Shorter, Faster, Louder

As a self-proclaimed shorty, I've been dealing with my (lack of) height nearly all my life. In elementary school, I was constantly teased for my shortcomings (get it?!). Nowadays, I can't believe I was so bothered by being called short. I mean, seriously, so what? You're seven inches taller than me. And...? Though I don't despise my height anymore (which hovers somewhere between 5'1-5'3, depending on the driver's license), it certainly affects my life. On the plus side, I never have to duck going under doorways or worrying about smacking my head on a low hanging branch. Not to mention dudes seem to love tiny girls. Something about seeming big and manly and protective or something.

On the negative, going to shows means I always have to stand right against the stage or I can't see anything. Movie theaters must be scouted out at least fifteen minutes prior to the start, to ensure that I don't get stuck behind some beanpole with a large head. And I'm probably one of the few people who must make sure every house I live in has a giant step stool, so that I can put way dishes on the top shelves or change lightbulbs or even hang up posters.

Fashion is by far the worst aspect of being short. Though heels help, I feel as though I'm constantly struggling to disguise my height, lengthening my body by playing with proportion. I'm in awe of girls like Sara of Waiting 2 Be A Millionaire, Elizabeth of Delightfully Tacky, and Mel of Idée Géniale. All fall under the 5'4 marker, but you could never tell looking at their photos. They're stylish, creative, and know how to dress their bodies. I'm constantly taking tips, but man, some days I just feel short. Oh to be 5'9....I can only dream!

How do you guys deal with your least favorite body features?

Tank Top: H&M

Dress Shirt: H&M
Jeans: Forever 21

Belt: Vintage (Sweet Jane- Philadelphia, PA)

Wedges: Spring

Sunglasses: Forever 21

Beach Gray

After the whirlwind bazaar that was my outfit yesterday, it's refreshing to slip back into my monochrome comfort zone. My first thought was a head-to-toe, all black look, but I desperately wanted to show off these incredible boots I picked up from Sweet Jane yesterday! They're sooooo comfortable AND super on-trend right now. I've picked up this nasty habit of falling in love with of-the-moment shoes that I can't spend mre than a couple hours in, but I can see myself walking all over the city in these babies. They're also super cycling friendly, which is always a plus!

I bought all these cute bandeau tops over the winter, but with a handful of exceptions, I haven't really worn them. When have, they're almost completely hidden. This cute little black and white striped bandeau seemed to fit in perfectly with my shades of gray look. It keeps everything PG-13 and ties the look together, while adding some fun flair. I'm looking forward to incorporating more of these versatile little tops into my summer wardrobe.

Tank Top: Forever 21

Bandeau: BDG

Jeans: H&M
Boots: Vintage (Sweet Jane- Philadelphia, PA)

Sunglasses: Forever 21

The Fabulous Five

A huge thank you to Lisa at Starship Narcissus for including me in her monthly feature The Fabulous Five! Check out the kind words she had for me below:

(click to enlarge)

Please be sure to show Lisa some love at http://starshipnarcissus.blogspot.com/!

Poor and Weird

You know when something is so wrong....that maybe it's right? I think that's what I've got going on with this outfit today.

I mean, what's going on here? Bright orange frog print skirt mixed with a gauzy floral top? Yeah I know, it's weird. It's also a completely thrifted outfit (minus the belt and sunglasses), so maybe that doesn't help. But I think I kind of like it. I was remarking to my boyfriend earlier that I'm loving this new trend of mismatching prints, because it's like my wardrobe suddenly extended three-fold! I'm a sucker for buying garments with an interesting pattern, only to realize once I bring it home that I've got nothing to match them with. Were this a few seasons ago, this skirt would probably never see the light of day. But now I'm free to run around looking like I got dressed in the dark!

As I mentioned above, the top, skirt, and shoes are all second hand. I found an awesome new thrift store a few blocks from my house today with rock bottom prices. I bought 2 tops, 1 belt, 2 scarves, and a button down for Ray and it cost me $8.35! Dismally for my wallet, the skirt came from Sweet Jane, which has a great vintage collection but is a bit steep with their pricing. But where else would I find such a unique skirt?

Top: Thrifted (American Thrift- Philadelphia, PA)

Skirt: Vintage (Sweet Jane- Philadelphia, PA)

Belt: H&M

Shoes: Thrifted (Village Thrift- Philadelphia, PA)

Sunglasses: Urban Outfitters

She Was Only In It For The Rain

I feel as though I spend an inordinate amount of time on this blog commenting on the weather. Yes, the temperature and various things falling from the sky (or lack thereof) influences what I happen to drape myself in that day. But I feel as though I come across as that person who comments "beautiful weather we're having, huh?" during a lull in the conversation and actually means to engage you in a dialogue about said weather. No, no, I shall not be that person. I will leave it at this: It is gray and raining today, but despite this, I still dragged myself on to the roof because I've shot inside the past three shoots. What I really mean by all this is "hey give me a gold star, look how brave and selfless I am!". I think I'm going to reward myself with an Oreo.

Today's outfit is a typical of example of how certain pieces, no matter how dearly I love them or how plain and classic, are not easy to style. Take for instance this denim pencil skirt. Simple no? Everyone knows how to pair a pencil skirt. It goes with anything! Yeah, well tell that to my hip to waist ratio. Nothing was sitting right, no matter how many tops I tried on. I think I counted at least four tops and five belt combinations before I found something that worked. And in the end, I still end up looking like an extra from West Side Story. Well, whatever, I like it.

I'm fairly certain I'm going through an obsession with scarves right now. Scarves as bandannas! Scarves as belts! Scarves as head-wear! On a day like today, I'm particularly fond of the latter for its two-fold approach. 1) It lets me keep it in the same messy bun that I put it in earlier this morning to brush my teeth 2) It hides the havoc that all this rain and humidity is bound to reek on my hair. Way to go scarf!

Tank Top: Forever 21

Skirt: American Apparel

Belt: Old Navy

Scarf: Thrifted (Village Thrift- Pennsauken, NJ)

Shoes: Vintage (Buffalo Exchange- Philadelphia, PA)

Sunglasses: Forever 21

I Hate Your Guts On Sunday

Thanks to everyone for their well wishes on Friday when I was in my funk. I appreciate everyone who took the time to comment and leave a kind word or two. It's really incredible to see how far a blog that I started on a whim has reached. Thanks all!

Sometimes I feel weird about posting outfits on this blog that I already wore, especially dresses, which are hard to vary too much. Unfortunately, I don't have the kind of disposable income that's required to keep my wardrobe constantly rotating. Part of the reason I started blogging was to stretch the limits of my closet; for how big it is, I felt as though I was getting stuck in the habit of wearing the same clothes over and over. I've definitely rediscovered some old gems, but restyling dresses has been the biggest challenge.

One of my favorite blogs, Time Enough For Drums, recently featured a five-piece series of different ways to style scarves. As one of my favorite new accessories, I was all ears as Annie chronicled many new techniques I was unaware of. One of the standouts was the "just belt it" style. At first it looked odd to me, but (As Annie also noted) I started noticing tons of girls on Chictopia rocking the style recently. The more I saw, the more I liked it. This large scarf and tied belt dramatically change the dress from the last time I wore it. What do you guys think?

Dress: Delia's

Scarf: Unknown

Belt: Old Navy

Boots: Nature Breeze

Glasses: Urban Outfiters

Frustration

Today is not my day. My phone is broken, I didn't get a job interview, all my shots came out blurry, and I'm having serious writers block. Because of that, I'm only posting pictures today. Maybe I'll wake up in a better, more productive mood tomorrow.

T

Top: H&M

Skirt: Thrifed (Retrospect- Philadelphia, PA)

Belt: H&M

Wedge Boots: Spring

Sunglasses: Urban Outfitters

Lip color: MAC Lipglass in Pink Poodle

Good, Good Things

First things first- I made a logo banner last night! I was going for an art nouveau feel...What do you guys think?

I'm happy to say I've got my first major fashion project since I left art school in 2006. I don't want to spill too many details yet, especially since I'm not 100% sure what my exact involvement will be yet, but we're looking at at least a 5,000 turnout. Needless to say, I'm a mix of excited, nervous, doubting my capabilities, and about to vomit. I'm meeting with the organizer later this afternoon so I will have more information shortly!

So here's my new summer romper I picked up at Village Thrift earlier this week! It's.......loud. Very. Loud. But I love the fantastic retro qualities when combined with thick glasses and sky high heels. And look how tall I look! I never look tall!! I'm still debating if this is wearable outside...certainly not in my neighborhood if I want to avoid being groped by the weirdos that hang out at the bar next to our apartment. But maybe, if paired with a cropped jacket and black tights, it could be appropriate for a fun night out with the girls or hitting up a trendy bar. Am I kidding myself?

I've recently been hunkering for some big, chunky bracelets. I don't own any because I've got impossibly small wrists. Every bracelet I've ever bought or borrowed has fallen off by the end of the day. Until I find the perfect fit, I've been coming up with alternatives to traditional jewelry. Yesterday, I used a scarf and today and I wrapped a necklace around my wrist like a rosary. Appropriately, there's a bicycle pendant instead of a cross. I'm pretty stoked on this new way to wear one of my favorite pieces of jewelry.

Romper: thrifted Forever 21 (Village Thrift- Pennsauken, NJ)
Heels: thrifted  (Philly AIDS Thrift- Philadelphia, PA)
Glasses: Urban Outfitters
Necklace/bracelet: Gift from Amanda Hanstein