i change shapes just to hide in this place but i'm still an animal

This is my second year working in retail part-time while going to school. In 2014 I worked at The Limited, then I transferred schools and moved to a different city in January 2015. In October I got a job at White House Black Market, which is, in all honesty, very similar to The Limited. It's just more expensive. I do like it for the most part, but it's really changed my outlook on clothes. Constantly being around brand new sparkling fresh clothing that I don't own is...weird. My sense of style hasn't changed, but I have gotten more varied when figuring out how to style something that I normally would pass right by, but...it's much more than that.

I've been typing and retyping this paragraph, trying to accurately describe the sensation that I get from new clothes and going shopping since I started working in retail, but I can't seem to figure out how to explain it.

Anyways, I thought I'd put together some outfits using at least one main piece from WHBM. This is how I would wear these clothes if: 1. I was allowed to style them this way, and 2. I had enough money to buy them. (I do get a decent discount, but I still have to be very selective with what I buy. If they want their employees to constantly be decked out head to toe in their clothes, they'd have to, like, quadruple our pay.)

Without further ado...

button-front pencil skirt 98.00 | leather ankle-strap heels 125.00 | fringe clutch 98.00 | others

#1
Not much to say about this outfit except hopefully the turquoise necklace keeps it from looking like a referee and I love the leather fringe purse. I wish I could get it. I also love the look of a crop top with a high-waisted pencil skirt. I haven't been able to get on board yet with high-waisted pants. I think they make people's butts look weirdly long. But hey, whatever floats your boat.

collarless vest 140.00 | twill skimmer jeans 98.00 | freshwater pearl tassel necklace 75.00 | others

#2

I had to add an outfit that used my Converse. Originally I wanted to put the sleeveless blazer with a white t-shirt dress, but it was hard to see the white dress dress against the white background. The jeans have rose gold side zippers and the necklace is pearls with a rose gold tassel. I thought the whole rose gold fad happened like two years ago? Is it still going on? Do I really care? Anyways, every few months the store gets in a new seasonal color. This spring, the color is salmon. Light meat and dark. I thought this jacket was the light pink color but it turns out it's ecru, which is just a fancy name for meh. I just left it because whatever. Pretend it's light pink. I wouldn't wear it if it were, though.

lace cut-out crop top 98.00 | sandals | others

#3

When I started working there in October, the store did actually have black ripped jeans. (They still have regular blue jeans with rips.) This store is so weird. Some of their stuff is edgy-adjacent (like ripped jeans and leather fringe), some of it is basic (blazers, pencil skirts, regular jeans), and then the rest is fairly matronly. No more comments on that, though.

Side note: The sandals in outfit #3 are by the brand Bed Stu. They have the best leather shoes and accessories. My favorites are their sandals. I already have one pair, which I will maybe do a post on here shortly, and I definitely want to get another pair this summer. Such a step up from my $2 Old Navy flip flops. I actually ordered this pair, and I ended up not liking them on me as much as I liked them in the photos. Something was a bit off, but I might order them again and wear them around the house for a few hours, to see if they might start to feel right. 

I'd like to add that:
1. No, I am not a representative of Polyvore. I'm just bored.
2: I'm not trying to persuade you to shop or not shop at WHBM. I have to spend a certain amount of my time thinking about this stuff and I'm just trying to make the best (re: most interesting) of it.


Much love.