The thing is, it's all very well and good to saturate my mind with images of Ikat print maxi dresses and wedge sandals, but it's a lot more fun to actually have those things tangibly in my hands. This morning, while massaging my cuticles in a History of Art class, I started ticking off my irrational expenditures: regular coffees at Cup 'O Joe (which, in my defense, started because I had a gift card and then got wildly out of hand), cocktail after cocktail after work... actually, that's kind of where the list ended. Those beverages, while on opposite ends of the chain, are sucking up a pretty penny from my elephant gray faux leather handbag.
On my way home from class I made a stop at the grocery store and bought coffee grounds. I hadn't made coffee myself at home in well over a year, so I decided to buy some froo froo creamer to mask the failure if it turned out poorly. I also have resigned myself to the fact that I will have to start drinking well vodka when out and about and only drink Ketel One when cocktailing in my abode. I'm not sure who is going to be more upset about that; me, or the bartenders who are about to take a serious cut in income.
It's all in the name of style. If I am serious about this blog, I need to buckle down and devote myself to translating my interest in style to my life in style. After February ends, I'm going to start trying to add at least one interesting contribution to my wardrobe each week. I have to wait because not only do I know about 100 people born in February (and thus have already done quite a bit of gift giving and merry making), in the US it is a customary tradition [read: law] to fork over a chunk of change to renew your license plates. Happy birthday to me.
I do, however, recognize it is unrealistic to think I will be buying every beautiful thing that strikes my fancy. That is why I am about to delve into a world that I am generally not a fan of in Ohio: thrifting. When I lived in California there were thrift shops galore! Everywhere I turned I could buy an aged Aerosmith t-shirt from some tour they did at least a decade before I was an embryo. That's not exactly my style-- and neither is the west coast-- so not only is it going to be a challenge to do some quality thrifting here in the Great Lakes region, it's also going to be a constant quest for things that fit my aesthetic.
Which is...?
Honestly, I dabble. I like to entertain the idea of bouncing between styles and costuming myself. At the moment, my interests for casual wear are in classic American styling circa the early '70s with a touch of eclectic accessories and patterns. When it comes to a more dressed up approach, I'm finding myself drawn to a Daisy Buchanan type of femininity; soft, floaty, the wardrobe equivalent to whipped cream. Of course, Daisy did a lot of loose draping and on my body, tailoring is key. A little volume here and there is okay, but my dimensions do not allow for much. It's easy for me to end up looking as though my ensemble doubles as a camping tent, just in case I were to be stranded. In terms of hair, I am almost always attracted to a touchable look that can survive a little rough and tumble. Ideally, activity will only add to its appeal!
And truthfully, I love a bit of head to toe va-va-voom. I'm only going to be
The variety of fashion interests I have, paired with my lowly student budget, leads me to stand that much stronger in my opinion that style should absolutely not be dictated by trends alone. Things need to last season to season! When working with limited funds, it is important to prioritize and decide which pieces are worth investing in and which are not. I am also making it a goal to find as many fantastic goodies as I can via thrifting. With any luck, that combination of tools will help me move my style interests from the digital to the day-to-day.
All that being said... let's not even talk about the price tag on this ensemble:
Chloe
Yeah. I will accept that expense account, if anyone is offering.
No comments:
Post a Comment