shoe zeitgeist

Maybe as a rebound from wearing the same shoes all of January for interviews, I've had my eye on footwear this week. I came across a few at Nordstrom Rack that I couldn't resist.

PSA - the Rack has changed their return policy to 45 days. I should be careful about buying things I'm not sure of!

First up - I want silver shoes. I don't think these are them, though, so they've gone back to the Rack. I love them but I know myself and I would never wear them. They're comfortable but not perfect. There's a bootie version that's similar and more wearable, but if I need mirror silver, oxfords are probably a better choice. Still, the retro, feminine aspect appealed to me (and when have I ever liked something because it's feminine? First time for everything!).

2 But then I was stuck on kitten heels, and I found these lovely Paul Green maryjanes at the Rack when I returned the others. Again, more feminine than my usual, but I think they'd be good with jeans. They're somehow a little avant garde? And surprisingly trendy.  My Paul Green flats are ah-MAZ-ing to wear and these might be too. I need to contemplate it. (I might be between sizes. These sold out long ago and this pair is a returned, refinished pair, so I can't compare with a size up.)

And then while I was looking for those in another size I found these Y's by Yohji Yamamoto sandals for a steal. I need to replace my Mephisto Helens. I was going to get regular Birkenstocks but these might be more me?

Also, I suddenly want cowboy ankle boots. Not real cowboy boots, but the pared-down urban style that Helmut Lang and a few others have had recently. My pointed-toe Allsaints boots are almost worn out after wearing them all month so this might be a good replacement. I suppose I could get silver cowboy boots but that's probably overkill.

Also in Finds:
Some cowboy boot inspiration (the Rag & Bone boots were at the Rack but not in my size; the silver R13 boots are, shall we say, aspirational, at $1300), a pair of kitten heels that I covet but which are out of my price range, and the bootie version of the silver pumps.

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Done with job interviews!

My interview capsule will head to the dry cleaner as soon as I get home from Boston today! I just finished up my last interview. Thank you all for the wardrobe advice and the encouragement.

I was very happy with my clothes, and much more importantly, all of my interviews went very well. They're exhausting but I held up much better this year than last year. I felt grown-up and together and truly like myself. I got a lot of positive comments on my work and I met a lot of awesome scientists. It'll be weeks or months before I hear anything solid, but I already have a comment from one department chair that I'm probably the top candidate (no guarantee of anything). So we'll see where that goes!

I've been enjoying visiting all these different cities (Seattle, Chicago, Baltimore, New Haven, Boston) and imaging where I'll live next year but it's bittersweet to realize that I might uproot myself from the Bay Area. But I'm really excited about it all. Stay tuned!

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