the other day i was thinking about how often i dress in outfits that evoke the comment: “oh my! you look like madeline!” this is never actually intentional. perhaps it has something to do with the fact that i went to catholic school for 9 years of my life and had to wear a uniform to school every day. i always say that i deeply resent my parents for it, but perhaps i have developed some sort of deep and twisted relationship with the school uniform. or else maybe i just really like hot dogs. ketchup and mustard? har har.

now let’s discuss this dress: i’m very excited to be working with the lovely dierdre of curator boutique in san francisco. we got in touch by means of the internet and met for coffee one afternoon to discuss fashion and blogs and life and whatnot. she told me about her label and invited me into her lovely shop to play dress up and pick out a few pieces from her latest collection. this is exactly the type of partnership that i dream of! all of their clothes are made in san francisco of beautiful, soft and sturdy garment-dyed cotton. they do their best to limit waste during production and use organic fabrics whenever possible. the result? very high quality and relatively affordable locally made dresses that you can basically live in. i was immediately drawn to this easy sheath dress and immediately knew that i would layer it over some of my favorite button-up shirts this fall for yet another 60s schoolgirl-inspired outfit.

hat: vintage wool hat from mars mecantile in berkeley
coat: asos from last year
dress: the sadie sheath dress c/o curator
top: thrifted vintage silk blouse
tights: sheer reflections sheer tights c/o hanes
shoes: vintage salvatore ferragamo vara flats
bag: waverly three way bag c/o stella and dot

photos by kristin cofer.

i think this formula of a blouse worn beneath a simple shift or jumper might become my new fall uniform. there’s something so simple and utilitarian about the look (and just a little bit schoolgirl) that is feeling pretty much perfect these days. you can add a nice wool coat and a pair of tights if it gets too chilly, but you won’t be bored to death like you might with a one piece dress because you can always swap out any number of tops and jumpers in different colors and fabrics. and, of course, when you’re on a budget, it’s nice to be able to mix and match as much as possible!

i know most of the photos are in black and white, but i was quite pleased with the color combination of rust and pale pink. i’ve always liked the mixture of warm earth tones in the fall with a splash of bright pastel to keep things interesting. and i’m trying to play more with color these days, so it’s been fun trying to break free of my typical neutral tones. but i think what i loved the most about this outfit was the mixture of silk, velvet, and suede. just something about these fabrics that feels so perfectly luxurious, don’t you think?

top: j.crew silk blythe blouse
dress: family affairs velvet dress (from a few seasons ago)
shoes: vintage suede mary janes
bag: j.w. hulme mini legacy bag

on saturday morning, i woke up bright and early with weekend plans to drive up to marin to enjoy the beautiful beginning of fall. i perched on my computer with a cup of coffee, as per usual, when an unexpected package arrived in the mail: this pretty pretty dress from nina of family affairs! i immediately threw it on and did a little dance in my apartment before heading out of town with brendan. we made our way to one of our favorite spots in san rafael, sol food. if you’re ever in the area, you need to stop by for the best puerto rican cuisine ever! this time, i tried ponche, a mix of iced tea and limeade, and i have been dreaming about it since! i need to head to the grocery store so i can make a huge jug of it to keep in my refrigerator, even if the weather is beginning to cool down!

then we meandered around the area, popping into local thrift stores and boutiques before taking a very scenic route partway up mt. tamalpais and through the california coastline. and, whenever we find ourselves up in the area, we always have to stop at another favorite restaurant, avatar’s! which, i know, as with sol food, i’ve mentioned it before, but you really have to try it if you find yourself in northern california. nothing beats their sweet potato punjabi enchiladas! and of course, we had to round out our very decadent day with a big cup of coffee for the drive home.

dress: good spirits dress by family affairs
blouse: thrifted vintage silk blouse
shoes: thrifted vintage heels
bag: j.w. hulme mini legacy bag
sunglasses: karen walker number six
watch: michael kors tortoise watch
lipstick: ysl rouge pur couture in le rouge
nails: butter london polish in pillar box red