Black and White and Floral

One of my cool-weather looks; the weather here is usually never THAT bad, but it can get chilly, so if I want to wear an outfit, I need my layers. Either that, or I pretend I am brave. (Which is like never, because I end up hating myself for being so dumb!) The piece this whole look is based around is the black and white dress with interesting floral graphics I am wearing. I found it at a thrift, but has an H&M tag. It has a strange shift-like cut, and the bubble skirt was a little off-putting at first, but I tried it on with a waist belt and I was sold. I used my snug black cardigan to create the defined-waist look I prefer, but I could see myself wearing it in the spring or summer with a waist belt and black ballet lace-up flats. I called the dress "black and white", but there are many values of silvery-gray and I played upon those values with my accessories: hence the silver scarf and earrings! I even tried skew the colors of the boots to play upon the overall look. Yeesh, when I have a theme, I really run with it! The outfit is nothing special, but it was fun, cute, and I really wanted to make the dress wearable for everyday events. So for that purpose, I think it worked out just fine.

It's funny how much "non color" I wore, considering how much color affects my clothing/makeup choices, but in my mind, black and white and silver and gray are their own colors when I am wearing them - although next time I might wear a bright lipstick for that little extra pop. ;)

The tree, cloud, and sunset photos were all taken the same day while I was hanging out with the friend who kindly took my outfit photos, and we hit up a park later on. It was so beautiful!

Dress, cardigan, boots - thrifted

Scarf - Target

Earrings - Tilly's

<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

Green and Gold

All I want to do is wear strange clothes that fit my mood and soothe my mind. I talk about clothes so much on this blog because that is literally what I made it for. So I can talk about clothes. My clothes, usually, and in lots of detail and expressive language. I want the colors I'm wearing to fit together well and to make me happy when I see them. I want to dress exactly how I want to look like and create this image of who I am. There are many future versions of my look, but underneath it all runs a cohesive aesthetic. I'm not really a sophisticated sort. I like color and texture, and am too messy and rough around the edges to ever master the sleek and polished look. I do have a bit of hair-envy of girls who can just throw their hair however they want and have it look great, but that's because I spend X amount of $$$ throwing a bunch of product in my hair to make it somewhat manageable. It doesn't even have those cute natural curls, it is literally just a mass of frizz when nothing is in it. So I slap some gel around, and it helps it stick to its natural wave. I sometimes dream about looking all business-ey and boss-woman like, but I'm a mess, and I'd miss my real clothes. Truthfully, I'd rather wear what I like to wear, I'm just more entertained by the idea of looking like a real fashionite. For now, I'm just a small-town thriftstore kid wandering through the suburbs.

 

I remember walking through these spaces of empty air and empty lots only a few months ago, and now they are filled with houses and the frames of future homes. It usually never bothers me, but this is the one spot that started me thinking of all that, and I can't get over the idea in my mind that the places in which I stood and moved and ran in are now just ghost spaces inside somebody's house. I'm probably just getting old. I told my boss the other day that I was born a grannie. That may or may not be true.

Anyways, I loved the rich yellow tones of the scarf paired with the darker green. I found this beautiful dress as a lucky find at a thrift and the scarf was from one of those trinket/random clothes stalls that popped up for two days on my campus. I rarely ever buy anything yellow, but this time I couldn't take my eyes off the bright velvet scarf, and I ran back after class to grab it because it haunted me in the back of my mind. It's funny how some things will follow you. Am I the only one?

Sweater - Target

Dress, belt, hat - thrifted

Boots - Macy's

Scarf - booth

Earrings - flea market

<3 The Magpie

A Sheer Thing

I fell in love with this dress when I found it. It was looser in look and older in style, but the sleeves, oh the sleeves were divine. And then I tried it on and it all made sense. Some clothes you just have to wear and see them on a form instead of just eyeing them hanging flat on a rack. The magenta touches and subtle browns all fell into place after that. Some people are really against the idea of pairing black with brown, but I think if you do it right, it can look really good. 

The bag was another special find. I walked into a Goodwill, saw it hanging on a small display rack, and immediately grabbed it for my own. It looks like a vintage bag, with its beautiful detailing and intricate fabric. It went well with my scarf and added a bit more color to the whole ensemble.

 I remember that this was the first time I wore the boots out. They have a thick sturdy heel, which I love, and is almost the only kind I can walk in, haha. I prefer shoes I can run around in all day and explore with, if inclined, and these certainly fit the bill. 

 

 

I'm not sure what decade the dress is from, but I felt like it had a bit of a 80's vibe. It was such a fun dress to wear, and I think it made me feel more fun as well. Have you ever had that experience? Where a certain item of clothing or outfit makes you feel a certain way? I think it's pretty cool how clothes can change our moods. It's strange how clothes influence us and the world around us.

Dress, bag - thrifted

Scarf - gift

Earrings - Random outlet store

Boots - Modcloth

<3 The Magpie