Thursday, December 23, 2010

Monday, December 20, 2010

When PJs Go Public





Jacket: $22, Forever 21
Dolman Top: $32, American Apparel
PJ Bottoms: $12, Forever 21
Wedges: $30 (120) Urban Outfitters

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Fashion Meets Braveheart Meets Mt. Olympus

I love the costume changes in this and crazy wigs. I could live without the creepy little kids though.

Friday, December 3, 2010

Hammer Time

Harem pants, sometimes called Hammer (which came first, the harem or MC Hammer?) pants are easy to dress up and are essentially a chic lounge (re:sweat) pant.

Super comfy, this pair was given to me for promotional purposes- would I have bought them otherwise? No. Well, not from Nordy's; I would have waited for them to go to The Rack. Duh. 100 bones is too much to pay for a trend.

They're surprisingly versatile as well; I wore them through summer with sandals and heels, but they also look good with ankle boots.

I like pairing them with boxy tees to exaggerate the baggy look.

Unfortunately, they're not especially flattering; if you wear them low around your hips, your legs look short and you look like you have a saggy crotch; if you wear them higher up, cinched in around your waist, you get "diaper butt."

My way of dealing with this is to point out my diaper butt to anyone I talk to before they can get a word in.

Probably not the best strategy.



T-shirt: $55 (185), Nordstrom, James Perse
Pants: $110, Nordstrom, Patterson J. Kincaid
Headband: $10 (30), Free People
Heels: ($80 (150), Nordstrom Rack, Sam Edelman

"Fresh new kicks and pants, you got it like that now you know you wanna dance." My sentiments exactly, Mr. Hammer:

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Black Tie Affair

When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade.

When you go to an awards show, you don't dress like a scrub.

Obv.

A while back my friend Shaun invited me to The Stranger Genius Awards at The Moore Theater.

I was ecstatic. I was envisioning red carpet, champagne, tuxedos and maybe even some sugar plum fairies.

While there were exceptions, what I got for the most part was flannel, Birkenstocks, and just plain old regular fairies.

Shame on you, Seattle. Would it kill you look like you give a shit every now and then?

This is what we wore:





Shaun always looks dapper and seems to shop exclusively at Lucky Vintage, Red Light and Goodwill. Of course, Lucky and Red Light are just glorified Goodwills with the sorting done for you, which you end up paying for.

The metallic feathering on my dress (also from Lucky Vintage) is actually meant to go above the shoulder, as it's just above the arm hole (hidden here by the feathers).

Velvet Dress: $35, Lucky Vintage
Feather Detail Pumps: $99 ($900!), Nina Ricci, Nordstrom Rack

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

For Princess Fluffy

This Aiko top looks great with skinny jeans and flats, but I've also dressed it up with my silk Hinge pants and wedges. Looks super chic layered with a faux fur vest as well.





Top: Aiko, $60 (160) Nordstrom
Belt: Thrifted
Tapered Jeans: Lux, $19 (98) Urban Outfitters

Monday, September 27, 2010

Indian Summer

I wore this dress a ton this summer- the heavy vest is a great way to transition it into fall.




Denisa Silk Chiffon Dress: $65 (300), Joie, Nordstrom Rack

Also. I rediscovered this little gem and have been rocking out all morning:

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Boots & Boys

A few weeks ago I hit up The Rack with my sister after cross-country practice, running clothes and all. My mission was to help her and not get anything for myself, which I was doing really well at 'till I found this pair of thigh high boots. They looked pretty ridiculous with my Nike dri-fit shorts and muddy t-shirt, but I figured I could work with them.

When I got home, I googled "how to wear thigh-high boots." Julia Roberts pretty much set the standard for them in 1991, and I wanted to be sure I didn't go down that path. This is what I found:



Thanks, Google. That is a great idea; I will walk around in my undies and my thigh-highs. People will definitely not think I'm a hooker.

Left to my own devices once again, this is what I came up with (for myself, obviously. Maybe you could rock sequined undies and a blazer to work): don't do slutty with thigh-high boots. Don't do skirts because the proportions will make you look too choppy.

This is what I did like:












Ultra lady-like (silk embellished top) and rugged masculine ("Attila the Hun" vest)both make big enough statements to not be outdone (dominated) by my dominatrix boots.

Take that, Google images!

Silk top: $23, Forever 21
Splatter T: $55 (185), James Perse, Nordstrom
Vest: Forever 21
Leggings: $32, American Apparel (fit for super heros everywhere)
Boots: $60 (130), Report, The Rack

Monday, September 6, 2010

ready, set, romper!

This sequin jacket is great because of its coloring, and the matte allows for enough subtle detail without totally going against the floral.

I always love contrasting girlier motifs with gladiators. These sandals are awesome because there's stud detailing going up the backs of them too; I don't know why designers so often disregard the backs of things.




Jacket: $45 (150), Gibson, Nordstrom Rack
Romper: $19 (48), Urban Outfitters
Monoi Sandals: $65, (198), Ash, Nordstrom Rack

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

what's black & white and red all over?






These silk pants are a great alternative for anyone who has thought about harem pants but doesn't want to actually commit to them. Totally chic, and they don't give you that dreaded diaper-butt associated with harem pants. Success!

The top is actually a full length blouse and looks cute as is, but I tucked the bottom into my strapless bra because I'm like, so edgy.

These strappy sandals are beautiful and worked well for what I got them for (to match a midnight blue bridesmaid dress) but generally I would advise staying away from anything beaded; it's just too delicate. The beads were falling off of these after one night out in Chicago; I would expect way more from designer shoes.

Obviously a black clutch would work well with this but would be understated; I wanted something that really added some pop, hence the overly tacky Vegas purse.

Silk top: $28, Forever 21
Pants: $68, Hinge, Nordstrom (these are now at The Rack)
Heels: $100 (215), Badgley Mishka, Nordstrom Rack
Purse: $1, Goodwill

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

the russian

Unfortunately when you start a new job and move to a new place, there isn't a ton of time to do much else besides eat grilled cheese sandwiches on the go.

Or at least that's what I've found personally; maybe others are better at multitasking.

(Okay- the other part of that excuse is that I still don't know my roomates well enough to be like, hi, I know I just met you through craigslist, but please take a billion photos of me so I can hopefully get ONE with my eyes open.)

However. What I have found is that I can purchase briefs for boys, and they will email me photos of themselves in said briefs on mountain tops:



Briefs: $28, Calvin Klein, Nordstrom

Monday, April 5, 2010

outfit no. 17



Top: $38 (98) Free People, Nordstrom Rack
Trousers: $58 (108), Bebe
Pumps: $48 (98), BCBG, Nordstrom Rack

These tweed trousers are still on sale at Bebe- they have leather trim around the waist which I think is really tacky, but I just wear shirts that go past it.

Sunday, March 21, 2010

outfit no. 16





Flower Dress: $29 (49), by & from Free People
Lace Top: $48 (98), same
Flannel: Thrifted
Darth Vadar Costume: Apparently "very, very expensive"

Thursday, March 18, 2010

outfit no. 15

The great thing about J. Crew is that you can buy any one thing there, and it will most likely complement something else that you bought there months ago; everything there just goes together.




I attempted to create the illusion of just one top by tucking in the corners of my cardigan underneath the ruffles of the blouse. (Someone actually asked if it was a necklace.) This outfit would be really easy to recreate just because J. Crew consistently offers cardigans and ruffled blouses. (I bought the cardigan last September and the blouse in December; I bought the (super soft) skirt this past weekend).

The skirt can also be dressed down with an embellished t-shirt and skinny belt; more casual but still chic. (I'm thinking specifically of my J Crew tee with a big satin flower on the neckline.)

I swoon over J. Crew's jewelery selection, but the prices are ridiculous. Target, Forever 21 and BP are great for finding similar styles. These are some J. Crew-esque things that I found at Forever 21 for under $20 (the rings are under $5):




I LOVE these linen pumps in general, but with this outfit especially because of the contrast; it breaks it up so it's not too "matchy-matchy." If I didn't wear them, I would opt for a patent nude pump.


Blouse: $48 (78)
Cardigan: $78 (98)
Skirt: $98
(all from J. Crew)
Pumps: $20, House of Dereon, Marshall's
Cocktail Ring: $4, Forever 21

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Thursday, March 11, 2010

outfit no. 14


Tunic: $39, Isaac Mizrahi, Target

Monday, March 1, 2010

oh heyyy, internet!

Despite rising speculations, all rumors that I've been forced to auction off my wardrobe are untrue.

So far.

The truth is far less exciting/practical: I'm graduating! Hopefully within the next two weeks. (Well, either that or dropping out; we'll see which comes first.) So please excuse me while I do my thang.

Also, I'm accepting graduation gifts in the following forms:





Many hugs, kisses, unicorns and rainbows 'till we meet again.

Thursday, February 18, 2010

favorite dress

I have a lot of favorite dresses. Every dress I own is probably a favorite. (I'd guess I own around 8 white lace dresses; I'm a sucker for anything that makes me feel like a pretty lady). But this is my favorite favorite dress.

I'm also a sucker for red cowboy boots.

I bought these boots -a favorite of elderly women everywhere I go- on one of those afternoons that I missed my bus and had to walk home on The Ave. It doesn't translate well in the photo, but the shaft is suede and the threading is actually glittery.







I have an extra long white canvas bag (my "Ecuador bag") that I always wear with this dress, but for whatever reason my photographer (ha)held onto it for the photo.

I think the lace is too pretty for jewelry, but sometimes I'll wear it with white sandals and a long, red, glass-beaded necklace that a friend got for me in Germany.

Dress: $27, Forever 21 :)
Boots: $30, Lucky Vintage

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

cashmere & zebra & fox, oh my!

My sickness a couple weeks ago happily coincided with my new obsession with fur and my rediscovery of eBay. Vintage cashmere Neiman-Marcus? Yes, please! I have a pair of Citizens in my closet that I got over a year ago (oops), waiting to be hemmed and worn; this jacket will finally give them a purpose in my life.

In the meantime, these skinnies will have to do. I really wish you could just stick your hand through the monitor, because the super sheer silk blouse feels amazing, as does the cashmere and fox fur.

I love these zebra print shoes for their perpetual element of surprise; animal print with floral is unexpected yet chic.

Top: $48 (100), Anthropologie
Jacket: $80, Neiman-Marcus, eBay
Pumps: $65, Gabriela Rocha, zappos.com

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

button-ups and blazers


When I got into work today, I told Gideon I had to take photos of him.

The great thing about Gideon is that he knows how to dress. What girl doesn't like a boy in a blazer and nice jeans?

Clean, classic, simple.

And in pale pink! I don't think enough guys are willing to see that this is their color.

Blazer: Claiborne, Macy's
Shirt: H&M
Jeans: Pacsun (I was surprised, too. I don't even know how to spell it.)
Shoes (love them): Florsheim, Nordstrom

Saturday, February 6, 2010

outfit no. 10

I've really been pushing for spring by wearing dresses whenever it's sunny, but just because I push for it doesn't make it any less freezing. I combat the cold temps with tights, wool socks, cardigans and, of course, my wool cape coat.

Extra long tank: $10, Michael Stars, Marshall's
Dress: $10, F21
Headband: $10 (18), Urban
Tights: $14, Urban

Thursday, February 4, 2010

this dress would look great on you!


I have this dress in three different colors, and I'm convinced it would look great on anyone.

At least, anyone who reads this blog.

I don't wear this cardigan with jeans or leggings. Because it's so frumpy, bare legs contrast it well. I also wouldn't wear it with dresses or skirts that are (significantly) longer than it.

Norwegian Cardigan: $12, Goodwill
Dress: $36, American Apparel

Monday, February 1, 2010

pimp coat


This coat showed up on my porch last Wednesday and I've basically been wearing it ever since, along with my tassled cowboy boots; they're both so ridiculous that they go great together. I wore essentially this same thing earlier this past weekend with a pair of cutoffs and it looked fantastic. (I'm a big fan of pairing big fur with little outfits; the contrast is so sexy!)

I think my roomate's description of "pimptacular" is fairly accurate.

Underneath I'm wearing one of AA's raglan pullovers, which is quite possibly the easiest thing to wear, ever.

Jacket: $69 (168), Express
Jeans: $20 (68), Silence and Noise, Urban Outfitters

Monday, January 25, 2010

i'm sick!



And have been, and probably will continue to be so for the next couple days. My attire has consisted of my favorite old man t-shirt with a hole in the armpit and two down comforters.

Since my head has more than tripled in size, this is strictly a shoe update.

I try to avoid walking home from class because if I don't, there are a string of shops for me to hit up...and I do. I bought these lovelies at Buffalo ($9) a couple weeks ago after missing my bus.

They look like something Urban would have in stock, but there's no brand inside so I really can't tell. They're basically fake flowers glued onto a bit of lace, glued onto velvet flats; how fun would it be to have a cocktail party where you decorate your own flats? All you would need to do is hit up your local craft and liquor stores. Easy-peasy!

Apparently being sick turns me into a 1950s housewife.