Blue Collar Red Lipstick

01
Jun
2015

Basic, Simple, or Classic?

Jacket, Tommy Hilfiger; dress, Earth, Music, Ecology; shoes, Gap Outler — Jacket, Tommy Hilfiger; dress, Earth, Music, Ecology; shoes, Gap Outlet

This outfit couldn’t get any more basic: a dress, a denim jacket, sandals. But there is beauty in that simplicity, or at least some kind of style kismet. Eyelet and denim; red, white, and blue. Classic.

This dress is just the cutest thing, and if it’s a little bit young – well, we’re all allowed to be young at heart, especially in the summer. I love that it looks so much like separates, but is an outfit-in-one. I like it so much that I’m even willing to overlook the fact that it’s 90% cream coloured, which is normally bad news bears in our neck of the toddler-inhabited woods. So far, I’ve managed to keep the sticky hands away. #success

I hate taking pictures in bright sunlight, but needs must – and it feels a little ungracious to complain about nice weather. So … I hope you’ll forget my squint-avoidance subterfuges. Look, I managed one decent photo! #success

28
May
2015

I Feel Summer

categories: Favourite things, style

Skirt, Anthropologie (thrifted); top, necklace & shoes, Old Navy; bag, Coach (vintage, eBay)

This top was an impulse buy during an impulse trip to Old Navy. My casual wardrobe doesn’t really need any additions, so I try to stay away from Old Navy, where cute unnecessary things always seem to call out to me. Perhaps “impulse buy” is not exactly appropriate in this case; I bought the top on a whim, that’s true, but it was a whim motivated by my inability to find a decent striped top. I thought this might be a good option for my wardrobe, albeit not your typical striped top. And whaddya know? It’s pretty much perfect.

stripes + florals = groundbreaking #sarcasm

The greyish blue colour and chambray-like material are a perfect fit with my summer clothes, especially my floral print Anthro skirts. The cut is not figure-flattering per se, but it is loose and floaty which is nice for summer. (It’s almost a trapeze-like style). The length is a bit odd; not quite cropped, and not quite regular length. It makes tucking in a bit more challenging, but it does give me an opportunity to experiment with different silhouettes. I usually love accentuating my waist, but I’m also drawn to these looser silhouettes these days. I don’t know if I’m alone in this, but that tends to happen whenever I lose some weight; it might sound counterintuitive to play with volume in those circumstances, but I’m actually more adventurous (confident?) with my outfit formulas.

TL;DR This was a cute outfit, and the first time I bared my legs this year. SUMMER IS COMING!!!

27
May
2015

Paisley Princess

categories: style

Skirt, Zara; top, Loft (via eBay); shoes, Ivanka Trump; bag, MbMJ (via eBay)

I don’t have much to say about this outfit, save that it was probably a little too princess-y for the office, but I liked it anyway. I tried toning it down by removing the sparkly necklace from the equation, but the result felt a little, um, bare so I put it back on. It’s kind of difficult to accessorize a print this busy, but I think this necklace actually does a pretty good job.

I still adore this Zara midi skirt, and have never regretted paying full retail price for it. The shape is so pretty! And, let’s be real, incredibly flattering. Considering that a midi hemline can be tricky on the vertically (somewhat) challenged, that’s a huge bonus. I do still struggle to find the right kind of topper to go with it, since so many of my blazers are on the long and/or slouchy side, but it’s almost summer now which means the struggle can wait a few months. #TheStruggleIsReal

Oh look, close-up of mah joolz. Sometimes, the Crewlet really hits it out of the ballpark. It almost makes up for all the other times when I end up with loose rhinestones after 2 wears. #TskTsk #StillGonnaGoBackForMore #NeverLearn