remixing fashion and luxury for reality

I was hunting suits at Neimans over the weekend. Lately, I’m get the feeling my luxe for less threads don’t cut it for important meetings with customers and days for presentations. A little voice was telling me wearing a power suit from Theory was going to help me stop saying umm and uhhh and look like a million bucks! So off I went to Neiman Marcus in Palo Alto, my go-to-default shopping destination when I’m too lazy to make it up to San Francisco. I had 8 or 9 things balancing on one arm while fingering through the rest of the racks, silently cursing the sales girls for not coming to my rescue and off-loading my load. It was a busy afternoon or maybe it was my sloppy flip flops but no body wanted to help me that day! I finally made it to the dressing rooms with about a dozen or so things and proceeded to slip in and out of my suits. During my private fashion show I peeked my head out to call for a sales girl to grab me another size and that’s when I caught sight of this hottie named Rexy. I kept wanting to call her Sexy Rexy. Take one look at her picture and tell me she doesn’t belong in a magazine or on TV!

We got to chatting about Rexy’s hair. It was stylish, edgy, original (This picture does not do justice)… I got her secret but like my hair would ever look like that! According to Rexy, she curled her hair with hot rollers, then took them out and pinned the curls to her head with bobby pins. Went to bed and woke up with awesome hair! She fixed a few strands in the morning with her hot iron.

What I liked so much about Rexy was that she embodies strength, beauty, brains, and confidence all in one. Her easy and carefree spirit was a refreshing breath of air in the uptight environment NM can be. We chatted at length about her passion for hair, makeup, and fashion. Somehow between all her jobs she is getting ready to launch a swim suit line (that she designed) and when it debuts you’ll be sure to find it here. I love the look Rexy puts together here — tube over a white-tee. I like to do this with a white tee and tube top too + jeans. It’s a great look to dress down but still look put together.

Go Rexy!

It was Friday night and I was late coming home to meet my husband so we could go pick up my sister-in-law at the airport. On my drive home from work I was doing a mental scan of my closet trying to imagine what I was going to throw on in 30 seconds or less. I kept going back to my skinny indigo jeans (which have become my second skin) and my knee high vintage boots from Modern Vintage. When I ran in the door my husband gave me the "I can’t believe you’re late again we are leaving now" look so I double stepped my way to my bedroom and started to frantically throw clothes on. It’s these urgent moments where I normally throw on my go-to (pre-selected) "uniforms" but I wasn’t in the mood to wear one of my recycled looks again so I went for it, grabbing the first satisfiable top and jacket in first view and here’s what I ended up with…

What happened later still makes me laugh as I think back. As my husband and I were making our way to the baggage claim area to greet my sis-in-law, we were standing on the moving walkway looking at each other. I thought he was looking at me lovingly but then suddenly he burst out in laughter. I was like what. He said "You’ve got a lot going on tonight". A lot as in I had too much going on with my outfit and that I looked ridiculous! I got a good laugh out of that then he escorted me to the bathroom to take a closer look at my fashion faux pas. I did look a little over the top. Under my husband’s careful direction I proceeded to tie back my hair and zipped up the jacket (the pic was taken after that).

I still think I look "ok". Maybe a bit glammed out for the airport but I think I’m good for dinner in the city, no? If you don’t take risks you’ll never get past boring!

Jacket: Forever 21

Tissue Turtleneck: Myong-Dong Shopping District in Korea (I got this for $10!)

Jeans: Armani Exchange

Boots: Modern Vintage