Clothing Archives - Two California Sisters

Exploring the power of a flower brooch

I have a pretty neutral wardrobe, which I love and appreciate. But sometimes it gets a little boring. And as I was scrolling through The RealReal for inspiration, I remembered a lovely Chanel flower brooch I used to have. (Like this one– picked up for a song back in my days working at Galeries Lafayette.) I’m not spending $300+ for a fabric flower brooch! But, Etsy to the rescue!

It really jazzes up what is quite a plain (but incredibly cozy) jacket. And it was only $34. Quite the bargain for something I can wear with lots of things.

I think the key is to not go to cutesy with a flower brooch. So I’ll be wearing it with loafers, cropped flare pants (no, not these! yikes) and a turtleneck. It’s all about the contrast, right?

Hat tip to Leandra Cohen for the inspiration. Maybe I need red next? There are lots of fun ones available- for a lot less than Chanel’s camilla. (Darn it, 1994 Amy- there are so many things I wish you had not discarded so lightly!)

Wearing sheer in a non-scary way

I’ve never been a fan of revealing clothing. It looks tacky to me- and now that I’m a bit older, it’s even less appealing. But I still like the look of wearing sheer on top. But in a non-scary way!

COS merino wool tops are one way to do it

I’ve got two options for wearing sheer. The first- COS merino wool tops. Also available in turtleneck. It’s just a bit sheer, and less so in the darker colors. And it’s a great base layer under cardigans, so you get a bit of sheer without worrying about how pretty your bra is. $69- not a scary price at all.

If you want to go a bit more luxe and old school, there’s the Hanro woolen silk underwear- long sleeve, short sleeve, leggings. A bit more traditional long underwear vibe. But expensive- $140+. Still, I grabbed one on sale and it’s truly lovely. A tad less sheer than the COS option, but it feels terrific on your skin.

One thing to note about these tops is that they go fast, at the beginning of the Fall season. Uniqlo has a very reasonably priced option– but there are no sizes left. Wearing sheer seems to be a perennial favorite- and those in the know snap up the standards way before it gets cold.

Two lessons learned from a returned sweater

I recently ordered (and returned) a sweater from Matches. I’d had my eye on this sweater since ~August when it was first posted online. I love a stripe, after all! But upon receiving it and trying it on, two lessons learned occurred to me:

Be suspicious when something has had multiple markdowns AND there’s lots of stock by size available. I couldn’t believe my luck that this sweater had survived in my size for 5+ months. And look, it was marked down from $275 to $66! A miracle. That should have been my first clue.
If something requires faffing, don’t bother- return it asap. What’s faffing? It’s the need to mess around, position something perfectly in order for it to feel right. With clothing, it generally means that it’s too big, too small or just not for me. With this sweater, it’s too long! (and I am a stickler for things being long enough.) Which required a lot of faffing in the mirror to make me happy.

So nope, this sweater is going back. I knew I’d never reach for it- so even $66 is too much! Bon voyage, sweater, on your trip back across the Pond! And hopefully this lessons learned will stick…

Trying out colorful socks

colorful socks from Falke — Nice deep red- perfect for fall/winter

I’m solidly in Camp Neutral when it comes to clothes. But when even the WSJ is writing about colorful socks, I know it’s time to give the trend a try. And they make wearing those stiff (but cute!) loafers so much more comfortable!

I bought these lovely red ones from Falke, but I’m thinking I should have checked out the many options of colorful socks from Uniqlo. Perhaps next time…

What is happening with the crazy prices of fashion these days??

Phoebe Philo dropped her first collection this week. And my first reaction was not “wow, how beautiful” but “OMG, look at the crazy prices of fashion!” And she’s not alone- several recent releases seem to be pushing the envelope for what people will pay.

crop anonymous female architect drawing with pencil on paper sheet — Grey sweaters and pencils. Love it. Photo by Karolina Grabowska on Pexels.com

How to care for suede shoes so they last longer

Report from Dec 2021: I’m heading to the East Coast soon and it’s going to rain (lucky them!) So I am taking another look at my earlier post on keeping my suede loafers in good shape. Hopefully it will be a timely reminder for you too.

Kate and I took advantage of the Black Friday sales to pick up some new suede shoes- from M. Gemi. I guess all those instagram ads did the trick, and we both picked up a pair or two of the suede Felize driving loafers. Now that we have beautiful (and expensive- even with 20% off!) new shoes, I’m sharing what I’ve learned about how to care for suede shoes. It’s worth a bit of effort and money!

M. Gemi Feliz suede loafer for women

Some recent Fall fashion news (for those who care!)

We are well into the onslaught of Fall fashion, and there’s lots of interesting stuff coming out of the SS24 shows across the globe. For those who find such things interesting (that would NOT be Dear Husband), I’ve got a few bits of fashion news to keep you in the know.

white long sleeves shirts on brown wooden clothes hanger — Photo by Polina Tankilevitch on Pexels.com

My latest tips for shopping on The RealReal

Y’all know how I love The RealReal. Well, I’d say it’s a love/annoyed sort of relationship. But like with any relationship that is net positive, one learns to work around the annoying bits as best as one can. And that’s why I’m here to share a few of my latest tips for shopping on The RealReal.

Things to keep in mind about your favorite fashion influencers

We are in the middle of Fall shopping season. And if you, like me, have turned your attention to some online fashion influencers for guidance, there are a few things to keep in mind. While I love watching their videos and seeing what they are wearing this season, I have to remind myself of their reality vs. mine.

grayscale photography of assorted shirts hanged on clothes rack — Photo by Tembela Bohle on Pexels.com

In praise of buying old cashmere sweaters

Fall weather will be here…at some point. In the meantime, I’m reviewing my Fall clothes and making some selling/buying decisions. And while shopping the The RealReal can be a bit of a gamble, here’s something that is usually a sure bet. Old cashmere sweaters! I’m sharing all the reasons why you should consider them in place of something new.