Academic adaptation

Sweater: Banana Republic; Blouse: Ralph Lauren, hand-me-down; 

Jeans: Old Navy; Bow tie: Vintage. 

I am one screenplay update and two hectic days away from spring break, so most of my outfits lately have been the same iteration of pants, sweater and some kind of button-down shirt. Before I started graduate school, I used to think this kind of outfit was staid and dull -- how could I give up my beloved vintage and ruffles? But I've since adapted to its usefulness -- it's easy to wear at school, work and impromptu department meetings. And adding in little details here and there -- like this vintage bowtie -- reminds me that there's more to life than being a slave to my books and Powerpoints all the time. 

Blazing ahead

 Blazer: Donna Karan, vintage, secondhand from Aunt P.; Blouse: Ralph Lauren; 

Jeans: Old Navy; Necklace: gift from Marilou; Moccasins: Minnetonka.

Photos by Jeremiah. 

Thanks so much for the feedback on the last post. It was really interesting and eye-opening to read about what you guys find important in fashion blogging. I suppose I am trying to still find some balance with this blog in trying to show what I really wear and what I find more photoshoot-y/creative. Because while I would like to wear vintage floral dresses and wreaths all the time and frolic in the woods, obviously there are more conducive sartorial choices to my school and work lives. From now on, I'd like to differentiate between more of those creative photoshoot-y pursuits and my everyday wear. 

Anyways, here is what I wore on Sunday during a trip to the library. I haven't worn this blazer in a while, and I felt pretty inspired to try them with my new jeans. Here's how I've styled it before:

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?

Pygmalion's clay

 Dress: Taylor; Sweater: Ralph Lauren; Tights, boots: Target.

These photos by Jeremiah.

When I bought this sweater and this dress several years ago, they were outlandish purchases. I didn't have anything similar like them in my wardrobe, and they didn't seem to go with anything, but I was drawn to them anyways.

I had an idea of the kind of person who would wear them, a woman who was organized, stylish and just seemed to have her life together. Oh yeah, and she skipped down busy city streets with a basket of flowers in one hand and a smile on her face. Basically a woman who was not like me, and maybe more like how I envisioned young Mary Tyler Moore to be if she were in a JC Penney commercial. I thought by purchasing these pieces, I could, like the classical Pygmalion, find the right tools, and in turn, be closer to molding the perfect woman that I wanted to be.

Needless to say,  these pieces languished in my closet for more than a year. I wore them hesitantly in different combinations, almost always to the grocery store or the post office. The idea of creating a perfect woman via an attainable wardrobe started to seem shallow, lifeless and as formidable as a lump of unformed clay. I felt dumb for even buying them, but I still hung onto them, like an old prom dress or tight pair of jeans, just in case.

And over the last couple of years, things have changed in my life. A different kind of self confidence started to grow that wasn't necessarily tied into my work or other life accomplishments, but through my appearance, a trait that has taken years of anxiety, skin eczema and self evolution to finally accept. Perhaps it was through this blog and this accepting community, but I felt less like I needed to mold and craft and more like I just needed to try.

I finally wore them together. It was a small blip in the grand scheme of things, but I skipped down the street anyways.

What remains when the hours pass

 Striped sweater: Ralph Lauren; Floral blouse: LOFT;

Wool pants: J. McLaughlin, salvaged from Aunt P.;

Pocket watch (as necklace): Waltham; 

Stone bracelet: gift from Marilou; Jade & cougar bracelets: 

Finder's Keepers store, vintage; Boots: Target.

On Saturday, when almost everyone in town was at the big basketball game, I had some time to explore my alma mater's campus and take photos by one of my favorite buildings, the chapel. The weather was relatively nice, though super windy, so I took the opportunity to take more pictures than I normally would in a really open public area. I also tried some more pattern-mixing with my new LOFT blouse and sweater -- for whatever reason, the stripes from this sweater really lend themselves well to experimentation. I also tried some skinny pants, which I've never done before, and I love this wool variety that I got from Jeremiah's aunt. This silhouette is much different from what I usually go for, but I really like it.

Some of my other blog features are going to start this week! I've decided I want to start sharing more of things I like -- some inspiration pieces, movie reviews, etc. but almost all of it will be style-related.

Anyways, today's a snow day throughout most of northeast Georgia, so I'm going to go out and play for awhile ...

Prints Avenue

Cardigan: Ralph Lauren;

Dress: Suzy Chin;

Belt: Ann Taylor Loft;

Shoes: Target.
3D glasses: Regal Cinemas.

This outfit combination has stirred around in my head for months now, ever since I saw Kendi do a similar outfit.  I've had this cardigan for about a year now, and it's been a hard piece to style because it's about two sizes too big for me and it's quite swingy on me (note: don't buy things on super-secret-final sale unless you're totally sure about the fit!). Here's how the cardigan looks on the model. So I finally came up with the idea of buttoning the buttonholes back to the buttons on the same side so the cardigan looks a little smaller.

I've been obsessed with getting some oversized nerdish glasses for awhile now, and after a trip to the movie theater this weekend, I finally made it happen by popping out the lenses in some 3-D glasses. They're just fun to wear and kind of whimsical -- I've never worn glasses in my life, but they remind me of high school when I used to wear old lenseless frames for fun. I may not take these off for awhile...

What are some pattern combinations you're interested in trying/have tried?

Stealing picnic baskets

Top: Vintage, thrifted;

Skirt: Ralph Lauren, thrifted;

Red belt: Ann Taylor Loft;

Heels: Tayla platform sandals, Target;

Bag: Thrifted;

Jade and black bracelets: thrifted, Finder's Keepers;

Silver bangle: gift;

Hawaiian bangle: Aloha Stadium, Honolulu, HI.

How I've worn the top before: here.

How I've worn the skirt before: here.

How I've worn the heels before: here.

Today was an exercise in being alone. I didn't have Jeremiah, my trusty photographer husband, with me, so it gave me a chance to test out the new tripod. I was really hesitant in going to the park by myself --- even thought this particular park is idyllic, our area of town can be really sketchy sometimes. I went anyways and brought my cell phone and decided that if anything bad might occur, my tripod could double as a weapon for defense. Does anyone else think that when they take blog photos by themselves? Maybe I've watched too many CSI episodes, I don't know. The park ended up turning out okay (a few older couples walking around), so I felt comfortable enough to stay longer than I had originally intended. I really liked how the photos turned out, especially the still lifes.

About this outfit. I liked the color palette a lot and I thought I looked like a walking picnic basket, which reminded me of Yogi Bear, which kept me singing "The Yogi Bear song"  that I learned at summer camp all afternoon. I don't usually wear as many bracelets as today, but there was something so fun about hearing them jangle on my arm. Gotta love wearing things that make you feel silly in a good way.

Lay down your mind, or Dress #20

Listening to: "Help Yourself," Sad Brad Smith, from 

the "Up in the Air" soundtrack.

Dress (as top): Old Navy;

Sweater: Target;

Shoes: Zigi Soho;

Skirt: Ralph Lauren, thrifted;

Bracelet: Aloha Stadium, Honolulu, HI.

How I've worn the dress before: here, here.

How I've worn the skirt: here.

You may remember my top -- it's actually the dress in this ruffly ensemble. I decided I wanted to play with layering it with a skirt for a more professional look to show how it completely changes the tone of the outfit. I've gotten a few dresses altered that have been shortened just a smidge too much, and have salvaged them by combining them with skirts.

It was SO warm today that I did not wear the sweater for very long. 

Spring, I love you. Thanks for finally coming. Please don't give me major allergies this year.

Hope you all have a wonderful, wonderful weekend!

 

20 down, 25 to go.

A day at the park

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What we wore:

JoAnn

Plaid shirt: Arizona Jeans Co., thrifted;

Sweater: Anne Taylor Loft, gift;

Brooch: Goodwill, thrifted;

Skirt: Ralph Lauren, thrifted;

Tights: Target;

Black socks: Marshall's;

Moccasins: Minnetonka, gift;

Bag: H&M.

Nikki

Dress: H&M, thrifted;

Sweater: Forever 21;

Socks: Target;

Boots: Diba Pilot, DSW;

Sunglasses: Target.