Second life

So this is what an entirely secondhand outfit looks like. At the end of every school semester, I tend to splurge on myself for finishing another round of classes by buying things I've had my eye on for awhile (a dress here, a purse there). Since there will be four semesters for me this year instead of the usual two, the shopping never really stopped after May. I've gotten into a bad habit of only wearing new things, so I thought I start re-wearing items in my closet that have been neglected because they've lost their new-to-me luster. This entire outfit cost about $12, as all the items are either vintage or thrifted. I like thinking about who owned them before me, and how the items are getting second (or third or fourth) lives with me...

How was your weekend? Jeremiah and I spent some time visiting family for Father's Day. Highlights include lunch with my family, seeing "Prometheus" at a dinner-movie theater and perusing the racks at Forever 21 (there isn't a store in Athens). 

credits - dress: vintage, donna ricco, thrifted | shoes: ipanema, thrifted | bowtie: vintage, from agora.

This dress has been a closet staple since I found it two years ago. See all the ways I've worn it:

Reality versus creativity in fashion blogging

 Jacket: Ralph Lauren; Blouse: vintage, thrifted; Jeans: Old Navy; 

Shoes: Ipanema, thrifted; Skeleton key necklace: Minx, vintage.

So Franca's thoughtful post on the appearance of reality in fashion blogging got me thinking about how things appear on this blog and why I photograph the things I do. When I started blogging 2 1/2 years ago, this blog was simply a creative outlet for myself while I was entering the professional world, and after college, it was a way for me to be part of a community when my real-life friends scattered across the country after graduation. For the hard-nosed journalist I was trained to be, this personal writing/photography was a whole new world for me, and I continue to like being part of it.

But when I started to really get into blogging, things changed. The locations had to be better. The clothes, more fantastical and more vintage-y. The poses, more pose-y. And so on. And with every new opportunity, all sorts of ethical and philosophical questions began to emerge about how I framed every post on this blog: Does it matter whether I mention that this outfit happened yesterday, two days before, or that I only wore it for 20 minutes last week? How much of my private life should I even mention? Do I show other aspects of my life, like being with my husband, meeting with my friends or doing this or that? Should I mention that it is quite ridiculous to hike in tall shoes through the woods to take these photos? 

Or would that break the spell of what I'm trying to do?

And the thing is, I wasn't sure what I was trying to do anymore -- whether it was to depict my reality, my life, as it really was -- or how I wanted all of my readers to perceive it. But I've discovered that by trying to photograph everything, I'm already skewing reality because I'm framing what I want you to see, and not how the big picture really is. Would I take these photos if I didn't want to put them on the blog? Probably not. Would I visit this park on my own if I wasn't doing blog photography? Maybe not. Do I always look this pensive in real life? No. Does this become some kind of twisted reality because I put it here for the world to see? Maybe, yes.

The thing is, I am not really sure if there is a right or wrong way to blog, and obviously, there are good and bad elements of trying depict reality and trying to be creative about it. As I've gotten more into photography, I've realized how much I unintentionally stage what I wore or did for these blog posts, without actually disclosing that I did so. And I think in order to really grow as a person creatively, it might be better for me to try to not do so many outfit-of-the-day posts, because it can be mentally exhausting, and really focus on what I can do creatively. Which may mean more fantastical outfits and locations, because I find all that fun. But I think I'll find better ways to be open about how I set up shots, why I chose this outfit or that background, and all of those technical aspects.

This might have been the most long-winded way of saying that I only wore this outfit for an hour because it was way too cold.

Anyways, I am curious: What is important to you when you blog -- depicting reality or a sense of creativity, or both? Is authenticity an important factor when you read a blog?

Back to school, ring the bell

 Sweater: Target; Silk blouse: Jones New York, thrifted; Skinny jeans: Kohls; 

Black shoes: Ipanema, thrifted; Scarf, bag: thrifted.

Yesterday was a day of firsts: first day of school, first day of outfit photography after a three-week hiatus, and the first time I've ever worn skinny jeans. I haven't given up on my beloved dresses, but with a new season it seemed like a great time to shake up my style a little bit. With some leftover holiday money, I've added a few more blouses and pants to my closet to spice things up. There's already a waiting list of blouses to be paired with these jeans.

I'm looking forward to my new schedule, though it's a full plate: four classes, work and a panel session every week. As for my photography, I'm hoping I'll be back in rhythm with the park soon once I adjust to a new sleep pattern. This night owl is morphing into an early bird.

Would you roll like the wind does

Sweater: No label, thrifted; Tie blouse: NY & Co; Jeans, belt: Loft; 

Shoes: Ipanema, thrifted; Carpet saddle bag: vintage, thrifted.

Currently listening to: "November Blue," The Avett Brothers.

I seem to have a  penchant for wearing bows lately. Normally I never use this blouse's ties, but I decided to wear a little bow outside of my sweater and I like how collegiate it all looks. Perhaps I'm beginning to reflect my academic pursuits in my wardrobe, as that's where I'll be spending all my time from here until eternity (or  until early December). Until then, I'll be dreaming of blue skies, warm beaches, and everything that does not typify November weather in Georgia ...

In the misty morning fog

 Dress: Liz Claiborne; Jacket: Club Monaco, thrifted; Blouse: Chaps; Tights: Vera Wang; 

Shoes: Ipanema, thrifted; Belt: from camp a long time ago. 

I had a hard time going through these photos because half of them turned out dark and serious, almost like a film noir, and the other half appeared bright and cheerful. Unsure of how to balance this duality in tone, I just chose my favorites. Have fun guessing which photo fell under which theme (hint: apparently pensiveness is correlated with buttoned coats and slightly-popped collars for me).

Because I am convinced that the next three weeks are the absolute prettiest time of year to do landscape photography in this area, I've challenged myself to go shoot every single day this month, even if it's only for a few minutes a day. I used to spend every morning at the park during my more disciplined days; with graduate school, it's become more difficult to claim more of my free time back. I'm looking forward to getting back to making this hobby more of a priority ...

Sgt. Pepper's disco

Band jacket: Ecru, thrifted; Sequin shirt: vintage, thrifted; 

Jeans: LOFT; Necklace: giveaway gift, Hazel & Harlow;

Shoes: Ipanema, thrifted.

Photos of me by Jeremiah.

So I really, really wanted to wear this outfit during the 30 for 30, but I didn't have many opportunities to try it out in my everyday life -- no holiday parties or anything going on over here yet. So I went ahead and just wore it for a pizza outing downtown with Jeremiah. It ended up being perfect because a) it was graduation day at UGA, and I was a representin' alumna in my school colors and b) there were so many graduates outside taking photos of themselves in cap and gown, that Jeremiah and I didn't look bonkers taking my outfit photos at random spots. Win, win.

At first glance, it looks like there is too much going on with this outfit and you'd think the band jacket and the sequin top would compete for attention. Instead, I think they complement each other because they're both working with the same neutral color (black), and the sequins don't overwhelm the costume characteristics of the band jacket. 

Now, now if I could just find a traveling disco band, my life would be complete.

This entire outfit cost $18

Gingham top: vintage, thrifted; 

White blouse (underneath): Ann Taylor, thrifted;

Leather skirt: Old Navy, thrifted;

Tights: Hue;

Shoes: Ipanema, thrifted;

Coat: Club Monaco, thrifted.

 Shop similar: white blouse, skirt, coat.

This outfit cost me less than a tank of gas, because it's 83% thrifted (the tights were the bought-new items). The shoes and the leather skirt were the most expensive items at $5 each. The coat (which still had its tags when purchased) was $3, and I wear it all the time. I believe in the magical powers of dry cleaning and sale days at thrift stores.

One of the most difficult things for me in this Remix Challenge was being able to combine my vintage pieces with some of the more modern items. I usually don't do that too much -- it's either all modern or all vintage/costume-y. I liked being able to frankenstein the two styles during this challenge to create my own spin.

This is Outfit 29, which means it's final countdown time. Stay tuned for the finale ... tomorrow!

20 stories up

Shirt: Arizona Jeans Co., thrifted;
Sweater vest: Brittany, vintage, thrifted;
Jeans: LOFT;
Red belt: LOFT;
Shoes: Ipanema;
Carpet saddle bag: vintage, thrifted.

This post title might be even more tenuous than yesterday's, because I'm not actually 20 floors up on a parking deck. It's Friday and I'm giving in to my penchant for my post-titles-that-aren't-related whims.

For my 20th outfit in the 30 for 30 Remix Challenge, I went for a really cozy outfit. I actually wore it twice during Thanksgiving week but failed majorly to take a photo of it, so here it is again. This outfit is so comfortable it basically feels like wearing pajamas, though I feel a little like a lumberjack in this outfit.

I'm two-thirds of the way through the Remix Challenge. It's getting pretty hard. Like I told myself that I have to mainly wear things that haven't already been worn twice, and now I have a bunch of showcase items that need to be worn that don't match each other. I tried, though. The sequin top doesn't want to be friends with the band jacket, and the leather skirt is leading a coup to take over the rest of the closet. Total chaos over here.

What do you do when your clothes just don't want to cooperate with you?

Happy Friday,

Traveled the world and the seven seas

Sweater: Mossimo, gift;

Dress: French Connection;

Patterned scarf: thrifted;

Shoes: Ipanema, thrifted;

Belt: LOFT;

Bracelet: found inside my couch;

Headband: from Philippines,

from sister.

When I put together my items for the 30 for 30 Challenge, I specifically picked some items that had previously been hard for me to style with different items. This dress was one of them -- I originally bought it for my wedding to wear in the time between the reception and the airport. I wanted to try to wear it in a casual way, so I went with a nautical theme for Day 7. I've never worn this dress as a skirt, but I like how it turned out!

How are you 30 for 30 Remixers doing? Have you done any combinations that you've been proud of, or tried ones that pushed you out of your comfort zone?