A Boston Girl in L.A.

Just a little update for whoever reads this thing

2007-04-20T21:50:00.000-07:00

I'm having a bit of a crisis. So, I got the job I thought I'd wated, but now I'm finding that I really miss the intellectual stimulation of academia. I've been at the new job for almost two months and there's definitely a huge learning curve here. I've gotten the hang of most of what I do (though I haven't worked an event yet) and while there are things I enjoy, I don't find it particularly stimulating to do mail merges, stuff envelopes, create payables, and call people for money. Admittedly, most of the people are nice and I periodically do get to interact with The Industry, but it's still not quite enough to make it all worth it. I guess the other thing is...my boss is a little nuts sometimes. I mean, she's very nice and I know she likes me, but she's also an intimidating person, and it can be hard to deal with.

Ev and I went on vacation at the begining of this month and I had an epiphany. I want to go back to grad school. I want to get my PhD in Religion. It's not that I miss being in school, but I miss religion and I miss having intellectual conversations and I just miss academia in general.

Of course, I haven't taken the GRE yet and haven't even started applying to schools yet. I was dreading going to work last week, but after this week I'm feeling a lot better. I was thinking about quitting at the beginning of this week, but things have imporved and I think I can stick it out until I get into school. I doubt my boss thinks I'll be here forever, but I don't want to disappoint her by giving up. I still want her respect and would love to work with her in the future.

New job, new clothing

2007-02-11T13:40:00.000-08:00

So, I found out last week that my job (or part of it) will probably be cut from the budget by the end of this month. One of the dangers of working for a non-profit, right? Well, the timing was apparently great, because I had just applied for a job I found on Craigslist with an event producer.

Guess who called me for an (exellent, might I add) interview? Yeah, that's right.

So, I'll get off two (paid) weeks around Christmas, and she agreed to pay me a little more than originally offered to offset the cost of health insurance (which I'll have to pay for myself). She also is fine with me taking my vacation to Boston at the beginning of April. This is a small event production company and the commute will be a little shorter than my current one.

This is THE job I've wanted since graduation. The company plans and produces huge charity/fundraising events connected to the entertainment industry, and I'd get to go!

So, what's the connection with this blog? Well, working for a non-profit with a large number of fairly unfashionable middle-aged women has caused me to dress far more conservatively than I would prefer. Conversely, working in events with the entertainment industry, I can dress more creatively, wear more trends, and have more fun in general with my wardrobe. Plus, I of course get to dress up for the events. *grin*

Lesson Learned

2007-01-01T21:37:00.000-08:00

Always wear skinny jeans with a longer shirt. Skinny jeans + shorter shirt = weird proportions.

As I alluded to yesterday...

2006-12-29T16:50:00.000-08:00

I took the plunge and bought a pair of skinny jeans. I'll admit that this style scared the hell out of me when I first saw it. If anyone reading this has ever watched "What Not to Wear" you'll remember Stacey and Clinton's comment on tapered jeans: they make all women look like an ice cream cone. It isn't necessarily the best look to have narrow ankles that spread upward and outward toward the hips...isn't that how to make that area look bigger? Do women want this look? I understand it for women with narrow hips and boyish bodies, but I was concerned about those of us who are a little curvier.

The day before yesterday I bit the bullet. It was the day after Christmas and Banana Republic was having an excellent post-holiday sale, so I figured it wouldn't hurt to at least try them on. I found a pair in my normal 10 as well as a 12 and 14 and headed into the fitting rooms. the 14s were simply too big. I could get the 10s on, but they were a bit too tight fitting for the cut. the 12s were perfect. They fit well through the hip and thigh and had a little extra room in the waist, which I prefer. Even more amazing, they didn't look half bad, though my dowdy work flats weren't the ideal match.

I got the jeans home and tried them on with a pair stilettos. Much better. With a mid-hip suit jacket they looked adorable! I even wore them to work!

What surprised me even more was that I felt comfortable in them. I didn't feel hippy or dumpy or fat. I felt fashionable and chic.

The only think I would do differently next time I wear them? I might bring a change of shoes...walking a mile in stilettos is never a good idea.

A size twelve is NOT fat.

2006-12-28T20:08:00.000-08:00

At least, that's what I'm trying to convince myself. I'm not even always a size 12...I'm usually a 10, but I bought a pair of jeans yesterday and, well, when they're skinny jeans, you have to make sure you don't look like a sausage in them.

That experience got me thinking.

I grew up in Boston and was a skinny kid until about age 12, when I gained over 20 lbs in a year. (Undiagnosed depression is a bitch, eh?) Even then, though, I don't remember feeling completely embarrassed of my body. Maybe I just couldn't admit it, or maybe it was the fact that Boston sheltered me somewhat from all the trendy clothing I thought I couldn't wear. We Bostonians dress a little more conservatively than people in certain other parts of the country, so I didn't feel pressured to wear anything backless, super short, or requiring 0% body fat. College in L.A. was a different matter, though. It felt as though the vast majority of my classmates were thin, beautiful, and managed to do something attractive with their hair before 9 am class. A few were actually models. I...was not. Of course, in college it's still acceptable to go to class in sweats and slippers, so I was comfortable to be in a fashion middle ground.

Now I don't feel so comfortable dressing how I used to. I'm a college graduate with a full time job. I live in West L.A., not somewhere east of Pasadena. Besides, when I dress like a college student, people think I'm a college student, and I prefer to be treated like an adult.

So here we are.

I love fashion. I love clothing. I love shopping.

Unfortunately, I have limited funds at the moment, so this blog is going to be about my clothing experiments with the trends I can afford to try.

Wish me luck!