Life Changes, Wardrobe Changes, & Furry Vests, Oh My!

I am seriously depressed. It is like my dog died or something. Poof, in a flash, all my website content and links gone. I know I wasn’t writing a Nobel Prize worthy book or anything, but jeeze, all my fashion pearls of wisdom down the drain. It’s like Rome has fallen all over again and the libraries are burning. Ok, obviously I am feeling a little dramatic right now (I am writing this in my dark room while drinking a glass of wine), but I was documenting history—like the post about when jeggings were invented. Sigh. But I guess website content is a little bit like fashion—one day it’s in…and the next, it’s out.

So I missed you all throughout spring and summer. There weren’t a ton of fashion revelations for me at that time because I was trying to finish up the end of law school and of course prep for the ever-dreaded bar (which I passed!). Yesterday was the moment of truth when the results came out. I was concerned about a lot of things that day: (1) I had my first appellate brief due, and I needed to get that finished so I could rush home, take a few shots of vodka, and check my results (2) I had to pick out the perfect “today I become a lawyer” outfit, and (3) I was worried about all the terrible things that would spiral out of control in my life if I didn’t pass the bar (e.g. would my dog and I become homeless? What would I do with all 250 business cards that already had “Attorney” printed on them?)

All these life changes have been pretty dramatic. It’s like changing out your summer wardrobe for your winter one. As a student I could stroll into class in ripped/distressed jeans and jersey dresses (obviously not at the same time). Now my wardrobe is a little more buttoned up, but I don’t necessarily think this means it is boring, just grown up a bit. Fortunately I have a workplace environment that isn’t your typical stuffy law firm. I don’t have to wear grandma nude pantyhose or collared shirts under my suits. I think one of the best things about working in entertainment law is that most of the time my clients have jeans on. So basically I’ve had the freedom to layer trendy pieces into my work wardrobe, especially since it is fall.

The best part about fall is dressing for the weather—even in California. As soon as the first chilly breeze blows through, I have a good excuse to wrap a scarf around my neck and slip my legs into some fierce tights. Oh, and let’s not forget the boots. My old roommate LOVED fall because that meant that all the women in his office would start wearing boots. It was his ultimate weakness. There are boob men, and ass men, and well, in his case, boot men.

My favorite fall trend this season is the fur vest. When my roommate and I were out shopping not too long ago I made a beeline for one and picked it up longingly. I immediately thought of all the ways I could wear my new furry find until my daydream was interrupted by my roommate who said, “I’m not gonna lie Cam, that vest kind of scares me.” I get it. People are either going to love this look or hate it. I know I run the risk of looking like a yeti or a cat’s hairball, but I just had to get one. This vest also comes with a serious warning that it has the potential of falling into the category of man repellant.

Disclaimers aside, I think this can be the type of piece that can make a statement at work, during the day, or out on the town. So here are my suggestions for wearing this daring piece:

(1) Work it! – At work pair the vest over a dress with tights and booties. Keep your accessories simple and the colors muted. You could also work the vest in a more traditionally work-appropriate way with a pencil skirt and skinny belt over the vest + pumps.

(2) Play it up!- On a day out and about pair the vest with a striped long sleeve t-shirt, dark skinny jeans, and tall boots.

(3) Out on the town!- The vest looks great with a ¾ sleeve black mini-dress with tights, booties, and some great gold accents like a cuff or earrings.