autum, i'm waiting...

It was 78 degrees yesterday.

Seventy. Eight.

Look, I know Kansas can play a little fast and loose with its so-called 'seasonal weather', but this is just...not right. WHERE ARE YOU, FALL?

I just got back from France, where I spent the last five weeks. (We can talk about that in a whole other post, promise.) Although it was surprisingly disgustingly hot in Paris the first week or two that I was there, it cooled off pretty quickly. I definitely got used to wearing sweaters and jackets and hell, I was enjoying it immensely. So yes, I was a little bitter when I stepped out of the Kansas City airport and immediately started sweating.

Unfortunately, I have no control over the weather besides my continuous recycling efforts, so I'm just going to have to wait out this lingering summer heat. To hold me over, I've taken to staring longingly at my computer screen filled with pictures of chunky knits and scarves the size of the kraken.

We'll get there soon. We will.

Until I can start living my sartorial dream without fear of self-induced heat stroke, here are some of the things I've been drooling over...

oversized sweaters

oversized jackets

oversized scarves

[let's be honest, oversized everything]

flannel

layers

Like, so many layers that you just end up looking like a pile of fabric scraps? Now you're singing my song!

I'm lazy so all of these photos can be sourced back to my warm & cozy pinterest board.


Next up, we'll take a look at how my current wardrobe measures up to this inspiration.


PS: Happy October!

i do believe it's true that there are roads left in both of our shoes

I have a story that makes me sound like a bitter old woman, but I don't care

See these shoes?

The dirtier, the better.

The shoes epitomizing all things Instagram-posting, Starbucks-going, leggings and baggy sweaters-wearing hipster girls?

Summer whiteout

"I know white clothing is supposed to enhance that summer glow, but writers don't tan."
(Diablo Cody)

The only time I ever wear an all-one-color outfit is if that color is BLACK. I like black clothes. A lot. But in the summer time, when it's 104 degrees out with 70% humidity (thanks Kansas), wearing all black just looks (and feels) a little...heavy. So why not try switching it up and going all WHITE? I mean, white is just as inoffensive as black, and despite what people say, I think wearing all white works with any skin tone, regardless of its paleness (or lack thereof).

But wearing all white can start to drift into bridal territory, so to curb that I'm-getting-married-today vibe, go full color with the accessories, and keep the hair slightly messy and undone (or whatever is the opposite of how you would style your hair on your wedding day).

Here's some ideas to copy inspiration for going all white this summer:

1.  A simple sleeveless t-shirt dress...

T by Alexander Wang

2.  Pleats 'n whatnot...

darkvictory.co.kr

3.  A sweater for cooler days (does that even happen in the summer? somebody come kidnap me out of this state)...

photo

One issue that comes up a lot when trying to wear an all-one-color look is that if there are separate pieces, especially by different brands, then the colors might not "match"; this can make, in the case of all white, one of the pieces look a beautiful bright white while the other sits there like a dingy mess (even if it isn't actually a dingy mess).

I think the best (or at least, the easiest) way to remedy this is by mixing up the textures and materials of each piece. For example,

4.  Wearing a cotton button-up on top and a lace pencil skirt on the bottom...

photo

So are you into this look? Or is it just a bit too...well, white...for you?

Pinterest, magazines, and glue sticks

Wow, I haven't posted on here in so long (since February?) but that does not mean I have been skipping out on some fashion sessions. I blame Pinterest. Also, before Pinterest was...well, there, I had a sort of hard-copy lookbook I maintained. I started it about five years ago, but it's just been sitting around gathering dust the last few years. So last night I dragged out the book and did a little editing and updating. It really is amazing seeing how my tastes have changed over the last half-decade. I'd like to think they've gotten a bit more...refined. That is to say, less 19 years-old-ish.

I don't consider the two (Pinterest and my lookbook) as being the same. There are great things floating around Pinterest, and especially during Fashion Week(s) when a lot of new stuff appears, but during the off-seasons, I start seeing a lot of recycling of the same photos. This is why I like magazines. Styles might be similar every now and then, but at least they use completely different pictures for each new edition (barring ads, which are actually terrific for inspiration. Assuming they're not completely...wack).

Here's my Pinterest, if you are interested. And here's a photo (or two photos) I pinned recently. Because so far I've written a lot of text and I suppose it needs to be broken up with an image or two.

I want a poncho please.
[source]

My fall/winter style summarized in four words:
A walking fabric shop.
[source]

So I call it my lookbook because that is the word that I glued on the notebook five years ago and it does not appear as though I will be able to remove them anytime soon so I digress. The Lookbook it is. Anyways, it is laughable what I do: as I read through new magazines, I fold down the corners of pages which contain something that catches my eye. After I'm done reading, I can later go back through quickly, find the pages I marked, and cut out whatever I liked. Then I glue the pictures to 3-hole-punched graph paper and finally nestle said papers into my book. It's like second grade art class. Except I don't have to use safety scissors. (It's time-consuming. I should probably be doing things more socially acceptably productive.)

I do, in fact, have a point to the previous three paragraphs. As I mentioned, I started updating the books, and I just thought I'd share some of my favorites. These are ones that I have not yet seen on Pinterest, so hopefully they are a breath of fresh air (or at least non-recirculated air) for you as well.

I hope you enjoy these. I'm predicting that it will take me a hella long time to scan these. (And yes, 'hella long' is a standard scientific measurement of time.) So without further ado...

Mélange of prints

Guys, I don't know what's happening to me. I'm going from solids in white/gray/black/navy to actually searching for prints and colors (case in point: I've bought three neon items so far this summer). Not only am I uncharacteristically interested in prints, I'm wanting to (gasp) mix them! I have a fever, and the only prescription is more prints.

I've noticed a lot of the photos I've been gravitating towards have involved a mix of stripes and floral.

I feel bad because often I save inspiration photos on my computer then completely forget where I found them

bsoup.blogspot.com

manrepeller.com

I forget the source :(

bsoup.blogspot.com

bsoup.blogspot.com

I believe I already posted this photo,
but I never thought I'd love an outfit that had two different floral prints
plus the color purple and the color pink
source

does ombré count as a print...?

thesartorialist.com

so I know these two prints aren't on just one person...
but they should be
thesartorialist.com

"Anything that gets your blood racing is probably worth doing."

-Hunter S. Thompson-

4th

Happy Fourth of July! I love this holiday, it's a wonderful summer day complete with barbeque, fireworks, friends, and family.

Is flag fashion big where you live? Here smack dab in the middle of Kansas, it's all over the place. As a little kid, I always looked forward to getting my annual flag t-shirt from Old Navy, and yearned after their flag bikinis (to which my mom always said no).

So what do you think of wearing the flag? Cute or kitschy?

Old Navy's classic tee...

...and swimsuit

chicnova.com

trendunited.com

chanluu.com

madebyhankshop.bigcartel.com

freepeople.com

source

these shorts are super cute, and there's even a diy!

"America is another name for opportunity."

-Ralph Waldo Emerson-

[let's keep it that way]

Inspiration: Miranda Kerr

My current obsession is Miranda Kerr. First off, she's married to Legolas. Jealous! Secondly, she has killer style. I'll definitely be using her for inspiration this spring and summer.

I love the floral-on-floral look.

It's just downright interesting and cool.

Chic.

It seems like this shouldn't work...and then it does.

I love the jeans. I think this might be a future DIY, yeah?

It's very fresh.

I want this to be me.

Burgundy! Stripes! I'm sold.

I can't get over that elbow patch. I love it. And the leopard shoes.

And that's why Miranda Kerr is the bomb.

Tschüss!

all photos found here and here

Finger fiesta

Some (okay, most) days I get really lazy and don't wear any jewelry. And then there are the days where I just want to go full Johnny Depp circa Pirates with loads of rings.

I love the way a bunch of rings look, like a little party that you carry with you all day.

Some inspiration:

I love the leaf-looking one.
source

source

I <3 chevron rings.
source

I think I'll be looking for some bands to recreate Kristen Stewart's look.
source

source

And my own take:

rings, left to right: American Eagle, thrifted, made, made, thrifted

I'm trying to figure out how to take pictures of my hands that don't look completely awkward. So far I'm failing.

Things to remember:
mix metals - no need to match metals, it looks better if there are a few varieties in there
go vertical - think about putting rings up higher on your fingers to add some depth to the look
get comfy - make sure you can still use your hands, or else you'll be taking the rings of pretty quickly
enjoy! - self explanatory

Bisous mes amis!