Class and Comfort

Cardigan, Anthropologie. Dress, Modcloth. Belt, vintage CK. Shoes, Missoni for Target. Watch, Timex.

     I ran a small, personal experiment for my style today. I fully believe in incorporating dresses or skirts into as many outfits as possible, but my athletic hobbies usually don't allow for such girly things to be worn all day. Evinced by my bare legs and thin cardigan, the weather today was once again unseasonably warm. Instead of throwing on running shorts/ shoes to enjoy Frisbee tossing and park playing, I swapped out the ballet flats for cute sneakers, put some shorts on under the dress and went merrily on my way. This wouldn't work with every dress that I own, but the forgiving material of this gem from Modcloth was the perfect companion for my outdoor fun. 

     Although I don't believe in declaring what others should and shouldn't wear, I have once again proven for myself how superfluous the addition of sweatpants/ leggings as regular rotations in my wardrobe would be. 

Bag It!

1, 2, 3, 4

    My mother and I are always looking for a new purse. Although I never seem to switch out from my faithful, vintage Dooney & Bourke that I purchased for myself for my fifteenth birthday, I guess I'm never convinced that "he" (are purses boys?) is the one. The bags I tend to find myself lusting after tend to have a lot of the same qualities. I prefer leather accents, a fold over front, and some good ole Americana design. I could definitely get carried away (puns!) with the boy/ purse comparison, but for now I just wanted to leave you with some truly stunning arm candy with room for those big cameras, sketchbooks, planners, makeup cases, and pens that a lot of bloggers love to haul.

A Review in Paper

     Lately, everything that seems to be happening to me seems to involve paper. As an ardent opponent of things like the Kindle (I understand why they are convenient, I'm just a little too into my paper goods to cave), I thoroughly enjoy going anywhere that provides me with a pamphlet, business card, receipt, ticket, or any kind of other paper knickknack. While that may not be the best for the environment, I definitely try to either use or recycle any bits of paper that I accumulate.
     All of the pictures in today's post represent what I've been up to for the past few weeks. Although I am only taking one class during the month of January (we have what is called J-term), the class is extremely time consuming and homework intensive. You can bet that it has taken a lot of paper! But interwoven with near anxiety attacks over thirty pages of reading assignments every night, I have had some of the best days of college yet during the month of January.
    Donut eating, book buying, inspiration compiling, and doodling through presentations? I'll take that year round!

The Trees were Bathed in Light

     I wanted to share some portraits that I did of my best friend Alysse (who took this pictures in this post). She's been featured on the blog before, but I wanted to implement her awesome modeling skills while taking some practice portraits. I've been wanting to take some more portraits after experimenting with some senior photoshoots earlier in the school year, and hanging out with Alysse presented the perfect opportunity. And as a quick note, we both loved the golden hour lighting. I captured the light on a tree in my backyard when we had retired from picture taking:

       I love the sharp contrast of the orange tones of the tree to the bright blue sky. One of my favorite color combinations right now is blue tones and orange tones, so I thought that this was fitting!

Sum of Its Parts

Later that same day...

Black tee shirt, BCBGeneration. Burnt orange cardigan, Anthropologie. Plaid pants, H&M. Bow belt, Gap. Flats, Land's End. Watch, Timex. Thanks to Alysse for the pictures.

    Today was one of those days that was greater than the sum of its parts. I did several enjoyable things that I have been meaning to do my entire winter break: I went out to lunch with my mother (and it is important to note that I finally got some chips and queso!), I hung out with my best friend and took pictures (more in an upcoming post!), we jumped on the trampoline and played Dance Central 2, and I even crafted around a little bit. My idea of the perfect hang out session is taking pictures so combined with all of the other fun things we did? Perfection. And I had on one of those outfits that just made my heart sing. 

What I Would Wear If...

Details here.

GQ

Answers

The Sartorialist

Kiel James Patrick

     ....if I were a guy.
     I suppose everyone has a "type". Speaking from a purely feminine perspective here (I claim no expertise on the way that males view females), there's some categories that we can sort males into simply by their state of dress. This isn't to say that we view men as objects and as far as inter-gender relationships go, that is a can of worms I'm not quite ready to open. But I can say one thing, as far as wardrobe goes, my type for men is preppy. I don't mean a "bro" or a "frat boy" who orders his boxers from Vineyard Vines because he knows that a girl might recognize them. I mean the nostalgic type of prep who would rather sit in the Harvard library than pre game.
     I definitely already take some cues from menswear in my wardrobe, but I find myself to be more of the sweet, ladylike type than a tomboy. However, I often yearn to don a pair of oxfords and a blazer more than anything else, perhaps while toting clothbound classics bound together by a leather belt.

New Year, New Ways

     This time of year is the perfect time to try new things! Whether it is as simple as lacing ribbon through your old converse instead of the beat up laces or rock climbing (see picture below), there's no time like New Year's to just jump in.

Probably my best angle ;).

     

     I think the thrill of trying new things doesn't have to be limited to amassing new (even just new to me) items in my wardrobe or seeking out thrilling adventures. I have found a lot of delight in these few weeks that I've spent at home reinventing some things I might have otherwise left here for good. For instance, my love of glitter inspired me to try and incorporate some old Chucks into my outfits again. And my outfit pictures for today showcase turning a winter scarf into a wrap. I definitely see way more possibility in the clothes that I already have after only being able to bring about ten pieces home for the holidays!

Scarf, F21. Striped tee, UK Style by French Connection (Sears). Jeans, Delia's. Belt, unknown. Vintage oxfords, thrifted. Watch, Timex.

     Hopefully, with this new attitude regarding the current state of affairs in my closet, I won't be such a shopaholic in the new year!