Overly Worn Ripped Mom Jeans (And Overly Analyzed Thoughts).

I keep leaving and coming back. It's been a slow year for the blog - not that the previous years have been particularly fast - but this one felt sporadic and inspiration-less. Maybe it's the 'content clutter' out there, making me feel like being on the internet isn't worth it. Like I'm contributing to our world's dumbing down, in one way or another. Or maybe it's just my current relationship with myself and my surroundings. Either way, it's been dry. 

This blog was never intended for other people's enjoyment. It's my place to create and store and document - and if my point of view is relevant and interesting to anyone else's life/style/experiences, I welcome it with open arms. It's my place to be and discover and share my most authentic self. Hopefully I've achieved that even in my half-assed presence. 

There's been a couple of times when I considered just deleting the blog - but then I'd be erasing 4 years of memories and coping mechanisms. This post was intended to be lighthearted and poke fun at my overworn mom jeans; not sure when it all went downhill. I suppose I just needed a good ol' interwebz therapy session. 

For the next year, I look forward to taking on this blog with fresh eyes. My life feels more together. I have a job lined up starting January. I'm in the middle of enjoying a long, relaxing holiday with my family. Everything feels purposeful, and it's given me time to think about the future. I want a 2017 that's focused on experiences, rekindling friendships and relationships, creating new ones, cultural immersion, and very limited materialistic happiness. Of course, style will still be an integral element of this blog - it's my most trusted form of expression. But life is about so much more, and I want to become aware of it. So here's to a new year of blogging - same focus on fashion as a means of expression, in a happier heart, centered mind, and aware body. 

Photos by Aidan Bradbury-Aranda

earrings: Romania

choker: BaubleBar

top: Crossroads Trading Co.

jacket: Old Navy

bag: H&M

jeans: Topshop

boots: Crossroads Trading Co.  

Thanks for being here - of all internet places you could be. 

The Crisp White Sneaker.

I was going to bring up how long it's been since I frequented this corner of the internet ... until I told my boyfriend I was posting again and he asked if I would be bringing up my absence in this first post. 

Am I really that predictable? Geesh! 

It's not that I haven't wanted to be back - I miss writing; REALLY sitting down and writing - SO much, but the end of daylight savings has really taken a toll on me. Fall has me in a constant state of melancholy and goosebumps, not to mention a lack of inspiration. 

I'll get up every morning, put on the same pair of jeans (or trade it off for the ankle variety), pile up a cami and one of three sweaters I own and call it a day. My current mission is to start building a stronger fall/winter wardrobe because, well... just cause I don't like the dang season doesn't mean it's not going to happen. Go figure. 

One of the more constant things in my life recently has been this white sneaker, which at press time is actually more of a light gray accumulation of dust and dirt. Nonetheless, these shoes are my saviors time and time again. When I'm boring; when I'm stylish - they're there for me, keeping my feet cozy and cool. 

Here, they're rocking out to errand day, striking a pose for the judgy onlookers that for some reason can't wrap their heads around people taking pictures outdoors. They did pretty well, if I do say so myself. 

Photos by Aidan Bradbury-Aranda

sunglasses: Warby Parker

earrings: gifted

choker: Forever 21

ring: Mexico

jacket: Young&Reckless

jumpsuit: Bardot

back: H&M

scarf: gifted

sneakers: Adidas Neo (via DSW) 

Thank you for being here! Much appreciated :) 

How to Style a Basic Slip Dress.

The sight of bracelet stacks and dangling necklaces is intoxicating, and so is the feeling of coming up with a look like that on a day when I just want to be sleeping and sipping on some tea. The latter is the bad kind of intoxicating, obvi. As in, the type that has that creepy black skeleton with the crossing bones on it 'intoxicating.'

Hence, as much as I love stalking blogger upon blogger and admiring their keen attention to detail, I just can't commit. Nuh-uh, my friends. On a Sunday you will find me sleeping away until the very last minute, at which point I will throw an embroidered slip dress on and dress it down with some of my favorite staples.

This thrifted number is one of my favorites. Although I wear it very rarely, it's one of those items I'm probably going to be saving for the kids. Quality material, timeless shape. To make it current, I added the shoe trend that took us lazy folks by storm - a super cool structured sneaker (my Lacoste babies are gray, but some crisp whites would completely transform the look) and a battered denim jacket- a staple of every thrift store in sight.

At the end, I added just a sliiiight bit of pizzaz with a vibrant liquid lipstick. It's amazing how such a minimal effort-requiring procedure can pull together a look.

 Photos by Aidan Bradbury-Aranda

glasses: Warby Parker

jacket: Crossroads Trading Co.

dress: thrifted

bag: Rebecca Minkoff

ring: vendor in Mexico

shoes: Lacoste

Thanks so much for stopping by :)

The Simple Bodysuit.

My relationship with clothes is equal parts inspiring and scary. My outfits are my words; my photos are my diary. Where there's happiness there's inspiration, and where there's doubts, insecurities, sadness or anything in between, there's the difficulty of getting dressed in the morning. 

This look is one of the rawest entries, because it comes from a place of both inspiration and doubt - or rather, the burst of inspiration following the moments of doubt. There's an entire list of things that society expects me not to be wearing as a bigger girl, so stepping out in something as skintight as this simple bodysuit is seen as much more of a social commentary than a representation of myself.

It's interesting to think about all the different things clothes can be for people: shelter, a fashion statement, a social commentary, and sometimes a political battleground, particularly if you're a woman. 

I can see how this one look could turn out to be all of the above - or just a simple means of breaking free of all the labels and societal expectations associated with it. Because at the end of the day, dressing is an art. People can create their own interpretations of what it means, but you know your canvas better than anyone else. 

Photos by Aidan Bradbury-Aranda

sunglasses: Warby Parker

earrings: Romania

necklace: gifted

bodysuit: Forever 21

belt: thrifted

jeans: Blue Spice via TJ Maxx

bag: Aldo

booties: Madewell 

Thank you for stopping by! :)

Casual Gothic.

My favorite part about the off-the-shoulder look being trendy is being able to find so many takes on it. Back in the 4th grade when I was loving the style the options were so limited, not to mention ill-received by my less wardrobe adventurous peers. 

Times are a'changing, though, and I'm definitely taking advantage of the newfound freedom. While unfortunately most off-the-shoulder garments on shelves are the flouncy kind with no type of shoulder support, places like Tobi are there to save me, allowing indulgence in the trend but still making styles that can be rocked by us bustier ladies. 

Photos by Aidan Bradbury-Aranda

earrings: gifted

choker: Forever 21

top: Tobi

bag: Zara

jeans: H&M

shoes: Adidas

Thank you so much for stopping by! 

Errand Uniform.

3rd grade - the first time I discovered that people wear pajamas to go grocery shopping. College; freshman year - the only time I ever wore PJ's in a public establishment, after a 1 a.m. fire alarm kicked me out of the dorms. 

Errands suck and the only thing that decreases the suck level is comfort. I get that. But lawwwwd, do I have a field day looking at people's ratty jammies scraping the Walmart floor. There's a time and place for everything, and there are so many options for errand running that feel like you're burrowed under a blanket of comfort and cuddles. 

By far my favorite option is a stretchy jean - the Blue Spice cropped pair I'm rocking in these photos fits so well and was snatched at a low price from TJ Maxx. Finding that comfortable pair is the tough part. Adding a top in a simple color (and rocking it braless for extra comfort) is easy. Add a loose chambray button down for the frozen foods section and voila: you've got yourself a cute errand running look that won't make you curse your tongue off by noon. Bonus points if you add at least two accessories for an extra oompf. 

What is your errand uniform? 

 Photos by Aidan Bradbury-Aranda

sunglasses: Warby Parker

necklace: TJ Maxx

earrings: Etsy

bag: Rebecca Minkoff

top: mother's

chambray: Old Navy

jeans: Blue Spice

shoes: Nine West

Thank you so much for stopping by!