Scarf Bandit

So, how horrible of a blogger am I?  Don't say it!  I already know!  Abandoning the blog for a weeks time is unfortunate.  With only 9 days of classes left until finals though, I have been running ultra low on inspiration and even lower on the amount of time to devote to things that don't involve school/getting my life together to move back home for the summer.  While I have to admit that during some lecture classes I've spent more time dreaming of the ultimate summer wardrobe or what I'm going to wear to see Death Cab For Cutie than paying the utmost attention to things like the correlations between unemployment and inflation, I swear I have had a lot of actual school work to do as I'm sure most of you have!  With little time on my hands and chronically over sleeping, I have re-discovered the power of accessories.  You could say I have somewhat of an affinity for scarves.  They're so versatile, though.  Worn around a neck (like Faye Dunaway as Bonnie), through belt loops, saronged at the waist, in hair, or even twisted into a makeshift top: scarves can do about a million things. 

 

Although scarves in the hair have been a little too played out by Nicole Richie, they have roots! A head scarf was a necessity on a windy day as to not ruin a fly new 'do.   I've always wanted to pull off this style, displayed here by icon Edie Sedgwick:

...But, I'm afraid it would turn out a bit too much like this:

This site includes directions and step by step illustrations on how to tie scarves into various kinds of tops, etc.  For myself, I plan on tying scarves over a fitted solid t-shirt or tank, but for those of you who could pull off wearing a colorful square alone, do it!  Floaty scarves can take an otherwise bland outfit to a different place with of the moment floral, batik, or neon color block prints.  I have a pretty vast collection, ranging from birds perched on branches to surreal floral print with scalloped edges.  All of them have been collected from thrift stores, and I'm sure I have yet to wear every one yet.  

On  a non-scarf note, I leave you with my newest vintage find.  Cherry leather pixie boots that I will make appropriate for Spring!  

I am it (and the Russian side of Spring)

I have been tagged...the lovely Romany tagged me earlier in the week, and now I am finally following through!



Here are the rules:
1. Link the person(s) who tagged you.
2. Mention the rules in your blog.
3. Write about 6 unspectacular quirks of yours.
4. Tag 6 following bloggers by linking them.
5. Leave a comment on each of the tagged blogger's blogs letting them know they've been tagged.
So....I'm choosing to just write random facts about myself as opposed to 'unspectacular quirks.' I like it better this way...



1. I refuse to set my alarm at a time ending with a multiple of five. If I want to get up at 9:45, I pick either 9:42 or 9:47
2. I am strangely picky about meats. I will eat lunch meat turkey, but not a roast turkey. I will eat a corndog, but not a hotdog. I will eat glazed ham, but never lunch meat ham. I only eat chicken off the bone. And I just dislike beef in general.

3. I grew up in a town (or rather village) that consists of under twenty of my relatives. I played in fields and had picnics on railroad bridges. Actually, I still do that.
4. I HATE wearing heels under four inches. I feel anything less, even though I'm 5'8", makes me look stumpy.
5. I went to the same school, every school day of my life, for 13 years. And there were 32 people in my graduating class, probably over half of which I had been going to school with all of those 13 years.
6. I am in an eye-makeup rut. I have been wearing the same winged black eyeliner style for the past four years.



I tag...

EVERYONE. Seriously, if you're reading this...I just tagged you.



And, for your viewing pleasure, here are photos from an April 2008 Vogue Russian editorial featuring Sasha Pivavarova. I like to look at covers from Vogue Russia just to see how much I can actually read, but these photos really caught my eye. I love how even though the editorial is for April, they didn't feel the need to include obligatory (albeit fabulous!) neons, florals, or floaty dresses. I will always have an affinity for juxtapositions! I seriously want that USSR shirt, slick little leather jacket, sheer black dress with hardware embellishments, and of course those amazing heels that incorporate rope, wood, and metal studs. I also feel the need to find a deep crimson lipstick worthy of a 40's screen siren, smudge my liner and muss up my hair a bit. If only the outcome would look half as cool as Sasha's!

For more Russian Fashion check out the Facehunter! He's in Moscow right now!

photos, The Fashion Spot

Seeing Double

Every time I go home, I spend my Saturday morning thrifting.  I have a thing about buying boys' Ralph Lauren Polo plaids, and happened to find another one at my local DAV.  I believe it to be the perfect (non-madras!) plaid for Spring.  With short sleeves and bright colors, it will be easy to pair with nearly anything.  After returning back to Lawrence, I got to catch up on my blog/website reading.  And what did I see on the Sartorialist, but a photo of a girl looking fabulous in a similar style plaid to what I had just purchased!  I really love her look, and it seems as if she is one of the few people who could pull it off.  She keeps up the preppy trope with the khaki cargos, but adds some edge with the boots and utilitarian style belt.  I think I may just take a cue from here and wear mine tucked in, probably to something high waisted, with a great belt.  And since I am a huge advocate of feminine pieces being juxtaposed with boyish styles, the high-waisted something will probably be a skirt!  Photo of my shirt, just for the record...

Some other vintage finds I amassed over the weekend. More cardigans in more colors, navy keds, Pierre Cardin 60's pajama top I plan on wearing outside my bedroom, leather skirt, and floral print bag with wooden handle and door-knocker style detail.  Not as impressive as usual, unfortunately, but I should be slowing my thrifting down anyways.  I have run out of drawer space and hangers...and I have to move all of my stuff back home in about a month.  Yikes.

Milk-Maid Braids and Flowers.

Now that I am (sadly) sinking back into reality and coming off of my National Championship high (but not completely!  I will probably be on that high at least a little bit for life), I have returned!  Today started out fairly nice, clear, and sunny.  I even needed sunglasses most of the day, and shielded myself from wind with just my little leather jacket.  I left my journalism class at 4:15 and the weather had become unfortunately overcast and chilly.  I just want a big chunk of nice weather, is that too much to ask?  My boyfriend and myself went out to celebrate our 20 month anniversary and it started to rain, a cold, visible breath kind of rainy-ness.  So lame!  No matter, though, I still wore milk-maid inspired plaits in my hair and a floral dress...One of my favorite dresses.  Partly because I got it for one dollar, but mostly because it is the best floral print ever.  Also, I don't know if anyone else does this, but I buy my opaque tights from the discount dance website.  After being a dancer, I've realized that no tights are as durable and truly opaque.  My recommendation to you.  

Floral print mini-dress, leather belt, and bangles, vintage; tights, bloch dance; high heeled oxfords, built by elves.  

PS: If you are a fan of street style, culture, clothing...hell, even if you WEAR clothes, you need to check out the Midwasteland based in Chicago.  Another plus, I will be a contributing writer in the near future...thanks, Monica!  

My apologies

I must say sorry for my lack of posts.  However, it has been an incredibly busy weekend with little time to ponder actual post ideas.  Why?  Oh, just because I go to a university that has the rad-est Basketball team in the nation.  My KU Jayhawks defeated the number one team in the country, North Carolina on Saturday, sending us to the National Championship, which was in San Antonio.  The last time we went was 2003, when we played Syracuse.  I remember watching us lose and shedding a few tears as I sat on the rug in front of the television at my house.  Last night though, we upset Memphis in overtime.  It was incredible.  I watched with 10,000 others at our legendary home court, Allen Fieldhouse.  I laughed, I screamed my vocal chords raw, and I cried this time, too.  Tears of unbelievable joy that our team held the title of best in the nation, one I knew they deserved after such a fantastic season.  I could attempt to describe the situation, but that would be totally futile.  Especially since I went into this just aiming to apologize for not posting.  But, classes were canceled today.  Festivities went on long into the night/morning on Massachusetts Street.  Basically, life is great.  I love KU.  

The end of my 'sorry' post that was completely unrelated to fashion.  

About Face.

I, like many other fashion/culture obsessed folks, am pretty religious about checking out Yvan the facehunter. I can always rely on his photography to serve as some inspiration for my sartorial choices.  There is always an abundance of unexpected combinations of colors, prints, and textures.  Because of his photographs, I have seriously considered rompers (I have yet to find one that is just right), worn sequins casually for day, figured out how to work over the knee socks in a way that isn't reminiscent of a slutty Halloween costume, and have been totally saved in the crucial moments before I am about to go out for the night and have NO IDEA about what I'm going to wear and there are a million articles of clothing already strewn about my room.  Yesterday was dark, gloomy, rainy, and so cold I could see my breath.  So not cool for April!  It's days like that when I have little to zero motivation to get out of bed let alone dress myself and face the elements.  With such little enthusiasm, my inspiration for an outfit was running on empty.  Then, I remembered the outfit I had saved to my desktop!  

I am obsessed with the rosette skirt.  If any of you know of where to find one: TELL ME.  The dark floral is something I would like to see more of.  It would be great way to wear florals on a night out this spring or summer.  Beyond that first stunning point, there are the sheer tights, which I haven't really flirted with yet, but there is a sexy smokiness to them that makes me think more Film Noir and less Warhol Factory Film than my beloved opaque black stockings.  Then she adds the fringed booties, which we know I have quite the affinity for, which adds a bohemian element to the dark look.  I'm a big fan of this Urban Hippie look that's on the rise, and I feel that the suede fringe adds just the right amount of this element to the look.  She also broke the whole, no-black-with-navy rule, which should definitely be thrown out, as most rules of fashion should.  The glossiness of her jacket and supple looking bag juxtapose her delicate looking tights and moccasin booties to perfection.  Obviously, I could not create a carbon copy of this bruise-palette ensemble, partly because I am not adorable and blonde, and partly because I am unfortunately lacking an amazing rosette skirt.  I really wanted to add a pair of elf-like Steve Madden fold over flat ankle boots, but the weather would not allow...

Black Dress (worn under shirt), cropped leather jacket, and buffalo plaid rain boots, Urban Outfitters; Sheer Navy T-shirt, really old; Grey tights, DKNY.

Playing Favorites

It all started with the t-shirt for me.  When I really got into thrifting around six years ago, all I bought were strange, vintage t-shirts.  My habits have yet to change.  Every time I find myself in a DAV or Goodwill, I bolt for the kids' section in search of another gem to add my huge collection.  With such an ample supply, it is hard for me to choose a favorite...kind of.  I have narrowed it down with three to show you.  All are thread-bare and soft as butter, some with questionable markings from owners past.  The tags have frayed or just come off completely.  And I love them just as I love some of the beautiful vintage dresses I own.  I like to see myself as an equal opportunity wearer.  Even if you consider yourself a fashionista of the highest standards, I don't care: Girl has got to have her t-shirts.  

Pictured above is a shirt that I've only had for the past year, maybe.   Yeah...I don't get it either.  

Alright, so this isn't really vintage.  Unless you see 1998 as far enough in the past to be considered vintage.  This shirt I actually stole from my boyfriend.  It's a souvenir from his boy scout camp.  He got free reign to decorate a t-shirt, and this is how it turned out.  Puffy paint never looked so regal.   
Few things are better than sporting an artistically illustrated Captain Kirk and Spok.  This shirt was wedged between about a million others in a huge, bi-annual, hospital rummage sale.  The date of copyright on the shirt is 1985, I think.  I'm not sure how successful Star Trek IV was, but I thank my lucky stars that it produced this t-shirt for my wearing pleasure.  Not pictured (but should be!) is my "We are the World" shirt, which I WILL include on this blog sometime.  Honorable mention to: My Alf 1987 shirt.  You put up a good fight.  

And, because I have pictures, today's outfit!

Eyelet Dress, Kimichi and Blue; Green Cardigan, pink 40's deco belt, vintage; tights, bloch; mouse flats, Marc by Marc Jacobs.