the overall comeback

There's something rather strange happening.
I think I've somehow managed to enter into a new era, the one where I can actually say "oh wow, those were in style when I was a kid!"

And look, I'm not going to lie to anyone. I don't really like the way it feels.
Part of me feels offended, like, hey, we did that first! And the other part feels like, those went out of style for a reason, right? Don't go reaching in the junk pile for new trends.
And yet, it happens generation after generation. I've heard similar statements from my parents and grandparents, feeling strange about styles they used to love coming back for their children. And I have definitely reached the realization over the last few years that the style of my mom when she was my age was awesome. I suddenly started wishing she had saved all of her old clothes. Vintage.
The point is: there is nothing new under the sun.
Not even overalls. 

circa 2002. oh god.

I can act pretty righteously indignant about the idea of them coming back, but the truth is, I loved my overalls. They were a dark wash, with rather adorable rainbow-like thin stripes along the top of the back pockets. They were my summer camp go-to. They were comfortable and only gave me wedgies sometimes, and if I was feeling particularly flirty I would one-strap it and waltz around town like a life pro.
The really interesting part about the overalls trend is that it's mostly being utilized by people my age or older, meaning they most likely did wear them as a kid. So really, the trend is nostalgic more than anything. And by anything I mean "stylish", "smart", "sensible". It's probably just contrived for the especially resistant to aging crowd, the ones who really want to insist that their overalls were the best things they ever wore. They're all in denial.
I bet plumbers are absolutely ecstatic. 

For the most part, in my lifetime, the popularity of overalls was mostly aimed at and appreciated by kids/pre-teens. The really awkward stages. It was basically a stamp on your childhood, a communal experience of regret. I mean, there was the handful of parents and hardworking farmers that donned the denim, too. But for us there was a definite moment when we all stopped wearing them. It was called adulthood.
It took some people longer than others.
But now they're being worn and catered exclusively to adults. Successful business women. Celebrities. This is counter-intuitive to me.

Because the real beef I have with the 2014 trend is that they're not even doing it right. They're wearing them with strappy heels and weird fur coats, or making them out of leather, or wearing the straps dangling around their thighs like a goof. If you're not gonna wear the denim square over your chest, why aren't you just wearing jeans like a normal American? I don't understand your life.
You look like you're wearing backwards long johns, made especially for exposing your backside in the night.

source

If you're going to wear them, just accept them for what they are. They aren't fancy. They're frumpy, they accentuate the unflattering, they ride up your bum, they are perfect for comfy tees and no-makeup days. Spring cleaning, maybe. They're denim rejects. They were created to hide a workman's butt crack.
Wear them with that in mind, and you will do them honor.

emma stone

zoe saldana

It's true, brand-name overall designers have upgraded them to a certain extent. There are some versions that are more fitted, maybe a little cleaner-looking. Sometimes you can't even see that trademark abdomen pooch when they walk. There has been progress. But they're still not a Gatsby garment. They're not fit for a dinner party. They're exclusively a day date excuse. They're barely above a pajama. If you're wearing them with anything rated fancier than a platform flip-flop, you're doing it wrong.
You can look sporty, tomboyish, cozy, country, cute, frumpy, relaxed. Those are your highest callings when wearing overalls.

emma watson

january jones

But hey, if Anthropologie has them, maybe I'm wrong about the whole thing. Maybe I'll be buying a pair next weekend at Forever 21 and proving myself a fool.
A fool in overalls.

resolute

How do you feel about New Year's Resolutions?

From my experience, most of you will be lamenting your failed promises right around now. 10-15 days after the commencement of the new year (or sometimes more like 5-10). 

I made some pretty hefty resolutions last year, and (shocking) I didn't keep up with any of them. 

Not to be a downer or anything -- maybe some of you will actually stay true to your resolutions! But oftentimes I find them to be rather empty, which is why I usually don't participate in the whole charade. I feel like I'm setting myself up for failure -- making big promises of change that I know deep down I won't keep. 

This past year I found myself feeling overwhelmed and bogged down by all of things I had set in front of myself, including things that I love, like reading, blogging and crafting.

In 2013, I only read 17 of the 36 books I wanted to read. I all but abandoned my Etsy shop - I didn't make any of the big milestone achievements I was hoping to. 

Top (shop!) / Coated Pants (shop!): Ruche
(trying out the coated jeans I mentioned here!)

You know what I did do, though?
I completely changed my style. I started a fashion blog. I went to London and Paris, and walked on Abbey Road. I bought a painting in front of the Notre Dame. I wrote a daily love journal to my husband. I became a life group leader for our church. I dyed the tips of my hair red. I got way better at playing volleyball, thanks to an incredible summer. I met Needtobreathe. I lost ten pounds. I made new friends. I conquered fears. I made countless road trips to the mountains, to historical sites, to new cities. I stopped biting my nails. I discovered new music. I turned 25.

Wouldn't it be awesome if we celebrated the end of each year for everything we accomplished, or even the things we failed at but learned from? 

Maybe on December 31st, instead of saying "I will get to my goal weight," "I am totally going to give up soda", or "I am going to read 100 books this year!", we could write out a list of all the things we already did without even realizing they were important to us. The unspoken resolutions.

Because the bottom line is, people do what's most important to them. Every time. You can say you want to lose ten pounds, but when you have a choice between working out and watching TV, and you choose the TV, the TV is your priority. If you wanted to work out that badly, you'd do it. 

If you wanted to go on a trip that badly, you'd save your money for it -- you'd give up spending it on coffee, clothes, movies, eating out, and you would make it happen.

I think oftentimes the best change comes from looking to the past, to the historical patterns of your life, and rectifying those mistakes and celebrating those successes. The future is built on those things.

I don't think New Year's Resolutions are bad or evil, but I think most people set themselves up for failure by feeling this renewed sense of self in the party moment -- convincing themselves they will change when they've never even really figured out why they've never succeeded in the past. 

So here's to 2013 -- to all of the times I said yes, to all of the adventures, for the books I did read, for the creative moments and the spontaneous moments.

And here's to 2014 -- to all of the things I will do, most of which are still a beautiful mystery.

holiday trends

I've already talked a little bit about the velvet trend, but there have been a few other things I've seen around that I'm either excited to try or still not quite sure about. Maybe a mixture of both!

To start out, what do you think about coated pants?

Anthropologie

J. Crew

Nordstrom

Ruche

Anthropologie

Anthropologie

Ruche

A lot of times, I absolutely love the look -- it has that leathery sheen, but has the fit of your favorite jeans.
I'm still unsure how they'll look in-person, but I went ahead and took the plunge and bought the last pair in that list above.
Ruche has Wednesday Style Steals, and this week's happened to include the coated pants. I couldn't resist.
I had been intrigued since I first saw them in their lookbook, and fell in love with this ensemble:

I think in general the trends seem to be leaning toward the edgier looks. A lot of leather and leather-ish ideas.
I honestly have zero authority on the subject, because I don't follow high fashion or the actual style trends happening around the world -- I just know what I see in my favorite stores, and the things that are totally new to my wardrobe (or are making a vicious comeback, like velvet.)

Speaking of leather, let's take a look at how bold it's getting.
What do you think about leather-centered outfits?

Via Ruche

Ladylike Leather

Leather obviously isn't new to the fashion world. Leather bags, wallets, shoes, jewelry, and of course jackets...those have long been staples in the female psyche.
But leather seems to be getting friskier by the minute. Striped dresses with gold leather pockets, laser-cut leather blouses, pleated leather skirts. This is serious stuff.

I'm most intrigued by the leather skirts, and subtle leather accents.
Some of my favorites:

Ruche

Ruche

Ruche

Would you wear such bold (yet ladylike) leather pieces?
I have yet to try them out, but I do love the look of a great burgundy leather skirt. (I also like this quilted mini skirt!).
I'll report back with my findings on the coated jeans as soon as they arrive!
In the meantime, what are some winter trends you're a bit curious about?

the question of velvet

Tegan Velvet Dress

Revel in the Moment Leggings

If any of you guys were born somewhere in the mid to late eighties, and spent most of your childhood in the golden era of the nineties, then it's pretty much guaranteed that you wore velvet at one time or another.
Crushed velvet, even, God forbid.
I have vivid memories of my mother finally consenting to let me dress myself on a Sunday morning (against her better judgment, but I was insisting), and I chose my favorite purple velvet dress and my black hat with leopard trim.
That outfit still haunts me to this day. Granted, it's also one of my favorite things about my younger self, that I was so in love with leopard that I added it to nearly every outfit, no matter the cost.

Nowadays, velvet gives me that kind of haunting feeling. The heebie jeebies, almost. I'm not sure if it's tied to those days of young fashion faux pas, or if I just genuinely dislike the fabric.
Whatever the reason, my first reaction to the current reappearance of velvet as a trend this winter has been quite negative. Of the oh god no variety.
However, it has also caused me to reevaluate just why I dislike it so much. The sheen? The old-timey feeling? The texture? Tacky velvet posters? I'm not sure.

I had a twitter chat with Ruche about velvet, because they have been featuring a lot of it in their new arrivals as of late -- they think I should give it another chance. And, I have to admit, the dresses they mentioned are actually quite pretty -- they're just a touch of velvet, and have intrigued me enough to consider giving it a try.

Subtle Nuance

Lady Macbeth

Nocturne Brocade

These dresses almost trick you into thinking you're not wearing velvet, until someone gives you a hug and exclaims, Oh happy Christmas! You're so soft!

Maybe I don't hate velvet. Or maybe watching Reign has just softened me up to looking like a medieval queen. Either way, I think it's safe to say that I'm not one to throw out a style without trying it -- or at least considering it.
I will never wear velvet leggings, though, and I think that's for everyone's benefit. So you're welcome.

I will also never wear a purple velvet dress with a leopard hat again.
Well, alright. No promises.

mixing prints: springtime

April has been passing by at an alarming rate.
The weather has been somewhat confusing, teasing spring but sneaking in some leftover winter.

I finally begin to get excited about spring trends and floral prints and cute dresses, and I walk outside and the cold wind takes me completely by surprise.
I should probably just make a habit of double checking the weather (a weather app with a Wind dial is especially valuable for dress-wearing!).

In any case, this outfit was the perfect solution for the uninvited cold day we had on Tuesday.
It had some of my favorite spring colors, including a vibrant floral print, as well as a cute dress I picked up in London in March.

Dress/Scarf: Primark in London, Belt: Ruche, Pants: Vera Wang (similar) via Kohl's (remixed, remixed), Shoes/Cardigan: gifted

I love mixing prints.
It always feels a bit daring and even a bit crazy, but every once in a while I'll see two things hanging in my closet that somehow seem destined for one another.
This outfit was kind of a great accident.

I look forward to wearing this dress on fun summer weekends, walking downtown or visiting nearby towns to go shopping.
It has cute cut-outs on the side, and has an irresistible vintage feel to it.
Also, the print is so pretty and is neutral enough to have a lot of remix potential.
It reminds me of Fox and the Hound and Where the Red Fern Grows, or the kind of old wallpaper I used to love to look at; my grandma had this great vintage wallpaper in one of her guest rooms, that had all these hidden treasures to find, like magnifying glasses and maps and glasses. I love the details of a print like this.

I've been a little daring with my wardrobe all week, layering pieces I've never layered before and trying out new dresses with odd combinations.
Today I'm wearing a dress on top of a dress.
So who knows what the future holds!

5to5: weekday remix

I've seen several fashion blogs do remix posts to showcase a particular item of clothing in multiple outfits.
Remixing is a great way to challenge yourself to draw inspiration from the items in your closet!

Elizabeth from Delightfully Tacky has some great "Remixology" posts that have served as my inspiration for this "5to5" project.
I reference her blog often, because it's one of the only blogs I check on an almost daily basis. I love her unique style and her thoughtful posts.

In any case, I decided to grab 5 standard items from my closet and see how I could create 5 different outfits out of those items.
I've learned a lot over the past year or so about how to utilize one item for many purposes, and I'm always intrigued by new challenges.

Yesterday my barista at Starbucks said, "Okay, I have a question for you: do you ever wear the same thing twice? I've served you for a while now, and I don't think I've ever seen you in the same outfit."

I took this as a pretty great compliment, because I've tried my best to keep my wardrobe fresh!

The Five: 
1. A neutral blazer
2. A maxi skirt
3. Colored denim
4. Lace top
5. Polka-dot dress

I chose items that I feel like everyone has (or maybe should invest in, if not!) in their basic closet collection.
These items are great staples for the spring, and are easily transitioned into other seasons as well.

Accessories: classic sunglasses (similar!) from Ruche / bow belt from LOFT / white bow flats / lavender crossbody bag (similar) from Target / mint crossbody bag (similar) from Primark in London / Cookie Lee necklace + bracelet / Noon earrings (shop!)

Outfit 1:
Dress (shop!) / Blazer (similar) : LOFT

This is classic workday attire.
It completely slipped my mind until I started working on this post that this entire first outfit is from LOFT!
While I bought/received all of the items at separate times, they work pretty well together!
I love this new polka-dotted dress, it reminds me of 101 Dalmatians. The dots are imperfect, with a smudged quality that reminds me of the art throughout one of my favorite Disney movies!

Outfit 2:
Dress: LOFT (shop!), Top: Ruche

I love the idea of layering a lace top over a dress.
It's so feminine, and adds a lot of opportunity to dress up a few casual dresses for a more elaborate look. Add a belt at the waist for some more silhouette definition and you're good to go!

Outfit 3:
Skirt: Primark in London, Top: Ruche

I also used a solid navy tank to wear under the lace top.
I'm still unsure how I feel about maxi skirts/dresses. They always feel a bit too dressy for me, and that's possibly because my work is so casual.
I picked this skirt up on our trip to London because I'm a sucker for stripes, and I also am eager for more touches of navy in my wardrobe. I look forward to experimenting with more remixes of this one!

Outfit 4:
Skirt: Primark in London

I absolutely love the idea of using a longer skirt as a dress!
It may not work for every long skirt (and I'm not a huge fan of strapless anyway) but I think playing around with colored cardigans and big necklaces would be so fun with this striped pattern.
It would be so easy to transition this look from workday to date night out with just a few accessories. So many options!

Outfit 5:
Colored denim: Ruche, Top: Ruche

Outfits 1 and 5 are probably my favorite out of them all, and seem to be the most "me".

I really love my coral pants. They were my first pair of colored denim, and every time I put them on I remember how much I love them. They're so comfortable and bright. I look forward to wearing them more and more this spring!

This was my first attempt at taking my own pictures via tripod, and I was too scared to venture outside of our apartment (these were taken on the strip of balcony behind our row of apartments).
I'll hopefully be attempting 5to5 posts every couple of weeks, so until then:
What are your thoughts on some of these outfit ideas?