Style Rivalry: April 2011

In a blatant ripoff of this series, I'll regularly be posting photos of my sisters and me (and, on occasion, my stylish niece!) illustrating outfits we've put together for life in Tucson, Peoria, and San Francisco, respectively.  Here goes!

Samantha is a second-year medical student living in Tucson, cooking up gourmet meals, and frequently turning up for dive bar book club.  The following outfit recently carried her through a lovely weekend, Day 1 of which was spent hanging out at a courtyard BBQ and then dancing at Festival en el Barrio Viejo.  On Day 2 of this outfit, Samantha went to breakfast at a local cafe and then took a leisurely drive through Tucson's historic neighborhoods.  {I love the way she added the unexpected white button down to this maxi dress, and knotting it made it look so cute.}

{Frye sandals, Target dress, H&M button down, earrings from Nicaraguan street vendor}

Karie is a NICU nurse living in Peoria who is enjoying maternity leave with her new daughter Charlee, likes any sort of design show, and is always up for scouring the Target endcaps.  She cooked up this outfit to comfortably take her through a lot of cuddling, feeding, and diaper changes, as well as hemming new white curtains for her living room (which look great, by the way) and having dinner with her husband.  Props to Karie for being a new mom and sleep deprived and still managing to look beautiful!  {Charlee is looking quite the stylish baby as well, in her pink and white getup with matching headband!}

{on Karie: top: Motherhood; jeans: Kohls; sandals: Dillards; earrings: Anthropologie}
{on Charlotte: Old Navy onesie}

I am a lawyer, part-time library science student, frequent crafter, and one of San Francisco's biggest fans.  I recently wore this outfit to work in the Financial District and then to do some errands on the way home, traversing the city on Muni and BART.  These Jessica Simpson flats from Dillard's in Arizona are surprisingly comfortable, even with their slight heel.  I've already worn the heels down once; my man J.J. on Mission reheeled them and they're good as new.

{Blouse: I Heart Ronson; skirt: Banana Republic; belt: Anthropologie; flats: Jessica Simpson; earrings: Anthropologie; glasses: Dior}

Do you have a favorite outfit or piece of clothing that just makes you feel good every time you wear it?  I definitely have go-to pieces--my Gap straight leg jeans, a navy cardigan, and those brown flats you see above.  I kind of have to stop myself from wearing them all too often.

Old Is New

This weekend I walked past a hip little shoe store on Valencia Street in the Mission and saw several pairs of Dr. Scholl's in the window.

No shoe makes me think of my mom like these sandals.  I can remember the chunky clockety-clock sound that the wood soles made on the floor.  I remember her pairing them with '80s terrycloth jumpers.  And I remember how excited I was when I finally got my own pair, probably a little girl's size 5 or 6, with a red leather strap.

So that was one trip down Memory Lane.  Then another one hit me when I saw these sandals inside the store:

These are Saltwater Sandals, another type of shoe I had as a kid.  I hadn't seen or thought about them since I was probably 8 and I had no idea they made them for adults.

I kind of still like them.  But I foresee them becoming a staple of every Mission hipster's wardrobe in the near future, so it might be best to leave them in my past.  Plus, I don't own any onesies with which to pair them, and I'd like to keep it that way :)

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Today is the 19th anniversary of my mom's death.  It does and doesn't seem that long ago all at the same time.  I miss her and her Dr. Scholl's.  But I also know and feel that she's looking down at us from above and taking care of us.

Ode to Mustard

Over the past six months or so I've developed an ever-growing affinity for mustard yellow, well, anything.  And although I've amassed a variety of mustardy accessories and clothes, I have yet to integrate this wonderful color into a paint scheme in the apartment.  White walls, beware.

Might I also add that I've become somewhat of a connoisseur of the condiment itself?  I've always preferred mustard over that dastardly red sauce called ketchup, but lately I just can't get enough of the yellow condiment.  Though I love trying new types and flavors, I always seem to gravitate back towards my very favorite, spicy brown.

I was ordered to be dressed up and ready to go on a surprise date last night, so I chose my newest Anthropologie dress, mustard tights, and black heels.  It turned out that we were going to the San Francisco Ballet!  The whole night was wonderful...seeing the SF Opera House was amazing, with all of its ornate decor and lushness, and the ballet program was comprised of three totally different and unique acts:  one classical, the Haffner Symphony; one entirely modern, called Underskin; and Russian Seasons, a dance that fell somewhere between classical and modern but used color and music so uniquely. 

Watching the other attendees and their fashion choices was also a feast for the eyes.  I feel pretty cultured right about now.