminds me of her song Pink Light. There, that's my transition.

Cabala.

I rediscovered this bag the last time I was down to visit my parents in North Carolina. It was stuffed under my sister's bed, and when I found it, I pulled it out and squealed "Wow! Do you remember this thing?" and K was like, "You should carry it again." It's from the Silver Spider in the University of Iowa Mall (that's right, there was a mall attached to the University, and when I couldn't write another word, I'd storm into the Silver Spider, clearly a store for fourteen-year-olds, and buy myself $3 earrings. This bag, at $25, was a splurge). I'm actually surprised I ever liked it, because I tend not to go for print bags (or print anything, really) but conversely, I can't resist a velvet/brocade/lavishly embroidered fabric. Something about this print feels very Tree of Life to me, kind of mystical and Cabalically Jewish. I love an ecclesiastically-themed anything, and was so happy when medieval-style jewelry made a comeback, though I've yet to invest in any pieces for my very own. Anyway, I posed with a nice tree.



I wanted the bag to be my focal piece, so I kept everything dark. I always thought this coat was grey, but the photographs reveal it to be pale black; odd. It's also from Iowa City.



I wear a thrifted skirt, a coat by Angie, from Dulcinea, Iowa City (a great shop with no website), Steve Madden booties, and carry a bag from the Silver Spider, also Iowa City. Rings from eBay.