Secret Project number ten

Hello Dear Internet!

It is secret project time once again, and this one comes from our friend Goretti in Seattle. Goretti is a designer and a foodie, a cat lover and she has some serious picnic skills, AND she always throws a good birthday party. We love Goretti, especially since the Intern and I met at one of her birthday parties, and then we fell in love. Thanks for being born Goretti!

Check out Goretti's blog at itterog.com... and if I were you, I'd keep an eye on Acre too.

OK! 1, 2, 3....go Goretti go!




For nearly two weeks in October I lived out of a suitcase, changed three hotels and only used hotel laundry services once. Here are my 10 days of fashion:

For the first part of my trip I was sent to Atlanta for an executive photo shoot. I needed to dress "work appropriate", so I abandoned my typical attire of jeans and boots for a couple of days and made some of the same clothing items I brought along work for both in the office and out.

Day 01:

Banana Republic wide cuff dress trousers in black; grey camisole from MUJI Hong Kong; Club Monaco cardigan in light blue; black Chie Mihara mary janes with dark green trim. These 2008 Chie Mihara's were an impulse buy from Nordstrom. I swear I went in to buy an affordable pair of flats and got my arm twisted by a tricky salesperson! They work well with suits, but also with a dark jean, so they are especially good for work trips.

Day 02:

Black dress trousers, Elevenses black blazer with purple pleated cotton blouse; Chie Miharas.

Whenever I travel I bring a good multi-purpose scarf. It's good for keeping you warm on the plane and for changing up a boring outfit. This one is from Zara Hong Kong -- a gift from my Aunt. I particularly love this scarf because of the multiple striped patterns in black in white -- it always looks a little different every time you wear it.

After the photo shoot and an afternoon of reviewing printer proofs in a very beige cubicle, I headed to the airport for part two of my trip: NYC! I had a bit of work to do, but the majority of the weekend I was free to sightsee, shop and play with friends. My weekend highlights included the American Museum of Natural History, The Kindness Kind at CMJ in Brooklyn, and eating lots of Pinkberry.

Day 03:

Seven organic cotton denim skinny jeans; striped sweater from MUJI Hong Kong; Frye boots.

Day 04:

Hudson Jeans; Forever 21 pinstripe button-down; MUJI socks*; Brooks trainers. No teasing! I wore sneakers specifically for a day of museum hopping. Unfortunately it poured all day, so even though I didn't suffer from debilitating shin splints (NYC, Oct 07), I did have soggy socks. MUJI socks, by the way, are a staple in my wardrobe. These are made of recycled yarn and come in a pack of 5 assorted colors. If I'm not wearing fancy shoes, you'll find me in MUJI socks and furry moccasins.

Day 05:

Sunja Link black jumper from Impulse Seattle, navy and grey striped turtleneck; brown tights; Frye boots.

Back to work! After my weekend of play, I changed hotels on day 05 to stay with my client in midtown. The rest of my trip was going to be spent traveling back and forth to Parsippany, New Jersey and sitting in a large, windowless room for hours and hours. Needless to say, comfort was key!

Day 06:

Seven jeans; black cotton military zip jacket from Banana Republic; octopus tee from Blackbird Seattle; heptagon earrings purchased at Roslyn on the Upper West Side. I should point out that a certain intern has the same green octopus tee, but please don't tell him it's a ladies t-shirt!

Day 07:

Brown raincoat by You Must Create; Earnest Sewn Keaton jeans; sweater from day 03; purple Camper mary janes with MUJI socks. This pair of ES jeans are my favorite right now. They never shrink and always feel brand new every time I wear them.

Day 08:

Denim dress from H & M; black leggings, Frye boots; Cooper-Hewitt tote.

If I ever had to wear a uniform everyday, this would be it.

Day 09:

J.Crew tee and Earnest Sewn jeans; black blazer from day 02; black scarf; aviators; New Balance sneakers in silver with lavender laces. These New Balances are a new addition, the UK color combo reminds me of something Stella McCartney would design. I found these at Tani, a must shoe stop anytime I am in New York. 

Day 10:

Outfit is the same as day 04, but with Frye boots and short tweed jacket from Zara; purse by Brooklyn designer, Rachel Nasvik; MUJI carry-on; trusty Samsonite luggage.

So that's my week and a half of fashion. On day 10, I headed back home to Seattle (where it rains less than NYC, FYI). 

And here's what I learned:

• Three pairs of jeans for two weeks really is necessary!

• I always travel with too many pairs of shoes. If I could, I would carry a separate suitcase just for shoes!

• I am obsessed with MUJI.

• I spend way too much money on clothes (okay, I didn't just learn this!)

• I really like clothes.

The end.