Plum Perfect

This fall, aubergine is going to be a big color.  I'm glad because it looks great on pale skin and dark hair like I have, but it's really flattering on a lot of complexions and I'm now in the market for a plum colored dress in addition to a few other pieces.  Here are some candidates:

LOFT Cutaway Necklace Tee

 

LOFT Pima Cotton 3/4 Sleeve Sweater

This top can get so much wear since it's not very thick and will look great with work trousers and skirts as well as jeans and boots.

LOFT Watercolor Shift Dress

I don't mean to keep posting things from one store, but they've really embraced the trend this year.  This dress looks cute on its own but would also be a nice bottom layer under a cardigan with tights.

 

The Limited Scoop Ruffle Shirtdress

 

 

Fossil Jerri Dress

I want this, but the neckline may be a little too high for me and for $88 it should be perfect.

 

  

LOFT V-Neck Cardigan

You know I had to post at least one cardigan...

Modcloth Keen in Aubergine Maxi Dress

Modcloth Under the Plum Dress

I'd wear this to a wedding...

 Modcloth Play Rehearsal Sweater

Good idea?

I've mentioned before that in my new house, I get my very own office/workout/TV room.  I'm really excited and want it to be fun and cheerful, but I don't have tons of money to spend on my vision.  Since I'm not up to painting yet and the carpet is beige, I want some fun curtains.  I am currently in love with this duvet from West Elm.  The red will tie in well with this huge vintage movie poster I have and I think the pattern is elegant in a crazy way.

My idea is to get a twin duvet cover ($49 and 86" long) and rip the side seams and cut it so that it creates two window panels.  I think if I iron the cover enough, they'll look ok and the end with the buttons would be on the floor behind my desk.  Then, if I tire of them, I can make pillows.

What say you?  Good idea or likely to fail?  The material isn't thick, but I could line it with my extra Ikea curtains.  I've been searching for a while and everything that I like is $89.50 per panel so this would soothe my guilt at wasting $180 on curtains.

I think I will head over to West Elm at lunch today and do some scouting...

Mark Your Calendars - Friday at 11:00 Central

If you haven't joined Gilt yet, now is the time!  I just learned that on Friday at 11:00 Central, Gilt is offering a pre-sale of three new designer lines at Target.  Tucker (great 70's inspired clothing), Mulberry (ladylike handbags) and John Derian (housewares) will be launching this fall and will likely be snapped up as quickly as the Liberty of London line. 

Marie Claire featured several of the Tucker pieces in the September issue and I actually marked the page with a post-it last week, so I'm pretty excited to see what's on pre-sale.  Hopefully the site won't crash...

Click here for an invitation to join Gilt

Reader Request: Shoes beyond 5 to 9

A couple of weeks ago my friend Sarah asked me to do some searching and find sources that carry shoes in extended sizes.  She has tiny feet and doesn't want to wear shoes for children, and another friend wears a size 11 and wants more than four options.  Challenge accepted.


Petite Feet

Endless.com
I think Endless.com has the best selection of shoes in any size, but I was surprised to see 4,714 styles in sizes 4 and 4.5 (seriously!)   Some of the options are a little pricey, but definitely grown up and not intended for kids.  I like ECCO for dressy shoes (around $100) and another brand called Pleaser, which definitely makes shoes for strippers, offers some options under $50 that aren't too ridiculous.

Aldoshoes.com
If you wear a size 5, you'll be happy to see that Aldo offers 42 pages of totally grown up shoes in your size.  The prices range from $30 to over $100 and cover a wide variety of styles from clogs to flip flops to sexy evening pumps.

Sperry
For those that do wear kids sizes, Sperry offers lots of Girls styles that don't look much different than the adult versions.  I like the gladiator sandal and soft leather ballet flat for every day.

Jessica Simpson (via Endless.com)
The Jessica Simpson line for girls also features some pairs that look like they're meant for women.  The sandals look most adult, but the boots aren't bad and I know those are hardest to find in sizes 3-4.

More than a 10

Endless.com (again)
Once again, Endless is the best source for large size shoes as well.  There are 26,078 pairs in sizes 11-12.5 alone!  The prices range from low to reallllly high, but there's definitely a variety of styles to be found in large sizes.  I was happy to see that AK Anne Klein offers lots of pretty, good quality shoes in sizes 11+ for under $75.

Aldoshoes.com (again)
Aldo comes through again and offers hundreds of shoes in sizes 11 and larger (50 pages worth!) There are great options for work and evening, many under $50

 J. Crew
If you can afford it,  J. Crew offers most of their shoes in size 11 and many of them in size 12.   Sign up for their emails and watch the sale page for deals and final sales.

DSW.com
Like Endless, but with less junk.  There are 910 pairs in size 11 and 204 options in a 12.  Here are a couple of pairs for under $50 in a size 12

Hopefully this post was helpful - I certainly learned where to look for shoes!  If you have a request please send it over and I'll work on a post.

Reader Request: Evening Wedding Guest Dress

Last week I wrote about how you don't need several dresses to wear to afternoon weddings, and the same goes for evening events as well.  Despite the season, all you need is a classic shape and a dressy fabric.  You want to stay away from cotton and anything that looks like you might wear it to work, but you don't need to buy a new dress for every wedding you're invited to.  Here's how you can style two kinds of dresses for evening weddings in warm or cold weather.  Once again, I'm staying away from black dresses and I'm also not showing anything long. 

I like satin when it's not tight and not too short.  I think this silvery gray dress looks great with sandals and adapts well to tights, a wrap and closed toe shoes when it's cold out.  The one shoulder cut and waist band will look good on a lot of bodies and isn't very bridesmaid-ey.

 If you prefer to cover up a bit more, a cap sleeve dress like this lets you wear a regular bra and you won't look out of place in a the summer.  The color can be worn all year and adding gray accessories will bring it into fall and winter.

Members Only

I love flash sales.  I get a little thrill by logging on and seeing things 70% off and potentially scoring a great deal.  More and more sites are cropping up and I'm surprised that everyone isn't taking part.  In case you're not familiar, here are the sites I browse each day and links to join if you want to become a Member

Gilt
This is my favorite sale site, and they feature a big range of designer clothing, home and kids stuff every day.  Some of the brands are really expensive, but every few days there are things like $25 jewelry or $60 Cole Haan pumps.  Last month I got Burberry The Beat perfume, lotion and shower gel for $50!  There is also a travel component where you can get big discounts at luxury hotels.  Click here for an invitation from me.

Swirl
If you're a Daily Candy subscriber, you're probably been invited to join Swirl.  It's in beta testing now, but they already offer about 4 sample sales each day.  The brands are a bit less well known than those on Gilt, but sometimes they have some great deals.  Last week there were Corso Como sandals for $69.  Click here for an invitation from me.

One Kings Lane 
This site focuses on home decor, most of it high end designer or antique.  I love to look and get ideas, and sometimes find things I can afford like picture frames and accessories.  You don't need an invitation to join.

Ideeli
I'm pretty new to Ideeli, but it seems a lot like Gilt with more casual clothes.  I notice a lot of the brands are the same ones sold at Nordstrom and the prices are good, I just never seem to see my size on sale.  Click here for an invitation from me.

I hope all of you start taking advantage of the deals - just don't buy anything that I might like  ;-)

Off celebrating - see you next week!

Today is my 27th birthday and I'm taking the rest of the week off to do exciting grown up things like go to dinner with my friends, attend a graduation and continue moving my stuff into the new house. 

I don't think I'll have time to write anything worth reading, but please keep sending me requests and any other suggestions on what you'd like to see this month.  Check back next week for my next giveaway!