Fairies, Luxe and Less

I'm on the fence about the Prada fairy collection...of course, I'm on a fence about six farms over, because there's no way I can afford a bag or a tunic or a gown.


And if I could afford a Prada bag...then these are not what I'd pick. I guess the point of an "It" bag isn't longevity, but I can't see splashing out that kind of money on something that will so quickly grow dated. Would Audrey have carried one of these? Probably not.


Actually, she wouldn't have worn these T-shirts I found at Old Navy, today, either, but I love them. They feel like a pared down, more sinister version of the Prada fairy, and I ended up buying two of the colors. The third one was a little too porn-star fairy...I'm not sure fairies wear lacy blue nighties. (Although what do I know.)


I'll probably end up wearing them with my skinny jeans and flats, or maybe belted with a flippy brown sweater skirt that I have my eye on at Anthropologie.

Further Correspondence

Outfit: Jeans: Seven for All Mankind; Shirt: Anthropologie; Red peeptoes: Jessica Simpson*

*I feel kind of embarrassed to buy Jessica Simpson shoes, actually. But these were so cute…I also like her new perfume, Fancy…but I am too embarrassed to buy that. There’s something oddly unclassy about buying celebrity scents from people like Jessica Simpson or Britney Spears. But maybe I’m alone in that feeling.

Dear George Clooney,

Thank you for making a guest appearance in my dream last night. It was kind of you to drop by.
In fact, you put me in a pretty good mood all through Property, right until the end of the class, at which time my fellow classmates always see fit to raise their hands and ask some inane, unrelated, or just plain dumb question that keeps me in my seat for five to ten minutes extra, foot tapping and eyes rolling.

So, keeping in mind how stressed out and generally annoyed I feel as a result of being in law school, maybe you could bring a friend next time. Like Christian Bale.

Just something to think about. Thanks.

Love,

Erica

Dear Esteemed Law Professor

Outfit: Sleeveless sweater: Nordstrom BP; Lacy Tank: Ann Taylor Loft; Skinny Belt*: Nordstrom BP ($3!); Denim Pencil Skirt: Old Navy; Peeptoe heels: Lifestride; Ring: a shop in Spain

*Thanks to Kasmira, for teaching me what to do with a too-long skinny belt. Genius.

Dear Esteemed Law Professor,

Please do not keep me for twenty minutes after class has ended.

If you feel the need to do this, please pretend you merely haven't noticed the time, rather than telling me you're just going to keep talking until you finish your points. Frankly, that makes us all a little peeved.

If I were twenty minutes late to class because I wanted to finish watching A Baby Story, I bet you'd be pretty pissed.

And, as an extra courtesy, please don't schedule more meetings for your class over my lunch break. That just means I'm going to duck out the closest door I can find when you're not looking.

In conclusion, and while I appreciate your charity in sharing your deep and precious knowledge with us, please keep in mind that I'm paying you (and paying you quite a lot) for a service that doesn't involve enduring excruciating hunger pains.

Thanks so much,

Erica

Fashion and Quantum Theory

Hands down, my favorite warm-weather outfit. I love the whimsical field pattern on the skirt!

Skirt: Anthropologie; Belt: NY&Company; Cardigan: Ann Taylor Loft; Shoes: Banana Republic; Fleur-de-lys necklace: Francesca’s

I actually wore this skirt to my internship last semester, and had a good cry in the bathroom after it caught on a metal bin and ripped down the back...and one of my fellow interns informed me it was "very silly" to buy a new one. I, however, did not find it silly, and since it didn't hurt to try, I explained what had happened to the store...and they sent me a new one. Free. But that encounter still rankles occasionally...I didn't judge her (out loud) for wearing the same shirt every other day. (This story will make more sense after you read the rest of my post, in case you're wondering what brought that up.)

So, today I went to the law school “Dress for Success” show and learned a valuable lesson about the inequality of the sexes, as the guys’ “Image Management” seminar had enchiladas and rice, lovingly presented in silver serving trays, and we had…cold wraps and tortilla chips out of plastic bins. I went for the Ann Taylor Loft coupons and the free make-up, but the comments of some of my fellow students got me thinking on beauty and fashion as it applies to the professional world, and more generally.

A few women were openly condescending about the need to have a “fashion show” to instruct us how to dress, and seemed to feel it was counterproductive…but to what? I'm lucky in that I go to a school where being concerned with appearance and fashion is the norm, but there are still those sullen style naysayers.

Why does a love for clothing and a respect for your own appearance have to be divorced from intelligence? If I had greasy hair and wore sweats to class, would that make me seem smarter? Would I be more serious about my career if, instead of spending those twenty minutes getting ready, I was analyzing law theory?

Maybe that super-chic girl in DSW is thinking about Schrodinger’s cat while she’s trying on those wedges…who’s to say?

Back to School

Outfit: Dress: Fossil; Flats: Old Navy; Earrings: NY&Company

Obviously, I’m not conscientious enough about updates to be a blogger worth her salt. I’ll blame this on the mind-numbingly boring law orientation I attended, as well as jaunting home to see my best friend from forever this weekend.

Law school started out as a whim for me; I had won a scholarship from a public university to get my master’s in ESL and be a teacher. Luckily, spending a summer as a camp counselor for underprivileged kids showed me there is not a job I’m less suited to, except for maybe lumberjack or deep sea crab fisherman, and so I freaked out and took the LSAT at the recommendation of one of my best friends (and we ended up taking the test together and going to the same school, which is a story for another day). I took it twice, made it my bitch (ha!) the second time around, and started applying to schools all over the country.

But the point of this entry is that perhaps this will morph into a law/fashion blog, mainly because I get peeved with the random (often unsolicited) advice and stories I receive from all over the board. I’ve had people tell me they’re oh-so-sorry I’m going to law school; that it will be the most horrible three years of my life; that most of my relationships will emerge in tatters, if at all. I’ve had other students tell me there are days when I won’t have time to shower; that I won’t be able to enjoy novels again, because my mind will be too analytical for fiction; that I’ll spend every waking moment in the library, subsisting on vending machine food and Mountain Dew.

And maybe I will. Maybe all those things are (God forbid) true. But I feel like a lot of them are exaggerations, and I’d like to tell it how it is here, so that poor future 1Ls have one positive, realistic view to compare against the countless law blogs lamenting the horrors of law school. I feel dedicated to maintaining a balance—working hard but still making time for the people I love; keeping up with my favorite authors and still knocking out Wuthering Heights once a year; and occasionally showering.

(However, if you should see me frantically scurrying toward the library, clothed in sweats and clutching Gardettos and my contracts book, you don’t need to say "I told you so.")

Oh, and the Fashion Part

I can't figure out how to arrange my photos in my blog, so I'll just post again. And the format's still all jacked up, but I'm pretty lazy.

Outfit: Embroidered Dress, Old Navy*; Flats: Anne Klein by way of DSW; Earrings: NY&Company; Belt: a department store in Spain

*For a few brief, glorious weeks this summer Old Navy actually stocked some cute, chic clothes--little embroidered sundresses, floral skirts, cropped jackets, printed flats. I guess some fashion chief there had only a brief moment of good taste, because now it's back to tanks and tees and plastic flip-flops again. Too bad.

At Least He's Got His Looks Going For Him

I’ll start this out by saying my dog is not the smartest. He’s crafty, and often sneaky, and always sweet, but not smart. Case in point: above picture.

Once or twice a day, Lester shimmies under the couch and proceeds to have a grand time under there with the dust bunnies. He thunks, he growls, he army crawls from one end to the other. When it’s time for him to come out, however, there’s just one problem: he’s stuck. He can get his head out, but never his shoulders. He then proceeds to lie there, periodically crying and thrashing around, until I use my twinkie arms to heave up the edge of the couch and let him out. His current record for being trapped beneath the couch is just under two hours. Good thing he's so cute.

Getting to Know You

Hi. I’m Erica.

I’ve been a reader of blogs for a while—blogs about everything, from babies to the single life to how to bake a great cherry pie. Every night, sometime after dinner and before I fall into bed, where my chihuahua is generally already waiting, I catch up on how Amalah’s pregnancy is going, and who’s brokenhearted after a bad date, and who’s just venting after a particularly trying day at work.

More recently, I discovered fashion blogs—a whole legion of well-dressed women who are sharing their unique vision of style with the world. And now every morning, when I have time, I make the rounds to see what my favorite fashion femmes are wearing today, how they’ve mixed patterns and fabrics and eras and colors.

I originally conceived of this as a fashion blog, but I also want to join and add to that community of writers out there who share their own lives to make others’ a little more interesting—to make them think or respond or just smile. So here goes—first post, first outfit, and some things about me.

--I’m about to start law school, and kind of terrified about it. More on that later.

--It’s best not to mention Victorian literature, Woody Allen films, or certain television shows if you don’t want me to get overly excited and give you a lecture about their merits.

--I can also go on and on about classic film and musicals. I can appreciate everything from Gidget to Citizen Kane, but I’m snobbier with the stage musicals. I don’t want to talk with you about Mamma Mia.

--I have a chihuahua, which I realize is a scorned and deeply loathed breed for much of America. But mine is sweet. Really.

--My closet is organized by color, not by season. In Texas, anything goes, so I just leave everything out all the time.

--I have an embarrassing taste for trashy celebrity gossip. (I furtively slip magazines featuring said gossip into my cart at the store, and then read about how Jen's having John's baby in the tub late at night.)

--My big splurges are almost always shoes and jeans. Jeans not so often because a really good pair can last several years, but I have trouble passing up a beautiful shoe.

About the outfit: I'm on board with all the mustard-y yellows that were everywhere this summer. Dress: Belk; Shoes: Bandolino; Necklace: NY&Company; Ring: a shop in Spain