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Replica: Pink and Yellow

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I’ve sort of jumped around oddly with photos this past week because there are a few looks I completely forgot about.  The original version of this outfit was worn on March 17, 2010 (it was a really nice spring last year).

This skirt is such a chameleon!  It’s one of those colors that’s never quite true when processed and is impossible to capture accurately on camera.  The real color is somewhere between the rich mustard and brilliant yellow that the skirt seems to photograph back and forth in.  I updated the original outfit with a different belt and shoes.  The shoes are still leopard, but they’re the pony hair ones I got from Banana Republic this spring.  The shoes in the original photo are Deena and Ozzy (Urban Outfitters) and are looking a very grey-washed brown these days.  Poor canvas shoes, they’re really not meant for soft ground or rain.

This year it took two full months longer for the weather to warm enough to wear this outfit again… and this week I feel back at March temperatures again.  I can hear the rain on the windows right now and I almost had to swim to Anthropologie yesterday.  The puddles are insane.  Makes me wish for a yellow raincoat and galoshes like when I was younger so I can go splash in them.

Spring Outerwear & Summer Jewelry

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I ended up rushed to take these before I had to change and get ready to go out, which resulted in about three photos that were actually in focus.  And which means I didn’t get any head to toe photos without the coat, only the portraits were usable.  But I am just wearing jeans, you can probably just fill them in with your imagination!  This vintage coat was a gift from my cousin around the winter holidays.  I’ve worn it between then and now but this is the first time I’ve actually gotten a photo.  It’s a good spring/fall weight jacket and blocks the wind wonderfully.  However, that means it’s also far too warm for temperatures above 70, I would definitely roast!

I pulled out my summer jewelry because I was feeling especially bright.  The bangles are from seasons past at J.Crew and still among my favorite pieces.  The turquoise bracelet was a gift from a friend.  Isn’t the color really wonderful?  It’s not really a valuable type of turquoise (I basically play with pretty rocks at work now) but I think I prefer it because it’s more interesting.  My turquoise necklace is also vintage and a gift from the same friend for my birthday last year.  Hard to believe it’s actually only a few weeks away again…

It’s Black and White Week!

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17 March 2011

So far March is definitely living up to the “in like a lion thing”.  It’s been really windy with no hope of normal-looking hair. Also whenever it’s rained, it has rained.  I’m thinking it’s going to be decidedly soggy this week, which is too bad because I wanted to walk around with my tripod.  But I’ll freak if my camera gets wet… are there raincoats for cameras?  I feel like someone must make those…

It’s Black and White Week so post some black and white photos with Lydia and me!

P.S. Sorry about the awkward lens flare.  It’s green in color so it’s actually kind of festive– I wore this on St. Patrick’s Day last week.  Also, first sandals of spring!  My feet are not in shape for open toes anymore, could definitely feel a blister coming on.

It’s Beginning To Be Spring

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This necklace was an amazing piece to borrow.  It’s rose gold, which I’ve never had the opportunity to wear before.  I’ve decided I like it better than yellow gold.

So.  One last color set before Black and White Week starts on Monday.  Visit my partner in crime at Chic on the Cheap to see Lydia’s black and white photos too!

Grab the banner and join us!

You may have noticed my absence yesterday on a day that I normally always post.  I participated in For Japan With Love, a bloggers day of silence to raise money and awareness for the situation in Japan.

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I think I’ve probably shared this already, but I studied abroad in Japan for spring semester 2008 during college.  Japan is also one of my top international destinations: I’ve been three times.  None of my friends live farther north than Tokyo so I’m relieved that they’re well out of the disaster area.

I wasn’t blogging yet during study abroad and none of my photos got viewed by anyone other than probably my sorority sisters and neighbors.  I’m finally sharing my adventures now, these photos were all taken with my old Sony and I so wish I had the Canon then, can’t even imagine the amazing photos I would have gotten!

In rough chronological order from January to May 2008, click through if you want to see them larger on flickr.

Fushimi Inari, the shrine of the god of rice.

Looking out over Kyoto, taken somewhere near the top of Fushimi Inari.

Kobe, near the harbor.

In Chiran they don’t decorate the sidewalks with something as common as grass… no, they have koi ponds between the sidewalk and the street.  Of course they do.

Standing at the bottom of an active volcano looking back towards Kagoshima, a southern regional capitol.

Sakurajima (an active volcano) in the background.  Sakura were just beginning to bloom in the south.

Shops in Gion (a district in Kyoto, also the setting of Memoirs of a Geisha) during the sakura viewing festival.

Sakura and a traditional gate in Gion near Yasaka Shrine.

View from up top in Roppongi Hills (Tokyo).

And because this is a fashion blog I’ll point out three fashiony photos from Tokyo: (1) Takeshita Street is one of the main streets in Harajuku.

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(2) Yohji Yamamoto storefront in Omotesando.  It’s very austere inside.

(3) Tsumori Chisato’s super cool window display in Omotesando.  I really regret not getting photos of the inside of the Comme des Garçons store, it looked like the MOMA.

The always bright Dotombori district in Osaka.  Tsutaya is like the Japanese Barnes and Noble, there are even Starbucks in most of them.

Sunrise over the rooftops on my last day in Japan.

Winter Outerwear: Black and White

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17 Feb 2011

Warmth!  It was very welcome after all the snow, rain, and freezing rain lately.  I even have proof that I wasn’t the only crazy out without a jacket, the guy in the background is totally carrying his.  Sorry for no post yesterday, so much to do lately!  And sorry I’ve been a really bad blog reader/commenter too, I’m hoping to become up to date with everyone later in the week.

This coat isn’t actually winter outerwear because it’s so light, but I was able to wear it one day at the beginning of the thaw.  The snow is melting and I hope there won’t be any more.  I love snow but it was a seriously snowy winter.  Some of my other winter outwear posts are Vintage, Snow Falling, Three Old Favorites, and Snowstorm of the Week.

I really like this ring!  But I had to give it back.

Forever 21 coat, Francesca’s Collections shirt, BDG/Urban Outfitters skirt, Assets by Sara Blakely tights, Cole Haan shoes, b-side by ken and dana jewelry.

Dressing for Dinner

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12 Feb 2011

Okay, so this is really dressing for a late cocktail party.

For the most part this blog is a chronicle of my daywear– I rarely post photos if I change for dinner (or later) because there’s not a lot of usable light around 8/9 pm.  But this day I got back and changed right away to capture photos.  I wore this for evening when one of my sorority sisters had a Valentine’s cocktail party.  I didn’t want to be too too dressed but luckily there were tons of people in red satin and stilettos.  I had to forego the heels, still far too much ice and too many tall snow banks that must be navigated.  I’ve been doing good with wearing responsible footwear lately.  Walking three miles through New York almost every day I’m there is really doing bad things for my knee, so no heels possible at this time.

Also, sorry I’ve been a bad commenter and a bad comment replier.  I’m going to have to set aside nights for blogging or something.  Time.  Management.  Been out of school for too long.

Love,

Alex

Francesca’s Collections open cardigan, Betsey Johnson dress (vintage), Forever 21 belt, We Love Colors tights, Cole Haan shoes.

Serious Shopping

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Worn on Saturday 18 Dec 2010

Last Saturday I went on a grand adventure!  I was doing some really serious shopping, so I dressed for comfort and ease.  In the winter if I know I’ll be really shopping my favorite thing to wear is a silk shirt (breathable and good at any temperature) and a light sweater for warmth.  And I always wear separates and a skirt if I’m going to a sample sale (Alexander Wang!!!) because I’ll be trying on clothes and a dress/pants aren’t that practical. 

I even put the cross-body strap on my bag so I could carry it hands- (arms-?)free if I needed to.  It always flips over in the front when it’s too heavy, I guess I had too much stuff in it! 

This shirt is actually an early Christmas present from my cousins, thank you, I love it!!! 

This is the little scarf I always have on my bag.  It’s an ancient (and by ancient I mean circa 2006/2007) Coach scarf that I used to wear in my hair all the time.  It’s been living on one bag or another for about the past year though. 

I also visited Le Labo in Nolita and got a freshly blended perfume!  I got a sample from Lucky Scent and adored it so I went to get a 1.7 oz from the New York store.  I would have loved to get photos of the inside of the store, very cool and old school apothecary style!  I leave you with a few photos of Vetiver 46:

A Little Bit of Snow

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Worn on Tuesday 14 Dec 2010

Oops, you cannot see much of the detail of I’m wearing at all, I forgot to account for the different lighting because of the snow!  I was a little distracted because my beloved tripod finally completely died, it’s been half-broken for around five years.  A lot of my photos from the past week have been serious fails.  But I ordered a replacement and it just arrived yesterday, I haven’t even had a chance to use it yet.  

I’m actually pleased with these photos, though!  They were taken with my newest lens, an early Christmas gift from my cousin.  It’s the entry level Canon 35mm but it is fantastic.  More useful than my 50mm and so much better than the kit telephoto!  Serious love.  

Francesca’s Collections tee shirt open cardigan thing, J.Crew shirt (you can see the sequins a little bit at least), BDG/Urban Outfitters skirt, Assets by Sara Blakely tights, Arturo Chiang boots.  

Decisions Decisions…

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Worn on Monday 6 Dec 2010

So I’ve come to a decision about Tumblr.  I’m moving the style blog off it as soon as I can.  If you stalk my twitter, then you know that I’m getting very serious about WordPress and am alternating between elated and despairing— I am not too good at web page design.  

The good news is that I will be keeping alexelizabeth.tumblr.com as a personal blog!  I love Tumblr but it just has too many issues for me to keep hosting the style blog, this blog is on my résumé.  Also, I don’t think I’ll have the WordPress up until at least January because I may try to create my own theme (yeah we’ll see how that turns out, I have a bad enough time with über simple Tumblr).  

On to what I am wearing: this is a very good example of what I put on when I’m not feeling very imaginative.  And when I’ll be going to a casual dinner party at my friend’s new apartment later.  I don’t really know what I was doing with that necklace, but that’s okay, I’ll consider this look an experiment in black + bold color dressing!  

Francesca’s Collections open cardigan, camisole… I think Victoria’s Secret?, Forever 21 necklace, Assets tights (not the chevron ones but still decently opaque!), Sofft shoes.  

My First Vintage Dress

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Worn on Thursday 11 Nov 2010

Thoughts:  This Anthropologie dress used to belong to my cousin and is from sometime in the 1980s (is that even old enough to be vintage?).  It’s my first vintage piece ever.  There’s a tie at the waist but the overlay fabric is literally disintegrating there so this dress must be worn with a belt or sweater.  The first time I ever wore this dress I paired it with a black cardigan and gold belt.  I think I’ve been wearing it with black ever since, although it’s actually blue and beige underneath.  

I was afraid that none of my photos would come out— these were taken just before 5 pm, which these days is well on the way to full dark.  There was just a tiny little bit of light and while these certainly aren’t the best exposed photos… I’ve definitely taken worse.  

Francesca’s Collections black sweater shirt thing, Anthropologie dress, H&M belt, stockings, Sofft platforms.