the clothes 2011

I am preparing to hit the road (tomorrow). I will be venturing to Kansas City (by way of Oklahoma City) for a few days to visit one of my sisters and then taking a road trip through various states and national parks to conclude in Washington State again. I've been itching for some new scenery, so I'm quite excited about this trip, though that has not made me finish my packing in a timely fashion...I will continue to update and post when and if possible.

Also, I had a mini-swoon when I stumbled across the bird claws available at Talonalia. I snagged myself the Magpie necklace because magpies are attracted to shiny objects and are notorious thieves--that is the type of bird I can associate with. I'd love to get my hands on the Owl too and layer them...
Outfit details: sweater- Banana Republic, dress- Urban Outfitters, tights- Forever 21, shoes- Bona Drag, bag- Shopruche, talon necklace- TalonaliaP.S. This dress is the one I remixed here.

I like this one because I'm gazing skyward as if pondering the meaning of life...details: dress- vintage, blazer- H&M, tights- UO, shoes- vintage

This one is great because the smile is genuine since a friend of mine walked up as it was getting snapped. details: dress- H&M, belt- vintage, socks- Thank You Mart, shoes- Seychelles

I love this one because I'm staring at my feet...like they're fascinating. details: dress- ASOS, fascinator- vintage, tights- Target, shoes- Nine West

One of my absolute favorite photographers of all time is Rodney Smith. His images always strike me as perfectly poised; they are a stark combination of realism and whimsical thought. Elegant is another descriptor that comes to mind when viewing his photographs: the women are always chic and the men dapper.

He shoots in film and has a new book of images coming out, so I know what will be on my Christmas list!

I'm not a Washingtonian by birth and only made my own transition out here earlier this summer, so I'm only starting to get familiar with the "blogging scene" here. A happy discovery is the site Needle+Thread, a Seattle based street fashion sites that proves it's not all lumberjacks in plaid out here. I also recently had the pleasure to meet Kam Martin, the brilliant photographer/designer/genius behind Needle+Thread. She shot some great pictures and interviewed me for her Seattle P-I blog at a sculpture park in Seattle. It was a bright, lovely day and a nice opportunity to get out of the countryside and practice my terrible city driving and parallel parking...You can read the bio here; I particularly enjoyed answering the questions about my style evolution and how I dressed in high school. Thanks again for everything, Kam!

Outfit details: dress- Ivy Blue, vest- a gift from my sister, tights- Target, shoes- secondhand, bag- Shopruche.com

Then followed that beautiful season... Summer....
Filled was the air with a dreamy and magical light; and the landscape
Lay as if new created in all the freshness of childhood.
~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Summer is my favorite season. I adore long days that stretch on seemingly without end; even without air conditioning the sensation of sweltering under the bright sun is welcome and warms me to the core. The vivid colors and the heavy air laden with scents is a delight to my senses. I could happily live in state of endless summer and trade all my tights for lightweight shift-dresses, my two pairs of boots for more peep-toe flats, and my lengthening hair for a pixie cut. But before I am prepared for it this season will end and cold weather will descend on me like a plague...

Outfit details: dress- H&M, bag- Shopruche, shoes- Urban Outfitters, ring- gift from my sister, flower- craft store

Mad Men is returning to television this month. I, for one, can not wait.

There's a really interesting article here with Janie Bryant, the costume designer of the show.

I was thinking about personal style recently...to me, personal style is a reflection of the individual; it is a form of expression and a nonverbal communication to the world. That said, if our style becomes consistently the same, does that mean we are no longer progressing? If we claim that our style reflects us, then shouldn't it be in constant evolution because shouldn't we be in constant growth? Does this mean that personal style is not a state of being but rather a process? Can we describe our style in adjectives or should we be using verbs? The whole contemplation leaves me with more questions than answers...
Well, in the favor of non-stagnation I got this dress on sale from Urban Outfitters. A simple little black dress like this can be styled in so many ways--I'm especially liking the idea of layering a sweater over it in the winter, but it was so hot when I tried to take the pictures that most of the looks in this remix are summery.

fascinator- vintage, tights- Betsey Johnson via Modcloth, shoes- vintage

scarf- my mother's, shoes- H&M

scarf- secondhand, vest- gift from a friend, shoes- Nine West, bangle- Marc Jacobs via eBay

fascinator- vintage, belt- secondhand, tights- Target, shoes- Nine West, bag- gift

striped dress- H&M, shoes- Urban Outfitters

jacket- Forever 21, belt- secondhand, shoes- Urban Outfitters

belt- vintage, skirt- secondhand, shoes- Marshalls
Also, the winner of the ShopRuche handbag (chosen by random number generator) is: Claradevi of Sunflares Plethora. Congratulations!

Vee Spears's stark images of children in homemade costumes titled "The Birthday Party" is an interesting play on contrasts. The children are dressed whimsically but stare at us with somber expressions. They remind us of childhood, but don't grant us any of the innocence of those years.