Day Tripper

Beautiful Fridays may just be life savers.  What started out as a chilly, fog blanketed Friday morning ended up being a sun-soaked yet cool Friday afternoon.  My boyfriend and I hopped on a downtown bus to mingle around the shops, which was a fantastic way to start the weekend!  It's nice to watch the bright sidewalks fill with people from behind a nice pair of shades.  Or perhaps shades are more of a necessity for my boyfriend who makes some ridiculous faces while sporting the vintage aviators I got for him at the DAV.

Tortoise wayfarer-shaped sunglasses, blue blazer with gold buttons, leather patchwork purse, steer printed maroon shirt,  all vintage; denim skirt, made by myself from a pair of mom's 1992 lucky brand jeans; moccasin booties, Minnetonka

Now if only the grass could turn a little greener and my wallet could become a little fatter (in hopes of purchasing much more for spring and summer...sigh), life would be even more exquisite than it is right now, on the cusp of Friday evening.  

Won't You Be My Neighbor?

I have always had a soft spot for Mr. Rogers.  Who else puts on a cardigan and changes their shoes upon entering their own home?  Having worn cardigans from the mens' section for several years now, I have always thought fondly of him as I slipped one on to shield myself from a wind chill.  Since today was incredibly windy and strangely cold (and I was feeling really lazy and had to spend most of time studying for a test and not choosing an outfit!), I decided to channel the neighborhood man and wear my oversized butter-yellow men's cardigan.  Paired with a super simple v-neck, my standard grey skinny denim, high-heeled oxfords, and my favorite vintage ring, it made for a decent cold/dismal/Wednesday/I-have-a-test-today outfit! Please excuse the boring outfit, boring post, and horrible dorm lighting!  

Cardigan, vintage; v-neck top, H&M; jeans, Cheap Monday;Oxfords, Made by Elves; Ring, Vintage

1,000 Words

The fantastic news is: I finally got a digital camera.  I know, you're probably all questioning yourselves as to whether I have spent some of my existence under a sizable rock.  I have to ask you all something, though.  While many blogs on my link list, whom I love, post their own outfits, is that something you'd dig seeing here?  I know a lot of people find inspiration in photographs of ensembles, including myself, so let me know.  I'll wait to hear back from some of you before my next post!  

 Sarcoxie, Missouri- Blouse, vintage; Cut offs, once H&M jeans; tights, bloch; moccasins, minnetonka.                                                   

Spring Broken

I know I've already neglected to post for far too long, and now I am announcing yet another hiatus. As it is Spring Break, I am going out of town. If I have some brilliant stroke of genius while in the Ozarks, and internet access, then I may just surprise you all with a post! Until then, I'll leave you with some photos I took the other day with my spectacular cousin as the model. All clothing with the exception of purple headband, heart necklace and black patent platforms are mine. Excuse the poor quality of the scans!

Day: Tuedsay, March 19th, 2008
Location: Verdi, KS
Styled by: Myself
Modeled by: Ashley


Coral Lace Dress, printed Scarf, and flower brooch: Vintage; heart necklace: model's own



Yellow Gingham Blouse: Vintage

Deer print scarf, Bowling Ball shirt, leather belt with tooled butterflies, button up skirt with flower print: Vintage, patent peep toe platforms: Target
Pink slip with chiffon overlay, floral printed babydoll blouse (worn under), and brown tweed blazer: Vintage; Ballet slippers: Capezio
Tuxedo shirt, mirrored sunglasses, floral print blouse: Vintage; Purple tights and black patent platforms: Target

Mirrored sunglasses, sheer printed blouse, black knit skirt, and white belt: Vintage; braided headband: Urban Outfitters; flat ankle boots: Steve Madden

Happy Spring Break to all!

"It's like...a totally important designer!"

Ahh, the nineties.  Being a kid was fantastic during that decade.  It meant I could wear whatever I wanted and people would smile as I was a funny and charming little girl, not a seriously deranged young adult.   I was introduced to grunge by my older brother and suddenly found it imperative that I wear the same combination flannels and converse--hot pink high tops with tweety bird, of course.  A Green Day shirt was worn probably every other week of third grade.  I sported my side pony-tail with pride and a scrunchie.  I donned an oversized t-shirt and leggings with my socks scrunched up over them and was so hip-happening (in my opinion).  However, I had a fashion epiphany after the viewing of a certain film that somewhat snapped me out of my Teen Spirit obsession.  

It was 1996, and my mom purchased Clueless on VHS for me.  Cher Horowitz became my style icon.  After viewing it multiple times and sufficiently memorizing the script (my first introduction to Alaia!), I wanted to appear as if I had stepped right of of Cher's Beverly Hills High School--even if I was only seven years old.  White knee socks and pleated skirts dominated my wardrobe, and I became strangely obsessed with plaids and argyles.  Luckily, I didn't gain a penchant for odd fur covered accessories ("It's faux!").  

So today,  I looked down at my black over-the-knee socks and thought about Clueless, and how my seven-year-old self would be so jealous of said socks.  My life doesn't look like a Noxzema commercial, but since I can get that pleasure from sliding the same VHS (yes--VHS!) out of the beat-up-but-loved box, it doesn't have to!  So whether you prefer, "fashion victim or ensemble-y challenged," there is absolutely no reason any fashion-loving human being with a sense of humor should by pass seeing Clueless.

Athletic Support

I understand that on the surface, fashion and athletics aren't typically complements of one another.  Not exactly the you-got-peanut-butter-in-my-chocolate type of romance that fashion has with say, music.  However, it is March.  Thus, it is time to go mad over college basketball. After seeing that my beloved Kansas Jayhawks are now Big 12 regular season champions, I came to the conclusion that that this blog could benefit from a little bit of athletic support.  While I couldn't come across any vintage photos of eighties KU basketball, this photo does the job of invoking some retro urges to wear hot pants in electric color combos, like saffron yellow and eggplant.  

Fashionistas everywhere are jumping on the thigh-high sock train. Whether or not you've got Dr. Jay's moves, you can still sport these athletic striped marigold (or whichever color you so desire!) socks from American Apparel.

Of course, basketball would be nothing without the hip footwear by Chuck Taylor.  While most ballers would require some ankle support, I'm opting for the low-tops in white (considering I already have seven other colors).  

While these classics would perfectly complement any easy spring ensemble, you could always add a little more urban pep to your step with some colored trainers, like these fabulous Nike Dunks.  Great with colored skinny jeans, or even with a pretty dress, a la Lilly Allen.

Cheering for the team is so much more fun in cool sneakers or colored socks than in a mini skirt turning cartwheels.  But even if you've got no team to support this year for March Madness, you can at least rock some of the aforementioned items--you'll be such a good sport!

Breaking a Sweat.

Firstly, I feel I should apologize for my week-long hiatus.  The Russian language took over my life for awhile this week, but things have since cooled down.  Also, to add to the delightfulness that this week has brought, I somehow managed to get sick.  This means the motivation I usually have to get dressed in the morning dropped to a somewhat nonexistent level.  This past Wednesday, as I was feeling particularly dismal, I wore my boyfriend's XL size grey thermal tucked into very worn in (read: worn to near-shreds) black skinny denim and  a super awesome, vintage, buttery taupe leather belt with a huge gold buckle as my saving grace.  My boyfriend saw me and said I looked, "hastily dressed."  While that was indeed true, I was mostly thinking I was rocking a look inspired by Yves Saint Laurent!  Alright, so sweatshirts aren't exactly a Le Smoking jacket, but when paired with the right belt, high waisted mini skirt, or slim pant, they have the ability to add a slouchy sophistication.  

You can test out the above YSL Spring 2008 look yourself, sans monogram, with any supple grey knit you so desire!  I am lucky enough to have pilfered the aforementioned top from my boyfriend, but this one from American Apparel is unisex, and doesn't appear to have too much bulk to it.  

Of course, YSL should be commended for bringing sweatshirt dressing onto the runway, but we all know Jennifer Beales should probably be getting some credit for making the sweatshirt an actual trend.  So go ahead, find a sweatshirt and wear it like a maniac.