When I travel, I like to wear a cross-body bag to keep my hands free.  However, I swear these bags are made for giants because the strap is just too long–even when I buckle it in the last hole.  Instead of hitting me at the hip, the bag is swinging down around my kneecaps somewhere.   It is most uncomfortable to walk like that.

The solution?–Make a new hole in the strap.  This can easily be done by your local cobbler.  Since I am a regular customer, my cobbler doesn’t charge me for this service, but most shops will only charge a dollar or two. The task is accomplished in about a minute.  It’s a small thing, but it makes such a big difference.

This tiny adjustment allowed me to comfortably carry a cross-body bag around Paris.

Voilá!

purse – Liebeskind, Bloomingdale’s

I’m linking up with What I Wore Wednesday , Real Momma, Real Style and Monday Mingle.

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© 2012, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

Last weekend I had to go to a function where I was required to wear–gasp!–pantyhose.  Can you believe it?  It’s been so long since I wore a pair of pantyhose, that I didn’t know they made them anymore.  In case you think I mean tights or black stockings, no, I am talking about flesh-colored pantyhose.   I didn’t even know where to buy them, so I had to ask around; a friend told me where to go and what brand to buy.   It took me a full 30 minutes in the hosiery department at Macy’s, sticking my hand in and out of those hose swatches, to find a color suitable for my flesh.  It was hard to find an exact match because my flesh is sort of tan/orange/green and wouldn’t you know, they don’t make flesh-colored hose in that color.   I finally found a pair that looked decent enough:

My daughter was fascinated; she had never seen pantyhose before.  She said that my legs didn’t look real, but like legs in a magazine.  They looked too perfect.  She compared them to Luke Skywalker’s prosthetic hand (she had just seen Star Wars the previous night and that scene left a big impression on her).  I couldn’t disagree.  Have you worn pantyhose lately?   Those things are really uncomfortable.  The crotch was hanging low all day.  (Is this how sagging pants-wearing young men feel?  If so, why would anyone want to walk around like that all day?  Try doing that in heels!)   Because I could only find a pair with control top, using the bathroom–pulling them up and down–was a nightmare.  I tried not to drink too much liquid that day.

I was also required to wear a black dress with pearl accessories.  If you know anything about me, that is not really my stylo.  This costume–black dress, pearls, pantyhose–was seriously messing with my Funkidivagirl style!  The challenge before me:  how can I look conservative enough–ladylike, if you will–but still maintain my funkiness?

First: the dress.  AllSaints, my favorite brand, makes black clothes, so I looked there while on vacation in NYC.  I had fun shopping at the gorgeous store in the Meat Packing district and found a dress that could work for the event, but that I could also wear in my real life.

Next: the pearls.  I have a pair of real pearls (a gift), but they are very “proper” and I was trying to interject my style as much as possible into this outfit.  I needed something else…appropriate, but chic.  I thought a long strand of pearls would look fabulous and I found the perfect pair at Henri Bendel.    A skinny patent leather belt pulled the whole look together.   I already had a pair of platform pumps.  I look like quite the lady, yes?

meeting & lunch

dress – AllSaints

pearls – Henri Bendel

belt – Nordstrom

shoes – Miss Sixty, Bloomingdale’s

This is how I will normally wear the dress: with patterned black tights, a funki belt and ankle boots.  This is the real me!

tights – Nordstrom

belt – Antrhopologie

necklace – Nordstrom

boots – Boutique 9, Bloomingdale’s

I’m linking up with What I Wore Wednesday , Real Momma, Real Style and Monday Mingle.
        

© 2012, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

I got to spend a long leisurely brunch on Saturday with a group of ladies; it was my girlfriend’s birthday and she invited 12 friends to lunch.  Since we had a private room, you can imagine the topics of conversation!  I don’t get to spend time like that on a Saturday afternoon, so it was a real treat.  Since my family was gone for the morning, I had an empty house while I got dressed.   I was able to play around a bit with styling and this what I settled on:

brunch with friends

tank – Ella Moss, Bloomingdale’s

sweater – AllSaints, store within Bloomingdale’s

jeans – Hudson, Bloomingdale’s

boots – Boutique 9, Bloomingdale’s

Head to toe, I was styled by Bloomingdale’s!  (Can I get an endorsement deal?)

I’m linking up with What I Wore Wednesday , Real Momma, Real Style and Monday Mingle.
        

© 2012, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

I stalk MyHabit.com every day at noon, but I never I buy anything for myself.  I do buy clothes for my daughter quite often–very cute clothes at great prices–but I rarely see something for myself or if I do, it’s sold out immediately.  I saw this dress on MyHabit and thought it was so pretty, but alas, it was sold out.  However, I clicked “add to wait list” and would you believe that I got an email several weeks later saying that the dress was available?  I bought it right away and it’s even prettier in real life than it was on the website.

I wanted to wear the dress during my trip to Paris.  My husband and I had planned a romantic dinner for our last night in Paris, but I got violently ill that day and spent the evening in my pajamas instead.  While a Santa Tea isn’t the same as a romantic dinner in Paris, at least I got to wear the dress.  It was very warm today, so I didn’t wear anything on my legs.  I should have–my legs are so pale!

Santa Tea at St. Regis hotel

dress – Byron Lars, MyHabit.com

shoes – Miss Sixty, Bloomingdale’s

I have a holiday party tomorrow night and I’ll funk it up with tights, ankle boots, a clutch and bangles.  I don’t get a chance to look like this often, so I am taking full advantage of this festive season!

boots – Boutique 9, Bloomingdale’s

tights – Nordstrom

clutch – Hobo, Nordstrom

I’m linking up with What I Wore Wednesday , Real Momma, Real Style and Monday Mingle.
        

© 2011, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

I spent most of my time in Paris outside and bundled up against the cold weather, so hardly anyone saw what I wore, but here are the few times that I took off my coat:

I enjoyed a coat-free afternoon in the museum, Centre Pompidou.   This shirt is so soft and comfortable, but has a bit of glam because of the glittery thread.  Splendid is one of my favorite brands.

an afternoon at Centre Pompidou, Paris

shirt – Splendid, Bloomingdale’s

jeans – Joe’s, Bloomingdale’s

boots – Ugg, Zappos

bag – Marc by Marc Jacobs, Bloomingdale’s

In the next two photos, I am dressed for the evening; I accompanied my husband to his business parties.  I joked with him that he brought me along to be his trophy wife.   I’m wearing my “rock star pants”–as my husband calls them.  They are very shiny and very tight; I can’t overeat wearing these pants!  I love this shirt–it made me break my “no skulls” rule.

private party at Bound Bar, Paris

shirt – Vintage Havana, Bloomingdale’s

pants – AllSaints

boots – Boutique 9, Bloomingdale’s

I have on the same rocker pants and boots in the next photo.  You can’t tell in the photo, but the shirt is sheer and has a ruffle on one side.  It’s really pretty as a shirt with a black bra underneath, but here I’m wearing it like a jacket because I thought I would be too cold in the tank alone.  The boots are pretty comfortable for such a high heel, allowing me to stand and talk for a long time during the party.

drinks and dinner at Café Etienne Marcel, Paris

tank – Ella Moss, Nordstrom

shirt – AllSaints

necklace – Swarovski, Nordstrom

I bought this bracelet from Galeries Lafayette that very day in Paris.  The designer was there and had a special display set up of her work.  She had really unique pieces and her work is just my style.  I will definitely check out her website for more jewelry to buy!

bracelet – Pascale Monvoisin

(Sorry for the crummy lighting in these photographs; our apartment in Paris was so dim!)

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I’m linking up with What I Wore Wednesday , Real Momma, Real Style and Monday Mingle.
        

© 2011 – 2012, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.