I5 South

I'm back! I missed all of you.

Leather jacket: Laundry by Shelli Segal (gift from Mom)

Grey v-neck: Express (thrifted)

Pinstripe skirt: Club Monaco (thrifted)

Lark ankle boots: Naya (eBay)

Pewter enamel necklace: unknown (thrifted)

Moving has imposed an interesting set of constraints: I'm in Southern CA now, but there's very little room in my mother's house for any of my things, much less a one bedroom apartment of stuff, even after selling my furniture.

... also, the closet of the room I'm staying in is filled with my brother's clothes, and he refuses to move them. -_-

So here's a go-to outfit I threw together out of what was available while I was driving up and down the state. 

I thrifted the Express shirt ages ago, because I really liked the side ties and the subtle silver and grey floral print. I think it's going in the donation box because the elastic cap sleeves were not designed with someone of my shoulder girth in mind, and the rounded ruched waistline in front doesn't do my build --wide-waisted in front and narrower in profile-- any favors.

Still, I liked it because it showed off the cool buckles on this Club Monaco pinstripe skirt. Most of my other shirts are too long and would leave the pseudo belt (it runs through a loop in the back and buckles above the front pockets) as a funny-looking series of lumps.

I am glad I went out on a limb (for me, anyway) and purchased this pewter, rhinestone, and enamel floral necklace at the thrift shop before I left. I needed more short necklaces, and though I was worried the colors were too bold/garish, I decided I needed more obvious colors in my world of dark neutrals.

PERSONAL STUFF after the break:

Entrenched Meanders

  The other day was pouring rain and I was meeting a friend downtown, so I took a break from my Style or Die! challenge to wear my beloved trench coat:

Trench coat: J. Gallery (thrifted)

Purple knit top: Elie Tahari (thrifted)

Grey wool skirt: Express (eBay)

Necklace: unknown (thrifted)

Heattech leggings: UNIQLO (gift)

Lark boots: Naya (eBay)

  I thrifted this J. Gallery trench coat not long ago. It's made in Korea and has quickly become one of my favorite garments of all time. When it is buttoned up, I feel like a military commander princess (the protect-the-innocent hero kind, not the parasite-off-the-people kind.) I think this all ties back to my fantasy of dressing like an airship captain.

  It may be difficult to tell, but it's light grey lined with a lavender. Lavender and grey is one of my favorite color combinations of all time. I went with the same combo for my outfit, pairing a purple knit Tahari top with grey wool miniskirt and some black leggings and boots.

  It's a bit madness here at Couturgatory HQ (hah!) with two research projects and finals going off, but it's fulfilling and I am notably not stressed the hell out and losing vast amounts of weight. I wanted to thank you all again for reading this blog because it's so much fun to write. :D

-Aya

Whatever the Weather

Whatever the weather we'll weather the storm!

And whether we waver in water or wetter

Wayfarers will gather wherever it's warm!

  Right, I think I've lost my mind.
  When I woke up in East Bay this morning, the weather was beautiful. Sunshine as I hadn't seen in weeks was streaming in the window. I packed up and headed home, into the fog bank, where even Daly Sad is getting a hint of light through the everpresent cloud layer. I am in a sundress type of mood.

  For someone who lives in the climate I do, I have a disturbing number of sundresses. I may have more sundresses than there are actual sunny days per year. I think I keep shopping for my dreams, rather than my everyday. It reminds me of my former roommate, who would sometimes wear shorts on principle, because it was summer, or as we like to call it, "summer."
  In deference to the weather, this one is fully lined, which adds some wind protection, while making it twice as much trouble to iron (which is why I didn't. >.>) I took the opportunity to add some layers and accessorize in a way that felt like me:

  I love these faux leather panel leggings. I got them last winter for warmth and they're actually more like stretch pants- they're a thick exercise pant material and of course fully opaque. Still, principles are principles, and leggings will be worn appropriately under skirts and dresses, never on their own. Someone has to fight the good fight.
  You can see in the side shot the pretty chiffon layer on the dress doesn't extend to the back. It's a plain knit material there. Unfortunately what you get with cheap dresses these days. Does seem odd to me the company would go through the trouble of this labor-intensive detailing and skimp on a panel of chiffon for the back.

  I got this necklace when I was a teenager, and was quite taken with it. It came with a little scroll you could write on and tuck inside. Of course I have no way of finding out what I wrote, because since the capsule kept unscrewing and falling off, I glued the blasted thing shut and now I will never get it open again. Good job, 16 year-old me. Your secret is safe forever. 32 year-old you would like to have a little chat about skin care.

  Here is a shot with the fascinator, for Michelle:

  I thought the fascinator went really well with the dress, and somewhat less so with the biker leggings and jacket. Unsurprising. Maybe one of these days I will feel like a feminine pair of shoes and bare gams, and then we will see.

Dress: sylc camisa (eBay)

Faux leather leggings: unknown (eBay, various sizes available)

Boots: Naya Lark (old, eBay)

Denim biker jacket: Guess (thrifted)

Capsule necklace: very old (Sacramento)

Fascinator: Cara NY (Nordstrom, old)

Mullet Skirts

  I have a confession: I like mullet dresses.

  At least, that is what I have been calling this cut since they made their appearance:

  This one is from Doublju, a Korean clothing company that sells some items through Amazon. I've recommended it to a few male friends of mine because they have some interesting urban pieces for men. Tricky in that the clothes tend to be cut for Asian proportions, though.

  I haven't decided how I like the look on me, yet. You may find this odd, seeing as how I've owned this dress for like four months, but that's my other confession: clothes that enter my wardrobe get worked into outfits slowly.

  I think my conclusion is I love how the color matches my scarf (a handmade gift from one of my bestest friends Meghan), and the cut is all right, but I hate the fabric. It's that cheap very stretchy thin fabric that seems to make up all junior clothing nowadays, that is good for draping and nothing else. You can see the lumps of my leggings waistband outlined under the material, and this dress is not in any way tight.  It also means in the back, where I feel this cut should fall in a graceful curve, it hangs limp and folded. It will probably be made into a pattern.

  It was fun to layer under, though. I went with a black lace tank top under the back cutouts and black side lace leggings because the front of this thing is cut pretty high.

  I am linking up to Patti of Not Dead Yet's Visible Monday. It was great fun meeting folks last time, and I hope this week I'll have time to check out more personal style blogs.

  I ran out the door for a ramen appointment with friends and did not get close-up photos of my gorgeous scarf. I'll put some in my post tomorrow.

  How about your wardrobe turnover? Do new things get used right away, or does it take time to integrate?

  Also, if you want to know why outfits take time for me to figure out, it's because the process involves making this:

  ... so I have to make sure I have some time free after getting dressed to put everything away again. This is why every outfit gets logged in a notebook and on this blog now. I'm hoping there is a better way.

Scarf: handmade (Meghan)

Dress: Doublju (Amazon)

Black cincher belt: unknown (thrifted, Japan)

Black lace tank top and leggings: cheap junior stores

Lark boots: Naya (eBay)

Rainy Day Blues

  I'm back to my old palette. :D While trying out new colors I've never worn before has been a lot of fun, going back to my familiar colors feels confident and happy. PLUS I got to try this denim on top and bottom I've heard of on other style blogs. It's a win-win-win situation! I love style blogging. :D

  It's raining today in SF. I busted out my newly-hemmed ZARA basic dept skinny jeans. It might show in the photos that I screwed up when hemming these. I cut one leg on the new hem line, not the 2nd line I'd conveniently drawn below it for guidance. ): I have hemmed dozens of my trousers and it's the first time I've done that, haha. Oh well, they're dark and will usually be in boots.

  The dress is strapless, which doesn't suit rain so well, so I tied off the alternative apparel overshirt last seen here with a silver leaf ring. The dress has cool zipper halves sewn in a spiraling pattern down the front, and fortunately for any jackets and chairs involved, not the back. It also has built-in padding in the front! I was instantly won over.

  Leggings and skinny jeans under short garments was a revelation for me. I tried to go for a look that is form-fitting and sexy but not overstuffed sausage.

The story of every pair of pants in my life

  Summer school starts for me Monday, so I don't know how much style blogging I'll be able to do, as class is from 9:30am until 10:00pm four days a week. If you look on Twitter and my last post is "AAAAAUUUGGH" then you will know Chemistry has eaten me alive. I would like my epitaph to read 'She tried to get into grad school. [swear] this economy.'

Dress: Do & Be (thrifted) dark grey version size S on eBay

Skinny jeans: ZARA basic (thrifted)

Overshirt: alternative apparel VintageSoft (thrifted)

Boots: Naya Lark (eBay) some on eBay

Ring: Silver of the Valley (etsy, shop defunct)

Necklace: Metropolitan Museum of Art store (gift)

Treasure Rock of Ages

  Wow, people are here! Ally wrote about me in her blog and a number of her lovely friends found their way over. Should I have a separate post and an outfit post? I'm not sure what the protocol for multiple posts in a day is. I suppose we just make our own rules here, so I'm flying blind. Blind, but excited. :D

  I'm really looking forward to reading about and getting to know everybody. I read an interview once in which a style blogger said that one is supposed to read/find bloggers who are built like you and dress similarly. I don't know how folks put up the Bat-signal for that ("ATTN: short stocky future fantasy warrior/AZN punk fantasy warrior/steampunk past fantasy person/fairy princess style blogger seeking more of the same") but what I have found in style blogging is a network of interesting, supercool people whose passion and creativity pop out in their writing. It is a fun, organic process of exploration following links, and I'm so glad you guys took the time to say hello and give me more places to explore and read.

  To the outfit post!

  So, here's the deal. Several years back, I had a thing for shirts with lots of studs in them and laces. I'm over it now, but funny thing: if you add extra stitches to clothes, then tie them together with laces, then rivet them together, they do not come apart. I've made my wardrobe, now I have to lie in it for a few decades. Or not, because all of these metal studs are kind of uncomfortable to sleep on. (I'm joking. I took a nap in this shirt earlier and it is fine.)

  This Treasure Rock tank top is from a defunct online shop. After a poke around the Internet, I'm actually not sure the brand exists any more either, but there are brand new copies of this tank top in black on eBay. Or if you really like it in blue, come and talk to me. I layered it over one of my ubiquitous lace racerbacks and wore it with a black miniskirt and criss cross leggings because I am trying not to bore you dear readers into Denim Oblivion, which has actually been the reality for the last 26 years. :D

  Since the Treasure Rock brand's aesthetic is rock/glam and my aesthetic is more huh?/dork, I tried balancing out the outfit with accessories.  First, a pink hoodie. Then, in the event anybody still thought I should be taken seriously, I added a teacup necklace and sun bracelet.

It's hard to be taken for an angry rocker in a pink hoodie.

  I bought the bracelet in Paris several years ago. My friend Cathy and I went in summer, when dawn was at 6 am and the sun didn't set until after 10. It completely threw off my circadian rhythm, having that much sunlight, but I loved it, at least as much as you can love 100+°F in a country without widespread air conditioning or iced beverages.  I thought this gold sunburst bracelet would be the perfect reminder of those times. Then I came back to San Francisco and found the same jewelry company downtown a month later. Hahaha! It's ok though, it's still an awesome souvenir (and I know where to take it if the glittery stone falls out.)

  Thank you to my friend Diana for taking the outfit pictures today. We hung out in Golden Gate Park today, by the Sharon Art Center, where we saw the most beautiful stained glass window we both agreed we'd ever seen.

Tank top: Treasure Rock (available in black)

Victorian Hoodie: Prairie Underground (thrifted)

Criss Cross Leggings: no brand (eBay)

Sun Bracelet: Jeanne by CJ (Paris, old)

Teacup Necklace: (Nordstrom, old) - similar on etsy

Call me Ishmael

  This skirt is one of my new thrifted goodies from a few weeks ago. I wouldn't have bought it normally because it is green, and I have a documented problem wearing green skirts because I don't own anything that goes with them, but it didn't fit my friend Athena, and it is awesome, so now it is mine.

  My first morning back home from my long stressful weekend visiting family following my long stressful week of finals following my long stressful semester from hell I woke up and tried to find something to wear with it.

  It struck me that Starbuck of 2004 Battlestar Galactica wore this color, and Starbuck is awesome because I'd always wanted a female badass pilot character on TV. What little girl doesn't ride her bike up and down the street making laser gun noises, pretending to be an ace space fighter pilot shooting down enemies and downing shots of 7-UP at the front lawn cantina after a hard battle because the fizz and the toll the war takes on her humanity makes her eyes burn? ... was that just me? Ok.

  At any rate, Miss Kara Thrace and well, pretty much the entire cast of the BSG series wore the olive/army green very well with grey and black, so that is what I did:

  I'm not sure the bare gams go with the look, but I like how the rest of it came out. I might remix with black leggings or tights. Suggestions, as always, are welcome. Also the skirt really is green; it looks more brown because of the late afternoon sun, I think.

  I hadn't heard of the brand Skunkfunk before, but the skirt definitely hits my vaguely urban/punk/future fantasy aesthetic. It's got two buttons that cross past one another, unique pockets at the hips that are buttoned and Velcro'd, a random tiny leather patch, and so on. The tag inside says it is called Egia, and that it is a sample. Thrifted clothing tags are the best.

  Instead of the hexagonal ID tags worn by BSG pilots, I wore my family crest:

  I'm sure it would serve just as well, even if I'm not on a set of jagged metal that symbolizes the raw, bleak situation faced by humanity.

  Today was also the first day I wore my Naya Lark boots out:

  Naya boots always take some breaking in (I think most boots do, right?), but I love their style, and the fact that their "C" widths are as wide as Fitzwell "WW." Seriously, I've held them sole-to-sole and they match.  I'd been breaking them in by wearing them indoors for a few hours at a time last week, and I was able to walk around the city this afternoon without a hitch. Pinky toes got rubbed/squished, which they do in anything that isn't a sneaker or a sandal, but they were not raw.

  The upside to this weekend was I hit up the thrift shop in my hometown and got new goodies. I'll have more pictures once everything is washed and ironed, but here's a quick one I snapped of my non-clothing treasures:

The olive oil in the background is not thrifted. Thankfully.

  I also had a birthday while I was at it; my wonderful friends made it a lovely day. My friend Diana and Mr. Garrett Wang at Phoenix Comicon surprised me with this:

That is RIGHT, son. Birthday wishes from Ensign Harry Kim!

  That's it for now. I'm so happy to be home and happy to be back blogging.

  P.S. Since I'm Asian American, does that mean I'm Boomer instead of Starbuck? They do wear the same uniform and all. If this means I get to spend part of my screentime married to Tahmoh Penikett (move aside, actual friend named Athena!) I am all for it.

Undershirt: H&M (thrifted)

Black lace racerback tank: eBay (link to item)

Skirt: Skunkfunk Egia sample (thrifted)

Boots: Lark by Naya (brown and black available on eBay)