Leather & Lace

Shorts in December? I do live in Southern California after all. Actually though, these photos are from a little while ago. The pairing of three classic pieces will never steer you wrong. Lace top that sometimes doubles as a dress when I'm feeling frisky... I mean risky :) Denim shorts of course, and classic black Doc Martens because as I've said before, they instantly add structure to every outfit. By the way, do you see the classic 90's style choker I'm rockin' here? Good, because I haven't seen it in at least two months so this photo also doubles as a missing items ad. Help.

Living Doll

...as in a video of me talking about my look instead of simply writing about my look because it's Sunday Funday and videoing is quicker than writing, or so it seemed. At the rate this video is uploading, I maybe could've jotted down an entire essay. Irregards...

Repeat & Refresh

Why is it that what is old always tends to be what is up? Vintage is so much more appreciated than new things. It goes for music, materials, and of course style. Why does it take decades for quality content to be recognized as such?

I am very grateful for oldies, in every respect, though music especially. It seems like this generations' focus is demoralization. Back in my day (no seriously) we didn't have profanity in our pop music and there were not parental advisory labels on basically every single song outside of Kidz Bop. Looking around at what's currently trending: profanity laced everything, barely wearing anything, I feel ostracized from a young, vibrant, fresh community I once enjoyed. That freshness has been replaced with foulness and it's like I have to reach backward, into old music/movies/style in order to even participate in mainstream art at all. It's a true trip, Man.

Anyways, I love wine; both the drink and these leggings. They're velvet and I love how comfortable they are without being overly casual. I used to think of wine as an old color because I think my grandma had a Volvo that color or something, but these days it feels hip, chic, and classic.

I try not to wear my Docs with absolutely everything but they're seamlessness and instant spruce up of any outfit make it almost impossible. Before I even got these boots I knew I'd wear them like a Doc Marten minion and I was right, they just add the right amount of edge to everything. I'm very quantity over quality when it comes to clothing due to my mantra of simply creating art through style, nothing more, so I'm really happy to even have these boots because in reality they're a little out of my usual price range; some pieces just leave you with no choice though.

Overall of It

Would you be more interested in my look if I told you these overalls were by Marc Jacobs and this top was by Celine? Because they are...not.

I've had these overalls since my teenage years, and they're from Wal Mart. They used to be long but I cut them during a Nicole Richie style inspiration moment, she had some around shin length. 

Being that these overalls span from over a decade ago, they were not purchased under the ever changing guise of being "in style", which makes me smile because I already knew they were cool. I also have to kind of roll my eyes because until the biggest fashion magazines okayed it, no one else did. 

This top is from Forever 21. I love the romantic, elusive sleeves and the thin splay of black and white slipped into the grey overture. Forever 21 gets a lot of hate but whether it works for you or not is dependent upon personal clothing values.

This look was really comfortable. I think I just did something boring like grocery shop or something this day. But then again, food is amazing, so it was cool.

Whatever Forever

It's May, so flowers are in order right?

These tights, these tights! They remind me of vintage wallpaper in one of those creepy, old movies where the little girl's bedroom is supposed to be the epitome of preciousness but is actually really eeiry. Like where everything is mostly pastel colored, Victorian porcelain dolls line the never dusted shelves, and a rusty old trunk in the corner that should contain toys is probably filled with great-great grandmother's old bones.

Maybe that's why I wore my brother's Alice in Chains shirt, to add a grungy element to an otherwise eeirly pretty ensemble. But then again I say that about all my outfits. Admittedly, I don't really know very much about Alice in Chains, and I kind of hate to be one of those superficially "down" people that wear band tees and don't even know if Alice is like a chick or why she's wrapped up in chains in the first place. But there's just this cool, effortlessness about band tees that seem to just pull together an outfit in ways a blouse never could. 

Both the skirt and tights are from Forever 21; and so is the princess necklace. I call it a princess necklace because of the pretty little chandelier they kind of make your neck into. I kind of have monikers for all my pieces. Being that I'm not much (as in not at all) of a designer donning, label layering chick, I don't differentiate things by Adam Wang last spring or Isabel Marant circa '09, rather I create titles based on the feel I get from the clothing; ..keeps me inspired.

Dress

Sometimes a dress can make you feel beautiful.

 It is in the effortlessness of its sway. It is the feminine details of its layers and lace, revealing a grace in you that you weren't aware existed. A dress reminds you of who you are. As you look in the mirror in a garment reserved only for your kind, the softness of its material become your softness, its delicate details bring to light your delicacy. You feel like a real girl, but not in a cheesy, damsel sort of way. You feel like the girl you've always known was there, the capable, strong, loving being you try so hard to convey.

A dress is a superhero cape; your inner powers are intact and confidence in place. There is a happiness that can't be put into words but is evident. Your walk is actually more of a skip. Smoothing it over before you sit down, carefully crossing a leg over the other, a dress brings out femininity in an ethereal way. It shines a light on the mild mannerisms of a woman and celebrates them, proving their intrigue and worth.

Dresses remind us of our beauty. Our light, our spirit, our heart becomes lost under the demands and constant consistence of life's continuity. But a dress brings us back to ourselves. The girly way you automatically stand, the subconscious beauty of brushing your hair off your exposed shoulder, the accent of your form as your hands rest on your hips. A dress is a pause. It forces life to finally wait for you for a moment, to take you in and appreciate all that you encompass.  

A dress is a lovely vase containing a beautiful flower. You are that flower.

  

We Found Love

So, time travel back to late summer/early fall when I wore this jean dress that my brother swears is a mumu. It's not, right?

I got this dress at Thrift Town when I lived in San Francisco. It instantly reminded me of Rihanna via We Found Love, and that being one of my all time favorite videos, this find was truly love indeed. 

I have this affinity for kind of grungy, diamond in the rough kind of pieces that most people don't see the beauty in, which is why I really love thrift shopping. It's the perfect combination of treasure chest and treasure hunt. I knew from the soft wash denim and loose fit that this dress would be easy to wear and could go from plain to bang with just a few additions.

These platform low tops are so essential; even now, post summer,  they look great with leggings and a comfy sweater/hoodie. Low top shoes make your legs look longer too. I'm not in the market for that, being 5'9, but extra height can be fun, especially in the form of comfy sneakers.

My friend said I looked so "thug life" this day, haha. Mixing soft and hard is definitely a part of my personal style, and it's fun taking something like a dress and making it look as tough/sturdy as a pair of jeans.