rollin' with the homies

Current fashion decade obsession: the '90s

There is so much to love about it. Grunge rock, My So-Called Life, the supermodel.

I did it the first time around and I am doing it again. Went out for drinks last night and channeled my inner Angela Chase and all her 90s realness.

floral dress. favorite flannel. combat boots.

I have yet to break out the chunky Steve Maddens, but don't tempt me.

aw, man !

I like to wear men's clothes.

Not just menswear inspired,  but actual men's clothes. And I like to look feminine. I want to have my cake and eat it, too.

Here's how.

It's all in the styling. Let's break it down..

That is an actual Grandpa's grandpa flannel.  I tied it at the bottom to give it some shape and added a peek-a-boo striped bra. Most guys don't wear them that way.

I love a slouchy cargo pant. Pair them with heels (leopard!) and you can not only look cool but will also have a place to hang your hammer.

right said

To be honest, today's outfit didn't take a lot of effort. I took my own advice and threw on a dress (Say it with me now: Easiest. Thing. Ever)

The weather was oddly autumnal and so was my jacket.

Add in stiletto ankle boots to look like I tried harder than I did. Finish with oversized aviators because, well, eye contact.

 

That was me walking because I had to go somewhere.

 

And me again doing really natural things like leaning against a pole.

 

 

Whatever, I'm a stylist not a model.

You know what I mean?

...And I'm.. too sexy for this blog.

fringe benefits

I couldn't think of anything great to talk about today so I snapped a pic of what I wore and we can talk about it.

Deal?

You've seen the skirt and boots before. I consider them key item pieces. The black maxi skirt, obviously. But the boots too! Try randomly throwing some animal print into an outfit. You might like what you see.

Mick Jagger tee and leather fringe jacket on top.

FASHION HACK #3
Add a cool jacket to hide the fact that maybe you're wearing a men's T-shirt to work. And maybe you cut the collar off the tee because you prefer a scoop to a crew.

midi to the max

Maybe I'm late to the party, but I have recently discovered my possible new favorite skirt length.

The midi.

Long enough to be work appropriate and short enough to show off your shoes. Personally, I like the midi both in a fitted pencil as well as a softer, loose silhouette.

Today was too damn hot for tight so here's how it went

 

 

 

Not bad, right?

 

I still heart the maxi, but this length is convenient when it rains AND beats sweeping the streets with the hem of your skirt. Just saying.



picnic? pic this..

Hello friends and Happy Memorial Day.

Because this weekend officially kicks off the summer fashion season, I wanted to discuss the Picnic Outfit. Just like going too caszh to a fancy event makes you look like a jerk so does going too fancy to a caszh event.

Stiletto heels on grass or gravel? You're an asshole. 

Stick with flats (yes, I said it), a cool ankle boot or a wedge (which I consider to be the Picnic Shoe.) Here's how I did it this weekend..

Jersey dress, 90s style flannel to cover the fanny, fave Army jacket and my go-to beat-to-shit moto boots.

kiss this

I was in Canada this weekend.

See:

Niagara Falls.
And here is what I wore:

This look went to a rock concert:

This one went to the theatre:

And this one went to a banquet:

You heard me.
KISS to a banquet. And it was a big hit.

daytime shine

My mom says not to save your good pearls for a special occasion.

With that in mind, I decided to break out this baby to wear to work today..

 

Those are sequins and beads. It's vintage and fabulous.

So is this lady:

Here's hoping I'm half as fab someday.

So why all the daytime shine?


BECAUSE THERE IS NO TIME FOR BORING.

dressed to kill

FASHION HACK #2:

Dresses are the easiest thing ever.

Allow me to clarify.

Don't know what to wear to work? Assuming you have an office-ish type job that requires you to look halfway decent.. throw on a dress. Add a jacket and heels and suddenly people are asking 'what's the occasion'.

(Do I need to add that the dress in this case should not be overly hoochie coochie in any way? Read: super short, super low cut or see through)

 

This is what I went with today. Shift dress, army jacket, heels.

and

Believe me when I tell you its way more comfortable to sit in a dress all day than pants.

groovy baby

Was feeling kinda groovy today. I figure there are worse ways to be on a Monday.

 Decided to bring some Stevie Nicks realness to the office.

Fear not a kimono over a maxi dress. Note: more pattern on pattern

well sprung

What better time of year than Mother's Day weekend to dip a toe into actual spring fashion? It's been too long since I have pushed myself into unchartered sartorial territory. So I took the plunge and gave a femme floral skirt a whirl. Paired with peep toe platforms, also floral. Almost entirely unlike me, save for the spikes on the shoes.

Ah, the art of hailing a cab.

Generally hate the rain, but it gave me a great excuse to rock the raincoat. And who needs a diva fan when the actual wind is blowing?

mixology

Let's talk print mixing. Plaids with florals. Stripes with animal. Gone are the days of having to be super matchy-matchy. It may take a little getting used to at first. But once you get the hang of it, it's actually really nice not to have to worry so much about "what will I WEAR with this bold pattern?"


The answer:


ANOTHER BOLD PATTERN, BITCH !

That was me at work today. Just in case you thought I wasn't putting my money where my mouth is.

enter title here

Peanut butter and jelly. Lennon and McCartney. Shampoo and conditioner. Vodka and anything.

Great combinations.

When it comes to fashion combos I like femme and edge with a splash of vodka. I'm a fairly feminine dresser, but I don't generally like the overly girlie (read: foo foo) aesthetic for myself. So I love the idea of adding "harder" pieces to funk up an outfit a bit. Take, for example, what I wore to work today

(Forgive me, I'm still trying to perfect the art of the selfie)

I got this flowy, soft dress somewhere on clearance and felt like I needed to turn up the volume and turn down the princess factor. Enter black leather. I knew I'd be running like a fool in the showroom (work) today so I added my perfectly-beat-to-shit motorcycle boots. Last, but not least, my standard issue hardware. Today it was all the rings and chunky silver chain.


I followed a similar recipe on New Year's Eve this year..

1 part fluffy vintage prom dress
2 parts knee high gladiator platforms
several parts vodka

Try it, you might like it.

you can do side bends or sit-ups

I was browsing social media this afternoon (maybe I was at work at the time.. shhhh), and I came across some fashion "inspiration" and need to call SHENANIGANS! right away:

50 amazing ways to wear skinny jeans this season: http://bit.ly/1sc5WTO

go ahead.. take a look. 

notice a trend besides the pants? Why are all the women pictured here in skinny jeans all SO DAMN SKINNY?!

SHENANIGANS!

Skinny jeans work on a variety of body types, not just super skinny ones! Where are all the thighs, the hips, the booties!? Now listen, I am not dissing the skinny chicks of the world. I'm just saying that this is hardly inspiration for anyone over 89 lbs. Can you also show me some thick girls? Some short girls? Some busty girls? Some "crack a walnut between your thighs DAMN THAT BOOTY IS POPPIN' girls" ?!

There are 2 kinds of people in this world.. those whose thighs touch and those whose don't. Let's not forget about either one.

On that note, I'll leave you with this little video nugget from one of my all-time faves. Because really, who can wear a pair of tight pants better than Freddie anyway?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMnjF1O4eH0

cheap sunglasses

Sometimes I just can't. Can't deal with fixing my hair. Can't deal with fixing my makeup. And certainly can't deal with going out into the sun and God forbid looking strangers in the eye, especially after, ahem, a night of heavy drinking.

The solution? I go and get myself some cheap sunglasses.


They are perfect for toning down the ugly on days when you just can't.

 

and anyway, who wants to look people in the eye during your morning commute.

thanks ZZ.

clutch this.

So you say you need to spice up your wardrobe but still feel a little self conscious about the idea of putting on, say, a pair of leather pants or a plush leopard coat. Fear not. Rome wasn't built in a day and fashion badassness is rarely achieved overnight.

A bold clutch is a great way to up your outfit's holy shit! factor without feeling like you're wearing someone else's crazy clothes.

And please, for the love of all things holy, don't worry so much about it "matching" with anything in your closet. It's more about the vibe you're going for, not the exact shade of blue matching your belt.

be the change..

Lets talk for a minute about shoes.. pumps, boots, sandals, wedges, sneakers: I love them all and have a pile on my bedroom floor big enough to prove it (see yesterday's entry as reference). Today, however, I brought up the topic for one reason:

FASHION HACK #1:
You can totally change the vibe of an outfit by only changing your shoes. Add a pair of heels to any ensemble and it suddenly looks good enough to go out in.. even a T-shirt and sweats. Need proof? Check it out:

Exhibit A: sweats, T-shirt, jacket and sneakers

 

 

(I purposely kept the outfit simple to make my point..)

 

 

Exhibit B: same sweats, same T-shirt, same jacket. Just add heels, grab your handbag and... 

 

 

. BAM! Good enough to go somewhere.