They see me rollin', they bustiertin'

It's cool enough to wear pants again! (Trousers for our UK reader. Hi, Curtise!)

 I feel this outfit could use a brown bowler hat. It feels subtly everyday Steampunk to me.

Denim bustier: Guess (thrifted)

Buttondown: Salsa Jeans, 1st Level collection (thrifted)

Trousers: Citizens of Humanity (thrifted)

Bracelet-as-choker: Foxy Originals

Boots: Two Lips (thrifted)

The layering is because the denim bustier is short and leaves a good inch of midriff bare. The laces are also let out all the way in the back, so by itself this is more skin than I'd like to show, even in sun-worshipping Southern CA.

The material is stretchy, the detailing is fun, and it's quite comfortable though, so I'm glad I figured out a way to wear denim on top. :D

This outfit's actually a twofer: I also dig the trousers but don't know what to wear with green pants, so I stapled the two elements together with the brown shirt as a connecting piece.

Love the contrasting stitching and the leather side cinchers and buttons on this shirt! It has a Western/Steampunk feel to me, though the brand, Salsa jeans, is Portuguese. :D It's another one of those brands I'm sure I'd never have come across if not for thrift shops.

The decorative buttons on the side of my green trousers. Hooray useless buttons and zippers!

I think I like lots of decorative elements on my clothes to have something to fiddle with or stare at. It started because I was a terminally bored child in school, and even though those days are long behind me, having jewelry to touch or interesting shiny bits on my clothes brings me comfort.

What elements draw you to your favorite clothes? Texture, details, visual appearance?

Always remember to tuck in your shirts

The temperature has dropped 30F in 3 days. It's okay; this is weather I know how to dress for. (:

Lace-trimmed camisole: Express

Ruffle tee: TRF t-shirt collection (thrifted)

Blue grey lace vest: Odille (eBay)

Brass snaps corduroys: WOW jeans (thrifted)

Boots: Two Lips (thrifted)

Suede hair clip: Taiwan

Sundial necklace: gift from high school

Tiny gears necklace: gift from Cathy

Or at least, know how to stay warm in. Knowing how to dress for this weather probably includes not looking like I'm going to burst forth from my vest like a cooking sausage. More on that in a bit.

I have missed you so much, everyday Steampunk style!

I wore the same triple layered lace combo here, when my friend Mo called my outfit "vintage Bohemian fairy." Strange thing is, I didn't look too chunky for the vest then:

I have been exercising a lot, and I gain weight and some girth when I work out, but I think there are other forces at work here. The vest pulls in at the waist, then loosens as it hangs into its pointy bits at the bottom.

I made the mistake of trying to show the layers of my shirts below the vest. In the outfit above, the shirts are tucked in, and the A-line skirt follows the lines of the vest flaps as they point out from the natural waist, making a smooth transition.

Here, the horizontal lines of the shirts cut off the diagonal lines of the vest flaps coming out from the waist. Then the shirts end right where my hips and thighs begin, the widest part of the lower body. The bump under the shirts from my waistband doesn't help.

This was one of those outfits I really liked when I put it on, then made this face in dismay when I looked at the photos D:

Oh well, live and learn. That's one of the neat things about blogging, getting a more objective look at outfits.

However, please don't let my questionable ability to dress myself deter you from entering my Couturgatory Anniversary giveaway! Follow the link if you would like a chance to win a Cara New York fascinator. :D

Pink Leather Coat Deployed

Most of my clothes are packed away in boxes, but I'm still here, and still getting dressed.

Pink leather coat: unmarked (thrifted)

Dress: Old Navy (thrifted)

Burgundy skinny jeans: American Apparel (thrifted)

Boots: Two Lips (thrifted)

Necklace: unknown (thrifted)

Hair ornament: eBay

I like how this outfit came out! I think next time I would like to wear a chunkier-soled shoe or a color that is higher contrast with the jeans. This is probably my love of large chunky shoes/boots talking. I would also like to get the sides of the coat taken in so it's less boxy. The coat, a very lucky thrift find, appears to be vintage, and made in Italy. A keeper! Alterations will happen when I have moved and worked a bit to refill the tuition-and-rent-drained coffers. :D

I love the comfortable fit of this thrifted dress, and I've searched in vain for more of them, but the styles change each year, and the brand Old Navy isn't high end enough to be worth reselling on eBay.

I can't decide if I feel comfortably sexy with the back cut this wide and low, or just weird to have a giant piece of backspan showing. This being San Francisco, I am always wearing at least a jacket and a scarf over it though, so it's not something I have to deal with in public.

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We're finally getting some much-needed rain here in California, after the driest year on record. (that's right, in 163 years!) I'm trying to be water-responsible while appreciating the weather anyway, since I have no control over it. It's the first year in Daly City that my apartment isn't growing rampant mildew/mold on the walls, so on a personal level it's nice not to walk around attacking the trimming with a spray bottle of vodka every day.

Personal style has been in flux due to circumstances. First, I packed away most of my Steampunk items along with my fairweather clothing when temperatures dropped in November. Then temperatures went back up and it never rained/got cold again, but all I had in my closet were my cold weather items. Then I finished school and started packing and now everything is in boxes.

I hope to someday live in a place large enough for me to unpack all of my clothes, because having gone through the whole Aya wardrobe and packed it in 4 cardboard boxes now, I must say: I have nice things! Some cool combinations occurred to me while I was putting everything away that I hadn't thought of because stuff just can't all be out at the same time.

I should have known you and I wouldn't work out, San Francisco: the minimalist wardrobe is not for me, and you won't date anyone that doesn't make the millions of dollars necessary to afford a single family home. It was fun while it lasted; so long, and thanks for all the thrift.

Hat Attack with a twist!

  I think I've figured out layering knits! At least, for San Francisco's comparatively mild winters. I am linking to Style Crone's Hat Attack #5 because Judith is glorious and, of course, hats. Who needs more reason?

Dark red floral sweater: Nordstrom (thrifted)

Brown corduroy skirt: H&M (eBay)

Tights: UNIQLO (Japan)

Boots: Two Lips (thrifted)

Long cloak hoodie: Prairie Underground (old)

Hat: milsa (ARTH, defunct ): )

  This lovely sweater is made in Italy! Another one of those lucky wonderful thrift finds. Clearly you should come here on vacation and go thrifting with me.

  The twist part comes in because the gorgeous off the shoulder/cowl neck is really wide. Normally I have difficulty getting things over my broad shoulders. This one was in danger of slipping over them entirely! So I twisted one side inside-out to give it stability and an asymmetrical look, and put my DIY collar clips on for security:

  Then I twisted my bangs before pinning them up. Then I twisted my (made in Japan) hat! I thought it looked less like a beanie and more like a cloche that way. I am enjoying my Axis powers clothing today.

  The sweater is more tunic-length and the skirt is detailed and natural-waisted, so next time I might try wide leg trousers or something more fitted and low-slung on the bottom half, because it's a bit bulky looking here. Learning!

  What are some off-the-cuff adjustments you make to your clothing? Do you like wearing things a little differently than intended?

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  Speaking of garments' countries of origin, I've had this article by Mother Jones on my mind. It's about sumangali girls in India -young girls who go to work in garment factories to try to earn money for their dowries. It's well-written and as sad and horrifying as you would imagine.

  It also touches briefly on a topic that's not often mentioned when talking about these: it's really hard to monitor everything along a supply chain. In an ideal world I want large fashion companies to take initiative in securing living wages, safe conditions, and all sorts of protections for garment workers. In reality, there's a soup of emergent behavior, long supply chains and lack of individual accountability, subcontracting, and of course manufacturers working very hard to hide their human rights abuses. It's one of those puzzles that involves finding out how to reward the right behaviors so all can benefit, and it sucks me into a dissonant navel-gazing void every time I walk through a mall, which is why I avoid them now. (And I'm not claiming I am not part of the chain, here. I thrift a heck of a lot of my things, but I do own many things made in China. It is really damn hard to find things that aren't.)

  I'd love to hear your thoughts. I am curious where the trend of the next generation will turn, fashion-wise. It feels like things went mass-produced around the 1950s and 1960s, and we're hitting an apex of that. I wonder if the pendulum is due to start swinging another way.

Giveaway winner and a peek back in time

  Congratulations *drumroll* ...to the Couturgatory giveaway winner Tag R! I'll be in contact shortly to ask about what thrifted goodie you'd like from San Francisco!

  And since things have been a whirlwind this weekend (I'll have a full post on the Bloggy award from Ally of Shybiker when I think I have some words. You should check her blog out in the highly unlikely event that you did not find my blog through hers.) here are some older outfits that got left behind for one reason or other this last month.

  Spoiler alert: the reason was usually lighting. Stupid time change. Stupid sun not putting in enough hours at its job.

Laguardia Cloche: Goorin Bros. sample sale (available here)

Long cloak hoodie in blue suede: Prairie Underground (old, more colors)

Purple knit top: Elie Tahari (thrifted)

Cotton godet skirt: Free People (old)

Floral gauze square scarf: Old Navy (available here)

Boots: Two Lips (thrifted)

  This outfit is pretty much exactly the same as the Waiting for Godet one except with a different top and a scarf. (Scarf is no longer on sale for $6. Boo.) Got skipped due to lighting, made a very similar outfit to photograph later, but I was super excited at the time because it was the first time I'd managed to coordinate an outfit, scarf, shoes, and a hat. Unfortunately also the last.

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Dress: Treasure Rock (Treasure Rock on eBay)

Top: Treasure Rock (old)

Sandals: Eastland (old)

  Last wore this shirt way back in June, when my dear friend Diana was visiting. Since I never wear it, I hacked the bottom off and turned it into sleeves as a topper for this sleeveless dress, also by Treasure Rock. Well, formerly sleeveless. I also added straps to the dress as it was driving me crazy.

  They line up great, I just wish I hadn't chopped quite so much off. I was worried the sleeves wouldn't be long enough, but there turned out to be more than enough fabric, length-wise. Width-wise it was close! I had to draft a custom sleeve pattern, but I'm pretty happy at how it turned out.

  I'm also endorsing Eastland Sandals as having a wide toe bed. I own two pairs of their sandals, and these aren't even wide width (they offer wide width on some of their designs.) My toes aren't squished, and I usually have to go with at least width D for that to happen. I'm working on a wide shoes review page that I'll stick in the sidebar. :D

  Happy rest of the weekend, folks, especially for those who have a long weekend for Remembrance Day. I have my own strong feelings on war, military, and authoritarian power pyramids in society, but I do recommend checking out the history of the 442nd Infantry Regiment from WWII. It was composed almost entirely of Japanese American soldiers who volunteered despite their families being imprisoned in internment camps. I'm sad there was a schism between those who served and those who angrily refused the draft (some of whom were deported to Japan, a country they'd never lived in,) because of the loss of their and their families' rights. I think both courses of action took such incredible bravery.

Marooned

  My camera is crooked! Maybe these outfit pictures will look dramatic. :D

Cropped jacket: BIZZ USA (thrifted)

Shirt: BCBG (eBay)

Jewelry: Chatelaine pin (eBay), bracelet (Claire's, v.old)

Skirt: heyday (thrifted)

Coat: Via (thrifted)

Tights: MUJI USA (old)

Boots: Two Lips (thrifted)

  This blue long-sleeved BCBG shirt has a cool draping detail around the waist and a hanging down panel. I tried tucking in the rest of the shirt and letting the hanging panel out. The extra ruched fabric around the waist adds girth, but I think the overall look was interesting.

  I love blue and maroon together. In fact, I was a big fan of this whole outfit until I got out of my car and started walking to school. Then I discovered that my tights and my skirt had fallen in love on the ride over and they kept hugging. The skirt would bunch and ride up between my thighs with every step. It needs a slip. I put in a temporary fix by adding three long strips of duct tape in the front. Actually I wouldn't mind making it a permanent fix. Does duct tape stay on in the wash?

  Happy mid-week, everyone!

Subtle Embellishments

  This is my old uniform: some sort of unique/graphic tee and some cool pants or jeans. I wore this style every day for decades. I love my skirts and my other clothes, but I find this the most comfortable. I thought I'd share it with you. What is your go-to or zero point outfit?

Top: Foreign Exchange (thrifted)

Ryan Bootcut Pants: S by Sanctuary (thrifted, sz 8 in denim on eBay)

Boots: Two Lips (thrifted)

Necklace: defunct etsy shop

  This is not a unified theme! The pants are detailed like cowgirl chaps -brass snaps at the bottom of bootcut legs and decorative seams curving up the sides to the back- and the shirt is detailed like a princess gown, with slightly puffed sleeves and a twisty collar. I love them both very much.

  These fake chaps pants are the most complicated trousers I have had to shorten yet. They have a series of brass snaps at the bottom that I fell in love with, but the legs were the usual 5" too long. What to do? I ended up measuring the angle of the decorative line across the thigh in the back, tracing out the same angle with a protractor, and cutting the inches out partway up the leg and doing a diagonal pseudo-top stitch to imitate the style of the pants, then reinforcing the edges so they wouldn't fray. It took two evenings and I made a Facebook life event in commemoration after I was done fixing these and a pair of Cop Copine pants with a convoluted cuff/invisible hem.

  I never want to sew pants on a diagonal again. You can't just turn them inside out and sew two edges together unless you cut open the seams on the side, because the two pieces are set at an angle to one another so they can't lie flat at the ends. And they are different widths because the legs are bootcut. These had better last a while, because I'm burnt out on alterations for now. They are mega-sweet, though.

  I wish I could find out more about the brand, but they appear to have zero 'net presence. I *think* the brand is "s by Sanctuary" (the tags are just leather strips with 's' embroidered on them, so this took some digging!) the same company that makes my beloved thrifted hoodie. Isn't it a bummer when you can't track brands down?  Maybe rich people don't shop online. :D

High and Waisted

  This is the highest waisted skirt I have ever donned.

   I have no idea what goes on top of a skirt that sits this high! Only thing that would stay put is this unitard thing with a Mandarin collar my mother bought for me some 14 years ago.

Top: Wolford (gift from Mom)

Shrug: Twenty-one (eBay)

Shirt clips: DIY (tutorial here)

Steampunk skirt: MNG suit (thrifted)

Boots: Two Lips (thrifted)

  (This outfit's actually from last week, but didn't make it to a full post. It was still balmy then! I do not enjoy this drop of 15-20 degrees F in several days. -_-)

  I think I like the silhouette, but the outfit's colors and patterns do not agree. This Steampunk style skirt sure changes my idea of proportions. Never thought of trying to lengthen legs because with my shoulders, I thought I'd look like a hut on stilts. It turned out to be worth at least a second try in my opinion. I hope I don't have to buy an entire outfit to go around it.

Look at the sweet suspender style buttons:

  The skirt is technically brown, but because it's so dark I think I should go with outfit pieces that match a dark grey next time. What do you wear with high-waisted skirts or trousers?

Waiting for Godet

  Well go figure, I have a good long whinge about the weather (thank you for your patience!) and the next day the sun comes out and it is gorgeous. It's 10F warmer than it was yesterday, and it's been clear all day.  I'm so happy, not least of all because I can wear this outfit before 2014.

Laguardia cloche: Goorin Bros. (sample sale, available here)

Peasant top: Zara basic (thrifted)

Skirt: Free People (old)

Boots: Two Lips (thrifted)

Locket: etsy shop
Rose scrunchie: Japan

  I didn't even need my sweater tights!

  My gorgeous Goorin Bros. sample sale hat goes with quite a bit in my wardrobe, as it turns out! I'm really, really happy with this. I feel a little like a special occasion every time I wear it out.

  The loose grey-blue shirt is new to me. I've always avoided slouchy boho fit, especially with elastic on the bottom for the bubble look (I'm short and absentminded, so it just looks like my clothes don't fit or I'm crazy), but I loved the sleeves and color and tiny brass buttons. I've had this skirt for years, and finally got a tailor to re-install the invisible zipper after I removed it to alter it (hint: if you need to remove the top 5 inches of a skirt, make sure to order the smallest possible size, not your actual size. -_-) and finally I have a top to wear with it. :D

  The earring has been missing its twin for years, but I still love it. I'm always on the lookout for lampwork beads similar to the centerpiece, so I can make a replacement pair, but no luck yet.

  Here's some clothing vocabulary for you: a godet is a circular segment insert set into a piece of clothing, often to give the wearer a wider range of movement. It's responsible for that gorgeous swirling kicking out when walking in a full-length skirt. I've loved them all this time and just found out what they were called!

  In Aya shopping news: I've often read about Hallowe'en being folks' favorite time of year, but it's just now working its way up to one of mine, because I've realized it is the time thrift shops pull out their funky costume-y items and sell them for a song, and those of us who wear those things for everyday have a party.

  Here are some recent finds that I cannot wait to try out when warmer weather arrives:

 Lavender chiffon skirt for $2. Is there anything so feminine as feeling the swish of fabric against the back of one's calves while walking?

   The last time I wore an ao dai was to my dearest friends' wedding. The bride's family was enchanted by the Japanese woman in the Vietnamese dress, despite the presence of a dozen lovely Vietnamese women in them, too. Hee! The groom was entertained that I'd pop the thing open every time I took a deep breath or flexed my lats. (It is held together by a long series of snaps.)
  This one did not have the flowing pants attached, but for $3.49, I am not complaining. I wonder if I can wear it with bootcut jeans?

  I think this shirt is "Asian" as in sold-for-tourists, but I love the embroidery and the color. It's an XXL, but I'll figure out a way to style it somehow.

  Is there anything so fine as thrifted silk? This navy blue linen-and-silk shirt(?) is super long. I'm not sure what it's designed for, but I'm pretty sure it's a woman's garment. I removed the pointy part of the collar to give it a Mandarin look and I like wearing it over tunics with wide leg jeans and platforms.

  What are the latest cool things you've added to your treasures?

  Have a lovely weekend, everyone. (: