January 2017 – lucindervention

Wear What You Know

After yoga class last Sunday morning, the fiance and I decided to have brunch at North 3rd. Along the way there, we found a beautiful ivy-lined fence. While I do not condone ivy growing on the exterior of any building, ivy growing on fencing is acceptable, as it is considerably less expensive to replace a cedar fence once the moisture destroys it.

I stuck with an outfit formula that I have used in past (last seen in this post). When the yoga class was over, I changed out of yoga leggings to shower and change into – tada! – a (clean) pair of yoga leggings. With an army green waxed jacket, skater sneakers, and a concert tee shirt older than I am, I was ready for brunch.

The concert tee shirt is by far my favorite part of the outfit; possibly my favorite item in my closet. While my parents were dating, they and a group of their friends went to one of the Hampton Roads dates. As my dad tells it, it was a general admission show and there was actual sprinting of their entire posse when the gates opened to get a plum standing spot in the venue. Rocking out to the Rolling Stones…they were much cooler than I was at that age, but do not tell them I said that.

jacket // tank // wunder under legging // sunglasses // sneakers (similar) // clutch (similar) // ring // pearl cuff // bracelet with black diamonds

Workin’ On My Fitness

While I promise that this blog will never lose it’s focus from tall style and other height-specific interests, I will absolutely check in with my 2017 commitments throughout the year. Being that one of these commitments was a rededication to living healthier, I want to revisit my physical fitness goals. I tracked my fitness class attendance for 2017 and so far I have made it to 22 fitness classes in 26 days.

Someday I will get my heels on the ground.

just #planking through life

This took about four weeks to get right.

Falling from this pose actually does not hurt, since you are already so close to the ground.

side crow

And for my next trick –

reverse prayer

I wore the New Balance x J.Crew perfect tank to yoga Sunday morning and it is indeed perfect. I layered the seamless hoodie from the same collaboration on top of the tank, until the studio heated up. The style is great for to / from the studio, so much so that I just ordered another one in bitter lemon. I wore the seamless tank from the collection to Bootcamp, Namaste and Tone, and Yoga; again so many times that I just ordered a second one in mauve.

I have sang the praises of Lululemon Wunder Unders in prior blog posts. On Sunday I wore my favorite printed cropped pair. I usually do not go for cropped styles as they tend to hit too high on my calves for my liking (#tallgirlproblems, amirite?) but the print is so awesome I had to make an exception.

There are accessories to consider when planning for a workout.

S’well water bottles are amazing; they tend not to collect condensation and the contents remains cold. Just buy the largest option.
A headband is necessary for keeping the little hairs too short for a ponytail from getting in the way and distracting from your workout. My favorites are from Lululemon and Victoria’s Secret Sport.
As far as yoga mats go, I bought the most affordable model at Target which was of the Gaiam variety.
I invested more in the yoga towel. For those who are unaware, the yoga towel is a complete and total game changer. I used to slip and slide around my mat once I would work up a yoga glow. Cut to me being completely paranoid of my hands slipping out from under me during down dog. That all changed on one fateful day back in the Spring of 2012 and my yoga practice was transformed.

I read that January 18 is the most common day that new year’s resolutions are dropped. Not this girl, not this year!

tank // hoodie // wunder under crop (similar) // headband // S’Well bottle // yoga mat // yoga towel

Attempting to Go Off-Brand

In an effort to try new things, I attempted to go off-brand when picking out my outfit for brunch last Saturday. I started with the black studded dress. It is something that I would have gone bonkers for while I was still in high school at the turn of the millenium – does anyone else long for the days where the major clothing trends were metallics, leather, and embellishments? I blame-slash-credit The Matrix – and it was one I went bonkers for a few weeks ago when I saw it online. The dress came in tall and it was on clearance, and lucky for you there are still more in stock.

The red lip matches the grey roots.

speak no evil

R.I.P. L’Wren Scott

see no evil

mad for plaid

shattered glass

Free your calves, and the rest will follow!

this wall, though

Even luckier for you, I am giving the heads up that this style is see-through, as I unpleasantly found out as I made my way out of the lobby of my building. Wear a slip with it. The hem of my slip fell beneath the hem of the dress, which I thought really worked for my going off-brand approach.

Not so lucky about the sequin cardigan, however. As mentioned in A Fab Collab: New Balance x J.Crew, I bought nearly every item from the L’Wren Scott (Fact: L’Wren Scott [R.I.P] was a fellow tall girl, clocking in at 6′-3.) x Banana Republic Collection that came in a tall option. I immediately coveted this cardigan, as it and the two others I purchased, reminded me of some Eric Daman-crafted costumes.

I voted the booties as Least Likely to be Found in My Closet in A J.Crew Shoe Review. A purchase I did not remember making, I bought these after taking out an entire bottle of red on Election Night. (For the record, it was not a happy drunk night.) When the J.Crew box arrived in the mail and I opened the shoe box, I had to laugh at myself. I soon realized how free my calves felt after trying them on and walking around on the carpeted area of the apartment. I was sold.

The coat is one of the few I own that is not J.Crew outerwear. I purchased it back in 2010 from The Gap. Like J.Crew, outerwear at The Gap does come in tall options. The material is certainly not the Nello Gori-quality of that of the J.Crew counterparts, but it is also not nearly as expensive. For the 40-50 degree temperature of last Saturday in Philadelphia, the lighter fabric of this coat was ideal.

The accessories are where my attempt to go off-brand went awry. Rather than a winter scarf or necklace, I went with a vintage equestrian scarf that I found in a thrift store in York, England. Wanting to carry something different than my go-to Kate Spade handbag (last seen here), I tore my closet apart looking for a bag that would suit the outfit and realized that I did not own another black handbag. I did have a plaid Coach clutch circa 1999. With that choice, the final nail was put in my off-brand effort.

dress // boots (similar) // boots (similar) // boots (similar) // coat (similar) // coat (similar) // sunglasses // scarf (similar) // scarf (similar) // scarf (similar) // scarf (similar) // earrings (similar) // ring // pearl cuff // black diamond bracelet

Never Drink Absinthe on NYE

In compliance with my commitment to love the clothes that I already have in my closet – and I DO love those clothes – I wore a dress from several years ago for New Years Eve. Perhaps I got taller and perhaps I got wider, consequently causing my dress to hang less lower, resulting in feeling a bit overexposed in my dress.

My go-to peacoat, a pair of opaque tights, and several absinthe cocktails later and I didn’t care how short my dress was. I still love the brand (Tibi) and the style (metallic sheath). I cannot wait until the next time I think to wear it!

These are the only photos we got from the night. I blame the absinthe. #commitments2017

pearl necklace // pearl earrings // peacoat // tights // gold pump // cable classics bracelet with black diamonds // quatrefoil ring // cable classics bracelet with pearl and gold

A Fab Collab: New Balance x J.Crew

If there is one thing I love, it is a good brand x brand collaboration. Lanvin x H&M? I experienced extreme remorse that I did not get in line for that. L’Wren Scott x Banana Republic? I absolutely bought every item released in tall. (RIP L’Wren Scott. You were my tall woman spirit animal and your collab with BR was absofuckinglutely ingeneous.) Lilly Pulitzer x Target? My alarm was set for the early morning online release and once I realized what a dumpster fire the Target website had become, you bet your money that I sprinted to be first in line at the Hyattsville, Maryland Target and had the then-boyfriend / now-fiance stalk his then-local Target on the west coast for the items that I hadn’t procured (nail polish, hats, headbands).

gang’s all here!

Pinker thank the photo depicts

front of tank

back of tank is a crowd pleaser

Note the thumbholes

neon orange

You can understand that I was thrilled when my go-to brand, J.Crew, collaborated with New Balance, to release an active line. As difficult as it is, I have done my best to put out of my mind the political stance of the New Balance brand, as touched on in What I Returned and Why: A Feedback Story. As a result, I have become especially discriminate in whether I keep items from the line.

As discussed in a prior blog entry, I returned the seamless pants. Something about sporting a unibutt is just unsettling. The tops, however, were a homeIf there is one thing I love, it is a good brand x brand collaboration. Lanvin x H&M? I experienced extreme remorse that I did not get in line for that. L’Wren Scott x Banana Republic? I absolutely bought every item released in tall. (RIP L’Wren Scott. You were my tall woman spirit animal and your collab with BR was absofuckinglutely ingeneous.) Lilly Pulitzer x Target? My alarm was set for the early morning online release and once I realized what a dumpster fire the Target website had become, you bet your money that I sprinted to be first in line at the Hyattsville, Maryland Target and had the then-boyfriend / now-fiance stalk his then-local Target on the west coast for the items that I hadn’t procured (nail polish, hats, headbands). run. I purchased two hoodies of the same style and two tanks of different styles. I love that all of these items run long in the torso. What I love even more is that the tanks do not let gravity take over while I am in down dog.

I bought the colors that I just had to have during my initial New Balance x J.Crew haul. I am keeping my eye out for the yellow hoodie and tank and any other items that get marked down. Let me know if you catch on to a sale before I do, because these items have made getting ready for a work out all the more fun. As far as I am concerned, if that makes me motivated to work out, then count me in!

Featured items: hoodie // ruched tank // basic tank

The items on my shopping list: jacket // tank with built-in bra // printed long sleeve tee // printed sports bra // running shorts

Winter White Waiting for Snow

In the winter of 2009, I was impressed by a sartorial combination of a winter white dress and black opaque tights. I was immediately jealous of the genius wearing it – I wish I had thought of that combination first. Since then, I purchased many a winter white dress, and I love wearing all of them with black tights.

Last weekend, with the intent to shop the post-holiday sales, I made my way into Center City. I was wearing my most recently purchased winter white dress, black opaque tights, black riding boots, grey peacoat, grey scarf, and blush sequin cardigan. Along the way into Center City, I found myself in the garden next to the Bishop White House. Shortly after the fiance and I left the garden, it started to snow – barely – and it made me all the more happier that I had a multilayered outfit.

While my dress is from last winter, I put together a list of favorite winter white dresses that come in tall lengths.

fringe sweater dress // cowl neck sweater dress // sleeveless sweater dress // ruffled shift dress // wool a-line dress

peacoat // riding boot // tights // earrings // rose gold cuff // black diamond cuff // pearl cuff // quatrefoil ring

2017 Will Be Epic

I cannot articulate how stoked I am for 2017. The most momentous event of my life will be happening in September. Like all brides, I want to look my best on my wedding day. I hate that I have jumped on this cliched trend but after jumping on the scale a few weeks ago, I committed myself to “shedding for the wedding.” Backstory: Two years ago, due to a busy work schedule and studying for the LEED GA, ND, and BD+C accreditations, I allowed my physical fitness to be de-prioritized, stress-ate, quit going to the gym, and consequently gained a substantial amount of weight. I have not been committed to changing my lifestyle choices and due to a knee injury, quit running – my former main source of exercise.

I got a jump on this committment several weeks ago, when a beautiful new fitness center opened up in the first floor of my building. The location is perfect, as I am able to eliminate excuses for skipping class, such as “it is too far,” and “it is too cold to go outside.” Rather than a gym with weights and cardio equipment, this center only offers studio classes – my favorites being barre, namaste + tone (yoga with weights), full body fusion (boot camp), and yoga. For the first few weeks, I was the only student so I was able to get one-on-one attention from the instructors, which has made me even more accountable in terms of attendance.

I know that bodies are made in the kitchen rather than the gym, but since moving in with the fiance, we have been eating like garbage people. Having someone there to enable bad food choices has been detrimental to both of our waistlines; however now that we have stepped on the scale and had a reality check, we have agreed to collecting a few healthy recipes that we can both look forward to eating. I will be looking through Goop. As out-of-touch as I find Gwyneth Paltrow, I cannot deny the coconut poached salmon, cauliflower black bean bowl with kale guacamole, and gazpacho. Please feel free to send along any suggestions to lucindervention@gmail.com.

Credit: Goop; http://goop.com/recipes/cauliflower-black-bean-bowl-with-kale-guacamole/

Credit: Goop; http://goop.com/recipes/coconut-poached-salmon/

Credit: Goop; http://goop.com/recipes/gazpacho/

While the initial motivation is to become healthier and stronger in preparation for the wedding, I am looking forward to wearing some of my favorite clothes already in my closet that I haven’t fit into since fall 2014, but have not been able to part with. I look forward to finding newness, yet comforting familiarity, in pieces that I would still buy today.

When I do go shopping, I am going to color outside of the lines. I certainly gravitate to some brands over others. This is going to be the year where I try new things and find the tall-friendly styles in brands that do not typically run long. I look forward to sharing these styles with you, which brings me to my next commitment.

I could not have imagined how much I would enjoy blogging. Everything from finding my favorite in tall styles, selecting dynamic locations, and writing content has been the best retreat from a static 9-to-5 job that does not particularly lean creative. In recent weeks, I have started releasing content on Tuesdays in addition to my regular Thursdays. On these days at 1:00 pm, I experience a complete rush when my content posts and because of that I intend to continue that schedule into the new year. Thank you for joining me in 2016 and I look forward to connecting in 2017.