Blog Posts

Stripes, Florals & Asymmetry

2/22/2013

Hey, there! About two or three weeks ago,
I promised to show off my awesome asymmetrical tunic from Fleet Collection.
Other style creations got in the way, so the inspiration for this style didn't come to me for awhile. For some reason, I had trouble styling it prior to this. Maybe I was over-thinking it and trying to be too clever.

So, when it came time to embark on my weekly Sunday brunch ritual, I just let myself go. Haha. I didn't really think too hard about it. I knew I wanted to wear the tunic, so I just started with that as a foundation and everything else just kind of fell into place. In the end, I think I ended up with an outfit that is 100% me and that completely reflects my personality.

You'll notice I didn't really do anything fancy here. The tunic is super casual and, honestly, I bought it to wear on days when I don't feel like being a diva, but I still want to look polished. In other words, I just wanted something to wear with a pair of high waisted skinnies, a jacket and boots.

I could have done that here, but that would have been super boring. So, I spiced things up with a long-sleeved striped cardigan and floral tights--two patterns which basically shout "Spring is in the air!"

I wanted to add more color to my outfit without detracting too much from this amazing heather grey tunic. The tunic is comfy and its neutral color will go with everything. It is quite thin, so the cardigan was definitely a necessity. However, when summer rolls around, its lightweight material will be perfect.

I like the cut of the tunic and its "bat wing" sleeves. I got a size small, but probably could have used a medium. Also, I'm tall, so although it is listed as a "oversized" it's more of a regular shirt on me. Heh. I just wish it were a little bit longer, so I could dress it up with shiny black PU leggings and wedge boots.

I'm also sporting two more new additions to my wardrobe. I bought these floral tights on final sale so I believe they were just under $10. I never thought I would wear floral tights in my life, but I just love these so much. They're comfy and, in my opinion, they're not super in-your-face-look-at-me-I'm-a-girl-I-love-pretty-flowers tights. Hehe. Their dark color and sparse patterns don't make me feel too girly.

Last, but not least, are my grey wool gloves which I also bought on final sale. I really wanted proper wool gloves, so I had to grab these. I don't know how I feel about the bauble design on the wrists, yet.

All in all, I felt super comfortable, casual and a little quirky in this outfit. I really like how it turned out!

Thrifted - ModCloth Tights (sale), Pearl Necklace, ModCloth Wrist Warmers (sale),
ModCloth Navy Striped Cardigan (sale) & ModCloth Gloves (sale)
Chicwish - Black Asymmetric Waterfall Skirt in Noir
Fleet Collection - Asymmetrical Grey Tunic
ModCloth - Black Zippered Hoodie
VJ Style - Gold Studded Barrel Bag
Tobi - Studded Loafers

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To Be A Better Woman... (Happy Belated Valentine's Day)

2/19/2013

14 Comments

...or to be better at BEING a woman. I do believe there is a difference.

Yes, it is that time of year at which I reflect on myself as a female and as a human being. Perhaps my "celebration" of Valentine's Day last week helped to bring about this introspective post.

The outfit I am modeling is what I wore to dinner with my partner on Valentine's Day. I'm not fond of surprises, so I was given at least three days notice. This notice consisted of the following: (a) being told to pick something out, (b) being assured that it was not necessary to be super dressed up and (c) being reminded that no matter what I wear, I am a sight for sore eyes. So, armed with these little tidbits, I put together the outfit that is before you. It's partly masculine, partly feminine and 100% yours truly.

There are several new things I want to point out. First, I'm wearing an amazing thrifted blazer that I got last month. I love any and every excuse to wear it. Underneath that is a thrifted menswear inspired black vest which I also adore. Next up are my charcoal grey high waisted shorts that I bought late last year, but never had a good enough reason to wear (it takes a lot of motivation for me to put shorts on, yeah I'm weird). Finally, below that are my thrifted, super thick/comfy over-the-knee leg warmers.

So, I find myself wondering whether it would have been more appropriate to wear a dress. It seems like Valentine's Day is a dress wearing occasion, no? This leads me to wonder why I don't care much for dresses. From there, I find myself wondering why I don't think about marriage or the "perfect" wedding or white picket fences. I wish that I liked to sew and that I was crafty, because then I could share cool DIY projects. This could make me better at being a woman (and more interesting heh). I wish I liked to bake, because then I could post cute/colorful photos of cupcakes and neat-o recipes. That could make me better at being a woman. It would be a step in that direction. So, why don't I care?

Should I care?

Maybe, it's just not that important to me. Perhaps, I should worry more about being a better woman..at being a better PERSON, than about being good at doing things that women are normally expected to do (with earnest joy). I suppose that I have chosen not to commit to a way of life that is based purely on my gender, but instead I am committed to being the best person, the best woman I can possibly be.

I certainly don't mean to suggest that there's anything wrong with taking part in and getting joy out of any of the above. I'm not a fan of judging other people or of telling other people what to do and how to behave. I do, however, love to criticize and question myself. It is a worth while exercise and that is all this is: just an intellectual exercise designed to draw me closer to that which defines me as a person.

So, I guess it's OK that I don't like to sew or cook or make crafts or bake or iron. It's OK that I wear a dress once in awhile, but not every chance I can possibly get. As long as I continually endeavor to be good and help others whenever I can, then it's OK. That being said, I suppose you can keep your arrows, Cupid. You don't want to be wasting them on me. I don't believe in girly fairy tales, either. ;P

I do, however, believe in eating half of a cheese pizza and three halves of three different flavors of cupcakes with chocolate ice cream. ;) Basically, this is my partner's way of trying to cheer me up on February 13 when Cotton stole my grand prize and gave it to my losing competitor.

The box of chocolates is what my partner gave me on Valentine's Day. I love his conscientiousness. He hand picked every single chocolate in that box based on what he knew about me and my particular sweet tooth. I was so embarrassed. I felt too special. If that makes any sense? Anyway, eating all of this stuff did not really make me feel any better, but on the upside, it was delicious. =P

Thrifted - Black Touque (Seoul), Wool Blazer (Swap Group), Vest, Tights & Legwarmers (Swap Group)
ModCloth - Typewriter T-Shirt, Wrist Wamers (Sale) & Black Gloves (Sale)
Forever21 - Heather Grey High Waisted Shorts
TIL Darling - Gold Vintage Bicycle Pendant
VJ Style - Gold Studded Barrel Bag
UrbanOG - Black Lace-up Boots

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Hi! I'm Anna <3

I'm fond of artistic fashion, esoteric music, retro games (the older the platform, the better), delectable noms, good libations, my Maine Coon, Bonaparte, and my Tabby, Winsome.

Also, I attended university in Hyogo Prefecture and I am proficient in Japanese.

もし、あなたは日本語が話せる、あたしに日本語で話て下さい！練習が必要だ！*^_^*

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