Raining on My Parade

Altered vintage lace dress, thrifted. LC by Lauren Conrad faux leather jacket, Kohl's. Black tights, American Eagle. Black combat boots, Forever 21. Black oversized bow, Gap Kids.

Day 06/32

     My grandmother and I worked to turn this dress into a modern twist on a vintage piece. The dress originally had long lace puff sleeves, was down below my knees, and did not have the contrasting lace trim. With some imagination, we made it look much more current and as a bonus, I have beautiful lace from the process to use for other projects.
     On another note, I am hoping to soon upgrade my cheap Forever 21 black boots to Dr. Marten's. I have gotten quite a bit of use out of these boots, but the $30 price tag leaves me with $30 quality. I got these as a birthday present (August 28th) and have worn them almost all the way through the soles. The only question is, should I get the Oxblood shade or stick with the basic black? I know I don't want a print because something that expensive is going to have to be basic for me. Somehow boots end up being one of my spring essentials, but to see more check out my guest post on Fashionography.

P.S.-Although I am remaining optimistic about the prospect of really trying to document my outfits every day, I forgot about a major curve ball in my plan. I am a member of a completely wonderful student organization and I was at their state conference for the past three days. Although I placed in all of my events, the organization's official attire does not exactly scream blog material. However, I am extending my month long worth of picture to include 32 outfits, no matter if I had to skip the days where I looked like a flight attendant. Thank you for your patience with the kinks of Operation Overhaul!

Breaking the Rules: Double Denim

Denim shirt, NY & Co. Shorts, F21. Belt, vintage. Shoes, American Eagle. Sunglasses, Ray Ban.

Day 05/32.

    
     I have a minor major obsession with denim and chambray shirts. Usually I reserve hanger space on my garment rack for unique pieces, all with different looks. However, there are literally five hangers devoted to shirts and jackets of similar styles. Whether I seek them out or inherit them, the shirts seem to have a way of finding me and winning me over. I haven't ever felt the urge to wear double denim, but because it is having a moment, I decided to give it a go. I actually quite like the results.
     Today's outfit is something I would call "photographer chic". Although typically when I roam about taking pictures I wear jeans, it was an unusually hot spring day. But I've found out quickly what I can and can't wear when I'm shooting (perhaps a future post?) and this qualifies as a utilitarian, but decent looking ensemble for when I'm behind the viewfinder. The shirt even has pockets for camera accessories or extra film!
     Pockets are one of my favorite features on any apparel. What about you?

A Nice Day for a Walk in the Park

Sweater, vintage. Blouse, Tommy Hilfiger. Skirt, Gap. Pocket watch necklace, vintage. Shoes, Aldo via consignment. Tote, handmade. Sunglasses, Delia's.

 Day 02/32.

     This mustard skirt has basically become a neutral in my wardrobe. I got it during Gap's Black Friday sale where everything in the store was fifty percent off and do not regret the decision. It is the perfect length, a great material and color, and the pleats! I love how it mixes with the most unexpected colors, like this blouse that I picked up from Marshall's. The blouse is the perfect mix of seventies and country club especially when paired with the sunglasses and anything mustard.

     In other news, today was a completely glorious day. I went to the zoo and to dinner with my family and was inspired by everything around me. I really love florals in general, whether on clothes or in nature. 

     I am so inspired by the color palettes that I saw today! I can't wait to incorporate them into my outfits soon. Blue and pink (in many shades) is already one of my favorites, but I also like the "McDonald's" colors of the second picture. Spring has definitely sprung!

Pinch Me

 Top, ancient American Eagle. Jacket, BCBGeneration. Skirt, thrifted. Belt, sister's. Shoes, Bass.

Day 01/ 32.

     

     Although at first I told my dad that I thought the only green items in my closet were army green, I proved myself wrong by pulling out this old blouse (and actually a few other items) that did the trick. I was certainly able to avoid being pinched, even if I wasn't donning bright kelly green.

     In other news, this post might as well be titled "adventures in editing". The picture I am most satisfied with is the one without me (or any other person for that matter) in it. Lately I have been having trouble making my pictures look how I like them. The blogger uploader has also been giving me trouble as I do not think it is giving my pictures justice. Ah well. Perhaps I will try a different time of day for pictures tomorrow. 

Operation Overhaul

Dress, Rodarte for Target. Jacket, LC by Lauren Conrad for Kohl's. Shoes, Mudd.

 

     This dress is one of my all time favorites. It combines my favorite material (lace) with my favorite print (floral) and tops it all off with a black satin bow- precious! I thought that the jacket would be a nice Spring wardrobe piece as I always find myself searching for a jacket that is warm enough to combat the nasty weather in the morning but not so warm that I can't wear it throughout my school day. And although the shoes aren't exactly a respected brand, those puppies are a staple in my wardrobe. The heel is the perfect height to wear to school comfortably and they are very basic.

     

     Something that has come to mind as I start to receive scholarship packages from the schools that I have applied to is how on earth I am going to pack away my wardrobe (and book collection for that matter) to be crammed into an even tinier space than what I have now. Because I haven't actually grown out of any of my clothes since seventh grade despite being a senior in high school, I have a tendency to hold on to old clothing, even if I don't wear it much. Rationalizing why I keep certain items basically boils down to nostalgia, but I have to get serious about weeding through my closet/garment rack to decide on what I really want to bring with me this Fall.

     And so I present Operation Overhaul. Starting on Thursday, March 17th (with a little bit of green, I'm sure) I propose to keep track of the outfits that I wear on an every day basis. Taking pictures every day won't be an easy feat, but I propose to accomplish this task for one complete and total month. During this time, I will post my daily outfits either as separate posts or on my tumblr but will not stop posting other things of interest.

     Not only will this help me put together go to outfits for the future, but it will also help me see which items I prefer the most. I want to get rid of "my messy closet" and really start to define my personal style.

     As a part of Operation Overhaul, I also intend to set up a blog boutique. This will feature vintage and new clothing items for very, very reasonable prices. I'm working on the pictures and pricing and it should be up and running soon!

     If anyone else is interested in chronicling their outfits every day (even if not for the full month), I would love to see your posts and even do features of readers' daily outfits. I am so excited to get started and hope the posts are well received.