january is my new favorite month

 

Happy 2015! I can't believe it's January again, but this year I'm feeling extra inspired and excited for what's to come. This next week I will officially be a fashion marketing student! Just typing that gives me a rush of nostalgia, I guess it's something I've dreamed about since middle school. This will also be a perfect reason to keep blogging!

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Last month I picked up this beautiful piece of vintage wool fabric and instantly envisioned creating this top. Boxy, cropped front with an open back. I decided to leave the collar and sleeve hems raw because the material doesn't seem to fray and I think it gives it a softer, more natural look. Sadly, I used up almost every inch of this fabric, no matching pants. BUT, I am hoping to re-create the same design using raw silk soon!

top: handmade by me pants: vintage ankle boots: j. crew

dapper ski bum

Once again, I'm obsessed with oversized pieces. That never changed. Especially now that is the coldest late autumn I've felt in Portland in years. Which is totally okay because I've been finding a lot of great mid century outwear lately that I've enjoyed sporting around my new neighborhood. There's something so incredibly refreshing about moving to a new part of town. I need to spend more time walking around, getting lost and discovering. 

coat: '60s vintage sweater: madewell pants: forever 21 boots: rachel comey hat: '70s vintage

 

soft nudes

Monochrome looks are my favorite, but wearing all black, all the time can be a little depressing so I thought I'd mix it up with some nude shades in cashmere, wool and patent leather. The neutral shades also mellow the brightness of my hair right now. My friend gave me leftover Hot Hot Pink Manic Panic dye that I added into a cocktail of other products to dilute the vibrancy but its not quite at the three-week washed out stage yet. It's all good though. Anyone else have experience with at-home pastel hair dying?

   

sweater: ralph lauren pants: vintage hat: vintage shoes: nine west

indigo crush

     A little over a week ago, I opened a fortune cookie that said "You will find a new hat to wear.". At first, I felt that it was completely in accurate, since I basically despise wearing all hats (except to plain beanies), but now I believe that it may have been a metaphor for thrifting awesome additions to my entire wardrobe. The motorcycle jacket earlier this week was perfect, but the next day I found these '90s crushed velvet platform that I instantly fell in love with.
     What's so amazing about trying to source your wardrobe primarily on vintage and second hand pieces is that each piece can inspire a completely different style that you may not have considered if you were paying full price for new items. Whenever I go into retail shops or boutiques, I tend to narrow my eyes to finding pieces that are "me" and eventually end up bring home a bunch of basics. I feel funny using the term normcore but by nature, my style is really just jeans, sweatshirts and sneakers. For only a few dollars though, anyone can afford to step out of their comfort zone and try something offbeat.

blk jkt

     Sometimes, dreams do come true. I have been waiting to find a vintage, quality leather motorcycle jacket for almost two years now and my patience finally paid off. Now I can fit in at all the teenage punk shows around town! I love the waist belt and big metal zipper, and the cropped cut looks great with anything high waisted. But, I'm not so used to wearing slightly oversized jackets where the shoulders are wider. I have really narrow shoulders so a lot of jackets that look great on the hanger end up fitting too bulky. That may be something that just takes getting used to, like transitioning from three layers of foundation to just a tinted moisturizer, which feels amazing. Also, its beanie season. 

jacket: vintage shirt: made by me skirt: forever21 from 3 years ago boots: rachel comey

Spicy Pants

     Finally, autumn skies! In Portland, we usually welcome the next seven months of rainfall with open arms by this time of year. Surprisingly, upcoming forecasts still show lots of sun which means all those leaves starting to change color shine like gold. Because of this, I'm naturally gravitating towards a lot of mustard, sweet potato and cinnamon shades as of late. These awesome pants pretty much sum it all up.

sweater: vintage pendleton wool pants: vintage necklace: hazel cox

Contrast Top

   
     My grandma bought me a sewing machine for my birthday this year and I was set on using it and learning how to sew, even if I ended up hating it. Since the only fabric store I'd ever been to had been a Joann's and remembering that most of inventory there consisted of candy corn printed flannel and bright tulle use for Renaissance fair costumes, I decided to venture elsewhere. I had heard that Mill End Fabrics was a go-to for many independent designers, so there I went and it was everything I had anticipated. Each material section seemed to open up an individual dimension of opportunity and with no specific projects in mind, it was near impossible to buy on a budget. I went with my instincts and bought three, high-quality fabrics in black and white. These two and an organic bamboo cotton that I hope to make something drape-y with this weekend. I first envisioned the dots to be used for a basic shift dress and the grid for a pair of trousers. After somehow hanging onto these ideas for almost three months now, I finally pulled out both fabrics and realized even if I did make the shift and pants, I would have enough left over to create something with a combination of both. Plus, being a complete beginner, a blouse is a less intimidating than a dress and pants. 

     So, that's the story. It's actually helpful talking about some of the process of a project to stay in a constructive mindset. In the short time that I've dabbled, I have found the entire sewing process, imperfections and all, to be a really great way to get immersed into a flow state. It can be difficult finding a starting point when you have all these ideas at once, but as soon as you get there, it's like everything organically aligns. Halfway through sewing this shirt, I actually envisioned pairing it with knee-length, leathery skirt and was stoked to find this one the next day! I rarely will buy pieces from big chain stores, but sometimes things just work and it's rad. 

shirt: made by me skirt: forever21 shoes: vintage

Second post complete! Thank you for reading!