Out for Dinner

Do I look unusually florid here? I'm either tanning during my morning scoots to the train station or I need to learn color balance in PS. Or paint that wall.

wait, I figured it out:

Pro!

 Kimono shirt shell: Forever 21 (thrifted)

Jeans: 7 for all Mankind (gift from brother)

Platforms: Candie's (thrifted)

Necklace: family crest (inherited)

Damascene bracelet: eBay

Stepped out for dinner with a dear friend I hadn't seen since I moved back up. Finally wore the shirt shell I thrifted last year when I was visiting for one of Favourite Joe's shows. There's a lot of yellow and bright teal in it, so I was unable to figure out an underlayer until I bought this goldenrod tank top I posted about last month.

This whole 'color' thing is opening up all sorts of new frontiers!

Good to see this outfit looks nice and not over-the-top "HI DID I MENTION MY ANCESTORS CAME FROM JAPAN"

The Unexpected Hoodie

Trying the sideways glance again, and looking mighty pleased with myself. I call this shirt by Three Stones the Unexpected Hoodie:

I feel a little like Link from the Legend of Zelda games. The top is loose, so I did what I saw Carrie of Petal by Petal do recently: I added a skinny belt near my natural waist to look more streamlined. Woo hoo! What works for one Asian American martial artist evidently works for another. :D

I dig the little keyhole in the back. If the hood is down, it hides it.

Hoodie top: Three Stones (thrifted)

Overlapping waves skirt: Forever 21 (thrifted)

Sandals: Eastland

Belt: unknown (thrifted)
Necklace: Old Navy

Sage wrap bracelet: Foxy Originals

Earrings: Etsy shop

Purse: handmade (Sawdust Festival, birthday gift)

It was all about the accessories that day:

Oh, and the belt! I'm a huge fan of the comedy sitcom Community, and I cracked up when I saw that the belt tag reads "Streets Ahead"! I don't think it's a reference to the show, just an awesome coincidence:

Blown out shot of the skirt to show the cool overlapping layers:

I'll let you guys in on a secret: I'm not actually in Southern CA! I moved for a job and am back in the San Francisco Bay Area, but I took these outfit photos before I left so I could queue up some posts, predicting (rightfully) that I'd be overwhelmed and too burnt my first week or two here to do them.

I'm also living out of a suitcase and half of what I brought is conservative business casual because who starts a new job wearing outfits that shriek, "Hi! You know nothing about me except that I'm an outlier!"? I'm definitely waiting until at least my third day.

Not sure what I'm going to do for next week's posts yet. Here's hoping I get settled enough to get some thrifting in. I'm certainly in the location for it! :D

A weekend of San Franthriftco

I recently visited the Bay Area for the weekend. Thrifting was involved, so I'll report back on what I did there. :D

Here is my first successful capsule wardrobe:

Citizens of Humanity sweatshirt (thrifted)

7 for all Mankind jeans (gift from brother)

ANAC mesh top (eBay)

OCCO Paris teal top (free)

Nancy Giallombardo denim skirt (thrifted)

Fitzwell Laura sandals (6pm.com)

I also had my trusty New Balance sneakers. Everything went with everything else! First time I've been able to do that. (My usual method of outfit selection is 'waaaaaaaaaaaaaaagh I wanna wear thisandthisandthisandthis') I also figured since I'd be thrifting during my time up there, that I could add stuff if I wanted.

I actually went up to visit my favorite Joe (srsly. I have met no other Joes I like better.) for his band's show and EP launch. The band is called The Hangover Brigade, they have a folk rock sound, and they are immensely talented and fantastic. (Which is good, because it'd be really awkward if I thought they sounded terrible.)

You can listen to the entire EP on CDbaby (they are also sold on iTunes, Amazon, and other large vendors) and you really should. I had the first track stuck in my head for 48 hours after the show, and that's an endorsement.

The Hangover Brigade's last show!

Here's their cover of No Diggity, that they played as an encore:


Before the show, we drove into the city and walked up and down Haight St. looking for gig-type clothes and accessories for Joe. The only thing more fun than thrift shopping for me is thrift shopping for someone else. Even competing with the pre-Halloween crowd, we had great luck!

Here's what we found:

Exhibit A: grey 5 button vest from Goodwill

Exhibit B: Fuzzy black J's Awake shoes from Wasteland. The soles are red!

Exhibit C: Marshall Collins flatcap from Goorin Bros. Not thrifted, just awesome. I'm pretty sure flatcaps were put on this earth for men with van dyke beards.

We also found these low grey Alfani boots and the following day Joe found the sweet Olympique Marseille track jacket at one of my favorite thrift shops. Soccer's his favorite sport, so extra win. It was in great condition, with a plastic tag loop still inside. I think it was new! I found another picture of it online:

Happily, Joe dug my style suggestions, and the things I thought he could rock he totally rocked. I thought he looked great, he thought he looked great, happy shopping vibes all around.

The items are all multipurpose and can be used for music gigs, work, or everyday. There was a coat with tails briefly tried on at a Steampunk shop because when it comes down to it, I think everybody should wear Regency style clothes, but maybe for another time.

And because I had a few hours to kill during soundcheck before the show started, I tootled back to the Goodwill down the street and went shopping for myself this time. >.>

Whee! My haul from two thrift shops that weekend:

I've been looking for mustard skinny jeans or jeggings for a long time to wear with sweater dresses & boots in the winter. I'm slowly taking steps into the world of color. Thanks to style blogs, I know colors I'd never wear near my face because of my complexion can be worn on my lower half.

These jeans are by Margaret M, and still had the tag attached. I found out it's a Canadian brand that makes their products domestically. Any northerners heard of the brand?

The wide leather belt is by Pellemelle, and thanks to alert readers, I know 'pelle' is Italian for leather. :D Italian leather, it says on the inside, and made in the US.

The grey and black checked vest is from TRF, which I think is a collection within Zara. It's size L, but it has criss-crossing straps in the back that let me cinch it in to the correct width.

The Forever 21 Japanese print shirt shell was a go back behind the counter that I pointed to excitedly as we were checking out. Instant sell! I'm not sure how I feel about the red lace, but the print and the long square fire hazard sleeves absolutely do it for me.

Check out the luster on these fake pearls! I don't often have luck thrifting jewelry, but I thought I hit it big with these. I want to wear the blue pearls with the lace-feather-ribbons flower pin with my dark blue OzzOn dress.

Lastly, these Candie's green and brown platform boots fill another hole in my wardrobe- casual sturdy boots in the brown color palette. My thrifted Doc Martens chafe my Achilles tendon something fierce, so onto eBay they go.

I put so many holes through my October budget that it's curled up in a corner somewhere licking its wounds, but I regret nothing. Sometimes I've thrifted things and gone 'aww crap, that wasn't a good idea' but this time, all items feel like practical fits within my existing wardrobe. Vest, wide belt, shirt shell, boots, jeans... this is basically Couturgatory right here in one thrifted heap. What's your latest treasure or your latest 'aww crap' purchase?

Denim Slacker

Yeah, the lighting's better out on the balcony. Second try at styling black slacks!

Tank top: Diesel (Vegas outlet)

Black slacks: Theory (thrifted)

Denim dress-as-coat: Forever 21 (thrifted)

Boots: ex-wide Fitzwell Edeen (6pm.com)

To casual them down, I added a denim dress-as-trench, because nothing sinks an outfit to casualtown faster than that lead ballast of outerwear materials: denim!  I think I'm going to donate this thing, though. The last time I wore it, it did not go well. I like the length but it's just too bulky-looking or too much denim for me.

The photo did not capture it, but this tank top little silver speckles all over it, as if someone had shaken a paintbrush and left a very fine layer of paint droplets on it. It makes the tank top stick to itself a little, but it's worth it for the design and stitching. Plus it was at an outlet for $10. :D

I think I get that one styles slacks down with a casual tee or top now. They will probably go in my drawer as a denim alternative, when I'm dressing casually but not wearing a very attention-y outfit.

Also, lipstick. Because hooray for pushing at one's comfort boundaries. :D

Thank you guys for all of your supportive and nice comments last post! It feels good to be back to the person I could only theoretically remember being for a while. I'm proceeding with caution, but I went out to a thrift shop today and wandered about, and felt fine. (: 

Cop Copine Out

  The weather's been gorgeous! Can't miss your 1/2 hour shooting window though, or you'll end up sort of red, like I am here.

Shirt: Cop Copine (thrifted)

Vest: Forever (thrifted)

Skirt: Ann Taylor (gift from Megan Mae)

Gloves: River Island
Pointelle tights: Hue (eBay)

Earrings: unknown, very old

Lightning boots: Naya (gift from Dad)

  Hope this isn't too similar to the last time I styled this skirt here. It lends itself perfectly to dark neutrals, okay? :D Since I am wearing my Naya boots that I wear in every other post, I am linking up to Citizen Rosebud's Shoe Glitterati.

  I really like this unique shirt by Cop Copine. It's got a knit body with a cowl neck, then button down fabric sleeves with slightly puffed shoulders, followed by cuffs and more knit fabric down at the wrists:

 There are even little cufflinks of buttons knotted together! ... well, one fake cufflinks. They were missing on the other side, so I made another pair out of the smallest round pearl buttons from my button box.

  I randomly found a missing vintage earring today, which is great! I found it while searching for my missing lipstick, which did not turn up. |= Soon I will have to issue a missing makeup report, because my pink eye shimmer is also missing, and it's simmering on the back burner of my mind, slowly driving me insane.

  This is perplexing me because I'm a reasonably clean person and I live in a tiny apartment. Too many things! Has anything you own gone missing lately? Does it ever turn up in the most obvious place, leaving you feeling asinine and/or infuriated? Does it also drive you to distraction when you can't find something?

Style or Die! challenge: Rave denim jacket

  Ever put something together you really like, then don't like it looking at photos at all? So it is with this.

Jacket: Rave (thrifted)

Graphic tee: dirty violet (thrifted)

Pinstripe flare capris: BCBG Maxazria (thrifted)

Mary Jane heels: Unlisted a Kenneth Cole production (thrifted)
Button bracelet: The CAMP, Dichroic glass star: Green River Studio etsy shop

  Pretty sure these newly thrifted pinstripe pants were designed as capris, which means they are ankle pants on me. I normally avoid ankle pants like I avoid salmonella poisoning, but the flares on these were really cool and I thought they'd balance out my big wushu legs. The Internet told me to wear them with heels. Photos tell me the damn Internet was wrong! I look like a bad stereotype of ... something. A style blogger? Peggy Bundy? A puffy exclamation point?

  I tried a loose graphic tee on top to balance out the formality of pinstripes and the fitted booty cut. I think something fitted next time will work better with these. Remember folks: if your thigh is close to the circumference of your waist, wear fitted on top.

  I don't mind the look with the jacket, so I tried an exercise. Since the jacket worked, I tried similar things in my closet to the jacket to see if it was redundant. Here it is with a denim dress I wear as a coat:

Dress-as-coat: Forever 21 (thrifted)
Pregnant Scully from X-Files. Not combining long coat and big shirt again.

 And with a similar blue military style jacket:

Blue military jacket: View by Walter (thrifted)

  Here's an auto animated gif Google made when I uploaded these:

  I think the second jacket proves the denim jacket redundant, and ridiculous passants aside, I'm far more likely to wear it. Rave denim jacket is a donate.

Cranky Nopants

  Hey guys! I missed blogging. :D  I also missed the sun. Here's a picture I took Thursday to celebrate the first time it came out in over a week.

Sweatshirt dress: Mossimo (thrifted)

Vest: Forever 21 (thrifted)

Tights: UNIQLO (gift from Mom)

Over-the-knee boots: unknown (clothing swap)

Hat: eBay (similar)

  This whole 'personal style' thing is still pretty new to me. The outfits I posted this past warm season are partly because I have 1 pair of ratty denim shorts, and since I didn't think that would do for a style blog, I experimented with putting together other fun things.

  Cold weather's different. I hate the cold. I hate this sudden seasonal change. I hate wind and damp and numb feet and blue fingertips. Hate is a strong word, but it takes me months to shake off a dull, stuffy vaguely anxious feeling when the sun doesn't show up for weeks at a time. Happens every year, and my priorities this season, as with many Asian women, shift from "what fun to wear today?" to "protect myself from the elements, nevermind how ridiculous I look."

  This year I am going to try to shake myself out of it by risking a stupendous gas bill and trying to heat this place. There is no weatherproofing in our apartment (the balcony door doesn't even close all the way,) it's very damp, and the thermostat doesn't register, and you have to manually switch it on every 15 minutes if you want heat, but I can't take being cold indoors and outdoors all of the time. It does not snow, and it very rarely drops below freezing in the Bay Area, but this means that shopkeepers and restaurants also don't see fit to heat anything, and people leave the doors to the tiny cafe and retail spaces OPEN all the time, so you never get away from the winter weather. It means the only times I am warm are when I am driving my car and when I'm taking a shower. It drives me insane.

  I've heard older Chinese people say that white people are more resistant to the cold than Asians are. The whole special sweat gene means this might be more true than I thought. Either way, that is my rant. I will do my best to add more visual interest to my outfits, because otherwise you all are going to get an endless procession of dark neutral sweat/er/shirt dresses, long pants, and peacoats.

  Today I tried adding a long vest to this teal sweatshirt dress. I wasn't sure how the proportions would work out, but it was warm. I see now in the photo it looks like I forgot to don pants, which still puts me one up on my leggings-only-clad classmates, who, thank god, are now being forced to actually wear some. Gosh, I'm really cranky. I just realized this. This is therapeutic. :D

  Since I've been running out the door without taking outfit photos and coming back after dark, here are some photos of what I have been up to:

I made some new fabric-covered buttons for my thrifted Sanctuary hoodie! I am wearing it with some thrifted bling jeans here.

  I love this thing. It's so soft, has gorgeous piping on the inside, has interesting lines, good construction, and came to me in like-new condition! It was just missing one button on the left pocket, which you can see above.

  I picked up a fabric button kit at my local DAISO, a Japanese dollar (and a half) store. I took a piece of jersey fabric and placed it around the metal button head, and put it in the clear plastic holder. You can't use too many layers of cloth, but if you want added fullness/softness on the head of the button, you can cut a round piece of fabric and place it between the button head and the cloth you're wrapping around it, which is what I did.

  I photographed the instructions on the back of the package. (: You trim the cloth, fold it in around the button head, place a button backing on top, push down on the round green plastic presser, and you have a new button!

   The buttons on my hoodie were between sizes of the kits available, so I made two buttons and replaced the remaining one, as well:

  Pretty good match, I think!  What are some DIY repairs you have done?

Blue, Boots, and Burgundy

  Whew, my busy week is over. Time for new experimental outfit. :D

Cropped blazer: Isaac Mizrahi for Target (thrifted, eBay size 4)

Dress: Old Navy (thrifted)

Belt: American Rag (eBay, available here)

Tights: MUJI (MUJI SF)

Boots: unknown (clothing swap)

Necklace: Forever 21 (thrifted)

  I finally altered my Isaac Mizrahi for Target cropped blazer. I last wore it here, when I was feeling like a video game heroine. I removed the shoulder pads and folded the collar down, as I feel these alterations make me look much less like a fullback with a bull neck. I already have broad shoulders and only 6 cervical vertebrae, so I really don't need the help.

  I took a photo after removing only one shoulder pad. I wonder which one?

  Here is my Hunchback of Notre Dame impression.

   I seriously have no idea how to describe this ensemble. The only thing I have come up with is if I let my eyes go unfocused, I kind of look like I'm dressed to fight in the Crusades. I think I like it.