Fashion or Foe: Today I Became a Fashion Victim

(c) PipPepPop

     Yesterday was my worst hair day of the year. Today, I focused so much on trying to make my hair "on fleek" (as the kids call it), that my wardrobe took a hit. Suddenly the mornings are cold and as low as 40 degrees when I wake up. Naturally I decided a long sleeved gray shirt and boots were necessary for keeping warm at work. Upon quiet reflection,  I'm struggling to figure out why I was so against black pants this morning. They might have helped keep me in a more neutral palate. I could have made my legs appear like one long, sleek line. I wore black pants yesterday and I didn't think I could pull it off  two days in a row.  Daringly, I went for a bold burgundy cropped pair of pants. I thought the crops would be safely tucked into my boots, but they were not. The pants puffed over my suede below-knee boots and created a very unattractive weird knee bulge. My knees looked larger than when I had a strengthening brace under my jeans due to a  partial tear in my ACL. It didn't help that the crops were just a tad big on my hips so they kept slipping down. I'm seriously considering burning these pants because of today's bad associations. I vow to stick to skinny jeans, tights or leggings tucked into my boots from this day forward.

At least I had a great hair day...

Fashion or Foe: Do Not Buy...

     Do not buy clothes that are advertised on social networking sites. I came close to doing this recently and I am glad I didn't. As I mentioned in a recent blog post, I has to part with a beloved pair of Black, just under the knee, suede, non-heeled boots. They were in a word- perfect. I wore them to work, out with friends, and even a few times unexpectedly into a surprise snow flurry. I became crazed over the last 6 weeks looking for a replacement pair for next Fall, hoping to score a deal as Winter boots made their way out of stores for summer stock. But, I struggled. I found "The perfect" boots a few times only to have my hopes dashed. One pair seemed great except for a 2 1/2" platform built inside the boot while another seemed promising but it only came in a Tan suede fabric. A third pair were ideal but the boot shaft height came way over my knees, making it impossible to wear unless I went full Barbie and stopped bending my legs.

One pair of my new boots
(c) SeeHearReadPop

     To make this long story short, I ended up with two different sets of boots one from Sears and another via 6pm.com, Both of which do not fully meet my needs but due to their discounted pieces will work until I find "The Boots." In my brief desperation, I considered ordering boots from an advertisement I saw on Facebook. It seemed too good to be true. A recent Buzzfeed investigative article confirmed my fears, it was clearly some kind of scam when boots are available for $9.99 from a company you've never heard of in China. At first you might think it's just cheap because it's straight from the manufacturer. But the article goes in-depth about customers ordering boots, dresses, tops etc.. from a variety of these sites advertised on social media sites and nearly all of the cheap clothing arrived in a much different condition (color was off, fabric was different, items smelled horrible) than the seller claimed. Of course, trying to reach their customer service is near impossible and many clients have not been successful in trying to get their money back. I recommend reading their in-depth piece before your next online shopping trip.

Fashion or Foe? Leggings and Boots Problems

Image from GURL.com

     Some people have their own sense of fashion, and some immediately go with the crowd. I am not one of those people.  I recently gave in and got some classy leggings to wear under a long sweater dress to make it through the winter months. Keep this is mind I'm only about 5 feet, so finding leggings that were not ridiculously long was quite a challenge. Needless to say, I landed them at GAP. My biggest complaint is that they have no pockets. I have resorted to sticking my phone in my boot leg when wearing leggings. GURL.com shows in this image how to wear leggings:
- scarf
- long cardigan
- denim shirt
- leggings
- boot socks
- boots

Refinery29 Leggings Guide

     I'm gathering from this that to balance out my barely covered legs, I have to add a bunch of accessories and sweaters. Why? Are my legs are too exposed? I just discovered Refinery 29's  Girl's Guide to Wearing Leggings confirms this idea.  I am puzzled why a sweater hat is needed with leggings. Also, I have to mix all of my materials and wear denim, wool, cotton, and leather in one outfit? That seems like a lot. Why do all of the tops have to be so big and boxy? I really like the idea of looking slimmer and not heavy and boxy when I'm wearing leggings. I would try to make sure my sweater top is fitted. Maybe these trends look good on a supermodel who has nothing to show or hide... we may never know.

     I also am taking a moment to lament the problems that some with looking for a mid-calf length boot to tuck my skinny jeans and leggings into. I have looked online and in stores for a pair of boots to replace an older pair of slightly slouchy, suede boots that come below my kneecap and if possible, pull right on. They also must be little to no heel, 1" or less. I swear boots like this just don't exist anymore. I came close to a beautiful pair at ALDO (with zips), but I couldn't bend my knees in them. #FashionProblems