In Black and Cream

The school play ate my life. Now the run is over, though, and it was a good one. My triumphant (or just meandering) return deserves a beautiful outfit.

I wore such a one yesterday to work. Most apropos, since it turned out that I had to make a last-minute announcement at the school assembly regarding who had won most outstanding actor/actress. An ensemble fit for an assistant director:

Blouse: ESPRIT. Shorts: JNBY. Shoes: Pedro Garcia.
Clutch: Alexander Wang. Tights and ring: J. Crew.

All this sophistication has a skew, however: what looks like a skirt actually is a pair of shorts.

These voluminous pleated wool shorts by JNBY caught my eye during Shopbop's recent transitional spring sale. I wasn't quite sure how they'd translate from the model photo to real life, but the result is spectacular and comfortable and utterly cool. The trick lies in the creased pleats, which stand out a mile from my sides. Paired with black tights, these "shorts" are the haute alternative to a skirt during cold months.

Throughout the day, for some reason, I kept getting a Japanese vibe off my outfit. It has something to do with the weighty folds of the shorts and the loose-hanging silk strips of the blouse. (From ESPRIT. Who would've thunk? The material is a lovely drapey sheer.) I got it. Yes, it's like a hakama. 

I took a kendo class once.

French-Japanese fusion, perhaps? What with the ruffled blouse and quilted leather clutch. I did not, of course, bring the clutch to work, as it would be a bit silly for me to carry it while teaching John Donne's "A Valediction Forbidding Mourning" to a roomful of high schoolers. I'm just bringing it out for this shoot.

This Elsa quilted leather clutch by Alexander Wang came from the Outnet. It was just so beautiful and intricate that after weeks of looking and looking, I finally bit the bullet and bought the last unit I could find anywhere on the Internet.

I would say I'll never have to buy another black clutch as long as I live, but then I remember that I have somehow ended up with at least six pairs of black heels in various permutations. One of which in fact I am wearing in these photos:

These Pedro Garcia suede ankle booties stole my heart with their peep-toe cork soles. They're practical, too, as the cork platform absorbs some of the impact and takes an inch off the 4.5" heels. This pair looks great with just regular skinny jeans as well.

Now if I were wearing this outfit to, say, an opera at the Kennedy Center, I would switch these booties out for my epic Proenza Schouler corset wedges.

Tres belle.

fin