As Girly as it Can Get

     You know, some days I don't like pink at all. And then suddenly the next week I'll be all about the pink. Coral, peach, tea rose, salmon...you name the shade and I've got it. It helps that pink is an extremely flattering color against my not-quite-pale but not-quite-golden skin and my sometimes dark brown and sometimes chestnut hair. And this is Japan, after all, the land of girly girls and the ephemeral cherry blossom. Think pink, indeed.
     I'm currently in my pro-pink phase, though I'll probably eschew the color for at least one week to avoid sending myself and my coworkers into a cotton-candy overdose. But when I do wear pink, I rock it.

Blush wool tulip skirt (H&M, last season), thin black turtleneck top (Lowry's Farm, Japan), nondescript black tights, mayglobe rings and studs, Tiffany&Co. engagement ring, jeweled velvet bib necklace (anemone, Japan)

I guess you'd describe that skirt as tulip-shaped, but I'm not 100% sure. Sources define a tulip skirt as having either overlapping sections of fabric that resemble petals OR a voluminous gathered midsection that tapers down into a narrower skirt, as in the case of this one. But whatever it's called, I.LOVE.THAT.SKIRT. It's super-heavy wool which is perfect for winter and doesn't wrinkle at all. It looks equally great with other feminine shades and pieces or as a pop of color and texture in a sleek all-black ensemble. And that necklace? There are no words.

     And then there's the frillier manifestation of my on-again, off-again relationship with pink:

Grey pencil skirt (H&M), white undershirt (F21), Eloise fan-print tank top (Anthro), frilled pearl-button cardigan (pour la frime, Japan), mayglobe rings, anemone studs and necklace, Tiffany&Co. engagement ring, grey cabled tights and grey pumps (unseen)

 They look yellowish in the photos, but both the cardigan and the printed top underneath are actually a super-pale creamy pink. The cardigan is one of my favorite Tokyo finds; it's a little short in the arms, but since my limbs are twice the length of a Japanese girl's, that's to be expected. The understated frills (an oxymoron, perhaps?), the pearly buttons, and the $25 dollar price tag more than make up for that defect.
     While looking at the photos I remembered that the fan-print top was one of my very first Anthropologie purchases ever (along with a gorgeous Leifsdottir cardigan that was like 60% off). I remember that day fondly...my fiancee and I were on our first trip together, a whirlwind two weeks that had us visiting both of our hometowns. It was also the first chance I had to visit an actual Anthro store, so I was brimming with excitement. It was a truly San Francisco day that included a touristy shopping trip to the Union Square area, rides on both BART and Muni, and an outdoor cappuccino at the Market Street Coffee Bean among the throngs of pigeons and crazy Jesus-freak homeless dudes.
Ah, memories.