the clothes 2011

I am not the best tour guide (partly because I have only lived here for about a year) and I have a terrible sense of direction which means even when I attempt to lead a tour I will likely lead everyone astray. Despite this I attempted to visit every beautiful place I know while my friend was visiting. We hiked on Mt. Rainier, around Puget Sound's more quiet corners, explored abandoned military bunkers, caught some of the local music, and ate a lot of chocolate in between. These pictures are from our trip down to Oregon for a brief visit of Portland and Multnomah Falls. We got lucky with the weather and as always, the waterfalls were gorgeous.

It has been stated that what a girl carries in her purse says a lot about her. While I can show and tell you what’s in my bag, I am definitely unable to analyze it for you—so you’ll have to draw your own conclusions from these hints and pictures. I require a fairly large purse on hand because I like to be able to carry my camera and a book nearly everywhere I go, but other than that I try to be sparing in what I tote around. For example, one of things that makes me think I’m not a girly-girl is that I don’t travel with any make-up—whatever I put on in the morning has to last all day…Other items that frequently make an appearance in the bag: my ipod, a few pens and my notebook, and a water bottle.




What's in my bag (clockwise from bottom):

We've had a couple of days of sunshine and when the temperatures hop from the 40s to the 60s I feel as if I'm actually experiencing summer...however mild that warmth might seem to others. So much of life is a matter of perspective and comparisons anyway...

I love the details and quality of this little sleeveless blouse from Family Affairs. It's just one of those classic pieces that will truly be timeless; I paired it with my leather skirt for some subtle contrast in style and fabric. Perhaps one day I will be able to wear clean-cut collared shirts with prim little skirts, but for now I'd rather play with elements of soft and hard, preppy and rocker.

Outfit details:

Family Affairs Monterey shirt

secondhand leather skirt

Seychelles heels (gift from my sisters)

Brixton hat

A leather yellow skirt can't really change it's shape for a remix, but there's still a variety of outfits that can be built with it; here are a few ways I've worn it in the past.

When I first saw the illustrations of Eveline Tarunadjaja they resonated powerfully with me. It was no wonder then to read her biography and learn how she was inspired by fiction, unrequited love, and art nouveau. Her delicate use of detail and fluid lines is decidedly like my favorite period in art, while the subject matter gives rejuvenation to the old style. The artwork of an old soul in this modern world?

all art by Eveline Tarunadjaja

I think trouser socks are going to be my new spring/summer signature. So far I only have one pair (these), but hopefully that will change soon. They're made of a super lightweight nylon so they won't make my feet ridiculously hot when it's warm outside, but add a bit of personal style and perhaps a touch of androgyny to an otherwise simple outfit.

I just received this amazing Carpenter Bee Bag courtesy of my newest sponsor Spotted Moth. It is quite clearly inspired by one of those "it" bags, but is thankfully a fraction of the cost. The bag is surprisingly lightweight considering all the hardware on it. My new carry-all to take with me whenever I need to carry my world on my arm? Oh yes.

As you might be able to tell from the water marks on my tights, I fell into the Sound while taking these pictures. The soles of secondhand shoes are not the best for adventuring. I am beginning to sense a pattern here where I wear inadvisable shoes out and about, but I refuse to dress like many Northwesterners who look like they can leave their coffee shops to go hike a mountain. It's been awhile since I seriously injured myself, so I think I'm doing just fine.

I always enjoy when current trends can be channeled with vintage garments; it's a nice little sartorial contradiction. A big trend this spring and summer has been lace and my lovely sponsor Twitch Vintage is giving one airy vintage blouse to a reader! As you can see from the images, the lace blouse is loose-fitting and sheer; it is pictured with a nude shell and should fit several sizes. The exact measurements are: 39" bust, 38" waist, 21" length.



To Enter:
-visit Twitch Vintage
-come back and leave a link to your favorite item in the comments
-open to International readers, the winner will be chosen on 5/31, only one entry per person!

Twitter followers know that I took a brief trip into Canada recently; specifically my family visited Vancouver. Rather predictably for us we spent most of our time exploring Stanley Park comparing it to similar parks in the Northwest of the United States. It was a nice little break from my usual routine even if I didn't take many pictures or was able to visit many vintage shops...