5 Tips for Building an Organized Wardrobe

*This post is sponsored by the team at Old Navy, who were also with us at Camp Mighty.

Women’s Belted Cap-Sleeve Knit Dress $25, Perfect Crew Neck Tee $8, The Rockstar Super Skinny Jean $19, Faux Leather Ankle Boots $28, Pop-Color Blazer $40, Softest Sweater Scarf $17, Ankle Strap Flat $25

My closet is out of hand. If your home environment reflects your interior life, apparently a librarian and a go-go dancer are at war in the communal dressing room of my brain.

Fortunately my friend Anna Beth has a system for getting dressed that’s helping me edit things down. She touched on it in her Mighty Closet, but did a whole panel at Camp Mighty outlining how to edit your closet and home. The panel was sponsored by Old Navy, so she chose a bunch of their clothes from this season to illustrate her points. So if you need anything to round your wardrobe out, these are a few of the slides from her presentation. My five favorite tips:

1. Get your classics in place.
This is the part I neglect. You know, the “foundation” part? Once you have basic traditional pieces in place, you have a wardrobe. Stop there, or build, but if you’re having trouble getting dressed, it’s probably because you’re missing some classics. Anna Beth’s are pictured in these slides, but Tim Gunn also has a great wardrobe basics list, and I did a piece on wardrobe classics for The Morning News a while back that’s also a good starting point.

Metallic Stripe Sweater Dress $35, Women’s Sequin Ballet Flats $25, Leopard Wool Blend Coat $59, Pin Dot Tights $8

2. “Neutral” isn’t just black.
Classic prints like stripes and polka dots, as well as metallics and animal prints, tend to go with everything and also add a little interest.

3. While you’re building, restrict your palette.
While you’re choosing your basics, decide on a neutral — black, grey, white, navy, beige, brown. This way everything you build on matches everything else. I like navy and slate grey because they go well with each other, gain character as they fade, and make the bright colors I love look more upscale.

4. Enjoy yourself.
This part I have down. I’m an avid thrift store and bargain shopper — so there’s an constant influx of inexpensive, interesting clothes, which I then Gollum until I can’t find the things I actually need. Getting dressed should elevate your mood, but your clothing budget will stretch further if you mostly rely on fun pieces only to punctuate your basics.

5. Embrace the uniform.
Most days, Anna Beth wears some variation on T-shirt, blazer, jeans, scarf, belt, boots, and one piece of accent jewelry. My uniform is usually a dress and some flats with cardigan. Pay attention to the building blocks of the outfit you wear most, and then invest in variations on that theme.

So easy, right? Basics in a neutral color of your choice, add some fun pops as punctuation, and invest in uniform pieces when you get a better feel for your style. Brilliant, Miss Anna Beth.

Photo by JetKat Photo

You’ll find all of Anna Beth’s tips on ABChao.com if you want more info.

And now I have a little piece of nice news. During AB’s Camp Mighty presentation, Old Navy gave each attendee a free pair of jeans and gave us a bunch to donate as well. Go Mighty found out that Larkin Street Youth Services needs both jeans and gift certificates as part of its holiday gift drive for the homeless teens they support. We’re sending certificates for 50 pairs of jeans (thank you Old Navy!), but there’s a whole wish list of simple things they need by December 14.

New clothes are such a confidence booster for everybody. While you’re shopping for yourself, consider throwing a gift certificate or clothes in your cart for the kids and sending them over. And if you do? Please let us know in comments honor-system style, and we’ll enter you to win your own free pair of jeans from Old Navy. Cute stuff for everybody, boom.

Mighty Closet: Molly Ditmore

I can’t think of Molly Ditmore without picturing her name as an exclamation. MOLLY!

The girl is intrepid.

This photo was taken at Burning Man — which I’ve never attended due to dust, and inhibition.

Molly is less inhibited than me, by a profound margin. But just as fond of costumes. And gin.

We schemed this Mighty Closet for a while because Molly wanted to be back in her favorite clothes after the birth Mabel, whose cheeks cannot be underestimated. I’m teaching her how to say “MOLLY!”

Gaaah! My eyes water with the restraint it takes not to bite her. Hold still you hubbity bundle of perfection! I want to kiss your squealy head!

Now where were we? Before becoming a full-time mama Molly was a couture pattern-maker and seamstress, and before that a writer, editor and PR hustler in Bay Area tech.

Tell us what you’re wearing, sis.

Hi, I’m Molly. (ed: MOLLY!) This jumpsuit is one of my favorite things. It’s on the wavelength of a vintage picnic dress but more modern and urban. I packed it on a trip to New York and had visions of myself walking up Fifth Avenue.

But I couldn’t wear it because no one was home to tie me in.

It’s très chic for sitting in Dolores Park with a large hat or swanning around a pool party in Sonoma. San Francisco summer arrives in late September, so I’m putting this in heavy rotation. Kate Spade sunnies.

The metal necklace is from Fab.com. The silver dogwood ring is from Collage Gallery in Potrero Hill.

I am a fan of bright shoes — bold colors look best against my pale legs. These blue suede sandals from J. Crew have a comfortably low heel.

This is a great day-into-night look. I recently wore this to the playground and then to a Friday Nights at the DeYoung Museum event. For daytime, this is my standard uniform: a short black jacket with the T-shirt plus boots or Keds.

I like a little detailing in my basics. This black Funky Monkey T-shirt with the cut-out shoulders is a nice surprise under a cardigan or jacket. I bought it at the dearly departed Shotwell boutique in downtown San Francisco.

The Hermés scarf was a birthday gift from my husband. The motif at the center is a man and woman wrapped in an embrace.

These scarves are huge and can be tricky to tie (unless you are French and it’s in your DNA). Tying it without looking in a mirror seems to work best for me. The silver cuff bracelet is a souvenir from Cambodia.

The lipstick is Kate Moss for Rimmel London No. 12. I never look at drugstore makeup but there was pretty Kate, luring me in.

These United Nude Fold Deluxe shoes are made of elastic and have a suede heel. I bought mine at Paolo in Hayes Valley.

This is Moxie, the family dog, blocking your view of my perfect-length J Brand jeans. Fine, Moxie, have at it:

Scene stealer.

This trompe l’oiel sweater reminds me of the famous Schiaparelli bowknot sweater. Short-sleeve sweaters are great in San Francisco’s nine-months-of-autumn climate. This one came from the cashmere department at Bloomingdale’s, probably the best place to buy an investment-type sweater. Fabric quality seems better than the stuff from lower-end shops (which is likely cat hair judging by the way my eyes react).

I’ve owned this fit ‘n’ flare skirt for at least six years. Floating Shift typewriter key bracelet was purchased at Urban Air Market in Hayes Valley.

The Frye T-strap shoes are also oldies-but-goodies. They are brown suede with a metallic silver coating and they match everything in my closet. I can bike in them, walk in them and dance in them, so they’re as comfortable as 3-inch heels get.

Moxie! Move it.

I made this dress as part of my final line at Apparel Arts’ pattern-making and fashion design program. It’s made from tropical wool which is a dream to sew. French cuffs on the short sleeves are a nod to my favorite womens’ uniforms: 1960s flight attendants and diner waitresses. It gets a lot of play on the ladies-who-lunch circuit.

This dress is obviously retro-inspired so to keep it modern I wear trendy accessories. The gold-tone House of Harlowe 5 Station Necklace from Bell Jar on Valencia Street was such a score. I thought the grey bits were enamel until I wore it and realized it’s inlaid leather.

When I walked out in this Kate Spade dress Maggie said “You must have worn that a hundred times.” No, actually, it’s pretty new. “Well it was worth whatever you paid for it.” Total reinforcement! The moment I tried it on I knew it was a magic dress. Holidays, dinners, weddings… I plan on driving this sucker into the ground. It’s made from a heavy jersey knit fabric and the neckline is crochet.

My grandmother’s pearls are special-occasion jewelry; this dress works equally well with something chunky and modern.

My mother carried this green patent-leather purse as part of her going-away suit from her wedding in 1967. The construction is sturdier than you see on handbags today.

I bought these pumps in Paris after crushing on them through a store window every day for two weeks. They are timeless and a bit weird. The brass hardware brings a tough element that balances out the girlie ensemble.

In other news, Mabel will not stop feeding the dog from her snack cup. It drives me nuts.

But you try getting mad when she looks at you like this.

Come on kid, you’re killing me here.

Happiest shoot on record. In the future, I shall require that all Mighty Closet subjects rent redheaded babies and puppies before I come over. Big thanks to Molly (MOLLY!), and Mabel, and Moxie for making my afternoon.

Did you like that? Check out more from the Mighty Closet.

Janna Stark
Susan Wagner
Wardrobe Basics from Real Women

Mighty Closet: Portland Street Fashion

This girl was waiting for lunch at the food carts with me. Doesn’t she look like Katie Holmes? She works at a used and vintage clothing store in Portland, and I love the way she looks so casual but so pulled together. It’s tough to pull that off successfully.

Oh, Portland. You dress so cute.

Packing Light: Oahu

So this is (almost) everything I packed in my carry-on for the press trip I took to Oahu. There was also a photo of me in a bikini that I took with my cell phone the hotel bathroom mirror. As you might imagine, it was a little… much. So this is everything I packed for four days in Hawaii except the photo of me in a blue bikini with ruffles. If you’ve already seen me naked, I will totally send that to you. Otherwise, use your imagination.

For trips to warm places, I try to pack mostly one-pieces (dresses, rompers) because they pack smaller and you don’t have to waste any time worrying about whether you’re packing stuff that matches everything else.

I wore this dress to travel, with a yellow slip underneath so my skin doesn’t show through the perforations. It’s poly, so you can pretty much roll it into a ball and it doesn’t wrinkle, and it also unzips all the way down the front, so you can layer it over things in interesting ways.

Here’s a full shot of the dress, which I also wore on our tour of the Turtle Bay Resort where we were staying. I look so happy here because the dress cost six bucks. I’m genetically unable to shut up about that.

I wore this to the luau at the Polynesian Cultural Center, the dress is Urban Outfitters, and the sweater is thrifted. I’ve since shrunk the dress to half its original size, so look for it as a shirt in future posts.

This romper is by a San Francisco designer whose brand I forget, of course. (She’s in the Mission, tiny shop on one of the numbered side streets between Valencia and Dolores. Anyone?) Anyway, it’s an oddly functional piece of clothing. I can belt it, wear it with tights and a long sleeve shirt, add something with a collar to switch it up. It’s become a bit of a uniform, but ultimately it’s a romper. For romping.

There, that’s better.

This is me in a ruffly dress from H&M, wielding a machete. Machetes are apparently still a thing in Hawaii.

Here’s the full dress with one of the vintage cardigans I brought. I used that sweater constantly, by the way. It was warm, but the breeze at night was a little chilly and there was some rain while we were there.

To save space, I try to pack jammies that can double as clothes if I need them. This is an Old Navy tank, and a pair of workout shorts from American Apparel. Can you imagine how bad the aforementioned bikini shot has to be if I’m willing to post this? Exactly.

Beach coverup! I wore this Urban Outfitters romper over my swimsuit when we headed down for surf lessons at Turtle Bay.

I got the sunglasses at a flea market. They’re made for shooting, and they feel heavenly because of those little side shades. Our trip lead, Mike, said they make me look like a 70-year-old man. I told him to get off my lawn.

American Apparel high-waisted side zip shorts and a random transparent shirt I’ve had forever. This shirt is an awesome suit coverup, so I wore it kayaking because I knew it would fit under the life jacket.

Like so.

(Aside! Holy crap, have you ever seen a sea turtle? These sea kayaks had glass bottoms, so you could see them swimming around, and I didn’t expect to be so affected by them. One looked right up at me, and it was like I could feel my heart beating in my mouth. Please put “see a sea turtle” on your Life List.)

This is my American Apparel bikini top, which I bought for a trip to Jamaica. The bottom is super high-waisted, which is convenient if you have stretch marks from baby havin’.

You can also cover stretch marks with a lightweight scuba skin, which is excellent for snorkeling. And sexy times.

Wardrobe Basics from Real Women

Right now, my closet looks like the wardrobe rack at an amateur theater company — bright, bedazzled, schizophrenic. As an avid thrift and vintage shopper, my dresser drawers overfloweth. Still, I seem to wear the same ten things again and again.

The clothes I buy on a whim always get the most play, and that got me wondering about other women’s wardrobe standbys. So I asked some stylish girlfriends about their basics.

Susan Wagner from The Working Closet

“My go-to item this summer has been the khaki City Mini from J. Crew.”

“It has an elastic “paperbag” waist that is perfect with a tank or tee and a skinny belt and a great A-line shape that makes my legs look thin (score!). I just bought the winter version, which is wool rather than cotton/linen, in bright dahlia, because it’s the perfect skirt and will go with everything I own and require no thought at all when I get dressed in the morning.”

Joanna Goddard from A Cup of Jo

“I’m obsessed with Emersonmade’s skinny jeans. They’re ridiculously flattering; honestly, they make me feel so sexy and shapely when I wear them.

“They’re super dark because they’re dyed with indigo. I wear them all the time, with T-shirts or blouses or sweaters.”

Katie Spence from Your New Favorite

“It is so very hot in Austin that mostly I wear skirts and dresses to keep things breezy. My favorite skirt this summer has been a chambray skirt that I got at Land’s End, but which is currently sold out.”

“However there is one on sale at Madewell that is almost identical. Lately I’ve been obsessed with natural fabrics, like cotton chambray and linen.”

Jordan Ferney of Oh Happy Day!

“These Gap slim crop pants in black. I can wear them with ballet flats or heels.”

“People dress up more here in Paris than in the US so these are my version of casual everyday pants.”

Rebecca Woolf from Girls’ Gone Child

Had to think about this because I don’t fit into any of my “usual” go tos (Ed note: Rebecca is currently 32 weeks pregnant with twins!), but last Fall it was this little corduroy half-jacket my friend Dani got for me at a thrift store:

(Ed note: If you want a crop jacket of your own, here are two to consider: 7 For Mankind Leather Crop, and a pattern for a simple cropped blazer.)

“My ‘go-to outfit’ is the dress + cardigan + booty + sock combo:”

Melissa Cotton from Poppy Cotton

“These are the most perfectly iconic ballet flats I have ever come across, and I have bought so many over the years looking for the perfect look and fit.”

“They are truly transformative to both my legs/feet and my outfit, quietly underscoring my entire fashion identity — classic and pulled together with a nod to the mid-century.”

Margaret Stewart from Fountly

“I have a dress I got this summer from Anthropologie that has proven to be the most versatile article of clothing I’ve ever owned. Seriously. I took it on a month long trip and wore it morning, noon, and (literally) night. Was great for sightseeing, casual or fancy meals, and (genius!) also an incredibly comfy nightgown.”

“Normally I shy from things without a waist; it’s my best feature! But in hot weather, it’s too binding to have a fitted anything! This thing was so damned comfy.”

Gabrielle Blair from Design Mom

“A scarf from J.Crew. It’s silk, but feels more like cotton, which I like.”

“It’s a warm pink and it has an almost florescent pink printed pattern. I picked it up on clearance last summer and I’ve worn it way too many days over the last year.”

(You can still find a couple of these babies on eBay, happy bidding.)

Interesting, right? Thanks, ladies!

Ok, team, now you. What’s your favorite item of clothing? If you have a link, all the better.

ALT Style: Shiny, Shiny

Anna Beth Chao of Hashai

Erin Loechner of Design for Mankind

Meg Keene of A Practical Wedding

Me of Vegas Cocktail Waitress

10 Little Black Dresses Under $100

The beauty of the little black dress is that you can score one cheap, without looking cheap. Here’s to a little more celebration in 2011.

Velvet Tee Dress, $80

Silence & Noise Crepe V-Back Dress, $68

Blackout Batwing Dress, $70

Short Sleeve Sequined Plus Sized Dress, $47

Watch Me Shine Sequin Dress, $45

Emily Dress, $40

A Cheerful Sip Dress, $80

Baby, Come Back Dress, $48

Sleeveless Knit Dress with Bow on Waist, $40

Sleeveless Fringe Plus Sized Dress, $77

Flashback Monday: Women’s Fashion, Part IV, Accessories

In an effort to gather all my writing in one place, I’ve been posting articles that originally appeared elsewhere. This piece was originally published by the The Morning News in 2003. Thanks to Rosecrans Baldwin, for the edits.

A girlfriend of mine just went through a particularly hard year — divorce, career upheaval, the possibility of leaving her beloved bungalow. We were talking about New Year’s resolutions, and she said she was going easy on herself. Her only resolution was to accessorize better. Screw the gym — this is a goal I can get behind.

Designers draw from the past, and so should you. The oft-repeated rule is that styles are recycled every twenty years or so. Wearing something that was once all the rage but has since fallen out of style will make you seem fashionable without risking disasters.

This is my list of standbys from decades past. I skipped the ‘90s because I still don’t have enough emotional distance to recommend that you bust out your shrugs. Forgive me.

1910s
Full-Size Umbrellas
Why do we wear shoes that make our feet bleed, but refuse to carry an umbrella that won’t tuck into our purse? Half the convenience, ten times the appeal, the full-size umbrella with a wooden hook handle is too charming to abandon. How forlorn to browse in a bookstore, sip a latte, or buy a paper on a rainy afternoon without one.

1920s
Fans
Aren’t fans sweet? They’re light, compact, and they drop right into your purse. If you live somewhere hot, or you like to go out dancing, it’s such a comfort to have a portable cooling system with you, and so much more attractive than fanning your sweaty neck with a magazine. If you live in a big city, head to the nearest Chinatown and pick one up for a buck or two. I’m a sucker for cherry blossoms.

1930s
Gloves
Without a decent pair of gloves, what do you suppose you’ll use to slap your offenders? Maybe white cotton gloves are a little too precious (and OCD indicative) for afternoon shopping trips nowadays, but dress gloves are so suave with an evening gown. I’m also in favor of colorful, soft, leather gloves for the winter. Try deep green with your black coat or a soft blue to offset chocolate. Leather gloves give such a satisfying thwack when defending one’s honor.

1940s
Back-Seam Stockings
You can wear them slutty, classy, or somewhere in between. Where else can you get that kind of versatility for ten bucks? Back-seam stockings lend ba-boom to the most mundane dress or shapeless skirt. Black is a classic choice. Please straighten your seam, or you’ll look as though you’ve just had a tryst in the broom closet.

1950s
Vices
Cigarette smoking is a nasty habit. Don’t cigarette cases make it ever so much more attractive? Press the precise, silver button, and pop! A tidy row of cigarette soldiers waits to defend you against the evening chill. Offer one to a friend; give him a light with your shiny flip-top lighter. (Plink! Tiny flame. Plink! Pocket-ready.) And for god’s sake, get yourself a drink. Why do you think they call it a cocktail dress?

Brooches
Brooches are nostalgic, and rarely the first choice when you’re digging through your jewelry box. They’re just grandma enough to qualify as quirky, and a very simple outfit is elevated with the right pin.

1960s
False Eyelashes
A kittenish sidelong glance is nothing without them. Buy a pack of individual lashes and some lash glue at the drugstore. Put a couple of lashes on the outside corner of each eye, and maybe one in the middle to even things out. Paint on some black liquid liner and give yourself a slow wink in the mirror. If you don’t want to have sex with your own reflection, you’re doing it wrong.

1970s
Pom-Pom Hats
The more interest you take in your wardrobe, the more you’ll realize that caring too much about what people think can be the kiss of death. When everyone is wearing their sleek little black watchmen’s caps, nothing says ‘piss off’ like a ‘70s-style pom-pom ski cap in Lifesaver colors. Orange and green stripes, or navy blue and white topped with a cherry-red pom—this is clothing that bobs when you walk! Right on.

Crocheted Beer Can Hats
Perhaps you’ve seen one of these at a thrift store. You cut beer cans into squares or ovals and then crochet them into a hat. Eh? Eh? I’m kidding. Take it off.

1980s
Bows
You had to give up your side ponytail, but don’t let go of the bow. Try it at your waistline, on your shoes, or tie a long scarf into a headband with a bow at the top.

The Details
Every time you leave the house, consider wearing, or carrying, one unique thing that makes you a happy kid. If you have an unusual accessory, you can throw on a black turtleneck and a ho-hum pair of jeans and still seem hip. The unexpected diverts attention from the mundane, and stocking up on wacky vintage brooches is a lot cheaper than buying an electric-green Cashmere coat. Also, electric green isn’t your color.

Mighty Closet: Pam Daghlian, Outfit 1

This is Pam Daghlian, and she is fun. Pam is the type of person who makes lists of things to do on Post-it Notes and sticks them to the wall so she and her husband have ideas when they have a little free time. She laughs a lot, and she has a great smile. See?

Pretty great.

I met Pam because she runs events for Adaptive Path, which used to be one of my freelance clients. Pam looks so sharp every time I see her at an event. She chooses clothes with clean lines, and isn’t afraid of color.

Her simple apple-green skirt is by San Francisco’s Sunhee Moon. You can never find this perfect A-line skirt because Pam bought them all. She says, “I have this same skirt in black, denim, and light blue, and they’ve got my number to call when new colors come in.”

Tip! Try a simple skirt as your base layer instead of throwing on yet another pair of jeans. Well played, lady.

Her denim jacket with zipper detail is Anthropologie, and the colorful scarf is Oilily.

Her peacock feather bracelet is Ambience.

Watches are so much more convenient than digging out your cell phone. This one is Red Monkey.

When I asked Pam if she’d do a Mighty Closet, she looked baffled, even though she was dressed impeccably when I asked. Perhaps it’s because Pam is a woman dedicated to sensible shoes. She has to be on her feet all day for events, so she needs practical footwear. Exhibit A:

These Dansko shoes aren’t objectionable, and they work pretty well with the outfit, but some wedges or bright pink ballet flats would pull the look together much better. I told her we’d post her crazy cute clothes and then go out for a shoe makeover whenever she said the word. Shoe makeover! Pam, I’m waiting by the phone.

Tomorrow, join us for Pam’s lazy Sunday look.

Packing Light: ALT Summit

I try to travel without checking luggage, and Packing Light is a series about what I pack to get that done.

I haven’t done a lot of winter suitcases, so I thought I’d do a post about what I packed to speak at ALT Summit. The jeans are from The Limited, and I need to imagine a gospel choir singing and Jesus rays breaking through the clouds as I type this next part: They were the first pair I tried on. I’m a size 8 to 10 in jeans, and the ones at The Limited have a perfect waist to bum ratio for my figure, so the waistline doesn’t gap. The boots are my magic Buenos Aires boots from the trip we took when Hank was a baby.

The undershirt is an acid yellow top I got at Old Navy in a frenzied stock up on layering pieces when they had the $5 sale before Christmas. I like to buy unusual colors so I can combine them with neutrals and have it look all artsy, which is what I’m going for with this grey Dolman sleeve sweater, also from a sale at The Limited (twenty bucks, baby!).

Laura took this lovely photo of me in my outfit for the “Old Hollywood” party. I took that to mean retro-Oscars, but most other ladies wore chic little cocktail dresses, which means I was grievously overdressed. Upside, I arrived after dinner and drinks, so I was mostly too illuminated to care much.

This is a cheap feather hair clip I often use to spruce up dress straps. It can add va-voom to the most mundane spaghetti strap number.

Update: I got the clip at a cheesy costume shop on the Haight, the one with all the wigs and spandex zebra print outfits. I looked for a similar one online but couldn’t find it. If you do, let me know and I’ll post a link in a later post. Also, this can get crushed in a suitcase, so I pack it in a hard-sided cardboard box that’s maybe three inches high.

My hair is getting too long for ponytails, it just tends to look scraggly, so this is my version of the quick updo. I twist back the front sections, then do a loose chignon in the back.

The shoes are a hand-me-down from my sister. I like the surprise lattice work in back.

I like to wear color when I’m onstage, so this is what I wore to speak. I got the Esprit velvet mini at a thrift store in college. Grey tights are from Target.

I got the shirt and belt on sale at JCrew and I wear them both constantly. The cashmere sweater is a vintage Pringle from the Alameda Flea Market (twenty bucks!). The brooch is by Elefante, e a Vida, and I adore it. Miriam’s work is my go-to gift for beloved girlfriends, all of whom I’m pinning one by one.

I got this fake fur jacket years ago at a thrift store in Sacramento. It brings back amazing memories of having breakfast at a sidewalk cafe on sunny winter mornings. My roomie at the time had a giant giraffe-print coat, and we’d wrap up so we could sit outside without waiting for a table. I swear I can smell mint tea every time I put it on, and it’s crazy warm.

Update: I wore the jacket and boots on the plane, so I didn’t have to fit those in the suitcase. Next time I’ll remember to include a shot of the case packed. I also roll my clothing to save space, though the long dress I just folded over and stored in a top panel of the case.

Leggings by H&M, as is the zip-front sweater.

These leg warmers are also H&M, and they are divine. They make it more feasible to wear leggings as pants, and you can really wear them with anything when you want to throw in a little trendy kick.

(Someone asked in comments what I’m wearing on my lips in this photo. I think it’s just Burt’s Bees peppermint chapstick.)

And finally, you must own one of these American Apparel circle scarves. I never take mine off, and there’s so many ways to wear it, I give a full-on infomercial to anyone who will listen. Sorry about that, Karen and Erin. But you love the scarf don’t you? I thought so.