Backpack Love

Hi, lovelies!

(photo via)

Last weekend I'm pretty sure I found Fashion Heaven. Not High Fashion Heaven, mind you. Nothing neat or tidy. I'm talking gritty, fun, exotic fashion. Messy and bursting with color. Bohemian. Overflowing from little shops out onto the street. Kensington Market in Toronto, folks, is Fashion Heaven indeed. The feel of the neighborhood alone had me hooked, but the jumble of vintage and Indian pieces for sale had me salivating with greed. Attractive, no?

I could've spent hours and hours there, but sadly I had to make it to the airport. I did, however, score a fantastic (Guatemalan?) woven backpack from a little army surplus store. Today I managed to snap some photos for you. Look how pretty it is! Loooove!

Wearing: Love on a Hanger tank via Nordstrom Rack (best cut tank ever!). Gap chambray skirt. Steve Madden combat boots. Urban Outfitters print belt. Forever 21 chandelier earrings. Army surplus backpack.

Off to school in four days! Summer's finally coming to a close. I'm simultaneously packing, savoring my final days at home, and excitedly anticipating the new school year. It's seriously busy around here! The only reason I had time for this post is because I am an expert procrastinator. Truth.

20 Years Old & Still Playing Dress-up

I'm twenty years old today. I guess I have to remove the "musings of a teenage fashion blogger" bit from my header.

The other day I was doing some last minute Hannukah shopping at Target when, lo and behold, the Rodarte collection was already on the racks! I didn't have much time and I was supposed to be shopping for other people, but I managed to snag a skirt. I think it's quite beautiful. Clearly lingerie-inspired, and the way the tulle hangs over it is raggedly floaty enough at the hem to give off that Rodarte vibe. A pleasant surprise!

I also tried on the coral-colored slip dress, which I thought was fantastically gorgeous, but alas it is meant for someone with a smaller chest. The lace-print dress was nice, just not very Rodarte-ish nor especially flattering in fit. The lace cardigan was pretty, if you can deal with the fact that it's scratchy. As for the stuff I didn't try on, I'm kicking myself for leaving behind the yellow skirt, the legwear was not present, and nothing else really did it for me. And that's my take on the whole thing. Still, I liked the collection a lot more than past designer collections for Target, and I really love my new skirt.

God, I can't believe I'm done being a teenager. It's about time.

Mixing It Up

Hi darlings!

I'm sorry it's been so long since I've written. I have no real excuses, but I've been spending my time adjusting to the college lifestyle, pulling some good grades, making some good friends, and trying out slam poetry. You know how it is. Now that it's winter break, I'm determined to be a better blogger. So here goes.

On Saturday I had the opportunity to meet some other Boston-based fashion bloggers at a mixer run by PunkyStyle, New Brahmin, and Jen Loves Kev. We kicked off the event by mingling at Luna Boston, drooled over some handbags that will be for sale in the spring, did some shopping on Newbury Street, and gathered back at Luna to raffle off some fun items and mingle some more. It was a pretty good time.

Even the name tags were fashionable.

Everyone was really nice, not to mention super stylish. I immediately felt underdressed in my black dress and red flannel.

I did, however, manage to add to my outfit with a fringed jersey scarf I picked up at Lit Boutique. I got a bit tongue-tied when discussing my new purchase with Amy of Punky Style and managed to inform her that she was creepy (she isn't.) It was not one of my finer moments. Lesson learned: try to avoid minor freak-outs when meeting long-admired bloggers. I'm pretty sure I made quite a fool of myself in front of Kristina of Dreamecho as well...she had the absolute coolest creepers and pixelated leggings and draped dress, and when she made it clear she had read my blog I'm fairly certain I grinned and screeched like an idiot while staring intensely at her shoes. Not exactly the impression I was hoping for.

It was too cold to take pictures of my entire outfit when I thought of it, but I liked the look better with my coat on anyhow. I picked up the coat just the other day; it's Laundry by Shelli Seagull. I'm also wearing spiderweb tights by Betsey Johnson, Payless leather ankle boots, a studded purse from Kofuku Gift Shop in Harvard Square, a scarf from Lit Boutique, and an H&M flannel shirt. Not pictured: A black H&M dress.

It's good to be back. I'll keep you posted on all my fashion-related musings for the break if I can; I'm turning 20 on the 20th, so at the very least I'll let you know what I was able to grab from Rodarte for Target. Being completely excited for the Rodarte collection, I have already used my Birthday Girl sway to enlist a friend to brave the Christmas crowds with me in the early morning. I have my eye on a slip-inspired skirt, a certain dress, lacey cardigan, some cute legwear, and whatever else draws me in. Hopefully the clothes will be less disappointing than Anna Sui for Target; I've been hearing good things. Fingers crossed!

In Which I Demonstrate That I Still Wear Clothes

Hi gang.

It's getting pretty freaking chilly out. My cold-weather uniform hasn't changed much from last fall. I wore this outfit to a comedy show at the campus coffee house. (Yes, I am the girl in the picture. I did not go to college and get a sex change.)

(Hat: Target. Flannel: Target men's. Faux leather jacket: H&M.)

The cool part of this photo is that I didn't tweak the lighting or coloring at all. My crappy phone camera just came through for once.

What has changed is that instead of wearing my motorcycle boots (don't worry, they're still a staple of my footwear collection), I wore these adorable suede All Stars purchased, as apparently most of my outfit was, from Target. I love them. So comfy, too.

Another part of the outfit that isn't visible in the picture is these great Rivet De Cru jeans that I was sent to review over the summer. I've been meaning to write about them for ages, 'cause they'd win hands-down in a coolness battle with all my other jeans. Seriously. I mean, they have black studs on them, a laid-back grey color, and a perfect fit. Well, now that I've had them hemmed at least. My legs aren't that long. Sheesh. I'm not Chanel Iman. Or Iman, for that matter. I'm pretty sure each of those models has legs the length of my entire body.

Eh? Eh? Check out them studs on the seam above the pockets. Ain't life grand?

Actually, ain't fashion grand? I mean, have you seen the results of this current Fashion Month? I knew something was up when I was staring at Style.com for hours, muttering phrases involving the words "stunning" and "want" over and over again.

Statues 'n Plaid

Today, as I was walking around the sculpture park at the DeCordova Museum with my family, I stopped to pose with a statue for my own personal amusement. My dad whipped out his Blackberry to snap a photo, and it suddenly occurred to me that I haven't done an outfit post in a while. I was wearing my basic winter uniform of flannel, jeans, and boots, but I asked him to take a photo of the look for my blog so I can at least give you an idea of what I've been wearing these days. It's my version of sweatpants - cozy, comfy, and easy - but less frumpy. 

Not the best quality, but there you go. I'm wearing a men's flannel button-down from Old Navy over an Alternative Apparel tank, Delia*s jeans, Charles Albert motorcycle boots, and an H&M faux leather jacket. I'm carrying my Jumeau bag. The flannel and boots have seriously been my winter staples, because they are perfect for anything the New England weather might throw at them.

And because I love you guys, here's the initial Kori-posing-with-statue picture:

Instead of copying the statue's pose entirely, I amended the position to fit my lame sense of humor. Whereas her right hand is holding an apple, index finger extended, I have my right hand in the Spiderman manner. My left hand is not gracefully curved as the statue's is, but rather forcefully signaling forces of evil to stop in their tracks. Roar, justice is served.

A Different Kind of Dress-Up

Yesterday I decorated a shirt, but it was not for fashion's sake. In fact, the shirt was absolutely nerdy, and not in a remotely chic way. No, my shirt was a basic Hane's sweatshirt, which I used markers to emblazon with the message, "Don't Legislate Hate." And I wore it to a DOMA protest run by Join the Impact MA in Boston, along with two cousins/friends.

I've never been to a gay rights protest before, but the experience was great. The crowd was smaller than expected - only two hundred people or so showed up due to the 16 degree (Fahrenheit) weather - but there was a lot of energy. We listened to speeches, cheered and booed at the appropriate times, and then marched down the street past the state house. Everyone was so friendly, so united for the cause, and there was an amazing gay slam poetry performance to end the event. Everyone was beyond freeeezing, but it was worth it to us to be there. A great experience!

Ha, I almost took a picture with the girl whose sign said "Nerdy Straight Girls for Marriage Equality," since I am indeed a nerdy straight girl in favor of marriage equality. I truly believe that everyone should have the right to marry the person they love and experience the benefits of an officially documented marriage. It's terrible that gay, lesbian, transgender, bisexual, and generally "queer" individuals are treated as second-class citizens in this day and age, and in this country. I'm glad that it's in my power to help forward the goal of "liberty and justice for all."

The top two photos are mine (okay, okay, my cousin took them), but the bottom three are courtesy of Tom™5.

The protest was part of a nationwide movement. Join the Impact in your city/state!

A Winter Photo Shoot

Today my friends Sherry, Monika, and I had a photo shoot. We  tried on lots of random clothes, semi-wrecked the looks by covering them with jackets and such, and jumped around in the snow. Lots of fun!

I wear an old velvet skirt from TJ Max, Old Navy skirt as a one-shouldered top tied with a scarf, self-ripped Urban Outfitters tights, Wet Seal jacket, Target hat, and combat boots from Kohl's. 

Sherry (black hair, big smile) wears an H&M dress, velvet vest, plaid jacket, Forever 21 hat, key necklace from a swap, and Charles David motorcycle boots.

Monika (light hair, fab poses) wears an Express flapper top and skirt, ombre turtleneck sweater, black leggings, Forever 21 sequin headband, and awesome leather boots.

Okay, so the shoot wasn't exactly high fashion, but it was full of laughter and some serious dancing. When the snow started falling, we were excited to have its presence in the photos! 

I challenge anyone who says fashion isn't fun to a snow-dancing duel. 

Update: Aren't Sherry's kicks amazing? She colored in the comics herself!

Kicksss

Hello, lovelies. These are my new kicks:

I found them on sale at Urban Outfitters, with my size just sitting there waiting for me. Since I've spent about five years wearing various Chuck Taylor All Stars, it felt like a good idea to switch it up a bit. So I did. The silver is more silver-y in real life than in the picture, by the way.

Anyway, I took some photos of them. You may think the girl in the photos looks like me, but I assure you she is not. She is named Danielle Jones. She likes to be called DJ, but most people call her Dani J. 

Her favorite activity is dancing, and she often dances instead of walking. Therefore, she dresses so she can move easily and well. Her favorite color is purple. She likes to stand out, and so above is quite a typical outfit; her signature Nike kicks, black-and-silver-striped Hot Topic romper folded to look like a skirt, Zara T-shirt, Wet Seal silver leggings, and a rhinestone-encrusted cap worn sideways. 

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She loves standing out, which means lots of wild colors and patterns. Her idols are MC Hammer and Lil Mama. She abhors mp3 players and maintains that a big ghetto-blaster-style boom box is the only way to go. She often carries her boom box with her so she can dance. Above she is wearing a Zara tunic, Old Navy men's flannel shirt, Forever 21 pants, her signature Nike kicks, and a studded headband from Delia*s.

Fine, you caught me - DJ is today's alter ego. 

Background images: 1, 2. 

Shoe picture: Zappos

Project East

Saturday night, as planned, I headed out into Cambridge for the Project East fashion show.

These are the only photos I managed to get of my outfit before it got wet and windblown. Apologies for the crappy quality and my terrifying expression on the right. . . My father has officially lost photo-taking privileges. I wore a Forever 21 fedora, a handmade top purchased in Jackson Heights, Forever 21 harem pants, Payless ankle boots, and a bag from a cute little boutique in Harvard Square. The top had a lot more volume than appears in the picture, keeping it from having a generic babydoll silhouette. I was comfy, weather-appropriate (the hat kept the rain from ruining my hair, always a plus), and felt good about the look.

But of course the actual show was far more fascinating than my outfit.

I had a great view from the second row, and I was so thankful to be there. The show kicked off with looks from Parsons designers Jisun Yoon, Kim Taeyeon, Lisa Ou, Sarah Law, Wen Shi, Yoon Nam, Aiden Yoo, Angela Gao, Bo Bae Lee, and Heezu Hwang. After a short intermission, professional designers Angel Chen, Chris Han, Giuliano Fujiwara, Jen Kao, Lydia Park, Manish Arora, Monique Pean, and Soojin Kang showed their looks.

The large number of designers made for a huge variety of styles, so I'm sure there was something for everyone. I unfortunately no longer remember the specifics of who showed which looks, but the overall impression I got was extremely positive.

The last designer to go was the legendary Issey Miyake. When his name came up over the head of the runway, the crowd went wild.

The talent of the other designers was undeniable, but wow; Miyake was on a whole different level. I believe, apart from a few frowns when my snapping camera failed to capture the occasional outfit, I had a had a large goofy grin plastered to my face for the entirety of the Miyake portion.

As the last models' heels clicked off the runway, the designers and models came out for the finale. Timothy Parent, Harvard senior and founder of Project East, strutted along with them sporting an edgy hairstyle and zipper-studded leather top.

I spoke to him briefly during the post-show auction, and there's an interview in the works. He seems like a pretty amazing guy!

Then it was off into the night once more, muddied boots making a quick detour to Urban Outfitters before heading home. An amazing night indeed.

Happy Halloween

I ended up having a fairly nontraditional Halloween last night. With only a few hours available for celebration, and having rejected all of the costumes at the local iParty, I culled a fairly lame costume from the depths of my closet with intentions of attending a Halloween party.

I guess I was trying to be some sort of "punk rocker chick," but when I made my way to the door, studded purse in hand, and my mom stopped me to ask why I wasn't dressed up, it became clear that I was dressed in the kind of outfit I would wear on a normal day. Whoops. I did make the mistake of taking inspiration from this outfit of Gala's, which wasn't exactly a costume. But at least I have some sweet ripped tights now! And since I ended up skipping the party in favor of a dinner out with friends, the fairly normal costume turned out to be a blessing in disguise (pun intended.)

My Halloween look was fairly uninspiring, so why don't you look at these instead:

♥ Louise amidst skulls . . . spooky . . .

♥ Alix is the classic witch in a perfect location

♥ thegreatdawn made this amazing Bjork dress! (found in this BlackCigarette post.)

♥ Ooh! Ooh! I want Hermes sneakers too!

♥ Taghrid clearly has a knack for fantastic costumes. Can you say wow?

♥ And also, wow?

Cobrasnake has posted tons of Halloween pics since I last looked, so I'm off to take a peek! The actual holiday may be over, but I still have a bucket full of leftover candy to munch on, faux spiderwebs adorning my doorway, and some crazy party photos to live vicariously through. Hope everyone had an amazing day/night!

New Stuff

Well, grasshoppers, there's nothing like a bit of bio studying to encourage me to lug out my tripod and take a few shots of some new purchases. I realize that terrible lighting, a camera that can't focus on what I want it to, and practically nonexistent editing software do not great photos make, but I did my best.

Yesterday I hit the mall for a few hours, and walked away with two things I was pretty excited about. The first item was a pair of ankle boots. Black buckled leather with chunky 2.5 inch heels I can actually walk in . . . from Payless, of all places. Yes, apparently you can buy actual leather at Payless now. And they're comfy too! I realize higher heels would look much better, but I am a firm believer that constantly falling on my face would be far less attractive.

The second item was clearly fated to be mine. I had been eyeing this dress at Gap since the preview in the spring, and when I popped into the store yesterday, there was one left. In my size, and marked down from $58 to $23. It may not have been my original color choice, but that didn't stop me from gleefully rushing it over to the cash register and paying up. No, it's not flattering, but I like it anyway. Hooray!

Happily, my two buys look quite cute together, if I do say so myself.

Let's ignore the fact that I didn't brush my hair today.

In reality, I'm thinking the dress, with its easy, cozy feel, will be worn with sweater leggings, the trusty combats, and a bomber jacket on frigid winter days.

In this photo, we can ignore both the unbrushed hair and my disturbing facial expression, k? I knew you would understand. . .

Photos of my pretty new blazer are still forthcoming. I need to get back to that scintillating (I jest) bio studying. Believe me, I'd rather take photographs.

Lula Looks

Today, I am angry at Pepsi and Barnes & Noble.

Why, you ask? Well, I was stuck behind a mind-numbingly slow Pepsi truck on the way to school today, so that accounts for the Pepsi hatred. But Barnes & Noble, a store I normally think of lovingly, appears to have stopped carrying Lula Magazine. And so I must hate it. Having looked at tFS to pore over editorials from the latest issue, I feel that B&N is doing me a great disservice.

And so, it is with Lula on my mind that I share those new cut-offs with you. I like 'em lots. They may be a simple, ratty garment, but sometimes those are the best parts of your wardrobe. It just depends on how you style them.

See if you can spot the Lula "influence" in these photos. Har, har. I must admit that I'm rather proud of myself.

Wearing:

♥ Artfully torn cut-offs

♥ New T sent over by the lovely people at Alternative Apparel after seeing the post I did on AltA. Reviews and such of the gear they sent coming up soon. . .

♥ Strap detached from a bag and worn as a belt

♥ Beautiful necklace brought back from Spain by my wonderful brother

♥ Combat boots

♥ Over-the-knee socks folded down

♥ Randomly puffy half-ponytail hairstyle

♥ A wee bit of attitude

Clickity clack, indeed.

No, I don't believe that comment made any sense. But it needed to be said.

The best part of this outfit is that the $25 boots were the most expensive part. Works for me!

The Resurrection of the Pants

Several years ago, I ducked into a small Vermont thrift store. I was in the midst of a summer at camp, and most of my pants had drowned in the torrential rain that dominated my stay there. Strapped for cash and time, I prayed that the thrift store would yield some leg-covering fruits. And lo and behold, 15 minutes later I exited the shop clutching a perfectly faded, comfortable pair of jeans.

The jeans hit just above my ankle, which I found to be awkward, but I rolled the hems and wore them anyway. They graced my legs for the rest of the summer as I rode horses, swam, and made crafts projects, and I brought them out the next summer for the same purpose. When my waist, which had filled out a bit more by then, began to protest the ever-tightening waistband, I shoved them into a drawer and promptly forgot about them.

Until now.

For some unknown reason, I've lost a bit of weight over the past few weeks, so when I rediscovered the jeans in my wardrobe, they actually fit again. My immediate thought was that I should shred them a la Margiela or cut them into shorts so that the awkward length and generally odd cut would no longer plague me, but I put the idea on hold. "You know what?" I said to myself, "You can make these work. You're older now, you have more experience with fashion, and you should at least do some experimenting."

So I did.

In my first look, I decided to embrace the sort of casual slouchiness of the pants by pairing them with a draped top, beret, and combat boots. I tugged the jeans low on my hips, and printed belt kept the waist defined.

Not bad, right? This look is actually very "me."

My next attempt involved embracing another aspect of the pants. The cut was slightly different from what I'm used to, because they happen to be vintage. So I tugged up the waistline of the jeans and paired them with sleek retro items - a black romper, white plastic earrings, vintage white belt, and studded wedges - and felt very much the club kid. A touch of lipstick and hair piled on top of the head were finishing touches.

I was happy with how this one came out too. It wasn't quite my usual style, but that's not necessarily a bad thing.

So I guess I did, after all, make these bad boys work. However, I did manage to excite myself with the prospect of tearing them to shreds Margiela-style, so who knows how they'll end up. So many possibilities. . .