after christmas christmas present

hi hi hi everyone! it feels like it's been forever! i hope everyone had a wonderful holiday/christmas/hanukkah and tons of great food and great times with your loved ones. i'm sorry for the lack of updates--i was down south visting the family and eating lots of collard greens, turkey and pecan pie. it was fantastic.

hmm...let's see...i don't have many presents to share with you guys. my parents and relatives gave up trying to figure out my style/tastes when i was 14 or so--i usually just get cash to do with as i see fit. oh yeah, it's terrible, i know. ;)

i purchased a few books i have been wanting, twin peaks (boxed set) and a pair of moccasin boots (you will see these very soon!) but nothing too crazy. i splurged on only one item--the large warmer from ozetta! i have been looking for something like this for about a year now and could somehow never find one that was perfect and within my price range. when i saw camille's post about ozetta and saw the warmer, i knew i had to have it. it is just too gorgeous. i decided on the barley-colored one (pictured below). yes, that's right, it is a departure from my usual love affair with all things black and grey. i can't wait to see it. so so excited!

don't worry, dear readers, you will be the first ones to see it! yay!

gothic? maybe a little

yes, i do realize that i look gothically pale in these photos. that's because, well i am in fact gothically pale. it's just not usually this obvious. haha. i'm a redhead, it comes with the territory unfortunately.

anyhow, this dress was purchased after thanksgiving at a cute boutique in my neighborhood--alter. it is from a clothing line simply called "black" that is based out of LA. i have been searching for online info for them but i keep coming up empty-handed. oh well. this dress and i had a love at first sight moment in the store. i couldn't keep my hands off of it. i just kept walking over and fluffing it and re-arranging the fabric. i was embarrassingly smitten. i have just always been drawn to very dramatic and architectural clothing. i had to buy it. as the owner told me "it's very westwood." i agree.

pleats and folds

i love this vintage dress so much. good fabric, great color, and amazing details. sara at used & abused didn't even have to alter it for me- it fits like a glove. she actually thinks that it was a home made dress- can you imagine? i wore this out on saturday with my grandmother's mink swing coat. some odd looks were thrown my way on the subway but i couldn't have been happier!

vintage dress from used & abused, club monaco belt, h&m wedge booties

i'm addicted...so what?

i know you guys are so surprised to see...more plaid!! yay! come on, you have to stick with a good thing right? i love this shirt so much. it's HUGE and that makes it perfect for layering and throwing over dresses. i actually found this skirt at f21 and it reminds me of those cute little skirts that are all over the swedish-style blogs all the time. i love how it bells out but is still very much loose and fluid. i always have a fear that these skirts will somehow be stiff and pouffy--and that i will end up looking like some sort of deranged ballerina or something. luckily, i don't have to worry about that with this skirt. whew.

ok, i give you my word that my next post will be plaid-free! promise. :)




(shirt: thrifted, skirt: f21, belt: f21, tights: h&m, boots: danielle's)

out there underwear

i have to admit that i totally bought this a few weeks back because it reminded me of wendy's studded corset over at hand it over. unfortunately i don't have the gumption to stud mine so this will have to suffice for now. i like it's layering options and have also worn it over a button down and over a dress (as has melissa from sex and coffee). it's on sale at h&m right now. maybe it should live in your closet too? i'm actually thinking about getting it in black as well...

i am so not this sullen in the real world...

urban outfitters sweater, h&m corset, american apparel tshirt, urban outfitters jeans, aldo shoes

still mad for plaid

ahhh...plaid, plaid, plaid, how i love you so. this skirt was purchased at a thrift store and was originally super long-i'm talking painfully modest and unflattering long. i cut it off (yes, i am still juvenile and like to take the scissors to my clothes more often than i should). i purposely did not make it super short and i think when it is belted and worn high-waisted it manages to escape the dreaded catholic school girl territory, no?

the sweatshirt is american apparel (50/25/25 blend)and i think that it might be the perfect sweatshirt. it is thin and feels perfectly worn in, plus it goes with EVERYTHING. i sort of have a love/hate relationship with AA (i absolutely hate their advertising)but i have to admit that they do heathered grey better than anyone else out there.




(skirt: thrifted, sweatshirt: AA, belt: f21, tights: h&m, boots: danielle's)

black & blue

this skirt is heaven. a gift from the used & abused girls, i smile every time i see it in my over-crowded closet. something about the way the leather was broken in makes it fit like a glove. that's me being nosey and watching my neighbors out the bay windows- not, by any means, attempting to strike a pose.

vintage skirt, american apparel tshirt, aldo shoes

shop til you drop

just a brief weekend update:
our good friends sara and jazz over at used & abused are putting on their first trunk show featuring one of a kind and re-worked vintage clothing. there will also be vintage jewelery and accessories for sale. the best part is they're offering 10% off when you rsvp. if you're in nyc stop by for some shopping, a glass of wine, and a hello to the girls of used & abused and rara.avis.

details:
used & abused trunk show
saturday december 6th
1-8pm
soho
620 broadway, 2R
btwn houston and bleecker
email sarawidya@usedandabusedshop.com to rsvp and to receive 10% off all day

follow their blog and check their website for more details. hope to see you there!

(also, more examples of their vintage clothing can be found here on our blog)

the past in the present

i hope everyone had a nice thanksgiving! it's definitely nice to have a break and do nothing for a few days. the time off from work just gives me more time to play with clothes :)

this dress below was a thrift store find from a few years ago and i have always wondered what it was originally. it has the appearance of a choir robe of some sort, minus the fact that it is so short. i don't think any choir would have robes this short, but it is definitely uniform-ish. there were actually a few of them at the store when i bought it. i have worn this thing a million different ways but can never seem to find a way that i love for this particular piece. i've worn it with big belts, small belts, cardigans, hoodies, sweaters, scarves, boots, flats, etc. this is just the latest in the series.

this shirt is also from a thrift store and every time i wear it, it makes me smile a bit because it reminds me of one of my great-aunts. she always had a million of these thin cotton plaid button ups hanging around and she would put them on over whatever she was wearing when she was cooking, cleaning or in the garden. i am definitely channeling her in this outfit. haha











(dress: thrift, button-up: thrift, tights: h&m, boots: danielle's closet)

H&M Spring 2009

i ran into these images over at nitro:licious (via modefeber) and had to re-blog them here because they really are just THAT amazing...

is it wrong that i want everything?

layers and more layers

the oversized layers return! this time they are varying shades and textures of cream. i have to say, i am loving this overabundance of fabric. it's so much more interesting to wear, you know? i am finding that i can be much more creative with the layering since it's so oversized and it's visually much more appealing (at least to me it is).

the cardigan is a recurring piece that many of you have seen before, but the dress is actually one that i made a few years ago. one day i just decided i wanted to make an oversized, comfortable summer dress and this is what happened. actually took awhile, it is handsewn because i didn't have access to a sewing machine at the time. haha, it's crazy i know. i just sort of made up the pattern using an existing, basic dress that i had. there was really no science to it, it was a complete experiment but i am happy with how it turned out.











(dress: handmade, strapless slip:thrifted, cardigan: thrifted, tights: h&m, boots: danielle's)

more inspiration...

outfit posts will resume tomorrow--i promise!

in the meantime, jennine over at the coveted has a great interview with indie fashion photographer courtney brooke hall. head over there and then check out courtney's flickr for even more amazing photos. all of her work has this unbelievable vintage feel to it--it's incredible. i am much more of a fan of this 70s-style vintage feel than the more dainty stuff from the 30s, 40s, 50s (sorry anyone who's ultra-girly and loves that stuff--it's nothing personal!) this is just much more my style. :)



(all photos found randomly via the internet and copyright, of course, belongs the lovely ms. hall)

...and the theme continues

so i guess it is "dress in your boyfriend's clothes" week for us. totally not intentional, but i like how the theme has just come up out of nowhere. :) i promise, next week it will be all pink, girly and involve lots of bows and ruffles (not true).

anyhoo, i found this army jacket at a thrift store this summer and had to have it. it is originally from target (i think) but i just love how ridiculously huge it is. i am not sure where my sudden fascination with extremely large sweaters and jackets came from, but i can't seem to get enough. maybe it's that i find the weird proportion of such a large garment on such a short person amusing? who knows. i kind of like to feel like i'm being swallowed by fabric, it's oddly comforting, especially during winter. (i have no claustrophobia issues, obviously. ha)


(hat:f21, army jacket: thrifted, cream oversized sweater: thrifted, black dress: danielle's, tights: h&m, boots: danielle's)

seriously, why do I keep wearing men's clothing?

two of my current favorite things: my new vintage ebay jacket with puffy sleeves and gold buttons and a mens t-shirt from forever 21 with "stripes" made out of boomboxes. i look really painfully heinous in my photos hence the odd neck and waist shots...