a.p.c. madras fall collection

i literally squeaked with delight when i saw this in my inbox. i want basically everything. you should check it out for yourself, since i'm having a hard time capturing the images.

i really want to save money for paris and mayle, but i think i'm going to have order one or two things right this minute....

two new blogs

for the past two years, i've tried to keep this blog as focused as possible on clothing, shopping, and design. i've decided to start two other blogs, one which is devoted to the baby, and the second which will be a space for giving away neglected clothing and shoes.

blog no. 1, future*perfect will be open to invited readers only. i don't feel like inundating everyone with pregnancy and baby related news (some people find it boring, sometimes it bores me, too), and considering i am pretty easy to find online if you're one of my students or on a job search/fellowship committee (yikes!), it's probably better for me to know who is reading it. email me if you'd like to be included. hopefully this doesn't come off sounding exclusionary. obviously you don't have to know me in real life before i let you look at endless photos of the baby or pregnant me, i just don't want completely random people to have access to personal stuff.

blog no. 2--still working on a name--will be open to everyone who is interested in giving away or swapping clothing and accessories online. my only rule is that if you'd like to participate, all you can request for compensation is a small amount to cover shipping and handling ($5-25ish), plus a nominal amount if it's something that was ridiculously expensive. if you would like to post several items over time, i can add you as a team member so i don't have to spend too much time uploading your photographs and descriptions. anyone else can email me their postings, but obviously my life will be a lot easier if i don't have to become the sole site adminstrator. it should hopefully work on its own, more or less.

i don't think there will ever be an easy solution to online swaps, so i'm going to encourage members to do random giveaways instead. if you want to do a swap, that's up to you. it's a pretty simple thing, no? if you're a recipient, it's always nice to offer up something as a giveaway or swap in return. obviously, everything should be gently worn and in wearable/usable condition. it's a place for people to give away neglected but lovely things that deserve better than the goodwill racks but can't be sold for whatever reason on ebay (plus i hate ebay's fees and rules). it should be like a craigslist, but based on trust and not really for profit or self-promotion. if you're new to the blog, be sure to introduce yourself so we don't feel like we're giving things away to total strangers who may turn around and sell it.

i love buying clothes, and i probably spend too much time and money on it. i started this blog hoping to curtail my spending habits--obviously it hasn't been successful! it has, however, taught me to be more careful about what i buy. being able to give away some things is another way of reminding myself both to be cautious about future purchases and to be happy that someone else is going to enjoy something that didn't work out for me. i suspect that others are in the same boat as me, so maybe we can use this new blog to do justice to our unworn or neglected sweaters, necklaces, bags, and boots.

hopefully i'll have the site up and running in the next few weeks, maybe after the election madness blows over. email me if you're interested in being a team member.

mayle holiday 08--the last collection

hera blouse


theodora dress


thea dress


i've been so busy with school work that i completely forgot about mayle's last collection. thankfully moya brought it to my attention.

i could definitely see myself wearing the thea dress year round.

ETA: now available at impulse and la garconne, more shops to follow...

toast pine needle cord smock

stephanie's 'imaginary outfits' are one of my favorite things about her blog. last month she featured a top by toast that i hadn't thought much about before ("naptime on the sleeping porch"). i'm not usually attracted to shades of red, but there was something compelling about this top. maybe it's fall, but warm spiced reds, browns, and oranges in the softest corduroys and wools are all i can think about nowadays.

new a.p.c. skirt, whirlwind trip to nyc

matthew and i went to nyc on saturday (we drove) to photograph a public housing project for his studio. we went to the new museum to look at the elizabeth peyton exhibition, and then muji for pens and notebooks. i also went to bird in cobble hill, where i found the most perfect [maternity] knit mini skirt. i tried on two of mociun's tulip skirt tie-front dresses, but i looked absolutely terrible in both. i guess if you feel like a beach ball, wearing a bubble skirt is probably a Very Bad Idea. so naturally i grabbed the a.p.c. knit skirt as a consolation prize/purchase.

it was only $120, but now that i've thought more about it, i'm guessing it wouldn't be too hard to knit and piece together my own version: wide waistband of stretchy ribbed knit, slight a-line shape, sturdy wool yarn, and a small decorative hem.

today was a thoroughly a.p.c. day--cape, cashmere pullover, and knit skirt. the striped top is from jcrew, and i also bought new wool leggings. it must be fall when you're dressed from head to toe in knits.

i was also very excited by the black squirrel, although it looks quite feral and unfriendly....

clothes swap party idea

all photos by stephanie


stephanie of even*cleveland has been hosting clothes swap parties, which of course makes me wish i lived in cleveland so i could participate. from handmade invites to tasty snacks and a boutique display sensibility, even if you came away empty handed, it would still make for a lovely party. on this blah holiday monday (i'm stuck in my basement library carrel...), thoughts turn to neglected and unloved clothing in my own closet and a need to throw a party.

paris!

photo of henri labrouste's bibliotheque ste. genevieve, from here.

we're flying out christmas evening from nyc and returning on new year's day. neither of us have been to paris, and my adviser generously offered his apartment for the week. i'm a bit iffy on traveling during the third trimester, but my midwife's office says it's fine. i guess i better start brushing up on my conversational french, i haven't spoken it in over 6 years...

nomia tunic dress for fall

so, i never managed to get a tova or haeshu dress from jenny's collection last summer.

last winter nomia had a very similar tunic dress, but it sold out pretty quickly. now they have a sleeveless version (available at anica), but with a bow in the back. it has pockets, and i love the color, but is the bow too girly?

update: sadness, it sold out yesterday while i was waiting on measurements. when in doubt, call.
oh well, i guess i better save up for paris, anyway!

debate-y debates

once upon a time, all i wore were 'message' t-shirts. inspired by martha, i couldn't resist going back to my old ways.
shirt from here.
20 weeks down, 20 to go. phew!

fall patterns....mociun dress

not brave enough for a plunging back, but the blue collar paired with the bead print is making me wish i were.

i could do the button down, though.

mociun dress and shirt at anica.

salut sophie!

sophie the giraffe arrived this week all the way from france. i know sara intended it as a gift for the baby, but during these days of high anxiety, there is nothing like squeezing a cheerful squeaky toy to make you feel a little better about the world.

un grand merci à sara!

MM6 day

this dress isn't much too look at on the hanger, but it's super comfortable and so much fun to layer. i also couldn't resist the leggings with kneepads.