An Ode to Bar III

I have a favorite brand of a lot of things. Guess shoes. Coca-Cola. Sally Hansen nail polish. Dove chocolate. Clothes don’t usually fall into that category, mostly because I have so many, and because I shop at so many different places, mostly department stores, which carry a lot of brands. So there’s a lot of variety in the brand of my clothing. (Although, admittedly, a large chunk of it is from Old Navy.)

But I went on a bit of a shopping spree last weekend, and as I was standing in the dressing room at Macy’s, I realized that while I may not have a favorite brand of clothing, I do certainly have a favorite of the moment. And at this moment, it’s Bar III.

Of all the many delightful things that filled my dressing room, several of them were by Bar III. And then I got to thinking about it. I’ve bought a lot of stuff by Bar III in recent months. It might have something to do with my trying to revamp my wardrobe out of the oodles of colorful tees (making up probably 90% of those Old Navy clothes) that I wore most every day during four and a half years of college. Your wardrobe should always be evolving, because you are always evolving. High school was a daily fashion show. College was a place where I was the only person not wearing t-shirts to class. But since most of my high school clothes have been weeded out over the years due to their material (92% polyester, 8% spandex…good times…) or the fact that I had to constantly pull them down to cover my stomach and stay in dress code (i.e., they fit like juniors clothes), and subsequently replaced by every color of tee that Old Navy ever manufactured, I don’t have a ton of clothes that really fit where I am in my life.

Enter Bar III. I don’t guess I even realized it was happening. I just walked into Macy’s one day and walked out with some of their stuff. And then some more on my next trip. A top here, a dress there…Until finally my dressing room revelation of last weekend, when I realized I just love Bar III clothing! It’s well-made, but affordable, and it’s all so fun, but not in an over-the-top way; in a way that makes it perfect for a 23-year-old college grad. So since I conveniently have pictures of all of my Bar III clothing, thanks to Christy and I posting everything we buy on Facebook now that we live far apart, let’s take a little trip into my closet and check out my ever-growing Bar III collection.

These are the two pieces I bought most recently, last weekend. I already wore the top on Monday, and I love it. Haven’t worn the dress yet, but I’d been looking for another simple day dress I could just throw on for work, and this one fits the bill perfectly.

I love the print on this dress, and especially the sheer top, which gives it a little extra detail. And because it’s cream instead of white, I don’t have to leave it behind in summer, I can pair it with tights and booties in the winter. Maybe with…

…this jacket! I’m really into fun shapes on jackets lately, so this one with the draped lapels in the front caught my eye.

Another fun jacket from Bar III, sort of a motorcycle feel, but very lightweight, perfect for cool summer nights. And it zips diagonally; how fun is that?

Last but certainly not least, this pink top, which I’ve already gotten some good wear out of. I love that it’s as comfy as a tank top, but the embellishment on top makes it night-appropriate without being too dressy, and it works for day too.

During the day in New Orleans…

And with the brown jacket at night after Katie’s wedding in Georgia…(There’s a picture of me without the jacket on in the wedding blog post. Same shirt.)

The only downside to Bar III: it’s only available in Macy’s. But fortunately, I have a very conveniently located Macy’s from which to get my fix. Find one near you; you won’t be disappointed.

Praise For The Poncho

This is one of the headlines that greeted me on Nordstrom’s website, right between “Shoe Clearance” and “Fall ’11: Designer Dresses” on the sidebar. (You didn’t think I was praising the poncho, did you?) “Praise For the Poncho: Cozy up in fall’s favorite sweater shape.” I don’t even know where to begin. Do I check to see if I have been transported into some alternate reality where ponchos are acceptable clothing? (How does one go about checking if you are in an alternate reality, anyway?) Check my passport to make sure I’m not in Mexico? I mean, ponchos?? Really? Why are they anyone’s favorite anything? And calling them a “shape”? Laughable.

I had to click the link. I had to. Like a train wreck you can’t not watch. What could possibly possess Nordstrom to be not only selling but promoting the resurgence of the poncho, which was last popular sometime around the time when I was in the first of my teen years (or, quite a while ago now)? Maybe they reworked the poncho. Maybe poncho is some cool slang for a brand new article of clothing that will be beloved by and flattering on all. (Wishful thinking, right?) I had to know.

Side note: I actually own a poncho, can you believe that? Hot pink, no less. Bedazzled all over the front. Fringed. And I got it when I was approaching the last of my teen years, my senior year of high school. I actually had some really good times in that poncho……Pysch! I do own said poncho, but it was part of a costume, for show choir. But I really had you going for a minute, didn’t I? :)

 Anyway, so there I am on this page where the sweaters category has been filtered to include only capes and ponchos. (Yeah, capes. I would just not even go there, except for Sarah Jessica Parker just had to show up on a red carpet looking fabulous as usual wearing one earlier this week. And really, none of these are capes anyway.) And it’s just as bad as I would have envisioned. I can say one good thing for it, is there aren’t many there, only a page worth. Go take a look. Just let it burn your retinas for a second. Here’s the link. I’ll wait.

Why? Why would you do that to yourself? Think about this for a second. Those girls are models. Or don’t think, but look: you can see how skinny their legs are sticking out beneath these voluminous creations. (Or maybe they only look so skinny because of the hugeness of the ponchos. Maybe the inventor of the poncho is a fashion genius!…..Yeah, I don’t think so either.) They’re tiny little people, and yet you would never know it because they’re wearing blankets with holes in them for their heads. And some of these things are pretty expensive. Why not just buy a Snuggie? It would be cheaper. (I think. What’s the going rate for Snuggies? In any case, I’m sure you get a second one free if you call in the next ten minutes, which is really quite a bargain.)

I keep thinking if I look hard enough, I’ll find one that’s not so bad. One where you can see a waistline, and not just in the spot where the fabric is pooling around the girl’s hand on her hip. But there isn’t one. They’re all just shapeless messes. And the thing about ponchos is they don’t so much have sleeves as armholes, making belting to create shape pretty much impossible. They’re universally unflattering. I just don’t know what more there is to say.

Except for one last thing: I can’t write a blog about ponchos without mentioning the infamous One Tree Hill poncho, that Haley wore on her first tutoring session with Nathan in season one, episode what, four maybe? And the poncho was then mocked periodically for the next eight seasons, which should tell you something about its fashionability. But then again, eight seasons later, Nathan and Haley may be the most lengthy healthy relationship on television, so maybe there’s something to this poncho thing after all…

 

Nah. ;)