Saturday, November 17, 2012

Birthday outfit!

My birthday was recently, and I did a combined birthday party at a friend's house! It was a ton a fun - we drank and played board games. Pretty low-key, but I still wanted to wear a smashing birthday outfit! (No, not birthday suit.)

I love the innerwear-as-outwear trend, and decided to "harden" my feminine slip-worn-as-dress with some tough-glam accessories.

The outfit in all it's glory.

Try and ignore my boyfriend's face. You can't, can you?

Close-up of the bodice of the slip, the belt, and the collar / necklace.

The slip is vintage, the belt is from Mettle Fair Trade, which I've posted about previously and is made from upcycled bombshells, and the collar is one I've D.I.Y.ed

I'm not wearing any lipstick because we were at a friend's house and using her glasses and silverware - that's just common courtesy!

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Printed denim

Thank you to my dear reader Gert-Ove who dropped me a line - and inadvertently reminded me I need to post! :)

Printed denim is in this fall, which I love!! They are easy to dress down with basics, making the pants the focus point of the outfit, or dress up with other printed pieces or brightly-colored pieces. Here is a work-suitable outfit and an off-duty outfit that I put together, both centered around printed 7 for all Mankind Monet-inspired skinny jeans.

Disclaimer: I've been watching a lot of Americas Next Top Model lately (yep, it's that time of year again),  so some of these poses are, well, pretty zany. Hope you enjoy them or at least get a bit of a laugh. :)

A look for the office


 Jeans: 7 for all Mankind. Shoes: Via Spiga. Bag: Botkier. Necklace: Lucky brand. Jacket: Kirna Zabete for Target.

Cool, off-duty look
 


Jeans: 7 for all Mankind. Shoes: Sam Edelman. Purse: Nila Anthony. Vintage jacket.

I hope this inspired you to put together some fun outfits with printed denim! :)

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Goodbye, summer! Singapore and Bali

Here in Colorado, fall has already begun. This past summer I was lucky enough to vacation in Singapore and Bali and I'd love to share my summer vacation outfits with you! Goodbye, summerwear - 'til next year!

Singapore jungle

Love my neon bag!. I'm with my dad and a picture of us Segway-ing.
monkeys!

Love this shirt!
viper!
I love this sheer high low dress!
Tee from Bali and my brother being silly
butterfly!
Jason Wu for Target dress
Balinese dancer

Friday, September 7, 2012

Kirna Zabete for Target!

It's that time again... another designer collection drops at Target this Sunday, September 9! So excited! You can click through the looks here, and find all the prices here by clicking on each look.

I will be the first to admit... I am a victim of overspending on designer collections at Target. While many pieces work themselves into my weekly attire, I have way too much unworn Missoni x Target, Jason Wu x Target, Tucker x Target, Etc. x Target cluttering my closets. Taking up space. Mocking me. Saying "you were soooo excited to drop money on me and thought you were getting a bargain! Now you never wear me." I am a Sucker x Target. Well, this time I VOW to not fall into that trap. I will not buy overzealously! Never again, designer collections! I will SHOP SMART.

Here are my picks, maybes, and definitely skips of the entire Kirna Zabete for Target collection. All images are from target.com.

PICKS

#1. Faux leather skirt, $39.99.

You'll be hard pressed to find a version of this skirt cheaper, and this skirt will be on trend every fall. Buy it now, wear it for the next decade.

#2. Long-sleeve shirt dress in blue/black ikat print, $39.99.
Well, this is a bit of a guess because the dress is obscured by the cardigan, but, from what I can tell, this dress is ageless, meaning you can wear it no matter your age! Also, it is a dress for all functions, avoiding the three S's: skanky, stale, and snooze-inducing. It can be accessorized to your style - punk it up with a lot of studs and combat boots or wear it polished with a blazer and chic heels. Up to you!

#3. Blazer in blue/black, Target.com exclusive, $49.99.
The contrast trim makes this closet staple modern, and a bright blue blazer is a bit unexpected in comparison to its black counterpart.

#4. Faux leather leggings, $29.99.
Get your trends cheap, that's what I always say. Leather pants are in this fall, so nab a pair at a relatively cheap price! Score!

Maybes

#1. High-low hem skirt in blue geometric print, $29.99.
This entire look is too matchy-matchy and way too overwhelming. However, the skirt as a separate has a very chic print and very on-trend silhouette. Pair it with a plain white tee and you're good to go!

#2. Hard case clutch, $34.99.
I am really loving the red clutch and the black clutch and the lace-printed clutch (I'm such a sucker), but I feel $34.99 is a steep price for one of these from Target. The workmanship (e.g., will it fall apart in a season? does it look cheap in person?) will determine whether this maybe goes to yes or definitely no.

Definitely Skip

#1. Metallic Jacquard skirt in teal, $39.99.
Eh, I think this shiny skirt looks tacky. Don't get me wrong, I usually LOVE shiny things, way past the point of tackiness, but this skirt doesn't have appeal. I might have liked it as a pencil skirt, but it's not working for me as is.

#2. Trench coat in "leopard kiss print", $59.99.
The cut of this trench is great, the model looks great in it, and this outfit looks great, but in a few months this print will scream "Jersey Shore!!!!". I mean, the name of the print is "leopard kiss". Just think about it.

#3. Blazer in black, $49.99.
Boring.

#4. Sequin shift-dress in black/white, $44.99.
Call me unimaginative, but I am just not seeing how this dress could be made to look good.

Dopplegangers

Haven't we seen these before?!

#1. Color block cardigan in navy/black, $32.99.
This cardigan looks too much like the Missoni for Target version... if you didn't get that one, then, by all means, get this one! Otherwise, you basically already have it.

#2. Zip-front dress, $49.99.


This dress basically looks like the Jason Wu x Target version, but in grey...? And not nearly as cute?


Anyway, that's my assessment. Is there anything you're definitely going to get? Going to skip?

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Wildfox sucks!

Plus one for those who enjoy gender stereotyping.

I can't even post a picture of this tee on my blog because it makes me so mad... Wildfox Couture has made a "Math sucks!" tee: http://instagram.com/p/N679hPuJC4/

If you post a comment about disliking their tee on instagram, chances are high that they'll delete it, so mostly positive comments are left on that instagram. Make of that what you will.

Wildfox Couture used to be one of my favorite brands. I was over the moon when they cast America's Next Top Model winner Nicole Fox in one of their campaigns. I have bought many of their clothes over the years, including several of my favorite pieces of clothing. However, after this debacle, I will no longer buy from this brand because I now associate Wildfox Couture as a brand that demeans learning. In fact, since their clothes are bought and worn predominantly by women (a fact I will stand by until their product statistics show otherwise), I will go as far to say the message on this sweater demeans women.

I understand that people have subjects they like and hate. Personally, I don't like history. However, I would never wear a "history sucks!" tee, because I have the utmost respect and even envy for those who love history, like the fabulous Kate Beaton. Inevitably, those who like history would be offended by a "history sucks!" tee. Besides, it DOESN'T suck just because I don't like it! Sorry, just because you personally don't like something doesn't mean it sucks. It might be sad, but it definitely is true. Here is the message Wildfox is sending: "it's OK if you suck at ____ because it SUCKS! It's not that YOU, personally, are bad at it! No way! It's that ____ SUCKS!" This message is completely wrong. Ultimately, people need to take responsibility for themselves. If you are horrible at learning languages, it's because you are horrible at learning languages. It's not because language sucks.

In general, I wouldn't wear a message that insults the basis of entire vocations. Would you ever wear a "Teaching sucks!" tee? What about a "Dancing sucks!" message? Perhaps a "Museums suck!" or "Art sucks!" tee? You probably wouldn't wear any of these because you aren't an asshole.

Besides, math DOESN'T suck! Without math, we wouldn't have computers. We wouldn't have the internet. There would be no fancy smart phones. There wouldn't even be apps - try programming without using any math at all. It's damn near impossible. We wouldn't have better airplanes - did you know that complex analysis is used to model air flow around airplane wings? Honestly, as a scientist and a user of technology, I feel like "Math sucks!" tee is bullying me. I mean, geez, why don't they just tell me I suck?

To everyone who is considering buying this sweater: understand that you are promoting girls to not try at the subjects they like, and instead blow it off and say that subject "sucks". Understand that you are promoting the stereotype that girls are bad at math, science, and engineering by wearing "Math sucks!" on your chest. Understand that, without math, you wouldn't have technology, so you really think that "technology sucks!"

You might be thinking, "What's the big deal over a 'Math sucks!' sweater? It's harmless!" The point I am trying to make is ... it's not harmless. It's well-known and has been the subject of many studiesthe stereotype threat keeps girls/women out of math and science. Marketing clothes for ladies (because, honestly, this Wildfox sweater is womenswear, not menswear) that say "math sucks!" implies that, if you're a girl, it's OK if you suck at math! Talk about perpetrating gender stereotypes.

For those who are wondering "What can I do?"
There are several things you can do! Here is a short list:
1) Contact Wildfox and let them know how you feel about "Math sucks!" Twitter: @WildfoxCouture
2) Contact retailers that sell Wildfox and let them know that it's important to you that they not stock "Math sucks!" Personally, I will be contacting Karmaloop, Revolve Clothing, Boutique to You, and Akira Chicago and asking them to please not stock products that encourage gender stereotyping and are socially irresponsible. At the current Olympics, Saudi Arabia sent two women for the first time in history. Why should we take a step back in terms of breaking gender stereotypes?
3) Write about it and tell your favorite fashion bloggers to write about it. Some might say that "All press is good press," but, unfortunately, companies won't realize that people won't put up with this shit if everyone stays silent.

*Warning* Following is a low blow:

I can't wait until the next installment of Wildfox clothing.

What will it say?

I'm betting on: "Using my brain hurts!"
Or, perhaps, "Learning is for losers!"
Maybe "My boyfriend does my homework!"

In all seriousness though, I hope they learn from their mistake.

Monday, August 20, 2012

Urban Outfitters - Free shipping, 10% off!

Free shipping on urbanoutfitters.com through 8/23, no promo code needed! This means you can combine the free shipping with 10% off, using coupon code NEWSKOOL.

Free returns too, if you end up not liking something! Love Urban Outfitters online.

Here are a couple awesome finds from the sale section to get you started:

Violent Lips, $9.99 
Sam Edelman Georgina Sandal, more colors available. $79.99
Cooperative Contrast blouse, $39.99
Cooperative Satchel, $39.99
Sparkle and Fade dress, $39.99
Ecote braid loafer, $34.99 
Silence and Noise Cardigan, $34.99
Kimchi Blue Lace top, $24.99
Cooperative Applique Flat, $19.99
Sparkle and Fade non-stretchy leggings, $19.99
Staring at Stars Printed bodysuit, Medium only. $19.99
Peplum tank, $19.99
Lucca Couture printed short, $19.99
Cooperative silky midi dress, $19.99
Ecote T-strap sandal, more colors. $14.99
Adorn bow sunglasses, $9.99
Ecote Chambray Weekender bag, $64.99
Deena and Ozzy clutch, $34.99
Staring at Seas Hat, $9.99
Noir studded necklace, $24.99

Straw Hat Fedora, $4.99
Printed contact lens case, $4.99

Are you going to get anything?