The Reoccurring Dress and Belt Combination

A while ago (I think it may have been for FBFF) I said I didn’t really have a go-to outfit.  That’s not entirely true: I don’t have one, but if I’m pressed for time and don’t like anything I’ve put on yet I tend to repeat at least 50% of something previously worn.  I’ve photographed this exact same belt and dress at least twice before on the blog and I can tell you I’ve worn it at least six more times than that (both of these are so old I’ve had them since before I started taking photos).

Also, have you ever felt like you’ve just had a bad hair month?  I feel that way about March.  I’m still hoping for that “out like a lamb” weather to happen… March, you have 14 more hours.

 

Again and Again and Again and Again

Monday 17 Jan 2011

Last week I really went sort of… extremely minimal on styling.  I did take a few photos with lace from a slip sticking out of my dress.  Better with or without?

And!  Finally!  A better photo of the vintage Coach bag that belonged to my grandmother.  It’s been hiding out in my closet for years.  I never carried it because I didn’t want to clean out the things inside: an old blue pen, tissues, some loose change, a Trident gum wrapper, and a change purse I can remember my grandmother having forever.  I didn’t want to discard any of those memories so I kept everything.  I left the pen and gum wrapper in the back pocket and tucked the change purse away somewhere safe (where it won’t disintegrate).  This is perhaps the most personal thing I have ever revealed on this style blog.  Now you know why– I’m extremely oversentimental.

I’ve worn this dress so many times and photographed it at least four now for the blog.  It’s an old old favorite from Commander Salamander (so old it’s from when Commander Salamander used to be good) in Georgetown.  And yes, I totally looked like a fool walking into that store.

Love, Alex
Commander Salamander dress, A.C. Moore belt (from leather for jewelry), HUE tights, Target boots, vintage Coach bag.

Nov 2010 on an unseasonably warm day.

Sept 2010 in one of my first DSLR photos.

March 2010 on a deceptively sunny and warm looking day.

Edit:  Sorry about the weird formatting.  I thought I would do something cool and caption the photos but weird things keep happening with them.

Edit 2:  I think I fixed it, but it still isn’t how I intended.  Oh well.

Standing in the Street

Worn on Thursday 11 Nov 2010 

Thoughts:  I just posted about bringing things back from trips this week, so I want to tell you that two of my outfit items (well really three, two stockings) in this post came from Japan!  This trench coat saw me through months of unpredictable weather when I was studying abroad in Osaka and remains one of my favorite lighter jackets.  In fact, this entire outfit (minus belt and add black flats) was a favorite with my friends from study abroad.  I went to Japan in January 2008 so I’ve been wearing this for quite a while!  I also wore parts of it for the blog last month and in March of this year.  

Also, red lipstick is now officially part of my everyday lipwear.  I think I’ve worn it for about a week straight!  I just woke up one day and thought why shouldn’t I?  Red lipstick was the first lip color I ever wore, starting when I was five for ballet performances.  Since then it’s always had a bit of a special place in my makeup collection.  I seem to be matching the tree again with it!  I switched places mid-photoshoot because on the LCD it didn’t look like the photos in the street were exposing properly but they ended up coming out okay!  Yay!  I would love to take more photos with the red tree in the background but unfortunately there was a huge storm Wednesday morning and now there are only about ten leaves left on the tree :(  Soon there won’t be any leaves left on most of the trees, sad because I love when the leaves change color during fall!  

Trench coat from Japan, dress from Commander Salamander, Talbots scarf, Target belt, over the knee stockings from Japan, Sofft shoes.  

Adventures With DSLR: Is That a Ghost on My Left?

9.27.10 ~ Monday

So this is my first attempt at indoor photography and I guess it came out okay. The flash is quite visible. But I probably should have taken these before 6pm as well, it getting a little dark to do that.  Especially indoors.  And the background… could definitely be better.  I have to work on that, and really, I’m trying to.  I just bought The Digital Photography Book by Scott Kelby and I’m thinking about one of those photography-class-in-a-book sort of things as well.  And I need some decent software, iPhoto is good but Aperture or maybe Photoshop Elements would be better?  

I wore this to meet my friend from school for pho (Vietnamese) at a restaurant almost soft of halfway between us (farther for me, but highway driving long distances every so often gets that racing urge out of blood) We’re all so scattered now, from coast to coast and north to south… and even across continents!  It’s terrible not to be able to go to Starbucks with my friends every day at 6:30 for the after dinner/pre-studying pick me up!  I do wish we were all closer together.  

Dress from Commander Salamander (I forget the actual label), LOFT belt, over the knee socks/stockings really from Japan, Salvatore Ferragamo shoes.