Debate Crusher

This outfit was from the day I lead my team of classmates in a rousing debate, utterly crushing our opponents. It was a pretty glorious thing to witness. 25 extra credit points, heeeeyyyyy. This is one of those outfits I privately refer to as "ragamuffin-chic". Like I could be scrubby wild thing, but hey, I'm also cute. A lot of my outfits I wouldn't consider fashionable, they are more like a collection of odds and ends, baubles, and trinkets. It's definitely my natural habitat, but it's also weird to actually wear, because you are exclaiming "Hey, this is me!" in public and that can be kind of odd and scary. 

I obviously went for a lot of red and blue, but I also threw in some gold pins and gray boots because why not? The hat was a cheapie find at an Asian market where you only pay in cash, and it's a little ridiculous, but also fun. I wore the jean jacket to tone down the fanciness of the skirt, and matched my scarf with practically everything. Not sure if I would wear it again, but it's the kind of inventive outfit you make up and just go for it. Same old, same old. 

 Scarf - Old Navy

Pins, jacket, sweater - thrifted

Earrings - Flea market

Boots - Modcloth

Skirt - Ruche

<3 The Magpie

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

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

Sunday Teal

Work, school, work, school, school, work - that's all my life has consisted of lately. But a great thing has happened! I got a new computer!! It's been a few too many years overdue, but now I can finally start on working on my photographs and art - once all my photo editing systems download. I'm so excited. I can start to really work and develop my art, instead of waiting to use the nice computers at school. Hopefully that will also result in frequenter blog posts and better photograph quality. A new camera is next on my list, so cheers till then. 

I went thrifting with two girls from a class, and I found this skirt and scarf that day. It literally felt like they were meant to be worn together. I mean, just look at them! They couldn't bear to be worn apart! I loved the soft blue hues mixed with a few strong stripes of purple, and tried to accentuate that overall color scheme. These boots are newer acquisitions, and I love them dearly. They have a bit of a heel - which is a look I like - but are also very comfortable, which is much more important to the comfort-hungry soul that I am. I hope to wear this skirt more often, but there is only a small window of cold weather where I live, and I've been working too much to wear any of my fun outfits. Hopefully, the pace of my work will slow down, and the cooler air will linger, because I definitely want to wear my funny woolen skirts much longer.

Shirt - Target

Skirt, scarf - thrifted

Boots - Modcloth

Earrings - World Market

<3 The Magpie

Mustard Field

Two new years ago I went on an online sale binge, and this rose-covered skirt was one of the pieces I bought. I really like the sheer over-piece dotted with red and pink roses, and the black layer underneath gives it a bit of an edge. I think it would also be pretty in white or pink, but this was the only option. At first, I didn't wear the skirt a lot, even though I really liked it. I'm not sure why. I will either wear something to death when I first buy it, or it hangs in my closet for months, and then I will proceed to wear it to death. Notice how both options include death.. Anyways, it's one of my few skirts that isn't a thriftstore find, but it still feels really special and unique. I paired the skirt with a pink shirt, a long red coat, and a beautiful rose pin with matching earrings that I DID find at a thrift. Can't cheat on my thriftstores for long, iloveyou. It's funny, for not really liking pink, I've been incorporating it more into my wardrobe. Pink paired with that deep rich red just seemed to mesh, so I rolled with it. 

When I saw this fantastic field of mustard blooms, I freaked and went S T O P. Frolicking in flower fields is always a must. I try to always keep an eye out for little hidden fields or small niches that make for great photo backgrounds. I have a list of local places in my head, but I'm always on the lookout for more. Of course, now that this field is plowed over, it looks drab and brown, so timing is also important. 

Although this outfit may seem more girly than my usual garb, it still has that whimsical flair that makes it my own, and I couldn't pass up the chance to ground it with a brown leather belt and boots to match. (Probably faux leather, but still.) I always need my waist belts!

I'm definitely starting to experiment with clothes more, but having something this classic and pretty is always nice to have on hand. I know that in the event of a last minute party or gathering, I have something I can throw on and go. 

 

  

 

Coat, shirt, earrings, pin - thrifted

Belt - Ross

Skirt - Ruche

Shoes - Modcloth

SNEEZE!

<3 The Magpie

Old School

It was kind of fun to show up at to class with a little cloche gray hat; it added an instant old-school vibe to the whole outfit. I've noticed that a lot of my outfits aren't actually vintage, but modern pieces worn in a way that gives off a vintage air. I (usually) don't even try to do it on purpose, I just put clothes together how I like to wear them and voilà, I suddenly look unmodern. Maybe because I like a lot of longer hems and play around with different shapes and silhouettes that don't seem very mainstream. Although, when everyone around you is wearing yoga pants or skinny jeans, it's not that difficult to stand out just by throwing on a skirt.

When creating this particular outfit, I knew I wanted to pair the gray turtleneck with the slip of a green dress; everything else sort of just fell into place after those key components. I loved the idea of looping a necklace over the neck of the shirt. It's definitely an idea I want to use again in the future. I love keeping track of little bit and pieces of fashion experiments, like a little mental collection, and then recycling them in new ways in the future. When something is fun, you want to do it again, right? That's my style philosophy anyways. It's using what excites and creatively stimulates you and reusing those ideas in more creative ways. Without the thought and ideas and layering of concepts to play around with materially, I feel like fashion or style, or whatever you want to call it, would just be static and boring. Instead of the focus being on looking "pretty" or "cute", dressing a certain way can be a happy celebration of textures and colors and proportions. A living, wearable architectural sculpture you can recreate every day. That is what intrigues me and keeps me motivated style-wise. It's the exploration of ideas that fuels me. I know it seems like a lot of thought just to go into something as normal as getting dressed, but why not? It's fun. :)

I also couldn't resist putting in a LOT of pictures of the nature I was surrounded in when these pictures were taken. I even cut back on them, but everything was so beautiful, it was hard to resist. Look at those colors! Those lines! That light! The world is just so beautiful and exciting.

Dress, shirt, hat, bag - thrifted

Jacket, socks - Target

Necklace - vintage

Earrings - gift

Boots - Modcloth

<3 The Magpie