Candy Shop

I started this blog with posting a picture of Kate Spade's "Candy Dress". (It is expensive, so I was not planning on buying it, moreover I even resisted when it went on sale.) Interesting, it looks like it was a statement piece of this season, my pure guess is that it really influenced some other dresses designs:

 Kate Spade: Candy Shop Jeanette Dress 

 ASOS Stripe Dress with Pleated Skirt 

 Forever 21: Linen-Blend Burnout Tunic 

I managed to stay away from Anthro sale, but...

I checked new arrivals, and now I want to try these 2 dresses so badly:

Sweetpea Shift Dress

Gull Wing Dress

"Multiple Personality" Wardrobe. Part 2.

2. "Lady in Red".

Well, not in red, or not all the time :) I am just trying to make a reference to something that is very stereotypical feminine (in my mind). I.e. something classy, and again with clean, simple lines, sheath dresses, A-line dresses that are mostly knee-length. I prefer solid colors, but I like prints too. However it is difficult to explain why I "reject" some of them.

Of course - the Anthropologie store is my mecca for this style. At least it was last winter, spring, and a bit of summer. I bought also a couple of skirts last fall, but nothing else since then. From the one hand, they have less dresses to die for this year, from the other hand - I am just afraid to go there, as I always find something that I must buy!

Anyway, unfortunately, I don't have many occasions to wear "Anthro-Lady style", and for everyday outfits it is too price-y. Nonetheless the knits and sweaters from Anthro (sale) started diluting my too minimalistic "simple modern" style, so I have more ruffles and bows there now. I think also it was a lucky fashion twist (for me) to see more retro accents in pretty my all collections in 2009 and 2010, and maybe we will not see that much for sometime anymore. I guess that is why Anthro itself is also has less "classic feminine-shape and accents" in 2011.

Gull Wing Dress from Anthropologie

3. "Bohemian Girl."

I love this style, I have a few pieces that could fit in such image, but I am not really "there". Isn't it a quite an extreme and opposite to the "simple modern style"? But I spend a lot of time at freepeople website, or looking at some of urban outfitters items. Their catalog pictures, those angelic creatures, in nude and pale slouchy transparent clothes... I wish I were that girl... Those picnics and road trips, and city walks...

Sunburst Maxi Dress from FreePeople.com

Time goes and I do buy here and there some bandeaus, slips, thin shirts and awkward skirts... But can I wear them? Where should I where them?

Hm, and I don't want to stop wearing my "simple" outfits, or my retro-like 50-s frocks. I don't know what I should do, but the plan so far looks like this:

• At work: I am wearing my "simple-modern" style with retro and more feminine accents.

• When I am not at work: dancing events, parties, picnics, and trips,  - I am going to do some crazy switches between cute dresses and transparent artsy layers - here come my multiple style preferences :)

P.S. BTW I talked about only my major style-loves, that means I do have also some minor ones.

"Multiple Personality" Wardrobe. Part 1.

I started swing dancing two years ago. It is not only a great hobby, it is a great opportunity to wear something that I would not wear otherwise. Sometimes it is very not work appropriate: too low cut and/or too short, or too transparent, or too lacy, or too bright, and the list is go on. However for practice sessions or dance classes I wear jeans and t-shirts, and I confess: sometimes they are too lounge-y. So yes, I have now opportunity and occasions to wear practically anything I want.

Yet I asked myself yesterday, what is my style? (Why yesterday? It is just I was surfing internet stores, and realized that I was looking at very different ones...)
Well, definitely I am not following only one style, and by the way do I need to stick with one?

So far I categorized my preferences into 3 major styles:

1. "Simple-modern". Minimalistic, practical, simple, and mostly "color-blocking" (Yes, I know it is a "thing" of this season, but actually it is my major style all the time!)

So then the basic outfit will be:

-jeans (premium or looks-like-premium) and a sweater (cashmere, or soft, thin cotton blend)
-jeans and long-sleeve knit shirts (cotton blend, with a bit of synthetic material for a better shape holding)
-jeans and short sleeve knit shirts (-//-)
-cardigan or jacket
-flats or low/middle heel shoes

I also have blouses, and shirts, skirts, and pants, but they require more inspection "how do I look" in the mirror, so sometimes I save time and put on again just jeans and a top = my working day outfit. (I can wear jeans to work!)

Colors: I like bold colors, my skin is very pale with a cold undertone, so I do like contrast colors. I think my "standard" look can be seen as one of the J.crew clients, though and I am not kidding: I have never ever shopped there. I know about this site because of reading some Anthro fans. Interesting, huh? But I usually buy my pieces in random places: as I have this style for some time, I have a lot of "bricks" already, and buying a sweater or shirt anywhere I will match it with the rest of my "simple-modern" style very easily.

Fashion: as the most of fashion nowadays is dancing around jeans and shirts-blouses, it is easy to add "new stuff" - maybe the print will be different, or cut for jeans, so it is easy to stay with this style and even be on the very edge of the fashion sometimes.

 Random outfit from J.crew 

Random outfit from J.crew

Sugar & Cream Dress

I love Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. I have been dreaming for years that someday this story will be recreated as a movie. Considering options that current technology can offer (did you see the Inception??!) it looks like all its crazy story turns and characters can be really made the way they are fantastically described in the book. However when I saw Burton's movie about Alice - nope, it was not what I was longing for. Anyway, I was still moved by that movie.  I almost bought a ridiculously expensive light blue dress by Betsey Johnson, but actually the Sugar and Cream Dress from Anthro was a better find:

Isn't it a cute dress? What makes me even more happy about it is this video with one of my favorite followers wearing it, check it out:

"It did not fit"

I realized that I am not quite ready to start posting my OOTDs - I still need to think through the place, the light, and time when I can take pictures. Also I think I need to get a stand or a mount for a camera.

But I want more pictures on my blog! :) Ok, I will post at least something about the dresses I decided to return:

 by PORTS 1961

I loved the dress, even looked at some runways of this brand. 

Actually the dress did fit, however it would be in my "special event only" category. It has straight front, but there are pleats on the skirt part in back. They looked a bit weird when I tried to twirl on place.

 

by ONE CUT

This one was also awesome - white crochet-y on purple, the quality is good. However the length is a bit too long, and I did not like the waist on the back - it was somehow lowerer than in front.

Now I am starring at my amazon cart with added tripod, but can not proceed - I have shoes there too. But do I really need them? Decisions, decisions.

The Beginning

of the week: I bought a gray sunray pleated knee-high skirt at Urban Outfitters. It is by Pins and Needles, size S, original price $59, and it was on sale for $29.99. However at a check out the price showed only 10 dollars. What a pleasant surprise!
The skirt is unlined and material is polyester mostly, but material and skirt look very good, and the pleats are not going to be wrinkled easily. It is more of autumn-winter season item, and sort of formal style, but oh so feminine. I do admire flowy A-line skirts.

(So strange I can not find the picture of it on their website!)

P. S. Actually I went there to return a mustard-yellow scarf with gigglish owls, and of course I could not resist and checked sale racks...