BUYING THIS $19 SKIRT MADE ME FEEL LIKE KIM KARDASHIAN AT AN ALL-MALE REVUE

Good morning Knuckles!

When I made my resolution not to buy clothes for a year, I did give myself one exception: spending old giftcards is fair game.  Not that I have a huge stash lying around, but I had a few with random small amounts and it seemed reasonable to be able to use them.  If this is cheating, ah well... <shrugs indifferently>.

I had one for F21 with like $23 on it from a shirt I returned last year, which was the perfect amount for this high-low skirt.

(Jacket, Zara; French Connection dress worn as a shirt; skirt, F21; shoes, River Island; purse, Elliott Lucca; jewelry, F21, Asos, H&M; Twitter-handle name necklace, MyNameNecklace.com)

I have to say, buying the skirt felt simultaneously like a splurge and like I was doing something really naughty.  Perhaps you can teach an old dog new tricks.  Woof woof!

The shoes are from River Island which I purchased in London with my dear friend Jen.  I miss those trips!  We'd spend the day shopping for work, go back to the hotel to drop off our packages, and then go back to the stores to shop for ourselves.  Oh, the excess.... <shrugs indifferently>. 

(Now excuse me while I get myself another cup of coffee to wash away all this meh).

Have a great weekend, Knuckles!

KINDNESS

Sooo...

I've been avoiding posting anything this week because it feels heartless to talk fashion during a time like this.

However, Twitter gave me something inspiring to write about: the Acts of Kindness campaign set into motion by the wonderful Ann Curry:

What a lovely idea!  Whether you participate or not, check out Ann Curry's Twitter feed to read about the many things people have done.  It will brighten your spirits.  

Have a great Wednesday, Knuckles!  Let's all ruminate on what it means to be kind today!

DEAR LEADER

Hi Knuckles!

It's "Superfluous Sunglasses Day" here on The Covert Boutique (it was highly overcast):

(Sunnies, YSL; scarf, a gift; jacket, F21; skirt, Topshop; tights, Hue; belt, H&M; boots, Miss Sixty; purse, Elliott Lucca; bracelets, Asos, H&M)

I rarely wear this coat because it's not very warm, but it's incredibly special to me.  It was a gift from my mother when I was pregnant with CoStar.  At the time I lived in New York and she was in Chicago, so we hadn't been shopping together in years.  That fall, however, I went home for a visit and we went to the mall.  My body was just starting to change and I think this really touched my mother, and she generously bought me a bunch of new things to accommodate my growing belly.

The scarf was a bridesmaid gift from my dear friend and bandmate, K.  Her wedding colors were eggplant and chartreuse and we wore these shawls over deep purple dresses.

I gotta say, I'm kinda loving the photo of me smiling.  It isn't the best of the bunch, but I included it because even though I've worn these YSL sunnies about a million times for some reason this shot reminds me of Kim Jong Il (or maybe Margaret Cho?)

(Margaret Cho on 30 Rock)

Have a great weekend, Knuckles!

RE-CREATION TUESDAYS: A YOUNG BRASS KNUCKLES

Hi Knuckles!

The other day while Christmas shopping I fell in love with Velvet's foil mesh sweater.  It is reminiscent of a white crochet sweater I had in junior high from Express that I used to wear with black leggings and 1460 Doc Martens.  I felt so cool in this outfit!

So for this edition of Re-Creation Tuesdays, I've re-created two of my favorite outfits from way, way back in the day:

(Left, fuzzy white sweater, Jenni Kayne, $495; jeans, vintage, sadly sold out on Etsy; shoes, Tretorn, $60; doorknocker earrings, $4.99.  Right, foil mesh sweater, Velvet, on sale at Shopbop for $98; winter leggings, American Apparel, $38; boots, Doc Marten, $120; necklace, Bauble Bar, $36).

Did anyone else have these totally ridiculous foldover jeans from Express?  I absolutely loved mine!  I remember wearing these jazzy pants -- pegged legs, natch -- with a white cropped sweater, Tretorns, and pink Cover Girl lip gloss (I added the doorknocker earrings for effect).  Can you imagine rocking this outfit today?  My butt would look like a kaiser roll in those pants.

My mesh Express sweater was longer than the Velvet one above, and looked hot with black leggings and my beloved Docs (the Docs came a couple of years later).  I actually think these shoes are in my parent's house somewhere... I will have to do a little rummaging.  This outfit might not look too bad today if the sweater was long enough, especially paired with a cool Bauble Bar statement necklace.

Not pictured: my enormous poodle perm, oversized red Sally Jesse Raphael-style glasses, braces, and complete social awkwardness. 

Have a great week, Knuckles!

A WARM WINTER... A FEDORA

Hi Knuckles!

While I appreciate the mild weather, I do have my fingers crossed for a white Christmas.  Here I am, perfectly comfortable in a straw fedora and denim jacket.  In December. 

 (Fedora, Rainbow; sunnies, YSL; scarf, J.Crew; jacket, H&M; jumpsuit, F21; shoes, Asos; bag, Elliott Lucca; watch, Casio; jewelry, Banana Republic, Asos, Alex+Ani).

I bought this sleeveless jumpsuit when I was 7 months pregnant to wear to a dear friend's wedding in Miami.  I didn't want to spend tons of money on a maternity dress and it was wonderfully stretchy and forgiving.  A fascinator and an oversized necklace dressed it up nicely.  

The fedora was an impulse purchase; I was visiting New York and on my way to meet some friends for dinner.  I was wearing a silk green dress and felt like the outfit was missing something, and saw this fedora in the window of the Rainbow store on Avenue A and it was like HUZZAH!  Exactly the perfect thing, once I got over the "Dag I am wearing a fedora" insecurity.

Have a great weekend, Knuckles!  May it be full of smiles, and a martini or two.

A WEEK OF GIFT GUIDES: BRASS KNUCKLE'S VERY OWN

Today I present my own gift guide, perfect for the ridiculous fashion blogger/mom/goober in your life.

1) IOMOI large lacquer tray, $250 -- With small children in the house it's easy to lose things.  This gorgeous monogrammed lacquer tray would bring some welcome organization to our coffee table.  Beautiful and kid-proof: a #winning combo! 

2) Alex+Ani bangles, $78 -- When it comes to arm parties, you can always count on these bangles to bring top-shelf booze and talk to everyone, including your awkward co-workers.  That's what makes them the perfect guests and they go great with everything and hence, you invite them every time.  

3) Chanel classic flap bag, $(Ay Dios Mio!) -- Usually I'm not too fixated on material possessions but this timeless handbag turns me into a Kardashian.  I mean, this bag is the only reason why I occasionally purchase lottery tickets.  It's one of those big-ticket items, like tummy tucks and spa getaways, that mothers cannot justify because they seem incredibly self-indulgent.  

4) Birth names are so 2008.  This year I'm gifting Twitter-handle name necklaces, $33.95+.

5) Rookie Yearbook One, edited by Tavi Gevinson, $16.45 -- Even though I am an entire generation beyond her demographic, I love Tavi and her Rookie empire.  She reminds me of what it was like to be a teenager when you'd find wacky stuff at thrift stores and cry while listening to music and furtively stare at boys in the hallway and life was still this explosive, burgeoning thing.  (Sigh).

6) Caroline Amato Fingerless Motorcycle Gloves, $58 -- Perfectly badass, paired with a brightly colored winter coat.  

7) Logitech Wireless Speaker Adapter for Bluetooth, $39.99 -- The Knuckles family loves streaming music through Pandora.  This little gadget allows you to stream music on your iPhone wirelessly to any set of speakers, eliminating the need to watch your dock like a hawk to make sure it doesn't fall prey to grubby little hands.

8) Arlo acrylic tumblers, $3.50-$3.95 -- In our home, glass is a liability.  No matter where you put your glass cup a small human will reach up on tippy toes to knock it to the ground, shattering it into tiny pieces which you then sweep up on your hands and knees with an animal intensity to make sure no pieces remain that said small human could pop into his mouth.  That's why we drink highballs out of plastic sippy cups (have you tried this?  It's... not the same).  These acrylic tumblers are the perfect solution.  

9) Buxom Big and Healthy Lip Tarnish, $19 -- I love lipstick but hate when it gets everywhere.  This tingly lip pencil adds a touch of long-lasting color and looks great finished with a coat of Blistex.

10) The ugliest room in our house is the bedroom.  Instead of a cozy love nest it looks like the dentist's office at a federal state prison.  You could devote an entire HGTV series to righting this whole lotta decoration wrong but we could start with some wall art.  Threadless has lots of great wall art, $14.50+, including this chuckle-worthy piece that would bring a well-needed pop of personality to our otherwise cadaver-like room.  

I hope this week has been inspiring, little Knuckles, and given you some good ideas!  May December bring you lots of warmth and laughter!