Take a bow... or six

  This simple-looking outfit took some thinking. Also, it was sunny today! I was so happy.

  This is my third styling of these trousers for Anne Bray of Spy Girl's triple play challenge. I realized when trying to think of a third that I always wear these trousers for Asian or Asian-ish outfits.

Japanese | AZN goth-punk | urh??

  I wanted to come up with something different, and it was tricky. If I'm not wearing my zero-point clothes (jeans and a graphic tee) I'm wearing something sort of costumey in either AZN punk/goth, fairy princess, or Ye Olde theme. I tried something vintage* and cute, but I think I came out more Tomb Raider than perky 80s throwback.

* Evidently the official definition of vintage means things 20 years or older. Which means 1993 is now vintage. What is this I don't even.

These bows! I find them irresistible.

  Have I mentioned the sun was shining today? In the triple photo above you can see the contrast between everyday weather here and sunny weather. Whee! So, so happy. I'm makeup free for a while because a handful of days after summer session ended my entire face was covered in lumps. While inconvenient, they mean my immune system is on the mend.
  You've probably heard of people getting sick the first or second day of a long overdue vacation. That's because your body can't stay on Red Alert forever, so your immune system gets exhausted. When you finally rest, it starts to recharge.

  I tried pairing it (the outfit, not my immune system) with my new-for-me cropped blazer by Isaac Mizrahi for Target. I was on the lookout for something this length since Michelle suggested it would suit my Japanese print dress. The thrift shops of San Francisco came through again! (For $2.25. Craaazy.) ... but these shoulder pads have got to go. I'm V-shaped with a short neck as is, I don't need extra help. Also someone told me I look like a ninja today, so my attempt at a non-AZN/punk outfit may have failed.
  Actually it really failed. I felt so RRGH I AM BACK in the sun today that I thought the perfect accessory to this outfit was a Southern saber. (I did not take the sword with me on my daily errands.) I haven't practiced this weapon for a long time, but when you are feeling HAHA YEAH I AM ME AGAIN in the sun, there's no substitute for a sword the size of your shin.

 I felt like an adventuring archaeologist or other video game heroine. I wish I could go through more parts of my life feeling that way. Then I visited a dear friend and ate a pound of mac & cheese and fried chicken. Today was a good day. Much love, everyone. I wish you all good days in which you feel like the heroes, rather than the villains, of your own life stories.
  Links, as always, are not profit, just a secret hope someone will buy the same clothes as I have and then TWINSIES.

Black crop tank: unknown (etsy store Bombshellshocked)

Red undertank: Express best-loved bra cami (Express dot com)

Black shrug blazer: Isaac Mizrahi for Target (thrifted, same jacket size 4 on eBay)

Trousers: Nike dri-fit (very old)

Platform shoes: Candie's (thrifted)

Quoth the raven, "Never worn."

  I never wore this shirt.

  I thought it would go well with my well-loved Nike dri-fit pants for Spy Girl's triple play challenge. I wore them with a kimono in my last post and I went for a goth/punk look here. One more outfit featuring these trousers to come this week! (Fortunately I have laundry night tonight so the outfit procession can continue unhindered.)

  I think the problem is the three holes in the midsection. Sexy and subtle enough in my mind when I bought it, but it made the shirt totally inappropriate for work and too risqué for daywear. So, the club. Except I don't like most dance music, loud noises, or strangers, and I have to go to bed early for work/class. And it's constantly foggy and blustery where I live so I have no need of extra ventilation holes. (Sunny today, though! Whee!) So yeah, never worn.
  Fortunately I no longer think a lot of stuff I thought mattered matters, so casual daywear it is. The midriff is coming out! I paired it with my old visual kei blazer.

I got distracted by sight of the fog rolling in

  Ever have something you love and love and then it just falls out of rotation? So it was with this blazer years ago. It has a lot of unique details, I got tons of compliments on it, and I just haven't worn it in years. Both items have been teetering on the edge of the donate/sell bag for a while.

  This fused glass necklace reminded me of cherry blossoms. Bought it when my friend Cathy and I were in Paris several years ago. Would still love to go back.
  I am a little blah right now because I'm still filling my energy meter from that insane summer session. I know in a few days I'm going to spend some time just being mean. Does that happen to you? When I've been utterly wrecked for a long time and start coming back, I spend a few days just being pissed off and mean. I warned my roommate and friends already. Mostly it comes out as angrily judging people wearing stuff like skin-colored jeggings as pants (WHY) without any of my normal devil's advocate and acceptance of others inner monologue.
  I imagine myself as the Fashion Police, rolling up on my segway and being all, "Ma'am, I'm sorry, but your terrible fashion choices violate the terms of the Geneva Convention. Please put these on." *hands a pair of trousers* And she'd be all, "Up yours, pig!" and take off running. And I'd be like, "Well that was uncalled for. And my insurance doesn't cover pursuit of war criminals. Time for my tea break."

Tank top: anac (eBay)

Trousers: Nike dri-fit (very old)

Platform shoes: Candie's (thrifted)

Blazer: Punk Rave (eBay, Little Chili's Lolita Shop)

Fused glass necklace: unknown (Paris)

Discount Kimono

  I understand why people get excited about vintage clothing, now.

  I found this kimono for a ridiculously low price at Trendy Boutique in Berkeley. I'd never even seen kimono on sale in a shop before. The nice gal behind the counter asked if I was going to hang it on the wall as art. "Nope!" I announced in my voice that I never remember to modulate for delicate social situations, "I'm going to wear it!"

  Ever since the amazingly fashionable Judith at Style Crone posted a photo of herself in a kimono here and Megan Mae mentioned owning one, I started thinking, "Why don't I own a kimono? I want one." I'm normally shy of vintage or ethnic clothing, and this is both, but whatever, it's my ancestry! I'm throwing caution to the wind! I don't know which side goes on top! I don't have an obi so I'll use a scarf! Etc.!

  These are my old Nike dri-fit athletic pants that I bought because they reminded me of hakama. How appropriate. I've had them for about 10 years and I sure hope they don't wear out, because I have no clue how I'd replace them.
  I am linking up to Patti of Not Dead Yet Style's Visible Monday, because a kimono is pretty visible. I am also going to try styling the trousers three different ways in a week for Anne Bray of Spy Girl's challenge. I was contemplating trying the challenge with the kimono, but then my brain tried to crawl out one of my ears.

  These are Laura sandals by Fitzwell, along with tabi. The short, blocky platform looks a little like the platform on traditional Japanese footwear. I think I'm going to keep an eye out for something like these Hush Puppies sandals (they come in wide and extra wide! whee!) that have something of the traditional footwear shape with more modern support, because I'm not wearing geta and walking three miles a day.

  It is an older woman's kimono, because the sleeves are short. The pattern is a subtle one of bamboo leaves, some flowers delicately outlined in gold, and here and there, a hint of peach.
  I am determined to make a functioning outfit so I can wear this to school, because while this is clearly not the fashion equivalent, it is the comfort level of a bathrobe. Also, and I want to say this with the proper emphasis of someone who has been shivering miserably since 2005- wearing a kimono and an extra layer of silk wrapped around your waist is warm. It is so warm.
  I'm kind of at a loss for what to use as a jacket over this though, save another kimono. I probably need to look into an actual belt rather than scarf, too. Any suggestions you have for the outfit are welcome.
  Do you have vintage or ethnic pieces you like to wear?

Kimono: vintage (Trendy Boutique)

Athletic pants: Nike dri-fit (old)

Laura sandals: Fitzwell (old, 6pm.com)
Scarf: etsy store
Tabi: Ichiban-kan, San Francisco

Off-Duty Superhero

  Well, this is definitely one way this blog has affected me: when faced with the choice of just wearing my workout clothes all morning before practice or dressing up as an off-duty superhero, the choice is clear.

  I didn't have anything in mind other than the weather (not cold but overcast with a strong damp wind) when I started getting dressed, I just thought I looked like an off-duty Asian superhero when I was done, and decided to stick with it because there are few enough of us. Oh Psylocke, thou who art literally a white woman Orientalized for exotic sex appeal. *sigh*

  It's probably the arm socks that make the whole superhero look. I love covered arms and bared shoulders. I find it sexy in a less-is-more way, and not the "I am bashing you over the head with the bat of my sexuality! MY LADY PARTS, LOOK AT THEM." way that makes me leery of some clothing.

  Speaking of the arm socks, these are actually leg warmers. It's just they are leg warmers from *Asia* which means I tore stitching the two times I tried to get them over my calves, so now they are arm warmers. Sometimes I wish they would make a separate category of martial arts clothes. They would be just like regular clothes, only with much bigger leg holes.

  I can't take credit for coming up with putting them on my arms. The salesgirl somehow managed to convey this clever second use to me, despite the two of us not having any languages in common. I think she took one glance at the ol' stancemakers and knew the primary function wasn't going to work out.

  I've had this shirt since I was a teenager. It was one of the first things I bought when I went to University (the first time) and it sat, cherished, in my closet for a decade and a half because I didn't know what I'd wear it for. The answer, as I know now, is for kicks and giggles.

  The trousers are dri-fit yoga pants from Nike, also well over a decade old. I thought they looked kind of Japanese, with the wrap-around tie waist and extra flaps hanging in front.  I've worn them as work trousers countless times. The shoes are Candie's platform booties that I wrote about (and shoved a rock into) last month. The rock worked! The insteps stretched the heck out and I now stride unhobbled to protect humankind. The rock is staying on in my apartment as my personal low-cost shoe stretcher.

Jacket: Laundry by Shelli Segal (Last Call by Neiman Marcus, old)

Shirt: Mimoa (very old)

Arm/Leg warmers: Owl Woman (Taiwan)

Pants: Nike Dri-fit (very old)

Shoes: Candie's (thrifted)