Long Weekend

I wore this outfit for the last day of conferencing, because as soon as the conference was over I was going directly to meet Laura in the Tenderloin neighborhood, which is close to the conference venue, for drinks and a show. Since it was the last day of the conference I didn't mind dressing on the casual side, and I needed something that was comfortable enough to wear all day and  into the night. My sequin blazer gave the outfit a touch of glam while still being easy to wear.

The blazer has a shrunken appearance and is cropped short in the back, giving it a tailored look even though the fabric underneath the sequins is a stretchy jersey. My only gripe is that it buttons a little high for my long torso; I think the next time I go to my dry cleaner/tailor I might have them add a lower buttonhole and move the single button down a few inches so that I can button it closer to my natural waist.

The show was terrible, by the way. The band featured local hero Mike Patton, who Laura and I have seen in all of his incarnations every time he plays in town, starting waaaay back in the 90's when he was the front man for Faith No More. This permutation was mostly screaming and atonal banging on the piano, which was frustrating because the man has an incredible singing voice that he simply opted not to use. Maybe 10 years from now I'll get what he was trying to do, but here in 2011 we just left early and called it a night.

Jacket: B. Bella
Top: Max Studio
Jeans: Joe's
Boots: Bronx
Necklace: Manu Lizarralde (Argentina)

It's a long weekend here in the States, so I'll be taking the day off on Monday. To get your weekend started right, let me leave you with a catchy tune from great artist I've recently discovered, from France by way of Japan. Last year some close friends went home to Lyon for the summer and brought me back a mix CD of French hits. My favorite track by far was called Je Veux by gypsy-jazz artist Zaz. Fast forward to last month, when Laura returned from a trip to Osaka bringing me a great CD she had found at the listening station at Tower Records (yes, they still exist in Japan!). You guessed it, Zaz.

I couldn't embed the official video for Je Veux, so 

click the photo of Zaz to go to the YouTube link.

I would never make any comparison to Edith Piaf lightly, but Zaz really earns that distinction. I'd actually describe her voice as a cross between Edith Piaf's plaintive vibrato and Eartha Kitt's sultry purr. She's also no neophyte, having been a singer for many years and just recently finding more widespread success in her 30's. Je Veux was her big hit last summer, but another of my favorite songs from the CD is Prends Garde à Ta Langue; I couldn't find an official video for it, but click below to listen. Happy weekend, everyone!