Crazypants! The blog.

I've missed you all! Work kicked into high gear and I've had an amazingly fun and productive month. I hadn't realized how long it had been - and then I noticed that I'd lost all my little karma icons or whatever we call them here!

I wish I had a WIW to post, but not today. My style's been shifting a little looser and more casual, now that it's sandal weather.

I didn't shop at all last month, and then I realized I'd gained a few pounds in my thighs and I hated wearing all my too-tight jeans (except the huge R13s, of course!) So this week has been epic jeans-shopping, resulting in one new-new pair (BLUE jeans from the Gap, my first non-black/grey jeans in years) and one perfect thrifted pair (black CoH straight leg). I sized up intentionally in the Gap real straight jeans for a stolen-from-my-boyfriend look. I am so impressed by Gap's jeans.

And of course combing the stores for jeans meant I picked up a handful of other things too, notably a perfect Theory shirtdress from the new Nordstrom Rack that opened in downtown SF. (Micro-review: the older one on Brannan St still gets all the actual designer stuff, but the new one has a solid selection of high-end brands like Vince and Helmut Lang). And I think I found the perfect jumpsuit online (a HEWI) but I won't know til it arrives.

I'm starting to realize I have more clothing than I ever wear, so I need to be better about working things into the rotation and not buying more than I'll wear.

Next up: the ongoing tall boot debate. Angie's post today was so well timed.

I bought Madewell Archive boots a month or so ago, then decided they are really too tall for my stumpy lower legs and gape around my upper calves because they hit at the wrong place. I also decided they're a little too classic for me (which would work if they were perfect, perhaps, but ill-fitting classic is so not my style). Luckily I can probably sell them for around what I paid.

So, I don't really NEED tall boots at all, but I found these Tsubo boots that are MAGIC for short-calved me. And the zipper is so me. I tried them on in brown and they looked amazing - they hit at the wide part of my calf but aren't stumpifying at all. I'll order them in black to see them in person. Do they seem on-trend and edgy enough for me? Comfort brands often end up feeling dated to me but Tsubo is often an exception.
http://www.zappos.com/tsubo-loe

But, when I sold a bunch of jeans at Crossroads yesterday, I also found these Fiorentini + Baker boots for the exact amount I had in trade credit ($55). They are probably not meant to be this slouchy but they don't pull up higher on my big dancer calves. I have a few days to decide if I should keep or return them (not enough time to get the Tsubos in person). I can't justify two new pairs of tall boots, and these might be too similar to my old Frye-style 12" harness boots.

Can you tell I have trouble making decisions? And am shopping a lot recently? I think I'm in some sort of wardrobe transition/renewal phase. Sorry to double-post a photo in two posts, but I wanted to separate the boot and top questions.

I'd love advice on these three pieces, though I realize the lighting makes it nearly impossible to judge black clothing.

Photos 1-4:
A few days ago I linked to a Helmut Lang wool top with an interesting structured cowl. I bought it at Saks just to experience it, but it's a lot of money, so I will probably return it. This is the XS, and it feels too tight and bodycon (plus you can see bulges in places I didn't realize I had them). What do you think? I think it should go back.

Photos 5-7:
An alternative is a lighter wool top I got from Yoox. It was $100 (the other was $200!) so still expensive but more in range with what I can spend. In some ways this is my perfect top: wool, sleeveless, casual. I feel like I would just throw this on all the time, whereas the HL top would be a special occasion top because of the tightness. But does this one look too sloppy, too short, etc?

Photos 8-10:
Finally, I fell in love with this Eileen Fisher cotton sweater on clearance at Nordstrom Rack. This is a small and an XS would be a lot better, but it's sold out absolutely everywhere. I've been looking for something like this - casual, interesting color, shape, and texture - but perhaps I should practice PPP unless you all think the oversized drape looks perfect. Which it might! I'm a bad judge of oversized fits.

All these are with my awesome new R13 skinnies. I sold off two old black skinnies that just didn't work, to fund this purchase from Yoox, and I'm so happy with them. Maybe I'm not over skinnies after all! I now have the perfect jeans collection for me: these waxed skinnies, a straighter pair of black Gap jeans, grey AG boyfriend jeans, black R13 slouch skinnies, and straight leg grey jeans that I rarely wear anymore.

(However, I guess I need to beware of VPL. I wish underpants didn't do that...)