Friday, June 21, 2013

Earth-toned Menswear-inspired Hyphenated-ensemble

  I'm back!  A grand total of 8 flight delays and cancellations later, my latest trip to Southern California is done. (:  It's only 450 miles (725 km) but I guess that San Francisco fog can stymie anyone.  Next time I'm just driving.

  It's great to be back home and back to experimenting with my wardrobe. Today I wanted to pick up where I left off: experimenting with Victorian-inspired ensembles. I feel like I should be tinkering with something complicated made of brass.


  I took the vest I was trying out before I left and tried a menswear-inspired look. The blouse is Zara and it jumped out at me as the Steampunk-ish shirt I'd been seeking. It buttons up to the collar, and has slightly full sleeves with a cuff. The material also has stretch, is wrinkle-resistant, and is comfortingly thick. (I am not a fan of the see-through pilly material in so many shirts these days.)

  Unfortunately when I tried it on by itself I think I look like a house cleaner, hence the vest and accessorizing. Maybe I should try a thin tie as sported by Crystaline in her Lolita Steampunk attire here? (If you like Victorian/Steampunk styles and have not been to this gal's page, please do go.)

  This is the first time I have ever worn an outfit entirely made of earth tones. Ever. The shirt even has stripes, and I don't wear patterns! The combination of the shirt and vest entertained me because the shirt's stripes are yellow and the vest is orange, the two last colors I was trying to wear before I kicked it. Success!

  The bow in the back is very cute, but it makes it difficult to layer over the shirt. This is the only vest I have with a high enough back that the ties do not get in the way. Fortunately it was pleasant today, because I have no idea how a jacket would work. I may remove them entirely or crop them and add a flat buckle or buttons instead.


  I didn't go thrifting while I was gone because my friends and family down there are not into it, but I did pick up some socks. I figured since I am trying to be a Fashionable Person now, I should invest in something other than athletic socks from CostCo. Argyle seemed to fit the theme. (:

  Some of you may not be familiar with Daiso, a chain of Japanese dollar (actually, ~$1.50) stores. They sell a variety of housewares, accessories, decorations, and so on. They're everywhere in Japan and Taiwan, common in the San Francisco Bay Area, but not elsewhere in North America, and I think the only European stores are in Romania.

  Do you have colors you never thought you would wear? What are some local shops you wish you could share with your fellow bloggers?

Blouse: Zara Basic (thrifted)
Vest: Last Kiss (Styles for Less)
Necklace: unknown (old)
Trousers: Gap stretch flare (clothing swap)
Boots: Two Lips (thrifted)
Socks: Daiso (company site)

3 comments:

  1. I really like the sleeve on that top - it's nice that's it a little longer, cuffed, and has the button detail. I like the back tie but I can see how it doesn't work for your purposes. If I owned that shirt, I would be tempted to add fabric to lengthen the ties so it could be tied obi-style.
    I never thought I'd wear green or yellow, because I kept hearing that they were tricky colors for Asian people to wear. But now they're my new favorite colors.

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  2. You look lovely in this outfit ... I agree with you that you should try a thin tie. Love the blouse and all the details make it very versatile. Like the socks!!!

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  3. Cute socks! I love the play with plaids and patterns on socks. I just discovered a few cute pairs of some in Nordstrom's, surprisingly made for men. I see where you're going with the steampunk influence. That reminds of me a movie I've been watching several nights this week -- "Cloud Atlas". It depicts six different stories, some of which take place in the 19th century and display interesting outfits.

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