dresses I'm desiring: cold Mondays edition.

Did anyone else think this miserable weather was behind us? I always get so hopeful that more mild weather is on the way, making the inevitable chill all the worse. To further punish myself, I procrastinate by looking at cute spring clothes. Here's a small section of the dresses with which I'm head-over-heels in love.

The "Angelette Dress Organza" from Lilly Pulitzer. It's ridiculously expensive, but hey, this is a wish list. I really like the fitted bodice/flowy skirt combination in dresses, and the bow at the side is a nice little detail. You can pair it with white for a more conservative look (cardigan and pearls, anyone?) or brighter accessories for some real pop!
Great for: Mother's Day brunch, a family reunion, the country club (if you're into that sort of thing)
The "Spin Art Dress" from C. Keer, available at Anthropologie. I love the pattern, colors, and cut of this dress. Anthropologie usually has amazing sales - probably just in time for Chicago weather to catch up!
Great for: Hanging out in the city, date night
The "Fine Jersey Leisure Dress" from American Apparel. I've returned to my preppy roots, so I'm starting to appreciate collars more. Plus American Apparel makes really great staple pieces, and I love how comfortable the cotton items are (this is 100% cotton).
Great for: Anything leisurely - of course!
The "Hazy Shade of Winter Sweater Dress" by Lux, available at Urban Outfitters. Because a good sweater tunic dress is crucial.
Great for: Chillier spring days, evening outings
The "Relaxed Stretch Shift Dress" from Ann Taylor. I think you should always have a dress with little bit of polish and class for "real world" occasions. This is cute and shapely enough for a younger woman, but still conservative enough to be taken seriously.
Good for: Interviews, "serious" jobs and internships

what not to wear: uggs...?!

I feel as though I should preface my feelings about Uggs with this simple fact: I own not one, but two pairs of Uggs. I have had the black pair since my senior year of high school, when, after getting accepted to Northwestern in December, my mother forced me to buy a pair of Uggs. How can one be "forced" into buying Uggs? I was given $200 as an early Christmas gift and the statement, "I want you to buy a pair of Uggs for college, and I will be checking the tag when you return." My mother, I must add, LOVES Uggs. Apparently, she remembers Cher having a pair.

Regardless of her affection for them, I quickly decided that she had made the right call. My Uggs are warm, comfortable, and durable. But they are not, in any way, fashionable. I can't take myself seriously when I wear them. I reconcile this awareness with the knowledge that I am in college, and that sometimes pragmatism is more important than fashion. For me, the problem comes when we try too hard to make Uggs fashionable. This summer, my roommate had some close encounters with the "Uggs chic" look at the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale.
Here's the Wahine boot, an embroidered suede creation.

The Wilshire Signature. We didn't see this one, but I had to include it from the website.

Paisley Uggs. Really people? I couldn't find them on the website, but a quick Google search landed me here, if you are so inclined as to purchase a pair for yourself.

Finally, the true inspiration for this post: metallic Uggs. That's something I never thought I would have to type, much less see.


The Classic Tall, now available in metallic.

Oh Uggs. I can't live with you, and I certainly can't live without you...

Stay warm, Northwestern!
-- Justice

these are a few of my favorite things.

I'm a pretty busy woman. In fact, I get the lucky job of being Miss In-Over-Her-Head for a fellow STITCH staffer's pageant project. Keeping a pretty strict schedule helps me get through the day without a minor nervous breakdown. More important to keeping me sane are the things I carry with me. Less like little lucky charms and more like the practical keys to my sanity, these are the things that I can't leave home without:

1. My Longchamp bag. It's big enough to carry all my favorite things, plus the zip closure keeps everything dry. I used to just go with the oversized tote, but it didn't suffice. I ended up getting my bag at the Nordstrom in Charlotte for a very reduced rate. Sales always make a much-needed purchase more enjoyable.
2. My iPhone. Yes, I'm that girl. And yes, it's every bit as fabulous as everyone says. I keep a pink incase on mine - so I can see it in the depths of my bag.
3. My Filofax. I got introduced to this wonderful thing by my roommate. It helps me keep track of my many meetings, to-do list, finances...basically, everything. Plus it looks fairly adult and classy, and the sunshine-y yellow color makes me happy when I have a twenty-pager due in twenty-fours with word count ZERO.
4. Lip balm - these days C O Bigelow or Rosebud. I got hooked on Rosebud when I was like five, and the COB I picked up when I was Christmas shopping for my mother. I've found they're both great for layering under or over lipstick. The COB is a little waxy, but does a good job moisturizing. The Rosebud is fabulous and can work by itself as a lip color. You can find Rosebud at Urban.
5. My Hobo wallet. It carries everything BUT my checkbook. I can fit my cards, business cards, change - even a few lucky charms manage to make it in, like a bejeweled four-leaf clover my friend got me in high school and a silver dollar from my late grandfather. The two dozen receipts that constantly make the rounds also fit in with a few bills and some ticket stubs.
6. Various things to keep me warm - pashmina scarves, J. Crew glittens, and thick socks. A Southern girl can hardly stand these Midwestern winters...

Peace,
Justice

fashion roadkill.

Frankly, I'm still not entirely sure how this "fashion" thing works. My tastes and style are still developing. I imagine that when I enter the real world, my closet will fall victim to an even more discriminating, obsessive-compulsive eye. Until then, I can get away with several of my love/hate favorites. Let's face it: sometimes it's good to let go and move on. The tantrum-throwing significant other? The electric blue eyeshadow? The course packet from your miserable Calc class? Sure, at some time you totally connected and needed those things. They were part of your daily life, maybe even your daily identity. Here are just a few of the memorable fashion and beauty items that made me total fashion roadkill:

1. Hamburger sneakers. Think Converse, but with hamburger print. It's like the Juno phone, but...on my feet.
2. The "metallic eye." I tried to create this hot new eye makeup trick. I would take one of the eyeshadow pencils, cover my entire eyelid, and top that with metallic shimmer powder. My favorite colors for this trick were baby blue, light pink, and silver. How I thought this looked good is completely beyond me.
3. My bright yellow LL Bean backpack. There's really no good reason why this made me fashion roadkill, I'm just glad I've moved on.
4. Red velvet blazer. Think cheap Prince...on a girl...at a debate tournament.

Luckily, I've learned from my past. I still have my hits and misses, but we've all made mistakes. Just sit back and enjoy it. At the very least, you can laugh at the skeletons in my walk-in closet.

-- Justice

Upcoming posts: Uggs, leggings, and my favorite procrastination websites