fitforafemme.com

When: Friday, Feb. 27th, 2009.

What: Ivory dress by M by Madonna for H&M, vintage fur coat. Bra and panty set by Elle Macpherson. (I am in love with her website. The photographs with all the goosebumps and dimples and realness of yes, very trim women, but still more real women than we are used to seeing in ads, especially in lingerie ads, delights me.) Watch, Guess. Earrings from Juniper Tree. Rings, vintage and Laundry by Shelli Segal.

Scent: The very elegant Tubéreuse Criminelle by Serge Lutens, with notes of tuberose, jasmine, orange blossom, hyacinth, nutmeg, clove, styrax, musk and vanilla, from the exclusive range. Let me say this first: When M & I were married at San Francisco City Hall, it was in a cloud of giddy-yet-somber love reverberating through the rotunda and gently raining down tuberose, from my bouquet. I can’t help but sink fondly into this fragrance, even it comes howling like the devil out of the decant. Within moments it stops shrieking like a newborn from the womb and just nestles in, and if angels existed the soft folding of their wings to kneel down and gaze into the eyes of some broken creature with love so abstractly vast it melted your brain to even contemplate it, well, the sound of them would smell like this.

People love or hate this. They are so put off by its vulgar beginnings that they abandon it, or some version of tuberose so watered down it scarcely resembles the real thing has blinded them to the beauty of Criminelle. Some people think it’s mysterious, they marvel at its depth, its can’t-put-my-finger-on-it-ness. Some think it packs sexual power.

I love Criminelle because it tells the truth. Perfect. In every way.

Confession: I promised assorted FFAF readers that I’d post a blog with this dress and the fur, albeit not necessarily together. With the recent days of still chilly air veiled with clear blue skies and the faint stirrings of Spring, I knew my days were numbered where the fur is concerned. (Not that we really ever have fur-worthy days out here, I know you East Coast kittens are rolling your eyes at me so hard they’re loud as eight balls cracking against corner pockets.) So I paired the two, experimented with some trickery in Picasa and Voila!

When: Thursday, July 24th, 2008.

What: Saucy little vintage hat with roses, bow and veil in copper satin and tulle. Silver ‘Hearts On Fire’ earrings from Kiss My Ring, solid onyx pendant with magnet closure from Glow. Embroidered cotton tunic with mirrors and wooden beading by Romeo & Juliet Couture, trousers by Elie Tahari. Bronze and dark green peep-toe heels from Carlos by Carlos Santana, by way of Macy’s.

Confession: Before we go any further, let me say that Besame’s Enchanting Lipstick in Chocolate Kiss is a perfect shade. In fact, all of their lipsticks are incredible. I highly recommend them. Yes, they’re tiny and yes, the packaging is fussy and delicate, but you’ll get many miles out of these small wonders, especially if you use a nifty little lip brush.

I managed to snag a lovely lip brush from Fresh for 75% off the original price of nearly $30 yesterday! Also, damn you, Fresh, because you make me want your Firebird mascara and I am already in love with your Sugar Lip Glosses!

Now, I didn’t really wear this hat to work, because the busybodies would have had conniption fits all up and down the hallways, but isn’t it gorgeous? Oh, and that’s a glass of Freixenet with a splash of Odwalla’s Pomagrand, by the by. Refreshing and healthy!

NEWS FLASH: ZOMG, are y’all ready for the weekend? Tomorrow night I’ll have a fancy DJ outfit on, and the night after that a pretty brunch ensemble AND another night-on-the-town get-up, because baby is going d-a-n-c-i-n-g!

Ta-da! Welcome to my first letter to a reader. Mrs. Fancy Pants wrote to say nice things, ask a few questions and make some suggestions. Here is my reply to her:

Dear Mrs. Fancy Pants:

I can’t tell you how flattered I was to see you and Fancy make appearances on my little blog! So happy! I’m really glad you enjoy it, and I always welcome Friday distractions.

Now, on to your fine points:

A. Arturo Chiang! Those sueded kittens came with me to Spain; I have a lovely halter dress with a delicate pink floral print on white, and they are perfect together in an overdone, well-matched Charlotte York of SATC way. (After all, some days are Charlotte days.) I love your idea of doing an occasional shoe entry, and trust, aside from a few crazy splurges, much of what I snag is some kind of fantastical bargain or thrift find or deeply discounted department store deal. Shoe lust is a mystical thing that has more than once threatened to smash my heart to smithereens.

To tide you over, a close-up:

B1. Oh, the perilous heights of sizing in the USA! Delia’s is a like a soothing little cove away from the fickle, crashing waves of the fashion industry, but its Junior Dept. sizing can toss a saucy 20- or 30-something to the sartorial sharks. Want to really freak out? Check out Delia’s more urban sister, Alloy. Trend I’m most looking forward to this Fall/Winter? SKINNY CORDUROYS. OMG, I melt just thinking of them.

B2. I digress, let’s get back to the sizing: The dress in that photo is a 5/6, and it’s hard to say, because it tied in the back (I cut those off and just belted it to make it more me), but I felt like I could have gone down a size for a better fit. I think your best bet is to take your own measurements (or let Fancy help you, because that’s sexier and LOTS more fun!) and plug them into their handy measurement calculator. I did, and they told me this:

You are a size 3/4 or small in shirts, 7/8 or medium in pants or skirts, and 7/8 or medium in dresses.

Crapshoot! I know a couple gals who visit Fit For A Femme that also shop there, so hopefully they’ll speak up with some sizing hints, too! (Hear that, ladies!? SPEAK UP! We need you!) OK, now I know this hasn’t got anything at all to do with anything, but Mrs. Fancy Pants asked and I just need to share this with the world (Trix can back me up on this shit):

Sangria de cava, ZOMG. Heaven, and here’s the easy way to get there. Get your hands on the Stirrings White Sangria mixer and a cheap or moderately priced bottle of sweet white wine – I like Viogniers best – and a bottle of Freixenet or whatever cava you prefer. Cut up whatever fresh summer fruits you have handy, and toss into your pretty pitcher like so: 1/4 mixer, 1/4 white wine, 1/2 cava. Let it sit, but only after you’ve cheated and poured yourself a glass before it’s all had the chance to mix and mingle!

Fashion, booze and love! ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?