Fashion

Okay, well, I told myself a while back that I wouldn’t buy any more clothes from the juniors department, but I may or may not have violated that with this dress from RVCA (pronounced “roo-kuh”).

They’re a casual line of surf-inspired SoCal clothing for guys and gals.

They’ve been around a while, but I’d never tried any of their stuff until recently, when I ordered a couple of tops and dresses on sale from Haute Look earlier this spring thinking that I’d be able to wear them when it warmed up outside.

And then I come to find out that the line’s also carried locally at stores like Tilly’s at the mall…where I always see teenagers hanging out.

This dress here isn’t super fancy at all, but it has subtle little flashes of flair that I like — a hem that’s slightly longer in the back, and a little twist in the straps.

I can’t seem to find this exact dress online right now, but here’s a similar design, the $40 RVCA High Priestess dress, if you’re interested.

Since there really isn’t much to the dress, I added some extra zip with a rose-colored cuff — which reminds me, I’ve been seeing rose gold everywhere lately! I guess it’s the metal of the moment — and some long feather earrings.

SHOES!

My favorite part. I’m wearing nude platforms here to make me look like I have longer gams, an illusion I use all the time, thanks to my towering 5’1″ frame.
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Shorts and I, ugh. We have a complex relationship.

I like breathable, cooling clothes when I’m slogging through my daily miles, but shorts usually ride up in weird ways, or they’re so short that my booty hangs out; hence, my warm-weather preference for capri-length workout pants.

Zella’s $44 Live-In Capris are so comfy that I do, in fact, want to live in them. 🙂

And if I never, ever had to look responsible, I probably would (they’re the Pajama Jeans of my workout world). You’d need the Jaws of Life to peel them off of me.

I got my first pair about a year ago and promptly picked up two more.

The deets from Nordstrom’s site…

• These lean capri leggings, ideal for working out or wearing out, are cut from a stretchy moisture-wicking knit and sewn with flatlock seaming for a comfortable, chafe-free fit
• 17″ inseam; 10″ front rise; 13″ back rise (size Medium)
• Hidden waistband pocket stashes cash or a key
• Reflective trim enhances visibility in low light
• Zeltek Ultimate Stretch offers four-way stretch with compression, wicks moisture, and it’s brushed on one side, smooth on the other
• Intended for gym, yoga, running
• Polyester/spandex; machine wash

You know how some workout pants will stretch out and lose elasticity after a few wears, and then when you’re jogging/downward dogging/eating Cheetos on the couch/whatever, you have to stop every few feet to hike them up because they’ve lost their shape and keep scooting down your bum?

Yeah, these don’t do that.

I’ve had mine for more than a year, wash and tumble dry them on low all the time, and they’ve held up nicely. The elastic’s just as springy and snug as ever (so there’s no chance of accidental butt crack flashing).

Oh, and the fabric is thick enough to leave some things to imagination (read: conceal whatever you’ve got going on under your pants).

You’d think that all workout pants would take this into consideration, but they don’t. I can’t even begin to tell you how many times I’ve gone to a yoga class and wanted to tell the gal swan diving into a forward fold in front of me to put a sweatshirt around her bum because EVERYTHING IS ON DISPLAY.
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Did I forget to tell you what I got my mom for her birthday last weekend? I actually ended up getting her a Galaxy hooded sweatshirt from Zella.

I know, BIG surprise. 🙂

Yes, I’m on a mission to get all of the ladies in my life Galaxy sweatshirt-ed out, and um…it was on sale, which is always a good thing.

I also got her this Zella Quilted Frame Clutch. It’s a lightweight, quilted fabric bag with a zipper. Hardly weighs a thing, too, and it’s super roomy.

Like the sweatshirt, it was marked down ($18 from $28). I filled it with a few things — a pair of birthday socks, a night cream and a serum that she likes — and tied a ribbon to the strap.

It turned out to be a cute, little present.

The bag itself is kinda like an all-purpose carryall (dimensions: 8″W x 5″H x 4″D). It would make a great, little makeup bag, or could maybe be something to store toiletries in a gym bag. You could even use it as a causal clutch.

My mom goes to the senior center a few times a week for group exercise classes (I know — so cute!). She takes yoga, Zumba and something called “Silver Sneakers,” which always cracks me up. It’s funny… All of her senior citizen friends call her “the baby” of the group, haha!

Anyway, she’s there a lot, and even though she’s not really into makeup, I figured that if she ever wanted to go out with The Golden Girls for a coffee date or to a juice bar afterwards, she could use this bag to store her toiletries, and freshen up at the senior center before going.

Now that I think about it…I might have to get one of these for myself! I love the little details, like the strap, the Zella quilting (look closely, and you can see the “Z” pattern in the stitching), and there are these buttons on the side that clamp down to reinforce the rectangular shape.

If you need the extra room, though, you can pop open the buttons to expand the bag to its full potential.

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A 15-minute drive south from where I live in Novato there’s a small park around the corner from the Village Mall in Corte Madera with a marsh and views of the San Francisco Bay and the East Bay hills (where my parents live).

I stopped by earlier today to get a look at the water because, as the saying goes ’round here, any day you see the Bay is a great day.

Or maybe that’s just a Karen thing. 🙂

Don’t tell Tabs, but while I was down there I made friends with a tiny dog…or perhaps it was an Ewok.

When the Ewok dog bid me farewell, I headed over to the nearby mall, where among other things, I visited the Kate Spade store and spotted some cute new spring bags and shoes.

Yeah, it’s hard to compete with the epic grandeur and sweeping vistas of the San Francisco Bay, but Kate Spade holds her own, and today she did it with comics! And bright colors! And shiny patent leather!

I’m pretty sure my eyes were bugging out TO HERE!

When I asked what was new for spring, the gals working at the store were nice enough to let me see a few items from a new collection that they hadn’t put out on the shelves yet. They said the new collection doesn’t “officially” debut in Kate Spade stores and on katespade.com until next Sunday, so this was like a sneak peek.

The release includes a full range of accessories, totes, clothes and shoes made to go with the playful, pop-arty comic theme.

Three of the smaller bags caught my eye right off the bat — the hot pink and white polka-dotted Daycation Pop Bag ($78), the Davie Daycation Comic KSNY zippered makeup bag ($60) and the Sunglass Coin Purse ($98).

Because I’m such a ho when it comes to shoes, it didn’t take much to convince me to try on this pair of jade green patent-leather Karolina heels ($328).

Solely (no pun intended) for “research purposes,” of course. 🙂

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Generally, I won’t consider interstellar travel when shopping for sweatshirts and other winter wear (like I will for a killer pair of shoes), but I’d rocket to the farthest reaches of the galaxy for the $58 Zella Galaxy Fleece Hoodie. I like it that much.

From Zella, Nordstrom’s in-house line of “slightly more affordable than Lululemon” workout clothes, the Galaxy zips up in the front, has a drawstring hood, and comes in six colors and sizes ranging from X-small to X-large.

Now, I don’t usually get this fired up about hoodies, but the Galaxy is RAD! Even Tabs, who’s infamous for his fashion snobbery, is obsessed with it, and not only because the black and gray patterned one conceals his fur (it could be covered in tabby fur, and I wouldn’t even know).

SIDE NOTE: you know you’ve reached a higher level of cat lady consciousness when your wardrobe decisions start revolving around your pet.

It’s just so totally toasty. It’s made of fleece, but like, SUPER fleece, SUPER fleece, she’s super fleece-ay, oww! (Temptations, sing!)

Sorry! Musical moment…

Whenever I leave the Galaxy on the bed, Tabs wrap himself up in it, kitty burrito style, and refuses to get out.

So it doubles as a cat bed, which is also cool.

And beyond being one of the warmest, coziest pieces in my wardrobe, it’s riddled with attentive details. Things like…

• Thumb holes in the cuffs to keep your paws warm and your fingers free (like fingerless gloves). So great when I’m out and about and need to use my phone’s touchscreen.
• Fully zipped up, the Galaxy Hoodie goes all the way up to just below my chin, so it keeps the chill out and fully covers my neck.
• I love the sleek design and curved seams on the front. I think it looks more stylish than the average sweatshirt.
• The front pockets are deep! — deep enough for my phone, keys, lipgloss and a small bag of cat treats.

Best of all, even though it’s made of pretty thick material, it doesn’t feel heavy or bulky. I can comfortably wear it beneath my favorite jackets without feeling squished or constricted.

If you want a really fitted look, from my experience, Zella’s clothes tend to run big, so if you’re gutsy enough to order online without trying it on, you might want to grab a size smaller than you’d normally wear.

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Slowly… No sudden movements. Just step away from the computer…

That’s it… Eeeasy does it.

Okay? Now take a deep breath, and repeat after me: “I will not buy Pajama Jeans.”

I will not buy Pajama Jeans.

Again.

I will not buy Pajama Jeans!

In a way, that little intro up there is based on a true (ish) story. You see, I came within a tabby’s hair of placing an order for a pair of Pajama Jeans the other day. That commercial came on, and I was just about to click the order button online when in walked Tabs.

I guess he read the look in my eye because a sour expression crossed his face…

Granted, he makes that face a lot, but it was enough to give me pause (paws?).

I didn’t order a pair of Pajama Jeans that day, but I have been on the market for a respectable pair of stretchy pants — something with a little edge to ‘em that won’t be mistaken for yoga pants.

Enter the BCBG Cancetta leggings, stretchy matte fabric pants with faux leather panels and a mid-rise waist. If it weren’t for these pants, there’s a good chance I’d be wearing a pair of Pajama Jeans right now.

Comfy? You know it! Fashionable? I think so. Best of all, you can throw ’em in the washing machine. 🙂

Here I’m wearing them dressed down with ankle boots, a slouchy sweater (also by BCBG) and the Zella Gathered Tote, but they’re also easy to dress up, like with a crisp, white tuxedo shirt, black blazer and black patent-leather high heels.

I can’t seem to find them online this morning, but here’s a similar style, the Caragh Pleather Combo Legging.

One thing I’ve noticed about these is that they run a little long on me, and they’re not that form fitting around my knees and ankles, so you might want to try a size smaller than you normally would if you want them to really hug your curves.

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