a simple Saturday night

     As much as I love my couch time, it's nice to get out once in a while on a Saturday night.

    We drove around Waikiki for a bit in hopes of snagging free parking so we could check out some of the bars, but no luck. We ended up playing pool and darts elsewhere. We learned that we've been drinking too much "naturally flavored" boxed wine when we tasted the Newcastle beer and it seemed surprisingly bitter!

My Saturday night face :)

     I picked up my new glasses on Friday, and debuted them for the Mr. on Saturday.  I don't usually post photos of my face here, but, well ... it seemed really weird, if not impossible, to show off my new glasses without one.  :)
   At first, these glasses looked so different compared to my old ones, but the shape and color are growing on me. I also love the subtle pattern on the frame (which I didn't even notice when I picked them out. Now you know why I need glasses in the first place).

Nicole Miller "Abstract" in black cherry

     Glasses are a bit of a splurge on my budget, but since I wear them daily, I figured it's a worthwhile investment. :)

lovely links: styling flare jeans

   Wendy of Wendy's Lookbook has gorgeous style -- I think of her style as perfectly simple, and simply perfect. There's an elegant minimalism to even her most casual outfits that is extremely inspiring.
    That's why I was excited to see her looking fantastic in a casual yet chic outfit featuring flare jeans. Perfect timing, considering my latest jeans purchase. :)

size it up: Grane low-rise flares for shorties

   I don't know whether this is purely a Hawaii thing (since we have so many petite women), but there is a certain type of woman I often spot in the juniors section at Macy's. She's 40-plus and often holding up some itty-bitty camisole or very short skirt to herself to see how it looks in the mirror. I'd like to believe that she's buying for a similarly-sized niece or daughter, but I don't think that's always the case. By that age, I'd like to believe that I'll have "graduated" to coveting Tahari, Eileen Fisher, or Ralph Lauren, instead of skimpy things made out of so-so material and sized to fit 15-year-olds.
     You'll be pleased to know that I've just eaten my words for breakfast. (Whew, that was one filling paragraph). Having turned 34 in December, I've cut down on my browsing in the junior section. I find that the dresses run too short to be work-appropriate, and while I may pick up a tee or two on occasion, that's been the extent of my shopping. Then I came across this pair of Grane jeans in the Ross juniors section. I've never owned a pair of flares before (I'm pretty sure they're on the don't-wear list for petites), but the fit was very persuasive.

FIT: I found these in a 5 short. The low rise means no weird bunching in the crotch, which is always a problem if you're short-waisted like me. There is just a hint of a waist gap, which is kind of amazing (usually pants that fit my hips and thighs leave me with a large and unflattering gap). The length is perfect for a shoe with a heel  (necessary for balancing out the flare).

MATERIAL: The tag says 54% ramie (?), 27% polyester, 18% cotton and 1% spandex. Good ol' Wikipedia informs me that ramie is made from the fibers of a nettle plant found in East Asia.

DETAILS: Like most juniors jeans, there is more detail to the back pockets than I'd like, but nothing deal-breaking. I actually like the vintage-looking silver button. The light whiskering on the front is OK.

     The one thing I'm a bit iffy about is the weird fading on the rear. I know they're trying to make them look well-worn and loved, but really, Grane? You had to put it right there? You can get an idea of what I'm talking about by checking out the side view below.

     WARDROBE VALUE? I don't own any flares, so I think this would be something fun to add to my jeans rotation. For $11.99, this is a fashion risk I can afford.  I am also excited about the fit. I would balance out the junior-ish elements of these jeans by pairing it with more sophisticated items, like the silk top shown above.