One Red Dress, Seven Ways – Part Two!

Apologies for the long delay. I very very honestly intended to post this second part in the red dress series the week immediately following the first post, but... stuff. Lots of stuff. Sickness and stuff. Booooo! So, anywho, here's part two of making outfits out of a single red dress. How do you think I did?

Refresher!

First, the red dress in question:I purchased this dress on Amazon for under $30! It arrived in two days! It has pockets! It's machine washable! It's "Fun to Wear!" 

Refresher!

OUTFIT ONE: Never Again

This outfit reminds me of my ill-fated trip to Santa Fe. NEVER AGAIN.What I Added:

• Long bandana-print scarf –J.Crew
• dark denim military jacket – Lauren Ralph Lauren, Bloomingdales
• gold metallic booties – Tipe E Tacchi on Yoox

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OUTFIT TWO: Stop Trying to Make Spring Happen

It has been unseasonably (unreasonably?) cold in San Francisco. Do you think if I wear enough floral patterns I can make Spring come early? Fuck this weather, for reals.What I Added:

• pink floral print top - Zara
• pink faux suede trench – Zara
• yellow leather braided wrap belt – Ada
• red leather sock boots with little stud thingies – Topshop

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OUTFIT THREE: Once Again I Question Your Commitment to Sparkle Motion

I am fucking ecstatic about daytime sequins being a thing.What I Added:

• black and multicolor paillette dress – H&M
• black 3/4-sleeve blazer – Zara
• black suede booties – Taryn Rose on RueLaLa

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OUTFIT FOUR: Holiday Spirit

This outfit made more sense when I put it together back in December. I was going for "xmas tree." I think I more or less pulled it off. Meh.What I Added:

• green plaid silk shirt – Equipment at Nordstrom
• dark denim shell with frayed edges – Gap
• green suede boots – I can't remember the brand, but from Yoox

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OUTFIT FIVE: Leopard and Zippers and Mesh. Oh my!

This feels like a very uncharacteristic "tough" outfit for me. I think I'd have to get myself psyched up just to put it on. Maybe play the Peaky Blinders Spotify playlist. More specifically, The Baddest Man Alive from The Black Keys and RZA:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJ8Gtx45FmcAlthough, now I think I should have put black motorcycle boots with this instead of those fairly tame grey suede ones. They are inadequately badass.What I Added:

• mesh dress – Universal Standard
• grey leopard vest – Jolt on Nordstrom Rack
• grey suede booties – Dolce Vita

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OUTFIT SIX: I Guess I Like Grey

I have a fondness for grey. What does that say about my personality? Anything? It's just a versatile color. Don't judge me.What I Added:

• grey heather tissue turtleneck – JCrew
• grey crepe sleeveless trench – River Island
• embroidered wrap belt – Gap
• grey suede booties – Dolce Vita

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OUTFIT SEVEN: Furry Fury

Not that kind of furry. The other one.What I Added:

• white thermal tee – Gap
• rabbit fur snood – Barneys
• brown faux leather jacket – Bagatelle on Nordstrom Rack
• leather swallow stick pin – Obey
• rabbit fur fingerless mittens – Adrienne Landau on Gilt
• brown combat boots – Dr. Martens

So, yeah. That's part two. Revisiting it now after a few months, I'm less sold on this set than I was the first. But, I think it wasn't half bad! Meh!I hope to get back to blogging more regularly. Fingers crossed.Hope you've been well. 

OOTD: Is It Spring Yet?

Because I would really like it to be Spring already.Here's what I wore out to brunch on this rainy San Francisco day.

Outfit Info

• pink floral dress with ruched sleeves (I should have taken a picture of the sleeves!) – ASOS
• faceted stud earrings – Adriana Orsini on Saks Off 5th
• blue leather wrap belt – ADA
• pink faux suede trench – Zara
• fuschia leather saddle bag – Coach (available on Amazon!)
• blue suede mary janes – Camper

Hope you're having a frank, productive, springlike day.... wherever you are.

OOTD: Redrum

Had a pretty shitty holiday in terms of my health. It turns out altitude sickness is extremely serious, potentially fatal, and fucking TERRIFYING.So, today, I kicked off the new year and my road to recovery with follow-up visits to the doctor and a brand new therapist for my brand new altitude-sickness-near-death-related anxiety! Hooray! This dress and scarf combo featuring the carpet pattern from The Shining just felt right for the occasion. You know?Anywho, pics and info behind the cut.

Outfit Info

• dress and Scarf – The Shining - Overlook Hotel Carpet pattern by goatboyjr on Redbubble
• trio scarf ring – Hermes
• green faux leather jacket – Bagatelle via Bloomingdales
• black suede wedge booties – Taryn Rose via RueLaLa

Hope you had better holidays than I did! HAPPY NEW YEAR! 

One Red Dress, Seven Ways – Part One!

Remember that time I challenged myself to style one blue dress in seven different ways? People really responded positively to that post, and, as an individual who craves external validation, I thought I'd take another stab at that formula. In fact, I thought I'd take two stabs.So, this time, I challenged myself to style a single red dress – same make and model as the blue one – in not just seven, but 14 different ways. To make it even more difficult, I prohibited myself from using any of the items – shoes, accessories, jackets, etc. – from the previous challenge.How'd I do? You tell me! Here's Part One!The red dress in question:Like the previous example, I purchased this dress on Amazon for under $30! It arrived in two days! It has pockets! It's machine washable! It's "Fun to Wear!" To the outfits!

OUTFIT ONE: Tan–Talizing (No, I'm not a dad, but thanks for asking!)

For this outfit, I channeled my inner college student. Well, maybe not my inner college student, but an idealized version of a college student – one you might see in Lifetime movie. Maybe she gets her heartbroken by her high school boyfriend but finds strength, independence, and sisterhood after she reluctantly joins a sorority.  You go, girl!What I Added:

• grey sleeveless sweater vest – Gap
• tan cropped jacket – J.Crew
• red crossbody leather bag – Furla
• tan 5050 boots – Stuart Weitzman

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OUTFIT TWO: I'm Beginning to Question Your Commitment to Sparkle Motion

I LIKE SEQUINS. I just think they're neat. I especially enjoy these particular sequins that you can rub in different directions to change colors. It's like a sophisticated version of a hypercolor shirt. Sequins are terrific and we should all wear them all the time.What I Added:

• sequin top – River Island
• denim jacket – Gap
• red leather sock boots with little stud thingies – Topshop

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OUTFIT THREE: Cruise Director

Maybe cruises get a bad rap. I mean, yeah, there's all the crashing and the food-borne illnesses, the waste and pollution and the mindless tourism, but there's also shuffleboard! This is a terrific outfit in which to play shuffleboard!What I Added:

• maxi-twilly scarf – Hermes
• gold mors scarf ring – Hermes
• white cotton poplin wrap blouse – Gap
• gold metallic booties – Tipe E Tacchi on Yoox

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OUTFIT FOUR: Sport-o

You know what I don't do? Sports! But that doesn't mean I can't dress like I do. I can dress however the fuck I want. You don't know me.What I Added:

• black mesh mock-neck top – Forever 21
• blue cropped sweatshirt (I cut the neck off for reasons) – H&M
• "No Pants" enamel pin – PINTRILL
• "Valentine's Day" Insta-Pump Fury sneakers – Reebok

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OUTFIT FIVE: I Am Your Filipino Aunt

When I put this outfit together, I said to myself: "This looks like someone's Asian aunt." And then I realized that I am an Asian aunt. So, I'm pretty sure I can get away with wearing this.What I Added:

• floral print mesh top – Forever 21
• cream turtleneck tunic – Gap
• pearl drop earrings – Majorca via LastCall
• blue "Royale" flats – Free People

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OUTFIT SIX: I'm a Lumberjack and I'm Okay

Did you know I own a plaid shirt? Did you know I own Dr. Martens? These are unusual additions to my wardrobe and I'm pretty excited about them! I feel like I'm growing as a person!What I Added:

• plaid flannel shirt – Old Navy
• navy sleevless jacket – Halogen on Nordstrom
• hand-tooled leather clutch – vintage
• butterscotch "Leona" boots – Dr. Martens

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OUTFIT SEVEN: Red Dead

Not a ton to say about this outfit other than I am SO EXCITED for the upcoming Red Dead Redemption 2. JUST GIVE IT TO ME ALREADY.What I Added:

• red turtleneck sweater – Old Navy
• tan suede should bag – AllSaints
• tan 5050 boots – Stuart Weitzman

Soooooo... whaddaya think?! I really tried to create variety and push myself to make new combinations while still being true to my personal tastes. The real test, of course, will be wearing these outfits IRL. I'll let you know how that goes in future posts.In the meantime, stay tuned for PART TWO! A whole new set of seven outfits built around one red dress is yet to come!Hope you've been having a frank and productive holiday.  

OOTD: Little Red Hearts

Thought I'd counter all that blue with some straight-up red. Bigger pics and outfit details after the cut.

Outfit Details

• red v-neck dress (with pockets!) – Gap
• red blazer with ruched sleeves – H&M
• red beaded necklace – Kenneth Jay Lane on RueLaLa
• sand suede tote – AllSaints
• red and cream, heart-print, d'orsay pumps – Marc Jacobs purchase at Saks Fifth Avenue at least 10 years ago. They're holding up alright because I never wear them. :/

I sure like red, you guys.

One Blue Dress, Seven Ways

I challenged myself to create seven days of outfits out of a single, super cheap blue dress I got on Amazon. How did I do?First, the dress in question:I purchased this dress on Amazon for about $25! It arrived in two days! It has pockets! It's machine washable! SO MANY EXCLAMATION POINTS. Bonus: As the product description so helpfully points out, it's "Fun to Wear!" And now... the outfits...

OUTFIT ONE: Go, Sailor!

(Pro-tip: It might help to listen to Go Sailor by Go Sailor while you look at this one.) This is what I would wear to commandeer a ship. Who would dare defy me in this getup? NO ONE.What I Added:

• navy boatneck sweater – J.Crew
• navy double-breasted jacket – Lauren Ralph Lauren at Bloomingdales
• handmade textile necklace – superlittlecute on Etsy
• white leather ballet flats – Avec Les Filles at Bloomingdales

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OUTFIT TWO: Almost Minimalist

I would love to be one of those super sleek, minimalist ladies who always look timeless and chic, but, omg, I LOVE stuff. Spangly, shiny, sparkly stuff! So, I added these fancy earrings for a little extra "me."What I Added:

• charcoal turtleneck sleeveless tunic – Gap
• grey, faux suede trench coat – Zara
• charcoal OTK wedge boots – Stuart Weitzman
• sparkly earrings – Kenneth Jay Lane on Net-a-Porter

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OUTFIT THREE: Outdoorsy

I don't care for camping, but I do enjoy a nice walk in the woods. Trees. Creeks. Maybe a nice squirrel to settle near me and share meaningful glances with. That sounds alright. Here is an outfit I would wear for such an occasion.What I Added:

• olive green button-down shirt – J.Crew
• woven belt – Gap
• cream faux-suede vest – Philosophy on NordstromRack
• cream strappy booties – Dolce Vita

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OUTFIT FOUR: Casual Day

Hey, look! Sneakers! They make me so sneaky. Sneaking here and there and everywhere. I put on these shoes and get up to nefarious doings.What I Added:

• blue scarf (BIG KITTIES!) – Hermes
• black belted sweatshirt – H&M
• embellished leather sneakers – Jeffrey Campbell

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OUTFIT FIVE: Sporty

I am dabbling in bold color combos lately, but find myself always bringing in a neutral because I am a coward. Womp womp.What I Added:

• fuschia turtleneck tee – J.Crew
• white silk organza jacket – Tahari on Ruelala
• white leather ballet flats – Avec Les Filles at Bloomingdales

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OUTFIT SIX: A L'il Bit Country

I am from Texas. I enjoy denim jackets and neckerchiefs. Don't judge me.What I Added:

• light pink scarf (a xmas gift from Ben!) – Hermes
• paladium scarf ring (a birthday gift from Ben!) – Hermes
• light pink denim jacket – H&M
• navy suede maryjanes – Camper

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OUTFIT SEVEN: Color & Texture

And, finally, I found that I had a jacket that was almost the same color as the dress. So, yeah... that. Plus, this awesome handmade scarf/necklace hybrid that is super convenient for someone like me, who is allergic to most metals. :(What I Added:

• handmade long layered necklace/scarf – birdienumnumshop on Etsy
• leather and tweed jacket – Bagatelle at Neiman Marcus
• those embellished leather sneakers again! – Jeffrey Campbell

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And just in case you're a glutton for punishment, here are all the individual images for these outfits:

Sooo... what do you think? How did I do?I must say, this was a great exercise to go through – fun and challenging and effective at making me reconsider my go-to outfit scenarios. Still, there's definitely room for improvement/innovation/experimentation. I'll keep working on it. ;) 

OOTD: In a Gif

I made a gif! Yes, I pronounce it "jif." Here is my reasoning:

1. The creator of the format has said the pronunciation is "jif." He should get a say in the matter.
2. For those who insist it must be a hard g as in "graphics"... How do you pronounce the word "scuba"? Do you say "skuh-ba" for "self-contained UNderwater breathing apparatus?" Or do you say "skoo-ba" like a normal person? Do you call a sim card a "sigh-m card" for “subscriber identification module”? Acronyms are often pronounced differently from the words upon which they're based.
3. Donald Trump says "gif."

Now let's never speak of it again!Still images and outfit info behind the cut.

Outfit Details

• yellow/grey/brown silk dress – Josie Natori via Saks
• grey leather vest – Bagatelle via Neiman Marcus
• grey faux suede trench coat – Zara
• silver slipper mules – Dolce Vita, available on Amazon

Hope you're well! 

OOTD: Yarns

Wore another Redbubble dress and scarf combo out to lunch today. More pics and details behind the cut.

Outfit Details

• "Space" a-line dress and scarf by embroiderrred – Redbubble
• black, long-sleeved mesh t-shirt – H&M
• black denim moto jacket – Gap
• yellow leather saddle bag by Coach – available on Amazon (now 40% off!)
• black, suede, weatherproof boots by Teva – available on Amazon

Hope you're swell!

Holiday Dressing, Part 1: Christmas

Maybe you've noticed my love of Redbubble dresses (examples here, here, here, here, and here). Maybe you'd prefer to call it an obsession. Maybe you should stop judging and get off my back for once. Maybe you're kind of jerk. Maybe you can fuck right off.WAIT! WAIT! Don't go. I'm sorry. Look! I picked out a whole bunch of Christmas-print dresses for you. 12 of them, in fact, for the 12 days of Christmas. Isn't that cute? Forgive me and look at these awesome dresses!BEHOLD!Please send one of each to my home immediately.Anywho, as the title suggests, this is but the first in a series of posts with my picks for holiday dresses. Over the coming weeks, I'll cover Hanukkah, Festivus, Birthdays (because it's almost my birthday), and New Year's Eve! STAY TUNED AND LET'S NEVER FIGHT AGAIN!

OOTD: All For Moe

Well, now I'm just putting outfits together for the fun of it. Here's an outfit inspired by one of the greatest television shows of all time, The Simpsons.

Outfit Details

• Thames Fog long-sleeve mesh dress in "azure" – Universal Standard
• cream turtleneck sleeveless tunic – Gap
• yellow silk wrap belt – vintage, but here are similar in cotton and suede on Etsy.
• yellow zippered jacket – Lafayette 148 New York
• Moe Tassel Clutch – Skinnydip London
• Call Me Mr. Burns enamel pin – Skinnydip London
• Sam Edelman embellished mules – Amazon

There it is. Now take off and have a frank and productive holiday. 

OOTD: Big Trouble In Little China

My outfit homage to one of the greatest films of all time.Had planned to wear this out to dinner one night over the Thanksgiving holiday, but, instead got lazy and ate leftovers. It was the environmentally friendly choice!A closer look at the details...

Outfit Info:

• Big Trouble in Little China print dress and scarf – Super-Tees on Redbubble
• Gold-plated mors scarf ring – Hermes
• Black velvet wrap jacket – Bagatelle on Bloomingdales.com
• Red croc Royale flats – Free People

OOTD: Playing My Cards Right

Had a terrific dinner at The Progress last night. Go there and eat all the things immediately!ALL THE THINGS.IMMEDIATELY.This is what I wore. Bigger pics and details behind the cut.

Outfit Info

• Scattered Pack of Playing Cards dress by HotHibiscus – Redbubbleblack
• mesh top – H&M
• black suede wrap belt – Bloomingdales
• black leather Michael Kors booties – 6pm

HAPPY WEDNESDAY BEFORE THANKSGIVING, FRIENDS!

OOTD: Thanksgiving Prep

If everything goes according to plan, I'll be spending most of the Thanksgiving holiday in some variation of jammies – jammies with a jacket to go get some coffee, jammies with some slippers to head to the fridge, jammies and a blanket to catch up on some Netflix. Jammies with some jammies to sit and think about jammies. Jammies.Anywho, I reckoned I should get a little dressing up in before jammies-gedon. I wore this yesterday to go pick up a turkey and gather provisions.Outfit info and a closer look at this awesome Redbubble print behind the cut. I want to go to there, but part of me suspects a demogorgon inhabits these woods. Only one way to find out...[gallery ids="7632,7631" type="rectangular"]

Outfit Details

• Forest Creek @ Sunrise in Fall dress – DyrkWyst on Redbubble
• Cream turtleneck sweater – (currently 40% off!) from Old Navy
• Green leather wrap belt – Ada Collection 
• Yellow leather saddle bag – Coach, but deeply discounted in other colors on Amazon
• Saddle leather campus boots – Frye

Side note: I've had these Frye boots of TEN (10!) years. They really hold up. 13/10 would recommend.How's your Tuesday going? Good? Good. 

OOTD: I Have to Return Some Video Tapes

Dipping my toe back into #ootd posts! Turns out they're a lot easier to pull off when my stupid face isn't in them ruining all the pictures. Hooray!Remember back when I posted about Redbubble? Let me assure you my enthusiasm has not waned. So far, I've purchased 15 different dresses, some with matching scarves. Here's one now!The print is vintage video tapes! If only this dress had my favorite 80s movies – Big Trouble in Little China and G.I. Joe: The Movie – it would be the ultimate garment.Anywho, I wore this outfit for an afternoon of goofing around the SF MoMa with the always awesome Candace of The Real Food Effect. Good times were had by all.

Outfit Details

• Yellow faux-suede jacket from Zara
• 80's VHS Tapes dress from Super-Tees on Redbubble
• Leather clutch from Leah Lerner on Etsy
• Waterproof Teva booties from Amazon (perfect for a rainy day and standing around for hours on end)

Hope you've been swell! 

Whatcha Realizing, Jerk?

whatcharealizinjerk

So, it's been exactly a month since I (re)started my self-portraits project. I thought I'd share a few high-level observations from the experience.

Observation 1: Mirrors Are Lying Liars That Tell Lies

Prior to this project, my standard morning ritual involved at least a cursory glance in the mirror before heading out the door, but no extended dawdling. During this project, however, I've been spending a great deal more time consulting the mirror, who has told me things like:

"Ehh, not bad."

"Indeed, those colors work well together."

"You are so totally pulling this off. What an off-puller, you!"

clueless_polaroids

Well, guess what: those were all horrible, horrible lies. But, it took being confronted with the photographic evidence for me to realize it. More accurate statements would have been: Actually, yes, bad. In fact, those colors work badly together and you should feel badly. The only thing you're really pulling is my eyes... from my head... because omg the pain. I can't necessarily blame the mirror, though. Lying is in his very nature. The fault is mine. This is a lesson I should have learned long ago from Clueless...  I will grant that cameras can be just as fallible and variable as mirrors, but, given the age we live in – with all its selfies, belfies (NSFW), and "Pics or it didn't happen," – photos are the rule and not the exception. I should have known the mirror was irrelevant. This whole project is about getting comfortable with being in pictures, not just looking in the mirror and calling it a day. It's just that I had expected the mirror to give at least a hint of how a finished pic might look. Turns out the only real way to find out how something will look in a photograph is by putting it in a photograph. Who'd a thunk?

Observation 2: Covering Up My body Isn't Helping

homemade ghost costume

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7QSNulqPgM]Since our expulsion from the garden of eden, humankind has known instinctively to hide its shame. But what do you do when you're ashamed of your whole body?Just like my fat-ass spectral friend here, I have taken to covering up fairly extensively – long sleeves, long skirts, tall boots, high necklines. Now, none of these things is bad per se and, in fact, they can be pretty and even quite stylish. But, what I've found is that the combination of all of them, used consistently over many repeated outfits, only seems to call attention to the fact that I'm trying to hide – to make more noticeable my discomfort with my own body. This is exactly what I'm hoping to avoid.You've probably heard some fashion-y quote like, "Outfits are the armor you wear to face the day." There's something to that, for sure. Clothes really can impact your attitude, comportment, confidence, and the perceptions of others. But, for me, my outfits have crossed that fine line between confidence booster and giant, swaddling, full-body security blanket. This is not to say that from here on out it's all pasties and hot pants. I'll probably simply try pairing my more conservative staples with less conservative ones – maybe show a little knee or elbow now and again, perhaps even a glimpse of collarbone (I think I still have those). Baby steps.But, wait. Was your knee-jerk response to this observation "You have nothing to be ashamed of! Just don't feel ashamed"? Well, that brings me to observation number 3...

Observation 3: It doesn't matter what other people think (If what they think is Positive)

For the Simpsons-impaired: Link

criticism

I don't mean this as some sort of Pinterest-y, quotation-over-landscape, soft-focus palliative. I believe the "I'm-just-gonna-keep-doing-me-and-if-other-people-have-a-problem-with-it-that's-on-them" attitude can be incredibly problematic and, when taken to it's furthest extent, just plain stupid...You know what? Maybe some folks should question themselves and what they're up to more often. Isn't it more infuriating when some asshole never doubts for a moment how forthright and just is his cause? Self-doubt and nagging internal recriminations have plagued some of the best and smartest folks I know. It's part of what makes them so great, and allows them to become even better.What I mean by saying that it doesn't matter what others think is that, ultimately, the opinions of others can do very little to bolster my feelings of self-worth or my own opinions of my abilities, appearance, etc. If all it took for me to feel happy with my appearance were the compliments of others, my boyfriend alone would have me thinking I'm the most beautiful woman in the world. While I respect his opinions (eh, more or less...), and such sweet/kind words fill me with warm/fuzzy feelings, and I'm grateful that he thinks so highly of me, none of it changes the way I feel about myself.Consider the familiar examples of models with body-image issues, or pretty much every successful person who's experienced imposter syndrome. The world is telling these folks in no uncertain terms that whatever they're doing, they're do it right, but the praise/accolades are just background noise (albeit, fairly pleasant background noise) to the much stronger signal of self-criticism.The same is not true for the negative opinions of others, though. Those seem only to reinforce whatever ill opinions one may already possess. To continue with the sound analogy above, external criticism only amplifies the internal signal, just like constructive interference, but, hey, let's give it the more charitable name of "Constructive Criticism."See? This illustration has waves, mathematical symbols, and graph paper...  That's science! You have to believe science! But, really, think about your own experiences (provided you're not an asshole). When someone says something positive to you, do you not just pass it off as kindness or flattery? But, if that same person says something negative, doesn't it simply confirm your worst fears? I'm not sure why we have such double standards for the opinions of others, but we do and it sucks.All this said, my hope is that by recognizing and calling out the above issues, I position myself to address and maybe even overcome them. Or, not. Who knows? Either way, the project continues and I will, no doubt, have more to share soon. Thanks for reading.