Freaky Friday

I know what you're thinking, how did Erin's clothes and style get on Anna's body? I guess that's what happen when you share a style blog with someone -- you start picking up their fashion cues.
Since Erin debuted her yellow tights with houndstooth last year, I've been wanting to do the same. I paired the yellow in the tights with the yellow brooch and offset it with my red belt. I love red, yellow, black and white together. It feels so very 1960s London.
I didn't want too much going on with my necklaces since I was wearing a brooch and bright belt, but I think layering the gold would well with the other accessories and the (unphotographed) exposed gold zipper on the back of the dress.
Dress: H&M

Tights: We Love Colors

Belt: from thrifted dress, Salvation Army

Brooch: Etsy

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

Shoes: Chinese Laundry, Zappo's
I can't wait to wear this dress again and again. xoxo Anna Rae

Button Up Your Overcoat

Sometimes, a coat is so great, it can be an outfit all on its own. Today, the weather was finally the perfect temperature to wear this spring coat that I bought at a vintage/antique warehouse in Lancaster all the way back in October. Using this coat from Kate Spade (picture from What Would Emma Pillsbury Wear?) as my inspiration for styling, I paired it with my yellow tights, cream belt, and flower brooch. The belt helped to give the coat a little extra shape -- making the skirt seem a bit fuller. The tights and brooch really turned the coat into a bright, fun outfit.
For indoor temperatures, I wore one of my favorite spring dresses, seen here and here, and a yellow belt and cardigan, since I had already committed to the yellow tights. I like the outfit on its own -- it's cute and comfortable -- but the coat is clearly the star here.
Coat: Vintage, Building Character, Lancaster

Belt (on coat): Thrifted, Value Village, Vancouver

Brooch: Gifted, Erin

Dress: American Eagle

Tights: We Love Colors

Cardigan: Old Navy

Belt (on dress): on dress from Ross Dress for Less

Shoes: Thrifted, Goodwill, Etown, Target

What spring coats are you excited to wear? Any adorable trenches? xoxo Anna Rae

Cheetahs always prosper

Another day, another permutation of my fashion formula. Despite the potential for reader boredom, the more uniform my wardrobe (black and white, basics, bright colours, and fun prints) the easier it is to shop, get dressed, and combine pieces. I want to continue trying to cultivate a signature 'look'. Even when working within a formula, I still want interest. On top of the monochrome cheetah print, the ruffled sleeves and crystal necklace provide that extra flair.

Dress: Zara

Tights: Gap

Belt: Mexx

Wedges: Cole Haan, Freedman's South Grandville

Necklace: RW&Co

Yellow Haze(ing)

Why hello there! What's that hiding in the bottom of the frame? Are those (mustard) yellow tights? Yes indeed they are and they are fabulous!When I joined the blog the lovelies Anna and Libby invited (dared?) me to join their jaundiced jaune jambes and sheath my stems in saffron. Challenge accepted ladies!

I kept the rest of my outfit simple because clearly everyone would be mesmerized by the tights. The skirt is a recent post-Christmas super clearance item that I bought because of the houndstooth even though (as previously noted) I am not a big fan of skirts. I must say that wearing a skirt all day reinforced my aversion-- it orbited around my waist like an asteroid belt and tried to make a break for my armpits every time I moved too aggressively. What am I doing wrong? If you know, avid skirt wearers, please fill me in the comments!

While the tights are pretty spectacular, my favourite part of the look is the novelty brooch. One part whimsy, one part kitsch, and one part E.T., it reminds us all to do the right thing.

Tights: Gap

Skirt: DKNYC, The Bay

Cardigan: Banana Republic

Camisole: Zeller's (WHICH TARGET JUST BOUGHT!!! AMAZING!!!)

Brooch: Vintage, Etsy

Oh, you again.

I don't think I even have to tell you how much I love my yellow sweater.

Falling in love with your new yellow cardigan and then realizing that it is the exact same yellow as one of your favorite pairs of tights is a sign -- a sign that screams, wear them together but only pair them with black and white so you look a little like a bumblebee.

The pairing of the cardigan and tights was the obvious inspiration for the outfit, but once I decided that the true piece to connect the two was my black and white polka dot dress, the idea of wearing only other black and white pieces seemed both natural and perfect.
I didn't want the accessories to be too overwhelming, but I love this pearl chain that I found on a blouse at the Salvation Army. I bought the blouse and immediately handed it back to the saleslady, explaining that I only wanted the chain - I had been looking for one - and two dollars seemed like the best price I'd find. It's retro vibe fit perfectly with the feminine embellishment on the sweater and the tweed flats with their delicate pink bow. Add some backcombed hair, a belt to give the dress a bit more structure, and some black and white floral earrings, connecting the colors to the cardigan embellishments, and you have my new favorite fall outfit.
Dress: Thrifted, St. Mary's Hospital Thrift Store, Sechelt

Cardigan: Old Navy

Tights: We Love Colors

Shoes: Steve Maddens, from Kauffmans (so old that the department store wasn't even Macy's yet!)

Earrings and belt: Gifted, Erin

Pearl chain: Salvation Army, Latrobe, connected to blouse

And the perfect accessory to any fall outfit? Beautiful foliage. xoxo Anna Rae

Victor/Victoria

Before I start this post, I'd like to mention that my mom now reads this blog. Hey Mom! Also, she thinks that Libby's clothes are nicer than mine.

So, the first thing you may notice about these pictures is that the windswept look is a lot less sexy when you rely on bangs to make your face look normal and are visibly put off by how the wind is refusing to let your shirt lie. I'll let that distract you for a moment or two.

And onto the outfit: Since I wore my St. Patrick's Day appropriately colored tights yesterday, today I had to settle for green shoes and sometimes telling people that I meant to dress like a leprechaun, which is a weird thing to say to people because they don't want to agree with you and offend you, but they also don't want to disagree with you. I don't actually think I look like a leprechaun, mostly because I don't really know what they look like, being magical mythical creatures and all, but maybe now that I put the idea in your head, you agree? We'll never know. Unless you comment about it.

Although the oversized men's button-down and vest are a classic Anna Rae combination, the tie is new to the look. I really like the idea of taking a staple men's look and styling it in a way that the social leniency for men doesn't really allow. Oh, rigid gender constructs in fashion, you remind me of David Sedaris's Misadventures with the Stadium Pal.
But, on point, to really style up the feminine and more interesting part of the outfit, I wore my yellow tights and green polka-dot flats, tying in some of the tie's colors. Also, the idea of a pair of dress shorts with tights is one of my favorite things about this season, it really helps to add a little life to the same old jeans routine. I repeated yesterday's back-combed hair and jewelry, as it seemed like the perfect counterpart to the traditional button-down, vest, and tie business.

Happy St. Paddy's Day -- Today my Irish friend informed me that no one in Ireland spells the shortened version of Patrick Patty, as that is just crazy and that most people in Ireland don't really drink as the main means of celebrating the day. The more you know, Kelly Kapoor.

Shirt: Thrifted, Value Village

Shorts: Thrifted, Value Village

Vest: Old Navy

Tie: H&M

Tights: We Love Colors

Flats: Old Navy

Goodnight blog readers and have sweet dreams about Huck Finn and Zombies, the topic of my response paper that I'm currently editing. xoxo Anna Rae

Roses are Red, Violets are Blue...

If you don't like my yellow tights/

Then stop reading our blog.

Okay, I'm usually much more creative than that with poems. Honest. But my brain is mush. I have a midterm today on writing everything I possibly know about Viktor Frankl (b. 1905; d. 1997; Was a guest professor at Duquesne. Woop Woop). Also, that presentation Anna mentioned is today, as well: Analyzing the Transition of Adolescence Through Adulthood Cross-Culturally with a Focus on Education and Vocational Development. HEY! Yeah, you, blog reader. Wake up! The topic isn't that boring... At least stay awake long enough to look at my outfit, k?

So are you all at least slightly relieved that my appearance has changed since 8th grade? Wouldn't you all have just died a little bit if I was wearing cargo pants?! Even my coworker made fun of my cargo pants yesterday: "What year was this? 2000? Yeah, cargo pants had been out of style in New York for about 2 years by then." Well they were totally hitting their prime in Derry, Pennsylvania, thankyouverymuch. But let us not dwell on the (unfortunate looking) past.

So, here is my outfit. Ta.Da. Thanks to Jocelyn for letting me borrow her mom's super cool vintage Gucci sunglasses. And believe me, I needed them - holy color explosion with my outfit today, right? Anna was shocked at my decision to wear tights with open toed booties. She said it was daring and well, quite frankly, that scared me a little because if Anna thinks it's daring, then it must be. She still wears her Middle School Drama Club Cinderella shirt and if that's not daring, I don't know what is. I can't wait to see her outfit and how differently we dressed today even though our tights, well, bound us. Lame integration of our site's name? Aw come on! Give me a break.

Ohh, is that Victoria Beckham I see? Oh, false alarm. But my my, that whole "Oh yes, I'm-putting-this-piece-of-hair-conveniently-behind-my-ear-EVERY TIME-you-take-a-picture-of-me pose" sure does work to slim the body. Okay, phew, I'm exhausted. Run on sentences take a lot of of a girl.

Now, I'm off to midterm, present and most likely get awkwardly stared at because nobody on Duquesne's campus wears yellow tights. Pearl necklaces? Yes. Impractical stilettos? Yes. (Mine are super comfy, okay?) Looks of judgment and superiority? Yes and Yes.

10-4. Libby

Shoes: Madden Girl

Tights: Gap

Skirt: Modcloth

Shirt: Christmas Present

Sweater: Very old

Sunglasses: Vintage Gucci