October 10, 2011

Today was not a good day for photographs. I keep getting frustrated, so these are less than my best. But this is one of my favorite outfits, so it's got to go up. I got these shorts and this top the first time I really went to Forever 21. They were my two favorite pieces from the haul and they really helped me shape my style over the summer.

It will follow the rain

So yesterday I paid a visit to a few local thrift stores and found some great stuff! One of my favorite finds was this skirt. I love the pattern and I think it'll go well with a lot of pieces I have. It reminds me of something my mom would have worn when I was younger. The skirt cost about $2, if you can believe it. One of the great things about living in a place like Lincoln is that even though we've got a few colleges in town, no one seems to care much about the thrift stores except poor people (I think I count as one now). So prices are low and they're never too picked over.

This is the first time I've worn this hat. I don't wear hats very often because I have a hard time finding hats that fit me. My head is slightly larger than most people's, I guess. Anyways, I found this at Urban Outfitters on clearance and since it fit on my head, I snatched it up. It's been sitting in my closet for a month because I realized I don't know how to wear hats.

I wish I had a better picture of the necklace, but it was hard to get one properly exposed and I gave up. I got it made at a renaissance faire years and years ago. One side has an image of the green man on it, and the other has some knotwork that I think has something to do with animals. I always wear it on the green man side.

 

Skirt - thrifted; Tank - Wet Seal; Belt - Wet Seal; Necklace - Ren Faire; Sandals - Birkenstock; Panama hat - Urban Outfitters

gray grey gray

This dress haunted me for a month before I finally bought it. At $70, it's the most expensive piece of clothing I own. I talked myself into it by admiring how versatile it is. I've worn it a few times on hotter days without anything underneath, but I love the look of something like this old silence & noise top under it. I'm looking forward to pairing it with my many button-up shirts as the winter stretches on. And as an added bonus, it has pockets.

I love the fabric of it, too. From farther away it looks like just a heathery gray, but upon closer inspection you can see the specks of color here and there. I absolutely love it! It has a beautiful open back, too, but you'll have to wait to see that until next time I wear it.

These lace socks are so uncomfortable sometimes... the seams are in the strangest places. But they work really well with these oxfords, I think, and I love wearing them with flats.

 

Dress - Urban Outfitters; Top - Urban Outfitters; Shoes - Forever21; Socks - Wet Seal

country country girl

I just bought these shoes today. They were on sale for $10 but since they didn't have a tag, I got them for $6! I've been wanting some flats like these for a while. I'd also like some real-life moccasins, but those will have to wait until I'm a rich person because I want the best.

The earrings, though... they were my grandma's. She died about ten years ago and I just recently got a box in the mail from my dad with her jewelry box and a bunch of her earrings. Maybe my step-mom and step-sister got her necklaces and whatever else she had, but neither of them has pierced ears, so the earrings are all mine!

To be honest, wearing someone else's earrings is kind of weird, especially a dead person. But they're so fancy, I can't help myself.

Shirt - Urban Outfitters; Skirt - Forever21; Belt - Forever21; Shoes - Charlotte Russe; Earrings - my grandma's!

Finally in denim!

So I spent about a month this summer hunting for a denim shirt. The sad thing is I'm pretty sure I had five of them when I was eleven. I spent about an hour on the internet hunting for these sunglasses, which is ridiculous. It should have taken less than five minutes. But I got lost in a sea of crappy glasses on amazon and ended up getting them from Sunglass Warehouse for about $17.

All in all, this outfit is one of my favorites I've worn in a long time. The colors look good on me, it's comfortable, and it incorporates a lot of my favorite pieces.

I had to add that last photo so you could see my boots--I wear those boots as a part of my Renaissance Faire costume and as we've skipped most of the faires this year, I haven't had a lot of chances to wear them. They are super comfortable but also super muddy. AND! They came from the Wal-Mart. Kind of sad, but they've held up well and they were super duper cheap.

Denim shirt - Forever21; Skirt - Euphoria; Belt - Wet Seal; Boots - Wal-Mart; Socks - Wet Seal; Earrings - Francesca's Collections; Sunglasses - Sunglass Warehouse

It's a hit!

So so so, I love these shorts. They're a bit tight right now because for the first time in 6 years, I've gained a little weight. But they are super duper short, super high-waisted, and they are the most wonderful color (not to mention corduroy).

I like pairing this top with high waists. I originally bought it for a job interview, and it looked pretty awful with my low-waist slacks. But the ruffles are really flattering when they stop at the waist.

All of these pieces came from two of my favorite places to find bargains--T.J. Maxx and Forever21. I just discovered Forever21 this summer, and it has changed my life. Their prices are usually great, and they have so much to chose from. The only issue is that the closest one is in Omaha, which is about 45 minutes away on a good day. T.J. Maxx, on the other hand, is right here in Lincoln, but it's more hit and miss. But they always have good bargains, and finding a top like this feels super satisfying after digging through rack after rack of crap.

Top - T.J. Maxx; Shorts - Forever21; Belt - Forever21; Earrings - Forever21

Peplum peplum peplum

I'mma be honest--this top has been in my closet for at least two years, and I probably wore it twice until this fall came around. For some reason I just didn't appreciate it until now. Well, let me tell you, it's finally getting its chance in the spotlight. I'm going to keep wearing this through the winter, especially since it looks so adorable sticking out from the bottom of my sweaters.

I've started taking more risks when I get dressed in the morning. Sometimes it's hard for me to tell if I look awesome or ridiculous. That's when I have to stop myself and ask, "WHO THE FUCK CARES?!" and wear it anyway. If I wear it confidently, people will assume I know what I'm doing.

I sort of felt that way pairing this top with this skirt. It's hard to see 'cause I'm sitting, but I just wasn't sure about my silhouette. After looking at these pictures again, I don't know what I was worried about. This is certainly not the strangest thing I've ever worn.

Top - Charlotte Russe; Skirt - Forever21; Necklace - Forever21; Ribbed Sweater Tights - Urban Outfitters