Shirt- Liz Claiborne
Skirt- Vintage
———–
If I was born to look like Winnie Cooper,
I wouldn’t have to put on makeup either.
I wouldn’t have to know so much about music, people, and pop culture.
I’d just have to be pretty
and let the world look at me.
Then I’d be in dreams too.
———–
Top: Swanque
Collar: DIY
Maxi dress: Swanque
Shoulder bag: Liz Claiborne (mine on eBay)
Shoes: Sam Edelman
I like bold and obscure patterns, and I haven’t been able to really enjoy trendy common prints like damask, polka dots, paisley, and houndstooth. Stripes for some reason have been in the safe zone. However, I have found myself collecting only black and white when the stripes are large and blue and red when the stripes are small. Odd. I think it’s because I like it when they look nautical or vintage.
Today’s outfit however had two pieces I wouldn’t have ever thought to put together, because it goes against my own stripe habit.
I like how this outfit, without much thought, ended up with the colors “RGB.” It also didn’t turn out as bad as I thought it would. I knew that I wanted to wear a cropped top over the maxi dress. The top is sheer, so it was perfect for the warm day. I don’t think I really own an actual crop top, so I knotted the shirt on the side to make it look cropped.
To bring in the structured look to a very casual outfit, I put on this false collar. I own three of these, and I’ve been wearing these almost every other day since I had them. From what I learned from my mom, false collars used to be worn a lot by men back in the day. The trend has since disappeared at least for men, but it’s very convenient to have these around now!
Dress: “Frenchie Dress” by Lauren Gabrielson
Bag: Vintage, “Miss America” by Smartaire
Shoes: Oasap
What it would’ve been. The top I am wearing is actually a dress made by Lauren Gabrielson, a couturier from New York. I decided that I was going to dress it down a little and wear it daringly casual. About a year ago, my then very feminine self would’ve probably paired this dress with some yellow tights, black oxfords, and a beret. As I was thinking about how to style it, I thought well that’s how everyone else would wear this dress. It would’ve been straightforward, expected, and proper.
What I did with it. Without going over the edge, I tucked in the front part of the dress to show off the buttons of my high-waist jeans, while covering the unflattering parts “mom jeans” tend to exaggerate (namely, hips and butt). I’ve seen a girl wear a big white tee this way, and it looked pretty cool. Wearing the dress this way also made me somewhat look like I had slender legs! To match the dainty “blouse,” I chose an equally feminine and truly vintage purse whose design looked like oxfords. So the irony of this outfit put together like this gave birth to the French maid slacker!
What you’re getting. Lauren Gabrielson not only sent me this gift but also chose to give away another Frenchie Dress in black and white to you all! Take a look at what it looks like as is in the photo below or on their website. Yes, another giveaway back to back, but hey it’s a lot of fun :)
The results of this giveaway are based on random drawing. Remember, the more entries you have, the more chances of winning. Good luck! Open to all (US and international) and will end on Sunday, April 21st at 12 am EST.
The winner is…. HEIDI ERICKSON!
Jacket: Vintage
Leotard shell: Ann Taylor
Dress: Ross?
Bag: Hermes
Boots: Capelta Couture
My hubby and I finally saw Cirque du Soleil (“Totem”) for the first time live in NYC where we had our fourth anniversary. See my Instagram photo with a purple-haired female Cirque performer here and Pippo Crotti’s comment. It was a lot of fun spending almost a week in the city but also a lot of spending money! Ouch. Everything we did was well worth it though. Rob and I had been eating mostly organic since he got sick, and thankfully the city had oodles of exquisite places to eat. Our favorite however was Siggy’s Good Food, and we stopped by almost everyday of the week during our stay. The owner Siggy and the employees were super nice, and I almost cried when I had the almond protein smoothie.
Besides touristy activities, we also made our rounds to different shops including thrift stores (of course), and I found this old and beat up Hermes bag just laying in a bin! It’s incredibly filthy and has what looks like bleach stains on it, but I had to pick it up just so that I could say I found a Hermes bag for the first time in my thrifting history!
I decided to write a bit about our New York trip that we took about a year ago, because this outfit kind of looks like a circus ensemble. It’s mainly because of the stripes and the bubble sleeves on my jacket just like Rainbow Brite’s. I think these Clique boots‘ chains that I got from Capelta Couture also add to it. These are the same exact boots worn by a girl from Jersey Shore (not a fan of that show, to be honest). The chains are actually detachable, so you can choose to wear them without the chains for a more neutral look. You can transfer the chains to some other pair of boots as well *wink*.
I know I’ve been hosting a lot of giveaways, and apparently that’s a big no-no according to IFB. Oh honestly, I despite selling out. However, when I get a chance to give something back to you guys, I take it whenever I can. I only really give away things I generally approve of. That makes everyone happy :) Expect more freebies!
With that said, Capelta Couture has donated a pair of Clique boots to the winner of this random drawing!
The results of this giveaway are based on random drawing. Remember, the more entries you have, the more chances of winning. Good luck! Open to all (US and international) and will end on Sunday, April 14th at 12 am EST.
Shirt: Madewell
Bag: Allasandro (eBay)
Shoes: Guess (eBay)
Plaid underbust Corset: Orchard Corset (see me featured on their blog here)
We’ve officially moved out of our old house! I’ve donated more stuff to Goodwill this winter more than I’ve ever done in my entire life because of this, and I usually donate every year. It sounds like I am bragging, but whenever I hear people say that, I don’t think they are bragging at all. The beautiful junk they gave away is probably going to end up in the trash anyway. One man’s trash is another man’s treasure, and that’s why thrift stores are an amazing enterprise.
My poor dear husband is sensitive to mold, and we don’t see finding an apartment that’s virtually mold-free anytime soon. We’re staying at his parent’s roomy rancher for the meantime, as we figure out our lives from here on out. These photos and the few outfit shots before then were all taken at their place, and we get to enjoy this nice and peaceful scenery for a change. The ironic thing about this privilege of staying at a nice place which I am plenty grateful for is that I still feel empty. It’s not a home to call our own. However, just like the things that we donated together as a couple, the ideals that used to be so valuable to us, just had to be disposed or realigned at some point.
I am just grateful to be healthy, and that I have the strength to take care of my husband while he’s weak. Instead of wishing everything was back to normal, perhaps this is where we need to be right now—married but living with the in-laws. Not ideal, but things could be a lot worse. We’re practicing to be content, and it’s easier to ignore the harsh reality when you’re with people who love you… with flaws and all.
I must’ve been out of my mind being out bare legged. It was nice and toasty indoors and quickly realized right after stepping outside that we are more than a month away from spring. Well you know, fashion shows always come out with their spring collections a season early or more, right? I put on some microfiber tights right after these pictures and went on with my day. This outfit looked better with tights on. Frankly, anything is better than my pasty white legs right now.
I have on an Anglomania denim jacket by one of my favorites, Vivienne Westwood. Westwood’s belief is that fashion is sort of like a marriage of ideas between the French and the English. Anglomania, therefore is a good name to use for this line of clothing. However, the name quite literally means an obsession with all things English. The Union Jack is probably one of the best looking flags, and I see it being worn as a fashion statement by people of different nationalities. I must admit I still have my awesome old black off the shoulder cropped tee with the Union Jack and the words “ROUK” all in silver. I stopped wearing it because I just don’t wear cropped tees like I used to and also because I felt weird wearing it. It wasn’t like I was English or had ever gone to England. I also notice the a lot of other national symbols in fashion–the American flag, the Japanese flag, and the Eiffel Tower most commonly. For those people who associate with these nations being represented and even for those who don’t, how does this make you feel—odd, ticked off, proud, silly?
I myself represent a couple of cultures, but I can’t help but be somewhat ashamed showing my devotions to them, enough to wear their symbols around. I am proud of my cultural backgrounds, but I am also disappointed with them in some ways. I would hate to walk about parading a national symbol that is both of prosperity and oppression and get lost in a political discussion somewhere along the line.
Jacket: Anglomania by Vivienne Westwood
Bag: Prada
Shoes: Sam Edelman
I’ve been avoiding wearing anything too cutesie these days, but I just can’t help going back to how I used to dress. Thinking that it’s almost Valentine’s Day and all (excuses, excuses), I decided to wear something fun and pink for a change. Aryamia sent me a nice off the shoulder dress in black, which I absolutely love! It’s sleek and sexy. The dress also comes in a variety of colors, in two sizes (S/M & M/L) and is a bit stretchy, so it’ll fit the slim and curvy alike. Underneath, I put on a vintage 70s long sleeved blouse with a giant bow to “top” it off. I really like the spillage action—the pink polka dots popping out of the black dress and the bow hanging down the center. These light weight leg warmers I have on I wore as socks by scrunching them down. I also put on two special brooches, the rose from Giovanni and Coco Mademoiselle from Chanel.
Aryamia has dresses, tops, and leggings for the spunky indie girl. You can choose to layer the clothes with something neutral or colorful depending on what you’re dealing with if you wish, just like what I did with this blouse on a wintery and windy afternoon. To smooth off the dress’ silhouette after tucking in the shirt, I put on an underbust corset (or you can use stretchy shapewear). That way it doesn’t look like I have waves of fat bulging out of the dress (layering fixes 101!). which was actually from the folds of the blouse under it. You don’t always have to get cropped tops or chop off your beautiful shirts just to get this accomplished. Aryamia does sell cropped tops though if you want to check that out. The fabric of the dress is just wonderful! It’s not heavy at all, so judging by that, I believe everything else in the store is of good quality.
So for Valentine’s, if you feel like you’ve been giving too much love to others without getting much in return, treat yourself instead—perhaps with a nice dress or those pair of shoes you’ve always wanted. You need to be a happy person, without overindulging and being mentally content with your life, before you can healthily serve others with little or without self pity.
Dress: Aryamia
Brooch: Giovanni & Chanel
Ring: Cookie Lee
Shoes: Michael Kors (similar)
