Week in review: Boston, the color black, being naughty

I am going to try and break this down into easily digestible bits for those of you who feel overwhelmed by lots of text.

• I was very bad and broke my shopping ban not once, not twice, not three times, but FOUR times.

• However, I do not care because everything I got was incredibly cheap (the most expensive thing was $20)

• People in Boston were SO much more stylish than the last time I was here, when everyone was in Crocs and gear. I loved a lot of what I saw, especially the fact that hardly anyone there wears heels, surely because they are terribly impractical on the cobbled walkways.

• Everything I bought was black. Initially this was just because I had no other options, but black is my best neutral and I already have plenty of color in my closet.

• I got a ruffle front black woven top from Target on clearance that actually fits over my bust and doesn't look silly, a Matty M flutter sleeve banded top from Marshalls, an Ann Taylor ruffle cardigan from the AT outlet, and a houndstooth frame bag with a little rose on it from an amazing consignment store that I wish I could transplant here. Will post pics within a few days at most.

• We headed out to the Sephora at the Cambridgeside Galleria and found my Bareminerals shade. BM is way too expensive for me right now, but it was good to know for when I'm in a position to spend money on such things (FTR, it's either medium beige or golden medium)

• Finally, we went to the DSW at Downtown Crossing for my friend to find shoes for her sister's not-too-fancy wedding. She ended up with these:
http://www.dsw.com/dsw_shoes/c.....dId=181978

I tend to have a hard time bargain hunting. Either nothing is in my size, everything is hopelessly dated, or just not suitable for my style/lifestyle. But there was no shortage of good deals there. This, along with lots of other factors, really makes me want to pick up and move to Boston!

Also, I give the Brulees 10 out of 10! Most days it was too cold to wear them, sadly, but the Naturalizer flats I had were very painful after a while, so the Brulees were a welcome relief. I wore them today on my commute and flight, ran around all over the airport, and walked some serious miles through the MFA in them. My feet did hurt, but it was not because of the shoes. 12 hours or more a day on my feet is bound to be painful no matter what. They were a pleasure to wear though. Thank you so much for this recommendation Angie!

16 years ago

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Thank you for breaking this report down into bite size Angie bits! Love it.

Boston is GREAT. I’m a city girl and I love that city. I expect that’s where you were? I’ve been twice you know! The people there are absolutely stylish. Quite preppy, but well dressed for sure. Loads of people wearing flats – my type of city. Can’t wait to see your purchases! They sound fab.

On the bargain hunting side of things, I hear you. By the time things go on sale 99% of the time my size is gone. C’est la vie.

Glad the Brulees worked out. Had a strong suspicion that they would. Problematic feet have become my specialty. I am now doing specialized footwear shops with utterly desperate new clients. I am at the stage where I know most of this year’s Summer footwear stock so bring on the challenges – we WILL sort them out.

Maya, hope you’re applying for jobs in Boston!

Maya

Veteran

I love Boston too (if that wasn't already evident). I was actually in Watertown, which is about a 15 minute bus ride into Harvard Square. So, as a result, I spent more time in Cambridge than Boston this time around.

Last time I went, EVERYONE was in Crocs, athletic shoes, and gear. I wanted to blame it on tourist season, but it was just everywhere. I felt overdressed in walk shorts and flats.

I think I have concluded that I am a boots and sandals girl. All that in-between footwear is just no good. I need to move to a climate with two distinct seasons. Unfortunately Boston has four!

April

Maya -- glad you're back and that you had a good time! Even though you blew your shopping ban out of the water, it sounds like you made sensible purchases that will serve you well and didn't break the bank.

Did you wear your yellow dress on Mother's Day?

When your shopping ban is over, perhaps we can organize a YLF outing in Philadelphia. You're close enough that it wouldn't be a major production to get here I think, yes?

hanna

Active Member

i love boston too! i keep wanting to go back, but time and prices aren't on my side. boo hiss. the last time i was there i can't really remember much about street style though... but it was 2 or 3 years ago, before i really started caring about how i put things together, hehe.

i'm so glad the brulees worked out for you, i know how hard the shoe thing is!

can't wait to see pics of the new purchases

shiny

Maya you must have been here during baseball season, and hung out around Fenway a lot? If you hung out in Cambridge that may explain things, as Harvard students have a certain fashion sensibility all to their own. And the MFA... you will find the crowd that goes to the galleries and art museums has their own style too. That's what I like about Boston: you can find all different sorts of styles within the same city, depending on where you go!

I'm sorry we couldn't hook up this trip - watertown is very close to me - I am minutes away. Unfortunately I had a busy week with kids' schedules and needing to go into the office more than usual, so I was barely around. It feels like I spent the entire week in my car. Oh well, next time!!

The consignment shop - was it Second Time Around? And did you go to the Aresenal mall? (It sounds like you did).

Yes and yes to both your questions, Shiny. Arsenal Mall is walking distance from my friend's apartment. I forgot to pack a cardigan and it was sooo cold at night, so the cardigan was purchased out of necessity, hence going to the mall.

We went to Second Time Around because she saw a purse in the window that she loved and regretted passing up, so we went to see if it was still there (it was, and on sale for $20). I was impressed to see that everything was marked down so much. Usually I don't bother with consignment stores because all the ones here are still too expensive for me.

I try to go to Boston with some frequency since I have a lot of friends there (and now even more thanks to YLF), so next time I go, there will definitely be some kind of gathering! I was too busy this time as well. We didn't even get to fit in everything we planned.

Last time I stayed in Jamaica Plain and I know we spent at least some time in Cambridge because we went to the GBBCC (hands down my favorite place for lunch in the world), and the Crema Cafe. We also went to the Museum of Science, which I knew fully would not be the most stylish place on earth, and from there to the CS Galleria, where I think things sort of improved since it was a shopping area.

April, Philly is definitely not too far. It's one of those things that has to be planned some time in advance for me though, so I can work out transportation. I have an interview soon so I hope the shopping ban will be over in the not-too-distant future!

Good luck on your interview -- I'll keep my fingers crossed for you.

There is an amazing gourmet vegan restaurant in Phila. now that I just visited for the first time last week: Horizons. Let's keep that in mind in case we pull off a Philadelphia gathering after you have a fab new job!

Ooh that sounds great. I love trying new vegan and veggie restaurants.

I realized I forgot to answer your other question: I did wear my Shiny dress on Mother's day, with your necklace! As expected it looked pretty great. I don't think I took any pictures in it though, but I can certainly recreate the outfit.

double post!

Yes, yes -- recreate the outfit and take a picture, definitely!

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