On Film: For the Birds

     I recently posted this outfit post chronicling what I wore for a day of birdwatching. While Patrick and I shot the digital pictures for fashion purposes, I had just as much fun coming up with black and white shots to compliment the other shots. Sometimes we end up with very similar shots, just done in film. But we always make sure to get some that are only on film to diversify the pictures. Once again, I developed this film myself and got it put on a disc at Walgreens. However, I'm very excited to print out a few of the frames for myself. 

     Hope you had a great weekend!

His & Hers: Big Fish

    This week, instead of doing our normal styling of a similar item to show, Patrick and I wanted to share something special. One of my favorite movies of all time is the Tim Burton directed film Big Fish. I can't believe the movie is already ten years old, as its release date was 2003. It's a visual feast, to be sure, but the story is also one of the greatest love stories of our time. That isn't just limited to romantic love, though. The weaving of the mythical with the beautiful creates a timeless tale that I could watch again and again.
     In particular, one of my favorite scenes in the film is when the protagonist, Edward Bloom (played perfectly by Ewan McGregor), finally finds the girl he's fallen in love with. Although he's only seen her once, he works to find out everything he can about her. This eventually leads to his proposal in the most expansive field of daffodils that I could imagine. Fortunately, Patrick and I were able to somewhat recreate some stills from this scene.

If the video doesn't play, click through to the YouTube link.

     There are a few still shots in particular that stick out to me. Edward Bloom standing in the field, grinning ridiculously. Sandra's face in front of the flowers. And of course, the two sitting in the field together.

     I didn't happen to have a floor length blue nightgown lying around, but I thought my vintage inspired Tommy Hilfiger dress that I bought last summer did the trick. Patrick helped pick out a modernized version of Edward Bloom's navy suit and black tie from his closet. I thought our interpretations went pretty well with the overall aesthetic without seeming like costumes. 

    What you don't see here is that this beautiful field of flowers is located on the side of one of the busier roads in the area. Luckily, several miles of Tennessee roads in this area are covered with this type of field on either side. It makes for some truly stunning photos, even if I was a little bit afraid that we would get called out by the cops. No authorities reprimanded us; however, we did get honked at quite a bit!

    I hope you've enjoyed our not-so-traditional approach to His & Hers this week. We had a blast shooting together and while the flowers are already gone, I'm so glad I could make the vision I had for this shoot a reality.

     Past His & Hers: Blazers and Grey Pants; White button up; Black V neck; Denim shirt; Flannel shirt; Mixed prints; Emerald; Gingham shirts; Blue oxfords

Wishful Wednesday: The Shift

Station Workshirt, Madewell

Indy Hat, Pendleton

Black Arrowhead Ring, Heather Benjamin

Brewer jeans, Scotch & Soda

Waxed Envelope Messenger, BKLYN Dry Goods

Fisherman Heeled Boot, Jeffrey Campbell

    I know I've probably hammered this point home, but I'm quite enjoying shifting my style subtly to a more tomboy aesthetic. While I do spend quite a bit of time in a downtown environment because of my job, I need a day to day wardrobe that is more suited to walking on trails than sidewalks. I'm not going full granola on you, don't worry. I'll always love oversized necklaces and sequins will be a stand by in the holiday months. But summer brings out my most adventurous self and I can't wait to wear the outfits to match.

Blossoming Lessons

Striped crop top, American Apparel. Orange circle skirt, boutique warehouse sale. Belt and vintage Cole Haan loafers, thrifted. Vintage Dooney & Bourke purse. 

     This spring, I've learned quite a few lessons from the blooming trees. While they certainly are beautiful, the beauty is a frail and fleeting aspect of what makes the tree so wonderful. For instance, star magnolia trees, which I posed next to here, seem to only be full of petals for a few days before a strong wind or rain comes and knocks them all off. I've been trying to remember what the trees from this particular post are called, but even just a week after I snapped these shots, they are mainly leafy with most of the blooms fallen.

     Sometimes, I like to file photoshoot locations away, saving them for some mystical date when I'm dressed better or when I think they will be more magical. But this spring, as soon as I see a location I enjoy, I've been shooting there. Jumping the gun has allowed me to capture some of the most beautiful moments this spring. Shortly thereafter, I look at the trees and see them transformed into their green and leafy forms.

     I haven't regretted being able to capture such splendidness this spring, so I'm applying this lesson to other areas of life as well. Impulsiveness isn't always a bad thing. I'll be the first to admit that I have to think through every hypothetical situation before actually taking the jump and doing something. But usually, the risk is worth the reward. 

Tricks of the Trade

Striped v-neck, Target (men's). Navy blazer and khaki pleated skirt, thrifted. Francine triple strap flats, Plenty by Tracy Reese. Vintage Dooney & Bourke. Bandana, Urban Outfitters (similar here). 

     Right now my style is trapped between full tulle skirts and denim shirts and bandanas. Slowly but surely, I'm phasing out what used to be the bulk of my clothing: overly saccharine, romantic pieces. I still have a soft spot for lace and tulle, to be sure. Vintage styles will always win my heart, even when they take the girliest of forms. While I might always fall back on my feminine, classic side, I'm transitioning into something a bit more...realistic? Tomboy? Edgy? I hate coming up with one word descriptors for a style, but I do know I'm headed somewhere different. 

     One thing that I've always done, regardless of where my style is on the "girly spectrum", is shop in the men's department. I like the fit, colors, fabrics, and definitely the prices better. For some reason, most popular retail stores always charge more for the female equivalent of popular items. I'm sure the garment construction is a bit more complex in some cases, but a tee shirt is a tee shirt. Anyways, this men's shirt from Target has the perfect slouchy fit and the stripes are thin AND the perfect shade of navy. I tend to get obsessively particular when it comes to items that I know I'll wear constantly, and while I was looking for a bit more of an investment (which I later found at Anthropologie) when it came to a new navy and white striped shirt, this $12 version is exactly what I need for the warmer months.

     This slideshow from Lucky Magazine's website really made me appreciate the ins and outs of personal style. We collect little shopping tricks and tips that we can choose to share or not. Finding things off the beaten path is one of my favorite ways to incorporate new things into my wardrobe. The story of an item is just as powerful as the aesthetic, so why not make it interesting?

     What are your secret shopping tricks? I'd love to incorporate them into a blog post at some point if there's enough interest!

Thoughts on "Dressing Up"

     This past Friday was an annual tradition for my school: Spring Fling. Maryville College is small enough to be able to hold formal events for the entire student body, not just associated with one group or another. I know that a lot of Greek organizations host their own formals at larger universities, but we have neither Greek life nor that large of a population.

     Anyways, as you can tell, I dressed up with a few of my friends (two of my suite mates are in the middle of the group) and we all went out. Patrick was my date ,of course; and I regret not snapping a picture of his ensemble because he was dressed quite snazzily. I'm so glad that I got the opportunity to dance the night away with roughly 150-200 of my classmates; however, I had a pretty groundbreaking personal revelation that night.

     I hate getting dressed up.

     I know. I'm a fashion blogger. Getting dressed up on a daily basis is just what I do. But when it comes to getting all dolled up in a more formal nature, I am left feeling lost and uncomfortable. How am I ever supposed to feel "dressed up" if I would wear literally all of my dresses to class? It's not a huge problem to have. However, it is incredibly relevant to the direction that my personal style is heading.

     Glamor has never been something that I've been good at. In high school, I did my own hair and make up both years I went to prom. Both looked the same as they did every other day. I don't regret that decision, but it makes me wonder: am I missing something by sticking to my low maintenance and casual guns?

    I'm happy with my sartorial choices outside of these very specific semi-formal/formal situations. I buy things that I can see myself wearing day after day, which seems like a no brainer to me. There are those rare gems in my closet that feel too special to wear out too often, whether those are vintage pieces or other items of value. But in general, I prefer a casual, "effortless" (as my style has been called by many commenters, but that term is the subject for a different post) style to feeling overly coiffed. 

    In the end, I'd rather wear something that I can explore in. I want to be able to roam and drive and walk on cobblestone streets and be able to bend over to pick flowers. While my tagline is "Dressing for life's adventures", maybe formal adventures aren't going to be my cup of tea.

His & Hers: Blue Oxford

     While I might not technically own an OCBD (oxford cloth button down), I am obsessed with button downs in any variety. I scour the thrift stores and little boys departments looking for the perfect variations to add into my wardrobe. I love how classic that they make any outfit look. A button up with a full skirt is so quintessentially retro and a look I replicate quite often. For guys, it's a quick and simple solution to add a little bit of polish to an otherwise casual look. 

Hers:

Blue oxford button down short sleeved shirt, thrifted. Polka dot skirt, c/o Frock Stock. Woven leather belt, thrifted. The Essex Messenger in Bittersweet, Madewell. SixtySeven leather wedges, Style of Civilization. Leather bow, American Apparel. 

     This outfit made me want to traipse around in a quaint downtown, stopping in to sample treats at bakeries and cafes while out running my errands. We don't quite have anything like that in Maryville, but I loved the way the outfit looked against one of my favorite chipped white walls in the city. I started off wearing my long tulle skirt from Modcloth and oxfords, but the warmer weather beckoned me to show a bit more leg than I usually do. My nude wedges are absolutely perfect for lengthened my legs. While this is a pretty simple outfit, I felt cute and a bit sassy all day.

His:

Blue oxford, Forever 21. Green chino shorts, H&M. Black and white sneakers, Jackthreads (a flash sale site for guys-totally awesome).

     Once again, Patrick tends to go a bit more preppy when we are styling the basics. I thought the color combination here was spot on for the coming months. That green color just keeps sneaking out of our closets and making reappearances. And just as a note, the film camera isn't just a prop- when you see it in my photos, we've taken pictures on film that day!

     Both of us really heavily on button up shirts. This basic blue color gets a lot of rotation in our outfits, so I'm happy to show you guys how we've both been styling it lately. I hope you've enjoyed this round of His & Hers and be sure to tune in next week for a couple of special posts with me and my beau!

     Past His & Hers: Blazers and Grey Pants; White button up; Black V neck; Denim shirt; Flannel shirt; Mixed prints; Emerald; Gingham shirts

The Right Fit

Emerald green vintage dress, Planet Xchange. Green Large Resin Bib necklace, c/o t+j Designs. Vintage Margaret Smith bag. Manor Maryjane in Beige, Marais USA.  

     Shifting your personal aesthetic is a pretty inevitable fact of getting older. Obviously, or I'd still be wearing logo tees from the mall paired with coordinating plaid bermuda shorts. Whether or not people get bitten with the fashion bug, what they put on says something about them. Sweatpants on girls at my school say to me that the wearer is athletic outside of fashion but extraordinarily lazy when it comes to their own appearance. I don't judge books by their covers (ok, I do a little bit; I'm a sucker for good design), but I might judge people based on whether or not fleece is a part of their "personal style". This fact makes me respect them no less as individuals and personal choice is a beautiful thing...and yet it still makes me what to go into makeover mode.

     What does all of this have to do with the outfit I'm wearing in these pictures? The simple fact is this: I can dip my pen into other styles as many times as I want, but when it comes down to it, I know what my stand by personal style is. Ladylike, vintage, modest, classic. Those four words encapsulate the style that I find myself drawn to again and again. I like to switch it up every now and then, adding a few current elements or showing my sassy side with some grungier, edgier pieces. But I'd be kidding myself if all of the sudden I was decked out in Jeffrey Campbell Litas and leather shorts. 

     This simple, yet stunning, vintage (handmade- there were no tags inside) dress was the perfect canvas for some of my favorite accessories. My prized Margaret Smith bag that I got for quite the bargain a few years ago pairs perfectly with these bestselling Marais USA flats. I thought that I'd try to avoid the saccharine shoes in the coming months, but I just can't help myself- they really are darling (if somewhat impractical- they are entirely made of satin). While my new necklace from t+j designs  was quite a bit larger than I had anticipated, I thought it brought the outfit to a whole new level of glamour. That word is one I usually stray from when trying to define my own style, but the necklace features the perfect color palette for the things I've been wearing lately.

    I'd love to hear: what are some of the most significant changes you've gone through with your style? What do you always come back to?