Tuesday, Wednesday: Cold-weather remixes

Okay. WOW. I am completely flabbergasted by the responses to the Nude Sandal DEATHMATCH. Luckily voting has tightened up now, but I thought for sure the Atlases were going to blow the Tazers away. My jaw is to the floor! I cannot believe I had nearly the opposite reaction of everyone here and at YLF; I almost returned the Tazers without even mentioning it on the blog. I adore the Atlases beyond belief, and I honestly felt kind of frumpy in the Tazers.

I guess I will try them both on with more outfits before I decide for sure. I do have a couple of other sandals that I am feeling iffy on, and maybe one of those will go back instead...the response to keep the Tazers was so overwhelming I am wondering if I am missing something in their allure!

BUT. I won't be able to decide on that for a few days... it needs to get warm again first! Grrr, the temps dropped like a stone the last few days, and today it is threatening to snow. SNOW. That is just so wrong.

My outfits layered up accordingly.

Tuesday:



Been a long while since I wore this combo, maybe back in the fall? We had huge rain all day, and I was out traveling for meetings, so the oufit started with the need to wear my plum patent La Canadienne rainboots. (I have said this a million times, but these are ideal for bad-weather days when I still need to be dressy and can't change my shoes when I get to my destination. They may be my smartest shoe purchase ever.)

From there, I added my patterned Michael Kors jersey dress, brown swirl-pattern tights (it was cold!), white Gap ruffled tank, mustard Halogen sweater, and gold locket necklace from J Crew Outlet. Sorry, shopping stalkers, these are all items from last year! :)

Because it was raining like crazy, I added my new white Martin + Osa trench. This one is becoming a fast favorite!




Wednesday:



Another remix of a familar outfit. This is the first time I didn't belt this sweater, instead purposely going for the super-voluminous look. I spent a cold, rainy 9-hour day at my desk, and being wrapped in a virtual Slanket held a lot of appeal.



The teal sweater-top is from Loft this winter, the grey chunky sweater is from H&M, the black pants are part of my Semantiks suit from Nordstrom, and the shoes are my grey patent oxford heels from Franco Sarto. Because it was so bulky and drab, I added a couple of pieces of jewelry to add some interest: my pewter mesh magnetic bracelet from BR, and a fun ombre blue beaded necklace from Old Navy.



Got my highlights fixed last night, so this is the last of my roots you will see for a while! :)

Now I must go figure out what to wear when it SNOWS. Ugh.

Nude Sandal Deathmatch!

Last fall I did some DEATHMATCH polls for a few sets of similar dresses I had acquired which were quite fun. It's time to revive the tradition because I have two pairs of nude sandals that I cannot decide on. I need some outside help!

The first contender are the Franco Sarto Tazers.



On me:


Close-up, front view:


Close-up, side view (ignore the shadow on my leg):


Pros of the Tazers:
-extremely comfortable
-pretty
-on trend with the wedge heel
-the darker tan color doesn't make my foot look like it disappears

Cons of the Tazers:
-the thicker straps thicken my ankles
-the buckles and straps are not easy to put on
-something about the tan color looks off against my (pasty white) skin tone

I bought these first and it was love at first sight. Angie at YLF had recommended them for their comfort level, and she was right. But then I was out shopping with Jess last weekend and saw these Franco Sartos at Von Maur; they reminded me a lot of a pair of cage heels with a zipper in back that I loved but returned last summer (comfort issues, plus I just did not have the cojones to wear them yet).

The second contender: Franco Sarto Atlas.



On me:


Close-up, front view:


Close-up, side view:


Pros of the Atlas:
-drop dead gorgeous
-either the thinner straps or the lower dip of the straps around my foot makes my ankle look less bulky in these than the Tazers
-the back zipper is super-hot
-easier to put on
-Jess' comment as I was trying them on: "You are strutting."

Cons of the Atlas:
-comfortable, but not as comfortable as the Tazers
-the nude color may almost be *too* nude
-holy crap, no one told me they came in different colors!!


I think you can see why I am conflicted. And really, there can only be one; I have no need for both pairs in my closet...especially since I have 3 other pairs of sandals still unworn that I am also unsure about. So it is time for the DEATHMATCH:


As we say in Chicago, vote early and vote often!

DEATHMATCH: Purple and Brown Pattern Dress

Well, the people have spoken in both previous DEATHMATCHES! Looks like both grey sheath dresses are keepers(yay!), and the cocoa-and-black Marshalls dress is going back (sniffle). Let's see if it will have any company on the return trip to the store...

Today's DEATHMATCH is really more of a "please, Ma, can I keep them both?" question. The first dress, after all, is one I've been wearing for weeks already, and obviously will not be returned.

1. Michael Kors brown-purple-mustard knit dress, Macys



Of course, you've seen this several times with a variety of sweaters; it's going to serve me well through the fall as I add in tights and boots and more layers. This is exactly the kind of canvas dress that I love. I would be perfectly content if my closet were filled with nothing but dresses like this, that I could style a different way every time I wore it.






Which may be why I was drawn to its doppelganger.

Dress #2: Muse brown-and-purple jersey dress, Marshalls



When Hubby saw the other dresses I bought, including the cocoa-and-black one, he declared them all "cute" and thought I should keep them because they were different enough from what I already had. But he saw this one and said it was the same as Dress #1. Which I know is probably correct, but look at the pattern!



This one seems a little subtler than #1, a little dressier, in a weird way. Plus, it's exactly the dress that would work with the heather tan boyfriend cardigan I got at AT a couple of weeks ago and have been debating keeping or returning. See?



Yeah. I need help. I have no perspective on this one. At this point I am tempted just to tear the tags off and wear it today so you can't tell me to return it, but then I remember I have an order coming in from Target in a day or two and there will soon be a number of new dresses filling my closet for the fall. Plus, I promised Angie at YLF that I would wear the CE dress today, and I know she's going to hold me to that!

So...give it to me straight. Is this second one a keeper?




Hope you've enjoyed the DEATHMATCHES; I've enjoyed throwing them! There will be at least one more (a battle of two red ponte knit dresses) and possibly more as I realize how many of the incoming Target dresses are copycats of current dresses. (Man, I am so sad.)

DEATHMATCH: Dark Knit Dress

Voting is still open on the Grey Sheath DEATHMATCH! I am still undecided and have received excellent advice from both viewpoints of keeping and returning. The poll is leaning toward keeping them both, although keeping only the Target jumper is a veryclose second. Your opinion does count, because clearly I can be swayed. LOL!

But it's on to our next DEATHMATCH. (For those just tuning in, the DEATHMATCH has come into being because I have a horrible habit of buying clothes that are too similar to each other, and I can never decide which to keep. Which is where you come in -- you get to vote which to keep! I will post photos of the dress, and list their pros and cons, then I'll put it to a vote.)

This is another battle of NAS vs. Marshalls, but this time I love both dresses unreservedly. Losing one of these will be tough.

Dress #1. Donna Morgan dark burghundy ponte knit dress, NAS.



This is another I have blogged about before; I fell madly in love with it while shopping with Laura65 at NAS, and I am still head over heels. The ONLY reason I haven't worn it yet is because it hasn't been cool enough. But that's only a couple weeks away!

Pros:
-the rich color, a burghundy with brown undertones, is stunning up close, and unique
-the drape and fit are spot on, and the cut in the neckline is perfect, subtle and still pretty
-the ponte knit helps it keep its shape so it won't get clingy (and thus gives me some breathing room on bloated days), and it will keep me warm as it gets colder
-I am a sucker for lantern sleeves
-I will be able to style this a million ways for fall and winter
-perfect for any kind of work meeting imaginable

Cons:
-um...it was $80, even on sale? Which isn't really an issue when it's this pretty
-...nothing else I can think of

Dress #2: Muse cocoa-and-black mod shift, Marshalls



Pros:
-I don't own a brown dress and I want to
-love the cocoa and black together
-it has a modern-style bold black zipper down the back
-the whole vibe of the dress is pretty edgy, especially for my style
-will look great with boots/booties and tights all fall and winter long
-it was half the price of the NAS one

I pumped up the shadows and filters in Photoshop on this next shot so you could see the color pattern on the sleeve. Unfortunately it also highlighted the cheap nature of the fabric; really, it's not that shiny or bright!



Cons:
-it is cheaper looking than the NAS dress
-it has nearly the exact same shape as the NAS dress

And really, that con is my only problem with it. I love both dresses for different reasons, but they look SO alike it seems silly to keep them both. But...I WANT both. This is why I am taking it to a vote!



Thanks for playing along!

Dress DEATHMATCH: Grey Sheath

Welcome to the Dress DEATHMATCH! In this event, two dresses enter the ring, and only one remains. (Unless the consensus is that both are worth keeping. Hee.)

The DEATHMATCH has come into being because I have a horrible habit of buying clothes that are too similar to each other, and I can never decide which to keep. Which is where you come in -- you get to vote which to keep! I will post photos of the dress, and list their pros and cons, then I'll put it to a vote.

Let's begin!

Dress #1: Classiques Entier grey sleeveless sheath, Nordstrom Anniversary Sale



I have blogged about this dress before, but I haven't yet worked up the nerve to wear it. So even though I bought it at NAS in July, it still has its tags and can be returned.

Pros:
-It's gorgeous, and fits me great.
-Heavy enough material will make it wearable through the winter.
-Looks very professional and still sexy.

Cons:
-To wear through the winter, I need to wear a sweater over, or a blouse underneath. I don't think the dress looks as good when I do that.
-It was expensive. I can get 4 other dresses at Marshalls or Target for the price of this one.
-The fit is not as good as it could be while I am up these 10 pounds.

Dress #2: Grey short-sleeved faux-wool jumper dress, Target


Pros:
-Looks great with sweaters over or button-downs underneath, making it perfect for fall/winter
-I much prefer the versatility of this versus the statement style of the NAS dress
-Cost me less than $20

Cons:
-Bought it on clearance at the end of last winter, too late to return it
-The front has a weird pleat right at my belly, which is good because it distracts from the size of my belly, but bad because it poofs out whether I'm bloated or not
-A little too short, and a little too tight (which is okay since I won't wear it until it is tights weather, and it should be looser by then)
-Not as pretty as the NAS dress

Vote early and vote often!



(I have two other DEATHMATCH sets of dresses I will be posting shortly. And probably a couple more once my Target order gets here. Told you I had a bad habit of doing this, LOL!)