Blonde Redhead

Nothing much to report for the old blog (It's a v-neck and skinny jeans kind of day), but hark! I finally touched up my routes! I had completely forgotten how bothersome blond hair is.

Selective Inspiration

I've been in a bit of a clothes slump lately. I'm bored to death of my current wardrobe, but I've got no money for a shopping spree. I recently splurged at Forever 21, and after paying my credit card bill the other day, it's safe to say that's not going to be happening any time soon. I love what Kendi Everyday is doing with her 30 for 30 challenge, but to be frank, I've been remixing some of the pieces in my closet since high school. I'm officially in a rut.

Needless to say, I take notice when I see another blogger create a great outfit out of items that may possibly be lurking in my closet. Thank god for Google Reader's ability to "star" blog posts, because otherwise I may have totally forgotten about this post from Tieka at Selective Potential.

Right away, I knew I could recreate her warm and cozy, yet functional, outfit. Actually, I even have the pieces to create a near-carbon copy, but I opted to throw my own spin on it. Inspiration is one thing, but straight up copying is another. Instead, I opted to modify this look to include my favorite fall colorway- navy blue and light brown. I also skipped the knit hat, because I look incredible silly in those. I bought one about three years ago and I have yet to wear it. The socks are actually above-the-knee style, but I think I like them even better scrunched down like this. And, of course, the shoes. I really don't mean to keep wearing them, and I swear I do wear other footwear, but hey- the look called for them!

Overall, I'm really pleased with this look. It required buying nothing new, yet is a pairing I've never tried before. Thanks for the inspiration, Tieka!

Shirt: Forever 21

Sweater: Adriana (New Deal Clothing- Santa Cruz, CA)

Shorts: Abercrombie & Fitch DIY cutoffs

Belt & Buckle: vintage Levi Strauss (Sweet Jane- Philadelphia, PA)

Tights: L'eggs

Socks: Forever 21
Shoes: Forever 21

Sunglasses: flea market

These Points Balance

After ragging on the weather in my last entry, it appears that the gods must be one of my Google Reader subscribers, because this past week we've been blessed with honest to goodness perfect fall weather. Warm enough that I can show off these incredible tights I just bought, yet cold enough that I can still enjoy a cup (or five) of warm spiced cider and rum.

I've probably touched on the matter before, but man...23 is such a weird age. Mid 20s in general. I'm not quite a grown up yet (because I still use the term "grown up"), but I'm not exactly the rebellious little shit that I was in high school. I'm not drinking 40s every weekend in a basement while watching my friends' bands open for some iconic punk band that had their heyday 20 years prior. But I'm not attending wine and cheese parties with a 10 pm curfew either. I'm in that weird gray area. Needless to say, if mentally I'm confused, of course wardrobe-wise I would be as well. I can't run around in barely there homemade plaid skirts and fishnets, but I'm not exactly saving up for a powersuit either. So I love when I find an outfit that finds a balance between punk rock and adult, while still retaining my own personal style.

So I kept the Violent Society shirt (because at this point, I honestly don't think I can ever throw it out, no matter how many new rips and tears I acquire) and I substituted fishnets for these lace tights in a fun color (not sure if it's showing up in the picture, but they're navy blue). My hair color isn't natural, but it could pass for it in a pinch. Tattoos are visible, but not obnoxious. Everything in balance.

  

Tank Top: Violent Society- who knows where from?

Shorts: Abercrombie & Fitch DIY cut-offs

Cardigan: Heritage 1981

Tights: Forever 21

Shoes: Forever 21

Bag: Fossil

Sunglasses: flea market

Breathe In

A deep breath is in order. A long, collective, sigh of relief. The fashion show I produced is over. Not only is it over, but it may have even been a success (media coverage pending). Of course, I have no idea how it went, as I was backstage, rushing around to make sure that models not only walked on stage on time, but had actual clothing on while doing so. I'm proud to say that no models went naked, and we may have even stuck to the correct schedule of outfits. Maybe. It was a learning experience, and I'm hesitant to say I'd take on the same amount of responsibility next year, but I'm unbelievably amazed and proud and most of all relieved. I'm waiting for the official photos to come in from 215 Magazine, but you can see some sneak peeks at the link. At the end of this, the final piece of advice I can offer to those wanting to produce their own fashion show (and according to Google Analytics, that's a huge source of my web-query hits): It doesn't hurt to have a bottle of tequila backstage.

October was certainly a flurry of activity. There was all the planning for the Philadelphia Bike Expo and fashion show, finishing up the fiscal year at my job, and classes being in full swing. Somehow, in the midst of all that excitement, Philadelphia completely skipped a season and went directly from summer to winter. Where's the inbetween? Where's the sweater weather? Where's the nights of sleeping with the window open, without sweating or freezing? All I know is, it got cold and it got cold quick. Jeans were a no-brainer this morning when I ran to the local farmers market with Ray. So were layers, which gave me a chance to show off my latest purchases from Forever 21.

This is one of the most comfortable tops I own. I was a bit hesitant when I first saw it, because it's one of those ambiguous shirt-dresses, with a ruching on the sides. But belted with jeans, or tucked under a lace skirt, it's sheer, chic, and effortless. The lace cropped cardigan was more of an afterthought than a conscious purchase, but it's super comfortable and works really well with my new hair color I think. Unfortunately for both the shirt and the cardigan, our handicapped cat Elsa (who suffers from cerebral hypoplasia) fell over in the litter box, then (unbeknownst to me) crawled on my lap, smearing litter and cat shit everywhere. I'm as grossed out as you are. Except more so, because it actually happened to me. Luckily, my favorite part of this outfit, the shoes, were not harmed. Thank god, because I am so absolutely smitten with these babies.

Shirt- Heritage 1981

Cardigan- Heritage 1981

Jacket- H&M

Jeans- Forever 21

Belt & Buckle- vintage (Sweet Jane- Philadelphia, PA)

Shoes- Forever 21

Earings- alloneword

Sunglasses- street vendor

Gloves- flea market

Tote Bag- courtesy of SXSW