9.03.2013

military chic geek


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approximately one nano-fortnight after i discovered her blog i linked yall to J's Everyday Fashion (i have since found out that she is IRL friends with a reader and one of my highschool friends...so we're basically BFF). 

i am taking a page from J's book today (i actually take pages from her pretty much every time i try to get dressed and look fashionable functional. she is a thrifty, beautiful genius and i follow her blindly) by posting a composed outfit that i wore recently (recently as in, i am wearing it right now) and felt amazing in. this is also helpful for me so that i can recall winning combos when i feel like i have nothing to wear. 

i love that military stuff is still on-trend for fall because this peplum military jacket and a black flak-style jacket i already own are two of my favorites ,so i can sort of just grandfather myself into stylish with them. i nerded it up a tad with my real glasses, my glasses pendant and some cuffed red skinnies. the striped shirt is sleeveless so when i leave the pleasant confines of air-conditioning i wont immediately drop dead of heat stroke.

taken on the fire escape at work...like you do (tripod = a massive binder clip taped to the bannister. like a boss)


striped top $16 (100% lifted from a J post...this top is crazy flattering and versatile!): forever 21
skinny jeans $25: LOFT last year (similar, similar)
glasses charm necklace $3: forever 21
snakeskin gladiator sandals $24: american eagle
military peplum jacket $29: LOFT via eBay (similar, similar)
bracelets $4 : forever 21
hexagon earrings (FAVES) $5: american eagle (similarsimilar)

so yall probably know that i HATE having my picture taken and am certifiably the most awful model (that's not self-hate on my appearance, its a truth bomb re: my awkwardity).

you might conclude that taking my own pictures (rather than a photographer/friend/soulmate doing so) might be more successful. you'd be violently wrong about that. 

it took me at least 20 tries to get that first photo. 20 tries where i am terrified that my coworker is going to come out for a smoke break and knock my phone off the railing and onto the rocks 15 feet below (um, not to mention catching me taking selfies on the fire escape at work!?!?!). 20 tries where i am trying to remember to flip my pony, not have a double chin, make sure my necklace is showing, keep my shirt lying flat, push up my jacket sleeves, not close my eyes and try to get my feet in the frame. um yes, i am sweating. (deodorant: secret).

my method: i had my phone clipped into the huge binder clip and would set it down on things that seemed like a good height and then set my camera timer (i used the camera+ app) for 15 seconds.

well, i was trying to get these shots indoors before i opted to move to the more elegant veranda. i was setting the my "bipod" on the back of a rolling office chair (because that's what my photograph and modelling need: MORE WHEELS!). on one take i hit the button and ran to get in place. as soon as i did, the phone falls down. i figured the ten remaining seconds was enough time to set it back up and get back in place. just to be safe, i held my smile the whole time (because of smart). 

this is what i was gifted with when i retrieved the phone:

that's a BACKWARD smiling leap with jazz hands as i try to hurl myself into position. be impressed.

a quick skinny pants PSA: i recently tried to convert several friends to skinny jeans who were convinced that they "couldnt" pull them off.  i completely understand this feeling as i had made an inner vow when they first started appearing that i would NEVER wear this cut of pant. if, like me,  you have ample thighs and/or hips that are significantly wide than your waist, the natural inclination is that a boot cut or flared leg pant will "balance out" the top of your legs and make everything look more proportional.

 i was terrified that wearing skinny jeans would just amplify my thigh/hip situation. there would be nowhere to hide!  but since the trend refused to die, and i had a personal fashion renaissance, i forced myself into some skinnies 1.5 years ago and was blown away with how wrong i was. 

granted, i need to be strategic about my tops (longer lengths or flowy-hemmed are best  to help blend that horizontal KA-POW action a little more smoothly), but i think that skinnies actually have a slimming effect on practically any body types. they dont just make them in sizes 0-6, so you know that the fashion people (official term) believe we non-tiny ladies can rock these too!

2 comments:

  1. I went through pretty much the exact same process with skinny jeans, moving from a passionate vow NEVER to wear them to being pretty much uninterested in wearing anything else. For me, it was cutting my hair into a pixie that gave me the boldness to try them...and I have yet stop being amazed at how flattering AND comfortable they are! (Assuming you get the right fit of course - love me some LOFT!) I'm soooo glad to be wrong on this one.

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