Wednesday, August 28, 2013

The Chicago Outfit

  One little fedora and suddenly I feel like a 1930s mobster.
Fedora: Stacy Adams (product link)
Vest: Heritage 1981 (thrifted)
Button-down: BCX (thrifted)
Jacket: promod (thrifted)
Pinstripe trousers: Banana Republic (thrifted)
Shoes: Dansko (thrifted)

  It doesn't hurt that at this angle the fedora makes me look bald. :D

  I wanted something with a lot of flexibility of movement (I can do a split in these trousers!) in case either of my labs Monday turned out to require it. It's the first day of fall semester, so I should probably wait until at least the second week to bust out something highly unusual. On the other hand, life is too short to wear boring clothes, and I frankly hate what a lot of students on this campus wear, so this here's my pushback.

  I tried shooting for nice and possibly grad student material without trying-too-hard, with a foot dabbling in costume.
  My little star pin is actually a vintage screwback clip earring. I'm plotting how I can turn them into pins so the purple rhinestone heart faces the correct way up.

  I feel like I'm learning to put together outfits I like -top, bottom, and jewelry- but when I try to add a jacket or hat I can get totally thrown off, as is the case with this fedora. I like it, I just don't think it quite fits my other clothes. I hit the same problem with jackets, despite having SO MANY of them. More experimentation is needed.

  Is there an item, such as jewelry, jackets, or hats that you have difficulty getting to work with an outfit?
  I hope your weeks are going well!
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16 comments:

  1. ShybikerAugust 28, 2013 at 7:54 AM

    Great look, Mugsy! BTW, you know where the closest speakeasy is??

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    1. Aya in CouturgatoryAugust 28, 2013 at 9:08 AM

      Haha, I misread that as "closet speakeasy." Which isn't a bad idea, actually. Pardon me a moment. >.>

      Delete
    2. Meghan EdgeAugust 28, 2013 at 6:14 PM

      Ahem. Look up Maynard G Krebs. Apparently he hung out in a beatnick club (I know wrong era) that you had to get in through a telephone booth. If he can do that, we need a closet entrance speak easy. I'm just sayin'.

      Also, your outfit is awesome.

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    3. Aya in CouturgatoryAugust 28, 2013 at 9:41 PM

      Ooh Meghan, you made me think of the water tower speakeasy in New York! http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/23/nyregion/illicit-nightclub-in-a-chelsea-water-tower.html?_r=0

      Delete
  2. UnknownAugust 28, 2013 at 10:03 AM

    I found your blog very interesting, i like the way you play with clothes and proportions -

    Ariane

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    1. Aya in CouturgatoryAugust 28, 2013 at 9:43 PM

      Thank you so much Ariane, and thank you for stopping by! I was so glad to find your style through Patti's link.

      Delete
  3. SheilaAugust 28, 2013 at 10:07 PM

    I love that you are pushing the sartorial boundaries at school, and you're young! You should definitely be pushing and experimenting with your own style. Wear the things you love, get rid of the things you don't, and don't be afraid to try something (so what if it fails? just try again).

    I adore the vest and I love the fedora with the entire look. Great one!

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    1. Aya in CouturgatoryAugust 29, 2013 at 10:27 PM

      Thanks, Sheila! Well, I'm young-ish. I'm a returning student, so I'm more than a decade older than a lot of my classmates. I tell people the body's still a newish model, but it's past its warranty so I need to keep up with the maintenance. ;D

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  4. Megan GAugust 28, 2013 at 11:47 PM

    Ooohohh! Looking snazzy there. That hat looks totally rad on you. (Downside to extremely short hair - any hat makes you look bald!)

    I think that hat should go with everything!! If I could find a decent hat that fit my tiny head, I'd wear it all the time.

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    1. Aya in CouturgatoryAugust 29, 2013 at 10:28 PM

      Hah, we have the opposite problems. I am often wearing men's hats because my head is too large for vintage women's hats.

      Delete
  5. Olga RaniAugust 29, 2013 at 4:24 AM

    I love your Chicago outfit, especially on the first photo, without the jacket. The hat looks really great with this look.

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    1. Aya in CouturgatoryAugust 29, 2013 at 10:28 PM

      Thank you, Olga! It's so fun to post my experiments online and hear what people think. :D

      Delete
  6. graverobbergirlAugust 31, 2013 at 5:55 PM

    "life is too short to wear boring clothes" -you're awesome!

    And fedora? Yes, please! I've been wanting one for a while, but my last attempt at buying one through ebay failed, since I apparently, have a big head. :-(

    I wish I could put such nice outfits together for my day-to-day. I try to avoid the 'does this top go with this skirt... and nothing looks good with my necessary sneakers' by just throwing on one of my novelty print dresses (favoring the retro Hawaiian print and Star Trek lately). No jewelry. Only the socks sort of have to match. And my hair clips. Simple, but really not as fun as all the cool outfits you share with us!

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    1. Aya in CouturgatorySeptember 3, 2013 at 3:45 PM

      I have a big head, too! I found I have to put a tape measure around and measure. I am a size M in men's hats, so that's my fedora's size.

      If you still have yours and it's all wool, you can try soaking it in warm/cool water with some hair conditioner, then rolling it in a towel and placing it on your head while it is damp. It should stretch the fabric out to fit your head.

      As for the necessary sneakers part, I understand. I think it's one of the reasons I favor big bootcut jeans and pinstripe pants- it's easier to hide New Balances under them. ;)

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  7. AnonymousSeptember 1, 2013 at 3:06 PM

    I recently discovered your blog and immediately was drawn to your vests! I love vests! I don't think we wear them as much as we should. I love your style and the way you put together your outfits! I am so excited to see what you have to come!

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    1. Aya in CouturgatorySeptember 3, 2013 at 3:46 PM

      Hooray! Welcome, and thank you. I too wonder about vests. It seems like people don't wear them, hats, or gloves very much but they add so much visual interest to an outfit in my mind.

      Delete

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