Fall has always been my favorite time to shop. I love fall colors. I love the back to school sales. I love big baggy sweaters, and I love being able to comfortably wear pants again. I've already purchased more than a few pieces of clothing during the last month (haul soon), but that doesn't mean I don't have more on my wish list. My wardrobe is in desperate need of a facelift and it feels like everything needs to be replaced at once. Hopefully I can snag a few of these before the season is over (or they're all sold out).
The last item on this list was going to be a leather jacket but I'm still on the hunt for the right one. I have been looking for a leather motorcycle jacket for the last five years (at least), but finding a reasonably priced, petite real leather jacket in the right style has been a major challenge. If anyone comes across one and wants to send the information my way, please do.
After two years of three day work weeks I've found my favorite thing to do on Thursday is go to a coffee shop and read. Usually my Thursday outfit choices are casual and comfy, typically workout clothes or jeans and a t-shirt, makeup optional.
Today's OOTD consisted of my favorite striped t-shirt from J. Crew (similar) and a pair of broken-in blue jeans (similar) from American Eagle. I opted for sunscreen instead of makeup and decided not to touch my hair once I rolled out of bed. That's right, I woke up like this.
Lately, I've been trying this new thing where I take selfies when I feel ugly. The hat and Instagram filter help, but what else are filters for anyway? Learning to be confident in yourself is hard. Sometimes you have to build yourself up one selfie at a time. This photo was taken pre-walk to the coffee shop for a PSL (yay fall).
For those of you wondering what I was listening to, it's Sam Hunt's Montevallo. I'm not usually a country person but this album has wiggled it's way into my brain and taken over. Let's just say it, I'm obsessed.
More like blasting "Raised On It" over and over and over again. In fact I almost named this post "Snap backs and Levi jeans." If only I owned a pair of Levi's.
I was taking OOTD photos and Linis came to join the fun. My cat has been mysteriously nice lately. I'm starting to wonder if he's plotting something.
This is his, "You talkin' to me?" face.
After 26 years I finally managed to pick up "Alice in Wonderland" by Lewis Carroll. Have you read it? I'm not very far into the story yet. My brain is having a hard time moving past "Shrill" by Lindy West. Seriously, go read that book.
With the presence of pollen allergies and the threat of rain, I've spent most of my time indoors lately. It was nice to finally get outside and go for a walk again. Hopefully September has more nice days like this one planned.
Fall officially welcomes boot season. To celebrate I thought I'd share a few of my favorite boots that I've seen on the internet lately. Shoes can really make or break an outfit and finding the right shoes can make all the difference. The best shoes are versatile, unique, and well made so they'll hold up through multiple seasons (also comfortable because if they hurt you're less likely to wear them).
I love trends as much as the next fashion obsessed woman, but I view shoes as an investment. I value a shoe based on what I've liked over multiple years rather than what's on point for that season. If you prefer a chunky heal commit to it and let everyone know that's part of your personal style. Do however, let shoes surprise you. I've tried on shoes I thought I would hate and absolutely loved them and vice versa. You might think a certain shape or design will or won't look good, but you won't be certain until you try them on. Another point to remember is that you can find quality, stylish shoes on any budget. A shoe doesn't have to cost over $100 in order for it to be worth purchasing. Pay more attention to fabrics and stitching.
WELLYPRINT Women's Print Rain Boots Wellies from Joules
I'm not saying you have to follow the same rules as I do or that you can't buy anything that might go out of style, I'm just sharing my philosophy for buying shoes on a budget. If you have more money to spend or prefer to buy several new pairs of shoes every season then you do your thing and don't listen to a word I'm saying. Besides I haven't tried any of these shoes on or seen them in person, so I'm in no way endorsing these as the best boots on the market. All of these boots were chosen based on esthetics, but if anyone owns or has tried on any of the boots listed above, please let me know what you think of them! Are they worth purchasing?
After not buying any new clothing for a long time, I decided to finally purchase a few pieces to update my old wardrobe. Now that my weight has been in a better place for over a year, I feel much more comfortable putting money towards clothes. Of course it also helps that I now have a source of income too.
I was going to do a collective haul/outfit post, but unfortunately my new skirt has a pull. Major sad face!
I bought this really cute outfit from LOFT when I was in Illinois visiting family a few weekends back and I was planning on wearing it for my great grandma's birthday party last Saturday. Unfortunately when I took the skirt out to put it on Saturday morning I noticed this big thread pulled out in the front. I swear it wasn't there when I bought the skirt (I would have definitely noticed when I tried it on), so I don't know if it just got snagged on another piece in the bag or something got caught on it while I was still in the store. Either way I'm majorly bummed and now I have to figure out how to return/exchange the skirt without having a LOFT store near by.
I also picked up this sweater from LOFT, while the shirt and pants are from American Eagle.
It feels like a long time has passed since I felt proud of my wardrobe and personal style. I can't wait to keep building and developing a collection of clothes that better reflect who I am and what I love. Hopefully I have more to show you later after I get stuff with the skirt figured out.
I've been a material girl ever since I was little (cue Madonna song). As a child I used to beg my parents for every accessory every made to add to my collection of American Girl dolls. I always wanted more Barbies, more clothes, more sparkly items from the Disney store. From a young age I perceived a large value in owning things. Whether I owned the same toys as my friends, clothes with the popular tags on them, or something better than anyone else, I was always wanted more.
Material things will never satisfy you. Our society has ingrained us to be competitive consumers. People want to maintain a certain status by owning "the best" labels, myself included. A few years ago my computer broke and I finally bought a Macbook. Do I think Apple products are overpriced? Yes, you pay more for the label (like I said it's all about status), but I also think their products are higher quality. Don't get me wrong, my Macbook ownership hasn't been smooth sailing. I've had problems with my charger and my battery, but I'm convinced it's just some unlucky technological curse. No one else I've talked to has ever had those types of problems. Plus despite all of these mishaps, this laptop has still served me better than my old Gateway by far.
Due to the way we've built society, products aren't made the same way they used to be. Companies are now making products that intentionally break down or eventually become "unfashionable" so consumers are forced to buy a new one, this is called planned obsolescence. Think DVD's vs. VHS tapes, or the iPhone 4 vs. the iPhone 5. People always want the next best thing, or eventually they're forced into getting it.
All the generations of iPhones. They look much more similar than I was expecting.
I'm not going to argue that we need to change the way product manufacturing and consumer consumption take place. Those are big broad topics and there's no simple solution to changing the way the world works. I do however want to change the way I act as a consumer. Recently I've been struggling with my desire for material things, my need to save money for loan payments and traveling, and my lack of income. I was browsing the interwebs for Fall clothes the other day and saw a sale at American Eagle. Immediately I thought, "Oh I can buy some new jeans, possibly a dress." Then right afterwards I looked in my closet to realize I already had five perfectly respectable pairs of jeans. There's no way I actually need five pairs of jeans, let alone to purchase another pair with my limited savings.
I'm sick of spending money on clothes or products and feeling guilty about it later on. If clothes are what you take pleasure in most, by all means spend your money accordingly. I'm not writing this in order to shun fashionable people or regular consumers, these are just habits I would like to change in my life. From now on I want to limit my spending to things I will get the most use out of. I also want to be a smart shopper when it comes to quality over quantity. Too many of my jeans have gotten holes in the crotch or the threads have come loose on the edges of my shirts. Why pay $100 for two pairs of jeans that are going to last me a little over a year (maybe), when I could buy one pair of jeans for the same price that will last much longer. This will lead to less clutter as well.
Another habit I want to work on is how much I value owning things. The truth seems to be that no person ever felt fulfilled by owning the most, or the best, that life could offer. In other words, human value does not come from material things. Experience, conversation, friendship, love, that's what gives life value. From now on I will try to share my belongings. I will let my mom use my coffee mugs without complaint. I will try not to get upset over stains, tears, or dents. I will try my best to understand that it's all just stuff that can be replaced. I don't expect to never buy another cheap shirt or spend money when I probably shouldn't, but I'll try my best to remember this post and think twice before buying something I think I "need."
What are your thoughts on consumerism and the value we perceive in material things? Are you a material person? Are their any habits you'd like to change when it comes to the topic?
Step 1: Purchase some sort of wrap dress (I got mine at American Apparel a few years ago. Mine is also black, which helps.)
Step 2: Put the dress on and tie in a flattering manner.
Step 3: If your house is a wee bit chilly today throw on a comfy, yet stylish, sweater you have laying around.
Step 4: Take your hair out of the bun you typically throw it into and let it do its thing.
Step 5: Finish up with your favorite lipstick/stain/gloss. (Or use the new Showoff aka Apocalips from Rimmel London you just bought today. I used the Luna shade and I am absolutely in love with it!)
My dad, my brother, and my brother's girlfriend all asked in various ways why I was dressed up today. In reality I grabbed what was the easiest thing I could think of to wear and didn't do a whole lot else. Honestly I left the house to run to Starbucks and then Walgreens for the lip glosses and that's been about it. The rest of my day has been spent watching Youtube videos, reading blogs, eating, and watching more Elementary. I live a simple and mostly boring life people... there's not much to it.
