The Tights are Back in Town

I woke up to a grey, rainy, and cold morning and knew immediately that the time had finally come to introduce Fall 2010 to my favorite sweater tights. Sweater tights! They truly are the tights that bind, binding me to rainy Vancouver winters and not properly heated basement suites.
The idea of wearing my sweater tights with my denim skirt, a piece worn heavily throughout the summer, encouraged me to think of other ways to play with seasonal layers and pairings. Ordinarily, once it's starts gettting warmer, we wear long-sleeved cardigans and jackets over our short-sleeved shirts. I liked, instead, the idea of wearing my summer blazer with a long-sleeved shirt underneath, further playing with the idea since it's a lighter shirt and a heavier blazer with dark tones. The tuxedo detailing on the shirt also worked well with the blazer.
Above is a close-up shot of the tights, just in case you forget what they looked like. But how could you?

Below are much beloved but rarely worn earrings. I really like this earrings because they're a little bit outrageous, but it's hard to find a way to wear them where they aren't too much. Since I didn't have much color in my outfit, this seemed like the perfect opportunity, matching the colors but adding a small mixed patterned detail.
Shirt: Old Navy

Blazer: Thrifted, Value Village

Skirt: Thrifted by Erin, Salvation Army, Kerrisdale

Tights: Kohl's

Shoes: Payless

Earrings: Portobello Road Market, London
I'll officially making this outfit available to rent for all Pittsburgh Steelers, Penguins, or Pirates parties. xoxo Anna Rae

Twenty five on the Twenty-fifth!

Yesterday, for my 25th birthday, which fell on September 25th, I had a 1925-themed party. Costumes, for Libby and me at least, were a must.Isn't she the cat's pajamas? Libby borrowed her friend's Halloween costume and showed up as a picture-perfect flapper. On her head, she's wearing something of a party favor I made: Feathers bought at Michael's craft store sewn onto elastic headbands bought at Target. It was a fun way to make someone not dressed at all thematically seem a bit more in costume and added something fun to everyone who came dressed but headpiece-less.
I didn't want to buy a halloween costume because the typical flapper outfit isn't the most flattering for me, and although I do think it's important to try and push those kinds of boundaries and I love dressing for many more reasons than flattering my body type, it was my party and I wanted to, more than anything, feel comfortable in what I was wearing. The outfit I'm wearing is my own makeshift version. The top is a dress from ModCloth that came way too short and way too spandex-ey for my liking. Instead of sending it back since I loved the gold ruffle so, I wore it as a shirt over a halter sundress I have, one whose dropped waist and ruffles always looked so nice in my closet but never seemed quite flattering for my shape. By layering it under the dress, it could sit lower on my hips, making the outfit more comfortable and party-appropriate. The only regret I have is wearing a leopard-print bra underneath and not realizing that it was visible through flash photography (I swear it wasn't in person).
The accessories were really key. I bought these pearls at Claire's, and they were so outrageous long, I knew they'd be the perfect jewelry.

I pretend bobbed my hair by pinning up my longer layers and curling, or leaving the natural curl in, the rest around my face. I pinned my bangs into curls, a move that left me feeling so strange (I haven't been bang-less since high school). After the bob was sprayed into place, I bobby pinned these two feathers (also from Michael's) into my hair, completing the outfit.

And the tights! The tights are really out of period, but I knew my dress would be short and I loved how the pattern reminded me of lace and dollies. I didn't know what shoes to wear and, since the party was at my house, chose to not wear any. Such crazy bootlegging, flapper freedom!
Dress as Shirt: Modcloth Summer Clearance

Dress underneath: Mango, Spain

Pearls: Claire's

Feathers: Michael's

Tights: Target

And a few more pictures because my friends (the ones that chose to dress for the theme) looked so great!

Lindsay and Will

Susan, who, it should be noted, does not dress up in costume very often

Mark, dressed as the prohibition police

And one last shot of some great friends having a fantastic time. Gregg is wearing the green visors from the poker room, another small provided piece of costumery for the guests. Sometimes you need to help these things along. xoxo Anna Rae

A little like the Sartorialist

I knew today would be a long day of errand running and cleaning, so I wanted to wear something comfortable, presentable, cool enough for the 90-degree day, but warm enough for the overly air-conditioned grocery stores. A few recent purchases seemed like perfect solutions.

It's way too warm for fall in Latrobe, PA, and I'm getting tired of the same old summer outfits. I bought this denim blazer the other day during my very successful trip to the thrift store, and it immediately reminded me of a post on the Sartorialist that discussed the idea of blazers and shorts, how the proportions made the outfit seem more provocative. I don't really think the Italian Market or local bank are really the place for provocative dressing, but I thought the idea of playing with proportions was interesting. Adding to the outfit's interest was the idea of a denim blazer with dress shorts, a reversal of the popular pairing this year of blazers with jeans. I knew the outfit would need to stand on its own without the blazer, which seemed like the perfect excuse to wear my purchased with birthday money tank top. I juxtaposed the feminine embellishments with my Amazonian belt,

Some quick detail shots of the shoes and the embellishment on the shirt. These shoes are my last unveiling from the great thrifting excursion of last week. While I was wish I had them for the whole of the summer, I think they'll be great transition shoes for both fall and spring.

Shirt: Old Navy

Blazer: Thrifted, Alabaster's Attic, Greensburg

Shorts: Thrifted, Value Village, Vancouver

Belt: Thrifted, Value Village, Vancouver

Shoes: Thrifted, Alabaster's Attic, Greensburg

My apologies for so few shots, but most of them came out blurry. xoxo Anna Rae

Read My Lips

Sometimes an item of clothing is just perfect. I first saw this Kate Spade blouse last year and slowly stalked it through the wilds of Internet e-tail until I sniped it at a price I was able to afford. Why was this top worth the effort? Behold:

Lips! Smoking! Pleats! Peter Pan/Petal Collar! Whimsy! Irony! You can click on the picture to zoom in on the print for full effect. As my friend Mono commented, it has all the cool rebellion of smoking with none of the lung cancer and COPD.

I chose a black skirt and wedges so the blouse stayed the starring attraction, a role it is used to ever since its appearance on Gossip Girl. It might have worn by a minor minion (Amalia Season # Episode 8) but it is still the closest I'll come to Upper East Side society.

Blouse: Kate Spade, eBay

Skirt: Teenflo, Winners

Wedges: Cole Haan

Coat: Tulle, Hill's of Kerrisdale

New Woman's new pants

This outfit is centered around these extremely high-waisted pants I found at the thrift store this week. I love how these pants feel like they should be worn by both a 1920s New Woman, smoking cigarettes and riding around a bike and a 1940s woman of society. They're a bit short, but I think the hem was added by the last person who owned them (something I can never really know for sure on my own), so I'm going to double-check with Mom, sewing expert, and then seam rip away. If not, I might get them altered into shorts, and since they were only $2, it'd be worth the alterations.

Speaking of the low low price, I love these pants, but I know they are not the most flattering for my body nor are they a classic silhouette that will seem fresh season after season. I bought them because they were a fun, interesting find and very much in vogue. My staple dress pants from the Loft sit right below my belly button, are hemmed exactly for my height, and flow away from the leg nicely (to use Clinton's WNTW terminology). The same cannot be said for these pants, which is why $2 is a perfect price. But I would caution all new thrift store shoppers not to be taken too much by the novelty of low prices. Two dollars spent on an item of clothing you'll never wear is a wasted two dollars.

Since the pants have both a funky and quirky feel, I tried to make the accessories match the tone. I dressed up my t-shirt with my bronze and pearl necklace and this navy faux floral brooch (stolen from my blazer, which I one day hope to wear with these pants, if the temperature can manage to drop below 70), and these sunglasses that add a great splash of color. I think my favorite accessory to the outfit is my lipstick -- thanks again Erin for reintroducing me to the wonderful world of make-up.
Pants: Thrifted, Alabaster's Attic

Shirt: Old Navy

Brooch: from blazer, AE

Necklace: Shop in Madrid

Sunglasses: Plenty

Shoes: AE

I feel like Elaine Stritch is singing "Ladies Who Lunch" to me. xoxo Anna Rae

It's Sunny on the Inside

I was about to grab my camera and walk outside today, when an extremely intense and even more sudden thunderstorm ruined my plans. Instead, I waited for the power to come back on to take some shots in my room. This first two have a serious, hazy, 1970s vibe and I must admit, I am kind of digging it.

My mom is away on a business trip to Boston, and I saw her absence as an opportunity to borrow this amazing yellow jacket that I've been secretly trying on in her closet since I first spied it upon moving home. After trying it with a very unsuccessful combinations, I decided to pair it with this floral sundress, which seemed to work well since it picked up the colors in the dress, but also worked well with a darker dress.
I kept the accessories pretty simple, a cream belt and silver flats, plus some yellow floral earrings that match both the dress and the jacket. I really wanted the jacket to be the main show here, since it clearly wanted that, too. With such a vibrant yellow (my own sunshine during the storm) and ruffles that practically stand up on their own, I can't imagine a more perfect touch of whimsy to an outfit. Well, yes I can. If only it had a small novelty print on it.

And one more look at those ruffles since they are pretty amazing.

Dress: C'est La Vie Consignment Shop, Main Street, Vancouver

Belt: Thrifted, Value Village

Shoes: Payless

Earrings: Gifted, Erin

Jacket: Borrowed from Mom's closet, Macy's, INC brand

And now back to some birthday craft projects. xoxo Anna Rae

It's like red but not quite

This totally impractical jacket was love at first sight at a consignment store. The bright pink colour and $12 price tag overruled the fact that its 3/4 sleeves and velvet fabric make it impractical for 98% of Vancouver weather. But that is what happens when pink is your favourite crayon.

The colours didn't get any less vibrant when the jacket came off. I used a cameo and wide leg jeans (my most beloved style, trends be dammned) to play off the 40s vibe of the ruffle wrap blouse.

The pointy-toe flats picked up the turquoise in the crazy print and added an extra colour element for when the blouse was covered by the jacket.

Shoes: Banana Republic, eBay

Blouse: Nanette Lepore, eBay

Jeans: Citizens of Humanity "Faye" (now sadly discontinued), Hill's of Kerrisdale

Jacket: Mac&Jac, nameless Kerrsidale consignment store between Balsam and Fir

Cameo: Vintage, Etsy

Small town thrifting

One of the few highlights of living in Latrobe, PA, where absolutely no one dresses like me, is the fact that there are gems to be found at the thrift stores. If you live anywhere around here, let me give you some advice: Don't waste your time with the Goodwill or Salvation Army. Head to the St. Vincent dePaul or Alabaster's Attic. I was at Alabaster's the other day during a disappointing trip to the inappropriately named WOW Outlets, and it turned out to be a great success of a detour.First, I bought this great cream blouse, a great find for teaching. I wanted to wear it immediately with my brand-new, high-heeled shoes! If you know anything about me at all, you know that my purchasing heels is a rarity. I just loved the color and the square, clunky Mary Jane style. Since they were only 3 dollars, I thought the purchase was worth the risk of my rarely wearing them. Surprisingly, I wore them today for teaching (which may have been a bit too ambitious, as standing for a long time in heels is still quite painful for me).
I'm sorry I don't have a great shot of the belt or the details on the shirt. The sun sets so early now, so I had to quickly snap these before it went dark. I paired the blouse with my jean skirt, nude fishnets, beige socks, and the heels. I wanted to give the new pieces as neutral of a background as I could, since I was so excited about showing them off.
Blouse: Thrifted, Alabaster's Attic, Greensburg

Skirt: Thrifted by Erin, Salvation Army, Kerrisdale

Socks: Borrowed from Mom

Tights: Hue, Macy's

Belt: Target

Shoes: Thrifted, Alabaster's Attic, Greensburg
My face is so sad, but I wanted to show off how high these heels are. I'm so proud of myself. xoxo Anna Rae

Pussy Footin' Around

This outfit is brought to you by "a touch of whimsy," the feel I aim to most capture with my style. Touching me (and you) with whimsy today? Bows, animal prints, and novelty earrings.

Could these rain boots be any more amazing? I lusted after them for the better part of a year, and finally rewarded myself with them this summer. Despite the sunny pictures (thanks Jenna!) the morning deluge made their debut appropriate.

I fell in love with their cheeky bows and sassy heels. Expect to see them a lot more-- Vancouver weather is such that the Cullen family would rarely have to resort to truancy.

The other bow in question is a pussy bow. Much beloved by upstart working girls everywhere (see Peggy Olson) this jaunty bit of feline foppery adds retro femininity to any look. I paired the blouse with a zebra cardigan and daisy earrings to tweak the bow in a more current direction while still keeping the vintage feel.

Boots: Kate Spade, Ebay

Jeans: Gap

Blouse: Banana Republic

Cardigan: JCrew, Ebay

Earrings: LeChateau

Back at the Alma Mater

This past week, I went back to Etown to take my cousin on a tour and for an interview. Wanting to look professional, but not too professional, it was the perfect time to rewear my Anthropolgie dress, but have a little more fun with it.

I paired the dress with a few edgier accessories, my brown belt and flats with military-inspired buttons. I wore a gray t-shirt under the dress to add a little more color and because I'm currently very into the pairing of gray and brown.
Double looping a few gold necklaces for some chunky jewelry and my favorite day bag wore the perfect collegiate accessories.
The weather hasn't been nice enough for a tights or boots pairing, but I'm excited about the possibilities.

Dress: Anthropologie

Belt: AE

Flats: AE

Necklaces: Gifted by Elana, Target and Joe Fresh, Real Canadian Superstore

Bag: Local 23, Montreal

My cousin Julie was excited about all things Etown, including the free carrot cake they give out at the end of tours. xoxo Anna Rae

Counter Intuitive

This outfit is about trying to break my own 'figure-flattering' fashion rules. Usually I attempt to downplay my hips with a straight or wide leg pant and a bold top-- these pants do the opposite. Their full pleats exaggerate rather than de-emphasize my proportions and the pegged cuffs shorten the leg line. And I like the result! I want to continue to try things that I am afraid of and push the boundaries of what i supposedly should and should not wear.
I kept to black and white to make the outfit about line and shape rather than colour, even to the point of resisting adding coloured footwear or accessories.

The shoes are a much needed replacement for a beloved pair of similar Zara wedges that had been re-soled too many times to salvage. I spent more money on them than I usually do, but I think a classic and well-made pair of shoes is worth the investment.

Wedges: Cole Haan

Pants: Pure by Alfred Sung, Zellers (really!)

Blouse: Joe Fresh, Real Canadian Superstore

Cardigan: Club Monaco

Fashion Week Feelings

It's really hard to dress yourself during Fashion Week. The new Spring lines, at the very least, remind me that I still haven't acquired the essential pieces for my Fall wardrobe, the ones I've been lusting over since last spring in my basement suite, dreaming of climates that wouldn't ruin wool skirts and knit sweaters. Where are those skirts and sweaters now? Most likely, they're sitting in the closet of someone very much like me, but more organized, who has a well-paid, full-time job. Now, as I watch live streams when possible and click through collections, I can't help but look at my wardrobe with a sense of disappointment. Where is my gold gladiator dress from Rodarte? My Marc Jacobs burnt orange spring overcoat and outrageously ruffled pink cape (with oversized belt to match)? Why has no one done my hair like the models walking for Vera Wang?

Much like my reasoning for not having Sea of Shoes on my bookmark bar, New York Fashion Week has left me swimming in my own sea of not-so-pretty envy.

And I'm only in my backyard. Can you imagine dressing for shows? (My mom was playing with some experimental photography here. I swear this is the best angle for this picture)
I really love this dress, but it felt too dark all summer. Now that fall has really asserted its presence -- look at those leaves on the ground -- it seemed like the perfect time to pull it out for teaching.
I was getting a bit tired of the whole dress with a cardigan routine, so I wore this tunic under the dress, one I'm not very fond of on its own, but really like here. High pony-tail and earrings to go with the high collar, of course, and my now most worn accessory of all time, the cream belt, and matching flats.
Dress: Target

Tunic: Charlotte Russe (5 years ago)

Belt: Thrifted, Value Village

Flats: Charlotte Russe

Earrings: Gifted by Mom, Brighton
Now back to the delight and torture that is NYFW. xoxo Anna Rae