The Red Teal Blues

I simply could not get the formatting of the photographs for this post to look how I wanted them to. I guess that's what to expect when you're a total noobie!  My title for this post really says it all; the colors I am wearing are bright, saturated, and punchy. Black toned it down, but if I simply took off my sweater, the brightness would go up a hundredfold! I was inspired to wear the blue and teal accents because of the color of the flowers in the print of the dress. Looking back, I wish I had worn bright red lipstick, but maybe that would be overkill? This is one of those outfits that puzzle me. It's very much me and my style, but would I wear it again? And in that color combination? Was the weather cool enough for the cardigan but also warm enough for those kind of espadrilles shoes? It seems very much a color experimentation; the kind of outfit that I look back on and REALLY want to know what people thought when they saw me. Did it make them think at all? I don't care if they liked or disliked how I looked, I just want to know what people thought OF it. Dos that even make sense? I want to subtly push color boundaries and norms, and wear unexpected outfits out of seemingly mundane things. I wouldn't say I'm a crazy dresser, nor do I try to wear something for shock value. Merely, what I wear is an extension of how I think, and who I am, and the ideas that I want to experiment with. In a way, I'm trying to be a truer version of myself, down to my scratched and faded fingernail polish and secondhand clothes. 

The color breakdown goes like this: long teal earrings matched the ribbon and flower print, and the bright cobalt blue of the bag hints are hinted in the flowers as well. The black cardigan helped ground the brightness of everything, and the strappy shoes finished the outfit and made a full circle by referencing the black of the sweater. Black, teal, teal, red, cobalt, mixed colors, black. The final sunset pic was from that night and seemed to fit my overall fondness of vivid colors. 

Cardigan, bag - thrifted

Dress - flea market

Shoes - Modcloth

<3 The Magpie

Tribal Multicolored

I bought this skirt on a whim (surprise, surprise). The tribal looking pattern was just so interesting; bright and colorful, but faded at the same time, and the pattern seemed to be placed directly on top of the fabric, as the skirt itself is white underneath. Speaking of the fabric, it's a stiff and heavy thing, with a bell-like shape that holds in the wind. I went for casual-fancy on this outfit, with my old gray beanie and my smart black boots toning the saturation down. I loved how the colors and patterns of the heavily-beaded necklace seemed to go with the skirt while not feeling too matchy-matchy. Also, like my model posing? I got that cool lean going on, the far away stare... All I need now is to grow like, 600 inches. Honestly though, I'm not that photogenic. I think I look totally fine in person, but often in photographs, that attractiveness gets lost and wanders into a dark alley where it gets mugged and gets amnesia. So what you see is are carefully curated photos that get cut down from the actual amount of photographs taken. Sorry, went off on a rabbit trail there, just like my good looks.

The day I wore this outfit, my two friends in my class also wore cute outfits, so we strode down all the sidewalks looking like an awesome girl gang - complete with a slo-mo, epic music shot and giant fans blowing our perfect hair back. It was great.

Looking back at this post makes me really want to wear this skirt again - I unfortunately had my camera stolen recently *cries* along with the part that attaches the camera to my tripod, so I haven't been able to capture any of my recent looks these last 2 weeks.  I assure you though, they were magnificent. I think I will definitely wear this same skirt out tomorrow for a school event. Yay for lots of colors!

Shirt, skirt - Target

Necklace - Walmart 

Boots - Modcloth

Earrings - World Market

Beanie - stolen from my dad:)

<3 The Magpie

Periwinkle Skew

This dress was an unusual buy for me, covered as it is in a mottled floral pattern, and patterned in a "trendy" cut, but something about it spoke to me, and finding the scarf and the hat at the same time seemed to be a sign that it was meant to be. I loved the electric periwinkle purple-blue of the scarf, and the way you can pull out one of the many colors in the dress. I also liked that it was long-sleeve as that can be hard to find even in the winter. I hope I get another chance to wear it before spring as the days are heating up fast. I don't have much to say today because I have a terrible headache, but I really enjoyed wearing this outfit and taking the pictures was fun.

Dress, hat, scarf, coat - Target

Earrings - World Market

Boots - Modcloth

Bag - thrifted

<3 The Magpie

Song of Colors

I feel like this outfit is my style incarnate; the floppy felt hats, the constant scarves, the cute little side-bag, the boots, and of course, the perfect color pairing contained in a limited spectrum. The hat matches and reiterates the boot texture and color, the lines on the beige turtleneck mimic the pleats on the pale chartreuse skirt, which in turn is repeated in the color of the ribbon tied in a bow on my loose braid. The coral in the earrings matches the coral of the lipstick and bracelet, while the gold metal from my jewelry is repeated on the shimmery chain links of my bag. The soft pink scarf is the go-between the softness of the beige and the brightness of the coral. Every item and color is thought out and pertains to another part of the outfit; everything has a place, a system that it fits in, a tightly controlled gamut of colors while the draping layers and flowing fabrics keep it from being too harsh and stiff. The overall effect is pretty and almost casual looking, until one notices the little bits of glitz and the hint of preparation from all the matching hues.

To be honest, this is probably one of the best outfits I've ever created. Not only did I feel comfortable and free wearing it, but I also loved the way the colors sung and danced together, as if I myself was a walking piece of art. That feeling is what I try to create and recreate in my outfits; some hit the mark, others are learning experiments, but to feel like one is walking in a delicious, delirious dream is what I aim for. To say this one hit the mark is an understatement.

These photographs stir up bad memories, aside from the happiness my outfit brought me; memories of a strange man watching me in the park while I took photos, stabbing me with his leering gaze, like mud clouding clear spring water. My outfits are my mental resting place, my tiny shield against the harshness of the world. Despite the attention they might bring, oh how brightly I hear the colors sing.

Shirt, skirt, bag, earrings - thrifted

Hat - Target

Scarf - gift

Earrings - Walmart

Boots - Modcloth

<3 The Magpie

40 Years

I distinctly remember this day; it was a few days after I had gotten my hair lightened and I was still marveling at its boldness. The air was humid and the day was overcast, the sky heavy and still. On a whim, I brushed gold eyeshadow over my eyes and bridge of my nose, like a shimmering mask suspended holographically over my skin. I was so disappointed that it didn't show up well in my photos. I was wearing a simple dress with a simpler vest thrown over the top, but everything still felt too hot to the touch. I wanted to wear something easy to go to work, and this fit the criteria. 

The outfit is indelibly inscribed to a certain memory from that work shift; I work at a coffee shop and a man pulled up in his car, and the normal exchange of a cashier/customer was exchanged. And then, and then, and then! he asked me if my co-worker was "my daughter". My daughter! A girl only a few years younger than me, but apparently so mature I appeared, he legitimately thought she was capable of being my offspring. I had the strong suspicion he was fishing for information on whether or not I was old enough to hit on (sigh) or he lacked all reference to time. I'm more amused than offended by such a out-landish question, but idea that somebody's age radar can be so wildly askew is rather interesting. Do I WANT to look older? Do I want to look younger? How will I look as I age? I hope that wherever life takes me, that I will grow into a strong and beautiful character, that my view of myself will mature and grow as my body ages, changes, and decays. 

(p.s. I'm in my early twenties)

Dress, vest, necklace - thrifted

Earrings - World Market

Sandals - DSW

<3 The Magpie

The Twilight Hour

I wore this outfit for my finals last semester. It's hard to tell in the thick twilight blue, but my lips were as red as my dress. Worn together, the effect was vivid, almost shocking in its brightness, and illicited many comments. My inner streak of mischievous glee delighted in the visual uproar it produced. I was never in the tangled webs of drama in high school, but in some ways, I do have a strong sense of flair that errs towards a dramatic aesthetic. Perhaps you think I am exaggerating at its results, and maybe I am unintentionally, but try wearing a red dress with red lipstick for a day, and see what you get.

The beaded cat-eye necklace I am wearing was something I put together from another necklace and an antique store find. There were a bunch of large marble-like glass stones with tiny embroidered beads around the edges, and this one was the coolest, with its golden eye, blue fringe, and slit pupil. It wasn't meant to be a necklace, but it did have a small loop that I attached to a necklace cord. I love wearing it for the drama and the sheer strangeness of it - that sense of the dramatic coming into play I guess. I paired it with some beaded earrings from World Market because the colors matched.

I wish I had taken pictures in earlier light, but had to do what I could with what I had. I do love the rich blue of the twilight hour; it is my favorite color yet. When the sun falls and the eastern horizon sinks towards black indigo, the sky turns a luminous saturated blue like the clear clarion call of a bell echoing through the evening as it pulls the whole world towards night. I have a very clear picture in my mind of what my favorite color is supposed to be, but when someone asks, I usually just say "blue", as the real shade is attached to a certain time and wondrous effect, but that can be too difficult to describe.

As for the dress, it is pretty simple, almost too simple for my usually complicated tastes, but I fell in love with the bell-like sleeves and rich hue of red. I hope I will find another chance to wear it and not tire of it quickly. I will have to make myself wear it again, maybe to work, in an effort to get the most for my money. Serves me right though, I know better then to get something I don't like, and although I do want to wear it again, I'm just trying to decide how useful it will be in the gamut of my wardrobe.

Dress - thrifted

Necklace - made

Earrings - World Market

Boots - DSW

Coat - gift

<3 The Magpie