the long story

it seems as though lately i just can't get enough of wearing polka dots! i think this may have something to do with my need to constantly wear my new karen walker sunglasses. i keep playing off their shape when i get dressed, so before i know it, i'm wearing teeny tiny polka dots and a big puff ball at my collar. i actually got this skirt at a thrift shop ages ago with the idea that i would hem it up to a mini length, but i kinda sorta never got around to it. but as i think forward to fall, i'm appreciating longer hemlines, so i guess my laziness worked out in this case!

being a mere 5'5" (if i was talking, you'd sense sarcasm because i know that 5'5" isn't short), i've always shied away from longer skirts and opted for mini lengths with this idea that i would look bad in a maxi length. but honestly, that's just silliness. i know i've brought this up before, but i think it's worth repeating: it's too bad that we're constantly getting messages that the only way we should want to look is long and lean, or super sexy. why should anyone be made to feel like they're not allowed to wear certain clothes just because of their body type? it's kind of amazing how that kind of "advice" can make almost anyone feel bad about themselves if they believe it. so basically, the moral of the story is: go get a maxi skirt. or a skirt that cuts you off at the widest part of your leg. it's really not a fashion don't.

haha, ok, enough with the pep talks and onto the outfit:
blouse: thrifted vintage silk blouse
skirt: thrifted vintage polka dot skirt
shoes: seychelles platform clogs
sunglasses: karen walker
pin: loft raffia pin

la garçonne pre-fall

since recently expressing my eagerness for fall clothing, i thought today i might share with you this beautiful pre-fall lookbook from la garçonne. in my outfit post on tuesday, i was expressing how quickly fashion moves forward, and that anxious feeling i get about incorporating new fall pieces into my wardrobe even though it's the middle of summer. thankfully (or not so thankfully, depending on how you look at it), designers and shops have got it figured out with the release of pre-fall collections and lookbooks. what i especially appreciate about these pre-season types of looks is that they are pretty much appropriate year round for places like northern california, where "transitional" dressing and the use of layers is required most of the time.

these are my favorite outfits from the lookbook, and the styling is spot on! i love the bare legs with comfy sweaters and plenty of easy flats. this is a wonderful example of how to dress as the seasons change from summer to fall, but really for any time when we're experiencing fair weather. now if only i could afford all of these beautiful designer pieces! a girl can dream...

hat lady

you see what i did there with the title? hat lady. instead of cat lady. get it? yeah... it's funny because as obsessed as i am with hats, i really don't have that many. several months back, i went pretty hat crazy and bought a ton of vintage hats, but i ended up hating most of them and just having no occasion to wear the rest of them. such was the case with this big floppy woven hat that i got from pac sun months ago. when it arrived in the mail, i instantly laughed and tossed it aside. like i'd ever wear that, i said. for whatever reason, i've just never been into floppy hats. but then i styled up this outfit with the sort of romantic ruffles and muted colors and i kept thinking that the whole thing just needed something. and i directed my gaze over to the hook where this hat had been hanging all by itself in the corner of the room, and well, it just worked. i think i would prefer this to be felt, but the loose weave is probably more seasonably appropriate. so that's the story of how i got dressed today! in case you were wondering.

and then me and the boy went for a stroll to a regular spot: the morcom rose garden by my house. we got there as the sun was setting behind the trees, so we got to play around with the light in the photos for a while, before strolling back over to the grocery store to pick up burrito supplies and cheap beer coz reality hit, and we're both kinda broke right now! and honestly, i can't think of anything cheaper than beans and rice! i have to say that i'm quite thankful that my grandma and my mom taught me how to cook good, cheap food. in fact, i've been meaning to share some good recipes with you guys, but i'll have to borrow a kitchen from someone for photos because ours is just teeny tiny with really bad lighting. but hopefully maybe i'll get something for you real soon!

blouse: loft ruffle blouse
shorts: ever tap shorts from gilt groupe
sandals: kork-ease bette wedges
hat: quicksilver woven floppy hat
belt: thrifted vintage braided belt
purse: thrifted vintage coach satchel
ring: marika king lace ring

the gibson girls

last week, after styling an outfit inspired by the gibson girls, i got a few requests for a post with some of my actual inspiration images. the thought actually grew out of my recent visit to the met museum american women exhibit where they featured several vintage gibson girl looks. to watch a video with the outfits from the exhibit, you can click here. the gibson girl has come to refer to the symbol of independent american beauty at the turn of the century. but i really just love their elegant yet sporty styles with high collars, waist coats, and fun hats! so i decided to take some time to dig up some vintage photographs of some of the famous gibson girls themselves!

first up, pictured above is evelyn nesbit. she was an artists' model and became famous for being the subject of illustrations by charles gibson, whom we can thank for the title "gibson girls." i find her gaze to be so incredibly captivating and i love her outfits complete with those wild feathered hats. images from the library of congress.


there are tons of photos of miss gabrielle ray on vintage postcards as she was an english stage actress, and was apparently one of the most photographed women in the world. you can certainly see why, with her stunning beauty and perfect gibson girl hair. i just love all of her cute costumes, especially the sporty sailor looks. postcard images from performing arts.


camille clifford was pretty much the quintessential gibson girl, with her statuesque hourglass figure which was the subject of many illustrations of the era. she represented an ideal of the time with her corseted 18-inch waist. certainly not an ideal i could ever imaging wanting to live up to, but her images are stunning nonetheless. postcard image from performing arts.

true blue

i'm sure you've been there: today was just one of those days where i struggled to figure out what to wear! over the weekend, i did a massive haul of laundry and organized my garment racks with all of my clothes neatly lined up. i thought this would help me out in the mornings, but it didn't take long for me to throw half of them back on the floor and on my bed. i kept imagining these cool combinations, but once i tried them on, it was just a mess. i always get this way in the middle of the season! i start thinking ahead and getting anxious about all of the clothes that i will eventually wear, and just get all frustrated and flustered. such is the way with the fast pace of fashion and excessive consumption, i suppose. but all it takes is a little reality check before i'm back on track and styling the items that i already have.

so i had a little fun playing with polka dots and matching up this vintage blouse with my rodarte for target dress that i bought back in the winter, and i was quite pleased with the results. i know this might sound cheesy, but one of the reasons i love getting dressed so much is because it really is a creative outlet for me. i can convey my moods and i can play with shapes and patterns and colors, but it's still practical in the sense that i'm wearing it, and it serves that function. yes, i can follow trends and i certainly get caught up with a few each season, but i also like that i can just do my own thing and it doesn't have to cost a fortune. i don't need to have a million new things, or any new things to do that!

dress: target for rodarte
blouse: thrifted vintage blouse
belt: urban outfitters skinny leather belt
shoes: vintage salvatore ferragamo flats
sunglasses: karen walker

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hat attack

i'm sure by now you've all noticed my preference for wearing straw boater hats tilted off to one side of my head. it's true that i often have to restrain myself from wearing one every single day, and have styled many outfits around them! of course, this has led to an interest in expanding my hat collection. the only catch is that modern day milliners are few and far between, and since they're such a specialty item, the prices are usually out of my range. but that certainly doesn't stop me from admiring them! today i was browsing through tumblr when a picture from a vogue australia april 2010 editorial shoot came up on my feed, and i was instantly captivated by a particularly beautiful lace tilt hat by suzy o'rourke. while i doubt i'll have it in my budget to ever afford one of these beautiful pieces, i can certainly appreciate them from afar! and it's a good reminder to keep my eye out for vintage look-alikes!

outfit favorites july 24

now that it's summer, i've been pretty much fixated on pretty dresses or simple outfits comprised of shorts and blouses. they're easy enough to throw on in the summer heat, but the details in these looks set them apart and create plenty of interest!

kansas couture: rose-colored glasses
the combination of the perfect fit and interesting cut of katy's dress with that amazing straw sailor hat and round sunnies is so spot on! she definitely shows us that a simple dress never has to be boring!

les mads: a day in disneyland
i love this look because the polka dots and lace collar are super cute, but the look is perfectly comfortable and casual for a day in a theme park.

pandora: madame bovary c'est moi
again, this is a very simple look to keep you comfortable in the summer, but that dress is out of this world! the modest length and open cut feels so fresh in a sea of mini dresses! and of course you know i love those jessica simpson platforms.

diary of style: hello tokyo
lately i feel very drawn to the red, white, and blue combo. it's only cheesy on the 4th, but the rest of the year, it's such an eye-catching look. i especially love the swallow print on her cute dress and the way that she added a splash of red with a simple ribbon around her neck.

slickwalk
i love the way that she takes these preppy pieces, but makes them super casual and cool with the wrinkled linen shorts and perfectly worn in oxford boots.

here's lookin at me kid: wardrobe wednesday - neutrals
i just recently discovered this blog thanks to my obsessive tumblr browsing and i have to say i'm sad that she only does outfits on wednesday! her styling is so perfectly put together and i really think i need a felt fedora now!

vintage picnics

last night i was sitting with my boyfriend having a chat and he asked me if we could go on lots of picnics over the weekend. picnics are pretty much one of my favorite things to do, so today my head has been filled with sammich and watermelon and potato salad dreams. so i thought i would post some of these beautiful vintage photos of people on picnics so you could share my mood. none of these are my own, but you can click through for the source of each one.

i'm off to the grocery store to buy the ingredients for a grilled portobello mushroom sammich. care to share any of your favorite picnic foods and/or locations? i feel like hearing picnic stories and ideas.

the great indoors

yesterday, it struck me that it had been a very long time since i'd worn a t-shirt. what was once a wardrobe staple for me, has now become a thing of the past. i usually opt for some sort of vintage blouse, pullover, or dress. and i knew it had become a thing when i recently attended a small event and a friend said, "wow, i can't remember the last time i saw you wearing a t-shirt." and it's true, the occasions are few and far between. so yesterday i decided to style up a simple summer outfit with this cute sailboat t-shirt. we were off to take photos in some new location in the neighborhood when we realized two things: 1) it was actually pretty cold and overcast outside, and 2) there was an empty apartment in our building with the door left unlocked. a neighbor recently moved out, so her place is up for rent, which means we get free reign over a big empty space indoors to take some sneaky pictures!

the light was soft and low, filtered through all of the closed blinds and drapes. we tip toed around because the emptiness of the room amplified the creeky floor boards, and we were nervous that a nosy neighbor might come over to scold us for taking pictures in there. our building is small and our neighbors have a tendency to make us feel like we're surly kids up to no good, even though we happen to be very good tenants! so we quietly snapped away, trying to take advantage of the interesting light and new location.

t-shirt: lost at tee courtesy of modcloth
shorts: vintage khaki shorts from treefox vintage
bag: h&m striped tote bag
shoes: the perf sandals courtesy of modcloth
glasses: 3.1 phillip lim spring 2009

modern day pin-up

i recently stumbled across this editorial, she was once mine. it was inspired by pin up girls of the 1950's and was shot in the liguria region of italy. besides the fact that i would love to go on a vacation to such a beautiful place and experience some real summer heat, i love the modern take on the classic style. and i just can't get enough of those amazing hairstyles! i feel like this whole photo shoot would be great with some of those beautiful zelda sweetwater swimsuits. in my dreams!

gibson girl

ok, so the inspiration behind my outfit is so silly that i just have to share: a while back, i did a little clothing swap with jessica of what i wore, and she did an outfit post with one of my dresses, inspired by gibson girls with a nod to calivintage. then i turned around and styled this outfit inspired by her inspired by me inspired by gibson girls. true story, if you can follow it! but i guess that's just the nature of fashion in general. we all sorta bounce our ideas off of one another to create new looks and the cycle continues. even if said look is coming all the way from the late nineteenth century!

i really love these cute eyelet shorts because they have a full leg, which makes them look like a skirt, but they have much more sporty functionality this way. the stripes and boater hat lend to the sailor feel, and these shoes are my new go-to sandal for summer. they are seriously comfortable, and i've been wearing them almost non-stop since i got them on monday. they have just a teeny tiny wedge, so it feels like i'm wearing flats, but i still get that little bit of height. the whole look has that sort of refined edwardian feel to it, but it's modern and updated for right now. oh, how much fun i've been having, taking cues from such lovely ladies both past and present!

hat: the last straw hat courtesy of modcloth
blouse: vintage striped blouse from treefox vintage
shorts: summer solstice shorts courtesy of modcloth
sandals: the perf sandal in navy courtesy of modcloth