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I was in a major time crunch before going to church with my family today. I decided to wear what I had worn to bed with just a few tweaks.
H&M Aqua Tee (cut off the arm bands and the band on the bottom of the tee – bought in May 2010)
Purple Scarf (borrowed from my mum)
Refuge Jeans (bought from Charlotte Russe in 2007)
Bronze Belt (gift from my aunt in 2006)
Aldo Wedges (bought in 2009)
Dasha Boutique Pearl & Moonstone Earrings (bought in 2009)
Mother of Pearl Cuff (bought from Viet Nam in January 2011)
My husband had been waiting for me to get ready (I was trying to fix my hair and do a quick makeup application), and when I finally appeared, he remarked, “You look like spring!” Awesome–that’s exactly what I had wanted–a spring-like vibe.
The scarf really adds a chic touch to the otherwise casual outfit, or as my husband said, “It’s classy.”
I don’t normally wear scarves because they’re such a defining staple in my mom’s wardrobe. Every time I think of putting one on, I feel like I’m becoming my mom. Weird, I know. My mom is pretty stylish and I’ve picked up a few habits from her (preferences for bright colors and shiny baubles), so imitating her style choices is not the problem. It’s more like I feel uncomfortable that I am dressing like her–for instance, if I wore a fleece, cargo shorts, and Rainbows, I’d feel like I am dressing like my husband. Scarves are my mom’s thing.
I’ve decided to let go of this weird hang up that I have, though, and embrace wearing scarves. They really do elevate a somewhat ordinary outfit up a notch.
For a comparison shot:
See original post here.
To find more ways to “dress up” a basic tee and jeans, check out the recent Petite Fashion Challenge hosted by Jess of Stylepint here. I wanted to sign up for the challenge, but I wasn’t quite ready at the time.
However, I have signed up for “the LBD” Petite Fashion Challenge for April 28th–it’s going to be my first one! It’s hosted by Jessy of The Little Dust Princess. Signing up for the challenge was one of my “Do one thing a day that scares you.” I told myself to just bite the bullet and sign up…and I did. If anyone else wants to sign up or do this with me, go here.
If you feel some trepidation in terms of putting your face or figure out on the internet, here’s an idea on how to quickly create outfits. My friend sent me the link and said she was reminded of me when she saw it.
Back to the aqua tee: You can see from the pictures above and from this post here that the aqua tee looks a lot better after it was cut. It’s also a lot more comfortable–so comfortable that I was able to sleep in it, as mentioned above.
I may borrow (okay, steal) a few clothing items/fashion ideas from my mom, but it’s actually not too bad because she steals/borrows ideas from me, too. She’s been cutting up her T-shirts! I cut a line down the front of crew neck shirts because I tend to find them constricting. Turns out my mom does that as well. I’ve known that my mom has been following my lead on that for a while, but when I saw her cut-up shirt today, I just felt a whole lot better about borrowing a scarf from her.
After church, my family and I were scheduled to support my mom’s school by wearing orange and participating in an event to raise awareness regarding budget cuts, so I changed to this:
Aldo Sunglasses (bought in 2009)
H&M Aqua Tee (not shown – bought in May 2010)
NY & Co. Coral Button Down Shirt (bought in 2005)
Aqua Belt (came with the shorts worn – bought in May 2010)
H&M Bermuda Shorts (bought in May 2010)
Silver Bangle (bought in 2009)
Rainbows (bought in 2009)
Dasha Boutique Pearl & Moonstone Earrings (bought in 2009)
I bought this coral button down shirt in 2005. It’s the shirt I referred to here. I used to wear it when I taught and while I was in grad school, but I stopped wearing it because I felt like it wasn’t conservative enough. The last time I wore it was some time last year when I layered it under a brown v-neck sweater. I’ve worn it about 15 times and it was sub $20, so cost per use is great at $1.33/wear.
Nevertheless, I haven’t worn it in quite some time, so I’m glad it got some attention today. I’m also going to have to take a brief hiatus from wearing coral–I’ve worn the entirety of my coral clothing items all in one week. Poorly planned, Quest for Fashion Sense.
Please note that I chose to wear my Rainbows today, too, because they are uber comfortable. I wasn’t set to jump on the Rainbows bandwagon until a friend asked me to send her a pair that she had left at my house (that planted the seed in my mind that they must be great if my friend couldn’t wait a month to retrieve them). Later, I asked another friend who owns multiple Rainbows pairs why they were so great, and she just went on and on about them. Once I tried on her pair, I was sold.
Rainbows mold to your feet, they are created with parachute material, and they come with a complimentary repair and return policy.
I wanted to wear Rainbows today because my family and I thought we would have to stand for an hour or so for the event, but as it turned out, the event was canceled. We did not get the memo.
Lastly, if anyone saw two people dressed alike at a street corner wearing orange-ish shirts, shorts, and Rainbows, that would have been my husband and me. Needless to say, due to his aversion of dressing like his mate, he immediately changed when we got home.
Guess he’s just not ready to embrace that trend.
Let me introduce my old chums, my Onitsuka Tigers, kickin’ it back old school. ’Cause I’m an old fool who’s so cool. [Original lyrics: "I'm taking it back to the old school..." Tag Team, Whoomp! There It Is!]
H&M Aqua Tee (bought in May 2010)
Sister Moon Jeans (bought from Marshall’s in 2007, approximately $13, and altered for length)
Asics Onitsuka Tigers (bought in March 2007 in NYC – forgot the name of the store)
Pearl Button Studs (bought in VN in 2007)
F21 Pearl Bead Necklace (bought in 2010)
Pearl Strand Necklaces (bought in the Philippines in January 2011)
I bought my Onitsuka Tigers in March of 2007. They were and are, to date, the most expensive pair of shoes I’ve ever bought–including my wedding shoes (silver Aldo d’Orsay pumps – $80), my running shoes (Asics Gel Cumulus – $70), and my Ann Taylor Perfect Pumps ($80). The Onitsuka Tigers were close to $90. I’m sure I could have gotten them for a lower price, but I was at a place in time where I just had to have them.
I’m a big sneaker wearer, even more so than flip flops. I like having my feet covered up and I like to wear socks inside shoes. Sneakers are comfortable, and can sometimes be stylish, although the way I wear them would not really be considered stylish or a statement, but more like everyday footwear. I know that flats are a good alternative to sneakers, and indeed, are a more grown up option, but given the choice between flats or sneakers, I would choose sneakers because they’ll always be more comfortable for me. I’ve worn flats before when I used to teach, but until I find a pair I really want, I’m probably not going to ever wear flats.
Sneakers, on the other hand…
I’ve sported pairs of Adidas Superstars since high school and later switched out for Stan Smiths. In college, it was back to the Superstars, aka “shell toes.” For the record, I once owned a pair of Chucks, back in sixth grade, but my feet are slightly large for my body (I’m a size 7 and I’m 5′) and wearing Chucks made my feet look abnormally large for some reason.
In 2007, my latest pair of Superstars were getting worn out, and I was looking for a new comfortable sneaker to wear. I was drawn to the Tigers for their sleek shape and design. I had finished grad school in New York, and on a return visit, ended up purchasing them in the City.
The Tigers have been my trusty companions for four years. They are the most comfortable pair of shoes I’ve ever worn, and I can walk for miles and miles on end in them.
Once my shopping ban is over, a new pair of Tigers are definitely going to be a purchase. These grey ones are cute and these off-white and blue ones could go with a lot of different outfits. When I used to be able to wear sneakers to work, I wanted to get these black ones. My wedding colors were yellow and grey, and I’m drawn to these ones. These salmon and “vanilla ice” ones are not-so-me, but they would be great for those who like a more feminine look.
These are more me: here (a little flashy), here (simple and basic), and here (colorful). The ones I have are these. Apparently, Prince William wears them as well. Coincidentally, he’s also born near the cusp of Gemini and Cancer–we’re born two days apart. [The only reason I know this is because my parents mentioned it to me when I was much younger. Really. No, seriously. I do have to admit that I'd really like to have Prince William's wardrobe. That button down + navy sweater + khaki + sneakers outfit of his is totally something I would wear.]
However, I digress from the major point of this post: the aqua tee. I love the color aqua, and I want to love this tee, but I don’t. I bought the tee in May 2010, and I’ve worn it about three times. Cost per wear isn’t too bad because the tee itself was only $8, so cost/wear equals $2.67, but at the same time, I do feel guilty, because I really thought it was a punch when I bought it. I realize now why it’s not: 1) the bands around the arms are too tight (this could be because I’ve gained weight, but still), and 2) the shirt is too long and I’m long-in-torso and short-in-legs. The latter could be fixed by my wearing the band higher up and having the tee billow a bit around my waist, but the problem is I tend to look shapeless when I do that and I actually do have a waist, so it would be nice to show that I do.
After taking 11 pictures and only selecting one suitable for this blog post (the one above), I ended up cutting my tee into this:
Ahhh, much better. I feel like I can breathe again–I don’t like to feel constricted, especially around my appendages.
The good news is the cost per wear of the aqua tee is now $2 and I have high hopes that it will get worn more now that it’s been altered Quest for Fashion Sense style. It probably won’t get worn as much as my Onitsuka Tigers, but maybe it will if Prince William begins to sport an aqua tee.
