Category: Fashion and Beauty

Discussions about clothes, makeup, hair, jewelry, and beauty in general.

15 pieces, 30 days

the Tall Girl #

There was a time in college when I kept a daily log of my outfits; this was back when I was a lot more self-conscious and was sure people would notice if I wore the same clothes more than once every 3 or 4 weeks. So I kept a clothing diary of sorts and planned my outfits each week with my previous choices in mind. I abandoned the habit long before I earned my degree, and in the intervening years I’ve worried less and less about what I put on from day to day. Lately, my routine has been easy and ultra-basic, if somewhat repetitive: throwing on a pair of jeans and whatever clean shirt appeals to me each morning.

That pattern is about to change — dramatically.

The lovely and amazing writer and fashionista Felicia Sullivan recently presented a fashion challenge, one that she invited her readers to take up and do with her: select 15 pieces of clothing from your wardrobe and wear only those pieces for the month of September. You can accessorize all you want with scarves, belts, shoes, and jewelry, but if you’re out in public (and not at the gym), you can’t wear a garment that’s not on your list. (Unless, of course, it’s a coat — unlikely for those of us down South.) And in a moment of questionable sanity that I may regret shortly, I committed to do it.

I have until Monday to come up with and document my 15 pieces. I’m still debating over the last couple of tops, but I have most of my list in place. It includes only one pair of casual jeans — yipe! — although I’m allowing myself a denim pencil skirt and a pair of dress jeans to make the transition a little less painful. Also along for the ride are a pair of basic black pants, a flared gray skirt, two cardigans (black and navy), and some very versatile tops — nothing got chosen that couldn’t be worn with at least 3 of my 5 bottom pieces. I tried on lots of choices last night in an effort to see what mixed best and to weed out anything that’s not flattering to my figure. (Sorry, little black sheath; not this time.) I’ll do more trying and mixing this weekend to finalize my tops, after which I’ll take photos, post them, and then on Wednesday, the fun begins. Stay tuned…

The Magic of a Good Purse

the Tall Girl # #

For a while now, I’ve been intending to blog about my purse, which may sound like a seriously trivial subject, but bear with me. A couple of years ago, my friend Dena set up a side business with her niece producing one-of-a-kind, handmade purses, and since that time, she’s been generous enough to give me several of them. My favorite is made of an embroidered-look material, black with simple flowers and buds and vines, and with a lovely silky black lining. For ages, I just had it sitting in my room because I felt like it was too nice to use on a regular basis. But about a year ago, I decided to start using it, and I discovered that I loved it even more on my shoulder than I did on my dresser.

Something about this purse just makes me feel special. I think the fact that it’s unique and looks expensive gives me an added boost of confidence — so if I go into a slightly upscale store, for instance, I feel like the staff judges me by my purse and not by my average-looking jeans and shirt. And of course, the purse reminds me of my far-away friend, and that’s good too.

I recently bought a new purse with a bit of my birthday money. I almost didn’t buy it, since I’m so happy with my current purse, but Mom twisted my arm. And it is, quite frankly, adorable, despite not being nearly as roomy as my embroidery purse. I’m taking it out for a spin tomorrow, since it will coordinate nicely with what I’m wearing to church. But after that, my stuff goes back into its regular home; the new toy won’t be replacing my older favorite.

Shhhhhhhh!

the Tall Girl #

I just had a new (and very cool) experience: my first time as a Secret Shopper.

A few months ago, I got an email from Coldwater Creek, a women’s clothing store that has me on their mailing list. They were looking for Secret Shoppers — people to go into their local store and shop, then report back about the experience. I signed up to be considered and got chosen. Yay!!! $100 of shopping on Coldwater Creek!

Last night was my first of 2 trips. Armed with my initial $50 gift card, I spent about 45 minutes in the store. After canvassing the place, I wasn’t sure I was going to actually buy anything this trip — I tried some tops but none fit quite right, and I wanted to get something nice, not just a couple of t-shirts that I could find anywhere. But I finally found a really cute jacket on sale, and luckily they had one in my size hidden in the back. Kudos to the sales associate for going the extra mile for the Secret Shopper! And best of all, I have a little bit of credit left on my card to supplement the next go-round.

Now, if only I could get other places to pay me to shop… I could get used to this!

(Photo source: Coldwater Creek website)