Look at these fab boots (now under $60):

And these vegan Oxfords for dudes!

My favorite source for vegan bags is, as ever, Matt and Nat. LOVE their stuff. Can’t afford them in general (I have one briefcase/messenger bag from them that I love), but I get pleasure just looking at their designs. And they do have good sales where they discount their products way down.

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My Next Big Fashion Search & Purchase (one day, when I have the time and money) would be a pair of low heel (less than an inch), round toe, riding boots. To be worn with jeans or cute dresses/skirts, a work horse of a boot (comfortable, eight-hour boots). They’re pretty popular right now, and I love them in a beautiful brown-camel-cognac color that reminds me of cowboy boots and soft leather.

However, typically, I’m a black kind of girl (i.e., black vs. brown). If someone asks me to pick a neutral, it’s black– black purse, black coat, black shoes, black tights. I’m a winter/spring/summer– I look great in reds, blues, purples. Nothing with yellow in it, no green, no orange, no brown. So I don’t OWN a lot of brown. However, as much as I’d LOVE these low-heel riding boots in a camel-ey brown, I’m just not sure how I’d work it in with the rest of my wardrobe (especially with skirts/dresses/accessories). Any advice for incorporating a not-my-color item into a wardrobe?

Dear Sarah,
Camel-y brown boots are a neutral, darling, and they go with everything including black. They’re an instant classic and you can wear them with all colors and in all seasons (although you probably only want to wear them in cooler weather).
There is absolutely no need to be too matchy-matchy with accessories — try branching out a bit and getting some non-black neutral colors you like into your daily wardrobe! Try a rich navy bag with your black suit, or taupe shoes and opaque stockings with a black dress. Get a bright pink beret and pink and gray gloves to wear with your black coat, or add a sparkly purple pin for a dash of color.

By all means, don’t wear colors you don’t like, but don’t be afraid of color.
Enjoy, darling! Let us know how you do! I bought a pair of mid-calf height light brown riding boots with a braid detail that are all worn out and stained by now and I ADORE them. I am so, so glad I bought them as they bring just the right amount of interest and character to otherwise hum-drum outfits. And they’re GREAT on those light snows that aren’t so deep that you need snow boots but are enough to make the sidewalks and driveway slippery.

That ain’t so much a brown boot as it is cow-colored. Heck, you could wear these with a pink sundress if you wanted to! Not that you’d want to, but you could certainly wear them a whole lot of your everyday clothes.

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I’m presently a lay person with a sizeable collection of church hats. Fabulous, delightful, mostly vintage church hats that I wear almost every Sunday and sometimes other times.

But there’s a good shot I won’t always be a lay person. So… I’m curious about your opinion. Can a church hat and a white dog collar be worn by the same woman at the same time?

In a word, G., no. But as the granddaughter of a highly-regarded 1940’s milliner, I celebrate your love of hats!

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How was your Valentine’s Day, by the way? I am still trying to figure out who left me a milk chocolate rose in my church office that Sunday morning. I thought it was my beau but he said, “Sorry, I can’t take credit.” (That’s what I call honest to a fault, darlings!). So whoever it was, thank you! I’m saving it for a Serious Chocolate Craving.

Let’s turn our attention to PURSES and BAGS.
Due to the fact that she is starting to hunch a bit like Quasimodo of late, PeaceBang is becoming painfully, chiropractically aware that her favorite everyday purses and bags are just too big. She has no plans to stop carrying enormous bags, because she adores them, but she does need to acquire a smaller, dressier bag for those miscellaneous occasions when a Monster Satchel just won’t do. The church talent show this weekend, for instance. A nice dinner at someone’s home. Her own social life, like outings to restaurants or the theatre when she would like to avoid granting someone a concussion at the end of the show when she turns around and accidentally hits them in the head with her Monster Satchel.

My everyday bag is this Hobo style in navy blue. The leather is amazing and I adore all the pockets and compartments and use them all:

Lord knows I have other bags. I have two Bagallinis:

(little lightweight bag for travel)
(new for conferences: my secretary gets me Bagallinis wholesale!)

I have two or three dressy clutches and three or four ancient enormous satchels that I love but that are falling apart and should be given away. I hav two fun purses from trips I took to Paris in the 90’s (a beautiful white leather one-strap backpack and a funny little bowling bag type thing) and a big, white fold-over patent leather clutch that looks like a suitcase when it’s not folded over. It’s awkward and bulky, but a woman my size looks silly carrying anything too tiny. I have one buttery yellow smaller shoulder bag that I should switch to right now to give my spine a break.

You know how it is: bags accumulate over the years. I do give them to consignment, but then I inherit more. Things go out of style. They come back into style. You keep bags thinking you’ll get them repaired or cleaned and never do.

I looked at Macy’s today and was uninspired. The one line I liked was ridiculously expensive (Tignanello) and nothing seemed to have any design pizzazz. It’s all that moc-croc nonsense that came out 6 years ago or boring Working Lady satchels. Even Nine West, my favorite retail providers of cute and affordable purses, had nothing to offer. The new thing is the cross-body bag, and they’re cute but I don’t think appropriate for professional use:

If you’re in the market for a big tote, there are lots more options for you (here’s a cute Tignanello design):

As for me, I’m going to keep looking, or maybe I’ll throw a Handbag Swap Saturday and get a bunch of friends together to see what we’ve all got.

And of course there’s etsy.com!!! Love these!

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Hi PB, new to your site. Q for you–I’m a 35-year-old fashion-challenged rabbi in CA. May I wear my sunglasses on top of my head in the office? I love how it looks & feels but wonder if it is too casual.

Hi Rebbe,
I do it all the time if I’m not going to be meeting with anyone. I think for staff only days, it’s fine. Other than that it’s a bit too “Hey, I’m on my way to the beach, make this snappy.”

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Awhile back I received this query from a Lady Religion Professor. It was a Very Serious Query. It read thus:

I have read in a number of places that hose are No Longer Done, and I have to say: whaaa? I am perplexed. Now, I wouldn’t wear suntan pantyhose under any circumstances, but I currently reside in Nebraska and it gets cold here. I don’t need to be cutting-edge, but I don’t want to be dowdy. Or, frankly, bare-legged in winter. Is there a clear set of rules about when a professional woman might skip the hose and when they are appropriate and when they are necessary? I need help.

I responded:

We love Lady Religion Profs, dear — get lots of ‘em at BTFM, and lots of librarians and teachers, too! Very similar issues, different setting.
On hose:
They are definitely out in the couture world, but who the hell lives in that world?

A few things to think about:
1. A bare leg is only chic when it’s a smooth, good-looking leg, and most of us need some help in the form of self-tanner or at least pearlized moisturizer. And only, for heaven’s sake, when it’s reasonably warm out!
2. Opaque tights are very fashionable and look terrific with boots.
3. As you’ve already determined, suntan color hose are dreadful and should be taken out and shot. A nice, sheer taupe or off-black is almost always a better choice, but you have to work with your wardrobe and skin tone.
4. Avoid off-white or white like the plague. If you’re wearing winter white, I would go with a sheer taupe hose.
5. I am not a fan of pairing dark, opaque tights with lighter colored clothing, but I’m sure it can work for some gals. I mean, LUCKY magazine is always showing some gamine in a sundress topped with five layers of scarves, jackets and sweaters and tights and open-toed boots and claiming that this is a great way to update your summer frocks, but I never buy it. It’s like, “That is an organza dress and you are not fooling me. Put it away until June.”

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Wow. Gorgeous. Ms. Kripac has re-opened for me the whole question of whether one looks warm and slightly eccentric/fun in a hat with ears or just crazy and stupid:

And then there’s, you know, the actual fur hat deal:

I’m of Russian heritage so I feel like this is an ethnic look for me.

I love my hat with ears and I will continue to wear it when I’m not out and about in my town, and I’m willing to say that the official PeaceBang word on this is No Hats With Ears For Pastors, but I let’s put that to a vote because Ms. Lepac has me all flummoxed.

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You have to find tanks that are really fitted, really thin cotton, and have no tags in the back. The Gap makes a perfect one:

They go on sale all the time. I just bought a few for $3 each.

I would never wear this tank frontways. It’s too low-cut. But backwards, it’s a huge help!
Regardez.

“Gee, I love this comfortable, smocky dress, but the neck is too low-cut! Even a camisole doesn’t look quite right with it. I want something that will provide enough coverage to keep with the warm feeling of the fabric.”

Time to Backward Tank it!

Ahh, cozy and perfect.

The same backward tank will make this sweater and scarf ensemble work-appropriate.

Here’s a super-comfy cotton tunic/dress that I wore all summer with a cami and jeans:

Let’s Backward Tank it and see if we can bring it into the chillier months:

Sure we can!

(As you can see, PeaceBang loves the greys and blues!)

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I don’t carry a checkbook (it forces me to get out all my receipts at the end of the day and record them in the checkbook that lives on my desk, plus it’s lighter and less bulky), so I like a small wallet. And I REALLY prefer a snap-closure compartment for my change rather than a zip closure. Sounds dumb, but I just have an easier time digging around for change when there’s a snap closure.

I like this wallet from Buxton but it lacks the snap closure change compartment. If anyone has any ideas, I’d love to hear them. I need to be able to put folded money and credit cards into the thing, and change. That shouldn’t be that hard.

[THIS JUST IN. I found exactly what I've been looking for in the Buxton Double Cardex With Change Purse. It was $24 at Amazon. Here's a photo:

I'm just an old lady and sot in my ways. I had to have that change purse. The huge nerd in me loves the fact that it's a dual-compartment change purse, so I can keep stamps and things organized away from the coins].

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1. For a short necklace, you can wear it backwards and use the pin to fasten it.

2. You can tie a knot in a long necklace and run a pin through it.

3. If the necklace is long enough that it doesn’t have a clasp, you can double it and use a pin to connect the looped ends.

4. If the fastener of the pin is vertical, you can pin it on the bottom of the necklace and wear it like a pendant.

How lovely! And so creative!!

Thanks, Miss Conduct!!

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