hunkering down

J. Crew linen dress, Savers

XOXO sports bra worn as camisole, Ross

necklace, Haitian Beads 

      Hawaii has two hurricanes heading this way in the next few days, and everyone is on high alert. Most stores are sold out of cases of bottled water and toilet paper. I dropped by a drugstore on my way to work, foolishly thinking that there might be regular 16-ounce bottles of water. I had forgotten my metal bottle at home, and just wanted one to drink through the school day. There was not a single bottle on the shelves, and I saw several people with multiple rolls of paper towels (maybe a substitute for the elusive toilet paper?) I settled for no-calorie grapefruit-flavored sparkling water instead.              

      Driving home, I heard that the city is canceling bus service on Friday, when the first hurricane is scheduled to hit our island. I'm hoping that the public school system plays it safe and cancels school Friday. I don't live close to work, and the thought of driving through high winds and heavy rains makes me (an already anxious driver) even more anxious.

Hey,  my hair almost looks shiny in this photo!

        A little about this outfit: I liked this outfit because I stayed cool and felt professional and stylish. Using a sports bra as a camisole made a tangible difference. My Haitian beads also picked up the color of the dress beautifully and made the outfit feel polished and intentional. I particularly like the sparks of bright yellow against the fuchsia. 

 

Try-it-out Tuesday: putting cute in its place

   Recently Carol of In Pursuit of Pretty Things wore an outfit that included a Jedidiah tee, accompanied by the question: is there an age cutoff for cute graphic tees?
    My closet does include a handful of Threadless, Yoshitomo Nara, and Jedidiah tees, and I wondered whether they definitively need to be relegated to weekend grocery-store runs, or can venture out on occasion.
     I first channeled my inner 12-year-old mallrat (do people use that word anymore?) and paired the tee with skinny jeans.

"That night we talked about our dreams" design by Lim Heng Swee

     I decided to attempt to weight the scale toward sophisticated instead of cute by swapping out the skinnies for trouser jeans. I then added a turquoise jacket purchased a while back but never worn yet (say hello to closet orphan #3).

     Disclaimer: I know that fuchsia does NOT match everything. :) Plus I realize that a skinny belt does look silly sliding around a trouser jean's substantial waistband.
     The last touch was adding a heeled shoe because these trouser jeans, despite their petite fit, are still a little long on me. (I know you really can't see the shoes, but I ran out of time.)

     Verdict: I just don't think this works. I don't like the tucked-in shirt, although the tee's slouchy fit and jacket's cropped length made it necessary. I think the pair-it-with-a-jacket strategy might work, though, and I plan to see how my other tees and jackets look together.
      If you've got some constructive criticism, please leave me a comment! I'd love to hear your honest opinion about this outfit and whether I need to put the rabbits on house arrest. ...

Try-it-out Tuesday: big prints

     Both cameras are out of commission, but I wasn't going to let it stop Try-it-out Tuesday. MacBook Photo Booth to the rescue! :)
     Today's challenge: break the no-big-prints rule for petites. I get the logic, but I LOVE certain big prints.
      I understand why I don't want to wear daisies as big as my head, but I figured this particular print could squeak by because it's more abstract and graphic -- lines and swirls vs. daisies. So instead of people thinking, "WOW! Those daisies are as big as her head!" they're going to wonder, "Is that big red swirly as big as her head?"   
     I picked up this top at Saver's a few years ago for a mere 99 cents. It appears handmade, and the Asian-inspired big print reminded me of the splashily printed dresses and men's shirts popular in 1970s Hawaii.  When I started this blog, I dug this out of my fabric pile: I wanted to figure out a way to wear it. Beside the big print, there were some other challenges. The top is boxy, on the short side, and has side notches.

         Some tucking-in was definitely required.

     I just managed to tuck it into a pair of jeans. I couldn't resist adding my fuchsia belt because I figured fuschia falls right between dark blue and red.
     It tucked much better into my higher-waisted pencil skirt. I think it works better with the pencil skirt because less of the top is showing; the big print is restricted to a smaller area of my body.

Thrifted top; CK pencil skirt; Old Navy fuchsia belt.

 

 

I think the red swirly might be BIGGER than my head.

    Because I love this top, I'm planning on rocking it. But I'm interested in hearing your honest opinion -- is the big print overwhelming? Is it OK with jeans, or should I stick to the pencil skirt? Or should I just walk away the next time a similar top calls out to me from the thrift store racks?