Back With Bangs

Hi everyone! I am back from my (somewhat unintentional) hiatus! I am having construction done on my house and the internet ended up being out for much longer than I had anticipated. However, I am back and I GOT BANGS! They are actually quite a bit different than what I had envisioned, but at least hair grows relatively fast. In the meanwhile, I get to play with a haircut completely different than anything I have had before! :)





Still no Gorillapod, so you guys get to enjoy more of my (dismally unkempt) backyard!




A new silk scarf I found at the Goodwill when I was Christmas shopping! Hehe, I love finding little things for me when I am supposed to be shopping for everyone else...Plus, this is the brown/black neutral patterned scarf I have been looking for!


Dress: Julie's Closet via Goodwill Outlet
Longsleeve shirt: Gap via Plato's Closet
Tights: Target
Shoes: Naturalizer via Goodwill
Scarf: Goodwill
Belt: Chico's via Goodwill

Twenty Eight Days Later

I was disappointed this morning when I noticed I had a run in my stockings! These were from Target and have only been worn twice. Actually, the initial idea I had for this post was to talk about how I rarely wear them even though I bought them to be a basic neutral. Anyways, I was so disappointed! Only two wears, and a run on the heel and ankle? I still wore them for today because I was just running errands, but after this 30 is over I will definitely be going through my tights, tossing the ones with holes or runs and grabbing some new ones. I usually go for Hue, but I have also heard some good things about the Spanx tights (just in terms of durability, quality and warmth--I don't care about slimming down!).

Do you guys have any brands of tights you can recommend, or any brands I should avoid at all costs? What other items do you have that don't last as long as you think they should?





Tights: Target
Shoes: Naturalizer via Goodwill
Dress: Martin & Osa via Goodwill
Long-sleeve shirt (under dress): Gap via Plato's Closet
Cardigan: Unknown via Goodwill
Scarf: Self-made

Seventeen Sickles to a Galleon

Yes, I did see HP7 this weekend and it was AWESOME! I am a huge HP geek. ^^

...Onto the outfit of the day! I woke up and it was snowing. It is supposed to be very very cold today, so I decided that it wouldn't at all be cheating to swap out my pinstripe short-sleeve button down for my Underarmour longsleeve shirt. The forecast is cold and snowy for the week, a surprise for Big City which usually sees little snow, so I'm not going to feel bad at all about my swap. After I got completely dressed, had eaten breakfast, and was ready to go, I got the call that school was canceled for the day. However, I was already dressed so I took my outfit photos and am now snuggled up in a blanket, wearing leggings and my sweater.







Base Shirt: Underarmour long sleeve (modified by me so it's a scoop neck and not a turtle neck) via Goodwill
Middle Shirt: Gray Gap long sleeve via Plato's Closet
Outer Sweater Jacket: 22 via The Rack
Scarf: Unknown via Goodwill
Skirt: Brass Plum via Goodwill
Base Leggings: Underarmour
Outer Leggings: Hue via Plato's Closet

Fourteen in a Fortnight

After wearing jeans yesterday, I felt compelled to wear a 'high-energy' pretty outfit today. I broke out these boots for the first time in this challenge and took another item off my 'I put it in my 30 items but still haven't worn it' list. I love these boots, and theoretically they are versatile (brown knee-high boots that fit), but when you put them into practice they take a bit more doing. Of course, they passed my Four Ways to Wear test (see: Episode 10), so they can't be all that bad. :)

Tip of the Day: Since it's been freezing over here, I have been layering like crazy. To keep all of my layers from moving around, I tuck them all into my tights and they stay put! Here, I have a long-sleeve base layer shirt, a pink silk shirt, and my cardigan all tucked into my tights (with my underarmour underneath it all!). I didn't have to worry about anything sliding around on me all day!







Base gray long-sleeve shirt: Gap via Plato's Closet
Pink shirt: Banana Republic via BR Outlet
Cardigan: Unknown via Goodwill donation pile
Skirt: Brass Plum via Goodwill
Base layer on legs: Underarmour
Top layer on legs: tights by Hue via Plato's Closet
Boots: Giusti via Goodwill

Eleventh Hour

After my revelation yesterday that I had yet to wear 25% of my 30 items, I decided to build today's outfit around this lovely Orchid silk Martin & Osa dress. Usually when I build an outfit I choose one item to build it around, whether it be a pretty dress, a comfy pair of shoes or a piece of sparkly jewelry. I tend to quickly fall into style ruts--you will notice that I have worn my neutral cardigan approximately EVERY SINGLE DAY since I bought it, and ever since I have started pairing black and brown together that has been my failsafe color combination (with pops of red, of course).

I try to challenge myself to put together new combinations to avoid falling into a repetition merely out of a lack of awareness. The point that I am wrestling with is how to avoid falling into mundane repetition while still safegaurding my own sense of style. I am playing around with branching out my basic 'uniforms,' while keeping a sense of 'me' in all of my outfits. To this end, I am trying to only incorporate what I truly love into my wardrobe, but it's hard--I love so many different things! I think that keeping a general color scheme will also help me here.

Do you consciously put together your wardrobe to convey a certain feeling?
Do you have more than one basic 'uniform'? What (if anything) links them together?
Do you find yourself repeating many outfits you have already done? Do you try to avoid this, or do you actively embrace this repetition?









Dress (worn as shirt): Martin & Osa via Goodwill
Long sleeved shirt (base layer): gray, Gap via Plato's Closet
Skirt: Brass Plum via Goodwill
Tights: Target
Shoes: Naturalizer
Sweater: Self-made
Scarf: Unknown via Goodwill
Coat: Jenifer via France

Four Ways To Wear Episode 10: Cognac-Colored Boots

The Candidate: Brown Giusti leather and suede knee-high boots that I found at the Goodwill for $20. Of course, they were a size 5 1/2 (I'm a 7 1/2) but that didn't stop me!

The Goal: A pair of versatile brown boots

The Results:


I went out to dinner last night with family and this is what I wore!
Boots: Giusti via Goodwill
Tights: Hue via Plato's Closet
Sweater dress: Ross


These boots are so high, I feel like they need to be toned down for work--this was my attempt.
Boots: Giusti via Goodwill
Tights: Hue via Plato's Closet
Skirt: Brass Plum via Goodwill
Shirt: Toomi via Goodwill Outlet
Scarf: Self-made


Boots: Giusti via Goodwill
Pants: Martin & Osa via Goodwill
Jacket: AE via Plato's Closet


These pants are almost too wide for the boots! I need some ultra skinnies to wear with these boots properly...dare I say it? JEGGINGS?
Boots: Giusti via Goodwill
Pants: Martin & Osa via Goodwill
Scarf: From a market in the Ukraine
Long-sleeved shirt: Gap via Plato's Closet
Sweater: One Clothing via Ross

The Verdict: I was sold from the moment I tried these suckers on and they ACTUALLY FIT MY CALVES. The ONLY pair that has ever done that! Plus, I Googled Giusti and found that apparently they make high quality shoes and their boots retail for between 300-600$. Done and done. The only thing that I don't like about them is that the suede attracts dirt like a magnet! I have tried brushing them and waterproofing them, and we'll see how long they look nice for...However, for how they are right now, I am pleased. Cute with skirts and pants (albeit only super skinny ones), good for work and relaxing, and they are in my color palette! Score!

Hustle Bustle

I grabbed this gray dress this morning and ended up doing a monochromatic look in shades of gray and black. I very much enjoy both of those colors and I didn't mind being all dark--it reminded me of when I lived in France and for most of the year, almost every French person wore black pretty much exclusively. You might think I exaggerate, but when I'm on the Swiss side of the border, I see lots of blue, red and brown, but on the French side (we are talking a 15 minute train ride, not traveling to a different climatic zone) everyone is in black--black boots, black jeans, a black peacoat and usually a black scarf, although sometimes people went crazy and went for a--wait for it--black and white patterned scarf. Now, don't get me wrong--they looked excruciatingly chic and I yearned to emulate them, so much that I gathered much of my current black wardrobe during my time in France. I love wearing black and gray, and it usually ends up as my go-to look if I am at a loss.

J’ai d décidé de porter cette jupe grise ce matin et, en résultant, j’étais monochrome pour la journée. J’aime bien les deux couleurs gris et noir, et ça ne m’inquiète pas d’être foncé. Je me rappelle à l’année quand j’habitais en France, et tous let français portent le noir pour presque toute l’année. Quand je restais en Suisse, les hommes portent du bleu, du brun, de la rouge, mais au coté Francis, tout le monde porte le noir et seulement le noir (et parfois une écharpe d’une autre couleur). Ils étaient trop chic et je voulais devenir comme eux, donc j’ai ramassé des vêtements noirs. Moi, j’adore porter le noir et le gris, et je les porte quand je ne connais pas qu’est ce que je dois porter.

Do you have a monochromatic look you tend towards?
Is there a certain color palette that people wear where you are?
Do you think I was successful in wearing my black and gray, or do you think it reads too somber for me?

Portez-vous les vêtements monochromes ?

Est-ce qu’il y a un couleur que tout le monde préfère où vous habitez ?

Croyez-vous que le noir et le gris, c’est un succès pour moi ? Ou est-t-il trop sombre pour moi ?

Dress: unknown, Goodwill donation pile
Long sleeved shirt underneath: Gap via Plato's Closet
Wrap: Chico's
Leggings: Target
Belt: Chico's via Goodwill
Boots: Steve Madden

Voila!

Dress: Martin & Osa via Goodwill
Shirt: Gap via Plato's Closet
Sweater: Chico's
Tights: F21, gift
Boots: Steve Madden

Four Ways To Wear Episode 8: Orchid Silk Dress

Occasionally, the Goodwill by my house will get in clothing from stores that have recently gone out of business. In the case of yesterday, a shipment of clothing from Martin & Osa. Yes, you read that correctly. I bought two things, one of with was this 100% silk dress, machine washable (huge selling point!), with a drawstring waist, with the tags attached, originally ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY DOLLARS and I got it for FOUR DOLLARS. I was seriously bouncing off the ceiling. Fan-fucking-tastic. I love it!!! I actually saw it in the store before it went out of business, and I liked it, but it was waaaay too expensive for me, even on store closing clearance. And now it's miiiiine, all mine! *cackle*

The Candidate: My super mega-awesome Martin & Osa silk dress

The Goal: A breezy summer dress, but also something I can layer to make it appropriate for more than one season. Also, somehow to make it work-appropriate.

The Results:


Dress: Martin & Osa, via Goodwill!!!!
Necklace: Spotted Moth, giveaway prize
Shoes: Unknown, France


Dress: Martin & Osa via Goodwill
Scarf: Goodwill (also a find on the same trip, but I won't do a Four Ways Episode for it--come on, you've seen how often I wear scarves! Do you doubt I will wear it frequently?)
Tights: F21, gift
Shoes: Unknown, France


This reminds me of what I would wear as a painter...an awesome painter! I also see this as a go-to weekend lounging outfit.
Dress: Martin & Osa via Goodwill
Shirt: Gap via Plato's Closet
Leggings: Target
Boots: Steve Madden


I think this is one of my favorite looks, honestly. Simple, clean, professional and creative. Awesomeness.
Dress (worn as shirt!): Martin & Osa via Goodwill
Skirt: Nordstrom Brand via Goodwill
Necklace: Spotted Moth, free with giveaway
Shoes: Unknown, France

Verdict: Do you have to ask? Yes, yes yes!

Mr. P said it looked like I was eating my kitty's head...om nom nom says I!



On another dreary day off, I only wanted to dress in neutrals, layer myself and be warm. Busting out the Underarmour early in the season, heeeeell yeah!


Tights: Underarmour leggings
Dress: Julie's Closet via Goodwill Outlet
Shirt: (gray long-sleeved layered underneath, ultimate layering!) Gap via Plato's Closet
Scarf: Selfmade
Belt: Chico's via Goodwill
Boots: Steve Madden