the clothes 2011

Lately, I have written a number of bitter diatribes, but I have resisted posting them. Certainly, I could express distaste on a wide variety of topics (sexism, hate comments, and misconceptions). However, this blog is rather like my secret garden and why should I allow my own words to bring weeds or plagues into my soil? There is enough negativity in the world, so let's hope I allow some positivity to linger here for awhile longer.

In this strain, I will not complain about the rain storm outside, but rather celebrate the cooler weather and look forward to the opportunity to layer more tomorrow. Today I took my look from day to evening by layering a cardigan over my AA U-neck dress for work.

Outfit details: skirt- Forever 21, cardigan- some shop in Japan, dress- American Apparel, shoes- Urban Outfitters

P.S. Check out the temporary poll I listed on right. I'm curious to see what people think.

Nothing says summer to me like self-education and exploration of new interests. With free time you have the opportunity to investigate various items that previously only lurked on the outskirts of your conscious. For me, I am setting out to discover the mystery of "french chic." It seems, this late in life (^_-) I have become a Francophile...

To begin with, we start with print. A copy of "Parisiennes: A Celebration of French Women" is currently residing on my bedside to be browsed through in free moments, my nose pressed to the glossy pages as I try to absorb the details in each image. (Bonus points for listening to Edith Piaf while "studying.")

Next comes French cinema, sweeping from the romantic, to the tragic and all the musicals in between. "A Woman is A Woman," "The Young Girls of Rochefort," "The Umbrellas of Cherbourg," and "Breathless," are a few I have watched recently (of these I must name "A Woman is A Woman" as my favorite). My current screen goddess obsessions are Anna Karina and Catherine Deneuve.

Jonathon Saunders Resort 2009 caught my eye. A lot of the looks reminded me of updated fairytale princesses for some reason (which is a look I'm currently really into), but mostly I was intrigued by some of the layered and draped hemlines I saw.

With a few safety pins I decided to attempt such a hemline for myself. I like the results, once again my trusty Forever 21 jersey dress was a malleable as I could desire.

Outfit details: dress- Forever 21, skirt (under)- American Apparel, shoes- Saltwater Sandals, belt- secondhand

Some streetart is truly beautiful...and subtle.

//EDIT:// Just an update, I wrote a little blurp on dressing for the busty-er woman and it's up on Everybody Is Ugly (which is a fabulous blog by the way). It is a bit outside of my usual formula to give advice, but I have some experience in being a well-endowed female. ^_-

It is inevitable that once one puts oneself on a ban, temptation will occur--after all, it is human nature. However, I didn't expect for such alluring prospects to emerge so quickly! To begin with Urban Outfitters is having an online 20% off all of their items already on sale, sale. Next, I discover that the delectable Effie is selling a dress that I have coveted since before she decided to part with it--I wanted to discover where she was living and steal it from her the first time I saw it months ago. The fact that it is too big is great motivation to resist. So, my willpower is stronger than my desires...for now.

Outfit details: shirt- Urban Outfitters, skirt- Gap, shoes- vintage, Lucite bow pin- vintage

In order to curb my impulse shopping and most definitely my online shopping, I am self-imposing a unique shopping ban. My reasons are simple: I need to save money (many thoughts/plans swirling through my head), I don't need more (I just want it really bad), it's silly to keep buying things when I need to think about packing stuff away, and I already am awaiting packages to arrive the mail!

The ban is this: no shopping until I finish reading "War and Peace." Good, eh? Motivation to actually finish the book and kind to my wallet! I checked the book out yesterday and I intend to start today. Wish me luck!

More views of the shoes are per requests.

With the onset of summer I find myself with much more free time in the evenings. Yes, my days are more jam-packed and I am exhausted from the early hours, but my afternoon time is my own--no homework, no obligations. I'm also usually rather socialized out and just want to lie around by the end of the day, so this is the perfect time to get busy on some of the DIYs that have been piling up in my head for awhile. My first project so far is this button collar. I like how all the buttons are randomly thrown together and in a variety of sizes but stay with a common color theme to keep them from being too busy. Onwards to the next project!

Outfit details: shirt- Urban Outfitters customized by me, skirt- secondhand, belt- vintage via an antique store, shoes- Nine West via Amazon.com

Thrifted this dress yesterday. Shortened it last night. Wore it today. Snapped the pictures at lunch. Isn't life grand sometimes?
dress- vintage, secondhand, shoes- Dr.Scholls, necklace charm- China Town

I harbor this not-so-secret desire to be a graffiti artist. I find some streetart very selfless--like the fact that you're creating art for others to see and appreciate but by the very nature of your creation you must remain anonymous.

The sheer creativity envoked by streetart artists is nothing short of amazing. The latest endeavor I have stumbled across is legos being added to the cobblestones in a village in Italy. Legos seem to be a very trendy item lately and now they're even popping up in streetart. More here.

I was thinking today how in many fairy tales or fantasy stories mysterious worlds are hidden in the most innocuous places. A mundane wardrobe of old clothes leads to the magical land of Narnia, on the other side of a looking glass lurks a world of wonder, and even a natural disaster such as a tornado can lead to mysteries beyond our knowing. The message I take from these stories is that even the most ordinary items holds the potential for extraordinary events and creatures—even more reason to enjoy antique stores and old abandoned homes, no? There’s something to be said for appreciating the everyday items around that maybe everyone has, but you haven’t fully explored…

I was tagged by Pamcasso of Square Old Soul to list seven songs that I'm currently into. The exact rules are: “List seven songs you are into right now. No matter what the genre, whether they have words, or even if they’re not any good, but they must be songs you’re really enjoying now, shaping your spring. Post these instructions in your blog along with your 7 songs. Then tag 7 other people to see what they’re listening to.”

Today's outfit is channelling the clean, preppy look I see on many Scandinavian blogs. It really reads American classic to me with the jean jacket and white sneakers--such American elements.

I'm sure many of you are aware of my slight obsession with Brigitte Bardot. To me, her most inspiring look is an outfit she wears in Le Mepris. This outfit is hardly identical to that one, but it gives me a similar attitude when I wear it. I feel slightly as if I am channeling early Bardot.

There's something of French simplicity that can't be beat. I just wonder if I will ever be elegant enough to pull off the look.