this week, i definitely found myself attracted to the hannah macgibbon/chloe trend that has been dominating the street style sites lately. pale pastels, high-rise trousers, and clean lines. you can hardly resist the look; it’s perfectly casual, comfortable, and unfussy. to me, it offers a perfect air of coolness and sophistication, so i can definitely understand why so many girls are wearing this look!

as much as i love dresses, sometimes they feel just a little bit too easy, so lately i’ve found myself interested in finding lots of ways to wear separates. i just love the quirky way these ladies put together their ensembles.

column a: cafe mode, hanneli mustaparta, team peter stigter
column b: facehunter, team peter stigter, vanessa jackman

perhaps because i’m planning my trip to new york for fashion week with the knowledge that it’ll be like 20 degrees and possibly snowing, this week i focused in on lovely ladies wearing warm and comfy layers.

first things first, the real reason i am writing this quick little blog post is to tell say “bon voyage!” i’m taking off right after i finish this post to visit my family in southern california for thanksgiving. all i can think about is the delicious spread with turkey and cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, gravy, and stuffing! i will most definitely be wearing a loose-fitting dress for the occasion.

in fact, the chilly weather combined with all of these gluttonous holidays has got me wishing for a cape right about now. i’ve basically been hanging around the house with a blanket across my shoulders most days. i probably wouldn’t mind if someone got me a snuggie for christmas. but seriously, how perfectly chic are these capes? just a bit of inspiration i’ve been running across over the past few weeks.

enjoy! (and i promise to put up all the photo credits complete with links later on tonight.) now i must be off!

so we had a little style blogger meet-up on sunday! we met at the yerba buena gardens, but it was quite a chilly day, so we headed over to the caffè museo at the sfmoma for coffee and tea and conversation. it was quite nice and i really wished we could have stayed longer, but i’ll have to reserve my excitement for the next time we have a gathering. so all of you style bloggers in the bay area, speak up and send me an email so we can keep in touch about another meet-up! oh, and thanks to local boutique indie industries for the goody bags!

anyway, i got a few shots, but my camera settings were wonky so most of the pictures didn’t come out. i don’t think she’s posted it up yet, but my favorite shots were some candids i got while taking pictures of diane.

and thanks to all the ladies who showed up:
candy box
darling darling
fazed girl
going west
helen of chictopia
katie
late afternoon
profresh style
song of style
vai
work it, berk

lately, i’ve been wearing an awful lot of neutrals. oh who am i kidding? i always wear a lot of neutrals! i’ve got tons of black, navy, gray, cream, and white with a few browns and florals for good measure. it’s not really intentional, it just happens that way. and i’m feeling like i’m in a bit of a rut when it comes to color, so i’ve found myself a solution: red. it’s such a perfect compliment to an otherwise neutral palette. you can make a statement in a nice red coat or add just a touch of interest with a little red bow.

gah, and ever since the wren fall lookbook came out featuring that beautiful red cashmere cardigan, it’s all i can think about. too bad i can’t drop $300 on a sweater right now, or it would be mine in a heartbeat.

anyway, here are some pieces of inspiration i’ve been collecting lately to get me in the mood for more of this crimson color.

column a: built by wendy fall 2009, library of congress, jill wilcott, turned out, johanna carlson.

column b: milagr., natalie wood, wren fall 2009, library of congress, source unknown.

i know it’s been a while since then, but during a conversation with some of the bloggers at the weardrobe conference, rebecca of the clothes horse called a certain website to my attention after i hinted that i occasionally take fashion tips from little old ladies riding the bus. yes, that’s right, sometimes i look to the geriatric for style inspiration, and i’m not ashamed. it’s where i first discovered the hat scarf (or snood, if you will. that’s a scarf with a hood, my friends) and it’s why i’ll always be very fond of a comfy cozy cardigan. in fact, these sophisticated older ladies and gentleman are the ones hoarding all that awesome vintage in their closets that us greedy vintage bloggers just can’t wait to get our hands on!