{wishing i lived in} 30s french riviera (day 15)

h&m tunic, arden b skirt, vintage belt, liz claiborne flats, f21 necklace

There is something so quintessentially French about boatnecks and sailor stripes. While I love the versatility of this h&m piece as a dress and a shirt, I still wish I included my St. James shirt as part of my 30 items. Lucky magazine did a spread on the 30s French Riviera a year ago; since then,  I haven't been able to get the image of French sophistication & lounging on the coastline of the Mediterranean out of my head. In fact, I really wish I had the time to see this movie-- it would serve as the perfect study break on this busy weekend.

{inspired by} the boyfriend (day 14)

j crew tee, target cardigan, vintage belt, banana republic chinos, 9 west flats

If 50's is all about the hour-glass figure; 60's mod; 70's hippie; 80's neon colors; 90s grunge; then I proclaim our decade as the era of the boyfriend. Really, why are we so obsessed with everything boyfriend- from the button downs to the sweaters to the cardigans to the jeans... are we really that insecure that we need to wear our boyfriends on our sleeves? Possible reflections of underlying social turmoils aside, I have to confess- I love the boyfriend. In fact I sometimes peruse the men's sales racks for x-small & smalls that I can incorporate in my own wardrobe. While androgynous is huge on the runways, I can't help but add a touch of femininety to my boy clothes- whether with belts or sequins or soft cardigans. 

Remember when Katie Holmes started the boyfriend jeans back in 07? It's pretty wild when you think about its widespread popularity since then. I definitely had a hard time getting used to this sillouette as I'm usually drawn towards clean lines & waist-cinching belts. While boyfriend jeans are still trendy, I love this pair of boyfriend chinos that I scored a while ago. Incredibly soft, surprisingly easy to wear, and always a classic.

{inspired by} the classics (day 13)

 

Sometimes it's okay to be void of creativity and just fall back to what's tried and true. It really doesn't get classier than a khaki trench, oversized sunglasses, black on black, sweet ballet flats, & a silk square scarf. 

{inspired by} tights girl from high school (day 12)

land's end canvas shirt, f21 skirt, frye boots

There used to be this girl in high school who wore tights obsessively. She had them in every color and pattern imaginable- bright fusia, candy cane stripes, big polka dots... if you can name it, she had it. Her nickname was "tights girl" (not in an endearing way), as tights were considered really weird back then. Oh we'd make jokes and laugh at her ridiculous tights during lunch, thinking we were so cool in our Silver jeans and Abercrombie shirts. Who knew that not-so-far in the future, I'd become quite the tights girl myself- though still not as brave as the original "tights girl" in patterns. (but wish I were)

Can't wait to make more additions to my tights collection this fall. I'm kind of loving the black polka dot ones I've been seeing on quite a few bloggers. A charcoal gray pair wouldn't hurt either. Perhaps another argyle one also... Lesson learned: whatever you think is weird right now will be cool & fashionable in the future. So feel free to embrace your very own inner "tights girl", because everyone else will be wearing it in 5 years. I promise.

{inspired by} leather on leather (day 11)

To say that I have a thing for leather is probably an understatement. (& sounds really wrong) But I really adore all things in this beautiful material- from boots, jackets, to bags & belts... There is something about the buttery softness and the distinct smell that I just can't get enough of. Currently looking for a convertible messenger/tote in brown distressed leather. Though I was hoping to find a perfectly worn in vintage one on etsy, as aged leather just has so much more character, I might just settle on the manufactured vintageness of this one.

PS, I met the older version of my doppelganger in painting form today. It's not an everyday occurence that you get to exchange soulful glances with those, so we had to document it! Enjoy.

30 for 30 week 2: recap

I think the quality of the outfits and photos this week's 30 for 30 definitely took a toll because of the extremely inconsistent weather we've been having out here in the midwest. It was either too hot, too windy, too sunny, or too gloomy. Trying to look cute and stay warm/cool/not blown away was really hard! Hopefully this weather will calm down and I'll do some better planning this week coming up. 

My favorite outfit this week was Day 7. I like the belted scarf look. I also like the unreasonable amount of purple because it makes me feel more artsy.

This is my favorite of Jennifer's outfits this week. The combination of gray & yellow is so refreshing and summery. Also, she didn't just make the skirt, but belted it with a ribbon & a pin- so creative! 

PS, her photos always turn out better than mine...jealous! :)

{inspired by} a pop of color (day 10)

Anthropologie necklace, Gap tee, Frye boots

The reason I fell in love with J Crew years ago is the stack of rainbow colored cardigans inevitably found in every issue of the catalog. From bright turquoise to sunny yellow to coral pink, I loved them all. In fact, they really did make me feel as if I need a cardigan in every single one of these colors. Though I'm still irresistibly drawn towards bright colors, I've gained an appreciation for somber blacks and dark neutrals through the years. Yet an all-dark outfit is still incomplete to me unless I can add a pop of color to it somehow- whether with accessories or simply nail polish. (in this case, a turquoise necklace I snagged on sale @ anthropologie)

These pictures are taken in front of the flower wall in our livingroom. And yes that's all of our faces inside the flowers. Pretty cute stuff, you say? I think so too.

PS, I love this pair of boots, but they didn't turn out in these photos. I promise to get better pics of them tomorrow!