Professional Steampunk

I think this outfit turned out well!

Folk Hoodie: Prairie Underground (eBay)

Necklace: family crest (family reunion)

Tank top: Theory (thrifted)

Crop blazer: Charlotte Russe (thrifted)

Pinstripe pants: Banana Republic (thrifted)

Shoes: Aravon (zappos)

I've been trying to thrift colors I find too bright or unflattering on their own, so I can mix them. I've internalized that a color that doesn't look good against my face can be balanced and complemented.

My friend asked me to take him thrift shopping for a new color palette "because [I] am the goddess of that" (hee!) and told me about color theory. We found this website and after watching him mix colors for an afternoon, I was raring to give it a go.

I think this fuchsia breathes warmth into the navy blue and grey. I found this Charlotte Russe cropped grey blazer recently, and it has charming tiny buttons all down the front and on the sleeves. I combined it with pinstripes and a brass-colored necklace with rivets for a hint of Steampunk.

Not sure what to call the pattern; it's very fine herringbone, but with black yarn sewn through it in rows so regular little black dots are all over it. Either way, it's a keeper!

Casual Goth Slacker

I'm back! Feeling the most normal I've been in weeks, so let's start the day off with a blog post.

Velour jacket: kimchi & blue (thrifted)

Cami: Express

Gloves: Ozzon Japan (Japan)

Choker: Foxy Originals Sage Bracelet

Black slacks: Banana Republic (thrifted)

Boots: ALDO

You guys see what I meant about looking like a sturdy ninja now, don't you.

This is my first try at styling my new-to-me black pants. This may be the first set of slacks I have ever found that required no alterations whatsoever. I was so amazed I promptly bought them without considering what I'd do with them, thus this challenge.

I love the little split at the bottom of the legs to show off boots. I was trying for Everyday Steampunk, what with the velour blazer, but I think I ended up Everyday Goth, instead.

In the top photo, you can see the chalk marks I made. This blog made me realize many of my jackets are visibly straining at the shoulders because I buy size small to fit my waist, so now I'm trying size m and taking in the waist or moving the buttons. It's hit or miss; sometimes the jacket looks totally distorted after, because the buttons have to go at an angle, or because I mess up princess seams and get frustrated. Go go inverted triangle body type! d=

Here's a side-by-side comparison:

I haven't decided if I want to keep it this way or try the more frustrating and complicated business of pinning and taking in several seams (the blazer is lined) to keep the ruffle look and points intact. What do you think?

Either way, size m feels amazing. I can lift my arms more than 45 degrees in a jacket now! I'm annoyed because this means I'll now have to alter all of the jackets I buy, in addition to altering all of the trousers (except for these! :D), but having experienced the ability to move my shoulders, I cannot give it up.

This is also a change in that I'm trying photos inside. I wanted to see if the lighting works better, and I won't have the balcony railing shadows that always make people think I have cool stripes on my pants. I haven't done it before because I don't wear shoes inside, but I'm moving in a few weeks, so I've loosened up. Any thoughts on which looks better?

Personal stuff after the break, so if you're uninterested, you can skip!

Dia de el vestido de cráneo

  Happy winter solstice! The days get longer from here on out.

  This Betsey Johnson dress was picked out at the thrift shop by my friend Athena. Sometimes friends pick the best clothes for you.

Dress: Betsey Johnson (thrifted)

Cardigan: Banana Republic (thrifted)

Tights: Spanx Uptown (Nordstrom)

Boots: ALDO (thrifted)

Rhinestone button bracelet: unknown (Purre)

The pattern is skulls!

  I'd never have picked it on my own, but now I really like it. It has a pleated flounce in the back that I enjoy very much. It feels flirty and feminine without being saccharine, slightly goth and tough without looking angry or emo.

  I am wearing two dresses actually: a plain Express sheath is underneath for warmth. I tried adding color on both ends of the dress. First, a blue wool Banana Republic cardigan. I don't normally like the look of cardigans on myself either, but this one appealed to me somehow. (Except the sleeves feel like blood pressure cuffs on my gunsbiceps.) Then I added these sexy orchid? fuchsia? tights by Spanx.

  How long do tights last, by the way? This is the first time I've worn them since I was a little girl and I'm concerned about getting runs in them. They were on super sale, but even so, if I can only wear tights a handful of times, it is not an expense I can keep up. I really, really like them, though. (:

  I hope you all have a very fine weekend and a lovely holidays. I'm headed south to visit my family in a few days! I'm looking forward to it. It hasn't sunk in yet that I'm done with my bachelor's degree, but at some point it will. Now I can stop stressing about exams and graduate school applications and focus on stressing out about just graduate school applications. ;)

  Thank you all for sharing stories with me while I was studying and for responding to my last post! I have to go over the comments now and respond. I'm looking forward to it. :D

Pirate Life

  This is my second attempt at styling this foofy shirt. Today, I am a pirate:

I think my winter gloves really finish the look.

 Foofy shirt: Parsaman New York (thrifted)

Waistcoat: styles (thrifted)

Wool pants: Banana Republic (thrifted)

Boots: ALDO (thrifted)

Wool coat: S by Serle (thrifted)

Gloves: Target (available here)

  Well, maybe more like a navy captain, with this coat. Airship captain is more my thing, but I'll give this a try. :D If I had a coat with a a sweeping tail and swirly folds (technical term) going from front to back, it would look more piratey. This coat was a song at the thrift shop and is fully lined though, so you are hearing no complaints from me.

  I am going to link up to Patti's Visible Monday with this one. A suit like this feels pretty visible.

  I figured out I can go back to my everyday steampunk style if I put leggings and long sleeved undershirts under everything and if the weather cooperates. Hooray! I wore it to class, but no one shouted "Yarr!" at me. Oh well.

  Secret for when one's vest and trousers don't overlap: I folded and scotch-taped the bottom of the shirt up, since it was too short to tuck in.

  Do you have wardrobe quick-fixes? What are you layering up with this winter? Are you also a pirate?

The Chicago Outfit

  One little fedora and suddenly I feel like a 1930s mobster.

Fedora: Stacy Adams (product link)

Vest: Heritage 1981 (thrifted)

Button-down: BCX (thrifted)

Jacket: promod (thrifted)

Pinstripe trousers: Banana Republic (thrifted)

Shoes: Dansko (thrifted)

  It doesn't hurt that at this angle the fedora makes me look bald. :D

  I wanted something with a lot of flexibility of movement (I can do a split in these trousers!) in case either of my labs Monday turned out to require it. It's the first day of fall semester, so I should probably wait until at least the second week to bust out something highly unusual. On the other hand, life is too short to wear boring clothes, and I frankly hate what a lot of students on this campus wear, so this here's my pushback.

  I tried shooting for nice and possibly grad student material without trying-too-hard, with a foot dabbling in costume.

  My little star pin is actually a vintage screwback clip earring. I'm plotting how I can turn them into pins so the purple rhinestone heart faces the correct way up.

  I feel like I'm learning to put together outfits I like -top, bottom, and jewelry- but when I try to add a jacket or hat I can get totally thrown off, as is the case with this fedora. I like it, I just don't think it quite fits my other clothes. I hit the same problem with jackets, despite having SO MANY of them. More experimentation is needed.

  Is there an item, such as jewelry, jackets, or hats that you have difficulty getting to work with an outfit?

  I hope your weeks are going well!

Fine and Edwardian Dandy

  I figured out something valuable today. If ever you find yourself falling out of your beloved wardrobe, just start adding more layers until something fits and holds everything under it in. Bay Area fashion is all about layering, right?

  I see a lot of style blogger ladies cuffing trousers/jeans over heels. Then they don blazers and smile down and to the side. I never understood this style choice*, but now I do! All sorts of style lessons for me today! I love my Naya Lightning boots and didn't want them covered up. I don't know if anybody cuffs bootcut pinstripe trousers, but if not, it is a thing now.

* I think it's to show delicate ankles. Totally cool. For my personal taste, ankles of steel that can kick through anything up to and including submarine doors. Boots will help with this. Your taste of course may vary.

  I wore the shirt tips/collar tips I featured in a tutorial here. I'm enjoying them a lot. The hardest part about wearing them is figuring out which two flaps of clothing I want to attach them to. I'm also digging this zara basic pinstripe shirt. I last wore it in another Steampunk-ish outfit. It's versatile, so far as Ye Olde outfits go.

  Have you figured out what this outfit has in common with yesterday's outfit yet? ... it's the ribbon from the box of chocolates again! I took it off the dress and made it a skinny tie.

  This reminds me of button bracelets from that time. Maybe I just have a thing for button bracelets in general.
  I hope you all have a fine week. I am linking up to Patti's Visible Monday because if you can't be seen in a Fitzgerald-era Steampunk inventor outfit (my roommate's description) what can you be seen in?
  I also took a picture of myself squatting in a most unladylike fashion so I could mentally hear my long-suffering mother's resigned sigh. It's good to start the week off with a smile. :D

Shirt: zara basic (thrifted)

Vest: FANG (thrifted, size L online)

Collar clips: DIY (tutorial here)

Skinny tie: Recchiuti chocolates box

Hat: Nine West (DSW, old)

Pinstripe trousers: Banana Republic (thrifted)

Boots: Naya Lightning (zappos, old)

Bracelet: CostPlus Word Market (old)

Plum, on the balcony, with the candlestick

  I don't think this one turned out.

  I've had this LUX blazer (thrifted) for a while, and I was going for another Ye Olde look because the cut reminded me a bit of a waistcoat, and maybe a bit of a bodice, with its wide collar opening. Also it has pockets. Important!

  I like the color and the material, but the fit is funny. It is very tight under the chest (so tight it's pulling the buttons askew, haha) and loose from there down.

  I went with the Bow & Arrow shirt I wore in my very first blog post, for its pearl buttons. I would like to try a slightly foofy shirt or one that buttons all the way up plus a cravat, but I own neither. I added a box of stuff* I'm on the lookout for at the bottom of my gadgets, like a reminder to myself.

* I can't title it "wishlist" because then I'd have to put "unicorn"

  I'm entertained by the ends of my shirt ties hanging out the back. It's like my jacket is pooping. Because I'm twelve.

  Overall, I think the pinstripes on my trousers are not very visible, and the 3/4 cuffs on the blazer look like I'm going to a board meeting rather than adventuring with brass goggle adorned rabble-rousers. A longer bustle/hobble skirt might go well with the blazer too, but alas, something I also don't have.

  I did take out my purse, though. I don't often use purses, but this is one of those items I always have people telling me is cute. It even came with a long crossbody strap thoughtfully tucked inside!

  Your thoughts, dear readers? Should I alter the buttons and store it back in my closet for some more months until I find some things it goes with? Do you ever get things you want to style but find you don't have the right items to go with it (closet orphans)? If so, what do you do?

Plum blazer: LUX (thrifted)

Pearl button shirt: Bow & Arrow (thrifted)

Pinstripe trousers: Banana Republic (thrifted)

Platform shoes: Candie's (thrifted)
Denim purse: Giudit (thrifted)

Necklace: H&M (Paris, very old)