Leigh - Leigh Feather

Sweater Outfits

by Leigh | Feb 14, 2023 | Slow Fashion

I have about a dozen sweaters. In an effort to appreciate them more and avoid buying new ones, I did a shop-my-closet, try-on session recently. It really helps me to pick out items I don’t usually wear and also pair them with things that I wouldn’t usually choose. I find that makes getting dressed in the winter more fun. Here are a couple of outfits I felt pretty good about.

J Crew sweater | Madewell jeans | Madewell boots

This thin, cotton, almost a shirt sweater is so old but doesn’t look it. It’s dark navy blue and goes with everything. I’m wearing it with an old pair of Madewell boy jeans that I recently patched the knee on. I had them up on Poshmark to sell, but have been thinking of keeping them. And then I’m wearing an also old pair of brown swede Madewell boots.

GAP sweater | Everlane jeans | Docs

I love this forest green GAP turtleneck. I went with a 90s off-duty model look by tucking it into my new Everlane 90s cheeky jeans and black Doc Marten boots. Not sure this is me, but it kind of works.

Everlane sweater vest | J Crew skirt | Troentorp clogs

I got this sweater vest recently at Everlane and I love it. Wearing it without a shirt underneath would probably not happen in real life but I thought it looked cool. The whole mini skirt and tights combo is another thing that is outside my comfort zone. With the clogs, I feel very Scandi. I threw a black wool jacket over it and kind of liked that too.

LL Bean sweater | Leather pants | Birkenstock Bostons

Loving this fishermen’s sweater so much. I tried it with some leather pants I thrifted last year. An amazing find! And then I chose my Bostons, which seemed an odd choice but looked pretty cool.

J Crew sweater | J Brand jeans | Lotta’s clogs

This J Crew sweater is a navy V neck that’s also an old fave. The jeans are thrifted. I haven’t worn them yet. I don’t usually go for the bootleg style, but they’re very flattering. I like them with a high heel like these brown clogs.

LL Bean sweater | Nili Lotan pants | J Crew rain boots

I got this green cashmere sweater from LL Bean last Fall and it’s so nice. I picked the khaki chinos to go with because the two greens seemed almost clashing, or too matching. I don’t know. The rain boots are old from J Crew.

Book Reviews: July – December 2022

by Leigh | Jan 6, 2023 | What I'm Reading

The Saints of Swallow Hill

Donna Everhart

I wanted to like this book, but it had some really unpleasant events. It takes place on a turpentine camp in Georgia during the depression. The story focuses on two white protagonists who endure terrible abuse, while the black workers are treated far worse. There is good historical research and some redemption, but not an enjoyable read.

The Lincoln Highway

Amor Towles

After reading A Gentleman in Moscow and The Age of Civility, I thought I’d love this too. And I did. It just got off to a slow start. A beautiful homage to the Road Trip genre, it’s part Huck Finn and part Odyssey. Set in the early 50s with a cast of interesting characters, it is beautifully written and such a fun ride.

Plainsong

Kent Haruf

My favorite book this year. It follows a collection of lost and unlucky characters who find friendship and meaningful connections with each other. But the best thing about this book is the writing. Every word is perfect, every phrase is lyric and profound. So simple and so perfect.

Living Untethered

Michael A. Singer

I read this non-fiction book on a recommendation of a friend. I chose to listen to it on audio and I think, no, I know I would have enjoyed it more if I read it. But, it was so, so good. Deep existentialist pondering! What could be better? Just the explanation of the creation of the universe will put your whole life into perspective.

The Sympathizer

Viet Thanh Nguyen

I am very proud of myself for reading this Pulitzer Prize-winning book. It’s obvious why it got such high praise. The writing is amazing. At times it felt too intellectual but I’m not mad about it. I would not normally chose a book about the Vietnam war, but this isn’t necessarily about that. It starts at the end of the war and follows the path of a double agent living as an immigrant in America. Not only is it an unflinching look at the relationship between Vietnamese and Americans, it’s unapologetically angry. I learned so much and am changed by it.

Station Eleven

Emily St. John Mandel

I’m finally getting around to reading this. I’d heard it was really good but also fairly dark. It describes a deadly flu pandemic and a troupe of traveling actors through a devastated dystopia world, written before it actually happened. Doesn’t sound like a fun read, does it? But I am enjoying it.

Backgrounds

by Leigh | Sep 19, 2022 | Art | 1 comment

I’m always looking for backgrounds, patterns, interesting colors and textures. Here are a few.

Book Reviews: January – June 2022

by Leigh | Jun 29, 2022 | What I'm Reading

Piranesi
Susanna Clarke

This was such an enjoyable read. It was so different from what I usually choose. From the beginning, I was immersed into a world that didn’t make sense. I’d loved how the author set the mood and tone of the place. For the rest of the story, I was just trying to figure out, “How?” and “Why?” By the time I came back to reality I missed being there.

Evvie Drake Starts Over
Linda Holmes

Evvie, rhymes with Chevy. How do I keep choosing Romance novels? It wasn’t my thing really but I did enjoy it. Light, relatable, sweet. The kind of book to read when your brain needs a break.

Fifty Words for Rain
Asha Lemmie

I enjoyed this book a lot. It had some similarities with Pachinko. At one point I thought I’d have to stop reading it. It veered into the area of sex trafficking and I can’t go there. (It’s why I abandoned Amy Tan’s The Valley of Amazement)

Fifty Words follows a little girl, Japanese, and how she survives an abusive family of aristocrats. Her love of her half brother and their shared love of music help her endure.

Rules of Civility
Amor Towles

This might be my favorite book of the year. Not surprising since I loved A Gentleman in Moscow. I love the writing, especially the witty repartee, which seems typical of the 1930s. Towles really does a great job of transporting you to the time and place (NYC) without it feeling redone. Really lovely. Really enjoyable.

What Are You Going Through
Sigrid Nunez

Everyone is going through something. As much as I love a good escape, sometimes a relatable, real story makes life feel less lonely. Because we’re all experiencing heavy stuff. It wasn’t my favorite book, but pretty solid.

The Island of Sea Women
by Lisa See

I loved that this book took me somewhere so interesting, so different from what I’ve experienced. A small island off of Korea where women make the money to support their families by diving for sea urchin, abalone, octopus and other delicacies. I learned about this rich tradition in such beautiful detail. The story time jumps from present day back to the 1930s as it tells about the life of Young-sook and her best friend Mi-ja. We move through the decades and learn about the history of the region. Some of the events are so harrowing, so unthinkable, I wish I hadn’t read about them. But it was very educational and worth it.

28 Summers
Elin Hilderbrand

While I was vacationing at the beach, I took a break from The Island of Sea Women and picked up 28 Summers. I’ve never read anything by this quintessential beach-read author. It was the break I was looking for. Why don’t we all live on Nantucket?

Dr. Martens 1460 Mono Boot Review

by Leigh | Jan 27, 2022 | Slow Fashion

I got the Dr. Martens 1460 Mono boots back in October. After going through all my boots to assure myself I did not need another pair of boots, I started to think maybe I did. There was one style I really loved and kept thinking about: the black, chunky, lug-sole boot.

I asked for some for my birthday and received a very nice pair of black lace-up combat boots with side zips. The “Lisa Vicky Promise boots” now sold out on NordstromRack.com. They were really good but too small in my usual 8.5 size.

Then, I was in Nordstrom Rack and saw the Docs. They were on sale for $120 (originally $150) so I snatched them up. I did have doubts. First of all, the leather was very stiff. I wondered if they weren’t real leather. They are. But they seemed oddly plastic-y. I read a review that said they take a while to break in. You’re not kidding. I suffered a bad blister because I wore them with socks that were too short and the top edge carved a hole in my shin! Also, I wished they had a side zip so I don’t have to lace them up every time I put them on. I kept the first pair for a while comparing and contrasting them with the Docs and ultimately decided to just keep the Dr. Martens.

The sizing was a little tricky. I am almost always an 8.5, but Dr. Martens don’t come in half sizes. I went down to an 8 and that even felt quite roomy. But 7s would have been too small. I accepted that they’re a little big. I have room to wear thick socks. (I tried adding an insole but that made them too tight.) Now that they’re broken in a bit, I am happy with them. They are perfect for winter, keep my feet warm, are very rain repellent, and are comfy for walking. The are no longer available at Nordstrom Rack but you can get them on Amazon here: Dr. Martens 1460 Mono boots

I do want to share that I think the Dr. Martens 1460 Mono boots might possibly come in a different kind of leather. Try these: Dr. Martens 1460 Mono boots

So, I am very happy with my decision. I always wanted a pair of classic Dr. Martens. I remember when I first saw them back in the 90s in a store in San Francisco. I could not afford them then, besides, I wasn’t sure I could pull them off, if I was punk rock enough. I still worry I’m not cool enough for them. I do think they look good. And they’re surprisingly easy to style. I kind of love them with everything. I will also mention that until I heard about the “mono” I was hesitant with the Docs because I wasn’t crazy about the signature yellow stitching. The mono boots have black stitching. I suppose I should have explained that at the beginning. LOL. I learned this from Brittany Bathgate and originally considered getting the oxfords she has. Brittany Bathgate YouTube shoe review (timestamp 13:45) | Dr. Martens 1461 Mono oxfords