Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Taylored Fit

... 5 pairs of pants and every single skirt I own later, this is the best I got:
Asian-inspired vest: Ann Taylor (thrifted)
Beaded strapless top: Ann Taylor (thrifted, size 6P on eBay)
Embroidered trousers: Karen Millen (eBay)
Fan necklace: Joan Rivers (thrifted)

  Also, sorry about this weird spotlight business in these pictures. Some bizarre "sunlight" thing going on in the Bay Area. Happens every September. Whee!
  Swearing may not be seemly, but my internal name for this outfit is 'Augh this fucking shirt.'* It's a dark purple strapless Ann Taylor top with boning and beadwork. I thrifted it because I want to cut it down the front and make a cost-effective corset for Ye Olde outfit fun (and because it's too tight on top and loose at the bottom), but first I wanted to try styling it down for everyday wear.

* To be fair, many of my outfits are called this.
  It goes with nothing. Since it is structured and fitted, as well as formal-looking, I tried to pair it with loose/baggy things in opposing colors.

  I want to try it with a pair of loose legged trousers that cinch in above the ankle, but I donated my only pair of those years ago, after not finding anything to go on top of them. Today is not helping me squash my hoarder tendencies at all.

  Otherwise I kind of like how this Asian-ish outfit turned out. I found a golden fan necklace (Joan Rivers, thrifted) and I finally got to use these Karen Millen trousers after several years. I love the koi embroidery on them, but trying to alter them was a hair-pulling job and it took a long time for me to look at them without wincing. I'm glad I kept them (seriously, who else could they fit at this point?)  That silk vest is Asian-looking too, though I folded the heck out of it to keep the top from getting covered.. It's another one of the pieces on my long list of alterations I need to do.

  I'm working on a grey velour blazer now that will go with this top and make me look like a fancy toff. Unfortunately I don't have a skirt to go with it. Argh! I feel like I keep collecting pieces of a very elaborate large puzzle, and now it's slowly becoming clear which pieces I'm missing and what the picture is, but it sure has taken a lot of time and not a few clothes that didn't work out. -_-

  How did you all find your personal styles? Did you build them piece by piece, or did you find a brand that spoke to you? I read about minimalist wardrobes with fascination, because I cannot imagine doing such a thing. (:

  Please note that comments now let you get a ping if you want to know when you get a response! It's sometimes difficult for me to keep track of where I've left comments in the blogs I follow, so if you'd like to know if I reply to something you said, please tick the box! I like replying to comments. :D

8 comments:

  1. Hi Aya!

    First i like the fan necklace, so pretty and dainty- I had fan earrings, i don't what i did with them
    i love the second outfit, the bustier and pants, that is a good style for you, very pretty -

    How did i find my style? I think as i grow older i'm loosing my mind, hahaha!
    Plus i don't really care what people think - I'm having fun mixing it up- I always mixed it up, but i guess i get my inspiration from Japanese street style -

    Take care

    Ariane

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  2. Love your style, especially as it evolves. You choose clothes with such intelligence. To develop one's style, there's no substitute for experimentation and experience. I never could have planned for what happened to me. It's fun watching you grow.

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    1. There is a quality I admire in others, and that is one of foresight and planning. It took me any number of false starts and turns to get to this point, and I cannot tell if everybody goes through this, or if we all learn differently and some people inherently have more patience than others (and most people more patience than me. hah!)

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  3. The vest is perfection. I absolutely love it layered over that fucking shirt and with those pants.

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  4. Trust me, you're managing your evolving style far better than I! My tendency is for the 'Ooh! Let's make this completely random garment that does not go and will likely never go with anything in my closet... why?... Um... because it's awesome! That's why!' and then I have a closet full of mismatched things.

    Your outfits always look very well thought out and put together, including this one!

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    1. Haha, I swear that was how I started building my wardrobe, too. At some point a critical mass of things started to self-organize into distinct clusters, and I now I'm starting to figure out this whole "outfit" concept. Starting.

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  5. I LOVE this whole look. I've definitely been watching your style closely. I really love fancier or "work" style clothes, but have been struggling with my need for casual wear and how to make everything mesh.

    Those pants are amazing so amazing, btw.

    I know what you mean about altering things. If I don't fix an issue with something asap, I'll get it into my head that there's something wrong with it and avoid it, even after the fix. I've got a pair of corduroys that need hemming and I need to get it done before it gets cold!

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    1. Yeah, I too am trying to balance my need for comfort and movement with fancy structured things and shiny. The trousers were a complete tart because the embroidery is right at the bottom, and I needed 5" chopped off to make them my length. I ended up taking a big diagonal slice out of one leg and adding some ruching to the other and making them asymmetrical. Then I waited for years until I stopped hating my handiwork, haha.

      Get thee to the corduroys! I just finally hemmed my set as well, and it's very exciting. :D

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