Back to Basics

I’ve been going through a bit of change in my on-duty life over the past few weeks. I started a new job that is full of opportunity, but in typical startup-fashion that opportunity comes with a bit of growing pain and discomfort. I know that the “juice will be worth the squeeze” when it comes down to it, though.

When I have disruptions in my life, I have this awful tendency to forget the discipline and order that I need to keep me healthy. So some of the great habits I had been working towards earlier in the year have fallen off a bit in the past two months in favor of working late nights and weekends.  

As I’ve been searching to get more equilibrium back in my life, I’ve sort of rediscovered a great, reliable old friend in The Gap. When I was growing up, The Gap was THE cool place to shop.  At the time, Austin didn’t have major department stores or high-end boutiques, so mid-market darlings like Abercrombie, Old Navy, and The Gap were our venues. Somehow, in recent years I’ve completely forgotten about my bread-and-butter brands in favor of building my closet up with high-end labels.

When I popped into the store to pick up these joggers, I did a bit of browsing and found so many other great items (which will all be making appearances later), including a really nice oxblood leather skirt. I put together a Pinterest board of some of the women’s items that I snagged recently. Here, I’m just putting a bit of polish on the sporty joggers by wearing them with mesh shoe-booties and simple jewelry.

OUTFIT DETAILS – T by Alexander Wang Pocket T, Gap twill joggers, Renvy booties, Givenchy Pandora bag, Gillian Julius bracelet; NARS Cruela lip pencil; Ray Ban sunnies

Follow Designer Off Duty’s board Spring Picks from Gap on Pinterest.

Blue Red

Dreary weather here in San Francisco still. I usually dress pretty dark and designerly, but today called for a bright pop. For me, that usually comes from the lipstick.

I love this old Rouge In Love shade from Lancome. I fell for it when I saw Emma Watson wearing it in an ad. Advertising totally works on me. That or Emma Watson does.

I’m also practically living in the new Everlane cashmere tunics. I got this grey one and a black one. This is probably the first outfit I’ve shared with them, but I’ve been wearing them over dresses, tunics and pants, and as pictured. I can be very uniform oriented in the way I dress when I get in a rut, and these are quickly becoming my new uniform. I may order more, as back ups.

One of my favorite styling tricks is to vary the length of layers. Here what I’ve done is wear the shorter layer over the longer, boxier top to nip in the waist just enough to indicate the figure. I typically prefer to wear the shorter layer over the longer when I wear pants. Then I’ll reverse that for skirts, wearing a miniskirt with a longer cardigan, for example.

I wasn’t sure that the oxblood and the purple would play well together. Now that I look back on the photos, though, I would wear this lipstick + jacket combo again. Oxblood and purple both have blue in them, so I think as long as the rest of your face and outfit is neutral that it isn’t an overwhelming combo.  

OUTFIT DETAILS - Sweater: Everlane; Jacket: Theory; Leggings: Helmut Lang; Shoes: Express; Bag: Givenchy; Rings: Maison Martin Margiela; Necklace: Elizabeth & James; Lips: Lancome Rouge In Love