Sunday, November 11, 2012

Daily Dose: Modern day geisha

Once upon a time, I bought my mum three scarves.  She has worn them exactly zero times, and I stole one and wore it once.  Here's what happened.



Sunday, November 4, 2012

Daily Dose: Anthropologist

First off, I apologize so very much for the long break with no posts!  Work/school is currently crazy busy with very long days and no laptop access.  I'm also currently applying for residency programs, which is taking up a lot of my time and thinking power.  Unfortunately, things will be busy for a bit longer but I think I'm over the worst of it at this point.

This outfit reminds me of something that comes straight out of Anthropologie; I think it's the vintage-y vibe.  Nothing in it actually comes from Anthropologie, of course.


Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Daily Dose: Green thumb

I have recently discovered maxis.  I don't know what it is, but they drive my usually logical brain into an irrational frenzy where I feel like I must have many, many maxis AT ALL TIMES.  After reflecting, I've decided it's the length and swooshiness of the maxi that makes it so desirable.  It's my grown-up way of dressing like a princess.  (Also swooshiness.)

Sunday, August 26, 2012

Daily Dose: Blue suede shoes

So I think suede shoes are supposed to be fall and winter appropriate.  However, I'm not sure in which fall and winter that would be true.  Canadian winters are (in my neck of the woods) rather wet, cold and full of snow.  Suede + snow = not a good idea.  This does not stop Canadian shoe stores from being full of suede boots however.  I try to keep my suede/microfibre shoes to a minimum as I'm scared to wear the things outside, but sometimes there are just those pairs that I think are too good to pass up.


I've worn this skirt a million times since I bought it.  I guess it would be categorized as a 'tulip skirt', where there are pleats or gathers on the front.  This probably exaggerates my hips as a pear-ish shaped person, but I don't care.  I love this skirt.  I also love this blazer and have maybe worn it a million and one times.  It seems like it would have too much going on, with the poofy shoulder, the pleats at the torso and the leopard-print lining, but all together it just works.  It's a great neutral blazer with a great pop at the sleeves with the leopard.

I thought these tights were going to be a lovely opaque sky blue so I was a bit disappointed initially that they were a bit sheer.  But after wearing them for a bit, I really like the look!  Not as useful for the aforementioned Canadian winters, but cute, so who cares?

And so we come to the the blue suede shoes of the title.  They don't look like much above, but I assure you they are quite fabulous.  They're one of those pieces that gets compliments, and I like how they add a pop of colour to any outfit.

Tank - Smart Set - size S - ~$2.50
Skirt - Urban Behaviour - size XS - ~$15
Blazer - H&M - size 2 - ~$15
Tights - Joe Fresh via Superstore - size B - ~$1.50
Booties - FeetFirst - size 6 - ~$20

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Daily Dose: Garden party

Everyone loves this dress.  I don't know what it is about it; the colour, the silhouette or the flowers, but it sucks everyone in and makes them beg for mercy and someone to save them from the overall twee-ness of it all.  The day I wore this outfit I got two compliments from random ladies at the library.  Score!


I love this dress too.  It manages to be a full-skirted shift-sort of thing, which is, in my eyes, kind of amazing.  I haven't seen a silhouette like it since.  These shoes are slightly red now, after I wore them with a pair of horrendously bleedy red jeans.  They fulfilled my itch for white shoes though, and have the slightest wedge heel, which is nice for my poor, flat feet.  

The cardigan is something I was initially unsure about.  I'd seen a few lace cardigans on bloggers before, but they were from Target and I currently don't have Target.  (Next year!)  And wouldn't you know it, I saw some walking through a Forever 21.  I wasn't sure about this colour, but I'm glad I got it, as it goes with more than I thought it would, and summer's been warm this year, so I've been glad to have an item of clothing that covers the shoulders but doesn't actually provide any real coverage whatsoever.  There's some sort of statement on clothing and function or lack thereof in there if you look hard enough.

Dress - H&M (Garden Collection) - size 4 - ~$15
Cardigan - Forever 21 - size S - $4
Ballet flats - Call it Spring - size 6 - ~$12
Headband - Likely the dollar store - no size - <$1


Sunday, August 19, 2012

Daily Dose: Daytime sparkle

I have a confession to make: I don't really like jeans.  You know whenever there's an interview with a celebrity or something and the interviewer asks them what their favorite outfit is?  And they invariably say a white t-shirt and jeans?  I find that the most BORING outfit possible.  I am obviously a maximalist.

Mostly I am currently finding plain old jeans played out, especially bootcuts.  And now I present to you an outfit featuring bootcut jeans.


Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Daily Dose: Midis and me

I was excited about midi lengths when they first appeared.  I don't think it's the best length for me, as I'm pretty short and can't really afford to look shorter than I am.  Unfortunately, midis are renowned for their shortening properties.  I, of course, totally disregarded this and bought a few anyways.

Monday, August 13, 2012

Daily Dose: It's a Man's World

When you can't find the perfect over-sized white button down shirt, the solution is always to steal one from your brother.  You don't have a brother?  That's OK.  Steal one from someone else's brother.

My brother discarded this particular dress shirt with disgust for a reason I don't quite remember.  He gets a lot of shirts tailor made from India, and the process goes something like this:

1) Describe desired item to cousin who resides in India.
2) Hope for the best.

In this case, it didn't work out for him, but I decided to give the shirt a try.  The torso's actually not too bad, as my brother is super skinny, but the arms were horrendous.  Rolled up however, they look pretty decent!


Saturday, August 11, 2012

Daily Dose: The Roaring Twenties

I've been the "set designer" for my school talent show for the past two years.  I use the term loosely because my sets are usually made out of poster paper, spray paint and copious amounts of duct tape.  This last year, our theme was 'the Twenties', and thus came the first and likely last time in my life where it was OK to dress up as a gangster/flapper.  Gangster undercover as a flapper?  Or flapper undercover as a gangster?  You decide.


Thursday, August 2, 2012

Daily Dose: Oh Baby

I haven't been too happy with the sketches I've been posting up here lately.  I just feel a bit... embarrassed, I suppose.  I had originally thought that I would draw all the images for the blog digitally, but I have now realized I really suck at digital drawing.  Back to the lovely feeling and ashy graphite wrists that come with pencil and paper!


Sunday, July 29, 2012

DIY: Singin' the Blues

I'm really terrible with DIY and craft projects.  I love making things, but I have a bad habit of starting projects and then abandoning them partway through and starting something else.  I've got a few projects on the go and a lot of ideas for more projects.  To my credit, I've finally finished one!

I've seen a lot of beautiful neon necklaces all over the internet and I was hit by a serious longing for one, particularly Tom Binn's beautiful painted rhinestone necklaces.  There's been a lot of DIYs of painted rhinestone necklaces too, and I've been meaning to try my hand at whipping up something for myself.  I've been accumulating cheap jewelry for a while, and pulled this one out to practice on.  I was originally planning on making it multicoloured, but then I remembered a sky blue necklace at Forever 21 that I sadly left behind when I purchased it's fuchsia twin.  So I decided I had to have a sky blue necklace RIGHT NOW and that was basically the thought process behind this project.


Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Monthly Budget - May 2012

In 2010, I started to keep the receipts of my clothing and fashion purchases.  I upped the ante in 2011 and started logging all my purchases in a spreadsheet and figuring out how much I was spending each month on fashion.  It's varied wildly since then, but at the beginning of 2012, I started to think about setting a monthly budget.  Only recently have I really committed to sticking to my budget!  (Blame all the travelling I did earlier this year!)

Monday, July 16, 2012

Confessions of a shorts-aholic

I like Forever 21.  It's got cheap clothes.  It's got trendy clothes.  But best of all, it's got cheap trendy clothes that are sometimes buy one get one free.

I first experienced the miracle of the F21 BOGO sale when I was in Ottawa earlier this year where I made out with three maxi dresses, a top for my mom and two lace cardigans for roughly $30.  I then suffered the ill effects of this, during which everything at regular price at Forever 21 seemed much too expensive (quelle horreur!).

The store is once again having a BOGO sale and I saw some things that made me jump to make an online order, which is not something I do very often.

Saturday, July 14, 2012

rxHYPE: **** Jewish girls wear (and say)

I'm starting a new feature and here's the inaugural post!

So sometimes I get tired of drawing myself over and over.  I thought perhaps I could draw my outfits on different models but that just doesn't seem right.  And then I had a thought-- I'd draw other people in their own outfits!

rxHYPE is a feature where I'll illustrate an outfit from a blogger that I find all kinds of awesome.  I've got another queued up right now, but I'm always on the lookout for awesome blogs.  Let me know if you have a favourite you'd like to share!

Read on for an outfit I just saw yesterday...


Tuesday, July 3, 2012

Cheap Thrills - Score!


This is the fifth (and sadly final) post of a series on cheap fashion, Cheap Thrills- Score!  Hope you enjoyed reading!




I love a good deal.  It's very rare that I buy something at full price, because often I can get it or something similar on sale.  I like to think I've gotten pretty good at scoring deals-- here are some I'm most happy about.



Friday, June 22, 2012

Cheap Thrills - Where's the sale section?

This is the fourth post of a series on cheap fashion, Cheap Thrills- Where's the Sale Section?  The following posts will continue in showing you how I find good deals-- it's a long read so I split it up over a few posts.  I'll also later detail some of my most triumphant steals.

My favourite part of a store is the sale section.  Sometimes I feel bad for the sales staff, so I browse around half-heartedly in the new arrivals before drifting to my real destination-- the sale section.  It's usually in the back, it's usually messy, and often it's weird stuff no one wants anyways.  


(c) JMGRIFFIN via sxc.hu

I often read about the great deals people get when thrifting, but I feel like I'm never particularly enthused about thrifting myself, and I think this is because I can often get almost as good a deal on new items.  How, you ask?  By learning how to shop sales.  Most of this is trial and error, but here are a few things I've learned.


Friday, June 1, 2012

Cheap Thrills - Shop Like You Mean It


This is the third post of a series on cheap fashion, Cheap Thrills- Shop like you mean it.  The following posts will continue in showing you how I find good deals-- it's a long read so I split it up over a few posts.  I'll also later detail some of my best steals.

So you've got your plan in hand, and are ready to go spend some money.  Or are you?  The next step is indeed to head out to the mall, but hopefully you're not going to spend a cent--yet. 

In order to determine what is available and at what prices, you need to get out there and browse.  I probably head over to the mall every 1-2 weeks to just look at things.  Its important that you go mostly to look, not to buy, as that defeats the entire purpose of being cheap.  What you're looking for is what's available in stores.  For example, sometimes I am looking for a particular item.  From my list in the previous post in this series, for Spring, I've been looking for coloured denim/pants and plain metal cuffs, but since these are very trendy items, I didn't want to spend too much on them. 


Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Cheap Thrills - The Plan of Attack

This is the second post of a series on cheap fashion, Cheap Thrills- The Plan of Attack.  The following posts will continue in showing you how I find good deals-- it's a long read so I split it up over a few posts.  I'll also later detail some of my most triumphant steals.


I consider myself pretty good at shopping.  I really enjoy it-- I'm not one of those people who finds it hard to shop because I can't find anything that fits, I can't find what I'm looking for, everything I like is too expensive, etc.  I think this is because I've figured out how to shop in a way that fits my personal style, budget and lifestyle.  I'm young and fairly adventurous with my style, and I have little money.  This has resulted in my closet being mostly composed of a larger quantity of less expensive and more trendy clothing.  It's a personal style thing, further detailed in the first post in this series.  One of the things I've gotten really good at is getting items at prices I think are rather fabulous-- these days, I generally do not spend more than $20 on an item, and I do not thrift (often).  I've learned a few tricks about how to get awesome deals on things-- read on, dear reader to find out what I think is important to scoring (on fashion, that is).  First thing's first-- create a plan of action (and then maybe don't follow it).


Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Cheap Thrills - Quality VS Quantity: The Great Debate



This is the first post of a series on cheap fashion, Cheap Thrills- Quality VS Quantity: The Great Debate.  The following posts will detail some of my most triumphant steals as well as tips on how to score your own awesome deals.

One of the things I see most often on fashion and style blogs is the mantra quality over quantity.  Bloggers and fashion gurus urge us to buy classic, quality pieces that cost more, but that we will use repeatedly for decades to come.  To be honest, it's not much of a debate, since everyone agrees this is the way to approach shopping.

Except me!  I think a lot about my shopping habits, how much the pieces in my closet cost, where I buy them from, and how the way I shop flies in the face of that familiar adage.  Wait for it-- I do not think that quality over quantity is for everyone.

image (c) pieterbeen @ sxc.hu

Friday, April 13, 2012

Retail Therapy: Capital Fashion

Sorry for the lack of posts!  I am currently in Ottawa on an elective, and I'm just now gaining my bearings again.  The time difference has been killer.  Clinic was canceled Wednesday morning, and I didn't have the keys to the place I'm staying at, so instead of coming back and sleeping like I really, really wanted to, I headed over to the closest mall I could find and tried on a handful of items.

So I was a little disappointed in the mall I went to-- there were maybe 6-7 stores there that I could see holding some interest for me, and I had about 5 hours to kill.  The only place I tried stuff on was at Ricki's, and here's what happened.


This skirt was just hanging out at the front, laid on a table in all its glory.  I tried it on for kicks, and to my surprise, it fit (I'm usually sized out).  I feel like this is probably due to my declining exercise efforts, but I'm working on it (or I will... tomorrow).  I really love the pattern and the colours of this skirt.  It's bright but also subdued thanks to the palette, and that's what drew me to it in the first place.  The fit looks great from the front, but the side does me no justice and I feel like it makes me look dumpy.  I'm not terribly pleased with the fit from the back either.  I feel like this may not be the skirt for those blessed in the posterior region.  Also a sales associate asked how everything was fitting, and I told her that usually stuff doesn't fit, but this skirt did, so I was happy.  She responded by saying that she also tried the skirt on and the size 0 was way too loose on her.  Way to make me feel self-conscious about stuffing my booty into skirts, sales associate!  Sales associates take note:  don't say that shit.  It ain't cool.  Overall, this is something that reminds me of J. Crew, although I like this print way better than I like most of their printed skirts, and the price is much more appropriate in my opinion.

Verdict: Pass.

Sunday, April 8, 2012

Daily Dose: Pink Lady


I am way behind on my outfits.  I think this one is from February.  (I'm sorry!)  I loved this pink blazer the moment I saw it, and although its not the greatest quality, I'm enjoying the time we have together before the inevitable pilling nightmare begins (it’s a knit).


Wednesday, April 4, 2012

A student wears prada

I just got back from California, having completed my mission: a family friend requested that I purchase a Prada handbag for her, and I did.  I carried it back, having some suitcase room issues, while I was bouncing around airports (Palm Springs, San Francisco, Vancouver).

It's weird for me to carry a designer handbag.  I'm not a handbag girl.  I bought a purse out of necessity about three years ago when I needed to look nice for medical school interviews, and I chose a navy blue hobo-style shoulder bag from Nine West for about $100, which I thought was pretty damn expensive for what is essentially a container.  Since then, I've been very happy with that bag and it still looks new.  I've also accrued an assortment of other handbags, including totes and clutches, most of which I bought because they were dirt cheap, they came free with a purchase, or I didn't actually buy and they just mysteriously appeared.


I have definitely also never bought any type of clothing/fashion item this expensive.  My personal philosophy on designer items is that 1) I generally don't like how they look that much anyways, 2) I feel like I could find something cheaper that looks essentially the same and 3) I don't feel the item is worth the price.  Oh, and also I'm a student and don't actually have money.  So it was really interesting for me to think about my first brush with a designer bag.

  

Monday, April 2, 2012

Bold prints and batted lashes: How to adapt spring’s runway looks to your wardrobe


I present to you below vitamin J's first ever guest post, courtesy of the lovely Jax Kimball!  Jax is a self-professed beauty addict who's looking to get some writing experience before starting her own blog, and approached me with the following article.  She's definitely given me some ideas for the spring (and summer)!

Read on!

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This Spring is big. Big like a triple sundae. Big like Michael Jordan’s feet. Big like a double-decker bus on a back road. To celebrate all this big is betterness, the fashion world has been adding a little bit of bigness to the list as well. Runway looks for Spring 2012 are all about big prints and bold makeup. What makes this spring’s looks different from the 80s crazy shoulder pad and Full House hair look is that it’s tempered by a bit of restraint. Clothes are cut trimly, hair is pinned back, and with the exception of fearless eyes, makeup is toned down.

The great thing about this blend of “out there” and pulled back is that you don’t need much to pull off the new trends. All you need are a few key wardrobe pieces to mix with articles of clothing you already have in your wardrobe.

1. Find a statement piece


Mara Hoffman Spring 2012 Lookbook
via Mama’s a Rolling Stone online

Large and brightly colored prints have been all over the place. Mara Hoffman’s spring collection exemplifies the kinds of prints to go for – abstract geometric, modified animal (I know this sounds like genetic engineering – but go with it), neon tribal, etc. Mara Hoffman’s collection emphasizes pant suits and dresses – but a pair of harem-esque pants with a crazy print or a pair of patterned pumps or blazer would be just as much of a statement.

2. Pair statement with sedation


Roberto Cavalli Ready to Wear Spring 2012
Via FirstH-Mode online

It’s not enough to have just anything with a print. You want to balance the bold clothing article with simple, chic pieces to create a rounded look. Think Duchess of Windsor meets Madonna. There are some basic pieces you should already have in your wardrobe: a simple cami, a loose sheer shirt, a black blazer. And though it might not be considered an essential wardrobe piece, if you don’t have a pair of harem pants yet, you should invest in a pair for the spring – either in black, gray, or olive. Now put your statement piece together with these basic ones. If you’re having trouble envisioning how to pair crazy prints with a toned-down look, check out Roberto Cavalli’s spring collection. Wild pants with a sleek black blazer, a loose skirt with a gold tiger-print jacket, a metallic and peach skirt with a sheer black shirt and sedate black blazer. (So Roberto Cavalli was really into blazers this spring…)

3. Beach face



Spring 2012 at Tracy Reese
Imaxtree.com via Harper’s Bazaar online

There’s no point in going all out in your wardrobe if your makeup doesn’t match. Similar to the trend in fashion at the moment, makeup is blending bold with restrained. Face makeup is generally nude – as little as possible on the face with bronzer or blush on the cheeks to create a “just finished working out” or “just got back from the beach” look. I’ve been totally hooked on this blush from Tarte called “blushing bride” which, applied directly below the cheekbones gives a natural, healthy glow.



Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Retail Therapy: Of batwings and kimonos

I've been a bit behind with posting my shopping goodies-- these ones are from December of last year!  I'm currently away on an elective, and having tons of fun in the sun, and I'll post about it soon!  Hopefully I'll be better with taking some outfit photos too. (:  On a related note, since I'm away from home so often lately, the next post will be a special guest post!  If any readers would like to write a guest post, I could definitely use another one too!

This top looked really weird on the hanger, as I find most drapey tops do.  It really requires one to use their imagination or a fitting room.  I like the open shoulders and back of this top, and thought it would be a fun addition to my wardrobe, seeing as I don't have anything like this, and tucked into a skirt or some pants with a cardigan or blazer, this blouse could absolutely be work-appropriate.  I like how the print wraps around the top of the blouse too-- it's a cool design choice.


I was so intrigued by this weird swingy piece of cloth when I saw it on the hanger.  It was on super sale, and I could see why-- there's such a potential for old lady bathrobe territory with this thing.  I really liked the print and the kimono jacket silhouette when I tried it on though, especially with a belt.  I will say that it does tend towards a short bathrobe, as in the below pictures, but I promise that with proper styling a piece with this kind of structure can actually look quite edgy and fun.



I've already worn this lace batwing sleeve top about four or five times since I got it.  I like how effortless it is-- it's a super easy piece to wear, but it looks like I put thought into my outfit as opposed to just grabbing for things on the floor in the dark (it happens more often than I like).  It works well tucked or untucked, which is really nice-- I think its the sort-of hybrid silhouette-- skimming the curves but with volume due to the sleeves.  The pale rose/blush colour is very versatile and I would definitely call it a neutral, especially for spring.

Sunday, March 18, 2012

Daily Dose: Velvet Underground

 It's been a while since my last post, and I apologize sincerely for that!  This has been a transition time for me in terms of school, and it's been a little bit crazy.  I've had this post half done for a long while, but just couldn't find the time to finish it up.  This illustration is not my best work; that's part of why there's been such a lag on publishing this post.   


This blazer is actually made of velvet, and I found it at a Goodwill in Hollywood for $5.  It's been a good addition to my wardrobe and surprisingly versatile, considering it's 1) purple and 2) velvet.  The shirt I'm wearing underneath is something I believe is now being referred to as a 'cold shoulder' top, where the shoulders are cut out.  It's cool, but I find that it's sometimes hard not to look too 80's with it.  The shorts are a kind of silky material and are pretty short, but I love them with tights.  I think I've become addicted to shorts and tights to be honest.  I find it a very fresh look, and it's pretty easy to put together.

Sunday, March 4, 2012

Hangin' in the GTA

So I have a post almost done, and thought I would finish it up last weekend, but that was much too optimistic. You see, currently I am not at home but across the country as I'm completing a visiting elective for school. I just wanted to apologize for the lack of posts and I promise it's just because I'm so busy with this terrible commute and long clinic hours! Toronto has some very excellent vintage shops though, and I got some cool stuff that I would love to share when I get back home. Until next weekend!

Friday, February 17, 2012

Daily Dose: The woman in black (and white)

I really hope Daniel Radcliffe does well with his career.  I dunno, he just seems like a cool guy.



In fashion-related news, another January outfit (I am very behind with the outfit posts).  I've been looking for a well-fitting, super classic long-sleeved white button-down shirt for ages, and still haven't found one.  The one I'm wearing here is more of a camp shirt with front pockets and a shorter length on the sleeves.  I really like how well it fits in the torso!  I do get a bit of gaping between two of the buttons at the bust, but I don't worry about it too much, because I've found a fabulous quick fix: grab a bit of double-sided tape and tape that gap together!  If the gap isn't due to excessive tension, this should work quite well.  Alternatively, for a more permanent fix, I've sometimes seen blouses with a hidden snap in between those two problem buttons which I thought was ingenious.  The necklace was given to me by my most fabulous aunt, and try to wear it at least once whenever I visit her. (:

I wear this blazer way too much for my own good-- the fit is just really nice, and the cut is both dressy and relaxed which I love.  It reminds me a lot of a ubiquitous Aritzia blazer that I've seen around a lot, but which is also a lot more expensive!  The colour's very strange-- it usually looks black, but sometimes depending on the light, it can take on a brown or purple-ish hue.  Which is not a bad thing in my book!  This skirt was part of my first online order ever, from Charlotte Russe last Black Friday.  It's super short, so I only wear it with tights or leggings, but the shimmery lace overlay is gorgeous!  One thing I really don't like about it though is that the lace part rides up leaving the lining showing almost all the time.  I tried to safety pin the two layers together once, but it was warping the lace.  I think I'll stitch it down in the future or get a tailor to do it.  The bow belt I'm wearing is silver, and I found that overall metallics go with everything.  Or maybe I'm just really into shiny things.


Monday, February 13, 2012

Retail Therapy: What's black and white and has a wedge heel?


For some reason, I wanted these zebra booties.  Nevermind that they're insane.  But they weren't too expensive and weren't final sale, so I decided to order them and see what happened.  Of course, ordering online from Forever 21 meant that I had to get up to the free shipping amount so I bought some other stuff too.  (PS. Thank you F21 for the free shipping to Canada!  You're awesome and I love you!)

I generally don't buy a lot online, because I really like to try things on beforehand and make sure they fit.  I also like the process of going out and shopping, and I find it to be a pain to have to return and exchange things you don't like, or that you need another size in, etc.  I was really lucky this time around though, and everything more or less fit, even the pants! (!!!)

When I opened this coral tiered dress, I was worried about the material.  Online, it looks like a chiffon-type material.  And it kinda is.  Every other tier is chiffon-y, and the rest are jersey.  But I showed my mom and she approved.  I've worn it twice since I've gotten it and it’s a definite keeper. (Does not come with sash.  That is my own doing.  Also someone should really pull their dress/shirt down when taking back views.  Just saying.)




I originally saw these white flared jeans (does it bother anyone else that I actually typed 'genes' first and had to correct it?) in red and wanted those, but I already had a pair of red jeans and no white ones, so I made a decision with my head.  They fit well through the hip and thigh, although they are loose in the waist (story of my life).  It's not too bad, but I hope they don't bag out!  They're also obscenely long.  I'm wearing my most giant wedges (probably 5 inches) in the picture and they still touch the floor.  Definitely need to be hemmed.  I can see them being perfect in the summer!  I'm wearing size 27, but I'd probably go for 25 or 26 in the future (they didn't have them in stock when I ordered).




Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Daily Dose: Brown sugar

So I realize that these 'outfit of the day' or 'what i wore' posts are nowhere near daily, but I couldn't resist the clever category name. I apologize that they will be slow, at least for a while, until I figure out how to sketch out my outfits a bit more reliably and quickly.  That being said, I'm happy with this sketch!  (Note: this is not what I look like.  I am taking lots of artistic liberty because its just funner that way.  If I had to draw my shape every time, I'd get a bit bored.  But rest assured, I will try to have a fair bit of variety!)



Apparently I wore this outfit on January 11.  I got these leggings to wear for dance classes I recently started taking, since I'd purged most of my more grungy clothes a while back, but I just started wearing them regularly since the colour goes with so much.


Monday, February 6, 2012

Retail Therapy: Let it flow


Smart Set (it's a Canadian brand; sorry Americans!) has been having a fantastic sale since around Christmas.  Many things are marked down substantially, with a further 50% all clearance prices.  I mostly stick to silhouettes that are closer to the body, as being petite means that more loosely-fitting clothing often overwhelms me.  However, lately there's been lots of great blousy and flowing stuff in-stores and I've been tempted.  Smart Set in particular has a lot of dolman sleeves and cape-type stuff right now.  I bought a few things for my mom during Christmas but walked out with a few more things for myself (!).  At that time, they were offering a further 25% off all clearance prices, but since the 50% promo, I've returned and bought more things (not helped by the fact that I also received $20 savings cards with no minimum purchase).  The good news?  Nothing I got was over $15.

Here's part one of what I bought (yes I bought that much stuff, don't judge).


Chiffon back dolman top
This is a fairly plain top with two distinguishing features-- the dolman sleeves and the sheer chiffon-like panel at the back.  It's definitely looser but with a good drape.  I like relaxed fit and the length, and imagine it would look good with leggings, skinnies, or tucked into a skirt.  It's a sort of turquoise colour, but not too bright.  The chiffon panel at the back (sorry for the lack of photo; you can see a bit of it on the shoulder of the above right photo) starts at the top of the shoulders and goes down to about the armpit and there is definitely an issue with bra straps showing.  I've got a nude bra and some clear straps, so I think I'll be OK there.  The fabric is a thinner jersey knit, which is good for the drape, but probably won't last too long.


Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Retail Therapy: Bright Blazers


Bright blazers are a big trend for Spring 2012.  I love love LOVE blazers and I believe my count is up to about 16 now.  I'm always lusting for blazers that are a bit different than the usual neutrals (as I own a blazer in most neutral colours), and in mid-January, I saw a fantastic hot pink boyfriend blazer at the mall on sale for $10!  Granted, the quality wasn't great, being a stretchy jersey knit, but I'm always up for a blazer for $10.  I tried it on and liked how it looked, so I grabbed it in royal blue as well.  However, upon approaching the till, the sales associate asked me if I knew those blazers weren't actually $10 right?  I wasn't willing to pay the $30 for something that was not great quality, so I sadly departed.  But for the next two weeks, I was obsessed.  (I typed 'hot pink boyfriend blazer' into Google how many times?)  So I found a 15% coupon, signed up for their loyalty card to get an extra 20% off and bought my blazers (plus a dress).

The hot pink is my favourite and adds a great pop of colour.





I'm really loving the stance and the more casual fit of these blazers.  Although I'm not crazy excited about the longevity of the knit material, it's really cozy and feels like a cardigan.

I bought this blazer at Sirens (a Canadian chain), but I saw a much better quality version at Jacob and have seen versions at Forever 21 and Zara.  Apparently Gap's got a pink blazer as well, but I'm not sure as to the shade.


Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Retail Therapy: The Forever 21 sale section

I just placed a Forever 21 online order today and was struck by how many cute things they've got on sale!  Here's some stuff that didn't make it into my cart but I wish it did.  Please note that these are from the Canadian site, and there is in my experience some difference from the American site in terms of selection and price.  Everything listed below can be found in the sale section or in fabulous finds.  As for what I did get?  Saving that for a future post!

Perforated Leather Gloves - $11.99 CAD
They're real leather!  And blue!  I've already got two pairs of leather gloves, and one pair has bows, so these were a pass for me.  They also come in a cognac colour.

Basket Weave Handbag  - 24.99 CAD
Basket weave accessories, particularly bags and clutches have been popping up all over the place.  I love the simplicity of this bag and the colour-- it looks almost black but is actually a dark brown.  I don't use different handbags too often, so I try not to buy many.

Metallic Details Belt - $6.99 CAD
I really like the shape of this belt and think it would just look fantastic on.  It could also toughen up some girlier pieces, and I don't have many 'tough' pieces in my wardrobe.  However, I didn't get this belt as I got two belts already, and I would have preferred that this belt's design go all the way around to the back, whereas it actually has a solid black stretch panel.

Braided Leatherette Belt - $5.99 CAD
Similar to the metallic details belt, I like the shape of this a lot.  I didn't get it for the same reason-- I would have preferred the design to go all the way around to the back, but it doesn't.





Sheer Lace Turtleneck (Taupe) - $16.99 CAD
I love the scalloped hem and the turtleneck neckline, as well as the colour, which I thought would look good with my skin tone.  The only reason this one didn't make it is its sold out in my size!

Saturday, January 21, 2012

Why style & illustration?




There are a lot of personal style and fashion blogs out there.  You can find pretty much anything you're looking for-- daily outfit posts, blogs for petites, male fashion, blogs by style consultants, models, people in and out of the fashion industry and anything in-between.  Now I follow some of these specific types of blogs myself: personal style?  Check.  Petite?  Check.  I particularly love fitting room reviews and haul posts.  I decided a while ago that I wanted to start a blog that in some way related to fashion.  But I never felt like any of the particular niches already designated really were for me.  Besides, there's a ton of that stuff already out there.

In addition to the development of a nasty shopping habit, I've started to draw less and less.  I used to be really good at drawing, I promise.  But that's probably not true anymore, and there's a point to this.  Any outfit photos I've tried to take always look like I'm taking them in a seedy basement, so I decided I would try and combine my loves of… wait for it… fashion and art!  Instead of taking photos, I'd draw my ideas!  (Just a note, I do plan on still using photos, but also using illustrations.)

In starting this blog, I have a few goals:

ONE: Draw more regularly.
What I've decided to do is mostly forego photos in favour of illustrations.  So although I plan on covering topics mostly relating to personal style, I hope the accompanying illustrations will lend a bit of a different flavour than is typical of most personal style blogs.

TWO: Stop buying things so many things.
I'm getting to a point where I feel good about what's in my closet.  Rather than getting my fashion fix by buying new stuff, I plan to use this blog as an outlet.

THREE: Write audience-based content.
I also feel like I have something to contribute to the conversation on personal style, and I'm gonna contribute it!  I feel like I've learned a lot and want to pass on what I've learned, so I'm going to try to contribute lots of tutorial and tip-type content rather than just outfit posts.

So that's why.  And it'll be awesome.
 

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