Code Red

This outfit is really a combination of two I’ve worn before. Somehow, the result is less interesting than each outfit separately.


Perhaps I should have punched it up with some purple tights.


Poncho and faux pearl necklace with medallion, Newport News. Sweater, Charlotte Russe. Skirt, Travis Ayers (thrifted). Remaining faux pearls, thrifted. Tights, We Love Colors. Oxfords, Isaac Mizrahi for Target. Bag, Massini.

Poncho Spirit

I’m afraid you will be seeing me in ponchos more often...now that I have appropriate outerwear to wear on top.


Poncho, Newport News. Dress, Forever 21. Sweater (under dress), Target. Tights, Urban Outfitters. Booties, Madden Girl. Necklace, vintage. Bracelets, Girl Props.


I have three ponchos. The red one I’m wearing today is perfect for the holiday season. The black ones go with anything.



Ponchos* get a lot of hate. In fact, the cropped poncho (pictured above right) had an entire hateful thread devoted to it on a forum. What’s your verdict? Love or hate? In or out? Or just don’t care?

(“Poncho” is the weirdest word, though. Say it over and over….paaaaanchoh, paaaaanchoh. Once you’ve entered semantic satiation it becomes complete nonsense. And if you’re Stanley Toothbrush, the ponchos of the world will disappear.)

Poncho Weather

Brrr! The sun is shining brightly but the air is quite crisp! It’s perfect weather for a snuggly poncho.


Poncho, Christopher Banks. Blouse, Mushka by Sienna Rose. Jeggings, turtleneck, and gloves, Mossimo. Boots, Dan Post. Bag, thrifted. Pendant, vintage.



Photos by Beefy Muchacho

Experiment No. 592

This is my seventh Red Hat Society experiment. I think I’m getting the hang of combining red and purple. Or else I’ve just numbed myself to the clash of colors.

Poncho, Newport News. Turtleneck sweater, Charlotte Russe. Skirt, Express (thrifted). Belt as a necklace, thrifted. Black fishnets, Simply Vera. Purple tights, We Love Colors. Shoes, Isaac Mizrahi for Target. Bag, Vieta.




When I started this blog, I did not intend to avoid repeating an outfit. The pursuit of daily outfit novelty evolved as I challenged myself to explore all the possibilities within my closet. Today’s outfit borders on a repeat. I’m wearing the same sweater, skirt, and (purple) tights as in the last Red Hat Society experiment:


Despite the fact that the major pieces (and color scheme) are the same in each outfit, the use of accessories makes the ensembles seem totally different.

Miniskirt, Poncho, Boots

Poncho, Newport News. Tank, Merona. Miniskirt, London Jean. Fishnet leggings, Forever 21. Boots, Diba. Earrings, Pangaea. Bag, Tommy Hilfiger.


I think a miniskirt, poncho, and boots ensemble is currently one of my favorite weekend uniforms. A voluminous poncho and knee-high boots makes the mini seem less immodest. This skirt still makes Mike apoplectic, though.

Godspell

Poncho, Christopher & Banks. Turtleneck sweater, Charlotte Russe. Miniskirt, London Jean. Tights, Target? Boots, Diba. Earrings, Pangaea

I saw Godspell for the first time today. Again, the production was excellent but I disliked the script. It was an overly simplistic and childish presentation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The ending was disturbingly macabre. I did enjoy the vocal performances, costumes, dancing, and choreography. And the shirtless Jesus was blasphemously delish.

LGTMAS: California Casual

Poncho, Newport News. Blouse, from Japan. Corduroy pants, Old Navy. Purse, thrifted. Earrings, Panagea. Booties, Style & Co. Ring, Jan Michaels San Francisco.


Most of the California Casual looks were a bit chilly for December in Cincinnati. Tissue thin tees, cut-off shorts, and sandals weren’t going to work for me. I did find some inspiration in the below photos. My favorite definition of the style was “even at their fanciest, these are clothes that would be right at home at a beach bonfire.” I can see myself seated in the cool sand, listening to the surf, and warming my toes at a driftwood fire in this outfit. I might need to remove the heels, though.

Inspiration from the book:

I don’t follow many bloggers with such a casual, beachy style. The closest I can come to a California Casual Lucky Blogger Girl is Fia of The Laundry Narrative. Her outfit posts have been a bit sparse since she became pregnant, but a peek through her archives will show you her casual, light-handed style.

Red Poncho

Poncho, Newport News. Dress, vintage, thrifted, and shortened. Tights, Merona. Lace-up pumps, Isaac Mizrahi for Target.

(I think these are the earliest picture I’ve ever taken for this blog. They were snapped at 5:45 a.m. Someone put me out of my misery!)

This is poncho number two. I bought it to wear in the office when I got cold, but I never used it there, preferring a wrap to the poncho. I finally brought it home after two sad years of hanging in my cube. I’m hoping to incorporate it into my wardrobe, both work and casual.

Ponchoriffic

Mini-poncho, To The Max. My favorite dress, Lipstick. Tights, who knows. Lace-up pumps, Isaac Mizrahi for Target. Bracelet, Forever 21.

I like to check out the trends and what’s new as much as anyone else. I dislike, though, lists of what is “out.” On the “hot” and “not” lists, ponchos currently make the “not” column. This surprises me, because capes are so very “hot” right now and what, really, is the difference between a poncho and a cape? Arm slits? The upside of the anti-poncho movement is that I was inspired to dig mine out. I have two others I’ll wear in the next couple weeks. One of which, dun dun DUN, has never been featured on this blog before.



I’ll admit, ponchos under coats are kind of awkward. (Coat by Guess.)

Yay, Orange!

Black mini-poncho, INC. Orange sweater vest, Cherokee. Black sweater, Merona/Mossimo/M-something. Gray skirt, Eddie Bauer. Gray tights, Merona. Orange slingbacks, Gianni Bini. Orange brooch, thrifted.

Yay, orange! I love orange. I don’t care that redheads aren’t supposed to wear orange (or red or pink).

I closed all the doors in the hallway for this shot – trapping Zoro in the basement. Monty then wanted to play “paws” under the door. Here is my orange cat, in the orange hallway, with my orange-accented outfit.

Winter White Denim with Fur

Fur poncho, Christopher & Banks. Paisley print blouse, NY & Co. White denim, Gap. Ugly black boots, Life Strides.

I’ll admit that I’m a tiny bit addicted to my blog stats. Most interesting, is checking out where my visitors come from and reverse stalking them. After I’ve exhausted all the referrers, I take a spin through the keywords that brought Googlers here. Most arrive by searching “Kasmira blog” or some variant, but a quite a few also find me by entering “mixing black and brown” and “winter white jeans.” So, for all of you looking for winter white denim inspiration, I’m here to meet your needs again. (And if you’re keen on black/brown mixing, click here.)

Regarding yesterday’s “fat” comment…I want to be clear that I was not fishing for compliments. I do not need you all to reassure me that I am HWP. In fact, I debated making the comment at all because I did not want to appear insecure or set a poor example for the younger, media-bombarded generation. In the end though, I decided that this is my blog and it’s a place for me to not only record my outfits but also how I felt about them. That outfit made me feel fat. I’m wearing something different today (with NO leggings beneath) and feeling comfortable again.

Pouty Saturday

Black mini poncho, To the Max. Cranberry long-sleeved T, Mossimo. Denim maxi skirt, Delia*s. Black boots, Jennifer Moore. Golden apple watch necklace, Forever 21. Kitties, Yoda (in my arms) and Zoro (up above).

I was quite put out to find it snowing on Saturday, hence the pouty look. The kitties didn’t seem to mind and spent the day running in and out of the house.

Long denim skirts must be “out” this year. I don’t think I’ve seen anyone wear one. I like mine, but I get a bit annoyed by the stiff fabric tangling between my legs.

Friday Jeans and Fur

Black, rabbit fur poncho, Christopher & Banks. Red turtleneck, Banana Republic. Dark Jeans, Express. Ugly black boots, Life Strides. Hoop earrings with multicolored beads, World Market.

I seem to be making a habit of jeans on Fridays. Today it was not the result of a desire to be casual, but a lack of any slim bottoms to pair with the poncho. I’ve lost some weight, and all my work pants are slouchy.

Harvest Colors

Black mini-poncho, INC. Green, long-sleeved T, Target. Rusty red cords, J Crew. Golden apple watch necklace, Forever 21.

I had a rare night off tonight – no rehearsals, no auditions and no tech meetings – so we went to dinner and a movie! We ate at Rondo’s in Cheviot/Westwood, which had good food, but a grumpy hostess, and saw Children of Men at the nearby cinema. I cried through most of the movie. (I’m a weeper. For goodness sake, I even cried during Uptown Girls and War of the Worlds.) My turtleneck was full of tears by the end and my husband was thoroughly annoyed. Or maybe he was more annoyed by me constantly offering to tell him the time from my “apple watch!”

Green and Black

Rabbit fur poncho, Christopher Banks. Black, long-sleeve tee, Mossimo for Target. Green tweed skirt, Talbot’s. Black tights, Danskin. Black boots. Green chandelier earrings. Green, purse-charm bracelet.

At Christmas 2004, my mother bought me this poncho and my friend Kathy bought me these earrings and bracelet.

Because I wear skirts so often, I go through a lot of tights in the winter. My favorite tights are Danskin performance tights (actual dancing tights). They have a nice, smooth finish and are extremely resistant to running. I order them in bulk, from DiscountDance.com.