Tee Time

As I've mentioned before, my style has definitely become more streamlined and less girly in the past year or so. One reason is that many of the stylish ladies I work with are proponents of high-low dressing: pairing, say, a nice blouse with a pair of jeans or a t-shirt with a fancy skirt. I've also been inspired by Emmanuelle Alt, Vogue Paris editor-and-chief and the master of looking polished but casual:



The few white Gap t-shirts I acquired last year have proved to be wardrobe workhorses, so I've splurged on a couple tees in nicer fabrics:


I get so much wear out of this 3/4 Sleeve Henley from Chance ($68). My boyfriend complains about the number of girls in New York "walking around, trying to look like they're French" by wearing striped tees, but in the words of Chance's founder, Julia Leach, the striped t-shirt is "the paperclip of personal style." Leach is the former EVP/Creative Director of Kate Spade, and Chance has the same preppy appeal but is simpler and less precious.


This Painter Bateau Tee from J.Crew ($32.50) is a nice weight - perfect for spring. I bought one in "Blue Sea," which is more royal purple in person than dark blue, but it'll look great with white jeans and my standby gold studs. The small buttons at each shoulder and slim boatneck cut elevate it beyond your basic tee.


I also just ordered this Layers Long Sleeve Tee from Splendid ($48). Is $50 too much to spend on a simple white tee? Probably. But it looks so soft and stretchy, I had to give it a try.

And here are three more I've got my eye on:


I love my Chance tee so much, I'd definitely buy another. This classic Boatneck, $68, is adorable in nautical navy-and-white stripes.


As much as I love my cotton tees from Gap, I think a linen v-neck, like this one from Calypso ($65), would look a bit more polished.


$95 is way too much to spend on a t-shirt, but I love this drapy cowl neck tee, also from Calypso. It'd look great under a blazer. Calypso has an outlet shop in Soho, so hopefully it'll turn up there and I can make it mine!

Nike 5 Ring USA T-Shirt

Just in case I didn't already have enough Olympic spirit...
Yeah, I just bought this. I need to freeze my debit card in ice, like in Confessions of a Shopaholic (shut up, I have a major crush on Isla Fisher and am compelled to rent every romantic comedy she appears in! ). I have been doing way too much online shopping lately, but at least I can justify this one by saying that I did got the Nike 5 Ring tee for America. Plus, NBC is having a 37% off sale on a lot of their Olympic gear; the 37% comes, naturally, from the 37 medals Team USA brought home from Canada. With the discount this t-shirt is $12.60, and Nike usually does a nice job with their clothes so I think it'll be worth it. At the very least, I'll be able to wear it running, listening to my Olympic playlist (the highlights of which are "All These Things That I've Done" by The Killers and "Change" by Taylor Swift), and pretending that I'm running for gold. Or at least taking a leisurely jog through the Olympic village, checking out all the hotties of the world.

Emma Watson for People's Tree

I always think it's funny how 55 degrees in March means "Woohoo, let's play shirts versus skins basketball!" in New York, and "Holy shit, I might need to wear two hoodies" in California (or Arizona, where I grew up). I celebrated this beautiful day by wearing my cropped running pants--for the past few months, I've been layering running pants under thick sweatpants when I exercise outside. But the warm weather is making me long even more for the days of bare legs and no scarves, and of the lazy t-shirt dresses I'll wear to celebrate.

Make no mistake, I'm a proud American--America, fuck yeah and all that. But I would be very hesitant to wear the old Stars and Stripes on a dress. The Union Jack, on the other hand, looks so very cute and fresh on a plain old white t-shirt dress. It's like Ginger Spice on the weekends! This dress is from Emma Watson's line for People Tree, so not only does it have some of that Harry Potter magic, but it's organic, fair trade, and all that good stuff. The Union Jack dress is 30 pounds--someone with better knowledge of conversion rates will have to tell us how much it costs in real American dollars.

Here's another photo from Emma Watson's line:

I really like this photo because the stripe of the blanket makes it look like EW has a wand in her hand, and, well, I just like everything remotely related to Harry Potter. The cardigan is cute, too.

Parsing the end of summer sales

There comes a point in late August when you think to yourself, "I cannot wait for sweaters and corduroy and scarves and boots... is it fall yet?" But no, you're still a good month or so (or three months if you're in Arizona) away from chilly weather, and if you try to wear an argyle cardigan now, you'll probably die of heatstroke. But there is a bright side! All those light, airy, skimpy summer clothes are now on sale, and if you go for pieces aren't overly trendy (aka: no rompers), you'll be able to wear these next summer, too.

A loose jersey dress is one of those wardrobe workhorses that you can always count on, and J.Crew makes some of the best out there. Unfortunately, J.Crew tends to price them inappropriately high...until sale time comes around, that is. This jersey tank belted dress, $39.99, could transform into a bikini cover-up, date night frock, or casual Friday office dress, with the right accessories. For the first, big sunglasses, gold necklaces, great tan. For the second, switch out the jersey waist-tie for a leather belt in a contrasting color, and maybe match it to your pumps. For the later, throw a slip underneath and a buttoned-up navy blazer on top, with maybe thick tights and boots when it gets chilly. This dress also comes in heather grey and navy, but mango is the perfect color for an Indian summer.

Speaking of multi-tasking, this is the perfect top for when you're going straight from work to happy hour. From Old Navy, the embroidered border top, $20, will hide demurely under a cardigan or suit jacket from 9-5, with only the bottom edge suggesting that you're more stylish than your fellow office drones. As soon as you're done for the day, whip off the extra layer and get ready to have 15 guys lining up to buy you drinks, because your shoulders are just that hot. Just be careful to wear the appropriate undergarments; this top would be absolutely ruined by an errant bra strap poking out top.

I've been craving this American Eagle bustier dress all summer, and now that it's more than 50% off at $19.95, I think it's time to go for it. How to wear it into fall? Tough to say, since the big sash makes layering a little more difficult. I would try wearing a loose, sheer grey t-shirt underneath, and maybe undoing some of the buttons on the bodice. Anyone have better suggestions?

I can't officially include this AE Belted Party dress, $44.50, since it's not on end-of-summer sale and because it's only available in size 16 and 18. But wow, it looks really adorable on the model, right? It's the perfect mix of sexy and cute--very Lyla Garrity on Friday Night Lights.

Confession time: I've always wanted an I Heart NY shirt, but am too embarrassed to buy one for myself. I've put a lot of thought into scenarios where it would be acceptable for me (my 4 year NYC anniversary was last week!) to own one of those shirts, and here's what I've come up with: I won it in some sort of contest on NY trivia ("The answer is...New Amsterdam!"); it was a gift from my friends when I decided to go to NYU in 2005; I saw it in a thrift shop in Prague and bought it because it made me homesick; my boyfriend got one ironically and I stole it because it looked better on me. But since I have never entered a trivia contest, can't travel back in time, am not going abroad anytime soon, and don't have a boyfriend, it appears I'm out of luck. But wait! Forever 21 is selling this I Love My City tee for $8.72! That's so cheap that I can buy it with no crazy justfications or doubts! And since it's probably made out of tissue paper, when it inevitably starts to fall apart it will look that much more "I'm so hip without trying." I'm going to get so many compliments on the L train! I just need to buy it quickly, before a well-justified copyright infringement lawsuit ensues.

On a semi-related note, I once saw a family of five walking around a particularly trendy part of Nolita, and every single one of them was wearing an I Heart NY shirt, albeit in different colors. I got so much secondhand embarrassment that I had to cross the street. I know I sound like a snob, but seriously: take your matching t-shirts and fanny packs to Applebee's, because in NYC you need to try a little harder.

Today, you can wear this Anthropologie Bloemist Cardigan, $39.99, when you go see Inglourious Basterds, because it's a law of nature that the hotter it is outside, the colder it will be in a movie theater. In a month, you can wear it for long strolls in the park, and feel perfectly cozy and stylish. I love how the fabric flowers appliques look a little bit ragged, as if you dug this sweater out from under a pile of your great-aunt's wool skirts and fur muffs (oh, how I wished I'd been alive when women wore fur muffs to keep their hands warm. Basically, I wish I could dress like Samantha the American Girl doll--especially the pinafore she wore in the summer). But the voluminous sleeves and artful draping is very current, and I love the detail of the button on the shoulder, so you can fasten one end up and wear it shawl-style.

Bike T-Shirts at Etsy

A few weeks ago, I went grocery shopping for sangria ingredients with a good friend, and within the space of two hours, she got something like six compliments on her T-shirt. At Walgreen's, at Trader Joe's, at the wine shop, on the subway--everyone loved her Decemberists bike shirt! The version she had was a great cranberry red, but the Decemberists are only selling this blue Cycle T, $20.00, is almost as nice. But why so wrinkly? Does the Decemberists merch team not have a steamer?


Anyway, a few weeks after The Bicycle Tee Compliment Fest of '09, I saw this photo of Zachary Quinto. It was then I knew that bicycle t-shirts are undoubtedly going to be the next big thing of Summer '09:
Ferris wheels will also hopefully be a big trend. (Sidenote to ONTD_StarTrek readers: Look at this ZQ motherfucker!)

When I started thinking about bike shirts, I knew there was only one place to search: Etsy. While I usually browse jewelry or purses on Etsy, I knew that the eco-conconscious, yuppie-friendly sellers of Etsy would be all over something as cute and simple as the bike t-shirt. Another note before I start: if you click on a link for a specific shirt and it says it's sold out, check out the seller's store, because they often make multiple versions of the same thing if it's popular enough.

Seller Iscreamseams has loads of fun bike-related merchandise, and my favorite is the Flying Bike tee for ladies, $15, or men, $15. The light blue color looks great against the bright red bike, and the flying birds are sweetly whimsical (and make me think of Up!, the new Pixar movie that looks pretty awesome). This seller seems to be good about customizing orders for size and color, so don't be shy about shooting them an email with the specifics on your dream bike t-shirt.

Happyfamily also has a huge selection of t-shirts and messenger bags with an illustration of a vintage Schwinn bicycle. This Old School Bike T-shirt, $16, is a little bit badass, right? You can't go wrong with white on black, and you can't go wrong with a Schwinn.




As a former English major, I harbor a love for a well-chosen quote. So much so that, in my ceramics class this past semester, I spent hours painstakingly painting a quote from Fitzgerald's "Winter Dreams" onto a pair of bookends I made (my handwriting isn't great when I'm using a pencil, so the painted version is pretty messy. But readable!). So, needless to say, I'm a little bit in love with Loftymorning's Bike Quote shirt, $22. Underneath a simple drawing of an old-fashioned bicycle, it reads, "Nothing compares to the simple pleasure of a bike ride. -John F. Kennedy." Not to taint the lovely, straightforward wisdom of JFK or anything, but: Ladies, I imagine you'd get hit on a lot when wearing this shirt, because guys would have no choice but to stare at your boobs. But hey, these would be sensitive, tree-hugging types ogling your chest!


Vital Industries does something a bit different with its bike t-shirts: it turns it on its side and blows it up big, so it looks like a bicycle is riding up your body. The Fixie shirt, $25, comes in so many great colors and styles that I had a hard time choosing a favorite, but this lime green/light blue version felt just right for spring. Doesn't it just scream, "What a beautiful day! Who wants to go to a bike ride?"

The "Way to Go" t-shirt, $20, by Deadworry, is the sort of shirt you probably shouldn't wear unless you actually ride a bike. In case you haven't figured it out, I love the way bikes look and the way attractive people look on cute, old-fashioned bikes, but I am way too chickenshit to actually get a bike and ride it in Manhattan. I haven't been on a bike for years, and I think it's very possible that I've forgotten how to ride one. I know what you're thinking, but hear me out: when I was a kid, my grandparents had these three-wheeled bikes that my sister and I would ride all over their retirement community in Florida whenever we visited. It was so easy to balance on these oversized tricycles that, when I got back home, I couldn't remember how to stay upright on a regular bike. I really can't remember if I ever picked it back up again, but I'm just saying: there's a precedent to my forgetting how to bike. But back to the shirt: it's cute, nice colors, good message.

From the same seller, there's this Bicycle Built for Two tote bag, $12. This print also comes on a t-shirt and dress, but I'm not crazy about the colors, and about having people on my body. On clothes, this old-fashioned couple might seem a little creepy, but it's just right for a playful canvas bag. And who doesn't love the romance of a giant, silly-looking bike as a date activity?


This t-shirt is specifically for Madelyn, the friend who was wearing the Decemberists bike shirt that sparked my quest. It's a robot! On a bike! In Japanese! You're welcome. From Botodesign, the Mama Bike shirt is $28.

Are you a little sick of bikes? Well, I'm going to bring this post full circle with another Decemberists t-shirt, featuring the only two-wheeled vehicle cuter than a bike: a Vespa! The Girly Vespa Tee is just $14.99, and will prove you have great taste in both indie music and motor vehicles. Who can resist that?

Builty by Wendy Sample Sale

I've never bought anything by Built by Wendy, but I think they have a pretty good reputation. Through tomorrow, March 4th, they're having a massive sample sale on their website, and it's definitely worth checking out. Everything is $10 to $70, although it is non-returnable, so you have to be careful. Here are a few things that caught my eye:

Great Lakes Tee, $20, and Boatless Sail Tee, $20. You may have noticed how rarely I blog about t-shirts--my interests tend to be 75% dresses, 5% shoes, 5% purses, and 15% everything else. I wear plenty of tees to the gym or lounging around the house, but I just don't feel as cute or confident wearing a tee as when I'm wearing a dress or nicer top. However, two weeks ago I happened to buy, for $4, a band tee from a friend of a friend. It's a really soft, comfortable American Apparel crewneck in a nice purple color, with the band's name (Mancrush) and logo on the front. I won't lie, I wore it for a good 48 hours straight (I even slept in it!) before forcing myself to put it in my laundry basket. So now I'm thinking that I should revisit the world of t-shirts, and I'm digging these two options. The Great Lakes tee appeals to my inner Midwestern girl (shout out to Northbrook, IL!), and the Boatless Sail tee reminds me of my secret dream to sail around the world. (To Madelyn: Doesn't this model kind of look like Jill S.?)


There's lots of snow on the ground here in New York, which means I only want to buy clothes that remind me of tropical islands. This Greek Motif Top, $20 (originally $135) is perfect for lounging around Santorini and flirting with a boy named Kostos. No pants needed-- throw over a bikini and go. Sadly, only available in XS.

This glitter miniskirt, $20 (originally $164) is such a great Studio 64 throwback, while still being totally modern. The sheen of the fabric isn't too flashy, and I like how the model is styled with a slightly prissy top--with the wrong outfit, this skirt could make you look like you're on the way to do coke in the bathroom, so avoid halter tops and satin and the like.


I really love the color blocked pattern on this Bauhaus Jumper, $40 (originally $205). It reminds me of something you'd see at MOMA, except it's an easy to wear silk dress instead of a confusing abstract painting. While it's still cold, it'd be perfect to layer over a slip and thick black long-sleeve top.

It doesn't get any better than this Plaid Strapless Dress, $40 (originally $202, also comes in a lovely blue/white plaid). The sweetheart neckline gives it pin-up girl appeal, and the boning in the bodice helps everything stay where it's supposed to. And doesn't this look like something Charlotte York would wear? The other day, a friend asked how I came up with my blogging alias, Julia York, and I explained my love for the style of Sex and the City's Upper East Side Princess. So maybe it's fate that I came across this dress just a few days later, and I should accept the will of the universe and buy it!

I'm not sure why Robin Tunney (from 90's classic The Craft and current hit show The Mentalist) is modeling for Built by Wendy, but I do know she looks adorable in this Wool Jumper, $50 (originally $279). The outfit is very retro That Girl-- maybe a bit costumey, but she's working it. This double-breasted wool dress is a perfect addition to any work wardrobe, even as the drop waist and flouncy skirt gives it some fashion-forward cred.


Sooo lovely, right? This Garden Flower Strapless Dress, $60 (originally $256) is also pretty Charlotte York-- I can see her wearing it to an opening at the gallery she used to work at. It's simple, classic, but undeniably chic. There's also a equally lovely version with green flowers, and I want both.

Robin Tunney is back with a supercute Cashmere Tunic, $70 (originally $270)! She looks surprised. Anyway, this is the kind of piece that, if you take care of it, you'll wear for the next fifty years and then afteryou die your daughter will wear it. I'm especially digging the gold buttons on the waist tabs-- they add a bit of bling while preventing your torso from looking boxy, so win-win. I like her little gold key necklace, too.

Finally, the Seersucker Sport Jacket, $70 (originally $272). Seersucker fits right into my fantasy "Let's take the yacht out today!" life, so of course I want to wear this blazer with some boat shoes and a white swimsuit. It looks a little big on this model (and she also looks pissed... and a bit emaciated. She's possibly upset because she wants to eat a panini), but the menswear look is very trendy right now. I might love it a bit more if it was cropped and fitted, but it's still a great jacket.

I Don't Get It: Ed Hardy Edition

Okay, when you go out of state to college, one of the things you have to resign yourself to is the fact that things are going to change while you’re gone. There will be new restaurants you’ve never heard of, new buildings that somehow were built in less than three months, and some major store location swapping in the mall (GAP just suffered a severe downgrade). I’m also used to the idea that as long as I divide my time between the desert and Dixie Land, I’m going to, essentially, have two different set of clothes. It’s like this switch in my brain goes off when I cross the Mississippi—suddenly it is NOT okay to wear Polo shirts and boat shoes, suddenly I have to convert back to wearing Rainbow Sandals year round and clothing styles that won’t cross the continent and become popular in the South until a year after the West is finished with them. It’s about adjustment, y’all.

But I will tell you now that I will never adjust to wearing Ed Hardy.

Ed Hardy, I think, is going to go the way of Von Dutch. It’ll explode, Ashton Kutcher will wear the hats out, stores will pop up everywhere—but just as quickly, it’ll be done, and only the ever-classy Ms. Spears will still be wearing it (until someone shoots her with a clue gun). In a word, it’s trendy.

I have issues with trendy in general, without trendy involving designs that sort of look like a death-obsessed unicorn got sick and threw up all of the rainbows and cheap rhinestones that it ate for lunch. My problem with the Ed Hardy line of clothing stems largely from the fact that Ed Hardy and the other designer are former tattoo artists and all of the shirts/dresses/sunglasses/bathing suits/shoes/socks/shit have a tattoo-y look about them. (Also, because one of the original stores opened up in Tucson. TUCSON, ARIZONA. THE ONLY WAY I CAN EXPRESS MY UTTER DISBELIEF AND COMPLETE LACK OF RESPECT IS THROUGH CAPSLOCK.)

Sorry if the above offends anyone, but I’m a total priss about tattoos; they gross me out in a way that usually only salad bars are capable of doing. I love clothing with bright, vibrant colors—but why are we still on the skull and crossbones drawings? Didn’t Avril Lavigne kill that for us already? Haven’t the Emo kids moved on to that crazy ass, but well-meant, To Write Love on Her Arms thing?

The drawings and styles on the t-shirts/watches/intimates/bathing suits/scarves/sunglasses sort of alternate between Asian-influenced and El Dia de los Muertos, and let me tell you people, if I’m going to buy a shirt—A COTTON SHIRT—for $90 I expect it to be wrapped around some dead bread. And not the crappy kind that your mom made you for extra credit in Spanish class. The real stuff.

Oh, and did I mention that I see Ed Hardy everywhere in stores, but not on actual people. I’ve seen approximately three people wearing something by Ed Hardy (and one of them was Cesar Millan on The Dog Whisperer marathon I watched today), so I’m not sure that’s a good sign for those of you looking to jump on the wagon.

Well, anyway. I’m not afraid to admit that I do like some of the t-shirt designs, but I don’t think I could ever wear them. 1. Because I have self respect, 2. Because of the astonishingly high caliber of celebrities that wear it, and 3. Because I already have enough pieces of clothing that look like they lost a long, brutal war to a Bedazzler.

A Woman's Place

Hey, so guess what??

I'm not dead! I only have so many places to shop that don't begin with www., unlike my fabulous NYC counterparts who attend class, put on their stiletos and hit the streets, I am, alas, living in a world of colonial reinactors. If I want to go buy a bolt of flowery silk, all I have to do is walk down the street to the Prentice Shop.

Thus, I am forced to be a little creative. Let's get political, y'all.

So I kinda think that Hillary Clinton is the most brilliant bitch I've ever seen. I sort of love her and the fact that she doesn't take crap from anyone but isn't afraid to shed some feminine tears. But you know that she could burn any terrorist alive with her death glare alone--and, let's face it, girlfriend has been dressing much better lately. Lots of pretty, complementary jewelry makes watching political debates a little more interesting. Okay, not Oscars or Golden Globes interesting, but it's better than seeing farty old men wearing the same blue shirt and red tie.

I haven't been drinking the Obama Crazy Obsessive College Student punch, sorry. Someone else is going to have to find some Obama junk, because I can't even look at the man without thinking he looks like Lord Voldemort with hair, but that's beside the point. YES WE CAN kill the mudbloods and halfbreeds! YES WE CAN divide my soul and stash the horcruxes strategically around the White House! YES WE CAN take over your school and beat up your Neville Longbottoms!

Oh no you can't! 'Cause my girl's got the Elder Wand--or at least some quality merchandising going on.

My personal favorites from from Bill For First Lady, and all of them are available in different t-shirt styles and buttons and hats...

A Woman's Place is in the House!



Bill For First Lady



For the politically saucy...

We Need a Real Bush in the House



Most of these run between $12-$20, and they're created through Cafepress.

In the end, it doesn't really matter who you support--just support them! The Democratic race is going to be so close, and so important!!

Just remember what happened to the boy who was good, and brave, and kind, because he strayed onto the wrong campaign trail and went up against the Dark Lord himself. Remember John Edwards.