dress [foley&corinna] :: boots [underground] :: bag [kimchi&blue]

today was one of those impossibly beautiful days. i went to the korean contemporary exhibit with Physics Awesome. he was nice enough to take today’s pictures and i loved every one of them; i had such a hard time narrowing it down. i generally try not to do more than 5 pictures for an outfit post because i myself stop caring after 5 and anymore i feel is overkill. but all of his photos captured moments rather than poses and i really like that. the slightly imperfect blurs, my mid movements, and the lighting…everything!

i bought this dress yesterday at buffalo exchange among other things. it’s actually supposed to be tied like this, but after some fooling around, i came up with this arrangement. there’s more to come, this dress is magnificent like that. it flutters like some sort of ethereal entity…a pixie…or a cuttlefish perhaps.

i actually debated for exactly 1 month before wearing these boots out. they were a love at first stalk sort of thing in the summer, but in real life, they were much different than the rest of my wardrobe, so i spent a lot of time deliberating and trying and going back and forth, thinking it wasn’t going to work out. but today, i just put them on, ran down the stairs, and didn’t look back.

jacket [f21] // shirt [thrifted] // jeans [clef del sol] // shoes [gianni bini]

I finally have a faux leather moto jacket. It found me actually. I was at F21 downtown with Sapo-chan last Friday and just when I thought I’d only be walking away with accessories…it winked at me from atop it’s hanger. I couldn’t believe my luck. You did good Forever 21, you did good.

Saturday was an epic thrifting morning with Gibson girl, totally worth the drive to the less frequented Value Village. I came away with so many beautiful fun things, most sprinkled with sparkling things, like the top above. I actually wore this outfit during the day on Saturday, sequins shine like non other in the daylight. I don’t use this word very often because I feel I often don’t qualify (one must be somewhat refined), but I felt seriously glamourous in this top. As the hot pink days of yester-semester fade into fall, a new era has dawned on my closet-dom: the Gilted age. Despite things going awry, everything’s still shiny.

I should really photograph things more religiously. Last weeks outfits totally went mortalized. This week is getting like that too. I’m just really shy about other ppl watching me do my thing. I’m fine strutting around, but when I’m freezing, its like I’m mega self concious. Granted, I’m sure it’s safe for ppl to assume that I’m a rather narcississtic creature. See I am, but I feel like that is a product of my high self esteem. However, if ppl see me photographing myself, they might get the wrong idea. I’d want to tell them that it’s for my style blog and it’s like people who video tape themselves dancing: it’s documenting my progress and striving for better.

shoes [steve madden]

Remember when I said I wouldn’t buy anymore shoes after those Lady Dragons? Who guessed that I was lying out of my armpits? Yeah I bought like 2 more pairs. I’m thinking about a 3rd. School needs to seriously start soon. Idle heads make for idle shop lusting.

shoes: Melissa x Vivienne Westwood

After a bit of a mishap with my first pair being malformed, these finally returned to me. And they’re perfect. My feet were speechless too. I wore them out to UO to check out the sale yesterday and got compliments right off the bat. I told all who would listen about IDLM. Speaking of speechless and what not, Colin of I don’t like Mondays is an absolute sweetheart and gave me an extra discount, which I will be using probably to buy the blue ones.

K-drama and I are having a summer of shoes. He’s binging more than I am, I’m not helping and encouraging, but at least he’s making money. I am not (besides selling my old clothes on eBay, but that’s chump change). I want to stop buying pretty shoes but…I promise PROMISE after these I will stop. Yes. And save up for a pair of boots come fall.

I apologize for not posting lately. I’m just not feeling it. Too tired from tennis, ebay, internship…real life.

jacket: Ralph Lauren || shirt: Elementz || pants: INC || shoes: Steve Madden || socks: got in JPN || headband: F21

This entire outfits, minus the headband and the socks, is new duds (on sale of course). Sales at Macy’s are always awesome: 50% off + another 50% on top of that! That’s how my mom and I roll.

These pants are the perfect pair of black pants that I’ve been searching for! Just when I least expected it…oh glorious, glorious day. The shirt was just a random pick off the rack to try on with the pants, but I’m a sucker for ruffles.

I remember wanting a band jacket in high school really badly, especially when it was popular in editorials…I wanna say…circa 2005? 2004 even? I remember coveting a  jacket (I think it was Marc Jacobs) that I saw on Hilary Swank: perfectly cuffed sleeves, gold braided details, brass and buttons, the works but not overworked. Like most trends, you forget about them eventually and they become a fad of that season and that season only. But I realized that maybe it’s not really a fad with me but a long lost love. I really love this jacket is what I’m trying to say,  though considering some tailoring on the sides to make it more fitted, but it’s somewhat decent without it. I fidget about these things.

And aren’t these shoes wonderful? The socks soften them, but they do look a bit on the fetish side. They may never live up to the aforementioned Phi resort 09 shoes or let alone John Gallianos SS09, but they’ll certainly do. For $24, hell yeah they’ll do.

Oh and that’s the end of the post series. Whew! Lots of catching up to do still, on the inspirational front. I’ve gotten…5 new pairs of shoes…sigh. Just can’t help myself.

Shirt: DKNY //Capris: French Connection // Shoes: Nike // Leg warmer: Wet Seal

How do you wear sweet sneaks? I feel like they call for long pants/jeans, but that’s not happening in this Texas heat. I dunno about dresses or skirts… I’ll look into this, but suggestions anyone?

I bought these adorable little puppies when I went to the outlet with K-Drama the other day. The shirt is new too, though I originally picked it out for the boyfriend, who rejected it because it was too small and he didn’t like the stripe. My brother, The Tyrant, on the other hand, didn’t like it because it was too big and he’s not into gingham. The men in my life just won’t buy into mens fashion. I’ll have to do the honors myself from now on, hmph! I’m planning on taking in the shoulders myself. It’ll be tricky, ’cause I happen to love the lime stripe and don’t want to ruin it’s appearance in the least.

The asymmetric buttoning was inspired by Trovata.

Trovata SS09

+

Trovata FW09

source: style.com

Tank: Mossimo // Skirt: thrifted // Shoes: Calvin Klein // Bag: Lavorazione // Necklaces [layered top to bottom]: found, F21, Jimmy’z

No I’m not a dancer really, but I’ve always wanted to be. I’ll settle for the appearance for now.

I went shopping with K-Drama when I wore this. I didnt intend for the White Stripes dress code, it just happened. Now you’ve seen 4/4 CK shoes. Love these new flats, but the patent rim gave me a blister that will cripple my shoe choices for a week. Wah.

Tank: Zara // Dress: D.Closet // Leggings: W. Closet Wears // Shoes: Calvin Klein

K-Drama (=boyfriend) told me I look really korean in this outfit. I can see that. I’m starting to really get into Korean fashion so I’m pretty happy with that.

I’m also getting a lot of Calvin Klein shoes now. These wedges make 3/4 pairs. They’re also ridiculously comfortable. I love the minimalist cutout, with the rounded cup on the heel. It reminds me of Pierre Hardy wedges. Yum.

I went shopping with my mom again today (it’s her birthday), and I got a pair of shoes. Well you know what? I think I’m going to return them. I remembered that I had made the mistake of trying on these shoes at Phi while in NYC.

Phi Resort 2009

Jak & Jil

Yeah see those? They were a wicked 4+ inch, thin as a bitch stiletto and they felt AMAZING. They were originally $625 or something like that, 40% off. Still in the $300 range.

Since then, I’ve had two problems 1) I want multi strap stilettos reminescent of Dior X Mad Max fantasies and 2) I love the way $600 feels on my feet. Wah triple digits. It was ungodly sad for me to rip myself away from that store. As a result, I have become a convert and I don’t even own anything from the store yet. All I know is that I now want to be a Phi girl. And I want everything from the resort collection.

Phi Resort 2010

So hard to narrow down my favorites. But those fantastic jackets, the sick shoes, the fun surfer-esque prints and leggings, even the silly biker shorts trend that I blame Alex Wang for! I’d venture to describe Phi’s aesthetic as that of a tribal gang of wicked neo-urban fish. I don’t know why, it just fits.

source: style.com

I’m inspired today! Well, granted to urge to take pics again is from a Weardrobe contest, but no matter. This skirt is one of my prized NYC souvenirs and when I first saw it, I knew it was mean to be a dress and at only $10 (which is daylight robbery for such a gorgeous thing!). I did intend to have the flap part behind me, billowing out, but this manner results from me needing to zip up properly and now I’m hooked on its versatility.

Bra top is working out nicely, though its supposed to go over a bra or else it falls flat. >.< Necklace, got at UO on sale, another chain for the collection, but it rusts like a MFer. Boo! Come to think of it, everything I’m wearing is from NY, except the leggings.

Now about the shoes: they were another NYC treasure, though I did pay full price, $108 smackers to be exact. The beautiful thing about NYC is NO SALES TAX (but I’m sure it’s hell on other things). So yes, I’ve never bought hundred dollar shoes on my own before, but I’ve been looking for oxford/brogue types of shoes are far too long and these…these were perfect. I hesitated for awhile but, the white leather is so soft and long story short, I couldn’t let them go. And you know what? No regrets.

Skirt (worn as dress), Label NYC // Leggings, Zara // Bra top, Necessary Clothing // Shoes, Jeffrey Campbell // Necklace, UO

That said, I just wanted the look to be very…blue. This look is very water-bearer to me, with the draping and subtle flow, very serene, I feel like a nymph almost. It also recalls the BCBGMaxAzria SS09 lookbook. Only thing: still too loose at the top. Need to get this baby tailored! I’m just afraid it’ll get ruined you know? I’m always so hesitant about these alteration thing, but some ppl swear by them. I might attempt fixing it, but it’ll have to wait, got a lot of other DIYA (do it yourself alterations) things in line. Oh and I’m experimenting with photo editing and such. I like it more when I look alive and a bit more dynamic, any suggestions.

On a side note, I would like to point out that the term “gardening” comes with a lot of misconceptions about the work. After today’s efforts, “yard work” is the more appropriate term. It is by no means the fluffy task it is commonly associated with. Often time there are fire ants, mosquitoes, angry vines being evicted, thorns, killer bamboo grass, dead trees still clinging to the soil like Uncle Scrooge from the grave to his pocketbook. Oh and chainsaws. Does that sound like old lady stuff to you? Didn’t think so. Hail the gardener! I know I do now, my hands are aching with my newfound respect.