Outfit of the week: accents of red

It's the outfit of the week mainly because I'm lazy and took only one picture this week. Anyhow, I love this light silk dress (bought from Asos about 2 years ago) in the muggy African heat. It is very breathable and this H&M blazer (bought Spring 2014) makes the outfit office and air conditioning appropriate.

Re-create the look (sort-of):

Dress: Thakoon (NOT work appropriate but super cute), Angie, Modcloth Dino, Closet, Modcloth Footloose, Pink Martini

...try also Glamorous, French Connection, and Modcloth Schooner for a different take on the look.

Blazer: Chicnova (I love the peplum and zip detail), Vince Camuto, Misguided (a longer more trenchcoat-y version), Asos, BCBG

everything contrived?

I had some downtime and was reading stories on Wattpad a little over a year ago and a friend asked me what I was reading and if any of the books/stories were any good. As an avid reader and story collector, I've spent enough time reading books and watching movies and TV shows to be able to figure out the plot lines and major themes before the end of the book. So my response to my friend was, "well, you know everything is contrived but some authors are better storytellers." This led to a bigger conversation on how many things in life are not completely unique but derivations and permutations of earlier versions. Fashion clearly fits this logic and is often referred to as being cyclical because while the classics remain, trends and fads swing back around.

Avoiding the bigger philosophical argument around this statement, the point is, this blog pays homage to the ideas, images and information that influence me and affect my style, but in it's own telling hopefully a unique experience.

My Style Profile

I like to think of my style as "North Italy sophisticated career woman" with a hint of haute couture.

I HAVE NO IDEA WHERE I GOT THAT IDEA FROM! But since it fell out of my mouth, I've stuck with it.

I live for tailored pieces and there's a reason for that: I am slender and curvy. It doesn't matter how many fashion magazines I've gone through usually slender and curvy is not included in the body types. Just so you understand what I have to go through, for my high school prom I found a dress that I absolutely loved in a beautiful gold/bronze hue (depending on how the light hit it). Stepped into the dress, zipped up and it would not make it up and over the ladies. My bust just would not fit this dress. I went a couple sizes up, had to chuck my bra and finally this silver dress (gold/bronze had run out in bigger sizes) fit in the bust area but it was loose and baggy everywhere else. So I went to prom with enough room to sneak out three plates of food. Fast forward more years than I would care to admit and I still have a hard time finding clothes that fit well. If I'm not trying to suck in my hips (impossible), then usually, I'm having to check to make sure that I'm not popping buttons and flashing the world. I love loose blousy silhouettes but they tend to make me look expectant, as in bun-in-the-oven, wait 9 months for your prize type of expectant. So I am very often found in a fitted silhouette and if I can help it, a tailored piece.

I love this suit photographed by Vanessa Jackman (soon to be featured on the blog) and it certainly fits my aesthetic.

The hint of haute is usually my finishing touch. With every outfit, I try to pick an item, shoe or accessory that doesn't quite match and that usually brings the outfit together for me. There is something liberating in the idea of the impossible or the imperfect.


I should also add that I love vintage profiles. I'm sure that'll be easy to see...

Not one more blog!!!

I have thought about this for a while and finally decided to add to the piles of blogs on fashion and style and all of that. There are so many really amazing blogs already on street style, shopping, fashion, high fashion and the like, but I recently realized that this blog was for me. It was a way to catalogue all the information that was clouding my mind and amassing a rather intimidating list of bookmarks, so here we are.

When I first thought of this blog I lived in a midwestern college town that would like to believe its city but has all the characteristics of a small town (no shade, no hate, just love here). Since then I've moved to a bigger metropolis for a year and then big leap later wound up in Africa. I've been here just over 6 months and I can't lie, I'm experiencing quite a bit of fashion withdrawal (specifically shopping withdrawal) and without my ever faithful Hobby Lobby, Michaels, Jo-Anns or whatever handy craft store around, I'm also experiencing some diy withdrawal but hopefully this blog will help with that. I guess time will tell...